by Cody Loewen
“I know who you are,” the keeper replies with a chuckle. “I have been watching your journey for days now, and I also know why you have come.”
“How could you-“ I manage to blurt out, my curiosity pushing past my awe. The keeper raises his arm to quiet me, a look of amusement clear on his face.
“All of your questions will be answered in time, my girl,” he begins again. “But first, let me introduce myself. I have had many names throughout my time here, but you may call me Valerius. I have been tasked with guarding the gem you have come in search of, waiting for a hero destined to wield it.”
I look over at Rayfe at those words, picturing him wielding the magical gem in our fight with Kromm.
Well, he’s here. He has been preparing for this his entire life.
“Now, in regard to how I have been watching you on your travels, I have a few tricks up my sleeve,” Valerius continues, stepping forward and gesturing for us to follow him. He moves smoothly toward the pool, stopping right at the edge of the water. He turns just enough to look at both of us, standing behind him, slightly off to each side so we can see. He motions for us to step forward and stand with him, and we both comply, curious. Unsure of what is going to happen next, I keep my eyes locked on Valerius.
He raises both arms, palms up, hands extended out toward the fire, and closes his eyes, his expression tight and focused. Just a few seconds later, he opens his eyes and relaxes his arms. He looks at Rayfe, and then me, and gestures toward the fire. When I turn and look once again at the blue blaze, a gasp of surprise escapes my lips.
In the middle of the flames, I see Rayfe and me climbing the mountain. The fire burns all around the image, but it is clear as can be. We stand there, transfixed by the magical image in front of us for several minutes as the fight with the giant bird is replayed before our eyes. I watch Rayfe lose his bow as he falls, and see the bird die, impaled on the end of my spear. Once the fight is over, Valerius waves an arm across his body, and the image dissipates, leaving nothing but the fire behind.
I blink rapidly, small snippets of the image remaining in my vision, but they slowly fade away. As we stand there mute, Valerius gestures toward us, encouraging questions and offering the answers he told us would come.
“How are you able to harness such strong magic?” Rayfe asks. “I thought all that kind of magic, and people able to wield it, were lost long ago.”
“It is true that most of the magic in the world has been lost, and there are not many true magic-users left in the world,” Valerius explains. “I am one of the few individuals who still holds that privilege. Not many creatures can make the claim, but I was around when magic was permeated the world, and the abilities that I was given back then have never left me.”
“But that was thousands of years ago!” I blurt out, remembering the stories Rayfe told me about old magic. There is no way this man in front of me is thousands of years old.
“I may be more than I currently appear,” Valerius replies cryptically. I stare at him, confused, and see Rayfe doing the same beside me. Valerius shuts his eyes for only a moment and reopens them, but the eyes that reappear are not the same. The human eyes have been replaced by something else entirely. The whites of his eyes are now a bright yellow in color, and his iris and pupil have been reduced to a thin vertical slit, completely black. Rayfe gasps beside me, and I instinctively reach for my sword, unsure of what sort of creature stands before us.
Valerius raises his arm toward me calmly, gesturing for me to relax. I keep my hand on my sword, halfway out of its scabbard, wary of any danger from this mysterious keeper. He blinks once more and his eyes return to their human appearance.
“You’re a dragon,” Rayfe whispers, awe clear in his voice. I look over at him, sure that he has lost his mind. “I thought dragons were just myths, stories told to children.”
What the hell is a dragon?
“I assure you,” Valerius replies with a knowing smile. “We are very real. There were never very many of us in this world, but over the centuries, our numbers have dwindled further. The few dragons that remain, like me, spend most of their time tucked away in remote corners of the world. I have lived in this cave for hundreds of years, safe at the top of the peak, guarding the gem you came in search of.”
“So, you live up here alone, never leaving?” I ask, infinitely curious about this new mystical creature I’m speaking to. Having never heard about the dragon race before, I want to learn all I can. “How does a species as powerful as yours get killed off? Why do you need to be in hiding with the powers you have?”
