by Luis Robles
“Do whatever it takes, but avenge my daughter’s death. Send that dragon into oblivion!” Bramma screamed, filled with pain.
Hellys reached a power never before known to any gargoyle. After walking a few steps, he sprinted for five more strides, then he flew at full speed directly towards the dragon. As he flew by the shadows, none bothered to attack him; Hellys looked as if he was able to destroy anything with a single touch.
Obfuscuss kept walking towards the kingdom’s outer gate at an unhurried pace. When he saw Hellys flying towards him, an evil smile appeared on the dragon’s face, letting all his sharp teeth show. Even with his newly found power, Hellys was no match for the powerful dragon. To the dragon, dealing with Hellys would be like dealing with an annoying fly. As Hellys got closer to the dragon, the dragon assumed a fighting position. The dragon was ready to lay Hellys to rest with a single strike just as he had done before with the small group of gargoyles. The idea of putting down the Stone Kingdom’s only hope with a single strike made him laugh.
Undeterred, Hellys continued swiftly towards the dragon. Hellys’ fists burned with anger as he held the stone mallet, ready to strike the dragon with his entirety. But just when Hellys was a few meters away from the dragon, he disappeared in a violet puff of smoke. Seeing Hellys disappear before his eyes made the dragon blink twice. Only a faint violet smoke was left behind. Believing it was some sort of trickery, like someone might be using a spell on him, the dragon rubbed his eyes, desperate to see Hellys reappear in midflight.
“Could it be? No, No, it can’t be! This is just a trick from them. They can’t trick us, they can trick me!” the dragon thought in disbelief.
The sky turned into a dark shade of violet, and from it seven pillars of radiating light descended until they touched the ground. The originators of magic appeared! Working together with one swift hand gesture towards the sky then another towards the ground, the magical beings unleashed powerful lightning storm on the shadow army.
In a matter of moments, the dragon’s vast army was obliterated; Obfuscuss was the only one left.
Gargoyles, humans, and creatures dropped their weapons as they watched in disbelief as the shadow army disappeared.
“They are gods,” one of the humans said, trembling.
Spirits were on the rise behind the colossal walls, except for those of Bramma; the death of his precious daughter was utterly devastating.
“My King, the originators of magic have appeared and destroyed the entire shadow army,” one of the nearest gargoyle guards told Bramma.
“Bliss… I’m glad you’re back,” Bramma said in a low voice and then turned to the guard as if he has realized something, “Where is Hellys? Does anyone see Hellys?”
“No, my King, Hellys disappeared as he got close to the dragon,” the gargoyle guard answered.
A crushing amount of pain reached Bramma as he learned that Hellys was not with them any longer.
Exasperated with the appearance of the seven magical beings, the dragon let out a powerful roar as he got into a fighting stance. The earth shook as the dragon was getting ready for battle.
“What kind of trickery is this? I won’t fall for tricks. I have grown and far exceeded the limits of magic itself; you will only be an insignificant setback. I will finish what I started,” Obfuscuss said, focusing on the seven magical beings.
“Get behind the walls! This dragon will kill you. The walls are the only thing that can protect you if we fail,” Harmony yelled to every surviving warrior outside the wall. Harmony was the second most powerful of the seven.
Without any hesitation, and in minutes, the battlefield emptied, leaving only the seven magical beings and the dragon outside.
“Bliss, stay back. You are the last line of defense against the dragon. Without Arimus’ memories, I’m afraid we cannot defeat him. We will try to bring out his memories as we stall him,” said Harmony as they all sensed the Gates’ power within the dragon. With a broken heart, Bliss only managed to nod her head. Bliss was the youngest and most powerful of the seven, and the only one with the real connection with Arimus.
The dragon started running towards the seven magical beings with his sword unsheathed. His power was so vast that each step he took made the ground quake and fissure. As he ran towards them, the wind split in two and screeched loudly. In just a few seconds, the dragon and the six magical beings clashed.
Able to use their powers freely for the first time in their existence, the six magical beings were a force to be reckoned with. They quickly surrounded the dragon and in perfect synchronicity.
“Seal!” they chanted.
Powerful earth roots alongside small and medium-sized boulders appeared, forming a sphere around the dragon, snapping rapidly together and sealing him away in a commanding prison sphere. The six magical beings floated in a circular formation around the prison sphere.
“Arimus, this is not like you! Remember who you are. You are supposed to be the savior, not War itself,” Melody said with a soft voice and trying to use her magic to help the dragon what he’s been through. “We’ve all experienced pain, and will continue experiencing pain, but we must select pain when it becomes who we are.”
The sphere exploded from within, sending debris projectiles flying everywhere. The dragon emerged, fixing his eyes directly on Melody.
“Arimus no longer exists. He died a long time ago when she abandoned him. It is only Obfuscuss now—I am Obfuscuss!” the dragon said as he launched an attack directly towards her.
“Burial!” said the remaining five magical beings, combining their powers.
A large aperture in the ground formed right underneath the dragon, causing him to fall in before reaching Melody. Once the dragon was in the aperture, Melody quickly joined the other five beings of magic.
“Entombment,” they chanted together.
