4. Dragons

“If you’re in control, why are your legs shaking so hard?” Doubt taunted.

When the Gem awakens to call a Hero, the world is ill prepared...and its fate is placed in the hands of a 17 year old boy, named Wendell.

Some will say this is nothing but a tale of fiction.
Let them think as they may.

After all...I can't fix stupid.

Previously: Wendell is taken to a new world, where he meets Delnar, the High Elder of the Iskari Council. He is led down to a secret chamber, where he is tricked into and then locked into a chamber…with a dragon.

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Chapter 4

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“Dragon?” I squeaked out. 

“Yes,” Delnar said… too calm for my taste. “She protects your inheritance. To receive it, you must meet her first.”

“Meet. A dragon?” I said.

He nodded. “Exactly.” 

Meeting a bone fide dragon face to face would have been the coolest moment in my life,…if it wasn’t for the bone fide dragon face to face. My brain hit a wall at this point. Reason, saturated with outright paranoia, didn’t altogether care if this was a dream. Dragons were usually hype-intelligent entities with too many sharp teeth. I don’t know any teenagers who aspire to be a chew toy.

“Has she…eaten recently?” I whispered. Many of my children’s books growing up were about the fiery serpents. Wingspans the breadth of a house, I dreamed of flying through a cloud-packed sky on the back of the giant creatures. I’d wave a sword overhead as we dove towards the encampment of enemies, the dragon moving in perfect harmony to my will. Movies often portrayed dragons in a darker light, snatching and eating everyone but the hero, who eventually dispatched them.

The High Elder hesitated. “The thought hadn’t crossed my mind as important.”

My back pushed against the bars of the gate. “But you brought me down here!” I slapped a hand over my mouth.

‘Too loud, Wendell. Way too loud,’ grumbled Doubt.

“Open the gate,” I hissed softer. “Come on, Delnar.”

“That, I cannot do,” he replied. “I sent our messenger to retrieve you, yes, but mistakes can be made. You may not be who you claim to be. There are powerful magics at work. Evil can disguise itself. Minds can sway, distract, and beguile. She cannot be deceived. She can smell evil. If you have ill intent or origin, the guardian will know.” His expression softened in the pale blue light. “Best hand the staff to me, young Wendell.”

I hugged the shaft of glowing wood to my chest. “That’s ‘lord’ Wendell to you, blueberry,” I snarled. “My only ill intent right now is to whack you with this staff. What happened to being my friend? You acted all kind and mentor-ish, just to get me down here and feed me to some lizard?”

Then it hit me. All this talk about treasure, his reverence in tone, was nothing more than a ruse to use me as bait! The High Elder had tricked me into entering this lair. What would keep him from slipping past this guardian while my bones were being chomped on? I’m just a distraction so he can make off with the inheritance. Scumbag!

The ground rumbled. Vibrations traveled from the soles of my feet to my knees. My breathing quickened, and I widened my stance, ready to swing the staff like a bat if I had to. A tremendous thud followed, the shockwave throwing me against the tunnel wall. 

“I told you something bad was going to happen,” Doubt grumbled. “But did you listen? NoooOOOOooooo.”

Shut up.

The breathing resumed loud and strong, but it had changed. Cocking my head to the side, I pointed an ear towards the sound. It was rougher now, the breathing. Sounded more like…snoring. The sound you make when you’ve slipped into a deep slumber. I grinned.

That was good for me.

I looked back at the gate, holding the staff above my head. The High Elder stood calmly, gripping the bars and staring at me. With each rumble of the snoring, his attention shifted from me to looking somewhere over my shoulder. He was looking into the mist and darkness.

Huh. Watching him react that way made me pause. 

It felt…familiar. Sly, calculating, and sarcastic. The High Elder sounded exactly like someone my imagination would invent, but still no face I could place to him. His character traits were familiar to many dreams. Why should this be any different? I smiled to myself.

“Because this is a lucid experience,“ Doubt pointed out.

I get that I’m asleep and dreaming, which meant I had control over my mind. 

“…and that means…?“ Doubt prodded me.

It means it’s time I took that control back.

“Now you’re getting it,“ Doubt grinned.

“Fine,” I said, relaxing my stance and planting the staff with a ‘clunk’ onto the floor next to me. Delnar snapped upright, obviously surprised. I shot him my best Cheshire Cat grin.“The dragon needs to inspect me? Then let’s get this inspection over with.” With that, I walked straight into the darkness of the dragon’s lair.

Obviously, that was my first mistake.

Storming off in pride wasn’t a calculated choice — I just wanted to look bold and brave to the High Elder — be confident in myself. Delnar might have been impressed, but the light from the staff was paltry at best. The soft glow barely illuminated three feet in front of me, and I’d just marched out into the blackness with ZERO frame of reference. Like a kid spun about with a blindfold, when I looked around, there was no piñata. No tree. No sibling or adult tugging on the rope. Just darkness. With each step, my confidence waned. 

I should have played the timid mouse. That way, I could have kept to the walls and felt my way around the lair. Simple steps. Safe steps.

“But no, you had to strut out into the darkness to prove you’re brave. All you proved, Wendell, was your stupidity,” said Doubt. He wasn’t wrong, either.

Now, I felt completely surrounded by nothingness.

I turned to go back and took a few steps, but there was nothing to see.

A few more steps didn’t help. The tunnel had vanished from view and I refused to give that old man the satisfaction of calling out.

“Bugger.” I whispered to myself. Not exactly my brightest decision so far. 

“Didn’t I just say…“

Shut UP! You’re not helping.

“……“

“Remember, this is your dragon, Wendell. Your dragon, from your imagination. There’s nothing to fear, because you cannot die. You’ll wake up before you know it. Go with it, Wendell. Get the full experience and enjoy the adventure. None of this is real. You are in control.” My hands gripped the staff tighter.

“If you’re in control, why are your legs shaking so hard?” Doubt taunted.

I rested my forehead against the gnarled wood of the staff.

“We have to come to some agreement, or some ground rules,” I whispered aloud. “This is hard enough without your discouraging, stressful, often irritating commentary, you know that? So you get with the program, or when I wake up, I’ll find a therapist and either medicate or mantra you out of existence.”

“You wouldn’t.“

I smiled. “You’re supposed to know me better than anyone else,” I said.

In the back of my mind, there was a loud, audible gasp. “Crap. You would.“

“Now zip it and let me think,” I said.

Holding the staff lower, I examined the floor. The warm moisture hung like fog, but the swirls weren’t mist. It was smoke. Rough, uneven cuts of stone forced caution with each step. Rocks and pebbles cluttered the ground, as did…

I gulped.

Bones. Too large to be human remains, or whatever a humanoid might be called here. Even my own thighs were minuscule compared to the scattered remains I found. Did that tell me something about the dragon? Was it fed flesh, or were these the remains of attempted thievery? Or worse yet, other unfortunate souls claiming to be me?

Step by step, I drew closer to the deep sound of snoring. What was I supposed to do once I found the dragon? Yeah, that should have been something to consider while I was still at the entrance.

