Many years had passed since the elder draik's evaluation of the newborn Dochuki. The two sons had grown into fine young draiks, both worthy of the title "prince." Elence, the older of the two brothers, had taken on his mother's dappled coloration of sea green and sky blue. A bright star-shaped mark on his forehead denoted him the future king, but his quiet demeanor and penchant for being alone made his father question the old draik's words on the subject of his future on the throne.

Elence's younger brother Dochuki had azure scales like his father, but he lacked any sort of pattern, which was unusual for draiks in the royal family. He envied the star that shone so brightly on his older brother's forehead, and vied to show his father that he himself would make a better king. Time and time again he failed however, and was reminded with each attempt that the kingdom's elder had chosen Elence as their future king, and there was no force that could change his decision.

Dochuki sat alone in his room as the final moments of daylight settled into twilight. His eyes scanned the kingdom from his tower window... the kingdom that was never to be his because some senile old loon had given it to his brother instead of him. He scowled. The only way to become king would be...

He drew a sharp breath at the thought. The only way to become king would be to eliminate the one who was first in line... his brother. But... was he actually thinking about killing his own brother? With his own hands? Dochuki lifted them and stared at his palms. Did he have the grit? What if he was caught? His mind raced. He felt sick at the thought of murder. He wrapped his arms around his knees and fixed his eyes on the floor, a pained look on his face. His thoughts were a blur, but they were beginning to sort themselves out the more he went over them in his mind. It didn't take long for his envy and desire to be king soon outweighed his morals. Gritting his teeth, he stood and pulled a notebook from the drawer of his bedside table. In it were spells... ancient spells passed down through generations of draik mages who guarded the royal family through the years. When Dochuki was young, he spent his days memorizing spells he found in books hidden away in secret corridors below the castle. For what, he wasn't sure at the time, but maybe this notebook was proof he was destined to be king.

By the time he was confident he could wield the spells in the notebook, the moon had already made its trek most of the way across the night sky. Dawn was only a few hours away when Dochuki finally fell into a fitful sleep. Nightmares eclipsed his dreams, jolting him back to consciousness several times before the sun finally crept high enough on the horizon to fill his room with light. The smell of breakfast was strong in the air, so much that it easily pushed away the accusing faces plaguing the young prince's still-lingering dreams. Dochuki blinked the sleep from his eyes and slowly climbed out of bed. He stretched, shook his head of the nightmares, and put his mind on his priorities for the day. Hiding the notebook in the inside pocket of his vest, he made his way downstairs.

With breakfast out of the way, both brothers were free to do what they wanted until the king called on them for something. Elence had already left the castle to meditate atop the one of the many peaks of the mountain range to the west of the kingdom like he did most mornings. Dochuki usually spent his time entertaining Lhement, a kepru that was given to him by his father. Today had a set schedule though, and there was no time for playing. He made for the courtyard, where there was nobody around to spot him as he took off flying in the direction of the mountains, Lhement clinging for dear life to his master's tail.

Everything was going according to plan so far; he was certain that nobody had spotted him leaving the castle. As the mountains appeared in the distance, a grin formed on his face. He couldn't believe he was actually going through with this... this was crazy. He pulled the notebook from his vest pocket to get the spells fresh in his mind. As he flew closer to the peak of the highest mountain, he could see the silhouette of Elence as he sat and meditated. It seemed that he was deep in his thoughts and hadn't noticed his brother yet. Dochuki began muttering a paralyzing spell as he flew within range, glowing with the power of the incantation. With the last syllable, the glow became a beam and shot in the direction of the mountain's peak and the draik sitting atop it.

At the last second, Elence leapt into the air and the light dissipated as it hit the snow. Dochuki cursed his luck as Elence turned to face his brother, anger marring his usually gentle features.

Stop this nonsense, Dochuki!" he yelled. "Nothing will come of trying to kill me. The elder's word is law. Even if you do succeed, you will never become king."

