Eli followed a cyan-cloaked figure into a large, dark cavern in the mountain. The purple-scaled dragon trudged closely behind. The only light Eli could see was from the moonlight shining through the entrance they walked through.
Looking around, Eli saw large, scattered boulders throughout the room and a mound of ash in the center. "This temple has been asleep for quite a while now," the blue-cloaked being said, her voice soothing and light. "The Gods are not displeased."
"What if it were to reawaken?" asked Eli.
"The Elders believe it never will. It is the perfect location for the artifact. Besides, the material is incredibly strong; not even fire can melt it," the woman turned to face Eli, but her voice did not match her face. Eli's heart sank when he recognized the other person as Ilkama. Quickly taking note of the inconsistency, Eli understood he and Ilkama were the corruptions to the memory; two other people had been here to hide the artifact long ago. The being took out the heart-shaped container from inside his cloak and showed it to Eli, who stared at it and asked, "But why would we hide such an artifact anyway? Surely, this would be beneficial to our own."
"It is a fundamental truth to our lives: we will not live forever," the feminine voice slowly distorted into Ilkama's, the effect sending a shiver down Eli's spine. "Therefore, we are not suited to protect the Dragon Heart. Hiding it from those who wish to defeat us is our best option," Ilkama replied.
"But why hide it instead of passing it down to later generations?"
"You are much more talkative today."
"My apologies."
Ilkama laughed. "The artifact is not as powerful as other enchantment methods. This will only enchant our weaponry for a short period of time. It will be used as a last resort by Mienards who require more weaponry."
"And we hide them out here because—"
"Many of our artifacts are scattered throughout the planet. If Mienardos were to fall, our people would be scattered. While some hold power in other kingdoms, many will have to flee to the Etoum Forest. If those in the kingdoms wish to stay in power, they may require resources to strengthen their weaponry. This would aid them momentarily," explained Ilkama. Understanding, Eli nodded.
When Ilkama glared at the dragon, it huffed smoke through its nose. "Zhotan, carve out a room suitable for the artifact," he ordered. The dragon growled in return, causing Ilkama to lift his hand and hiss a phrase in a language indecipherable to Eli. A ball of light appeared in the man's hand. "Need I remind you that you are under my control until the time that I free you? If I do not free you, you become stuck in our realm forever. You will never see another dragon again."
The dragon, Zhotan, huffed again and walked past the humans. As it began carving out the rocks and blowing away the ash, Eli turned to the corruption. "Would you really trap the beast here?"
"Of course, it would be violating our natural order," Ilkama explained. Eli felt an uneasiness in his stomach. While he knew this was not Ilkama, it did not help that they shared ideologies. "We have evolved and discovered ways to command the other realms. We summon these creatures to do our bidding; we have for many decades. They are lesser than us. If they could summon us, our roles would be reversed." Eli watched the dragon glare at them from a distance, seemingly understanding Ilkama's train of thought. It slashed angrily into a boulder as though the boulder were Ilkama's face.
Once the dragon carved enough boulders into circular slabs, the creature began stacking them in the center of the room. Usings its fiery breath, Zhotan seared the stones carefully, melding them into one large staircase. It growled as it stomped to other stones it would not build with and began pulverizing them with its sheer strength. Eli stared in awe at the beast's progress, asking, "How is it possible the beast is capable of designing like this?"
"The stories you heard of dragons are a disservice to their species," Ilkama scoffed. "These beasts are much more civilized than you believe. They have lives outside of flight and fighting. Some create homes. Some dragons dance. I believe they even have sports they partake in. Many, such as this one, are not fighters."
"So you selected this one for its building potential?"
"I wish I had. I do not choose which dragon comes to us," Ilkama laughed. "A dragon is chosen at random. Naturally, any of the beasts is capable of completing any task; it is only a matter of whether or not they excel at it. Had I gotten a fighter, I would have been able to instruct it on how to construct the room. This saves me time and effort."
Within the hour, the dragon had carved out the room entirely. It yawned loudly, a small flame flickering in the back of its throat, before walking to the corner of the room, laying down. Eli looked around and realized the room looked bigger and cleaner than he thought. Most of the burn marks and scratches in the walls he found with the Bronze Foxes did not exist; somebody had tried taking the artifact before them. "Will you free it now?" Eli inquired.
Ilkama replied by simply taking out a golden dagger and walking towards the dragon. Eli followed, worried about what he might do. "Almost," Ilkama said. "Zhotan, one more request. I have read the manuscripts about your cultures from those who have endured the voyage to your realm. I wish to present you with the insignia for your builder's rank," he lied. "This dagger is incapable of harming you but is strong enough to mark the reward. Will you accept?" The beast nodded, and Ilkama walked to it, carefully marking the "Memory" glyph into the beast's head.
"Um..."