Then, the aperture quickly sealed itself with the dragon inside. A massive square boulder covered in magical markings fell from the sky, making it seem as if that was going to be the dragon’s final resting place.
“Fuego Eterno!” echoed from within the depths of the earth.
Seconds passed before blue flames started to appear and formed cracks all over the ground, covering a vast area and almost reaching the colossal walls. Knowing that the dragon was going to unleash its full power on them and that they would surely disappear, the six magical beings gave all their remaining magic to Bliss.
Massive blue flames came from underneath the ground, making it appear as if the entire world was on fire. That marked the end of the six magical beings. All that remained was Bliss.
The heat of the blue flames was so intense that it molted the rock and earth around the battlefield. The stone walls protected everyone that was behind it from the scorching heat as molten debris flew everywhere.
Bliss was shattered in one hundred different ways as the only family she knew disappeared from the world.
The dragon emerged from the newly formed crater, slowly walking towards Bliss. She was standing at the entrance and began walking towards the dragon.
“Six of you did not stand a chance against my vastness. What makes you think a single one of you, a usurper, can defeat me? Give her back to me and end this madness...Or all will die!” Obfuscuss shouted as he walked.
“You were supposed to be the savior of this world, not its destroyer,” Bliss said as a single tear ran down her cheek.
The dragon unsheathed his sword once again as he approached her; he was unstable and breathing heavily. Bliss extended her right hand and with a grabbing gesture took the sword away from him in a blink of an eye. She planted the sword next to her. Stones from all around the area formed a mound on top of the sword; only the handle was visible.
“Well…At least you are stronger than the others...The more fun this will be,” Obfuscuss smirked as he said this.
“I was the one who rescued you from your grave; I was the one who helped you defeat the five creatures from the Gates, and I wa
s the one who named you. I gave you a beautiful name. Arimus. You must remember. Look into my eyes, and see what you once witnessed with your own eyes,” Bliss said as the dragon looked directly at her.
As Obfuscuss looked into her eyes, he dropped down to his knees, grabbing his chest, and the five scars left behind by the Gate creatures became fire. He had trouble breathing as Arimus’ heart struggled to break free.
“Hold him down,” Bliss chanted.
Thousands of large roots and vines wrapped around the dragon, and thousands more wrapped around the roots and vines holding him down, and another thousand around those. But the dragon seemed to pay no attention to his new confinement; he was instead focused on Bliss.
“Bliss, is that really you?” the dragon managed to say in Arimus’ voice, his eyes switching back and forth from black to blue. Arimus was fighting for control within his own body.
“Yes, Arimus, the destruction and chaos of the creatures you have within you awoken us from slumber. Take your time, dear Arimus, I am here now, and I am not going anywhere,” Bliss answered.
The dragon trembled fiercely, locked in a battle within a world of its own. He roared continuously, trying to break free from the souls of the five Gate creatures that ensnared him.
“Arimus,” Bliss said, feeling his pain.
Everyone that survived remained frozen behind the wall, watching Bliss and the dragon.
16
The Gates of Oblivion
With a puff of violet smoke, dazed and continuing with his fast trajectory, Hellys appeared in the jagged mountains. Enraged and confused, he quickly hit the ground as he ceased to fly. Without the dragon nearby, he did not have anywhere to fly. As he lay flat on the ground, Hellys’ strength quickly left his body.
“Why? Why couldn’t I be strong enough to protect her? Why did she have to go? Why not me? I would have given anything for her. Why didn’t they take me?” Hellys said with a crackling voice as grief surged.
“I took you away from the dragon because you had no chance of defeating him. Your life would have ended in vain,” a voice said inside his head. The voice was familiar to him, but he did not know from where.
“That wasn’t for you to decide, whoever you are,” Hellys’ answer was frustrated.
“There is only one way to defeat the dragon. Buried within the mountains, there is a supreme power that connects worlds, and it’s responsible for every bad thing that has happened. Its sole purpose is to defeat who we are. I believe there’s something we can do about it.”
Hellys listened intently to the voice in his head as he got up. “Who are you?” Hellys asked.
“You know who I am. You know it within you that we still have a chance. So, get up and fight. If it’s not for us, if not for you, fight for her,” Bliss said inside of Hellys’ head.
“Tell me what I must do,” Hellys said, filling back up with rage.
“You must first find the power buried within the jagged mountains. I can show you how to get better. As soon as you enter the cave where it’s located, you must say that I sent you and that you have a wager for it. Do not confront it in any way, shape, or form because you will die. Let’s just hope that it will be interested enough to let you be close to it. Wager him against the dragon. It’s our only chance as I cannot defeat the dragon myself,” Bliss said inside Hellys’ head.
“Very well then, what is the wager?” Hellys asked.
“That I do not know. Look within your heart to find the answer. It must be from you and you alone,” Bliss replied.
“Tell me how to get there,” Hellys said, unfazed.
Bliss filled Hellys’ head with all the images he needed to reach to the Gates of Oblivion. Once Hellys knew how to get there, he immediately started flying with all his remaining strength.
