After resolving that pity will get her nowhere, Annabel relinquished herself to being dragged through the pitch-black corridors behind the Third Gate by the Gehenians. They had insisted on guiding her only half-way, however. They had told her that she must enter the chamber alone, to ascertain the dragon's egg that none other is intended for him.
Now, Annabel reaches an old, rusted door marked with the label "Stasis Chamber." She wonders just what a stasis chamber is and flings open the door. She sees... nothing. It's still pitch dark.
She stumbles into the room, tripping over a stone that probably served once as a doorjam. She falls to the floor, arms flailing. Her sudden motion brings a whir of life to the otherwise dead room. Lights turn on, computers whir, and a soft hum steals her attention from it all.
There, in the center of the room, is a column of metal. Annabel pulls herself to her feet and stares at it. A soft, gentle blue light, like the filtered beams of the sun, bathe a large, green, egg-shaped something. She rightly assumes it is the egg of the Bishel dragon that her father had so long ago trapped within the maze.
She reaches out to touch the egg, to stroke it, to let it know that everything will be okay, but she finds that the light-beam serves as a shield; she can not touch it. Suddenly, an aggitated clicking noise floods her senses, and her gaze flicks to one of the nearby monitors. Just then, a laser-beam flashes passed her head, shattering the shield around the egg.
Annabel's gaze flicks to the egg, sees it is safe, and flicks back to the monitor. "BEGONE, INTRUDER," the message reads in simple, blocky capitals.
Another laser beam flashes passed her, and it melts the monitor, exploding some of the circuitry and glass of the screen outwards. Annabel shrinks back and turns to see a robot floating before her thanks to a handy pair of Hoverjets. The robot trains a laser gun and Annabel watches as a red dot flutters up her body and over her face.
"Come, now. Let's not be hasty," she says, trying to move somewhere out of the line of fire. "I didn't do anything!" she admits.
The robot offers all sorts of clicks, buzzes, and whirs, but Annabel can make no sense of it. He squeezes the trigger, and a flash of light comes zooming at Annabel's head.
She ducks, of course. What else was she supposed to do? She hears a minor explosion and sniffs the rank odor of melting metal and burning plastic. Great. The dratted thing has decided that, in order to exterminate one intruder, it must destroy the chamber it had been sent to protect. Smart robot.
Annabel decides to terminate its function and insane sense for mass-destruction early. She rolls beneath it, pulling out her knives, and stabbing them upward and into the robot. In her hurry to exterminate the psycho-robo, she forgot that metal conducts electricity and heat, both of which the robot has plenty. As she stabs into the robot, she finds she can not release her grip. Smart human.
Realizing her plight, Annabel, for one of the few times in her life, panics. Luckilly, evidently she hit something vital in her first pull, and the robot suddenly clatters to the ground at just the right angle to let her knives slide out of it easily. Sparks shower forth from it, and Annabel backs up, forcing herself against the nearest computer console.
Avoiding the fallen robot, Annabel catches her breath and returns her knives to her thighs. She crosses the distance to the egg, and diffidently reaches out to touch it. At first, she wants to recoil, but she realizes that there is no way that she can leave the poor creature alone to rot once it has hatched, and who knows when that could be now that the stasis chamber has been destroyed.
She reaches out and touches the egg, and the first thing she feels is not the cool, smooth shell, but rather an onslaught of panicked, confused thoughts flooding up her arm and into her brain like chillbumps. She decides that she must do this, and so she places her other hand on the egg and takes it from its long-familiar resting place. How long had he sat there, cold, in the dark, alone?
The answer comes to Annabel easily: Too long. Her resolve hardens and she hugs the egg close to her bosom, whispering, "Shhh... It will be okay. You're not alone anymore." She walks to the doorway and sits down in front of it, leaning her back against the nearest computer console. She spends time stroking the egg, trying to comfort the scared, confused dragon within, as she drifts to sleep. And then, she dreams, but of what she can not remember.
Annabel awakens groggilly to a slight chirping noise. She blinks the sleep from her eyes and massages them with her fingertips. How long had she been asleep? The chirping grows louder, and thoughts of confusion echo throughout her mind. Suddenly, the egg in her arms jolts.
