by Ai Meléndez
Ru-Kai shrugged. “Those dragons were most likely under the persuasion of the evil behind the chaos and conflict I told you of. Or humans who have already been corrupted and did something provoking their wrath. As I said, Terryu will do you no harm.”
The green dragon hummed and moved across the clearing through the grasses, dipping its head and resting it near Ru-Kai.
“Well, with fewer people in the wagon, Chew and I will keep up on the ground. You’d be surprised how fast we can go on our own,” Ri Kuu said with a grin.
Mahnii glanced between the dragon and the enormous wolf he had grown somewhat accustomed to since Kuu had joined them.
“Alright, fine,” he said, in part because he didn’t want anyone calling him a coward. Especially Kah, he thought with a grimace.
Ru-Kai helped them mount Terryu, though when it was Celeste’s turn, he paused. “We’ll have that duel next time,” he whispered with a wink.
She grinned, “I’ll kick yer ass,” she said, throwing a punch against his shoulder before she hoisted herself onto Terryu’s back.
Kuu stared upward, then turned towards Chew.
“Ri Kuu,” said Ru-Kai, approaching him. “I know Cel-Lok protects the lycans. If you are here, then things truly are dire. Be careful.”
Ri Kuu sighed, “Rosa had sent me in the hopes of resolving the conflict without any bloodshed. I just hope that possibility still remains after finding my new companions and our meeting you and learning the truth.”
Ru-Kai nodded. “Cel-Lok has a plan. She always does.” It was part of her being a seer. And, according to the stories, part of why she had distanced herself from Kami-Shi and Ru-Kai – they rarely followed along with the plans she always tried to dictate when they were younger. She was known to be proud and vain.
“All of you are part of it. Now, get going before you fall too far behind,” Ru-Kai finished, giving a nod to Chew.
Ru-Kai patted Terryu’s scales and then with a powerful flap of wings, creating a gust around the clearing which rattled the trees, she was airborne.
The giant wolf licked Ru-Kai’s face and then turned, disappearing with Ri Kuu and the wagon into the trees. He needed to run hard if he was going to keep up with a dragon.
True to Ru-Kai’s promise, travelling on Terryu’s back proved significantly faster than the time their journey had taken prior.
Terryu flew during most of the day and they made camp at night for her to rest her wings. Ru-Kai’s territory was massive, especially in comparison to Kami-Shi’s and Cel-Lok’s. It was the largest of all the realms. Despite the increase in speed, it still would take them many days of travel.
Shim decided to continue practicing during the days. She spent most of the time sitting with her eyes closed, or if they were open, her focus was distant. Just like Mahnii had seen during her training with Ru-Kai. She was determined to master as much of her abilities with the staff as possible in the little time she had before they met Cel-Lok. Kah seemed content to be near her and simply support her in his silence.
Celeste also attempted to practice, but she frequently got frustrated. At nights, once Chew and Kuu caught up with Terryu, she would always eagerly spend time with him to make up for the daytime separately.
“Don’t worry, Celeste. I’m sure once we meet Cel-Lok, it’ll all make sense. And, she’ll be able to explain your magic.” Mahnii tried to help during the days.
Celeste just sighed. “Guess I should stick ta mah hammer,” she said with a laugh.
As the days passed, however, Celeste started sharing she felt more and more confident about her magic. She grew to where she could feel its flow at all times and it was like jumping into or out of a stream of some kind to use it.
Mahnii had no clue how to relate, but he was glad she was understanding it. Especially when she eagerly shared with Ri Kuu at night.
After it had been nearly a week, Mahnii realized they hadn’t encountered any other dragons, besides Terryu, thus far, and he hoped that would remain true for the rest of their journey.
Amidst all the focus on Celeste and Shim’s training, none of them had really talked about the threat Ru-Kai had discussed. Mahnii wondered if Terryu were aware of everything Ru-Kai had shared and if she were purposefully avoiding any encounters.
He hoped so.
