by TJ Reynolds
Pershma was a level-headed man from what Kai could tell. He’d kept the Kaltanese well out of Brintoshi scheming for over a decade now.
He’d also been among the first to send ambassadors to the other kingdoms after the Gil’Rahim attacked.
Pershma held up his hands and bowed slightly. “I will only say that this accord shall not be broken by Kaltan. As long as I live, I will strive to uphold this agreement in hopes it will bring prosperity to Anvar.
“After all,” he said with a grin, “Peaceful trade can fill your vaults with gold as quickly as bloody war. And it isn’t nearly so messy.”
Polite laughter followed, and Pershma pressed his hand to the stone.
It glowed faintly, accepting an oath that bound directly to the leader’s core. Oath Stones weren’t a guarantee, but it was costly to break faith when binding with one. Not only would all others who’d sworn upon the same stone know, but a heavy weight of despair would press down on the betrayer’s heart.
Or so Atros claimed. Kai believed him, seeing as he had written and read many of the historical records describing the aftermath of the War of Dragons.
Brintosh came after.
King Sandor was even younger than Kai. At seventeen years old, he was the youngest in the room, in fact. His father had died during the attack when the Gil’Rahim rampaged in Creshon.
The young man bowed to the assembly, and made a simple but earnest promise. “I won’t be the Brintoshi king who puts ambition before allies. May our kingdoms prosper.”
He pressed his hand into the stone and took his seat.
Finally, Ganna came forward.
She and her brother intended to rule side by side, but a single head of each kingdom needed to be selected to bind with the Oath Stone. Gael refused to accept the burden, claiming his sister was wiser than he by far.
The woman smiled to Kai and then bowed to the gathering. “Much thanks to Kai and Bancroft for not only granting Tirale and Atros their old home again, but also restoring this fine dungeon. It is a most elegant and welcoming place.”
Ban visibly blushed and thanked Ganna three times in quick succession. He finally fell quiet when Tirale took his hand in hers.
Chuckling, Ganna continued. “Hintar will uphold her promise, not only to the other human kingdoms, but to the dragons and Earth Cores as well.”
She bonded to the Oath Stone next, and when she left, Kai and Atros did as well.
All having sworn the oath, the formal assembly was dismissed.
Afterward, drinks were served by a slew of overeager daldrim that scurried about with wine, ale, and spirits.
Kai snatched up a goblet of wine and took a deep breath.
He’d managed to survive the worst the day had to offer. There were a few more pleasant activities waiting, but for now, he could rest easy.
Rhona approached wearing the robes of her office. Palben strode at her side.
“You did good, Kai,” she said with a grin. “Happy you didn’t trip over your words?”
He nodded, brows raised. “And a bit surprised.” Turning to her friend, he said, “Palben, thank you for keeping Rhona out of trouble. I take it the training has gone well?”
The monk bowed his head. “We are both having more fun than we should. The first weeks of a monk’s training are little more than organized torture. You should come by and take a look when you get the chance.”
Rhona jabbed Palben with a well-aimed fist to the shoulder. “Hey! We are austere and mysterious masters! Remember that!”
The two chuckled, but then fell silent as another figure approached.
While the dragons and Earth Cores had gained their own elite army of monks, the Hintari had made a drastic change in their forces as well.
Tela quirked an eyebrow as she sipped her wine. She leaned back and ran a hand over her shiny new outfit. “What do you think? The First Ranger is looking pretty sharp, no?”
“Almost as sharp as her barbed tongue,” Rhona shot back, pulling the woman into a hug. “I’m glad you came. When all of the nonsense is over today, you and I have a bit of drinking to do.”
“Don’t flatter yourself. I came because Ganna made me,” Tela replied as she returned the embrace. Then she winked at Rhona and let her go. “And I think you forgot one thing… there’ll be dancing, too, am I right?”
Rhona pushed her away. “Only if you sing with me.”
