Prologue - War
Ominous clouds rolled overhead, their bellies threatening to brush the tops of the trees. The claustrophobic look was deceptive, as smoke from nearby explosions and fires billowed up like ethereal pillars to support it. Everything was cast in harsh shadows and hues of orange, red, and gold from the fire, a surreal discoloration of the normally lush, green forest. The foothills and the mountains were silhouettes against the sky, edges jagged and craggy and threatening to claw through the clouds.About halfway up one of the taller mountains, a gaping hole suddenly appeared in the stone face, the true entrance to the cave revealing itself from beneath the seamless illusion. From it emerged a Dragon, carefully stalking forward on four clawed feet. Her thin, snakelike head swiveled on a long, graceful neck as she scanned the horizon with slit pupils. Seeing that all was relatively quiet, she launched up on her hind legs and clenched her fore claws – now more like clawed hands – into fists. Massive, leathery wings unfolded from her back, spreading far out on either side of her perch. After a couple of experimental flaps, the Dragon cupped the air with a deft swoop of her wings and lifted off the rocky ledge. She glided downward toward the trees, seemingly about to crash into them, before flapping a couple of more times to raise her altitude. Curving gracefully in the air, she rounded the cone shape of the mountain, the edges slowly angling away to reveal the battle raging beyond.
Metallic spaceships of all sizes, each vaguely resembling an arrowhead, drifted just beneath the clouds. They easily numbered in the thousands. Multi-colored laser beams shot from the vessels’ many cannons, alighting the sky in horizontal fireworks. Most of these spaceships dwarfed the size of the Dragons, mere dots that zipped here and there across the sky like so many insects, counterattacking the laser weapons with blasts of the elements – fire, ice, shadow, lightning, and even poisonous, noxious vapors.
The lone Dragon with oversized wings zipped heedlessly into the fray, dipping below a skirmish between a larger warrior Dragon and a smaller fighter ship. The warrior Dragon clawed through the metal with muscular arms, ripping off the barrels of the cannons. Live wires fizzled with electricity, but they hardly deterred the warrior. He clawed into and through them, grabbing and yanking even as they sparked across his leathery skin. With an electronic moan and the spray of fluids, the ship seemed to give and the Dragon swept backwards. Flaming debris shot out in every direction as the vessel exploded. The smaller Dragon performed a barrel roll in the air as she rose upward, easily evading the falling bits of metal and wire by mere inches.
The larger warrior fell into wing beside her, escorting her until another target made itself known. It didn’t take long for one to appear. As both Dragons ascended, the smaller one veered sharply to evade a series of white lasers clearly targeting her, and the warrior Dragon roared in response. Furiously pumping his wings, he flew ahead of the scout and after the ship that had taken aim. Two more Dragons joined his flanks, creating a small, tight formation that headed straight for the larger vessel to wreak more havoc.
Picking up speed, the slender Dragon curved sharply off to the left, her long, thin nostrils picking up a whiff of her target’s scent. Unfortunately, a massive battleship that seemed to be a heavily guarded command station barred her way. Several formations of the smaller fighter ships circled and zipped around it in patrols, shooting streams of their strange, super-heated energy at any reptilian flyer in sight.
Wings pumping furiously, the small Dragon shot forward in a zigzag pattern past stray beams of light. She twirled and spun toward the Dragons that had already divided several of the fighter patrols, tucking her wings in as closer shots whirred past her, heating the air and even singeing her skin. Her eyes darted to her person briefly, but only for a split-second. As long as no injury took her from the air, her golden eyes remained always on what was going on around her.
By now, the other Dragons were aware of her meandering approach. With a roar, they seemed to be reinvigorated in dominating their skirmish against the patrols. They whipped around the ships, flickering in and out of view to confuse their opponents. The cannons swiveled and shot in all directions, sometimes even shooting at their own ships. This was what the objective was, and triumphant roars echoed as each ship was destroyed by friendly fire. When the odds were in favor of the Dragons, they attacked the ships directly with their elemental breath, melting the metal skin or freezing it into brittle fragility.
