It took Lia two days to arrive at the most northern point of Meriath: Windswept Fields. It was a cold, barren land where only the most resilient plants survived, dotting the scenery with shrubs and occasionally with a few minuscule pine trees barely a meter in height. The name perfectly described the place as it was flat, no matter where one looked, and strong winds were constantly blowing, their direction changing day by day. The sky was filled with thick, grey clouds, ready to snow at any time, while under Lia's ship, the terrain was covered with yesterday's untouched snow, which was being blown away, creating giant patches of snow clouds wandering the surface.
Here and there, she could spot ancient buildings buried deep under the white blanket of nature, places where, 4000 years ago, the surviving people were living in fear. She knew that back then, it was magic that made this place hospitable… but only now did she realize how big of an undertaking it must have been. Windswept Fields was anything but welcoming; no wonder nobody lived here.
"Are we at the right palace?"
"Getting close." The old dragon's memory replied, "There is a pocket realm that was created here."
"Pocket… realm?" Lia asked, first time hearing something like that.
"We called it that as it is not ancient. It was made by Erias, and it is where I went to sleep. If you want me to reunite with my original body, it is not impossible, but we have to be extra careful. You can't wake me up yet!"
"Why? I heard this before, but… why? Why shouldn't the dragons come back yet?"
"We made an agreement." He explained, recalling the specific memory. "Especially my awakening... It would alert Erias on the other side. It would be a warning sign, telling him that we are being pushed back so much that we had to come out! I don't know what it would entail now… would it disturb what he is doing? Trigger it before it's ready? Or take drastic measures?"
"What type of… 'drastic' are we speaking of?" Lia asked while gulping audibly.
"He is resolved to sacrifice everything."
"Everything…?"
"The realm is better to be destroyed than to be left to them!"
"Ouch… Okay, I will be veeeeery careful and not wake you up, okay?"
"Mhm… Me too."
With his lead, Lia touched down on a barren field, surrounded by four tall and sturdy towers made out of grey stone. It was only a quarter of what was hidden underneath, buried under thousands of years of ice and snow. The current scenery was hiding an ancient fortress below, the old capital of the refugees, called Haven of Light.
"I am surprised they are still standing!" Lia moaned, pulling her clothes close, feeling like her long hair was being pulled by dozens of hands as the wind got ahold of it.
"They were built with magic reinforcing them; they are made to withstand this kind of weather! You must melt the ice below and tunnel down; the entrance is straight below us!"
"No problem!"
With a wave of her hand, blazing, orange fire spread around her, burning intensely; she took a deep breath while concentrating on melting the snow, letting her fire be bolstered by the wind.
"You know…" She whispered, feeling the cold, chilly current cutting against her skin like sharp knives. "I just had an idea how it would feel to merge air and water… it could be freezing..."
"Hehe… hold on to the feeling!" Arcus chuckled, happy with her intuition and how her mind connected the weather to her spells.
With her fire, thick clouds of white smoke flew to the sky as the snow and ice melted, resulting in hot and cold clashing, creating a mini-storm around the region. Lia's figure started sinking amidst the ensuing chaos as if standing on an escalator.
"You had been buried deep!" She groaned after five minutes, still going down, surrounding herself in a cloak of fire. She was about to complain again when a familiar yet foreign aura scanned her from nowhere. She had an immediate connection to it, something that was on a bloodline level, knowing it was something left behind by Erias himself.
With a snap, she suddenly disappeared, no longer surrounded by icy walls but standing on a lush, green field, blooming with thousands of purple-colored flowers, dancing in the gentle breeze that replaced the wild winds. What was even more breathtaking was the giant, black dragon, the size of Lia's home castle, curled up like a cat, lying amongst the flowers, breathing steadily… sleeping.
"Oh shit… You are huuuuge!" She thought, amazed as Arcus was even more significant than Albert. Much more so!
"Thank you!" He laughed, clearly proud, "We grow in size as we increase our powers! After what we did with Erias, I can safely say I am the strongest dragon alive!"
"And the most handsome!" Another voice replied, belonging to the real Arcus.
