2

The riches and the reason.

Inside the stairway it is pitch black even with his consciousness spread out around him he can’t sense any life. He starts climbing and counting the steps as he takes each one. An hour maybe two goes by and still Estund goes onward ever up into the dark abyss the sound of the waterfall can still be heard. “ 9996,9997,9998.9999,10000 How long is this going to take!” He screams at his own shadows dancing around him.

His pants, by now has turned into shorts but he tares off another piece and wraps it around the log. He gets an idea and takes another piece, lights it and with his left hand holds it over the abyss and let’s go. The piece of cloth falls a few feet and stops to Estund’s surprise and irritation.

“Sky mother, what is going on here?”

Taking one more piece of cloth he does the same thing again and again after a few feet it stops. Looking around he finds a rock and throws it down as well “one, tw-.” The rock hits bottom with a clack. Estund stands motionless for a second. It dawns on him “This whole thing is a test but a test for what, to accomplish what? Make me crazy? Damn Elf!”

Picking up another rock he marks the step he is standing on. He then starts to climb the steps again this time slower he to make sure he doesn’t miss the marked step. After a minute. “

There it is! The same step I marked. I have been going in circles this whole time!” Swearing he sits down on the step with a plonk. Then ponders the situation and a way out of it.

“If the stairs are a dead end, there has to be another way.”

“But what if there isn’t another way and this is just a trap.” Says a small voice inside his head.

“If that is true then I have to make my own way.” "But how? Stupid damn stairs.”

He calms himself again. “Panic won’t help in this situation.” His master’s words come to mind immediately.

“Remember all I have taught you and always stay calm.”

That is more or less what he said anyway. Everything he taught me?”

Wracking his brain he lists everything that has been taught to him. “The sword play that’s obvious. Aldowin said he has already taught me all the magic he knows.” The high elves are tested at a young age to see in what direction they can be trained in. To them everything is about perfection. So they are taught in only one thing for the rest of their lives. Aldowin was chosen to become a swordsman so the magic he learned was mostly for necessity and everyday things instead of battle or the like.

“Magic can mainly be divided into 5 elements fire, earth, wind, water and life/death. You get sub elements by combining the 5 with each other. Or you enhance one element with the others. For example combining air with fire makes a stronger fire. But to learn how to use all the elements is extremely difficult because most people are born gifted towards a certain element. For them learning that element is very easy but learning the elements that are far from your original will be extremely difficult. A good example is fire and water. Because they are opposites someone born with the fire attribute would find it extremely difficult to learn water magic. However if the fire attributed person was to learn air magic it would be less difficult since fire and air go hand in hand.

“In the test I passed for fire attribute so we concentrated mainly on that. But we also did air.” The torch was about to go out so he tied another piece of cloth to it. Doing so Estund notices the flame is acting strangely as if being pulled in a direction. “What could cause a flame to- Air." He jumps up with his revelation almost tumbling over. "Its air there is a draft moving through this place which means there are two exists!”

Going to the place where he can feel the magic he starts probing the air around him. He breaks out in a sweat because doing this is a lot harder than the fire magic. Concentrating on the fire he feels the draft but instead of manipulating it he follows it as if stroking it feeding it more and more the wind starts to stir and with his free hand he picks up dirt and lets it trickle out down onto the air current he has now made stronger. The wind blows the dirt towards the outside wall that surrounds the staircase that leads to nowhere. Standing up Estund follows the direction the wind is blowing. There is a small indent in the wall that looks completely natural compared to the rest of the cave like wall.

He stops the flow of magic and his heart starts to race. Holding the torch towards the indent he sees it flicker and pull as if dancing with his heart for what he has found. Without further ado he pushes his hand in and starts to feel around for any kind of lever or……something. His hand brushes against a lever! He finally gets a good hold of it and pulls the nailess finger sends a spike of pain as if reminding him the wound is still there.

At first nothing happens….. then scrapes, bangs and clangs A section of the cave roof slides down revealing…. “More stairs! You have got to be kidding me.”

Estund stares at it not sure if he should laugh or cry. “Here we go again.” He starts in the direction of the stairs with a sprint. Soon he is taking two steps at a time but he slows himself down purposefully he may miss something.

“Always remain calm..... Damn elf.”

