Drakthira had not deceived the earth, and if the godling’s words held true, that meant the deity would grant her the knowledge she was seeking. Even though she herself wasn’t sure what knowledge she lacked, perhaps the earth was trying to tell her that the story of Daegonlot was what she needed to know in order to continue on her journey and free the dragons. Gaining information on her mother, while intriguing for Drakthira, would most likely only benefit her and would not advance them on their quest. The godling had said they were to prove themselves worthy of being the earth’s heroes, and although young, Drakthira knew that squandering her question on herself would not be very heroic.
Making up her mind, she said, What is the history of Daegonlot and how it became separated from Darkenfel?
“Good question,” the rock man said to her, the diamond eyes glowing white hot. It turned back to the pool of lava, beckoning her forward. “Look, and see the truth.”
‘Thira approached the pool of glowing white lava and after a final look at the stone man, she turned her gaze to its depths. Slowly a picture came into view, unclear at first, but becoming more distinct with each passing second, as if it were rising up to the surface from below.
She realized she was looking down at Darkenfel from the vantage point of one soaring above, higher than she had ever flown. Darkenfel appeared small as a pebble. She was suddenly racing towards the land at super speed, until Darkenfel now appeared to be the size of a grown dragon. Hurtling downward at uncontrollable speed, ‘Thira broke through the atmosphere and gazed at the lush forest below, coming closer and closer. But she was traveling so fast that the ground below was nothing more than a vague impression, rendering her unable to get her bearings.
After a while her momentum slowed, and even though she was still high above the forest below, she was at least able to discern certain objects. But as she gazed upon the ground below, she became acutely aware that something was amiss. And it came to her mind that, despite its unmatched beauty, this planet was totally devoid of animal or human life. No animals dotted the meadows, or drank from the numerous lakes and rivers. No birds sang from the trees; no predators roared out challenges to each other. There was nothing, no sign of life at all except for the trees and vegetation.
Drakthira tried to look past the surface of the water to see if there were even any fish in the lakes or rivers, but before she could focus, the stone man began to speak.
“This is Darkenfel in its first hours. Beautiful. Lush. Unblemished by time or creation.”
Once more ‘Thira found herself hurtling through time, as if the world were being fast-forwarded to another place on the timeline. When it slowed this time, she saw that the forests and vegetation had almost completely covered the surface of Darkenfel, and in the distance, mountains had begun to push towards the sky. There were still no animals to speak of, but the overabundance of vegetation had accumulated so much life energy, she could see little sparkles of green magic coursing through the air. The planet was thick with it; an accumulation of magic she had never before imagined could exist.
Directly below her, a glowing gate appeared out of nowhere, cutting through the air and into existence with a small pop. Two children emerged, one a blonde haired little girl who looked to be about ten years old, with golden skin and silver eyes, dressed in a simple, yet elegant, white gown. The other, a boy of about the same age, with black hair and skin the color of dried blood, and dressed in simple, black armor that covered his torso and upper thighs.
After the two emerged she could see them talking to each other excitedly. She was too far away to hear what they were saying, but the stone man gestured, and the vision zoomed in so that they seemed to be only a few feet away.
“This is perfect, Franklin!” the little girl exclaimed, clapping her hands excitedly. “What a wondrous place!”
The boy bowed before the girl, clearly pleased. “I promised you a place where you could create your fantasies, my lady.”
The girl waved her hand at the boy, saying, “How many times must I tell you to call me Alexius when we are alone? There is no need for such formalities now.”
The boy smiled, but didn’t say anything, and the girl eventually went back to exploring. They walked a short distance to a lake and with a wave of her hand, the girl cleared away a huge swath of overgrown vegetation, exposing a large rock jutting up from the earth. She and the boy sat atop the rock and looked out over their newfound kingdom.
“I believe I will start here, Franklin,” she said, gesturing with her arms to encompass their surroundings. As she did so, the ground began to quake and the earth broke apart with a horrendous sound. Drakthira watched as a chasm opened where none had been before, and out of it, mountains rose tall, surrounding the lake and a large swath of forest in all directions.
Before she could do more, the boy held a hand up. “Please, my lady, before you create your masterpiece, allow me to create its guardians. It would not do to leave such a wonder unprotected.”
The girl rolled her eyes and laughed. “Frank, there is nothing here. What could possibly threaten them?”
Franklin, obviously used to such admonishments, patiently explained, “I know there is nothing here now, but you can never be too careful with such volumes of magic roaming about. What makes this place ideal can also make it dangerous.”
Alexius still looked skeptical, but acceded to his wish with a wave of her hand. The boy seemed deep in thought for a long moment, then stepped forward confidently. “I will make you a guardian never before seen or created. A creature of noble spirit, strong of heart, and with the immovable strength of the ocean. It will fly through the sky, yet be at home on the land as well, and covered in armor nigh invincible. I will make it so it can breathe fire so hot it can destroy almost anything.”
