Oblivion tossed and turned, flopping against the floor of his cave with pitiful sounds of restlessness. Everything was hot, he felt cramped, stray pebbles slipped through his feathers and dove into sides, and blurry visions that he couldn't even control skated before his closed eyes. Blurry visions of dragon's teeth; wisps of power coiling through a foggy room; membranous wings scaling the horizon; the eyes of his orakoi, once adoring and full of wonder, now looking at him as if he was somehow less than anyone else; his mate, tall and thick and smirking over some claimed victory, some beast he'd just saved Levi from.
With a soft groan, Levi opened his eyes. He was greeted only with the still blackness of the night, the dark bluish-purples still coating the land as far as he could see. Beside him, tiny claws scrabbled at the rocky floor as the young female tumbled about in her sleep, after some dangerous beast no doubt. Beside her, Sam snorted, laying his tail across her flank to quiet her, so her thrashing wouldn't disturb the other little Orakoi at her side. Oblivion slowly rose to all fours, retreating a few paces backward into the cave so he could see them.
His family.
His caring and devoted companions that would love him no matter what. The little girl that chirped in his ear and nipped at his claws; his mate who doted on the little boy, letting him scamper too far ahead and get into too much trouble only to coddle him later. They didn't care that Levi wasn't capable of the same degree of power as Pappy Sam. At this young age, they probably had no inkling that their Pappy was a rather exceptional Khehora at all. He was just naturally cooler than Levi. It wasn't the Diabi's fault that he didn't have those abilities.
But they'd learn soon. As they grew older, they'd learn communication and curiosity. They'd wonder, 'Hey, Daddy, why can't you do what Pappy can do?' And what would Levi say? That Pappy was better? That Pappy was stronger? That Pappy had trained harder and done everything he needed to do? Would Zarri still scramble beneath his claws and look up at him in wonder then? Or would she wonder why Daddy was so lazy and pitiful that he always allowed Pappy to get the best of him? Because Pappy was stronger and could do whatever he wanted.
Gone would be the days when they admired Levi. They wouldn't want to be like Daddy, just Pappy.
It literally gave the Diabi nightmares.
He sighed as he surveyed his family. He wasn't as powerful as Sam. He knew that. He'd hardly ever even had a fight without the Gaili's assistance. But he had plenty of orbs (that he'd obtained with Samael's help, of course), and he wasn't lacking in will, if that counted for anything at all. Oblivion's tail flicked out, faintly brushing the tip of his mate's nose. Was that enough to hunt down Razes? Was it enough to keep himself alive and successful if he were to try the Ritual? It would be awfully rude of him if he were to disappear right after his children hatched and never return...
On the other hand, he didn't even want them to remember a time when he'd been so much weaker than Sam that he couldn't even take the guise of a two-legger. It was insulting.
Shutting his eyes, Levi slowly lowered himself back onto his stomach. Obviously not to sleep, (despite the fact that it was ridiculously early-morning at best) but to wait. He couldn't leave his mate alone in the middle of the night with no explanation. But once Samael and the young ones rose, Levi would simply explain his plight, then be off. Today. Hopefully before the sun rose too high in the sky, so he wouldn't be forced to travel right during the heat of the day, with the sun beating painfully and exhaustingly against his dark feathers... It wouldn't do him any good if he was worn out before he found Razes. And that was after a long trip to Soudul, as well...
Really, this whole thing had seemed better before he sat down and thought about it.
Regardless of his reservations, as soon as bright green eyes flickered open, Levi was roaring to go. Samael was hardly even fully awake when the Diabi pounced him. Oblivion informed his mate that he was departing to Soudul to find Razes, and that he would not dwell in the Gaili's shadow any longer. Naturally, the first words on Sam's lips had been denial, but Levi countered it with certainty and refusal to be swayed. After an affectionate nuzzle to his mate and an array of soft coos and chirps to his young ones, Levi was off, soaring through the sky and eager to find his destiny; ready for this next step. Not only would he be stronger, but it would add... oh, just a little bit of extra flavor to his relationship with his mate...