After a few minutes of climbing he stops and picks up a rock, and just, like before drops it. “One, two, three, four , fi-“ It hits bottom. “Ok, at least now i know I am getting somewhere.” With all due haste he starts to climb again.

“The exit! I can see the exit.”

Running at full speed through the corridor at the top of the stairs he enters a circular room of about 20 meters in radius. Compared to the cave like place he has been going through this is a palace the walls are white marble the roof too. The room has two chandeliers and all along the walls there are torches everything is already lit giving the room an orange glow caused by the fire’s light reflecting of the white marble walls. In the middle is a lone pedestal and on it a beautiful sword.

Estund cautiously stalks closer to the pedestal, not trusting it at all.His eyes dart around like a thief's. Now that he is closer to the sword he can truly appreciate its beauty and his darting eyes stop. The hilt is slightly curved and is made of bone polished to a shine. Clearly made for one-handed use. All along its cross guard is a pattern engraved forming a big tree with a waterfall behind it. Right in the center is a red ruby cut in a triangle. Estund can’t tare his eyes away from it. The blade is made out of red steel given that name because it gives of a red shine. The blade runs straight and then slightly upwards. “

Clearly a blade for cutting and not stabbing. A fitting blade for the style of fighting I have been taught.”

There are also engravings all along the middle of the blade. It’s a pictorial of a dragon in flight. The blade is sharpened on both sides ready for use at any moment.

Estund starts to reach out and pick it up and he stops his arm in mid-air. “There was a test for everything I have learned so far except for dueling. The next test will be a duel.” He takes one last look around the room to see if there are any places a surprise attack can come from. But there is only one way in and out. He continues his reach for the blade, steeling his heart and senses for what he is sure will come. Like a snake striking he snatches it.

The blade feels good in his hand like it was made for him and perhaps it was the hilt is just a bit too big for his hand but he is still growing so that may be why whoever made it, did it like this.

He stands at the ready waiting for something to attack but… “Nothing? Really, this test is messed up.”

Once again he feels irritation he really wanted to cut something with his new sword!

Suddenly a space in the wall starts to open and he can instantly hear rushing water. Silently he creeps forward careful to remain out of a direct line with the exit. Skirting the wall he approaches the opening. He tries to hear anything beyond it but the roar of water drowns out any other would be sound. “

Well if I can’t hear anyone .Then I can assume nobody can hear me over the blasted water. Besides if there is someone I would have sensed them by now….I hope”

He swallows hard trying to get rid of the nervousness. He gets another idea focusing on his feet he reaches deep within himself and once again uses air magic. He compresses the air around his feet making it a lot more difficult for sound waves to escape. It takes a lot of effort but it works to a degree. Estund smiles to himself feeling a bit more confident. “I am starting to get good at this.”

He sneaks a peek out of the entrance way but doesn’t see anything. “Here goes nothing.” He steps out in the open and the view astounds him. “So this. This is what the dragons have been doing up here all this time.”

In front of Estund lies riches and gold the likes of which has never been seen. Chests and carts full of it. All around him is gold diamonds emeralds and sapphires piled so high he has to crane his neck and stand on his toes to look past the first heap right in front of him and there are hundred and hundreds of heaps. “Where did all this come from!? Why is it here? I don’t understand, what is going on!”

He hears a rumble and the gold and jewels starts to shake making a cacophony of sounds clinks and bangs and screeches and scratches. A Pile of gold the highest of them all shakes the most and tons of gold and jewels threatens to wash over and destroy him in a tidal wave. Suddenly he sees green under all the gold and jewels even more beautiful than all the treasures piled around him. He realizes he has dropped his guard and instead is gawking instantly lifts the sword ready for whatever is coming from beneath the riches.

He senses something; an immense life force, but it’s familiar like….like Sirena! He calls out with his mind “Sirena is that you?!” “Yes little one or do you doubt your senses?” All the while she is still rising. “I forgot how big they are. I must look like a bug to her.” The big mountain of gold was in fact not just gold but Sirena covered by it. Even among all these riches she is the biggest and most beautiful of them all. Her scales green as the grass in the meadows fading to lighter greens down her flanks and finally turning to white on her underbelly. The spikes on her head and down her back and tail white as purest snow but hard as diamonds. Her body looks sleek and fast made more for speed than power yet the power she has is clear enough for any who look upon her. Her wings now folded against her back would have easily been able to cover all the gold and jewels around him with space to spare. Her eyes now focused on him is the same green as her scales with cat like irises.

