Information

Infernocs
Legacy Name: Infernocs

The Common Paralix
Owner: HowlingHooves

Age: 11 years, 9 months, 4 days

Born: July 29th, 2012

Adopted: 11 years, 9 months, 4 days ago

Adopted: July 29th, 2012

Statistics

• Level: 44
   
• Strength: 10
   
• Defense: 10
   
• Speed: 10
   
• Health: 10
   
• HP: 10/10
   
• Intelligence: 0
   
• Books Read: 0
• Food Eaten: 0
• Job: Unemployed

The Birth of a Demon

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The laughter of his companions put his nerves at ease, though in the back of his mind something writhed there like an angry snake ready to strike. He was alert, as he should be, but he pushed aside such feelings of discomfort to address his fellow kin, chuckling when the female accompanying him swished her broad tail to whip at the youngest of his fire team. But then, all too suddenly, he halted in his tracks, toes and claws gripping the mossy earth below as if it would disappear beneath him in the next moment.
His brethren stopped as well, searching with eyes and ears but beginning to wonder if their commander stopped for no reason. “Can you smell it...?” He asked them, turning to look into the faces of the three red scaled dragons behind him. He whipped back when he heard the roar from his intended destination, or so he presumed. The three soldiers at his back shuffled and spoke in quieted voices, unclear as to what they were to do. The call clearly told them to return as soon as they could, but there had been peace among their clan and their neighbors for many summers, thanks to the dragon who stood before them now.
“No flight, no flames. If you see any unknowns, kill them as quickly as you can. Sarrah, Ulfrin and Pilon, head home from the northeast. Ferridan with me; go, now!” With his orders given, Infernocs was racing through the foliage of his clans’ territory as fast as he was able, his large size giving way to the smaller and less experienced warrior Ferridan; the younger dragon kept up with ease, moving in the wake of his commander. Ferridan stumbled once when Infernocs changed directions suddenly, nearly slamming into a scorched tree before following after his leader.And then he halted as he watched his commander and mentor, his hero, all but fall to pieces before his eyes. There, not but a few hundred feet before them, was the remnants of the hatching grounds, eggs crushed and scattered all around, the two dragons watching over the nests slain; the bodies were nothing more than torn shells, bloodied and broken and horribly strewn across the earth. Ferridan was stricken with terror as he watched the large, crimson scaled dragon pick his way carefully amongst the cold, crushed eggs toward the larger of the nest guards, and then Ferridan saw that she was still breathing. “Where are they, Amayin?” Infernocs asked her gently, though Ferridan heard how the strong voice of his hero broke. He couldn’t hear the shallow words of the female, but he saw as her breath gave way soon after speaking, and he watched with a breaking heart as Infernocs gently lifted her wing to cover her body, as was their clan’s custom when giving another to the Sun Lord.
Ferridan, startled when he registered Infernocs speaking to him, stood at attention a moment later, seeing Infernocs offer a consoling look, though Ferridan couldn’t help but notice the way Infernocs’ eyes give away that inside he was breaking as well. There was no time for such mourning though; survivors needed to be found, warriors gathered. “Ferridan, keep close; an ambush could be waiting.” Infernocs told him, and with a nod Ferridan followed after Infernocs, walking in his steps to avoid placing his feet upon any of what once would have been his kin.
They made their way toward the eastern side of their territory, where Ferridan knew Infernocs’ mate would have been as she waited for their hatchlings to become stronger and able to venture away from their nests. Had it not been for the wyverns seeking to occupy part of their cliffs, Infernocs would have been with her during this attack, and somehow Ferridan thought that maybe this may not have happened. As they made their way both dragons looked for any surviving red dragons, but they found none, only the bodies of their dead, along with the occasional gold and bronze. Commenting on his confusion, as neither gold nor bronze dragons resided anywhere near their territory, he was left with great doubt with Infernocs’ words. “Many gold dragons leave their clans and form traveling bands, much like the human gypsy caravans that wander through each spring and fall. I have no notion as to why the bronze are here... they rarely stray from their watersides.”
It was but minutes later that Ferridan, having been searching the area to his right, rammed into the haunches of Infernocs, stumbling backwards in his surprise. Infernocs seemed frozen, rooted in place like the many trees that sheltered their homeland, and once Ferridan followed the gaze of the gold eyed elder, he heard more than felt his sharp intake of breath. Lying upon the ground was their clan leader, a large, red-grey scaled male, clutching at a wound in his chest that bled through his claws and down the length of his forelimb. Rushing to his side, Ferridan did what he could to help ease Tritorian, looking desperately to Infernocs but seeing nothing in his eyes. Looking around him once more, further away, he spotted what Infernocs was so focused on.
She was cradling the remains of her hatchlings, her scales, once so oddly and beautifully white, were stained pink, torn and ripped from her to scatter all around. His eyes whipped back to Infernocs, seeing the multitude of emotions running through him, and knowing that this would surely break his teacher. Infernocs seemed to sag inward slowly, his face contorting first in anger, and then in sorrow. “Aneira...” He whispered the name of his beloved, and Ferridan could hear the heartache in his voice, could see how Infernocs was breaking at the sight of his mate dead before him. But Ferridan could do nothing, his limbs seemed frozen as he watched Infernocs approach the white female, first slowly and then with stumbling, frenzied movements.
