Alexander once gain found himself laying on the floor, but this time holding someone's hand in his right hand. As he turned to the right to see whose hand it was, he suddenly sprang to his feet upon realizing it was Dora's. She then woke up and jumped up as well.
"What did you do?!" Dora demanded, she was now speaking perfect English from her lips.
"I didn't do anything!" Alexander defended.
"Hey!" The voice came from some distance away from them. They both looked in its direction and Alexander found that he was back in the room with James and the others. Sapphira was running towards him but them she pulled up and looked at Dora, "So you got a Dragon."
"He didn't get anything." Dora insisted, "I was forced her."
"No you weren't." Nyxx appeared beside Sapphira, "Your bond drew you both back here."
"How'd you know she's a Dragon?" Alexander asked Sapphira.
"Her ears, silly." Sapphira replied. It was then that Alexander had looked and realized that Dora's ears pointed at the tops and their tips bended inwards.
"Oh..."
"Oh?" said Dora, "You seriously need to work on your choice of words Arch Mage. Especially if I'm expected to be stuck with your ill-mannered a..."
"Where's everyone else?" Alexander suddenly realized he only saw Sapphira and Nyxx.
"They're all tending to Kyra." Nyxx replied, "And now that you've returned, I'm off to retain what little time I may have left of my social life." Then she vanished.
"What happened?" Alexander asked Sapphira.
"Well she was meditating and keeping an eye you..." Sapphira began, and told both Alexander and Dora everything that happened as she led them to the opposite side of the room where Kyra was laid, unconscious.
"I had no idea she was daughter to Eres." Said Dora as she looked at Kyra's unconscious body, the blood had been cleaned away by the reluctantly combined forces of Sapphira and Marius.
"Eres?" Alexander asked.
"Our mother." Genisis replied, "Ereshkigal, the once Sumerian God Queen of the Dark City."
"Geez," said Marius, "two super evil parents and they end up giving birth to twin good guys. The Fates have gotta be the three most twisted women in existence."
"Had I known of her lineage," said Dora,"I would have temporarily lifted my protective enchantments from my sanctum."
"You did this?! Fix her!" Genisis demanded.
"Watch your tongue!" Dora retorted, "It's only out of respect for your mother why I will help her daughter." Dora went on her knees and pressed both her third fingers onto the sides of Kyra's forehead then began whispering in an ancient language that must have belonged to the hieroglyphs Alexander had seen in the sanctum.
Slowly, Kyra's violet eyes lifted open and her dilated pupils relaxed, "what ...happened?"
Dora got up, "You were rebounded by one of my enchantments, and I must commend you though for making it to the door. However, it was your interference that almost killed Alexander."
"H ...how?" Kyra tried to sit up but had to be assisted by James and Pyro.
"Your spirit was latched onto his so you could follow him through the hallways, but when you got knocked back it took his spirit with it."
"But I didn't end up back here." Said Alexander, everyone looked at him with surprise, including Dora. "I was in this place that was really dark. And some guy was telling me it wasn't safe, that I should get out of there. Then I felt a shock, and I was back in my body. Not before he told me that The Whisperers might catch me though."
"The connection between you and Kyra must've broken on the way." said Dora, "Your spirit could've been lost forever and left to wander."
"Wait," James interrupted, "This guy said something about The Whisperers?"
"He must've been near them." Pyro suggested, "But how?"
"We may never know..." said Saiyan in an eerie voice that sounded like it was out of a movie. Sapphira looked at him with concern, causing him to feel a little shamed, "What, am I the only one who wishes there was that creepy movie voice around for times like these?...fine."
"You'll be fully healed in a few more minutes." Said Dora, then she turned to Alexander, "Have you started training yet?"
"No," Alexander replied, "that's why I needed a Dragon, to get to The Southern Lights."
"Ah. Galicia... the third Arch Mage.But why her though, why not the first Arch Mage, Seth?"
"Because he vanished out of existence millennia ago." James replied.
"Hmmm..." Dora seemed disappointed, "Oh well, so how are the rest of you getting to The Southern Lights? I'm not looking forward to carrying seven...you're not even all humans."
