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The growls and grunts of the dragon language filled the atmosphere. Voices piled on top of each other, angry and snapping. A back and forth of constant disagreement and agitation. Threats and reasoning. Desperation and fury. The rather diverse group of red, yellow, and golden accompanying some of the most powerful dragons of their respective species. Despite the large size of the meeting chamber, they were in, the angry growls and snapping teeth threatened to overwhelm the space. The ashen black stone and cylindrical pillars quivering under the mere presence of the beings they occupied.

To Athaer, it was all just background noise. The fire queen lay on her raised platform, the tip of her long tail hanging over the edge while her wings lay relaxed and spread. Her gleaming red scales reflected polished firelight from the torches within the room, while her piercing yellow eyes gazed out into the room as though lost in space. Her right forepaw gingerly scratched at the stone beneath her as she studied the dragons before her.

There was the light king, Lumiane, and his son, the feathered light drake Kibre. Kibre's mate, and Athaer's daughter, the fire dragoness, Ember sat at his side hissing back at her brother, Yova, who sat on the other side of the group with the chaos representative, Agonel, and the lightning representative, Joy'el. Other various dragons were in the room as well, commanders and heroes of the recent war, each stepping in to give their own sway to the voice of the mismatched council. A couple of human servants skirted around the edges, wanting to stay as far away from the angry creatures as possible while they argued back and forth.

The argument was a simple one, in Athaer's opinion. Should the fighting continue? The war had already been dragging on far longer than any of them had wished for. Even the fire queen had to concede that point. But she had achieved her goal, at least in concept. The mental nation had fallen, despite help from many of the other nations in some way or another. However, the final words of her enemy haunted her, like a looming shadow that never quite went away, fuelling a deep anger and near fear within the fire dragoness that she couldn't deny.

Whatever arguments the others had, it didn't matter if they were for or against the continued movement into the other nations, they were irrelevant. Because, despite the obvious victory, the fight was far from over. Until the threat of corruption had been wiped from the planet's surface, Athaer wouldn't be satisfied. Until the darkness became ashes, she wouldn't be stopped.

She raised her wing, her first action despite the hours of arguing, and seeing the movement the noise quickly surrendered to her presence. The dragoness slowly and deliberately got to her feet, shuffling her wings and sitting down on her haunches, looking over her war council. She could see the expectancy in their gazes, their longing for her to take their side. They all knew that she was the one with the final say. She was the one to decide the fate of their nations and the fate of the rest of the world. She could see the frustration in Lumiane's face at the fact, the older drake not liking the power and respect she demanded, but unable to do anything about it. She could see the hope in Ember's eyes, almost begging for the fighting to stop. She could see the anger in Agonel, a bloodlust that demanded to be filled. None of it mattered.

"You're all wrong," the fire dragoness began slowly, "The other nations may have stood against us, and may even be looking at retaliation, but they are inconsequential. Our mission still has yet to be completed."

"What? Mother we...!" Ember began but was silenced by the queen's glare.

"They are still out there Ember," Athaer said, knowing and admiring her daughter's heart, "And until we wipe them from the earth, we won't be safe. You won't be safe, nor your hatchlings."

Ember lowered her head a little at that, shuffling her wings a little in acknowledgment. Athaer took a breath, opening her mouth to begin speaking again, when a swift movement from the corner of her vision gained her attention. A glowing white rock, sailing through the air toward her. Years of battle, training, and quick thinking overcame the dragon as her eyes widened in surprise. The flames of the torchers leaped to her command in an instant. An inferno appearing out of nowhere, surrounding the rock and pressing into it. She felt the stone eagerly accept the power. But it was already volatile and full, quickly overwhelmed by her addition.

She felt the surface crack, the power within pressing outward with dangerous eagerness. It was too late to stop it exploding, but that wasn't the only thing the dragoness could do. She flooded the stone with her power, pushing it through the energy already within, acclimating it, making it her own, a very part of her. The stone detonated with a white flash of energy, energy that Athaer could now control, and with a simple thought, she turned it toward her own will. The white energy passed harmlessly over the dragons within the room, as it did over her, before fading, leaving a startled group of dragons left.

Athaer turned to find the culprit, relaxing a moment now that the immediate danger was gone. In doing so she nearly missed the follow-up attack. A shining silver spear, flung through the air toward her. Dead on target. The dragoness let out a slight yelp of surprise, her eyes widening as the spear flew through the air toward her. It was faster than the stone, sailing like a light through the air. Fire pulsed from the dragoness's scales as she tried to sidestep the attack, but the distraction of the first along with the startlement of the attack in the first place had caught her off guard.

