by Carl Cupper
Novax, a dragon of great restraint and wisdom, spoke and proposed to consider giving a part of the Sacred City to the Selenex. Tradux, annoyed by such a preposterous proposal, furiously reminded him that the Sacred City was constructed by fire and blood under the decree of the one and only Helion god, after their ancestors were released from the oppression from which they had been subjected to for many centuries.
“We should raise our walls even more!” he suggested angrily, leaping out of his seat as if he was propelled by a spring.
Novax countered the arguments of Tradux with great patience and calm.
“Perhaps Helion would allow us to yield a part of Dragonia in exchange for living in peace.” said Novax in a conciliatory tone.
The voices of the Council members were enraged at the profane proposal. Some seriously considered Novax’s argument, but others supported Tradux’s idea. King Rasux indicated that the idea had crossed his mind frequently because of the terrible death toll suffered by both nations. However, Lusux, another distinguished dragon of the court, indicated that the constant suicide attacks prevented establishing any kind of dialogue that would lead to peace.
“And they do not care if they kill females and pups!” he argued, supporting Rhudex.
Novax reminded them that they were accused of inflicting the same kind of damage when they retaliated against the Selenex.
“We have the right to defend ourselves from their attacks!” stated Tradux. He proposed to end Palex’s life now, when they had him as close as a stone’s throw away. “As soon as his head is cut…” he added.
A deafening disapproval resonated in the enormous cave that housed the palace. The madness of such as this was grounded in the support that many of the nations belonging to the League of Dragons gave to the Selenex. They could start a generalized war in the Region of Fire with such an assassination attempt.
“The League roars much and does little,” Lusux protested. “They promised us talks with Palex to stop the attacks, and instead, many of the tribes protect them and applaud them.” he accused gravely.
A similar assembly had taken place in the Selenex palace, where, as it could be expected, it ended without a solution that could bring the two nations to peace.
The policies of these two tribes would continue as they always had, without reason or justice. There would be no hope for their tribal members.
Months went by and the war continued, with no change in the expectations of either tribe. In spite of this fact, the population miraculously grew beneath this climate of death, fear and insecurity.
In the middle of all this, Califax and his brothers and sisters grew up under the love and care of their mother. Novax tried to teach them the fine arts of a great warrior disguised in games, such as striking the opponent with their tail, using quick movements of their wings to avoid being hit by the enemy, plus fencing and military strategy. Many times their youthful impulses would cause them to burn their wooden swords and shields with strong bursts of flame.
“Surrender abominable Selenex!” Califax threatened his brother Petrux with his sword, who, in return, rushed his opponent.
“Never! I would die before humiliating myself before you!” he exclaimed as he spewed fire at his brother, who covered himself with his shield.
“Quiet, feisty solders!” intervened Zeux, another Claifax’s brother. “I am a powerful Amerux who has come to impose peace by force.”
“You are nothing more than a dreadful reptile that shall be eaten by the gargoyles[6].” said Califax, while he and Petrux rushed Zeux.
“When they learn to fly, they will be excellent warriors.” Novax proudly pointed out to his wife, who sweetly observed her little ones playing in the garden of the burrow.
A few months later, Califax and his brothers became members of the Royal Academy of Dragonia, an institution open only to the children of the congressmen and other dignitaries of the military.
After five years of difficult study and practice, Califax, when he barely had one horn on his forehead, along with fifteen other young dragons, was left under the tutelage of Filox, exalted priest of the Royal Council, who was skilled with the sword, and well versed in the arts, history, and science of his nation.
“Tell me, Califax: when was Dragonia founded?” he asked, pointing with a claw.
“It was in the year 393 of the Sacred Helion, teacher.” he responded wisely.
“What nations form the Region of Fire, Crasux?” he asked to another one of his distinguished students.
“Helenex, Amerux, Anglox, Arbux, Farox, Isux, and Rhusux, teacher.” he answered with an arrogant attitude.
“Excellent! That is all for today. I will see you in a few minutes on the practice field.” he said, as he rolled up the papyrus he used as a study guide.
In the stronghold where the young dragons showed their progress in the use of arms, Filox took Califax as an opponent. He spoke to the young dragon as they practiced. He told him that Novax, his father, had also been his student, and that years ago, he had been entrusted with an important mission which he had, unfortunately, failed.
“Do not worry.” he said, patting Califax on the back. “It is a very difficult mission that only very few have been entrusted with. I, myself, failed that mission as well. At the end of practice, meet me in the library and I will tell you all about it. Do not tell anybody about the mission. It is a secret.”
Califax arrived at that hall of wisdom in the evening, and although he had been in that magnificent place many times, the great number of papyri that the enormous cave contained never ceased to amaze him, as did the laurels that decorated the walls, obtained by ancient heroes in many battles. Filox appeared while Califax looked around, and, after greeting him, invited him to sit on a comfortable stone covered with fine moss.
“I know that you study the sacred papyri often. Nevertheless, there is a scroll that you surely have not read.” he said, looking for a scroll in the closet while Califax watched with eyes wide open. “This one reveals the prophecies of Helion. The knowledge of it is destined exclusively to very few dragons.” he indicated, unrolling the document.