As the boy explained his wonderful ideas to the girl, her face lit up with excitement and she laughed in delight, clapping her hands.
Franklin motioned with his hands and a sizeable amount of the glowing green sparks of magic united into a large, loose ball. Cupping his hand to his mouth, he breathed into them, then began shaping them with his hands. When he was finished, the vague outline of a dragon was clearly recognizable, hanging suspended in the air. He tore a small piece from his armor, which upon closer inspection looked to be made of a series of overlapping scales, and tossed it absently at his construct, where it attached and multiplied until it covered the entire body. He made a few more adjustments to the form, giving shape to the spikes running down its back and the horns, then stepped back to admire his work. Seemingly pleased, he opened his palm and a white-hot flame appeared out of thin air, dancing right above his hand. This he grasped and flung toward his creation and it was instantly absorbed into the dragon’s armor. Finally, he stepped forward and hurled his newly-created dragon to the ground, where it shattered into four identical pieces.
“Arise, Guardians of Darkenfel, and protect your new home,” he said. And as he and Alexius watched, the four shapes began to convert into fully grown dragons, two males and two females.
“They are beautiful,” the girl gushed, beaming.
The first male dragon was of the purest white with golden spine spikes and claws, and glowing silver eyes. He reminded Drakthira of Alexius, and she was sure that was the boy’s intention.
The second male dragon was of the darkest black and had crimson spine spikes and claws, as well as glowing ruby eyes. This dragon reminded her of Franklin, but also of herself as they shared many similarities in regards to color.
The two female dragons were slightly smaller than their male counterparts. The first, a great blue beauty whose color matched that of the sky, had emerald spine spikes and claws, and glowing green eyes. The other female was a deep, royal purple color, with lighter amethyst scales on her belly and spine spikes, and she had glowing amethyst eyes to match.
The boy clapped his hands and in unison the four dragons spread their wings and launched into the sky, each going in a different directi
on. The children watched them fly off until they were little more than specks in the sky, and ultimately disappeared altogether.
Once the dragons were gone, the girl looked down into the lake below her and thrust her hands toward it. ‘Thira was just close enough to notice how the abundant magic motes rushed to do the girl’s bidding. They flowed into the water, and where they touched fish were created, as well as frogs, snakes, turtles, and all manner of aquatic life.
“Do you think I should build them houses, Frank?” the girl asked.
“No,” the boy answered her. “How will they learn anything if you give them everything?”
The girl looked undecided for a brief moment more, but then her face cleared and she said, “Yes, of course, you are right. I will create them, give them life, and try to guide them in the right direction. But like all things, they must learn to survive on their own. I can simply provide them the tools.”
Unlike when the boy created the dragons, the girl seemed to have little need for physical interaction. With a few waves of her hand and a few stifled giggles, the girl created ten beings. At first they were lifeless, and as they lay on the ground the girl bent over each one and with a few spoken words changed a detail here or there. When she was satisfied, she stood and breathed life into each.
Drakthira recognized the creatures as the ancestors of the fey by their appearance. Over time it had changed some, but most of the characteristics were the same. They had the same slanted eyes that gave them a slightly animal-like appearance, and the same sharpness to their features. The most noticeable difference to Drakthira was the absence of fear and rage. These creatures seemed innocent and harmless.
They gathered around Alexius, shyly touching her hair and dress. The girl spoke softly to them, telling them of their new home. Eventually she arranged them into pairs, one male and one female, and told them they would need to use the resources available to build homes for themselves, or suggested they may be able to find shelter in the caves in the nearby mountains. She and Franklin produced small spears, and spent some time teaching them how to spear fish for food.
They spent the first night with the fey, helping them and teaching them things they would need to know to survive. Drakthira noticed neither Franklin or Alexius performed magic in the vicinity of the fey, and instead used their hands to manually perform mundane tasks like cutting wood and rubbing two pieces together briskly to build a fire.
‘Thira wanted to see the dragons again, but they never returned. On the second day, the two children left their creations to fend for themselves, telling them goodbye and promising to return again in the future. Hand in hand they walked away until they were far enough they would not be seen. With a few gestures, the girl created a portal like the one Drakthira had seen them come through originally. Once they walked through it disappeared, leaving not a trace that it had ever been.
Drakthira looked up at the stone man and asked, How long has it been?
“Our first jump, when time sped up, was one thousand years. That is how long it took for the magic to overrun Darkenfel and permeate the entire land,” he answered.
One thousand years, then the children arrived. They were the Creators. And they made dragons first. Her chest swelled with pride as she said the last.
The stone man laughed. “Yes,” he said. “Dragons were the first creatures to ever live on Darkenfel. They were created for a purpose, to protect the land, and did so for a great many years.”
Then what happened?
“Watch,” he said, once more pointing into the lava.
Time sped by again, reminding ‘Thira of the time she was trapped with Daxon inside their joined minds. She watches as the children return sporadically throughout the years, never leaving their creations alone for long. The fey village grows quickly at the increased speed at which she watches, and before long there is a thriving community living together happily.