That evening, Kuu and Chew once again caught up to them once they’d made camp. Mahnii had to admit he was impressed the enormous wolf was keeping up with the dragon. Though, he supposed it made sense given the dragon was carrying four and Chew was now only pulling one.
“So, what do you think Cel-Lok will be like?” Mahnii asked, glancing at each of the others.
“Ther’s no wa’ she’s like me!” said Celeste. “I’m mah own.” She nodded emphatically and licked her fingers.
No doubt about that, thought Mahnii. The fact Ru-Kai had said that Celeste and Cel-Lok were the same person was… well bizarre.
What had he even meant by that?
“I’ve heard she’s a stuck-up witch,” said Shim, rolling her eyes. “She is the only one of the dragon-gods that’s practically vanished.”
Kuu spoke up then. “Well, I think she cares more than anyone gives her credit for. Maybe there’s a good reason she hasn’t been as present.”
Mahnii frowned but focused on finishing his food instead of making a comment about Kuu’s positive opinion.
From there, the conversation shifted to discussion about what it was like riding on a dragon. Celeste boasted she could easily tame or ride a dragon if she wanted and that the others should consider themselves lucky Terryu was already trained.
Kah and Shim both agreed they preferred the wagon and Chew – but recognized that they would reach Cel-Lok’s realm faster riding the dragon.
Mahnii was the only one, apparently, who thought it was both terrifying and amazing.
After a few more days, the snow-capped mountains of Cel-Lok’s realm came into view. Now was the question of how they were supposed to find her amidst all of those mountains.
Unlike Ru-Kai’s realm which was largely hills and plains, or even Kami-Shi’s realm with volcanos and rocky earth, frozen mountains were a whole different challenge.
The outer parts of Cel-Lok’s territory were rock and ice with lower slopes than the towering peaks and cliffs rising the closer to the center one travelled. Chew had actually been able to keep up well for the most part pulling only Kuu instead of a full wagon.
The companions said goodbye to Terryu. As Ru-Kai’s companion, she would not cross the boarders into Cel-Lok’s realm. The dragon flew back in the direction of Ru-Kai’s home, and the travelers began making their way further inland in hopes of finding Cel-Lok.
As they traveled further in from the border, the path became more curved and it grew more difficult to anticipate what was ahead as they wound around the slopes, cliffs, and huge mounds of rock and ice.
Mahnii wasn’t particularly worried; between Celeste, Kuu, Chew, and Shim, anyone who attacked would probably regret doing so. However, as they moved between the cliffs and peaks, the bursts and sudden explosions of geysers – some a little close for comfort – made their steps just a bit more cautious. As a child, Mahnii had heard of the amazing hot springs in Cel-Lok’s realm. He knew travelers often stopped to bathe, relax, and refresh on their journeys. And it was a large source of wealth for the realm. He doubted they’d be taking a detour for some relaxing bathing, though.
The first geyser explosion had startled them, their eyes all darting around for the source. As they continued forward, they grew more relaxed, coming to expect the hot bursts of water rising into the air. It occurred to Mahnii that when they had paved the path through the land, the builders would have been careful to do it in such a way to avoid travelers getting harmed. This thought made him feel even further at ease.
They had been traveling about half the day when they rounded a bend in the road and noticed three figures clad in robes with hoods over their faces. The robes were deep blue wit
h icy blue outlining the edges.
The figures moved silently and in near perfect sync. It was a bit ominous. Mahnii felt certain he knew what the others were thinking. No words were spoken amidst the companions, but he knew that if there were impending danger, the others were ready for it.
However, as they all approached each other, the hooded figures stopped. “Our awaited Lady,” one of them said in a deep, rumbling voice, bowing before Celeste briefly and then rising. “We’ve been waiting for you.”
Mahnii stared at them a moment, then crossed his arms and stepped forward. “Wait. Who are you people? What is going on?” Mahnii demanded. Celeste would probably believe anything these odd hooded men said and he wasn’t about to walk into something without being informed first. Regardless of what Ru-Kai said.
