We have a visitor, Aranteth said, informing both his sister Kaerith and friend - though few would consider her friend material - Yosheth.

Someone came? Kaerith smiled softly, excitement causing her heart rate to quicken. I hope they're nice!

Aranteth blinked suddenly, feeling an unexplained wrench of uncertainty at his heart as he walked to the entrance of the room to open the door. However, wishing not to worry Kaerith or upset Yosheth, he said nothing, shrugging off the feeling as he sent a telepathic signal to the door-opening device.

The door, much like a garage, slid open bottom-to-top, altogether disappearing from view to reveal their visitor - a fiery-coloured dragon with glossy black horns and claws. Aranteth was larger than him, and yet this dragon still seemed to give off an aura of... something strange. Perhaps it was his character itself, or perhaps the place he came from, but either way it twinged at Aranteth's intuition. Something wasn't right.

Good afternoon, Aranteth greeted the visitor anyway, attempting to shrug off the feeling of uncertainty within him. How may we...

Listen up, Yosheth butted in, her mindvoice sharp and sour like acid. You have fifteen seconds to tell me why you're here and what you want with us. Out with it.

Yosheth, please! Not everyone is a foe, Aranteth said. Yosheth shrunk back a little, but retained a glare directly at the dragon in the doorway. I apologize. Yosheth is... somewhat of an unpleasant character when it comes to speaking with strangers.

"Understood," the dragon spoke out loud. "I deal with this sort of thing all the time in my line of work."

Kaerith approached quietly, her head sticking out from behind her brother. Aranteth? she called him. Who's this?

"My name is Phlegethon," said the visitor, as if reading Kaerith's mind (which he may very well have been doing). "A Seeker from the Twisted Fate."

Yosheth suddenly gave a growl, sparking Phlegethon's attention.

Yosheth! Aranteth scolded.

"Ah," Phlegethon said with a small grin. "So you've heard of my home, then."

Damn straight, Yosheth said. And I'll tell you, if you don't get your corrupted ass out of this dragonry by the time I count to three, I'll send you to an even lower circle of hell!

Aranteth was about to scold Yosheth again, but Phlegethon, to his surprise, chuckled with amusement. "My, my. But you are quite mistaken. Not all from the Fate is corrupted, just as not all in your home is good."

What're they talking about? Kaerith asked Aranteth, her voice shaking with fright. Corrupted? What's Yosheth saying?

It's all right, Kaerith. We'll handle this. Just ignore Yosheth, Aranteth reassured her with a quick glance in her direction. Turning back to Phlegethon, he addressed the Seeker with caution. I am curious. Why exactly are you here?

Phlegethon explained, "Seekers like myself are, in essence, like Searchriders, but we operate a little differently. When word comes to us that the Fate has a clutch that is ready to accept candidates, the Seekers are dispatched. Often, we will choose anyone we see fit for candidacy, and you three..." He paused, looking over each of the trio in turn. "...have been Chosen."

Chosen to... bond? Kaerith blinked, eyes filled with curiosity and wonder.

"Precisely." Phlegethon nodded.

Aranteth, hear that? I might get another chance... Kaerith smiled up at her brother, who gave her a similar smile in return.

"As new Chosen," Phlegethon continued, "you will be taken to the Twisted Fate immediately. Oh, and by the by... there is a bit of a catch to this." He gave a wry smile. "You have no choice."

The trio fell silent for a moment, all three surprised by this truth. Yosheth continued to glare at the Seeker after a moment, though, her icy eyes unmoved. Aranteth and Kaerith looked at each other nervously - even Aranteth, who normally could remain stoic in such a situation.

Aranteth exchanged a quick mental conversation with his sister, then slowly gave the Seeker a nod.

Kaerith and I will come, he said finally, after a long pause. Though both were unsure of how safe it would be to go with Phlegethon, they figured it was best not to argue with him.

"Excellent," Phlegethon replied, giving the pair a similar nod of his head before addressing Yosheth. "Now, as for you... what do you think? Will you be coming with us?"

Never, Yosheth hissed, a low growl emanating from her throat.

Yosheth, please be reasonable, Aranteth said. This guy seems harmless enough, but I'm sensing something dangerous about him nonetheless...