“I won’t say a thing.“

Would I touch it? Poke it with a finger? That was stupid. I mean, how sensitive could scales be? Maybe poke it with the staff? My pace slowed. Why in the world would you POKE a DRAGON? Then again, why would I wake it on purpose? Should I wake it at all? Would waking it abruptly set it off, like some grumpy child disturbed from a peaceful nap?

It didn’t really matter, because I missed the dragon’s tail altogether.

Except for my foot.

My heart left to my throat as I went sprawling forward. Hands out wide, I did my best to catch myself, my knees colliding with the remains of a previous meal. My chest hit the ground first, a loud grunt escaping on impact. End over end, the staff sailed up and away from me in a tall arch. It landing with a horrible clatter against stone, sliding further still.

Gritting my teeth in pain, I forced myself to hold still.

The staff’s comforting bubble of light taunted me a good twenty away. Might as well be a mile. Clamping my lips together, I held my breath. When I looked behind me, all-encompassing blackness looked back. I couldn’t even see my feet, which,…were now resting on a terrifyingly long tail.

Ever-so-slowly, I rested my forehead on the stone and let out my breath in one even whisper.

“Now THAT’S impressive,” said Doubt. “All that and you didn’t wake up the dragon? Right on!“

“Are you alright, Lord Wendell?” the High Elder shouted, his voice echoing throughout the lair. 

The tail quivered.

“Never mind.“

Scrambling to my feet as fast and as quietly as I could, I darted towards the light. By my third panicked heartbeat, I’d snatched up the staff and whirled it in the direction I’d fled from. My pulse thumped mightily from my chest up to my throat. I held my breath, straining my ears.

The snoring continued.

I let the hot air out through my nose in one controlled exhale. 

“Don’t let it hear you. Don’t make any…”

“Over here, Lord Wendell,” said the High Elder in the direction I was looking. “You were right,” he continued. “I should not have left you to fend for yourself. That was inconsiderate and rude. I hope you can forgive me.”

The muscles in my shoulders and neck relaxed. My stomach unclenched. I sucked in a deep breath of air as if I’d been trying to swim the length of a pool underwater. My hands and neck stopped twitching. For a moment, my legs wobbled, forcing me to use the staff to steady myself. 

I had no idea I’d been wound so tight.

Dream or not, irritating blueberry or not, I was glad to have someone by my side. Especially facing my very first dragon.

The high-pitched cry of grinding metal echoed in the distance. It clamored against stone with a dull ring. “Lord Wendell,” shouted the High Elder again, “I say, do you need help? It was rude of me to lock you in. I apologize. Best I introduce you to our guardian, rather than a sudden encounter.”

“Uhhhh, if he’s over…“

I turned back toward the snoring.

White as winter snow, the dragon was enormous. Her head was larger than a semi-truck, neck long and broad, arching high above me, vanishing into the darkness. Horns, curved mightily like trees bowing in a powerful wind, reared up and forward again at the tips. Symmetrical scales in the shape of spear heads enveloped eyes of midnight blue flecked with starlight, diamond slits of black at their center.

“Eep.” That was all that came out of me.

Okay, it was all the sound that came out of me. My legs wanted to buckle at her presence, every fiber of my being screaming to run. That flight or…flight impulse intensified when those eyes locked onto mine.

She snorted.

Her hot breath hit me so hard, my smiley t-shirt bounced up and hit me in the chin. That’s when I attempted my first magical spell.

I vanished.

The staff clattered to the ground as I sprinted headlong into blackness, without a hint of light, and no clue of where I was going. That was my second mistake. Believe it or not, that wasn’t the worst part.

My third mistake was that I couldn’t stop screaming as I fled for my life.

Now, I’m not saying that a guy should scream. Yell, yes, shout, sure, but scream? Maybe if you’re in horrible danger or unbearable pain. Walk through a claymore mine and get blown in half. Yeah, scream your head off. Rabid dog runs up and bites you in the tenders. Be my guest and scream opera. It should be an extreme case for a guy to scream. 

I gave myself permission.

There was a dragon, the size of a mansion behind me, likely wanting to eat my still-needed-to-live-a-long-fulfilled-happy-life flesh. Mom always told me that if I was going to do anything, do it well. So I screamed.

I put teenage girls being chased by axe murders at summer camp to shame.

Which told the dragon exactly where I was.

“Lord Wendell?” the High Elder shouted. “Running won’t….”

I wasn’t listening. That blueberry had lied to me, set me up, and locked me in to be devoured.

The ground trembled violently. A loud scrapping noise followed it. Something hard pushed against the stone. Gulping down air, I looked about without slowing down. 

A shimmer of white appeared in my peripheral vision.

It was the beast’s tail, sliding towards me as I ran.

“RUN FASTERRRRR!“

Clamping my teeth shut to hide my screams and my location, I veered away from the approaching tail. Harder and harder I pushed myself, my heart screaming its own profanities in my chest. The closer it approached, the better I could see the curve of the tail.

How big was this lair?

I’d yet to find a wall, which I needed. If I could find a wall, I could find the gate I’d entered. There was no way that dragon would fit through such a tiny tunnel. That might give me enough time to sprint up those billion and one stairs. So I kept running as the tail curved behind me. Faster and faster I ran, as the tail got bigger and…

‘OOF!’

I’m embarrassed to say this, but I have run smack into a parked car before. A minivan, to be accurate. Sprinting across a grocery store parking lot, desperately trying to ditch Jeffery and his dogs. I turned around to look over my shoulder and smacked into the back corner of a van…full of little kids. They laughed as I melted down the side of their vehicle.

No one was laughing this time. The impact jarred me to my bones and knocked the air from me. With a wheeze, I slid from the face of the dragon and crumpled to the ground. Between the exertion of sprinting and that monumental impact, I just couldn’t get enough air. No matter how wide I opened my mouth, it was like sucking through a straw. It didn’t help that my gut and ribs were shouting unkind words at me.

I forced my legs down and rolled to my back, only to find narrow slits peering down at me.

Remember when I said I put screaming teenage girls being chased by axe murders at summer camp to shame?

Take that up a notch.

That annoying tail I tried to flee from slid under my shoulders and pulled me closer until her head was all I could see. Those eyes never blinked, but that gigantic mouth shifted. If I wasn’t a rational thinking guy, I would have sworn she was smiling.

“WE’RE GONNA DIIIIIIE!“ Doubt screamed. His voice echoed from every recess of my mind. “I’m sorry I’ve tormented you, Wendell. You’re really a decent guy. Bit slow, girl stupid, but decent. You have a good heart. Never told you, but you should know…before we become TEENAGE PÂTÉ!“

I tried pushing back, but my sneakers just slid across the stone. I wasn’t much bigger than a pebble compared to the dragon’s meaty tail. Hearing the echo of Doubt crying forced my attention onto the problem. Neither of us wanted to be eaten, but I couldn’t fight back. Like countless times in my life, I was outmatched. The dragon was bigger, stronger, and I didn’t know the terrain. What I KNEW was that my escape through that tunnel was still an option. Maybe a slim one, but it existed.