I will show them the throne is rightfully mine!" Dochuki shouted back. He cast another paralyzing spell and dove at his brother, hoping to get close enough to hit even if Elence tried to evade the attack. The light surrounding him from the spell once again formed into a beam and shot forth, splitting the air to land a direct hit. Elence went spiraling downward, unable to open his wings to catch himself. Dochuki watched with a triumphant grin spread across his face as his brother disappeared into the mist below. There would be no trace of the spell left by the time he was found, and his death would be blamed on his fall from the mountaintop. But was he really dead? Dochuki wanted to make sure. He pocketed his notebook and began flying to the base of the mountain.

The mist was cool on his scales as he descended, scanning the ground for any trace of his brother. His feet were buried in soft snow as he landed, and he pulled his vest up closer to his face in a futile effort to keep warm in the forming blizzard. What was his brother thinking, coming to a place like this every day? Blasted cold... his eyes were watering from the biting wind and he couldn't see a thing. He staggered through the snow to a nearby tree to see if it would help block the wind. Lhement whimpered as he followed behind. He would follow his master anywhere.

Dochuki had barely taken a step when he was suddenly hit from behind with a bright flash of light. His body locked up and he fell to his knees, unable to move at all. A paralyzing spell! But who...? His notebook was safely tucked away, and there was nobody else who knew...

Are you surprised, brother?" Elence's voice cut through his thoughts. His tone was as cold as the snow they stood on. Dochuki tried to reply, but his voice caught in his throat. He couldn't move... he couldn't even speak. Elence appeared through the wind and snow and stood over his brother.

You're no mage, Dochuki," he continued. "I was able to move again before I even got halfway down the mountain. Anyone can learn a spell, but it takes a true mage to master one."

You're... no mage!" Dochuki spat, feeling the effects of the spell begin to weaken. His arms trembled as he tried to force himself to stand, but he wasn't able to yet. Eyes blazing, he glared at his brother.

You're right, I'm not," Elence replied. "Which is why you're able to move again so soon. If I were a mage, you would be paralyzed until I broke the spell myself."

I'm going... to kill you," Dochuki hissed, "and the... kingdom will be... mine!" He managed to climb to his feet, but it took all he had just to stand. Lhement shivered and pressed himself against his master's leg, but Dochuki ignored him.

Your petpet is cold," Elence answered, waving away the threat. "It will die if we continue to argue here."

The only one who is going to die here is you! Dochuki bellowed, the last of the spell wearing off. He lunged himself at his brother, claws at the ready. If he couldn't win using magic, he'd win with brute strength. He slammed full force into Elence, digging his claws into whatever he could reach. Elence fell back, kicked his brother away, and scrambled to his feet to prepare himself for the next attack. His eyes were trained to see though the snow and stay alert through the whip of the wind, but he knew that in this blizzard his brother was practically blind.

Give up, Dochuki," he said. "You can't win out here. You may be stronger than me, but it counts for naught if you can't find me to attack."

Dochuki gritted his teeth. Much as he hated to admit it, his brother was right. He couldn't see anything at all. He backed up a few steps and was surprised to find he was right up against the base of the mountain. He pulled the notebook from his pocket and chose a fire spell. If he could send it out without getting it near the mountain, it would temporarily allow him to see without causing an avalanche. It would be much easier now that the mountain was behind him.

A blaze of fire formed in front of him as the words fell from his lips, growing bigger as it began to slowly spin. It melted the snow in front of him and moved away to clear the path so he could see through the blizzard. He spotted his brother, and the grin returned to his face as he directed the fiery typhoon in his direction. He yelled incantations to make it grow and sent it chasing after his brother, engulfing everything in its path.

He laughed crazily as he watched the chase. Elence flew back and forth, trying to find a way around the fire to escape. If he tried to fly upwards, so would the fire to block his path. Left and right, up and down... there was no way to get away from it. Dochuki grinned at his brother's plight. He had finally won!

A low rumbling brought him back to his senses as slush began to fall from overhead. He turned to look towards the mountaintop, horrified to find that his carelessness had caused a huge avalanche. The fire spell dissipated with nobody to control it, and Elence took the opportunity to fly away from the oncoming snow. Dochuki quickly shoved the notebook back in his pocket and scrambled away from the mountain, frantically calling for his petpet.

