by Rain Oxford
“Why would you lie about that if you want your queen to survive the poison?”
“Kaori-mor is the queen of dragons. I am paid to serve her, but I swear no loyalty to the dragons. I am not paid to die for her.”
“You didn’t bring the antidote back with you then.”
“No.”
“Do you know who is using this poison?” I asked. He shook his head, too afraid to speak. I growled in warning. “Tell me who is using poison against Kaori-mor!”
“The dragons. Other dragons are using poison.”
“How did they get it here? Is one of her dragons a traitor?”
“No. It… It was not his fault. They would have killed him.”
“Who?”
He opened his mouth to speak, but his words were drowned by the sound of roaring; a warning that came only a moment before the castle trembled. Some rubble fell from the ceiling, but the structure held. The servant took his chance to run and I let him go. I opened the door to find Emiko running for it, and since I was facing her window, I knew what she was running from. I grabbed her, pulled her into the hall, and shut the door just as the glass of the window was shattered by the dragon outside.
With Emiko in her thin white slip, we ran through the halls. We had to get out before the dragons tore the walls down around us. In here, even Emiko couldn’t shift. I skidded to a stop, halting her as well in order to duck into a room. The door had been left open and I could tell by the satin covered bed that the room belonged to a woman. I dug through the wardrobe to find a green velvet cloak and a pair of boots. Emiko put them on quickly and we were running through the halls a moment later.
Outside was a mess. There were no people running around, since most had already abandoned the small island, but dragons flew about and burned buildings in their wake. Having grown up being told dragons didn’t exist, I never thought to see such a sight. It was still early morning, just a few hours after sunrise.
One dragon landed in front of us and I pushed Emiko behind me. I growled as Rojan roared with outrage. “Shift, Marnd!” I yelled. The dark-scaled dragon shifted from his large form into the man Rojan knew as a friend.
“We had no choice, Rojan. You refused to lead so we follow Isera.”
He thought he was talking to Rojan instead of me… which was foolish because Rojan would be burning him down, not talking. “Dragons are not meant to be ruled. We are not pets!”
“Sago would have hunted us to death had we not learned to shift. We survived by adapting, and now we have to adapt again. There are too few of us left; we have to stick together. Therefore, we need someone to rule.”
Rojan took over. “We are so old that I cannot remember my birthday. With age comes power, so I know Isera is powerful, but you are just as old. Why do you need a ruler?”
“Unlike you, my friend, I was raised to obey my parents and follow the old traditions. You were raised to rule and make your own laws. So was your sister.”
“Why would you use poison against other dragons?”
“That was not my doing. Isera had been planning this for a long time and I only found out about the poison two nights ago. She wants to rule over all dragons and saw Kaori-mor as a threat to that.”
“How did she do it?”
“Isera convinced one of Kaori-mor’s people to betray her by substituting an edible herb for the poisonous plant.”
It had been about fifteen years since I last yelled in anger, but what started as a growl burst into a roar. Energy lashed out in waves strong enough to throw Marnd back. Emiko was unharmed and no one else was close enough to be struck.
“You can use your roar in person form?” Emiko asked, shocked.
Marnd struggled to his feet and stumbled back to us as if about to ask for forgiveness. I decided to ask Rojan later why he was ever friends with such a man.
“You speak of wanting our race to survive, yet you follow someone who has killed others of our kind!” Rojan yelled at him.
“Innocent dragons have died because of her!” Emiko screamed. The outraged woman tried to attack Marnd, but I held her in my arms.
“If you do not leave, I will kill you,” Rojan warned him.
“Does Mordon accept how easily you make such a promise?”
“Mordon was raised as I was; to kill traitors without mercy.” Never mind the fact that I had never actually killed a person or dragon. “If you need a monarch, then I will give you the command; leave now.” The dragon looked like he wanted to rush forward and draw a blade on us, but instead he shifted back into dragon form, flapped his wings, turned, and flew off, away from the island.
Another dragon flew low and blew out several castle windows with fire. I raised my hand and let my fire out, but the flames did not deter the dragon. Instead, he directed his attack onto us. Flying low, he blew flames at me, which I easily killed, not that fire would hurt me anyway.
I took a risk: I used magic to create an energy shield in all directions around the dragon like a cage… but the dragon broke it with the strength of his wings. The snow-white dragon was a mountain dragon, and their wings were huge and powerful. Many of them had an advantage when facing dragons who were not immune to cold; many of them had another power.
He opened his mouth and I knew he was one such dragon. Instead of flames, which were harmless to me, he breathed a fog of ice so cold that it could kill a person. With a show of strength I would never have suspected, Emiko pushed me out of the way. In an instant, she changed from the prettiest woman I had ever seen to a dragon, just large enough to shield me from the ice.
Desert dragons and water dragons were both large breeds, but Emiko was an anomaly. She was smaller than Krayer, and her body was even sleeker. With scales the color of sand, it was hard to imagine her in the water, but her wings had the thickness required to push through liquid. Her legs were tall, shaped more like the average desert dragon than a water dragon, so she was probably very fast in both elements, and she looked like she could run a good distance on land.
