The Eternal Flame of Ockris

Prologue

There weren't always dragons in the valley. Legend states that in the year 1329 the first dragon ever was created by Brendlich, an Alchemist Wizard from the chambers of Gladistine who was hell-bent on becoming a maker. In a large obsidian cauldron, they say he combined the eyes and tail of a lizard with the heart and talons of a falcon. He then added the wings of a vampirous bat and mixed it all with the blood of 3 orcs. Lastly, he carefully sprinkled the brew with a few smidgeons of faerie dust — he would churn it for many hours. After the mixture began to bubble and steam, he conjured the power of the Master Spirits for that necessary vital spark required to initiate life. In seven days, the resulting creation emerged from the thick, simmering, reddish black and putrefied liquid. Unique in its design, wicked in its appearance, it slithered its way out on to the cold, damp and mossy brick floor. Its birth cry was more piercing than that of a thousand Coracks screeching at the same time; it would be heard several miles away in every direction. Brendlich called the savage animal Draco, lord of the dark skies. The Master Spirits gifted upon it the hellacious power of fire; efficient and volatile, it could burn, scorch, melt or vaporize anything within a single breath. In just two years, the Draco grew an astonishing twenty times its original size of a Brangus bull. As one Draco became two and two became three, a race of them were called Dragons. Many names have been given to the different breeds that existed but Dragons they are and Dragons they remain. They continue the honor of being the most feared creatures in all of Xanthapy.

From the valley comes tall tales of the mighty beasts... Enjoy the following legend as it brings together Comradery, Fascination, Darkness and Dragons. A long-awaited Saga in the timeless cycle of the great fire breathers.

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Chapter 1

Alec and the Willowers

Long ago, in the days of the evil Prince Maracrid, a child is born in the remote settlement of Silver Loch, which was situated in the valley of Archaic Wonder. They shall call the child Alec. From the time of his birth, tiny Willowers gathered to behold him. Ronin, the high priest knew this was the beginning signs of a gallant soul, and that the child was intended to become a special breed of warrior called a Pryker.

The Willowers can be likened to angelic guardian marvels. Their purpose and intentions were not crystal clear, one's imagination could only wonder. Everyone knew that their presence meant that something extraordinary was on the cusp.

The exact origin of the Willowers remains unknown. And don't waste a breath of time seeking to catch or destroy one, it was impossible. Not even the greatest sorcerer could craft a spell strong enough to contain one. Their abilities were boundless; capable of transparency, they could travel through any substance at will, including iron. They were one, maybe two inches long, with the wings of an Emerald Dragonfly and the body of a Celtic Maiden. They transcended the understanding of causation and effect.

Alec grew up believing the Willowers were playthings that followed him wherever he went. But they would do more than just amuse him. They would protect him from the simplest sting of a bee, to breaking his fall when he tripped over his own feet as a toddler. They would even aid in putting the child to sleep when he became irritable from the annoying pain of sprouting teeth. This, and other minor services would all cease on his 15th birthday. On that evening, the twenty or so Willowers all vanished and no longer accompanied him. His birth givers, struck with confusion, struggled to understand why. But Ronin knew, he long awaited this day since the time he first laid eyes on the young fledgling. Alec was becoming a man, which meant his biological clock was set to begin learning the ways of the warriors.

Ronin drew a plan which revolved around the skillset of Alec. Once trained, he would pair Alec with a team of Prykers for the soul purpose of acquiring the Eternal Flame of Ockris. This was the one and only way to defeat the colossal assembly of Maracrid.

Alec had become witty, frolicsome and full of energy. He was quick to find trouble for himself and had very few fears. He would chase the young maidens around with dead frogs, leaving some of them running to their dwellings in tears. He taught himself how to juggle and would practice with anything he could find, including day old crusty bread and small Cranker knives. His mother did not find it amusing at all. He would climb the towering swipper trees in search of gnally eggs, a bird of prey similar to an eagle but much larger and more astute. It was his goal to raise a gnally as a pet and teach it to fight beside him. Ronin knew that these behaviors were normal for a lad his age but also knew that time was of the essence. He needed Alec to grow past this stage and concentrate on his lessons.

One afternoon following a summer windstorm, Ronin gave a sermon with all the Prykers and their families in attendance. He began to shed light on the existence of a feared beast called a Dragon. Although some of the Prykers already heard of such beasts, the eyes of everyone including the young became engaged with the description of the enormous creature capable of breathing fire and destroying worlds. The priest succeeded in frightening some and challenged others to be prepared, as one day they would face the malevolent giants who could soar beyond the clouds and back. He himself claimed to have seen one as it decimated the town of Noragam years before — an unbelievable and terrifying sight for all the witnesses involved. After the session concluded, Ronin summoned Alec to his quarters. He wanted to extend the lesson with him and disclose more information about things to come...

"Alec my son, you were chosen to be special. Only a few others like you have ever been graced by the touch of the Willowers...Tell me, what dreams do you have about the conditions that I have put forth? Your destiny prophesizes that you WILL face Zelib, one of the oldest living and most cunning of the Dragon breed. He watches over the realm of Maracrid; a vile and evil city where no man has freedom, a place where the Nio demons lurk with the passion to devour the souls of the weak. My son, there is a treacherous journey that lies ahead of you and your fellow warriors. What I give to you today is a promise of victory, but first an even more dangerous feat is upon you. It calls for strength, courage and intense judgement. Follow me, I shall show you something."

