"You and your crew are highly qualified for the mission I have in mind, Captain Battleraven." Vidar clasped his hands together as he leaned forward against his desk. The band of mercenaries wasted no time in meeting with him after returning to Rune Citadel. Their fleet of flying airships docked around the mountain metropolis, overlooking the smoldering remains of Alfheim. A lamp stood between the half-elf and Dante Battleraven, the fearsome sky pirate captain of the Blood Diamond, an awe-inspiring ship capable of carrying up to forty fifteen-ton dragons. The sixty-gun heavy frigate was considered the largest and most powerful vessel ever constructed.
The captain's wide-brimmed hat shrouded his chiseled and scarred face in shadow, veiling Battleraven as he twirled his richly jeweled necklace with his bony fingers. "You know I don't do anything for free. Everything comes at a price." Vidar cleared his throat as he reached down and grabbed a sealed trunk that he threw down on the table and pushed towards the captain. Battleraven snatched it and popped open the top, revealing a pile of glowing riches inside. Confident in officiating this deal, Vidar watched as the sky pirate captain grabbed a single gold coin and inspected it. "What do you need me to do?"
A vicious sneer played upon Vidar's lips after capturing his attention. "Are you familiar with Selena Liongod?"
"Aye. Your gormless companion wouldn't keep his bloody trap shut about her."
Vidar stood up and paced his office, ignoring the captain's complaint about Ashur Bel. "Word has spread of her surviving Snowhaven. I didn't believe it until recently, and now she has declared herself the 'Queen of Dragons.' But she's not the one sitting upon the throne."
Battleraven scowled and pinched the bridge of his long, crooked nose. "Sod off, or get to the point."
"She recently paid a visit to my lovely Mortemholdt and helped my special guest escape, not to mention killing a bunch of my guards and prisoners. I want you and your crew to find and kidnap Liongod by any means necessary. I have no qualms if you must kill her, but I prefer her alive for now."
Battleraven burst into raspy laughter. "You want me to waste my time chasing down this brat because she freed your prisoner. Please, I have more important matters that require my attention. That's not my problem."
Vidar sneered. "What matters are those, if I may ask? More important than your illegal fighting arena?"
Captain Battleraven growled and scoffed at Vidar's insulting comment. "It doesn't matter what's legal or not. I have a business to run here, and it doesn't involve chasing down little girls. The point is, there's a lot of gold involved. Besides," he turned and nodded to the floating ships, "with how anxious and pent-up my crew is, there probably wouldn't be much left of the girl to give you once they're done with her. Again, this isn't my problem."
"It will be soon if she isn't dealt with now." Vidar turned around and placed both palms on his desk to face the captain. "The Council and I now serve His Dark Majesty. Since I hired you and your band of mercenaries, you also serve the Dark Master. Selena Liongod is the only one who poses a threat to the one we serve and any ongoing contracts and dealings between you and me in the foreseeable future. If you and your crew help us deal with that trouble, there will be more gold: half now, half later. As you've said so yourself, Captain, everything comes at a price."
Slightly intrigued by the promised fortune, Battleraven rubbed his chin, and his dark brown eyes sparkled from the lamp's fire. "We've heard of her dragon. How do we deal with it?"
"You don't need to worry about the dragon: the problem will soon solve itself." Vidar spun around on his toes and glared at the captain. "And tell your crew to leave something to give to me. I don't care if they want to have their fun, but I prefer you keep her alive and in one piece. The Dark Master wants to deal with her himself."
*****
As Ulrich spun around, the wall behind him rumbled and sank into the ground, revealing a hidden pathway, dimly lit by blue crystals jutting above their heads. The winding passage swirled deeper within the mountainside, the gem light fading into the encroaching darkness awaiting them.
Rahim rolled his eyes and gestured at Silver. "Oh, more training sounds wonderful."
The Divine spun his head around and snarled. "This isn't like any training you've seen. You and Silver will remain here. Selena and Thor, this way. It is time to unleash your true power."
