The Great Disappearance

There weren’t always dragons in the valley, so their arrival among the snow-capped peaks and in the valleys held tightly in their embrace, helped to plant the seed of what would then become the great kingdom of Dae’athem. The presence of these dragons brought a sense of reassurance and peace to the settlers of Dae’athem, and for many generations it was believed that the dragons were there to stay. As quickly as the large reptilian beasts had arrived, however, they just as swiftly disappeared.

While many wondered where they had gone or why they had left, their presence in the valleys below Dae’athem slowly began to fade from the minds of its people. As time continued on, the tales told of the large and magnificent beasts continued to fade until many simply regarded it as myth and the truth of the peace the dragons brought to the valleys became nothing more than stories to tell children as they went to bed.

But there were those in the world that refused to forget, and they continued to tell the stories of the ancient beasts to anyone who would listen. They whispered of grand prophecies foretelling the ancient beasts’ return, and of a true king that would return to the throne of Dae’athem. His reign was said to restore the kingdom to its former glory, and that dragons would once again fill the valleys and the sky with their magnificent presence.

“Do you think the dragons will ever actually return?” a young boy asked no one in particular as he gazed out the window. Before him, the great sand dunes of the southern kingdom sprawled out across the horizon, seemingly waiting for the evening winds to shift their ever-changing forms. They were visiting his uncle’s kingdom in Sirrist, as they usually did during the warm summer months, but something kept pulling his mind back to the cold lands of his homeland in Dae’athem.

“What makes you ask that, Daeron?” his mother questioned as she glanced up from where she was seated across the room, her hands cradling a book she had been flipping through.

Daeron shrugged quietly without tearing his gaze from the scene outside the window. From his room in the palace, he could see a good portion of the city spread out below him and he watched silently as the once bustling city began to wind down for the evening and vendors went about packing up their stalls and their wares. The raucous laughter of drunken soldiers could be heard echoing from the winding streets below as well as the various taverns dotted across the city. The faint, but noisy sound echoed in a rowdy chorus with families calling their children to supper as the coolness of dusk began to settle across the southern kingdom.

“You do know dragons aren’t real, right?” his cousin scoffed from where she was sprawled out on the limestone floors behind him, pouring over a book of her own.

Daeron gave her a quiet frown that she didn’t pay any mind to before he turned to his friend lounging in a pile of plush cushions by the window next to him. “Hear that Tahj?” he asked, nudging at the other boy, “Thamina says dragons aren’t real.”

The dark haired boy immediately sat up with a start before giving a lazy stretch. “Magic is real, dragons have to be real too. At least they used to be, right?” he yawned before giving a slight shrug.

“Have you seen any proof that dragons are real?” Thamina questioned skeptically, finally raising her dark gaze to give the two boys a dubious look. “And have you ever even met somebody with magic?”

Both boys glanced at one another silently before turning back to her with blank expressions and Thamina smirked. “That’s what I thought, I rest my case,” she said as she turned back to her book.

“But magic is illegal,” Tahj sputtered quickly, his mouth quirking unhappily as he looked at Thamina. “They couldn’t have outlawed it if it didn’t exist!”

Thamina rolled her eyes before turning back to look at them with an exasperated sigh. “Those laws were made so long ago. How do we know that was really magic and not just our ancestors being superstitious?”

“We could always go ask the old woman,” Daeron smiled wickedly as he turned to share a knowing look with Tahj.

“I certainly hope you don’t mean the mad woman that lives outside the city,” Daeron’s mother chimed in sternly. “You know how dangerous it is in the desert. Besides,” she continued before turning back to the book in her hands. “Your uncle has warned you many times to stay away from her.”

“What if she’s not really a mad woman?” Daeron urged, moving to stand near her.

“They do say she has an ancient knowledge that gives her great power,” Thamina added reluctantly as she sat up and turned to face them. “How real that is, I can’t say. But everyone says it…”

“For once Thamina is right,” Tahj nodded eagerly. “Everyone is afraid of her.”

“They might just be stories,” Daeron’s mother sighed before turning to offer her son a soft smile. “They used to tell tales about her when I was a child growing up here in Sirrist. There’s no way she could still be alive at this point.”

“But the dragons were real, right?” Daeron sulked as he quietly ran his fingers over the grain of the wooden arm of the chair his mother was seated in.

“Yes,” his mother replied without hesitation, “and so was magic,” she said, glancing at the other two children. “If it’s a story you’d like to hear, I can definitely share one.”

