In the few moments it took before he came back to his senses it seemed the entire mountainside rushed towards him. Boulders, ice and snow hurtled at him. Asaph jumped into the air, spreading his wings, but a giant boulder smacked into him and then he was rolling with the rubble. Another boulder smacked him in the face, turning the world dark again. His body twisted between ice and rock. He gasped for breath filling his mouth with dirt and choking on it. A boulder struck his chest; he thought he heard ribs crack and then the tumbling slowed.
A great weight crushed down upon him. He could barely breathe as every inhalation filled his nostrils with snow and dirt, and every exhalation made it harder to draw another breath. He could see nothing and heard only the sound of lesser rocks tumbling. He tried to push himself up but the whole mountain appeared to be crushing down upon him. He began to panic and reached for other dragon minds.
There was nothing there.
Being trapped like an animal in a cage filled Asaph with fury. How dare he end like this in front of the awakened dragons. He reached for the Flow but found it blocked to him. The loss made him violent and, opening his mouth, he roared his frustration in fire and soot. The snow around his face melted and stones fell away allowing him to breathe deeper. He thrashed savagely, feeling a boulder by his tail move and dislodge several others.
Smashing his head up and dislodging more rubble, a trickle of light filtered through. Energised by this, he did it again and a larger hole appeared, revealing sky. He caught a glimpse of several dragons now waiting on the mountainside; two reds, three greens and a grey. He would have cried out in joy had he not been so furious at his predicament. He paused, seeing Morhork come into view. The dragon was lumbering towards the others with his back to Asaph and he was covered in blood, gaping wounds and burns.
‘Dragons, at last, I have awoken you,’ cried Morhork. ‘The world of man is still at war…’
Asaph heard no more as the rushing din of rage filled his ears. His bunched his muscles and heaved, roaring his fury in a hail of fire. With Morhork’s attention now on the other dragons, Asaph broke the barrier to the Flow and dragged the magic to him. Snow, rock, ice and fire erupted into the air, and in the middle of it was Asaph. He hurtled into Morhork, taking the wingless dragon by complete surprise. The ice-blue dragon fell and sprawled in the snow beneath him. Asaph jumped off his back, lifted into the air and pelted him with magic; relentless showers of snow, rock and ice that had followed his explosion.
Morhork was knocked senseless and soon half submerged in the rubble. Several fangs were knocked out from flying rocks and blood dripped from his nostrils. Asaph landed before the stunned dragon and stalked towards him, intending to finish it once and for all. It was only when his chest suddenly burned with agony, making him roar and sit back on his haunches, that his need to kill Morhork abated.
Gasping smoke, he looked down. Upon his chest, the mark from his Trial by Fire blazed. The flame mark burned brightly, three licks of fire flickering yellow for all to see. What was happening?
He felt surprise spread through the assembled dragons and turned to face them, hoping for an explanation. They all had their heads lifted and were sitting up. He stared down at the mark, feeling the heat behind the flames cool. His raging fury melted away. Morhork growled from behind him, but it was the soft growl of one dazed and in pain.
Light flared on the lake, capturing everyone’s attention. The Sword of Binding burst into a blaze of white. What is happening? Asaph forgot about his flame mark and went towards it, coming to a stop at the lake’s edge. If he changed into his human form now to walk across the lake, Morhork or any of the other dragons could easily kill him.
The sword flared again and became a blazing pillar of yellow and white light reaching up into the deep blue sky that was still sprinkled with stars. Asaph’s breath caught in his throat. The Flow surged towards the sword, filling it with power. The light grew larger and brighter and he realised it was roaring and flickering, like fire made of pure white and yellow. The light grew, becoming wider and wider until it was massive and engulfing most of the lake.
A form took shape in the light and the largest, most beautiful dragon he had ever seen appeared. She was made of the same yellow-white light and perfect in every way. Great golden horns spiralled high above a long, sculpted head. Her eyes glowed pure white as did her short, triangular spikes that ran all the way from the neck, along her spine and to the tail-tip.