The man that had spoken peered out from the hood with dark eyes. “Merch Sy Mahnii, Drago Kah-Sa and Shim-Ka, and Ri Kuu son of Blalou,” he said casually, as if he had been speaking their names his whole life, “welcome to the sacred realm. As our lady’s chosen comrades, you will join us. First, you will cleanse in the springs. Then, we will take you to the Holy Tower.”
Without any further words, the hooded figures turned abruptly and motioned for the companions to follow before they began moving forward at a brisk pace.
Mahnii clamped his jaw shut, as he’d gawked as soon as the strange hooded man had spoken his full name, and glanced at the others for reactions. ‘Sacred realm?!’
The others were just as dumbfounded as he was – except Ri Kuu who just shrugged and continued forward with Chew still pulling the wagon and bringing up the rear.
They made their way between a lower range of the icy mountains and finally began ascending a narrow path along one of the mountainsides. The hooded men who had greeted them certainly knew their way through the terrain as they led the group to enormous caverns for rest during the night and steadily led them further along the path during the day.
They stopped in a dip between mountains, and the hooded men directed them toward a stretch of steaming pools lying scattered across the valley. Each pool was surrounded by raised stones and through the steam, they could see the surface was a pristine and brilliant blue.
“Welcome to the hot springs,” said one of the hooded men. “This is a gift from the lady of the realm as well as your chance to cleanse your bodies before entering into her presence.”
Mahnii felt the hooded men were incredibly strange, but he couldn’t deny he was excited about dipping in the hot springs. They were getting to take a nice relaxing break after all.
Apparently, he wasn’t the only one.
Celeste and Shim found one pool which had several large rocks in between it and the next. They disappeared and Mahnii was left with Kah and Kuu. At first, he felt the situation could be much better, and then the thought of Shim…
He tried to calm himself, glancing at Kah. Maybe he should actually focus on just enjoying the fact it was a hot bath.
He wondered if Shim were feeling the same as him.
As soon as they were out of the hot springs… and clothed again, he couldn’t help lingering his focus on Shim. For a moment, their eyes met and he smiled a bit shyly. There was no doubt that their thoughts were quite similar.
Mahnii wondered if he should say anything. However, before he even moved, Shim was walking up to him. “When this is all over, let’s come back… just us,” she said with a smile.
His face was hot, and he was actually grateful they had just gotten out of the springs. Yes. He could blame it on that. “Okay,” he said in agreement.
The strange hooded men who had led them to the springs approached once more.
“Now that your bodies have been purified, we will take you to our Lady,” one of them with a particularly deep voice said.
For once, Mahnii wished that the fate of the world wasn’t in the balance. He had set out from home hoping for adventure. Now he actually could see himself wanting to settle. Surely, that would come after.
It took several more days until at last, they were making their way down the other side of the mountain to where a surprisingly small stone castle stood. It had round towers with pointed roofs and looked rather bare and devoid of life, as the walls were worn and parts had broken off, lying on the ground below.
If Cel-Lok had such a loyal following, why hadn’t they taken better care of the castle? Or was it all part of the image that the female dragon-god was no longer around? The whole situation was just very strange.
The group followed the three hooded men inside the castle, past rooms covered in cobwebs and dust, and down two hallways before they began ascending a winding staircase. The castle was well-lit with lanterns along the walls, despite the dreariness of its state.
“Her Holiness, she has arrived,” one of the hooded men said.
Mahnii peeked past and saw the only upkept room they had witnessed so far in the entire castle. It had a dresser, a buffet with a large mirror, curtains tied back by the large windows, and a large fluffy-looking bed with a canopy around it. It was decorated in a blend of light and dark blues.
There was a stirring from the bed as a fragile figure sat up and lifted the canopy.
This was not what any of them had been expecting.
She was the spitting image of Celeste, only thin and pale. Her eyes were sunken and her hair much thinner, though still showed some resemblance to the thick curls that once flowed.
Despite her appearance, the look she gave was alert and commanding. “Come closer, all of you,” she said. Her voice even sounded like Celeste, though she spoke much more formally.