“If ya can’t join ‘em,” I huffed, “then ditch ‘em.”

Turning to face the tail, I threw myself up and over, landing awkwardly.

…but I was still on my feet.

I gave the dragon a single defiant scream over my shoulder…and bolted.

Face first into a wall.

White spots danced around the rim of my vision, and I stumbled. Completely out of gas, I slumped back against the wall and slid to my butt. My hands went to my head, and I winced. Yeah, I’d grow an egg for that one, wincing again as my fingers found a cut across my forehead. A familiar ache pulsed from my nose. Moisture ran over my lips and down my chin. Not again.

“This was not what I had planned.” Strong hands helped me up from the ground, steadying me. My head felt like it weighed a ton, but I blinked Delnar into focus. “I’m sorry about this,” he said. “I should have entered with you. Should have made the introduction.”

I wasn’t listening. The dragon moved into view, hovering directly behind the High Elder. Those enormous eyes were still peering at me through white slits. My mouth opened to emit another self-preservation war cry.

“No,” he said. “This must happen. You cannot escape, my lord.” He shook his head. “…Wendell. If you were such a threat to be dealt with, she would have  consumed you already, but she has not. Hold perfectly still and let this happen.” He gave me a gentle smile, then said softer, “Keep your head bowed.”

“RUN!” cried Doubt. “Leave this old loon behind and RUN AWAY!!” But the weighty apprehension of uncertainty glued my shoes to the ground. With each breath, my head cleared a bit more. Maybe I’d be safer behind the elder? If the dragon tries to eat me, I could always shove the old guy into my escape path and make another run for it.

I don’t know why, but that thought made my stomach turn. Not…like I can be guilty of murder in a dream, right? But was that really the point? Even in role-playing games, I refused to be the bad guy. Unlike those I game with, I didn’t steal even though it was a game. I also didn’t maim, kill, or violate females, even though it was a game. Because it was wrong.

In my mind, if it was wrong in real life, it was always wrong.

Yeah, I didn’t get invited to game play too often.

Something in my gut compelled me to obey the High Elder.

This time.

“Alright,” I said. “I’ll do it your way.”

“WHAAAAAT,“ screamed Doubt. I ignored him. In stead, I bowed my head as Delnar gave my shoulders a solid squeeze, then turned to face the dragon.

A scraping noise sounded in the distance, chilling me to the bone. Trying not to raise my head, my eyes rolled upward, trying to see through my brows. Again the scraping noise echoed, close this time, like metal being slid across a sharpening stone. I don’t know if the darkness fell back, or if the dragon glowed, but I could see her more clearly now.

Her massive paw, bigger than a minivan, scraped across the stone floor into view. Brilliant white scales burned through the dark, revealing a torso and flank so large, she’d be hard pressed to fit in our school’s gymnasium. Again that scraping noise, and another paw moved into view. All the while, her eyes and head remained poised, focused on me.

I desperately needed to pee.

When the whole of her body stopped, sitting upright like a giant hound, the High Elder kept his hand outstretched before him. “Dämä Omä, my sister,” he whispered. "I come with He who was spoken of," the High Elder whispered, keeping his hand outstretched before him. We seek permission to enter.” Then he calmly…stepped aside.

Without pausing, I pivoted, shifting my position to get behind the High Elder again. Those slits narrowed further, eyes tracking my movement. A low growl vibrated from the dragon down through the floor, causing my legs to quiver.

Surprised, the High Elder hissed, “What are you doing!?”

“She looks…hungry,” I hissed back. “I’m having second thoughts about being a chew toy!” The High Elder shifted to the side once more, but I followed suit — keeping the blueberry as a meat shield in front of me. The low growl seemed a little sharper, almost impatient this time.

“Stop it!” the High Elder nearly shrieked. “You’ll anger her!”

“Then stop moving!” I said.

In one stunning motion, the High Elder spun, positioning himself directly behind me and pushed me forward, holding me firmly by the shoulders.

“Hey!…HEY!!”

“Stay there!” the High Elder warned.

My entire body convulsed in spasms as the dragon loomed closer. Like the sound of a 30 plus ton dog sniffing an open hand, intermittent bursts of humid air hit me. Over and over I got blasted, leaving my hair and face damp with the scent of…cinnamon? I turned my head to the side, eyes clenched tight, as she nudged her scales against my flesh. I was shaking too hard, even my toes curled in my shoes.

Please don’t eat me. Please don’t eat me. Please don’t eat me! AhhAHHHahhhh.

My fingers met scales. I didn’t know what to do. Look at her? Not look at her? Head bowed? Up? Scream? The wall pushed back against me, and in an instant I was being lifted off my feet by the dragon’s snout!

My eyes popped open as she opened her mouth, large teeth poking my skin and I opened my mouth, ready to show those B-Rated bimbos what an Academy-Award Winning Scream sounded like.

I never got that chance, because that’s when I slid down her…tongue.

With a mild thump, I hit the ground.

The dragon turned her attention from me and slowly retreated into the darkness. Each step shook the ground, her massive tail swaying silently behind her.

“Thank you, sister,” the High Elder bowed deeply. “You have honored your covenant. We will keep our end.”

For a while, I just sat, exhausted. That, and overly relieved, I wasn’t lizard food. I also learned that human saliva and dragon saliva…were nothing alike. I tried to wipe the moisture from my face and neck, and ended up pulling gooey strands from my skin. Pizza cheese, without the pizza…or the cheese.

The High Elder continued to stand next to me, watching her go. Combing through my hair with open fingers, I scooped out a handful of goop and flicked it to the ground. “There wouldn’t be a shower around here, would there?” I said. “This dragon spit is all sorts of yuck.”

“What? Oh. Oh, my, yes.” Delnar looked me over and chuckled. “Here,” he said, then pulled a handkerchief from his sleeve, whispered something into it and handed it over. “Try this.”

I took it and wiped my face. Immediately, the sticky sensation vanished. “What the?” I said. Delnar just smiled at me and made a motion for me to continue. With each motion of the small cloth, I absorbed the dragon goo, sucking it up into the cloth like a sponge.

“Better?” He asked.

"Uh,…much. Thank you." I said. “Is…that it?” I stood up and wiped the back of my neck with the handkerchief. 

The High Elder raised both hands and put an index finger into each ear. “Not quite,” he said.

With a deafening roar, the Key exploded in dust, cobwebs, pebbles and stones.

“What’s happening?!?” I screamed, stumbling backwards against the wall.

The High Elder stepped to my side. “Prepare yourself!”

The floor trembled beneath our feet as another roar cracked overhead like thunder. We cringed against the stone, covering our faces with upheld hands and arms as small stones and the remains of unkept centuries pelted us. The darkness lifted, sucked in with pebble and stone, dust and bone, swirling in a mighty whirlwind at the chamber’s center. The sound of heavy wing fall grew, each beat creating a vortex of air, churning debris through the Key. Amidst the mist, the force compelled us to grasp onto the wall while lighter objects were drawn in.

