Dragon of the Ninth Gate

There weren’t always dragons in the Valley. Dormiera was once a proud and prosperous nation ruled by Emperor Justus Gavia and his wife, Empress Octavia. After the second season of harvest, an earthquake tore through the foundations of the land—releasing a swarm of flying ice creatures from the depths of the underworld. Like a plague, the pearl-colored dragons mercilessly massacred men, women, and children throughout the country. The dragons were known as the Dwellers of Dormiera and encased the land in a frozen tundra.

The dragons drove the Domineerian people from their homelands after the emperor was slain. The creatures hunted down those who fled by land and devoured them. Only by sea did the remaining survivors find sanctuary. The Domineerians searched for a new home under the guise of Commander Magnus Leos. Over time, Commander Magnus gained the confidence of the desperate survivors and overthrew the empress. They spent seven days wandering aimlessly on the unforgiving seas.

It’s the 6th of Calmer. On a wintery island far from Dormiera, a small village on the coast of Gondul remained hidden from the rest of the world. The 52-year-old chief, Arne Onfroid, stacked a plank of wood on a stump and chopped it with a rune ax then repeated the same maneuvers within the course of the afternoon. He had a thick braided beard and wore a fur coat made of bear skin that shielded his neck from the freezing winds. His eldest daughter, Gerda, found him in the snowy forest. Arne didn't notice her.

“You’ve been out here for quite some time. Mother finished cooking a while ago.” Gerda Onfroid was 17-years-old. Her long dirty-blonde hair was beautiful like her mother’s, yet her robust exterior gave most men the impression that she was unapproachable. Gerda wore a coat made from a gray wolf’s fur with long black boots. There was a steel dagger strapped around her leg.

“Aye.” His voice is deep, like that of a bear. Arne placed the ax in his belt and then plucked the planks of wood from the earth.

“Let me help you.” Gerda picked up the remaining pile of firewood and held it in her arms. At one point in time, Arne used to take offense to his daughter’s assistance. As a chief, it was an insult to his old age and status, but as a father, Arne realized that Gerda was always like this. Always helping; always watching, even before he reached his fifties. His daughter strived to learn from him.

Upon their return to the village, they could see the sunset between the edges of the mountains. They lived in a wooden longhouse at the village’s center. Arne’s wife, Estrid, opened the door. His 14-years-old daughter, Svana, was brushing her hair, and his 6-year-old son, Sune, nearly caused him to drop the firewood from a hug.

“You’re late,” his wife, Estrid, said. She set three bowls of porridge and two plates of fried pork and bread on the table.

“We could never have too much,” Arne said. “Winter waits for no one.”

“Neither does food.” Estrid kissed him on his cheek. “If you keep staying out like this, you’ll catch a cold.”

“These old bones haven’t given out yet.”

“Svana, help your father and sister with the storage room then come back to the table for supper.”

“Yes, mother.” Svana puts down her brush.

At the table, Sune was stirring his porridge. Sune’s sisters finished eating, but they were still hungry.

“Mother, is there any more porridge?” Svana asked.

“No. That was all we had left.”

“But I’m still hungry,” Svana said. Gerda felt the same way but kept silent.

“I won’t repeat myself.” Estrid’s patience was wearing off. Her husband continued to eat without saying a word.

“Here, you can have some of my food.” Sune held out his bowl to his older sister. “I never really liked porridge anyway.”

“Eat your food, boy.” Arne took another bite out of his dish.

“But I’m still hungry.” Svana gloomed at the empty bowl.

“Father, I can go out and hunt for something to eat,” Gerda suggested.

“Not while the sun is down. I forbid it.” Arne cut half of his bread and gave a slice to Svana.

“Mother, may I be excused?” Gerda asked.

“You may,” Estrid said. Gerda stormed off to her room. Arne watched then finished the rest of his fried pork loin.

That night, Arne and Estrid sat at the table together while the kids were fast asleep. Candlelight exposed their faces in the shadows. Gerda was listening from her bedroom.

“Our food rations are running thin. Arne, there isn’t enough for us to last the winter and it’s not just us. The villagers too. The deer have already begun to hibernate, the fish are not biting this time of year, and the crop won’t grow with the temperatures like this.”

