Ieros looked at these decrepit Saurians, long past their prime yet those milky eyes held an ancient wisdom, a wisdom of a hundred lifetimes.
Ieros then spoke, “I have come here to learn.”
The Ancients conversed with one another before finally asking, “What is it you wish to learn?”
Ieros answered, “You are a fascinating species, one that I would like to record in my library. Your histories, your anatomy, your culture, I want to learn it all.”
The Ancients said, “Two-legs such as you merely desire our horns and scales, why do you wish to learn about us?”
Ieros replied, “I am not like the others of my race. I merely desire to learn all that I am able to learn and if you would be so willing, I will learn from you.”
The Ancients asked, “How do we know that what you say is genuine?”
Ieros spoke candidly, “Because you have no choice in the matter. I have the power to annihilate your clan here and your proof is that I have not already done so.”
To demonstrate, the shadows of the guards sprang to life, subduing them with ease while other shadows menacingly surrounded the Ancients who, even with their dulled eyesight, could clearly see the danger. There was momentary fear but they soon rallied, they were the Ancients, they must at least feign dignity and authority to keep their pride.
They conversed once again, finally saying, “Very well, strange one, we promise to teach you all that we know. In turn, we trust… no, we pray that you will not destroy us.”
Ieros spoke, “I do not make a habit of destroying fascinating species. You need not fear, all I require is the knowledge you possess and then I will leave.”
The Ancients then bowed their heads wearily, “We have much to speak about. Our bodies may be frail but our minds remember our entire history. We will bequeath them to you, strange one. We only hope that you will not forget.”
Ieros bowed his head, “I promise that I will never forget.”
The Ancients nodded and proceeded to tell him of their beginnings, the story of the first of their kind…
In the beginning, there were twelve mighty Dragons. They ruled the World of Old, bringing peace and prosperity to the lesser races they ruled. But they had made a pact with the Gods that both Dragons and Gods would not reproduce, for more dragons would only upset the Balance of the World. For centuries, they kept this pact until a dragon and one of the lesser races, a preman fell in love. The result of their union was the first Saurian, more dragon than preman. The Saurian had inherited his mother’s scales and size but because of his father’s blood, he had no wings and was limited to one branch of magic, fire. Dragons were able to use all types of magic with ease but the blood of the father denied his child that ability.
His father’s blood only tainted the blood of dragons, a tainted relationship. But the two loved their son nevertheless, hiding him from both the Gods and Dragons. But one cannot hide forever and the secret was revealed. It technically didn’t break the pact and the Gods and Dragons reluctantly allowed the child to live, on the condition that no more Saurians were to be birthed. But seeing the Saurian’s Mother experience the happiness of child-rearing, the other dragons broke the pact and mated with several of the races, creating Saurians, Lacerta, lesser dragons and other races of draconic blood.
The gods were enraged and were about to declare war when Light intervened. She solved this dilemma by forcing the dragons to leave Agleon, they would be banished to Agleon’s Moon where they would stay until Agleon was in need of their help. So the True Dragons left and were banished to the Moon while the children they left behind were left to fend for themselves. Without the Dragons to keep the peace, the races soon dissolved into chaos, war breaking out between them. At first, the draconic races were able to suppress the other races and experienced great prosperity but then the Premen adapted, asking help of the dwarves to forge them weapons for their army.
Then the first true army marched onto the battlefield a few years later, lead by the Preman General Eversor. All other races fell before his strength with the exception of the dwarves, his strategic genius and strength leading Premanity to great heights. He banished the other races to the East where the monster races made their last stand. Just as Eversor prepared to destroy them once and for all, Light once more intervened. She had stood by because she knew that conflict was unavoidable but she could not stand by and watch the extinction of the monster races. So she separated Ortus from Occasus, preventing the extinction of the monster races.
The Saurians soon reasserted their dominance and claimed half of Ortus, the other races not daring to trespass into their territory. The Saurians soon split into hundreds of various tribes, our tribe being the Tyrannosaurus Clan, the fiercest of all Saurians.
The Ancients finished their story and Ieros finished recording it on the book he had just made, titled, The History of the Tyrannosaurus Clan. The Surveyor was rather surprised to learn that true dragons no longer remained on Agleon but it also wasn’t sure what to think of them. The Ancients had said that the Dragons will return to protect Agleon but the Surveyor couldn’t be assured of that. The Surveyor knew that they would be most likely convinced by End to carry out her will, to destroy the world below. Or perhaps End would ignore them entirely, ignorant of the fact that they even existed. Or perhaps the True Dragons died out a long time ago and were not a variable to worry about in the future.
