Fire and Magic

Rain started to fall, tingling my coal black scales, bringing a chill from the high altitude making me shiver. I grumble the fire in my belly coaxing it to life to bring me warmth as I fly with the bound horde. We are the last of the dragons. Only seven of us remain. Forcefully bound to Morat, a wizard of the worst sort. He killed his father, the high wizard, stealing his powers in the night and destroyed everyone on the wizard council absorbing their powers as well. He became the most powerful being in the land instantly taking rule of Deamaria a land once divided into three until the council and high wizard took over unionizing the lands.

After Morat came into his power he put out a warrant and bounty on all dragons to be captured and brought to the Crystal Castle located in the center of Deamaria. Naturally every human and wizard took up the call for the promise of riches causing many dragons, wizards and humans to die. Those dragons that were captured including myself were force bonded to Morat. He used his magic, forcing us to bound ourselves to his will. Any who resisted died. He would even kill the wizards who brought the dragons in to absorb their power.

Three years I’ve been bound to him, forced to carry out his horrible deeds. Village after village burned in our wake as he sent us out to capture any wizard he got wind of, to absorb their power wanting it all to himself. If we were unable to capture we were to kill.

We were flying in the clouds to conceal or approach as we flew over the forest lands to the last standing forest village nestled between the coast and the edge of the mountain lands.our target was a woman. Her magical signature would call out to us as all wizards have to locate her once we were close. A call only dragons could hear.

We broke off from our formation and went separate ways to attack the village at all angles. I flew north to attack from the mountains. Once in position I glided down soaring over the tops off the trees as I reluctantly raced towards the village. Flames flickered to life with shouts and a call to arms. They knew we were coming. Fire rained down on them from the mouth of my companions. Screams and burning flesh raced on the wind towards me as did a rider on horseback galloping away from the village. I felt the call of the magical signature as she rode underneath me causing me to swoop up and loop around to chase. She entered the thick of the trees riding hard towards the mountain lands. Fire flew from my mouth as I tried cutting her off but her shield protected her and the horses they raced on. Suddenly she stopped at the base of the first mountain entering a large cave big enough that even I could fit in.I landed in front of the cave about to enter when she started coming out.

“Stop” she pleaded in my head, hands raised in surrender. I couldn't feel the magical signature on her any more, just a faint echo of it lingered with the tiniest bit of magic still in her. It was nothing of the power I felt before. Instead I felt the magic in the back of the cave.

“You speak the language of the dragons” I responded in her head curiously.

“I do,” she responded. “ I learned from the last of the demons living in the mountains.”

“There are no more demons. Your kind killed them all to absorb their magic eons ago. I was there.” I snarled.

“No, they live, I swear it. You must take my child to them. It is the only way.”

“I am bound to do Morats will. I cannot. Now either come with me or die.”

“What if I can free you from the bond?” she offered.

“How?”

“With my remaining magic and my life.”

“You would abandon your child with me and set me free at the cost of your life. Why?” I asked confused.

“Because I can no longer protect him” she said looking back into the cave,”and you could. I've passed my magic on to him. The last of the wizards passed their magic on to me in hope it would be enough to counter Morat but it isn’t enough. It needs time to settle and grow in him. The demons will show him the way.”

“Very well, free me from the bond to Morat and i will take you son to the demons wherever they may be.'' I agreed. The only way to break a bond was if a magical creature offered their life while channeling magic to sear the bond.

“They are hidden here,” she said, pulling a map from her pocket and unfolding it.” They are located at the base of this frozen waterfall. Deep in the mountain lands. If you can find this river follow it upstream and it will lead you there. Tell them his name is Xavier and they will care for him.”

I nodded in agreement as Morats will pressed down on me with every passing second to just kill her.

“We must do this now before I lose out to his will and kill you.”

Understanding flashed in her eyes as she nodded, raising her hands to cast her magic into me bracing for the heat of my flame. I roared as fire rushed out of my mouth to meet her magic as it entered me breaking the bond and killing her leaving nothing but a pile of ash.

The journey to the waterfall was long and tiresome. The child couldn't be more than 3 years and wouldn't stop crying. Every time I tried to fly with it in my claw it would scream so I was forced to walk on three legs the whole way as it sobed in my claw. It took a day and a half to reach the frozen falls and when I got here there was no sign of life. So I waited for two days until I awoke one morning to silence. Finally the child had stopped crying. I looked over to it and found it in the arms of a child-like creature with wisdom pouring from its eyes as it stared at me. I could feel its magic marking it as a demon.

Years passed by as I watched and helped Xavier girl“Where will you go dragon now that you are free of the bond and duty of the child?” she asked in my head.

“I do not know,” I answered back.

“As long as you do not fly you may remain here. The gems in the mountain protect us from magical detection but if you are spotted in the sky Morat will find us and all will be lost. There is nowhere for you to go until Morat is defeated so stay and help raise this child for the chance to be truly free. What did she name the child?”

“Xavier and I am Shadowbane.” I said contemplating the choice. For a dragon to give up its wings and not fly was a hard one but where else was I to go.

The demon girl raised her hand at the frozen waterfall, spitting it in two to reveal a large cave opening and started walking towards it.

“Follow me Shadowbane for you know you do not have a choice.” her words reached me as she disappeared into the opening and I followed.

Years passed by as I watched and helped Xavier grow as a man. The demons trained him in the magic ways of old but Xavier has become restless this past year and I would often find him sitting at the edge of the opening behind the frozen waterfall staring out.

