The Eternal: Dragonborn - A LitRPG Saga (World of Ga'em Book 2)

by Dhayaa Anbajagane

  “Okay, we’re here,” I said, looking at the kobold. “Now what?”

  “Chamber!” Nazu echoed, the second voice in his tone stronger than before.

  The symbol of the dragon drawn on the ceiling started glowing brightly, shedding a white light into the already well-lit chamber. I put my hands in front of my face, shielding myself from the radiance.

  Nazu shook his head for a second, confused, and then dropped to the floor, still breathing but knocked asleep.

  “Welcome, adventurers,” a voice echoed through the chamber, that of a woman. She sounded noble and ancient, a lady of knowledge and wisdom. “An Eternal, an Assassin and a Wizard,” she said.

  “We’re an odd crowd,” I smiled.

  “You brought us here, didn’t you?” Freya asked.

  “Indeed.”

  “What do you want from us?” I asked.

  “If you wish to see the rise of the Dragon, here is not the place. It will rise where it had fallen, for that is the Shadow Dragon's fate.”

  I blinked. “What is that supposed to-”

  Pain suddenly burst through my head and I dropped to the floor, my hands pressing my forehead. My veins throbbed as fire burned through my nerves and my body went limp. I felt the shadows around us surge towards me, growing into a presence. The black jumped out, covering me with its shades. I fought it for a second and then gave up, succumbing to the darkness.

  ***

  CHAPTER TWENTY

  “Diablo.’

  My eyes fluttered open. A bright strike of light hit me immediately and I shut them close on instinct. I touched my eyelids, rubbing them a little to get rid of the burning sensation from the sudden exposure of light.

  I slowly opened them back up and blinked a few times, slowly adjusting to the brightness. I looked ahead and saw white all around me, shining radiantly. It took a few more seconds before my eyes completely adjusted and I could get the full image of where I was.

  I looked all around me, and all I could see were shades of the exact same white, shining just as brightly everywhere. A part of me wondered if this place had something to do with the Alliance of Light, given the color scheme, and unease quickly worked its way into my mind.

  “Diablo,” the voice spoke again, and I could tell this was the same voice I’d heard in the chamber.

  “Who are you?” I asked, looking around but seeing no one to answer for the source of the sounds.

  “The Guardian of the Dragons.”

  My eyes widened. “The Dragons.”

  “Indeed.”

  Images of the chamber within the Ulhur mountains appeared within my mind. I remembered entering the chamber again, I remembered feeling faint, falling to the floor, everything going dark.

  I looked up. “You brought me here,” I said.

  “I did.”

  “Why?”

  “To have a little talk.”

  I paused for a moment, thinking about what exactly that could mean. “Well, I’m here now,” I said, curious.

  “Careful, Diablo,” a different voice spoke, and I realized this was Nyx.

  Good, you’re here too, I said. I thought you were blocked away like last time.

  “That didn’t happen.”

  “Ah, your little friend is here too,” the guardian said. “I have no problems with him staying here, as long as he does not interfere.”

  “Interfere?”

  “With our conversation of course,” she said.

  “Fine,” Nyx said.

  “What do you even want to talk about?” I asked. “What is there for us to talk about?”

  “I thought it’d be obvious by now. The Dragons of course.”

  “What about them?”

  “I need your help.”

  “Eh?”

  “Back in the old ages, the Dragons and Eternals fought quite often,” she said. “Many people believe the Eternals were domineering over the Dragons, but that was never the case. Each side fought long and hard for power over the other, fought for control of the lands they both called home. The Eternals had always seen themselves as rulers, as the first born there ever was, and when the Dragons first came along, it was obvious they were a threat to them.”

  I listened to her intently, my mind confused about what exactly she was trying to do by telling me all this. It seemed useful information but I wasn’t sure how it applied to anything right now.

  “There were few Eternals that attempted to tame the Dragons, and then there were the…others,” she said. “These Eternals…they turned to forbidden magic, using lost spells and tools to experiment on Dragons they had captured and imprisoned. Thus was born the first Dragonborn.”