The pillar of light vanished leaving just the enormous glowing dragon. All the other dragons had their heads and necks dipped in an s-shape, spellbound and reverent. The dragon of light turned to Asaph.
He lifted his head and, realising it was hanging open, closed his jaw. Divine power filled him, making him swoon. It was like liquid sunlight flowing through his veins. Painlessly, his cracked ribs snapped into place and mended. His torn wing stopped dripping blood and became whole. The rest of his many wounds closed as his scales and skin knitted together. The strain and fatigue left his muscles and his befuddled brain cleared. His battered aching body felt lithe and young and new.
‘Feygriene,’ he breathed. He had never seen her in this form. He closed his eyes and dipped his head in reverence, his sense of divinity and awe increasing.
The Sun Goddess spoke, her voice deep and rich and harmonious. With her words came a torrent of mental images, feelings, thoughts and emotions creating complete comprehension and leaving nothing to doubt.
‘Behold the Dawn Bringer,’ her communication said. ‘The only Dragon Lord to survive the Trial by Fire where before only pureblood dragons have passed. Without this Dragon Lord, the world of Maioria will fall into oblivion—the black scar of emptiness you have witnessed in your dreams. He awakens you now so you may arise and decide whether you will fight for this world, your world, or not.’
The dragons around him shifted and murmured and a shared thought was spoken in unison. ‘This is the Dawn Bringer we have been dreaming of.’
Asaph wasn’t entirely sure if they had spoken aloud or only in his head.
‘You have been awoken now so that you may decide your future,’ said the dragon of light. ‘No sleeper has the power of choice, and if you do not choose, others will make that choice for you. Do you want your fate decided by others? Those who would choose for you want to enslave you.
‘My beloved son, Morhork. You are strong, stronger than all the others, which is why I awoke you first. Do not fall to the temptations of the Dark Rift and seek dominion. The Dark Rift will consume all; none on the edge can withstand it, and there are more powerful beings than you within it.’
Asaph noticed that at some stage during the Sun Goddess’s communication the ice-blue dragon had come to stand beside him, his eyes half-closed and head bowed in reverence. Morhork’s body was also healed of all wounds, and all the rage and hatred of him had now disappeared in Feygriene’s presence.
‘Great gifts await you if the race of dragons survives. For if Maioria falls, so too the sun from where you came which gives you sustenance. The Dark Rift touches and taints even here. If the sun dies, then all things in this solar system will wither and die. Thus will be the end of dragons. Remember the First Code. Remember the Sword of Binding. Do not undo that which is holy, and you will be king among dragons.’
The light began to dissipate around Feygriene and her dragon form melted away leaving just a beautiful pillar of undulating yellow and white. The light flared bright like the sun and Asaph could barely look at it, then it was gone.
‘Behold, the Dawn Bringer!’ Feygriene’s rich voice boomed across the valley, vibrating through him and trembling the ground.
Dawn broke in a shard of sunlight that burst over the mountain and between the clouds. It struck first the Sword of Binding, making it flare, then streamed from the sword straight into Asaph’s chest, igniting his flame mark. An awesome, overwhelming power filled him just as it had when he had become one with the sun in his Trial by Fire and when he had first touched the swor
d under the Temple of Carvon. All sense of time and place faded away. He was one with the divine power of the sun.
The overwhelming power spread from him into the valley. As it spread, it lessened in his body. The clouds parted to let more through, bathing all the dragons in warmth and light. Everything was hushed.
Asaph felt his human form return of its own accord. He stood as a man, beside the great bulk of Morhork, and the other dragons watched him. He took a deep, steadying breath, his whole body humming with the after effects of the power. Sunlight still illuminated the sword and he walked towards it on strong legs across the ice. Gripping the hilt, he found it warm as he pulled it free and stared at it in wonder.
‘Behold the Dawn Bringer,’ the dragons said as one, echoing Feygriene’s words.
Although he did not speak, there was a growing look of wonder in Morhork’s eyes as he gazed at Asaph; all hatred and malice swept away by the divine light of the Sun Goddess.