Even as the scout passed, the last of the patrols exploded and dropped to the dead, burning forest below. She raised her head and bellowed her encouragement, receiving eager responses in return as the Dragons took formation around her. They roared again, a different kind of sound, and alerted more Dragons to their sides. A thin line of them formed, flapping steadily toward the battleship. Fighter ships dove in from all sides, answering the challenge.
The line broke up into smaller formations as Dragons veered out to meet opponents, leaving the scout as one speck of many once more. She rolled, dived, ascended, and twisted gracefully around the chaos, even cutting right through the cross fires in a window of seconds between shots. Her movements followed a rhythm that seemed to exist only in her mind, a complicated rhythm that her enemies couldn’t follow.
Now, the battleship was a massive shadow spanning the entire horizon in her view, illuminated by the orange glowing sky, and from here she could finally catch the flickering of the invisible force that surrounded it. Her eyes narrowed as she tried to focus on the faint glittering the electricity emitted sporadically, her jaw clenched in frustration. This was the reason why the Dragons hadn’t won – this invisible shield of power that her brethren couldn’t match. Many had tried and became nothing but dark, smoking streaks on its invisible walls. None had found a way to crack the shell. She would have to be careful.
Fighters were at her back, and she instinctively rolled and evaded as the laser beams whirred into view. The attack was fierce, forcing her into tiny spaces of evasion and allowing no room for her to risk gliding away from the battleship. They were going to try to push her into the shield. With an evil smirk twisting across her draconic face, she sped ahead. Two could play at that game.
Forward she propelled herself until she could see the cannons swiveling upon the metallic surface. She could even make out windows, and she wondered at the mysterious inhabitants of these ships. She squinted but saw nothing to tell her of any life peering back out at her. Lasers from cannons kept her from focusing too intently anyway, keeping her always on the move as the shots now came from the front and the back. The laser beams from behind collided harmlessly into the shield, rippling off in the colors that reflected them. She was sure her enemies didn’t realize this was help, as it gave her an idea of her distance from the shield. She moved still closer, until she knew she was down to the last seconds before she became just one more smear across its surface.
She suddenly jerked up toward the clouds, paralleling the invisible force field so closely she could hear the electronic life coursing through it. Her pursuers weren’t so stupid to fall for this rather predictable trick, and the entire formation easily performed the 90-degree angle she just did. Growling her frustration, the scout slid along the broad, curving surface of the shield, nearly getting her wings singed off several times by incoming fire. She realized belatedly how slim her odds of survival were, sandwiched between the two lines of fire like this.
However, her Dragon brethren suddenly came upon the fighter ships like a storm, descending from the wisps of the clouds. Using their deadly power, they drove the fighters into the shield or into the line of fire coming from the face of the battleship. The tiny ships scattered, breaking formation and zipping out from under the swarm of Dragons. The Dragons broke outward in dogged pursuit, providing the scout with necessary relief. She soared over the top of the vessel at a comfortable distance from its shield and plunged onward toward her target.
The clouds and smoke were broken here, revealing a blazing sunset that gleamed across the battlefield. Here was the center of the outbreak and easily the most chaotic area the scout had flown through yet. She immediately noted the command vessel several hundred yards in front of her and another above them, forming a triangular barrier. Tiny flashes of metal reflecting the sun’s rays told of the tens of thousands of fighters swarming around each of them. She leveled her gaze at the mass of Dragons before her, the main armada of the Dragon army. They were putting up a valiant effort to keep from being surrounded, but they remained in a closed cluster formation.
Performing more spectacular aerial acrobatics, the scout whipped and tossed her wiry body through the air toward the Dragons, dodging heavy fire the whole way. As soon as her approach was noticed, the warriors swept out to cover her, enclosing her within the mass.
“Drustag!” She veered to one Dragon. “Where’s Drustag?”
The Dragon repeated her question, and others nearby him echoed it as it spread through the ranks.
“Here, here!” an answer finally came, and an emerald-skinned Dragon trimmed with gleaming silver claws and spikes drifted to the scout. He looked something of a cross between her thin frame and the thick, muscular presence of his fellow warriors. His wing muscles were more taut and massive than hers, but he shared the likeness of her overly large wingspan. She noted he was an endurance flyer, meant for strenuous hours of air combat such as this, and he looked to be nearing the end of his stamina for it.
