He called her an Ancient One which could only mean she was an Ancient Dragon. She was definitely right as to things never being simple.
“I didn’t believe it at first. The proud and mighty Andraxsccl would willingly give up his heart so that a human boy might live. However one look at this boy’s Vorm and I knew Andraxsccl was a part of him. Still I never thought I would live to see the day where Andraxsccl changed his life long views of never meddling with humans.”
“Things change,” managed Andraxsccl.
The look of shock on Kinl’s face when Andraxsccl spoke was priceless. He could not speak, move, or even breathe.
“It talked,” was the only response he could manage.
“He can talk, although limitedly, and sustain himself with minimal magic from me. He also seems to have a mind of his own. I can feel parts of his thoughts although they seem alien to me,” I said, keeping my laughter internal as it seemed hardly appropriate.
“Like he said, things change. You will eventually understand his thoughts, it’s just a matter of adapting. Although he is a fragment of the original Andraxsccl, he is still a conscious being with his own complexity and ideas, and because of that he will eventually be able to talk more fluently. In essence from that fragment of his old self a new individual will result,” said Petra as she rubbed Andraxsccl’s head.
“How can that be, he is only a heart?” I asked.
“Even in the heart there resides a fragment of his consciousness filled with memories. Consciousness is something we haven’t ever been able to fully understand. It’s one of those mysteries in our existence that keeps old dragons like myself entertained with this world,” she said, and then walked towards me. “I must say, it’s quite amusing to me the ways destiny works. Perhaps the only hope the human race has of survival rests in the hands of a boy who possesses the heart of one of the few dragons who refused to accept humans and a being from another dimension who feeds on magic. If you weren’t a Dragon Knight and Time Noble you would be the embodiment of all who wish to see humans removed from this world.”
“I have learned, in this world there is no room for wishful thinking.”
“You have trained him well Shadow, he might be young but he’s learning quite well.”
“You can thank his encounters with the Irkanians and Thanos. Two months ago you would have heard him complaining. I am having troubling keeping up with his speedy development. I have seen others with a Dragon Hearts progress at an incredible rate but Alex keeps shattering everything I thought I knew.”
“Many factors come into play my young Shadow. Alex comes from the strongest of the Noble Families and has our former leader’s Heart in him. I don’t think it’s such an odd thing he is progressing at such a rate.”
“Andraxsccl was the leader of the Ancient Dragons?” it was a dumb question on my part but I still wanted to hear it again.
“Yes, he was the leader and mind you, a great one even if he disliked your race. And I am not ancient, just a dragon. That silly name was chosen by Vaurion, Andraxsccl, and Thanos for us when the Elution and Varna dragons appeared. It was never to my liking. Anyway, it is my understanding you have an appointment in the royal court and it’s best you don’t make all those people who think they are important wait. I was once one of them, but those meetings bore me now and if I had stayed I would not have seen you as who you are. The Knight who gives ice flowers to children and who heals the men that attack him,” she said as she gave me a wink, “You are worthy of Andraxsccl’s Heart in my opinion, but you must always remember, as a Dragon Knight you are judge, jury, and executioner of those who wrong others. Being kind in this world is not a luxury you can afford.”
I nodded my head in agreement and avoided Master’s probing eyes. He never let anything escape him and would mostly ask about the flower.
“I believe you are all due to arrive in a few hours at the capital so you better be on your way. It was a pleasure to meet you Alexander Laiks, or Kerm, whichever you prefer. Good to see you too Shadow,” she then looked at Andraxsccl and petted him again, “I look forward to finally being able to talk to you again Andraxsccl. I know your heart is in good hands with this boy,” She bid Kinl good bye as well and then went on her way as we began our own.