A small whimper caught his attention and he turned to the sound. Lhement was crawling towards him a few feet away, horribly burned and barely recognizable. Dochuki swept the kepru into his arms and took to the sky, faster than his wings had ever carried him, only an instant before the avalanche demolished everything below. Tears stung his eyes as he flew.

He lost. He lost to his brother. Bested again. And now... now his brother would tell their father everything that happened, and he would be exiled. Or worse...

No! He shook his head of the thought. There had to be another way. Elence couldn't have made it back to the castle yet. He still had time. Shifting Lhement to one arm, he pulled the notebook from his pocket once more as he scanned the sky for any trace of his brother. Finally he spotted him, a tiny dot in the distance. He flew with all he had, readying the spell that would make him the victor.

The spell cooled the air around him as he flew, turning it first to mist, then to droplets of water that froze into bits of ice. By the time he had caught up to Elence, he had an arsenal of icicles that could easily puncture and slice through just about anything. He flew at full speed, launching all of them just as he was within range. Dochuki shrieked with laughter at his imminent victory.

Elence turned in time to see the sky filled with icicles, each one catching the sunlight on its deadly tip. There was no possible escape; he knew this spell. If he tried to evade, they would follow his movements. There was nothing to hide behind, and no way to trick them. Thinking quickly, he cast a spell of his own. The lethal points faltered, then rapidly spun around and shot back at their creator. Dochuki's eyes went wide as he became the victim of his own spell. His vision hazed as he began to fall, unable to move and weighed down by the ice. The wind rushed by his ears as he plummeted towards the woods below. He could barely make out his brother high above him in the sky. In his arms, Lhement was shrieking. Below him, the blackness of the woods was getting closer. Finally he closed his eyes... and there was nothing at all.

Part II - Death

***

Am I dead? I can't feel my body... everything is quiet. I can't see. Where is Lhement? Where is my brother? Where... am I?

You're finally coming to, are you?"

A voice? I don't recognize it... is it inside my head? It's a female voice... gruff, but still female. I don't think I know any girls like that. Or maybe I do? I can't seem to remember...

Wake up."

Dochuki slowly opened his eyes. His vision was still blurry, but he could make out a reddish form standing over him. He tried to sit up, but his body wouldn't listen. He felt like he was floating.

Still not very alert, I see," the blurry red thing said. "Very well then. Just listen. I'm sure you can do that for me. You don't have to do much for that. Anyway, in case you hadn't noticed, you're laying on the ground in the middle of the woods. I don't know where you came from, but you interrupted my gardening. You've completely crushed my dragonbud. You're lucky it didn't eat you. You're also lucky you didn't land on any of my cacti. I wouldn't have been so nice then... I would have just let your soul wander away to wherever souls go when things die rather than hold onto it so I could ask you what in blazes you were doing falling into my garden and completely crushing my dragonbud. And you're lucky you didn't land on any of my cacti."

Dochuki managed to focus his vision. The blurry red thing was a zafara, staring down at him with almost glowing golden eyes. Her hands were caked in dirt (she said she had been gardening, after all), and she was holding a strange looking jar of green liquid. Tied around her neck was a navy blue cloak. He tried to sit up and again he failed.

Let me help you," the zafara said, reaching down and grabbing him by the vest. She tugged him into a sitting position and kneeled down to look him in the eye, a slight hint of craziness in her gaze. "If you want to live again, I can help you with that, too. But it will cost..." she smiled as he simply stared at her, mouth agape and completely confused.

Live again? What did she mean? He seemed pretty alive to himself... other than his inability to move at the moment. He tried to reply but no words came out. The only noise he was able to make was a gurgle in the back of his throat.

Hmm," the zafara tilted her head. "You have no idea what's going on, do you? Here. I'll show you." She turned and swiftly marched away. Dochuki's eyes followed her as she strode past a garden of strange plants, one of which was mangled and squashed into the ground. He assumed that was the dragonbud she had mentioned earlier. Beyond the garden was a small house, nearly hidden among the twisted, leafless trees of the woods. She disappeared inside but returned quickly, a large mirror under her arm.