Her head was shaped much like Krayer’s, while her tail was about the same length, but had no spike on the end. Other than claws twice as long as those of the average dragon, she appeared to have no physical weapons. She blew fire at the ice cloud, a sad weapon in comparison. As fast as lightning, she took to the air and tore her claws down his chest. Before he could even protect himself, she had him on his back, pinned to the ground with her teeth in his throat.
Another dragon tried to join the fight, but when I lashed out with fire, something new came forth in my anger. It was new in that I had never used it, but familiar at the same time. Instead of fire striking the offending dragon, lightning burst out of me and hit the enemy. The dragon went down and wouldn’t be getting back up for some time. Rojan had been able to produce lightning as well as fire, and it appeared to be one more power I inherited.
I tried repeatedly to strike down the dragons attacking Emiko’s island. Usually, it was fire I created, but I was learning. I managed lightning several times until the dragons just became targets for my practice.
Everything was going fine and I had the battle under control until a wave of energy hit. This energy came and went suddenly, leaving everyone startled and confused. Emiko landed beside me and other dragons landed wherever they could manage. Finally, Emiko shifted back into her person form. She was completely naked and covered in the blood of her foes, but reached for me as if I could shield her from all the evils in the world. I put my arms around her as she shook. She was proud of herself, but worried for her people and even more worried about what just happened.
“What was that energy?”
“I don’t know,” I said. The words were barely out of my mouth before the ground started to shake. Structures collapsed and dragons roared. The quaking lasted only a minute, but left the island in shambles with fires everywhere.
“Help!”
The woman’s voice could barely be heard as the dragons continued their roars. I went after the cry an
d Emiko followed until we found what appeared to be the collapsed house of the woman that had filled Emiko’s bath. The servant knelt outside the rubble, screaming as she hastily dug through the stone and wood. Emiko tried to pull her away but she thrashed, and I understood why. There was only one thing that could make a person scream like that.
“My son is in there!”
I tried to pull nominal energy into myself. It was second nature to me to move things with magic… but there was no energy. The energy all around and inside me had vanished. “The magic is gone.” Emiko frowned at me with confusion, as she couldn’t understand why I knew that. I reached inside and felt my fire stir. My dragon magic was still there; it was just nominal energy that was affected. I helped the woman dig through the rubble. Emiko shifted and was able to do a lot more.
I felt her land behind me. If there was one thing Rojan learned as a child, it was to not let Isera at his back. I turned to face her and she roared. There were no words, but I understood it. The roar was like a type of speech in a way. She was giving me an ultimatum; submit or die.
“Keep digging,” I told Emiko when she growled at Rojan’s sister. Isera, who towered over the young queen, had no qualms about casualties. Emiko reluctantly resumed helping the sago woman and I carefully approached Isera to draw her attention away from them.
I drew Dylan’s sword. When I could not use my magic, when my fire and claws were useless, at least I had a sword. And apparently surprise. Isera must have thought I would never attack her, for I was able to strike her before she reacted. Blood spread across her chest, even over her heart, but it was too shallow to be a mortal wound. With a swipe of her paw, I was on my back.
Between Rojan and Isera, my dragon was bigger, but as I was unable to shift, I stood no chance. Only Rojan’s strength was enough to defeat his sister, and I did not have it. She placed her massive paw on me with her claws just barely digging into my chest. She was taking her time, trying to make me show fear before she crushed me to death… or so I thought. When she roared in my face, I knew that it would be more gruesome than that; she would eat me.
Then the most unexpected thing that could ever happen occurred. The demon that Dylan fought appeared. In the form of Dylan’s stepfather, he squatted down beside me, completely unafraid of the dragon.
“Well, I suppose I should be upset that my life has just become so hectic, but I knew what I was getting myself into. Couldn’t you have hung onto your life for an hour without my help?”
“What are you doing here?!” I demanded, trying to ignore the dragon slowly squeezing the life out of me. I would take being eaten by my psychotic sister over being dragged into the void by a demon any day.
“I think I made a bargain with a devil. No matter. I’m here to save you, whether I like it or not.”
He obviously did not like it. He placed his hand on my shoulder and power spread through my body. It was very similar to my fire, but it was not meant to burn. It felt like strength; pure and unquestionable strength.
Nothing could stop me as my body grew and my skin became hide. My bones shifted, cracked, and grew, but it wasn’t painful; it was natural. It was like in Rojan’s memories. For the first time, I came to be the best that I could be. There was nothing that could stop me now. I was a dragon, and not just any dragon. I towered over others, I could strike with lightning, I could blend in with anything, and I had more than three thousand years of knowledge. Invincible and immortal, I was free for the first time. Free from everything.
Dragons took to the skies and fled from the power they could sense. They were nothing; little children compared to me. Isera turned to flee, but I pounced on her, digging my claws into her wings and sinking my teeth into her neck. For all the times she tried to kill Rojan, she lay bleeding beneath me. Rojan was merciful. Isera was a threat to my family, to Dylan and the boys, and I could never let that pass.
