The Chronicles of Onyx: Book 1

Chapter Twenty-Three - Fourteen Years Ago

Rain fell from the sky like tears from the dreprested clouds above. The sky remained a dark shade of gray, with no visible sunlight escaping through the coverage. The only protection came from a canvas, tied upon the top of the wagon. It was a feeble attempt at shielding the young girl within.

Onyx sat huddled in the far corner of the portable iron cage, her small form wrapped tightly around her knees. Her trembling hands clung to the rough fabric of her tattered clothing, fingers stained with dirt and streaked with tears. Her bare feet curled inward, attempting to shield them from the harsh elements.

The rhythmic jostling of the wagon matched the rhythm of her pounding heart. She was lost inside a storm of emotions, a whirlwind of confusion, grief, and anger. The image of her mother's lifeless body flashed before her eyes, her mind unable to escape the haunting memory. The knowledge that she would never see her mother's warm smile nor feel the comfort of her love, ever again, was a weight that threatened to crush her spirit.

The tears that streamed down Onyx's cheeks seemed endless, mingling with the rain that fell from the broken heavens. Each drop felt like a reflection of her own pain, a mirror to the storm raging within her.

As the wagon rumbled on, it suddenly halted, the jolt caused young Onyx to drastically fall back. The sound of rusty, squealing, gate hinges pierced her ears, forcefully pulling her attention to the view outside of her iron enclosure. Wide, golden eyes watching in fear as she saw the new unknown surroundings unroll before her.

"Where am I? Why am I here?" her mind raced with unanswered questions that lingered in her innocent mind.

The cage beneath her stopped once again, only this time with ease, allowing Onyx to keep hold of her balance this time. With a sudden rush of fear and adrenaline she hurried back to the corner, far from the cage's doors. But the enviable would come to pass, and perhaps the young Direwolf-halfbreed already knew that.

The sound of heavy footsteps drew near, accompanied by the clinking of armor and the low murmurs of voices. Onyx's heart raced as a group of armed Orcish guards emerged through the rain, their attention focused on the cage before them.

Her wide, golden eyes were a mixture of defiance and fear as a group of guards approached her cage. One of them, a tall figure with a cruel smirk, stepped forward, his stern gaze fixed on the trembling young girl huddled within the cage. He reached for a set of keys hanging from his belt, his fingers fumbling slightly in his haste due to the rain-soaked leather gloves. As the lock clicked open, the door to the cage swung wide, revealing the guards' intent.

Onyx's breath hitched in her throat, her fear making it difficult to breathe. She pressed herself further into the corner of the cage. Her eyes wide with a mixture of terror and defiance as he reached forward, and lunged at her arm, his tight grip biting into her small frame.

"Get up, little mutt," he sneered, his voice dripping with malice as he yanked her out of the cage. Onyx stumbled on her unsteady legs, her small frame dwarfed by the towering guard. Her fear was palpable, but there was also a spark of defiance in her eyes, a glimmer of the strength that had laid dormant within her.

As they led her away from the cage, Onyx cast a last desperate glance at the cage, knowing she would never see her home again. At least not the calm, safe kingdom hidden within the woods that she had once known, that she had once roamed freely.

A voice, cold and authoritative, cut through the tension, freezing the guards in their tracks. "So here she is?" The figure that emerged from the shadows was tall and imposing, draped in a black regal cloak that billowed in the wind like the wings of a Raven. Queen Demeter's violet eyes bore into Onyx's, a mixture of annoyance and intrigue dancing in their depths.

Onyx's stance wavered as her gaze met the Queen's, a shiver of fear running down her spine. "Bring her to me," Demeter's voice was like ice, commanding obedience without question. The guards moved forward once again, their hesitation replaced with a renewed sense of purpose. As they closed in on Onyx, suffocating her, her desperation grew.

With a surge of energy that seemed to come from a place beyond herself, Onyx screamed, a surge of power emanating from her small form. The guards were thrown back as if struck by an invisible force, their armor clanking against the ground as they hit the wet earth.

A deadly silence settled over the scene as the guards lay motionless, stunned by the unexpected display of power. Even Queen Demeter appeared taken aback, her violet eyes narrowing with intrigue and certainty. The rain continued to fall, the drops serving as witnesses to the clash of wills that unfolded before them.

As the tension hung in the air, Onyx's chest heaved with exertion, her small frame trembling from the surge of power she had unleashed. She looked at the Queen, with rage pungent in her wolf-like gaze. The storm that raged within her matched the storm that raged above.

But that storm didn't last, before Onyx could act the Queen lunged forward, taking flight with her wings and at a lightning speed, entangled Onyx with a web of chains. Snapping a pair of cold iron cuffs on Onyx's small forearms. A surge of stillness washed over Onyx, suddenly the world seemed less alive. The voices vanished. The world seemed—bleak.

The Queen's wings unfurled behind her like the wings of a predatory bird. Demeter's lips curled into a cold smile, the expression both triumphant and mocking. "You have spirit, I'll give you that," she remarked, her voice laced with a perverse sense of admiration. "But do not mistake your outburst for power. You are mine now, little wolf Half-breed, and you will soon learn your place."

Onyx, stunned, felt nothing but silence consuming her.

"Nothing to say? Well that is fine I only need you to listen," Demeter said as she began untangled Onyx from the chains, "You see little one, you are not the only one born with raw power, but like all beings, power dies. Leaving the wielder an empty, mortal, shell" she looked down for a moment, her violet gaze falling upon the iron cuffs now encasing Onyx's forearms, "I used the last bit of my power to make those cuffs, the spell is unbreakable, it cantans your power, so you can use it to hurt me"

"Why use that last of your power to make a spell on me?" Onyx choked out, her young voice cracking with fear.

"Because I am nothing but a long, living mortal now, and I need power to win," her gaze slowly shifted back to Onyx's golden eyes, "The truth is, I need you—necromancer."

"What do you need power to win?" Onyx asked with a confused, innocent tone about her.

"My rightful throne—among the dragons."