Arg folded its wings, diving down for what David thought was a large forest. Trees reached up for them as they got closer. The leaves on the trees seemed to spread wider, as if unfurling to welcome them. Soon he could see spaces between the trees and he could hear the gush of water somewhere. He caught the rush of water running over the edge of what seemed like an upended mountain before.
“What is that?” Chloe asked.
David wondered too. There were no buildings for miles, perhaps none at all. Arg unfurled its wings, slowing their fall. There was a round space cut out near the edge where someone waited. Arg landed on the soft grass, their tips carrying a hint of red and purple. The bird knelt for them to get off and then leapt off and flew away before David could thank it.
“Welcome to Gea,” the creature said. It sounded male, but David knew it could be anything. It stood as tall as him, gilded in what looked like armor except it was made from hard wood covered in moss. There was no weapon in its hands, but David had a feeling it was armed still.
The creature regarded them with blue eyes peeking from its helm of similarly moss-covered wood and snorted. Then it turned, walking further into the forest. Whatever it was, it didn’t seem to like them.
“What’s his deal?” Chloe asked, grasping David’s fingers as they followed the tree soldier.
“What is this Gea?” Elisha asked.
“Our Lady’s realm,” the soldier said. It stopped to let a large furry beast walk by. The beast growled, turned to stare at them for a moment and walked away. “Gea was created from Lady Veenar’s awakening.”
“Awakening?” David asked, looking around. He hadn’t noticed before but the trees were all different. There were no two trees with the same bark or similar leaves. And he recognized none of them. Some were thick and short with curving branches and drooping leaves. Others had unnaturally wide flowers, with lights that pulsed as if alive.
“Yes,” the soldier said. “Everything in Lady Veenar’s garden has a life of its own. The beasts were a gift from Etzar. A sweet offering to make this place lively, he said.”
David nodded, catching the radiant blue wings of a palm-size bird. Its beak was dark as night and the feathers on its head were a mix of yellow, red and blue. When it caught them coming it lifted off, light catching it briefly, making it seem magical.
Everything here is magical, he reminded himself. Even the soldier in front of them was strange. He tried to move his right hand and hissed, pain stretched through him. Coming here right away was stupid, but there was nothing they could have done.
David tried not to think about Oluk. He’d learned something from the fight, but there had been a distinct feeling that the Fang had been toying with him to the end. The thought that he hadn’t been able to keep up at that level made it even more frustrating.
“Where are we going?” Zoey asked and this time the soldier stopped. Its blue eyes seemed to glow when he turned back to glare at them. David frowned. He wasn’t sure if it would attack, but if it did, they might all die here.
“Patience is often overlooked when becoming a warrior,” it said, fixing its gaze on them one after the other before weighing down on David and continued, “But it is important. With just enough patience, you might find yourself saved.”
“That doesn’t answer my question though,” Zoey said, drawing the soldier’s eyes back to her. It was silent for a moment and then it sighed and a breeze—sweet scenting and cool—washed through them. David felt a brief sense of calm, as if someone had lulled his churning thoughts to rest. Then all that vanished and he snapped back, glaring at the soldier.
It looked at them, curiosity obvious in its sea-blue eyes. Then it turned and continued walking.
“I am taking you to the floating garden, human girl. That should abate any fear that weighs you down. Lady Veenar wishes to see you at once.”
David sighed. He let his sword go and looked down at Chloe. She was shaking slightly, still tired from the battle with Felur. David picked her up and gave her to Zoey who was the only one that looked unscathed.
The path twisted through Gea. A few beasts made them stop or change their paths, but soon they could feel that they were close. David could sense the pool of essence rushing toward him, pulling him in like a drunk to the smell of wine. But this was different, it was not temptation.
They approached a bend where the trees were denser, and the branches merged together above to form dimly spaced paths that went everywhere. It was confusing. Every direction seemed like a well-groomed road that led into a distant darkness.