“Why do only a few know about it, teacher?” asked the curious young dragon.
“It is best to keep these terrible prophecies from our people. They would cause great fear and confusion, making it impossible to govern the nation.” explained Filox. “I will begin by reading verse three,” he said, as if preparing to give a long speech: “...And I watched the noon sky, and Helion hid behind Selion and the Earth was surrounded by a great darkness. Hence Helion sent fire and sulfur upon the profane villages and their abominations, because He did not find anyone that spoke with justice, and later He tossed their spoils to the place where Hades[7] dwelled, so that their souls would live in everlasting isolation, and could see the Sacred Land never more.” he concluded.
“What does this prophecy mean, teacher?” asked Califax, with awe.
“It means that our civilization will be destroyed by Helion if we continue the war against our neighbors,” he answered, moving slowly about the room.
“What do you think we can do to avoid it, teacher?” he questioned, astonished.
“I will now read verse nine.” he said as he unrolled the papyrus. ”And I looked at the Earth and the Son of Light revealed himself wearing the four pointed crown on his fore head. Later I saw he who brandishes the fire sword come down from the sky and give the Chalice of Life to the Son of Light, and Helion drank with him, that day his brightness shone longer than Selion, and the nations were freed.”
“The Chalice of Life, teacher?” Califax inquired, surprised.
“Long ago,” he said, sitting next to his pupil, “a man was shipwrecked on a remote beach on our coast. One of our explorers found the man in agony, and when the man saw him, he asked: Are you the messenger of the Highest One? Here, Sir, I give to you the secret of the Sacred Key so that you will become the protector and guardian of the Chalice. And, then, the man died,” h
e said.
“A Sacred Key?” interrupted Califax who was increasingly fascinated by each word Filox uttered.
“The explorer” continued the teacher, “received a map from the man, and he immediately gave it to the king who ruled at the time. This map points toward three points in the region of the great islands of Briton. We have known for a very long time that this map leads to the Key that will open the place where the Chalice is kept. Novalux, your great-great-grandfather was the first to try to find it, but he failed. Later, your great-grandfather tried, and then I went instead of your grandfather, because he had become ill. Finally, your father went, but, unfortunately, he too failed,” Filox explained, sadly.
“Why has everyone who tried not been able to find the Key, teacher?” he inquired.
“My son, man is a very hard obstacle to overcome” the teacher warned. “When this mission was assigned to me, I was a very young dragon, about your age, eager for knowledge and adventure. I flew towards Briton, following the map. While flying south, I saw a great dragon who was swimming in the sea, moving his wings back and forth to propel himself through the water.” he explained skillfully mimicking the story. “I flew down to take a closer look, since it seemed very strange to me that a dragon should swim in that solitary expanse of water. When I was close enough, I noticed that in reality, it was not one of us, but, in fact, it was a vessel that a group of men, who shook, some strange stakes whose ends were shaped like ducks’ beaks. The men had some type of helmet on their heads with inlaid horns on either side, and when they saw me, they raised their swords toward me while shouting Thor! Thor! Then, they knelt down. I sent a blaze of fire in their direction to intimidate them and then I flew away.” Filox explained.
“Who is Thor, teacher?” asked Califax.
“He seems to be a god of these men who call themselves Vikings. Several of our explorers have heard them speak and, although we do not understand their language, they constantly repeat the words Viking, Thor, and Odin[8], who appears to be another of their gods. They travel continuously toward the west, because it is said that they have found a great part of the earth in that direction that we do not know about.”
“Teacher, everyone knows that there is nothing but the Atlantix Ocean in that direction.” Califax pointed out.
“I know, son. They are just legends,” he said, shrugging his shoulders. “There is nothing verified. Even so, they constantly travel to the west and they rarely disembark on our coasts, although their visits are ever more frequent. Perhaps they have discovered the land of which they speak.”
“I continued flying south until I reached Briton.” Filox said as he rose from the chair, “and I rested near a large freshwater lake, where they say a very old dragon lives, older than any of ours, but nobody has ever seen him. After resting for a few hours, I continued along until nightfall when I arrived at a small village that men call Glas Ghu[9]. I stood on the branch of a large tree to read the map and I ignited a small flame in order to shed light on it. Even though I was tried to be careful not to be noticed by men, a small group of them surprised me. They shot arrows at me and threw rocks while shouting: Lucifer! Lucifer!” he vividly recounted. “Bewildered by that attack, I quickly flew away from that place.
“Who is Lucifer, teacher?” he asked, with great curiosity.
“He seems to be a malicious god that men fear.” Filox clarified.
“How strange men are! Some kneel before you, and, yet, others attack you?”
“That is true. It is possible that some of them adore a god, while others loathe that god, without realizing the fact that many times, it could be the same entity.” Filox explained.
“I hid,” Filox continued, “in a small cave to wait for the dawn and to continue with my day’s work.”