Thor followed the Divine without question, but Selena dragged her feet as the image from Ulrich's pool still haunted her. The lingering threat of the Lich snatching him away was almost like walking down the stairs in absolute darkness and missing a step, tumbling into the abyss. Yet, she fought through the burning inferno waiting to be unleashed; it was hard to forgive their crime of secrecy concerning Snowhaven's fate, as she had every right to know.
Silver reached over and cupped her hands, but Selena withdrew from his touch. "I'm sorry, my dear. I don't know what you want me to say."
"I hardly know what I want to hear."
"You can be mad at us later. Promise me that you'll return when you two finish magic school, okay?" Rahim lightheartedly added and laughed. After fighting through her boiling wrath, Selena was thankful to see he perked up after accepting his father's fate.
Enchanting as the corridor was, she heard Ulrich's voice echo before she could look at Silver and Rahim one last time. "Do not look back, Young One."
Not heeding the god's warning, Selena spun around to find the way back was blocked and shrouded in obscurity. She then faced forward, and Ulrich and Thor vanished; the crystals above faded, leaving her trapped in the devouring darkness within her lonely world. Her breaths quickened until she backed against the wall, focusing on keeping herself grounded and not succumbing to fear. Her only company was Ulrich's voice ringing throughout the tunnel. "You must face your fear. What are you most afraid of?"
As Selena made her way through the gem passage, her mind raced to Xyaxon's challenge in Niflheim after destroying Ragnarok; she immediately fell into despair upon blaming herself for failing to stop the Lich. Because of her, the Dark Master will destroy their world, and Thor and Silver will be lost to her forever. The mere fact she was the one responsible made her recoil in the gloom. "You've led yourself to believe in failure. You must let your fears go."
The Divine's gentle voice beckoned her to look up at the flickering blue crystals, threatening to extinguish because of her hopelessness. Have I learned nothing from Xyaxon's teachings?
The gems sparkled to life, like twinkling stars, from the other end of the passageway; Selena noticed her shadow dancing across the ground and stretching up before her until it took her form. Much like Xyaxon's original lesson about self-acceptance, her copy mimicked her moves and voiced every word she said. "I'm not a failure."
The shadow clone shattered like glass. Selena immediately dashed through the vanishing shards towards the glimmering lights; she entered a crystal cavern with gemstones growing in mineral pools, a fairytale-lovely rock of rainbow. Selena became attracted to their enchanting aura, and like a dragon allured to treasure, her eyes ravenously took in the delightful sparkling scenery.
Ulrich's voice twinkled in her ears, a sound she imagined the glittering gemstones themselves could speak. "Good. If you are to bring about a new age of peace to this world, you need to be a positive force for yourself and others. You will need to forgive yourself."
Like a deadly firestorm, a pang of burning guilt ached in her chest. She condemned herself for all the misfortunes her friends and family had to endure because of her, and she could no longer hold back tears as she began to relive every mistake she had made. She never forgave herself for losing Helshire Village to the Obsidian Order; it was her fault for Alfheim's downfall and the death of innocents and her comrades. Armageddon fell because she hand-delivered the dragon eggs to the Lich, the final key to his gambit. She was the reason for the Empire's demise. "I-I did this...."
"Let your pain and grief flow. Accept your choices, but do not allow your emotions to consume you, or you will never hope to move forward."
*****
Thor's ivory talons clacked with every step he took as his eyes drew to every sparkle the gems gracing the walls made. He admired the various colors, never seeing such a flawless display of iridescent rainbow glittering upon the tunnel rock. Yet, Thor focused on following Ulrich, but he felt an itch throbbing in his mind that he couldn't scratch.
My dear, I hope you can forgive me for what I've done. I'm sorry. When Selena didn't answer, he stopped and whipped his head around. His tail thrashed against the walls when she and Ulrich were nowhere to be found. Selena, my dear one? Where are you?
