by Gary J Darby
But they were entirely unprepared for what they found when they arrived.
Chaos reigned.
High Gods and Low whirled around the Eternal Gardens, some riding thundering cloud chariots drawn by The Four Horsemen and shooting sizzling, spitting, starbursts at each other, while others rode winged horses and flung crackling comets back and forth.
The god Thorus used his great hammer to pound on Pridwen the invincible shield of Arturus, the god of knights. Each time Thorus struck the shield a tremendous booming gong spread through the cosmos.
Artimy, using her wondrous bow made from moonlight and gold, shot emerald arrows at Heracles who used his bow made from a star’s heart to fire back blood-tipped arrows. When the bolts met head-on there was a thunderous explosion that knocked both gods to their backs. In an instant though, they were upon their feet to launch another arrow at each other.
The god Posied, using his mighty trident, repeatedly struck the ground of the Eternal Gardens, sending the gardens shaking and rocking. The Parthenon swayed back and forth, and cracks began to appear in the columns and statues.
The god Satur, riding Pegasus, drew back his magical lariat, whipped it out and caught the head of Posied’s tined-spear just as it was about to strike the Eternal Gardens again. The two fought and tussled for control of Posied’s powerful trident.
From atop the Parthenon, Zule shot great lightning bolts down, hitting Osin’s magical Sun Shield. As he launched yet more thunderbolts, Zule boomed out, “Take that! And that, Osin you cowardly cur.”
When the bolts struck the shield, they would bounce off, and shoot out into the cosmos. Some hit stars causing them to explode, others slammed into creation worlds, incinerating them in an instant.
“Oh, sisters,” Osa gasped, a hand to her mouth. “It is worse than I feared.”
“Our dragons,” Eskar cried, “where are our dragons?”
“There!” Nadia cried. “By the Fountain of Youth!”
“Who’s that with them? Oh, it’s Merc,” Osa yelled.
“What’s he doing?” Eskar asked.
“Look!” Nadia shouted. “It’s those pesky river gods, why—why they’re trying to capture our dragons!”
“Merc is trying to get them away from the river gods!” Osa called. “Follow me sisters, we need to help Merc!”
With that, the sisters dove their dragons through the tumultuous battle, forcing the dragons to zig and zag through shooting stars and blazing comets, and diving when an emerald or blood-tipped arrow came too close. They whipped under Zule’s lightning bolts and sped across the gardens to the fountain.
Merc, seeing them coming, called out, pointing, “Fairy sisters, help! They’re after the dragons and I can’t hold them off much longer!”
The four river gods, Waterfall, Spring, Cascade, and Rapids, turned their bulbous fish-head eyes on the fairies. Their fish lips blew bubbles and their scaled torsos flopped about in anger before they brought up their bows and launched their enchanted arrows at the three Fae.
“Sisters!” Osa cried but before the fairies could respond with magic, the three dragons roared and spewed forth a boiling stream of fire that not only turned the god’s mystical arrows to mere wisps of fog but embroiled the riverine gods in fiery flames.
When the smoke and fire cleared, the river deities staggered away on their six legs as each of their bodies steamed and smoked. A breeze wafted up to the fairies who wrinkled their nose at the smell. “Eww,” Eskar coughed, covering her nose, “rotten fish heads.”
As the river gods limped away across the Eternal Gardens, Osa stretched forth her hand and called, “Dragons, oh dragons, come to your creators!”
The seven dragons instantly turned and flew up to the Fae, Merc right behind. Breathless, he said, “Well done, fairies, you arrived in the nick of time! And with three more dragons, I see.”
He glanced around and asked, “Your other sister?”
“With the other dragons,” Osa replied.
Merc’s eyes grew round, and his face lit up in a bright crimson. “Perfect! That’s where we should go as well . . . To protect the dragons, of course.”
The Fae turned their dragons and once again, they plowed through the pandemonium of battle with its bursting lightning bolts, whizzing comets and shooting stars, careening gods zipping this way and that, all the while shouting and cursing at each other.
