by Luis Robles
Pah chuckled as he was able to hear exactly what the horned boy said. Bliss was too distracted by the occurrence. It seemed very strange to her, causing her senses to be a little off. When the horned boy heard Pah chuckle, relief swept over him as he thought to himself, “Well, maybe he isn’t a savage killer, after all, with all those sharp teeth and big claws. Maybe it will really be alright to talk with her.”
Everything began to click for Bliss and Pah. They now knew the reason why every village they visited was attacked by the Rot and how the Rot always found them. Every time that Bliss set foot on earth, Gavril knew her exact location.
“Nameless Horned Boy, tell me if you see this trail of yours,” Bliss said as she jumped on Pah’s back and floated.
“No… It’s gone, it disappeared,” the horned boy said as he blinked twice.
“A few days from here, two or three south, there is a village of stone. Everything in the village is made out of stone, including the ground. It would be safe for you to live there. The trail you had earlier disappears in the rock, that much I can sense,” the eldest dragon said as he stared at Pah and Bliss.
“I know of this village; we will head there at once. Thank you for your help today, we are eternally grateful,” Pah said as he turned towards the stone village direction.
“We, earthly dragons, are a good kind of dragon. We live to help others. Have a good journey,” the eldest dragon said as they, too, were getting ready to head out.
Pah began running towards the direction of the village, and Bliss turned her head towards the horned boy and waved goodbye. She knew that the horned boy was sad for her leaving so suddenly.
“Nameless Horned Boy, can you hear me?” Bliss said in the horned boy’s head.
“Yes, is it you… Bliss? How are you doing this?” the horned boy thought to himself.
“Yes, it’s me, I don’t have a lot of time. Soon I will be out of range, but I wanted to thank you for saving me today. Without you…who knows what would have happened. I will be always grateful to you,” Bliss said in a beautiful voice inside of the horned boy’s head.
“Don’t mention it, I hope to run into you again in the future. Maybe when I see you again, the world won’t be in such bad of shape,” the horned boy said, followed by a sigh.
“When all of this is over, I will come looking for you,” Bliss promised.
“I will wait for you…”
“Take care, Nameless Horned Boy…” Bliss said as the connection broke.
“You know… you should not grow too attached to her. Once you become a fully fleshed dragon, most of your human memories will be gone. She will be but a mere dream to you,” the eldest dragon said to the boy.
“I know…” the horned boy muttered as he looked down.
11
On Stone Grounds
Pah ran for the remainder of the night as Bliss slept. Even after Bliss awoke the next morning and sat floating on Pah’s back, they were careful not to stop. They were taking every precaution necessary so that Gavril would not know their whereabouts. They knew that Gavril would intensify his efforts to obtain Bliss’ magic even after Gemini. Time was running out for Gavril—in less than five months, he would no longer be able to take Bliss’ magic from her. The fire from the fallen star burned brighter with each passing moment, and it was only a matter of time before the two titans of magic would collide.
The stone village was visible from afar as there was nothing like it in those ancient times. As they got closer to the village, they were able to see tall, three-meter high walls perfectly perpendicular to the ground. The walls surrounded the village, and they looked solid and strong. A single opening that ran from the ground to the top of the wall was also visible. In all of ancient earth, there was nothing like it.
“That surely must be the entrance,” Pah said as he continued running without slowing down his pace.
“I’ve never seen anything like it. The people that live there must spend the majority of their lives building,” Bliss said in admiration as she crossed her legs and straightened her back, floating on top of Pah.
Just before they passed through what seemed to be the entrance of the stone village, Pah slowed to a walk and entered the village slowly. Both Bliss and Pah looked around in admiration, as they did not expect what was inside the tall walls—space. They saw a great quantity of space; each of the houses was far apart from each other. Small rounded gardens with a tree in the middle were scattered throughout the village. Straight, small channels of water ran throughout, giving the village a proper sewage. But their biggest surprise was the inhabitants—Gargoyles, hundreds upon hundreds of Gargoyles.
