Dargonfire: Age of Legend

by LJ Davies

  When I eventually cracked them open, I found myself looking across a new landscape, unlike anything I'd ever seen. Nothing of the world outside passed through to this realm – there was no ground or sky, only great cliffs, canyons and levitating islands of fiery red crystal, resembling grand extensions of the pillar itself.

  The mass of walls and twisting rocks stretched up high, vanishing into a hazy red, while a sea of glowing fire and bubbling lava flowed in great rivers far below, crossed by natural bridges and arches. Jets of flame spewed from the rough terrain, burning trees bloomed with molten fruit, while creatures resembling fireflies and phoenixes darted through the scorched air like comets.

  A large golden platform supported the open portal, and from this side I could see why the black rock bordered the edges of the vault’s gateway. Charred flows of hardened lava crawled all over the crystalline landscape, while more slowly dribbled down from the cliffs to forge molten channels. Masterfully crafted, the streams marked either side of the steps leading down from the portal, while levitating braziers lit the way with a fire more potent than any I'd ever seen.

  This place it's... Beautiful. I couldn't help staring in awe at stairways and channels cut into the crystal, marking out a pathway as it crossed the crevices via golden bridges. Was there a place like this inside the sphere too?

  Numerous golden buildings loomed around us, each one a great tower spanning several layers of crystal, boasting arches, landing platforms and tunnels similar to the structures within Dardien. However, there was no sign of any dragons amongst them; in fact, despite their pristine appearances, they were devoid of life, save for the smaller fiery creatures of the realm.

  What does it matter, we still have a job to do? Setting aside my shock I focused on the pathway snaking its way up toward the grandest tower.

  It resembled a great blade, piercing several tiers of the vertical world before it disappeared into the haze, its walls so vast and detailed they could be a city in their own right. Below, a smooth wall surrounded the structure like a fort and before that, the road led to a staircase marked by three grand arches. More lava flows decorated the spans in a similar way to the gateway, whilst a flickering orange shield covered its doors, flanked by several golden statues of armoured dragons.

  That looks like the magical field that my armour was held in. Realising the architecture here had to be star dragon, I stepped forward.

  "Spectacular, this is truly beyond belief! I often theorised about the appearance of tesseract dimensions, and yet this... Well, this is beyond my ability to describe!" Apollo babbled uncontrollably as he hovered higher to get a better view.

  "Indeed, construct. You all would be wise to gaze upon these spires with respect, for you will probably never set sight upon this realm again," the Cartographer declared, before hastily stepping down the steps. "Come, the queen's palace is a short walk, we must be swift," he added as he began to traverse the winding path.

  I glanced back over my shoulder to see that everyone had followed us through, and although a little shaken by the experience, they were unscathed. As we followed the old dragon, all eyes scoured the towering realm ebbing and flowing around us. On one side of the path, the cliff stretched up, forming a small overhang from which lava poured, dribbling by the path in a morphing pillar before plummeting lazily into the depths.

  Crystals hovered just above our heads, lighting the way as the path meandered around cliffs and crossed deep crevasses, before finally reaching the front of the wall via a beautifully-crafted golden bridge.

  "To think, they kept all of this hidden under Dardien all this time," I heard Ember mutter, ruffling her wings in what I sensed was mild frustration.

  "I bet it makes you re-think what it means to be a fire elemental," Boltock noted.

  She glanced at him, and without any hint of anger, she nodded before returning her gaze to the golden fortress.

  "I can't imagine what the realm of earth would look like. Or water," Boltock added curiously, glancing at his sister.

  She gave him a subtle smile, seemingly lost in the idea of other elemental realms. The thoughts of great earth and water worlds swam through my mind too as we approached the end of the bridge, where yet another set of stairs led up to the fortress’s arcane gate. An archway covered by a solid blockade of fire marked the entrance, guarded by a pair of dragon statues adorning two towers.