The ice beneath Asaph cracked alarmingly and a huge fracture splintered outwards from where he had plunged the sword. The ice groaned and split some more, then he was running to the shore, squealing.
He jumped the last yard as the ice broke under his feet and he only just made it to the shore, landing head first into the snow. He rolled, choked and wiped the snow out of his eyes. Blearily he watched as the entire lake’s surface shattered and then began to melt.
‘Look at the gold beneath the ice! Ark’s ancient castle, it’s rising,’ said the closest dragon standing up on all fours. He was green-scaled and had heavy black horns.
Sure enough, huge golden blocks were rising from the darkness of the lake bed—hundreds of them lifted by some unseen hand into the air, dripping water and glimmering in the sunlight. They levitated across the surface to the place where once the castle had been and laid themselves gently down. Faster and faster the golden blocks moved and in stunned silence the dragons watched an entire castle rebuild itself—a massive structure soon complete with shining golden domes, turrets, and walkways. It was as big as the Tower of Flame and certainly as majestic—only this one had been built by humans and dragons together.
‘Large enough for dragons too,’ Asaph noted the gigantic archways and towering pillars holding up the roofs.
‘It wasn’t easy to destroy. It took six months to recover my magic reserves,’ said Morhork, overhearing him.
Asaph would have laughed but he was too in awe of the unfolding spectacle. Another golden building was being rebuilt to their left on the other side of the lake, below where the red dragon female was standing. It was smaller but just as graceful with round turrets and sweeping spires.
‘But I didn’t destroy the temple to Feygriene. That was Baelthrom,’ said Morhork.
‘What was destroyed can be rebuilt,’ said Asaph, placing his hands on his hips. The message from the Sun Goddess was not lost on him. He loosened the collar of his shirt; it was certainly getting warm for somewhere this far north. Blinking in disbelief, he noticed the snow and ice was swiftly melting and beginning to run down the mountainsides.
‘Hey, look, it’s getting warmer! The ice is melting.’ Asaph pointed.
All around, the snow was turning into melt water and pouring into the lake. Brown patches of dirt began to appear underneath their feet, and the river running from the lake behind them was swiftly turning into a frothing torrent. Asaph’s jaw dropped as green grass sprouted and tender new shoots pushed through the dirt.
Soon, great swathes of green billowed gently in the breeze where once deep snow had been. The air turned even warmer and he was certain he could smell the scent of spring on the air. But it was autumn and surely winter was coming…
The dragons on the mountainside launched into the air and glided down towards the now grassy plateau upon which he stood. They landed and peered at the ground. Flowers began to sprout all around them; delicate white, purple and yellow buds blooming in their thousands. Mountain flowers, Asaph thought, marking spring. He closed his eyes and breathed the cool, clear, mountain air. It reminded him of the valleys of Drax and it smelt just the same. If there had been two suns above, it could even have been the Dragon Dream.
‘The Dragon Dream has come to Maioria,’ said the red dragon, blinking her huge copper eyes as she echoed his thoughts.
The other dragons lumbered forwards until they surrounded Asaph. Seven enormous beasts, all watching him through eyes that were bigger than his head. He had only ever dreamed of this point and was more nervous than afraid. Morhork’s expression was unreadable. They were all magnificent. But why were there so few?
‘Are you all that remain?’ Asaph asked, not knowing what else to say. Could there really only be seven dragons?
‘No, Feygriene came to us in a dream and awoke us first,’ said the red female dragon. ‘We all dreamed the same dream. We have seen many things and the growing of the Dark Rift in the sky. Then we were led here by her golden light. We are the Six Chosen, selected to witness the Dawn Bringer and awaken the others. Many of us have given in to deep sleep and some have been in hibernation so long they are on the brink of death. Dragons need time to awaken and strengthen after such a fast.’
‘Then you know about the breaking of the Dragon Dream?’ Asaph asked, his voice thick.
The dragons dipped their heads. Morhork looked away, his long pupils narrowing in the sunlight.
‘Faelsun has gone to the Fire in the Sky,’ said the red female.
