Rend your house asunder
The Shadow only takes. Leropahneth steps into the shadow lover and becomes “The dark flame”
“Tis now the very witching time of night, when churchyards yawn and hell itself breathes out contagion to this world: now could I drink hot blood, and do such bitter business as the day would quake to look on.”
Hamlet
“My friends will come for me!”
They were her last words.
A unicorn lay dead upon the floor. Her bright pink and purple colour still intact. She had been a fighter that one. Seized from the grounds behind the library. She didn’t look strong, but you never can tell from the outside. She had not once given in to the shadow. The spirit of a brilliant and precious princess, now never to be queen.
The witch laughed anyway. All suffering and all death fed the shadow to some degree. Her rise was inevitable.
Leropahneth was storming back and forth spitting flames. Trying to think of her next steps, for her great plan, for her glory.
“If I could convince my husband, we would have funds and influence to build the greatest army the world has ever seen.”
“Foolish houseslave, he is worthless to you. You thought you married a king. But instead…”
“A coward.”
“You see this already, good. A mighty mind but a weak heart. He will never fight, never risk a penny from his mountain of gold. He is paralysed by his greed and fear. The shadow only takes, it does not give.”
“Then I will bully him, coerce him and shame him until he is my servant! Until he bows to his queen.”
“You flatter yourself. How many years to bring him to heel have you squandered? How many fights? How many failures?! Leropahneth the lame! Leropahneth the loser! A housemaid not a queen! HA! Every step you take pushes him away and into his toil further. You will never take a single gold coin from him with your pathetic mewling. Your husband is a coward not a fool! You cannot take what is not yours!”
“Half of it is mine, half of Scarlet Holdings, enough to raise five armies! Enough to buy three kingdoms.”
“Is it yours, you weak and precious housedrake? Your horde? Your gold? Did you attend the shareholders meetings? Invest in the correct trades? Bully, steal and lie it into your pockets? No! A dragons horde is won and not shared, taken and not given! It is only theirs if they claim it themselves.”
“In battle.”
“Yes.”
“I am going to need good lawyers.”
“The shadow blesses their trade. Go and spread suffering and despair my student of the dark fire. Rend your own house asunder! Break the very ties of family. Shatter your chains of bondage! For your own power, for your destiny, for the great will of The Shadow.”
“Yes wise one, it is all so clear now. In the absence of the light I can finally begin to see clearly.”
The witch cackled manically, louder and stronger than before. Drinking in her servants anger, her jealously, her hatred.
Leropahneth “The dark flame” flew out of that cavern with new vision and evil purpose.
With a sickening snap the witch broke off the horn of the unicorn. That at least would be of some use to her, and the blood of course. She could always find a use for the blood.