“Stay close lest you get lost,” the soldier warned and then it took the immediate right. Once it took that route, the leaves above lit up like many lamps overhead. The road was long and almost never ending. And when David was about to ask if they couldn’t just fly to meet the dragon, an end appeared in the distance. It opened up to sunlight and a large garden of lush flowers. Flowers that flared as they passed or wriggled.
They hovered above ground, their roots covered in clumps of soil. David bent close and saw the veins of energy pulsing through the soil, snaking up the roots and stalks, feeding the petals and leaves. Some shed and grow again in seconds.
“This is beautiful,” Zoey said, and David agreed. They walked through a narrow stream, hopping from one floating rock to the other. The water sparkled, different from the rushing waterfall they’d seen as they landed. There were more trees here, but not as many as the flowers.
A chorus of giggles pulled David’s attention to a cluster of sharp-tipped plants bathing in mist. The mist hovered over them. The leaves wriggled and swayed like happy kids.
“David!” Elisha called and he realized they’d left him behind. The giggles followed him until he caught up with the others.
In the middle of this floating garden, a large tree grew on the surface of the glass-like pool. Its roots snaking and stretching, spread all over the surface. As they got close to the lake, they saw the movement of essence, going up and down within the water and the tree.
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A woman sat on the edge of the pool, her legs dipped into the pool. She had her back to them. She was slender, graceful as she turned to look up at them. She was unlike anything David had ever seen. Her silver hair was pulled up, wrapped in vines that blushed with red-pink flowers. Her robe was snug and long, floating on the surface of the pool.
David noted that even when she moved there was no ripple.
“Come, put your feet in,” she beckoned. It was soft, comforting, as if she’d told them they could rest here and forget their worries. Elisha took a step forward but David caught him, pulling him back.
“I fear they are not very trusting, My Lady,” the plant soldier said.
“Of course, Elodias,” Veenar said grinning. “They have lived a hard life, and a harder one awaits them in the tower."
“If they survive this place,” Elodias muttered and the dragon chuckled.
“I have no thirst for blood today, it is a good day. Look,” she pointed east of the pool where a wild plant hovered near the edge of the water. It was thorny and dark tipped, but the rest of it was green, and the leaves were layered and beautiful. “The Nomhags grew beautifully, soon they will be able to speak. Another life added to Gea.”
“All because of your grace, My Lady,” Elodias said, bowing deeply. Veenar smiled, waving his reverence away. She turned to David and the others, gesturing for them to come closer.
“This is Sithur, I created it from the blood of a dead god and refined it into essence. A bath in it will heal your wounds and rejuvenate you. You will need to be in good health for my test.”
David stared at the woman’s face, unable to believe anyone or anything could be this perfect. Then he recalled that she was a dragon. She was different from the others, but she was a dragon anyway. He nodded and walked toward the pool. It sparkled. The essence causing a small stir within him.
“So you are the dragon of nature?” Elisha asked and Veenar laughed. It was a chaotic sound, so shocking that Zoey raised her brows at her. Veenar’s laugh tapered to chuckles. Even Elodias laughed a little.
“We are not given such roles. We each awaken to different aspects of life. Not elements. And we don’t stop until we die.”
“You look pretty, all flowery and sunshine,” Zoey said as she knelt by the pool. She slid Chloe into the pool slowly until she was under the water. Essence rushed at her, filling her up until Veenar flicked a long, slim finger and a large bubble soared out of the water carrying Chloe. It settled on the ground beside Zoey and when it popped, Chloe’s eyes flung open.
“You can go in next,” Veenar said to David, her eyes filled with tenderness. David nodded and went in. Elisha did too. His flesh slowly knitted together, hissing as skin stretched into place. It stung briefly, but his wounds weren’t severe. His clothes were wet, but only for a moment. The water was wringed off him and returned to the pool.
Veenar led them to a small, round space where there was only a soft bed of multi-colored grass. She sat, folding her legs under her. Elodias stood behind her, his eyes closed as if he’d been pulled into a deep slumber.