“Well, it looks like we couldn’t have ended up in a safer place,” Pah said with a sigh of relief. “I’ve only ever heard about a place built of stone, but I never knew what was inside it.”
“What do you mean, Pah?” Bliss asked, still floating on Pah’s back as he walked slowly throughout the village.
“These are Gargoyles, and they have a fierce reputation for being great warriors and always doing what is right. We need to speak to their chieftain at once, before you even set foot on stone grounds,” Pah said as he walked directly towards the biggest building in the village.
Bliss marveled as she looked about at all the perfect and remarkable stone structures. But as they got closer to the biggest building, Bliss was lost in the detail of the construction. The building was easily five times the size of any house or business in the stone village. It had a multitude of hanging gardens all around it that made the building look as if it was a part of nature.
As they reached the building, they were greeted by two Gargoyles standing near the entrance.
“Estonia welcomes you with open doors,” one of the Gargoyles said in a dry voice.
The sound of the Gargoyles’ dry voice put Pah on edge, and he thought to himself, “This can’t be right, it sounds as though they were already expecting us.” Pah hoped that Bliss could feel his emotions so that she, too, could be on alert.
Bliss reacted to Pah’s change of emotions quickly, and instantly she asked him in his head, “Is everything okay, Pah? What is wrong?”
“I think they knew that we were coming. Keep your eyes open and magic ready,” Pah responded in his head.
“The last of the Watchers and the last of the originators of magic, we know all about you. Please, come in. Chief Bramma has been expecting you,” the other Gargoyle near the door said with a slight smile on his face as he gestured towards the inside of the building.
Pah instantly turned his head around to scope out the size of things. In that moment, he found out that they were utterly surrounded by Gargoyles, who were staring at them. Things did not look good for Bliss and Pah. The faces of the Gargoyles that surrounded them did not look menacing whatsoever; rather, they looked contented and some simply curious. However, Pah immediately began to growl, and the floor began to shake as Bliss slightly raised her arms.
“Hold it, hold it, we mean you no harm, Watcher, to you or her,” an elderly voice shouted from the inside.
“Master…” said the Gargoyles at the same time when they heard the voice, and they instantly bowed their heads.
The actions of the Gargoyles lowering their head put Bliss and Pah at ease and back into a more relaxed position.
“Forgive my Gargoyles; they sometimes do not know how to handle a situation properly. As for all of you just standing there, go about your business. Don’t you have work to do? Go! It's incredibly rude to stare at guests that have no direct trade with you,” an old Gargoyle said as he emerged from the big building, gesturing a dismissive sign to the Gargoyles in the street.
“What is going on?” Pah said, showing more teeth than necessary.
The Gargoyles near the entrance and the ones in the street left the scene in a matter of seconds, leaving only Bliss, Pah, and the old Gargoyle at the entrance of the building.
“Please, come in. I will explain everything inside,” said th
e old Gargoyle in a tired voice.
“No. First tell us, why does everyone in this village know about us?”
“Very well, if you insist. About a week ago, I went to pick up a special perfume from the Place of Lilies, and I was given a much unexpected revelation, a revelation that changed my life and the life of those around me. My name is Bramma, Chief of the Stone Village, and I am eternally at your service. Now please come in. I will explain everything inside,” Bramma said as he gestured inside the big building.
Bliss and Pah went from being on the edge to being surprised; they did not expect to hear about the Place of Lilies ever again. Their eyes opened wide, and their heads filled with questions. After not sensing any kind of threat coming from the old Gargoyle, Bliss and Pah made their way inside the big building, and Bramma followed. As they walked towards some tall shelves that ran from floor to ceiling and sat in the middle of the building, Bramma began to speak.