It pops out of her arms and rolls onto the metal floor. It spins, and the chirping settles for a moment before the egg begins to roll on the floor on its own. Annabel's eyes grow wide and she curses before scampering towards the egg on her hands and knees. She stops it from rolling too far away and snatches it up, setting it in her lap.
"Relax," she says softly. "I won't hurt you."
The egg seems to want to bite her, or at least that's the impression she gets as she holds it. She blinks at it before chuckling and patting it maternally.
"Take your time," she chuckles as a flood of thoughts tells her that he wants to hatch. "I'll be here when you come out. We'll be fairly good friends, you and I."
Suddenly, an angry thought hurries through her mind. Whatever it is that is in the egg doesn't want her to be there when he gets out. He doesn't want to be her friend.
Annabel blinks, amused. "Well, how about you decide once you hatch, you silly dragon!" she laughs.
Don't call me silly, you inane, mindless bi-
"Watch your tongue, young one!" Annabel cautions mildly.
If the egg had eyes, Annabel gets the idea that it would roll them. The egg jolts again and stress fractures begin to form all over its green-and-yellow shell. Suddenly, a large hole is punched through the egg. Annabel stares at it in fascination as a small, black shape sallies forth from within.
Charmed by the young dragon, Annabel smiles genuinely and reaches out to pet him gently.
All thoughts of that are promptly ceased when the newly-hatched dragon's bright, black eyes snap right to her and he hisses. A voice like a shrill wind through the blades of grass outside the First Gate echoes through her mind. *Don't touch me,* the voice says.
Annabel blinks. Strange dragon. She doesn't know what to do, so she blinks again. She pauses, hoping for some idea to pop suddenly into her head, but none does. So, she blinks yet again, this time furrowing her brows and staring down at the little dragon.
"Don't you want a friend?" she asks.
*Friend? HAH! Good one, woman.*
Annabel's gaze flickers off the dragon for a brief moment as she thinks what a strange and unruly child he is.
*Don't call me a child. I'm older than you.*
Annabel's patience is wearing thin. "That may well be, little dragon, but you're not going to go about bossing me around."
*And if I do?*
"I'll play your game and run you through like I did your little robot friend there yonder," she remarks, gesturing towards the fallen robotic guard with her chin.
*You wouldn't dare.*
"Wouldn't I? Would you like to test me?" She watches the dragon as she draws the knife from its sheath on her right thigh. She's getting sick of his games.
The dragon's gaze hardens for but a moment, and Annabel gets the briefest inkling that he is wondering whether or not he can bite her and get away before she tries to hurt him. *Fine. Have it your way,* he spits before slithering out of the egg entirely and snapping it away with his tail. It explodes against a console and the small dragon slithers away towards the darker side of the brightly-lit room.
"Pensive child, aren't you?"
The little black stiffens and turns, slowly, towards Annabel. *I told you,* he snarls, *not to call me a child. I'm a wyrm, if you care to know, and I'd prefer you call me that since an alleged 'friend' like you are, woman, cares naught for naming me.* He then continues to slither away.
"Would you like a name, wyrm?" she asks.
The black wyrm, who by this time has reached his preordained spot of sulking, looks up and stares at her evenly. He says nothing, and his proud, out-thrust chin says that he has no need for a name, but his eyes water with sorrow that he is being so cruel to the one for whom he has been waiting. *Do as you want, woman,* he snaps, trying to sound as if he has no need of her.
Annabel feels the attempt first, and then the basic, raw need for a friend running helter-skelter through her. She puts on a smile and crawls over to the wyrm. "We've gotten off on the wrong foot... erm... scale... whatever. My name is Annabel. I'd like to be your friend."
The wyrm regards her levelly. *Swell. Of all the people I could meet in the world, it winds up I get you,* he observes, saying the last word with such contempt that Annabel has a hard time believing that it could possibly be feigned. *You, the bleeding-heart daughter of Hend.*
"Look. If you want me to go away, I will. Just say the words."
The wyrm says nothing, but his defiant gaze never leaves Annabel's face for a moment.
"Would you like a name? I'm not going to take silence as an answer. If you say nothing to me, I'm going to leave you here. Alone. In the dark."
