by LJ Davies
'You do not rule here, Guardian...'
"Blaze!" Risha exclaimed, her voice twisted by the howling wind as it shook me back to reality.
I turned to see her a few feet away, the others talking in excited tones behind her. Beyond them was Tarwin, wrapped up tight in her fur fleece.
"Are you okay?" Risha asked, creeping over and resting a wing on my shoulder. "You looked really out of it for a second."
Are you okay? The thought of her saying it again made me feel worse.
"Yeah–Yeah, I'm fine," I replied, shaking myself before she could ask again.
"Fine?" She sounded far from convinced. But before I could evaluate her tone, she spoke again. "I'll handle those two." She pointed to the two dragons chattering excitedly to one another. "That one's yours," she concluded, gesturing to Tarwin.
I forced a frail smile. "Thanks."
She nodded and withdrew back to the others as I looked over at Tarwin, wondering if she even understood what her new companions were doing.
Does she have any idea we're really all talking? Out of all of us, I knew she at least understood me.
I've changed so much, am I really hers anymore?
I looked down at my amulet; thankfully, it sat peacefully against my scales, a faint glow emanating from the gem at its centre.
"No, what I am doesn’t really matter," I muttered to myself, finally creeping over to my lifelong friend.
She dropped to her knees, opened her arms and without thought I ran straight into her embrace, cloaked limbs falling around me. After a moment, I raised my head from within the warmth to meet her eyes.
"I knew you'd come back; I knew it!" she exclaimed, wiping hair from her eyes as she added stubbornly. "Takes a lot more than some dark wizard to keep you down!"
After all I'd been through in the past few weeks, it wasn't anything compared to the bond we enjoyed. She released me, placed her hand on the top of my head and rubbed between my horns.
"Let's go home," she proposed.
I couldn't have been any more eager to oblige, quickly springing up beside her before moving over to Risha. Boltock and Ember chatted excitedly, occasionally asking her a question; her improvised responses remaining true to her promise. She caught sight of me, quickly throwing in a few more improvised answers to the excited pair like bones to hounds.
"Any idea how to get out of here?" she asked, glancing over at her brother with his injured wing, then to Tarwin with no wings.
Without flight, getting over the huge cliffs wasn't going to be easy. There must be a way out – how did Acrodan get in?
That was a stupid question, the cliffs probably weren’t here when Acrodan first fled to Ilivar. In that case, what about his wingless servants, the ghauls, the undead – how do they get in?
"I guess you two are trying to figure out a way out!" a curious voice interjected.
We both turned to see Boltock, with Ember standing behind him shaking her head.
"There is actually a way out, you see, we already figured it out," he added, raising his forepaw to his puffed-up chest.
"Where?" Risha responded.
"There!" he snapped back, dismissing her sarcastic tone and pointing his free wing to a huge, black line in the wall of ice.
"Why are you making such a big deal out of it? It was there when we first came in," Ember intervened, flicking his muzzle with her tail as she started onward.
"W–what... I know that, hey you said you'd let me tell them!" he babbled as he floundered after her.
"One day he'll get the picture," Risha observed with a roll of her eyes, ruffling her wings before she moved on too. "I can't wait to get home."
I lingered for a moment, watching them leave a trail of paw prints in their wake.
"Guess you're the ones leading the way?" Tarwin laughed, a beaming smile breaking across her face as she glanced my way.
"Oh, you have no..." I stopped myself and simply gave her a nod. She returned the gesture, and offering a pat on the back, she moved on.
It wasn’t until I was alone that I took a last glance back at what remained of Ilivar.
'My master will return...'
Stealing my gaze from the foul place with a snort of white fire, I ran to catch the group. Not anymore, he won't.
*
It took us a few hours to reach the crevice, and much to everyone's relief, especially Boltock's, it provided a narrow path to the icy expanse above. The days that followed were uneventful; storms threatened to engulf us, but thankfully they dispersed. We joked that the weather might fear us for what we'd done, such conversations merely brought on by boredom and the hours of endless walking. Eventually we found ourselves back on the seashore, not making landfall at the cliff we'd encountered previously. Instead, a pebbled beach, framed by the snow-capped forest stretching back as far as the eye could see.
The days below the pines were long and the nights barely gave me time to rest, just as before. After hours awake by the fire, I was always thankful for the rising sun each morning. I saw fleeting glimpses of griffin patrols as the fast-running rivers, cliffs and the mountains of Storm Peak passed us by. This time the featherwings remained aloof.
The journey wasn't dissimilar to the one we’d made weeks ago, save for Tarwin's presence. As the days and nights wore on, she hunted in the forest with me, utilizing a bow crafted from an old branch, flint and fur. Although memories of our old hunts were gone, I revelled in the thrill of being by her side again.
She came to know the others as she knew me, and they soon came to be treated no differently. I constantly tried to convince myself that the sight of all my friends getting along should make me happy, even more so as they began to truly accept each other.
Yet now more than ever, paranoid thoughts of darkness plagued my mind. Convincing me of something still lurking in the shadows. More nights spent by the fire, whether it be orange, blue, or green, became sleepless. The flickering glow illuminated the shadowy trunks of trees and each glimpse of eye-shine sent me jolting back. It was often only wolves or racoons; I'd not seen a ghaul in months.
