“Not a good idea, Diablo,” Nyx said.
“Very well, Freya.” Irmeia’s voice was firm. “We shall leave immediately. Zoran seems to have found a place we can go to for help.”
“Well, it’s about time.” She walked away, and helped Raffyr and Viola as they stood up.
She does NOT seem happy. I frowned.
“You don’t say,” Nyx chuckled.
Irmeia put her hand on my shoulder. “Thank you for talking to me tonight, Diablo,” she smiled.
“It was nothing.” I returned the expression. “Don’t hesitate to talk to me if you ever feel like this again.”
“I will.” She planted a quick kiss on my cheek and got up. I stared at her as she walked away. Just what is going on in that mind of hers?
“Earth to Zoran?” Nyx said. “Are you still in there?”
“The wonders of youth require time to savor, spirit,” Acnologia chuckled.
I rolled my eyes. I’m older than all of you, I said. I got up and helped everyone else as well.
Soon we were all ready to make our way back out. No one seemed to have any problems when we told them we were heading to another Dragon’s home. I could sense a bit of tension but they seemed to calm down when I told them this would be strictly for knowledge purposes.
Which was a straight up lie, since even Acnologia didn’t know how this would turn out. But I couldn’t tell them that, now could I?
“You know, I could just fly you to the place,” Acnologia said. “Six people is a stretch, but I can do it.”
“I don’t think that’s a good idea,” Nyx said. “Remember when Elizah went into the forest? It was as clear as day where he was. If any Dragon sees you flying through the skies, we don’t know who might come to you searching for a battle.”
“I can travel through the forest as well if that’s an issue.”
“Are you sure?”
Let’s just take the bears, I said. If something weird happens and you’re automatically summoned back into the familiar storage space for some reason, we’re pretty much stranded.
“That’s true,” Nyx said.
“Very well then,” the Dragon said. “I will follow you on foot.”
There were no objections to using the Volcanic Forest Bears for this part of our journey. So we all mounted our steeds quickly, and made our way through the forest. We stuck to a path that kept us a few yards in from the edge, and my eyes kept a lookout for the slope I’d seen before. It was the only one close by that seemed like we could descend it, and I definitely didn’t want to miss it.
Irmeia rode her bear alongside me, with Freya on the one behind us, and Raffyr and Viola both on the one beside her. Oris lay slumped at the back of my bear, still unconscious from however he’d gotten knocked out.
Freya hadn’t spoken a word to me since she had regained consciousness, and her silence worried me. It certainly didn’t help that Nyx and Acnologia were having their own fun with the whole ordeal. I didn’t understand how those two thought at times. I really didn’t.
About twenty minutes had passed when I saw the slope I’d been searching for. An incline of hardened mud and stray stones lay attached to the edge, and reached all the way down to the forest beneath.
“We’re going to have to go down there,” I said, pointing to it. Everyone nodded in accordance. The incline was pretty steep, but I was certain our bears could manage the descend.
They’re climbing creatures after all, I thought.
Our cohort turned into a single line and I led it, riding my bear down the steep slope. Though I’d anticipated the sharpness of the descent, what I’d forgotten to realize was the length. The incline was about a mile long, even though it was steep. That was how high up we were in the first place.
It took another half an hour for all of us to traverse the pathway, but at the end of it all, we were safe on the ground, and that’s all that mattered. Acnologia on the other hand simply glided down the incline, and folded his wings up as he landed beside us.
“Well that was easier than I’d expected,” he chuckled.
I sighed. Yes, I know, it would have been easier to ride you, I said. You don’t have to rub it in.
“I was teasing, Diablo.”
I know, I sighed. Now which way to Polaris’ place?
“Head toward the river. I will be able to sense his home when we are closer.”
Very well, I said.
