Blaze's POV

I don't know why I'm flying, or where I'm going but I can't control my body. I have been shoved into the back of my own mind for whatever reason. I can still see, hear and feel the wind rushing along my wings, but I am powerless to do anything to stop them, to go back. All I know is that I am headed away from Kira, from my home.

I try to take control of my movements, and succeed for a brief second, before I am thrown to the edges of my mind, an unknown force controlling my being. I see a light ahead, from a volcano, I think. I head towards it, wings scraping the clouds above me.

Then I slow to a halt.....and dive. Into the volcano.

I'm skimming across boiling lava, bubbles of the molten rock hitting my scales, yet I feel no pain. I throw my feet forward in a sudden movement and alight on an outcropping of rock, just above the scorching liquid. A heavy chain is put around my neck, attached to the rock around me, so that if I move the rock will either break, throwing me into the lava or hold and injure my neck, possibly enough to render me immobile. I decide to stay still.

I feel the presence leave my mind and immediately unleash the roar I had been holding back. A small, incredibly wrinkled woman materialises  before me, her few strands of filthy grey hair hidden behind her shoulders. I recognise her even though I've never seen her in the flesh. If anything, the stories I've heard were under-exaggerated.

Sinweiya.

"Hello BlazeClaws" she says in my own tongue. I realise that she was controlling me, she was inside my head. Not many sibyls are capable of such strong magic. I've never encountered anything radiating as much malice as this thing before me . I look around, spotting several other sibyls crouched on the rock. "What do you want sibyl?" I roar at her, holding myself back from moving forward to rip her throat out.

Another chain is thrown around my neck, this one attached to the wall behind me keeping my jaws from her face."Your obedience" she smiles, eyes flashing. I snort a puff of smoke at her angrily. Why would I help this evil sibyl? She wants to destroy my kind. Instead of answering I look around the volcano, my mind working overtime to find a way out.

A powerful protection charm is keeping this rock here and the lava behind me, probably Sinwieyas doing. I see several other dragons around the walls, sticking to the shadows at the edge. I can see their glass like eyes, dark blue, grey and black scales, red pupils and snake like features.

All of these are features of the Whispering Tongue blood line, Sinwieyas very own obedient army. I can hear their soft song as I look around, the sound of their tongues hitting the gap at the front of their mouths. Sinwieya seemed unused to being ignored as a flicker of anger crosses her face, quickly replaced with amusement. "Why would I pledge obedience to you sibyl?" I question, flicking my tongue as sparks ignite in my throat. She knows I could still kill her from this distance. Something must be ready to prevent me if I try.

She can't really expect me to lie down at her feet, surely? Not even a hag like her is crazy enough to believe I'll do something like that.

"The MoonZenith is upon us, I have awaited it for centuries. One dragon from each noble bloodline must be sacrificed to this event. Dragons of Air, Fire, Earth, Magic, Dark, Light, Ice, Plant and Spirit will be summoned to this very point before the apex of the moon. You will take your place at the pedestal, offer your soul to the Zenith!" She turns toward me, as if waiting for something to click.

Yes, I am from noble blood. Not royalty or anything, no, nothing like that. My ancestors were of pure, single elemental heritage, which is rare now due to the many dragons who are mixed. I'm of the Dark elemental line, not very common now, but they used to be a reigning bloodline. I've only met a few more from my line, none of them seem to willing to speak with me, we are kind of known as a solitary breed.

"What does my nobility have to do with anything?" I snap at the sibyl. Maybe, just maybe, I can burn her to ash with my eyes if I try hard enough.

"Nobility is everything." She scoffs, waving her hand before my snout. The sparks in my throat feel trapped now. No mater how hard I try, I can't open my mouth any wider than needed to speak, which is not wide enough to spit fire at Sinweiya. The chains around my muzzle aren't particularly tight, I should be able to snap them with ease, but, amazingly, they are holding strong.

The Moon Zenith.... a time when the twin moons of our world aline. It has been spoken about a few times in my past, something that hasn't happened in a very long time. The details allude me as I try to recall the scattered fragments of my knowledge.

"You expect the dragons of noble bloodlines to willingly sacrifice themselves?" I ask incredulously. My mind is reeling. The Dragon Mother, creator of dragons. You'd think she'd know her own creation well enough to realise they wouldn't even think of such a thing.

"Oh BlazeClaws. You don't seem to get it. It is not just I who has waited this long. Many of your brethren would dream of such a glorious opportunity." As she speaks, a dark shape, twice as large as me, appears from the gloom behind her.

The dragon is wingless, with six short, stunted legs seemingly constructed of boulders. It's head is flat and uneven, set with two dark gaps I suppose are eyes. They are a dark grey-brown colour, pockmarked with different shades of red and black. An Earthen dragon, obviously. They are old, judging by the many battle scars adorning them. It's tail is nothing more than a mutilated stump, coating with a thicker layer of rock than the rest of it. As I flick over the dragon, I realise that it is from the noble bloodline of Earth. Why else would it be here?

But, it's not in chains.

Has this dragon willingly given itself to Sinweiya. He eyes must betray my horror.

"Yes BlazeClaws, this is Rötugren. The Earthen sacrifice. She understands my cause, she too has waited generations for this moment to prove her loyalty to her bloodline." Sinweiya snaps her fingers again.

Rötrugen fixes me with a murderous glare, then stomps away, into the gloom once more. I stand shocked. Dragons, my own kind, willing to hand over their lives to the Zenith? I would never have believe sit if the evidence hadn't just looked me in the eyes. I shudder involuntarily and force my face into calm. She can't know how much that startled me.

"Brilliant, isn't it dear BlazeClaws. Unlike you, some dragons have respect for their bloodlines." Again, she pauses.

"You'll never take my life, I won't allow it." My voice is steadier than I thought it would be, I sound resolute.

"Oh BlazeClaws, you really must rethink this." She sighs, shaking her head slowly from side to side. "However, I never said you would have to be willing. One way, or another, you will remain her beneath my control. Of course, your powers will be muted considerably under my spell work, but it will have to do." She waves one hand and turns, following Rötrugen into the smoke.

As she speaks, I can feel that same creeping weight enter my consciousness, this time though, it strikes pain into my skull. I growl is pain, fighting within myself to force her out. There is no way I can allow this to happen. The weight continues on, and slowly I can feel myself moving backwards into the recesses of my mind.

Then, everything goes dark.