Hmm, it would have to send a proxy to make sure and if they were still alive, to make a contract with the True Dragons that they would aid Agleon in its fight to survive. For the coming of End was surely an event that the True Dragons would move against unless they were corrupted by End. But at least now it wouldn’t have to hide itself, it could reveal itself as the proxy of Darkness and these dragons would certainly remember their creator and obey him. But such thoughts could be meditated on at another time, right now he had to learn.
He then proceeded to listen to various other stories about the Tyrannosaurus Clan, spending six days to hear everything that the Ancients had to say. Once he had finished, he stood and thanked them, giving them one final gift, a feast. He treated them to a great feast of cooked meat, not just any kind but meat that was prepared by the best cooks of Athera. Of course, they didn’t personally cook this meat, rather, Ieros merely replicated the meal on a much larger scale relying on his memory. Of course, he could have added wine into the mix but he didn’t want to have drunk Saurians causing trouble.
So he left it at that and left, commencing a switch with his clone which he ordered to continue what he had started, to learn from the Ancients of other tribes. So with his clone doing exactly that, Ieros returned to Auster where the Emperor and the ambassadors were looking expectantly at Ieros. Relying on his clone’s memories, the Emperor had asked Ieros where he was going to build this neutral zone and his clone was just about to answer when Ieros had commenced the switch.
Ieros flawlessly answered, continuing the answer that his clone had started, “-exact middle between Auster and Athera. It will be here that I create the neutral trading zone. It would be faster if I were to go alone but I assume that you would like to watch. The Emperor of Athera would also wish to see this momentous event so I will have to teleport him here or at least on the sky turtle.”
The Emperor nodded, “Yes, agreed. I will provide the fastest sky turtle and I will personally accompany you. As for the Emperor of Athera, I cannot control what he does, you must merely inform him of the situation and let him decide.”
Stolen from Royal Road, this story should be reported if encountered on Amazon.
Ieros nodded and left immediately, stepping through a gate. He told Emperor Teramon VII about the situation and his decision to leave the Atheran Empire. While his retainers reacted much like the ambassadors, Teramon VII was silent, he knew that he wouldn’t be able to change Ieros’s mind.
Finally, he said, “I will attend this momentous occasion and I will also acknowledge your leave. It was foolish of me to think that I could depend on you forever but I do hope that when I and my nation truly need help, you will provide it.”
Ieros bowed his head and said, “I will not deny any who are in dire need the help they need. I will provide aid if Athera itself is in danger. Other than that, I will remain neutral.”
The Emperor nodded, “I understand. That is all that I wish for, that you provide aid in our most direst need. Now, let us go, I am curious as to what these sky turtles look like.”
Ieros nodded, he had not expected the Emperor to agree so amicably but then again, he could not forget that the Emperor was a wise man. He knew that he wouldn’t be able to stop Ieros so he did the next best thing, create as good of a relationship as possible so that Ieros would look upon him favorably. Ieros smiled at this man’s cunning, although no one could see it, perhaps it wouldn’t hurt to lend his aid to Athera every once in a while. Besides, he never broke promises and he wasn’t intending to in the future.
So he created a gate to the Austerian Emperor’s Throne Room, although he waited a moment for the Emperor’s Elite Guard to arrive. They stepped through first, the Emperor and Ieros following after them. When Ieros stepped through, he saw the Elite Guard holding their weapons against the vast assortment of monsters who were equally hostile although, by word of Ieros, both sides calmed down. It was then that Emperors of both nations met face to face, Teramon VII dressed in resplendent robes and the Austerian Emperor was dressed in regal Satorian garb. The two leaders stared at one another, Teramon breaking the awkward atmosphere by stepping forward and extending a hand,
“I do not know if shaking hands is considered polite but in my nation, shaking hands is a sign of peace and friendship.”
Ieros then remembered that he had not given Teramon a translating amulet so he quickly gave it to him while repeating what Teramon had said in austerian. The Emperor, who was at first confused, then looked at Teramon’s proffered hand with new understanding and then took it with his own, his two long fingers and singular thumb wrapping around Teramon’s firm hand.
They shook on it and afterward, the Austerian Emperor introduced himself, “I am Sino the First, Emperor of Auster. I hope our two nations may live in peace together.”
Teramon replied, “I am Teramon the Seventh, Emperor of Athera. I too hope that our nations may live in peace.”