The spear grazed her neck as she narrowly avoided it plunging into her heart, but it continued into her wing. A cry of pain escaped the fire dragoness as the spear slammed into the joint of her right wing, and kept going, completely severing the limb from her body. She fell to the side, pain blinding her for a moment as absolute chaos erupted from within the council chamber.

A beam of light and a fireball were sent in the direction the spear came from. Roars of anger rose as the dragons rushed to defend their queen. Athaer's vision spun red for a moment as she hissed her fury and pain. Her vision cleared, and for a moment she panicked as her gaze was filled with the sight of her limp wing, laying completely separate from her body.

"Mum! Are you okay!" Ember had leaped onto the raised platform.

"I...I'm fine," the queen stuttered, shaking her head as she calmed her racing heart, "What happened?"

"A human... I think. They threw the stone and flung the spear at you."

"What?" Athaer growled, clawing herself to her feet, and staggering slightly, the missing weight of her wing causing a slight imbalance in her stance.

She looked over the chamber to see a human cornered by several of the dragons, holding a sliver shield that looked as though it were made of dragon steel, and a sword made of the same material. What really gained Athaer's attention was the shining white stone at the centre of the shield. An element stone. It was the only reason that they hadn't pounced on the human and shredded him to pieces.

A growl of anger escaped the queen as she leaped from her perch, holding her remaining wing close to her body to try and keep her balance, "Out of my way!"

The dragons looked back at their queen, seeming quite relieved she was alright. That was quickly replaced by fear however as fire burst to life on her scales. They quickly scattered to the side, leaving her facing the human that had just attempted to kill her. He was, much to her surprise, a rather simple-looking human. Average height and lean build, with a mop of brown hair and a roughly shaven beard. A cloak lay discarded to the side, and he was clad in leather fittings as armour.

As the queen approached he gripped the hilt of his sword tightly, narrowing his eyes. She towered above him with bared teeth and flooding anger, the fire on her scales heated so fiercely his skin was visibly burning at her presence. Despite this, he didn't flinch. Didn't back down. There was no fear in the human's eyes, no desperation. Only acknowledgement. He knew he had failed and would suffer the consequences for doing so.

His searing gaze caused the queen to hesitate. She had nothing against humans. If anything, she quite liked the species as a whole. This was the first time she had come across one that had any animosity toward her. Even then, this human didn't even seem to hold anger in his gaze, or his features. Merely a determination and recognition. It made Athaer rather uneasy, and immediately she turned her thoughts to the idea that maybe he wasn't even human at all. But if he wasn't human, he would have already escaped.

The man, seeing her hesitation, suddenly lashed forward, a singly step as he swung his sword toward her. Athaer growled, fire leaping from her scales at the sword, burning brightly. The human cried out in pain, falling back as he let go of his sword, looking in slight disbelief at the melted puddle of metal on the ground. He quickly readied himself again, preparing for her retaliation.

It was almost admirable. Any other creature that wished her death, Athaer would have incinerated without a second thought. But there was something about this human standing before her. It was as though there was a certain righteousness to his stance and glaring eyes. Eyes that stared directly into hers, studying her with the same intensity as she was studying him.

She snorted, before opening her mouth and letting a fireball fly toward him. He raised his shield to block, and she caused the fireball to explode. The force of it, not even his shield could defend from. He was flung back against the wall behind him, cracking his head, and falling limp against the floor. As far as Athaer could tell, he was still alive, even if he likely wouldn't be much longer with his wounds, but she had a solution for that.

"Someone run and grab a life dragon. I want this human imprisoned in the dungeons below," she said, "I will question him later."

There was a slight hesitation before several dragons rushed to her command. She gave the human one last look, before turning around and walking back to her platform. She glanced at the wound on her right flank, where her wing had been, snorting with agitation. Its disappearance was more annoyance more than anything. It would grow back within a year. Until then, she could always just use her flames to fly.

"Now, where were we," she said, addressing the council once again.

* * *

Athaer walked through the depths of her castle, feeling the burning torches around her react to her presence as she passed by. She didn't often come down this far into the castle. The air always felt smelt stale and stagnant, and the few dragons that lived down in the bowels of her castle were not always the most enjoyable to be around. They still showed her the respect her position deserved, but she knew they couldn't care less who ruled over the kingdom.