Kai watched his friends tease one another, and he shook hands and traded words with more than a few powerful men and women.
Time slowly passed, but soon the hour he’d been waiting for had come at last.
Kai shouted in a voice loud enough for all to be heard, “Dinner shall be served in the Feasting Hall in two hours! You may continue to socialize here or return to your rooms to sober up first—the choice is yours.”
The nobles laughed louder than before, the drink and company having lifted their spirits.
Then Kai excused himself.
He and Rhona left the chamber with Ban, Atros, and Tirale in tow.
They strode out to the dungeon’s entrance.
When Kai felt the evening sun shine in his face, he couldn’t help but grin. The other dragons seemed restless, apparently impatient to get moving. All but Calreem were present. He had taken the hatchlings out for a midday flight.
Anatoth alone was quiet, his blue-scaled face as solemn as it had ever been.
Kai nodded to Rhona. “You ready for a little ride?”
“Ready when you are, dragon boy,” she shot back with a wink.
He transformed, and his clothes tore free from his body. Rhona climbed up to the base of his neck, and he and the other dragons took to the air.
Ban soared beside him, adopting the body of a wyvern champion he’d designed for the purpose of keeping up with the dragons.
Incredible! Ban shouted. I don’t think I’ll ever get sick of this!
Kai chuckled, understanding the sentiment entirely. He flew every day of his life, and couldn’t understand what it would be like to go without.
Strange, considering he’d only learned to do so less than a year ago.
Enjoying the view, Kai swept low over the Golden Valley he now called home.
A week after the Gil’Rahim were defeated, Kai had decided what to do with his father’s Earth Core remains. Victor had been a sweet dungeon, according to Atros and Tirale, who had loved plants and living things above all else.
After plenty of research, Kai, Rhona, and Ban had flown high above the valley and sprinkled the dust and shards as wide as they could. The effects weren’t noticeable for several weeks, but then an explosion of growth followed.
Kai flew past towering trees that stretched up hundreds of feet, their thick trunks shrouded in ether-dense mist.
The open grassland sprouted a wide variety of new types of herb and flowers, and already, people were arriving from the three kingdoms to test their properties.
A herd of bounding elk exploded from the foliage below.
The beasts stood eight feet tall at the shoulder, and their glossy coats shone a faint ether-blue. Well over a dozen new types of monster had emerged from the Golden Valley as well, adding to its already-startling diversity.
Though Kai would have given anything to meet Victor, his father’s Earth Core, knowing how much life had come from the sacrifice went a long way in easing his despair.
The group flew across the valley toward the roiling cauldron of hot springs that had bubbled up due to Rhona scattering a particularly thick handful of Earth Core dust. The dragons circled round, gaining altitude on the rising heat before heading west once more.
At last, they descended to the mountain lake.
Calreem sat amid a throng of swarming hatchlings. The creatures prodded, nipped, and bashed their heads into his white scales. How he managed to be patient despite the constant barrage of shrieks, nobody knew.
Besides cobalt-, green-, and white-scaled dragonlings, there were now dragons of every conceivable co
lor. Yellow and orange, green and brown striped, even a rare purple Vrinwart dragonling had hatched from their latest brood.
Thirty-one dragons in all had successfully hatched.
It would be enough to restore the dragons to greatness.
Kai lowered his head so that Rhona could drop to the ground. She waited for Kai to transform and then handed him a fresh pair of trousers and shirt. “Here you are, my husband,” she said as he took the clothing.
She watched him dress, no longer turning away to respect his modesty.
There was little point in doing so after they’d been married.
When he’d finished, Kai walked to stand beside Ban. The champion’s sleek black-and-silver body reminded Kai of a snake with wings.
Ban nudged Kai with his snout. Will you make another speech? I feel it might be best. After all, how often does one witness the birth of an Earth Core?
No words will be given, Atros intervened, saving Kai from disappointing his friend. Only Anatoth may speak after the process has begun. This moment is his alone. We are simply lucky to be included.