"No we're not," Said Kyra, who was now feeling a little better, "but we have our own Dragons."
"Good. When are we leaving?"
"As soon as Kyra's ready to travel." said Genisis.
∞
They all stood outside the desert entrance of the Egyptian Underworld, waiting for the sun to rise so its doors would close.
"So where are your dragons?" Alexander asked Pyro.
"Here" The voice came from in front of them, followed by the appearance of six Dragons that seemed to be just over the height of three-story buildings, and they were on all fours. Alexander shuddered to think of how huge each of them would be on their two hind legs.
"Normally, under any other circumstance, I would jumped out of my skin ran for my life. But I think I'm getting used to weird and unusual things popping out of nowhere."
"Weird and unusual?" Sapphira mocked, "What ever could he mean?" She then walked up to an aqua green Dragon and jumped all they way up to its neck, where she landed on the creature's gold reins inlaid with sapphires and emeralds.
"I can't jump that high." Alexander protested.
"Not yet you can't." Said Marius, as he and the others, James excluded, mounted their Dragons in the same manner. Marius' and Saiyan's Dragons were both white, except Saiyan's had blue streaks along its scales and a pair of straight horns. The only other Dragon with horns belonged to Pyro, who's Dragon was a deep red with a yellow under side. It had two tiny horns protruding from the ends of each of its cheeks, and three horns lined from the centre of the top of its head to the back of its head like a Mohawk. The last two Dragons, Kyra's and Genisis', were so black that it was hard it distinguish even in the hot desert sun, where there shadows began. Even their eyes where pitch black, but Alexander could tell they were looking at him.
Suddenly the Dragons seemed to bow before Alexander, muttering "Holy One."
"What the..." Said Pyro, struggling to hold on to his Dragon.
"What are they doing?" Alexander asked, "Why are they calling me that?"
"It's not you." Dora stepped away from Alexander's side, "Rise." The Dragons followed her command.
"Who exactly is your Dragon?" Saiyan asked.
"The Holy One." His Dragon replied.
"The First Wyvern." said Marius' Dragon.
"The..."Sapphira's Dragon began, but was cut off by Dora.
"Enough." Dora interrupted, "I'm with you as equals. I don't need followers or subjects and there's nothing holy about me. So what if I'm the first Dragon? You all have been here longer and understand the mortals more and know the terrain better. Don't ever bow to anyone and never subject yourself to the whims of others. Dragonkind was the first to inherit this world; its soil is your legacy. One, I have long given up."
"My apologies, Holy One." said Saiyan's Dragon.
"I said STOP!" Dora voice shook the air and turned the sand, silencing the very atmosphere.
"Well, that was interesting." A blue-flamed bird appeared by James' side.
"Novastar." said James, "Where have you been?"
The Phoenix turned to James with an almost human look of incredulity, "I'm quite positive I am not required to take you into Galaxia, Isken Ra. And in any case if it be my presence you request I can be there with you should it be that I am needed. However, I'm not so selfish as to not accompany you. So here I am."
"You never could answer a question directly." James shook his head, "Shall we be going then?"
Dora approached Alexander slowly, stopping only inches before him, "There is only one way to control any of the first wyverns."
"H-how?" Alexander was nervous, something about Dora's tone seemed...odd.
"A spell that can never be undone, it would bind our minds and our life-forces, as well as cease the curse of aging on us both. As the Arch Mage, you already know the spell and what must be done..." then her expression changed instantly, "But don't you DARE use it on me! I'm here of my own free will and I'm keeping it that way!"
"I never..."
"Whatever! Now come on." Dora stepped away from everyone and stopped when she was at about thirty feet away. Suddenly a pair of crimson red wings popped out of her back. She turned to face them as two pitch black horns sprouted from her forehead. Her eyes shone that familiar blue that came from Alexander's chest earlier, and her skin began turn to the same crimson shade as her wings. Talons replaced her hands as a crimson tail with black spikes around it grew from behind her. Then her face changed completely, her clothes vanished and she grew into a fully formed Dragon, except she was at least two-stories larger than the others, and where her tattoo was, she now had a blood red gem. On her underside, where her chest would be, was a birth mark that looked like a circle with a much smaller circle inside it...Eternity.