Infernocs clutched her close to him then, roaring in the agony of his loss, then in his rage; it was clear that Aneira had been protecting their hatchlings, even to her last breath, but she had been overwhelmed surely. Tritorian wept softly as Ferridan helped him to his feet, letting the brutish clan head lean against him for support; Aneira had been his only surviving daughter, and he had cherished her as if she were the last of his clan.A shriek tore Ferridan’s gaze away from Tritorian, as it was so sudden and unexpected. His kind was known for their deep throated roars, not for something so high pitched and terrifying. Ferridan could see Infernocs speaking to himself, as if answering a question, and then, before his very eyes, he watched as the once bright red scales darkened to become the boldest of blacks, his scales becoming more sharply defined, muscles becoming thicker beneath skin and scale, wings becoming thinner yet no less able to carry Infernocs. The gold plating of his underbelly dimmed, looking as if it were dull bronze, and a bulb grew on his tail, a stinger seeming to sprout straight from the end, much like that a poisonous insect. Infernocs turned to look at him soon after the transformation, opening his eyes to reveal a terrifying, eerie green; they glowed cruelly, and Ferridan recognized the rage and sorrow for what they had changed Infernocs into. “A fallen... Tritorian, we must flee, quickly!” The young warrior urged his king, but Infernocs was upon his wounded leader before he had the chance to move.
He watched for but a moment as Infernocs tore into his ruler, fear soon guiding him back toward his companions. He found Sarrah and Ulfrin soon after, though he made no motion to stop his desperate flight before he heard Infernocs shrieking angrily. “Flee! A fallen has been born!” He called behind him, and soon he could feel one of his kin at his side running along with him as they made their way to the cliffs; Ferridan had no hopes of finding refuge anywhere within his clans territory, but he hoped the Wyverns staying amongst the cliffs would lend aid.
But, before he could even blink, he spotted Infernocs erupting through the trees in front of him and realized that there was no longer anyone at his side. Ferridan attempted to skid to a stop, chipping claws on the rocks below his feet in his urgency before he began to plead for mercy from Infernocs. “Infernocs, please! I beg of you, come to your senses! We are clan members, kin, brothers in scale and blood!” He backed up a few paces as Infernocs strode toward him, eyes still glowing with his anger.
“I know, Ferridan... Your life is not mine to take, and my intention is no such thing. You are to send the Gold ones a message, warrior. They have crossed the wrong dragon, and payment will be in blood. Give them the message, Ferridan, and may the Sun Lord guide your way home.” Infernocs was all but upon Ferridan then, the young red warrior stricken with fear as he was backed against a rock face behind him. Bringing his face next to Ferridan’s, Infernocs whispered, “I am a Fallen. Remember it well, Ferridan, for there is no returning from such darkness.”
Ferridan woke as the moon was rising, hearing the crackling of flames and splintering of wood. He opened his eyes to see the world around him was as dark and black as the flames eating away at his home, his head aching. Remembering the parting words of Infernocs, Ferridan felt his heart constrict in both fear and pity for his teacher; his mind remembered the regret Infernocs displayed in those final words, his rage nearly displacing all other emotion. The Infernocs he had grown to adore was no more than a memory, and Ferridan knew that such a transition would haunt Infernocs for the duration of his eternity. Recalling the tales of the Fallen from his nesting days, Ferridan stood shakily as he looked around him, hoping to find another amidst the wreckage.
The Fallen are lost soldiers, young ones. They are very powerful, and immune to many things we as dragons should not be; death does not follow a Fallen as easy as we. The scales are as black as the moonless night, even more so, and they have eyes that seem as if a lantern lights them from within. Seventeen walk the earth at once, no more and no less, according to legend. Young ones these creatures are not legend, but truth. I have seen it for myself! Be wary of them; when the transformation takes place, they are rarely who they once were as the deal they made with the mad God of tyranny comes from their strongest emotions. Flee if you see them, but do not hope to escape unscathed.
Nothing was left of his home as he wandered through it, not but bone and scale left behind by the dying flames. Looking overhead at the sky, he thought for a moment he spotted a dragon flying overhead, its shadow trailing over him to disappear among the dim stars. He shivered involuntarily as he remembered what Infernocs had told him. He had to seek out the destructive gold dragons. It wouldn’t be hard for him; he had always been an excellent tracker for his clan.
Eyes watched the young Ferridan from atop an outcropping in the cliffs above, glowing faintly green and aloof, uncaring for everything but the dragon below him. Infernocs could track the golds himself with ease, but a part of him wanted to keep an eye on the young red below him, a part that the Fallen in him tried to burn from his heart. He said nothing as he watched Ferridan, smiling maliciously when he seemed to catch the trail of the destructive dragons, saliva dripping from his sharp teeth to fall to the stone below with a sizzle, an acrid smell rising into the air as it ate away at the rock. “Soon I will gain my vengeance, Adhikshita. And then you are free to do as you please; send me this mentor you spoke of and I will learn well.” Spreading his wings, Infernocs rose into the air after diving from the cliff, following Ferridan through the night.