With a loud ‘BOOM’, the mist and everything in it were sucked straight up into the center of the Key. Small flakes of dust, rock and sand rained down on the floor from above.

Then it was gone. Several small lamps flickered to life in the distance. A side tunnel, not more than a hundred feet away. 

The High Elder coughed, brushing off his robe. “That was exciting!” He gestured towards the tunnel brightly. “We are free to proceed.”

“Wha…wha…what in heaven’s name…?” I flinched as pebbles dropped from the darkness overhead, pelting me.

The High Elder brushed the falling dust from my shoulders. “Heavens, indeed. We could witness the fulfilling of an ancient agreement. A beautiful and noble story…for another time. We must move on. Quickly now,” he whispered, guiding me into the round tunnel.

“But,” I said, pointing up. I had so many questions. Why a dragon, and not magical defenses? What was this agreement? How the heck did the dragon get out up top? Isn’t there a roof? If there isn’t a roof, why bother with all those blasted stairs? Then again, if you dropped directly into the Key, you’d do so at the risk of getting eaten by the dragon.

…and the least, licked into submission.

The deeper this mental rabbit hole of a dream went, the more questions multiplied in my mind.

I sprinted to catch up to the High Elder.

This tunnel was smaller than the first, and it lacked a gate or doors of any kind. This one had seven tiny oval lamps hanging overhead. Each cast a soft glow across ornate glass mosaics lining the curved walls. Tiles so small and expertly placed, the figures they contained looked almost lifelike. Honestly, I had to squint closely to tell that these were anything but paintings. 

The artist broke the art into three distinct scenes. Each story compellingly beautiful…or terrifying. To my left was a landscape ravaged by warfare. Devastating destruction caused by an immense black dragon. Its muscular and armored body loomed over the fields, terrible claws ripping men to pieces, while its spiked tail exploded through tents and trebuchet. Its head reared back, spitting flame over its enemies. At its flank, thousands of green creatures laid waste to surrounding villages, slaying people and ransacking buildings. The scene was embedded with red tiles.

To the right was another scene with more of the same green creatures gathered in mighty armies. These fought other dragons. White and silver serpents of immense size and beauty howled and struggled, bound by rope and chain. Footmen on the ground stabbed the mighty beasts with spears and pikes, or shot them with arrows. Others used sword and axe to hack their majestic wings from their mighty bodies, preventing escape. The grasslands ran thick with blood.

The red eyes of the black dragon mirrored the carnage, ablaze with anger and vengeance, yet watched from afar. Each lamp gave enough light, mixed with shadow, to glitter across the tiles. Each flicker of flame created the illusion of movement. Smoke rising from fires and blood creeping through grass bending in the wind. It all looks so…real.

I hesitated, placing a hand against the images. Why craft beautiful art like this down here? How can anyone appreciate these images at the bottom of a stinky, musty tower?

Then I gasped. The ceiling overhead displayed a scene not of war and bloodshed, but of peace. The images flowed from one scene into another, joining the three. It was here that my attention lingered. This was a single story. Beautiful, fair skinned beings dressed in flowing robes. Eleven male and eleven female, paired, holding hands and walking through a tall forest of shimmering silver-bark trees. Their hands and feet were naked to the wrist and ankles, and small flowers of brilliant, vibrant colors rose to soften every step.

At the outer edge of this masterpiece, one female caught my attention. She was alone, on her knees, in a grove. Gentle braids wove her silver hair, wrapping around her head, draping across her shoulders, with glittering strands falling down her back. Her hair was so long that the strands fanned out behind her in a shimmering train across the grass and over the roots of trees. Delicate fingers intertwined in front of her bowed head.

She was weeping.

“What is all this? These scenes?” I asked.

I couldn’t explain why my heart ached for the figure in the grove, but it did. It was hard to breathe, my hand resting against the scene of warfare to keep my balance. But I kept my gaze focused upward. The lone maiden wore the same robes as the others, but she had no companion. The others looked so happy.

“Why was this woman alone?” I asked.

I wanted to help. It sounded crazy, but I felt drawn to this woman, and had a desire to comfort her. To tell her it would be alright. But that was foolish. It was, after all, only a picture. Yet I stretched my hand up, fingers lightly stroking the ends of her hair.

Delnar stood patiently, waiting for me. “That is a tragedy no heart should bear. In a once ancient tongue, they were called the Verrdrä. The word means ‘High’ or ‘Ruling’ Serpent.”

I looked back at the scenes of war. “You mean dragon,” I said.

He nodded. “Dragons are so intelligent, noble and loving, they were granted the ability to enjoy the blessings of humanity. To take the shapes of mortals and walk among mankind. Twelve lords and twelve ladies, chosen to live and rule over the kingdom of animals. They and their offspring, forever.”

“But there are only eleven couples here,” I said. “That lady in the grove is alone. Where’s her companion?”

The High Elder nodded to the scene behind him. “He is the black serpent, causing the destruction.”

Pulling my hand from the wall, I stared once more at the scene. There was something familiar in those dark red eyes. The tile flakes were so small, so perfectly set, that the light flickered across them and brought them to life. So fierce. So devastating. So…angry. There was no love in those eyes. Just a hatred so real, I had to look away. “Why is the black dragon destroying villages and cities? I thought you said they received the ability to change their form, because they were loving? This guy is destroying everything around him.”

Delnar sighed. “There is so little time now. We really must…”

“Humor me,” I replied cooly. “I’ve come with you, like you asked me to. Humor me. Tell me about these dragons.” I looked at the High Elder and waited. His expression softened. “Please,” I added sincerely.

Something in him gave. “I am not well versed in the lore, but I will share what little I know from our own records.”

“Cool,” I said. “What do you know?”

Taking a place beside me, he glanced upward. “Ages ago, during the first age of heroes, when our world was yet young, the gods still interacted among the people. The great darkness had receded. People took great care with their agency and because of this, there was a transformation. A time of great magic and wonder. When giants walked the lands freely and men knew the secrets of nature. The dragon lords and ladies took upon their mortal form to walk and exist among mankind.

“Even then, mortals were a wondrous people to behold. Capable of such love and compassion, to which the Verrdrä were drawn. They had watched and envied the way we interacted, the way we laughed and danced, singing and making merry. They desired to interact and feel the depth of our relationships, one with another. It was their hope to live out their days among the mortals who ruled over this world. To become more than what they were.”

The High Elder paused, a sadness seeping into his voice. “But in taking upon themselves the forms of mortals, they also fell subject to mortal passions. The mighty black dragon, known among his own kind as Vebränmiekkä — Dragon of the Fiery Sword — coveted the lady Vekesäu, Dragon of Summer Moon. Only she was the covenant mate of the Lord of Lords, the Great Verdräskinn, The Hidden Dragon Lord.”

I frowned. “That doesn’t sound good.”