I don't care, she snapped back, facing Phlegethon with a piercing glare. This piece of shit will take me over my dead body. I've heard things about that hell-hole he's from! If you think he's harmless, you're insane!

Phlegethon looked a bit surprised at Yosheth's words, but his face quickly became serious. He shook his head slowly, then bared glistening fangs and faced Yosheth head-on.

Turning to Kaerith, who shuddered and shrunk behind her brother, and then swinging his head up to look at the much taller Aranteth, Phlegethon sighed. "I apologize in advance that you two have to see it come to this," he said. "But a Choice is a Choice."

Aranteth, what's he... But Kaerith's voice came too late, her question had already been answered. The fiery-coloured whorling darted forward, swift as a flickering flame, and before any of the three other dragons could move a muscle, he had sunken his sharp fangs into Yosheth's foreleg.

Fucking bastar-! Yosheth's cry of rage was cut short as the muscles in her body suddenly ceased to move, as if flash-frozen. After a few seconds, Phlegethon withdrew his fangs from the flesh of the pale-coloured dragon, a grimace of disgust on his face.

As Yosheth collapsed, completely paralyzed by whatever venom Phlegethon's bite was laced with, the Seeker himself winced. "I do hate to make Choices by force," he remarked, shivering from the foul taste in his mouth, a combination of his venom and some of Yosheth's blood still on his fangs. "But, it is the way by which I as a Seeker must carry out operations. We are... very rarely mistaken in our Choosing."

Will she be all right? Kaerith cried, eyes spinning in rapid whirlpools of troubled yellow.

"Of course. Causing excessive harm to a Chosen is foolish," Phlegethon replied with a nod. "My venom carries no poison, despite what the term would suggest. It is merely a paralyzing solution which will wear off in a matter of hours."

Isn't this a tad extreme? Aranteth couldn't help but inquire, staring with disbelief at Yosheth's motionless body. With all due respect, should she not have the ability to choose whether or not she comes with you? Since she feels so strongly against it, you know...

The Seeker sighed. "The Seekers of the Fate do not allow for such a thing as the rejection of an invitation. As I mentioned before, our Chosen will be taken to the ship, be it by their own choice... or by ours."

They shuddered - Kaerith and Aranteth both - as Kaerith gulped and spoke. So... if we had done as Yosheth did... and tried to refuse you...

"Correct," Phlegethon said, practically reading Kaerith's mind. "It could very well have been that I would have had to bite every one of you... not that I'd have enjoyed it, mind."

Aranteth and Kaerith looked each other in the eye, both with the same uneasy expression on their faces. Then, speaking for the both of them, Aranteth turned to Phlegethon and sent his message.

We are still willing to come, but you must promise that no harm will come to myself or my sister... He shielded his mind from Kaerith for a moment. ...or Yosheth, no matter how bitchy she can get.

Phlegethon gave a quick nod. "I can ensure safe transportation to the ship, but... once you're there, it's up to you to stay out of trouble. Ah, and I must be honest: not one of the crew can ensure complete safety aboard the Fate... not with the Red Demon about."

The... Red Demon? Kaerith shivered at the mention of the name, although she'd never so much as heard of the being bearing it.

Who is the Red Demon? Aranteth questioned, ever curious about exactly what they were getting themselves into.

"Believe me," Phlegethon said, "he is the most feared entity on the Fate, and you will know when he approaches. It is like having death itself stalk you, but far worse than any of us - even I - could imagine."

I... isn't there anywhere safe from... him? Kaerith said, softly.

"I recommend staying within your room aboard the ship," he replied. "The Demon rarely corrupts others. It is more along the lines of... he enjoys seeing pure fear in the eyes of those who encounter him. If you sense him - and as I have mentioned, you will know when he is approaching - run. As brave as some may be, it would demote even the greatest hero to a downright fool should he stand up to the Demon."

Perhaps, Aranteth said, shaking his head a little, we should go, before we change our minds about the agreement we have.

"Wise indeed," Phlegethon remarked to himself as they departed, Yosheth's paralyzed form in tow.

Brushes from Aethereality and Annika Von Holdt.
Design by YukiNeko.
Downloaded at Day Dream Graphics.