The Last Dragon King

[Baelnorn]

[Closed for Orithyia]

~~~ 6173 B.C. ~~~

The massive creature was broken. He laid on the ground, pain and despair clearly visible on his face. His physical wounds had healed, but the scars on his mind and soul would remain forever. He had felt the astral scream, the ripple running through his body when the second ritual had been completed. It would only take a few moments before the magic that kept him alive would flee this world and his kingdom - no, his former kingdom - would plunge into an age of darkness.

A last time he lifted his head and looked at the painting of the night sky on the ceiling of his lair. With a broken voice he whispered, "And so it ends, in misery and pain. Oh tell me gods, where have I failed? Why did my brothers and sisters have to die?" Knowing that there would be no answers tears fell from his eyes as he put his head on the ground. He took a last breath and folded his wings close to his body.

For the first time of his life he was afraid of what would happen next.

He closed his eyes and a moment later he could feel it begin. Slowly, inch by inch, warmth and sensation left his body. It started with his fingers and toes, advanced to his arms and legs and finally moved up his spine. It didn't hurt. Finally, it reached his head and the world turned black. He had turned to stone.

And so the Age of Dragons had come to an end.



~~~ Today ~~~

25.6476, 29.40587

These were the coordinates where the ruins were located. A spot in the middle of nowhere, right in Egypt's Western desert near the Dakhla Oasis and just over 14 kilometers north-east of the small city Teneida. Coordinates that may very well change the understanding of humanity's past if things really were as they appeared to be.

It hadn't been long ago when a landslide revealed the ruins. At first only the remains of some buildings were visible. These buildings by themselves were a great found, since they were in a region that was thought uninhabited for a very long time. Also, the buildings' foundations were made from exceptionally well preserved sandstone - something that seemed impossible considering their location and the surrounding climate.

But the big thing happened when a second landslide revealed the entrance to an underground tunnel. The tunnel was lined with the same stones as the ruins outside and it let straight into the ground. Walls, floor and ceiling were smooth and without any decoration or sign of what the tunnel's purpose was. It went on for over half a kilometer before it ended in a massive, two-winged stone door.

Above the door's wings there was a stone plate with an inscription in perfect condition. It was an archaeological miracle. The plate bore a script unlike any other script from that period of time, unlike any other script currently known. The stone plate was carefully removed from its socket, but nobody was allowed to open the doors until it was confirmed that there was no risk of cave ins or further landslides.

After three days news got back to the archaeologists' field camp from the lab. The results challenged everything they had known about ancient Egypt and all other ancient civilizations in general. The stone plate from above the double doors seemed to be over 8500 years old. The lab guy promised to make a second and third test run just to be sure that the results are correct.

A few hours later the geologists called in and confirmed that it was safe to open the doors. They had thrown everything in their arsenal at the ground in the desert - electrical resistance meters, electromagnetic conductivity meters, magnetometers, ground-penetrating radar - and confirmed that the ground was save and much stronger than thought in the area behind the doors. They had also discovered a series of huge circular caves, or rooms, behind the doors.

Finally the moment had come that the doors would be opened. The whole team was assembled in the tunnel and everybody was equally excited and nervous. What would they find behind the doors? Would they find great knowledge and insight? Or would they open Pandora's Box?

 

[Orithyia]

"Cass! Cassie! Gods be damned." Eddie was running around the site like a chicken without a head screaming her name. "Cass-"

"You scream my name one more time and I'll-"

"We got the go ahead." Her mouth hung open and she stood still as a glassy lake not willing to believe the words that had just fallen from Ed's mouth. "We got the go ahead?"

"We got the go ahead." Eddie repeated waiting for his cookie and pat like the good puppy he was.

"When?"

Eddie's smile got wider, all his teeth showing. "Now."

"Now?!?!" Cassie jumped up from the hallow she was working on to punch Eddie in the arm. "And you only told me now?"

"You punch like a man." Ed complained chasing after the crazed girl running to the hot bed.

"Who's first to pike?" Cassie stopped at the tunnel way.

She didn't know it could happen but Ed's smile got bigger. "You."

Cassie punched the air. She had been given lead on this field project because everyone thought this to be a hoax. The only person what was as gunned up for this, other then Eddie, was her Professor Quinn. It was the only reason that the school had funded her with grants, Quinn had threated to quit and they didn't want to lose the best. When the age reports came back the site exploded with other teams, more "qualified" teams and Cassie was all but pushed aside. That had been almost two weeks ago.

"The Egypt government recognizes you as foreman on this dig. So you get to break first."

It was a double edged sword being told that. One side it placed her on the spear point should anything go wrong, Egypt could always say that picking her was a mistake and it would easily be overlooked, compared to picking a large company and loosing face if it failed. Which told her they thought something was wrong.

On the other edge if everything went well they could hold claim to her name and have first rights to this entire dig because of the lack of a big name corporation. The school could only claim study rights unlike a corp that could claim treasure value rights and be payed for it. Which might also tell her that they were hoping to score big.

Browning and Hanna, the press boys for this dig, the third team to also tent, glared at her as she walked up all cameras pointed her way. They were the one of the best known for this kind of thing and felt that they should be piking first, not Cassie.

"Not today boys." Cassie smiled buckling on her belt kit.

A deadmen, who's name she was sure was Jackson ran up to her and gave her the 'low down' as he called it as they made way to the wing doors.

"Remember, it's not like changing a tire or mugging an old man. It's a never before thought of possibility for our history and the only one of it's kind." Jackson warmed her.

"Right." Cassie nodded picking up the sledge hammer to the fright of everyone don there. "So we just hit it in the middle?" She was pretty sure that half the people down there with her wanted to faint or punch her but either way, she got a kick out of it. "Kidding, kidding."

"Miss Baker if you can't be a professional about this we can get the Browning and Hanna team down here."

"No. That won't be needed." Cassie assured them putting on her serious face. With the exception of the initial find no one had been allowed down here. There were a lot of pictures, thanks to spot the rover but this was the first time Cassie had touched the doors. A thrill jolted up her spine and her body felt like it was alive with jittery little creatures. Big breath, steady hands and calm mind. Cassie told herself as she traced the seam between the doors.

"There must be a way to open them, doors are meant to be opened." Eddie was all rushed words and quick heavy breaths, kind of like he was having sex.

"Shh." Cassie's finger had found a imperfection on the stone. It lined with the seam but differed in some why. When Cassie looked at it she couldn't see it with her eyes but she could feel it. The texture was off by a fraction. She brushed the area and noted a sparkle in the sandstone. "Eddie."

His name wasn't even out of her mouth yet and his head was at hers looking where she was looking. "Do I see a sparkle? A gem under the sand. Um a rubbing of something metallic? A flaw in the stone making?"

Something metallic. For some reason when Eddie said that it stuck in Cassie's head and wouldn't budge. "It can't be." She fished a quarter out of her pocket and placed it on the difference. Nothing. Except that it quarter stayed where she placed it and didn't move. "A magnet?"

"Impossible." Voices were mumbling behind her, joining or disagreeing with what she had said. But the quarter as still there and hadn't moved. With some force she got her quarter back.

"Defiantly a magnet of some sort."

She didn't even have to ask, Eddie was there with everything and anything she would ever want.

"Is this from that Lets go Fishin' game?" Cassie asked in disbelief.

Eddie only blushed and turned his backpack so that Cassie could see inside too. It was. "Little John wanted me to take it with me because there would be no water here and I could have my own fish that I couldn't kill."

"Your little brother is too cute." Cassie told him taking the fishing pole with the little magnet. LJ had sent her on the trip with a live sealed shrimp ecosystem. Cassie had half expected a hiss of released pressure or the grinding of stone sounds but there was nothing pleasing in that fashion when the doors opened.

"How did you!?!" Jackson stuttered.

Cassie shrugged flipping on her torchlight. "Magnet." The darkness was almost tangible as she stepped into the unexplored area of the tunnel.

"Wait! We have to-"

"I have a walkie talkie." Cassie called back staking her tie off rope into the ground and going deeper, her handheld torch her only light at the time. When even the light at her back was gulped up my the dark, Cassie brought out her headband light and turned it on. She hated that thing, it looked dorky but in darkness this thick it was better then getting blind and falling in a hole.

"What?" She had branched left when she came to the fork in the road and had followed that a ways, bringing her to this. It was a large room, she could tell by the way the sounds bounced around the empty space. But that wasn't what had stopped her short. It was the carved stone sculpture she had come across. It was massive. She was at the head of the creature and if she hunched over and balled herself up she could fit in the nostril. "How many people did it take to make you and where are they all?" Cassie whispered to it. Again the stone was like nothing she had ever seen. She wanted to say that it was warm by not by touch but by artistic life. There was so much detail in the working. Lines for scales, scar marks, rough texture on the horns at it's chin. As she traced the sculpture with her hands she also drew it in her mind trying to figure out what it was by what little she could see of it.

