VI
“He’s hurt! He’s hurt!”
“Bring him in! Careful!”
“What happened?”
A calamity of voices arose as two men barged into the hideout, carrying our serpent-slayer Drog. He was wounded deeply, crimson slashes visible throughout his entire body. His blood seeped out of every scar. His face was beaten up, arms bent, and legs distorted in every direction. He was almost unrecognizable.
“We found him like this on Nek Roluun!”
“He was facing a red dragon on Nythar’s Island, one we’ve never seen before!”
“Red dragon? You mean...there’s a second dragon on Grozorg?” I questioned.
“Yes,” Drog replied weakly in his low voice, turning his head towards me. “It’s the same dragon that belongs to Tyrannust.”
“Tyrannust? You mean his baby red dragon?”
“Yes. Dragons are a unique branch of beasts from an extraterrestrial planet, or so I’ve read. Although having their own distinct characteristics, dragons tend to follow the way of their mothers - or masters,” his voice dryly croaked.
“And so the red dragon became corrupt when Tyrannust did,” I concluded.
“Something doesn’t add up,” Kadava piped up beside me. “I just saw the dragon this morning; it wasn’t even three feet long!”
“It was the size of the Gravity Dragon when I was there,” Drog countered.
“Drog, rest up. We may need you soon.”
“But--but how is that even possible?” Kadava continued.
“Kadava, enough. Let him rest. In a time like this, anything is possible.”
Suddenly, Arcanor spat out a stream of broken phrases as he rose into the air.
“Darkness. Growth. Dragon. Crystallia. Offspring.”
Arcanor’s eyes glowed orange as he continued to spew out the string of words. “Light. Order. Interference. Discord. Darkness.”
Arcanor slowly drifted downwards, eyes returning to a brown pigment. He collapsed to the floor, catching his breath.
“We must head to Crystallia at once,” he panted. “The Gravity Dragon is there, and there may be offspring - if there is, we must act fast; all I saw were bits of pictures.”
“Glo! Stay here with Drog and make sure he recovers well,” I improvised, immediately forming a plan in my head. “The rest of us, pack lightly. Kadava, ropes, Foku, bait.”
At once, the entire guild shuffled around, following my command. Before long, we were at the doors of the hideout, ready to embark on a journey to the esoteric island of Crystallia.
Strapping saddles onto the wild horses that had grown accustomed to our presence just outside of our guild, we galloped away from Sanoctuis towards the heart of Grozorg on King Fulcan’s island, reaching the busy town of Tenebris. Tenebris was the main city-centre of Grozorg, where tradesmen, mercenaries, and merchants from all over the nation could be found no matter the time or date. The strategic position of Tenebris, the only city with paths that led to every elemental island, developed a strongly fortified city. Tenebris was known for its diverse culture, with men and women of every elemental faction wandering around the busy cobblestone streets and markets. Aside from the commoners, King Fulcan’s palace resided in the heart of Tenebris, the heart of Grozorg, reinforcing the security of the grand city. It wasn’t a rare sight to see elite guards of the Army of Light and Purity marching in and out of the magnificent golden-white palace every now and then, some mounted on horses, others standing guard by the many gates and entrances.
There was an abandoned shack on the border of Tenebris just outside the walls, and to many it appeared as a ruin. It was an old tavern that had self-decayed over time, and the original tavern-keeper had relocated inside the city walls to build a new inn. The shack was left in place, rotting beams and mildew-covered walls, but it had a strange history to it.
The shack was built on top of a sorcerer's house. As legends have spoken, there was once a mystical wizard that had resided on the same plot of land. The wizard had grown powerful, delving into the arts of illusiomancy. The king of the land soon found out, and to confine the sorcerer, decreed to bury his house into the ground and build another structure on top, in fear of a revolt from the ever-growing powerful sorcerer. Ever since, the sorcerer had never been heard from.
Foku had mysteriously rediscovered a sub-basement level to the run-down tavern a few months ago. Only known to our guild, the lower basement was the past sorcerer’s lair. It was a small and dark room, but in the corner lay a glowing violet portal, and through that portal was the pathway to Crystallia. In fact, the portal was the only direct way of getting to the esoteric crystallized-island, far removed from the elemental islands of Grozorg.
We arrived at the run-down shack and quickly scurried downwards into the basement. One by one, we jumped through the portal and arrived at the amethyst island. Crystallia was an awe-striking island; dazzling violet crystals coating the entire archipelago from the bottom to top. Located southwest of Grozorg, the glimmering island was apparently one of the first islands to have formed. In the center of the crystal-scattered land, each individual amethyst crystal was as tall as a full-grown man, stacked haphazardly on top of each other, forming a mountain with a dark cavern beneath. On the plain in front of the crystal mountain laid the legendary Gravity Dragon, as Arcanor had foretold.
The Gravity Dragon abruptly leapt up as we neared it, revealing newly born dragons beneath its wings.
Foku slowly approached the dragon with bait, and we raised our hands in a comforting motion, hopefully conveying that we were not enemies. That was soon interrupted from an alarming cry by Kadava.
