• Previous Chapters:
    Chapter One - 'Thoughts'
    Chapter Two - 'Rebirth'
    Chapter Three - 'Flying Nightmares'
    Chapter Four - 'A Rogue Echo'
    Chapter Five - 'The Medical Roost'
    Chapter Six - 'A Chance to Think'
    ---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
    ‘Interrupted Dream’

    -Noxx-

    On the labored wings of death, I see a mother Silverwing fly. Yet, in her eyes, I see purpose, the drive only a parent could have to see their child again. Her ears are pointed high in alert, she knows of the dangers even the dead can experience. I can feel the determination in her heart as if it were my own; I know that, if she is overcome by the underworld patrols, she’ll have more than enough strength to escape them…thoughts of her child power her tortured flight, no predator will take her.

    A song has been sung to her, I can hear it ringing in her ears as she follows the wispy, silver path it has marked for her. She---…

    “…Clear my name…”

    --will reach a destination where she will be free from the cold claws of the underworld forever. Above the smooth remnants of a long dead river, she flies, the path she has been shown remains true so far. She was told that anything and everything could change in---…

    “…it’s wasn’t my fault…”

    --the blink of an eye. Aware of this, she carries on; her silver-streaked fur reflecting no light from the artificial stars. The pain of a slowly administered poison that was given to her in life is starting to effect her dead, false body. Her wing strokes become painful and even more labored that before, it’s almost as if---…

    “…I’m innocent…”

    ---she’s dieing again. Even more determined with this strange new development, she pushes her body even harder, the wish to see her daughter again, even I her daughter will never see her, is far greater than any memory of the pain that killed her. She closed her eyes, remembering her daughter’s soft white fur.

    I could feel her immediate panic as she opened her eyes, her path had--…

    “…wrongfully banished…”

    --changed! The dirty trickster, that false god of this barren land, had changed the landscape when she had her eyes closed for only a moment! That was it, her path was lost until she found another Pilgrim…no, she wouldn’t give up that easily. She strained her ears as hard as she could, the sound of the tree, the sound of life, was all she had to rely on now. Her eyes and ears now switched roles; eyes now scanned the skies for Vampyrum patrols, while ears strained to hear her destination….

    There, just on the horizon, it was there! It really existed! The sweet glow of the only escape, she had found it on her own. All she had to do was---…

    “…I don’t want this…I never wanted this…”

    ---fly into it. The nearer she got, the more she could feel it…heat, something she never thought she’d feel again…it felt so good, even I could feel it for her. The complete joy she was feeling was amazing, it made my own heart swell from her overflowing emotion.

    The great flaming trunk was right in front of her, all she needed was to fly through the knothole and perfect freedom would be hers. Unafraid, she began the ascent towards the door of hope only he great Winged Spirit could offer. With one final, deep breath, she trimmed her wings and entered the knothole.

    The brilliant surge of energy told her that the rumors were true, this was it, her spirit was finally like that of Nocturna. Her Spirit was finally---…

    “CLEAR MY NAME!”

    ---free…

    That was the first peaceful dream Noxx had had in what felt like forever. Even the fact that a voice that clearly didn’t belong in the dream, he knew he had heard it somewhere before, had screamed at him to ‘clear their name’, the dream calmed him to the point where he still didn’t want to stir from his sleep.

    Even though he had only glimpsed her momentarily under that pile of herbs, he knew the dream meant that the female that had died was now free from any pain whatsoever and was possibly back to watching over that white female…Katarra, if he remembered her name right. He’d certainly have to tell her when he woke up, he was sure the news would cheer her up.

    After a few more minutes, his stomach began to rumble, morning must have already passed; it felt like it was just a little later than dusk. He started to get up, but movement and voices nearby cause him to immediately hold still. As he feigned sleep, he began to hear the familiar, hushed voices of the Elders.

    Aria‘s cruel voice was easily recognizable, “…Muse, Lyre, has the Albino been taken care of?” she was speaking to the other two elders, the one’s whose names Noxx couldn’t seem to remember. Though, he remembered them clearly now.

    “Yes, Aria,” replied Muse meekly, “She did not respond when Lyre and I bit her, it is certain that she is dead.”

    It took all Noxx had in him not to gasp, the elders were really trying to kill that female? It seems the questions he had about his elder were slowly being answered without him having to even ask the questions. His elders could not be trusted…he no longer felt safe in this tree…he was beginning to think he’d never really feel safe.

    “What about this one?” Lyre was referring to Noxx. His heartbeat began to quicken, were they planning to kill him too? “you took him to the echo chamber…is he?”

    “Yes he is…” Aria had changed to her caring tone again, “he was able to hear the voices, I believe he really is a part of the boy.”

    A collective gasp came from both Muse and Lyre, but it was Lyre who spoke, “What of the broken echo? Did he hear it?” her voice carried a sinister tone, like she was looking for an excuse to dispose of him.

    “…he heard it, Lyre, but he didn’t seem to understand it…” why did Aria sound so kind now? “I don’t think we will need to do anything about it. Just by the way he acted, I’m sure he won’t ask questions.”

    Muse hissed, “I don’t understand how his echo got in the chamber in the first place! We weren’t in Tree Haven when he was cast out!”

    “That is precisely why his echo is there, we weren’t here and he obviously took that opportunity to defile our history with a story that should never be told.” Noxx heard the creak of Aria’s leathery wings as she thrust them out, silencing them both, “there will be no further discussion of this tonight, both of you, go and signal for the Torch Carriers. The Burning will take place at sunrise.” Aria smirked as Muse and Lyre nodded and obediently spread their wings, taking to the air and ascending through the upper area of the large, hollow, oak tree.