"Eh?!" Lia flinched, afraid they woke the dragon up, but then a human figure appeared before her, looking like Erias, but she quickly realized it was Arcus's projection. The same man she saw in the memories of her ancestor. No wonder they were called brothers; Arcus liked to take up the same appearance as Erias, only with black hair. "Venerable!" She bowed hurriedly, but he just chuckled, pushing her back to stand straight.
"No need! Arcus is fine! I remember you; we talked, yes?" He tilted his head, recalling when Lia once summoned a wisp of his consciousness.
"Yes! I-"
"I can feel it!" He took a deep breath, interrupting her, and with that, Lia felt something tugging at her whole existence. "Oh… I… I think I remember." He murmured, licking his lips, tasting the returning memories without opening his eyes. "How nice… Did you manage to bring it back to me? That was something we didn't expect!"
While saying so, his actual body also stirred, startling Lia, but it just unhurriedly rolled from one side to another, continuing to sleep.
"Phew!" She moaned, wiping sweat from her forehead.
"Worry not, I am a good sleeper! You need more noise to wake me up!" The projection laughed, "But now I feel more… clear-headed! Thank you!"
"It was the logical thing to do!"
"No, it wasn't, but come!" He led her a bit further away to a wooden table where two tree stumps served as chairs. "Tell me all that is happening outside! I rarely get visitors!"
"Well… many things are transpiring at once!" Lia shrugged, retelling all she had experienced since leaving the Academy.
"Hmmm… So it is not that bad yet… that is a relief! Back in our day, they could do these things unpunished! Kingdoms and Empires were uncoordinated! Many were in opposing stances and waged wars against each other. Probably also being led by brainwashed rulers… It was a mess! With how we rebuilt civilization, I am glad we are not making the same mistakes!"
"We can still make new mistakes…"
"You are speaking like the old Nerifit!" Arcus snorted, and his real body also made a loud noise, pushing air through its giant nostrils.
"I just…" Lia gulped, afraid of the consequences if Arcus worked himself up so much he would be truly awakened.
"Did Albert tell you how many dragons are alive?"
"No." She replied, thinking back, getting curious. She was already imagining that hundreds of giant, flying monsters emerge and kill the Undead horde, burning them from the skies.
"Four."
"What?!" Lia jumped to her feet, clasping against her mouth, falling back to the stump, "Just four?!" She shouted whisperingly, "What the…. How?! Why?!"
"It was an unavoidable fate. We were hunted down by the Undead. Our souls are precious... But don't worry, all four of us are at a level that matches an Ascendri! Plus… there is me, ahahaha! I can count as two Ascendri!"
"Are you sure?" Lia looked at him, then turned towards his natural body, "Well… I never saw a dragon in action."
"I am as sure as one can be! When we will be most needed, we will come; you'll see!"
"I don't want to see that…" She replied, lowering her head, "It would be best if you don't need to come..."
"I agree, young Lia… I wish you were right. But I fought too many battles against them. They always find a way to be a pain in your butt! But enough talk about the Undead! Tell me all you know of the world! I need to hear it all, so I won't be too confused when I wake up!"
"I can only tell you what I know about myself and about my family…"
"More than enough! I am a sworn Amarin! You are Erias's descendant, so you are also my descendant! I am your Godfather, bwahaha!"
"Really?" Lia asked, her mismatched eyes twinkling, "Hah! Cool! Well… I will start with when I stole Uncle Parthorn's scepter and…"
While Lia started to tell Arcus her life and its most interesting moments, the old dragon listened attentively, not missing anything, enjoying her company as his young visitor's spirit and aura were reminding him of Erias so much; Arcus thought at first he came back to visit…
…
…..
……
"Let's end the meeting here for today!" A tired sigh echoed in the marble throne room, where a tall, athletic black man was sitting, wearing a loose, golden robe, looking at multiple kneeling figures. "Maintain the patrols in the desert; I will relay the news to the Revered Hosue!"
"Yes, Lord!" The people saluted, standing up and departing, leaving their king alone, leaning back on his throne, looking out the window, watching the bright sky and the strong, burning sun.
His name was Hakim, king and ruler of an empire stretching far and wide in one of the most inhospitable territories on Meriath. They were under the direct rule of the House of Ro and the masters of the constantly changing sand dunes. A few days ago, something happened deep in the desert, yet still visible from their oasis. A green light reached high to the skies, and he and his soldiers ventured out to investigate. They were bound by duty to do so. Everyone was sure it was the sign of Undead… but they found nothing.