"Fuck it." Annoyed that there was such little light, Cassie snapped all her glow sticks and threw them in every direction. A dozen glow sticks later and still, only the creature's head was in light. "You're a dragon." The mini wing fans at the back end of his jaw bone was all she could see of him but his beauty was stunning. She wanted to rush her eyes and take everything in at once but she forced herself to keep pace with her hands. The child in her wanted to climb all over him but thought about it from his perspective, she wouldn't want strangers climbing all over her. "You're a beauty." She told the stone dragon as she played with his teeth. "So strong and owwie. Sharp. Very sharp." The tooth edge Cassie had just ran her thumb down was cut and bleeding. "As sharp obsidian." Cassie voiced out loud around her thumb that she was sucking on. "Opps. I got blood on you." She untucked her shirt and wiped it off. "All better." She patted his scaly heal and moved on, marveling at how delicate the wing fans looked even tho it was made out of stone. "If only you were smaller I'd take you home and put you on my lawn, or living room, I don't know yet."

"Cassie?" "Miss Baker?" "Cass?" Voices snapped Cassie out of her daydream petting, she was tracing every line of his scales when the first stop light landed on her.

"Holy Mary Mother of God. What is this?" The Director of the Egyptian Museum gulped.

"He's a dragon. I think I'm going to name him..." Cassie thought about it for a moment. "Zircon." It was a joke, zircon was the oldest dated mineral to date so far and she was calling him old.

Needless to say no one was happy that she had taken it upon herself to continue on without consulting the rest of everyone and was now jailed up in her tent writing out everything little thing that had happened since she had opened the doors and went missing for three hours.

"I was really gone for three hours?" Cassie asked Eddie for the hundredth time.

"Yeah and we were all worried that you had gone missing, were lost or worse." Eddie frowned. "No one would have guessed that you were making a new friend." The frown didn't last very long on the always happy Ed. "Zircon is uber cool!"

Cassie smiled and nodded in agreement. "He is, isn't he. I want a smaller version to take home. Maybe be I could put heels on him and ride him around."

"Little John would love it."

"Who said I would share?" She joked turning back to her desk to finish her report. "How do you think we're going to get him out?"

"What did you do to him? Where is Zircon?" Amanda, another student on her team entered the tent.

"What do you mean, 'What did I do to him?'" Cassie turned back on Amanda.

"Another team went down to study the sculpture and your tie rope lead to a totally different cave system. It dead ended in a small gap of a place."

"I don't do anything."

The whole site was in an uproar when Cassie came out of her tent. The rest of the day she spent explaining herself to people from the University, to the Egyptian Government, other teams and getting heat from the news and the Browning and Hanna group.

She was half willing to believe that it was a dream, that she had knocked out and dreamed the dragon but the cut on her thumb and the other witnesses were proof that she hadn't.

That night she did dream of him and this time she knew it was a dream.

Cassandra Baker
24 years old
5'6'' 124 lbs 34-24-35​

 

[Baelnorn]

The world was darkness.

But then there was something else. Blood. A single drop of blood had fallen on his lifeless skin. Terumnaxis could clearly see the drop in his mind. At first it hovered silently in the void - a perfectly shaped dark red droplet - but then it started to pulse. The beat grew faster and faster and finally his heart started to beat in rhythm with it. The cold inside his chest gave way to the familiar searing heat and his mind flared up with newly gained consciousness and awareness.

"I am ... alive? I live again? I felt how magic was purged from this world and my body turned to stone. How is this possible?" he questioned in his mind but never really found an answer to it.

Several hours after the blood fell on his skin he was finally alive again!

His mind was awake but his body was still trapped in its obsidian shell. He could feel how his body turned to flesh again, from inside out, but the change was happening so incredibly slowly that it would take countless hours until he could move again.

Terumnaxis could feel the flow of magic increase slowly but steadily. He reached out with his mind and immediately noticed the presence of humans nearby. Humans...

It was then that the memories came back and images of pain and sorrow flooded his mind. Images of the wounded man stumbling into the throne room and with his dying breath warn him. Images of the ritual striking down his sons and daughters. Images of his beloved kingdom be torn apart by traitors. Images of those he loved and had sworn to protect betray him.

The memories of what happened only mere hours ago were clear and painful in his mind. Never would he forget these images, and never would he forgive mankind for what it had done. Those foolish mortals had traded wealth and peace for ignorance and greed. Quickly the delight of being alive again was consumed by bitterness and anger.

"They are here." The words echoed in his mind. "They have come to end my life once and for all. But I am not defeated yet! Soon they will feel my wrath. I will take revenge for what they have done to me and my kin."

The dragon reached out with his mind and found the magical defenses of his lair lay dormant. He concentrated and poured what little energy he had gathered into them. He could not power all defenses but only those that would fool and confuse the weakly minded. The magic of his lair would hide the room where he was right now. It would create dead-ends and bend corridors. It would fool those searching for him with malign intent or for selfish reasons and those who were not allied with him - although he doubted that there were any allies left.

Silently Terumnaxis watched and waited. He could feel the humans stumble around in his lair like rats in a labyrinth. He knew they were searching for him. The dragon hoped that his lair's defenses would buy him enough time to break free from his shell before the humans finally found him again. This time, he was sure, they would not hesistate to destroy his body while he was still defenseless.

"Even now they are ignorant fools," he thought to himself. "They have found my defenseless body but instead of finishing right then what they had started they decided to leave me alone and come back later? Perhaps they will realize their errors when my breath burns the flesh from their bones!"

And so the old king waited in his lair.

When the next morning came and the sun rose over the horizon the moment of the dragon's rebirth was drawing near. Only a few more hours until he would walk the earth again and rain fiery vengance on those who had betrayed him not so long ago. When the last stage of his body's renewal began, a weak wave of magical energy erupted from him.

Terumnaxis didn't know that there was somebody nearby who could feel this eruption in her body and mind. She would know that something was happening to him and she would be the only one to find her way to him.

 

[Orithyia]

"Cassie."

Her name was being repeated again over and over waking her from her sleep. "My name is getting popular. I think I'm going to change it. Something long and hard to say. Something like 'Honorificabilitudinitatibus'. Yeah." Cassie nodded her head climbing out of her cot. "Try it." She looked at Eddie. "Say it."

Eddie only scratched his head. "I think I'll pass."

"So what are you doing here?"

"It's 9:30."

Cassie jumped out of bed in a panic. "9:30 in the morning?!?!"

Eddie just nodded yes.

"Out I have to get ready!" The pillow that was aimed at Ed's head missed by a hair and he got the idea to leave and leave fast. "How did I sleep that late? I never sleep in." If she slept in till 7 it was sleeping in but 9:30. Cassie knew that in part it had to do with the dreams she was having last night. Zircon was in them and there was this battle of some sorts. Everyone was against him and then he died. It as weird and what she got for being addicted to Lord of the Rings when she was younger.

Thursdays at 10 was site meetings till lunch. Cassie looked around and felt kind of lost. Normally she would have had everything done and had her day started already but she hadn't even had her cup of coffee yet.

Camp was busy and she noted everyone of importance making their way to the central tents for the meeting. Cassie had wondered slowly over to the general kitchen area and made herself a cup of coffee and to eat some pain pills, her head was killing her. The pain was blinding and came in sharp jabs that made her jaw clamp. "This is what I get for sleeping all day." The girl sighed walking in the opposite direction of the meeting.

Walking without a purpose lead Cassie to the tunnel and to the opened double doors. 'Why?' Cassie stood at the darkened tunnel and thought on her dream. "Zircon." Eddie said that they had lost him but how was that possible? "He's massive stone dragon statue. It's not like he woke up and flew off." Still sipping on her coffee she decided that it was worth the time to try and find him again.

It was just as easy as the first time to find the cavern with Zircon in it and this time all she had was a pocket torchlight. "See you're just where I let you." Cassie smiled approaching the statue to pet it's nose. "Oh!"Her hand withdrew quickly. Zircon was almost warm. She placed her hand on his nose again. "You are warm!" It was impossible and Cassie's mind worked to find a logical scientific meaning for it all. "Hey." The pain in her head was gone. She didn't know when it happened but she was pretty sure it stopped after she touched Zircon.

She withdrew her hand again and the warmth from Zircon's body lingered on her palm. "How are you warm?" Cassie asked the stone knowing it wouldn't answer her.

 

[Baelnorn]

Terumnaxis waited patiently in his lair. He could feel his body return to life again and only the outer layers of his muscles, skin and scales were still petrified. His heart was beating fast and strong and in his chest a fire hot like thousand suns was burning. The moment of his awakening was close.