Thor was again alone with his thoughts; he swore never to allow their mental link to sever again. His chest swelled, and he dug his claws into the dirt as his eye color flickered between red and a deep purple.
"Clear your mind, Divine One," Ulrich's voice called out, "you've indeed felt a great loss and pain. You must learn to control your emotions if you can tame the true Divine powers within you."
Where is Selena? What did you do to her? Ulrich didn't answer his demands. Thor's nostrils flared, and sparks of fire erupted from his mouth.
"You have so much love for her, but you're still stricken with grief and doubt." He recalled the very first moment he and Selena met. All he remembered even within his egg was her endearing presence; their energies always linked the two.
The scene played out before him in a vision, and he watched himself hatching from within the Lich's lair at Mount Blackrock, his baby self stumbling out of the shell to be by Selena's side. He neither knew her name nor his connection to her, but Thor never wanted to be apart. His heart filled with the love and warmth that burned for her. I never want to leave you.
"If you are to face the Lich and his army, you will need a clear mind and heart to withstand the evil that now consumes Armageddon. Lay all your grief out before you, and let it go."
Thor shut his eyes and spread out his wings to create a protective barrier, his thoughts drifting to when Silver and Selena first kissed: the first time he ever felt jealousy. Despite its revolting and poisonous thorn threatening to pierce his heart, he didn't want to interfere in his rider's love life but only wished for her affections; he believed that no one else deserved them but him.
His vision changed, and Thor recalled the moment when Silver first approached him for his blessing to ask Selena for her hand in marriage. He was, of course, more than willing to be supportive of their love, but his selfish behavior became his familiar taste of poison. You were supposed to belong only to me.
"You must let your pain flow away. You have grown possessive, and therefore your love for your rider was toxic. Accept that Selena can share her affections with both you and Silver. Her love for you will never leave you."
When Silver first proposed, Thor felt neglected and replaced. He knew she tried including him in all she did, but it wasn't the same; he convinced himself of the impossibility that she would make time for him. Yet, in his companionship with Ebony, Thor somewhat understood, but his grief grew when realizing that he was the one who abandoned her.
Their final fight against Medusa and her army in Snowhaven began replaying before him, and he saw himself after Selena fell in battle. The way he felt, the ruin he wanted to cause; all Thor wanted to do was kill and destroy. Even if Rahim and Azrael had intervened, he would have struck them down.
Ulrich's voice rang like the tolls of a bell: "Selena's love for you would never leave this world. It will always reside in your heart."
A light shimmered from the other side of his tunnel, and Thor rushed to it without hesitation. Selena, are you there?
His head throbbed like it was about to burst. To his disappointment, the glow led him to a crystallized cavern crafted to mirror Ulrich's lair, the turquoise ice formations glittering across his crimson hide. His steps were slow and heavy as he looked around with extreme caution, ignoring his attraction to the gemstones surrounding him.
"You need to let go of what you fear most and control your wrath."
His surroundings melted away, and Thor found himself standing in the middle of Snowhaven, fighting against Medusa and her undead army. His desperation crept in as his heart almost exploded from his chest upon watching Selena tossed into the growing violent Turquoise Ocean, threatening to tear her limb from limb. My dearest one, no....
Thor attempted to charge in after her, but he couldn't; his paws froze to the ice, his muscles refusing to obey no matter how hard he tried. He watched in horror as the scene played before him. Although Selena was in the middle of casting a massive maelstrom of ice and water, once more, Thor stood by as Medusa sliced off her left hand and prepared her final blow, and Selena's chest and back tore open. Her blood splattered all over the ice, and Thor's brewing rage grew to the most violent storm the world had ever seen.
As Thor began yielding to his despair and fury, Ulrich's voice interrupted his destructive thoughts: "If you are to control your Divine powers, you will need to restrain your emotions. Let it go."