He shook the thoughts away for later and focused on the task ahead. Of the two Khehorian Masters, he'd always assumed he'd seek out Razes. Anodyne was nice and all... But she was female and Firani and had no business teaching anyone anything when there was a much more suitable Diabi instructor living in Soudul.
His mind twisted about with all the outcomes that could ever possibly happen to anyone as he flew. Some were great successes, and in his thoughts, he emerged as the most glorious creature to ever walk Magesc. Others ended more sinisterly, leaving his mate to care for his children and leaving the poor little young things without a Daddy. Or worse a deformed and mutated Daddy that no one could admire or be proud of... or even stand to look at.
Oblivion shivered as he landed on a patch of deep green grass that stretched before a ghastly expanse of trees. No, he couldn't afford to think like that. He was here only to succeed. Nothing more. He held his head up, twitched his feathers into place, flicked his tail across his wings to remove any of Eowyn's stray dirt, then plodded proudly forward into the thicket. He wanted to be presentable to the most powerful Khehorian ever...
The draconic male was alone, unsurprising since few deserved his company. It was only with a great deal of trepidation that Levi approached him, although he refused to see anything but aloof. "Your Ritual? I'm ready for it." Levi informed the Khehorian tartly.
It was the first time Razes so much as looked at him. Tiny green eyes raised to meet his red ones in appraisal. Levi didn't know what he looked for, couldn't even tell if he found it. Razes only snorted. "You want a medal or something?" Levi opened his maw to inform the other that no, medals weren't necessary, but instead, the two-legged Diabi rose and shoved past Levi, heading deeper into the woods. "Just follow me."
Despite his annoyance at being brushed off so easily, Levi obeyed.
They walked deeper into the woods. Slowly, the trees and even the grass melded to nothing but darkness, so much so that even Oblivion, a Diabi couldn't see more than an inch in front of him.
"Hope you brought orbs." Razes voice, pulling him forward. "You'll need their power. Just crack 'em open and pull the power into yourself, like you would if you were fighting, but on an enormous scale. If you're strong, you can contain and control it. If not, it'll take over and eat you. Anyway, arrange them about however suits you best. I'll be about, but don't expect me to come to your aid. Find your way back when your done." Levi couldn't see him, but he imagined Razes's tail flicking dismissively out at him as the Khehorian departed.
This would probably be even more challenging with most other types of magic. Levi snorted. Even after that long trip, he was still expected to do so much. He flicked out his bag of orbs, dumping them to the ground and sending out a spiral of magic to move them about him in a way that he found pleasing. Everything had to be perfect, after all. Perhaps the Diabi orbs didn't even belong on the ground... They should float near him, casting good fortune and familiar magic upon him.
When Levi was satisfied, he sent out another wave, a burst of powerful dark magic to shatter the orbs about him. Instantly, the darkness was lit with flashes of all shades of magic. All of them hunting for a place to pool their power, and all of them finding only one suitable refuge; the Diabi's body. They danced before him enticingly...
And then it seemed as if they were attacking. They converged upon him, and Levi could almost feel the forces of water battling fire, of earth battling air, of plants battling a freeze. It knocked his breath away, a kicked him to the floor with nothing but a pitiful crow. Ugh! This was impossible! These weren't even his elements! After all his meticulous planning and battling, how was he supposed to control dragon power?! He didn't even feel Diabi magic in the ranks. His eyes cracked open, and as he looked around he realized... there wasn't.
The Diabi magic had no powers of light to challenge within him. It simply waited, waited for him to reach out and claim it, and use it to quell the fighting of the others. It had always been his, and there was no reason not to wield it now.
With a growl and a hiss, Levi summoned it, calling forth the familiar magic to tamp down the excessive screams of the others. Their lights were lost in the blackness, overtaken by shadows and silenced.
He was in darkness again. He could feel his heart beating against his chest, hear the harsh sounds of breath leaving his body. So... He wasn't dead, at least. But he was down. Laying on his back. Slowly, he sat up, the shift of muscles awkward and terse. He didn't move as he expected himself to. One claw in front of the other... No. Beneath hands, he felt feathers. Beneath his knees, grass. Things he hadn't felt before, in a body he'd never used before.
(1738/1500)