  “Oh,” my eyes widened.

  “There is only one way to become a Dragonborn, Diablo,” she said. “One must slay a dragon with their own hands.”

  Then Markus… I realized.

  “What you think is true. Markus Goodfield raised a dragon from the dead and killed it. He found an elf of Dragon Blood and sacrificed him in a chamber far west of Aingard, too far for anyone to have heard of. The Dragon he resurrected and killed…I do not remember his actual name, for it has been ages, but he was what we called the Lightning Dragon.”

  “That’s where Markus gets all his Wind Art spells from,” I whispered.

  “Indeed. I have watched few Dragonborns emerge in my lifetime in this world, and every time it has been as painful and heart-wrenching as the first.”

  “Oh gods,” Nyx said. “This is what the Alliance of Light must be after. They’re trying to create another Dragonborn.”

  “You are right, spirit,” she said. “Of the three groups that are going after Acnologia, all three of them have a purpose that will be fulfilled by killing him.”

  “And you want me to stop this from happening,” I said.

  “Please,” she said, and I heard a small tremor in her voice. “I know all three of those groups want to resurrect and kill Acnologia, in one way or another. The Shadow Dragon though is fierce. He will not go down without a fight. I do not wish for blood and pain to be exchanged once again.”

  “I…” I stopped, thinking about my words, but deciding to say them anyway. “I’m not strong enough. I cannot defeat Markus.”

  “Of all the men and women in the world right now, you’re the only one that can seize the possibility of defeating him. Please, do not shy away from what I ask of you. I do not have anyone else to turn to.”

  “Why?” I said, my voice softer. “Why do you ask me this now? I was in this chamber plenty before, and every time I was confused, about what was happening, about what I was supposed to do. You could have come out, you could have told me what was going on, and yet I had to find everything out on my own.”

  “There are rules to the Ga’em, Eternal,” she said. “You of all people will know that. Even now, I am breaking my restraints of silence. It would serve my duties well to not speak to you, to keep away from a world the Dragons are no longer a part of. But there is only so much pain I can bear. I watched a comrade return to this world in happiness just a few weeks ago, and then be killed less than a minute later. I do not wish to watch another suffer the same fate.”

  “Is there nothing else that can help? Is there not a dragon alive somewhere that can stop all of this? Surely their strength will help us defeat the Alliances. We can stop this quest to resurrect the Shadow Dragon then.”

  I heard a short chuckle, not one of amusement but more of sadness. “Once the Eternals disappeared from the world, the Dragons were satiated with their dominance over the lands. Their motivation to exist soon dwindled away, and they began fighting amongst themselves, initially as amusement. But game soon turned violent and dark. Wars were waged and blood was drawn. A thousand years after the Eternals disappeared the last of the Dragons came to a fall. I was a Dragon in those times as well, but I was chosen to keep existing, and my spirit now watches over the chambers of the others that have fallen. I can assure you, even though it pains me to do s
o, there is not a single Dragon left alive in these lands.”

  I stayed silent, contemplating her words. “What must I do then?” I asked her. “What am I supposed to do to stop all of this?”

  “Acnologia,” she said. “Resurrect him yourself.”

  “What? Why?”

  “Because when a Dragon resurrects it is at its weakest,” she said. “Resurrecting Acnologia yourself would give the Dragon time to recover as well as allies to stand by in a face off against anyone who comes against it.”

  “I see,” I replied, not sounding entirely convinced.

  “I know it seems odd, but Dragons are not the angered, vengeful creatures that texts portray them to be. They are gentle, caring, and loving in times of peace. For such a beast to face pain and death upon waking from a long slumber…It is not how things should be.”

  “How do you want us to resurrect him?” I asked. “If you think I will sacrifice the Kobold, then you’re wrong.”

  “No,” she said. “I do not know when the scriptures changed, but sacrificing a dragon-blood was never how one resurrected a Dragon.”

