◆◆◆
My eyes flittered open. The fog of sleep slowly diffused. I began to recall where I was. I had no idea how long I had been sleeping, but it did not feel like it had been long. The sky overhead was a deep sapphire with wisps of white clouds, meaning at least one sun had already risen. It was impossible to tell the time, for the jagged mountains blocked the light and left the valley locked in perpetual twilight.
I groaned as I sat up and looked about. Kitfox was already up, and bent over a small fire. I could hear meat sizzling and guessed he was cooking the goat he killed yesterday. A light breeze carried the scent of the meal towards me, making my mouth water in anticipation.
Just as I was about to throw the blankets off and join him, I heard him mumble something. Curious, I leaned to one side to look around him. Pox sat on the opposite side of the fire, affectionately stroking Visler’s small wedge-shaped head. She was saying something, but I couldn’t hear. Whatever it was, it made Kitfox chuckled.
“What’s so funny?” I called as I tossed the blankets aside and got up. Kitfox promptly turned around to face me, and I could see the humor burning in his amber eyes.
“Pox, here, was picking on Visler.”
The Sentinel croaked, as if in disgruntled agreement.
I smirked. “That’s one reason to have him here.”
As I strode forwards to join them by the fire, I took a look around the valley. Mirror Lake was only meters away from our camp. The surface was as smooth as glass. Not even the breeze sweeping the valley woke a ripple on the surface. Mountains appeared across the face of the water, reflected perfectly as if they were there instead of the lake.
My gaze moved further away from the lake, sweeping across the valley. I spotted Nexxa, Atoka, and Kúskú, lounging in the long grass not too far away from our camp. Though the entire valley was green with life, it was only grass and moss; flowers and trees held no sway here.
“Where are Abaddon, Thera, and Shazza?” I asked as I sat next to Kitfox.
“They are searching for the dragon statue.” He said, kissing my cheek. “I was going to wake you once I had breakfast ready, but you beat me to it.”
“I have never had goat…” admitted Pox, “… at least not that I can remember, anyway. It smells good, so I am eager to try it.”
“Well, good, because it is done.” Kitfox smiled. He quickly grabbed a few plates from the pack beside him and piled the meat on them before handing them to me and Pox.
I thanked him as I dug in. While I ate, I watched Pox to gauge her reaction to the new meal. I couldn’t help but wonder if I had acted the same way when I first woke up in the Temple after losing my memory. After a close look at the meat, Pox put a small bite in her mouth. Her eyes lit up as she chewed. She quickly took another bite, bigger this time.
“So you like it, huh?” Kitfox laughed.
Pox nodded.
Visler complained loudly; he wanted meat too.
“Fine, you greedy little thing.” Kitfox growled and dropped some pieces on the ground. Visler practically attacked them. Kitfox snorted and said, “What are we going to do with the little turd?”
“You can eat him.” Said Abaddon as he strode up. Shazza and Thera were with him and both looked excited to tell us something. Upon seeing Thera, Visler chirped happily and bolted towards her. In a flutter, the little homunculus landed on her shoulder, wrapped his tail tightly around her neck, and rubbed his head against the bottom of her chin.
“Where did you guys go off to?” I asked as I popped a bit of meat in my mouth.
“We found the dragon statue. It is over on the other side of the lake.” Thera pointed in the general direction. “And you will never guess what is growing around it.” She grinned ear to ear as she spoke.
“You’re right, I will never guess.” I said as I took another bite of the goat meat.
“Midnight Nautili!”
Pox, Kitfox and I all gaped at Thera. “No way!”
She nodded vigorously.
“That is the rarest flower in the world and you found more than one in the same spot?” Kitfox sounded skeptical.
“It is the truth.” Shazza said sternly. “There were three of them around the statue.”
That’s odd, I thought to myself. Every rumor I had ever heard of Midnight Nautili speaks of them on the open water, blooming under the light of a full moon. Then a thought occurred to me. “Is the statue on the lake?”