Ronin guides Alec to a corridor that led to a series of 7 rooms all sealed in heavy chains. He walked toward the 4th door and stopped. As he did, without saying a word, a Druid appeared out of the darkness. The Druid reached into the deep pocket of his woolen cloak to produce a large golden key that would unlock the chains that held the door shut. Inside was a library of sorts with dozens of leather-bound books all stacked on wooden tables toward the back of the room. Ronin nodded to the Druid, the Druid nodded back then left the area. Alec and the priest walked toward the center where a podium structure was staged. It was illuminated by candlelight, revealing its triangular shape swaying in the shadow it cast upon the dust ridden floor. As they got closer to it, Alec could now see that it was displaying a folio. The priest looked at Alec while pointing to an image on the cover of the sizable book.

"Do you know what this is?" Alec peered closely at the illustration, he became undecided at what he saw and replied,

"Is it the Eternal Flame of Ockris?"

With immediate surprise, the priest responded, "Very good boy, how do you know, you have never gazed upon it before."

"Sapphra the Willower told me." The priest was thrown off a bit,

"Is Sapphra here with you now?"

"Yes, I mean no... I don't know sir. She comes and then she's gone again. She's the only one who remained when the others left on my birthday eight months ago."

"How come we cannot see her?" The wise priest questioned.

"I do not know, my lord. She only shows herself on occasion, but very often I get a feeling that she is right here with me even though I fail to see her."

The priest slowly nodded his head in realization of this. To have a Willower on their side could only mean that the great ones were watching. He felt that this discovery was a positive piece to this arduous puzzle they sought to resolve.

"Tell me Alec, what did Sapphra tell you about the flame?"

"Nothing sir, it was as if the answer to your question was given to me once it was asked by you. She has previously done this when my mother questioned why the Ebberly river flows backwards once a year on the same day. I told my mother that perhaps the world tilted in the opposite direction causing a backflow. But Sapphra said it was due to a spell placed long ago when the wizard Kaden was called to catch fleeing bandits escaping by boat. After the spell was cast, the water flow stopped advancing forward and quickly began retreating backwards bringing the criminals back with it. Quite wondrous and ingenious wouldn't you say?"

Ronin was keenly focused on Alecs' account of the Willower's insight.

"Remarkable! What other tales has Sapphra spoken of, my son?"

"Not much else sir, she is very selective of what questions she will answer for me. I don't always get a response, but when I do, I can count on the validity of her words. Just a few days ago she told me that I can undoubtedly trust you, my lord."

Reassured, the priest replied, "Good, good. We have a lot of work to do."

Ronin grabbed the book of Ornthy and took it with them back to the den area of his quarters. He began to share more knowledge with Alec as they strolled.

"The Eternal Flame can be found 9 days away in a wide and deep cave on the hills Agatheria. It possesses magical properties unlike any other source in all the realms. Many have died trying to find it, either from the of lack of resources and starved to death or conceivably taken out by beasts that roam the area. The ones who did find it could not pass the test required for approach. They all perished for their nefarious attempts to acquire its essence. This is why Maracrid won't ever seize it for his selfish purpose. He sweats the blood of evil. He brandishes the love for hate. His abominable nature seeks to suppress and taint the world with abhorrent lies. He's lost a slew of men in his quests for the flame but hasn't given up yet and probably never will until he is either defeated, or his soul has run its course."

Alec was very attentive; you could see the wheels turning in his head due to the bemused look on his face. He was formulating his next query.

"My lord, I have to ask...why do you believe the Prykers will have a chance at approaching the flame?"

"Not the Prykers my son, but you, alone. They will get you there, it will then be up to you to pass the criterion. If you pass, the flame will allow you to gather one vial of its essence. With it, we can forge a weapon great enough to take down Zelib. Once the Dragon is no more the kingdom of Maracrid will be gracefully banished into the bottomless embers of the unknown shadows, a new day shall commence."

Alec was staring off into nothingness as he visualized all this occurring. He was brave indeed but wasn't sure if he would meet sucess.

"My Lord... why me? I asked Sapphra just now if I would complete this mission, she did not offer a response."

"Perhaps she doesn't know if the flame will accept you. You are the only hope we have. I've sent over a dozen warriors on separate missions in search of it. I cannot say how far they got, none of them have ever returned. Something about you is unique, I truly believe you can find the flame and pass the trials."

Alec was beginning to understand the importance of this assignment and his relation to it. His doubt was slowly dissipating.

"My lord, I accept the challenge! I will do well for you and all the people of Silver Loch. I most certainly will return, with or without the flame. Zelib will meet his deserving fate one way or another."

Satisfied with Alecs' confidence, the priest calmly replied, "Good, good my son. You will leave in 5 months, on the eve of the twilight sun. Your chances of locating the flame will be greater and the Canta beasts will have begun their hibernation. Now go on lad, return to the field and enjoy getting to know your comrades."

Soon after that day, Alec found purpose in the grand scheme. Still a thin, bony but muscular lad, he continued to grow and stood 5 and a half feet tall. His hair was shiny and bronze. His face was pale and spackled with freckles, evidence of facial hair was beginning to appear on his chin and above his upper lip.

Alec trained intensely for several months, letting go his desire to be a boy and take ranks as a junior warrior. Sword wielding seemed to come natural to him, as he could easily mimic the attack moves and ready positions of Hestus, the Pryker General. He learned several tricks while watching the general parry with one of the more experienced Prykers. He also noticed that Hestus would always force his opponent to face the sun. He would use the blinding light to his advantage making his opponent more vulnerable and less accurate with their defense strategies. In Alecs' time away from the field, he worked closely with Ronin and the Druids to gather crucial intelligence skills needed to confront the trials of Agatheria, the keeper of the flame.

Chapter 2

The Gnally