The King of Veldrak

The sun hung low in the sky and the winds hummed a gloomy lullaby. It ruffled leaves from trees and feathers off crows, carrying with it the musky scent of the damp forest. The Forest of Zlatem held many secrets, some of which had been told in fairytales and legends passed down for centuries. Many of which, however, had yet to be unearthed.

At least, that was what the Goddess told him.

The fallen leaves crunched beneath his bare feet as he sauntered down the trail, the trees casting shadows over him from the setting sun. Born from evil, donning a heart of good? Silny giggled at the thought of the tale's absurdity. What did the Goddess want him to do in this forest? All his life, Silny had grown up in the Palace of the Gods, Nebo. Time for the Gods was a construct, so although a decade had passed since Silny hatched from his egg, his body's physical age resembled that of a toddler.

Silny had been quite happy with his life in Nebo. The Gods that dwelled there had become a family to him, but he knew of his blood family. King Silu and Queen Ranna- his parents were the King and Queen of Dragons, the leaders of Veldrak; a country located in the northern part of Jednota.

Jednota was a nation founded by the first of the Human Gods, for the Dragons of Veldrak in the North, Dwarves of Maltrpas in the West, and Elves of Loskria in the East. For centuries, these three countries lived harmonious and peaceful lives, their economies booming and cities flourishing. The dwarves traded wood with the elves, the elves traded silk with the dragons, and the dragons traded gems with the dwarves. The Goddess had explained to him the events that had transpired in the time he lived with the Gods, and the evil role his father played in desecrating the nation of Jednota. His father had not only plotted against the royal families of Maltrpas and Loskria, he banished his wife Queen Ranna, because she condemned his malicious scheming, to the southern part of Jednota where the Forest of Zlatem was. King Silu was a man capable of using his people as objects; would his mother be any different? After all, they were married.

"Your mother will come for you."

That was what the Goddess told him. How was he to locate the Queen Dragon, his mother, in this massive forest? Just the fact that he was the Dragon King's son, hatched from a missing egg, was preposterous to him. Even if he were to find her, would she recognize him? Would she even care? The Dragons of Veldrak had the ability to change forms. The ability to appear human was a gift blessed to each dragon by their mother. However, Silny had never met his mother. The Gods had blessed him in her stead with this ability, but he would never share the unbreakable connection and bond of when a mother blesses her child for the first time, with his. It was also for this reason, that he did not bear the birthmark of a dragon. He worried that his mother would not accept him.

"This could have all been avoided if the Gods had stopped the Dragon King," Silny asked the Goddess why the Gods had let it happen in the first place. They created the nation, so why couldn't they stop it's destruction?

"Why didn't the Gods do anything about it?"

"The Gods were unable to intervene." The Goddess had told him, her eyes solemn. "At the time of King Silu's rebellion against the peace that reigned over Jednota, there was an internal dispute in Nebo. Stopping a war in the Palace of the Gods, a war bigger than that of Jednotas', was of higher priority at the time. Unfortunately, King Silu's timing was impeccable."

"Almost as if he knew it was going to happen?" Silny asked the Goddess and she sighed. How could she explain to this child what had really happened? Only a few Gods in Nebo's Parliament of Dlivosti (Parliament of Justice) knew of this. If word had gotten out, she could not fathom the consequences. After all, that was the reason the Gods stole Silny from his home in the first place. They had seen the destruction to Jednota coming, and although they could not stop it, there were plans in place to restore the nation. The Goddess hated that she could not tell Silny more, but she had no choice or say in the matter. After all, better Jednota destroyed than the world. The Goddess knew that if the Gods were to turn back the hands of time, the outcome would be the same.

Thinking back on it now, Silny knew that the Goddess kept things from him. As she was a mere Goddess of Fertility, he knew that his protector was not the strongest God to exist, nor was she the craftiest. He figured her superiors were to blame for his lack of knowledge in this circumstance, so he did not chastise her for it. Instead, he had secretly spent most of his time in the Halls of Sien, a library that held mass knowledge of the world and its history. He knew that Jednota was not the only nation the Gods had created. He learnt of the mana that encompassed his very existence, and that it was in the trees, the skies, the waters and the very land he trudged upon. He learnt of the action that was magic, and how it used surrounding mana to manipulate the earth's elements. There was a lot he had learnt, but there was still so much he did not know. Almost all books and scriptures containing Jednota's history had been locked away in a sealed vault, a vault located in the basement of the Halls of Sien.