Arne shut his eyes and meditated on his wife’s words. The sound of blowing wind reminded him of the ocean. The seas called to him from the back of his mind.

“Then we’ll look elsewhere,” Arne said.

“What do you mean?”

“We will find nourishment beyond our land. I’ll take a few men with me and we’ll leave at sunrise.”

“For how long?” Estrid asked.

“I don’t know, but I will not return home until I have found a source of food for us to last the coming weeks.”

“As long as you come back to me alive. I don’t want to lose you and there’s no telling what lies beyond those waters.”

“Estrid, even a thousand deaths wouldn’t keep me away from you,” Arne held onto his wife’s hand.

“And I would give myself to thee in each lifetime.” Estrid embraced her husband. The news kept Gerda awake. She couldn’t believe her father’s decision to leave his family behind.

That morning, the smell of seawater filtered the air. Arne met up with two fishermen from his village on the shores of Gondul; Felman, a young lad who was merely 19-years-old, and his bulky father, Borr. At the time of their youth, Arne and Borr would go on raids with the previous chief of Gondul before he had taken his place nine years prior. Arne had promised Estrid that he would abandon senseless bloodshed, and find a way for the Goninans to thrive independently, yet the chilling blizzard froze the hearts of desperate men. Survival awakens an insatiable bloodlust that Arne believed to have abandoned long ago.

“Is that everything?” Arne asked while checking the remaining cargo.

“Yes, Chief Onfoid. There should be enough meals to last us for twelve days,” Borr said. “Felman, did you pack all of our equipment on deck?”

“Yes, father,” Felman said. He held Captain Borr’s helmet in his hands.

“Good,” Arne said.

An alluring young woman approaching the beach distracted Felman.

“Who is that?” Felman asked. Arne and Borr turned around. What the chief saw displeased his eyes.

“Gerda? What are you doing here?” the chief demanded.

“I want to come with you,” Gerda pleaded. “I can help you.”

“Gerda, go home, now!” Gerda had never seen her father this furious before. His fists clenched and there was a sudden sharpness in his eyes. “You do not belong here.”

“If I was Sune, it would be different. You don’t trust me because I’m a woman,” Gerda accused. Arne doesn’t respond. “I am not a little girl that needs saving. I am the child of the bravest chief of our village. I am your daughter. I can do anything if you believe in me.”

“…It is because you are my child that I do not want you joining us. I won’t put you in harm’s way and risk your life. This isn’t some hunting trip,” Arne said. Gerda noticed the horned helmet in Felman’s hand.

“I know,” she said. “I acknowledge the risks, father. I can hold my own.”

“Chief Onfroid, we have an extra blade in the cargo,” Felman added.

“Let the lass join us,” Borr suggested. “She is your daughter after all. Gerda has always been a quick learner. Besides, the runs today won’t be anywhere near as gruesome as they were during the time of our youth.”

“Fine, but only if you do as I say. If something goes wrong, I want you to return home.”

“Yes, father,” Gerda said.

“Well that settles it,” Borr rejoiced. “Let us leave while the seas are calm and the gods are pleased.”

A dragon carving with curved horns was at the head of the ship’s prow. The vessel had a white flag with a turquoise tooth-shaped design. It was Gerda’s first time on the seas. She sat at her father’s side as Captain Borr gave the command to row. Half-a-dozen men on each side of the deck held an oar; they rowed against the weight of the sea. Gusts of wind blew the sails as they lifted Gerda’s hair. When she looked back at her homeland, Gondul faded into the distance.

After nearly two miles of rowing, Captain Borr gave his sailors a break. The sails directed their journey eastbound. The men shared tales of past ventures and war stories from their youth over beer. Felman offered Gerda a drink, yet she declined. Arne and Borr laughed at the time that one of their fellow mates fell off a ship after showing off an old battle scar. Some of the stories were familiar to Gerda, others, not so much.

“What happened to the previous chief?” Gerda interrupted. The men were momentarily silent before Borr began to answer.

“He died,” Borr muttered.

“…But how did he die?” Gerda asked. Borr looked back at Chief Arne; her father nodded.