“After several days of much fear and danger, I reached one of the places on the map, south of Briton, close to a place called Old Sarum. There I found a strange type of construction made of enormous stones arranged in a circular shape. A small group of men dressed in strange white, yellow and, most of them, dressed red clothing, which covered their faces and bodies, guarded the construction which seemed to be a god’s temple.”
“I watched over that place for several days hoping that those men would leave for a moment, but they never did. It was impossible for me to approach the temple since the guards were constantly changed. I flew towards the other two points on the map, but I found the same issue on both cases: the mysterious men were there day and night and I returned to Dragonia with my empty claws. The same thing happened to your father, but your great-great-grandfather and your great-grandfather, unfortunately did not have the same luck, since they never returned to the Region of Fire. We think the men killed them.”
“Then, who will be able to find the Chalice, teacher?” asked Califax, naively.
“That is the mission that you must fulfill, son.” Filox clarified, with a somber tone.
“Me?” he exclaimed, staggered. “But, teacher, the prophecy speaks about the Son of Light.” he reminded Filox as he rose from his chair.
“You are a Son of Light, Califax.” the old dragon informed him. “Your great-grandfather was born when a morning star suddenly appeared in the sky. That is why they called him Novalux, which means, New Light.” he clarified, sitting down once again in the stone chair.
“The most recent interpretations.” said Filox. “Brings us to the conclusion that the four-pointed crown that is mentioned in the prophecy refers to the generations of dragons that will find the Chalice. You belong to that generation!” He said, pointing to his stunned pupil.
“Do you want me to take on this important and dangerous mission, just because I descend from Novalux and I belong to the fourth generation?” he asked.
“No, son, that is not the only reason.” he said, linking his claws behind his back. “Those who study in this academy are destined to occupy important positions and to do great services to the nation. You are my most advanced student, and I have chosen you for that reason. However, you are not required to take this mission if you do not want to. Your brothers and schoolmates are also eligible members of your generation. Among them, I could find one who wants to take care of this mission. Speak to your father, and if you decide to decline, I will understand.” he answered softly.
“What is the greatest danger I would have to face, teacher?”
“The men, son.” he replied with a trembling voice.
“Tell me about them, teacher. I do not know any.”
“And you should avoid them!” he warned. “Man is unpredictable. He is afraid of his own fears. He can be either of noble heart or a ruthless assassin, worse than the most cold-blooded dragon you ever heard of.” he exclaimed, with a terrified grimace on his face. “It is better not to risk meeting with one of them. You should be very careful since they are all over the place. They are a destructive plague.” he emphasized.
“I will avoid them at all costs.” assured Califax.
“Nonetheless, you will have to give the Chalice to one of them.” Filox explained.
“Why must we give it to a man, teacher?” he asked, surprised.
“The legend tells of man who was betrayed, tortured, and sacrificed. His Chalice was given to another man who collected the blood of the first man in it, from where, it is said, the Light of Life emanates. The one who drinks from the chalice will obtain the power of its glory. We believe that this legend refers to the chalice that we are looking for.”
“But, why is it necessary to give it to a man?”
“The power of the Chalice comes from a man, and a man must drink from it, first. In this way, its power will be activated, and only then will it help us. After this man drinks from the Chalice, you will have to bring it back. We do not know what will happen, but once we have it, we will find out.”
“Where do you think that we will be able to find this man, teacher?”
“We do not know, but we believe that the Key will lead us to him. An ancient a
stronomer from Dragonia predicted that a portion of the Earth would be covered by darkness, but unfortunately we do not know where it will happen, given that the records where lost in an attack by the Selenex. We have never seen this phenomenon in the entire Region of Fire. Nevertheless, we know that it will happen in approximately nine months. That is all the time we have left. We have got to find the man, have him drink from the Chalice, and bring it back to Dragonia before this time expires.” he explained.
“Do you think that I am the right one to carry out this mission?” asked the young dragon, doubtfully.
“If I did not believe that, son, I would not have called you. A couple more things.” he added. “First: you must know that, because of the nature of the mission, you will be isolated. Secondly: no one knows what I have told you, except for the King, your father, and I and it must remain that way.” warned Filox emphatically.
Califax left the library with his head full of confusing thoughts and feelings. The ghosts of doubt that now distressed him terribly had never before invaded his mind. In spite of his fears, this call to destiny could not be ignored, and soon he would have to make a decision that would change, in one way or another, the course of his nation’s history.
However, Califax ignored the fact that there was a rumor in the Court of Dragonia, which was becoming stronger every day, that King Rasux was keeping a secret which had been passed down from generation to generation by his ancestors. This way, a secret that Filox having promised it to the King, avoided revealing to his brave pupil. That secret would remain behind the palace walls until Califax returned, if indeed, he did return.
Anxious and worried about hiding the secret from Califax, Filox remained in the library for a few minutes more without noticing that while he was talking to his student, they had been watched by a sinister shadow lurking in a dark corner of the cave. Just as he had done on the way in, the mysterious shadow slipped stealthily from the library with the valuable information that had come out of the conversation that took place between Califax and Filox.