Valerius chuckles at my barrage of questions, and I suddenly feel foolish, my face hot. He patiently answers anyway.
“Even creatures as powerful as we dragons can still be hunted,” he begins. “It doesn’t happen often, but we can be caught off guard and overcome. Relics used against my kind can negate our magic temporarily, leaving us vulnerable to traditional attacks. Members of every race tend to hunt and kill what they don’t understand, so it was safer and easier for me to go into hiding up here in my home than face the constant threat of another would-be hero.”
“And you said you were tasked with guarding the gem?” Rayfe asks him, obviously also very curious. While he may have heard of dragons before, standing in front of one leaves him in the same place I am.
“It is said that at the dawn of time, the dragons were created to maintain balance in the world,” Valerius begins, and I feel myself physically leaning forward into what I know will be a fascinating answer to the simple question. “Ancient beings possessed with incredible power, dragons were neutral beings who were outside of the conflict between good and evil, allowing them to work to keep the struggle between the two balanced and equal. As long as the cosmic scales holding each of these sides was level, the world would continue as normal, but if either side began to overtake the other, the balance would be disrupted, and the world would fall into chaos. While our numbers have thinned over time, our mission remains the same: keep the balance and maintain order in the world. That is where the gem comes into place.”
With those words, he turns back to the burning pool next to us, closes his eyes and raises his arms out toward the magical fire. The flames burn higher, the blue blaze reaches up toward the cave ceiling, and the heat intensifies. I close my eyes to the blinding flames, and a grating sound, like stone sliding against stone, reverberates through the cavern. The light shines so brilliantly that I can still see it through my eyelids, squeezed shut, and I can feel the rumble through my whole body, as if it is coming from inside my chest.
Suddenly, it all stops. The light vanishes from behind my closed eyes, and I am enveloped in silence. The heat has returned to a comfortable level, and I open my eyes, blinking several times to recover my vision fully. When my eyes come back into focus, I notice that the flames have vanished from the pool of water, even though the heat remains. The pillar of stone in the center of the water appears to have risen a few feet, but what my eyes are drawn to the most isn’t the lack of fire, or the stone monolith. A magnificent gemstone now sits on top of the stone, propped upright as if it is being held by an invisible hand. The gem, which I recognize to be a large ruby, its deep red hues shifting across the surface of the stone. It appears to be a perfect sphere, with not a blemish to be seen on its surface. I pull my eyes from the ruby and refocus on Valerius, expecting him to continue his explanation.
“This ruby, while not the only tool able to help maintain the balance, contains a powerful enchantment to provide strength to whoever wields it. It can only be taken by a hero destined to vanquish a great evil that threatens to tip the scales toward darkness. This Kromm that you are hunting is this great evil. He was born of darkness and possesses powers far beyond the normal evil present in the world. With the help of the ruby, you will be able to gather enough strength to defeat him and push back the ever-hungry darkness looking to envelope the world. Now, which one of you is this destiny-bound hero”
I
look over at Rayfe, expecting him to step forward. He is a more skilled fighter than I am, with infinitely more knowledge about the world and everything in it. He would be the obvious choice as the wielder of the gem. To my surprise, though, he stays in place and gives me an encouraging look.
“This is your quest, Lykara,” he declares with a smile. “I told you that I would remain by your side until it was done, but you are the hero in this story.”
“But-” I begin to object, still seeing him as the better choice. A twinge of fear creeps in at the thought of taking the gem myself. Carrying the burden of this destiny, and the power in the ruby, makes the quest that much more real. The thought of facing Kromm in battle is all I have thought about for weeks, and while I mostly feel anger at the monster, I’m also scared. Even after all of the experiences I have been through since I left what was left of my village, I am still that innocent farm girl that my father raised.
Rayfe shakes his head in response. He puts a hand on my shoulder and stares into my eyes.