“The world is in danger. An abomination of a man, consumed by a fallen star, is after the last thing that he needs to send the world into an eternal darkness. He has consumed the blood of thousands of Nulians in his search for power and has crafted some of the most horrifying creatures anyone can imagine. He will stop at nothing to obtain the one thing he desires the most, the power of the last originator of magic. I see no future in the world after smelling you. Three months from now, on the twenty-first day, it will all end—everything that we have come to know will cease to exist. You and those around you will play a crucial role in this world’s survival; they cannot win by themselves.”
“And that is what Lili said to me the moment I walked in,” Bramma said as he reached for a box that was sitting on one of the middle shelves.
“I must warn you, what you are about to experience won't be pretty.” Bramma then took a few steps towards a nearby table where he set the box down and opened it in front of them. Inside the box were flowers from the Place of Lilies. The flowers were emanating a beautiful scent identical to that of the place that Bliss and Pah once visited. However, when Bliss and Pah inhaled the beautiful scent, horrible images of a huge battle flashed in their head. They saw thousands of Rot and Disgrace battling with the Gargoyles. They saw a mountain destroying everything in its path. In those flashing images, Gavril was visible, assuming a victorious stance over Pah along with an image of Bliss lying lifeless on the floor.
“Close the box!” Pah shouted, unable to withstand the lifeless image of Bliss.
“The flowers are losing their scent now, as what I saw was much more vivid than that,” Bramma said as he closed the box.
For the first time in his life, fear took over the Watcher; pain was evident in his face and even tears were visible. Bliss’ reaction to the images the scent of the flowers had projected in their heads was no different than Pah’s. She was scared for the life of Pah. She didn’t want him to die because of her. In that moment, tears began to run down her face, and she thought about the only thing she knew she should not do—she thought about going to look for Gavril by herself.
“So, I fail? How can I fail? How can I fail, Bliss?” Pah asked with a broken voice and to no one in particular.
Bliss wiped all tears from her face and began marching towards the door without looking back. Pah stared at her with a blank expression, trying to figure out what was going through her head. Suddenly, roots and vines began poking out and fissuring the floor of the big building.
“Don’t you dare follow me, Pah, this is my fight now. Don’t you dare come! I won’t let that monster hurt a single person more. I will do everything in my power to see this man disappear from the face of the earth,” Bliss said, livid, in a tone that Pah did not think he would ever hear from her.
In a matter of seconds and with one simple gesture from Bliss’ hand, the room was divided in two. Thousands of roots and vines formed a strong, thick wall, separating Pah and Bramma from Bliss. Her mind was made up; she did not want to put Pah or anyone else in any kind of danger. Bliss’ heart ached at the thought of never seeing Pah again; she was hurt and not thinking straight. She could not stand the thought that the only family she has ever had would disappear from the world. Pah was everything for Bliss: her teacher, her parent, and her best friend.
She began walking faster and faster, looking down at the ground. But before she knew it, she collided with a big wall of blue-grey fur. Realizing it was Pah, she then quickly looked up to fix her gaze on him. Her heartache stopped momentarily but only to be replaced by more guilt when she saw dozens of gashes on Pah’s fur. He was bleeding and had thorns all over his body.
“Pah, why…” Bliss asked as she looked back to the wall she had made.
The wall had a big aperture right in the lower center of it. It was clear to her that Pah had forced his way through it.
“Bliss, you are the only thing I have, the only thing I live for. I’m not going to let you go alone. I am your Watcher, and I’m going to watch over and protect you until my last breath. If you want to go get Gavril, I will go with you,” Pah said with a soft and loving voice as he got near Bliss and embraced her using his head.
Bliss hugged back and whispered, “Heal.”
Almost instantly, the wounds caused by the wall of vines disappeared, leaving a roughly perfect blue-grey coat of fur.
“Before you two go and do something reckless and get yourselves killed, let me say this…” Bramma said as he made his way through the aperture.
Bliss and Pah faced Bramma, almost feeling ashamed for all the ruckus they had caused in just a few minutes of being in the stone village.
