Hallow Dawn

There weren't always dragons in the Valley. Then, the Light Bearer came. And with him, the lords of the sky, joined together in a mighty alliance to vanquish the holder of a hungry light, who slew their ancient king.

Spanning most of the continent of Yiermengeir, their quest for revenge began in Kierkinvall, the most dangerous mountain range on the continent and home of the legendary draconic clans. The range is brimming with wyrmlings and young adult dragons from peak to peak, let alone other unknown aberrations and horrendous monstrosities living within the dark crevices and caves of the mountainsides. Even at the lowest altitude, the looming crag tops shroud the winding paths through the range in perpetual shadow, predatory terrors lying in wait for unsuspecting prey, soon to be their next meal. More than just rock, though, many of the mountains are latent volcanoes composed of an obsidian colored mineral, emitting poisonous fumes and skin-melting heat into their surroundings. Those who are brave, or foolish enough, to enter Kierkinvall are initially greeted with a lung full of ash and the distant echoes of a fallen prey’s death throes.

Yet, into this infamous range and through these unfathomable obstacles did the Light Bearer furtively travel, into the midst of the dragon clans to strike at their heart and leader, the ancient dragon king, Irthos Rasvim.

The task was quickly and quietly finished, a faint flash, the only sign of a dreadful deed just committed. The Light Bearer retreated without being detected, thus earning him a few days head start before the dragon clans would discover the fall of their king and begin pursuit of the murderer. Their chase did not last long, though, as their mighty wings and graceful bodies gave them a tremendous advantage in speed over the comparatively diminutive, human form of their target. Thus, all the dragons who had been sent out to find the Light Bearer converged in the sky above an unlucky valley where their prey was believed to be, the first sign of the catastrophe to come hinted to the locals by fleeting shadows over the ground cast by the wrathful lords above.

Before shedding light on the valley during the catastrophe, one must discuss its condition in days prior to better understand the lay of the land and who, or what, it is that the dragon lords were hunting.

The small vassal kingdom of Heimgerst is one of many baronies under the spanning embrace of the Buravian Empire. Situated far from the capital and a few days from Kierkinvall, it lies in the deep North, beset on all sides by thick forests of pinewood trees and the untamed beasts that live within. Both the valley and the surrounding lands are indefinitely covered in a thin layer of powdery, white snow, frost tickling at the edges of branches and one’s fingers should they be foolish enough to be uncovered. Yet, the valley itself has been domesticated by humanity, the few entrances in and out closely guarded against the external, unexplored wilderness. Within the valley lies less than a dozen hamlets, the largest of these located in the center, where the baron lives. The barony’s economy is based on lumberjacking and the growth of rare, magical herbs which only thrive in cold environments, all products being shipped to the South in return for necessities. Vital to transportation and communication, dirt roads connect the hamlets, protected from the snow by magical enchantments painstakingly placed in the initial years of colonization. Yet, it is on these roads, the veins through which Heimgerst’s lifeblood flows, that a nightmare descended to deliver a death most foul to those who encountered it.

“The Light Bearer.”

“I didn’t always go by that name. Once, I was a person too. My name was Namid Reeva. I had a family, a wife, Varilyn, and two wonderful children, Nameera and Varys. We thought it’d be funny to name the kids after us. All we wanted was to live a happy life, full of laughter. Perhaps, the gods knew such a reality couldn’t be allowed as its existence would rival their own simple perfection. Perhaps, that’s why they took it all from me. Yes… I laughed then. I laughed so hard that tears filled my eyes… and I kept laughing till my lungs felt like they were on fire, my hands ripping at my skin and hair. I laughed… even as the light of the Hallowed Star shone down in a ray before me, alighting my village’s burnt remains and the desiccated corpses strewn around me. In that light, at my knees, appeared the lantern. I looked over its gold-trimmed exterior before gazing into the intense, yellow-white core, the blinding light unable to tease any more tears from my red-rimmed eyes. In the light, I saw hell. An unfathomable monster who spoke words into my head. Every time it opened its mouth, countless souls within were seen writhing and screaming in agony as they begged for a mercy they would never receive. The creature revealed itself to be the Hallowed Star, the true form of the celestial object upon which so many people made promises and wishes for their future.”

“It offered me a deal.”

“My village would be restored and all the dead brought back to life, but I would never be able to be with my loved ones again. Instead, I would be one of the Hallowed Star’s many light bearers spread across the cosmos and planes of existence, my only purpose to find and preapare meals for my new patron. As long as I did so, my family and village could live on, finding happiness. I knew I was making a deal with an evil incarnate, but just as the Hallowed Star hungered for the souls of living creatures, I hungered for this miracle that could save my family.”

“I placed my hand on the lantern…”

“Somewhere along the line, I began to call the lantern the Hallowed Maw. It was a pun on the way others perceived me as a sanctimonious priest, as together with some righteous companions I found along the way, I helped them defeat monsters with 'holy' light. Unbeknownst to all but me, any creature that died within the light cast by the Hallowed Maw had its soul sucked into the lantern, consumed by the hungry monster within. I thought the name was rather witty.”