  I blinked. “Then how do you resurrect one?”

  “Just Dragon blood,” she said. “A few drops are enough. There is power within every bit, and the Dragons respond to that power.”

  I immediately thought of how Nazu has summoned that dragon roar from this chamber. His bloodied hand had brushed against the rock doors just before that happened.

  “You are right,” she said. “What happened there was a response to the pain the Dragon-blood was sharing with his ancestors.”

  “Ah,” I said. “Fine. I will resurrect Acnologia. However, I do not know how this may differentiate me from the others, at least in the eyes of the Dragon himself.”

  “Every other group that’s after him does so from their thirst for power.”

  “Am I not the same?”

  I heard a small chuckle. “Hardly.”

  A soft wind blew through the white, brushing past my face like a gentle, soothing touch.

  “I do not have much time here, Eternal,” she said. “The longer I stay with you, the longer I do something against the turn of the world.”

  “Fine,” I said. “If Acnologia must be saved, where must I go to find him? It seemed like this chamber was his resting place, but from what you said, that does not appear to be the case.”

  “It indeed isn’t,” she said. “The symbol on the roof of the chamber is one that was intentionally modified when drawn, since this is not the Shadow Dragon’s chamber. The actual chamber will have Acnologia’s full symbol upon it.”

  “Where do I find this chamber then?”

  “If you wish to see the rise of the Dragon, here is not the place. It will rise where it had fallen, for that is the Shadow Dragon's fate.”

  “The riddle from before,” I whispered. “How is that supposed to lead me to the Shadow Dragon? Is this all you can tell me?”

  “It is all.”

  “Dammit,” I muttered. “How can a Guardian of the Dragons be bound by rules when she is trying to save their fates?”

  “It is odd, isn’t it?” she said. “But then again, so are many other things.”

  “Fine,” I muttered, not indulging in the puzzle of words.

  “You will find your answers soon, Diablo,” she said. “I can feel it.”

  Feelings don’t help me now, I thought but said nothing.

  “Our time together is coming to an end,” she said. “I hope you will think of what I said. The fall of another dragon is not a sight I wish to see once again.”

  “I will do my best, guardian,” I said.

  “Thank you, Diablo,” she said.

  The light around us began to fade, the white slowly dimming down to a hazy gray. I felt warmth drain from the space, and my vision began to turn fuzzy.

  “What…is your name?” I asked, my voice weak as my consciousness began to fade.

  I heard a chuckle. “The Guardian of the Dragons.”

  “ZORAN!”

  I gasped awake, my eyes shooting open instantly. Freya and Krof sat before me, the elf’s hands grasping mine, the old man holding a vial of red in his hand. I looked between their faces dazedly, and then up to the ceiling, at the symbol of the dragon that was no longer glowing.

  “Thank goodness,” Freya hugged me, her soft hair brushing my skin. I put my arms around her, holding her.

  “Zoran,” Nazu stood beside her, sadness on his face. “I…I’m sorry,” he knelt. “I didn’t mean to put anyone in danger, I’m really-”

  “Do not worry,” I said, cutting him off before he could blame himself even more. Freya pulled back from me, letting me talk properly to the young half-dragon. “Everything that has happened here, is not your fault,” I said. “You have seen the number of people that have come after you, the number of people that have come after us. There is nothing just one person could have done to start or stop this. It is far bigger than any of us. Do not worry yourself by thinking you were the cause for everything.”

  I placed my hand on his head, feeling the warmth on his course skin. “I am glad you are okay, Nazu.”

  “Mmm,” he nodded, and a small smile showed upon his face.

  DING!

  Congratulations! You have completed the quest: Shadow Dragon Mysteries. The Guardian has given you much information. You now know that the Dark Alliance, the Black Guardians and the Alliance of Light all want to resurrect and kill the Shadow Dragon in order to enhance their own strength in one way or another. Act against this, for much depends on what you choose to do. Reward: 14500000 XP.

  DING!