Rebirth of a Hero

The first to return to him were the smells of the world, something he had thought he had left behind. As he inhaled, shallowly at first, he recognized the sharp, yet sweet aroma of damp earth, of wet grasses and trees. He could smell the crispness that he remembered he had always enjoyed, how it foretold of the coming of fall, yet underneath everything was something he could hardly put a name to. A voice echoed inside of him then, seeming to come from nowhere and everywhere all at once. It was deep, soothing but powerful in the same instant, and very clearly male.
Open your eyes, Infernocs.
Even as the voice bid him to, he found his lids so incredibly heavy, and slowly he felt as if a tremendous weight were being pulled from over him. The name spoken was his, he knew this, but the voice speaking to him was not someone he remembered. Still he felt deep within him the want to obey that voice, to open his eyes and see the world that was around him. It took some minutes before he was able to do as asked, and his vision was blurry when the gold of his eyes hazily focused on his own nose. He lay where he was even after, not feeling quite right as his vision cleared and he felt his breathing become just a bit deeper, as if his lungs had been in a sort of hibernation. The voice spoke to him once more, and Infernocs was quicker to obey this time.
Raise up your head, Infernocs. All will return to you, rest easy.
He did so without much trouble, feeling his muscles work smoothly and without the difficulty he had faced with trying to open his eyes. As he raised his head he looked at his surroundings as his neck lifted his line of vision higher and higher; he could hear the scales scraping against one another ever so quietly, but suddenly he felt a sharpness pierce through his skull, and he clenched his eyes shut as visions swam across his minds’ eye. He roared in pain soon after, lifting a clawed foreleg and clenching at his chest tightly, painfully.
Fear not, Infernocs, for you are safe. As I had promised, your rebirth is at hand. Remember, old one, so you may save those who remain and bring them under my wings.
Infernocs opened his eyes once more as he felt an energy seep into him then, leaving his limbs tingling with power that rested beneath his scales and skin. He looked down at himself then, eyes narrowing on the color of his scales; in his visions he clearly remembered himself being of the darkest black, as were the others under the control of Adhikshita like he had been, but now… he was his birth colors; golden belly, brilliant red scales covering his body. He lifted his tail and brought it around to his eyes, and he knew then that he had not been imagining anything, had not simply been dreaming and now just woken. At the tip of his tail was the mark that had made him of the Fallen; the bulbous end with the sharp barb, much like a scorpion’s sting without the curve of the stinger. And then he remembered the pain in his chest, so vivid and overpowering it had been!
Your change has only just begun, Infernocs. You have many questions, I know, and in time they will be answered by your own heart and mind. You fell, Infernocs, as the once white had predicted. And, as I had promised, you have returned to the earth in the body that you once dwelled within. My powers have granted much more than my son was ever able to give, but the agreed upon penance will leave you at peace after you have brought them to me. Now rise, Infernocs, and seek out those Fallen now mortal; Adhikshita has been destroyed, but your fellow Fallen wander in this world lost without the power they had once possessed.
And as the voice spoke to him, he was reminded of a time so very long ago, when he was red and gold by birth, without the God’s power coursing through his veins. He could see another as white as the snows that capped the mountains in the distance, he saw the warmth that radiated from eyes so deeply gold and unending, he felt the love he held for the female as it burned white-hot within his breast even then.
