Dargonfire: Age of Legend

by LJ Davies

  "I have no idea any more, but I'm not anyone's saviour," I admitted with a sigh.

  She smiled, seeming to understand far more than I did.

  "Nor did I think I was anything of the likes," she confessed.

  "Maybe the daughter of two hierarchs, left to live in the extravagant splendour afforded by families of noble blood, but no saviour," she reasoned, but swiftly corrected.

  "But when the time came I needed to do what was right. I did not hesitate to do all I could, no matter the cost," she advised.

  "That should have been the creators’ job – they are the gods, not us," I expressed, waving my wings in emphasis.

  "Is it? Of all of the battles won and lives saved, how often do you hear their true names?" she asked.

  I momentarily recalled all they had done: the Sphere of Eternity, the war of its creation, even the ancient battle I've just witnessed. It's all been down to them in one way or another.

  Seraphine noticed my thoughtfulness, snaking her head in close to mine. A flash of flames coursed over her body and she went from a starlit drakaraness to the dull-scaled dragoness I'd seen staring up at us at the world's end. I staggered at the sight and the recollection of the sacrifice she'd made long ago.

  She gave up everything.

  "It is not for the gods to decide the fate of the world, for when their creation truly called on them, they failed. Their ignorance and inability to understand is why they fail. I too, did not see the world as it truly is before I became mortal, and yet you do. You understand, and when you believe in them for what they truly are, you can believe in yourself and achieve anything," she explained with a fiery passion, looking back at the flickering image of my amulet as it rematerialized.

  "When the universe calls upon a saviour, that salvation will slip into legend, but when the world calls upon such a hero, they will be remembered," she told me as I followed her gaze to the gleaming gem.

  "But I'm immortal," I pointed out.

  "Perhaps, but the inability to die is only one definition of the word. In the drakaran tongue, it has more meaning. It’s a symbolism of attachment and commitment, love and care. Your care and commitment to them have made you far more mortal than any being of the stars has ever been, but you fear to lose them far more than any creature has ever feared death, and so while you are not truly mortal, you are indeed one of them."

  "What about a soul? You said yourself I don't have one."

  She gave a wry smile, flicking her long, slender tail in the air behind her.

  "No, I said such things are earned, and even then, what defines a soul?"

  I glanced about, as if the endless expanse of swirling dust would offer an answer. Seraphine watched with great care, flicking her tail again.

  "If we knew the answers to such things, there would be no reason for them, for there is no definition of who we are, and yet you gave up all of that, did you not? Just now, for them," she added, and with that I realised, ‘sacrifices must be made.’

  "It’s selflessness, isn't it? That’s what they can't understand," I asked simply, and her smile grew.

  "A virtue you hold in very high regard, more so than the Great Master tells you, I suspect," she suggested knowingly.

  "Of course I..." I started but faltered as my eyes fell to my reflection in the floor.

  "I have to go back. If there’s even a small chance I can stop him, I have to try, no matter what happens to me," I finally admitted.

  To my surprise, she shook her head.

  "That is not for me to say, but the world is calling for a saviour, and it will only call for one alone. For the universe called upon salvation time after time, and those saviours faded into dust," she proposed, stepping back before moving off.

  "Wait!" I called, stepping toward her. "Your decision, that day... did you regret it?"

  "Many times, but why would that mean it was not the right thing to do?" she finished, then vanished in a fiery flash.

  I looked at the image of the amulet.

  Sacrifice, that's what litters my history, but it's not what defines me.

  I was selfless, yes, but that alone wasn't my virtue, and I knew now why I had to try to do what gods and demons had failed to do.

  I have to do it, not for me – nothing of the Guardian was ever meant to be for me – but for the ones the gods can never truly care for.

  I reached out toward the amulet, grasping the image in my paws, and the ghostly world about me began to fade.

  I’m not like them, I've never been like them, I declared in one intense thought.