Shazza nodded. “It sits upon a black dais, which is set a bit of a swim out from shore.”
“‘Beneath Mirror’s surface he lies.’” I muttered to myself. Kitfox’s ear twitched, catching the sound, and he sighed.
“We have to swim to get to Zenith?” Pox sounded nervous and I couldn’t help wondering whether or not she could swim.
Shazza and Thera both shrugged, but it was Thera who said, “We didn’t check that because all we were doing is looking for the statue.”
“I do not think swimming is the key to reaching my brother.” Said the voice of Taypax. I looked at the ghostly dragon as he continued. “There must be a way to unlock a hidden route that leads under the lake.”
“Given our experience with the other dragons,” Kitfox said, pointing to Abaddon, “his guess makes more sense.”
Shazza and Thera agreed.
“Well then, how about we get going?” I popped the last morsel of meat in my mouth and got to my feet.
◆◆◆
Aruvan had just crested over the jagged mountain peaks by the time we reached the opposite side of the lake. The sun’s light did nothing to chase away the twilight engulfing the valley. The air, however, grew noticeably warmer, almost tropical. And a thin veil fog swept over the area.
Thera and Shazza led us around a peculiar bend in the lake. Then, at the water’s edge, they stopped. Kitfox, Pox, and I crossed the short distance to stand beside them. The four dragons hung back, watching.
Thera pointed out across the lake. “There.”
I looked out across the mirror and found the dragon statue. It was just as Thera and Shazza had described. It appeared a bit bigger than the other ones we found. And the dragon depicted in this one stood on its back legs with its wings spread wide. Its neck arched downward, almost becoming one with its chest while its tail arched upward. It was set upon a black dais almost a dragon-length from shore.
And floating in a small v around the dais were the orchid-looking Midnight Nautili. All three flowers were in full bloom, revealing pearly, dark blue and royal purple petals. Veins of magenta and cyan and even silver accentuated each petal. It was the most beautiful thing I had ever seen. Yet I couldn’t help believing they were bewitched and set there for a reason. After all, those flowers were only supposed to bloom under the light of the full moon while on the open waters of the oceans.
Pox sighed. “Are we going to have to swim?”
Thera and Kitfox tried their best to tell her otherwise. She didn’t believe them. Their conversation turned into a mumble as I focused all of my attention on the three flowers. They did not belong here; of that, I was certain. Yet they had a specific reason for being there. Something about them was screaming at me from a distant memory.
Why the flowers? Why here? I asked myself in an attempt to force the memory to the surface. What are they pointing to? Realization struck me in an instant. The triangle formation they sat in was indeed pointing to something. I followed the invisible line they drew, only to stop at the exact spot where Shazza stood.
“Move.” I said as I crossed the meter between us in a few quick strides. She looked at me as if confused, then backed up. I ignored her questions as I fell to my knees and rubbed the moss away from where she had been standing.
A round, stone slab as large as a step and as ancient as the mountains themselves began to appear. As I scraped the moss off, I saw runic lettering carved into the stone. I couldn’t make out the words just yet, so I kept working. Slowly, the letters on the stone became a whole phrase.
Ligam ni Skura bó inferom.
By now, I had everyone’s attention, and they waited eagerly for me to reveal what I had discovered. I stood up and faced them.
“‘Speak of Twelve and enter.’”
Kitfox’s ears drooped and a frown replaced the excited smile on his lips. “Why couldn’t you make the dragons’ lairs easy to get into?”
I shrugged.
“That defeats the purpose of hiding them.” Shazza muttered. “‘Speak of Twelve…’”
“Try our names.” Offered Kúskú.
I nodded and turned around to face the black statue. Slowly and clearly, I named all twelve dragons in the order that I had found them.
Nothing happened.
“Any other ideas?” I asked over my shoulder.
“How about the Riddle of the Twelve?” Thera shrugged.
“Okay.” I nodded. Once again, I faced the black dragon statue and spoke slowly and clearly.
