The Dragons' Will

Chapter 6 - Spirit Wish

Darkus soon reached the Crystal Monolith. Most of the trees were burnt black, some still aflame as snow fell. Ashes mixed with the snow-coated ground, charred bodies half buried within. Not all bodies were burnt; some were violently torn asunder, staining the snow red.

Where the Crystal Monolith once sat, shards of crystal lay scattered everywhere. Darkus picked up a shard, unsure what to feel. On one hand, the monolith deemed him unworthy of receiving the Years of Judgement, but it wasn't really the crystal that judged people, it was the spell itself; the monolith only told them whether or not one was capable of receiving the enhanced lifespan.

He heard coughing. Darkus finally spotted a body mostly intact lying in the snow. He quickly recognised the prone figure.

"Minara!"

Darkus helped her sit up. Blood stained her yellow robes around the entire torso.

"D ... dragon..." she managed to let out. "I tried ... to protect the crystal. It ... used its tail. Threw me. I think ... my ribs ... have punctured my vitals. Don't think I'll—" Her words were cut off as she coughed out blood.

Darkus wanted to help, but there wasn't much he could do. Healing was the aethermancers' field. He saw Minara was indeed trying to heal herself; if she weren't, she'd surely be dead by now. If Minara couldn't save herself, then what good could Darkus do?

"Minara," he muttered in a low tone, "take it easy."

"It's all right..." she groaned. "I ... I'm dying, I know. There's nothing ... you can do about it..."

Darkus was silent as Minara began coughing again. He waited until the coughing was over before speaking. "Why are the dragons fighting here?"

"One came ... to protect us..."

Darkus was bewildered. "Which one?"

"The ... silver one..."

Darkus gave a nod; it was good to know that one of those powerful creatures was on their side. However, having watched the two dragons battle, he wasn't entirely sure if the silver could prevail over the black.

"Why did they come here?"

"The black one ... came ... to destroy ... the monolith..."

"Why?"

"It ... hates humans. Hates that we ... have magic ... that can grant us ... longer lives. It wished ... to destroy the crystal ... so we cannot ... use our magic ... safely ... any more. The other one ... believes ... their kind ... should not bully those ... weaker than them. It came ... to protect us..."

Darkus looked at the destruction the black dragon had caused. If this creature, which hated humanity, were to roam Slyke freely, what havoc would it could bring?

He could not fight it. What chance did Darkus stand against a dragon? No, he would not be fighting alone; the silver dragon was on his side. Should he help the creature? If he perished in the attempt without informing the rest of Slyke why the dragons were here, would the army try to exterminate the silver one without realising it was their most powerful ally? Darkus hadn't been overlord long, but for the first time since taking up the mantle, he didn't know what to do.

Words Thraydus told him long ago echoed through his mind: There isn't much more for me to teach you, but know that being overlord isn't just about protecting those under ill-intended threat. Sometimes, you may have to make difficult decisions which could have drastic effects on the outcome.

This was one of those times. Up to this point, he'd thought being overlord was all about fighting troublemakers. He never imagined he'd have to face a foe that even Thraydus, the man who toppled an empire, never dreamed of.