Draconic Testament

by Zac Atie

  Abaddon ends up opening his eyes, as if awaking from a sleep, although he’s on his feet. The baby was giggling and laughing in Abaddon’s arms, playing with the tips of his own toes. It seems that the magic that was within the boy is beginning to dim. He turns, and temporarily closes the portal as if he only needed to rip at it as if it were cloth. There are Cazrians on the other side that will be able to open up the portal and pursue him, but he intends to be done before that happens. Randomly, his knees give way. The atmosphere here was so much different to Cazria's. Earth’s mana was very low, almost non-existent. However, the area he was in was an area of magical potential, due to it being a portal site… So, leaving a certain proximity of this area will cause him to feel weak, and perhaps even pass out, due to his sore wounds and current exhaustion. However, the baby won’t feel it, since magic exhaustion is mental, and the baby’s body is still developing. It’s not something that would get Abaddon killed, but if his body is examined, and his race is discovered… that may be a different story. It’s likely best to find somewhere nearby to hide the baby, among these alien residents. Abaddon hears the passing machinery, and the laughing of juvenile humans. It didn’t take him long to find out where he was. He was in the middle of a park, a rather large one. The area he was in was fenced off, covered by dirty bushes, weeds and nettles. He was next to a wooden shed, and the portal site was on top of a wooden platform. It certainly looks like this place was walled off and abandoned since Voltrin’s arrival. This wasn’t what he was expecting. He expected to jump through into some sort of Magi encampment, or in the middle of a street, or perhaps ruins... But this is a public place. It was sealed off. Someone had done this, deliberately. Abaddon examines his wounds that he suffered at the hands of Draynar. The attacks with the Arcana have been healed, the artery that was severed is sore and needs professional attention, though, as well as his spine. “We’re going to have to find you somewhere to stay… somewhere close. You won’t be alone, I promise. I’ll find someone to take care of you.” He whispers to the baby. He puts up his hood, and rips fabric off of his clothes and ties it around his face, creating a facemask. He approaches the gate to the blocked off area, broke off the padlock and pushed open the rusty, defiant, gates, sticky with oil. Abaddon huffs, and wipes it off on his robes. He walks through the park, ignoring the attention he has attracted from the juvenile humans. Even though every species within the known universe have their own language, they are all understood the same through magic between mages and residents on magical planets. They were taunting him, but he had no time to respond to their petty challenges.

  Abaddon crosses the road, dodging vehicles and the angry yells of the car drivers. The more distance he gains on the portal site, the weaker he becomes. Soon, he’s going to have to find somewhere to leave the baby, but not only must he choose fast, he must choose wisely. He would have to bring someone here to watch over the baby... Although, he had no idea who, or how it would be possible. He passes about two blocks, passing by strangers who look at him and the baby in his arms, thinking that he’s rather queer. He ignores the strangers, and presses on. Eventually he passes by a house that has most of the lights on, door open, and a woman crying on the doorstep. He begins to turn away and continue searching for an area to hide the baby, when a sharp, familiar pain flares in his spine. He hisses and falls to his knees, shielding the baby in case he harms him. It looks as if the passing out won’t be the thing that gets him caught, but the pain that will attract help. Abaddon curses and sighs when he hears the crying lady stop crying and exit the gate, speaking in their native language. His body was so weak, and frail in this state that he had lost grasp of Dragontongue. He was now in a completely foreign world, with no way of communicating. He tries to stand up, but the pain is fierce. Before he knew what was going on, the lady was already next to him, kneeling, putting a hand on his back. He turns his head away from her in fear that she may see his red skin. She notices this, and before she can investigate further, Abaddon presented her with the child. If she cared enough to rush to his aid, even though she was already in a condition that was full of grief, then perhaps she could look after the baby. She takes the baby, and as soon as she takes the baby, Abaddon pulls himself to his feet, and turns around, walking back towards the portal site. Pain flared once again, but he had to ignore it. He felt groggy. He had to leave. He ignores the pleas of the woman trying to stop him, and continues on. “I’ll have to make extra precautions.” He thinks to himself. “I can’t just act on gut feeling… I’ll have to do something else before the Council closes the portal… I think I can tell the council I hid Sancterus’ only heir on this planet also, since he’s a huge target at the moment, being a Halfling and all, and they won’t be able to find him anyway.” Abaddon continues to the portal, where he is greeted with readied Arcana’s and warning to surrender, which he does. It shouldn’t be his word against Draynar’s any longer, since by now reports of Cienka being razed by Domini should come out as true, since when he and Sancterus were ambushed, the Domini resorted to using Necromancy to raise up wraiths to attack them. That alone should be enough evidence that Domini were involved… if Draynar is smart, he’ll run from Metholi. Abaddon had done his part. Now, he needed aid. He turned himself in, and was brought through the portal to see the council.