“Aneira...” He whispered to the breeze as he closed his eyes to relish in the memory of his past love. He subconsciously gripped her tail within his own, the end curling around empty air as he remembered her touch, her smell, her gentle voice and the love she gave to him so eagerly. His memories of Aneira had not faded, he realized, despite all the time he knew had passed between when he had forsaken his freedom by accepting Adhikshita’s offer to avenge his clan, to avenge his murdered hatchlings, to avenge her death.
He half opened his eyes then, tears springing forth and dripping down the smooth scales of his face to fall to his forelimbs below. Infernocs felt as if his heart was shattering in that instant, as he had given so much just to see his Aneira once more, and then he had given up that chance in order to save those Fallen he had come to call his surrogate family. He let out a cry of anguish as he came to realize the full compensation he was to give up in order to bring the Fallen into the open and waiting wings of the Sun Lord, Zephnyr.
He would never again see the love of his life; Aneira was lost to him forever now.
But even as he thought of such a loss, as wholly as it was now, he felt the wings of Zephnyr gently wrap about him in comfort. Infernocs was silently reminded why he had given up such a chance, given up the one thing that had been his endgame to see Adhikshita fall in the beginning of the coup he had set in motion; he saw the faces of Whitehawk and Rajarshi, of the love they held for each other despite their species differences and the wide gap in age. He saw how Apollon and Calogero, though nothing more than platonic partners despite the fact Infernocs knew they would have been destined to be for one another under different circumstances, how they carried each other in times of strife and held each other aloft when one fell to defeat. Radnor’s bright and intelligent face came to him next, and he remembered the times where the tropical dragon had nearly lost everything in his rage at Adhikshita, and how Radnor had pulled even him from the depths of the darkness that overtook them all so easily.
Infernocs wept then, as the Sun Lord showed him those who were with him then. Whitehawk and Rajarshi had been the first to meet Zephnyr at the gates to his realms, with Infernocs standing as a wisp of a soul at his side. He remembered going to Apollon at his end in the next instant, though he was but a ghost seeking to lead the way home for the oldest of the Fallen. Calogero had been torn, but he had given her the reassurance that all would be well for Apollon, and herself when the time came. They were gone then, and replaced by visions of Radnor as he bid his farewells to the human ruler, and close friend, King Amnon of Gunnlaug. He watched morosely as Radnor asked for the King to end his life, and the King, while torn, had done so with a kindness that Infernocs had never seen a human encompass when dealing with the dragon species. And even after his death, Radnor had been so bright a light to Infernocs that he had said nothing, merely smiled welcomingly to the youngest of the Fallen before they headed for Zephnyr’s realm.
He opened his eyes once more, turning his head to watch as the sun descended toward the ice touched mountains, feeling something tugging at him, urging him to rise up and take flight, if only to seek out someone who needed him. Inside, he could feel the bitterness welling up, but he inhaled once, twice, and then felt the tides inside calm. A small smile came forth then as the dragon stood, his body lumbering forward a few steps before he felt his balance return to him.
“All is well, Zephnyr. Those I call family are in need of me, and so I shall seek them out.”
He spread his wings then, and took flight without a moment longer to remain with his memories, his body aglow with the power the Sun Lord had granted him, shimmering as if he were of the sun itself and casting light even in the deepening shadows as the world became shrouded in the night skies. He glided his way south, following the pull that strengthened as he drifted, his light akin to a beacon for those lost in the night.
“I am your light, Sun Lord; I am their guide home. I will come for you, fear not my friends. Your sorrows will fade, your fears will vanish, and your hearts will be still as your eyes meet my own.”

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