Estund would have to stand on another person’s shoulders that is the same length as him with hands stretched out above to touch the bottom and top of her eyelids.

“Are you going to gawk at me all night, little one?” Estund realizes he is staring and closes his mouth, face turning crimson. “It’s just that I have forgotten how beautiful you are and….and how big.” “First you tell me I am beautiful and then you tell me I am fat. Is that your way of flattering me?” “I didn’t mean fa-.” With a chuckle she says. “I know what you meant calm down.”

“What is all this Sirena?” He asks gesturing to all the jewels and gold.

“It is preparation little one. Alric and I have been collecting all this gold for you.” Taking a step back in surprise he nearly falls over a diamond. “For me, but why what possible need could I have for so much? If I think according to what Aldowin has taught me this is enough to last any person many, many, many lifetimes!”

“Indeed it is but no person in the world is as important as you are right now little one and Alric and I fear that this will not be enough.”

He doesn’t like the sound of that and asks the dreaded question floating around in his thoughts. Not because he is afraid but because he doesn’t think anything that can make 2 dragons fear is very good for his health either. “Enough to do what, Sirena?”

“To start a war!” Came a thunderous reply with a voice so menacing and so familiar it sent chills up Estund's spine. “Not him, anyone but him! I wonder if I will be able to escape by jumping in the river.”

The voice belongs to none other than, Alric. Bane and tormentor of Estund’s life. A new cart loaded with riches crashes down next Estund showering him with gold, splinters and who knows what else. To Alric the pink thing turns into a grasshopper as soon as the cart hits. Hopping everywhere to avoid the spreading debris.

“I missed him! I must be getting old my aim is off, well…. maybe next time.”

“You could have hurt or, even killed him Alric!”

“Yes but I didn’t aren’t you happy? I was trying to see if he has learned how to doge yet. If you can doge a cart full of gold you can doge a blade, that’s what I always say.”

“When have you ever said that!”

“Plenty of times,Sirena you just never paid attention.”

Estund rollsto get out from under the debris, already feeling a lump on his head that is forming right next to the other one he got from the stairs. A gold coin must have hit him or something similar. Estund’s fists clenched gets up, he shouts at the dragon that is still gliding somewhere in the darkness above him.

“You’re a dragon why would you have any sayings regarding swordplay whatsoever!” With a limp he walks closer to Serina hoping it would provide some cover as he scans for the sword that has already won a place in his heart.

“Nobody likes a know it all, Pink thing. We have more important things to discuss. Now, Where were we?” A sound piercing like the scream of an eagle fills the air growing in intensity with every second. Estund having learned his lesson takes cover behind a destroyed cart spilling its gold. Suddenly Alric is within Estund’s sensory range and he looks in the direction.

He swallows hard fear growing in his chest If Serina is built for speed Alric is built for war! His hulking mass screams it at you. Makes you believe it the second you see him. His scales are red the color of blood. His entire back covered in spikes black as the night itself. His body is bulkier and slightly bigger than that of Serina’s. A scar covers his left eye making him look all the more menacing. Eyes as red as the inner petals of a red rose that shines with malice and promise of destruction look at Estund. And this is him in a good mood. With a blast of air and showering gold coins Alric hits the ground making Estund’s entire world shake. More heaps of gold fall over because of the disturbance his landing causes.

Serina rolls her eyes at him. “Your landing is ungraceful how you ever got the title of sky ruler is beyond me.” Sky ruler is a title given out by the Elder of the dragons there can only be 5 of them chosen because of their strength, age and wisdom. They were tasked to rule parts of the world. Alric was Sky ruler of the southern lands before the betrayal.

“Ha! I could ask the same of you. Your legs are so dainty and you lack spikes how can you ever fight in a war when all you do most of the time is sleep. Your name should have been Sileepa.” Sirena was the sky ruler of the northwest better known as the flat lands. Miles and miles covered with rolling hills rich with grass and creatures that live on the plains and right smack dab in the middle of it is an ancient forest. Said to be older than time itself.

