An Exodus of Dragons

“Kaia! Now isn’t the time to dwell on regret.”

The older dragon stood on the top of a plateau, its dark red scales glistening like priceless rubies in the twilight sun. It regarded Kaia kindly but knew the time had come for them to go. The world had changed, and others more powerful had come to claim the main lands of Aria as their own.

Kaia looked back at the ruby dragon, Excelsor, was a mentor and Protector she had come to respect. “What of the others, Excelsor!” Kaia roared, and in the distance, other calls that were not her own, echoed.

Excelsor let loose a mighty roar before regarding Kaia. “They’ll follow, and some will lead. Our new home awaits as promised by the God of Magic, himself.”

Kaia dragged her claws against the side of the plateau, her scales, the color of amethyst, shone vividly. “What would Arcanus want with the Gem Dragons? The other gods refused to help us, why would this one? You have grown old, Excelsor, allowing such trivialities of faith to move you.”

Excelsor growled, and a spark of fire escaped his mouth. “Be careful, dragonling. Arcanus cares more for Aria than the other gods in their petty wars. It was their dragons that pushed us out. Arcanus offers us a home and safety.”

Kaia, short for Kaiasinth, stretch out on the ground, her skin and wings stretching. It would soon be time to molt. Excelsor is right, but I’ll be damned if I give him the satisfaction. She climbed up the rock and stood beside him. He might have been an old dragon, but he was powerful and wise. Excelsor’s psionic abilities had kept her and others safe for the past five decades. Now, not so much as the dragons from the other gods threatened them with wild magic.

Kaia glided her head against Excelsor’s as a sign of respect. “So, Protector, are the rumors true?”

Excelsor fanned out his wings as steam escaped his mouth. “Yes, Kaiasinth. The Chromatics and Metallics have reached the small human kingdom of Valter. We are on our own with only faith to guide us.”

Kaia grunted in displeasure and tore at the ground. “What of the elves?”

“The elves, in their eternal wisdom, chose to remain neutral. Their leader, the Speaker of Twilight, says siding with anyone would go against their laws. Though, he did express his concern over our well-being during this most auspicious of tribulations.”

Kaia glanced at Excelsor with a look of confusion. “Did he say that?”

“Unfortunately. It seems corruption within the elven kingdom is deeper than we thought. With the short-lived humans, I expected this, but the elves surprised me. Even the human barbarian king of Tallania offered the forests of the south to hide us.”

“The Chromatics would’ve found us quickly and slaughtered us. At least the Metallics just want us gone and haven’t killed any of us.”

“That is true, Kaia. While the Metallics have good souls, they are too caught up in their worldly wars caused by their gods. Plus, there are too many of them for us to resist their displeasure of our presence. We are few and can’t fight a long war.”

Kaia looked up to the Northeast horizon and glimpsed a falling star. “We tried that and failed. I hate hiding. It doesn’t become us.”

Excelsor sighed and conjured a globe of light with images of a chain of islands within it. “No, but we will adapt and even overcome. We live a long time and can hone our psionic abilities in peace like we always wanted. This small group of islands will be our home as Arcanus has promised. No one will find us, not even the other gods.”

Kaia stared intently at the island chain in the glowing orb of light. While her people used magic, it was weak compared to the Metallic and Chromatic dragons of Aria. What they lacked in magical skill, they gained in psionics, a gift from their patron deity, Arcanus.

The island chain was indeed a wonder with trees so high that even the largest of her kind could stand amongst them and stay hidden. Pools of water so bright she could see the bottom, and statues of mighty dragons decorated the island. Each one symbolizing one of her kind and made out of precious stones: Ruby, sapphire, emerald, diamond, topaz, garnet, and even amethyst like herself.

“It’ll be good for us, Excelsor. No more running or fearing for our lives. Many of us have children, unhatched, that’ll need this protection. They deserve to grow up strong and safe.”