"Tell me what you need me to do!" Silny screamed in frustration as he kicked at a pebble. He had been walking for hours, and still did not know where to go or what to do. Why did the Goddess bring him to the Forest of Zlatem and then disappear?

"Child of King Silu and Queen Ranna, a child born to evil but donning a heart of good will rise above the flames, and restore peace to the nation. We, the Gods of the Humans, will protect and keep you safe. Your mother will come for you but until then, I will watch over you in spirit."

The Goddess had left him in the Forest with these parting words. Silny knew why he'd been chosen- after all, it was his family that destroyed the nation in the first place. What he did not understand was how he could bring peace to the nation. He was much too young to go against his father, the Dragon King of Veldrak, and he definitely was not strong enough either.

"What do you want me to do?!" Silny groaned inwardly and crouched, covering his face with his hands.

"Child, you look lost."

Silny was startled out of his thoughts, and he jerked his head toward the voice. A tall man stood leaning against a tree, his hands folded and a mischievous smile tugging his lips.

"Maybe I can be of assistance?"

Silny had never met a fairy before, but he instantly knew what the man was from all the books he'd read. Fairies were loyal but crafty creatures, and did not approach without an ulterior motive. If he had chosen to speak to Silny, that meant there was something Silny had that the fairy wanted.

The fairy was dressed simply- he wore black long pants that swayed with the gentle breeze and a matching cloak with the hood pulled over his head. He looked old- Silny could tell because of the wrinkles that formed around his mouth when he smiled. Other than that, Silny did not notice anything peculiar about him.

"I've been watching you," the fairy pushed himself off the tree and sauntered forward. He removed his hood to reveal a head of curly pink locs, and pushed his hands into his pockets. "Child of the Gods."

Silny held his breath and stared at him, pondering what the fairy would want with a child like him. He did not have any belongings- other than the white silk overalls adorned with gold thread that covered his body, Silny did not have even a bag or shoes on his feet. Child of the Gods? If the fairy had seen when the Goddess left him in the cave, it meant he had been watching him for the past few hours. Did the fairy also hear the Goddess' parting words? No, that wasn't possible. The Goddess had whispered the words to him before she disappeared. Unless this man was a fairy with enhanced hearing, there was no way he knew that Silny was a prince of the Veldrak throne. If that wasn't the case, what did he want?

Fairies, in addition to being able to change their size, had special powers born from the earth's elements. Fire fairies born from lava and the sun had the ability to conjure flames, read the minds of others and had enhanced hearing capabilities. Water fairies born from the rivers had the ability to manipulate liquids, even blood, and they had healing powers. Flower fairies born from the earth had the ability to heal the soil, grow plants and even conjure up fruits and vegetables, as well as the power of teleportation. Moon fairies were the most secretive- they only appeared at night with invisibility abilities and the power to see into the future. The only thing these four types of fairies had in common, were their green eyes and slender figure. This fairy however, did not look like a fire, water or flower fairy. He couldn't possibly be a moon fairy as the sun had barely finished setting.

Who then was he?

Not knowing was not a good thing, but Silny could not conclude that it was bad either. As long as he acted the age he appeared, he was almost certain that he could fool this man into leaving him alone. The fairy looked at the little boy in wonder as he approached him, trying to figure out just who this child could be. The Gods and Goddesses never revealed themselves- they were arrogant and proud beings who thought themselves higher than the rest of the lesser creatures existing in this world, and they had the right to do so.

They did, after all, create the world.

That was why this little boy was so fascinating to the fairy. For the Goddess of Fertility to reveal herself and watch over a being, this meant that this boy was special, but the fairy did not know why.

"You search for something." The fairy stopped a few inches away, towering over the little boy. He lowered himself to his knees and gazed into the child's eyes, as though he could find his answers in them. The little boy quickly averted his gaze to the floor and stared at the fairy's hands. They were dirtied a dark color that looked like mud, and Silny noticed up close that the man's clothes were ragged and torn. Fairies held their appearance to a high standard- if this man was indeed a fairy, he did not dress like one.

"The Goddess of Fertility watches over you," the fairy said again, hoping to draw the little boy's attention back to him. Succeeding, the little boy glanced up at him and tilted his head.

"Who are you?"

The man chuckled, amused by the little one's question. The boy with his head tilted to the side looked at the man as though he knew nothing, but the fairy knew otherwise. A child at the age of a toddler would not look at him the way this little boy did. In all his years, the fairy had come across many creatures- enemy and foe alike. He could not place which one the little boy could be, but it intrigued him.