Anatoth stared between Kai and Atros.
The Azure dragon’s expression was as grim as it had been on the day the Gil’Rahim rose from the earth.
How… how do I begin? he asked in a humble tone.
Kai looked to Atros, the only dragon present who could answer the question.
Astros simply replied, Reach in your heart and find there the love you have for this world. Find that commitment to life and to everything other than yourself, Anatoth. When you find that seed, you will have your Earth Core. The rest will come to you as it happens.
Anatoth didn’t seem satisfied with the vague reply, but Atros refused to say more.
So, the blue dragon closed its eyes as it faced the mountain above the lake. Kai watched the young dragon focus for several long minutes, the golden rays of the sun finally starting to recede.
Then a spark of blue Water ether shone bright. It emerged from Anatoth’s chest, rising presumably from the depths of his core.
The spark of life moved forward and finally hovered over the soft grass of the hillside.
Anatoth reached out and dug a shallow hole, removing the grass and exposing the rich loam beneath.
When he did so, the spark sank down into the soil.
A series of crackling sounds followed, and Kai watched in awe as ethereal roots branched out and burrowed into the hillside.
The seed absorbed the soil rapidly, eating a hole into the mountain that soon stretched several feet inward. It consumed more and more soil until it found bedrock a dozen paces in. Then the wide network of roots collapsed and drew inward.
It burned bright as it latched onto the stone, and slowly, a crystalline structure grew upwards. Roughly the size of an egg, the infant Earth Core was a thing of fragility and beauty.
Ban lost it, and Tirale’s champion held the huge wyvern as he wept for joy.
The hatchlings took to the air in a cloud of shrieks and fluttering wings.
Anatoth roared in celebration, and his older brood mates roared along with him.
Kai wiped the tears from his eyes, as moved as the rest of them. He’d poured out his Progression to mend another dozen shivvered Earth Cores in recent months, and though each was a miracle in and of itself, each was also a symbol of loss and heartache.
For the first time since receiving his power and learning about his past, Kai saw the beauty of rebirth in its purest form.
As the dragons filled the Golden Valley with the sounds of mirth and celebration, Kai turned to Rhona.
He held her gently about the waist.
She smiled and kissed him. Pulling away, she asked, “Was it all you’d hoped for?”
Kai nodded and sighed in contentment. “And then some, my love. And then some.”
APPENDIX: Anecdotes and Archival Particulars - Expanded
~Additions Have Been Bolded~
Anecdotes and Archival Particulars from the Dungeon Wars Period
-As Curated by Arch Maester Reihnhold III
Relevant Historical Figures:
Kaius Unterinan (Kai)
A man-dragon halfling who walked the liminal spaces between worlds. Son of Triel Unterinan and Athol Bremenburr. Brought up by an aunt and uncle who resented the fertile womb of his mother, Kai was nurtured by his caretakers yet was never truly accepted. Before he took up the glaive and imbued his core with Spell Scales, Kai knew more about how to fight aphids than men or monsters.
The boy grew up with modest Intelligence, but had the rare benefit of an informal education. He and his uncle read dozens of books on various topics, some dramas written in courtly fashion, others on the variegated manifestations of fungus in the Pinua Forest. Nothing he read prepared him for the adventure he found after meeting Bancroft.
Rhona Bloodspar
The woman, the myth, the lion-hearted warrior who upset so many expectations by refusing her father’s legacy. Though lacking her progenitor’s stature, she excelled at the primal art of killing. Once, when faced by a challenge from a rival, she accepted with a single condition: the man had to choose two others to stand at his side. In a two-minute bout, she thrashed her challenges, and afterwards, made friends of each.
Though the adventurer grew to become much more than a simple soldier, and served the most elusive of the gods directly, she remained humble in many aspects. One such aspect of her personality that most historians neglect to highlight was her simple and profound love of canning.