Sirena starts to growl a sound better described as a rumble deep within a volcano. Slyfer growing restless along with his worries of the “changes” to come can’t take it any more.

“Enough you two, I was told that tonight I would finally find out where I come from and who I am. Instead I am hearing of a war? Tell me what is going on, or I will leave this place!”

“You wish to leave pink thing then leave but I hope you know how to fly otherwise you are not going anywhere.” Alric bursts into a laugh better described as two mountains grinding against each other.

“Can you believe it Sirena, the pink thing wishes to leave yet he knows not where he is. Nor could he possibly know where he can go.” Another bout of laughter follows from the red dragon. Estund feels an all too familiar anger creeping up on him and this time instead of fighting against it, he embraces it. It washes through him like an avalanche of anger filling every cell of his body with wrath.

“Alric stop! Look at him look at his eyes.” Estund’s eyes turned red the same as it was with Aldowin earlier during the day. Alric turns to look and is rewarded with a face full of the gold wagon that he had dropped near Estund. With a voice that is not Estund’s:

“You think I don’t know where I am! You may be big dragon but you are stupid!” Estund picks up another wagon loaded with gold and jewels, holds it over his head and with a shout heaves it with all his might at the red dragon. It flies through the air dropping gold as it goes making it look like some kind of weird shooting star. It hits the dragon on his flank.

“Aldowin has taught me astrology and I have studied the map of stars and the world. Till this morning I wasn’t sure but when I spread my consciousness further then the mountains and felt nothing but darkness it confirmed my suspicion of where I am.”

Two more wagons follow this statement one hits the dragon on his back and gets impaled by his multitude of spikes. Gold showers over the red dragon. All the while Estund keeps advancing.

“We are Far East of Heaven’s mountain! We must be on one of the Slymurs better known as the Sky Mountains. Named so, because they float in the sky! The nearest city is Atlantia and I intend to go there to attend the school.” This declaration is followed by another wagon aimed at Alric’s head. Alric swipes it out of the air with one of his claws non-nonchalantly almost looking bored. This only serves to further aggravate Estund.

“This is more like it pink thing! Show me what you have got!” Estund starts to sprint and Alric throws the wagon at him with just the flick of his wrist. Estund jumps and the crushed and misshapen wagon whizzes past underneath him. “So you know where you are that doesn’t mean you can go anywhere!” Estund touches ground and immediately leaps again aiming to land close to the dragons left claw.

Just like with the wagon Alric cathes him in mid-air. In is claws Estund looks like a little bug! Try as he might Estund can’t move. The anger boils within him surging and feeding him strength but still he can’t break free. Alric holds Estund close to his scarred eye to better inspect him. He sees scales starting to form on Estund red as his own. He breaks into another bout of laughter with genuine happiness. “You wish to leave this place then you must fly!”

“Alric stop!” Sirena having watched the entire episode unfold, jumps into action at seeing what Alric plans to do. Alric pulls back his foreleg and with a mighty throw deposits Estund into the night sky. In a second the boy disappears.

Right afterwards Sirena hits Alric tackling him to the ground. The whole mountain seems to shake the gold chingles and chimes with the vibration of the ground. Roaring with fury Sirena blasts him with molten fire from deep within her maw, turning the world crimson around them. “What have you done you fool! I will destroy you! Curse the dragon that ever laid your egg.”

“I have grown tired Sirena tired of waiting for vengeance if he survives this, he will be able to turn when and where he wishes and not just when he is angry.”

“And what if he dies?! What then you fool?”

“Then I will fly out and head for Madras to challenge Chronos himself. Win or lose I will have my reckoning!”

Estund can now clearly see he was right. They were on one of the Slymurs the problem is he isn’t on anything anymore. Alric threw him clear of the valley there is no way he can make it back falling in the darkness he can see the valley in all its beauty lit up by the two moons in a luminescent glow. Estund can also see where the water comes from above their valley is a larger bigger one the two is held together by thick vines and plants forever floating in the sky just like the Sky mother and her son.