'He feigns ignorance.' the fairy thought to himself with a smile. The boy was smarter than he was letting on, and this made the fairy's toes tingle with anticipation.

"My name is Vilplen, pleasure to make your acquaintance." The man held out his hand for the little boy to shake and Silny took his hand. "The bigger question, young child, is who are you?"

Silny pondered the man's question. He did not know how much he had seen, nor did he know who this man by the name of Vilplen was. If he lied here and was caught, things could become troublesome for him.

"Silny."

The fairy smiled and let go of the boy's hand.

"Silny, Child of the Gods, what do you search for? The Ruby of Solace? The Heart of Alia?”

The little boy said nothing and the fairy let out a long curious sigh. The Forest of Zlatem was a dangerous place, inhabited by the nation’s abandoned creatures. It housed many secrets, sacred herbs and gems that beings wished for but lacked the bravery to obtain. If this little boy indeed was searching for something, it could only be one of the two. The Heart of Alia was a small red flower found on the tallest mountain in Zlatem.

According to the ancient scriptures Silny had read in the Halls of Sien, The Heart of Alia was a rare flower. It had pink petals and a red core- when ground with certain other herbs and infused with a magical spell, the flower had the ability to alter one's memories. The Ruby of Sollace on the other hand was the only of it's kind, and offered divine protection to its welder, protection even against the Gods of the Humans that created it.

If the boy did not come for either of these things, did he come in search of another creature?

"Or you search for someone."

"A dragon." Silny said, watching the fairy's eyes light up with glee. There indeed was a dragon that dwelled in the forest, but how could the child know of it's existence? Was this little boy truly a human child? The little boy did not look more than three years of age, and Vilplen wondered if his appearance was an illusion.

"There indeed is a dragon in this forest," Vilplen pointed south and Silny's eyes followed. "Follow the path until it disappears and the river will guide you the rest of the way."

The sun had long since disappeared from the sky, and the forest was now dimly lit by the moon. Silny wondered how he would see the path in this darkness- if he pushed a little further, maybe he could get the fairy to accompany him. Although Silny did not know what type of fairy Vilplen was, or if he even was a good natured being, he realized that if he wandered deeper into the forest on his own, it could get dangerous for him. Silky was brave, but he wasn’t stupid.

A ball of light appeared in the fairy's hands then, and Silny stared in awe, realizing that it was an orb of guidance. The orb of guidance was a magical object that illuminated it's owner's chosen path and protected them along the way. Amongst all the fairies that lived in the Forest of Zlatem, there was only one with the ability to conjure this orb. It was the Ruler of the Fairies, Kral Vilplen.

Why hadn’t he thought of that?

This man, with mud on his face and hands, and dressed in ragged clothing, was the ruler of all fairies in the forest. Had Silny always been this unlucky? Kral Vilplen was known to be a ruthless and cunning fairy, but unfortunately the books had told him nothing else. He was a mystery, even to his kind, and only watched over the forest from the shadows. For Kral Vilplen to show himself, Silny thought that he must want something from the Goddess.

"I know not why the Goddess protects you." Vilplen said as he planted the orb in Silny's hands. He chanted a spell that Silny did not understand, and the orb began to shake and lift itself into the air. "But I do know that you are special. Follow this orb and it will take you where you need to go."

Why would Vilplen offer his assistance and not ask for anything in return? This was dangerous. If he took anything from this fairy, there was no doubt he would have to repay. The cost, he did not know. Silny stared at the King of Fairies retreating figure and called out to him.

"How do I repay you?"

The King of Fairies laughed as a shimmering dust surrounded his body. His body slowly began to fade into the dust and his voice bounced off the nearby trees in a growing echo.

"Do not fear me, little one." Vilplen said with a smile. "Think of it as a favor, as I have no desire to be your foe. We shall meet again but until then, may the moon guide your path!"

Silny watched the shimmering dust until it fizzled into thin air, and it was silent once again. Kral Vilplen had no desire to be Silny’s foe- did that mean Silny had gained an ally? The orb began moving then, down the path the fairy had mentioned, and Silny hurried after it. He did not have the time to ponder his new acquaintance any longer. Just as Vilplen had explained, Silny stumbled upon the river. He quickly fell to his knees and using his hands, gulped down the cool water. He washed his face and stood, hurrying after the moving orb. Moments later, he arrived at the entrance of a cave, and the orb floated inside.