Home was another idea that often flashed across my mind.
Where's home now? So, so far away, never to be the same. I'd not even considered what was going to happen when we reached it.
I couldn't just go back to my old life, and despite Tarwin and the dragons accepting each other, eventually they were still going to go their separate ways.
Where do I go then?
*
The last of the sun’s rays grazed the twilight sky and a gentle winter breeze swept through the swaying pine trees. I sat looking at the others sitting a few paces away, gathered around an orange fire they'd constructed at the base of a rocky outcrop. Despite the pleasant scene, I purposely distanced myself, as I'd done every night for the past week.
They're getting along just fine without me, why mess that up with my sour mood?
I must have looked like the worst saviour ever, then again, I wasn't given much of a choice, so why should I behave how everyone expected?
Isn't that what I refused to do all along?
As the noises of the others around the fire began to slip into the silence of the night, I turned to make my way back to the warmth of the flames.
"Out here by yourself again?"
Risha surprised me with her silent approach, almost making me jump out of my scales.
"Whoa, it's okay, just me," she chuckled, settling down beside me.
I nodded without a word, my head drooping.
Just as always, her wit became concern as she added, "Blaze, it's all over.”
I wanted to believe that so much, but I couldn't force myself. I wondered if she'd seen what I'd seen, the stars going out and fire across the world, would she still believe it was over?
I sighed and slowly raised my head.
"I know," I admitted. "It just still gets to me."
"So, what's really wrong?" she continued softly.
There were so many
things, too numerous to count, most pressing of all the grim idea of the sphere stirring in that dark pit. Whatever I was planning to say next would almost certainly be detected as a lie, but I thought about saying it anyway.
"Isn't it beautiful?"
Her abrupt shift in topic saved me from my thoughts as she gazed towards the thousands of sparkling stars across the night, a full moon and aurora bathing the snowy forest in their glow.
"Reminds me of all the things before... before… well, you know," she confessed with a small sigh. "I guess that's all changed now," she added softly.
In giving no response, I realised more than ever that this journey had affected all of us. Without question, it had affected her relationship with humans and her own brother. As for the others, I wasn't quite sure about Ember; being away for such a long time couldn't be good for whatever family she had, or her fire order training. Not to mention the Fire Order dragon who I'd almost forgotten about, Pyro. How would he react to our return? Then there was Tarwin, whose change I feared most of all.
"I never really got a chance to say thanks," Risha interrupted. "If it wasn't for you, we would all be… well," she shook her head at the thought.
I returned my eyes to the night sky as I replied. "I couldn't have done it without you."
Covering her cheeks with a wing and ducking her head, she turned to the side.
"Thanks, thanks for saving my life... That's what I'm trying to say, silly-scales," she whispered softly.
I blinked, my own cheeks starting to heat. She saved me from Acrodan's magic and kept me going through all this. I'd be nothing alone.
"You saved mine," I responded, sure she'd saved me from the very moment we met.
"Well... I guess you could say that," she admitted, her words mixed with slight laughter as she ruffled and shrugged her wings. "Twice."
I shared her laughter for a moment before she turned towards the others settling down around the fire.
"Guess I'll get some rest," she suggested with an obviously fake yawn. "See you tomorrow," she added, before making her way back.
I watched her settle down beside her brother, edging a sapphire wing over him. Before long, my gaze passed across the forest’s darkness, back to the night sky. It would never be the same again, and yet its magnificence still held the same effect on me. The distant memory of the black pin-holed canvas and the hidden sun stimulated a slight laugh – the memory felt so far away but it had stuck in my mind: Dragons can fly to the stars.
I eventually crept back to the fire and settled next to Tarwin. I appreciated my new friends; in fact, I felt that they were as much my family as she was, something my brethren in the stars didn’t have, something Acrodan had underestimated. With that thought fresh in my mind, I drifted off to sleep.
*
During the days that followed any positivity that spawned that night began to dissipate. Haunting visions slowly returned, and anxiety crept up on me like a ghost. Hours spent trailing behind the others, jumping at every shadow or rustle in the trees. Deep down I wanted to believe it was over, but the paintings and carvings, the stories of legends and things long gone played on my mind.
If it didn't end back then, why should it now?
From the corner of my eye, I saw something move, and my attention was instantly set upon a restless bush. A twittering bird darted from the vegetation, perched on a log, and peered at me like I was a fool before it flew off. I returned my attention to the others just a few paces up the road.
My paws dragged lazily through the mud making up the rough path we'd been following for the past few days. It was a seemingly endless tunnel of trees and boulders, hemmed in on both sides by thick ferns and spiked holly. After flying over North Rim months ago I knew that the forest extended for miles, making every step feel just as pointless as that which preceded it.
My only assurance we were going in the right direction was the other dragons’ confidence they knew the way back. Boltock most of all was adamant we were only a few days away from the Midnight Planes, whereas Ember insisted on directions with far more military-like precision, using stars and landmarks.
