Dragon's Roar - 4. Chapter 4

“You got me all to yourself, now, lay it all out there. What is bouncing around in that shiny head of yours?” Sune questioned as he sat with legs crossed atop a rock.

“I am outside of my element amongst this inner circle of yours; sadly, even those knights that hang around seem to be operating on a level I have yet to reach.”

Sune studied the dragon below him as he contemplated his response. “I have a neat little trick to show you, which is something that I picked up fairly recently.” Sune led Zephyr to his favorite swimming hole before promptly shucking what little clothing he was wearing and diving below the surface.

Zephyr averted his eyes as best he could but not before catching a glimpse of Sune before he vanished beneath the surface. “I do not understand how this trick of yours is going to help regarding my inadequate power level.”

“No need to get your tail all in a twist, in case you have forgotten, the waves are my life. As you are quite impatient, I will get to the point of why I brought you here,” Sune again dipped below the surface, a few seconds transpired, and the lake began to glow before becoming still – the surface a pristine mirror. Zephyr had to blink several times to comprehend the images playing before his eyes. It was a battle of some kind involving the very drakes in question. “Five years ago, Morgana once again graced the kingdom with her presence and even without access to her full strength, it took the combine efforts of the ‘inner circle’ and a great sacrifice to subdue her once again. The power we have obtained did not come without cost, and we will do everything in our power to make sure that pain is never felt again.” Sune rose from beneath the waves in his ceremonial battle attire that shimmered in the light reflecting off the surface of the water. “Ready yourself drake of the wind, or you will be washed away in an instant. Zephyr took a step back and swallowed hard, gone was the playful dragon that he had grown accustomed, instead, before him was a being who appeared as deadly as the aura surrounding him.

****  

A sudden flash in Jin’s mind caused him to briefly falter mid-step causing him to catch himself on the nearby wall. He could feel a pulse of energy rise and knew it was only a matter of time before the Capital experienced another aftershock. The question remained who would be affected this time and will it impact the populace. Jin gathered himself staring out into the kingdom from atop the walls of the castle as tremors began, and the sound of splitting earth reached his ears.

****  

Morgana cursed from within a crater created from a wave of darkness that she had released in her fit of rage. The young prince was progressing far faster than she had anticipated meaning three elements on his journey of mastery was complete and the creation of another elemental gem. She was running out of time and needed to accelerate her plans. She surrounded herself in a cloak of darkness. While her powers were far greater than they once were, she would not go unscathed if she met the prince and Merlin in direct conflict, so she opted for a deadlier less physical approach. She smiled to herself as she began to search the dark corners of mental space before she found her target.

Mordred looked on from afar as he noted that while Morgana’s powers had grown, they should be far beyond her current abilities, yet he could not fathom what was causing stagnation or why it was happening. Whatever the cause for the current state of events, it would prove prudent for them to stay out of the line of fire for now lest they repeat the outcome of their last encounter five years prior.

****  

Jin leaped into the air shifting mid-jump and took flight. He hoped his line of thinking was correct as he charged straight at the royal guard barracks. No sooner had he landed did the sounds of running and panicked guards reach his ears, so it seemed that his intuition was correct. Vincent was fulfilling his destined path. Jin shifted again just as a colossal copper dragon emerged from what used to be the Capital barracks. Vincent was glossy eyed, roared in a manner indicative of pain rather than anger, and rushed straight toward Jin. The force released when the two giants collided sent any remaining onlookers scattering. “Calm my friend, it will be over soon” Jin ushered as he tried to link his thoughts to Vincent’s.

“Your highness now is the time,” Sage shouted as blades of light fell from the sky. Jin flew away as the blades formed a barrier to contain the bellowing copper. As the barrier closed, Vincent let out a deafening roar as the earth around them cracked and shifted beneath their feet as what could only be described as the formation of a new mountain range. As the events calmed down, Sage released his barrier before collapsing in Bastion’s arms having used most of his strength to prevent Vincent's powers from further altering the landscape.

“Thank you both for getting here so quickly, I should have been better prepared for this event,” Jin admonished himself. “We have been through this twice before, so I should have known better. Jin looked over at the resting dragon before regaining his composure. “With the latest awakening, I would guess there are at least two more that I am aware of – wind and light appear to be all that remains.”

“Pardon my inquiry your highness, but if this is connected to the magic properties, should not the darkness be something that we must be prepared for as well?” Bastion questioned as Sage drifted off to sleep in his arms.

Jin froze in place as fear began to enter his mind; he had not considered this possibility with Morgana being the only being in known history to have displayed an aptitude for the more dangerous magics. “Upon their next return, we must seek Merlin’s council, if you are indeed correct, I do not what the outcome would be if Levi dabbled in such power.”

****  

“Merlin?” Levi opened his eyes but could not see or sense anything. He opened and closed his hands a few times coming to the realization that he was within the mental space that he had been brought to previously, but it was much colder and darker this time.

“My, how the young prince has grown,” Levi felt a chill run throughout his body as Morgana materialized before him. She stated, “It has been quite some time my dear boy, and you have indeed become quite strong. I figured it was time that we have a chat.”