The High Elder nodded. “Indeed, it was not. The Verrdrä are unique creatures, but their mating rituals remain the same as all great serpents. They mate for life through a ‘heart song’. A connection that pulls at the mind, heart, and the very soul of a dragon. Its call is undeniable."

“I’m not seeing the problem,” I said. “Then why is that dragon lady crying and alone?”

“Because all gifts come at a price. We mortals choose our own path with the heart. While in mortal flesh, the dragon lords and ladies received agency."

“Agency?” I asked. “You’re just talking about being able to choose. Correct?”

“Precisely. The Verrdrä were granted the ability to assume human form, but it was limited in duration. A test, as you will, to see if they would give into passions they had never experienced. To violate their own nature. One among them gave into that selfishness and followed another path. Lady Vekesäu rebuked Vebränmiekkä, whose heart belonged to her beloved Verdräskinn, and labeled him a traitor. Both the betrayal and the judgement of Vebränmiekkä were…inconceivable."

“The Verrdrä found themselves unable to comfort the pure affections and heart song of lady Veydänkev, Dragon Heart of Spring.”

This story made me think of high school, where the teens I knew would casually form connections. Here I was, learning of mythical creatures, strict in their life connections, while my culture revolved around the selfish desires of the heart. No consideration for consequences. Not a thought about how choices might affect other people. Just what they want, because they wanted it. The level of selfishness I’d witnessed, and even engaged in myself, was pathetic. Especially after hearing this story. Instant gratification instead of something lasting or meaningful. A boyfriend or girlfriend every month, sometimes every week…trading places at a whim. It never occurred to me how easily affections were given to one another. We should hold them close, private…maybe even sacred.

We don’t care about the consequences, so long as we get what we want, do we? It sounded horrible from that perspective, but it was true, wasn’t it? I studied the Dragon Heart of Spring. What would play with the emotions and natural affections of teens as they got older? Emotions were powerful. They existed for a reason. Affection lets us bond to another in ways that defy even death. My own parents had that kind of bond. If you treated such an experience lightly, it wasn’t so surprising that divorce and teen pregnancy were common. Too many people took relationships and giving affections as insignificant. “Sounds pretty intense, for not loving someone back, doesn’t it?”

The High Elder stared up at the couples walking together. “There were only twelve dragon lords and ladies. That was the whole of their species. Consider that. Only twelve couples to propagate the whole of your future generations. To deny the heart song was to deny the very survival of their race. It jeopardized their place to rule over the animal kingdom.”

I ran my fingers over the smooth surface of the mosaic. “So, what did they do with the black dragon? You can’t force someone to love…can you?”

“No,” the High Elder replied soberly. “Yet the act could not go unpunished, either. In the eyes of those who heeded their nature, those who heeded the heart song, this was the ultimate betrayal to their kind.”

I hadn’t considered it that way. It was hard not to stare at  the black serpent. The artist conveyed the hatred, the intensity so well, I felt the serpents stare upon me as I moved. “Soooo, what did they do?”

Stepping around me, the High Elder ran his own fingers over the black scales of the dragon heaving flames. “In much of the world, names have power. Names have purpose. The Verrdrä are of the old ways. Verdräskinn called a council and unitedly, they renamed the black. Vebränmiekkä became  BränmiekkäVe, which in their tongue meant ‘dishonored’, ‘cast off’ or ‘one who betrays’. Then collectively, they ripped from BränmiekkäVe his ability to take upon him mortal form.”

“Wait,” I said, “isn’t that killing him? They branded this guy a traitor, then executed him?”

“That was not their purpose,” he said. “The hope of the Verrdrä was to awaken their brother to the heart song. The Verrdrä took away the privileges abused, confining the rest of BränmiekkäVe’s immortal life to a dragon’s body. ”

I turned eagerly to the High Elder. “Did it work?”

“His heart had already been changed. Scales sealed the evil passion. An immortal being, forever tormented by his greatest heart’s desire, unable to be fulfilled. It drove him insane.”

“What happened to the Dragon Heart of Spring? Doesn’t that punish her, too?”

“For centuries, she waited patiently. She lived alone, weeping, singing her beautiful song to the winds, hoping her love would come and claim her as his own.” The High Elder paused, his head sinking low. “Her mate ignored her song, abandoning the lady and setting her to an open shame.”

“It sounds like black wasn’t the only one in hell.”

The High Elder sighed deeply. “Fortunately for Veydänkev, the legends tell of a stranger who visited her and,” he paused, his expression shifting to near confusion, “shared her pain.”

I frowned. “What do you mean, shared her pain?”

“The records we have are few, but it says this stranger healed her heart enough to bear the burden until the reckoning. A time when a final judgement occurs for all creatures. The stranger then took her away, to hide her shame from the world. To this day, no one knows where the Dragon Heart of Spring lives.”

A heavy gasp escaped my lips. “Wow. That’s intense. What about black?”

Eyes thoughtful, the High Elder’s words were slow and deliberate. “He is now called Brann. A name given to him by his new master. Fueled by an endless rage and deep hatred for his own kind, Brann takes his anger out upon all enemies of his master. What is worse, is he has turned to hunting down the Verrdrä.”

“Wait,” I scowled, “He didn’t get what he wanted, so he turns on his own people?”

The High Elder nodded. “For an age he tracked down brother and sister. Slaying lord, lady…and their offspring.”

“What?” I gasped. “Brann killed…their kids?”

“Used them to draw out the lords and ladies, setting traps to betray them. Only four of the Verrdrä now live. Verdräskinn, whom Brann could not defeat, Veydänkev, whom he avoids lest the heart song overcome him…and Vekesäu, whom he desires to make his own at all costs, but cannot find.”

Woah. “That’s gotta be one tense family reunion, huh?”

The High Elder raised an eyebrow.

My smirk faded. “Forget it. Bad joke. So this fight, then, is still going on?”

“As far as we are aware, yes. The dragon lords do not age as mortals do. All have faded into society, except for Brann, who we know to have retreated to Mällistädel after the capture of the Dark Lord.”

Dark Lord? Mall-to-dell…huh??

Looking back down the tunnel, I paused. “Was that one of the Verrdrä back there? The thing that sniffed me and exploded up the Key?”

The High Elder smiled, but said nothing.

“You mean it just sat down here? Waiting?”

“Waiting for you, Lord Wendell.”

Curiosity tugged at me, especially after my embracing first impressions on the Lady Dragon. “And what if I wasn’t…you know,…like I’ve been saying since I got here?”

“If you were not the hero we have been waiting for?” The High Elder gave me a sideways glance, an almost indistinguishable smirk on his face. “Then your last moments would have been…unfortunate.” 

“Right,” I gulped softly. “Good to know I checked out.”

When we stepped from the tunnel, the light of the lamps dimmed, leaving us once more in heavy shadows. The sudden change caused me to grasp at the walls and stumble. For a few minutes I forced myself forward, following the scuffling sound of the High Elder’s sandals. My fingers ran along the rough surface of the walls.