“Greed. Following the tales of a lost legend. Do you know about the creation of our world?” Borr asked.

“Bits and pieces,” Gerda said.

“—Kelomess, the goddess of the beginning, and Vohlundrud, the god of the end had battled one another at the edge of the Twilight Ocean after the creation of mankind.” Borr pulled out an unfinished map and showed the crew the location. “Their blood gave birth to a child known as Endalous or Endless. Endalous was rumored to be a priceless gem the size of an island; our last leader believed it was some form of grand treasure.” Borr laughed then drank a large gulp of his beer.

Gerda leaned in on her seat.

“I went with him. Your father stayed home because you were running a fever. Arne was the lucky one. When we arrived…” Borr paused for a moment. “…Whatever it was, killed everyone from our crew. It was as if the creature commanded the storms. I could not make out anything beyond the beast’s silhouette. I was the only survivor that night. I spent two days at the mercy of the ocean until your father found me. Afterward, I carved the creature’s likeness into this boat.”

“Are you alright?” Felman asked.

“Aye. I’m fine, son.” Borr finished drinking the rest of his beer. The last gulp burned the back of his throat. Nightmares of Endalous slaughtering those he knew kept him awake. It took an overwhelming amount of time before Borr had the courage to return to the seas.

“Do you believe in his story, father?” Gerda asked.

“My father would never make this up,” Felman insisted.

“Borr is an honest man. I trust him with my life. One thing that I have learned from my travels throughout the seas is that the creatures of this world are fierce and unpredictable. Remember that, Gerda. Always be wary of the unknown.”

Arne spotted a lonely longship with closed sails hidden within a dense fog. A cold chill curled Gerda’s spine. The men lowered their voices. Felman passed out helmets and blades to every man on the boat. Captain Borr picked up a grappling hook as they rowed closer to bord the deck. Gerda was suspicious of the closed sails. Something about the isolated vessel didn’t sit right with her. She did not see any signs of life on deck.

“Father, I don’t think we should go up there,” Gerda whispered.

“—You won’t be joining us,” Arne said. “I want you to stay here and guard the ship.

“Signal us if you see anything,” Borr added.

“But if it gets too dangerous, remain silent, cut the rope, and go home,” Arne said.

“The map and compass are in the satchel. Felman, I want you to stay on the ship with Gerda.” Borr adjusted his curved-horned helmet on his head.

“Yes sir.” Felman avoided eye contact with Gerda.

Captain Borr twirled the grappling hook before launching it to the top of the deck’s vessel. The hook locked in. After a few yanks from Borr, the men climbed up top. Arne was one of the last ones to leave.

“Be careful,” Gerda said. She watched as her father climbed up until he vanished.

Arne’s men spread out on the large deck. The previous crew securely tied the sails to the mast. There was a blockade of crates in front of a door leading to the lower deck. Arne noticed scrape marks on the deck's floor. Borr walked up the steps and examined the ship’s wheel. The handles were still warm.

Gerda was slowly pacing back and forth on the boat below. It was far too quiet.

“I’m going up,” Gerda said.

“We were told to stay here,” Felman said. “We should wait.”

Before Gerda responded, she heard a flapping sound coming from the back of the longship. She stopped pacing.

“Did you hear that?” Gerda asked.

“Hear what?” The flapping grew louder. It sounded like a fish or a bird. “What is that?”

“Felman, can you help me row the ship towards the base?”

Felman loosened the rope of the grappling hook enough for the boat to have mobility. They rowed to the back of the longship.

“Is that an anchor?”

“No,” Felman answered. “The chain is too thin.” The flapping continued once more, but this time they could see the source. Bubbles surfaced from a metal cage connected to the chain. Felman grabbed the chain and pulled the enclosure above the surface.

“A dragon?” Gerda stammered.

A baby pearl-colored flying beast was spraying rays of ice from its mouth as it rampaged within the coop. Its eyes were that of pink gems. Gerda realized that the dragon’s power was the source of the fog surrounding them.

“Hold the chain and don’t let go of it,” Gerda said. As Felman held it out, she picked up an ax and cut the line in two. Felman nearly dropped the cage. It is much heavier than he expected it to be. Gerda helped him pull the chain up and tied the dragon’s cage to their ship.