Silny stared at the cave’s entrance, his steps hesitant. He mustered up his courage, then entered the dimly lit cave. The cave was big, but there did not seem to be any thing special about it. The orb stopped in the middle of the cave, and began to grow bigger. Silny’s eyes widened in shock, and he crouched to the floor, covering his head. The orb grew as big as the cave, then exploded into shimmering lights.

That was when Silny saw the dragon.

“Child,” the dragon’s voice boomed through the cave and caused Silny’s body to shiver.

It was big. Huge even. Silny was scared- as courageous as he was, he knew that he could not fight this dragon. Was this really his mother? Still crouched to the floor, he dared not lift his head. What was he to say? His body had gone numb, and he was unable to move.

“Relax, little one.” He heard the dragon say. “I can smell your fear.”

Silny took deep breaths but still dared not to look the dragon in the eyes. As long as he focused on calming himself, he was sure his brain would come up with a plan.

“Now what is a little child like you doing in a forest like this?” Silny heard a voice again but this time, it was different. The voice was softer, and there was something warm about it that calmed his heart in a second. Curious, Silny glanced up.

A woman walked up to him, and the dragon was nowhere to be seen. She wore a long black cloak that covered most of her, and her feet were bare.

"You are lost, are you not?" she asked and Silny shook his head, distracted by her grace as he stared in awe. This was his mother. His mother! His heart began to pound then, and he swallowed hard as he rose to his feet. He looked up at her- her eyes shone like sapphires, her skin a rich dark chocolate colour. She was more beautiful than Silny had imagined.

"Don't be nervous," she said as she crouched to match Silny's height, "My name is Ranna. What is yours?"

"It's Silny."

'What is a child doing in the Forest of Zlatem?' She wondered as she peered into the child's face. As his body was small and fragile, he could not be much older than a toddler. Her heart ached and she wondered why. Ever since she'd woken up in the forest a decade ago, the woman had lost almost all memories of her previous life. Not only did she not know who she was, she had no clue as to how she had ended up in this forest. However, she knew her name because of the necklace that dangled from her neck.

"Where is your mother? You look rather young to walk this forest by your lonesome." Ranna raised her brows. It would only make sense that this boy's mother was here with him, as a child by themselves in the Forest of Zlatem was almost impossible. There was no way a child could survive by themselves for very long. In addition, the child looked healthy. It was obvious he had been well taken care of.

"I'm here in search of the Dragon Queen and you, my lady, share her name." Silny said. Ranna laughed then- a hearty laugh that echoed through the darkness surrounding them.

"The Dragon Queen?" she chuckled and tilted her head at the boy, "How would you know?"

"I've read the history of Jednota, and scriptures of the Kingdom of Veldrak." Silny lied, a smile forming on his lips but it quickly disappeared. "The Dragon Queen was banished here to the Forest of Zlatem. Her husband the King was a very bad man."

Ranna frowned again and shook the thoughts from her head. A Dragon Queen that shared her name was banished to the Forest of Zlatem? Ranna woke in the forest with her memories gone. Could she be? There was no way. Had she finally lost her sanity? Not only did this little boy appear from out of the blue, he was saying crazy things.

"Hmm," Ranna crossed her arms and placed a finger under her chin. She had run into all sorts of creatures in this forest, but this was the first time she had come across a little child. Was this appearance a disguise? It wasn't the first time Ranna had been tricked by the creatures of the forest. The fairies played tricks on her all the time, and the shapeshifting ogres were constantly plotting to capture her. Could this little boy be another trap?

Silny stared at his mother, who was clearly lost in her thoughts. He could tell that she was a kind woman- uncertain and careful, and he understood why. She had lost her memories, and he realized that this could make things easier for him. If the Queen Dragon had no memory of her past self, would she be more accepting of him?

"Mother."

Ranna glanced up to meet the little boy's eyes, and found them on her. It made her heart beat faster.

"What did you call me?"

"You, Queen Ranna of Veldrak, Queen Mother of Dragons. You, my lady."

Silny took a deep breath, as he knew once the words left his mouth, there would be no going back. Silny decided he was ready- whatever the Gods wanted him to do, be it bringing peace to the world or simply returning his mother to the Kingdom of Veldrak and even killing his father, Silny was ready to take the first step. The step that would change his life and alter the course of his existence.

He wasn't scared anymore.

"You are my mother."