by LJ Davies
"Why so secretive?" I asked, my wings ruffling as I battled frustration.
The light remained ignorant of me for a few more moments before responding.
"Because it would be more fruitful to bear witness to it."
I had no time to question, no time to react as the mystical light sank back into the crystal. Its retreat allowed the darkness to return, or it would have, had there been enough time before the blissful explosion.
A beam of light erupted from the centre of the crystals, momentarily blinding me as it lanced up into the chamber, each blinding pulse accompanied by a thrumming hum. I turned away, shielding my eyes as they strained against the intense glow, while desperately trying to follow the course of the beam to where it collided with the ceiling. Upon striking the ice, the mystical glow fanned out into a sea of minuscule particles. Each radiant speck consumed the solid mass as it danced, transforming the ceiling beyond recognition.
The spectacle they revealed looked impossibly real. The familiar sight of the night sky was exactly like my dream. However, I recalled that the worst part of my dream was still to come and with some hesitation, I looked into the crystal. What I expected didn’t meet my worried eyes. A completely normal reflection stared back at me.
My relief was short lived, the ground shook as the expanding cosmos rapidly spread to consume the walls, and floor. As it did, it started to feel like it was more than just an image, more like an open window to another world. Flakes of ice crumbled away, losing their frozen anchor as the stars marched forward without pause. I turned to look for the exit, but it was gone, consumed by the expanding particles.
Panic began to overwhelm me as I tried desperately to fly up from the encroaching void, but there was nothing to aid my attempts – no wind, no ground, not even air. I closed my eyes, preferring the darkness they provided over what expanded around me.
My body shuddered as I felt the ground beneath me disappear, but I felt no sensation of falling, instead it felt like being submerged in water, except there was no pressure or drowning.
Finally, I cracked open my eyes, finding to my utter amazement, the incredibly beautiful and instantly recognisable vision. I was suspended in a sea of stars sailing in a black ocean. Some were clustered together like birds in a great cosmic tree, suspended within beautiful clouds of red and blue, while shimmering dust spread across the expanses between. Much like coloured dye in water, more shapes of cosmic green and purple dissipated to create gorgeous blooms as radiant as wildflowers in summer. I struggled to take in the full splendour as all my sadness, hopelessness and anger were drained away. The feeling even dismissed the lingering knowledge that I still had my friends to worry about and the evil that pursued us.
For a moment all that mattered was being here in the night sky, the one thing I'd always looked to for comfort on the darkest of nights.
Dragons can fly to the stars. I thought to myself, the ambition once so childish now so real.
"Beautiful, isn't it?" a voice noted.
I turned as fast as I could, clumsily propelling myself through the weightless realm. I recognised the words as those Risha had used not so long ago, but it wasn't her beside me; instead, the glowing ball hovered effortlessly.
"What is it?" I asked, returning my eyes to stare at the scene's majestic beauty.
"This is the Ether, cradle of the Golden City, home of the Ethereal’s. The sky, as it's known in mortal tongue."
I wasn’t sure whether it was because I didn't have a clue what it was talking about or that the sky was stealing my attention, but it was hard to take in what I was being told.
"Who are the Ethereals?" I asked, the words disrupting my fixation.
"We are what the mortals call ‘the creators’. In the beginning there were five of us. The first, last and only of our kind. As our name suggests, we created everything: all worlds, dimensions, time and reality itself. It was our purpose, and that of our followers, to rule over all creation, keeping peace and harmony."
I could only look on in awe and confusion. How could just five strange balls of light create everything? What is a dimension?
Considering everything I'd seen in the last few moments, I was inclined to believe anything, even something as extreme as that.
"What happened?" I asked, continuing to stare into space.
"For billions of years the Golden City stood strong, a monument among the stars. Our rule was secure in the power of our descendants, and the balance of the Ether was unhindered. Worlds were born, civilisations grew, as did they die, replaced by the next as we and those who served, lived on forever. Watching over and caring for creation as was our purpose. The balance lasted until the shadow of corruption came."
The light stopped, expressing its displeasure with a dull flicker, despite there being no change in its tone. It was strange, the entity seemed capable of making me feel as it did without the need for physical expression. It had brought me here, and now it was starting to make me believe.
"What shadow?" I asked, withdrawing my attention from the possessive sky.
It failed to respond for another moment, while it seemingly contemplated its response.
"An unspeakable horror emerged from the darkest corners of creation and descended upon us without warning, mercilessly consuming all it encountered, be it physical or spiritual. It was no evil to balance the good, it was pure darkness, not of creation. A disease."
The light pulsed with a harsh flicker, flames flaring from its sides.
"My brethren and I defied it, trying everything we could to stop it, but it only had one ambition: complete and meaningless obliteration."
The idea sent a shudder down my spine as I imagined something so terrible it could make the stars flicker out.
"After many great battles we finally thought it vanquished, but it lived on in corrupt and clouded minds. One mind above all others proved that our victory couldn’t come without the greatest of sacrifices. Left with no choice, we forfeited our physical forms to create a power strong enough to seal the last manifestation of its darkness away within an unbreakable prison, forged from the heart of reality itself."