He starts to drop toward what he does not know. Under him is nothing but darkness above him it’s the same. The wind rushes by and he tries to stop his uncontrollable spiral by spreading out his arms and legs. It works to a degree and he levels out. Heart pumping in his ears he knows he is falling to his death! Panic threatens to take over but he forces himself to calm down. “Stay calm. Stay calm! For what I am falling to my death and there is nothing I can do about it!” Something in his mind nags at him. “What did Aldowin say someday I will fly away from this valley? He would not say it if, it wasn’t possible.”

“I started to change when I lost my temper I could feel the power inside me surging wanting to come out.” But how, how do I let it out?!” Closing his eyes he centers his consciousness on himself exploring everything about his life force. Earlier that day he had felt something similar inside him as that of Serina and now he was looking for it searching deeper and deeper. He finds it and it astounds him the power of it the significance. Hope that he may yet survive. He tries to pull it out to let it free but something holds it tight no letting go not giving it up.

“Damn it! Give me what is mine.”

“Why?” A voice inside him asks. Its deeper, older but still a part of him a part of him he doesn’t know.

“Because I want to live, I want to survive. Is that not enough?”

“No, why do you want to live to survive?”

“Because I know nothing, I want to learn I want to know and above all else I want to find my real parents.”

“What is that to us?” The voice starts laughing at him.

Panick stricken Estund asks the only thing he can.“What is it you want?”

“Isn’t it obvious? We want you. Make a pact a promise with us and you will have everything.”

“You ask me now? While I am about to die?” “It seems fitting since if you break it you die anyway. Tick, tock you don’t have a lot of time.”

Opening his eyes Estund can see the ground. The world is still dark but somehow he can see.

“Just one of the gifts you will receive- the eyes of a dragon!”

Still trying to be a bit defiant in the end, he clenches his teeth and asks.

“Tell me your terms and I will decide if it is better than dying.”

Sirena, now sitting on the edge of the valley hoping and praying for any sign, any minuscule piece of evidence that Estund may have survived, suddenly cranes her neck even further down.

“What is it Sirena?” Asks Alric who is lying near the mass horde of gold he has been collecting for no reason at all it seems. Peeking at her with one eye he can see that she can barely contain herself.

“Sirena!”

“Shut up Alric I am trying to concentrate. I thought I saw something…….”

Alric sits up thoroughly interested now.

“You thought you saw what?”

“Did I not tell you to keep quie-.”

The water in the river starts to rise slowly but surely.

“What’s going on, Sirena! This looks like that time I fought again-.” A voice rings out of the darkness into their minds, a voice like the sound of a tidal wave approaching.

“Alric you have angered the wrong person this day!” The water starts to rise faster.

“This voice it sounds like Estund’s but also different older and yet familiar.”

Alric roars and crouches down as if he is about to attack or be attacked.

“Malgrobin are you back to finish what we started!”

“No not just, Malgrobin but me as well!” The water now higher than Alric's head crashes toward him. Alric lets out a torrent of flames turning the water into steam that obscures everything around Alric. A Small blue dragon appears above, it swoops down heading through the steam in a beeline straight at Alric it then tucks in one wing and spins around hitting the bigger dragon with its tail right between the eyes.

Baaang!!!

The sound of the shot resounds around them making even the gold vibrate. Alric lets out a roar of anger and outrage and swings at the smaller blue dragon trying to swat it out of the air. But the smaller dragon transforms into a human in a flash of bright blue and gold light. The change in size makes the blow miss by a hairs width! The humanoid body falls a few feet and then transforms back with the same light. The small dragon starts to climb into the darkness once more. Alric draws in air to prepare another bout of flames this time planning to burn down the whole damn sky if he has to.

“Stop it!” Comes, Sirena’s voice. Both dragons stop and start growling at each other ready to attack each other at a moment’s notice.

“I said stop it! We are not enemies the enemy is out there.” The steam clears and it reveals Alric unhurt except the diamond shaped scale between his eyes is missing revealing rough black skin underneath. The blue dragon starts laughing "The skin underneath reveals your true colours Alric."

Alric already on breaking point with his anger lets lose the fire breath he has been holding in but the little blue dragon is fast and doges it, or so it thinks.

Who is Alric? He is war! He is death! And some tiny dragon dares to take his diamond scale! The Fire does not stop to the small dragon’s surprise and dismay. It seems Alrics thoughts of burning down the sky was not just a thought and he was doing it! Planning to destroy the damn blue mosquito as well!