The humans had left last night and not returned since then. He couldn't believe how easily they were to confuse and mislead. The illusions and shifting walls created by his lair's defenses kept them away from his body - so far none of them had gotten close to him again. But something didn't seem right to the old dragon.

"There are not enough of them. They really cannot hope to defeat me with this low number, especially since none of them bears the gift of magic. And why are they so ... careful ... about searching my lair? They are not nearly as aggressive as I had expected. Why is this place not swarming with conscripts yet? It almost seems as if they do not know what they have found here. What do they have in ..."

But before he could finish his thought he was interrupted by the presence of a human. He felt that it was a single woman who had entered his lair. And much to his surprise and horror she easily passed through all false walls and dead ends, walking straight into the room where his body was counting the final minutes until his rebirth.

The old dragon's eyes were still closed so he followed her with his magical mind's eye. He could not see her clearly, it was more like simply knowing where she went and what she did. And she did walk up right in front of him, with no sign of fear or hatred. The girl seemed happy to see him - she smiled - and she softly touched his nose.

"Who are you? What do you want from me? How did you find me?" Those were the thoughts running through his mind as he kept watching her reactions.

She had withdrawn her hand and looked at him irritated and confused. She whispered something which he couldn't understand, apparently talking to herself, and then touched him again.

And then it happened.

At first, the small crack was barely visible. It appeared where the female's blood had first touched the dragon, but grew fast. But in a matter of seconds it raced across his body, covering the stony skin in an intricate pattern of cracks and crevices. A barely audible sound of breaking stone accompanied the scene and after some moments small pieces of the obsidian shell fell off and revealed the king's reformed scales and flesh.

Everywhere the stone peeled off and revealed scale and flesh the dragon's dark red inner glow gleamed through the dust filled air and torched the whole cavern into a flickering red light. Light and shadow raced across the walls and floor as if hundreds of candles and torches were dancing in the room. A faint smell of smoke and brimstone filled the air and waves of heat radiated away from the dragon.

And finally, with a single forceful shudder, Terumnaxis tore free of his prison. He streched his form and spread his wings, sending his petrified shell away in an explosive burst and raining debris and pepples all over the room. He released a thundering roar and the earth trembled beneath his feet as he took the first steps in a new age. The sound of his scream echoed from the walls and was sure to make all lesser creature's ears ring afterwards.

"DUULO! DUULO SVA ANNYO!"

The beast flapped his wings several times, freeing them and the rest of his form from the last remains of his petrified shell and then turned his attention towards the human. He focused her with his eyes - which gleamed brightly like orbs of molten steel - and his gaze burned right into the female's very soul.

With several quick strides he was upon her and effortlessly thrust her down with his right hand. He pushed her down, pinning her to the ground beneath his claws and stared right at her.

"Si mi Terumnaxis, yoweth daar di Arkhosia. Svaust re wux? Kii tepoha wux confn tenpiswo?"

With a thundering voice he called out to her, his massive form towering above her. The dragon's nostrils flared with each of his breaths and the sight of his head filled the trapped human's field of view.

 

[Orithyia]

Cassie was confused, dazed and sure she was dreaming or knocked out.

Again her mind was racing for an explanation but it kept boiling down to these solutions. The common's tent coffee was drugged and that's why most of the people at the dig were morons. But she drank it not knowing and went down to the tunnels before it hit her. When the drugs hit her she was in the cavern with Zircon and there was a cave in and she was trapped beneath rocks and that accounted for the loud noise and the pressure. Because the statue coming to life trying to kill her wasn't possible. This wasn't Night at the Museum and this was in no way a movie. It was drugs and a cave in.

She blinked her eyes a few more times willing the scene to change. When it didn't her childhood and out grown asthma came back to her in a rush. "No this isn't possible. I'm just dying and my mind, with it's lack of oxygen, is delusional." It didn't even dawn on Cassie that she was hoping for death in this situation rather then believe that a stone dragon had come to life.

"Okay I'm going to close my eyes," Cassie closed her eyes. "And when I open them I'll either see the light at the end of the tunnel, followed by the pearly white gates or I'll see the light at the end of the tunnel meaning that help is coming." With her eyes still screwed tightly closed Cassie tried to slow her breathing and counted to ten then opened her eyes.

Nothing had changed and she swore she felt her airways swell at the sight of it. Soon she was coughing and there was little black dots dancing in her sight. "I-" Cough, pant, pant. "My name is..." Cassie felt her head get all dizzy and hoped that if death was coming it would come quickly. "Cassandra Baker and I come in peace." When what she had just said reached her ears she regretted saying it. Who ever says 'I come in peace'? He was a dragon not an alien. What she said next was even worse. "You can't eat me." Deep breath. "I'm not a princess."

The words came out feeling like sand paper, making her cough more and breathe even harder. Mix that with the dancing black spots that were getting larger eating up her sight, the greedy bastards and she was peachy with a side of dying. If Cassie had been normal she wasn't sure what she would have been doing differently but she was sure that prayer might be on the list, instead she was trying to befriend the pissed off dragon like it was a lost stray dog.

"I named you. Zircon. Like the crystals. The old ones." Cassie tried struggling but it only labored her breathing, gaining her nothing in it's attempt. "I found you first. I thought we were going to be friends." The way he had her pinned to the ground and was yelling at her made her rethink their friendship. "Wanted to get a smaller version of you. Keep it in my living room. Or maybe outside where I could grow a garden around it but I'm shi-junk at keeping plants alive." She had to quickly save herself from cursing, negative words only brings negative reactions. "But seeing as it too might come alive and try to kill me don't be offended if I change my mind."

Cassie was running out of things to say and she felt stupid for talking to a dragon. "Think you might change your mind and let me go?" It was worth a try and if it worked then yippy, if not then there was nothing more to lose was there.

 

[Baelnorn]

Terumnaxis looked down at the female. She said some words, but he still couldn't understand her.

"What is this? Is that something you call language? These crude syllables and words? What happened to our sacred tongue?" he thought to himself and impatiently started to weave a spell that would grant him knowledge of this primitive language.

Dozens of motes of flickering blue light started to swirl and dance around the dragon's right hand. He raised his fingers, each claw glowing in a brilliantly flaring bright blue tip, and began to draw a simple yet delicate pattern into the air while singing an ancient incantation. It seemed as if he was drawing with a fine pencil leaving behind trails of light right in the air.

When the light finally faded away he could at last understand her. "... going to be friends. Wanted to get a smaller version of you. Keep it in my living room. Or maybe outside where I could grow a garden around it but I'm shi-junk at keeping plants alive. But seeing as it too might come alive and try to kill me don't be offended if I change my mind. Think you might change your mind and let me go?"

This didn't make any sense to him. Keeping him in a garden? What was he, some sort of pet? Also, she was talking of friendship yet she was here - in his lair - with dozens of other humans and they were looking for him?

"Do not take me for a fool, human! I am Terumnaxis, High King of Arkhosia! And you... you have come here to kill me." With each word he grew more angry and agitated. "Why else would you be here? And after what humanity has done to me and my kin WHY SHOULD I SHOW YOU ANY MERCY?" He shouted the last few words at her, his voice booming like thunder and echoing several times in the room.

He furiously looked down at her trapped shape beneath his claw. His patience was rapidly running out. If she didn't start explaining herself to him soon he would... he would... he wouldn't do anything to her.

Part of his mind was screaming for vengeance, to tear her limb from limb or burn her alive. To make her and her comrades pay for what had happened. This part of himself didn't care if she or her friends were responsible for the past events at all - it just wanted to spill human blood to compensate for the spilled blood of dragons.

But another part of his self looked at her much, much closer than his fury and anger ever had. He saw how she was struggling to breath but he wasn't even putting pressure on her chest but merely kept her arms, waist and legs trapped. He heard the rasping, desperate gasps for breath and the whining sound each breath of her made.

The sight of the woman's suffering and anguish brought back memories. It was the day of his coronation, the day the Dragon Empire of Arkhosia was officially founded. And the words of the vow he spoke that day so long ago flooded back into his mind and off his lips.

"A king is sworn to valor.
His heart knows only virtue.
His claws defend the helpless.
His might upholds the weak.
His wings shelter the homeless.
His word speaks only truth.
His fire warms the freezing.
His wrath undoes the wicked."

He didn't want to kill. He never wanted. He wanted a better, brighter future for humanity and all sentient creatures. A future without war. A future without hunger. A future without illness and suffering. These were the very reasons why he pushed the founding of Arkhosia, to unite all races under one banner and put an end to conflict and pain.

The old dragon blinked and pushed his anger aside. Killing her and the rest of her crew wouldn't change anything. While it would sate his thirst for revenge it wouldn't get him any answers - which was of utmost importance since everything he witnessed since he regained consciousness didn't make any sense. The humans' clothes were foreign to him, as was their language and behavior. And the weakness of their bodies.