I flew like I had been dreaming for years. My own mind took a backseat as Rojan reminded himself that he was the master of the skies. I felt Rojan’s joy. To be unable to fly for so many years was painful to him, but now he had the sky back. My body was no longer a jail cell for him and some of the guilt I had been holding for the past five years eased since I could at least be that much for him. I could shift.
For hours I flew in the sky and it was really the most amazing feeling I had ever felt. It was even peaceful when Emiko followed me. She was not a threat, and seemed to need the air as much as I did. However, something was calling me back… The only thing I would listen to at that time.
Chapter 9
Nila
Dios was once a world divided into nations. These factions would barter for the most luxurious resources, fight over territories, and build weapons to defend themselves. People would kill for jewels and gold, or even trade their children for lovely silks and potions. Unfortunately, there was a darkness in the people of Dios; they were greedy. Love of material goods and fortune grew to be the entire focus of our race. People didn’t only want the best of everything; they wanted to have more than anyone else. The ruling families were the worst offenders.
When the last war began, Dleso Zyen was the most powerful wizard known besides the Noquodi. He was also said to be one of the kindest and wisest rulers Dios has ever had. While other rulers worried about protecting their money and trinkets, Zyen used his magic to build a magical refuge for woman, children, and any man who did not wish to fight. Nano helped him only after he realized there was no hope for the majority of the population.
Not everyone outside the haven died from the fighting, but the aftereffects were devastating. Disease, starvation, radiation, and an atmosphere that was poisonous to breathe drove the survivors underground to face creatures even more powerful than Zyen. Trolls accepted the new population, but the goblins saw people as prey. New rulers were quickly appointed and cities formed like the nations that have always divided the people.
Many of the survivors had taken the time and risk to collect their beloved belongings, but they soon realized such objects were of little value here. In this dark world where just surviving the day was a battle, our culture changed. When people once traded honor for silk, they now traded hard labor for meager scraps of food. Rations were not enough, yet most city kings would make their people work for half the water or food that they were owed.
Zyen did his best for everyone, even to the point that he was starving. The grateful survivors gave him the highest title, but he would give his food, which was barely enough to keep him alive, to children on the street. He tried to teach people to be kind, responsible, and to love each other instead of objects.
Nano designed ways to grow plants using magic in place of the sun, then imported water and animals with the help of other Guardians. It was not a lavish life, but people were no longer dying. Zyen recovered enough to have a son, who he taught the history of our world. Revered for his father’s deeds and even more powerful, the High King’s son was not kind.
Zyen began to make plans with Nano to rebuild the surface world. The High King knew he would lose his position if people were to return to their land, but he was happy with that. Unfortunately, the dark curse in the soul of the people of Dios was also in the soul of Zyen’s son, Atos. On the day the king’s son turned sixteen, Zyen and his wife were found in their bedchambers, dead. The next morning, Atos took the throne and crushed the movement to rebuild our lands.
* * *
Eight years ago…
My half-brother, Adre, was seriously getting on my nerves. He was an angry and suspicious man who, when not trying to assassinate me, was constantly ridiculing me. The man would give me orders and scold me like a child in front of my guards, or pat my head condescendingly when I did something he approved of. I put up with it for our father’s sake.
Our world never had a chance to thrive under my father’s rule, for my mother used to tell me he was a cruel and miserable man. She never chose to marry him, nor have his child, so she jumped at the chance when Na
no offered to take me from her. I was sad at first, because I always thought she would someday forgive me for my genetic flaw and love me. She had never been openly cruel to me until she discovered I was a void, so I looked forward to waking every morning, hoping that she would suddenly feel as a mother should.
Most people fear voids and think we are inherently evil because of our blood. In a way, they are correct.
My blood and soul became bonded with the void by magic I never really understood, due to my father’s murder. For me, there was nothing evil about the void, but I could see how others believed differently. The void consumed life, but the universe itself could not be sustained without it. The only reason I didn’t hate my father for being the cause of my curse was that I still believed that were he alive, he would love me. Instead the only person who ever loved me was my uncle, who actually wasn’t related to me at all.
Speaking of my uncle…
Hioji Nano entered my gilded cage with a suspicious energy, like he had a surprise for me. As always, I ran to hug him, because he always hugged me back. I tried to control my strength, but I was excited, for it had been months since I last saw him.
“How have you been?” he asked.
“Fair. I have some new ideas for rebuilding the surface.”
“And you want me to share them with Zer?”
“If you can manage it. I hate to ask for more work from you,” I said. It was for the sake of my brother that I acted so formally with Nano. I knew he would do whatever it took to help save Dios, but we both realized Adre was trying to thwart my plans.
Nano stepped away from me just slightly so that he would regain the magic he lost while in contact with me.
In order to disguise his action, we both turned to the young man who followed him in. The first thing that struck me was that he looked like a much younger Kiro, but with vivid green eyes and softer muscle tone.
“Nila, this is Dylan. He speaks English, and he’s human. He will be the new Guardian of Earth,” Nano told me in English.