Ieros carefully memorized this moment. This would go down in Agleon’s history as one of the most important events since the return of Light after the Dark Ages. But what he was about to do once he reached the proper location could be arguably more important, for it would be creating the first true neutral zone for all living things that had the capacity to reach it. Of course, this would not be known for at least a few decades as Ieros was human and humans could be corrupted. But Ieros was no normal human, with the Surveyor’s emotionless judgment, neutrality will be kept. There, the Surveyor would rule from the shadows, its servants recording information about all who travel through the Neutral Zone. This was of great benefit to the Surveyor for it would not have to travel to see creatures, rather it could stay put and have them come to it. After all, sooner or later, all manner of sentient creatures will come before it.
Intending to follow through with this plan, Ieros then said, “Let us embark on to the middle of the sea, it is there I will create Otium.”
Teramon asked, “Otium? You mean the neutral zone?”
Ieros nodded, “Correct.”
This time Sino asked, “Why did you name it Otium?”
Ieros then turned to Sino, “Because it means ‘Neutrality’ in the First Language, a most fitting name for what I intend to create.”
The two Emperors agreed and they made their way to Sino’s personal sky turtle, a magnificent creature, obviously of a higher rank than the other sky turtles. This one was larger, for one thing, two times as large and Ieros was able to see that it had some control over wind magic, allowing it to control storms and such. This must not have been an easy creature to subdue, it could summon storms and hurricanes at will, easily able to destroy countless cities. Of course, the Surveyor scanned it, memorizing the body structure of this creature so that it could replicate the turtle for itself. It never knew when such creatures would prove necessary and besides, it was an excellent piece of information that Darkness would surely appreciate.
Meanwhile, Ieros had boarded the large creature with the others, also noting when they took off that this sky turtle—despite its size—was far faster than the other sky turtles. With this, Ieros calculated that it would hardly be a day when they arrived at the middle of the ocean. Hmm, so it shall soon happen, he would now be independent of all nations and free to do as he wished. Hmm, perhaps a journey north, the ruins of a preman city still resided there and it would be a shame if it were to be destroyed by End’s arrival. He would have to record all data he would find and keep it safe, history must be remembered, the simple Saurians understood this. But enough of that for now, he would have the leisure to think these thoughts once he was independent, it would do no good to be hasty.
He stood at the head of the mighty sky turtle, the light of the sun momentarily revealing his face, a faint smile upon his lips. But that smile soon disappeared when he felt the presence of one approach from behind. He turned and found that it was Emperor Sino the First, the Satorian staring at Ieros strangely.
Finally, Sino said, “You are a Preman, none but a Preman could know of the First Language.”
Ieros nodded, returning his attention to the horizon, “Yes, I am the last of them.”
Sino asked, “Why have you served these humans for so long? You could have ruled them easily.”
Ieros replied, “And get wiped out by the gods once more? No. I have learned from the mistakes of my people, we were too hasty. I will build my power more slowly while hiding my identity.”
Sino then asked, “What is your plan?”
Ieros looked up into the sky, his robe flowing in the gentle wind, “My plan? To repel the one named End, the enemy of my… our creator. Agleon is his creation and it is our duty as his children to protect it, I intend to do so and to prepare, I must be independent. I myself will personally fight End, my powers of Creation will be a direct counter to her destructive capabilities. I leave it to you and your empire to defend Ortus. And as for Occasus, I must depend on my descendants, no matter how weak they are.”
Sino was silent for a few moments before bowing his head, “You may depend on me, Last of the Premen. But are you confident that you can defeat End?”
Ieros answered gravely, “I must.”
ON A BURNING WORLD:
It was so boring now, world after world she destroyed but no longer did she find it fun. It was simply tedious, so tedious that she merely destroyed these worlds with a snap of her fingers. She once more set her eyes on a particular star, much larger than when she had looked at it last, Agleon. Her “brother” was there and she couldn’t wait to meet him, how would he make their fight interesting? Surely, he would be the one to do so. Then she remembered that it was not a he, it was like her Father, genderless. But why then did she think of her Father as he? Why? But she was not one for philosophical thought, she merely existed to destroy and that was what she would do.
So she just stayed put, for now, smiling in expectation at the challenge before her. Her little brother surely wouldn’t fall so easily, it would defend itself and Agleon with everything it had, and finally, she would be able to strike a blow against her indomitable Father. But of course, this was just a happy side effect of what her true plan was, to gain enough strength from destroyed worlds to pierce the barrier that was Darkness’s body between the Universe and the true End. Once that was done, they would reunite as one and destroy the Universe, just as she was created to do. Imagining the level of destruction she would be able to bring, she sighed contentedly, drifting off for a short nap.