“Sit,” Veenar said. “This will not take long, depending on what your decisions turn out to be.” They sat down facing her. “Your test will be a dream-world test. It will be quick. Each of you will be given a choice and a decision to make. You will either be pulled deeply into the dream or you will wake up and move on to my brother.
“Now close your eyes. It will be a little jarring, but you don’t have to fear. You just have to make a choice.”
The sound of birds and soft giggles slowly faded until there was no sound again. David held his eyes shut until he heard a grunt. It was raw, animalistic and with it came the smell of something rotten.
“David,” a familiar voice whispered. “David, help me.”
David opened his eyes; rejecting the voice even before he saw the face. His father’s face was bloody. His feet and hands were badly broken. A troll-like monster held him up by his neck, squeezing. David could hear him wheeze, his eyes pleading. He was suddenly holding Ignis’ bones in his hand.
“Will you go to him? Or will you go up the tower?” Veenar’s voice asked. It was tender in his ear, luring. “Do you know what you see?” She asked. “Do you know where your path lies?”
The questions were seemingly easy to answer. Of course he would rather save his father than go up the tower. The answer echoed in his mind and it felt wrong. Why? He couldn’t understand. Why was that wrong? Wasn’t it human to want to save one’s family? The next question made the first a lot more complicated. What was he looking at? As he stared at his father, the face seemed to change, flickering until it was Zoey there, until it was his mother, then a boy he’d never seen before. The faces changed faster and then it was just a blur. Only the troll monster remained.
“What do you see now?” Veenar asked, and David stared, trying to catch any clue he could find. Then the foolishness of his attempt to save his father became obvious. He’d tried before. His father had refused. That was obviously not his path. He sheathed his sword and turned away from the scene in front of him and it all collapsed.
He was sitting in front of Veenar, but she was talking to Zoey. They were sitting close, Chloe and Elisha were eating a fruit David had never seen before. Veenar turned to him and smiled.
“I thought you would be the first to come out of the dream, Master of All.”
“He is sometimes really dense,” Zoey said and Veenar laughed.
“He does seem to overthink things.”
“We passed your test?” David asked, still unsure. Veenar nodded.
“It was meant to test how true you are to the quest to reach the end of this tower. There are many who waver and give up. You are different. At least, you seem to be.”
David nodded, standing up. He was tired. He still felt the fatigue of the battle with Jaresh’s Fangs. Yet, they were not done. This was easy but the next might not be. Delaying would only stretch the inevitable.
“Makin and Elith have both pardoned you. They do not wish to partake in Ziel’s trials. Lucky for you. Makin is not usually generous when it comes to punishing those who ascend the tower.”
“That is fortunate indeed,” Elodias echoed.
“Who do we go to next?” David asked and Veenar grinned.
“Etzar, of course!” Veenar stood up, stretched as if she was exhausted. “Elodias will take you to Arg. I look forward to your exploits in the tower. And be wary of Ziel. Our mother has been in a mood since you came here and my brothers’ behavior has only made it worse.”
“We don’t even know what to expect,” Zoey muttered.
“She is unpredictable. She is sometimes merciful and could be cruel when you least expect it. I hope you survive. The tower is a hard place, but I pray you conquer it. And do it fast! There are those who would rather it stayed as it is.”
“Politics?” Elisha asked and Veenar shrugged.
“Tower gods and their games,” Veenar said smiling. She turned to David, strode over to him and kissed his cheek. She whispered something he couldn’t understand and then walked away. He watched her go for a moment, confusion clouding his face. And then Elodias called to them, leading them away from the floating garden.
“What did she say?” Elisha asked. David shook his head.
“It was in a language I don’t understand.”
“Skaelig,” Elodias said. “The language of dragons of old. You will know when you become one with the father.” Elodias gestured at David’s sword and then slipped back into silence. David frowned, thinking about how cold her lips had been. In the depth of his mind, he felt Ignis stir.