As more time passes, the children begin to show signs of aging, and Drakthira sees them turn into adolescents, teens, and finally, young adults. Still, they visit periodically, watching over their creations and sometimes bringing them presents or teaching them new skills.
During one of their visits time slowed to normal and ‘Thira watched with interest as the two stepped out of their portal. She could tell Alexius was upset, and she appeared to have been crying. Franklin held her in his arms, whispering to her, and Drakthira heard him say, “It’s for the best.”
They hurried off towards the fey village, hand in hand as they always had before. This time, however, they did not bring gifts or spend time showing their worshippers new skills. They merely sat with them, and blessed them with their affection. After just a few short hours, they got up to leave and hurried back to their world.
Before they stepped through the golden gate, Alexius said, “I will destroy the gate from the other side so no one else can ever come here from our world. They will be all alone, Frank,” she said, burying her face in his chest.
He stroked her hair as he held her close, and whispered in her ear, “I know, I know. But it’s the only way to keep them safe, to prevent this world from becoming like our own. We have destroyed our universe. Let’s not do the same to this one.”
Alexius nodded tearfully and they both went through the gate and disappeared, never to be seen on Darkenfel again.
Time speeds up once more and life goes on in the fey village. At first it doesn’t appear that anything has changed, but as time goes on, the village begins to fall into disrepair and fights begin to break out among the villagers. Soon the village is deserted, the fey having split up and left to seek somewhere else to call home.
Over time they are spread throughout the borders of Darkenfel, and Drakthira watches as the magic builds and builds until, finally, it begins to react in strange ways. Portals appear out of nowhere and sometimes, before they close, humans emerge.
At first it is a mere handful of human residents, but over time they come together, forming villages and breeding. They start out as non-threatening residents, but over the years the magic of Darkenfel seeps into their offspring and with each generation the power grows stronger within them. Powerful mages, witches, and warlocks finally emerge, bending the magic to their will. Inevitably, as more villages are formed the residents go to war with one another, and the more prominent wielders of magic face off against each other. Entire villages are razed and wiped out.
Drakthira wondered why the dragons don’t interfere, but they are as yet still unseen by the humans of Darkenfel.
The fey have continued to breed, and they, too, are being affected by the plethora of magic. Although they do not have strong internal magic like the humans, they have learned to leech magic from their surroundings. Eventually they and the humans clash in a dispute over land and hunting grounds. It is at this point the dragons make themselves known, protecting the fey against the humans and wiping out the village of attackers with their raging fire before disappearing once more.
The fey, worried and frightened over the human’s powerful magic, create the Myste to protect themselves and to prevent more human intruders from coming to Darkenfel. For many years this works, and the number of human inhabitants coming through slows to a trickle. The fey are protected from the humans already in residence, as the humans are afraid of the Myste and avoid it at all costs.
The Myste becomes almost a living thing, forming its own kind of magical energy that is slightly different from the magic already infusing Darkenfel. The reactions between the two bring about even stranger and more powerful creations. Over the course of the next few thousand years, unicorns, phoenixes, griffins, and a menagerie of other creatures appear, populating the land.
Dwarves also appear, offspring of lost rock spirits known as mimotans. The mimotans broke off from their mountain homes during the wars as magic blasted the land and decimated mountains. These spirits eventually evolved into the dwarves who took up residence within the mountains, never quite overcoming their affinity
for rocks and living underground.
The dragons have also multiplied and now number in the hundreds. Some humans take to hunting them, afraid they will attack their villages or eat their offspring. More wars break out as the dragons fight to protect themselves and the other residents of Darkenfel. From their perspective, the humans are the true invaders, for they have amassed a population large enough to be considered a threat, and they cannot seem to live in harmony with the other residents of Darkenfel. Rather, they form large hunting parties and slaughter unicorns for their alicorns, to use in magic potions or some magical trinkets. Phoenixes are hunted for their feathers, and even dragons are killed for their eyes, horns, scales, and teeth, anything the humans think will make them more powerful.
Drakthira watches, saddened, as the dragons and humans fight each other. The dragons are severely outnumbered, but are more powerful than the humans, able to wipe out entire villages in a single day. The humans, on the other hand, fight at great cost to themselves, taking down one dragon for every hundred humans lost, but with each one destroyed the threat is lessened.
The fey remain in the Myste, unable or unwilling, or possibly just unaware, of the fighting outside their home. They don’t help either side. The dwarves remain in their mountains, uncaring about the outside world for the most part. Dragons have nowhere to turn for help, except to the magical creatures of Darkenfel, the ones also being hunted by the humans, but they number even fewer than the dragons, rendering them of little assistance.
Salvation finally comes in the form of a powerful human mage. He stumbles across a dragon mother protecting her eggs, but she has been badly wounded. He takes pity on her and heals her, then stays with her until her eggs hatch. During their time together the two become friends, each seeing in the other similar traits and a noble spirit.
The Godling Staff_Book Three Page 4