And at least he wouldn't let himself down to the same level as the conspirators and betray his coronation vow, the very principles he stood for.

Finally, Terumnaxis removed his claws from her body and instead carefully picked her up, whispering to himself. "Since when have human bodies grown so frail and weak?"

The blue motes flickered into existance once more and he drew another pattern into the air. The chanting of his voice again echoed through the cave. This pattern was much more complex than the first one. Moments later the motes disappeared and left behind a cloud of blue smoke. The dragon breathed softly and blew the smoke right at the woman.

"Breath... breath..."

When the smoke entered her lungs a searing hot pain shot through her frame, violently shaking her body. But it was gone as fast as it appeared and her lungs and airways were free. Slowly the king put her back on the ground and turned around, taking a few steps away from her. He turned his head, looking back at her and focusing her with one of his brightly glowing eyes.

"We should talk, human. I have many questions demanding to be answered."

 

[Orithyia]

There was flicking lights of blue somewhere behind Zircon's head but from where Cassie was pinned and the huge head in front of here she couldn't see what was going on. Even tho there was a chance of impending death Cassie couldn't help but think how pretty the lights were and that it was her favorite shade of blue.

"Do not take me for a fool, human! I am Terumnaxis, High King of Arkhosia! And you... you have come here to kill me. Why else would you be here? And after what humanity has done to me and my kin WHY SHOULD I SHOW YOU ANY MERCY?"

This was Cassie's day of confusion. "What?!? Me kill you." She let the statement hang in the air for a moment waiting for him to chuckle. "You are aware that you're easily a hundred times bigger then me and even if I wanted to, I couldn't. I wouldn't want to." He was yelling again and Cassie flinched away from the sound ringing in her ears. "Look, Ter-rum-axis," Cassie stumbled over his name and knew that she had slaughterer it. "I don't know what I've done to you but it wasn't me." That sounded lame but it was true. "I'm here on a dig. I found you as a stone statue. I thought you were just a statue."

Then for some reason Cassie started to get angry. She was getting blamed for something that she didn't do and it might lead to her death. "And I might want to remind you that I was nothing but nice to you. If you want to go over the score of things, you're more in the fault then I am. First you cut my thumb." Cassie waved her hand and stuck out her thumb in what space that she had. "Then you yell at me, pin me to the ground and scare the breath out of me. Be glad I'm the tiny one in this situation." When if was done and said she felt even more stupid. If he was going to grant her mercy before he wasn't going to now. "And I like Zircon better then Te-rum-n-axis. Don't you have a shorter name? One that I can say?" Opps. Too late, Cassie tried to bite her lip but she had already gone and said it.

She gave up. If the big angry dragon was going to kill her there wasn't anything she could do about it. Frustrated at how helpless she was, Cassie just let her body go limp and laid there. There wasn't anything else that she could do. Trying to breathe normally was out of the question, trying to free herself was out of the question and trying to reason with a previously stone dragon was WAY out of the question. A lot of out of the questions with no out of the question answers.

"Since when have human bodies grown so frail and weak?"

It hit too close to what Cassie had just been thinking and hurt her feelings. "Yeah, well. Since when do dragons exist in real life?" She was being lifted off the ground but she had already given up. Shrugging would only hurt her more in the end. Plus with his big teeth death by chomping would be quick.

The blue light came back again but this time Cassie didn't think it was pretty. She just rolled her eyes. He was playing with his food. Smoke was blown into her face and it smelled and tasted like her family trip to Hawaii to see the volcanoes. "This can't make me taste any better." She remarked the same time he spoke.

"Breath... breath..."

The feeling of being confused was becoming annoyingly familiar. She was on the ground, standing up right and he was backing away. Did he like to chase his food because she wasn't going to die tired.

"We should talk, human. I have many questions demanding to be answered."

Cassie glared at the dragon trying to understand where the mood had switched. " First. Are you going to eat me after this because if so I want to make my answers as difficult as possible." She crossed her arms over her chest, happy that she could breathe again, and tried not to think about how cool his glowing eyes were or how they put the moon to shame.

 

[Baelnorn]

Terumnaxis slowly walked back and forth in front of the woman until she had regained at least some of her composure. She seemed to be shocked quite a lot by what she had seen. And her comment about since when dragons would exist in real life did confuse him some, too.

"First. Are you going to eat me after this because if so I want to make my answers as difficult as possible."

The old dragon blinked at her with his gleaming eyes, then spoke to her - this time in normal tone and volume. "No. I have no intentions to eat you at all, neither now nor later. Right now I need answers more than food. My questions are manifold and I expect truthful answers to each of them."

Finally he came to a stop and laid down on the ground - his pose was similar to the one he had been found in, but this time his head and neck were lifted high into the air and his wings were spread far open. He focused the human female with his golden glowing eyes and started asking his questions.

"First. Who are you and what do you want here?"

"Second. What is this 'dig' you mentioned earlier? Is that some plot or experiment trying to find or attack me?"

"Third. What are the other humans doing here? What is their purpose, what roles do they play? Are any of them armed?"

"Fourth. You called me 'Zircon'. What does that mean? I do not recognize that word in any of the languages known to me. Is it a curse?"

"Fifth. What are these clothes you are wearing? I can tell that you are neither a warrior nor a wizard, since your wardrobe is not fit for either."

"Sixth. What did you mean with 'Since when do dragons exist in real life'? We dragons were always a fundamental part of existance until humanity betrayed and destroyed us!"

 

[Orithyia]

Cassie felt better hearing that he had no intentions on eating her. He was a magic weaving dragon, why did he need to lie to her. "Well good." She uncrossed her arms and sat down too. "I wouldn't taste good anyways."

It was question answering time and Cassie had half expected there to be a fair exchange of question and answers from both parties. Instead Ter-daragon, just jumped right in with a handful of them. "Cassandra Baker. People call me Cassie or Cass. I'm a student studying in archeology and cultural anthropology." She answered the first question. "What we do is try and find out what it was here, what it's purpose was, how old it is and whatever else we can learn about it."

"My school funded this dig, excavation of a site that is an interest in the fields of history and the what not." Cassie filled in for the second question. "We're not trying to attack you. We didn't even know you were down here. Everyone at first thought it was a prank because nothing existed here like this." She waved her hand at Terumnaxis when she said the word 'this'.

"The other humans are here doing the same thing as me. A dig involves a lot of people. Even more so when it's something this huge and could possibly change our history as we know it." Cassie smiled thinking about how her name would be included in all future tellings of this moment. Then a look at her live dragon turned the smile to a frown. A dragon was going to ruin everything. If not eat every person who pissed him off. He had already proven that he has anger problems and he doesn't like to be woken up. "I'm not sure if any of them are armed in a fashion that should worry you. I mean you're a dragon who does magic, is it even possible to hurt you. Plus wizards and knights with swords and lances are just things from stories. As are you." She added the last bit in a quite voice.

Cassie giggle in spite of herself. "Yeah I have a bad habit of giving things name or nicknames if they already have names." She shrugged. "Zircon is the oldest dated mineral so far founded on Earth. While you're not that old, the stones we have dated are the oldest dated thing in the area so I thought it was a cute fit. They also make fake diamonds out of the crystals and since everyone thought this was a fake it was double fitting. So in other words, not a curse."

Cassie had to look down at herself then stood up. She cringed when she took a look at what she was wearing. It was fine for every day work but it wasn't really fitting for meeting a dragon. Cassie thought about it for a moment. What was? "Umm. Jump boots with side zipper action so I don't have to deal with my laces in the morning. Classic worked in leather brown. Scuffs not included. Dusty tan cargo shorts with extra pockets, always a plus. Made by reef." Cassie pointed to all nine pockets on the knee length shorts with pride. "Kit belt made by me to hold all my tools. Also in the classic brown leather with accompanied scuffs. And the shirt is just your run of the mill, every day no biggie cami. Made by who ever's is cheaper." Cassie wasn't sure if that was the answer she was looking for but she didn't really understand the point of the question. Why did what she wear be titled by her job? "It works for what I do. Light, comfy and lots of pockets."

This was the question she wasn't sure on how to address. Sitting back down she tried to explain what she knew in a manor that her happy, for now, dragon friend would understand. "In this world dragons don't exist. They are things of movies and stories. A legendary creature of myth. You fly, breath fire, steal princess, guard towers and sit on large piles of gold."Cassie shrugged her shoulders not know what betrayal he was talking about. "Our history speaks of dragons as mystical dreamed up figures, your not real and have no tangible part of our existence. Side from you, there is no proof that you are even real." She looked at Terumnaxis with sadness. "Whatever we did to you, real or not, it wiped everything about you from our minds and history."