The wyrm freezes for a moment as if he is appalled that Annabel could possibly even suggest such a thing. Then, he drops his angry facade and lets out a little whistle. *Yes,* he admits. *I want a name.*
"Say 'please.'"
*And why the blazes should I?!* The wyrm's anger is back and hotter than ever. Echoes of it race through Annabel's mind, and she gets the feeling that she's offended the little wyrm. Evidently no one ever taught him basic protocol. Well, what did she expect? He did just hatch, really.
"Because it shows that you're sincere in your request and you've dropped your hostility towards me." She gets nothing as a reply. "Do you like the dark, little one?"
The wyrm glowers at her before bowing his head. *Please,* he grunts.
Annabel smiles and pats him gently on the head. "There. That wasn't so -"
And then the wyrm bites her. Hard. He glares at her as his tiny teeth sink into her flesh. *I told you not to touch me,* he says as he releases his grip on her. *Didn't you believe me?*
Annabel pulls her injured hand close to her, biting back the urge to whack the little black. "Fine. I won't touch you. Just, can you please work on the biting thing? It's not at all becoming."
*Fine. I'd like a name.*
"Of course you would."
*Aren't you going to give me one? I said 'please.'*
"Not until you apologize for biting me."
*Wha- APOLOGIZE! By the Gates, woman, you've got to be insane!*
Annabel regards him levelly. "I'm only going to give you a name if you consider me your friend. Friends don't bite friends, little one."
The hatchling glares at her. *Fine. I apologize.*
"You don't sound as if you're sincere."
The black wyrm narrows his eyes and glares at her. He growls, deeply, baring his teeth. *Do you want me to bite your other hand?* he asks testilly.
Annabel laughs heartilly. "Okay. I accept your apology. Thank you. Now, for your name. What would you like the name to be?"
*Well, I can tell you what I wouldn't like it to be.*
"Go ahead."
The wyrm begins to list countless obscenities, only stopping once Annabel recovers from the shock and begins to tell him she has the point. Finally, the wyrm stops. *Yes. So other than that, I don't really care. Just so long as I have a name.*
Annabel smiles. "I'll tell you what. You speak to me through my mind, right? Well, you pick any word out of my mind that you like, and that will be your name."
The wyrm blinks and offers the equivalent of a shrug. *Fine,* he admits. His eyes unfocus momentarilly, and Annabel can feel definite probings going on in her mind. *What does 'Kipfel' mean?* he wants to know as his eyes snap back into focus.
Annabel smiles. "Do you want that to be your name?"
*Only if it's not an obscenity.*
She laughs. "It's not! It's probably the most innocent word in my head! It's a pleasure to meet you, Kipfel."
*Thank you. So, what does it mean?*
"Crescent roll. Perhaps you won't turn out so bad as I'd thought. Now, my little Kipfel, would you like to be my friend?"
*Are you going to be as insanely righteous and good-deed-doing as I've a feeling you've been?*
Annabel shrugs. "Probably."
*Okay, then. Thank you. No.*
"To each his own. Enjoy your time in the maze, Kipfel," Annabel says, rising and brushing off the dust that had traveled from the floor to her pants. "It was a ... pleasure meeting you. Good day to you." She abruptly spins on her heel and marches herself towards the door.
*You're... leaving?* Kipfel asks as she places her hand on the door's handle.
Annabel doesn't even begin to turn. "Yes," she says as she opens the door to the darkness outside. "Good-bye, Kipfel."
She takes a step outside, and the door closes shut behind her. The lights gutter in the room, and Kipfel is left, alone and in the dark.
"I still can't believe that little Hellian bit me," Annabel growls as she leans against the door, ignoring the fleeting probings and pleedings the little dragon is making in her head.
Chirps and whistles and hoots of all sorts run the gamut through her head. Angry, sad, betrayed, hopeful, hopeless, and confused, they all make a surgence. *Pleeeeease, Annabel,* Kipfel's mournful tones demand.
Annabel decides that, despite the creature's ignorant, hateful, wretched outter personality, she's doing him a disservice, letting him hatch and then not caring for him. After all, he had been locked into his shell for ages with no one, not even the robot - the robot was motion-activated - for company. She rises, and the chirping gets louder.