Look for yourself," she said, dropping the bottom edge of the mirror into the brown grass with a soft thud. She held it upright so Dochuki could get a good look at himself. If he could move, it wouldn't have made a difference. He stared, not recognizing the draik looking back at him.

He was a sorry sight, full of wounds where the icicles had done their damage. He couldn't feel it, but it was perfectly obvious he had landed on his shoulder when he fell. Scrapes, scratches, gashes, bruises... he had them all. Everywhere. He could see which bones were broken, and knew why he wasn't able to sit up or move. His wings were shredded, probably from falling through the canopy of sharp branches. His mouth was hanging open not because he was confused, but because there didn't seem to be much holding his face together anymore. He tried to look away, but he couldn't turn his head. The zafara pulled the mirror away and leaned it against a tree. She crouched in front of him again.

I can make you live again. Fix this mess you've become. Allow you to take revenge on whoever did this to you. Do you want me to do that?" she smiled. The pleading look in his eyes was answer enough for her. She stood and clapped her hands together with glee.

Alright! And then we'll discuss how you're going to repay me for this kindness I'm showing to you, a complete stranger, who has fallen into my arms from the sky. Well, not really my arms. More like onto my unsuspecting dragonbud. You owe me a new one, by the way." She turned away from him and whistled, calling forth a very large droolik from around the side of the little house. It was a little over half as tall as the zafara, which was very large for a droolik. Its tongue lolled out the side of its mouth, leaving a trail of slobber as it bounded toward its master on large padded paws. It was tall at the shoulder, but its head was held low and its ears dangled nearly to the ground.

Will you bring our guest inside please, Penteius?" the zafara cooed to the beast. She patted it on the head then turned and made her way through the garden toward the house. The droolik watched her go for a moment, then unceremoniously grabbed Dochuki by a tattered pant leg and followed, dragging him behind.

Once inside, Dochuki was hoisted into a chair where he was able to get a better view of the room. The floor was cold stone, as were the walls, giving the room a dungeon-like feel. There was a large table in the corner, covered in unfamiliar objects. The surface was stained with a lot of different colors. Next to the table was a large cauldron. It looked to be well-used, but for what, Dochuki couldn't imagine. Shelves lined the walls in another corner, all of them filled with containers of different shapes and sizes holding things of different colors. Two more cauldrons were in the room, but it seemed they weren't usable anymore and had been fitted with glass tops to make them into tables. A small desk was on the wall opposite the tables and shelves, and next to it was a large tree in the shape of a creepy hand. The chair he was in seemed to belong in front of the desk, but was moved closer to the door so the droolik wouldn't have to drag him too far on the stone floor. The room was lit with torches.

Cozy, isn't it?" the zafara asked as she took a few of the bottles from the shelves and wandered over to the color-stained table. She poured the contents of a few of the bottles, including the bottle of green liquid Dochuki had seen earlier, into a large purple bowl.

Now, when I found you, this little book was falling out of your pocket," she said with her back still to him. She held up his spell notebook with one hand while stirring her concoction with the other. "I'm not sure where you collected these spells, but I can tell you're not qualified to use them." She turned to him and smiled, then went back to her stirring.

Anyway, that's one of the reasons I chose not to just let you die in my garden. I want to know where you got these. You'll tell me all about it when I fix you up, mhmm? It shouldn't take very long."

Dochuki would have sighed, but as he sat and waited for the zafara to be done with her potion, he realized he wasn't breathing at all. In fact, he hadn't taken a breath once since he woke up. Was he really dead? His wounds, deep as they were, weren't bleeding. Did that mean his heart wasn't beating? How was he still conscious then? He watched the zafara work, since it was the only thing he was really able to do. All he could do was wait, so wait he did.

Suddenly, he was being shaken awake. When did he fall asleep? His eyes opened groggily, but he still wasn't able to move. The zafara was standing over him, and there was a strange smell in the air.