  *

  The darkness became that of closed eyes, and as I felt the warmth of the world return, they gradually opened onto the cracked and scarred ceiling of the throne room. Dust settled about me, a low hum and the distant rumble of the storm echoing through the halls. The commotion was like a beacon calling me back, and I caught a glimpse of Risha's magnificent blue, fear-filled eyes staring down at me. I shifted my head and more dust fell from my armour as it came to life about me.

  When my sapphire companion realised what was happening, a slight glimmer of hope replaced her dread, and she lifted my head in her forepaws.

  "Blaze?"

  My body ached as I rustled my wings and shifted the rest of my limbs. She stepped back when I rolled onto my front, rubble falling from my scales as I eventually stood. My armoured fragments levitated up from the floor, reasserting their positions over my battered scales. Risha remained speechless, before wrapping me in a winged embrace.

  "Don't you ever do anything like that again!" she demanded, pressing her head against my neck.

  I looked down at her and saw that the amulet was gone, as was Mordrakk and all signs of his vulpomancers. Yet I made sure to give her my full attention, no matter what. I didn't care whether I understood it or not, I just needed to share all of the love and compassion I'd always felt for her.

  "What did you do?" she quizzed moments later, pulling back and looking at me.

  "I gave him what he was after, and now..." I faltered as I glanced past her to the stunned crowd recovering from what looked to have been a shock of terror.

  As far as I could see, Mordrakk had stayed true to his word and not killed any of them, if only so I could watch them die. I blocked that idea from my mind, recalling all that Seraphine had said.

  "But that doesn't mean this is over," I assured, stepping back and looking beyond the shattered remnants of the door.

  A fallen pillar lay between it and I, beyond which, the palace was in ruin. What I could see of the sky outside lay darkened by the storm of vulpomancers.

  "You know what you must do, there is still time," Seraphine's regal voice whispered in my mind.

  I straightened and looked back to the others. Ember, Neera and Tarwin stood in the foreground. I moved over to them first, each of them stepping aside before following me toward Zephyra and the Elders.

  "There’s something I have to do, and there’s very little time left," I began.

  Everyone fell silent the instant I spoke. Tarwin smiled and the Cartographer's muzzle broadened into a grin. He looked up at Zephyra, the dragons, griffins, hippogriffs and every loyal soul that still stood with her. Finally, the new Sovereign looked down at me and gave a weak smile.

  "I have no idea what you just did, but you did it for us. What do you have in mind?" she asked.

  I felt hesitant to ask anything of them, but forced the words from my mouth.

  "I need to get to him. I need to get through the storm, it's our only chance to stop him for good," I advised.

  I saw a wave of uncertainty wash over Zephyra. No doubt ordering everyone to fly into the swarm wasn't her idea of a battle.

  "That's a lot of sky to get through," Halfbeak observed from beside her, and yet for all the doubt in his words, he didn't oppose the proposal.

  "I thought it was a griffin’s goal to give all to achieve victory, or die with glory?" Eirian responded, a small smile crossing her dark beak.

  I
expected the griffin king to comment, but instead the signs of a smile also crossed his scarred features.

  "Indeed it is," he said proudly, and both of them looked to Zephyra.

  "It would not be a flight to victory," Vulkaine advised, and despite the warning in his words, he too bore no objection.

  "But victory will not be our goal," Zephyra added, looking at me knowingly as her expression hardened. "We put an end to this today. We do all that we can to ensure that it’s over."

  "An army against us, impossible odds... never imagined that's how I’d meet my end," Halfbeak added, yet he seemed strangely calm about the fact.

  "Save your words, this is not over yet," the Cartographer assured, moving over to me.

  "We would ask from whence this new determination came, but..."

  I spoke before he could finish.

  "I think you've known all along."

  The second of his wacky voices chuckled as the sound of shifting paws signalled Zephyra’s acknowledgment.

  "To the end," she proposed.

  "To the end," I responded with a subtle bow.

  It was the first time I had seen her smile at such a gesture, and she returned the formality before moving past me.

