Heart of water

The sea surrounding Alon was serene and silent. He had never been out this far on his own before. Past the rocky shores of his father’s island and beyond the Weir Woods and Waters that surrounded the dragon’s magical domain. His father, the water dragon called Unok had forbidden him from leaving the small mystical island that lay at the heart of the island chain of Talamar. But that had been years ago when he was just a toddler only freshly discovered by the ancient dragon at the shrine on Dragon isle. Alon was fifteen now, a man nearly grown. Surely the time had come for him to branch out and explore? After all, it was from the large fertile island of Kara Atun that his people had come. From the very shores of the land just before him that his parents had left long ago to offer Alon as tribute and heir to his father, The Dragon of the Waves.

As Alon treaded the warm azure waters toward Kara Atun he felt something slippery brush against the tip of his leg. He looked down, panicked, but quickly saw that it was only the wet bushy tail of his companion, Buwat. The water elemental peaked its ursine cat-like head from beneath the waves and stared at Alon, worry in his bright brown eyes.

“Oh don’t be such a scaredy bearcat Buwat. This is only the first chapter of our adventure!” Alon exclaimed excitedly, for much of his knowledge of the world of Aldaraa came from the dusty tomes within his father’s lair that contained countless legends and histories.

At first, his father would narrate the tales for him but once he learned his letters, Alon would stay up for hours reading tales of the sorcerers and Dragonborn of old. How exciting it all had been and what a thrill to know that he too, would one day join the ranks of such mighty heroes. Of course, it would be another year before his official bonding ceremony with Unok. Another uneventful boring year before he was to officially be considered Dragonborn. After which he would go back among his people and accomplish great feats. Then he would make all of Talamar proud. In the meantime, he would ready himself. He would not remain ignorant.

“Exploring the world beyond our island is a vital step.” he continued. “We’ll just take a quick look around the island. Do some reconnaissance. The forest will be packed with trees and if there's trouble, I’ll use the concealment spell Dad taught me.”

At this, his companion made a low grunting noise that did not sound the least bit impressed and dove back underneath the waves. Though the creature spoke not the human tongue Alon had found words were seldom necessary to understand his small partner. The elemental had been a guardian of sorts to him and his only friend for as long as he could remember. For only creatures of magic lived in the strange and mystical forest of the Weir on the Dragon’s Isle, where wild magic leaked from the gates between this world and the dragon’s lair, transforming the flora and fauna into something entirely new.

Concentrating his thoughts on the mission before him, Alon took a deep breath and dove back underneath the waves after his furry companion. Normally, swimming between any of the six islands of Talamar would be a huge feat for one man but as the son of a water dragon, it was kin to taking a light stroll for Alon. His father had bestowed upon him magic that webbed his hands and feet when submerged in water and he found himself as at home in the vast blue as he was on land, if not more so.

Nearing the edge of the island, he saw it was plagued not by a maze of jutting rocks like his father’s, but instead high rocky cliffs greeted him. He decided he would have to swim around until he came to an opening somewhere. Finally, after swimming around the island’s curve for fifteen minutes Alon spotted what he sought. Between two giant limestone formations there lay a narrow route that appeared to lead deeper into the island. Motioning to Buwat he cocked his head toward the entrance and together the pair swam towards the opening.

As they made their way through the narrow gap, Alon could not help but look up in awe at the grand majesty of the natural entrance. Swimming between the giant limestone cliffs felt much like entering another world. In many ways he was. White and grey gulls nested on the treacherous cliffs above while small tropical fish in a myriad of colors swam about him as he continued through the narrow passage. Finally, after a few feet, the passage widened out revealing a breathtaking site.

A beautiful lagoon of bright emerald water now lay before him with lush looming palm trees nestled up high on cliffs overlooking the bay. In the center of the lagoon, there was a small sandy shore that appeared to lead directly into the island's dense forest. Lying motionless and just as green as the water around them, a cluster of crocodiles basked near the shoreline. As he neared, they eyed Alon suspiciously, but he called out to them using words from the dragon’s tongue (of which all reptiles understood) that meant move aside, and aside they did move, though slowly. Crocodiles. Alon thought. They always had such attitudes but then again, most reptiles did. Shaking his long curly black hair, he made his way up from the water onto the soft sandy shore. So far so good. He thought to himself, pleased with the ease of his journey so far. Buwat padded briskly past him, pausing for a moment to listen to the sounds of the forest, before quickly scaling his way up a nearby tree for a better view. Alon started after him.

Sturdy trees, tall and twisting, surrounded Alon as he crept through the lush green of the forest. Drops of dew glistened on hanging vines and the cries of unknown monkeys and birds echoed in the air all around him. Alon looked up into the bright verdant canopy of the forest taking in all its majesty. From the corner of his eye, he caught a glimpse of Buwat’s shaggy brown form leaping through the trees. Though the creature was a water elemental his ancestors, the binturong, had been tree dwellers and so he was very much at home amongst the curled jade branches. Somewhere off to his left, Alon heard the distant gurgle of a nearby stream as it ran through the evergreen forest.

