Culmination

by Selena IR Drake

  “Kkaia!” My scream distracted Magnathor long enough for Kkaia to fade into a cloud of sand and rocks. The sea monster hissed in anger and bolted towards me. I was so terrified couldn’t even force myself to run away.

  A huge globe of water suddenly slammed into Magnathor’s head, sending her flailing backwards and away from me. The enraged beast managed to right herself quickly and snarled viciously before launching after me again. Another huge mass of water hammered her. This time the sea monster turned her gaze skyward. She quieted in an instant and slowly sunk to the ground in submission.

  I dared to look away from the sea monster, towards my savior. The shadow of a dragon hovered in the Myst overhead. I sighed in relief and returned my attention to Magnathor. The beast sent a look my way before slinking away to the depths of the sea with as much dignity as she could muster.

  Riptide landed like a feather in front of me and folded her wings with a snort. She turned her aquamarine gaze to me and nodded in respect. “I apologize for being late, Keeper. I was speaking with Mother.”

  “Mother?!” I balked and looked towards the retreating form of the Magnathor that had just been scared away. “I thought that was your mother!”

  “No. That is Little Brother. Mother makes him look like a shrimp.”

  “You’ve got to be kidding.” I heard Kitfox mutter as he and the others rushed over. Riptide shook her head and calmly led the way towards the beach. Helios, Atoka, and Vortex stood guard over the wounded Kkaia and Wildfire, occasionally hissing a warning at the water each time a suspicious wave drew too close.

  “Kkaia, are you alright?” Kitfox rubbed her snout affectionately, earning a happy sort-of purr. I smiled at the scene, remembering how they used to not get along so well.

  “Mostly bruises. They should heal quickly.” Thera announced after a quick assessment of Kkaia’s injuries. “It doesn’t look like anything is broken, but there is an ugly puncture in her left wing membrane.”

  “It is nothing a little mud won’t fix.” Kkaia replied.

  “Why don’t you all rest in the Amulet while we find Kúskú?” I suggested, feeling immensely guilty for putting my dragons in such a terrible predicament.

  “What if that monster comes back?” Kkorian shivered at the thought.

  “He won’t.” Riptide said with great fervor. “He wouldn’t dare to anger Mother by going against her will.”

  “I hope you’re right about that.” Muttered Shazza.

  ◆◆◆

  After some further persuasion, all six dragons returned to the Dragon’s Eye Amulet. My team and I set out to find the entrance to Kúskú’s lair. The task proved to be more complicated than usual due to the thickening Myst combined with the waning light of the suns. There were times I couldn’t even make out my hand right in front of my face. Though I stumbled a few times on hidden rocks and slick surfaces, Kitfox was always there to catch me.

  Finally, a call from Kkorian rang out. We carefully made our way towards his voice and found him by a dragon statue just as the remnants of sunlight were sucked away. I lit an orb so Shazza and Thera could find us. Minutes later, the five of us were together again, looking down into a deep ravine.

  I closed my eyes and focused on the pull I felt from the dragons yet to be collected. The closest and strongest one was pulling me downwards. I nodded and dropped the light orb into the chasm. I watched as it fell for ages and finally stopped when it was about the size of a pin prick.

  “That is a long way down.”

  “Thanks for stating the obvious, Kkorian.” Kitfox muttered. “The question is; how do we get down?”

  I lit another orb and peered over the sheer edge. A ledge barely wide enough to stand on the very tips of my toes wound its way downwards. As I cautiously led the way down the ledge, I hoped it widened the further we found ourselves in the hole.

  Our progress into the depths of the ravine was agonizingly slow. Almost two hours had gone by, and we had only crept a few meters from the top. My arms and legs burned with the effort to stay balanced on the dangerously narrow ledge. I was very tempted to simply let go and fall before catching myself with a spell. But I wouldn’t leave my friends hanging like that. Nor could I summon a dragon now; there simply wasn’t the room. If only the ledge would widen...

  Rocks crumbled. A yelp echoed. My breath caught. I looked back at my teammates in time to see Shazza pull Kkorian back onto the ledge.

