Kill the Dragon (Lake of Dragons Book 1)

by E. Michael Mettille

  Maelich nodded and then fired again at the tiger. Again, the beast sprawled further away from Kaldumahn who did his best to regain his feet. Maelich leapt onto Helias back. She stretched out her wings and with a mighty flap had them soaring again. She led them quickly away, back in the direction which Ijilv had led Kallum.

  It took Brerto a moment to recover from Maelich’s assault. By the time he regained his feet and prepared to renew his attack against Kaldumahn, pain erupted between his ears. Something had hit him hard and sent him tumbling down the hill. A mighty roar filled the air as he regained his feet only to be slashed across the face by Moshat, the great bear.

  Moshat didn’t let up. He swatted and clawed at Brerto, battering the tiger’s head and slashing his flesh. It happened so quickly, Brerto could barely defend himself.

  Moshat’s attack on their brother reinvigorated Kaldumahn. The mighty lion fought to his feet and charged Brerto. Together he and Moshat attacked with a fury only gods could muster. They pushed the white tiger back over Edge Mountain and away from The Forgotten Forest.

  Maelich nearly felt hope as he watched the tide turning against the great tiger. Helias shouting instructions at him pulled his mind back to his own peril. “You cannot be taken by surprise again. Ijilv is no match for Kallum. I hope the great hawk hasn’t fallen. Regardless of his fate, this is it. This will be the final battle. If you fail, all is lost. You have all my power and your own at your disposal. Wield it well. I can take you to battle, but I cannot assist you in your assault. Are you ready?”

  Noticing a shape approaching from the skies above the place where the maps don’t go, he replied, “It seems I have no choice. I think I know what I must do. I just need you to get me close enough.”

  As the eagle gobbled up the distance between them, Maelich let the fire come. It swirled all about he and Helias until they were completely engulfed. He released it, sending a giant sphere of flame toward Kallum. The eagle was swift and more agile than his massive size would suggest, easily dodging the attack. Maelich fired again and again, finally finding his mark.

  Kallum spun backward out of control for a moment, but quickly regained his flight. Another fireball rocked him, and then another. Tumbling out of control, he called to the winds and sent them swirling toward Maelich and Helias.

  Helias raced higher trying to avoid the attack, but fierce gales blasted her from every direction. Careening toward the land below, she could feel Maelich’s grip slipping from her neck. There wasn’t anything she could do to stop it. Fighting against the furious winds, her wings did nothing to correct her flight.

  Maelich maintained control, loosely holding onto Helias’ neck. The wind was strong enough to toss the mighty Dragon about like a dry leaf. She was helpless. That gave Maelich an idea. Keeping his eyes on Kallum, he leapt from Helias’ back into the open air. The swirling winds swept him up just as he had hoped. He fired a steady barrage of fireballs at the eagle, striking him more often than missing. It slowed the great beast but didn’t stop him. Maelich drew his sword. Once Kallum was close enough, he drove it all ablaze into the eagle’s heart. They became one and then erupted in a bright white flash that singed the treetops and shook the ground.

  Helias had regained control of her flight and watched in horror as Kallum, as well as Maelich, burned up in the explosion. She felt heat upon her as the ball of light grew as if it might never stop. Her ears rung from the sound of it. Then, as quickly as it had expanded, it shrunk to nothing. All that remained was dust, and that was scattered upon the wind. Both Kallum and Maelich were gone.

  At the same moment, the hawk returned. He flew to the very spot where Kallum and Maelich had exploded into impossibly bright light and saw Helias hovering alone. Feeling her emotions, he knew how the battle had ended. The villain was destroyed, but so was the hero. It was a day for rejoice but also for lament. There was nothing left for him to do. His task was complete. With a flap of his mighty wings, the noble hawk raced back across the skies above the place where the maps don’t go.

  On the other side of The Edge Mountains, a great battle among gods came to an abrupt halt at the brilliant flash of the explosion. Then its booming report shook the ground beneath them. Instantly, Brerto knew Kallum was no more. They had failed. His roar was like thunder as he evaporated into the air. Exhausted, Kaldumahn and Moshat looked to each other and then then also made a quick exit. All the gods, save Kallum, returned to their thrones. The battle for the lost souls had ended. The lad of the Lake had defeated the king of the gods.