  You have obtained a new quest: Resurrect Acnologia. The Guardian of the Dragons has made her desires clear. She wants you to resurrect the Shadow Dragon and show yourself to be a dependable ally to him. However, to do all this, you must first find the chambers of the Shadow Dragon. Reward: Unknown.

  “Where exactly did you go, Diablo?” Krof asked as I closed my screens. “I sensed an extra presence in here until a few seconds ago.”

  “Ah,” I said.

  “You just collapsed to the floor after we heard that voice, and then nothing happened for nearly ten minutes.”

  “I met with someone who knew about the dragons,” I said. “She had something to ask of me.”

  “What did she want?” Krof asked.

  “We need to find Acnologia’s chamber,” I said.

  “Isn’t this it?” Freya asked.

  “No,” Krof shook his head before I could answer. “The symbol on the ceiling is a changed version of the Shadow Dragon’s symbol, but the fact that it is modified attests to this not being the actual chamber.”

  “Yeah,” I said, impressed that Krof knew that.

  “And what of the puzzle we were given?” he asked.

  I repeated it once more, the words now embedded in my mind. “If you wish to see the rise of the Dragon, here is not the place. It will rise where it had fallen, for that is the Shadow Dragon's fate.”

  “Hmmm,” Krof said. “That doesn’t seem to give us too many clues.”

  “I was told we’d find an answer to it soon,” I said. “I don’t know if that means we can stop pursuing the answers on our own and just wait for them to make their way to us.”

  “I doubt that is how things work,” the old wizard smiled.

  “I found out a lot about everything else going on though,” I said. “The Dragonborn…they acquire their powers by murdering one of the Dragon race.”

  “Ah,” Krof whispered. “I had my suspicions, but could never confirm them since there were no scriptures that ever talked about the process one took to become Dragonborn, only that their existence was real.”

  “Mmm,” I said. “It appears our friend Markus Goodfield went after a Dragon a few weeks ago. He went to a land far to the east of the kingdom.”

  The two of them looked at me in astounded the moment I uttered those words.

  “How far did he have to go for no
one to hear of this?” Krof asked.

  “I don’t know,” I said. “But he resurrected and killed the Lightning Dragon.”

  “Ah, so his powers…”

  “Come from that, yes,” I said. “Wherever he did this it must have been quite obscure for none of us to have heard of it.”

  “Indeed,” he said. “But I presume we can’t be worrying about this right now.”

  “We can’t,” I said. “We need to find Acnologia’s resting place. We need to be the ones to resurrect him.”

  “Eh?” the old man’s eyes widened. “I thought we were searching his chamber in order to destroy it so no one else could resurrect him.”

  “That is not the case,” I said. “We must be the ones to resurrect him. We cannot let the Alliance of Light or the Dark Alliance do this themselves.”

  “Why are we resurrecting him?” Freya asked. “How are we any different from the Alliances then?”

  “Resurrecting Acnologia ourselves would give the Dragon friends,” Nazu said quietly.

  I stared at him. “What?”

  “Acnologia…” he said. “The Shadow Dragon must be lonely.”

  “Where did you hear that from?” I asked, a little confused.

  “The lady.”

  I smiled, The Guardian.

  “What is he talking about?” Krof asked. “What exactly do we gain by resurrecting Acnologia ourselves? The Alliances will still come after him even then.”

  “If we resurrect him, we give him time to recover and regain his strength,” I said. “Acnologia might be what the Alliances are after, but he’s also one of the only beings that can help us defeat the Alliances. I cannot beat them on my own, certainly not with Markus being as strong as he is. And the Alliances are going to try to resurrect Acnologia regardless of what we do. Our best bet is to get the Dragon on our side to help us defeat them, rather than stand aside and let them channel his powers themselves.”

  Silence entered the chamber, my words disappearing through the walls and not echoing back.

  “Very well,” Krof said. “Where do we start our search for Acnologia’s chambers then?”

  “The answers will come to us,” Nyx said, finally speaking after his spur of silence.