  "If you get up there, can you stop him?" Risha asked quietly.

  I knew she was one of the few who cared about me enough to voice such a concern, and for that, I was thankful. She was also the only one to see my uncertainty as I nodded.

  "You're not going alone though," she demanded, ruffling her wings.

  I felt the urge to stop her again, but I knew there was no way to deny her this.

  "No, you're not," Ember and Neera added in equally courageous tones.

  The orange dragoness approached, placing a wing over Risha’s shoulder.

  "For Boltock," she declared, and Risha nodded with equal determination.

  "Indeed, it would not be possible for me to allow you all to go alone. I am tasked with your protection and I am yet to be relieved of such a duty," Apollo informed as he hovered above us.

  "You know, once I thought we were inseparable, but now..." Tarwin said as she approached.

  "Now what?" I asked as I moved away from the others slightly.

  "Now, Blaze, I'm not going to pretend I understood all that stuff that just happened, but I have a pretty good idea what my best friend would do at a time like this," she stated, gripping her bow.

  For once, I didn't feel any dread for what was coming, though a part of me did feel sorry that she had to be stuck here on the ground.

  If I could carry her, I would.

  An unexpected tapping of claws marked Vulkaine’s appearance, and, as if reading my mind, he stated.

  "I can see now why you put so much worth into this one," he observed, lowering his head and smiling at me for the first time.

  Tarwin looked at him with a hint of confusion as he undid the straps of his armour, shrugging off the plates covering his shoulder to reveal the leather that usually cushioned the plate as he added.

  "It would be remiss of us to leave such capable warriors behind." Tarwin glanced back at me, but I simply shrugged.

  "I don't think anyone's ever ridden a dragon before," I stated, and her expression turned to mild shock.

  "Don't be so sure," Vulkaine added knowingly as he lifted Tarwin onto his back with his wing. "Hold on tight, little one," he advised as he rose up.

  "Ready for one last fight, old friend?" he asked, glancing down at the Cartographer.

  The elderly dragons smiled at one another as the phoenix on top of the Cartographer’s wing cawed.

  "Are you?" he replied.

  "I bet this was the last thing you had in mind the day we met," I pointed out to Risha.

  She merely brushed off the comment with a wry smile.

  "It wouldn't have made any difference if it was," she responded.

  Zephyra took up a position on top of a fallen pillar and looked down over us all.

  "I know not all of you came here for this," she began, gesturing about the devastated throne room with her wings.

  "And I know many of you suspect you will not see daylight again. I myself am uncertain, yet I know this. There is a darkness out there, and if we do not stop it, it will destroy all we know, love and cherish." She paused, taking a breath, allowing her message to linger.

  "I know that one day, we are all going to die, be it tomorrow or in a hundred years’ time, but today we fight, and together we will show this evil that we will not be defeated, we will not be silenced and we will not be so easily vanquished!" She stomped an armoured talon on the stone.

  "And if we are to die, we will all die united, as those who stood tall and dared to strike a blow at the heart of darkness itself!" she declared, her wings flaring and glowing fire bursting from her muzzle.

  There was no lack of a response, as cheering, fire and the stamping of claws echoed out into the storm. Her eyes passed over everyone still willing to follow her.

  "For our freedom, for our legacy!" she shouted, beating her wings, taking to the air and spinning out of the shattered door.

  There was no shortage of wing beats as everyone jumped into the sky, and there was certainly no hesitation from any of us as we followed her to the end.

  Chapter 18

  Skies of Dragonfire

  I made it my sole purpose to stay right behind the Sovereign as we cleared the broken cliff top. Most signs of battle had been wiped out and the sky had turned dark as pockets of elementals still battled back the tide. They were illuminated by flashes of lightning and battered by harsh winds that whipped up the pouring rain, making it shimmer like the scales of a dragon as it twisted and writhed.