In this mystery must you delve,
To find my sacred dragons twelve,
And vanquish evil from this land;
Now listen close the clues at hand:
Vortex the Wind on water borne,
And west of magic castle lore;
Great Kkaia of Rock I took,
And hid away on isle that shook;
Deep in ice, Atoka I bound,
Just north of Arctic castle found;
Helios sings to free his light,
‘Past the dead long Lost must you fight;’
Riptide the Torrent points the way,
To fire beneath Dragon Bay;
Wildfire the Blaze will come back,
When water falls upon attack;
Kúskú of Illusion now sleeps,
On isle hidden in Mysty deep;
Dear Thedrún of Thunderous crown,
Sleeps beneath Lescan harbor town;
Symbilla the Life-Bringer dreams,
On Southern isle with golden streams;
Nexxa of Deadly Venom hides,
Far south twixt icy river slides;
Abaddon guards the Dead of old;
Through Havel’s Ancient gates of gold;
Dormant rests Zenith of the Skies,
Beneath Mirror’s surface he lies;
When the hearts of Twelve beat as one,
Evil far and wide shall be done;
These sacred dragons now are yours,
This diary you need no more.
Still nothing happened.
Thera sighed and stepped forward. She pulled the roll of parchment containing the Riddle from her pack. She wet her lips and slowly read the words aloud, this time in Kinös Elda.
As the last line of the poem died away, a rumble sounded from under the water. Thera and I sprang back from the edge as the ground suddenly gave way. It sloped down, under the water, yet left the lake’s surface intact by about a half meter. Though the ground shook with the formation of the ramp, the lake remained as calm as ever. The rumble ended with a resounding boom and everything fell silent once again.
Kitfox broke the silence with a laugh. After a moment, he faced Pox and said, “Toldja we didn’t have to swim.”
Pox rolled her eyes and playfully punched him in the arm.
“Come on. It’ll close soon.” I said, taking the lead towards the ramp. Just before I stepped onto the slope, I glanced over my shoulder, at the four dragons.
“We come.” Abaddon said in his double voice. He and the other three dragons faded into their elements and entered the Dragon’s Eye. I looked down at the amulet and smiled.
One jewel left.
With a deep breath to calm my nervousness and excitement, I started down the ramp. Thera was right behind me followed by Kitfox and Pox. Shazza brought up the rear, grumbling as she stooped almost in half to fit in the tunnel.
The walk to the end of the ramp was short, ending in a magnificent archway of black marble. Between the ebony columns, a strange, dark blue liquid that reminded me of mercury swirled and rippled. The whole thing sat just beneath the dragon statue and I figured the two must be one and the same. At the archway, I paused for only a moment to make sure my team was ready. When I felt confident that they were, I closed my eyes and passed through the strange liquid that formed the doorway.
◆◆◆
The ice cold and tingly sensation quickly faded, leaving me feeling warm and strangely weightless. I cracked an eye open, and then blinked in utter astonishment. The hall I found myself in was dark, but that did not matter, for the walls and ceiling were the real beauty of this place.
It was as if someone had taken the entire cosmos and placed it on the walls for all to see. Countless stars and planets sparkled like diamonds as they drifted in the velvety blackness of space. Giant, swirling clouds of dust in colors and shapes of likes I had never imagined filled several of the gaps between the pinpricks of light. It was mysterious and vast, flowing seamlessly over every millimeter of wall and ceiling.
Only the floor remained untouched by the stunning beauty, but it was hardly plain. No; the floor was a strange, dark blue liquid, much like the doorway I had just walked through. It moved in gentle ripples and reflected the images off the walls and ceiling like a twisted mirror, but that only made the room all the more dynamic. Looking down, I could see I stood on top of the unknown liquid as if it was solid. I took a step to test it and smiled as the ripples ran away from the displacement.
Each one of my teammates had a similar reaction to the room. Pox even wished that she could stay here several lifetimes to just watch the infinity moving in the vacuum. Sadly, we did not have time to linger. So, with one last long look at the cosmos, I started forward. I hadn’t even gone two steps when a familiar voice called out.