  “You okay?”

  “Y-yeah. Just s-slipped.” He was visibly shaken, but didn’t look injured.

  “This is ridiculous.” I heard Thera mutter. The Feykin shoved herself away from the ledge and dropped a few meters before she was able to take flight. “I’m going to take a look around and see if I can find a safer way down.”

  “Wait, Thera!” I called after her as she nose-dived.

  “Don’t think she heard ya, Xy.” Kkorian replied. I sighed and returned to the agonizing task of slowly making my way down the ledge.

  I didn’t want to admit it aloud to anyone, but I felt greatly disturbed at Thera’s sudden abandonment. Here I was, choosing to stick with everyone through this challenging descent even though I could pull the same stunt as her. And she just flies off! Gods, I was so angry I just wanted to punch something.

  My anger ceased instantly when my hand brushed against something sticky. As much as I tried to wipe it off on the rock face, I still felt the stickiness clinging to me. With a sigh, I moved on and tried to ignore the strange sensation wriggling up my arm.

  I couldn’t take it anymore! I paused so I could balance myself on the ledge. Kitfox asked what was up, but I chose not to answer. With the utmost care, I slowly moved enough to produce a light orb. It seemed to explode into existence and blinded me with its brilliance.

  When at last I could see again, I looked my arm over. Tendrils of silk-like thread clung to my finger tips. I sighed and cautiously moved to pluck them away. Just as I wiped the last of the thread clumps on the rock face before me, countless black shadows swarmed out. Intrigued, I moved the light orb to get a closer look. Thousands of little spiders scampered everywhere!