“I’d love to hear a story, Aunt Leena,” Thamina grinned as she closed her book, and tucking it beneath her arm, went to sit by the older woman. “If I’m wrong,” she said, giving Daeron a pointed look, “then I’d like to know more,” she added as she settled herself on the colorfully woven rug spread out beneath Leena’s plush armchair.

“Stories are for babies,” Tahj replied with a yawn as he burrowed deeper into his corner pile of brightly colored cushions.

“Even if it’s about Lord Ralka?” Leena asked enticingly, which immediately caught the young boy’s attention.

“Lord Ralka?” he sat up again immediately, his dark eyes twinkling with excitement. “They say he could cut down a thousand men with a swing of his sword!” he proclaimed enthusiastically as he jumped to his feet.

“Yes, Lord Ralka was quite powerful,” Leena laughed. “And we couldn’t have a story about dragons without him, could we?” She paused for a moment as Tahj and Daeron quickly settled themselves next to Thamina on the floor before beginning, “Before these four great kingdoms came to be, in a time when our ancient ancestors still rode dragons through the cosmos, creating life and bringing light to our universe, the many different worlds of our universe mingled together. Lord Ralka was the first and greatest king our kingdom of Dae’athem has ever known, and he was said to have come from one of these other realms. His world was devastated by decades of war and weary of the ceaseless fighting, he decided to leave in hopes of finding a new land, one of peace. And so he took anyone willing to make the trip with him before setting off in search of Eyllisurdrenn, the fabled Lands of Light.

“It wasn’t any easy journey, as there were many mountains for them to climb and the weather of these new lands was cold and biting. The bitter weather was so drastically different from their homelands that many quickly began to grow tired of their seemingly endless journey. In an effort to appease the unrest quickly growing among his people, Lord Ralka agreed to travel ahead with a small group of men to scout the surrounding areas for a good place to settle. However, unused to the harsh environment and the dreadful winter that was ripping through the lands at the time, they quickly became lost among the endless twists and bends of the mountains and Ralka’s men slowly began to perish.

“Ralka then wandered the mountains alone, desperate to cling to any little hope that he may find a safe haven for his people amidst the cold. The hunger and the cold quickly began to overtake him as well though, and as he lay dying in a cave he prayed to his ancestors for any kind of salvation, but feared no one was out there to listen to him.

“It was only by some miracle that he’d managed to crawl into the entrance to a dragon’s lair, and it was even more of a miracle that when it then returned, the dragon took pity on him. Picking Lord Ralka up by his now tattered cloak, the dragon then carried him deep into the rocky interior of the caverns, and absolutely delirious and mad with the hunger that gnawed at him, Ralka couldn’t help but wonder if it was all a dream. When he finally woke, he found himself covered with furs near a warm fire with a beautiful woman across from him cooking food. Her name was Lorrenneth.”

“Oh gods,” Daeron groaned.

“Is this a love story?” Tahj frowned.

“What kind of story would it be if it didn’t have any love in it?” Thamina demanded, giving both boys a glare for interrupting. “He has to meet his queen after all,” she finally sighed, her eyes somewhat dreamy.

“Gross,” Daeron teased as he pulled a face.

“Daeron,” Lady Leena chastised gently, her lips pressing together slightly as she tried to suppress a smile, “You know you wouldn’t be here if it weren’t for love.”

“Mother,” Daeron pulled a face before turning his head away, doing his best to hide the deeping color of his cheeks. “Even more gross…” he muttered.

Giving a small laugh, his mother sat back in her seat and tapped her chin thoughtfully for a moment. “Where was I,” she muttered softly, “Ah. Lorreneth was the daughter of a merchant here in Sirrist, and hopeful for a brighter future for his family he had set out north-east hoping to find new land to settle. Unfortunately he had also made the mistake of traveling when winter was at its worst, and the merchant and his wife sadly met with their demise among the snow-laden peaks. Lorreneth had been lucky however, and left to wander alone, the dragons had taken pity on her as well and brought her to the caves they had made their homes in. Lorrenth had then grown into a woman in the protection of their caves and learned to survive among the mountains as the magnificent beasts did. So when Ralka was brought to her, she was quite happy to have another human companion and helped to care for him until he regained his strength back.

“With Lorreneth’s help, Ralka and his people were then able to navigate to the safety of a string of valleys nestled among the inner mountains where Dae’athem was then built. Being able to ride dragons and the deep bond Ralka and Lorreneth shared with the dragons, the two of them were rumored to be direct descendants of our ancient ancestors that had created the heavens and the world. These rumors quickly spread and it wasn’t long before all four kingdoms began to consider him their king, with Lorreneth as his queen. And so Ralka became the first king of all four kingdoms in the realm– Elénaril to the north, Dae’athem to the East, Tàiyáng to the west, and Sirrist to the south.