  A deafening silence filled the forest after the last echoes of the thunderous boom which had erupted in the skies above the Lost Forest dissipated. Men from Havenstahl and dwarves from Alhouim looked to men from Druindahl and the men of Druindahl looked back. They all wondered if they had anything left to fight about. Before Maelich had departed, he had removed their desire to raise swords against each other. What now?

  Suddenly, all were filled with truth. The warriors of Havenstahl and Alhouim were treated to images of Ouloos’ true history. They all saw men mercilessly hunting down Dragons who were—though menacing to behold—quite defenseless. They saw Dragons weeping and even speaking. They pleaded and begged to be spared for the sake of Ouloos and much more that men didn’t and couldn’t understand. Their pleas didn’t matter as they were chased up mountains and into valleys. Their begging fell on deaf ears as they were tracked and killed.

  At the same time, the people of Druindahl were exposed to teachings of Kallum. They saw firsthand how those who fought for Havenstahl and Alhouim had been raised. They felt the fear and hatred for Dragons which had been bred in those men and dwarves. They knew why these cities rode against them. Right at that moment, all in the forest knew truth. That is, at least as much as they could comprehend. Most importantly, they knew the war was over.

  Daritus went to Ymitoth and draped an arm across his shoulder, “This war is over. We have all lost, and we have all won. We have all learned much on this day. You are welcome to stay with us until your troops are ready to ride back to your home. We will replenish your supplies, and you can depart in peace.”

  “Aye,” Ymitoth put an arm around Daritus, “much has been learned indeed. I be full of regret for all the things I’ve done. What I regret most be doubting me pupil, me son. Me last words to him were filled with anger and hate. Me eyes were blind, and when he tried to open them for me, I turned me back on him. Damn me.”

  “No,” Daritus shook his head, “Maelich knew much. Surely, he knew how strong the hold of Kallum’s lies. Trust me when I say, his spirit forgives you. Honor his memory and the good work he has done.”

  Alone in a room in the palace of Druindahl, Leisha wept. Her eyes too had been completely opened. Though she knew of the lies, she was apart from the strength of Kallum’s grip on the hearts and minds of his believers. She was torn as emotions battled within her. The war was won. For that she carried great elation. However, the price had been many of her people and both of her children. She missed the sight of the explosion that took her son, but she felt both of her children wail in pain as they were swept up in it. Though she was overcome with pride with what they had done as one, her heart ached for their sacrifice. She knew from the beginning what their roles were, but she never realized it would mean their end. Even worse for her was the knowledge that she had been reunited with her son only to feel him die as she damned his name. He followed his path and completed his journey, and she hated him for it before it was complete. She would never forgive herself for that.

  Chapter 29

  Rebirth

  Helias began back toward the Lake of Dragons. She had known everything that was meant to happen up until that point. Kallum had been destroyed. The war was over. But now what was she to do? Nothing had changed. Everything was the same as it had always been. She expected something, some sign that victory was complete. Yet there was nothing for her.

  Suddenly, as she flew over The Lost Forest, the trees—the tombs of her fa
llen sisters—began to quake. They swayed slightly at first, then violently. They whipped back and forth, slamming against each other and battering the ground. They twisted and pulsed and then started vanishing. Clumps at a time were sucked into the ground. Helias hovered above the trees and watched them disappear. Soon, the entire forest was gone. In its place, a dense fog clung close to the ground. It slowly began moving toward the lake.

  The lake bubbled into a frothy brew as the ground surrounding it rumbled. Then came Dragons. They poured out of the lake toward the sky. Thousands of them squeezed through the opening that was the Lake’s shore. Body on body, they rose like a column into the heavens. The Lake was alive once again. Helias raced to join them.