“Well, it’s about time you got here.”
I could just imagine everyone on board gathered at the port holes to watch as the Haven made her final approach to the sister planets; our new homes. We had been waiting 71 years for this moment. Relief and good cheer had swept through the ship the closer we got. I looked at my mother as I helped her move closer to the window. She was tearing up, and I could not help but wonder if she was thinking of her father; wishing that he could have been here to witness the fruition of his work. I wished he was here, too.
– FROM “PERSONAL LOG: HAVEN” BY AADRIAN ITHNEZ II
I stopped where I stood, and frowned. My teammates instantly forgot about the spectacle on the walls and surged towards my location, weapons drawn. Before us, in a semi-circle, stood six figures of varying height, all clad in similar white cloaks. Cloaks that matched the ones I had seen on the apparitions in Monrai, Vronan, and Jetep. Their hoods were up, obscuring their faces so I couldn’t tell who they were…
… Or so they thought.
“Finally decided to quit lurking in the shadows, hey, mom?” I said rather crossly, in the direction of the figure at the far left of the semi-circle. The figure seemed unaffected at my hostility, but my friends all gaped at me. I ignored them for a moment and continued, “I suspect I know three of the people with you,” and I pointed at the ones, “but who are the other two?”
After several awkward moments of silence, the figure I had been speaking to reached up and slowly pushed the hood down. Amorez was finally revealed. Her red hair was a bit longer than the last time I had faced her, but still styled in the same strange spiky mess. Gone were her black framed glasses, and I could clearly see her dragon green eyes burning with a mix of anger and hurt. Yet, her face was blank of emotion. It was like facing a Dákun Daju.
“I have not been lurking in the shadows, Xyleena.” She said finally, her voice soft, yet laced with her hidden anger.
I crossed my arms and shifted my weight onto one foot. “Sure you haven’t. You’ve only spent the last who knows how many decades hiding from the rest of the world and scheming. Tell me something,” I held her fierce gaze with my own, “did you even know that I had fallen from the Gate and lost my memories? Did you care?”
“That
is enough, Xyleena.” She hissed.
“Ah! So you didn’t know.”
A second cloaked figure suddenly stepped forward. “No, we didn’t know where you were or what happened to you!” She tore off the hood as she spoke and I was not surprised to see it was Freya. Kitfox, on the other hand, was. The Wolf Demon ignored her adopted son for a moment to continue yelling at me. “We had told you that going to the Dragons’ Gate to try to convert the Shadow Dragons was a dumb idea, but – as usual – you didn’t listen! And now you blame your own mother for what happened to you?”
“I didn’t say that.” I said, my tone even but laced in fury.
“You implied it!”
“Freya.” Amorez said in a firm tone. The Wolf Demon snarled, then was still. Amorez sighed and faced me. “Look, it happened and there is nothing any of us can do about it, so how about we move on from the subject?”
“Fine.” I shrugged. “Then you can tell me who they are.”
Amorez looked sidelong at the four remaining figures in white. She nodded her head once and all but one slowly reached up to push their hoods down.
I had already known one of them was Zhealocera, so I was not surprised to see her present; happy, but not surprised. Though the new scar over her left eye had me wondering what she had gone through in the past year. Everything else about her was pretty much the same, except her violet hair was shorter and she had beads woven into her long braids.
Teka was one of the people I had not expected to see here at all, but her presence put to rest several worries I had regarding her. They half-Feykin sea wench hadn’t changed much in the last year. Her gray hair was still styled in her messy mohawk and bound by her bandana. She looked tired and wore out, but otherwise healthy.
A very familiar Feykin was also present. She looked almost exactly like Thera and Pox, but her violet eyes were wiser and her silver hair was much longer. The moment her hood came off, Thera and Pox had ran to her and glommed onto her in a fierce hug, crying and calling her ‘mother’. Visler peeped in curiosity and concern, but remained firmly attached to Thera’s shoulder.
Culmination Page 29