Step. Step. Come on, Wendell, you can…ungh! Uneven tile. Step. Step. Good grief! Someone has an issue about paying the power bill in this place. Then out loud, “Aren’t there any more lights around here?”

With a sudden clack of the Elders’ staff upon the floor, black fire pots flared.

“YEAARGH!” I winced.

Two glowing, red eyes glared at me through a giant onyx dragon head. The massive statue leaned down into the center of the foyer, menacing white teeth exposed in a silent roar.

“What is WRONG with you people around here!?” I said, chest heaving. “What’s with all the special effects?” Heart pounding, I leaned against the wall and gasped for breath. The statue was impressive, if it was anything. The curvature of the broad neck to the shoulders where its enormous wings reached out, enveloping the entire chamber. 

“I apologize, my lord,” but he sighed. “Wendell. This is not to make you uncomfortable. All things have a purpose.”

“Now why would you have a huge black dragon down here pretending to guard something so precious? Statues don’t guard anything." I gave the thing an evil stare. “He looks like Brann.”

The Elder ran a tender hand over the muscular neck. “It is.”

“That…doesn’t make any sense,” I said. “Why have a statue of the enemy down here?”

“He was not always BränmiekkäVe.”

“Yeah,” I replied, “okay. Why is the statue still here?”

A sadness washed over the High Elder. A weight that visually made him look older. Tired. When he replied, it was hardly above a whisper. “Because now he represents the darkness, we must be willing to confront. Personal and intimate.”

Wouldn’t have thought of it that way. Hard to imagine having someone I cared about turning on me. Then again, I guess you could learn from the example of what NOT to do. Huh. Pushing myself upright, I took a full turn around the room, studying the serpent. The powerful body curved to fit the room, its mighty chest looming before two giant doors at the top of seven wide steps. Giant arms, planted on either side of the steps like mighty oaks, ended in muscular hands. Spear-sized claws raked the ground underneath, leaving trenches of fragmented stone. Even as a statue, it was hard to meet the glowing eyes. That giant set of rubies, blood red, glaring back. What would he say to me if he could talk?

Probably just snap his enormous mouth and eat me.

“Come now,” the High Elder beckoned, standing at the doors. “It is time.”

Not sure why, but I ducked under the dragon’s body, avoiding its touch. Turning and shifting, the High Elder watched me with what seemed to be a mild amusement, but said nothing.

 Something felt…wrong. I couldn’t explain it — but something in my gut tugged at me repeatedly — screaming at me to go no further.

It’s just a dream, I reminded myself. Enjoy it while it lasts and let’s finally see what this inheritance is!

I wiped my clammy hands on my jeans.

The slabs of wood and metal looked to be at least twenty feet in height. When the High Elder leaned against them, they just…opened. No exaggerated, ear-splitting creak, which surprised me (and a have to say disappointed me, even if only a little). Both moved in a boring, muffled silence. I felt underwhelmed by what my subconscious had crafted. Should have been able to pull off something far more dramatic than that.

Placing his hands back into the folds of his sleeves, the High Elder crossed the threshold, and into complete darkness.

Right. Not falling for THIS again.

With a shuffle and squeak of my sneakers, I stayed on Delnar’s heels.

FWOOOOSH!

I nearly jumped out of my pants as searing flames burst from the wall. Frantically checking my hair for burn spots, I looked to the High Elder. He was already leaving me behind.

Oh, come on…

FWOOOOSH!

I jumped again. “What the FLIP!?”

As Delnar passed each torch along the circular wall, it burst to life. I couldn’t help my reaction, to the amusement of my guide. Oh, he thought he was so smooth and discreet, but I noticed the blueberry keeping me in the corner of his eye. 

“You may stand where you are, young Wendell,” he said. Arms outstretched, fingers spread wide, Delnar moved to the center of the room, looked upwards and shouted, “Olen täällä!”

I have absolutely no clue what that meant. You’d think, this being MY brain, it would at least translate for me. Apparently,  this wasn’t part of the ride. So I’m gonna go out on a limb and say the old man was waving his hands saying, ‘Looky, looky, I’m here!’

Shouldn’t have been so sarcastic.

A wave of vertigo, stabbing at my spine. The feeling was so strong it overwhelmed me. I’m not comfortable with heights, but this? The air grew thick with a tinge of static electricity that made the hair on my arms and neck stand up. My eyes couldn’t focus, either. When I reached out, hoping to lean against the wall, it was farther away than I realized. Dizzily, I stumbled. The floor jumped up to meet my steps sooner than expected or floated away altogether. Tripping over my own feet, I collapsed with a thud against the door frame and sank to the floor.

My gut clenched and rolled with the sway of the room. Fighting the urge to vomit, I clenched my teeth and got to my hands and knees. I clamped my eyes shut until the room stopped moving. When my stomach settled, I opened my eyes and focused on my hands. Breathe, Wendell. In and out. In and out. You’ve been dizzy before, it’s no big thing. It’s not a big…

Crafted from thousands of fragments of crystal and stone, the floor created the illusion of pouring. As if the stone was moving. Not sure if the stone's craftsmanship or the way the torchlight flickered across them caused it. Either way, it looked like it was moving…down into the center of the room…to meet an enormous eye. Chanting in some unintelligible language, the High Elder stood upon the eye’s giant pupil.

“Hän on täällä!” the High Elder shouted, slowly weaving bare arms in intricate patterns. The eye radiated a crystal blue light beneath his feet. Seeping through the cracks of stone, the light ascended, swirling itself around Delnar as he chanted. Strange guttural sounds and rhythmic words with arms and hands forming symbols amid the lights.

When Delnar reached upward, the floor flared with tiny lights the size of gnats. These lights burst out from the great eye, engulfed his robe. Thousands upon thousands of them swarmed up his waist and arms until they reached Delnar’s hands. There the light gathered, combining at his fingertips, rotating into a sphere between both hands. Each pinpoint of light raced to join the growing sphere held over his head.

It took me a moment, but I noticed the High Elder wasn’t looking at the light. He was looking past it.

I gasped quietly in awe.

Suspended high overhead were twelve monstrous arms.

They looked so real, the lifelike curves and color. Each jutted out from the stone walls at an elbow. The gentle slope of the muscular limbs ended in powerful hands which cradled something, holding it in place. Fingers interlaced with some hands, while others cradled and supported beneath. All of them, united in carrying a great weight.

Without warning, the collected light sprang upwards from Delnar’s hands, striking the arms overhead with such force the room trembled.

A glorious, white light pulsed to life — rays seeping through the gaps of fingers and hands — like sunshine cutting through dark clouds. It continued to grow brighter until it filled the chamber, and I had to cover my eyes.

“Behold,” thundered a voice. At first I didn’t recognize it as the High Elders. It pierced my being, adding to the vibrations still resonating, the words sending chills up my spine to the base of my skull. “The glorious Ithäri!” My attention was pulled upward by the rumble of stone grinding against stone. The hands unfolded, withdrawing from one another as dust and pebbles fell to the floor.