She wanted to know how it was possible to destroy something this large and powerful but didn't ask. He already had it in him mind that at one point she was there to kill him and at another humanity was the reason for his destruction. "How did we betray you and why did you wake up bound on killing me?" Cassie was silent for a while debating on something. "And was that really magic? Is that a dragon thing only or is it something that you could teach some one. Say like me?" Cassie could feel the blush burn across her cheeks after asking the question and bit her tongue on asking wither or not he could take her on a ride.

 

[Baelnorn]

"Well good. I wouldn't taste good anyways." In other circumstances the ancient dragon would have answered her remark with a smile, but right now he really was not in the mood for a smile.

Terumnaxis carefully listened to her words, waiting patiently for her to finish her explanations. And they seemed to create more new questions than answers.

"What we do is try and find out what it was here, what it's purpose was, how old it is and whatever else we can learn about it."

Learning? From him? Could it be that the conspiracy had fallen apart or was thrown down by the common people? Could it be that not all of humanity had abandoned his leadership and in fact was willing to return under his wings? A slight spark of hope flared up in his heart. Hope that those he once swore to protect have not all turned against him, hope that he would not have to fight mankind.

"A dig involves a lot of people. Even more so when it's something this huge and could possibly change our history as we know it."

He was still confused about the way she was talking about him. Again she mentioned history, as if he was a thing from a long forgotten age. He did not know how long he had slept in his obsidian shell, but it could not have been much longer than a decade, half a century at most. Considering the circumstances his lair was in basically the same condition he could remember leaving it in.

"Plus wizards and knights with swords and lances are just things from stories. As are you."

She did it again! He was no thing from the past! He was real, a force of nature to be reckoned with! He knew that without his kin the flow of magic would fade away. And without this flow wizards and other spellworkers would not be able to create any effect or even teach their craft. But it was impossible that all that could have been completely forgotten in such a short time.

"Zircon is the oldest dated mineral so far founded on Earth. While you're not that old, the stones we have dated are the oldest dated thing in the area so I thought it was a cute fit."

He was slowly growing a little annoyed by her constant act of calling him old, or ancient, or a creature or legend. He was real, standing right in front of her and still she talked as if she had never even considered the thought that his kin could exist. But what added more to his confusion than his annoyance was that she seemed completely convinced of her statements. Nothing in her voice or body language even hinted at a lie or deception.

"In this world dragons don't exist. They are things of movies and stories. A legendary creature of myth. You fly, breath fire, steal princess, guard towers and sit on large piles of gold. Our history speaks of dragons as mystical dreamed up figures, your not real and have no tangible part of our existence. Side from you, there is no proof that you are even real. Whatever we did to you, real or not, it wiped everything about you from our minds and history."

He was about to finally call her out on her words when slowly an unspeakable thought dawned in his mind. A thought so cruel and forbidden that he fought against it with all his intellect. Until now he had thought - assumed - that his sleep had not lasted long. But he did not know for sure. What... what if his torpor had lasted for much longer than he could imagine? What if the woman's talk about history and ancient things was not the rambling of a girl but instead nothing but the truth?

Terumnaxis heard the woman's questions but ignored them. Slowly - almost reluctantly - he raised his head to the ceiling of the cave, looking at the painting of the night sky. One moment later his eyes grew wide with shock and fear.

"That cannot be! I must see the stars!"

Terumnaxis jumped to his feet and closed his eyes in concentration. And then he seemed to shrink. Without word or sound his wings folded into his back. His neck grew shorter and shorter, as did his tail which even completely disappeared. His horns and fangs withdrew until they were completely gone. The massive scales grew smaller and thinner and finally disappeared completely, revealing smooth skin instead. The shape of his body changed and after a few moments the mighty dragon was gone.

A blinding blue flash lit up the cave for a blink of an eye and instead of the beast a human man stood, clad in an ornamented silvery-golden breastplate with matching chain armor and parts. A dark red tunic was showing from underneath the armor and a long dark blue cloak ornamented with silver embroidery hung from his shoulders. On top of his head rested an impressive crown with many golden decorations.

He had told her he was a king, but now he definitively also looked like one.

He held out his hand to her, offering her his arm. "Quick, we must not delay any further. I need to see the stars. Now!" Cassandra could tell from his posture and the look on his face that he did not consider leaving her alone or letting her get away from him.

 

[Orithyia]

The quick sudden movement had Cassie on her feet and pressed against the wall of the cave. Her heart was pumping and it as enough of a rush that she forgot about Terumnaxis not answering her questions. True Terumnaxis said he wasn't going to eat her but it was still unnerving to be in the presence of a dragon. There was something about the painting on the roof that made the dragon snap. The stars. What about the stars could be so important?

Cassie took his arm but not to accompany him but to try and stop him. "You can't. It's day time and last I checked you can only see the stars at night." She was glad that he wasn't putting up a struggle, yet, because she could feel the strength and being in a smaller form didn't shrink it any. "Plus..." She waved her hand up and down Terumnaxis' body. "You can't go out looking like that. It'll draw people's attention and I don't lie well enough to make up a story about who you are and why you're dressed like that."

She really wanted to reach out and feel the crown, the intricate Celtic like woven patterns. The feather shaped fanning in the front and sides. It looked heavy and it bothered Cassie with itchy hands to want to try it on. Every girl liked crowns and she could see herself running around like a child knighting people. With some effort she put her hands in her pockets and tore her eyes away from him. She didn't yet looked at his armor but knew that the same feeling would come with a closer look of them.

Cassie had more questions and- "Hey! You didn't answer any of my questions." She dropped Terumnaxis' hand and put them on her hips taking a stand. "I know you want to 'see the stars' but seeing as they're not out yet can you at least answer one of mine? Please? I answered all of you. It's only fair." She was hoping he would answer the magic one. She was sure it was magic but she was excited to find out if it was possible for non-dragons to do it too. Once upon a time there used to be wizards, right. If dragons existed why didn't everything else.

 

[Baelnorn]

For a second Terumnaxis was satisfied that Cassandra took his arm but then she held him instead of following him when he turned around and took a step towards the cave's exit. He turned his head back, ready to question her why she delayed him when she spoke first.

"You can't. It's day time and last I checked you can only see the stars at night."

He turned around completely and stepped close to her, so close that she could feel a soft warmth emanating from him even through his armor and her clothing. "But somewhere else it is night right now with the stars clearly visible in the sky. And perhaps you have noticed my wings. Let me assure you they are not only for decoration. If need be I will fly to..." He had not finished his sentence when she cut him off. He blinked at her irritated and also a little bit annoyed but she continued talking.

"Plus... You can't go out looking like that. It'll draw people's attention and I don't lie well enough to make up a story about who you are and why you're dressed like that."

He took a deep breath and looked Cassandra right into the eyes. "Listen to me carefully now for I will not repeat myself. Neither do I care about what any of your comrades thinks of my attire nor do have I any intents of explaining myself to them. They will step aside and let me pass, one way or another. You do not know what I know, so be assured that I do need to see the stars' alignment. I need to know how much time has passed since I fell asleep. You cannot tell me, but the stars can!"

He noticed that her attention was rapidly shifting from him to his crown, then to the floor, then to his armor and finally back to him. She had put her hands into her pockets and he could almost feel the itch of curiosity nagging at her mind when she suddenly blurted out.

"Hey! You didn't answer any of my questions. I know you want to 'see the stars' but seeing as they're not out yet can you at least answer one of mine? Please? I answered all of you. It's only fair."

Carefully the dragon considered his options. He could have easily knocked her out or put her to sleep with a spell. But he did not want to hurt her. Also, if what he suspected was true he would need someone whom he could trust. The dragon sighed and looked at her, disapproving of her innocent but somewhat annoying insistance and curiosity. Despite his annoyance with her delays, deep inside he felt that this woman was special. He could not explain why he felt that way or determine what made her special. It was as if he was in a very strange way familiar with her.

"Do not worry, I will answer your questions in time. But you must believe me that now is not the time for it. The sooner I can see the night sky the sooner I will answer any and all your questions. Let me just tell you this: If I wanted you dead we certainly would not be standing here and talk to each other. You will probably understand once you know what had happened."

Terumnaxis took a deep breath before going on, his mind still heavy with the memories of the past. "I swear that for as long as I can trust you I will protect you with my life. I will never let you suffer nor will I desert you, but I expect the same from you. However, be warned! The moment you betray me your life is forfeit. I suffered greatly at the hands of humans and my willingness to forgive has died along with my siblings."

He offered her his arm again. "Can we depart this place for now?"

 

[Orithyia]

He was once again failing to answer any one of her questions but Cassie was getting used to it. At least this time he didn't answer her questions with a 'I'll answer them later' excuse. Then there was a the reassurance that he didn't want her dead or she would already be dead. It make her feel better that it wasn't the first time that she said something like that. But the thing that had her mind silent of it's questions and nagging was his vow.