Thor was finally in command again, but he completely ignored Ulrich's lesson and tapped into his dark energy as he did before, unleashing his catastrophic wrath. The black magic released and killed Medusa and her army in ever-expanding concentric circles of power, and his surroundings faded after finishing his onslaught. When all returned to focus, Thor found that the harrowing scene began repeating itself.
Again, turning a deaf ear to Ulrich's teaching, Thor gave in to his power and anger upon watching Selena's death, destroying his enemies. His corrupted thoughts and emotions slowly consumed him while enduring eternal torment; with every recurrence of the memory, Thor began slipping into insanity. His vision would reset, and he would make the same choices each time, watching Selena die repeatedly; his eyes kept flickering between red and purple, and his blood-diamond scales flashed red and black.
"Let your anger go."
No, I will never let it go.
*****
Could I bring peace to this chaotic world?
Breathing deep, Selena closed her eyes and imagined her friends and allies with her, all in smiles, and she saw hope and the willingness to keep moving forward in each of their faces. Her eyes glossed over like a frozen lake, and her face beamed like a beacon in Armageddon's darkest hour.
Ulrich continued: "Very good. The Divinity Dragon can bring us into the dawn of a new age." However, Selena's smile faded, and her copper-skin tone turned pearlescent white when the Divine added, "If you are to protect the ones you love the most, you will need to detach yourself from them. Only then will you be able to unlock the true dragon within you."
All her friends and family: Rahim, Chaliss, her parents, everyone whom she formed an acquaintance with, the idea of casting them away from her heart and mind was as impossible as counting grains of sand from the beach or the infinite stars. Her fragile heart shattered when she imagined severing emotional ties to Silver and Thor, and her emerald eyes glimmered from an uncontrollable stream of tears. "But I love them."
"You must learn to let go of those closest to you if you're to control the Divine energy flowing through you. Let them go."
Before she could object to Ulrich's teachings any further, two shadows emerged from the corner of her crystal cave; Selena took a defensive stance as she prepared for an attack without hesitation. However, her shoulders relaxed, and her arms dropped to her sides when Thor and Silver approached, and she immediately wiped her eyes dry. "I'm so glad to see you two again. Pray forgive me for how I reacted, but please, promise that you two won't keep secrets from me." Selena opened her arms to them, but they didn't return the gesture.
Instead of exchanging words and pleasantries, Silver sneered and summoned his reaper scythe of azure and gold, while Thor snarled and hissed at her, unfurling his wings while flames plumed and boiled from his maw. Selena winced and recoiled from their sudden hostility; it seemed as though the world around her vanished, and she plunged into the void.
Ulrich's voice twinkled like a gentle tune being carried by the wind. "Let your attachments to your loved ones go, and allow your Divine energy flow."
Selena backed away and gritted her teeth, having enough of what Ulrich had to say. "No, I will not let them go—I love them."
Silver followed Selena's statement with a swing of his weapon with no regard to her profession of love, but her betrayed trepidation kept her trapped in position. He was too quick for her to evade, and with great reluctance, she ruefully held up her left hand in a wasted and foolish effort to block. She had to choose between him cutting at her midsection or her mechanical hand, and she didn't have much time to debate. His blade descended upon her prosthetic, and it was sliced clean off in one swipe.
Her Aether source severed so suddenly felt as painful as Medusa chopping off her natural hand. At first, her arm tingled, and it burned like it was on fire. Selena dropped to her knees and held her amputated arm to her chest while she screamed and convulsed, staining her clothes and the ground crimson. However, she didn't have time to nurse her arm as she had to react fast; she was in the way of Thor's oncoming attack. He reared up and swiped with his sword-sharp claws, but Selena moved out of the way with nary a second to spare.
Yet, it was too soon to celebrate her small evasive victory; she was slow as Thor spun around and knocked her down with his tail. Her eyes flooded when she knew he and Silver would not ease up on their attacks. She mouthed the words, "But I love you," and couldn't bring herself to attack back. "I promised to love you both."