Bancroft Dungeon (Ban)
A stuffy and cordial Earth Core whose mannerisms and unwavering social etiquette were forged by his couth dragon. Though Ban learned to enjoy the thrill and glory of battle, he much preferred a lengthy conversation with an enlightened peer. Crafting too, of course, sustained the dungeon’s soul like almost nothing else.
Yorick Shreefire
The dragon companion of Bancroft Dungeon before and during The War of Dragons.
Imogen Dungeon
Earth Core companion of the dragon Inal, Imogen was the second dungeon healed by the Core Mender and hero Kaius Unterinan.
Colonel Hastings
Born into an old and prominent military family, the officer served as head of The Vermillion Guard for two years before the Dungeon Wars began. Though some refuse to acknowledge the technology, other scholars claim this man gained much of his power by absorbing Earth Cores through a device crafted by a dungeon enslaved by the king of Brintosh.
Tela Sendas
Raised in rural Hintar, the adventurous girl soon grew to be a burden. Her family could only tolerate so much stealing and mischief. When she was ten years old, the girl was sent to train with Hemba, an old and retired ranger who lived nearby. Though the woman she grew up to become still had a temper, Tela gained a reputation as a keen fighter.
Kotsi of the Ruby Kobolds
The aging war chief was once a great artisan. His painted murals inspired his entire clan. But when the fungus took their spider mounts, one at a time, he began to lose hope. With the help of the Crimson Spears and Cobalt Axes, he fought the encroaching spiders. Each day, more ground was lost until his own mate died in a raid. Ever since Renra’s death, the war chief took up the pitiable habit of drinking his sorrow away.
Tessra of the Ruby Kobolds
As chieftain of the Ruby Kobolds, Tessra did everything she could to guide the tribe away from ultimate desolation. Having never married herself, whispers spread among the kobolds suggesting that she and Kotsi formed a romantic union. Revived from the victory against the contaminated spider queen, the two found solace in one another’s company. Only their advanced age prevented them from producing several clutches of eggs.
Jakodi ‘The Chipped Fang’ Realta
Much of the old monk’s past has been lost to time and the ravenous maw of several major wars. His previous role as a court wizard is well known. Jakodi spent at least three decades in Creshon, aiding young Brintoshi soldiers with their prog
ression. Before that, some speculate Jakodi fought in the Pintean Invasion, defending a still-growing Brintosh. Many modern historians scoff at such a notion as the invasion took place over one hundred and thirty years before The War of Dragons. Upon first meeting Kai, the old man hoped his suspicion was true. Long had he waited for the return of the Fundamental Dragon. And long had it been since he’d dined with the late Unterinan lord, high in his dungeon in the Southern Zargan Mountains.
General Shay Farsten
Once little more than a Hintari skirmisher known for his prowess with a javelin, the general made his career in the aftermath of the War of Dragons. Once the betrayers took power in Arba, an uprising occurred in the army itself.
Many of the leaders refused to accept the new shift in leadership and wished instead to honor the fallen Surtir family by rising up against the betrayer factions. This led to a great deal of in-fighting which resulted in a brief but bloody civil conflict known as the Day of Patriots.
The “patriots” were of course those who survived the encounter and lived to serve the nobles of Hintar. Shar Farsten killed his unit’s Lieutenant during the struggle, earning him a place in the future leadership of the army. His cruelty and strict discipline allowed him to thrive in the new order established in Hintar. Ten years later, he became the commanding general of their army and remained so until the day the Fundamental Dragon and the surviving Surtir heirs took his head.
Tirale Dungeon
The mastermind behind the creation of the Sunken Keep. Tirale was first created by Atros over a hundred years before the War of Dragons. She is known to be a master of large-scale construction and engineering.
The Earth Core not only guided three rivers into the Sunken Keep when her area of influence grew large enough, but she also arranged the intricate tunnels under and around the dungeon. This area became so prosperous that many other dragons planted their own Earth Cores nearby so that a system of trade could thrive among them.