Excelsor spoke a word of magic, and the orb vanished. “You’re learning fast, Kaiasinth. You may make a great leader soon enough.”

“You’re our leader, Excelsor. No one could ever replace you.”

The ruby dragon laughed. “We are all replaceable. I have this fear, deep in my heart, that I’ll never see the blessed Dragon Isles.”

Kaia stepped away in shock. “No, don’t say that. We aren’t ready to lose you. I’m not ready to lead. I’m too young!”

“Shhh, Kaiasinth. You’re a few hundred years old and ready to take on the mantel of leadership. I’m old and hear Arcanus’ voice calling me home.”

A tear slid down Kaia’s scaly cheek. Her tail flipped wildly as she fought for control of her emotions. It was part of their lot as creatures of psionic power. Controlling their mental abilities required control of their feelings.

She shook her head in disbelief. “No, I refuse to believe it.”

Excelsor sighed and pointed at a small group of shapes approaching them. “Believe what you will, but I’ve led us this far, and the those that approach are here for you and not me.”

Kaiasinth followed Excelsor’s gesture. “The royal guard? The emeralds come for you, Protector.”

“No, Kaia, they come for you. While I held the mantel of Protector for over a hundred years, it was never truly mine to hold. It was always you who would lead us in the end, Kaia. Now is not the time to fret over such things as death. We’ve seen enough and dwelled on it more than we should these past centuries. Your guard approaches.”

Kaia watched as three emerald dragons hung in the air before them, flapping their wings as they hovered effortlessly. They each bowed their heads in respect to Excelsor and turned toward her and did the same. Hating herself, but knowing what they expected of her, Kaia returned the bow and clawed at the ground.

“Excelsoratix, Lord of the Ruby Dragons, Protector of the Gem Dragons, do you pass the mantel of leadership to Kaiasinth, the amethyst?”

Excelsor bowed low and offered his neck as a sign of submission. “I, Excelsor, Lord of the Ruby Dragons, pass the mantel of Protectorship to Kaiasinth, Lady of the Amethyst Dragons, and true Protector of the Gem Dragons. May her roar echo throughout the world.”

The emerald dragons roared. “May her roar echo throughout the world.”

One emerald landed before them and bowed before Kaia. “It is time, Protector. Will you give the signal?”

Kaia held back her sadness. She knew it wouldn’t do her any good to consider any other options. Staring at the twilight sky of a world she’d come to love, even in the face of fear and death, she reached deep within her essence to the fires of her mind. The stars look so different now. Even Dallos, the moon where our god, Arcanus dwells, appears to dim.

A single tear escaped her eye, and Kaia threw her head back and roared. Her psionic abilities amplified the sound sending it across the Kraag Mountains so the other gem dragons would hear and they’d take flight. Excelsor and the emerald dragon next to him stepped back as the wall of sound she created was also one of force.

Excelsor smiled and bowed before Kaia. “Even the dwarves in Karas Tor won’t be able to ignore that one, Protector.”

Kaia glanced at the others. “The signal has been heard, activate the beacon so the others can find their way to our new home.”

The two emerald dragons still in flight cracked open two pock-marked stones and threw them into the air. Light escaped from both and headed northeast toward the fabled Dragon Isles. Kaia followed the fire with her gaze and listened as the roars of other gem dragons echoed throughout the mountains.

Excelsor turned toward the direction of the beacon. “Protector, we must go.”

“Soon. The others must get there first. If I must be Protector, then I want to make sure they all get there safely.”

“As you wish.”

Kaia stood next to Excelsor as the emeralds flew towards the beacon. Soon, the sky was full of dragons, some of which carried large sacks full of eggs, their unhatched children. Kaia glanced at Excelsor to see a look of grief in the old dragon’s eyes.

“It's beautiful, yet I feel so bitter over the sight.”

“You’ll be a great Protector, Kaia. I’ve no doubt. Now, you must take flight and join your people. I’ll follow shortly.”

