Well, if you're here, I assume you're prepared to continue with this adventure. But before we continue, I know that some of Dan Brown's works seem to include criticisms of organized religion, particularly Christianity. But Dan Brown, much like myself, is actually an agnostic, per an interview with NPR regarding Origins when it came out. He is not anti-religion, and neither am I. So I apologize in advance to any of my more religious readers if I appear to be bashing your faith by referencing events that happen in Dan Brown's version of history, which this will be following, as well as some of my own events and connections. Please remember, this is all fictional, and all in good fun. Now with my little warning out of the way, let's get started!
Dragon of Mystery presents:
A Tale of Symbols and Signs
Starring Spyro, Cynder, and Robert Langdon, Harvard Professor of Symbology
The Violet Riddle
(Enjoy the show...)
(Our story opens in a dark corridor, where a single dragon, obscured by darkness save luminescent scales forming a pattern down their side, can be seen hurriedly running down the corridor, a small magically lit gem guiding their way in the darkness. And as they exit the corridor, we glimpse another form, a dragon obscured by a cloak, a red ring upon their claw being the only thing that identifies them as more than a shadow. But just as we glimpse this shadow, we focus back in on the original dragon, ducking into a room, where the gem finally illuminates their face, revealing their yellow scales and deep green eyes. But now this dragon is far from alone, as they have ducked into a room with eight others: one red dragoness, one green dragon, one blue dragoness, one gray dragoness, one white dragon, one crimson dragon, one lime dragon, and one black dragoness, each wearing magically lit gems like their comrade.)
?: You're late, Coulomb.
Coulomb: Forgive me, Aera. I had to ensure I wasn't being followed.
Aera: (Removing her hood, revealing herself to be the gray dragoness) Your precautions may have doomed us. If we cannot complete this tonight, everything will be ruined.
?: Silence, Aera. Coulomb's precautions are well within his rights.
Aera: (With a sigh) Of course, Magmara.
(Now the red dragoness removes their hood, as do her compatriots)
Magmara: I assume you two are ready for what needs to be done.
Coulomb: As ready as we'll ever be, Magmara.
Magmara: (To the blue dragoness) And what of you, Titania?
Titania: As ready as the tides.
Magmara: (To the other dragons) And you: Tectonus? Frigidi? Noxius? Phobion? Umbria?
Tectonus: (Revealing himself as the green dragon) As ready as the earth.
Frigidi: (Revealing himself as the white dragon) As ready as the cold north wind.
Noxius: (Revealing himself as the lime dragon) My resolve is cyanide strong.
Phobion: (Revealing himself as the crimson dragon) I stand ready as a waking nightmare.
Umbria: (Revealing herself as the black dragoness) As ready as a following shadow.
Magmara: Good. We haven't much time.
(With that, the group enter a circular formation and extend their wings to their sides to close off the circle. And as the circle completes, each dragon closes their eyes, channeling some strange energy from themselves, into their glowing gemstones, which magically extend from their necks to connect their points with beams of light, merging into a violet ball at the center. But just as the magic appears to be at it's strongest, the door is throne open, revealing the strange cloaked dragon we saw earlier, cutting off whatever ritual was taking place, greatly angering Magmara)
Magmara: Who are you?! How dare you intrude upon this most sacred of rituals?!
?: I am but a wraith. The wraith that has haunted you for millennia.
Magmara: (Realizing who this is) You will not intervene with this ritual, false one!
?: Even now you address me by such a moniker. Soon this world shall see it is you who are the false ones.
(With that, this strange cloaked dragon casts a spell from their ring, striking each of the dragons in the room down, disrupting the ritual. But before they can claim any spoils from this battle, Magmara uses the orb the ritual had created to transport away the gems around the necks of each dragon, catching the cloaked figure by surprise)
?: What have you done?!
Magmara: Hidden them where even you cannot find them, false one.
(As Magmara says this, the orb appears to glow brighter as the life slowly drains from Magmara's eyes)
?: You will tell me where they have gone!
Magmara: That information is no longer mine to tell. Only the one you pretend to be can get it now.
(And just as she spites this "false one" one last time, Magmara falls dead from her injuries.)
?: (Stifling a cough) Very well then. I shall let that fool lead me right to them. Then, all of your secrets will be laid bare, Guardians.
(And with that, the coughing, cloaked dragon leaves the scene of their crime, the orb still floating there amongst the bodies of the Guardians, as our tale ends for today.)
And that looks like a good spot to wrap up for now. So, talk about a crazy way to start. This mysterious figure straight up murders the Guardians. But what are they after? And who do they "pretend to be"? Why are they labelled as a "false one"? What does any of this mean? And how does Robert Langdon factor into this? Tune in next time as we start figuring things out! Same time... same channel!