“Xukar wants to see you, immediately. Says it’s of utmost urgency.”
Drustag’s luminous ruby eyes narrowed with a puzzled frown, but he nodded with understanding.
“He also says it’s time.”
For a moment, the Dragon’s expression didn’t change. Then, his eyes lit with realization as his lips thinned into a feral grin, pearly flesh-tearing fangs glittering. He roared the scout’s words, and his roar was answered with shouts of eagerness and triumph. The cluster formation then broke apart into three massive raid parties, and each sped off in the direction of the commanding battleships. However, a small group of five Dragons was left in the center, and they bowed their heads together in concentration. A hum rumbled from their throats in unison, an almost melodic sound, as invisible bands of power seemed to collect around them. The scout couldn’t see it, but she could feel a ball of energy crackling around the five Dragons, gathering into something massive. Her eyes widened in realization.
Drustag, who remained at the scout’s side, watched her reaction with interest. “You see? We’d better clear the area.”
The scout looked horrified, her gaze frozen on the five Dragons. Her head shook slightly, and all she could hear was the whisper of the wind against the trees. She could feel the prickle of energy as it swept in. Then her mind snapped back to reality. She knew she couldn’t linger here. She tore her eyes away and immediately spun around, darting back in the direction she had come with Drustag close behind her. They easily caught up to and passed the raid party, with encouraging shouts following it. With ease, they rolled and ascended above the battleship.
Cannons pointed at them – barrels went off – super-heated energy whirred in their direction – and then the power behind them was released –
– The white light consumed everything, blinded everyone –
– And then it was gone.
The raid parties immediately dove at the battleships – something the scout could see only when she glanced back over her shoulder, watching with worried eyes. Much to her relief, the Dragons passed the boundary where the shield once was, taking on the battleships’ metal faces head-on. They had done it! They’d broken the barrier. But, at such a cost... Heart pounding, she focused on her safety and the safety of her escort, guiding him through the heat of battle and back to the hidden cavern in the mountains.
By the time they landed, she was trembling with emotion and adrenaline. Drustag noticed this with a worried frown and leaned his head around to peer at her face. She turned her head just a little to return his gaze, revealing golden eyes alight with fury. Surprised, the Dragon jerked his head back, confusion clouding his reptilian features. Yet he hadn’t the chance to inquire on it, as Xukar, an elder Dragon, emerged from the darkness of the cave and silently commanded their attention. Drustag bowed his head in respect, as did the scout – with far more begrudging slowness. Her fury, Drustag saw, was directed at their superior.
Xukar was nearly blind. His dull eyes were glazed and white with cataract film. His once brilliant, gleaming sapphire skin was also dull in some patches, and the shine of his claws and spikes was gone. Bones protruded from the tighter stretches of his skin, while in other places it seemed to fold over too many times where muscle might have kept it taut. He resembled more of a tarnished sculpture, worn through and abused with time.
Despite his seeming weakness, he could still sense the scout’s borderline disrespect.
“Do you have something to say to me, Maichym?”
“You killed them,” she growled, her voice grief stricken. “Five Dragons. Killed them!”
“They volunteered,” Xukar corrected. “They were even the ones to present the idea to me. They sacrificed their lives to unleash the greatest power we have, and what were the results?” He eyed Drustag with an expectant silence.
The younger Dragon cleared his throat. “A complete success. The raid parties got in easily, though I didn’t get to personally witness the battleships’ destruction.” He thought he did a good job keeping his voice level, without revealing the sense of triumph and elation he felt.
“No!” Maichym shouted. “This is too much – too high a price for a victory in one battle!”
“Maichym!” Xukar snapped, tone sharp. It was rare for him to sound harsh; both Dragons reared back their heads in stunned silence.
“Maichym,” the elder repeated, softly now, “Everyone signed their lives over to this war once they joined, and they all know it. All we get to choose is how we’ll die.”
He sounded exhausted, as though the show of such strong emotion a moment ago took a lot out of him. He sighed, which was more of a whistling sound, and when neither Dragon responded, he continued to speak. “Now, let us go inside. Maichym, gather your thoughts and find me later. We will talk about what is on your mind. For now, I must speak with Drustag privately. His next mission is for his hearing alone.”