The hands released their treasure.

My jaw hit the floor.

It was a diamond bigger than both my closed fists.

“HOLY FREAKIN’ COW!” I burst out, leaping to the High Elder’s side. And that’s when I noticed.

This diamond was that source of light filling the chamber. Sparkling and shimmering, it drowned out the torches. In fact, it was brighter than the noonday sun…yet I could look directly at the gem without discomfort. Everything looked…vibrant and clear in that light. Clean. Pure.

Even the blueberry.

Looking excitedly to Delnar for permission, he nodded behind his genuine smile. I stepped forward and quickly flicked my hand out over and under the diamond. I mean, come on, wouldn’t you? Hehe. No strings. The thing just hovered, right there, in the air, in front of my face.

“It is yours,” he said.

“It’s wha-huh?” I replied, not taking my eyes off the diamond.

“The Gem. It belongs to you.”

I blinked. Hard. I’d like to say I was calm and collected, but the truth was my fingers twitched and trembled as I reached towards the floating babe magnet. Then I hesitated. “Mine? You’re serious? I realize you said ‘inheritance’, but I was expecting, I don’t know…a coin, or maybe a stamp collection or something.”

The High Elder grinned. “The Ithari is the greatest gift a mortal can receive. All you have to do is accept the gift…and it is yours. No one will take it from you.”

“SwEET!” I squealed, and snatched the gem out of the air. The moment I made contact, the bright light within the room withdrew into the gem. A soft glow radiated from its surface, and I couldn’t help but grin from ear to ear. Even in my wildest imaginings, I’d never conceived a diamond this size existed. It was HUGE…and the blueberry said it was all mine? Surprisingly, the gem was warm to the touch and heavier than expected. I rubbed its surface with my fingers, then brought it to my cheek. This wasn’t a bad dream after all. It was turning out to be the dream you didn’t want to wake up from.

The High Elder raised an eyebrow. “Ahem.”

“My presssciousss,” I whispered, a stupid, goofy grin creeping across my face. Bringing my shoulders forward, I curled my body around my treasure, squeezing it tight to my chest. Oh, my baby, you are so gorgeous. So perfect! I hugged it again, caressing, planning. This was The Supermodel Magnet. Who needs ‘the Plan’? They would want to talk to me now. My mind raced with possibilities. There was a diamond bigger than any woman’s fantasy in the palm of my hand. IN MY HAND! Man, oh, man. I could… My voice cracked the silence and chuckled out loud,…buy anything I wanted with this thing. Cars, boats, a house, no…a MANSION…AHAHAHA! Anything I can imagine at the shopping mall back home could now be mine. Heck, I could buy the shopping mall! Vivid thoughts of supermodel girlfriends wrapping themselves around each arm teased my mind. Oh, yeah, I’m the man!

“Lord Wendell, do you accept the gift?” Delnar asked.

The High Elder’s words hit me like ice water in the face. They woke me from my model-induced daydream. The gift. Accept the…? I clutched the gem tightly between my fingers and raised it to eye level.

It was beautiful, sure, but I’d never thought about diamonds in my life. They never mattered before. Not to me, anyway. But this was different. I know that sounds strange; me being a teenager, but there was something about THIS diamond…this gem, that was different. Something more than just a diamond resting in the palms of my hands. Something more in that light. I could feel it, down to the soles of my feet.

My gut churned, aching…like the words had punched me. It was that feeling again. Something was about to happen…I just… It was a familiar feeling. One that had preserved me when I listened to it and left scars when I hadn’t, especially in school. Broken nose, broken fingers, humiliation, pain. I’m not doing this again, I told myself. High school is almost over.

The thought washed over me, and my stomach dropped.

High school was almost over. Then what?

It was the reality of my life, and even though adults told me I had time, it was a lie. My generation had been given too much time. Time to waste. Time to squander playing games, being selfish, ignoring our responsibilities, walking away from experiences because they were ‘hard’.

Life after high school was going to be infinitely harder, because life was about to ‘start’. I’d be responsible for myself, in full, with little to no backup, and I wasn’t prepared.

Except for Evan, I honestly didn’t know any teen who was.

I’d wasted my time by not making wise choices for myself, and in effect, had made the rest of my life even harder.

‘Are you JUST getting this…now?’ Doubt said. ‘Where the crap have you been?’

Shut up.

Something twinkled along the surface of the Ithari.

What did this gem represent in my mind? Why do you feel so real? So important? 

“What’s the catch?” I said.

“Catch?” replied the High Elder. “There’s no catch, my young friend…it belongs to you and you alone. My duty is to make sure you received what was rightfully yours. All you need to do is accept the gift.” 

There was something about being called ‘friend’ that was more uncomfortable than being called ‘Lord’. Something in that casual tone of his that whispered something else. I shook my head. “No. There’s always a catch. Something you want. Something I have to give. Maybe something I’ve already given and don’t know it yet. But there has to be something. People don’t do stuff for free, even when it’s with good intent.”

Stiffening his stance, the High Elder looked offended. “The gem is not mine to bargain with. I and my brethren have no claim upon it. It belongs to you and you alone. My duty, and what my office as a High Elder specifically requires of me at this very moment, is to make sure you receive what is rightfully yours. I am not a judge. I cannot give nor withhold approval. You are fully in charge and must make your own choice. So I ask again, do you accept the gift?”

Maybe that was it. The gem, this Ithari, represented making hard choices. Or maybe this had something to do with revealing the truth in my life? Either way, I knew in that moment what I was supposed to do.

“Are you joking?” I laughed, glancing at the gem held in my white-knuckled grip. “If you’re willing to give this to me, of course I want it. Look at it! I hang this around my neck and BA-BLING! I’ll be the envy of every rapper alive.”

The High Elder shook his head. “No, you do not understand. You must, by the magical law which binds the Gem to this chamber, actually say that you ‘accept the gift’. Those exact words will release it from this chamber and allow it to go with you.”

He flinched as I tossed the Gem back and forth in between my hands like a softball. “Okay.” I waved the Gem at Delnar, “I… accept…the gift.”

Before the last sounds left my lips, the Ithäri jumped from my hands.

Tha-THUMP!

Tha-THUMP!

Tha-THUMP!

I watched the gem pulse, shimmering as it slowly rotated in midair.

Tha-THUMP!

Tha-THUMP!

Tha-THUMP!

The light pulsed from the diamond, mimicking my heartbeat. “Hey,” I said, irritated, “get back here!” I made a quick lunge to snatch it back, but the gem slipped to the side, just out of reach. 

It spun.

That encouraged me to take a step back. With each step, though, the gem followed. If I sidestepped, it shifted with me. Stepping backwards, pull it at me, but when I tried to grab it, the gem jumped just beyond my grasp. Like a synchronized magnet, I couldn’t get to it. The Ithari pulsed brighter. Worried, I looked to the High Elder.

Standing perfectly still in the doorway, he just smiled at me. It was a triumphant smile that would haunt me for years every time I closed my eyes.