Wake up!" the zafara shook him harder. "If you sleep, your soul will detach. All the work I've done will amount for nothing if you let that happen. So stay awake. Here. I'm almost done with the potion part, so you can get in the cauldron and we can begin." Without warning, she hoisted him up over her shoulder and dumped him in the cauldron she had moved from its place by her table to the center of the room. She turned to walk away and almost fell over her droolik, who had wandered up behind her while she wasn't looking. In his mouth was a wet ball of muddy pink fur. Dochuki recognized it as his kepru, Lhement. Or... what was left of him anyway.

The zafara put her hand out and her droolik obediently dropped the petpet into her palm. She looked it over.

Is this yours?" she asked Dochuki holding it by the scruff of the neck. He wanted to nod, say yes, take it, anything! But he could do nothing. His petpet was dead and he knew it was his fault. A tear escaped his eye, but it was all he had. One tear.

Good enough answer for me," the zafara said, tossing the little kepru into the cauldron. She fetched the potion she had made and swiftly dumped the contents of the bowl over Dochuki's head. A moment passed. He couldn't feel his body, but somehow there was still a burning sensation creeping up on him. He wanted to ask, but he couldn't. The potion soaked his clothes, pooled around his legs, and covered his body. The burning became stronger as he watched himself slowly turn to mush. He wanted to scream when it dripped into his eyes. It blinded him. A slow rushing began in his ears, and over it he could barely hear the zafara chanting something as she melted him with her potion. She wasn't helping him, she was killing him! And he couldn't do anything at all...

He felt himself slipping down further into the cauldron as she poured more strange liquid over him. He burned all over. He was completely submerged and it was burning him away from the inside as well. He felt his consciousness slipping. This was the end, he knew. He let the nothingness take him. It wasn't long before he once again felt nothing at all.

Part III - Reborn

***

When he awoke, he was still laying in the cauldron. The burning he had felt earlier had been replaced by a strange tingling feeling, and he could feel his limbs again. He lifted his arm and looked at his hand. It was pale... he could almost see his bones through his flesh. His feet were the same way, and he was sure the rest of him was similar. What was going on?

You're awake!" the zafara said, peering down at him through the top of the cauldron. "That's good! I was afraid you were going to sleep all day."

What did you do?" Dochuki blurted out. "What's wrong with me?" He jumped to his feet and grabbed the zafara by her cloak. His grasp was weak though, and she easily slapped his hand away.

Easy, you ungrateful twit," she replied. "You'd be dead without me. Remember that. Now... why don't you step on out of my cauldron and have a look at yourself? Take a peek at what old Mactosius has done for you."

Dochuki glared at her for a moment, then did as he was told. She did help him, after all. And he did want to see what he looked like. He climbed out of the cauldron as she fetched the mirror for him once again, dropping the bottom to the ground like before and holding it so he could see himself.

His breath caught in his throat. Looking back at him was not the same draik that had left the castle hours before, but a ghost of what he once was. Literally. His bright sapphire scales had faded to a pale green, translucent almost to where he could see through himself. Patterns of dark turquoise crisscrossed his face, laced his arms, and wound around his tail. Bits of blue fire danced around his form and followed him wherever he went, jumping around him but not touching him even when he tried to grab one. Somehow his clothes were intact, but the gold trim of his vest and hat had faded to a dull silver, as had any jewelry he was wearing.

I'm a..." he started to say.

A ghost?" the zafara finished. "Yes... your body was all but destroyed during whatever battle you were in. I was able to put your bones back where they belong, but I'm no healer and I wasn't able to patch up anything else, so I scrapped it. In a nutshell, I animated your skeleton with your brain intact and shaped your soul into a recognizable form on the outside, your attire included. So while it appears you have skin... you're simply a spirit with a frame to keep you solid. Your brain functions as the lock that keeps your spirit bound to your bones. Don't ask how it does that... it's a very difficult thing to explain. Don't try to change your clothes. It won't work. I also gave them a little... makeover. To match the new you." She smiled, yanking the mirror out of his sight and setting it against one of the glass-topped cauldron tables.

Now," she said, "tell me. The notebook. Where did you get those spells?"

I..." he began, but a sound distracted him. He turned to look as a tiny skeletal creature crawled from within the cauldron and began bounding towards him, its feet clicking on the ground as it ran. He was dumbfounded at first as it reached him and started winding itself around his feet, somehow purring.