After walking for what must have been nearly an hour the forest ended abruptly and Alon found himself at the baseline of a large hill. Below there was a wide-open clearing of bright red and white flowers. The area before him gave off a cloyingly sweet smell that felt simultaneously inviting and off-putting. An almost imperceptible gray fog hung lightly about the meadow giving the place a sort of surreal feeling. Like the setting of a fairy tale. Though Alon felt strongly that no humans lived nearby he could not shake the pull to go deeper into the clearing below. As he made his way down from the forest edge Buwat began to make a low gurgling sound in the base of his throat. His companion clearly had some misgivings, but Buwat was always cautious and so Alon chose to ignore him for now.

As he reached the bottom of the hill and walked amongst the sweet-smelling flowers, he could just make out a large looming shape through the fog in front of him. A tree perhaps? Creeping closer he saw that it was in fact a small house. Its ancient roof was lined with tiles of faded crimson and holes of varying sizes were scattered here and there throughout. Glassless square windows lined one long wall and at the structure's face was a large rectangular entrance that held no door. Alon paused a moment. It was likely some forest creature would have made its home inside the old building, but he heard nothing. Not even the chirping of birds pierced the eerie silence of the meadow.

What manner of place this was Alon could not guess but whatever might be inside he knew magic that would quell any man or beast. Sure, the islands of Talamar held many wonders but no grave dangers had he read about in any of his father’s tomes or stories. Steeling himself Alon passed through the wide stone entrance.

Inside the home was dusty and dirty. Decaying leaves and debris littered the stone floor. It was clear no one had been there for years. Small beams of dim gray light filtered in through holes in the ceiling and a strange odor, pungent and ambrosial hung in the stale air. At the center of the rectangular room, Alon noticed a stone statue measuring at least eight feet tall. As he drew closer to get a better look Buwat began to chatter nervously.

“Hush now Buwat. We’ll be quick. I just want to get a closer look...”

Approaching the stone idol Alon could see it was shaped in the figure of a woman with long flowing hair. Most noticeably, coiled around her slender frame was the imposing figure of a mighty dragon. Its long and powerful body wrapped around the woman possessively. Alon’s eyes widened in shock as he realized the figure was the spitting image of his father, Unok.

But who is that woman? Alon wondered. Furthermore, was she being protected or held captive?

“This is all so strange.” Alon remarked, moving around the statue. The woman’s hands were cupped together below her chest in a gesture either of offering or reception. In her upturned palms, there was a small blue stone of some sort. Without thinking Alon reached forward and lifted it from her hands. The small round object was a little bigger than a pearl and cool to the touch.

“This looks like a temple Buwat.” he said, examining the small between his fingers. “But why have a temple to father here on this island?”

The only place of worship he knew was the Dragon shrine on his father's island. The stone shrine stood at the center of a lake at the heart of the island. Yet in all his years of living with his father no human had ever come to worship there. Alon never understood why his people did not come there anymore. As a child, he had questioned his father about it, but the great dragon only snorted, a great puff of white mist rising from his nostrils, and remarked that times had changed.

As he continued to examine the strange stone, he heard a loud creak at the edge of the temple near the doorway.

“Buwat don’t make so much noise.” Alon chastised, looking up from his find, only to discover that his small friend was nowhere near the entrance but instead crouched unmoving just to his left.

Suddenly the light peeking in from the holes in the ceiling began to flicker in and out as something crept quickly onto the roof overhead. Apparently, they now had company. Their new guest was either quite large or went accompanied as the light was now being blocked from holes both at the entrance and middle of the temple’s ceiling. For a moment Alon considered scooping up Buwat and concealing themselves in a nearby corner but then thought better of it. Whatever manner of man or beast was above him it was no match for the magic he possessed. For he was Alon, heir of the Lord of Waves and a future Dragonborn.

Holding out his hand Alon cried out, “Mahat!”

A great ball of orange flame burst into life above his upturned palm.

“Who goes there?!” Alon boomed, throwing every ounce of courage he could muster into his voice. If the creature was man and friend it would answer. If foe or beast it would not. Suddenly Alon heard a strange sound like that of countless whispers echo throughout the room.

“Long hassss it been ssince any strayed here.” came the raspy faint voice.

“Who are you?” Alon asked straining to make out a figure in the temple’s darkness. The light continued to flicker from the ceiling above, yet he could not see to whom or what he spoke. Beside him Buwat too had his eyes fixed on the ceiling above, his posture wide and back arched, ready to pounce at the first sign of danger.

“From the light in your hand I sssee you are no ordinary human.” came the raspy voice again, this time to Alon’s right. “You sssmell of magic...and something else too.”

“I am Alon, son of the Dragon of Waves, King of all that flows.”

“Dragooonnn.” the voice hissed. “Yessss I know that ssssmell well.”

This time the voice came from directly behind him and as Alon turned toward the temple’s rear he saw it. Twisting and turning a long, scaled serpentine body descended somewhere from the ceiling above. For a moment Alon thought it was the form of his father Unok but no. Instead of a bright shimmering blue the scales were dark murky green and instead of kindly eyes filled with warmth, Alon found himself staring into amber-red slits the depths of which nothing warm lurked. As Alon looked into the great serpent's eyes he felt himself go a bit numb. The light above his palm dimmed.