“What could this mean?” Felman asked. The frightened baby dragon recoiled to the furthest corner of its prison. The dense fog began to disappear.

“The fog is giving way,” one of the men shouted. A massive fleet of warships was on the other side of the vessel.

“Enemy on our—” An arrow pierces Borr’s throat. He fell off the side of the longship. Felman saw his father drop off the boat, but it was too late for them to reach him.

“Take cover!” Arne yelled. An arrow goes through his left shoulder.

A cloud of arrows rained on the Goninans. Wails of agony reached the base of the boat. Arne hid behind the mast as he watched his men get struck down one by one. He broke the arrow sticking out of him and then pulls the head out.

“Hold your fire,” Commander Magnus ordered. A plank from the largest warship boarded the vessel. Several soldiers followed behind him. They wore blue tunics, leather sandals, and steel chainmail. Each soldier wielded a javelin besides Commander Magnus Leos; he sheathed a gladius sword in his belt. He was 55-years-old with short gray brunette hair. No one looked him directly in his piercing eyes.

“Some of them are still alive,” Captain Faustus Cicero hissed. He was a weasel of a man with a snarky attitude. “We should put them out of their misery.”

“No. We, won’t have them die just yet. Dump the dead off the deck then bring the living to the cell hall. I have a few questions to ask them,” Commander Magnus said.

“Yes sir,” the soldiers said.

“I’ll find their ship,” Aquilius Evander said. He was the youngest and largest of the three. His arrow made its mark on Borr’s neck.

The soldiers pushed the empty boxes of cargo away from the door and then dumped the dead bodies off the side of the ship. Commander Magnus and Captain Faustus watched as they dragged Arne and two other men below deck. When Aquilius searched the edge for their boat, he saw nothing; even the grappling hook was gone. A thick cloud of fog covered the ship’s base.

Arne and his two other men were on their knees with their hands tied. Blood dripped off the surface of his forehead. A soldier bashed Arne’s head against the floor again.

“I am losing my patience,” Commander Magnus grunted. “This is the last time I will ask. Which one of you is the leader?”

“I… I am,” Arne answered.

“Very good,” Commander Magnus retorted. He nodded at Captain Faustus. The captain unsheathed his sword and decapitated the second soldier. Aquilius used a javelin and rammed it through the third soldier’s head.

“Damn you!” Arne tried to stand up, but Commander Magnus knocked him back down to his knees. Aquilius kicked Arne in the face and then forced his heel on his neck.

“And where do you hail from, dog?” Aquilius raised his javelin over Arne’s eye.

“Take one of his eyes,” Captain Faustus suggested.

“Not his eyes.” Commander Magnus focused on Arne’s hand.

It had been an hour since the attack. Sunset shrouded the longship in darkness. The cover of night blinded the soldiers’ vision and the crash of the waves blocked the sound.

“I’m sorry about your father,” Gerda consoled.

“I’ll kill every single last one of them for what they did.” Felman raised a blade.

“No, Felman. If you go up there and try to fight everyone, they’ll kill you. There are too many of them. My father may still be alive. I can sneak up top and find out what happened,” Gerda whispered.

“You would do the same if it was your father!” Felman tried to keep his voice down while succumbing to his rage.

“That’s why I know it wouldn’t work,” Gerda said. “Give me some time. Trust me.”

“And how do you know you won’t get caught?” he asked. Something about her voice made him drop his guard. A certain strength that he had only seen previously in Chief Onfroid.

“I snuck here without my father noticing, didn’t I?”

“Fine then. I’ll stay with the dragon,” Felman said. He twirled the grappling hook and threw it on the back of the deck. Gerda removed the dagger strapped to her thigh and then placed it between her teeth. Soldiers surveyed the area while she climbed the back of the vessel.

