Battle of The Source

There weren't always dragons in the valley. When evil rises, the protectors of the realms will appear. The Demi-Dragons have finally returned. Now my journey begins.

How else am I supposed to get there? The angelic wings of a shire horse, or maybe a year’s journey by foot, searching ancient maps, looking for the portal. The trials and tribulations of normal hunting I would gladly accept, but my life started out on the other side of normal.

I surprised my mother, pushing my tiny head through after the painful birth of my brother. Let her tell it, I dropped out still nestled tightly in my tiny sack, mistaken for afterbirth. Even after freedom I made no sound. She passed her duties of a mother off to the handmaidens never once looking at me.

She never gave me a name. Cameron would have been nice or maybe Knox, Dylan or Logan. But that’s neither here nor there. I watched through the eyes of a toddler my mother feeding my brother from her breast. Moon after moon she passed me by. On a red moon enough was enough. Hunger twirls in my stomach igniting my yellow glowing eyes. The flow of power in my body listened to my deepest desires, forcing my mother to finally look at me. Tears fill her eyes as her steps are forced towards me. If I was allowing sound to come through her voice box, she still might have asked me to stop.

I wave my tiny hands, forcing her gown to open, not caring about the fear on her face. I jump in excitement at the sight of her swollen breast. Her nipples dripping white juice. I latch, taking every drop of milk I was deprived of. The satisfaction of the taste sends chills down my spine fueling my anger even more. The sides of my mouth quickly fill with more milk than my tiny body can swallow. I can’t let go knowing this taste will end forever. I pull harder and harder until white becomes red running down my chest. I don’t know which one is making me happier, the milk or the sight of her life leaving her eyes.

The nutrients make my power stronger, placing a protective shield around me, unbreakable by the guards rushing in from screaming handmaidens. I admired the crowd, finally receiving a little attention. Arledor, my twin brother, finally awakes curious of the events unfolding. He pulls himself up to a sitting position making eye contact with me. Where my eyes glowed yellow, his, glowed red. He lifts his hand up, spreading his fingers apart.

“Stop!” One of the three words he knows how to say correctly. Wind from his essence breaks my shield, pushing me back. He’s a few minutes too late, his tears flow watching our mother fall lifeless to the ground.

I became the reason, the reason my brother will be the greatest sorcerer in the realm of Tavvia. Only a Grand Sorcerer can bring his dedicated servant with him through his birth.

You will always find me in the caves under the North Palace, where the prisoners are kept. The power I carry as a reincarnated servant has been more than enough to build my own underground kingdom. Anyone that comes up against my brother will answer to me. I see how they smirk when I enter seeking his revenge. My height is always at the center of the joke, four feet of laughs, five inches of giggles. Trust me I can appreciate a good laugh, it triggers the warmth in my hand before the fireball forms. Once I throw it, things are not as funny as they were before.

“Have you completed the task I asked of you?” My brother speaks across the table in the great hall. No matter how many times I take this seat, I can’t help but notice the differences between us. His long red cloak covers a perfectly toned physique. Glowing golden hair falls down his back touching the back of his thigh. The perfection of beauty is an added bonus reminding me of something I will never be.

My cloak is made of rags, off white from underground dust. My golden hair unkept down my short frame. I walk with a rod, giving my curved legs a little more support. The red globe connected to the top is all the height I need, allowing me to see everything happening around me.

“Tell me again why I have created this?” I challenge him, making sure he’s aware of my dedication and ability to create useful things.

“Do not play with my intelligence, have you finished what I have asked of you?” Glowing red eyes stare at me.

“I would never play with an intelligence as bright as yours. I am honored to serve the great and powerful Arledor! The one worthy of a name.”

“Good, my enemies become stronger and stronger everyday. It is time to attack the South Arm. Send my shadow to them with these words. I demand their throne or their death. I need no negotiations.”

“Yes my lord!” I stand on my feet balancing myself with my rod. With one hand I pull his shadow from the abyss. It squirms with high pitched screams trying to reconnect to the body that cast it out. I wave my short finger in the air pulling Arledor’s words from his past, instantly slamming them into the screaming mouth of his shadow. I release it to go speak.

“And the dragon? Is he prepared to go?” Arledor looks with authority. “I don’t have room for mistakes”

“Have I ever failed you before?” I ask, needing no response walking out the door. I look at my rod watching the room after my exit. The royal council enters standing at my brother's side. I wonder why they didn’t speak when I was there? Never have they hidden their presence from me.

I arrived back to the comfort of my underground kingdom, still a little puzzled in my head. For the first time in my life I feel uneasy after speaking with my brother. I can’t put two and two together but I’m sure it has something to do with this lamp I created. Don’t you dare think of light, this is no ordinary lamp. An oil lamp forged in the red fire from a Demi-Dragon and the dust of purgatory. This is a powerful prison and one of my best creations. Whoever controls this lamp has the power to control whatever is imprisoned inside it.

No one deserves that much power, especially my brother. I added my own little twist to it, cooling it off with water from a wishing well for three days. Now whoever controls this lamp can only be granted three wishes by whatever is inside it.

“Release me, dwarf!” The Demi-dragon yells as soon as he sees my face. “How dare you hold the great Cadmus prisoner in this disgrace of a realm.” Magic chains suppress his fire and paralyze his wings.