Ulrich resumed pleading, "Surrender yourself. Let them go."
When both Silver and Thor were upon her, she finally gave in and spoke. "I'm sorry." Then, she got down to her knees and closed her eyes as she bowed. Time stopped when she began concentrating and meditating: Silver and Thor froze in mid-pursuit. Even the floating dust particles couldn't escape its timeless prison.
Within the deepest confines of her subconsciousness, she saw herself surrounded by stars, drifting across the infinite cosmos. Among the swirling stars adorning the nether sky—like diamonds emblazoned in a crown—an aurora light flashed across the void and solidified into a radiant platform beneath her feet.
Selena turned from her world below and saw a massive entity standing on the other side, her spectral Divinity Dragon form reveling in absolute glory, beauty, and power. She set out towards it with much caution, her mouth open in awe and appreciation; as she neared her dragon self, its eyes shone brighter than the surrounding stars. The celestial being was as brilliant as the three Divines themselves, wisps of blue Aether pluming from its body and around the massive ruby engraved into its chest. Azure fire writhed around its crown-shaped horns, reflecting against the gem's crimson shine that painfully reminded her of Thor; even the dragon within her always carried his memento close to its heart. How can Ulrich say that I must let him and Silver go?
She reached out with her only hand to touch it, but the Divinity Dragon reared its head back and roared, its thunder quivering the eternal ether. She flinched and stepped back as it expanded its enormous spectral wings, preparing to attack with claws and fangs at the ready. Selena fell backwards and crawled away just as the dragon stood on its haunches and slammed its front paws down, its long, sword-length claws clicking against the ethereal glass.
I don't know what I'm supposed to do.
All she could do was run, as she neither had a sword nor shield to help fight back. Her inner dragon swiped at her with its talons, but she rolled out of harm's way; as the celestial being swept its tail across the platform to knock her down, Selena sidestepped again and switched to using magic. She summoned fireballs and followed with icicle shards targeting her dragon self, but to her dismay, the dragon absorbed her attacks and continued with its cataclysmal course.
Ulrich's voice echoed in her thoughts. "The only way to tame the dragon within you is to let them go."
Tears rolled down her face. "I...."
A distressed cry suddenly distracted her, and as the Divinity Dragon was upon her, Selena saw a vision of Thor standing alone in a crystal cavern, issuing his destruction as his dark Aether consumed him. Before realizing it, her Divine Dragon state lunged forward with its claws and knocked her off the platform, casting her into the endless abyss. Selena began to plummet, watching as the Divine entity and the ethereal path vanished; she fell through the starry void and crashed down to her world.
Selena jerked awake, and Thor and Silver disappeared from her cave. They were only illusions, and she had to run and fight. "Thor is in trouble—I must help him."
Desperately reaching out to him, she could hear Thor's suffering roars. Still holding her severed arm, she ran towards the exit, but she halted when Ulrich called out. "No, you must let him go. If you don't, your dragon state will corrupt and destroy you."
Selena paused as if to heed the Divine's warning, but she dashed ahead without the slightest care for her safety—Thor was in danger, and he needed her. She didn't know where she was going but did her best to follow her dragon's roars trembling throughout the mountain, and eventually, the tunnel brought her to where she wanted to be.
She paused in her tracks at the sight of her dragon's solemn hour; shrouded in a black aura, Thor hung his head, his chest swelled with each breath he took, growing deeper and heavier. Ulrich emerged within the gem cavern from the other end as the peak quivered, but he kept his distance.
Thor, stop!
The distraught dragon ignored her and summoned violent, screeching winds circling him. The brewing storm threatened her; however, disregarding her safety, she trudged onward to join his side, regardless of her fate.