  I screamed. In my panic, I lost my footing and dropped from the ledge. Kitfox barely managed to grab my hand before I was out of reach. The jolt forced him to lose his balance and we both plummeted into the jet-black chasm.

  ~~~~　*　~~~~

  Shazza swore and punched the rock wall hard enough to leave a deep imprint. Kkorian tore his gaze away from the depths of the chasm to look at her. Had he been able to see in the dark, he would have witnessed the tears and the look of mourning in her sunset orange eyes. The pirate exhaled slowly and gently laid a hand on the small of her back.

  “They’ll be alright, Shazza.” He murmured softly. “There’s no way that dumb bitzer would let anything happen to Xy.”

  Shazza scoffed to hide how much she truly hurt at the thought of losing her friends and looked Kkorian in the eye. She read the emotions there; worry, fear, and strangest of all, love. She found it hard to believe that such a Hume like the one before her could betray that much weakness. She was unaccustomed to such displays. It made her feel...

  “What do ya say we keep going?” She had to agree with him on that. There was no point in mulling about where they were. Without saying a word, the Dákun Daju Queen took Kkorian’s arm and, ignoring his yelp of surprise, slung him over her back. She glanced downwards and clicked her tongue.

  She jumped.

  ◆◆◆

  Thera folded her ebony wings with a sigh. Having been unsuccessful in finding a safer route down, she decided to land at the very bottom of the ravine to begin a new search. Hopefully this time, she could actually find what she sought.

  “Luminös!” She was blind for a moment while her eyes adjusted to the sudden appearance of the orb. Once her vision returned, she glanced about. She found herself standing upon an overgrown, cobblestone walkway. It disappeared into the darkness beyond the orb’s range a scant few meters away.


  Thera summoned her Ribbon Staff and began to follow the cobblestones for some paces, only to come to the rock face with the narrow ledge. Apparently there was no other way to scale the sheer drop. With a defeated sigh, she turned and followed the cobblestones the other way.

  After countless paces, the path was crossed by a magnificent, silver gateway. Just beyond the gate, Thera could make out a shadow against the darkness. She wasted no time in hurling the light orb towards the silhouette. She stood in awe as her single orb turned into many, completely illuminating a huge castle.

  With a prayer to Régon and a final glance upwards at the rim of the chasm, she turned and strode through the open gate.

  ◆◆◆

  A breath of cool, moist air filled my lungs. Feeling slowly returned. I groaned and forced my eyes to open. Kitfox had me cradled in his arms ever so gently. Upon seeing my return to consciousness, he exhaled a worried breath and held me tighter to his chest.

  “Thank the Gods! I thought you drained yourself completely with that spell.”

  Spell? I tried to recall what happened after I had caused both of us to plummet from the ledge. I must have acted on instinct as I couldn’t remember a thing.

  You used a levitation spell to break your fall and lower the two of you to safety at the very bottom of the ravine. Explained Vortex. Very quick thinking, Hatchling, but it drained you substantially to maintain it as long as you did.

  “Are you alright?”

  Unable to find my voice for a moment, I nodded. Kitfox didn’t fall for my bluff. With an understanding smile and shake of his head, he lifted me up as if I were his bride. I tried to ignore the butterflies in my stomach while he took a moment to get his bearings. Why does this feel so... right?

  Thankfully, the dragons didn’t offer an answer.

  “I think Thera was here a few minutes ago.” Kitfox said softly, finally taking the first steps towards a destination. “She lit up an entire castle with those light orbs you guys summon. I’m guessing Kúskú is sleeping within and she went to find him so he could help us.”

  We lapsed into a comfortable silence. While he strode along in the dark, I snuggled into his embrace and listened to his heartbeat. I hated to admit it, but I absolutely enjoyed this and even wished it to last.

  “What are you thinking?” I looked up at him. His amber eyes were locked on mine, betraying a fear and a doubt. I smiled and reached up to gently stroke his cheek. He closed his eyes at the caress and walked on.

  Several minutes later, we found ourselves just outside a beautiful, silver gateway. Kitfox gently set me down and supported me until he was sure I had regained my strength enough to stand on my own. The two of us gawked at the splendor of the illuminated castle before us.

  Slowly, but surely, I led Kitfox up the pathway to the castle. As we drew closer, we noticed another couple walking towards us. Hoping it was Shazza and Kkorian, I skipped a few paces ahead of Kitfox only to stop short when I realized I was seeing a reflection of myself and him in the castle walls.

  “I never would have suspected that!” Chuckled Kitfox. I nodded, suddenly overcome by a terrible feeling. I wanted so badly to tell him, but my voice still wouldn’t work. “Come on. We’ll take this slow.”

  He took my hand and cautiously led the way into the castle.

  ◆◆◆

  Shazza landed without a sound and finally dropped Kkorian. The unsuspecting pirate yelped as his rump hit the cobblestones. With a muttered oath, he stood and dusted himself off. Shazza ignored him and scanned the darkness around them. Xy and Kitfox were nowhere to be seen. She truly hoped they were okay.

  She froze as she caught sight of something in the distance. When at last her eyes focused, she smirked. A castle was illuminated by light spheres several hundred paces ahead. Surely, Xyleena and Kitfox would be there!

  Without bothering to tell Kkorian, Shazza took off at a slow run. The pirate yelled after her in a panic before he had the sense to join her. She hated to admit it, but Kkorian sure was fun to be around.