“I am Baghra little dragonling.” the great serpent hissed flicking its tongue leisurely through the air. “I am your family.”

Alon did not answer, and the great snake continued.

“Did your father not tell you? Once dragons and serpents were one. But it was to the ancestorsss of the dragon that the godsss bestowed the giftsss of divine magic.”

Alon knew there were pythons in Talamar but none so big as this one. Creatures such as this only existed in the woods of the Weir on his father’s island. What was something like this doing out here?

The python cocked its large head, studying Alon.

“You do not look like any dragon spawn I've ever seen. Though you certainly sssmell like one.” the serpent hissed flicking its forked tongue once more.

“But I wonder little dragonling....what do you taste like? Man or dragon?”

Alon stood frozen transfixed in the snake's hypnotic gaze. His mind told him he must ready a spell to attack, but intuition told him that the moment he moved the snake would pounce. He doubted he would be faster but...

Just then from the corner of his eye, he saw a figure hurl itself through the darkness at the giant serpent in front of him. The snake let out a piercing shriek twisting violently to throw off its unexpected attacker. Buwat was a whirlwind of fangs and claws as he savagely tore into the right eye of the snake. The python twisted and turned savagely but try as he might he could neither bite nor dislodge the little beast that lay just out of reach of its massive, pierced fangs.

Suddenly Alon felt his senses return to him. He gathered his energy within, readying himself to cast a spell.

“Mahat!” he cried.

A great rope of fire erupted from his fingertips and shot out toward the massive snake scorching it on its face. Buwat let out a cry and jumped from the snake's eye to Alon's side as the python threw back its massive head and let out a pained hiss. Rearing its head back out of the range of the jetting fire the snake hissed again and spat out a green stream of liquid at Alon. Rising quickly on both hind legs Buwat expelled a large stream of bright blue water from his mouth towards the snake. Both liquids collided in midair and exploded in a cloud of sizzling steam. For a minute Alon could not see as his vision was blanketed in a white murky haze. However, his adversary was unfazed and launched itself full force toward Alon.

With just seconds to spare Alon cried out, “ Saisu!” and a light blue wall of translucent energy materialized before him, intercepting the incoming fangs just millimeters from his face. Buwat let out a cry and attempted to expel another stream of pressurized water at the snake but before he could the serpent's massive tail flicked quickly through the air and slammed into the small creature, crushing him into the stone floor beneath them. With a yelp, Buwat exploded into millions of tiny bright azure water droplets that swirled together and raced toward Alon forming a small shard of crystal that hung in the air in front of him.

“Buwat!” Alon cried with concern, grabbing the crystal and stuffing it quickly into his pants pocket. It had been years since the elemental's corporeal form had been broken. While he knew his partner would be just fine it would be some time before the elemental would be able to reform again. Now it was just him alone against the terrifying beast.

As the great snake threw his head back readying itself for another strike Alon tried to think of a plan from behind his blue shield.

If he tried to escape out into the open, he would have more room to fight, he reasoned. But no, so too would the snake and the enclosed space of the temple might be in his favor. Alon looked up at the towering figure of the great snake and spotted the old roof just behind it. Perhaps if he could just...

But no sooner had the plan formed in his mind than the snake launched itself again toward Alon’s shield this time knocking the boy straight off his feet toward the temple’s entrance.

Rising quickly to his feet, Alon readied the magic within him. Fire was by no means his best element, but the adrenaline of the fight seemed to create the needed connection to the explosive energy he sought within. The snake glided quickly toward him, and he knew he would only have one shot. Raising his hands toward the ceiling Alon shouted the spell.

“Maho Mabarat!” he cried.

A great blast of fire jettisoned from his palms toward the ceiling above where it exploded with a loud bang against the ancient stone. Fragments of rocks rained down from the ceiling above and onto the body of the great serpent below.

Caught in the falling fragments, the snake halted and let out a pained cry as its body became buried in the rubble of the collapsing building. Alon threw himself out of the temple’s entrance just as the ceiling above him collapsed. As the dust settled Alon could just make out the crushed and mangled form of the fearsome snake amongst the rubble.

Alon sighed, wiping dust and sweat from his forehead. He certainly would have quite the story to tell when he arrived home. How queer it was, that so much of his day had been spent trying to get out from under his father's watchful gaze, yet now all he longed for was to see the kindly old dragon once more.

Suddenly, Alon felt a great warmth begin to radiate from within his pocket. Puzzled Alon searched for its source and found the small orb he'd taken from the temple. The little stone was now glowing a bright iridescent blue and felt hot to the touch. Above him, white clouds began to swirl together and darken. Out of nowhere, a booming roar like thunder echoed throughout the sky. From out of the dark clouds, a long bright blue form descended from the heavens toward Alon. Twisting and turning the shining magnificent body of a gigantic dragon landed gracefully just before Alon.

The majestic form now in front of him was none other than his father, Unok. The mighty dragon looked from the boy to the collapsed stone temple then back again, cocking a great scaly brow. Alon smiled up at him somewhat sheepishly. It seemed the time for that story was now at hand.