  The column raised up one thousand feet before dragons poured out in all directions like water bursting forth from a geyser. They circled the Lake as they slowly dipped toward the ground. Then, once all the Dragons had been released, a pure, white column of light reached up from out of the Lake to the sky until its end could no longer be seen. Brilliant balls of light, much brighter than the column itself moved together skyward. Tears came to Helias’ eyes as she joined her sisters and watched all the souls who had been trapped in The Lost Forest for so long make their journey home. They were free just as the Dragons were free. No longer would they suffer the prison of their pain.

  Elsewhere, in a plane that existed not in the physical, two young saviors quite literally met their maker. Maelich and Cialia walked amid a thick, waist high mist which resembled clouds. All that surrounded them was light and the mist they walked through. Neither had any idea where they were or what was happening on Ouloos.

  “Could you feel me inside of you? Did you know I was there?” Cialia broke the silence.

  Maelich smiled, “Yes, I can barely explain the sensation. Your whole life unfolded before my eyes. You let me see our mother when she was younger, all those years I missed. I can’t thank you enough for sharing those memories with me. An empty part of me has been filled. It’s like I lived all those missed moments. Did you feel anything from me?”

  She looked at the ground, “Yes, yes I did. I am sorry for all the venom I had for you when first we met. I guess I viewed your belief in Kallum as some sort of choice you made. I realize now Kallum’s word was pounded into your head from the time you were old enough to understand. Even before that, you were surrounded by it. It wasn’t a choice. It was truth for you. How could I hold that against you? Please forgive me.”

  Maelich embraced his sister, “There’s nothing to forgive. We both misunderstood the other’s motives, and we were both doing what we knew to be right. Holding your actions against you would be akin to damning the trees for not bearing fruit out of season. You simply did what you were supposed to do. How can you tell someone they are wrong when they know they are right? That is where we both were when we met.” He looked around, “But where are we now? Is this it? Is this the end? What do we do now?”

  Before Cialia could answer her brother, someone else did. “This is not the end. Your work is not done.” A striking old man dressed in a simple white robe appeared before them.

  Both Maelich and Cialia were startled at the old man’s sudden appearance, but they weren’t afraid. Somehow, they knew he meant them no harm. They both considered him. His hair was long and wavy. It was pulled back from his face and poured over his shoulders to his waist. It was as bright and white as his robe. His beard matched them perfectly. All were brighter than the sun, but somehow didn’t hurt to look at. Looking at the sun could burn the eyes from your head but beholding the brilliance of this man was quite painless. Despite the age the color of his hair would have suggested, his face was youthful. His skin was smooth and taught. He was beautiful.

  The old man chuckled, “Both your heads are so full of thought. Haven’t you anything to say? Surely you have questions. Maybe just one?”

  Maelich began first, “Who are you, and where are we? There, that’s two questions.”

  “Excellent,” the old man boomed, “Who am I? Stay with us now, this is going to be a bit confusing to you. We’ll do our best to help you keep up. Who are we? That is the correct question. We are Coeptus. We are many, though we are one. We created all you know. That is our role. We are creators. We create worlds and fill them with all manner of plant and creature.”

  The old man—they according to him—paused to give what they had said a chance to sink in with their guests.

  The brief pause didn’t help Maelich or Cialia. They remained completely lost. The old man was obviously insane. He was one being but spoke as if he were legion.

  Coeptus continued, “Where are you? That question may be a little easier for you to digest. You are in a realm apart from the physical world which you know. You wouldn’t realize this except we saved your consciousness, as your time in the physical is not yet complete.”

  Cialia shook her head and wrinkled up her brow, “Why do you speak of yourself in the plural as if you were a group of men? I see one man before me. And your second reply makes just as little sense as your first. What of consciousness and physical?”

  “Forgive us. We tend to forget the limits of human understanding,” they replied. Though their words seemed to carry a note of condescension, it was absent from their tone as they continued, “What you understand to be your spirit or your soul is merely the energy which animates your physical being, or your body. The physical representation of yourself is merely your energy or consciousness presenting itself in the physical realm. Your physical existence occurred on Ouloos. That is your world. The realm you occupy now is non-physical. Your body is not with us, merely your energy or consciousness. As for what we are, the best way to explain that so you can understand is to say we are many people working together as one being. Of course, we are not people, but it may be easier for you to understand us in that way. We are a great gathering of what you think of as spirits. You see us as a man because that is what you can understand. An old godly looking man is what your human mind can accept. Is this making any more sense?”

