Chapter 11- True Power at a Price
While Dartz and Narssia were tracking the Leviathan, Tronay and the others were journeying into the Dominion of the Beast for protection.
{Narssia -narrator}
I was informed that the others were on the move. I told Dartz of the event, but he did not seem to want to join them.
Why do you not want to follow the others? I ask.
Because of something from my past, Dartz explains.
Tell me! I beg.
No! Dartz snarls.
Please? I ask.
Fine, very well, Dartz growls as he begins to tell me the story of how paradise was sank due to him.
I forgave him for what he had done, yet why had he hid this information from me?
I was not sure if the Leviathan would still be interested in me or not, so I did not reveal that information to you, Dartz replies.
I see, I say.
Are you upset with me? Dartz asks.
No, I reply.
Then why do you look at me as if I am some kind of alien or something? Dartz asks.
Well, I entered your mind to see if I could. . . . I begin.
If you could rescue me, correct? Dartz asks.
Yes, I reply.
You must have found out about my long life I guess, Dartz says.
Long life? I ask.
Yes, you see I am more than ten thousand years old, Dartz replies.
You should be. . . . ? I begin.
I should not be here? Is that what you were thinking? Dartz asks.
I glace at him in shock. Now I know why! He did not want to tell me about his long life I suppose. He glaces at the ground and then, after what seems like forever, Dartz takes out his deck and begins to flip through it. I walk over, curious to see what he is doing.
The Great Beast was right. I am not a king, I am merely a tyrant who used to rule an empire, but I am that no longer, Dartz thinks to himself as he flips through his deck.
I curl up beside him and glace at the cards as he flips through them. Finally he stops on the card that pictures the Great Beast.
Is that the serpent? I ask.
Yes. It is. His name is the Great Leviathan, Dartz replies.
You told me that before, master. What is wrong? I ask.
Nothing, Dartz replies.
I glare at him. He is wrong. I can tell through his eyes.
The Leviathan foretold that I would betray him. He was right. I do not deserve him as my Guardian anymore, Dartz thinks.
You have me as your Guardian now, master, I say.
No, I do not. Your birth was not meant to be, Dartz says.
What do you mean? I ask.
I was never supposed to have a Guardian Dragon, Dartz replies.
Why not? I ask.
I do not know, Dartz replies.
I glance at my master. All this time he's been hiding this secret from everyone and now it's been released. I look up at him and, to my surprise, tears are streaming down his face.
All this time I held that secret from everyone, even the Leviathan, and now I don't know what to do now, Dartz says.
I believe that you do, master, I say.
He looks at me in surprise.
Please tell me the story of the serpent! I beg.
Very well, Dartz replies. The Leviathan was born as a dragon with black scales and yellow eyes. However he did have a brother by the name of Nor'ac and Nor'ac was not the most enjoyable brother to have around for the year younger dragon, now serpent. Finally, after years of being tormented by Nor'ac, the Leviathan found himself a mate. Her name is your name now.
Narssia? I ask.
Yes the mate that the Leviathan found was a dragon named Narssia. However, the serpent grew enraged by the fact that his brother was spending time with his mate and so he fled paradise to keep his rage under control. He traveled for many years and finally returned home. However his mate had become Nor'ac' mate now and two eggs had been laid. The two eggs would soon be known as Mirage and Silver, Dartz explains.
The dragons of light and moonlight! I cry.
Correct. The Leviathan was horribly enraged by this and so he crushed his original mate with one blast of fire, Dartz says.
He could control fire? I ask.
Yes he could. Distraught by the fact that he had destroyed a dragon, he fled paradise again. As he wandered along, he discovered the powers of the Orichalcos and in the process his own body and mind were twisted into what we know now. Realizing that he could now control a far more powerful force than his weak fire, the Leviathan went back to challenge his brother. However the times had changed and I was just being born. Everyone thought that the king's son should have a dragon to keep him company. However the Leviathan was the only one they could find. So I accepted the serpent. However, the stones that the serpent had found earlier were thrust down onto paradise to test us. The stones revealed the true nature of mankind and I, Tronay as well, were the only ones that were not turned into monsters by own greed and lust. However the stones did awaken a darker side of the Leviathan it seemed and soon the serpent was controlling me instead of the other way around, Dartz answers.
So the Battle of Atlantis is real? I ask.