Levi angrily stated, “I have nothing to say to you. It was because of you that I lost my parents, countless drakes, and Thade. What could I possibly have to say to you of all people?”

“Your words wound me so. There is much you could stand to learn from me, and it will be significantly easier if you just submitted to my will,” Morgana's voice was cold as her eyes glowed red as dark tendrils began to envelop Levi. Try as he might, he simply could not fend off the darkness as Morgana began to fade from his view; he felt a pulse of energy beat within him as his consciousness faded.

**** 

“Young master! Young master, can you hear me?” Levi slowly opened his eyes as light peered through. Merlin’s face filled with relief as Levi pushed himself up.

“What happened? Where are we?” Looking around, Levi was surprised to see that they were almost back in the Capital. “Did you fly us all this way?” Merlin looked at Levi strangely for a moment before seemingly ignoring the question.

“It would appear Morgana attempted a desperate attack. In an attempt to incapacitate and destroy your mind, she met you in a place where your strength has not yet manifested. This is something that I should have prepared you to confront, but one tends to forget that you are still vulnerable even after the incredible feats you have accomplished. Come now, I am sure there will be a big red storming you at any moment as he is aware of your presence by now,” Merlin smiled as he helped Levi to his feet.

Right on cue, Jin leaped over the Capitol walls, brandishing Caliburn while ethereal flames swirled around the length of the blade. Jin’s hard stare settled into relief as he locked eyes with his mate before tackling him to the ground. “You will be the death of me; I felt nothing as it was like you just ceased to exist, and I knew something had gone wrong,” Jin explained.

Levi attempted to free himself from Jin’s crushing grip; he was surprised by both his appearance and significant display of strength. “As many trials as I have survived thus far, it would but quite ironic to be taken from this world by the very dragon who holds my heart in his hands,” Levi teased as Jin hurriedly released his hold and pulled Levi to his feet giving him a once over and searching for injuries.

Inspection of his mate complete, Jin scowled tossing Levi over his shoulders and swatting him on the rear. “It would serve me well to know a little in advance that you are aiming to mess with the elements. If not for a hunch and some quick efforts from Sage, you might have returned to a Capitol in ruin.” Jin huffed parading through the streets and toward the castle with his mate now on his back. “Seriously runt, had I been within the castle, it would have been burned to the ground. Imagine my surprise when a few weeks later, my Captain buried his own barracks in an upheaval of earth,” Jin whispered.

Levi hid his face in the back of his mates' neck since he did not consider the possible outcomes when a surge of power bonded to a new vessel. Levi cursed his thoughtlessness and felt further ashamed as he caught his master’s eye. Of course, the old dragon knew this would be the outcome of his trials, but this was just another trial, and he was failing in that regard.

“Do not worry about it runt, I have everything under control so enjoy some rest while you can, and I will bring you up to speed on what has transpired since you have been away.”

**** 

Urien’s curiosity got the better of him as a crowd gathered around the castle gates. He pulled his hood tight as he approached a nearby drake for some insight into what brought about the commotion. “Our king and his little prince are strolling the grounds back to the castle; it is a rare occurrence these days as we assume that recent matters have been keeping them quite busy.”

Urien nodded at the drake despite being unsure of the statement. As he made his way to the front of the crowd, he was in awe of a red dragon confidently strutting through the streets with a passenger on his back. A closer inspection of the individual being carried appeared to cause time to stop as the noise of the world around him slowly faded out as he focused on the familiar face. “This is where you went? You just disappeared one day only to be playing happy little prince this entire time,” Urien whispered to himself. His anger only grew as he began forming pieces of a puzzle together in his head. Was it the fault of that smiling face that led to the death of his parents? Had he been present would any of that ever happened?

Urien shrank back into the crowd; his thoughts now consumed with a newfound hatred and anger. While he was here happy and thriving, I was left behind, and for what? “Enjoy your fun while it lasts, for you will suffer as I have, if not more.” Urien proclaimed.

Morgana sat back in utter amusement as Urien charged back into their dwelling, and she could feel the darkness flowing off the boy, so tantalizing and visceral that she could almost taste it. “Are you sure it was wise to let the boy out on his own?” Mordred questioned his mistress.

“He is not a prisoner here. Until the time is right for me to harvest the seeds of darkness, I have no qualms with him doing as he pleases, and from his reaction, his outing only served to benefit us in the end.” Morgana smiled gleefully as anticipation mounted for the day that the boy’s innate power would become her own, and she would be one step closer to being the sole ruler of the dark.

**** 

Levi lay with his mate listening to his slow deep breathing as he watched wisps of flames dance causing only warmth that filled his very being. There was something off-balance in the world, it was nothing more than a nagging feeling at first, but for a moment today, it was almost as bright as a star and dark as the vacuum of space. Morgana was clearly up to her old tricks along with some very new and dangerous ones. The question on Levi’s mind is if they would truly have what it takes to stop her for good and would the end of Morgana truly be the end of their troubles?