"Others will take great pride knowing of your achievement, Zhotan. You must be thirsty. Please, accept this drink. You deserve it," he offered, taking out a flask containing a clear, silver liquid. Ilkama knelt on one knee before offering him the glass. The dragon growled and accepted the drink, downing it immediately. Ilkama chuckled as he stood back up. In a split second, the dragon dropped the flask, its thoughts hazy and out of reach.
Next, Ilkama took out the artifact and uncapped the top, handing it over to the beast as well. "Please, drink some. You must be thirsty after your hard work," Ilkama offered again. Eli watched in confusion, unsure of what had happened. The dragon stood for a moment, not understanding what was happening. But it licked its jaw longingly. The dragon reached for the container and took a sip. Grossed by the taste, the dragon returned the object to Ilkama. The creature briefly had a visible, light-purple aura around it.
"What was that about?" Eli asked.
"Watch," Ilkama smirked. "Zhotan, thank you for your efforts. I release you!" he cheered. The dragon simply tilted its head to the side, not understanding what the man was saying. "You are free to return to your realm," he explained.
But the dragon did not move. It made a sound as though it whimpered.
"What did you do?"
"I have locked its memories," Ilkama whispered, making sure Zhotan would not be able to hear him. "It does not know what it is doing. It has forgotten about its home. Even if it knew, it would not know how to go back."
Eli walked to the dragon, feeling bad for it. He placed a hand under the creature's snout and gently rubbed it. "Oh, you poor, poor creature," he cried. "Please release it. If what you said about the dragons is true, then Zhotan must have a family to return to. Please, do not do this."
"If I must choose between its species and our legacy, I choose our legacy. The dragon will protect the artifact and ensure only worthy individuals may use it," Ilkama explained, walking up to the platform. "This will almost certainly do," the cloaked figure placed a hand on the floor and uttered a single word, unintelligible by Eli. An intense rumble shook the temple as a large, stone obelisk rose.
Touching the obelisk with one hand and holding the artifact in the other, Ilkama breathed another foreign phrase. As a white aura surrounded the heart-shaped container, a small explosion appeared in the obelisk, opening just enough space to hold the artifact. Carefully placing it in the hole, the blue-cloaked man began chanting with his eyes closed. While he chanted, the Dragon Heart and Zhotan glowed bright purple before deep-purple rods locked the container in the obelisk.
Eli, having had enough, pleaded for Ilkama to stop, running to the sorcerer's side and placing a hand on his shoulder. "Set him free!" He tried tugging the man away from the spell but failed.
When Ilkama finished the spell, he grabbed Eli's hand and pushed it away. Eli fell to the floor and rolled down the stairs. Unable to move, he watched as Ilkama walked to him and placed his foot firmly across Eli's chest. "I will not allow you to stop me from continuing our legacy!"
Ilkama turned to face the dragon. "Dragon, your name is Zhotan! I am your master. You will do as I say or face the consequences," he exclaimed. Eli watched as the dragon nodded slowly. "I order you to protect this artifact with your life! Only a Mienard—someone with this emblem—may use it," Ilkama moved his cloak out of the way and pointed at the emblem across his chest. The dragon nodded, fully trusting Ilkama's word.
"N-No," Eli could barely let out before Ilkama put more strength into his foot. Eli cried out in pain. He wished he could do something. Unknowingly, Eli began speaking the language of the spells, likely a remnant from the original memory. However, when Ilkama caught wind of what Eli was doing, he removed his foot and kicked his partner in the side, cutting off the rest of the spell.
"You are powerless," Ilkama assured, placing his foot higher against Eli's chest, barely under his throat. Eli began gasping for air; each breath was more painful than the last. "You cannot save this dragon. And just as well, you are not allowed to leave this place alive," Ilkama spoke another phrase before taking out the same golden dagger he had used on the dragon. Eli's eyes widened as Ilkama swiftly leaned down and jabbed the blade into his lower chest.
As he coughed up blood, Eli could only muster the strength to ask, "Why?" A searing pain coursed throughout his body. His lungs began burning, his heart racing. As the blood oozed out of the wound, Eli could feel his body going limp and his mind going unconscious.
"Because you are only half Mienard," Ilkama said to the dying man. "You are not full-blooded and are therefore too big a threat to our people. No half-blooded Mienard may know where the artifact is, and that includes you. The dragon took the only mind-erasing potion I had, so I have no choice but kill you."
Though Eli knew this was not real, he could feel every ounce of strength vanishing. His breathing slowed as he accepted his fate. When he tried lifting his arms, he could not; they felt like giant boulders sat on each. His vision faded to black as he slowly lost all consciousness.
* * *
Devon was trembling in his boots. Though the dragon lay at his feet, he was terrified. Sarah had told him not to try to kill it, given Eli's plan. When the Mienard awoke, he realized the dragon would soon too. He began backing away slowly but immediately froze in place when the dragon opened its eyes and stared at him.
