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."
Lucas stopped walking, and turned to Eric.
"You must be the one to stop him."
Eric nodded slowly.
"Why me?"
"Because if you do not, no one else will, and all will be lost. You are the last hope."
They crested a hill which overlooked a valley. In it's depths lay a silver tree with sapphire blue leaves, similar to the one in the cave. Its leaves stretched across the sky in a beautiful display of colours. Lucas began to walk down a small path towards it's base.
Eric followed.
"I beg that you listen to the Ancient One with an open mind, and an open heart." He said. "You have done more than enough to settle any vengeance for my death. Do not be burdened by grief, for I am at peace. I am finally with Arya."
"Mother?" He asked. He looked to Lucas, and found that he was gone.
"Dad?" He called. "Lucas!"
He was alone on the hill side. He felt as though a hot knife had been driven into his chest. He hurt so much. He fell to his knees, and looked to the sky, now riddled with stars. They shone brightly in the sky, and danced with the moon. He was suddenly aware of the crickets. There must've been thousands, to be able to blanket the valley in sound.
He brushed himself off and made towards the tree. As he approached, he noticed that the leaves were curled and sick. Many littered the ground. His fingers brushed the silver bark which captured the moonlight and glowed softly.
A boulder moved. It was as large as a house, curdled up at the base of one of the tree's roots. The sound of stone striking stone reverberated through the valley, as the boulder stood tall on two legs. He could make out arms and a head, as the creature continued to move. Eric was completely calm, despite his senses urging him to draw on his power.
"Hello Eric." The creature said.
"Hello. You must be the Ancient One?" He asked.
"Indeed I am."
"You're a Golem?" He asked.
It's stone head nodded.
"I am Azerath, the last remaining Golem of Earth."
Eric felt awe inspired to be in the Golem's presence. They were creatures of pure magic, as old as the Earth itself.
"We used to number in the thousands, creating life and wonder in all corners of the Earth. Until the Gods decided that the age of magic was over, and the time of Man had come. We were hunted down by our own creations, and left for dead."
"Now a force threatens the balance, and I have been summoned from my slumber to protect the very Gods that ignored us for so many years."
"I ordered my creations, the Dragons, to assassinate your grandfather, in the hopes that he would be stopped. I failed. After news that your kind was hunting down my creations, I rallied them to one massive assault on your Kingdom, in the hopes that Harkus would be destroyed. I failed yet again."
Harkus was still alive? How was that possible? He was locked away in the citadel dungeons when the Dragons attacked. When the citadel collapsed. There was no way Harkus could have survived.
Or could he?
"I apologize, but I am now desperate." The Golem said. "There is but one last option left. I ask that you accept the Dragon spirit. Use your new power to destroy Harkus, and put an end to his evil."
Eric reflected on the Golems words. Aaron would have begged him to accept, as would his father. It seemed the right thing to do, the only thing to do. He had just one question.
"Your creations burned down my villages. They murdered innocent people. Will you hold yourself accountable to their actions?"
"My creations did not burn your villages. That was the work of Humans."
The response left him confused, were the Dragons innocent? Was it really people framing them all tgis time? But who would do that?
Panic flared, it all made sense. The Wanted had caused all the conflict between the Dragons, starting a war and crippling the Kingdom. Now that the war was essentially over, the Kingdom was in pieces. There would be little resistance from Lords as they were over run by gangsters. Demetrius was in danger. He needed to warn them before it was too late.
"Be warned." The Golem said. "Time is very short, Harkus has likely already entered the home of the Gods. Is the life of you uncle so critically important?"
Eric answered without hesitation.
"Yes."
"Then please, accept the Dragon Spirit and go. Do not waste time."
The Golem reached out with its rockey hand. The stone fingers lightly touched him over the heart, and he felt his soul suddenly become heavy. He screamed at the overwhelming rush of power, he couldn't contain it. He couldnt.
***
Aaron panicked as he heard the scream. He quickly ran down the tunnel, and pushed against the old wooden door. It was locked. He drew on his power, and bombarded against the rotten lock. It wouldn't budge. He heard Eric scream again, only this time it was long, and drawn out.
"ERIC!" He cried.
There was a flash of green light, then suddenly everything was silent. There was a click at the door, and he burst through. Eric was kneeling in the middle of a small circular cavern, a dead plant in his hands. Boulders and rocks lay scattered around the room, and runes of power were carved into the stone walls. Aaron reached for Eric's shoulder.
"Eric?" He asked. "Are you alright? Where is Azerath?"
There was a long delay before he replied. In that time he noticed Eric's eyes had changed color, from the normal forest green to a golden amber. He radiated power.
"Im here." Eric panted. "It was Eric's final wish that Demetrius be warned about The Wanted's uprising."
Blood drained from Aaron's face, as the realization hit him.
No!
"This wasn't part of the plan!" He shouted. "You tricked him! You tricked me!"
Eric paused, and tilted his head.
"You must understand that this was he only way I could ensure Harkus's defeat."
"You should have trusted Eric! You should have given him a chance!"
"The time of playing chance has been over for quite some time. I had to."
Aaron could say no more. Before him was the being he had treated as a god. Before him was a monster who had taken control of Eric's body.
"Now come. We must fulfill Eric's last wish, and warn his uncle."