They reached Vay, who sat astride the golden dragon at the head of the dragon army, and sang out happily, “We have them, sister!”
As Merc winged up and saw the vastness of Vay’s army, his little wings stopped fluttering and he appeared dazed as if he would faint right there. Vay ignored the woozy god and hailed her sisters, “Well done, sisters! Now we have all the dragons together, safe under our wing.”
“It was a close thing, Vay,” Osa gasped, “the river gods almost had them in their slimy grasp—”
“But it was incredible,” Eskar blurted out, “our dragons blew their dragon breath—”
“And,” Nadia snapped her fingers, “just like that, their arrows disappeared and the river gods stumbled away as if the fire had actually hurt them, which, of course, it couldn’t because gods can’t be killed or hurt, but—"
“It certainly frightened them,” Osa finished with a laugh.
Vay, listening to Nadia, began to smile wide as her sister described what happened to the river deities. She glanced toward Merc who met her eyes with a nod and said, “It worked.”
Vay’s smile grew into a leer and she threw her head back with a loud laugh. “Perfect!” she crowed triumphantly while thrusting her staff high. “My sisters, thank you! You showed us exactly what we needed to know.”
“We . . . did what?” Osa stammered. “I don’t understand.”
“It’s not necessary for you to understand,” Vay sneered, “but absolutely imperative for me.”
“What is she talking about?” Eskar wondered. “I—”
“Stop your babbling, Eskar,” Vay commanded, “and that goes for all of you. We have work to do. We must stop this revolt and help Zule. If we do, he’ll surely give us our dragons, and never again will anyone question they’re ours. Coming?”
“Yes!” the three sisters cried in unison.
With that, the golden surged forward followed by the sisters and the rest of the dragons. The army swept into the battle only this time, something was different—it wasn’t just god fighting god.
“Look, sisters!” Osa cried pointing. “They’ve drawn their creations into the battle!”
She was right. Horned animals with great black and white stripes battled tall, brown-furred creatures who fought with fangs and claws. Giant eagles crashed into enormous flocks of black ravens. A flood of tiny rodents, their whiskers quivering swarmed into packs of gray and black felines.
Everywhere they looked, more and more creations poured into the battle to slash with fang and claw, or rip with teeth and talon. The trumpet calls, growls, roars, snarls, barking, yelping, howling, squeals, and chitterings of creatures large and small matched the gods’ bellowing and curses.
War surrounded the Eternal Gardens. The heavens were aflame, and the very foundation of cosmos was at risk of falling under the weight of war.
Vay lifted from her seat and pointed. “There’s Zule!” she cried. “Forward!”
The dragon army bulled its way through the battlefield until they reached the eternal gardens and at a signal from Vay, they swept around the gardens in a great protective ring that shielded Zule from his enemies.
The dragons came to a stop and all together unleashed a roar that was so great that it pulsed outward, knocking the combatants off their feet. It rolled onward and was heard from one end of the cosmos to the other.
When the combatants regained their feet, they stared at the sight of the dragons and none took up the fight again.
Vay slowly winged the golden dragon down until she was opposite Zule who stood breathing hard and holding a lightning bolt in
each hand. “Most High!” Vay called out and swept a hand behind her. “It would appear that my dragons and I have stopped the fighting.”
Zule’s eyes flicked from side to side, taking in the scene. “Perhaps,” he acknowledged, “perhaps not.”
“Oh, there is no perhaps,” Vay leered. “Look over at your cowering river gods. See the scorched skin, what’s left of their fins? My dragons did that. They can do that to any god, Sire.”
Vay raised her scepter. Immediately the dragons, swung around. Instead of their heads pointing outward, they now faced inward—right at the Most High One.
Vay’s smile turned into a leer. “Even you, Zule.”
The sisters gasped. “Vay! What are you doing?” Osa demanded.
“Be quiet, Osa!” Vay snapped.
“I will not—”
Vay swung the golden around to face the three. “Yes, you will,” Vay growled, “or feel the power of my golden.” She leaned forward in her seat, her face dark and cold. “What’s it to be, sisters?”