In the beginning refugees would show up once a year and Xavier would be here to watch the falls part, to get a glimpse of the outside world only to have it close again. The demons used their magic to expand the caves and network of tunnels for more space. Now the refugees show up about every other month. When he was ten I watched him try to open it with his own magic, only creating a crack. His defeat turned into determination to become stronger and I have not seen him try again though I know he wanted to.

“What are you looking at child?” I asked in his head.

“I am not a child anymore. I am 17 and you know what I am looking at.” Xavier responded in thought.

“All humans are children in the eyes of dragons.” I responded, chuckling to myself. How this once whiny infant of a being has grown on me is beyond my understanding.

“ I want to be free Shadow, I'm tired of being stuffed in here when there is a whole world out there. I'm ready to defeat the evils of this world and live in the light. You don't understand.”

“I understand greatly young one. My wings itch from desire. I fear they will not work when I am able to use them again.” I responded hanging my head.

“Im sorry Sha-” Xavier was cut off as a loud boom echoed from inside the mountain. Small rocks and dust fell as the ground beneath our feet shaked.

“Shadow what's happening?” he asked

“Get on my back now and put your shield up.” he obeyed as an even louder boom echoed through the mountain.

Zulu, the demon who took us in all those years ago appeared in front of us.

“ you must go!” she shouted,”Morat is here and he will kill us all if you do not go now.”

“Open the frozen falls and I will fly us away.”

“I cannot, my magic is holding the mountain. Xavier must do it. It is time, now go!” she commanded in my head running off.

“ Xavier now or never.” I urged.

“ I cant Shadow i've tried before and I can't.”

“ You must. You are stronger now and the life of everyone in this mountain is depending upon it. Now do it before I eat you myself.”

Xavier raised his hands pushing his magic out slowly with uncertainty at the frozen waterfall as the mountain boomed again. Rocks started falling closing the tunnel behind us.

“Xavier hurry!”

“Im trying” he yelled as I looked back and forth as the tunnel closed up more with every passing moment.

I let out a deep roar as I breathed fire at the ice. His magic and my fire swirled together against the thick frozen waterfall and exploded the ice outward. I ran out into the sun as the tunnel fully collapsed.

“Shadow! Did you feel that? Ive never felt anything like that before!” he exclaimed in my head.

“I have once before. The night your mother freed me.”

“What does this mean?”

“I don't know but we must go. Hold on.” I stretched my wings to their full length as the never ending ache in my back dissipated from keeping them closed tight for so many years. I started running at full speed thrusting my wings at the ground only lifting a few feet up before coming down. Again and again I tried, the confines of the trees along the frozen river not giving me much room but still I raced on. A gust of air pushed me from the ground, sending me above the trees allowing me to finally use the real power of my wings to thrust us higher as I flew us farther from the mountain.

“I wasn't sure the air would work.” Xaviers words sounded in my head.

“The air was you?” I was surprised.

“Yeah, I didn't know what else to do.” he replied shyly.

“You just lifted a dragon. You're more powerful than you realize. Trust your intuition.”

“Why isn't Morat following us? He's still beating down the mountain.”

“We should count ourselves lucky and keep flying in the opposite direction till we find somewhere to hide.” silence stretched out as I thought out where to go.

“No” Xavier said loudly in my mind.”We can't keep running and hiding while people are dying; we must go back and help them.”

“I must get you to safety child.”

“I don't care about being safe. What's the point of living if I'm going to spend it in fear or blocked off from the world. This ends now Shadowbane, they need our help and I need to fight. I feel it in my very core. We must go back.”

I circled around, as the boy's words rang true, racing back to the mountain. I was done living in the ground hiding from the monster who enslaved me. I let out a roar at Morat vibrating the air around us.

He was standing at the base of the mountain, not far from where we emerged, with his hands raised as he pushed his magic into the mountain trying to bring it down. Dragons circled breathing fire apon the mountain as screams echoed from within.

Morat turned to look at us with a twisted smile and raised both hands at us. Power crashed down on us pushing us towards the ground fast and hard. Before we hit the ground the power let up and I was able to gain some height as I continued on my path to Morat. His face twisted into a growl.

“ I don't know how much longer I can hold it,” he shouted in my head. The boy was holding back Morats power as i flew as fast as i could right at Morat.

“You're doing great,” I told him,” when I say, let it go and channel your magic through my fire like earlier.”

“Okay .”

“Now” I roared in his head. We were thirty feet from him. As we were pushed to the ground I breathed fire right at Morat as Xavier pushed his magic into my flames. The magic pushing us down stopped because Morat was using it as a shield. The dragons stopped attacking the mountain and flew straight for us.

The magic and fire beating down on his shield started to spin around it faster and faster till it was almost blinding to look at but still we kept going with the threat of the other dragons bearing down on us. I could feel his shield breaking under our power as it caved in on him annihilating his very being.

Magic rushed into xavier in a wave knocking him from my back.

“Xavier!” I roared as he convulsed on the ground. Zulu appeared running over with a few other demons.

“He must disperse the magic or it will consume and kill him.”

“Is everyone ok?” Xavier asked, grunting through the pain and spasms.

“Yes,” Zulu replied.” We were able to create an exit on the other side of the mountain and hold it long enough to get everyone out. Now you must release the power before it consumes you.”

“How?” he asked,”where will it go?”

“Back to us, the demons. As it was, so long ago before humans killed demons and took their power for themselves. You just need to take my hand.”

He reached up grabbing her hand as magic flowed from him into her. The other demons stepped forward placing a hand on each other's shoulder connecting to Zulu allowing the magic to flow through all of them and all was right in the world once more.