  Chapter Fourteen – Cazria

  Zaxxarius Elric

  Zaxxarius looked at his hands. He felt as if for the first time in his life, he knew who he truly was. The name felt right to him. He felt light, much more lighter than when Illuminos was taken from his body. He felt as if he had finally put down an ever-growing bag of luggage on his back. He remembered growing up, when he started in high school. He used to run around with lots of friends, and bring them to the Haven. He used to say how cool it was, because there was a supernatural presence there. Then, he began to sleep there, and all sorts of nonsense. For that, he was bullied. He hit puberty, and began to develop sharp canines and smooth skin. He used to read, and hate football, and most people around him. He was a complete misanthrope. He was a loner, a weirdo, and he didn’t know why. He stood in front of the mirror every night, and began to cry. His mother would have to calm him down, comfort him, make him feel good about himself for him to stop... and now, Abaddon tells him who he really is. A prince, a son of an Overlord, and from Abaddon’s words, the son of a hero. Sancterus was not a hero to Sebastian Slater. It was like being told that you’re the son of an old legend that you’ve just hard about. He didn’t know how to feel about his father, or his mother. “When I felt the portal being opened from the other side, I didn’t know what to expect. I thought the Magi had found a way into Cazria, but it was Prince Zaxxarius Elric himself, making his own way home.” Abaddon said. “Your father would be proud.”

  “I don’t know about that...” Zaxxarius said, then he jumps as he remembers what happened. “My friends! Where are my friends? I’ve listened to your story while my friends are missing!”

  “Don't worry.” Abaddon said. “Your friend is fine. He’s resting elsewhere. The Matriarch took care of him.”

  “Thank you...” Zaxxarius told Tyria.

  “It was my pleasure, my prince. If it was not for Abaddon’s haste, the boy would have been dead. He has had a close call, and his internal organs were damaged severely. He won’t be fit for combat for an age, yet.” Tyria said.

  “That being said... I need to know. What happened to you? You seem to have been attacked by Sorcerers wielding Arcana.” Abaddon said. “What happened?” Zaxxarius explained what had happened at the portal site. Upon further questioning, Zaxxarius then explained how he had found out about magic, and about the Godslayer’s and Sanctum. He also told him about Illuminos.

  “That is quite a tale.” Abaddon said. “Some of it is hardly believable... but how else would you know Sheol’s name... I don’t know what to dispute first...”

  “You look a lot like Sheol.” Zaxxarius said. “At first it thought you were him.”

  “Sh
eol... Is my brother...” Abaddon said. “Sheol and I are both of the Valkari family, former leaders of the Sanctum faction, but he has fled, and I had withheld all claims as leader, which put another family in charge of Sanctum. Sanctum is merely a diplomatic guild that deals with trade and rights... They have a sizable say in matters that concern the Crusade, and that of aliens. Sheol had been getting up to criminal activity, and has been proven to be in league with warlocks. Nobody knows where he fled, but when he ran, he took some loyal members with him. If he’s on earth...”

  “He has my friend.” Zaxxarius said. “I told you, he’s planning to unleash a great power on her.”

  “That part makes no sense.” Abaddon said. “And there’s nothing we can do about it now.”

  “What do you mean ‘we’.” Zaxxarius said.

  “I'm your Paragon and your Paladin both. You are not of age to make such dire decisions.” Abaddon said. “You abandon me on Earth, and now you think you’re going to take up ownership of me?” Zaxxarius hissed. “You bastard. You really think im going to let you command me around, like im some sort of dog? I've been risking my life for that one woman, fighting Sanctum members that aren’t supposed to be on earth, the Godslayer’s Legion, Dante McAllister, Magi Kings, and NOW you want to take me in and shield me of all dangers?” Zaxxarius was irate. “Well!?”

  “Calm down.” Abaddon said. The anger didn’t seem to bother him at all. “There is something that you are missing in all this.”

  “Go on...” Zaxxarius huffed. He was still angry, and if this was not good, he would explode on Abaddon.

  “You were supposed to have a Paladin.” Abaddon said. “I assigned a Paladin to look after you, and when you hit puberty, you were supposed to go to a Blue Magi camp to learn Magic. I made a deal with the elder of the settlement, technology for tutelage. But... this Paladin... he seems to have abandoned his duties.”

  “Who is this guy?” Zaxxarius asked. “I don’t have a clue what you’re talking about.”

  “His name was Sesorai Sylvarin.” Abaddon said. “He is the... clone of the late head of the House of Sylvarin, who are the current leaders of Sanctum.”

  “Clone?” Zaxxarius asked.

  “Yes. It’s a discovery by a man named Doctor Ivorian. Though, he shut down the operation early, even though it would have made him Billions. He said that no man was meant to play god who was not worthy of it. He saw that this technology would breed homunculi, fit only for war, and bloodshed on a grand scale would take place. He would have none of it. Thus he was dubbed the ‘Scientist of Philosophy’.” Zaxxarius shuddered at the name.

  “I told you I saw Ivorian in Split.”

  “Yes. He has indeed went to the Godslayer’s legion. I have a theory as to why...” Abaddon said. “They are a faction that are warring right now, with Zolka. The Domini had risen again to decimate the world, it seemed, but their leader has not brought them further than Northern Zolka. We don’t know what they’re planning, but shallow relations with Zolka have prevented us from intervening. This is their war.”

  “So you just sit back and watch them butcher people?” Zaxxarius asked. “That’s a pathetic excuse.”

