Emerald Flame

There weren’t always dragons in the Valley.

They were an ancient power hidden away in the Ethereal Mountains, called upon to tame the cruel and selfish hearts of humankind.

The Valley was once home to a great kingdom, Lobelia. Centuries ago, said kingdom flourished, untouched by darkness or corruption. It prospered under the rule of two twin brothers, Codius and Foffner. Each was a king by birthright, though neither held more power than the other. When the two assumed the throne after their father’s passing, they agreed they would rule as equals. For years, the land was content. But as time passed, things began to change between the brothers. Though twins, the brothers did not share the same heart and mind. While Codius made kingly decisions and was beloved by his subjects, Foffner began to stray ever farther from the path of righteousness and piety. He hid himself away in his chambers most days, reading of past kings and their triumphs. It pained him to share everything with his brother—he longed for a fruitful separation. In his downward spiral, he grew more reclusive, hunted for greater wealth and power in questionable ways, and soon began to conspire against Codius. Consumed by his greed, one dark night he ventured from his chambers in an effort to kill his brother. And by the light of my fire, he nearly succeeded, had it not been for the dragons.

Lobelia had never seen them before—it had never known the heat of a dragon’s fiery breath, the glint of a dragon’s ferocious talons, nor the beat of a dragon’s vast wings. Unbeknownst to the Lobelian people, they were being watched by some of the fiercest creatures to walk the earth or grace the skies. The dragons could feel war brewing and the icy touch of shadow stretching out across the land as Foffner’s heart blackened. It was when Foffner finally made the decision to take the life of his brother that the magic of the dragons fully awoke. And like a never ending rain, hundreds of the beasts laid siege to Lobelia.

The madness that ensued was truly a nightmare to behold. Consumed by their lust for evil human blood, the dragons took the lives of every conspirator, slaver, and assassin they could find. For days, the skies above Lobelia were black with smoke, the dragons scorching everything in their path as they hunted Foffner. On the fifth day of the slaughter, they found him.

Deep beneath the Lobelian Castle, they found the coward king lurking in the catacombs. Where he had once held out hope for some semblance of salvation, Foffner met his doom. In their rage, the dragons tore apart the castle and descended into the earth after him. At the sight of the king, they engulfed him in flames, burning his flesh down to bone. Filled with hatred for the traitor, the dragons carried his remains to the Scarlet Seas, crushing them to dust before letting the powder sink beneath the waves. Without a backward glance, the dragons returned to the Ethereal Mountains like a swarm of locusts deserting a mutilated crop.

Lost in his grief for his people and his brother, King Codius fell into despair. It is unclear exactly what happened to him. All I know for certain is he disappeared shortly after the massacre—the “Black Storm”, as most would come to call it. It’s tragic, the memory left of Lobelia. I fear the pages of history will only speak of the ill-fated brothers and their treachery, rather than King Codius' will to inspire hope in his people. It is inevitable. People will speak of the mad King Foffner, they will speak of how his greed brought death to a once thriving kingdom, and they will speak of how the great King Codius mysteriously vanished, abandoning his people in their time of need. Truly tragic.

Now, Lobelia is nothing. Like the delicate flower from which its name stemmed, it has shriveled and rotted away from neglect. Only a scattered collection of small kingdoms (and I use the term "kingdoms" loosely) remain in the Valley, all of them filled with some of the most vile humans I’ve ever had the sick privilege of encountering. Those who survived the Black Storm lost their way. They turn on each other, fight like rabid dogs, and drown in their woes. A kingless world is rudderless. If mankind ever needed the dragons to return, it is now. But they haven’t.

The truth is however, I am one of them. And I have.