"What happened to this prison?" I asked, with a nagging sensation the answer was closer than I thought.
"With our power all but destroyed, events saw it placed in the care of mortals. Our judgment proved misguided, however; the evil's dark power was too much and it gradually began to twist their minds. Such is its unrelenting nature, to turn beings on each other."
My eyes fell away and fear churned my stomach as I finally admitted to myself in a whisper.
"It's the Sphere of Eternity, isn't it?"
"The mortal tongue bestows it many names, all of which are a curse upon reality, but no mortal knows the truth of what lies within. Many have forgotten it, as they have forgotten us."
I looked up to the stars, hoping they would provide some reassurance.
Why didn't the creators help? Why did they leave the sphere to wreak war, death and destruction?
That seemed to be no different to what 'the darkness' would have done if it wasn't for its imprisonment.
If they expended all their power to seal it away, what were they to do? Another thought reasoned.
All these new questions were leading me away from the answers I truly wanted. I'd been aware of the sphere for some time, but now the growing truth was more than I could possibly imagine.
"Now it's in the hands of a madman," I uttered, fully aware that Acrodan had it.
"Frozen in the ice, the last of the mortal guardians has held it for centuries. His frail mortality is no more than a vessel for its power, he is nothing but a mindless puppet. Nevertheless, the servant will soon find a way to open the prison."
Every one of the Ethereal’s words generated more questions, but I only needed one answer.
"What does this have to do with me?"
The light flickered, pausing before it gave a response.
"You are the key to everything. It is your
purpose to complete the task we can no longer fulfil. As we were destined to create reality, you are destined to save it. Your existence upon this plain was never intended to proceed as it has. Fate has plans for us all, even those of omnipotence."
At that, my frustration finally gave way.
"That doesn't explain anything! Why am I so special to them!?" I jabbed a wing at nowhere in particular. "Dragons, humans and griffins, they all think I'm so special!"
"You are the chosen of the Ethereal’s. No single aspect of reality is bound to you, it has always been your purpose to protect this world. That tale has been written since your creation."
I peered into the sky, sickened by another slew of cryptic clues, spoken to me like I was somehow meant to understand.
"You are special because, as you have surely surmised, you were always destined to save them – and they believe that to be so."
Unable to comprehend what the orb said, I drifted through the emptiness. If these were the answers I so desperately sought, then I was as opposed to them as I'd been all the others.
"So, you chose me to do what you couldn't? To..." My tone exploded in rage, only to ebb away in anger.
The sphere remained silent, as if offended by my outburst, but I couldn't bring myself to care. It seemed to disregard what I desired, firmly believing I'd been thrust into a life I shouldn’t have known.
After a few moments lost in selfish rage I realised that instead of remaining ignorant, the god-like glow had disintegrated into a cloud of glowing dust, gently blowing on a cosmic breeze before blossoming into a shimmering cloud like a swarm of fireflies. It eventually stopped and magically reformed, unrecognisable at first, until as the dust combined, a new shape emerged.
I looked on in amazement at the unmistakable form of a dragon materialising before me, each particle moving in unison to animate the beast’s movements. The ghost-dragon settled, its dust-formed scales glowing like pure starlight.
"Is this what you looked like?" I asked, the anger draining from my voice.
"My brethren and I are one now, we remain whole within our realm, the ruins of the Golden City. Within your world we can only form a projection of our former selves and even that takes tremendous effort."
The glowing particles formed a moving mouth, perfectly mimicking speech.
"If we were to tell the full truth you seek, we'd only bring you the most insufferable pain," it warned, sensing my dissatisfaction, before adding.
"We all have a path to follow, even gods are bound by destiny."
There was no thought or action with which I could respond. It was unnerving that it knew my every idea, but it was true – I wanted the truth so much.
"So, I'm a... god?" I murmured, only just managing to put the unfathomable explanation into words.
"You are indeed ethereal; however, unlike us, you were never destined to create. Your path leads you to protect," the ghost-dragon was swift to correct.
"We understand your pain, though such trauma was never intended. You know what must be done, you have known from the moment you left your old life behind."
The words erased what remained of my fear, my doubt and my inability to understand. It was painful to admit, but it was right – I wouldn’t have left if Tarwin hadn’t been in danger, and that was what ultimately drove me. It all sounded so ridiculous, gods, monsters, other worlds? I could hardly believe what I was thinking. My eyes returned to meet those of the ghost dragon.
"I know what I have to do," I replied.
The answers to my question had brought me to accept it. This is my destiny.
"The sphere's evil can never be allowed to return into the Ether, otherwise it will restore its former power. You are destined to ensure that does not come to pass."
Hearing my fate laid out as if from a guidebook made me feel worse.
"How am I supposed to? How am I supposed to do anything?"
"Your power has never been truly uncovered. It couldn't have been known that the humans would find you. They unknowingly shielded you from the power of the darkness and its mindless puppet."
There was at least a warm sense of irony in that. Tarwin was looking out for me and she didn't even know it.
"You have already started to awaken your true self; it is not an element like those given to others of your kind – it is a power born of the stars."