The boat rocked side to side against the waves; the ship’s planks creaked loudly, masking Gerda’s footsteps. She carefully crept behind one of the cargo boxes while wielding a dagger in her left hand. Gerda had never taken the life of another human before. She had slain a wolf once when she went hunting with her father. On other days, a few rabbits and several deer. When she was ten, she heard a story about Felman’s father, Borr. He had once slain a massive bear stalking the villagers. Even though the bear was larger and strong enough to tear a man’s head off, he was able to slay the beast with pure willpower and seclusion. Gerda crept closer to one of the soldiers at the edge of the deck. She grabbed the soldier’s mouth and sliced his throat before kicking him off the ship. Fresh blood dripped from the blade’s edge to her trembling fingers. No one heard him fall from the ship. Gerda found her next target and stabbed him in the kidney before jamming her blade in his neck.

She cracked open the door to the lower deck. Security was tighter than before. Gerda hid within the shadows as she maneuvered herself toward the lower level. She even found one guard fast asleep; killing him would only alarm the others. Gerda chose her targets wisely. She could see light from the final door. Commander Magnus, Captain Faustus, and Aquilius were in front of her father next to two dead members of her crew. She could see half of Arne’s face bloodied and two of his fingers cut off.

“Yet still you refuse to speak?”

Arne was holding on to his wounded hand, but when he looked at Commander Magnus Leos, he smiled at him.

“Fine. Take his eye.” Aquilius prepared to strike Arne with his javelin.

“No!” Gerda burst through the door and blocked Aquilius’s strike with her sword and dagger. She fended off Aquilius as long as she could before being overpowered. Aquilius hit her with the back of his javelin’s pole and Captain Faustus raised his blade to pierce her throat.

“Wait!” Arne yelled. “Please, wait! I’ll tell you.” Commander Magnus signaled his men to stop.

“Well…” Commander Magnus said. “This is your last chance.”

“We… We hail from the edge of the Twilight Ocean. From a land called Endalous. We’re from Endalous.” Arne is out of breath.

“No. Father, you can’t!” Gerda begged.

“Father? So, it's true,” Commander Magnus assumed.

“Spare her life and let her go, and I will show you.”

“That’s too bad. I really liked this one.” Captain Faustus licked his lips while caressing Gerda’s thigh.

“Stop! If you don’t let her go now, I’ll never show you,” Arne declared.

“Faustus!” Commander Magnus snapped.

“Have it your way. I never get to have any fun around here.”

They brought the bloodied Arne and Gerda outside. Captain Faustus tied Gerda to the mast and crossed the plank with Arne to return to their warship.

“It’s west of here. Where the sun never shines,” Arne said.

“Good,” Aquilius said. He lit the tip of an arrow and set the sail of the longship ablaze.

“What a waste,” Captain Faustus said.

“You said you would spare her!” Arne cried.

“She didn’t have to die in front of you,” Commander Magnus said. “That was my mercy. You really thought that we would let her live so she could warn your people?”

“Gerda!!!”

“Quiet, dog! Or we’ll cut out your tongue next,” Aquilius said. Tears rolled down Arne’s face.

Several soldiers joined Aquilius and shot additional flaming arrows at the longship.

“Faustus, we move westward,” Commander Magnus said.

“Turn the sails westward!” Captain Faustus barked to his men.

The warships sailed away from the burning wreckage. Felman climbed up the ship from the grappling hook. The smoke burned his eyes; he could hardly see anything.

“Gerda, where are you!?”

“I’m over here!”

“Hurry, Felman!” Gerda cried. The mast was breaking and rocking the vessel back and forth. Felman lost his footing and slid to the edge.

“Hold on!” Felman raced to Gerda and cut through the ropes with his blade. CRUNCH. The massive mast broke in two.

“Jump!” Felman and Gerda leaped from the sinking ship. The flaming debris scared away several sharks feeding on the dead. Felman dragged Gerda to the surface of the water and swam toward their boat. He tossed her on his father’s ship and then laid right next to her to catch his breath. Seawater drenched their clothes.

“We have to follow them,” Gerda said. “My father is still alive.”

“What?”

“They tried to force Gondul’s location out of him. He told them it was at the Twilight Ocean.”

“But why would Chief Onfroid… No. We can’t,” Felman said. “It’s too dangerous. Endalous dwells there.”

“Have you ever seen Endalous before?”

“No, but I was told to never go there.”

“Felman, we have to try.”

“Your father is sacrificing himself to save the village and he’s taking those bastards with him. There’s nothing else we can do about it.”

