Chapter One: The Dark Makers
Alex stood there in disbelief. That was impossible. He couldn't be able to speak another language. Although Alex, about a week ago, would also have said that dragons didn't exist. He decided that only one person could tell him what's going on. He grabbed the gauntlet he threw and put it back on his right arm. Alex walked quietly out of the training room. He walked down the hallway, trying his best not to be seen, until he reached Nelsine's study. He cautiously knocked on the new wooden door. She opened the door calmly, but was surprised to see Alex standing there.
"Hello Alex, is there something I can help you with?" she asked.
"Yes," he whispered. He looked behind him to make sure that nobody was looking. "I need you to take me to Ignitus."
"If you want to see the Chronicler, why not ask Al- Oh, so we're keeping secrets are we? Why should I help you?" she asked trying to keep her voice down.
"Because if you don't, I'll tell everybody it was you who put Ally's miasma into Cynder's water," he threatened.
"Ugh, fine I'll help you. Get in here," She said quickly. Alex walked through and Nelsine closed the door behind them. When Alex entered the room, so many memories rushed through his head.
"You know, the last time I was in here, you wanted to kill me," Alex remembered. Nelsine chuckled as she approached a large wooden bookshelf.
"Good times huh?" she said laughing.
"Just help me get to Ignitus please," Alex pleaded.
"Alright! Alright! No sense of humor apparently," she said to him. Nelsine grabbed a big brown book and put it on a short nightstand. She held out her right hand and a black keyblade appeared.
"That never gets old," Alex said in awe. A light, in the shape of a keyhole, appeared on the book and Nelsine held her keyblade high above her head. She injected the blade into the light and the book disappeared. A ball of light was left on the blade and she pointed it at the door. The orb was shot instantaneously towards the door and it glowed faintly.
"That was my last Book of Secrets. This better be important," she spoke.
"So… do I just open the door?" Alex asked.
"Yes, Ignitus should be on the other side," she answered. Alex walked, slowly, to the door and slowly twisted the knob. He opened the door and saw a large hallway, full of stone warriors standing against the wall. The statues were about ten feet tall and Alex just stared around him. Moments later, he heard a door slam and turned around. It wasn't there anymore; it was a blank wall.
Suddenly, four stone statues erupted from the stillness and looked at him. They looked like knights; the armor was similar to Ally's. He reached for his dagger but realized it wasn't there. Alex stared at his gauntlet and concentrated. The statues walked toward him and Alex dissipated. He had formed into a black cloud of mist. He flew around over one of them and reformed upon the warrior's shoulders. Another statue took its massive, metal, sword and swung it at Alex. He dissipated just as the sword slashed the statue's head clean off his shoulders.
It dropped its sword and fell to the ground. Alex picked up the weapon and held it strong, or tried to. It was extremely heavy. Two statues approached him and Alex was forced to drop the weapon. He froze. He couldn't move. Both swung their swords at Alex and he braced for impact. He shielded his eyes with his arms. Nothing happened. Alex opened his eyes and saw, past his arms, a shield. It was identical to the ones used by the creatures.
They pressed their blades against Alex's shield, but couldn't push through. Alex stared down at his waist and saw his sheathed dagger. Alex forced the shield out and the stone warriors staggered. He drew his dagger and slashed the head off of one of them. The other statue made a horizontal swing just as Alex dissipated and sprinted past him. He rematerialized behind the statue and injected his dagger into its chest. He pulled out quickly and kicked the statue to the ground. Four more statues erupted from the walls.
"C'mon! You've got to be kidding me!" Alex shouted. They began to advance towards him.
"Stop!" somebody shouted. The statues stopped and returned to their spots on the wall. In an open doorway, stood a blue dragon.
"Oh, and I thought Nelsine tried to kill me. What are these Ignitus?" Alex asked.
"My security," he answered.
"Um okay," Alex said panting. He walked towards him until they both were in a large blue chamber with books, crystals, and other miscellaneous objects.
"So what do you need child?" he asked Alex.
"Answers," Alex said.
"Ah yes, your encounter in the dojo," he said, as if recollecting.
"What were those things? How are they related to me?" Alex asked quickly.
"They are Dark Makers. They are ancient beings from another realm," he answered.
"This doesn't make any sense."
"Calm yourself. Look at your arm. It looks like them doesn't it?"
"Is this made from those things?"
"No, from their machines," he answered slowly.
"I thought Ally made it?" Alex asked.
"She did," Ignitus said.
"How? None of this makes any sense!" Alex shouted. He stared down at his sheathed dagger. "At least tell me about this thing." Alex unsheathed the dagger and held it up to Ignitus.
"It's an Obsidian blade, a common weapon used by dragons in the early years. For the longest time, Purebloods were at war with the Keyblade Masters," he explained.
"That's why Nelsine joined the Court," Alex realized.
"Yes. Her hatred towards Cynder caused her to fear and hate all dragons," he added
"Why were dragons at war with the Keyblade Masters?" Alex asked.
"Not all dragons, just the Purebloods. They were the original dragons, until some evolved into dragons similar to Spyro, Cynder, and me. The ones who didn't evolve, however, thought that they should be in command of this realm. Some of the creatures you've encountered, heartless, were derived from those weapons. They trap the soul of any enemy killed by the weapon so that they could use it in battle. They had the ability to summon the soul as a heartless and add to their army as the battle took place," Ignitus explained.
"So the other creatures, the Dark Makers, what are they? Why did they call me their lord?" Alex asked.
"They're creatures from another realm. A few short years ago, the Dark Makers were led by a man who was corrupted by an evil energy: dark eco. He was transformed into a man with an iron fist. More than likely, they thought you were him," He answered.
"Why do I have these new powers? Why can't I become a dragon anymore?"
"You see, when you faced Vaermina, you were forced to become a heartless. It was just your soul when you left her realm. Your body was left behind in Oblivion. A body with no soul isn't anybody. It's a nobody," Ignitus explained.
"She destroyed my body but my soul was protected, is that what you're saying?"
"Not quite. In a way, Alex did die on that day. Alex was split into his soul and his body. Alex split into his heartless and his nobody. You are his heartless. If you can find his nobody, Alex can be reformed."
"How are the Dark Makers related to the heartless?" Alex asked.
"The two are extremely similar. Some believe that they are the same thing," Ignitus said.
"This is a lot to take in," Alex said, chuckling to keep himself from feeling worse.
"Head back to the dojo. Do Hunter's assignment. I shall speak with you later," Ignitus suggested while creating a small portal on the wall.
"Thank you," Alex spoke while walking towards the portal. "Wait, why are also called the Chronicler?"
"It is my duty to record the events of this age. I know everything that happens in this realm. It is the obligation of an All-seer," he answered.
"What's an All-seer?"
"It is a being within every realm who records the actions of what occurs in every realm. They were originally, the only beings who knew of the other realms."
"Who's the All-seer in my realm," Alex asked.
"It is one of the best warriors in that realm. He is a little green jedi who knows everything that has happened in the last seven hundred years. Alex had no idea who Ignitus was talking about, but if he was a jedi, than he must be very important.
"Well, good bye Ignitus," Alex said, walking through the portal.