"Whoa!" Said, Marius, "To think I thought you were cute, that's just a complete turn-off."
The Dragon that Dora had become growled deeply and spoke, her voice becoming that of a more mature female, "I am not interested in consorts Demigod, your blood is not worth it." Saiyan and Pyro laughed at Marius' shocked expression. Alexander on the other hand seemed uncertain, "Does this form trouble you, Arch Mage?"
"Umm..." Alexander was unsure what to think, "You have other forms?"
"I can have any form I wish." Suddenly Alexander felt a presence in his mind, and Dora began to change again. This time her horns vanished, she shrunk down to the size of the other Dragons, and her scales became sleeker, "Better?"
"Thanks." said Alexander. Dora kneeled forward and a rein appeared.
James grabbed Alexander's collar and raised them both off the ground, "Up you go kid." He flew over to Dora and landed Alexander on into the rein.
"So how are we getting to The Southern Lights?" Alexander asked.
"We could just fly the whole way," said Marius, "if we had all the time in the world. But we don't."
"So I'll be phasing us all a few miles closer to there." said James as he hovered above them.
"You can do that?" Alexander was intrigued by the power that James had, he who needed no Dragon to even enter this strange portal they were heading to.
"He is the incarnation of Ra." came Novastar's reply. Then suddenly they were all flying above water.
Alexander had to hold on quickly, "Once again, a warning WOULD have been nice."
"Get used to it kid." James shouted from ahead of them as he flew.
Asshole, Alexander thought. "So where are we anyway?"
"No idea! I know we're close though."
"Are you...? He's kidding right?" Alexander shouted over to Saiyan.
"I would say yes." Saiyan replied, "But he's been weird ever since he became 'Isken-ra', talking to animals and stuff."
Alexander recalled the first time he'd seen James. Wherever they were now though, it was night, and as Alexander looked ahead, he began to see mixtures of colors in the distance. Something was forming in his mind that seemed to get stronger as they drew closer to the assortment of colors. James said something to them as the colors got closer, revealing them to be light, but Alexander heard nothing. His mind was filled with whispers in different languages, but they all said one thing. Before Alexander could stop himself, his eyes turned blue and he spoke in a tongue long forgotten by the inhabitants of Earth, "Ssheriksalaa."
Suddenly the lights shone brighter and they all came together to form a white band of light, which then swirled into a spiral and flashed a brilliant blue. Before them, was a blue arch.
"Uh, what just happened?" Sapphira asked.
"I guess we go in." said James, who flew towards the arch of light and vanished, Novastar beside him.
"Follow the leader." Saiyan said before his Dragon flew into the light as well.
"Last one in..." Marius began, but was overtaken by Sapphira's Dragon.
"Oh no you don't! Slowpoke!" And she was gone too, Marius following close behind.
Genisis' and Kyra's Dragon went in one after the other, leaving Alexander and Dora. Alexander took the opportunity to ask Dora, "What exactly just happened?"
"You opened the door to Galaxia." Dora replied.
"Wouldn't it have opened on its own?"
"The people of the stars have long closed their doors on humankind."
"So we're intruding."
"Hmmm...I suppose we are." Then Dora took them into the arch.
∞
Nothing could have prepared them for what they saw. The arch of light had transported them to lush-green valley, and below them was a white kingdom, its walls giving off its own brilliant light.
"Guys?" Sapphira's voice was held awe, "You might wanna look around."
As the others did so, they realized that the land of Galaxia was a world on its own, for at though the land stretched for miles and miles, from the hill they were standing on they saw that this world was flat. It actually ended, with no sign of neither rivers nor oceans.
"Oi!" James was flying around them, "Are you guys coming or what?" and he took off toward the white kingdom, the Dragons following suit.
∞
As the Dragons landed and they all dismounted, James approached the large pearl-white doors and knocked as hard as he could, "Hello?!"
Suddenly they were all surrounded by at least a hundred people in blue hooded cloaks, each equipped with white bows and black arrows. James was cornered by four hooded figures wielding swords.
"Nowthat's a welcoming party." saidJames.