The horrifying images of boiling blood, the decapitated beast and the blinding explosion of light crawled their way into my thoughts, and for a moment I considered asking more about my mysterious power. The other dragons would certainly want to know more, but right now that didn't matter. I knew the power to which the dragon referred: an incinerating fire that could burn flesh to nothing in moments, a body resistant to harm, which would, if injured, heal with unthinkable speed, and scales that burned as hot as the sun. Admittedly it was uncontrolled, as lost to me as the truth, but it was just as much a part of me as my old life.
"I can't even use it. I can't fight against them," I replied, looking at one of my forepaws.
The ghost dragon started to shrink, compacting to my size.
"You have powers beyond anything they can imagine, powers that within your realm you alone possess. You must succeed in what we failed so long ago."
My eyes slipped away.
"Star Dragon," the ghost dragon announced, drawing my attention back.
"What?"
"The truth may remain beyond your comprehension, but your name is within your capacity to understand."
I knew my name, Tarwin had given it to me and I'd known it all my life. It's the last thing I have to lose.
The Ethereal’s new title was about to steal that away as well, and once again the mystical entity appeared to know of my confusion as it continued to speak.
"In the mortal tongue that is the title they would bestow upon one with your power."
"So, what now?" I asked, beginning to consider what was next and how I'd get back to the others.
"You will return to your fate, remember what you know."
What I know? The idea flashed through my mind. Despite what I'd been told, I couldn’t place any real meaning on the words, and before I could respond, the dragon spoke again.
"We will meet again... Guardian."
With that, he fell silent. I looked round, my eyes no longer met the starry sky, instead settling on the icy chamber’s dull walls. As I slowly came to terms with reality's return, all the emotion created by the sky’s majestic beauty, the Ether and the Ethereal, ebbed away.
Maybe I'd dreamt it all, just as I’d done many times before, but this time the crystal alter remained, a faint blue glow emanating from its base. Its flat surface contained something new, a jewel as magical as the altar itself, unlike anything I'd seen before. A sculpted amulet with a golden chain trailing from its tip. I crouched down, curiosity overpowering any urge to pull away.
Its surface glowed like starlight moulded by a celestial black smith. Carved into its centre was a clear gem, glowing white-hot. The gold surrounding it stretched out into an eight-pointed star, the four larger points equidistant from each other while their smaller brethren sat symmetrically between them. A circle encased the central gem, and the image of a serpent bridged the gaps between the longer points.
It didn’t possess the featureless body of a snake, but that of a dragon. The mouth reached round to the tip of the tail, wings and paws pressed against its sides and sleek golden scales covered its surface.
I reached out to touch the glowing gem, expecting the bejewelled centre to burn with a radiant heat. To my surprise the glow receded, flowing from my paw and up into my leg, its purifying light having a similar effect to the glow from the crystal pillar. I pulled back as the warm embrace dispersed almost instantly and the glow subsided.
It must be from the ghost-dragon, the creators, the Ethereals, whatever they call themselves.
Its presence was a message, proof they were real, a magical artifact from the beings who created reality its
elf. The thought and emotion of my excitement was instantly extinguished as the second realisation hit me.
If they're real, then so is everything they said.
My whole body tensed as the realisation dawned on me and pure fear raced through every molecule of my being. Acrodan, the Dark Guardian, whether he knew it or not, was about to destroy everything. I peered down at the amulet. What it symbolised was all true, and even though I still felt like I knew nothing of myself, I had all the truth I needed. Whether I was able to accept it or not, it was inescapable, I knew what I had to do. I ducked down, sweeping the amulet over my head and onto my neck, the magical trinket sliding to a resting place in the centre of my chest. My eyes scanned the walls for the exit.
Everything about the world – the legends and stories told through the generations – it was all true. I no longer needed answers, I'd had them all along. I wasn't going to stand by and let the world end, I was here to save my friends, all of them – and I wouldn’t fail.
With the altar’s light gone, the only glow came from the amulet’s gem. The exit appeared as nothing more than a patch of inky blackness on the faintly illuminated walls.
Thin flakes of ice flicked up into the air with the rapid movements of my hurried paws as I entered the mouth of the crevice, before sliding to a halt. Peering into the poorly lit darkness, my mind crashed. It was impossible. The returning sense of reality conquered my initial eagerness, and even with my massively broadened mind, it was still far too much. My legs slipped out from under my shivering body as the shock of it all hit me.
Gods? Time? Ethereals? Other dimensions? Beings that created everything! The mental shield of my excitement crumbled, and the enormous realisation flooded in.
Since the day they'd taken Tarwin, I'd wanted to find the truth, and now that I had, it was more of a curse than a reprieve.
How wrong is my shrouded view, how wrong is it to believe my part in this can be simple?
I was as much a puppet on their strings as Acrodan. Blindly following powers far beyond my comprehension.
Trapped within a crushing shell of my own anxiety, unable to move and breathing heavily, the grim realisation pushed painfully into my broken mind. The world, as I knew it, as everyone knew it, was in danger, and even though it all seemed unbelievable, it felt real – it was my purpose, my destiny.