Osa’s mouth was open as if she would speak, instead, she lowered herself into her dragon’s neck saddle and slowly closed her mouth.
“Excellent,” Vay scoffed and turned back to Zule just as Merc and Osin arrived.
Zule glowered at the two. “Merc, you were in on this, too?”
Merc shrugged and said, “I only want what’s my just due. Everyone knows I’m entitled to a High Throne.”
“Everyone but me!” Zule snapped.
“Yes, that’s true,” Merc replied, holding his arms wide to take in the dragon army. “But you see, that doesn’t really matter now, does it? With this army we now control the cosmos, not you, and with them we can destroy you and your followers.”
“And you’re sure,” Zule growled, “that these beasts answer to you and to you only.”
“To me!” Vay shrieked. “I created them, they answer to me!”
Zule pointed at Merc and Osin. “I know what these two want, but what is it that you desire, fairy?”
“Erdron!” Vay snapped.
Merc gasped as both he and Osin snapped their heads toward Vay. “You—you never said you wanted the Center Point!” Merc stammered. “You said you only wanted your own world!”
“Did I ever name that world, messenger?” Vay sneered.
“But that’s im—” Osin boomed but Vay cut him off, “Enough of this! The dragons are mine, I control them—”
“Are you sure of that, fairy?” Zule asked again.
“What?” Vay laughed, “Of course, I’m—” but before she could finish, a radiant being rose from the hidden bowels of the Parthenon. His form was as bright as a dozen stars put together.
From the glow came a voice. “No, Vay, you made the dragons from light, therefore, they are mine!”
The being held up a hand and over him a great circle of light appeared. He lowered his hand and held it out toward the dragons. “Come!” he commanded.
The dragons flung off their riders and began pouring through the glowing circle, all except the golden who winged over to the glowing figure and turned to face Vay and her sisters. After the last dragon passed through the radiance, the brilliant oval shrunk until it was but a faint dot and then that too disappeared.
“Well,” Zule said, “that takes care of that, and as you can see with me having the golden, the most powerful of the dragons, it seems that there’s been a change of fortune.”
He leaned forward and his eyes blazed fire and ice. “Yours.”
Osa, Eskar, and Nadia swept forward and knelt at Zule’s feet. “Most High One,” Osa implored, “what will you do with the dragons?”
“I’ll keep the golden, of course,” Zule glowered, “but I have no choice but to destroy the rest.”
“No! Please, Sire,” Osa pleaded, “have mercy, this is not their fault, but ours. We are to blame, not them.”
“Yes, Most High, have mercy,” Eskar begged.
“Punish us, not them,” Nadia implored.
“Hmm,” Zule rumbled low, his hand rubbing at his golden beard, before his eyes flicked up at Merc and Osin. “First things first. Do you two wish to continue this little fracas? If you do, I’ll unleash the golden on you first.”
Merc and Osin exchanged glances before going to one knee. “No, Sire,” they both muttered, and all those who had stood with Merc and Osin also took a knee.
Zule noted the number of High and Low ones who opposed him and said, “Your punishment will be that for seven epochs you will reside with Hades in the underworld. And after that? Well, we’ll see what sort of mood I’m in.”
He smiled thinly and said, “Now, off with you and I don’t want to see your faces up here until the beginning of the eighth epoch!”
Merc and Osin, along with quite a few others trooped away, their countenances like naughty children who had been disobedient and caught in the act.
Those gods who had stood with Zule went off to rest from their labors, while the creations returned to whatever world they came from.
Zule turned to the four fairies. Osa, Eskar, and Nadia stood with bowed heads and downcast eyes, shame clearly etched on their countenances.
However, Vay held her head upright, her lips tight, and with narrowed eyes she met Zule’s stare without blanching.
The being of light came to stand just behind Zule’s shoulder and dimmed his radiance until his was less that Zule’s. Over his shoulder, Zule whispered, “Your plan worked, I am most pleased.”
“Thank you, Sire.”
Zule sensed a hesitancy in his companion and said, “But you are still troubled.”
“I . . .”
“Go on, out with it, what would you have of me?”