The small dragon has no choice and decides to dive for the ground through the torrent of flames similar to the flames of hell. But he doesn’t notice Serina behind him and gets snatched out of the air. Air starts to flow around them forming a kind of bubble turning faster than a tornado. It sweeps up the fire surrounding them and shoots it up above them. Lighting up everything for miles around the fire hits the waterfall that provides their valley with water and it instantly turns into steam hissing and billowing everywhere.

Serina now angry looked at the blue dragon in her claw eyes glowing green“Who are you hatch-ling and why do you fight Alric. Speak or I will tear your head off!”

The blue dragon to proud to back down snaps back and continues to try and struggle.“I am paying him back in kind for nearly killing me and someone else in here also has a score to settle.”

“Little one? Little one is that you.”

“I am afraid so, surprised I survived?”

“Surprised and happy, little one please believe me I thought I had lost another child.” A tear runs down Serina’s nose and splashes down on the gold.

“I sense something different inside you, what has happened.”

“Sirena! Let go of him.” Growls Alric making gold and jewls jingle and jive all around them even the water vibrates.

“No calm yourself Alric it is Pink thing.”

“I see the brute still can’t hold his temper, Ha! Alric the fool what a tool.”

“There is only one dragon with a deathwish that used to call me that and that move with the steam-.”

“Yes, yes that’s how I gave you the scar on your eye. You look even prettier now.”

Alric roars. “Malgrobin, I knew it was you. The last I heard Chronos had you for breakfast.” “Correction it was not Breakfast but dinner since it was in the night you tool and I am not Malgrobin yet I am him.”

Serina puts the blue dragon down. “What does that mean little one?”

“It means I have all Malgrobin’s experience, magic, memories and some of his… attitude as well. I have othe-. “Remember the promise nobody must know of the others.” The ancient voices screams at him making him flinch.

He tries to quickly change the subject “I believe I have won the right to choose my own name, I have taken the diamond scale from another dragon in combat.” Alric is just about to object when. “That is true, hatch-ling what name do you choose.” Serina’s Chest swells with pride as she looks at the hatch-ling in front of her. To take a scale from Alric is no easy feat, two other hatch-lings tried and died to say the least

.

“Make sure about what you wish to be called this is a great honor even among dragons.”

“We have already chosen one but first. Tell us what your plans are.” Says the small dragon raising its chin in pride.

“We, us? Stop referring to yourself as more than one it’s strange……..”

“What are your plans for ME, I would like to know please.”

“Alric can explain better than I can. If he wants to after what you did that is entirely another question.” Lookng at Alric the blue dragon walks over. Alric ignores him and turns away. The blue dragon is just about to say something when Alric turns back and drops the diamond shaped scale in front of him. It is huge twice the size of what the blue dragon’s humanoid body is and the color of blood fading to orange. “This is yours now hatch-ling you have earned it.” With that Alric drops his head and presses his exposed skin against the blue dragon’s forehead. The little dragon feels power flow into him along with pain and sorrow so strong it threatens to overwhelm him, causing him to grit his teeth.

“You should have told me it would be this painful, Malgrobin!”

An unconcerned haughty voice replies “It’s not supposed to be you are only feeling what he feels.”

The blue dragon’s legs feel like they are about to buckle.“All this pain, its crippling what could have happened to cause this! Suddenly all his mood swings don’t seem that unreasonable.”

“Don’t get soft on me now hatch-ling; he has killed more of us, his own kind than I would like to remember.”

Alric’s deep and menacing voice interrupts them. “Now you will always be a part of me and I will be a part of you no matter where you are we will be able to communicate. When a hatch-ling takes the diamond scale from an older dragon. That dragon becomes it's mentor.”

Alric pulls his head away but some of the pain and sorrow still remains. Estund cringes at the thought.

“Alric as a mentor….. I am not sure that was such a good idea.” “

I agree with you on that one.” Replies the haughty voice.

“Am I never going to have my thoughts to myself again?”

“I am you and you are me our minds memories skills everything will meld together by tomorrow it will be only the new you.”

Leaving behind the conversation in his thoughts. The blue dragon turns to Alric.

“Alric will you tell me now? What was your plan for me? All this gold and riches what is the reason behind it?”