‘Those who killed him will kill or enslave us all if they are not stopped,’ said Asaph. ‘That is why you have been awoken. Soon there will be a battle in the south of the Known World. I can only ask for your aid.’
The red female shook her head. ‘We are not ready for war. We have not even had breakfast.’
Asaph would have laughed had he not felt so urgent. ‘There is a little time,’ said Asaph. He was going to have to try a lot harder to convince these dragons to fight, but they did need food and time to grow strong again. And the obvious question remained, why should they fight for human causes?
‘But we will fight. What Feygriene has shown us is the truth. We must fight.’ The red nodded her great head and stared out across the lake.
Asaph sighed silently in relief. Perhaps it wouldn’t be so hard but he couldn’t let them rest for too long. The sense of urgency Feygriene had instilled in them all was too precious to lose.
‘First, we must gather the others,’ said the green dragon with black horns, lifting his head.
‘Some of them are so weak they are faint in my mind,’ said the grey dragon, a female.
‘But they are all here, in the frozen caves of the north. We can reach them,’ nodded the green dragon, stretching his wings above him.
‘Where do we go, Sire?’ The slender red female asked Morhork, inclining her head as if he were royalty. Perhaps he was, if he were Faelsun’s brother.
‘Garna, you must do as Feygriene has shown you,’ said Morhork. ‘Awaken the dragons if that is what you have been guided to do. I have seen a…different thing. I must go south to complete it. It must be done alone.’ Morhork looked away, his muscles twitching.
Asaph wondered why the dragon seemed suddenly uncomfortable. Despite the Sun Goddess healing their hatred, he couldn’t trust this dragon yet. Even now, Morhork was being secretive. But then, he didn’t really have the choice not to trust him. Perhaps Morhork had spent so long alone, he no longer knew how to think of anyone else, and certainly he didn’t seem to care.
‘What are we waiting for?’ barked the third green excitedly. He was a young male and he’d already spread his wings and leapt into the air with a roar.
‘Wait, we cannot leave this place unprotected,’ said the other red dragon. He was big and heavy and his voice was deep to match.
‘Rust is right,’ nodded Garna. ‘This place is sacred to Feygriene. Holy. It must be treated as such. Let us shield and protect it from the evil we witnessed in our dreams and remember in our past. The undead immortals must not
find it.’
The other dragons agreed and then launched into the air one by one. Their beating wings sent gusts of winds battering into Asaph, nearly lifting him off the ground. Shielding his eyes, he looked up and longed to fly with them, but something told him that it would not be appropriate to join with them right now and besides, his immediate task lay elsewhere.
‘Wait,’ he shouted, ducking low and squinting through the swirling debris. The dragons turned and hovered, watching him. ‘We haven’t got long, two days at the most. Please help us in the south, just some of you.’ He realised he was pleading and no dragon respected anyone who grovelled, least of all a human.
‘At most, two days it will be, Dawn Bringer,’ said Garna. ‘We will return here with those who will, and can, help you.’ The other dragons dipped their heads formally in unison. Asaph realised he had a lot to learn about dragons and how they communicated.
Morhork silently lifted into the air with nothing but a faint shimmer of magic where his wings should be. Without speaking, the dragon turned from them all and sped south faster than any dragon could naturally fly.
‘Where on Maioria is he going?’ murmured Asaph. With a sigh, he dismissed the wingless dragon from his mind and stared after the others, watching in awe as the six dragons landed on the tips of the mountains ringing the lake. Dragons of vivid colours perching atop snow-crested mountains… What a majestic sight!
He felt a tingling on his skin; all he could sense of dragon magic moving while he was in his human form. The dragons roared together, a deafening noise that shook the very mountains and echoed for ages after. When their roars fell to silence, they lifted into the air and flew gracefully in different directions to find and gather the others dragons.
Asaph watched them until they were all gone. He stood alone, realising how quiet and empty the lake valley now was.
Dragons of the Dawn Bringer: The Goddess Prophecies Fantasy Series Book 5 Page 39