  Their glowing-red eyes peered down at us, while fine gaps in their armour glowed with the same fury and their claws simmered like steel fresh from the forge.

  Is it just me or did one of them just move a little? My thoughts were cast back to the memory of the ghostly trees around the Paragon. I hate feeling like I'm being watched.

  The only one who didn't seem either amazed or wary was the Cartographer as he hurried up the vast stairway.

  "You've been here before, haven't you?" I enquired.

  "We have gazed upon the halls of flame once before in our lifetime, but it is good to have the pleasure of seeing them once again," he admitted, his dual tones harmonising in agreement.

  "What of the other realms, the pillars of wind, earth and water?" I asked curiously, hoping to get some information for my friends.

  "Oh, we have not seen any other elemental realms. It is forbidden for any race other than those to bear the pillars to enter. Save for the ancestors themselves, of course. If you wish to know…" He looked back at me with a knowing grin, and I nodded.

  "From the works of many scholars and the legends of the ages, we suspect that those elemental realms that remain uncorrupted are no less spectacular than this," he explained proudly, and I felt my face contort with confusion, followed by mild understanding, although it didn't stem the tide of my questions.

  "But, if dragons are forbidden to enter any realm other than this, why and how are there more than just fire elementals?" I asked, glancing at the others.

  The older dragon smiled and rustled his own green wings.

  "Our kind is bound to the elements by our heritage, for a dragon it is nature, not magic. While those among the other races can learn to master the elements with great training, those of our kind inherited their power from the first mortal dragons long ago."

  I nodded, despite my flourishing confusion. Unfortunately there was no more time for lessons, we had reached the archway, stopping at the face of its flaming gate. The Cartographer was first to approach, his cloak dancing in the hot wind as he stood close to the blazing barrier. Stretching out his staff, he muttered more ancient incantations, encouraging the gems about his neck to glow and the flaming barrier to fall away, revealing a large, open courtyard. Glowing-red seams of fresh lava etched their way through a smooth marble floor, while long flows of molten rock decorated its edges and more large dragon statues stood upon great plinths on either side.

  Smaller constructs lay in the shadows beneath them, boasting great swords and smooth shields similar to some bipedal statues I'd seen in Apollo's sanctum, and as the hovering construct passed by, his ramblings confirmed my thoughts.

  "I see this position boasts a well-maintained force of defenders, and yet I am detecting no presence of an overseer," the hawk-construct stated, hovering to the face of one of the warriors as if inspecting an old companion.

  "There is no need for such things here, these warriors are fuelled by the flames of the realm itself," the Cartographer explained as he reached the far end of the courtyard, pausing at another set of stairs leading up toward the shielded archways of the main structure.

  "What now?" I asked as we stopped behind him, but he merely sat down.

  "We wait."

  Wait... that's it...

  A flash of light above the central arch caught my eye. A symbol depicting a flaming pyre, similar to that on the Elder temple banners, flashed brightly before fading, while the sound of heavy metal feet clanged rhythmically upon marble. My first instinct was to defend myself, recalling the orkin and their twisted metal limbs, and yet this sound was nothing like that. T
he firm and imposing footsteps seemed to ring out in triumph, like the swords of champions clashing.

  At their call, a tall, humanoid figure emerged, forcing me to back away cautiously. Forged from a multitude of smooth golden plates, it resembled my armour, and yet no bearer lay beneath, only a body of pure celestial flame, similar to Apollo. Its shoulders were large and smooth, and its chest bore a fiery red ruby at its centre. Its head resembled a heavy helmet, eyes hidden away behind slits in the protective gold, forcing regal horns of flickering fire from its temple.

  Stopping at the stair's summit, it peered down at us with a judgmental stare, and then, reaching forward, it opened its left hand. A small, golden shaft of fire, lapped by fragments of metal flowed from its open palm, slowly enclosing the magical flame. The molten blade became longer than my whole body, looking as if it could carve through the stone hide of a troll with just one swift swipe.

