I had to admit the bolt hole under the castle was much nicer than the others. So much so that I had to wonder about it. Why was this one so much more luxurious than the rest, that’s saying something considering they were better than the homes of nobility. The mystery was solved when I read the note left on the table.
So you finally made it here! Welcome to my home, well home while I was here. I spent more time here than any other location and have obviously upgraded it considerably. The food is a bit better as we’ll enjoy!
A. M.
Well that explained it, this place was easily double the size of the others and the furniture was at another level. If this took a few days wouldn’t mind hanging out here while it happened. Sadly time was an issue, there were too many things that could be revealed if this dragged out.
First was visiting the dragon, he wouldn’t be hard to find. Even from were I was deep below the keep I could feel his aura. Arawn had placed this place perfectly, it was actually inside the major wards that surrounded the city. That didn’t mean I wouldn’t have to weave my way through the more secure wards around the dragon and castle. It did mean I could go explore the city easily though, besides I needed to do some shopping. Okay I didn’t but I wanted too.
Slipping out of the ground in an alley, far back in the shadows an hour later I strolled casually out into the market. I had to admit that for a city living under threat the market was bustling. As I wondered from stall to stall, occasionally buying some food or cooking supplies as I browsed. I also wandered into a couple of bookstores and added a few newer books to my growing collection.
By dusk I had seen enough to feel bad for what was coming. The city was vibrant and filled with people just going through their day, in the back of my mind the weight of their possible deaths bore down on me. There wasn’t anything I could do but hope the dragon spared the city and took out his fury on the castle. The death that would be cause if the dragon targeted the city would be too much to bear.
Slipping back into the bolt hole carrying my melancholy with me like an anchor tied around my neck. Badb noticed it as soon as he returned from his scouting.
“Shouldn’t have gone to the city.” Was his admonition, understanding immediately what was bothering me.
“So many lives at risk, how can this be the only way?” My tone was heavy, somber. “Nothing I can do about it either.”
“There isn’t. All you can do is hope it’s not as bad as you fear and if it is know that what doing isn’t a choice. It must be done.”
“I know all that, it doesn’t make it easier.”
“No it won’t, nothing will.” He admitted. “Knowing you don’t really have a choice though should help you place the blame where it belongs, on those who created the situation.”
“It does to a degree but in the end it will be my actions that release those repercussions into the world.” I sighed, getting up from my chair and moving into the kitchen to start cooking. It always helps center my mind to cook. “Dinner? Than go see a dragon.”
“Please.” Badb answered sending a heavy dose of sympathy through with his words.
I got to cooking and it did help me leave some of the sorrow behind me, not completely but it helped. The food was good, I had found some amazing tuna in the market. It wasnt a magical beast but the blackened steaks were perfect. The salad was filled with spiritual herbs and vegetables that I found in the pantry. Grilled asparagus wrapped in prosciutto served beside small halved potatoes rounded out the meal.
I enjoyed a pipe and some coffee as the city above settled into sleep for the night as I slipped through the ground toward the wards. Working through them took a bit but in the end they still didn’t create any real barrier. After that the dragon was easy enough to reach, the problem started when I arrived. His presence was tainted, like a poison it hung around him. Reaching out to him I could feel his pain, it was a festering wound at his core caused by the missing magic.
When I realized his size it took my breath away, this was an ancient wyrm not a mere dragon. His body even curled as it was took up the entirety of the castle, the one eye he open to look at me was larger than my luxury bolt hole. His golden scales, even tainted sparkled in the dark as if the stars above had come close enough to touch.
“I can feel you child” his tone was sonorous, it filled me with a sense of gentleness and caring. “I know your soul, one of my forefathers.”
“It is.” I could feel the familial resonance between us as I approached. “This is the pain your mate spoke of, this wound?”
“Yes, they forced me many many years ago to surrender some of my magic to save my clutch. Than they used it to enslave them, the vile creatures.” His tone carried hate when he spoke of them. “Sadly those that did this are long dead, leaving behind them nothing but scavengers feeding off the remains.”
“You don’t seem as angry as your mate regarding them, I almost sense pity in your words.”
“You listen well young one, I do pity them. They doom their world without ever understanding that none of it will matter. If this domain falls it won’t even be missed in the grand scheme of things. That doesn’t mean I won’t kill them, but it won’t be out of anger it will be out of need. They must die so this stops and doesn’t happen again.”
