Tafari

"My lyonas, I will never reach the story's end if the two of you do not allow it. Now cross your legs and sit straight." Tafari said.

"Yes, Father." They spoke.

For many suns, Ade wallowed in grief while the Ghosies and Sobis, with the help of the dragons, worked to rebuild and reestablish the Realm. From Jebar stone, the dragons forged an indestructible iron ore. Ore tools were produced to measure, cut precisely, and hammer hard stones. Onyx, iron, and soft stone mixed to create a white stone with onyx lines and gold speckles. Builders constructed statues from the stone they called Amboola. The magic of dragon fire softened and shaped temples more elaborate than those which stood before the War of the Godkin.

Great pyramids and temples dedicated to the Goddess, Akheon, and the God Mum sprang into the sky. Before long, Ker exploded with souls, so expansion became necessary. Ker stretched from the White River to the Turquoise Sea. The people needed to be governed, so Savion visited his commander and old friend.

Still stricken with grief, Ade refused to see Savion, so the young warrior stripped the general of his rank and sentenced him to exile. Ade went south and never looked back.

"Father! Tanada will not stop kicking me!"

"Calm yourselves! Tanada, stop kicking your brother. Would you like for me to continue the story?"

"Is it Father?"

"Is it what Afari?"

"Is it all just a story?"

"Of course it is! Father, do you think Ade went to the Goddess?" Tanada interrupted.

"I do not know, but it would make sense for him to go to the one he longed for. Now, do not be rude to your brother. Afari, remember the stories passed down by our ancestors are a mix of myth, legends, and truths. The truth is no one can be certain which parts are myth or legend, so our expedition's purpose is discovery. With Mum's blessing, your uncle and I shall reach the Oasis of Umset. When we return, I shall answer your question with certainty."

Tafari looked up at the full moon and decided to spend a bit longer with his children, so he continued.

Savion never saw his commander and friend again. It brought grief, but the Realm's fate had fallen in his lap. Savion sent word to every newly formed region that a meeting would occur in Ker in fifteen suns. The citizens were to choose representatives who would travel to Ker. Two representatives from each region would be appointed and confirmed council members. The council would decide how the Realm would proceed.

As the suns passed, citizens from far and wide flocked to Ker. Finally, the day had come. The people fought over who would represent their best interest on the council. After twenty suns and many clashes, the council, known as the Great Council, was formed. The Great Council, and Sobi warriors, including the six remaining Ghosies, met secretly. After many suns and moons, the council made a decision. A new monarchy would be born. The Realm was named Eupnea after the sword that brought down the God Alara.

The city at the center of the Realm was named Tafar after Tafari, known as the most patient on the council. Ker, being north, would retain its name. The eastern city was called Nuba, and the western city was Takemoa. In the southwest, Kepta, and to the southeast, Mer.

Next, the council proposed that Savion be named Guardian of the Realm, but he declined the offer. Savion was a warrior and wanted nothing more, so he proposed Tafari as king. Not one council member disagreed, and Tafari became the people's first and only ruler to be chosen directly.

Tafari appointed a council of his own and named an addition to the Sobis. He established an all-female legion that would become known as the Meja. The symbol that would represent the legion was a dragon. The forcefield that retained its power, the dragons, the Sobis and Mejas, and the new monarchy kept the new Realm safe. Though there were disputes from within, the Realm saw relative peace until the day a stranger arrived at the gates of Ker.

Tafari silenced himself and looked up at the moon once more.

"The moon has shined bright for some time now. It is getting late. Let's hurry to the huts for tuck-ins!"

"Uh! Father!" They cried.

"There will be plenty of time for me to tell you about the Great War. For now, to the huts!"

The children giggled and chuckled all the way. There, Tafari saw to it that they both slid under their lyona pelts.

"Let us pray."

In unison, they prayed the Traveler's Prayer.

"God, Mum, bless us as we retreat to sleep. May we rest with ease. If a journey we must take. We promise to meet thee with haste. We ask for you to wait for us at the everlasting gate. Our bodies are temples, and keep them whole, so when we meet, we mere mortals will be set free."

He kissed his daughter and son on their foreheads and promised to bring back a dragon's tooth.

****

Three thousand suns had risen and fallen since Tafari last saw the faces of his beautiful children. He sketched their faces in the sand as he remembered them. What would their faces look like now? What do they believe happened to their father? He may never know the answers if he and the survivors of his company do not find their way out of Umset. One thing was sure about the ancestral stories, most who went looking for the Oasis had never seen it, and those who did never returned.

When they set out, most of the men and women on the expedition were young and without families, but Tafari and Kesta had families waiting for their return. Sadly, his brother Kesta would not return; he died about one thousand suns ago from a mysterious illness.

Tafari awakened from a frequent and mysterious dream. He believed the voice which called out to him was trying to guide him. He inscribed what he heard on a piece of tree bark and marked familiar symbols on the terrain map. After many more suns, Tafari decided the time had come.

With guidance from the voice in his dreams, Tafari located each symbol until he reached a clearing, and across a stone bridge with a pillar on each end, a wall of vines hung. Never had he beheld such beauty. The foliage shimmered vibrant yellows, reds, blues, greens, and the vines were onyx.