“Beneath Ralka’s rule, the four kingdoms flourished and for a while his reign had secured the peace and tranquility he had so desperately sought after. It is said that in the days that Ralka sat upon the throne, Dae’athem was a place of beauty. And while you may know it now as a place of little warm and endless, unbearable cold, it is said that the valleys of Dae’athem would thaw and spring would bloom among the mountains beneath his reign.”

“Spring?” Daeron blinked in confusion for a moment. “No one has seen anything but snow there for thousands of years?”

“I didn’t know there could be anything but snow there,” Tahj replied in quiet honesty.

“Does it have to do with the dragons?” Daeron asked in sudden surprise. “They’ve been gone for thousands of years too haven’t they?” he asked again in breathless excitement.

“Perhaps,” Leena laughed. “Let me continue,” she hushed him gently. “Eventually the greed of men became too strong to overcome and squabbles among the Sultan here in Sirrist and some local tribes quickly began to spill outside of the southern kingdom’s borders. Before long the fighting began to spread into the other kingdoms and as tensions continued to rise as others coveted the power Lord Ralka held, the kingdoms then fell into all-out war with one another.”

“Yes!” Tahj cried in excitement as he jumped to his feet. “This is exactly the kind of action I’ve been waiting for! All the great battles,” he grinned at Daeron breathlessly, “and all the heroes of the great war!”

“Like Ralka! I heard he rode his dragons into battle,” Daeron chimed in excitedly. “It was probably terrifying!”

“Or Maieon the Great!” Tahj grinned back, “And Hosaam with the iron fist,” he added with flushed excitement, shaking his fist in the air like the ancient warrior.

“Wars are no exciting thing, children,” Leena continued sadly, before gesturing for Tahj to sit back down. “The fighting that followed was gruesome, as sovereigns had found a new way to wage war. Those born with the ancient gifts of magic began to be used as weapons and their once great gifts were turned into a thing of evil. Magic was being used to bring armies to their knees and as the peaceful world around them burned, the evil that had been used to decimate thousands slowly began to rot them from the inside out. The slow deterioration of those with corrupted magic did little to stem the tides of darkness that washed over the world however, and everyone from children to fully grown men and women cried out for their mother in the horror of that endless night. And after many years of being consumed by darkness in a world that hadn’t seen a sunrise or a sunset for some time, the heirs to all four kingdoms were called together in secret by Maieon the Great, future king of Elénaril, kingdom of the north.”

“Maieon the Great!” Tahj and Daeron cheered unanimously as Thamina rolled her eyes.

“He came from Elénaril, but man could he fight!” Tahj added, shaking his head in disbelief and admiration.

“What does that have to do with anything?” Thamina demanded as she turned to look at the dark-haired boy beside her.

“Yeah,” Daeron agreed with a scowl. “He was almost as great as Ralka himself. He took on twelve men at once and walked away without a scratch.”

“Elénaril always wants peace,” Tahj retorted. “Everyone knows going to war is always a last resort for them.”

“Elénaril still has one of the best armies,” Daeron cut in with a scowl.

“Enough, both of you!” Thamina snapped before giving an exasperated sigh. “I don’t know why I asked! But will you please let Aunt Leena continue the story?”

Both boys quickly pressed their lips together and bent their heads guiltily and Leena couldn’t help but look down as she hid a small smile.

“As Maieon had more than proven himself as a capable warrior and a more than competent leader,” Leena finally continued on, “the heirs agreed to meet with him, with the utmost secrecy, in the center of all four of their kingdoms. The four heirs spoke for days on end before finally coming to the agreement that in order to proceed peacefully forward, a treaty was to be signed, designating all nations as their own sovereign kingdoms. The other agreement they had been able to come to was that magic was to be banned, and any and all that were seen or found practicing the ancient gifts was to be sentenced to death. The treaty was then signed, and it still hangs in the Sacred Hall of Kings, the large palace that had been in the center of all four kingdoms where the four heirs once met. To this day the palace is still in use and every five years the rulers of the four kingdoms come together to maintain the peace between kingdoms.”

“But what about the dragons?” Daeron questioned mournfully. “They just disappeared?”

“I’m afraid there isn’t much to tell,” Lenna shrugged slightly. “Ralka is rumored to have disappeared after the agreement was reached between his eldest daughter and the other heirs of the four kingdoms. Any dragons that had been left after his disappearance still remained in the possession of his other daughters and their descendants but after some time they just disappeared as well.”

“Did they just die?” Thamina asked in surprise. “Was it the cold?”