“Look out!” He shouted, pointing towards the sky.
The Gravity Dragon raised its head in surprise as a faint red dot in the open blue sky darted closer and closer. Suddenly, Crystallia shook as another figure crashed onto the island.
“Tyrannust?” I yelped.
At that moment, a red blur slammed down as well with a much larger magnitude.
The Chaos Dragon, Tyrannust VI’s red dragon, was the same size, if not bigger, than the Gravity Dragon. It had grand wings covered in crimson scales and a body plated in scarlet. A faded scar lay below one of its vermilion eye. It gave a ferocious shriek, and a couple of crystal shards fell off the land.
A figure rose up from behind Tyrannust VI and his dragon. He wore a white robe, corrupted with black stains. His face was concealed; only two red eyes glowed behind his thick hood.
“Z-Zor?” Kadava stuttered.
Tyrannust gave a wave, and the crimson dragon darted towards the Gravity Dragon. The Gravity Dragon flew up, swiftly evading the strike.
At that moment, I realized the high lord’s plan, but it was too late. Tyrannust slammed his arms down, and a black wave rippled across Crystallia. The newborn dragons, frightened, scattered off the islands and flew towards Grozorg.
Tyrannust flew up into the air with his dragon, and Zor floated behind, mysteriously vanishing in a cloud of smoke.
“Well, there goes our hopes for a guild dragon,” Foku said.
“Did you guys forget what Drog said?” I reminded. “Dragons follow the ways of their masters. The lords of Grozorg aren’t the same as they were before! They've been corrupted!”
“Was that Tyrannust’s plan all along? That means...that means each lord will have a corrupted dragon...wait, a corrupted elemental dragon!”
A distant roar was heard, and it rang louder and louder. I looked up into the sky and Tyrannust came crashing down.
His red dragon shrieked a blood-curdling cry as Tyrannust smashed into Crystallia, shattering the amethysts and cracking the island.
“Jump!” I yelled as he slammed down.
It was too late. The ground gave way and we all slid down, further and further, into the abyss.
It was pitch black when I awoke. Where was I?
Alive.
What? Who was speaking?
I have many names. The Cave Wanderer. The Sorcerer. The Vindicator of the Fallen. You yourself, Prokun Ulterium, are in the cave you saw on Crystallia.
“I’m still on Crystallia? Hold on, how can you hear my thoughts? Who are you?” I spun around rapidly, trying to adapt to the pure darkness.
Yes. You are still on Crystallia.
“But...how? I fell. No, wait, my whole guild fell! Answer me!” I demanded. “Wasn’t Crystallia destroyed by Tyrannust? How do you know my name? Who are you?”
I foretold this event. Tyrannust only fragmented the center of my home, where you fell down into the abyss.
The strange voice kept avoiding my questions. I decided to change it a bit.
“Where is the rest of my guild?” I yelled frantically at the voice in the darkness. I needed answers, and I needed them now. I walked around blindly, waving my arms in front of me.
The Gravity Dragon swooped down when you fell. It carried the guild into my cave.
“Well, where’s the rest of us then?”
In the same cave. The ancient cavern is more than what the mortal eye can see. Close your eyes, and I will bring you together.
Following the strange voice’s instruction hesitantly, I closed my eyes. A gush of wind surrounded me, lifting my feet off the cavern floor. Abruptly, the wind ceased, dropping me to my knees.
“Ulterium?”
I opened my eyes, still standing in the darkness.
“Kadava, is that you?”
“Yes sir. Foku’s also here with me.”
“I’m here too.”
“Foku. Mirage.” I greeted blindly. “Do you have any clue where we are?”
“Ulterium, we are standing in a sacred area,” Arcanor spoke to my left.
Suddenly, a flame burst out in front of me, illuminating four faces in front of me. The Blood Guild stood around it.
Arcanor is correct. This place is sacred.
“How?”
My names...are like no other. The flame paused and rotated towards Arcanor. Arcanor slowly opened his mouth.
“He’s the banished sorcerer...the one that made Crystallia.”
“Wait...you’re the...you made Crystallia? I thought you...you summoned portals only,” my voice trembled.
I was banished from Grozorg after their discoveries of my adept portalmancy. But in banishing me, I had nowhere to go but to roam the wastes of the infinite universe. What choice did I have? But they couldn’t stop me. I had long foreseen my banishment, so I created a new home before the king demanded my absence, and though the governors of Grozorg soon found out later, they had never disturbed me since. Now I live together with the rulers of Grozorg in an uncertain harmony.
“So...you were powerful enough to make an island?”
I learned the arts of the early high lords. It wasn’t power. It was willpower.
“But...if there was only one way to your island; through that portal in your home, then...how did Tyrannust make it here?”
Zor. He has become as strong as I once have had been, if not even stronger than I was.
The whole room paused in silence.
Your guild should get going. Your king will need you soon, and you will need me soon.
“Thank you for everything. Without you, Sorcerer, we would never have lived to see another day.”
It was the ancient Dragon, not me. And ‘Sorcerer’ is one of many names I hold. I am more than the sorcerer. I am Oracle Uzefer.