"Okay, you win," Annabel admits, opening the door and stepping inside, turning on all the lights in the place.
*I... win?*
"That's right. I'm not going to leave you alone. You've existed far too long alone. Come. I'll stay with you and be your friend so long as you can put up with my inane and senseless good doings." She spies the little wyrm curled protectively around himself.
His head peaks up from his body. *You... You promise you won't leave me again?*
Annabel smiles. "I didn't leave you. I just stepped outside." She bridges the distance to Kipfel and kneels before him. "Are you coming with me or not?"
*It's dark out there...*
Annabel blinks. Somehow she has a hard time accepting that the little black dragon could be afraid of blending in with his surroundings. "Your point is... what, exactly?"
*I don't like the dark...*
"You've never even seen light!"
*Yes I have. When you entered the room, the lights went on. When you left, they went off. I like the lights a bit more, thank you.*
Annabel can not believe what she is hearing. "You'll have to put up with the dark."
Kipfel shakes his head violently. *I'll lose my way!*
"Well, then I suppose I'll have to carry you."
*But-*
"Yes, that means I'll have to touch you. Would you rather risk being lost in the dark or have me touch you?"
Kipfel seems to consider this for a moment. *Don't drop me,* he sighs after his deliberation ends.
Annabel laughs. "I won't," she says. "Come on. I have some people for you to meet."
*Are they as obnoxious as you?*
"More so."
*Swell...*
Annabel laughs. Kipfel sounds a bit more than sarcastic as she flings open the door and steps out into the darkness.
"Annabel! You're alive!" Lucifer screams as he does his best to tackle the woman. All he does, really, is teleport himself into a position that would smack into her if she took another step forwards. She doesn't, and he plummets towards the ground. At the last moment, he teleports himself towards her shoulder, and finds his previous position taken by a snake-like thing.
*Your friend looks tasty, Annabel,* Kipfel remarks as he leers at the minotaur.
"No eating Lucifer," Annabel sighs and takes another step forward.
"You did it! Annabel! You hatched the Bishel!" Charleton exclaims.
*I'll have you know that I hatched me, thank you very much,* Kipfel growls.
"What's this then? What color is he?" Corliss demands.
"Black," Annabel replies and continues to walk.
"BLACK!?" the three repeat, shocked.
"Black."
"You... But... how!?" Corliss asks, flabbergasted. "The Cöd didn't predict a black!"
Annabel rolls her eyes. "All cats are gray in the dark. Is something wrong with a black?" she asks, glaring down to the area from which Corliss' voice was coming.
"Well... they're not especially pleasant creatures. I don't know how well he'll agree to helping you save World."
*I won't. At all.*
"Does anyone else hear voices?" Lucifer wonders aloud.
Annabel ignores him and continues to walk.
"At least tell us his name!" Corliss calls from behind.
"Kipfel," Annabel replies.
"K-KIPFEL!? He's a black and you named him Kipfel?" Charleton demands. "You could at least have the common decency to give him a fearsome name like Gallperron or somewhat similar!"
Annabel shrugs and turns a corner, calling, "Can I help it if I was hungry?"
Lucifer suddenly realizes that his belly is rumbling. "Now that you mention it, so am I..."
Corliss and Charleton whap him upside the head before teleporting away. Lucifer, mildly confused at the reason for his assault, blinks in the darkness before following suit.
The gathering of Gehenians is as silent as the stony walls that surround them. Muttering does not dare surface, and Corliss stares blankly out over them all. They await her proclamation, but nothing comes.
"Our savior will fail us," Charleton tells the people. "The Bishen will fail us."
Gasps and mutterings flood through the crowd. Then cries of outrage. How could the Seeress not have forseen this turn?!
"The dragon," Charleton continues, "is a black."
More gasps. More mutterings. More outrage.
"Hend's evil has touched even he who had once been the most innocent among us all. The dragon will be the downfall of our savior. She will fail us. World is lost."
The cries of outrage increase in intensity. The people, Charleton knows, need comfort. They need hope. They need a reason to continue onward. But nothing comes. Charleton merely nods to Lucifer, and the young Minotaur snuffs the candle that had been burning to give them light.
There needs be nothing more but darkness.
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