“What if I can guarantee that we would stay out of sight?”

“Like you did on the longship? No.”

“…But there is a way.” Gerda looked at the baby dragon. “If we can create a fog with the dragon, not even Endalous will see us.” It was not that she believed Endalous was real, but right now wasn’t the time to question the validity of Borr’s story, least of all to his grieving son.

“We can go, but only to make sure that Endalous leaves no one alive."

Gerda turned to the dragon.

“I’m sorry, little one. We need your help one last time, and I promise to set you free.”

Captain Magnus was ahead of them, but Felman still had his father’s map. Several hours passed before they arrived at the Twilight Ocean. Lightning crackled in the distance.

“Do you see anything?” Gerda asked.

“Not yet. Wait, I think I saw something.” The parade of warships nearly reached the ocean’s center.

“Where is it?” Commander Magnus demanded.

“It’s past the crystal,” Arne said.

“He’s lying to us,” Captain Faustus said.

“This was a waste of time. Let’s kill him and get it over with,” Aquilius said.

“I’ve been merciful,” Commander Magnus said. “If you would’ve shown us, we would’ve made your death quick, but now you will suffer. Aquilius. Faustus.”

Aquilius picked up his javelin. Captain Faustus held Arne down. A radiant blue light sparkled below the waters; it cast itself upon their faces. The point of an island-sized crystal raised to the surface. Waves violently rocked the fleet of warships.

“What is that?” Commander Magnus asked. “Where have you taken us!?”

Lightening danced throughout the skies; each bolt struck the island until a vicious Aegean-colored dragon rose to the surface. Its beard was like violet jellyfish tentacles. The crystal was a horn atop its forehead. It rotated its head to observe all the strangers. There was a dense fog behind the warship.

“What manner of beast is this?” Captain Faustus was frightened.

“Endalous,” Arne said under his breath.

“Don’t make any sudden movements,” Commander Magnus demanded.

Gerda and Felman saw the godly creature on their small boat from within the fog. Gerda’s heart pounded beneath her breast. She couldn’t muster the courage to move.

“Is that…”

“…Endalous,” Felman finished.

Endalous did not budge a muscle; it merely watched. The Domineerians were frozen prey. Its roar was like a million cries from the heavens. On a separate warship, one of the men cried aloud.

“Flee!!!” The vessel attempted to turn around and sail away.

“No, you fool!” Commander Magnus shouted.

The sea dragon blasted lightning out of its crystal into the heavens. A harsh rainstorm began to pour. The men stared at the clouds before the lightning destroyed the fleeing warship, dematerializing it into ashes.

“Attack!” Aquilius yelled.

The Domineerians fired arrows at Endalous, yet to no avail. Endalous tore through the second ship with its long talons. Electrocuted soldiers floated above the crashing waves. Arne broke free during the commotion. He drew a blade from one of the soldiers before cutting him down. Aquilius and Captain Faustus rushed to the lifeboats. Arne held on to Commander Magnus.

“Let go of me, you damn barbarian!”

“No. I won’t let you run from this.”

“Fine then. I will slay you here, dog!” Commander Magnus drew his gladius.

Arne was missing several fingers, but his will continued to fight on. Estrid, Svana, Sune, and Gerda raced through his mind. The chief refused to let this threat harm his family. He pushed through the pain. Endalous sliced another warship into several pieces with split rays of lightning until he came across the main ship with Arne and Commander Magnus. Blood dripped from Arne’s lips as Magnus stabbed him in the chest. Arne held onto Magnus’s hand so he couldn’t pull back his blade and pierced Magnus through the heart.

“Damn you…” Commander Magnus drew his final breath as he collapsed.

Chief Onfroid left Magnus’s sword in his body and pulled himself to the edge of the ship. The blade he wielded fell to the deck. He could see Gerda from the side of the ship through a dense fog. When Gerda’s eyes met with her father’s, Arne smiled. She is safe. Gerda was saying something, but he couldn’t hear her through the storm. Endalous raised above the last warship and shot the largest bolt of lightning ever seen to man. Gerda and Felman could only see a flash of light, and when it disappeared, Arne was gone.