  “You don’t understand anything.” Abaddon said. “Zolka is made up of states. The two wars with them have turned them into a bunch of slobbering, vengeful mongrels who are weak, and trying to recover. Their opinions on how to run the war vary. Weak states beg for us to intervene, while the strong states believe they can win this war by themselves. Nobody else is helping them, either.”

  “This is no different from Earth...” Zaxxarius huffed.

  While all this serious talk was going on, he wanted to run up to the window, and peer outside. He was confined to his bed, and could not see a thing. He really wanted to see the spacecraft, and the awesome cars outside, see what a new world looked like. But he was confined to this bed. Just this room felt different. There was an obvious culture difference here, which was no surprise. “Back to the talk about the Paladin.” Abaddon said. “He’s a Cazrian. His genetic code was altered to wear the face of a human, but he’s as powerful as a Cazrian. He should have been there, all your life. How could you not know?”

  “There was no Sesorai, and there was no Blue Magi training. The only experiences with the Blue Magi was that of Necromancy, and I needn’t have any other.” Zaxxarius said.

  “That is indeed odd... I will need to check on where he was all this time.” Abaddon huffed.

  “I need to save Veronica...” Zaxxarius said, again.

  “You cannot leave, Prince. I'm sorry.” Abaddon said.

  “Whatever they’re going to do to earth, it’s going to be catastrophic!” Zaxxarius said.

  “Only an Overlord can erect portals. An Overlord that has studied the arts of Portalcraft. Only the Overlord of Metholi can do that, if others did it, Horizon’s wrath would be unleashed.” Abaddon said.

  “What?” Zaxxarius asked. “You’re saying you don’t believe me?”

  “I'm saying your story is flawed. If Sanctum and the Godslayer’s legion are on earth...” Abaddon paused. “There must be some mistake. I can’t make sense of it.”

  “It’s true!” Zaxxarius shouted, becoming frustrated. “They’ve been hounding the Magi in Rhenium! They’ve been killing a bunch of people, including the King of the Red Magi, and an attempted assassination on the Emperor of the Blue! An assassination that the Godslayer’s are trying to make sure is completed!”

  “Even if that’s true, whatever is going on there could be more than you realise.” Abaddon said. “Sancterus was always up to something. He would disappear and reveal plans at the last seconds for battles and relations with other Kingdoms. Voltrin almost definitely did not create another portal, but Sancterus could have... Sheol could be carrying out Sancterus’ plans.”

  “What makes you think that?” Zaxxarius asked. “Even if it’s true, they tried to kill me! They’re not nice people.”

  “They didn’t know you were the prince.” Abaddon said. “Besides me, the Blue Magi settlement, Matriarch Tyria, your missing paladin, and Sheol are the only people who know of your whereabouts, while our council knows only that you exist. They want to speak to you, as a matter of fact.”

  “I don’t care about them!” Zaxxarius said, still enraged. “Why won’t you listen to me? You went through all that trouble to keep me safe, yet I was plunged into danger constantly. Now I ask that you repay that by helping my friend, who has done nothing to deserve her fate, and you decline?”

  “Yes.” Abaddon said. “A nobleman has rights to be protected, and a rights to land. The only thing a prince has above a nobleman is being guaranteed a spot at the monoliths coronation, becoming an Overlord, and that can fail. If you like, you could raise an army and access the Elric’s vault, which is full of Tix, our currency, but only an Overlord can allow the use of the portal.”

  “Let me speak to your Overlord then.” Zaxxarius said.

  “I can’t.” Abaddon said. “There is no Overlord of Metholi. We’ve gone 16 years without.”

  “Why?” Zaxxarius asked.

  “Because...” Abaddon said. “We were waiting for you.”

  “For me?” Zaxxarius whimpered. “Me? An Overlord?”

  “Yes.” Abaddon said.

  “But... I don’t know anything about magic! I...”

  “You’ve survived thus far.” Abaddon said. “Not to mention your feats, such as defeating a Red Magi King, and a Paragon of Sheol. My brother is no pushover, you know.”

  “But why me?” Zaxxarius asked. “Why not look for another?”

  “Voltrin and Sancterus neglected to bear many children. Each only had one, when others produced many. The other Elrics died in the Metholian Civil War and DomiCazrian war, which Sancterus led. You’re the last. You had to be protected, and groomed into an Overlord from a place where nobody could reach you... But it looks like I failed.” Abaddon sighed, disappointed in his efforts.

  “I'm fine. I think I would have
liked it if that Paladin was around. I mean, Magic is cool and all... It’s just I was more focused on helping my friends.” Zaxxarius said. Abaddon paused for a bit. He was a dutiful Paragon, he did anything to get the job done. He’d sacrifice a single person to save two people. He believed in the needs of the many, outweighing the needs of the few, but that did not mean he felt no regret or remorse. Not to mention the fact that he had sent an unworthy paladin to protect him. Zaxxarius sighed, and thought of Veronica. There was so much going on right now. He was told he was a prince, he’s in Cazria, Yaevinn is wounded, and there’s literally a whole new world to explore! As much as it was sickening to Zaxxarius, it was easy to get distracted. But he wouldn’t forget her.