Disoriented by the surprise memory, the dragon ignored Devon's existence and looked around the room to try and figure out what was going on. When it locked eyes with Eli, the swordsman sheathed his sword and began shaking. He knew the dragon had falsely seen him during the memory. However, he also knew he had to think quickly to save his guild and still end up with the artifact. He also knew his corrupted self was one of several reasons the dragon was stuck there, but that version had also died. Knowing he had to try, Eli formulated a speech.
"Zhotan! You know who I am!" Eli called out, his confidence overshadowing the fear he felt; one wrong move could cost him his life. The dragon turned to him and glared. "I am truly sorry for what the other did to you. I did not know he would betray us both like that."
"Eli, what—" Albert started but quickly stopped when Eli held a hand up to him.
"I am deeply sorry for not recognizing you. After you saw me perish, the man who trapped you here also stole my memories. That man, Ilkama, forced me to forget his betrayal in an attempt to convince me to join him. I had no recollection of your existence until now. I cannot join nor trust him, especially knowing what he did to us," Eli reached out, his palm facing the dragon. "My friends and I are trying to avenge those he wronged. Perhaps then we can truly free you," Eli said. Though he knew Ilkama was not responsible for trapping Zhotan here, he wholeheartedly believed that he could avenge the dragon's memory. Perhaps bringing down the person Zhotan thought cursed it would bring the dragon some sense of closure, and perhaps they would find a way to remove the potion's effects.
The dragon stared at Eli's hand. The swordsman's heart was racing, every passing moment worrying him more. However, he relaxed when the dragon leaned down and placed its forehead against Eli's palm. Gently, Eli began scratching its scaly forehead. "Thank you," he whispered. The dragon groaned peacefully in response.
"How did you—" Sarah could hardly formulate a question. She figured the memory had given him enough information to come up with the plan. Eli turned to face her, though his hand still rested upon the beast's head. He explained the memory as though it were fact; he could not risk the dragon losing its trust again.
"So there was another iteration of you and Ilkama we did not know about?" Sarah somberly asked.
"Yes. I wish I never forgot. I would have worked to free it."
"That is likely why he stole it from you," Sarah reasoned.
"So had we unlocked your memories beforehand, we could have found this so-called 'Dragon Heart' sooner? And we could have avoided getting caught by Ilkama and fighting the dragon?"
"Precisely, I am sorry," Eli replied, dropping his hand.
"Nonsense! Why apologize? The adventure was fun, and the dragon gave us a wonderful fight, even if we had no chance!" Albert laughed, lightly punching Eli in the arm. "I wish we could have more fights like that!"
"The dragon has a name, though," Sarah said. "Zhotan, is it not? It is beautiful."
"Right. Zhotan has been trapped here for years. I know not for how long," Eli explained,
"Your poor thing," Sarah walked to it and gently rubbed its scaly stomach. It let out a soft noise, enjoying the feeling. "You have been away from your family for quite some time. But you should be thankful I am here. I have summoned ones like you before. I know how they escape to their realm."
"Before we do that," Eli interjected. "Zhotan, I am Mienard, as you know. I need you to please unlock the Dragon Heart so that I may use it against the one who hurt you. He brought too much pain and suffering to too many people and must be stopped. I beg—"
Without hesitation, Zhotan launched a beam of fire at the cage containing the artifact. Though the rods slowly melted, the Dragon Heart was unmoving in the obelisk, as though it did not need the beams to hold it in place. When the dragon cut off its attack, all that remained was a glistening heart-shaped container. Charles and Devon ran up to it and tried picking it up, but the scalding artifact forced them to pull away from it.
"We must wait first; it is too hot," Devon announced. Eli looked at it, then at his sword. He walked closer to the artifact and unsheathed his blade. After outlining Bursor with Profecti, Eli aimed the gust of wind at the artifact. When the enchantment ended, Eli and Devon tried again. Though it was heavier than they had anticipated, the two successfully pulled it from the obelisk. The struggling faces they made confused Eli, who wondered if the blue-cloaked being had used another spell to carry it easily.
When they dropped the artifact, it crashed into the floor with a thud. Everyone surrounded and stared at it. "Did your informant explain how the artifact works?" Sarah asked Charles.
"No. All we know is that it allows us to enchant our weaponry in the same way as Eli's sword," answered Charles. "Eli, perhaps you saw something in the memory that would help?"
Eli shook his head, claiming, "The dragon ingested it and became enchanted. Perhaps just pouring some of its contents on our weaponry will enchant them?"
"It is the best guess we have," Charles reasoned. "Who wishes to go first?"
"I would!" Devon exclaimed, unsheathing his sword and placing it on the floor. Albert—the only member strong enough to pick up the artifact alone—uncapped the container and poured it on Devon's sword. The blade seemed to erode down the center slightly before a colorful aura coated it. The aura vanishing revealed Devon's sword had the same markings as Eli's.
"Ensorome Victra," Eli gasped. "It worked!" Devon excitedly picked up his sword and drew Bursor, something he had seen Eli do so many times before. When the sword glowed, he dropped it and began cheering. The group laughed for a moment before falling silent.
"So who is next?"