“You can do this,” he says to me in a soothing voice. “We will kill Kromm together, but this is your destiny. That gem is yours to carry.”
I nod timidly, accepting the fact that he wasn’t going to change his mind. I take a shaky breath and turn back toward Valerius. He smiles with an expression that makes me think that he knew that this would be the outcome of our discussion all along.
“It is decided, then,” he announces. He reaches a hand toward me, and I take it. We turn back to the pool together, and he mutters a phrase under his breath in a language I don’t recognize. The pillar holding the ruby slides down, shrinking in size as it drops in the water until the gem rests at about eye level. Large flat stones silently rise to the surface of the pool one by one, forming a path in between where we stand and the pillar. Once the last stone sits on the water, mere inches from where the ruby waits, Valerius gently guides me forward by my hand, toward the first steppingstone.
Standing at the very edge of the water, I tentatively reach a foot out to the stone and shift a small amount of weight to test the strength of the floating path. The rock doesn’t budge, so I move more weight over until I am standing on it with both feet. It feels as steady as if it were resting on solid ground, and somehow the top is completely dry, even though it was just submerged. The rest of the rocks are close enough together that I am able to easily cover the distance across the water, and I find myself standing in front of the ruby after only a few seconds.
Up close, I can see the swirling hues of red within the gem much clearer, a constantly changing cloud of deep burgundies within the powerful artifact. Now that I am standing right in front of it, and I haven’t been struck by lightning or set on fire for not being worthy of this destiny, I gain the confidence to lift my arm up and reach forward to take the gem. When my fingers are mere inches from the ruby, it flies off the pillar toward me, and I lean backward instinctively, falling on my back on the steppingstone. I land hard on the rock, the air rushing out of my lungs, and it takes several moments before I can breathe again.
What just happened? Did the gem reject me? Maybe I’m not the hero after all.
I regain my feet and catch a flash of red on my belt as I stand back up. My eyes widen in surprise when I see that the ruby has attached itself to my sword. I pull the blade from its scabbard to get a better look. The gem perfectly fit itself into the open circle in the pommel of the sword as if it had always been there. I touch the ruby curiously, feeling the solidness of the bond between it and the metal. I return the sword to its place on my belt and make my way back across the water to were Rayfe and Valerius stand waiting.
Rayfe wears an expression of astonishment at what just happened, much like the one that I must have on my face. Valerius watches me, not even a hint of surprise present in his eyes. Just like with everything else, he must have known what would happen when I went for the ruby. Once Rayfe and I regain our composure, and the initial surprise has faded, I turn back to Valerius, expecting him to explain what just happened, as he has explained everything else since we walked into his home.
“Now that the gem has chosen you, you will have access to the powers that it possesses,” he explains.
“I don’t feel any different,” I reply. I don’t know what I expected once I had the artifact in my possession, but It seems like I just added a regular gemstone to my sword. I draw my sword again, trying to focus on the weapon to see if I can feel any difference. I transform the blade into its short sword variation, followed by the spear I used against the giant bird. Finally, I return it to its original form, and feeling no difference in the magic of the weapon, return it to my belt. Valerius chuckles at my attempt to figure out the gemstone, clearly enjoying my cluelessness.
“The ruby doesn’t offer any powers to the wielder right away,” he begins patiently. “It builds in strength, and therefore offers strength to whoever holds the gem, as it is used to restore balance to the world. Because of the onslaught of evil and darkness against the forces of good, the scales must be restored and evil must be defeated. Every small victory over evil will grant an increase in battle prowess to the one destined to wield it.”
“Defeating evil will cause the gem to make me stronger?” I ask him, making sure that I am understanding him correctly. “What kind of evil do we need to be killing?”
“Yes, as you kill beings considered evil, you will gain strength and speed in battle,” Valerius answers. “There are monsters all over the world, of every race and species known. Thieves and killers and traitors and more. Any creature performing acts of darkness and evil will begin to build power in the gem for you to utilize as you vanquish them.”