Oh yes," the zafara said, "your petpet. I didn't know what it looked like before you got it mangled up so I just left the skeleton alone instead of trying to put a form to it."

Lhement?" Dochuki kneeled down to get a better look at his little kepru, not sure if he should pet him or not. He had no ears to scratch behind, no fur to ruffle, and no belly to rub. This was going to take some getting used to...

The notebook," the zafara cut in. "Tell me about it."

The spells aren't mine," Dochuki answered, standing up. "I found them. They were hidden away in secret corridors below the castle. The king is my father, so when I was young I could explore the castle easily. I don't remember why I wrote them down, but I tried to use them to... well, I wanted to be king but my older brother..."

...was in your way," the zafara finished for him. "I see. And because you are inexperienced in casting spells, you lost the battle and ended up in my garden full of puncture wounds. And here I was hoping you were an apprentice of sorts and could introduce me to your teacher." She sighed. "No matter. So. Let's discuss how you're going to repay me for what I've done for you. Actually, there isn't anything to discuss. I know what I want you to do. And if you don't do what I ask, well, let's just say I have a way of undoing what I've done without even being near you."

Dochuki didn't like the sound of that.

What do you want me to do?" he asked, afraid of what the answer might be.

It's simple," she said. "I want you to find somebody for me. It's not a difficult task really. It's just that I have so many things to take care of here and it's a bit of a bother for me to go and look for her myself. Her name is ShadowLagerinas. She's an aisha. Dark as the shadows she takes her name from and made of pure evil. You'll know her when you see her. Mention the name Mactosius and you'll have her attention. Bring her back to me, then you're free to do as you like without my eye on you."

Do I have a time limit or something?" Dochuki asked. "There are some things I want to check up on first, like..."

Like your brother?" the zafara cut in. "Like I said, once your task is complete, you will be free from my watch and I will make it a point to forget you even exist. Until then, I will watch your actions from afar. If I think you've forgotten your mission, I'll send you a friendly reminder. How you go about it is no business of mine. Check on your brother, check on your castle, check on whatever you want. Just know what your priorities are. Now go. I'm sick of looking at you."

Dochuki nodded, but the zafara had already turned away to clean the mess from the potions she had made. He made sure Lhement was at his side, and made for the door. The squashed dragonbud growled as he stepped out into the garden. Opening his new wings, he took to the sky with his petpet once again clinging to his tail, and headed for the castle.

The breeze was cool as he left the woods behind. The sky was so open and the clouds so beautiful. Dochuki took a moment to be thankful he landed where he did, but the feeling didn't last long. The castle came into view in the distance and the flame of anger was once again ignited. What had Elence told his father? Did they think he was dead? Would he be accepted back into his home?

He doubted it. His appearance was proof of what he had done, and his father would take his brother's word over his in a heartbeat. But still he pressed on, eager to know what would unfold.

Reaching the castle, he landed lightly on the sill outside his window and peered in to make sure nobody was there. His room was empty. The window opened with a soft click and he stepped inside. Lhement leapt from his tail to the petpet bed in the corner and made himself comfortable. Dochuki didn't mind. It was probably better he stay hidden while he found out what was going on. He gave him a quick pat on the head and covered him with a blanket, then headed for the stairs.

There were voices coming from the dining hall, but Dochuki couldn't understand what they were saying. He silently pulled the door to his room closed and crept down the stairs, heading for the voices. He made his way through the castle, carefully making sure he wasn't spotted, and slipped into the kitchen. Nobody would be near the kitchen for another two hours, at least. He quietly cracked the door a bit and peeked into the dining hall.

His father was talking to someone Dochuki had never seen, describing the events of the morning as the stranger took notes. A detective, maybe? His mother was sobbing at the table while a few servants were trying to console her the best they could. More servants sat here and there, obviously confused as to what they should be doing. Elence was nowhere to be seen. Dochuki shut the door as quietly as he could and sat with his back to it, thinking. If he wasn't at the castle, there was only one place he could be.