I led the group forward, and pushed through the forest as we headed toward the river. Silence lay thick in the air, and the black of nightfall surrounded us. It helped that the Volcanic Bears had flames of their own. They were bright enough to light up the path a few feet ahead of us, and dull enough to still keep us hidden from any enemies scoping us out from afar.
We traveled in silence, with no one speaking a word as we made our way through the trees. I couldn’t tell if people were tired, or if there was a greater unease that had spread through them. Either way, it was not a favorable situation.
“Maybe they’re just keeping quiet because they don’t want to attract attention,” Nyx said.
Yeah, but some of them have also not spoken since they woke up, I said.
He chuckled. “You’re talking about Freya, aren’t you?”
Why do you always assume that? I asked. I could have been talking about Viola.
“You definitely meant Freya.”
“Stop it you two.” Acnologia’s voice was stern. “Eternal, we seem to be on the right path.”
Good, I said and kept our course. We traveled for another three hours, and not a single beast had come our way in all that time. At first, I was perplexed, wondering what this miraculous luck was, and then I noticed the odd shadowy form dart away the moment we stepped toward it.
They’re running away because of the Dragon, I realized.
They were Apex predators in this time and age. It made sense that no bears or vultures were coming out to attack us when Acnologia’s presence was so close by.
A few minutes later the Dragon spoke once again. “Toward the left.”
I nodded and directed everyone the same way. They all followed, without a single question coming from their lips. Well, they’re all being super obedient, aren’t they? I grinned. We kept moving till we reached a small opening in the forest.
An arch of solid crystal stood embedded into the ground. Jewels of green were studded into the structure, and creepers curled around the base, blossoming with flowers that appeared to be roses.
“Is this it?” Irmeia asked.
“I believe so,” I said.
Acnologia walked up to the arch, and tapped the topmost jewel with his head. The green glass-like objects lit up, as though a fire now burned deep inside them. A dull hum slithered into the air, and a translucent wall of white light shone in the gap under the arch.
“A portal,” I realized.
Acnologia sighed. “Polaris always went overboard.”
“Alright,” I said, turning around to everyone else. “We’re heading through this portal.”
They all nodded, yet again voicing no concerns. It was as though they had all placed their entire trust in me for the moment. Was that a good thing? I wondered.
I turned my attention back to the portal. Ready? I asked.
Acnologia nodded.
Polaris won’t try to kill us on sight, right? I asked.
The Shadow Dragon stayed silent for a moment, and then he spoke.
“No guarantees.”
***
CHAPTER TWELVE
My Volcanic Forest Bear moved toward the arch of glowing jewels, and the sound of humming turned louder with every step my steed took. My breathing hastened as we came within mere inches of the wall of light under.
I turned around. “Follow me,” I said to everyone else. “Let’s keep close.”
“Understood,” Irmeia said.
I looked further behind the Eternal, at Raffyr and Viola on one bear, and then at Freya at the very end. The elven
assassin’s eyes stared right at me, but she didn’t react to my words. I sighed quietly and turned back to face the arch.
Acnologia stood beside it, and looked at the same wall of light I was gazing at. “I do not know how long this will remain open,” he said, and tapped one of the jewels with his head once more.
Fine, I said. Let’s head in.
I tapped the neck of my Volcanic Forest Bear and the beast quickly stepped forward. It hesitated for a moment right in front of the wall, but pushed through when I tapped its neck again. A dull glow of silver bathed my body as I headed under the arch.
A heat passed through me, and rose up my neck. One moment we were in the Alpinian forest. And the next, we weren’t.
I found myself at the mouth of a cavern, with a small shore sand in front of me, and a body of clear, blue water past it. The entrance stood tall and wide, with many creepers and vines hanging from the top. The water in front of me seemed endless, as though I had stumbled upon an ocean or sea. Pillars of rock stood from random spots within the blood, with moss and vines sticking to them as well. The breeze carried the fresh scent of salt, and sprayed moisture against my face as it passed by.
“Just as I remember it,” Acnologia spoke.