“How will we know where to start looking for such targets?” Rayfe asks, and I nod at him in appreciation, having not thought of that question myself. The powers given by the gem won’t do much good if we are unable to track down evil to use it.
“Because the gem was created as a tool to maintain the cosmic scales, it directs its user toward their objective,” Valerius answers in his typical all-knowing way. Being the protector of the gem for as long as he has, it makes sense that he would know everything about it. “When you leave the magic within this chamber, the gem will guide you toward evil beings in the world. Once you have vanquished your first target, you will be directed to another one, over and over until you are ready to face the true evil that threatens to throw the world into chaos, the one you know as Kromm. But be warned, this Kromm is an extraordinarily powerful being. You must be patient. It will take time to build the power necessary to face him in combat.”
“How much time will this take?” I ask, unprepared to hear that having the gemstone alone wouldn’t be enough to get my vengeance on Kromm. I am willing to spend whatever amount of time I need to kill him and avenge the death of my father, but I want to know just how long that might be. I look over at Rayfe as well, wondering how long we is willing to spend helping me on this quest.
Am I about to lose my partner because of the sheer amount of time this will take?
I am so appreciative of him coming along this far and sticking by my side, but I can’t expect him to stay with me forever to achieve this victory and a need for vengeance that mine alone.
He has his own dreams and goals to go after. What kind of friend would I be to keep him from them?
“From the strength of Kromm, and the magnitude of the evil he brings to the scales, I estimate you will spend years building the power through the gem,” Valerius answers calmly after thinking for a few moments. He makes eye contact with both of us, gauging our reactions. “You will be strong enough to confront him after a decade of wielding the gem.”
My jaw drops open at the answer.
Ten years?
This was not the answer I expected to hear. I scramble to sort out my thoughts. To wrap my head around the monumental task ahead of me.
I need to do this. My father needs to be avenged. I will kill Kromm for him, and my village, and every
other victim that has fallen before him. I don’t care how long it takes. I will hunt the monster to the ends of the earth to finish this quest and vanquish this evil from the world.
I look over at Rayfe, praying that I wasn’t about to hear the news that I would be leaving on this adventure on my own. I have loved his company, and the assistance he has provided in combat and on the road in general has been vital to the success of our journey so far, but I know I can’t force him to spend the next ten years fighting my fight. When my eyes meet his though, he smiles and gives me a look that leaves no doubt of where he stands. Nothing has changed. I still have my partner beside me. I smile back, a huge wave of relief washing over me.
After that silent decision has been made, Valerius speaks up once more.
“I have told you everything that you need to know to aid you on this quest,” he says as he leads us back across the chamber, toward his magical chair. “I wish you luck on your journey. Find peace in the vengeance that you seek and prevent chaos from falling over the world. Let the ruby guide you, and once ten years have passed, return to me empowered, and I will set you on the path to defeat Kromm.”
We say our farewells to Valerius and thank him for all his help and guidance. He walks to the wall of his cavernous home and places a hand on the stone. With his touch, the frame of a door appears as a section of stone swings outward, revealing a set of stone steps leading down to a conventional wooden door. Rayfe and I step into the narrow stairway, and the stone door shuts behind us. A single magical light halfway down the stairs lights our path enough to avoid falling, and we quickly reach the door. Rayfe pushes on the wood and it opens away from us easily, revealing the outside world.
We step back out into the open air, moonlight gently illuminating the ground below us, much closer than it appeared up at the peak, and I realize just how far we traveled down into the mountain to Valerius’ home. As we stand there, a strange sensation shudders through me. I have a sudden inner desire to move down the mountain with a sense of urgency that doesn’t quite feel as it is coming from me. I remember what Valerius said about the gemstone leading us toward evil that needs to be destroyed. Rayfe doesn’t question my suspicions, instead he encourages me to take the lead and follow the call of the ruby, taking the first steps of our five-year journey.