How was this possible? Mahnii wondered. He hoped they would finally be getting some answers. “So, what’s going on?” he asked.
Cel-Lok shot him a glare, in response to which he clamped his lips shut and glanced at Celeste.
“You will watch your tongue in the presence of a god,” Cel-Lok scolded, her eyes moving to each of the companions, though when she saw Ri Kuu, her gaze softened and she sighed softly. “Though, I suppose it is only right you’re confused.”
She pointed to some cushioned, wooden chairs. “Sit, get comfortable. It won’t last long.” She gestured to the hooded men who were standing back near the doorway behind the others. “Thank you,” she said to them with a smile.
“Ah, where to start.” She looked off, staring at the mirror across from her for a moment.
“I’ve had a vision. A great evil looms over this Dark Land and threatens more than just the peace. It is someone from our Homeland, Aeros, who seeks ultimate power beyond the dark magic he already possesses. He is using the feeble minds of the humans to enslave and control them and create chaos between them and us.”
Well, that confirmed Ru-Kai’s suspicions, thought Mahnii.
“My visions are often wisps of images and not entirely clear – I cannot see his face nor do I know his name. It’s more like I merely sense the deep evil intent emanating and spreading. In my current state, I can not do anything, and spreading word would only have caused massive panic throughout all the realms.”
“You couldn’t trust Ru-Kai and Kami-Shi to handle it?” Mahnii quipped.
“Oh, and how have they handled it so far, hmm?” she said sarcastically. “They aren’t nearly equipped to face this evil on their own. That’s why I needed you,” she said, looking straight at Celeste. “See, you are me. I created you as a perfect clone of myself and gifted you to a small village of humans to care for you. However, those vile fools learned who you are and attempted to kill you out of their ignorant fear. Before I could rescue you, or do anything at all, you were lost to the giants and I was forced to wait until the opportune time for us to be reunited.”
“Now, the time has come for us to be joined together! My body has utterly deteriorated. It’s useless. Yet my mind is stronger than ever. I needed to give myself a new body to face and defeat this evil – one that could truly handle the battle. I never intended for things to get this far in the f
irst place. So now I must make everything right. Once we have merged, we will go to Aeros, and we will then end this at the source once and for all.”
“Hold on,” said Mahnii. Drawing Cel-Lok’s ire once again. “So you’re saying you created a clone of yourself for your own selfish use, which was Celeste, gave her away instead of keeping her safe, and now you want her to just surrender herself to you?”
“Mahnii, I kin take care o’ mahself,” said Celeste, patting his head. She looked at Cel-Lok, drawn to her. “I’ll help ya, old lady, but firs’, will I still be me?” she asked.
Cel-Lok stared at her for a long moment. “I’m not entirely sure. It’s possible both our minds will remain intact, though as I’m the stronger mind, there’s a possibility mine will completely overcome yours.”
Celeste burst out laughing. “Yah think yer stronger then me? Old lady, I made dis hammer from a dragon’s tooth mahself,” she said with a wide grin, slamming the hammer down on the stone floor.
“It’s not surprising for a Dragnai,” Cel-Lok said, hardly impressed.
Celeste shrugged. “We’ll jus’ see whose mind is stronger.” She slung the hammer over her shoulder once more.
Mahnii sighed as he glanced between them. They were both nuts.
“First, you need to visit the lycan territories,” Cel-Lok said, resuming her explanation as if she hadn’t been interrupted. She nodded briefly toward Kuu. “He knows the way. I have been doing my best, but whoever is behind all this got to Sik,” her eyes darkened.
Ri Kuu growled, clenching a fist. “Then I failed.” It was muttered but everyone still heard it.
“Who is Sik?” asked Mahnii.
“The prince of the lycans – soon to be chieftan,” said Kuu. The situation was worse than they thought.
“More importantly, the lycans are the other piece in all of this. They have a deep spiritual connection to Aeros which the rest of us who came lost after arrival. The chaos bringer must be using them to tie both worlds together.” Cel-Lok’s voice was strangely calm given the words she was speaking.