The Capital
I chose to fly on Master’s back instead of Andraxsccl’s because I could sense how much he wanted to fly on his own. He had been asleep inside of me for so long he now yearned to spread his wings again. To avoid drawing any more attention, we flew around all major cities and roads. It didn’t take long before Master started to lecture me on possible ways to handle situations like the one which just occurred. Most of his solutions ended up being related to influencing the situation through magic. Although for some reason he seemed to forget I hadn’t a single lesson on non-elemental magic or physical magic as it was called.
“No matter how many times you tell me so Master, I have no idea of how to even begin casting a spell that involves physical magic,” I protested.
“You can, those healing and strength spells are all physical magic. It’s the same principle as elemental magic or any magic used by humans and elves. It’s all related to thought, you control your thoughts you can control physical magic.”
“He can’t,” said Andraxsccl coming out from a group of clouds above us.
“He can’t? Why is that?” asked Master Shadow as he glided across the air with his wings spread. I noticed he did that often when he spoke. I guess it was to avoid the noise his wings produced when he flapped them.
“He can’t. Reaper. Confuse. Mind,” came the answer.
I scratched my head at what it could mean. The Reaper confused my mind? But if that was so then I shouldn’t have been able to focus on anything.
“I guess he can go without it for the time being, someone else can cast those spells for him,” said Master.
“I am sorry to interrupt your conversation but I do not understand. What is this ‘physical’ and ‘elemental’ magic you speak of?” asked Kinl.
“They are what elves refer to as abstract magic and concrete magic. Abstract magic would be physical magic for humans, like reinforcing metal or being able to run as fast as a horse, and elemental magic would be concrete magic for you Kinl, such as a fireball or an electrical blade,” said Master.
“Ah, forgive my ignorance Lord Shadow I was once taught about it during my time as a Sentinel but have long forgotten.”
“My dear elf, you can never stop being a Sentinel. You might abandon their costumes, practices, and ideals but fundamentally you are and will always be a Sentinel.”
“Indeed, you are correct Lord Shadow.”
“So you have not received training in the physical magic area Alex. I can very well teach you the bare basics. Physical magic is the type of magic most used by us elves as it uses considerably lower amounts of magic as opposed to elemental magic which is high on consumption.”
“Listen to your dragon heart companion. It will not end well if you attempt to manifest any form of this “mental” magic. Remember our minds are connected and while I do not obstruct your elemental magic as its bases around objects are only found in this plain of existences. I still have my own concepts of what strength, resilience, and attraction are. Mixing mine with yours will bring painful consequences on yourself. Although generally speaking strength and health are always the same so long as you keep it basic.”
“I think I will pass on your offer Kinl after what the Reaper just told me,” I said. After I told them what it had said, both Master and Kinl agreed with my decision to pass up on the offer.
“Who was that Ancient One Lord Shadow?” asked Kinl. He seemed to be opening up even if just a little. At least now he talked every once in a while.
“She is the mate of Vaurion and was one of the first ancient dragons to accept all of the two legged races, like you. She was also among the ancient dragons that fought in the original war against the Irkanians, although she hid her second pair of wings and
other features and was seen by all other two legged species as a powerful but regular dragon. Since then she has held the title Protector of the Empire and spends her time advising Emperors and Empresses or exploring ruins from the past, a fact I find amusing considering she must have seen them all while they were being constructed or finished.”
“I see, she seemed like an interesting Ancient,” replied Kinl.
“That she is, also her views are most singular among her fellow dragons,” I added.
“You will eventually learn, Alex, they are all very singular. Having lived for so very long and living alone away from their own kind, most have developed their own personal ideologies and theories of how and why things work the way they do. Some even forget what they are. No two ancient dragons think the same about anything. Most just agree on disagreeing if anything at all.”
“Then how can they have a leader?” I asked.
“Well it’s not a leader in the traditional sense of the word. It’s more like someone who is charged with handling the internal disputes within the species, basically an arbiter. It has always been a right by strength, as some arguments have not been resolved by mere talking. Given the fact ancient dragons live in extreme isolation from others of their own kind, it is not unusual for them to hold fast to their ideals even when they can be the source of mayor conflict,” said Master.