  Maelich nodded, “As much sense as it needs to make. So, you are the Coeptus Helias spoke to me about. She tried to explain you to me, but I believe her understanding of you to be limited as well. Now, you said our work was not done. What have we left to do? I was led to believe my role was to destroy the last Dragon. Then I was convinced it was to ride the last Dragon against Kallum. Did I choose wrong? Has Ouloos been destroyed?”

  “No,” Coeptus looked quite pleased, “you chose wisely. We are quite impressed with both of you. Know this Maelich, you could never have done what you did without the help of both Helias and Cialia. That was how we intended it. You didn’t reach your destination on the exact path we had laid out for you, but luckily you found your way. Ouloos has not been destroyed. Neither has Kallum. A god cannot be destroyed, but his consciousness has been scattered. He can no longer cause Ouloos any harm. When we say your work is not done, we mean your work on Ouloos. You must return to the physical and record what you know. The two of you will write the story future generations of Ouloos will use to learn how to travel ‘The great journey of life’, as your mentor Ymitoth calls it. You can record the truth and what you’ve learned about us, or you can make something up. It really doesn’t matter. The important thing is the people of Ouloos have something to believe in, a reason to exist. We ask only that your teachings do nothing to disrupt the cycle of life of which we are all a part.”

  Maelich was shocked, “Make something up? Doesn’t truth matter? With all due respect to you, or all of you, that sounds ridiculous to me.”

  Coeptus’ expression became somber, “Maelich, you are part of something so much bigger than you could ever comprehend. What is truth but what you believe it to be? The actual events which occur throughout the history of men are not nearly as important as what they are believed to be. Take you, for example, up until a few of your weeks ago you believed Kallum to be creator of everything. Did that belief keep you from finding your
end? No. Your belief gave you reason to continue down your path, and that is what matters. The physical exists merely to strengthen your spirit. All your experiences, good or bad, make you stronger. As you grow and learn, you get smarter. Don’t you? That is your consciousness growing stronger. That strength returns to the beginning and is used like your physical body uses food. That is the one reason Kallum had to be scattered. He was in the way of that cycle.”

  Cialia piped in, “So what you’re saying is that we exist merely as food for some other creatures in some other realm? What happens to us doesn’t matter at all. Are we simply playing pieces in some game played by beings greater than ourselves?”

  Coeptus humphed, “That is quite a rudimentary explanation, but not far from the truth. Your feelings right now are not incorrect. It is natural for you to feel the way you feel right at this moment. It’s part of what you are, what you must be. Humans tend to cling to the physical as if that is all there is. You are designed that way. Your desire to cling to the physical is very necessary. If you did not believe in this importance, the events in your lives would not have a strong enough impact on your consciousness. The cycle would eventually cease. Your consciousness is the important thing. The physical is simply a means to gather experiences.”

  “Then why do we need gods?” Cialia fired back, still slight angered at the idea that people were so miniscule in the grand scheme of things.

  Coeptus spoke calmly, “Human beings need to believe they are the center of everything. That is the main reason you are having such a difficult time accepting the true nature of the physical experience. Coupled with that belief is the need to worship something of a parental nature. You need to believe someone—some great, all powerful being—is watching over and protecting you. In exchange for that protection and guidance, you offer worship and praise. Thus, the need for gods, they fill that role. Through the worship of this almighty creator, pick the one you like best, you believe you propel yourselves body and soul into some greater plane of consciousness, a place where you experience eternal bliss and exist in proximity to that which you worship. You believe that to be your purpose. When you think about what we are presenting to you now, your belief is not far from the truth. The only difference being that you are not the main purpose of everything. You are just a part of it all. You have a role as have we and everything else in the cycle. The gods charged with governing physical realms merely give you that fatherly, creator figure to worship. You form a perfect, symbiotic relationship with them, as they have an unquenchable desire to be worshipped and glorified. It all makes perfect sense. Ouloos would have been left unchecked were it not for Kallum’s jealousy and desire to expand outside of his role.”