Leena shook her head after a moment. “I suppose it is quite cold up there, but I’m sure it wasn’t only that. I’ve also heard that the last dragon egg was stolen,” she watched silently as all three children suddenly leaned in, their eyes suddenly gleaming with intrigue. “There have been whispers that the egg was last seen here in Sirrist before completely vanishing.”

“Where did you hear that?” Daeron asked quickly, his eyes still sparkling with interest and excitement.

His mother smiled at his enthusiasm before gently ruffling his hair. “I’ve just listened to the whispers,” she replied in a sly quiet voice as she leaned forward towards the three. “From people in the city and in the surrounding villages, and even here from servants in the palace as well.”

“How can something so important just vanish?” Thamina questioned with a shake of her head, her voice brimming with disbelief. “You would think they’d search until the ends of the earth until it was found again.”

“I’m sure they did,” Leena replied, “but you can’t always find something if others don’t wish for you to find it.”

“Does that mean that egg is still out there somewhere?” Daeron asked, his voice full of wonder and disbelief.

“Most people don’t talk about it anymore. A lot of the stories have been forgotten now,” Leena answered, her voice soft and sympathetic before she gave a shrug, “but perhaps it's still out there, waiting to be found.”

“They’re just stories,” Thamina sighed with a fallen expression before getting to her feet. “Daeron,” she frowned, turning to face her cousin. “Unless you show up with a dragon, I won’t believe they’re real.”

Daeron immediately jumped to his feet and gave his cousin a glower. He attempted to puff himself up a bit to look more intimidating but Thamina still happened to be several inches that he was. Deflated a bit, the lines knitted between his browns deepened and he crossed his arms quickly before turning away. “Then I’ll show up woth a dragon,” he huffed before turning to look at his cousin again. “I promise you that!”

“Can’t wait to see it,” Thamina laughed before heading for the door. “I’m going to bed now, good night!” she called out behind her before exiting the room.

“I might go to sleep too,” Tahj yawned before giving a stretch and getting to his feet. “Good night!”

“Good night!” Leena called after them with a smile and Daeron echoed her quietly, his mind elsewhere. For as long as he’d lived in Dae’athem there hadn’t been anything but cold up in those mountains. It was the cold of his daily life that made the summers spent beneath the hot sun of Sirrist with his uncle all the more enjoyable, but… perhaps it was possible? What if the weather in Dae’athem was simply waiting for something?

“Does the dragons being gone really have something to do with why the winter never leaves our mountains in Dae’athem?” Daeron asked suddenly, raising his head to look at his mom again.

“Well according to the stories, the last time spring has been seen in any of those mountains or valleys was the last time there were dragons there,” she replied slowly after a moment. “But it makes you think, doesn’t it?” she smiled.

“Why haven’t we been searching nonstop for that egg?” Daeron questioned, turning to give his mother a sad look. “A lot of people might have been spared the harshness of the weather if we’d just kept looking.”

“Oh my dear boy,” Leena quickly wrapped her arms around him, holding him in a tight embrace before releasing him. “I’m sure it has been at the front of the mind for many kings in our kingdom’s history,” she replied gently, cupping Daeron’s cheek as she regarded him with sad eyes. “But perhaps it wasn’t their destiny. You are a descendant of Lord Ralka too though, and maybe you can be the one to set things right again in Dae’athem.”

“But I’m not meant to be king,” Daeron responded, his brows furrowed in confusion.

“No, your older brother will be. But there is a bond shared among siblings that you’ll both grow to strengthen. Stories of dragons are much more than tales to sing you to sleep my dearest. They are also your past, your present and your future.” Brushing the hair away from his forehead she gave him a gentle kiss before ushering him to get up. “Now let’s get you to bed.”

Daeron nodded silently as he followed her over to the washbasin to rinse his face before bed. Even while washing his face, his mind never strayed far from the idea of dragons and he found himself mulling over the idea of a possible dragon egg out there somewhere– possibly the last of its kind in the entire world. He had absolutely no idea where to begin looking for such a thing, much less where to actually find it. All he had were whispers his mother had heard, and it wasn’t really much to go off of. His lack of a starting point did little to dissuade him, as the idea that a dragon egg could exist out there somewhere was much too enticing, and he had made a promise after all.

When he finally crawled into bed and his mother tucked him in before giving him another kiss on the forehead, his mind continued to swirl with thoughts and ideas of dragons returning to the valleys of the Dae’athem. There weren’t always dragons in the valley, but perhaps there could be again, and by listening to his mother’s story earlier an unfamiliar feeling began to settle in his core. It was like a seed of uneasiness worming its way inside, making him feel like something much larger had been set into motion tonight, just by listening to a story of dragons.