“What do you mean by conflict?” I asked.
“Exactly what it means Alex, wars, some of the most gruesome wars mankind, dwarves, elves, stonewalkers, and anything alive has ever seen. Some of the longest and bloodiest wars of old have been triggered by the infighting of ancient dragons which is why the current system was devised to avoid them.”
I could easily imagine it happening. An ancient dragon disguised as a powerful lord in some kingdom which he controlled from the shadows and where his ideology came to life only to be destroyed by an adversary from another kingdom where he was viewed as mistaken and flawed. Plenty of historical reference to that, the Antrious kingdom fell because the mad king turned to cannibalism and decreed only meat would be eaten in his kingdom, but to supply the demand he had to invade every surrounding kingdom, an act that eventually lead to his downfall, aside from the fact the human body can’t survive on meat alone.
My thoughts ran up and down from ancient dragons, to magic, to the two future knights which I had meet and had decided to keep to myself. We arrived in the capital. Mere seconds after we entered Alexandria’s air space we were met by five dragons, two of which were Elution, I could tell by how muscular they were compared to the other three. What got my attention was that all five dragons had people on them, same format, an elf on each Elution dragon and a human on each Varna dragon. I assumed they were Sentinels and Knights because of how rare it was for a dragon to allow itself be ridden by anyone other than Dragon Riders, and the fact they were keeping guard over the city meant the Celestial gate incident in Zulia has scared the Empire into readiness.
“Identify yourselves or you will be attacked,” shouted one of the human riders.
“Tell them who you are. It’s about time you start using the titles you have, for one day you will be a full-fledged leader,” whispered Master.
I gave him a nod and thought to myself ‘I can’t run away from it forever.’ Then in my loudest voice shouted, “I am Alexander Laiks, Head of the House of Time, and Dragon Knight. These are Lord Shadow and Kinl of the Black Legion.” I saw one of the dragons tilt his head back to speak to its rider and then the rider spoke again.
“We welcome you Alexander of the House of Time, Lord Shadow, and Kinl. Pardon our aggressiveness but the city has been put in high alert after the incident in Zulia and with such an important meeting taking place here, Emperor Claus II has seen fit to raise the capital’s defenses.”
“Understandable,” was all I said before they opened a path down and beckoned us to follow them to the Imperial Palace.
It was amazing to see the usually sparsely guarded palace with heightened security. It normally held guard at the entrance and wherever the Emperor was located within its walls, as it had not been necessary for more until now. In the last five hundred years never had an enemy breached the city’s defenses, however now you could find guards at every door, every hallway, every room, and every staircase in the palace. Outside of the court room were a group of elves with black armor who I assumed were from the Black Legion and another group with the same armor as the Sentinel I had meet in Zulia, which made me think they were also Sentinels. Two men and a woman stood across from them. The men were dressed in full black battle armor like the elves but on the chest plate had the Dragon Knight Order insignia, while the woman dressed in an all green Dragon Knight uniform, meaning she was a Dragon Master.
Their eyes scanned us from head to toe but otherwise did not move an inch. The two regular guards opened the doors into a large room with windows very high up on the walls and the only piece of furniture was a round table and its chairs. It must have had room for fifty people. We could see a small man standing while he spoke.
“It is a fool’s errand to try and march on them as we are. It would take us a good two months to prepare all of our troops for a fight such as this.”
“Not only do you have to consider the vastness of the Empire but also the expense this will incur on us, your Majesty,” said another.
“You propose we sit and wait for them to march on us, Lord Estern? They will destroy our defenses with ease! You are careless because you Forest Nobles sit on the other side of the Empire. Even if we lose you would remain untouched and the Irkanians might stop their advance after only destroying the eastern and central regions of the Empire,” said a lady with grey hair, a common trait for the Nobles of the Storm houses.