“Sire, I too do not wish to see the dragons destroyed. They are magnificent creatures, among the greatest creations ever. Is there not some way we can save them?”
Zule faced the man, his face troubled. “You know what they carry, saw what they did to my river gods with just the barest of dragon fire.”
“Yes, Sire, I know, still—”
Zule held up a hand. “You are a faithful servant and saved my throne. I am in your debt, so let me think for a moment of how I can grant your request.”
Zule began pacing up and down in the Eternal Gardens, hands clasped behind his back, deep in thought. An idea came to him and he spun around, snapped his fingers and said, “I have it!”
He called to the golden who swiftly winged down to hover in front of him. “Golden, I am going to allow you and your fellow dragons to go through mortality just as our other creations do.
“Mortality is no picnic and there are no assurances that you will return here. Mortals endure a great deal of suffering in many forms and you and the other dragons will endure misery too. But it will absolve you and your kindred of your part in this little fiasco.”
He leaned a little closer. “What do you say to my offer?”
The golden bowed her head. “You are most generous, High One.”
“Yes, yes, I am,” Zule nodded.
He turned to stare at the four fairies. Vay still stood with an arrogant posture while her sisters remained with bowed heads, their hands clasped in front of them.
“She is a haughty one, isn’t she?” Zule whispered to his companion.
“Indeed, Sire.”
“I had thought of just casting her out, but now I’m thinking of something else entirely.”
He stomped toward the four and towered over them. Osa, Eskar, and Nadia cowered at his thundering presence while Vay didn’t flinch but stood her ground.
“So, you want Erdron, do you?” Zule boomed. “All right, this is what I shall do. I admit, you provided us with wondrous creations in the form of dragons and because of that, I am not going to cast you out.
“Instead, you four will spend the next seven epochs in Purgatory, a place of shadows, caught between the heavens and Hades. Give you time to think about what you’ve done, what mischief you’ve brought to the cosmos. At the eigh
th epoch, I shall swing open the gate, and allow you to come forth, on Erdron.”
His smile was a wicked leer as he leaned toward Vay. “I shall give you a chance to claim Erdron and the golden. But as the fairest of the fairies, and as punishment, I decree that you shall lose your beauty. Instead it will go to your sisters and you will emerge at the eighth epoch as a wrinkled hag.”
He turned to Osa, Eskar, and Nadia. “You three shall come forth with Vay at the same time, only you shall have to make a choice. Fight with Vay to gain Erdron, or fight against her. If you join her, you may gain Erdron, but if you do, I will destroy all the dragons. However, if you defeat her, then the dragons will live. You have seven epochs to think it over.”
With that, he swept a hand outward. “Now begone!” With that, the fairies were swept into Purgatory’s gloomy, shadowy state to begin their long exile.
Zule turned to his companion, saw the frown. “You don’t like my solution.”
“No, Sire. It still leaves the dragons at risk. Vay might win this game of yours, you know.”
Zule shrugged. “Perhaps.” He then grinned wide. “But it will be a most interesting game, don’t you think? Perhaps the best I’ve ever played.”
“Then I would ask a favor, Sire.”
“Name it.”
Lys leaned forward and whispered in Zule’s ear. As he did, Zule’s eyebrows arched and he jerked his head back. “Absolutely not! I need you here!”
“But, Sire,” his counselor murmured, and leaned forward to whisper once more. Zule began to nod and a low, “Hmmm . . .” rumbled in his chest.
As Lys finished and drew back, Zule stroked his beard, his eyes narrowing for a moment before a smile spread across his face. “It would add a new element to the game, one we’ve never done before.”
He flicked his eyes toward the golden before he leaned back and gazed at his friend. “And it would add more pieces to the game, pieces we’ve never played before.”
His eyes narrowed as they sought out Erdron, the Center Point of this universe. It was growing close to completion as vegetation spread, seas appeared, and storms rumbled over the surface as it grew warmer. Soon, he would choose which animal creations would inhabit Erdron and after that, of course, he would place their greatest creation—those shaped after the gods upon the planet.