"I can't believe we slept that long!" Jayetha said when the mages had gathered together once again. "I've never felt the need to sleep for more than a couple of hours each month or so!"
"The spell took more energy than I expected." Iomeloth agreed. "But we must check our new world."
"I'm going to my own tower instead." Ryoko told them and immediately created a small portal. Without another word, the young mage walked into it and disappeared. His Dragon, sensing his departure, unfurled huge wings and took to the air, following her master home.
"He was always headstrong." Tarquin commented with a shrug. "Well, let's go see this new world."
They portaled to the very center and stood looking around in silent horror. Everything was gone. The mountains and lakes, the trees and all the vegetation were gone. As far as they could see, there was only emptiness.
"What happened?" Iomeloth cried. "Where is everyone?"
"We should have erected a protective barrier around the lands first. We made a fatal mistake." Yara admitted sadly. "help us…." Voices came on the air, only the faintest of whispers. Suddenly, all around them, coming from every direction, wraiths began to appear. Humans and demons alike, killed with the splitting of the world and now trapped in its desolation.
"Their spirits are trapped here." Jayetha whispered. "Poor souls! The barrier stops them from passing through. They will be trapped here for eternity!" A single tear slid down her cheek. "Don't we have the power to release them? After all, we did this to them." Yara asked, peering intently at the spirits through his unneeded spectacles.
"We cannot release them in mass! There are both demons and humans in that mix. We do not know who they are. They must be questioned and then it must be decided whether they should be released or not. Some of the demons are very, very cruel and they would only reincarnate and kill again." Iomeloth cautioned.
"So you want to keep them prisoner here forever?" Jayetha exclaimed.
"No! I won't allow it!" "Instead of a prison, this could be sort of like a way station. A place for newly deceased souls to rest until they are ready to continue on their journey. And in the case of the most evil, this could be a prison until they have learned the error of their ways." Yara said.
"We need someone to take control. We can't just let them decide for themselves. The stronger demons would prevail and we would have the same problems that we had before." Iomeloth replied.
"We need someone powerful, yet fair." Yara said softly. "I volunteer. I will become their caretaker and their jailor."
"Are you sure you want to do this? You can never turn back once you accept this task." Jayetha reminded him.
"I know. I have always felt that my life has been without purpose, this would finally give it a reason. Yes, I am decided. I want to do this." He turned to the lost souls and spoke to them. "I will protect you and I will help you continue your path to a new life." As one the souls knelt before him, "Thank you, King Yara, and praise you!" They said, their many voices like a rushing wind. Yara nodded to them and then turned to his fellow mages. "You should leave now. I will seal this world so that no one can portal into it."
"I will miss you." Jayetha said, and the others nodded. Then they opened a portal and left Yara alone. The spirits stood there in silence, watching their new ruler, waiting. Yara smiled at them and then motioned them to move farther back. As one they opened a large circle around him. He closed his eyes and began to chant softly. An ancient chant, one all of the mages had learned but could only use once the releasing of their full power. Miracles could be accomplished, but the price was their undoing. Slowly, Yara began to fade as he chanted, his body becoming more and more transparent. His power was freed as his physical body faded and this lost world began to change. The barrier was strengthened so that no portal could ever pierce its walls, ghostly buildings were erected, and a hazy landscape began to take form. A world was formed from nothingness, a world for the dead, a Spirit World. When he was done, his physical body ceased to exist. Now he was spirit like those around him. He opened his eyes and they bowed down before him. "It is a good trade. My life for theirs." he thought smiling. "A good trade..."
Ryoko stepped out of his portal and shook his head in disgust. "What fools! Why were they helping humans?" He had only helped because Jayetha had agreed and he didn't want to look bad in front of her. He went downstairs to take a hot bath and put on fresh clothes. When he was finished, his Dragon had arrived. He walked to the top of his tower to greet her. Daimonamara, Dai, a female Great Dragon. Ryuko loved the fact that when she went into heat, she drove the male Dragons to despair. The last time, four Dragons had died during the battles to claim her as prize. At the end of it, a large Black Dragon named Rhuyogeromaru had prevailed and earned the right to copulate with her. Rhu had gone on to become Yara's Dragon, so she still saw him on occasion, but neither spoke of the past. Two years after the mating, she gave birth to a tiny dark green dragon whom she named Dairhemaru. He had long ago taken to the sky and carved out a territory of his own to the West. Dai had not seen her son in centuries now, but that was the way of Dragons. They were solitary creatures.