“Now now, nothing will come from harassing our fellow Noblemen, will it Lady Stansa?” said a tall gentleman wearing the black version of the Noble uniform. He must be from the House of Darkness.
“You all seem to forget that should one of the Houses or part of the Empire be attacked you are all duty bound to respond with help. This was agreed upon over five hundred years ago by the founding members of all the Noble families and the first Emperor of the empire, Richard the Protector,” said Lord Lux, upset perhaps by the lack of progress they were making, “We dragons have agreed to fight and so have the elves. You are all pitifully forgetting your duties to humanity. Both elf and human alike have been attacked. You are arguing over petty issues while your enemy prepares to crush you. I have no patience for these trivial proceedings. Vicis, you are the acting Time House representative. Order them to fulfill their duties so we can be done with this nonsense and do what must be done.”
“I can only do that when the Head of the House of Time is not here. Which is not, at the moment, the case,” she said, pointing towards where Master, Kinl, and I stood.
“You should have made your presence known!” said the Emperor, “We were in the middle of such a heated argument we didn’t notice you.”
“It’s quite alright. It helps us understand more of what has been going on,” said Master Shadow.
“Well take your respective seats. I am afraid we had to place your chair next to mine Alexander as you are the Head of the Noble Families and not of the Dragon Knight Order yet. I hope you don’t mind,” said the Emperor with a smile.
Another test to see which I considered myself, Alexander Laiks of the House of Time or Alexander Laiks of the Dragon Knight Order.
“It is of no importance to me where I sit your Majesty. My roll will always be the same.”
“And what roll will that be?” came a question from a tall pale man sitting next to Lady Stansa.
“To protect the Empire.”
All the humans at the table seemed to nod their head, so did some of the elves and Lord Vicis.
The meeting resumed as I took my seat next to the Emperor. Master sat next to Lord Vicis, and Kinl sat with the elf envoy which was comprised of Princess Keren, Commander Purge, and a few ot
her military leaders who I had been introduced to at the Council Chamber the day I arrived at Zulia.
“Being the only human present that has fought them, I believe we should let Alexander Laiks speak,” said the man in black.
“I agree,” said the silver haired woman.
They all fell silent and waited for my testimony.
“You have all read the reports of the battle at the Central Academy, I am sure… Well the reports mislead you,” I said, which got a few gasps from the military commanders of the Empire.
“How dare you question our soldiers! I don’t care who you are boy but my men have seen combats for ov-” Grand Marshal Valentine, the overall commander of the Empire’s forces, blurted out.
“Pardon me but it was not meant to offend. What I mean is you can’t possibly write down the amount of power and terror the Irkanians possess over humans and elves alike. I have fought them on two occasions now. At first I thought I was simply caught off guard, tired from the tournament exams, and should a second time arise I would be ready. The second time I was better prepared, more in control of my powers and the guest in my eyes, of which I am sure you are all now aware of. While it is true I was better prepared, it was not enough to stop the onslaught which occurred. Not only myself but several of the best Elven warriors, Lord Shadow, Lord Zetzu, and Lord Tromuelan, an Elution Dragon Lord, were all defeated in combat.”
“Our report of the incident in Zulia said you managed to repeal the invading force,” said Lord Estern, “We don’t need to destroy them, just drive them back as you have been able to do so far.”
“Zulia would have been lost had the mate of Lady Petra not intervened,” said Master, which caused several nervous eyes to glance around, “He is far more fearsome than Lady Petra and he had to use most of his power just to close the Celestial Gate. Anything beyond that was unachievable by him, as he was pushed back to the elven side of the Gate as it collapsed.
“And help from another as powerful as him is impossible. He is the strongest among us dragons, both kinds of dragon,” said Lord Vicis, making sure she got the point across that he was the best dragons could produce and the only one like him.
Time Of The Knights (The Dragon Knight Order Series Book 2) Page 10
