DragonFire

Chapter 24 - Revelations

Eric felt alone in the tunnel. He could hear his breathing as the cold pressed against his ears. His heart rang through the silence.

Thump. Thump. Thump.

In the darkness, he found time to think, time to mull things over. Aaron had said that he was part Dragon. What does that even mean! Was he supposed to feel connected to the monsters that had just lay waste to his home? Was he supposed to show sympathy for murdering his people? If only Demetrius was here, he'd know what to do.
He found himself missing his sister. Was she okay? He hoped so. He really hoped so, she was one of the few people left that really meant something to him.

There was a shallow rise in the tunnel floor, and suddenly he reached a door. It was made from splintered wood, long overdue for repairs. Mites had eaten away at most of the boards, leaving a carcass on hinges.

He breathed heavily, suddenly nervous from the anticipation. What would he find inside? Another chamber with an old Dragon? Or maybe the Ancient One wasn't a Dragon at all. He pressed against the door, it opened without a creak.

"What?"

Eric suddenly found himself surrounded by a sea of long grass and soft winds. The sky above was blue, and he could hear birds and insects chirping in the afternoon sun. Or was it morning?

The wind drew circles in the grass, as the stalks bent and swayed. He reached down and scooped the soil at his feet, he watched in fascination as the worms and beetles clung on to dirt.

"This is amazing." He said quietly.

Hills rolled out before him like waves on a lake. He was startled when he realized that the door had disappeared, and that he was alone in the fields. He watched as birds flew past in formation overhead, he let the sounds and smells overwhelm his senses.

"Hello Eric." A voice said suddenly.

He almost fell to his knees, and struggled to hold back tears. Theres no way he could be here. He turned around, and sure enough, the all to familiar silhouette of a man stood against the sun.

"Dad?"

Lucas's face split into a smile. He opened his arms, and Eric ran to embrace him. His voice, his face, even his smell was so real. He didn't want to let him go, he didn't want to lose him again.

"Im so happy to see you." He said. It never occurred to him just how much he had missed his father since his passing. He had been to preoccupied, too busy to really take time and sift through his emotions. It all came rushing to the surface of his mask now. Hot tears fell unashamed on his cheeks.

"I've missed you too." He said.

How he'd longed to hear those words. He remembered standing before the thirteen ancient Kauri, at the humble little tombstone that rest at their roots. He remembered sending a prayer to the gods for his father's safe afterlife.

"You're not really here, are you?" He asked.

"No." He said sadly.

"Why are you here?"

"To be your guide."

Lucas held out his arm, waiting for Eric to follow.

"Come." He said softly.

Lucas wrapped his arm around Eric's shoulder and together they walked through the fields.

"I am here to be your Guide to the Ancient One, but also to guide you through your spiritual troubles." He said.

They passed a himming bird, and watched as it gathered sweet nectar from a blooming flower.

"The universe is filled with balance." Lucas began. "Light and dark. Nala and Cyrus. Good and evil. Life and death. Two forces that are opposites, yet they co-exist in peace."
"Although he does not realize it, my father, Harkus will destroy this balance, causing irreversible damage that will render the universe unstable for the rest of its existence."