Kaia stepped to the ledge and spread her wings. “You lie, old lizard. What keeps you from coming?”

Excelsor looked back, and Kaiasinth followed his glance. In the distance, a shape took form and grew more prominent. She growled deeply. A red chromatic. They found us!

Kaia glanced at the sky so full of dragons like her. “That dragon will kill so many of us if we don’t stop him!”

Excelsor roared at the Chromatic in defiance, and the creature returned the call. “Not us, Kaia. This fight is mine as Arcanus decreed.” Kaiasinth watched bitterly as Excelsor charged toward the enemy. She looked up once and knew she couldn’t stay.

With a loud roar, she took flight, and two sapphires met her in mid-air. “Excelsor needs help. A red chromatic has found us. We can’t let it know where we are going. Please, bring Excelsor back!”

Both sapphires charged toward the Chromatic. Kaia watched as they joined the battle. Over the past few centuries, the sapphires had honed their psionic abilities into an offensive nature. Their psychokinetic skills were unmatched, and their breath weapon was an explosion of sound that could tear at an enemy's flesh and bones.

She watched from the sky as the chromatic tore into all three of the gem dragons. It even hurt her to watch, but she had no choice as the last of her people still flew past. When the last one soared above her, she glanced at the gems below her. They fought valiantly, but she doubted it would be enough.

Psionic energy ripped at the red dragon as Excelsor, and the sapphires unleashed all their mental abilities. Each, in turn, felt the fiery breath of the Great Wyrm sent to prevent their departure. It’s so gigantic. How do the gods allow a dragon to reach such a size? The beast could crush a castle with one swipe of its claw.

Kaia couldn’t watch anymore as her people needed her more. With one final glance, she turned and sped toward the others. In the distance ahead of her, a psionic wormhole opened, and the beacons of light entered it, along with the gem dragons.

“Will it be enough to save us? It seems even though you passed Protectorship onto me, you still hold the honor until the end. If Arcanus is gracious, may he lead you home to us.”

Kaia entered the portal and found herself flying over a chain of tropical islands with a sea that stretched for eternity around them. Perhaps we’ll be safe after all. Too many have died, and our numbers are too few to survive in a world that no longer wants us. We’ll grieve for our lost ones, but in time, we’ll thrive.

On a beach below her, the three emeralds from earlier awaited her approach. It seems I’m stuck with you three. At least I can count on someone. She landed, and one of the emerald dragons roared. Kaia stepped back as others exited the towering forest that lined the beach.

Gem dragons approached and bowed before her. They knew her as their Protector, their leader in this new life in a foreign land that a god had promised them. Oh, Excelsor, if only you’d see this great land that is now ours.

A loud pop above Kaia caught her attention. She glanced up in alarm and saw two sapphire dragons falling from the sky. Closing her eyes, she channeled her psychokinesis and caught both of them, lowering the wounded dragons to the ground.

Opening her eyes, she watched as the portal closed, all hopes of Excelsor joining them, gone. So long, my old friend. May the God of Magic you trusted so much open his arms to you in the heavens. She walked over to the wounded dragons, whose scales that resembled sapphires were bloodied and burned.

“Did he fight well.”

One opened its only remaining eye. “Yes, Protector. He died with honor. The Chromatic is gone forever from Aria. Excelsor said to give you this.”

Kaia reached out and snatched the ruby red scale of Excelsor and breathed her fire upon it and set it upon her skin. The pain was excruciating, but she knew she had to do it. An eternal memorial to a mentor that taught her everything she knew as a dragon.

“You’ll get healing now. You both fought hard and with honor.” She turned toward the other dragons that littered the beach. “Today, a friend has fallen, and he’ll be the last. Today is a new day for us. We shall rebuild our homes and reunite as one family. Together, we are as one, and no one in this world will take it from us!”

Kaiasinth roared, and every other dragon joined her. She opened her mind as did the others, and one by one, they joined together becoming one. Kaia took one last look at the sky and walked into the forest, her new home.