As his rampage grew, Ulrich neither intervened nor said a single word. Instead, he sat and watched in despair and dismay as the dark Aether slowly devoured Thor. His growing rage pushed Selena back with a wave of energy, and she pleaded to Ulrich for assistance. "What are you doing? Help him." The Emerald Dragon only shook his head and swished his tail.
The screaming windstorm surrounding Thor turned to black energy, and soon, the deadly maelstrom immersed the dragon. When the magical vortex faded and dispersed, his scales became like the void, and dark Aether danced upon his hide like wisps of fire. He unfurled his wings, and to Selena's horror, the now onyx membranes became like shadows leaving tendrils of black magic with every movement. When she made eye contact with him, her heart sank to see Thor's irises clouded in a dark purple veil.
Thor, no.... His mind was twisted and corrupted, and he no longer understood her. When the screaming storm completely dissipated, Selena rushed forward. Thor made no attempts to respond when she reached up to touch his muzzle. No, this isn't you. This darkness isn't who you are. Please, answer me.
He didn't flinch. Selena's chest ached, and her heart shattered; she dropped to her knees as a harrowing tune rang through her ears, holding her only hand to her head as she heard a voice call out: Join me, Destroyer of Worlds. The time has come for you to serve the Dark Master.
Thor snaked his head upward and roared obediently. Dark Aether boiled within his maw, and he unleashed a black beam with lightning pulsating around the energy, blasting a massive hole through the rock ceiling, opening to the grieving heavens. Selena watched him launch upwards in one leap away from Ulrich's fortress, black ribbons of dark magic trailing behind from every wing flap.
Still holding to her severed arm, Selena threw herself to where he stood previously and looked at the sky in despair, his shape slowly disappearing into the night. Watching him succumb to the Lich's dark magic was more painful than losing her hand ten-fold. No, please, answer me. Come back.
Ulrich flickered his tail and lowered his head. "It's no use, Young One. Thor now belongs to His Dark Majesty." She refused to listen as she kept calling out to him, hoping to hear his voice again but failed each time. No, she thought, Thor would eventually answer. He had to.
As Ulrich watched Selena continue calling for her dragon, Silver and Rahim finally reached them. The two looked to the dragon god, then to the distraught Selena; Silver pointed a shaky finger at Ulrich. "What happened here?"
The Divine remained still as a statue, his sea-green eyes beginning to shimmer in anguish for Selena's sudden loss. "It was just as I feared. They were not ready."
Rahim stood beside Ulrich as he could not offer any words of comfort. On the other hand, Silver inched his way to Selena, reaching out to touch her shoulder, but she moved away. Instead of acknowledging her friends' return, she spun around to face Ulrich, ready to explode at any moment. "What did you do to my dragon?" When he didn't answer, she swung her only hand, casting a fire blast, obliterating the crystals on the other side of the cavern. "What did you do to Thor?!"
Silver's rage boiled, matching hers. "What happened?"
All the indifferent Emerald Dragon could say was, "Selena and Thor needed to learn how to control their powers, and I was showing them how. There was no other way."
Selena allowed herself to give in to her ever-growing fury. A ball of light shrouded her, transforming into her spectral dragon form; her eyes glowed crimson like the ruby upon her chest, the unstable energy risking rendering her to pieces. The dragon trembled as the rage continued stirring and growing.
"What did you do to Thor?! Tell me what you put him through!" Her voice was no longer hers, as if it didn't belong in their world. She summoned a lightning storm swirling around her, growing and billowing with each heavy breath she took.
Rahim escaped through the tunnel he and Silver came through, and Ulrich lowered his head, but he offered no explanation or fought back. Silver, however, stayed and faced Selena's wrath.
Her storm grew and spread rapidly throughout the cave as he made his way through the violent screaming wind and reached her. As he wrapped his arms around Selena's exposed neck and hugged her, the storm lessened, and tears streamed down her snout. Silver did his best not to let her go, even as she reverted to her human form, and returned his embrace. The two grieved in the somber silence, weeping for their terrible, sudden loss.