  "I am the Watcher. Who is it that so boldly enters this realm?" the construct challenged, its voice reverberating against the cliffs in a way that betrayed its ethereal nature.

  The Cartographer gave a faint bow before answering.

  "We are here to seek aid from the lady of gold flame, as a servant of our great mistress of light, and a first-born of her mortal legacy, I beseech you, ancient one."

  The construct fixed its attention on him, stretching out its empty hand.

  "You bear the mark of the drakaran, their blood flows within you, first-born," he stated, before diverting his attention to us.

  I thought his gaze would settle upon me, just like that of almost everyone else, but another stole his attention.

  "Amazing, absolutely amazing!" Apollo chimed as he flew right up to the Watcher's face. "You are of an ancient design. I have not seen a construct of your like before," he went on eagerly.

  The Watcher looked puzzled, although his stern expression didn't change as he stepped back to inspect the smaller version of his kind.

  "An overseer, here, what is the meaning of this?" he rumbled.

  "Please forgive me. I am Arcane Personal Overseer One-One-Zero, designated ‘Apollo’ by my former masters, pleased to make your acquaintance," he announced in exactly the same cheerful way he always did.

  Only this time, what he said seemed to matter as the Watcher responded. They babbled nonsense for some time until I thought to intervene.

  We don't have all day, surely, he'll think highly of my presence too.

  As I stepped forward, I felt something odd brush against my mind, as if something new was calling to my thoughts. At first, I tried to block it out, the same way I did Mordrakk, yet it persisted until I heard a faint voice.

  "Guardian, child of transcendent will, born of unnatural blood," it whispered faintly

  It was calm and soothing, flowing through my thoughts like water. I recognised it, and putting up little resistance I allowed its influence to take hold and draw me closer.

  "Long have the descendants of flame awaited your arrival. You walk the pathway of heroes and bring to us a hope lost for millennia. But there is a great evil within your thoughts, seeds of the Darkness!" With that the voice faded with a sharp hiss, leaving me to stagger weakly.

  I felt myself falling but did nothing to stop myself. Only the quick reaction of my friends stopped me from hitting the floor, and I found myself next to Risha when something else silenced us all.

  "Step aside, Watcher," a fiery voice reverberated through the blazing realm.

  The tone was as hot as flowing lava, as hard as steel, and yet as magnificent as the brightest of summer dawns. Watcher immediately did as instructed, with no regard for Apollo's rambling as the tap of metal claws on marble followed, each one carrying with it a paw step of such beauty and grace it felt as if the world itself could melt away at the sound. The final sight was almost unbelievable – a dragoness with sleek features bound within a suit of flickering golden shards appeared above the stairs.

  It was as if the sun had descended to the world and taken on draconic form. Her eyes were like white-hot gems, golden flames formed her scales and her wings were like those of a phoenix, crossed by dancing patterns of liquid gold. She looked like one of the creators, and yet she was more magnificent than they could ever be.

  She spread her wings and looked proudly over us all, raising her head tall and allowing the fiery rubies adorning her armour to sparkle like crimson stars.

  "Greetings, children of Enishra, I am Seraphine, lady of gold flame," she declared radiantly, her introduction the most unnecessary thing.

  I know who this is, who in the world could fail to recognise her? I'd heard her in my dreams, she filled my memories, and for me there was no doubt that this was the immortal founder of all dragonkind.

  She stood tall at the top of the stairs, her gleaming eyes passing over us with a regal grace that few could ever hope to match, before she paused, glancing at me before her eyes finally came to rest upon the Cartographer.

  "So you have come back to me at last, first-born," she cooed, her muzzle curling with a warm smile.

  The old dragon nodded respectfully as he fell into a bow.

  "Yes, my lady. But we can say time has not been so kind upon our scales as it has upon the mistress of goldfire," he replied, admirably gazing upon her as if the sight were a blessing he thought he'd never see again.