"We need to be careful…" Hakim whispered, but his voice was… different. Something was changed, but only those who were close to him were able to notice it. So, he made sure they were the first to have their souls consumed.
What nobody knew was that the king did find the source. An opened sub-realm from where Killieth's soul invaded his mind, consumed him, and took control of his body. Right now, he was suppressing all of his strength, masquerading as the late king, gathering knowledge of his surroundings.
"We are waiting for your orders, Master." Another presence appeared from nowhere. It was a woman's voice, mixed with a deep, baritone underline, coming from Hakim's first wife, who was no longer living. One of Killieth's Grand Elders controlled the body, like the rest of his harem or children, sparing nobody.
"We will take it slowly… I will report back what we found or, more precisely, what we didn't. I will be the one making contact with people from the Houses; you all hide when that happens! We must be careful as we are close to the House of Ro!" He answered, sending his voice over telepathically. "We will ask for help; let them send some of their experts here."
"Then we take control…" His subordinate added, making Hakim, no… Killieth smile.
"Leave it to me! We have to be subtle about it. And don't go influencing the people here! Too many puppets, and we will be exposed! Only dominate the minds of key figures! We are here to play the long game and gather all the puppets who are allowed to make decisions! When our net is wide enough, we will simultaneously pull on it and transform the prey caught in it! It would be best to infiltrate the Ro's territory directly… but I won't be greedy."
He couldn't help but smile, walking to the window, opening it, and leaning against the windowsill. Watching the bustling city built around a massive oasis in the middle of the desert. It was a unique sight to behold. He was feeling a bit… nostalgic. Faint, distant memories resurfaced of the time he was a simple man walking the surface of Meriath. But that was thousands and thousands of years ago. Something that was no longer relevant.
"I just hope my little sister can be as patient as me… Send out Jeda to go to the Amarins' territory and find her! I want to establish a connection as fast as possible! Then we can coordinate… I want the House of Ro under our foot in the next ten years! Then I can freely enjoy the taste of their souls…"
It took Lia two days to arrive at the most northern point of Meriath: Windswept Fields. It was a cold, barren land where only the most resilient plants survived, dotting the scenery with shrubs and occasionally with a few minuscule pine trees barely a meter in height. The name perfectly described the place as it was flat, no matter where one looked, and strong winds were constantly blowing, their direction changing day by day. The sky was filled with thick, grey clouds, ready to snow at any time, while under Lia's ship, the terrain was covered with yesterday's untouched snow, which was being blown away, creating giant patches of snow clouds wandering the surface.
Here and there, she could spot ancient buildings buried deep under the white blanket of nature, places where, 4000 years ago, the surviving people were living in fear. She knew that back then, it was magic that made this place hospitable… but only now did she realize how big of an undertaking it must have been. Windswept Fields was anything but welcoming; no wonder nobody lived here.
"Are we at the right palace?"
"Getting close." The old dragon's memory replied, "There is a pocket realm that was created here."
"Pocket… realm?" Lia asked, first time hearing something like that.
"We called it that as it is not ancient. It was made by Erias, and it is where I went to sleep. If you want me to reunite with my original body, it is not impossible, but we have to be extra careful. You can't wake me up yet!"
"Why? I heard this before, but… why? Why shouldn't the dragons come back yet?"
"We made an agreement." He explained, recalling the specific memory. "Especially my awakening... It would alert Erias on the other side. It would be a warning sign, telling him that we are being pushed back so much that we had to come out! I don't know what it would entail now… would it disturb what he is doing? Trigger it before it's ready? Or take drastic measures?"
"What type of… 'drastic' are we speaking of?" Lia asked while gulping audibly.
"He is resolved to sacrifice everything."
"Everything…?"
"The realm is better to be destroyed than to be left to them!"
"Ouch… Okay, I will be veeeeery careful and not wake you up, okay?"
"Mhm… Me too."
With his lead, Lia touched down on a barren field, surrounded by four tall and sturdy towers made out of grey stone. It was only a quarter of what was hidden underneath, buried under thousands of years of ice and snow. The current scenery was hiding an ancient fortress below, the old capital of the refugees, called Haven of Light.