Tafari crossed the bridge with ease and then climbed the vines. By sunset, he found a small opening. He squeezed inside, and to his surprise, there was a magnificent structure. Though weary, Tafari pressed on until he reached a high door. He lifted the map above his head towards the door. The symbols began to radiate a white light that flowed from the map to the center of the door. The power rattled him, and the map shattered.

A burning sensation pricked his hands. He shook them rapidly, then peered down to see pieces of wood had impaled his skin. He fell to his knees, beholding drops of blood. Tafari pulled a dirty, tattered cloth from his tool belt, placed it between both hands, and pressed them together when the door creaked open. Startled, Tafari stood and approached. Upon his approach, he heard the sound of a squealing animal, but it did not deter him.

Inside, the blue stone walls shimmered like precious gems. Tafari slid his shaky hand along the wall, which chilled him at first, but when a flicker of light up ahead became a glow, the walls steamed. The closer he got to the light, the further the sound of the squealing animal seemed. He came to the chamber where the glow emerged and stepped inside.

Smoke surrounded him, so at first glance, Tafari thought he looked upon a blue stone statue of a dragon until the wings shifted. Tafari froze. Before him, the most magnificent creature he had only heard stories about. The scales were light and dark blue, the horns and the membranes of the wings silver. The dragon slowly turned toward Tafari, and the voice from his dream revealed herself.

I have been dying for a long time. My name is Colbalto, for my once radiant blue scales. I am afraid they mostly drop now. I lost one long ago. But If you speak the words, they may reveal themselves to you.

Shocked, Tafari peered into her golden eyes.

It would be best if you spoke the words.

Tafari snapped himself from his trance.

"What must I say?" He asked.

Repeat after me. Graa sool moy crosl flaaot. Messi ma crosl flaaot.

Tafari was hesitant to speak words that surpassed his understanding, but he believed those words might lead him home, so he repeated. The smoke sunk into the floor, and before him, a clutch of hatchlings. Tafari looked towards Colbalto, who nodded her head. Two of her babies were not completely free of their shells, but they were extraordinary. Two were a vibrant green, three blood red, three bright blue, one white like the clouds, and one tan like the sand.

Colbalto licked her hatchlings and then stared at each of them. She lowered her long neck toward Tafari, placed her snout onto his head, and revealed her truth.

I have called to your ancestors, but you were the first to listen. I believed I was the last of my kind until my hatchlings came forth. Now, you will continue.

"Continuing what?"

The will of my master. Only the fire of a fully-grown dragon can free him.

"Free who? I do not understand."

I have lived inside your mind for some time now. All you wanted was to prove that what you believed was true. Now all you want is to return to your children. You have your truth. Dragons. Gods. Immortality.

"Immortality?"

Yes.

"By way of Mum?"

She hissed at him.

Not Mum. His son.

Tafari pondered for a moment.

"Why would I serve him? He hated mortals."

What if I told you, you and your children could have eternal life?

He was intrigued, but he had been gone for so long. He had no idea if his children were alive or if they had married. How could he answer for children he loved but no longer knew?

"My children could be dead. I cannot answer for them, but I can answer for myself. I fear death above all else."

I know. We have waited so long to hear those words.

Colbalto turned towards a large sand dune that Tafari had not noticed. She opened her mouth, and a strong wind blew, splitting the sand and tossing it around the chamber. Tafari hid his face inside his hands until she closed her mouth. When he looked up, he saw thousands of human bones frozen in what appeared to be ice. Suspended in time next to them was something unimaginable. So unimaginable that Tafari had no thoughts of the remains. He fell to his knees.

Could it be the Eupnea Sword? The description paled in comparison to what was before him. The turquoise glass blade glistened, and the Source Stones lined the handle connected to a golden dragon head pummel. Tafari glared upon its beauty as Colbalto confirmed the nature of each stone. The purple stone contained God's magic and held the supernatural's force. The yellow stone had the power of the Ever Light. The white stone contained the essence of Alara, and the blue stone contained the core of his power. The stones must be drained inside a living host for him to return.

"But Kasaqa hid the stones, and there are no mentions of them or Alara in the Chronicles of the Great War.

After I set my master ablaze all that time ago, I lost my flames. The Source that has been keeping me alive all these years is nearly gone, but I shall bless you with what's left. It is enough to give you a very long, though not immortal, life. Through it, you shall have supernatural gifts and power, the part of the Source I cannot use as a dragon. Once my dragons are fully grown, they will release the sword, and you will release my master. For that, he will grant you immortality. Do you accept?

Tafari gazed upon her, then over to the sword again, then whispered, "Messi ma crosl flaaot."

Colbalto moved toward him.

"Wait! I do not know how to take care of your hatchlings."

I will show you.

She turned to her clutch one last time. They gazed upon their mother. The blood-red hatchlings took tiny steps toward her, but she turned her attention to Tafari, then turned her head towards the painted ceiling and let out a roar that quaked the structure.

A light beyond all measure flowed up from inside her body and out of her mouth into Tafari. His arms stretched out, and he began to scream. His body convulsed and nearly fell when she lifted him until they were face to face. Before long, the crevices of his brown skin tightened, and his hair disappeared.

She lowered him until his feet touched the ground. He opened his eyes and looked up at her. His eyes glowed for a moment, and then they were green.

Now you know what you must do.

Those were her last words. Tafari watched as Colbalto closed her eyes and plummeted to the sound of her hatchlings' squeal.