'I swear that for as long as I can trust you I will protect you with my life. I will never let you suffer nor will I desert you, but I expect the same from you. However, be warned! The moment you betray me your life is forfeit. I suffered greatly at the hands of humans and my willingness to forgive has died along with my siblings.'

Replaying it in her mind gave her chills. There was genuine softness in his words that couldn't be faked that touched her. Yet the underlining steel that was also hidden to be plainly heard in his words scared her. What happened to him to make him so defensive and untrusting of humans? It broke her heart for some unknown reason and she wanted to sooth away his pain.

"Okay." Cassie took a deep breath and took Terumnaxis' arm again but this time made no move to stop him. This time when her arm rested upon his she noted that he was warm. Very warm. Looking down it wasn't skin that she touched but armor and it made her wonder how warm his skin was and if it smelled and tasted as warm as it felt. Cass wasn't sure as to where the thought had come from but it would be weird for his skin to smell like chilled watermelon if it was warm. Right? Her mind asked itself.

When the sun light from outside could be seen Cassie took another deep breath and readied herself for what might meet them at the doors. Remembering how long she was gone last time she was down in the cave she wondered if she would be lucky enough to emerge at high sun when everyone would be resting from the heat of the sun. A quick look at her human shaped dragon and she was biting the inside of her cheek to keep from shaking her head.

 

[Baelnorn]

"Okay."

Terumnaxis was a bit surprised at her single word response but didn't comment on it - he didn't want to start another discussion with her that delayed his plans even further. He was glad that for once she followed his lead without criticizing or resisting him. And even when he was hesitant to admit, it felt good to have her at his side.

While they were walking he talked to Cassie. "Please, you must understand my priorities. I cannot sit idle and answer your questions when I know nothing about what has happened and how much time has passed. I do believe you, that you are a scholar studying...," he paused for second, smiling to himself before going on, "... history and that you and your comrades found my home by accident. I guess you were excited about your findings, too, and would not have been able to sit down while the unknown awaits you."

It took only a few minutes and they were getting closer to the cavern's entrance. The bright light of day was flooding the tunnel but the stone walls were still keeping the air cool. The old dragon sensed that something was wrong with the image before him but he couldn't quite put a finger on it. They had almost reached the exit when he finally realized it. It was much too bright and hot outside. He could see the air shimmering outside and already felt the heat pressing into the tunnel.

Finally they stepped outside and Terumnaxis stopped dead in his tracks. He just stood there, slowly turning his head and looking around while the high sun kept blasting down mercilessly on them. Terumnaxis blinked several times and then a single tear fell from his eyes as he looked over the desolate land around them, devoid of all life. He shook his head in disbelieve.

"What have you done?" he whispered, more to himself than to Cassie but she could still hear it. He turned his head to her and spoke louder. "What have you done? How could this happen? Why did your race do this?" He took a step away from her and raised his hand. "This was once a fertile land! A lush forest reaching further than the eye could see! With plants and birds magnificent both to the eye and ear!"

He tore his gaze away from Cassie and looked at the desert again. "And now, all is gone. Nothing of my homeland's beauty remains. All that is left is a lifeless desert, a... a scorched land." He closed his eyes and swallowed, but failed to hold back another tear. He let out a frustrated and desperate sigh, still struggling to keep his composure as he spoke again. "I... I see the world has changed more than I could have ever imagined. We should... go."

 

[Orithyia]

Cassie smiled as she recalled the moment she first realized what or rather who she had found. "It was as if I had found a new friend. The feeling was amazing and then scary the second time around." As Cassie was replaying what had happened in the just the last few hours she remembered something. "I dreamed of you too. Not before hand, I'm can't see the future but after words. I couldn't tell what what it was about I just woke up knowing you were in it and I had to see you."

The heat hadn't left and while in the cool cave system she had forgotten how hot and dry it was. "You never get use to-" Cassie almost pulled her shoulder out when Terumnaxis stopped at the tunnel entrance. She hadn't been expecting him to stop and even if he was no longer the huge dragon that he was before Terumnaxis was still much stronger then her. Something her grandfather used to say suddenly made sense; If the bull wants to keep going it goes. Same if it wants to stop, just hope you're not still lashed to it. He thought he was a cowboy and would constantly make western like saying up. This tho seemed to make senses if only at this one moment, just replace bull with dragon.

"Are you okay-" Cassie started but stopped as suddenly as Terumnaxis had. There was a tear rolling down his cheek. She hadn't done anything but she wished that she had because then she might have been able to fix this if this was her fault. There was a pain in her chest as she listened to the hurt in his voice as he briefly described the land he left and the one that stood before him.

"And now, all is gone. Nothing of my homeland's beauty remains. All that is left is a lifeless desert, a... a scorched land. I... I see the world has changed more than I could have ever imagined. We should... go."

Another tear fell down his cheek and even though he had stepped away from her, Cassie closed the distance between them and laid a hand on his arm. It was meant to be a comforting gesture. It was heartbreaking to see such a powerful creature feel such devastating sorrow and show it in such a vulnerable way. "I'm sorry for all that you have lost. If it were in my power to do so I would make it right and ease your suffering. But I can't/" The last sentence wasa weak with the knowledge that there was nothing she could do for Terumnaxis. "If there is anything that I can do..." He was a dragon and when Cassie remembered that she shut her mouth. What could she do to make it any better?

Without a way to help she changed to conversation. "Where are we going?" She figured that was a question he might answer.

 

[Baelnorn]

"I'm sorry for all that you have lost. If it were in my power to do so I would make it right and ease your suffering. But I can't."

The dragon carefully listened to Cassandra's words, noticing her voice growing weak. He knew that her words were sincere and not only a gesture of politeness that one would expect in such a situation. He looked at her and forced a weak smile to his lips, whispering the words "Thank you."

Terumnaxis took another deep breath to try to regain his composure. The loss still hurt him. He could have never imagined that the world had changed so much. He was confused and angry about his former homeland's destruction, but he didn't have anybody on which to project his confusion and anger. Sure, he could shout at Cassendra but she didn't have anything to do with all that - it likely happened centuries before she was even born.

"If there is anything that I can do..."

Terumnaxis raised an eyebrow when he heard her comment and how quickly she shut her mouth. He was about to thank her for the offer and pass it up when he realized that there was indeed something she could do.

"Yes Cassandra, there is something you can do." He looked her right into the eyes as he went on. "I need your help. I need your help getting along in this world. If my suspicion is true this world will be completely alien - and probably even hostile - to me. I need someone I can trust, someone to...," he hestitated for a second, "...to guide me."

He knew it would sound strange, perhaps even ridiculous to her. But he was well aware of the fact that he knew absolutely nothing about Cassandra's world, her people and her culture. If he wanted to get along with the humans today he would need help. And Cassandra was his best bet.

"Where are we going?"

The dragon put on a knowing smile. "Somewhere where we can see the stars. To a place my people call 'rekilm di wer treskri'. In your language it roughly means 'roof of the world'." He lead her to a small nearby plateau that was a few meters in diameter. "It is...," he began but quickly corrected himself, "... was my favorite place to be when I needed to meditate or contemplate something. The stars always shine brightly upon that place."

By now he was kneeling on the ground and had begun drawing a cirle into the dusty ground with the branch of a spare thorn scrub that grew between some rocks. The circle was growing more and more detailed, filled with filigrane runes and patterns. "I hope that this place will once more help me find an answer. And I hope even more that your race left the place alone. It would be indeed a massive sacrilege if humans had destroyed it."

 

[Orithyia]

"My help?" She understood what he was asking for but it was as if all the strange seemed to hit her all at once. A dragon, that was once a statue but now alive that could do magic, transform into a human and who knows what else was asking for her help. Cassie was nodding her head yes as all this flew by. "I don't know how helpful I will be but I'll do what I can. As long as you let me get you a new change of clothes." She smile her humor taking a while to kick in but it did. She gave him a cheerful smile trying to coax a better smile out of the obvious pained dragon.

Cassie stood back nodding again. Being around Terumnaxis made her feel lost and confused in a world that used to be her safe place. Sure she ran into things that didn't make sense but that was the greatest part, finding out the why, when and hows to whatever had stumped her. She looked over at her stumped moment and realized that she was never going to figure out the answers that came so easily to her before. There were too many 'whys'. She wasn't going to lie to herself and say that every time she figures it out because she had yet to figure anything out.

Again she wanted yo ask what he was doing but just swallowed it. Apparently if he wasn't going to tell her she didn't need to know. Plus knowing would only sprout more questions and she had enough on her plate as it was. In stead she went over in her head what Terumnaxis would look best in. She wasn't quite sure was the current fashion was for men but she had a feeling that he would figure her about whatever it was.