“To... what?! You want me to cross the ocean to Zultar?!” exclaimed Drustag. Surprised by the shrillness of his voice, he quickly recomposed himself and cleared his throat self-consciously. Despite the fact it was only he and Xukar in the quiet, dimly lit cavern, he still hated it when he sounded like a Dragonling.
Xukar chuckled, a deep sound from the back of his throat, but spared the much younger Dragon any commentary. “While it’s been many millennia since the last time, you know Dragonkind went on multiple journeys between our two continents, Zultar and Venin. This is not the first time.”
“That was also before the maelstrom appeared,” Drustag grumbled.
“True, but you’re a young warrior, expertly trained and at his prime in life. You’re the only Dragon who’s broken our long-standing flight distance records. I would trust no other for this mission.”
Drustag rumbled thoughtfully. He imagined his wings failing, his body collapsing into the rolling waves of the ocean beneath pitch-black, stormy skies with no one to know of his end, his voice lost in the blasts of wind. He instinctively shuddered.
“That’s many times longer than our greatest record,” he repeated aloud, quietly. His eyes seemed to bore holes into the stone floor before they finally trailed up to meet the elder Dragon. “Why must I go?”
Xukar turned his head away, his chalk-white eyes becoming distant with memory. He didn’t answer immediately. “Cenite, one of our more sensitive kin, as you may already know, received a vision from the Oracle. Unlike her others, this one was murky and difficult to discern. Many of the images she received contradicted each other, and we’re still trying to understand what all of it means. What we’ve been able to clarify thus far is that the Power will be returning double-fold deep within the borders of Zultar.”
Drustag’s eyes widened. “The Power? Isn’t that—?”
He cut himself off at the sight of Xukar’s head snapping around to face him. “We must make those who dwell in our former homeland aware of the situation and convince them to allow us its use. And you will probably need to search for it, if they are less than willing to cooperate. Even though we couldn’t discern much of the vision, it’s clear that the Power’s role in this is imperative if we are to win the war. We cannot ask five of our brethren to sacrifice themselves in every battle.”
Drustag bowed his head, feeling the sense of loss. After a moment of silence shared between them, the younger Dragon raised his head. His expression was of resolve; jaw set and eyes reflecting his determination. “I won’t fail you.”
Xukar smiled paternally. “I know.”
Back out on the ledge, Drustag leapt off and flew away from the sights and sounds of battle. As he slipped past the smoke-filled air and clouds, he gazed up at the billions of stars twinkling warmly back at him and sighed wistfully. There was a time when he wondered at the mystery of them, believing them to be the spirits of his ancestors who had passed before him watching over Dragonkind. There was once a time he believed he was looking at the honorable place noble Dragons departed to if they lived good lives. Now, he understood that those stars were tiny worlds like his own, nourishing the evolving species such as the ones he now fought. It was a far less romantic – albeit less ignorant – view. He shook his head, knowing he would never look at the sky in that same way again.
The thick canopy of trees began to disperse, revealing larger patches of the ground as he left the foothills and mountains. Drustag sniffed the air, noting the smell of the plains drifting on it and the promise of warmer winds. He also caught the glimmer of a mage globe, the spotlight of energy that illuminated where he was going just within the horizon line. He angled toward it, beginning a slow and steady descent into the small encampment.
Moments later, details of it came into view. About four or five Dragons sat or lay comfortably in a field of grass, the markings and coloring of their skin obscured by pale white light of the stars and the glow of a large, blood red moon. Their positions formed a loose circle around what was clearly a foreign object. Two thin, long pillars of smooth polished stone and ivory twined in gold spiraled up toward the sky, their tips finished off in pure gold sculpted into the shape of a flame. A bright spark flashed directly in between the two pillars, and a white, oval-shaped portal glimmered open, its rippling fringes connecting to the spires. It looked barely bigger than a pearl from his distance, and it rippled like the surface of a clear pond on a sunny day, gleaming and refracting its own inner light.
Drustag extended his wingtips and glided downward in a direct line to the portal, picking up speed as he went. The oval shape rose and consumed his vision until he dove into it, completely disappearing in the rippling surface without so much as a sound or disturbance.