His tone did have a strong sense of responsibility while he explained. Despite his pain and what had been don’t to his people this king felt sadness for those that had done it. This was a true ruler one who looked beyond his own people to the world as a whole. It shamed me to think that other races lacked this ability, so focused on individual power and control over others. This was what a king should be.
“There is no way to free you?” I had to ask, already knowing the answer. “Even with the rings?”
“No, it has been to long there isn’t enough of me left to survive breaking the chains. We are bound together as one.” I could feel his calm through the mental link. “Don’t worry about an old wyrm like me my end is coming and that is the way of things. Knowing that my death will release my great great great grand children out into the world and that they will be safe from my folly, that’s enough.”
“I promise they will be, I will die for them.” I promised.
“More than that young one, you must lead them. When I am gone this domain will recognize you, be prepared for it.”
“What do you mean?” No one had said anything about this before, I had no idea.
“You will become the dragon king, your soul will be the only remaining one.” Than he laughed softly. “I see you don’t understand, your predecessor may not have know or knowing him probably just didn’t care.”
“Predecessor? You mean Arawn? Yuu know him?”
“Yes he spent many years here with me, don’t think ill of him.” He caught my annoyance at his response. If he had been here why didn’t he fix this mess? “He could not do what you are doing. It took much for him to risk even what he did for your training, this isn’t his domain after all.”
“I still don’t understand that.” My frustration at not understanding any of this was obvious. I sounded like a petulant child but didn’t care, this blank spot in my knowledge was infuriating.
“You will child.” He assured me and I believed him. “I’ll tell you what I can, the rest you’ll learn as your own story evolves.”
“I will, and thank you.”
“It is my responsibility but you’re welcome. When I die this domain, not just the dragons will all fall under your rule. You will have dominion over all the races, beats even the land itself will respond to your will. It has always been so, a dragon king must rule and your soul is the last of us. Before you ask the obvious question of why, it is because we create the magic that keeps this domain alive. Without a dragon king, even with dragons this domain would fail.” I could feel him as he spoke, this was a part of him this sharing of knowledge. There was a part of me that recognized it .
“There is more beyond this small domain as well but sadly I can’t teach you about that. I never made it far enough to understand much of it. Just know that the multiverse where Arawn resides is so vast that it houses millions of domains like this. Each one unique and strong in its own way. “ he paused making sure I was still listening. “You can leave this domain once you’re recognized, leave and go see it all if you choose.”
“How? That’s not…” before I could finish my statement I knew the truth, Arawn had said as much. I just hadn’t paid attention. This want his domain but he had influenced it, it meant there must be a broader universe that he was a part of.
“I see you are beginning to understand.” He laughed recognizing my realization. “This will be your domain, it will not only allow you to rule here but give your the chance to learn and see so much more. Arawn recognized this, that’s why your magic was trained to be intuitive rather then some spell formula. He told me once that his magic was only limited by his will and imagination.”
“I don’t want to rule.” My protest was barely noticed.
“But you will, you’ve been preparing for the burden of it this entire time. Making decisions that affect more lives than you can remember, finding a way to make it work.” I could feel his smile through our link. “Going out of your way to help others for no reason other than it’s right? Is this not what a ruler should be? You take from those who horde wealth and power, call it looting but do you even truly value it?”
He was right, I don’t even know how much gold I had. It just didn’t matter, I took it not for any reason other than I didn’t want them to have it. It didn’t really hold a value to me, after all I had enough wealth to do what I wanted but already knew my next stop would be the kings vault.
“It’s instinct,” he explained, “you know that all that wealth being left to be discovered by others would alter the economy around it but you yourself don’t care for it as more than a thing.”
“Instinct?” I was truly lost even though I knew the truth of his words.
“Yes, your instinct to rule. Listen to them and you will be a good ruler. Though in truth you’ll be a good rule because you don’t want too. You’ll leave the domain to mange itself and only worry about the balance of it, this is what a true ruler should do. It is not good or bad it is balance in the domain and choice for its population. I would council you on one thing, allow people their choices and do not protect them from their consequences.”
“You have to watch them die of their own decisions.” I understood immediately what he meant.
“Go, they come now. Loot their vault than come back and take the next step.” I felt his mind shift the part that had been talking to me shutting off.
While we had been talking I had been shifting the earth around him, that task was done not long ago. Once his magic was restored he would be able to break his prison easily. Now I did as instructed and set off to loot a vault and than steal a ring.