"I am surprised they are still standing!" Lia moaned, pulling her clothes close, feeling like her long hair was being pulled by dozens of hands as the wind got ahold of it.
"They were built with magic reinforcing them; they are made to withstand this kind of weather! You must melt the ice below and tunnel down; the entrance is straight below us!"
"No problem!"
With a wave of her hand, blazing, orange fire spread around her, burning intensely; she took a deep breath while concentrating on melting the snow, letting her fire be bolstered by the wind.
"You know…" She whispered, feeling the cold, chilly current cutting against her skin like sharp knives. "I just had an idea how it would feel to merge air and water… it could be freezing..."
"Hehe… hold on to the feeling!" Arcus chuckled, happy with her intuition and how her mind connected the weather to her spells.
With her fire, thick clouds of white smoke flew to the sky as the snow and ice melted, resulting in hot and cold clashing, creating a mini-storm around the region. Lia's figure started sinking amidst the ensuing chaos as if standing on an escalator.
"You had been buried deep!" She groaned after five minutes, still going down, surrounding herself in a cloak of fire. She was about to complain again when a familiar yet foreign aura scanned her from nowhere. She had an immediate connection to it, something that was on a bloodline level, knowing it was something left behind by Erias himself.
With a snap, she suddenly disappeared, no longer surrounded by icy walls but standing on a lush, green field, blooming with thousands of purple-colored flowers, dancing in the gentle breeze that replaced the wild winds. What was even more breathtaking was the giant, black dragon, the size of Lia's home castle, curled up like a cat, lying amongst the flowers, breathing steadily… sleeping.
"Oh shit… You are huuuuge!" She thought, amazed as Arcus was even more significant than Albert. Much more so!
"Thank you!" He laughed, clearly proud, "We grow in size as we increase our powers! After what we did with Erias, I can safely say I am the strongest dragon alive!"
"And the most handsome!" Another voice replied, belonging to the real Arcus.
"Eh?!" Lia flinched, afraid they woke the dragon up, but then a human figure appeared before her, looking like Erias, but she quickly realized it was Arcus's projection. The same man she saw in the memories of her ancestor. No wonder they were called brothers; Arcus liked to take up the same appearance as Erias, only with black hair. "Venerable!" She bowed hurriedly, but he just chuckled, pushing her back to stand straight.
"No need! Arcus is fine! I remember you; we talked, yes?" He tilted his head, recalling when Lia once summoned a wisp of his consciousness.
"Yes! I-"
"I can feel it!" He took a deep breath, interrupting her, and with that, Lia felt something tugging at her whole existence. "Oh… I… I think I remember." He murmured, licking his lips, tasting the returning memories without opening his eyes. "How nice… Did you manage to bring it back to me? That was something we didn't expect!"
While saying so, his actual body also stirred, startling Lia, but it just unhurriedly rolled from one side to another, continuing to sleep.
"Phew!" She moaned, wiping sweat from her forehead.
"Worry not, I am a good sleeper! You need more noise to wake me up!" The projection laughed, "But now I feel more… clear-headed! Thank you!"
"It was the logical thing to do!"
"No, it wasn't, but come!" He led her a bit further away to a wooden table where two tree stumps served as chairs. "Tell me all that is happening outside! I rarely get visitors!"
"Well… many things are transpiring at once!" Lia shrugged, retelling all she had experienced since leaving the Academy.
"Hmmm… So it is not that bad yet… that is a relief! Back in our day, they could do these things unpunished! Kingdoms and Empires were uncoordinated! Many were in opposing stances and waged wars against each other. Probably also being led by brainwashed rulers… It was a mess! With how we rebuilt civilization, I am glad we are not making the same mistakes!"
"We can still make new mistakes…"
"You are speaking like the old Nerifit!" Arcus snorted, and his real body also made a loud noise, pushing air through its giant nostrils.
"I just…" Lia gulped, afraid of the consequences if Arcus worked himself up so much he would be truly awakened.
"Did Albert tell you how many dragons are alive?"
"No." She replied, thinking back, getting curious. She was already imagining that hundreds of giant, flying monsters emerge and kill the Undead horde, burning them from the skies.
"Four."