The big beast walked out of wall of light similar to the one on the other side, only this one didn’t have an arch around it.
“The others will follow,” the Shadow Dragon said, and I nodded. I turned to the sights before me once again, and this time focused on what route we’d have to take to get out of here. I pushed forward, but my Volcanic Forest Bear stood still, unwilling to budge an inch.
Does it not like all the moisture in here? I dropped from its back and walked myself to where the land met water. I could see more pillars as my vision widened. The structures were made of all shapes and heights, with no concrete purpose displayed.
I looked above me, past the top of the cavern entrance. This place was embedded in a cliff as well, and top rose half a mile above sea level. Moss and creepers decorated the grey surface, covering the stone with greenery.
In a few more seconds, everyone else had made their way through the portal as well. I smiled as their eyes widened at the sight before us.
“What is this place?” Freya asked as she rode her bear to the edge of the land.
Well, that Bear clearly isn’t afraid of the water, I pouted, and looked at my bear stand yards from the edge.
“This is Polaris’ home,” Acnologia said, and I relayed the information to everyone else, acting as the Shadow Dragon’s muse.
“Who exactly is this Dragon?” Raffyr asked. “I don’t recall hearing his name in the Ancient Scriptures.”
“Polaris’ is a Dragon who is motivated by knowledge and its pursuit,” Acnologia said. “Hence, he wanted a place for himself where no one else would bother him. This is the result of that desire.”
“What is this place called?” Raffyr asked.
“Keliora,” the Dragon said, with me still acting as a muse. “It is an island that is far off from any of these lands. Even I do not know where exactly it is. And I doubt Polaris’ himself knows either. From what I heard, the Dragon found this place by teleporting randomly enough times, and then set up a portal so he could come here whenever he wished to.”
“Seems counter-productive to set up a portal anyone can access if he wanted to be alone,” Irmeia said.
“The portal was not always accessible to everyone,” Acnologia said. “Do not forget what time we are in. During the Eternal Dragon War, every Dragon played a crucial part in the battle. Though Polaris hated being distracted from his pursuit of knowledge, even he had to push away his ways of living in order to properly help the Dragon Clan.”
“So, the Dragon is in here right now?”
“I cannot tell,” Acnologia said. “However, I have been here many times before, so I believe I can guide us around this place.”
“Do you know this Dragon then, Acnologia?” Freya asked.
“Something of the sort.”
Sure, I sighed, and stopped my ‘muse’ act. How do we get up there?
The Shadow Dragon stepped to the edge of the land and glanced up. He extended his wings for a moment and in a flash, he had surged off the ground. Sand and dust flew through the air as the Dragon ascended into the sky. He circled around us — climbing higher, lower, and then hovering in place for a bit.
Well, you seem pretty confused about where we are, I said.
“I have been dead for many millennia, Eternal,” he said. “My memory is not what it used to be.”
He finally came down a few minutes later, and splashed a bit of water as he landed.
“I’ve found the path,” he said. “However, the Volcanic Forest Bears will not be able to accompany you on this journey. We will have to leave them here for the time being.”
Fine, I said. Are we flying up on you then?
“I believe that is the best option at the moment,” the Dragon said.
Sounds good. I conveyed the information to everyone else.
“Wait,” Freya frowned. “Why did we bring the Volcanic Forest Bears here if we were just going to abandon them and fly the dragon anyway?”
“That was more of a safety net for us,” I said. “In case something happened to the Dragon. I don’t trust my Familiar Storage System much.”
“Ah. That makes sense.”
“Anyway, let’s get going,” I said. “We don’t have too much time to dwindle.”
Acnologia knelt down, and lowered one of his wings to the ground as a kind of ‘dragon staircase’. I climbed up first, and everyone else followed me. We left the still unconscious Oris on the cavern floor though. We’ll just pick him up once we get back, I thought.