“The images you saw are not absolute; things don’t have to happen that way. That is just what Lili said would happen if we, Gargoyles, would not do anything about it. Please, let us help you in your battle. Know that you are not alone and that every single Gargoyle in the stone village will give their life for you. That creature of the night, the vampire, the one that you call Gavril, will not have his way with us. Let us join you in your fight,” Bramma said with an enthusiastic voice.
“I don’t want to get anyone else hurt because of me, there has been too much hurt, too much pain because of me. I don’t want to let any of these continue. I need to make him stop,” Bliss said as she cringed at the thought that anyone else would get hurt because of her.
“You seem to be missing the point, young lady. This isn’t just about your life or about mine. It’s about every single being in the world. If Gavril gets a hold of your magic, what do you think will happen to us? Do we get to live happily ever after? No, the fight is much bigger than you…The fight is much bigger than all of us,” Bramma said with a hint of worry showing on his face.
“Bliss, if they want to fight for their lives and if they want do it next to us, we should let them,” Pah said as he turned to look at Bliss.
“Do you have a plan?” Bliss asked as she looked up to meet Bramma’s gaze.
Almost at the same time, Pah and Bramma sighed in relief, knowing that they have tamed a force of nature, even if only momentarily. Pah knew that Bliss was going through a tough time in her life, maybe the worst time she had ever experienced by far. The death of Gemini and the last words of Ini affected Bliss’ mentality; she did not want any more bloodshed to fall for her name. Pah had to be careful in the way he talked to Bliss, as any little word could send her to look for Gavril. Even with Bliss’ immense newfound power, Pah knew that Gavril was ahead a step or two. Going after him was a risk that they were not going to take.
“Walk outside with me and you will see for yourself,” Bramma said as he led the way to the big building’s door.
Bliss and Pah followed the old Gargoyle. The outside of the village was much brighter than the inside of the big building, making Bliss’ eyes squint at the change of light. As for Pah, his eyes were not affected by the brightness of the outside; his eyes remained ever so potent, ever so watchful. However, Bliss’ eyes quickly adjusted, and to her surprise, hundreds of Gargoyles were kneeling in formatio
n outside the big building. There were so many Gargoyles that the space between the big building and the other structures in the stone village was not enough. Gargoyles were visible even on the rooftops of homes and even in trees.
The Gargoyles of the stone village were much like humans; however, their skin was mostly grey, and some had a blue tint but not at all rough. Pointy ears and a tail were also visible. There were also two different types of Gargoyles; some had wings, and others did not. They also varied in shape and size.
As Bliss paid attention to the large crowd of Gargoyles, she noticed young Gargoyles and even infants being carried by their mothers. She could not help but to feel humbled by what she saw. In that moment, she knew that her actions were not her own. She knew that she had to take everything into consideration, as the lives of all those young Gargoyles depended on her surviving Gavril, at least until he was not able to take her magic away from her.
“Do you see? You have already impacted this world more than you think, and your decisions will affect us all,” Bramma said as he gestured to the hundreds of Gargoyles.
Bliss stood quiet and lost in thought. In that same moment, a robust Gargoyle walked forward from the large crowd and stopped just a few meters away from Bliss.
“Let us fight with you. Everyone here is willing to give their life for the greater good. As a consequence we have to die, so be it. It will be well worth it. I am Nimbus, the one who will lead my people in the defense of this humble city. And it will be my honor to serve you, originator of magic,” Nimbus said as he extended his wings and bowed with one hand on his chest.
Bliss said nothing and did nothing; it was as if she did not hear Nimbus at all. The stone village grew silent in a matter of seconds, everyone awaiting Bliss’ answer. Only a gust of wind was audible throughout the village, and it became visible as it picked up the scattered crushed bits of stone from the floor. But the wind became the most visible when Bliss’ beautiful violet hair flew out from her cloak. In that moment, an infant from the nearest crowd of Gargoyles broke the silence in an unintelligible way, wanting and reaching out for Bliss’ hair. The cries of the little Gargoyle brought Bliss back from her deepest thoughts and made her smile.