She found her way to the entrance of her dungeons, a place she rarely used. There were several criminals down there, of course, dragons who had broken her law in one case or another, as well as a couple of humans with smaller cells. She usually left the average criminal to her enforcement wing. A group of dragons that made sure the average citizen of her kingdom was following the more important laws. Very rarely was her personal prison used.

The two drakes guarding the entrance bowed to her as she passed by, and she felt their glances at the missing limb on her flank. She ignored them. Losing a wing was usually a big deal for a dragon, and she knew she would miss the feeling of flying with her wings, but she would get it again not too long from now.

The prison block was a large, cavernous area with the cells embedded into the rocky walls. A large bonfire burned in the centre, the smoke allowed to exit through a series of small tunnels in the roof above. The ground beneath her feet was no longer stone, but sand and dirt. There were several other guards within the actual chamber, keeping a constant watch on the prisoners within. The metallic bars of the prison were made from dragon steel, something the average fire dragon wouldn't be able to melt without days of constant heat. Most of the cells were empty, though there were a couple of miserable-looking prisoners inside, laying on straw nests.

The queen's presence certainly stirred some interest however as she felt their gazes follow her through the room. She didn't pay them any attention, her eyes only on one of the smaller cells at the other side of the chamber. As she approached a movement inside caught her attention.

The human inside was now in a simple brown cloth, covering his torso and legs. A bed of straw and a pillow lay one side of his cell, with a small table and chair, along with a hole at the back corner for waste. He stood at the bars, having noticed her approach. There was some slight scarring on her face and neck from the burns she had given him, as well as some loss of hair, but other than that he seemed much the same as the last she had seen of him.

She sat down on her haunches in front of the cage, tilting her head she studied him again. He regarded her with a near-emotionless gaze. Again, she found no malice or hate within the human's face, nor fear, nor even the reverence and awe she had come to enjoy from many of her meetings. It annoyed her somewhat. It was as if this human didn't even know who he was dealing with.

"Hello, human," she began, speaking in the common human tongue.

He bowed his head slightly, and much to her surprise responded in Drakin, the language of dragons, "Your majesty."

She frowned, "You speak Drakin."

"That I do. A difficult tongue. But an important one for any human wanting to make a life in a world governed by your kind," he said.

"I agree. Though I have yet to meet a human who can speak it so fluently," she said.

"We are rare," the human shrugged his shoulders.

She nodded slightly, "What is your name, human? I would rather not refer to you by your species through this questioning."

The man seemed to think for a moment, "I am known by most as the Dragonslayer."

Athaer's eyes widened. She had heard this title before. A human who scoured the world, freeing his fellow humans from captivity and killing any dragon that tried to prevent him from doing so. He was something of a horror story. A legend. One that Athaer had never worried to much about. As far as she was concerned, this Dragonslayer only really targeted dragons who was enslaving his own kind. It was something she had demolished when she had become queen, encouraging the humans of her nation to choose their own lives rather than live under the control of a dragon's whims. It was a difficult process, but one she was glad for.

"I see you have heard of me," the Dragonslayer said.

"I have," replied the queen, "You are a bit of a legend. A human friend of mine quite admires the stories you have generated. Though I can't quite understand why you would come after me of all dragons. Humans are treated with quite a high degree of respect here. From what I have heard you have been targeting the more western nations, such as the water and light nations, for their treatment of your kind."

"Now I have made my way here," he said, infuriating the queen slightly.

Athaer narrowed her eyes, "As I said. Humanity is treated with a high degree of respect here. Or at least, that has been what I have been trying to accomplish over the duration of my rule."

He bowed his head again, "And I am grateful for your efforts. That is not why I have come, however."

"Then why?"

"To kill you."

The simple, nearly nonchalant way he said it caused a flash of anger to rush through her body, "I know that... why do you want to kill me?"

Despite the rise in the heat along her body, the Dragonslayer remained unphased. Though he didn't answer her question, merely looking at her with his directly calm and slightly annoying gaze. As though his eyes looked directly into her soul.

"I am beginning to think you don't know who you are dealing with, human," she growled, flicking her tail.

"Of course I know," the human replied passively, "You are Athaer, the fire queen."

"Good. Then you should know what happens to those that stand against me," she growled.

"I wasn't finished," he continued, almost ignoring her words.