  "It matters not what ages have come to pass, you have fulfilled your duty beyond all that was expected of you," she praised, and once again, he could do nothing but agree with the utmost respect, his eyes seemingly hesitant to draw away from her gleaming figure.

  "This... this is remarkable, Lady Seraphine. Your fate is finally known," Apollo babbled in shock as he was forced to land.

  Seraphine's expression didn't fade at his words. Instead, her tail flicked playfully, as if she were mildly amused.

  "Indeed, and yet my fate was known to some," she responded, and at that the golden hawk fell silent.

  Funny, that's almost the same way he respects me.

  I felt a wave of uncertainty wash over me, and by the subtle apprehension of my friends, it was clear the feeling was mutual.

  "So these are the four? Those who set out upon the dawn of the dark sun and vanquished the traitorous mortal Guardian?" she questioned knowingly, waving a foreclaw in our direction.

  "Tell me, which one among you had the bravery to face such a fate?" As she asked, I could hear her voice inside my mind echoing her words.

  "You are the one of unnatural blood, the hero, the saviour." It made me believe that her audible question was pointless, her thoughts were like an extension of my own and she knew exactly who I was.

  All eyes turned to me, and my friends parted, allowing her to focus. Her head tilted curiously, and despite the dread welling up inside me, I felt her warm thoughts against my own. They were like a beacon, the welcoming heat of burning fire upon a freezing night. Swallowing my hesitation, I responded.

  "That was me, your highness, although not one of us has more worth than another," I responded, glancing back over my shoulder at the others.

  "Wise words – the making of a good leader is to see that he is worth no more than his followers," she responded, raising a foreclaw to her chest as if to sympathise.

  "A dragon of the stars, the last of their kind... Yet different. You're not like them." Her thoughts spoke as if she only half knew me, and I felt a nervous shiver run through me.

  "But I'm not a dragon, I'm... I'm something that shouldn't even be here," I stuttered nervously, earning a few confused glances from those that weren't privy to our mental conversation.

  Yet there was a similar pain in her too, one I didn't entirely understand, though I could feel it as if it were my own. It was like a great flame that burned away every good thought I had. Meanwhile, she studied me closely, undoubtedly aware of her mind's fire seeping into my own. A look of sympathy once again graced her face, even as her own eyes trembled with the pain of a millennia’s worth of memories.

  "What'
s going on, what are you doing to him?" I heard Risha suddenly demand as I staggered, backed up by her brother as they flanked me.

  "They are loyal to you, Guardian, they fight in your name, not for what you are," Seraphine's thoughts added, and at that they faded sharply.

  "What one is, does not define them. For once, not even we were of mortal kind. It is what one does that makes them who they are and the sacrifices one is willing to make for what is right... and you... you have had no shortage of such noble feats," she outwardly explained, before pausing.

  "Yet, I sense that is not the subject that troubles you," she added, looking at all of us as she stepped forward. "The Great Master has been a plague upon your mind for some time. You believe your life is not your own," she proposed.

  Her words echoed in my mind while the roaring flames of her own turbulent emotions died away, replaced by the rejuvenating heat that radiated from her flaming body. Risha and Boltock exchanged confused glances while I didn't even feel worthy enough to look into her eyes as she stood before me, no matter how kind and understanding they may be.

  "You think that despite all you are and have done, you mean nothing to anyone but those who would wish ill upon you and your kind," she continued, her eyes narrowing as if she once again knew the answer and yet was seeking something different.

  "He means a lot to us, your majesty," Risha spoke up.

  "Yeah, not just anyone could have done all the stuff you did, Blaze," Boltock swiftly added.

  "There's a reason why we follow him," Ember declared, nodding in agreement.

  I wanted to look back and tell them how much they meant to me too, and yet their words didn't change my thoughts, nor steer them from the darkness that swarmed in their midst. That was when I felt the warmth of Seraphine's tail coil under my chin, and with a subtle shift, she lifted my head so our eyes met.

  "What of you, Guardian?" she asked, without speaking.