“As I transported you there, I tried to take the poison away from you, but I cannot take all of it. Hellys, you are still poisoned and the effects will return in just a few minutes. For that, you must hurry. Be wise, Hellys, the fate of the world rests upon you,” Bliss said as her voice disappeared in his head.
With the stone mallet still in hand, Hellys flew directly in the direction Bliss had showed him. He felt confident that all would end soon, and he was not going to let anything get in his way, or so he thought.
Once Hellys was near the cave that held the Gates, his flight and movements became quiet. He chose to walk and left the mallet near the entrance of the cave. He was already sweating profusely and his body was weakening as he entered the dark cave. He was able to see a small red light at seemed to be the end of the cave.
“Bliss sent me…I have a wager for you,” Hellys said as he struggled to make a few more steps.
Nothing seemed to happen: only some minor movements and a few droplets of water were heard. Hellys’ illness had completely taken over his body. Sick, exhausted, and severely injured, he could hardly stand; the only thing that was left unbroken in Hellys was his will to see it all end. He was walking in agonizing pain, and it was hard for him to breathe. His Emorees burned a bright orange, keeping him going.
“I have a wager for you…She sent me…It’s a wager you cannot resist,” Hellys said, slurring his words.
He slapped himself three times to wake up. “I do have a wager for you. If you are so powerful, you will accept.”
As Hellys reached the three-horned statue that guarded the Gates, he fell to his knees and his hands touched the floor. Hellys had no time to be mesmerized by the statue or the impressive Gates.
“So, what do you say? I know you heard me back there. I know you know why I am here. Do you care to wager with me?” Hellys said, breathing heavily in front of the three-horned statue.
While he waited for the statue’s answer, he thought about Nuvia: he thought about all the memories they lived together. He rejoiced on her memories and thought to himself, “I guess this is a good place to die. We lived a good life for as long as we could. I always loved you, Nuvia, and always will. Death will not change that.”
“What is your wager?” the statue spoke as the cave trembled.
Hellys gathered all his strength and stood back up to look directly into the statue’s eyes.
“I have a question for you, or perhaps a riddle, a riddle that with all your infinite wisdom, you do not know the answer to. If you answer correctly, then my life and everything else in this world belongs to you. But if you cannot answer correctly, you will call back your dragon and make all this destruction stop,” Hellys said, facing up at the statue.
“And why would I play your game? I can make your life mine in a second if I so much desire,” the statue said with a commanding voice.
“Yes… Unfortunately, that’s true. But if you do that, you wouldn’t have beaten me. As powerful as you are, you will lose if you don’t answer the riddle. It’s up to you to kill me now and get this over with and show your weakness, or try me at my own game,” Hellys said, almost losing breath.
“Foolish little gargoyle! I have been all over this galaxy. I have been to places you cannot imagine, time and space. I have known everything there is to know. Are you sure you want to do this?” the statue said, standing up to his full height.
“Let’s do it,” Hellys managed.
“I accept your wager. What is the riddle?” the statue asked.
“I am borne from nothingness into an entirety. I speak in word that only I understand. I do not need water, or air, or food to live; I only need more of me. I can kill someone, and they will go on living. What am I?” Hellys asked, gasping for air.
“There is nothing like that that I know off. Therefore, you lose,” the statue said.
“You are wrong. There is something like that…There’s something like that in every one of us that you’re trying to kill. There is something like that in me. That something is called love,” Hellys said as he fell to his knees.
“It shall be done; your wish will be granted. I shall rid of this world of the dragon and all the magic in it,” the st
atue said.
One by one, the hundreds of locks and latches started to unlock, resonating across the cave, and the Gates began to open.
“You’ll be the first,” the statue said as he got out of the way of the Gates.
“I also want her to live. She should live once again,” Hellys said as winds from within the Gates picked Hellys up and carried him inside the abyss.
“Only to see you suffer this much again. That too shall be granted.”
The Gates of Oblivion fully opened for the first time. Powerful winds came from within the gate, pulling everything that had magic in it. The cave broadened, leaving the Gates almost exposed to the outside world. The winds were one thousand times more powerful than any hurricane. The winds sped across the world, pulling everything that was magical. Then, a great silence took over; there was roar of winds. Then, the winds grabbed a hold of any magical creature, and they quickly fell into a deep slumber. There was not a corner on Earth the winds did not sweep, taking all that was magical including structures, gems, and stones. Although part of the war, humans had no magic; therefore, they were not a part of the magical world of which the statue spoke. With each minute that passed, the Gates grew hungrier, devouring all that has magic at a terrifying rate. Soon after, nothing magical remained except for Bliss and the dragon, caught in a battle that neither would be able to change.
The winds of the Gates pulled furiously on the dragon, ripping his magical cloak and crown off in seconds. The winds were much gentler on Bliss, pulling softly as if they knew she would leave without putting up a fight. A violet cloud of magic was leaving Bliss as the winds pulled on her.
“Arimus, I am leaving now. It seems that you and I are the only ones that are left this world. Would you listen to me one last time?” Bliss looked directly at the dragon with watery eyes, as her tears were being pulled away with the wind.
The eyes on the dragon turned blue as he focused directly on Bliss and stared at her with the same warmth she once knew of him.