  The ruins below were still alight, orkin structures razed to the ground by the shockwave of Mordrakk's arrival. Despite the sheer devastation, the giant cataclysm before us stole my attention and that of all others around me. It resembled an immense, unnatural sun, its purple heart stirring and flickering within the dark clouds as if alive. A sharp beam stretched above and beneath the core, blasting a giant crater in the earth while simultaneously punching a hole in the darkening clouds.

  What stone it hadn't devoured, swirled about the unholy spire like a staggered shoal of levitating islands. The dark shapes of vulpomancers flowed amongst them, their unimaginable numbers condensing into even more horrifying forms.

  "By the creators," I heard several voices mutter.

  "Fly steady, soldiers, this is it!" Zephyra called, glancing back at us. "Do what you must, Guardian, we'll do all we can to deal with these fiends," she nodded and banked down to the right.

  The rest of the army began to follow, and I got one last glimpse of Tarwin pressed low against Vulkaine’s back, her bow ready as the Elder dove. I sincerely hoped he'd been truthful when he said he realised her worth.

  I'd little time to dwell on the thought as we closed in on the swarm. Its fluent movements forged into several swirling tendrils, lashing out like tentacles. As dragons swirled about the dark limbs, flashes of lightning appeared about them as elementals once again materialised to aid in the new assault, while I fought the urge to break away and help as many as I could.

  They know what they have to do, as do I! With that firmly in mind, I weaved and darted through the swarm, my friends close at my back.

  I could see the levitating ruins ahead as several dark tendrils coiled to stand between us. Swerving to avoid their initial resistance, Risha and I both swooped to the right while Neera and Ember went left, splitting the swarm’s attention.

  A large gap between two levitating shards opened up ahead of me, and I made that my destination as the two throngs of vulpomancers curved around to pursue us. I glanced at the others, but there was no time. Risha was close to my side, while Neera and Ember flew a few wing lengths away to my left. Before I could say anything, the pair spun and unleashed flaming torrents over the swarm. I didn't hesitate to add my fire to theirs as the narrow space between the levitating rocks came rapidly clo
ser.

  "You all go, I'll hold them back," Ember instructed, darting about in a fiery dance.

  "Like the skies I'm going to let you take them all on your own," Neera eagerly added, swirling about the writhing mass with equal agility. "You go kick that dark lord's sorry tail, we'll handle these things," the faldron added, making an aerial mockery of several vulpomancers.

  I'd no time to call back, and yet felt we all knew that this may be the last time we saw one another. I glanced at Risha, scooting between the oncoming shards as she sped after me. Moments later, both of us were fighting to steady ourselves in the air between the whirling spikes as a strong updraft caught and flung us toward the great central light. My vision swirled as I fought, until inevitably, with a loud clatter, we struck something hard.

  I opened my eyes to find sleek stone and rose to my paws, looking about to see a desolated chamber unlike any other. The walls were shattered, yet the sound of the storm and battle drifted away upon an eerie breeze. Shards of broken earth and ruined buildings levitated, as if frozen in the midst of a titanic explosion. Even the ground on which we stood was at a crooked angle. Vines of purple light snaked about the destruction, but there was no sign of vulpomancers amidst the lingering shadows.

  Risha staggered up beside me, shaking the dust from her battered armour while glancing back as two shards levitated together to seal the passageway behind us. I looked, and to my surprise, my eyes met with Apollo.

  "Good to see someone else made it," I congratulated grimly.

  "Indeed, I assured you it would take far more than this to keep me from my duty. Come, there is still much to be done if we are to stop this madness," he responded swiftly, before flying off into the desolated ruins.

  As he moved, I caught Risha staring at the closed passageway with a distant look in her eyes.

  "They'll be alright, we need to keep going," I assured her.

  "I suppose it's just like old times now," she offered as we traversed a set of shattered steps and made our way into a crumbling hall after Apollo.

  A series of ruined archways confronted us, each one crooked and out of place in comparison to its predecessor, creating the illusion of a long, twisted tunnel, its far end illuminated by a pulsating, purple light.