  She laughed as they raced towards the castle.

  “I cannot control your fate; that is something you must do yourself. Yes, I see the future; many futures. It is like looking through windows. Each possible outcome of certain events and choices opens a different window. Within one, Amorez is defeated; another, she is victorious. And a third shows the entire planet consumed by fire.”

  – FROM “CONVERSATIONS WITH DRAGONS” BY DJURDAK ZA’CAR

  Thera cursed her rotten luck and once again found herself wishing she had gone back to get the others. She really could have used their combined intellect and skills to navigate the maze of mirrors that made up the interior of the castle. She was too far inside now to even attempt to return.

  With a defeated sigh, she turned and faced one of her many reflections. She made a face at herself and walked on. She paused at an intersection and muttered a spell. Once again the magic failed to work in this place.

  “So far the only good thing about being lost in this place is the fact that Kúskú has yet to take notice of me.” As she muttered to herself, she dropped her staff. It landed with a metallic clang. “Left. So be it.”

  Retrieving her staff, Thera turned down the path to the left. She prayed to Régon that the route she followed was actually leading her towards the dragon and not in circles.

  Another intersection, another direction. Thera sighed and meandered along, pausing occasionally to entertain herself by making faces in the many mirrors.

  “If the others saw me now...”

  The floor suddenly gave way and she screamed. She plummeted several meters before striking ice cold water. Thera sunk to the bottom of the chamber and kicked off, surfacing minutes later with a huge gasp of air. She coughed and sputtered and tried desperately to remain calm.

  She had to figure a way out of this, and quickly! She knew right away that any spells she would usually try wouldn’t work in here. There was neither the room nor the leverage to use her wings to fly out. And, gazing at the smooth walls around her, there was no way to climb out.

  She was trapped and she would drown.

  She cried out.

  ◆◆◆

  Kkorian sighed as he followed Shazza. Neither of them had expected the maze of mirrors to be so difficult to navigate. At first, they had eagerly pushed on, expecting to stumble upon one of the others quickly. Alas, they only found themselves completely lost to its enigmatic puzzle with nary an idea as to where their comrades were.

  He couldn’t complain though. Being trapped in this place with Shazza was a darn far sight better than being stuck with Kitfox. And though she was trying to hide it, he could tell Shazza was glad to be with him, too.

  “Damn. Which way?” Shazza stared down all three corridors of the intersection they had come to.

  “It all bloody looks the same.” Kkorian muttered. “If only we had a way to tell whether or not we were goin’ in circles...”

  Shazza smirked and punched one of the mirrors, putting a large starburst pattern in its otherwise flawless surface. “How’s that?”

  “Dontcha know breaking a mirror’s bad luck?”

  She laughed. “Right. If that is bad luck, I’m cursed for the next twelve lifetimes.”

  Kkorian frowned and followed after her as she started down the corridor to the right. “If you’re really so cursed, how come you’re a Queen and traveling with such great people?”

  She shrugged. “You tell me, then we’ll both know.”

  Their conversation lapsed into silence after that. Kkorian watched Shazza closely as she led the way through the maze. He had to admit, her intense and analytical gaze, cat-like grace, amazing strength, and even her ability to captivate him with every little move she made really intrigued him.

  “What are you staring at?”

  Kkorian felt the heat rush to his face and was grateful she hadn’t turned around to look at him. He cleared his throat, apologized quietly, and stared at his boots as he walk
ed on. “I was just admiring you.”

  He hadn’t even realized she stopped until he bumped into her. He apologized profusely and backed away, hoping he hadn’t angered her. Shazza cocked her head to the side.

  “What exactly are you admiring?” Her tone was even; neither angry nor shocked as expected. Kkorian found it rather unnerving and thrilling at the same time.

  He blushed as he answered. “E-Everything.”

  Shazza turned to face him. He cowered under her intense gaze and winced when she moved to put a hand on his shoulder. When nothing happened, he slowly opened his eyes to look at her again. To his utter amazement, she smiled! Actually smiled! He couldn’t believe it.

  Before either could react, the floor gave way and Shazza plummeted. After several meters, she landed in a pit of sand with a grunt. Shazza swore and looked around her prison. The walls were as smooth as glass, providing no means of climbing out. The floor panel that had given away beneath her was far too high to jump, even for her.

  She was trapped.

  And to make matters worse, the sand was rising.

  ◆◆◆

  I sensed Kitfox’s unease as he led the way around another corner. He had picked up the scent of Thera when we first entered the maze and had followed it, but had lost it in the middle of this empty corridor. Now, like me, he was quickly becoming disturbed in this castle of mirrors and was desperately looking for an escape.

  He paused to sniff the air again. A smile graced his lips and he took off at a faster pace. I was obliged to follow.

  “I’ve picked up Shazza’s and Kkorian’s scents.” He explained. “They’re up ahead.”

  Still unable to speak, I nodded. That was another thing that was plaguing my mind. Why couldn’t I speak? I’ve never had a spell affect me in such a way, even if it completely drained me. And my dragons had yet to provide any answers. In fact, they hadn’t spoken to me since Kitfox and I started towards the castle.