No longer caring about being caught, Dochuki stood and raced back through the hallway and up the stairs to his room, startling servants along the way. It didn't matter that he was seen. He knew they wouldn't recognize him. He threw the door open, snatched Lhement from the petpet bed, and leapt from the window into the air, beating his wings fast as he made for the mountains.

Elence was there as predicted, in his usual place on the peak with his eyes closed. Dochuki circled him, catching his attention.

What did you tell them?" he demanded. Elence blinked at him. Recognition registered on his face after a few minutes and he tilted his head.

Dochuki?" he asked.

Who else?" Dochuki retorted. "Now what did you tell Father and the others?"

I didn't tell them anything except that you were missing," Elence replied. "I told them I would try to find you. I came here in hopes I could think of a way to tell them what really happened. I didn't want to say 'he tried to kill me so I killed him first.' I wanted to put you in a better light than you put yourself."

But that is what happened," Dochuki growled. "You killed me. You just didn't want to admit it to Father, and that's why you're here. You're trying to think of some kind of lie. And now that I'm dead, there's nobody for them to blame but you. And if you hadn't noticed, I am dead. It's your fault. You'll never become king with a reputation like that."

Perhaps this did work out the way you wanted it to then," Elence replied flatly. "Very well. I'll tell them the entire story, from beginning to end. I'll leave nothing out. Do you want them to know you still exist? I won't tell them if you don't want me to. You can watch and see what comes of it. If I'm exiled, so be it. I didn't want to be king anyway. If I'm put to death, well, we'll be in the same boat then, won't we?" He spread his wings and took to the air, heading back towards the castle. Dochuki watched him go. It wasn't the answer he expected. Much as he hated to praise his brother for anything, he knew that Elence was a draik of his word. He would tell the entire story even if it did mean exile or death. And even though he didn't wait for an answer, he wouldn't tell anyone about their conversation.

Dochuki waited until Elence was nothing but a speck in the sky, then took flight again. He let the wind carry him wherever it wanted, since he had no idea where to start looking for the aisha that the zafara was after. He'd deal with Elence later. Lhement whimpered. Somehow he knew that things were going to change, but the only consolation he got was a small pat on the head.

The best way to find something that's lost is to get lost yourself," he said to himself. He closed his eyes and flew in circles, picking a direction at random, but feeling disappointed when the mountains eventually gave way to woods. Maybe it was a sign he should ask the red zafara where to start? He descended a bit, but stopped when something in the distance caught his eye.

It was a zafara. No, many zafaras. Zafaras of all colors, floating high above the woods on what appeared to be clouds. He stared as they went by, and a few stared right back. Curious, he followed, making a few in the back of the group a little bit uneasy.

After a while, the clouds came to a stop over a large field, and the zafara leading them broke off from the group and floated down closer to the ground near another large group, made up of mostly burly creatures like skeiths and grarrls. It looked like an army the way they were dressed. Weapons were in every claw and armor covered every back. Dochuki watched with interest, flying closer for a better look. The leader zafara on the cloud was only a few feet off the ground, talking to who appeared to be the leader of the army, but Dochuki couldn't see who it was. Suddenly a well-armored skeith grabbed the zafara from behind and held her tight. The clouds in the sky began falling as if on cue, raining zafaras onto the warriors below. The leader zafara was released when another zafara landed a hard kick on the skeith holding her. The one in charge of the army on the ground took off to get away from the battle, obviously a commander and not a fighter, giving Dochuki a good look at her.

She was an aisha with jet black fur and glowing yellow eyes. Her body was thin and wiry, and while she seemed to lack physical strength, she made up for it in the way she fiercely commanded her army. Long spindly fingers ended in dagger-like claws, which she used against anyone who got too close to her. Was it ShadowLagerinas? Could he have found her so quickly? He dropped to the ground near her and watched the way she gave orders to her army, waiting for a break in the action to approach.

I see you there, draik," she hissed, watching him out of the corner of her glowing eye. "Don't do anything stupid."

Dochuki nodded, but didn't reply. He didn't want to distract her from her work. He silently watched, waiting. She continued to keep an eye on him, but she didn't seem overly worried that he would do anything.