"What?!" Lia jumped to her feet, clasping against her mouth, falling back to the stump, "Just four?!" She shouted whisperingly, "What the…. How?! Why?!"
"It was an unavoidable fate. We were hunted down by the Undead. Our souls are precious... But don't worry, all four of us are at a level that matches an Ascendri! Plus… there is me, ahahaha! I can count as two Ascendri!"
"Are you sure?" Lia looked at him, then turned towards his natural body, "Well… I never saw a dragon in action."
"I am as sure as one can be! When we will be most needed, we will come; you'll see!"
"I don't want to see that…" She replied, lowering her head, "It would be best if you don't need to come..."
"I agree, young Lia… I wish you were right. But I fought too many battles against them. They always find a way to be a pain in your butt! But enough talk about the Undead! Tell me all you know of the world! I need to hear it all, so I won't be too confused when I wake up!"
"I can only tell you what I know about myself and about my family…"
"More than enough! I am a sworn Amarin! You are Erias's descendant, so you are also my descendant! I am your Godfather, bwahaha!"
"Really?" Lia asked, her mismatched eyes twinkling, "Hah! Cool! Well… I will start with when I stole Uncle Parthorn's scepter and…"
While Lia started to tell Arcus her life and its most interesting moments, the old dragon listened attentively, not missing anything, enjoying her company as his young visitor's spirit and aura were reminding him of Erias so much; Arcus thought at first he came back to visit…
…
…..
……
"Let's end the meeting here for today!" A tired sigh echoed in the marble throne room, where a tall, athletic black man was sitting, wearing a loose, golden robe, looking at multiple kneeling figures. "Maintain the patrols in the desert; I will relay the news to the Revered Hosue!"
"Yes, Lord!" The people saluted, standing up and departing, leaving their king alone, leaning back on his throne, looking out the window, watching the bright sky and the strong, burning sun.
His name was Hakim, king and ruler of an empire stretching far and wide in one of the most inhospitable territories on Meriath. They were under the direct rule of the House of Ro and the masters of the constantly changing sand dunes. A few days ago, something happened deep in the desert, yet still visible from their oasis. A green light reached high to the skies, and he and his soldiers ventured out to investigate. They were bound by duty to do so. Everyone was sure it was the sign of Undead… but they found nothing.
"We need to be careful…" Hakim whispered, but his voice was… different. Something was changed, but only those who were close to him were able to notice it. So, he made sure they were the first to have their souls consumed.
What nobody knew was that the king did find the source. An opened sub-realm from where Killieth's soul invaded his mind, consumed him, and took control of his body. Right now, he was suppressing all of his strength, masquerading as the late king, gathering knowledge of his surroundings.
"We are waiting for your orders, Master." Another presence appeared from nowhere. It was a woman's voice, mixed with a deep, baritone underline, coming from Hakim's first wife, who was no longer living. One of Killieth's Grand Elders controlled the body, like the rest of his harem or children, sparing nobody.
"We will take it slowly… I will report back what we found or, more precisely, what we didn't. I will be the one making contact with people from the Houses; you all hide when that happens! We must be careful as we are close to the House of Ro!" He answered, sending his voice over telepathically. "We will ask for help; let them send some of their experts here."
"Then we take control…" His subordinate added, making Hakim, no… Killieth smile.
"Leave it to me! We have to be subtle about it. And don't go influencing the people here! Too many puppets, and we will be exposed! Only dominate the minds of key figures! We are here to play the long game and gather all the puppets who are allowed to make decisions! When our net is wide enough, we will simultaneously pull on it and transform the prey caught in it! It would be best to infiltrate the Ro's territory directly… but I won't be greedy."
He couldn't help but smile, walking to the window, opening it, and leaning against the windowsill. Watching the bustling city built around a massive oasis in the middle of the desert. It was a unique sight to behold. He was feeling a bit… nostalgic. Faint, distant memories resurfaced of the time he was a simple man walking the surface of Meriath. But that was thousands and thousands of years ago. Something that was no longer relevant.
"I just hope my little sister can be as patient as me… Send out Jeda to go to the Amarins' territory and find her! I want to establish a connection as fast as possible! Then we can coordinate… I want the House of Ro under our foot in the next ten years! Then I can freely enjoy the taste of their souls…"