“Nowadays, most people know who I am, or rather, of the Light Bearer, and what my presence entails. Case in point, this dainty valley within the barony of Heimgerst and its residents. You’d think the Hallowed Star would at least be a little satiated after I fed him the king of dragons, but no, he wanted more… as usual. As a result, I’ve been preying on the locals at night, taking advantage of their limited travel paths from hamlet to hamlet. Yet, the moment bodies turned up with no external wounds or traces of attack, ‘Light Bearer’ began to be whispered on their tongues. Honestly, it baffles me to this day that I’m the only one who takes the blame for all these deaths. You never see people whispering ‘Hallowed Star’ in trepidation beneath their breath. Ironically, they still pray to it for good luck and salvation.”

“What’s even more interesting is that people have begun to fear the day, or more specifically, light. They believe that when it’s dark, they have a chance of spotting my lantern before I get too close, giving them an opportunity to escape. What they don’t know is that if they can see the light of Hallowed Maw, it’s already too late…”

“I retreated to this valley as I had already been here before initially starting out for Kierkinvall. Unfortunately, for the dragon lords, in my initial visit here I spent numerous weeks discreetly placing magical glyphs all around the valley’s edges. At my command, these glyphs will activate, sealing off the valley and drawing the eye of the Hallowed Star to these lands. Not as grand in scale as my older project in Alakesh, the quality over quantity aspect of this meal should tide him over until I can plan the next dinner."

"While normally wise and knowledgeable, dragons have some inherent flaws. Mainly, pride and arrogance. I’ve exploited the former by sneaking through their territory to assassinate their king. In turn, this humiliation triggers their arrogance as they pursue me full of wrath, rushing headlong into a situation to seek vengeance against what they believe to be an inferior creature, rather than execute caution. As for those dragon lords more prone to level thinking, they’ve been dragged along by their obligations to draconic society and the furor of their incitable peers, to avenge the leader they swore fealty to. For now, it’s only a matter of waiting for them to make their move as I use myself as bait.”

***

After tracking the Light Bearer to the valley, it took less than a day for the dragon lords to converge, the fleeting shadows from earlier in the day gone as the sun had long faded and the cloak of night covered their majestic frames. The hamlets filled with an oppressive silence, fear of the nightmare stalking in the dark, had little notion of their soon to be fate. In the central hamlet, where the baron lived, the Light Bearer made his move the moment the last dragon lord arrived, walking into an open space and shining into the night’s sky a radiantly lit Hallowed Maw. Immediately, the more impulsive dragon lords descended to surround him, the wiser ones tentatively following behind and circling above while keeping an observant gaze on their surroundings. Perhaps, to give a grand speech or sentence of doom, one of the more imposing, impulsive dragon lords stepped forward and opened his mouth.

"I am Aussir Edar Far—!"

Yet, he was cut short as the Light Bearer before him flickered and disappeared, revealed to be an optical illusion released by the receding light of the still present Hallowed Maw. In an instant, one word resounded through the mind of every dragon lord present…

“Trap!”

They scattered into the sky like the four winds, but it was too late. A dome of light had appeared over their heads trapping them in the valley as the glyphs were activated. Then, the Hallowed Maw began to emit light again, only at a far greater intensity than before. In seconds, the light convulsed and culminated in a brilliant flash of resplendence which covered the entire valley before fading, leaving the scenery similar to as it appeared prior. The only differences, the soulless husks of once proud and arrogant dragon lords falling to the ground with resounding crashes, and the quiet of the hamlets now from the silence of death.

Watching from afar, the real Light Bearer breathed a sigh of relief, able to take a small break as the Hallowed Star shouldn’t demand anything more from him so soon. Looking over the corpses of the dragon lords, he reminisced. He hadn’t slain this many dragons since he traveled with his companions. Back before his name was feared. Back when people used to call him a hero. Back when they didn’t fear the light he carried…

It was a silly thing really. On many occasions and by complete circumstance, he and his companions had arrived with the rising sun, just at the climax of dire situations, thus creating the association between his group and the dawn. From this association came their moniker, “They who come with the dawn,” a band of heroes whose title gave hope to those in need after tales of their deeds spread. Even if they were halfway across the continent, the suffering and oppressed would look to the dawn and feel the faintest glimmer of hope, wondering if today was the day of salvation. Would the figure of the heroes crest the hill, their forms faintly glimmering into view as radiant sunlight basked their bodies? It was a pipe dream for most, but it gave the people something to believe in back then, when the darkness drew closer and the nights became longer. Yet, those times and any hope of salvation were long gone, fading into the annals of history with the name Namid Reeva. Now, there was only the Light Bearer. Taking a deep breath, he stood up from the edge of the valley where he had been hiding and prepared for the long trek back to the central hamlet, where he would retrieve the Hallowed Maw. His face emotionless, he stalled as he contemplated his never ending task to feed a monster that would eternally hunger, his feet failing to step forward. Then, dawn broke, casting the gloom of night away as the sun crested the valley’s edge, coming into sight.

As the rays of dawn touched his stone-cast face, their radiance streaming into his eyes, his gaze remained unwavering on the rippling light of the sun…