The day dragged on, and three times both sides retreated to recuperate. Dochuki tried to approach the aisha, but it seemed not only was she the commander, she was also responsible for healing her numbers, which kept her very busy even when no fighting was going on. She was using all sorts of potions to rejuvenate the warriors on her side, making him almost certain he had found who he was looking for. He decided to wait until the battle had completely worn itself out to try and talk to her so he could have her full attention.

And wait he did. For weeks the battle dragged on until finally the aisha had run out of potions. With nothing to bring her weakened warriors back with, her army collapsed at the hands of the zafaras. The aisha saw her defeat and tried to escape, but the leader of the zafaras soon spotted her and followed. Dochuki took off after the two, ready to jump in if he was needed, but lost sight of both of them in the cover of the woods.

He flew through the trees, eyes searching for any movement. He hoped he could find the aisha before the zafara did. She seemed pretty strong and could easily kill the aisha if she wanted to. That's the last thing he needed.

My master Mactosius told me about you!" the aisha's voice hissed, somewhere far away. Dochuki looked for the source of the voice, but she was hidden in the trees. He headed in the direction it seemed to come from, and finally found them. He stayed hidden as the aisha suddenly jumped at the zafara, claws bared. The attacks didn't land, and the aisha was knocked aside by a bolt of lightning created by a cloud the zafara was somehow controlling. It pummeled the aisha with hail, holding her to the ground, then finally stopped.

You will stop this nonsense and live like a normal being," the zafara said, hopping up onto the cloud. She disappeared into the sky, leaving the aisha behind. Dochuki waited until she was out of sight then stepped out from behind the trees to the aisha's side.

You're ShadowLagerinas, aren't you?" he asked. He tried to help her stand, but she slapped his hand away and shakily stood by herself.

Yes, but who are you to be offering help when you watched my army lose?" she snapped. "You sat on the sidelines as she crushed me with her wild magic!" She glared at him, and Dochuki wondered if this was the same look he gave Elence the day they fought at the base of the mountain.

Mactosius sent me to find you. She wants me to bring you back," he answered. "Once I do that, I'll be free to take revenge on what my brother did to me. I will take my place as king even if I have to do it by force. I'm a ghost. An immortal. The perfect king."

Mactosius," ShadowLagerinas answered, "is my master. She is the one responsible for my existence. I owe everything to her. But I cannot bear to face her. Not after this bitter defeat. She will be disappointed. I have shamed her."

I don't care about your shame," Dochuki retorted. "I care about me. I care about my revenge. I was instructed to bring you back, and that's what I'm going to do." He grabbed her arm but she pulled away, slashing her claws across his face. She jumped back away from him when they left no wound behind.

More wild magic!" she cried out, gritting her teeth. She turned to flee.

Wait, my child," came a voice from the woods. Mactosius stepped out from the trees a moment later, startling them both. ShadowLagerinas fell to her knees in a pitiful bow, spitting out apologetic gibberish. Dochuki just stared. How did she find them? Not that it mattered. His job was complete.

Shadow, my child," Mactosius said, leaning down to slide a claw under the aisha's chin. "I told you to create an army, not go to war with it. I wanted to find you before you did anything foolish, but the deed is done. Your army is gone, and now you have to rebuild." She stood, dwarfing the wiry aisha. "Come to me when you've completed your new army. And don't fail me again."

Mactosius turned away, unconcerned of the aisha's feelings as ShadowLagerinas stared at the ground, loathing herself because of her failure. She approached Dochuki, a satisfied smile on her face.

Excellent work," she said. "Though you could have been a bit quicker. As promised, you're free. For now. If I ever need you again, I'll let you know." She gave him a pat on the back and dropped his spell notebook at his feet before disappearing into the trees. Once she was gone, ShadowLagerinas stood and silently headed in the opposite direction. Dochuki didn't ask where she was going. He didn't care. He had more important things to think about now that he was on his own. He picked up his notebook and took to the sky, heading back in the direction of his father's castle.

Part IV - To be continued...

***

It had been at least three weeks since the last time Dochuki had been to the castle. Things must have changed by now.

To be continued...