It wasn't but a few minutes of silence on her part and she was already twitching from not knowing. "So the circle leads us to this place or is it more like a transport? Or is this it and it's just glamoured like some kind of fey thing?" Cassie was going to add 'is there anything I can do to help' but seeing as she need an explication she doubted she could off assistance of any sort.

 

[Baelnorn]

"My help? I don't know how helpful I will be but I'll do what I can. As long as you let me get you a new change of clothes."

The dragon raised an eyebrow at her comment. It took him a while to realize it was a joke and only once she smiled at him he was sure.

"If that is your condition then so be it," he replied with a smile of his own.

"Considering the strange attire you are wearing, I am indeed a little curious about what sort of garb your culture considers fashionable for someone like me. We dragons have...," he stopped for a second stumbling over his memories again, "...had a saying. It was, 'You are only then truly dead when you stop learning' and I think that I am going to have a lot of things to learn from you."

He turned his head towards her for a moment, smiling, before focussing back on the task of drawing the circle.

"So the circle leads us to this place or is it more like a transport? Or is this it and it's just glamoured like some kind of fey thing?"

The old dragon had just finished the last strokes on the circle. He was standing before a maginificent and incredibly detailed pattern scratched lightly into the ground. A pattern that almost seemed to move and flow on its own volition. He stood up and turned to Cassandra. He felt that she was anxious with curiousity and the questions were already basically bursting out of her mind. He was instantly reminded of the curiosity of some of his former students he had taken under his wings back when his kingdom still existed. He softly smiled at her and knelt down in front of the circle, gesturing to her to kneel down next to him. Once she was besides him, he started to explain the circle to her.

"The circle is only a focus, a tool that aids with the creation of the spell. Creating a portal is complicated and exhausting, even for the most experienced and trained caster and still even for me. The energy you need to summon to create one is far beyond what a single being could ever hope to manage. Mortal spellweavers always needed rituals, performed by dozens of magicians and involving many exotic ingredients and even bigger circles. Dragons, on the other hand, can usually gather the required energy with a smaller circle like this. But not even I could manage it without any sort of help."

He focused on the circle before continuing.

"The ritual circle actually consist of three layered circles performing different functions. The outer layer...," he pointed at a series of intertwined jagged lines running around the circle's outer border, "... collects and stores the necessary energy to power the spell. It also functions as a safety measure to protect the caster and his surroundings from the magic in case something goes wrong. I told you that the amount of magical energy involved was staggering - if all this energy was released in an uncontrolled way it could easily eradicate a whole city."

"The inner most layer...," he pointed at a group of interconnected rings, triangles, pentagons and hexagons that were surrounded by several loops in the center of the whole circle, "... determines the target location. The glyphs you see there are a magical description of the place the portal will take us to. Also, it assures that we are returned to the origin of the portal in case the destination does not exist any more. A portal is like a tunnel, it has both an entry and an exit. And both - origin and destination - are determined at the time of casting. If the location of the destination does not exist any more and no loop back to the origin is made, the magic searches for the next closely matching location. But what exactly counts as a close match follows the laws of magic and not any creature's perception. It is impossible to predict where an unanchored destination will lead to. It could be a few strides down the street, the center of the sun, or on some other plane of existance that consists only of molten steel and burning air."

"And the layer between...," he pointed at the area between the inner and outer layer which showed a ring of strangely shaped inward pointing arrows and bolts that looked like lightning, "... takes care that we arrive at the destination in one piece. The portal is not instant teleportation although it appears to us as exactly that. In reality is a shortcut through another plane of existance that we call the Astral Sea. This place is both incredibly beautiful and dangerous. The Astral Sea has currents and streams that can distort and rupture our forms if we were to travel there without protection. Creatures that suffer that dreadful fate thankfully do not live for long once they return to the Material Plane."

Finally Terumnaxis stood up and offered Cassandra his hand to help her stand up, too. He had not failed to notice that she was getting more and more pale with each of his explanations. He had seen that very same reaction before. Magic was indeed an incredibly useful and powerful tool. But it was easily at least as dangerous. He had not exaggerated any of his examples and he made sure that everyone involved with magic knew what he or she was getting herself into. He had lost just too many carefree and reckless students that failed to understand the importance of discipline and control when casting spells.

"You have perhaps guessed so much already - it is indeed possible to leave out the two outer rings and create a portal with only the central circle as a focus. But this is something only a madman would do since it can easily spell certain doom and a painful death not only for the caster but for all those around him."

He took a deep breath, realizing that his ramblings would only scare and confuse her even more than she probably already was.

"I am sorry, I did not want to scare you. I just wanted to answer your unspoken questions. Do not worry, you are safe with me. I have performed this very ritual hundreds of times in my lifetime."

Terumnaxis put his hands on her shoulders. "You can trust me. Can you recall the promise I gave you earlier? Just remmeber that when you doubt my words. But before we start I need to ask you one more thing and that is of utmost importance. Once I started the ritual, do not interfere. No matter what happens, I must not be interrupted. Even if you think something bad happens, you must not touch me or the circle. Can you promise me that?"

Once he had her promise he took a step away from Cassandra and raised his hands. As he closed his eyes and started a to recite the ritual in a low, humming, voice a faint trail of blue sparks emerged from his finger tips. The sparks grew more and more and started to circle around him, engulfing his form. After several moments a thin stream of sparks jumped towards the circle and began to fill the scratches in the ground with their light.

Only seconds later the whole circle was filled with bright blue light and pulsing with an unearthly heart beat. Terumnaxis was still reciting the ritual and the glow's pulse got faster and faster. Drops of sweat were appearing on the dragon's forehead and by now the circle was projecting a column of bright blue light high into the air. Other than his mutterings and recitations everything was dead quiet. And then suddenly he stopped.

He took a step back and watched the column of light fade away. His sight was still focused on the circle and one could imagine that right now his gaze would easily burn through a steel plate. After several moments however, a small silver drop appeared hovering in midair. It just hovered there doing nothing, but after several seconds it started to grow. From a single drop of silver it grew into a sphere of liquid silver and mercury about 7 feet in diameter. Its surface was gently rippling like a slowly flowing river and glowing with an inner white light, mirrowing both them and their surroundings.

"It is completed. We can depart this place now if you are ready."

Terumnaxis finally turned around to Cassandra and with a soft reassuring smile offered her his hand. Including drawing the circle and explaining the purpose and function of the circle they had spent no longer than 10 minutes on the plateau.

 

[Orithyia]

The strangest thing happen, okay perhaps not the strangest Cassie corrected herself, after today she doubted that anything would fin into that category anymore. She sighed to herself amusement filling her face, it was good to know that ever after today she could still manage to sidetrack herself.

Even though she listened to everything that Terumnaxis had said her mind was quite. She know that his explanation should have rose more questions but it didn't. The only reaction to what he had said was the slow winding her her tummy knotting itself. Knowing that there was a chance that this could backfire and kill not only them but others didn't help the growing feeling. Top that all with the cherry of getting stuck in a different plane of existence heightened the sensation to something that felt cold and slightly slimy.

Cassie was almost positive that she wasn't a fan of this and didn't feel at all bad for wanting to stay behind. She almost offered to stay watch for- whatever else might exist as some kind of cover to watch his back. But at the same moment Cassie was working out my courage to wimp out Terumnaxis offered her his hand. It wasn't the hand that was offered that had her abandoning her moment of weakness it was the smile on his face and the guilt of leaving someone she had promised to help.

"Please don't get me lost or killed." The young girl sighed. It wasn't that she didn't trust him, it was the magic that she didn't trust. Suddenly she understood how the vikings would have felt if someone had told them that the world was round and proved it. There was no saying that magic didn't exist, she had see it preformed a enough that no amount of lying could fix her.

When she placed her hand in Terumnaxis' she hoped that it wasn't cold or clammy but had a feeling that even with this suffocating heat that there was a good chance of losing her life scared her enough that her body bypassed that fact. Cassie had no idea where this would take her but she just hoped that it didn't hurt. And with all the trust you could place in a fictional creature she closed her eyes and waited for whatever to happen to happen.

 

[Baelnorn]

"Please don't get me lost or killed."

The old dragon looked at her and gently squeezed her hand.

"I will not. Never."

Then Terumnaxis touched his free hand against the surface of the portal and let the magic happen. The moment his hand made contact with the event horizon the liquid silver rippled and started to flow over his fingers. It covered his hand and crawled up his arm. In only a second his whole shape was covered in a silver sheen and another moment later the portal's essence had covered Cassandra as well.

It did not hurt, but it definitively was not a pleasant experience either. When the portal's essence covered the young woman, she felt as if her body was melting. All sense of cohesion, form and shape was lost and it was as if she was floating and flowing in an invisible eternal ocean. Before her inner eye visions of untold beauty unfolded. The journey seemed to last for a lifetime and at the same time still was over in the blink of an eye.

