Loathing Nightmares [Read only]

Images crowded Tenebris's sleeping mind, interweaving and lying atop one another into glimpses of the past and perhaps even future horrors entangled. The experience was dizzying, chaotic and disordered, everything Tenebris despised and he tried everything in his power to reduce these dreams yet he had been having them ever since his youth, always the process of witnessing such horrors though always shook him to his very core. The darkness and foreboding feeling was absolute and so profound that of all dreams that they manifested into grotesque imagery making him want to cry out in anguish. Fear was all that radiated through his body as he broke through into consciousness, waking.

Awoken from his dreadful inner torment Tenebris looked around his quarters, his decorative sleeping area was torn from his own talons through his futile endeavours to escape his night terrors. Even the draped veil which covered the area was pulled from the roof as if a skirmish or an assassin had made an attack only seconds before. Gasping and wheezing the satisfaction of having his private quarters so far away from the rest of the sleeping areas of the keep was an ever lasting relief. His clawed right talons latched onto his own throat as he continued to regain his breath, he felt shaken and weak. No longer did any fragment of his regal demeanour even return to him, after the feeling of terror left him only shame emanated through his emotions. His usual stolid face was fixated and frozen into a grimace the images he had witnessed flooding back to him in an intense migraine.

Worthlessness, helpless, thats all he could comprehend from his fragile thoughts. He was powerless and barely stood many feet from the floor, it seemed as if he was a Human although no he looked down to see his talons and turned his neck craning over his back to inspect himself. His wings were withered though, almost useless to fly. The true horror came from his physical appearance his flesh was a grey-green which seemed to stain against his natural illustrious black threatening as if about to begin sloughing off while black congealed fluids oozed from pustules across his body. What little flesh remained upon his body throughout the bone appeared as though it was threatening to slice through the skin what contained it. Every movement was pain, and he tried to march the shambling body forward, only to fall. Lying there utterly helpless two other young Dragons moved over and seemed to sneer ruefully, tormenting the already crushed soul.

Tenebris attempted to rise from his feet, but like the body he felt himself locked within only moments ago in his dreams he to now felt like weight. His paws seemed to fail him as he collapsed himself, releasing a whimper as if the phantom pain of the young Dragon remained. Grasping onto a wall he forced himself up to the greatest of his efforts, he was thankful of the lack of braziers in his room or his terrors might of caused an outbreak of fire as his limbs seemed to rebel against his wishes at every opportunity.

Releasing an anguished whelp under his breath he pulled himself along the floor, his forelegs seeming to abandon him altogether as they remained limp getting dragged behind his body as if all life had depleted from them. He made his way to the large obsidian onyx obelisk in the corner of the room which was his personal work bench, it was a miracle that in his ravings while in his dream state he didn’t manage to get this far to damage the precious equipment. Furiously he began to take out all the essentials, he had to hurry, he had to remove the pain and stop the relentless pursuit of his dreams as they affected him even in his waking mind. Suddenly a migraine overtook him as he left as though his subconsciousness was fighting for control ravaging his waking mind.

Again he found himself trapped in the shambling corpse which was an excuse for a dragon, this time he found himself in a familiar setting, knowing the surrounding. He was in the Capital NightWing hatchery, and worse of all he found himself in a single room, not in a dorm like the other hatchlings but alone in the dark with little to no comforts, only small piles of books littered the room and what could only be descriptive as amateur arts and crafts  in the form of small sculptures. Matrons charged with watching and caring for the Dragons until their training or parents returned walked past the doorway, occasionally glancing towards him. Tenebris knew the look all too well, it was a one of woe, discomfort and sympathy. Yet there was no other affections and they remained their distance.

Only when a hatchling scurried by the doorway, peeking in briefly then scurrying off giggling did Tenebris now realise the figure he was trapped in was now rather larger, towering over the hatchling. He summarized that he may of been about twenty foot now, but the body was still weak and sickly, almost useless for any specific role. It was only when another violet drake entered the room roughly the same size and age of the figure, with a gleaming smile not unlike the others out of sorrow but out of joy and fundamental glee did he feel his heart raise above all the feelings of pain what radiated through his body. “I brought you some more novels you know”, the twilight dragons voice was almost high pitched in a tenor way which accompanied her smile, and it seemed to sing to the ears of the figure, she placed the books down in a pile beside him.

Turning to leave the twilight wyrm looked over her shoulder and continued “You know, the Guardians from the Palace are here today to take on board the new trainees, I know how you’ve always wanted to be one Tenebris”. Tenebris suddenly felt hate and malice flood over him, he looked down at his malformed talons which were almost see through and pale. He snarled overcome with ruefulness, did she want to see the embarrassment on his face when he failed, did she pity him like the rest., she was more wasn’t she? His only friend, his only -future- No, he couldn’t allow himself to be naive she must be like the rest “Get out” was Tenebris’s only reply.

Returning to current reality Tenebris snarled, looking down at his talons like he did in his dream state, remembering the paleness colouration of his youth. The ink stained talons now were a fearsome trait, testimony to his accomplishments. He’d admire himself later right now he had to reduce and resort the pain back to a suitable standard. He began to rapidly operate with the apparatuses and various apothecary equipment. He then gently with caution grasped hold of a empty glass vial. Opening his mouth he began to cough as if choking , followed shortly by a thick black vigour leaving his maw in an eerie black ooze like fashion. As it entered the vial he winced again from the pain radiating through his body.

He began to place ingredients in the form of herbs and various minerals into the concoction. After a while he settled confidently with his apothecary arts, and managing to force a sadistic grin through his pain he gulped down the liquid mixture, allowing it to overtake him.  Feeling faint he dragged himself back to his sleeping area before dropping unconscious into a empty sleep of peace and tranquility. Only silence was gone, all the memories, all the pain seemed to fade as if weaving his own dreams exposing himself to his own curse he allowed himself freedom to the torments of his past, it would be another month before the pain returned.

Several hours later, Tenebris awoke and his ordeal seemed like a distant memory. Yes, the room had be disrupted and now seemed to radiate with turmoil however the reptilians would soon have the place back into order. Pulling himself out of his sleeping position Tenebris allowed himself to take a dignified position, allowing to take his majestic brilliant, he looked over himself with a smile of pride. He would never be weak and out of control ever again, he now defined himself and he’d soon define the world. Tenebris strode out of his quarter unfazed by the nights events as he carried himself effortlessly down the corridor of Shadows Refuge in a loft exalted manner.