Acnologia and I had discerned Keliora was safe, with no predators anywhere on the lands. The island wasn’t one that had predatory beasts anyway, which I learned from Acnologia was also one of the reasons Polaris’ had made his home here. Not that he was afraid of such beasts, but more so that he found them annoying.
“Everyone on?” I looked back, and saw a collective nod from the four people behind me. Let’s go, I said.
“Hold tight,” the Shadow Dragon chuckled. It lifted its wings up and pushed hard, shooting up into the air. The force nearly pried my grip off its neck, but we all held on. The Dragon rose high into the sky in a few seconds, and then eased up, extending his wings and gliding beside the clouds.
I just realized, I thought. It’s been a while since we’ve flown like this.
“Indeed,” Acnologia said. “You seem very fixated on this ‘walking’ thing of yours,” he chuckled.
“Zoran.” Nyx sounded confused. “I can’t find a map of this place.”
I’m not surprised, I replied. The Ga’em has been quite glitchy since we got here.
“What you call ‘Glitches’, I call reasons,” Acnologia said.
Really? I asked. What reason does the Ga’em have right now to hide all this information from me?
The Dragon chuckled. “Do you really think even apex beings such as ourselves would understand the motivations of a higher force?” he asked. “The Ga’em is far from any of our reaches, Eternal. We are but mere ants before the feet of a giant. An insect does not question the ways of the supreme.”
Did not like that analogy, I frowned. but I see what you’re saying.
The clouds around us slowly cleared up as we flew forward, and the sights below came into vision. As the Shadow Dragon had previously mentioned, this place was indeed an island. Hills of flush greenery stood around the landscape, with small rivers flowing around them, making their way to the ocean.
Irmeia grabbed my shoulders from behind me, and leaned forward, bringing her face close to mine. “What is that?” she asked, pointing at something. I followed her finger and there — much farther away — toward the end of the island, stood a massive castle.
It seemed like a classic palace, and yet, I could see something different about it. Towers of si
lver-white stood adhered together, and at the center rose an even taller tower, rising to the height we were at currently. The rooftops were all of a green shade — the same green as the jewels over the arch.
“That is Polaris’ home,” Acnologia said, and I said the same to Irmeia. Questions, however, rose within me.
He needs that big a place? I asked. I thought you said this Dragon liked to be alone. What does a person like that need a whole freaking castle for?
“Ah,” the Shadow Dragon said. “Polaris has an ego problem of sorts.”
My expression changed. That explains everything.
A strong crosswind blew past us, and tilted the Dragon. We all held on tight as we fought for a good grip. Acnologia quickly pushed down with his wings, and took us higher into the sky, and above the clouds. The winds quickly disappeared and the air was calm once again.
“Better,” he said, as we glided in silence.
The sun shone from above, its rays not hot like I’d expected, but more of a comforting warmth. It was relaxing, to feel the cold air on my skin one second and have the rays of light warm me up the next.
“You sound like a guy who’s excited he can feel again,” Nyx chuckled.
Why is it you always say something pointless like this? I rolled my eyes.
“Excuse you. I make great statements, okay?”
Sure, I smiled. Acnologia, what exactly are we going to do once we get to Polaris’ place?
“I doubt getting in will be easy,” the Shadow Dragon said. “For one, it will be hard to have Polaris’ even meet with us in the first place.”
Are you even sure he’ll be there? I asked.
“Quite certain,” he said. “The old Dragon almost never left his home — even during the Dragon War.”
Sounds promising then, I nodded.
“Indeed. I am going to descend now. We are very close to Polaris’ castle.”
Got it, I said, alerting everyone else and then securing my grip on the Dragon’s neck.
“Wait, so let me get this straight,” Nyx said, just as Acnologia rose into the air, and then dropped down. “So this Polaris’ guy stayed at his place for most of the time the Dragon Clan was being murdered?”
The Eternal: Transcend - A LitRPG Saga (World of Ga'em Book 3) Page 12