She titled her head in slight confusion.

"You may be the fire queen, Athaer, but you are also so much more," the Dragonslayer began, "you are the Heir of Terrinian, the Master of Fire, mother of Ember, Yova, and the deceased Zymre, lover of Abelan, the Firestorm, a dragon of equilibrium in the truest sense, the Omnipotent Flame, Master of Element Stones."

"How do you -"

"You are the Slayer of the Spirit, Destroyer of the Mind, the Living Sun, and more. You Athaer, are the dragon that will destroy the world," he spoke with such conviction that Athaer took a step backward.

"How do you know all that," she growled, lashing her tail.

He grinned slightly, "We have a couple of... mutual friends."

"Who?"

"Your teacher, Terrinian, seems to have taken a liking to me."

"The element of fire... has taken a liking to you?"

"I question it just as much as you do."

Athaer shook her head in disbelief. Terrinian had spoken to this human, of all beings. It didn't seem possible, but she didn't know how else he would know many of her most hidden secrets. Another growl escaped her.

"You said a couple of friends. Who else?"

"A drake... by the name of Vitto."

The fire queen froze at the name, "What did you say?"

"Vitto. The spirit dragon whom you threw out, rightfully so I might add, for lying to you for all those years."

"Your friends with Vitto?"

"He taught me much of what I know about dragons. But I haven't seen him in over a decade."

Fire erupted from the queen's scales as she lowered her head so that it was level with the human's. To his credit, he didn't even flinch at the heat radiating from her, nor the obvious fury running through her body.

"Did he send you after me?"

"No."

"Don't you realise that if I wished I could turn you into a pile of ash in an instant," snarled the fire queen, "And there is nothing you can do?"

"Yes. I am surprised I am still alive. I heard that you don't take kindly to assassination attempts."

"And are you not scared, Slayer, of what I can do?"

"To me, no. To the world, terrified."

Athaer narrowed her eyes. He truly wasn't scared of her. It was like either he didn't care if he died, or he didn't think she would go through with it. Maybe both. She wondered if he had some sort of suicide wish. But he didn't strike her as a man who wished to kill himself either. It was an enigma. And it frustrated her to no end.

"You think I am going to destroy the world do you?"

"Yes."

"Why?"

"Because you are a mortal with the power of an element. Something that no mortal being should possess. Because you have shrouded the world with war and have already wiped out a good third of the dragon population, and millions of humans as well in your efforts for revenge. Already your power is eating you up from the inside, and unless you are stopped you will destroy everything."

"Fancy yourself some sort of prophet, do you?" Athaer snorted, sitting up again to look down at him.

"Not a prophet. Merely observant."

"Well, you are wrong. I do not wish to destroy the world. I merely wish to make it into one without the corruption of the mental nation, which still lingers despite its destruction."

"Genocide is not the way to do it."

"I am not going to argue with you human. I have nothing to prove to you."

"Then why are you here?"

At those words Athaer snapped, roaring out, "You are the most infuriating human I have ever met! I am not the destroyer of the world! I am its saviour! I am its hero! I am the one with the power to change it! Change it into the world that it is meant to be! You want a title for me Dragonslayer? You want a description for me? I am the Cleansing Fire, and if I need to burn the world to ashes and rebuild it to achieve my victory, then I will do so!"

She turned around, stalked out of the cavern, ignoring the rather bewildered looks of the guards. But despite her words, and despite her conviction, the words of the Dragonslayer rang through her body. 'You Athaer, are the dragon that will destroy the world'. But he was wrong. She knew he was wrong. He had to be wrong.

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Hello everyone! This has to be the most voted for chronicle so far lol. Not that I'm surprised XD. Hope you enjoyed reading it as much as I've enjoyed writing it. I've been wanting to write this chronicle, so I'm glad I finally get the chance. Tell me what you think! Was the interaction between Athaer and the Dragonslayer like you imagined it to be, curious to hear your thoughts. As always, vote if you enjoyed, and comment on anything interesting you found. The Dragonslayer and Athaer will return XD. And vote on the next chronicle below. 

Ocean Depths: Ruban, Water Drake - 1 Yrs BTA

A Tale of Light and Dark: Ender, Shadow drake - 6Yrs BTA

Flightless Wings: Aviosa, Crystal dragoness - 7Yrs BTA

Under an Open Heaven: Konan, Rift drake - 24Yrs BTA

See Ya!

Pennator^^