Either way, it’s only a few days until I must make a choice.
It was a daunting prospect that I'd continually tried to dismiss, but before it reared its head again, I was swiftly distracted. A new smell caught my attention, grasping my focus away from the endless wall of trees. At first, my weary mind dismissed it as just another trick, but it defied the criteria that led me to believe it was imaginary.
My unsettled senses scoured the trees, without success, so I turned my attention to the others, who showed no sign of noticing anything unusual. Without thinking, I bolted forwards, only just managing to halt my momentum in the slippery mud. The others stopped, peering back with puzzled expressions. I looked them over, my eyes passing from face to face. The three dragons remained confused, but when my worried gaze came to rest on Tarwin, she immediately reached for her makeshift bow.
"What is it?" Risha asked, focusing on the dense forest.
"Don't you smell that?" I asked, glancing round and sniffing the air.
Raising his muzzle, Boltock’s face dropped – it was a scent he knew all too well.
"Those... things," he muttered.
Ember and Risha exchanged glances as they noticed it too, before every pair of eyes turned to the trees, and the five of us backed up to form a closed circle. Tarwin stood beside me, her bow drawn. I coiled up, head and body held low, the winter chill cooling my scales as they brushed against the moist ground.
My eyes narrowed, claws and teeth at the ready as the scent moved closer, splitting into multiple points, until I saw the first ghaul emerge from the trees. My fury launched me forward, front legs outstretched, claws poised for attack. In my urgent reaction I was unable to counter my enemy’s move, and when it quickly stepped to one side, there was nothing else for me to do except spread my wings in an attempt to slow down the inevitable impact.
A shower of pine needles, mud and snow flew into the air as I collided with the ground. Realising my sudden vulnerability, a combination of fear and shock forced me to curl up tight in the hope that my armoured scales would protect me from the ghaul's retaliation.
"Blaze!" the shocked voices of the others shouted in muffled union as an arrow tore through the air beside me, landing in the beast's shoulder.
Yelping in pain, it frantically reached round, trying to grab the wooden projectile with its mouth. In the same moment two more erupted from the bush and immediately used their massive bodies to form a wall between my friends, their wounded companion and I. Despite their growling they showed no sign of attacking, and for a moment my mind filled with a frail relief that betrayed my fear – they're not out to kill us?
I knew they could be deceiving; however, they’d had the opportunity to ambush us and missed it.
If they're not hunting us, why are they here?
I heard Tarwin ready another arrow. Raising an open wing, I signalled for her to stop. Bow drawn and an arrow pointed at the head of another beast, she paused and I slowly lowered my wing. The wounded ghaul pulled the arrow free, holding its blood-stained leg up against its chest. The remaining, fully combat-capable monsters, settled their aggressive growls into a less formidable grumble as they slowly moved around us. Finally stopping at the base of a large mossy rock beside the path as I backed up to the others.
I'd no idea how to react. I'd only known these creatures to be vicious enemies, and now here they were waiting and staring at me as if they wanted me to follow. My mind instinctively resisted any urge, but despite my inner protests, I slowly moved forward.
"Blaze, what in the creators' name is this?" Risha hissed through gritted teeth.
"I don't know, I think they want us to see something," I responded glaring at the pack.
One wrong move and I can take them, destroy them like their master.
I stopped before the rock where they had gathered, their menacing eyes redirected t
o a large shape emerging behind them. The shadowy figure of the lead-ghaul lumbered from the forest, its scarred hide and collar unmistakable.
Wait, is it just me or have the collar's runes stopped glowing?
The larger animal stood on its raised position, its damp, waterlogged fur dripping and shimmering in what little light passed through the canopy. Like its fellows, it showed no sign of aggression towards any of us. Meanwhile, all I could do was stare.
The less cautious side of my mind continued to grow in strength, generating every possible positive thought and gradually dismissing any ideas that this might be a trap. Thereby allowing me to maintain the idea that it was the right thing to do.
Despite my growing confidence I instinctively stepped back when the lead creature suddenly shifted, the three lesser beasts mimicking the action. They bowed their heads low, as if paying respects to a king.
Shock, disbelief and a host of other emotions raced through my mind, and I froze, frantically trying to recall what might have caused these gruesome creatures to bow before me. Unsure of what to do, my eyes passed briefly to the others, who, upon realising what was happening, only shrugged and wore masks of confusion.
Is it my defeat of Acrodan or the destruction of the sphere? Did they really serve him that willingly? My entire view of them changed; it was as if they’d been set free.
It dawned on me then that my victory might be believable; it seemed the world was changing, if that was the case, what would I do with such beasts? After a few moments of deliberation, I concluded that maybe things were not changing for the worst, maybe the darkness really was wary of me as the creators foretold. An arrogant conclusion perhaps, but it was the only one that had an ounce of sense to it.
The moment I understood what they were doing, their leader snapped its head up, its wolf-like ears standing to attention. The sudden movement almost sent my nerves over the edge, but this time I controlled my reaction. The ghaul held its head high, its ears and nose twitching, while its sharp eyes scanned the forest before turning to its lesser companions. They immediately stalked off into the bush with a series of low growls.