"What do you think of Iomeloth's plan, Dai? To save the humans…" Ryoko asked.
"I think humans are very tasty."
Ryoko threw back his head and laughed long and hard. "That's the right answer! Why waste all of your power and energy on a species that is only good as food? The strongest should always be the masters of the weak!" Dai stretched a wing out and lazily lashed her tail.
"All this talk is making me hungry."
"Well, then, let's go get you something to eat. There is a human village over that mountain." He pointed to the north. Dai ran a forked tongue on her snout.
"Wonderful! I hope there are some children. The young ones are always so tender…."
Ryoko laughed as he moved closer. Dai bent her leg so that he could mount.
"Come, let's go see what we can find to satisfy your hunger!" The Green Dragon unfurled iridescent wings and took to the sky. Dai was a thing of beauty, gleaming in the sun, just as her master was a beautiful man. But their hearts were black as coal. They were well suited for each other.
Michikyoimara called out a warning and Tarquin went to his tower's parapet where his Red Dragon stood staring to the west. "A black dragon approaches." Tarquin shaded his eyes, but saw nothing at all. "Is it friend or foe?"
"It's still too far away to tell." Michi answered and the pair remained silent for a few minutes.
Michi staring at a tiny black spec and Tarquin attempting in vain to see what she was watching. Suddenly she snorted and turned to her master. "It's Rhu."
"Rhu! Of course! He has lost his master since Yara stayed in the new world. Bid him welcome."
Michi nodded, raised her head high, and let loose a shrill trumpeted call which carried for miles. A faint one sounded in return. Shortly after Rhu landed next to her and bowed his head to Tarquin.
"I request asylum. You were my master's best friend and now he has gone where I cannot follow. His tower is empty and the shadows of memory are long."
"You can stay here as long as you like, Rhu. I am honored that you chose my tower." Tarquin said with a small bow. The mages liked to say that they had tamed the Great Dragons but in truth each Dragon chose their own master. Michi had chosen him millennia ago and now he was truly honored to have two Great Dragons.
Jayetha walked through the forest that surrounded her tower. She was very sad about their failure. Instead of freeing the humans, they had killed so many of them. She sighed heavily.
"It wasn't your fault." Came a soft voice. She turned to Zenitarmaru, Zen, and stroked his long muzzle with a gentle hand. "Yes, it was. We did not protect them from the forces of nature that we were unleashing. We should have known." Zen blinked huge dark blue eyes and said nothing, but you could tell he was lost in thought. Jayetha walked alongside the pure white Dragon in silence, each buried deep in their forlorn thoughts.
Suddenly Zen spoke, his voice firm. "You must try again. Now that you know what to do, you must try again."
"It is not possible."
"Why not?" Zen asked without malice.
"Because we have lost one of our number. We are no longer five."
"And the four of you do not have the power to accomplish what the five did? I think all of you have more power than you realize."
Jayetha stopped and turned to stare at the Dragon. "It's worth trying at least! You're right! This is not a time for defeat, instead we must strengthen our resolve. Take me to the Black Tower of Iomeloth. We need to talk!" Zen curled his lips into a fanged smile and bent down so that his mistress could mount him.
It took very little persuasion to convince Iomeloth to try again. He contacted Tarquin and easily convinced his old friend to help once more. Then together they contacted Ryoko. The three mages gave argument and entreaty for many hours before they finally convinced the young mage to help them once again. Three days hence they would meet at Ryoko's tower and do the spell once more, only this time putting up a protective barrier first. Ryoko left the mages to set up his tower for the second Sundering. He spent most of the three days drawing intricate runes and symbols across the entire parapet floor. Dai watched him silently for a long time and then finally spoke. "I don't understand why you are helping them?" Ryoko stood up and smiled wickedly at Dai. "Who says that I am doing this for them?"