“You are not a prisoner!’ I assure him. “I can’t have you spitting dragon fire everywhere. I just want to talk.”

“You didn’t have a problem with my dragon’s fire touching that lamp. Now release me, little liar!” Cadmus demands smelling me.

“About that, I only used your red fire, I need your white fire to transport me to the dimension of Iram. I need to pick something up.”

“I assure you, when these chains are off, I will destroy everything in my path including you!”

“I had a feeling you would respond like that. I tell you what, if you do this for me I will show you where the lost dragon is your fellow Demi-Dragons have been searching for.

“Fool! I am the lost dragon they seek!”

“I don’t think so!” I turn, stretching my words. “I think you were looking to find it first. You were close to. I caught you off guard in the nick of time. But I will gladly show you where it is if you help me.”

“You wretched mundane people always want something. Learn a few magic tricks and you think you're the center of the universe. Do you know how many dimensions we will have to cross to get there?” Cadmus pulls his long head up. “Do you know how precise I would have to be to get you exactly where you want to be? Time is tricky, it has an agenda of its own. The fifth moon of vela has to be perpendicular to the forming of the Cyrus orbit. Not to mention the arms of Orion must pass the sixth cusp under the forming black holes of the outer speed of light. The quickest and safest way to travel through dimensions is never up. Are you sure you’re ready for that dwarf?” Cadmus looks, sending warning energy.

“I have been studying the realms and dimensions all my life. I’ve traveled through spirit form many times. I am more than ready”

“And if I refuse your offer?”

“Then and only then will you become a prisoner. But let’s not think that way. Let’s think of it as a partnership.”

“If I agree to transport you there and back, do I have your word you will release me upon return and give me what I seek?”

“You have my word! But let us not forget, as a Demi-Dragon you are bound by the universe to keep your word to the best of my ability.”

“You have no idea of what it is I am bound to, you just make sure you keep your word! When do we leave?” Cadmus ready to get this over.

“Now!” I demand. “In order for us to get to the time I need, we must leave in the next three minutes.”

Cadmus swings his tail around landing at my feet. I walk up as fast as I can using my rod for support. His peacock color scales attach to my skin like glue holding me in place. I lift my hand releasing the spelled chains from his neck. He runs through the tunnel heading towards the sea. I lean down dodging broken boulders from his wings expanding, feeling the temperature in his throat increase. Like a rocket he shoots up above the sea releasing white fire from the moon. His wings fully expand soaring in the air before diving down into the water.

His fire pushes us through with ease, passing the most beautiful aquatic creatures I have ever seen. Jelly fish big as mountains swimming beside us glowing. Men and women of ancient magic staring at the unidentified swimming object. Cadmus plunges into another body of water within the sea filled with colors of the rainbow. The speed of light pushes us through the galaxy under the sea. We linger in limbo before being sucked into a black hole landing on a high mountain in Iram. Cadmus flops down from exhaustion, coughing up specks of white fire like phlegm.

“What’s wrong?” I question trying to understand what’s happening.

“We’re here!” He speaks through coughs.

“I know we are here but we’re about five years to early!” I scream confirming my calculation through the globe on my rod.

“I told you the universe has a funny way of doing things. Time has a mind of its own.”

“What I need may not be here yet, take me another five years!” My eyes glowing yellow in anger.

“The universe is not allowing me passage any further into this realm. Either get what you seek from here or the universe will release me from my oath to you.” Cadmus, a little stronger now. “I would hate to leave you here.”

I step back, closing my eyes in meditation. I hope by some twist of fate my calculations are wrong and what I need is here. I take deep breaths smelling what I seek. My shadow steps out of my body knowing where to go. I walk quickly through like a ghost floating past blue entities unaware of my presence. I see a small hut with one candle lit in the window. I step through the wall. There she is, her blue skin rocking back and forth, the crackling of the fire can still be heard under her soft voice singing,

Hush little baby, don’t say a word.

She holds her infant close to her barren womb, thanking me for the gift I gave her. The price she is not prepared to pay.

“Who’s there?” She turns her head feeling the presence of something.

I step into her reality as a ghost in the corner, ready to get this over with. She screams hysterically at the sight of me.

“You told me five years before you would come. Please don’t take my baby, please!” She screams louder and louder.

I don’t have the time to make her understand, I wanted to keep my word but I arrived too soon. I see the pain in her eyes as she pleads with me not to take her baby. My shadow overtakes her, pulling the infant jinn from her arms. I lift my rod prepared to kill her, taking her pain away, but I owe it to her to find me and seek her revenge.

I return quickly to the high mountain stepping back inside my body. Cadmus greets me well rested. He looks at me in disgust as I hold the stolen infant, the creature my brother seeks. I step up his spine waiting for his scales to cover me. We exit the same way we came safely arriving back to the cave. I jump down, snapping my finger, replacing the chains on Cadmus neck.

“What is the meaning of this, you tricked me!”

“No more than you tricked me. I have studied magic and astrology enough to know you could have taken me where I needed to be!” I speak, rocking a crying infant. I place him on a cot with sheepskin inside hoping he will stop crying.

Cadmus leans closer to me sniffing my hair in anger. “I think he’s hungry, you should nurse him since you stole him from his mother, little liar.” He blows white fire carefully burning my dusty white garment, revealing my well developed breast. “Give me what I seek or I will tell the realm your secret!”