Suddenly all at once her shape was restored and a howling icy cold wind hit her face. The chill was biting mercilessly into her skin and around her there was only darkness - and Terumnaxis. He had pulled her close to him and wrapped his arms and cloak around her, protecting her from the most savage wind. She could feel the heat emanating from him through his armor and her clothes. He muttered a few arcane words and a host of blue motes appeared floating around Cassandra, warming her and making the extremely thin air breathable for her.

"Cassandra, are you unhurt? Please accept my apologies. Apparently the location I wanted to go does still exist, but not its surroundings. When I last visited this place it was inside a cavern and not on the outside. I am sorry."

He held her close for some more moments, making sure she was alright and then carefully released her from his embrace.

"Be careful where you tread. We are on the top of a mountain and the ground is not very safe. But still, welcome on 'rekilm di wer treskri', the roof of the world. You will not find another place on this world where you are that close to the stars."

Now, after her eyes had adjusted to the darkness she saw an impossibly extensive mountain range spreading out around her. In every direction Cassandra could only see mountains and high above her was a night sky like she had never seen before.

 

[Orithyia]

Cassie stood there mouth hanging open stunned. Then wind was cruel against her skin and she was more then grateful when Terumnaxis pulled her close to protect her from the cold. "How is this possible?" She asked her word muffled as she cuddled closer into Terumnaxis' warm body. It wasn't a question she really cared if it was answered or not. She tried looking around but the wind made her eyes water until a faint blue glow eased both the wind and the cold. "Thank you." Cassie smiled looking up at her dragon's face.

"I'm fine." Cassie waved the concerned dragon off, a frown crossing her lips briefly before it disappeared. Without Terumnaxis' body it was a little colder but not quite cold enough to raise goosebumps. There was a thought in the back of her mind wondering if her would mind if she clung on to him but figured that he might and just let it be.

"You say things like 'this used to be inside a cavern and it makes me wonder what this place looked like where you lived here. The few times you have spoken of it makes me kind of envious of the beauty you lived in." Cassie signed in longing wanting to see the world that once was.

Again she looked around and with the blue glow wasn't shield by watery eyes. With what Terumnaxis said about being on the top of a mountain and worrying about falling off Cassie made darn sure that her feet landed in the footprints of his. That was after she convinced herself that it was safe to move. There was a moment that she content with just standing there and craning her neck but seeing Terumnaxis walk off as if walking closer to the stars Cassie had to follow, life be damned.

"If I fell would you jump after me to save me?" She asked after the second time she almost tripped on loose rocks while gazing at the almost close enough to touch stars. "I've never seen the sky like this before. It's as if I'm seeing it for the first time." Cassie said in a small voice reaching out here hand willing the stars to come to her. In her mind she pictured them feeling like warm almost hot socks that just came out of the dryer. A there was a smile on her face as she pictured herself wearing the stars like a warm robe of glittering beauty.

"So what are the stars telling you? How long has it been since your nap?"

 

[Baelnorn]

After making sure Cassandra was alright, the old dragon turned around and climbed a little higher still so that his view of the night sky was completely unobstructed.

"You say things like 'this used to be inside a cavern' and it makes me wonder what this place looked like where you lived here. The few times you have spoken of it makes me kind of envious of the beauty you lived in."

Terumnaxis blinked at Cassandra and a bitter but accepting smile appeared on his lips. Some spare thoughts raced through his mind, reminding him of the olden days.

"Indeed, it was a beautiful world. But my world is long gone by and this is your world, the humans' world, now. While all I have seen from your world so far is desert and sand I doubt that all of your world is like that. I think that there is beauty and mystery also in your world - one probably has just to look more carefully for it. And once you show me your world I am sure there will be occasions where I will be at a loss of words, for one reason or another."

Finally he had found a suitable place to being his study. His gaze was focused on the stars that flickered and burned brightly in the dark sky. He was looking for familiar stars and constellations and their relative positions to each other. His mind was racing, estimating from memory how far the stars moved with each passing year, decade and century. He was calculating how much time had passed since he turned to stone.

"If I fell would you jump after me to save me?"

Even though the dragon was distracted and occupied his mind was still aware of his surroundings and Cassandra and he answered her question without hesitating even for a moment.

"Of course. I swore that you will not suffer any harm while I stand by your side, and I am bound by that oath. Be assured I would have never sworn that oath if I had not meant what I did say."

His eyes were still wandering from star to star, focused on the sky high above them. He was standing there, his head turning from side to side at times and the expression on his face like a mask. But on the inside the old dragon was growing more and more dismayed. The very first number he got from his calculations must have been wrong. It was simply impossible - or rather, unbelievable. Terumnaxis did not want to just accept that result. He wanted to be absolutely sure, he needed to be absolutely sure. So he continued tracing the stars' eternal movement with his gaze.

"I've never seen the sky like this before. It's as if I'm seeing it for the first time."

The dragon's thoughts were still racing. He estimated the passed distance for each constellation and star he knew - which were basically all that shone brightly in the sky - and each calculation confirmed his initial result. It took him a few moments to realize that she was talking to him and some moments longer to answer her, but his voice was starting to fail.

"I am glad you enjoy the sight here. I do, too. It has been... much to long... since I've been here."

"So what are the stars telling you? How long has it been since your nap?"

Terumnaxis sank to his knees in defeat. The result was correct. He had calculated the exact same result for all constellations and prominent stars in the night sky he could see. He had barely heard her question and with a trembling voice that was still weak from the shock he finally answered her question.

"Over eight thousand years."

 

[Orithyia]

Cassie doubted that. What beauty there was was quickly being bought by the greed of people to be destroyed to make way for more money profiting things, like condo and strip malls. A part of her could almost understand as the human population grew but couldn't they find a way to build around the marvels of the natural world or at least destroy it for more beneficial things like schools and libraries. Cassie gave a sad sigh and shook her head no. "Beauty is a hard thing to find now a days." It was a dark way to view the world and it was one of the reasons she loved history so much. The people of that time understood what the earth gave them and learned to exist harmoniously.

It was daunting to meet someone who took a spoken oath the way that he did. She was going to have to watch what she said around him as she wasn't sure what he would take as a joke or seriously. Being quite the smart-ass that she was it was probably going to giver her more trouble then she would have thought. And even with that running thru her mind it didn't stop the faint blush from dusting her cheeks. It was also kind of cute, no one had ever swore an oath to protect her. Or at least meant it the way that Terumnaxis did.

"I am glad you enjoy the sight here. I do, too. It has been... much to long... since I've been here. Over eight thousand years."

Again Cassie was left standing there looking like every bit of the fool that she was sure she was. "Eight THOUSAND years?" The number threatened to choked her as it fell fro her hanging mouth. "Gods..." Cassie joined Terumnaxis on the ground. "If it makes you feel any better you're the hottest eight thousand year plus old I've ever met." She didn't like the way the news etched worry lines around his mouth and eyes.

Cassie didn't know how she could help and as if they hand a mind of their own her hands had reached out and was trying to ease the lines away. "What can I do?" The stars were forgotten in Terumnaxis' defeated voice. Even the sharp bites of the rocks on her bare knees did nothing to distract her from worrying about her, unbelievable as it still was, best dragon friend. "How can I help you?" Cassie whispered wondering if there was a way she could send him back to his time so that there wouldn't be so much sorrow in his eyes as he spoke about the world that once was and the people that once walked upon it. She didn't know why it mattered so much but Cassie was desperate to help him in anyway that she could.

 

[Baelnorn]

Terumnaxis knelt on the ground, his thoughts racing. Now he knew with absolute certainty that he was the last of his kind. He knew that everything that Arkhosia once stood for was no more. Everything he had fought for had been forgotten. He was close to getting lost in his sorrow when he felt a movement next to him on the ground that pulled his mind back to the present. It was Cassandra who had knelt down at his side.

"If it makes you feel any better you're the hottest eight thousand year plus old I've ever met."

The dragon forced a weak smile on his lips, guessing that it was a compliment or an expression of sympathy even if he did not really understand what she meant with "hot" (she was not referring to the temperature of his skin, was she?).

"Thank you."

He let out a deep and long sigh. The whole situation was so foreign to him. He had always been in charge, always been in control. But now he was trapped in an unknown world ruled by the descendants of those that had slaughtered his kin. He was not sure whether he wanted to face this world or rather crawl back into his lair and turn to stone for another eight thousand years.

On the other hand, he had never turned down a challenge, he had never run from an enemy, he had never left a riddle unsolved. So why should he start now. Even when the whole world was foreign and possibly even hostile to him, this new world was also filled with challenges to face, enemies to overcome and riddles to solve.

"What can I do? How can I help you?"

He took another deep breath and stood up, looking into Cassandra's eyes.

"Show me your world. I have many things to learn and I want you to teach me."