Horn

"There weren't always Dragons in the valley," thought David,"but now is the time we change everything."

The sound of his voice, once thin and frail, now filled the throne room; his basso profundo shook its way into the hearts of every person gathered in that ancient stone room.

"... and now, you know the price of your precious lies. For I am the one true prophet and voice of the Kalar - and my voice carries with that the oath of the righteous and the power of the just!" David shouted.

The Warriors of Saarad, once the undefeatable and feared, stood, mouths agape - and while their eyes were still covered beneath the visors of their helmets, one could feel their eyes staring in disbelief.

"We are the true and we are the right; if you strike one of us down, one hundred shall take his place," intoned David.

"For he is ours and we are yours," cried back the Uluraq, who now gathered strong behind their new leader.

"And we are all for the path of the righteous," said David, his gaze unwavering.

Jundell the Conquerer stared at his boy - who was suddenly a man. In all of his 200 years, he'd met, crushed and discarded boys like this - but he knew this time, his reign was truly threatened.

"Come now, dear Islander. We have broken bread, and drank of each other's goblet. There must be something we have in common, for you know I am no true enemy," Jundell said with a flashy grin. He tossed his cape over one shoulder, and attempted to look casual.

"Ah... your food and drink. Of course, I know better than to trust a Haberllian's hospitality. You tried to poison me with the Milk of Safras. I knew it before you served me."

"No, dear boy, why would we try to do that?"

"Because you know the threat we represent to your way of life. You know we will not stand for it - not across this star system nor the countless others you have under your boot."

"You assume too much, David. Really, for my brother's son, you have fallen quite far from the tree, " Jundell said as he poured himself a glass of wine.

"DO NOT LIE TO ME!" shouted David, and he spat upon the floor.

The spittle began to sizzle on the tile - the acrid smell of the dissolving minerals filled the room, and Jundell stared in wonder at the sight.

"But, David..." Jundell stammered, "I have no idea what you're speaking of...."

"SILENCE! Your poisons no longer affect me, nor will they affect anyone else from this day forth. Your reign ends here and now."

Jundell's face broken into a red rage as his countenance changed.

"FOOLISH BOY!! You dare to defy me? Really? With your pithy conjurer's tricks and transmutations; you think you can cease my control on this universe? I built this universe, Star System by Star System - I gave the people light, food, wonder when they had NONE! I AM THE WAY! I AM THE LIGHT. I AM THE STAR-RIDER!"

"You are just a man, about to die."

David spat upon his uncle's chest with a voracity and hatred unseen before in the 12 Galaxies. Jundell glared at his chest with equal parts disgust and fear.

"You... spit on me?"

"I merely gave you back your precious poison, Uncle. I know harvesting it probably cost the life of at least 20 slaves. Their blood and the blood of millions of others is now upon you, in judgment. I deliver you unto them."

The spittle began to sizzle and burn along Jundell's chest. He tore at his clothes with a guttural cry, but the material was already gone. The spittle was melting through his chest - his skin had never been breached before. Jundell didn't recognize the sensation - he felt... exposed. And then he felt pain.

Exquisite pain. He'd never quite felt this before. He knew he had delivered to others before, but he never imagined it would feel this way. As the poison began to spread through his chest, it began to disintegrate the organic material of his body.

"YOU WHELP! THIS IS NOT FOR ME! THIS IS NOT FOR ME!!" Jundell screamed at David.

"Yes. This time, the pain IS yours... Star Rider."

David stood and watched his uncle perish in pain for the next hour. His loyal Uluraq stayed with him - and when the spectacle was over, the body of his Uncle was a dissolved pile of semi-organic material. David stared at it curiously, and never looked again. His commander motioned for others to remove the smoking remains. David walked to the edge of the ancient castle, and stared down into the sea below. The waves crashed against the castle walls once again. Jundell had stopped the sea when he was alive - soon, with the return of the seas, the rest of this world would know Jundell was dead. The Dragons were no more. Soon after, the 12 Galaxies would know. But this was just a start.

"Come, friends. We have much to do now. As was written eons ago, on another world - one journey ends, another begins."