Yes the Battle is real and after the battle the Leviathan made me keep a pact with him to insure his survival, Dartz replies.
So your long life comes from him? I ask.
Not quite but I suppose that it came from this stone amulet around my neck, Dartz replies.
I carefully stare at the amulet.
Is this Orichalcos crystal? I ask.
It is, believe it or not. This is a true fragment of a larger Orichalcos stone. I suppose that the Leviathan has the original stone though, Dartz replies.
Where would the larger stone be? I ask.
I do not know, young one, but the Leviathan would be the one to ask that question to, Dartz replies.
So the Leviathan is a powerful dragon? I ask.
Yes he is. In fact, some say he is the strongest of the dark dragons, Dartz replies.
The dark dragons? Who are they? I ask.
The dark dragons are dragons that use dark magic to affect the environment around them. Perhaps another dark dragon would be the Legendary Dragon Eon, Dartz replies.
Who is he? I ask.
You don't know? Eon is rumored to have controlled a powerful force . . . Dartz begins.
What is it? I ask.
I think the maybe the Leviathan is hiding Eon in the Orichalcos stone, Dartz replies.
So Eon is the source of the evil that racks our world? I ask.
I can't say. It could be true but to know the truth we must find the original stone and shatter it to pieces, Dartz replies.
So we must find the original stone and shatter it? I ask.
Yes, but only the Great Beast knows where it is, Dartz replies.
Dartz, the serpent said something about an age-old power when I fought him to get you back, what is the power? I ask.
Dartz stares at me in shock.
The power is that of the Orichalcos, the same stone that caused paradise to sink to the bottom of the sea, Dartz replies.
I see. Does the power have a mind of its own? I ask.
I know not. The Great Leviathan would know more than I would about that, Dartz replies.
If this power does have a mind of its own, does that mean that Dartz is in danger? I think to myself.
Suddenly Dartz's deck begins to shine. I rise to my feet and walk over to it.
Master, come and look at this, I say.
Dartz follows my gaze and our eyes stop on the Leviathan's card.
Why would it be shining? I ask.
I do not know . . . Dartz begins.
Dartz trails off. I extend a claw and touch the shining card. A blinding white light begins to emit from it as I touch it. I shriek in pain and throw up my wings to lessen the light but it does nothing.
When I open my eyes, I find myself in a cage-like thing. I snarl and try to break the bars, but with no luck. I hear a sudden hiss and jolt upright, tensing like a cornered rabbit.
Who is out there? I ask.
A friend, the darkness hisses.
Show yourself! I cry.
As you wish, young one, the darkness snarls.
The blinding white light shows up again, but within a few seconds it is gone. I blink in surprise and look around. It appears to be some kind of palace. Could this be the palace that I saw from Dartz's memories?
I knew you would show up given enough time of course, the darkness says.
The room begins to glow brightly with a greenish light.
Who are you? I ask.
I am what you would call a spirit, I am the spirit of that which you seek most, the darkness replies.
Huh? I ask.
I am what you want most, young dragon of darkness, the darkness replies.
What I want most? I ask.
Yes, you wish to control the power of the Orichalcos. To feel it rushing through every fiber of your being. I can give that power to you for a price of course, the darkness replies.
What is the price? I ask.
Simple, your master has in his possessionan item that I require. So if you were to take it from him then the power would be yours, the darkness replies.
Very well, I shall not disappoint you, I say as I bow before the light.
I awaken to find Dartz looming over me.
What happened? I ask.
You blacked out, young one, when you touched the serpent's card earlier, Dartz replies.
I snarl slightly to myself as Dartz tells me of what had happened while I was out. Deciding that it is time, I leap at him, easily knocking him over and onto his back.
Where is the amulet? I bellow, my voice losing all of its young dragon-like characteristics quickly.
Dartz stares at me in shock. I would be scared too, if you where about to discover an age old secret, concerning the amulet around your neck. He points to his shirt. I tear a large gashin the shirt exposing the amulet. I dive at it, ripping the amulet's string in half and drag it out of the gash in Dartz's shirt.
Finally the power that I seek shall be mine! I bellow as I toss the amulet into the air.
Narssia please stop this at once! Dartz cries.
I turn, halfway around, and look at Dartz. Despite the fact that he has half risen out of the dirt, Dartz's words mean little to me.
Give the power that you promised me, light of the Orichalcos! I snarl.
At once the greenish light descends on me, covering my body . . .