“We want to finish a war that started ages ago. Right now the land is divided in two. One side is run by the Order of Chronos.”

“I already don’t like it the name is not creative enough.” Serina comes over and joins the both of them making the blue dragon seem like a dwarf.

“Little one even though I agree with you this is no time for jokes.”

“Sorry it’s this new habit I picked up.” Alric continues. “The order of Chronos is run by Chronos himself.”

“I kind of figured as much the whole name gave it away.” Serina sighs.

“Sorry did it again didn’t I?” Alric looks at the two of them completely oblivious to what is going on. The blue dragon can feel the anger build in him. “No not inside me but inside Alric I can feel what he feels.”

“I apologize Alric, please continue I won’t interrupt again.” The anger ebbs away leaving only the pain and suffering. “Chronos betrayed the dragons about one hundred years ago. He made a pact with the pigeon king.”

“You mean griffins?”

Just at the mention of the word griffin. The young blue dragon can feel anger and so much pain coming from Alric it nearly incapacitates him. “How can he live like this!”

“Yes, pink thing I mean the griffins. The humans were also in on it as well most of them anyway their Templar order sided with the griffins on being against magic. You see griffins are one of the great 11 beasts but they do not have magic only minds that can think and speak. So they grew jealous of us and helped Chronos destroy our order. The Templars’ magic concentrates only on magic suppression and control so along with the griffins that can fly they attacked us and the Templars sealed our magic. Even though we are bigger we were completely outnumbered and almost all the dragons were destroyed in one fowl swoop. The few that survived went into hiding. As Alric kept talking and explaining the blue dragon got memory flashbacks.

His mate had died that day he could see it clearly. The battle the blood everywhere confusion, Griffins and dragons screaming in pain.

A lone blue dragon fighting a horde of griffins of to one side the crackle of magic in the air and a desperate need to save her, to get to her. When he does its already too late he can see it but still he fights tearing and burning destroying anything that gets too close. The taste of pigeon blood in his mouth threatens to make him wretch. And then, he sees her falling he reaches out with his mind but there is nothing where there was once his life the sun of his world there is nothing. The rest of it is a blur.

Anger and hate fills the blue dragon he now understands what pain Alric feels. “Are you okay hatch-ling?” It seems Alric can also feel what the little dragon is.

Shaking it’s head. “I am fine I have memories of that day.”

The large dragon nods with understanding. “Then I need not explain everything that happened. Right now there is an unstable piece between the Western lands and the East. However that piece will not hold for much longer because while the east has been blinded by the promises of Chronos. The betrayer has been uniting the west in preparation to attack the east. “What then Alric will my role be, in all this?”

Alric growls in displeasure as he utters the next words. “The largest ruling party in the east is the council in Atlantia. Each race has a representative there. And they bicker and fight among each other about trivial things. The only races that do not have representatives are the High elves to the north and Dark elves far to the south. Aldowin has already sent a message to the high elves to send one. You will intercept this person and go as a noble.”

Exasperated Estund cant help but exclaim “But I do not look anything like a high elf.”

“You will pretend to be adopted by a high ranking noble what you are they don’t know either. That way if the council asks questions they wont be able to answer and in so doing you will be protected. If they ask you pretend ignorance and tell them your adoptive parents died and they are the only ones who knew. They know little of the high elves and will be extremely curious to figure out their stance on the war and strength in the matter.”

“If I agree to this will I be, able to attend the magic school?” “I don’t know hatch-ling the influence of the Templars may have already reached Atlantia and in that case it will be extremely difficult to practice any kind of magic. What we do know is as of five months ago the Order of Chronos already had a representative in the council.”

“So the gold, everything is to make me look like a noble?” Alric shakes his head then turns to Serina.“No, little one it is to fund the war you will start, a war to unite the east, any that do not join you must be destroyed.” Serina says this with great sadness. “It is an evil thing yes, but if we don’t do it the races of magic will be put into slavery or put to death. We cannot afford to fight a war on both fronts.”

Estund nods her statement making sense. “I understand your objectives coincide with mine.”

Happy and excited Serina sits up blinking a few times. “Now tell us the name you have chosen little one.” Serina can barely contain her curiosity.

“I have chosen Slyfer.”

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