“THIS SOUL IS GOOD. 

WE ACCEPT THE HOST.”

The voice came from everywhere and nowhere. It resonated in my ears, reverberated in my bones…and deeper. It called to my soul.

“Woah! It talks?!” I squeaked, stumbling back. The Gem followed. I also moved away from the High Elder. Something wasn’t right. I couldn’t catch my breath, being able to exhale, but not inhale. Even drawing air through my nose felt like sucking through a straw. Spots flashed at the corners of my vision, and I reeled. My mind shouted at my feet to run…but somehow, in my heart, I knew.

It was too late.

‘This is what I was trying to,’ Doubt said, but he stopped. I heard a soft sigh in the back of my mind, then the closing of a door.

Okay, yeah, this is freaking me out now. Yup, gonna go home. Or wake up. Yeah. Time to leave, people. Feeling like the Wizard of Oz meets the Texas Chainsaw Massacre, and I don’t have any ruby slippers. I’ve decided I don’t like this dream after all. I’m outta here…

A myriad of emotions paraded through my heart as thoughts crowded my mind. Flashes of my family. Pictures of my mother, my father, siblings. Vacations in Idaho. The trophy fish I knew dad actually caught, but gave me credit for. Vacation time jumped to the long and painful walks in the hospital halls. Pleading on my knees in prayer that my sister would recover from the car accident that claimed mom and my infant niece. Images of kissing my frail father on the head at the funeral.

No…I don’t want to see this again. Please, don’t show me this.

At that moment, I yearned. Regret for not making more of my life, even as a teenager. Feeling shame for talking too much. For my pride, my storytelling,…for…

Embarrassing my parents.

For embarrassing Evan and his parents. 

Because I’m…me.

…and that’s not very…much.

My heart skipped a beat as Life’s mirror was held at my face, and I could not turn away. I couldn’t even blink. The truth was right there, in front of me, and I knew…absolutely knew…that I was so much less than I should have been.

Out of choice.

I had this belief that life and everything in it somehow owed me something. That I created some immense value by just occupying space and not contributing to it. That, for some absurd reason, life and those around me should respect my feelings over my actions.

I’d bought the lie.

In an instant, I felt mentally spent, emotionally naked, and utterly exposed. A hot wave coursed through my body, flowing like water, rising over my skin, sapping my strength. Within moments, I felt dizzy. My bones ached and my legs lost their strength, causing me to sway on my feet.

Another wave hit, but this time my stomach rolled, and I desperately fought a growing urge to vomit…while other organs developed wills of their own. Each shifted, pinched, stretched, and compressed.

What’s going…on? What’s happening to me?!?

My skin tingled, as if a thousand bugs crawled over my arms, legs, neck, and face. I shivered as an awareness hit me of every hair across the surface of my body. Air currents rolled over my exposed arms and neck, across my face, sending further chills down my spine. Every throbbing of my racing heart echoed through my skull.

The pulsing gem mirrored each beat just out of reach.

Tha-THUMP!

Tha-THUMP!

Tha-THUMP!

“Urk!” I choked, trying to suck more air through the invisible straw. “Gak!”

Tears streamed down my cheeks as organs forcefully pushed and shoved their way into crevices they weren't meant to occupy. I doubled over in pain, the flesh of my chest burning.

I screamed.

Pulling at my shirt frantically, scratching, tearing.

Tha-THUMP!

Tha-THUMP!

Tha-THUMP!

My temples pounded to the beat in my heart. With it pressed a weight upon my chest, compressing, making it even harder to breathe. My heart labored intensely to push what felt like syrup through my veins.

Tha-THUMP!

Tha-THUMP!

Tha-THUMP!

My ribcage slowly expanded, grinding and popping as my organs pushing against it. I screamed again. The veins in my neck and head bulged under the pressure.

“WHAT’S HAPPENING? HELP ME…PLEASE!” 

But the High Elder was gone.

The light grew brighter now, the pulsing rhythm keeping pace with my erratic heartbeat. Distracted by a disconcerting sensation, I looked down at my feet. The giant eye on the floor now looked up at me. My body was rising off the floor.

“No, wait…this isn’t…right,” I grunted, forcing myself to inhale. “This is MY dream. I’m in control!” Another wave of pain, and my lungs pushed tightly against my ribs. Exhausted, my head fell back. For the first time since I’d held the gem, I glanced up.

The powerful hands, which had held the Ithari, were now palm down, fingers spread wide.

A stone cage.

From the corner of my eye, I glimpsed movement. The High Elder. He stood motionless against the wall, arms folded in his robes. He still had that eery smile upon his face.

“Wait!” I screamed. “I’ve changed my mind. I don’t want it anymore! Did you hear me!? I DON’T WANT THE GEM!!”

The High Elder just stood there. A smiling statue.

“Please, Delnar!” I cried then, my eyes dimming, barely containing the internal pressure. My arms and legs seized so forcefully I felt my bones would snap. More than anything else, I wanted the dream to end. Squeaky and high-pitched, I pleaded.

“PLEASE!!”

“I am sorry, Lord Wendell,” came the High Elder's voice. “I would not change this, even if I could.” There was no mockery. No anger in the tone. In fact, he sounded calm, almost caring. “You have accepted the gift that will change all our lives forever.”

The pain in my chest flared, and I clenched my teeth down hard, catching the edge of my tongue. I bit through the soft flesh. The metallic taste of blood filled my mouth.

“Oh, and my lord?” The High Elder tapped the center of his chest with a finger. “The next few moments may sting a little.”

Rings of light materialized, binding my wrists and ankles. Another ring appeared, constricting my chest just under my arms. The rings pulled my limbs, forcing my shoulders back. The last ring appeared at my waist…forcing me to arch my back, exposing my chest.

Wake up, Wendell. Wake up!! I screamed to myself. Incensed, fueled by lies, malicious abuse, confinement, and the High Elder’s apathy, I bellowed “LET ME GO!!” With my last breath, I pulled, stretched and exerted every fiber of my being against the shackles.

The rings of light held fast.

The gem caught my attention as it repositioned itself, tilting and spinning with its pointy underside pointed at me.

Like a drill bit.

And then it was gone.

Blood sprayed in front of my face. Ribs snapped as it passed through my shirt, flesh, and bones. The world around me slowed and then suddenly, I was free.

Fleetingly, my eyes flickered back and forth across the room. There was no one to help. My body shook with unspeakable pain. Blood, warm and sticky, covered my hands. Mesmerized by the deep nightmarish red, I just…stared. I’d seen blood before, but never this much.

I couldn’t feel my heart beating. Just some echo of the pounding in my head. That’s when a thin, whispered sigh escaped my lips.

It was over.

Everything went cold, a hollow chill crawling from my heart through each organ, every vein fading in my fingers and toes.

Wearily, I let my head roll back.

At least I’ll get to see my mom.

Suddenly, I realized with a refreshing clarity and disbelief the terror of my newfound truth.

This was not a dream.

…and then I fell.

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