Hello all, I wrote this piece as an aside, as a way of explaining to myself, and anyone interested, in
 |
| Dallas Kasaboski |
Kalgar awoke to find himself aboard ship, drifting in an
endless sea. His entire body hurt, in a way he hadn’t felt since his Academy
days. He tried to lift his left arm and winced; it was still hard to move since
the fight with the dragon. The Red Dragon, last of its kind. Kalgar thought
about that as he moved to the upper deck, but there was no wheel! The ship
seemed to know where it was going, and Kalgar trusted the sea enough to let it
run its course.
The Thunderhead soon came to a halt, gently touching down
upon a beach which appeared from nowhere. Kalgar disembarked, and walked
uphill, drawn that way for some reason. Overhead, storms were raging, familiar
sights and sounds for Kalgar.
A flash, a crash, and before him appeared a tower of muscle.
20 to 25 feet tall, it looked like a giant and Minotaur mixed. Its fists were
as big as Kalgar’s chest, and its chest was bare. It looked down on Kalgar as
one would look at an ant.
It opened and closed its mouth several times, looking
confused, as if it hadn’t spoken in some time. Finally, it found words.
“Dragonborn. What are you doing here? What do you want?” Its
voice rumbled like waves crashing to shore.
“I want to speak with Kord.”
The creature laughed, and its laughter shook the ground and
the sky alike.
“No one speaks with Kord. I am Kord’s Fist, you may speak
with me.”
And as it said so, it took a step forward and brought down a
massive foot. Kalgar rolled out of the way, just in time.
He drew his sword and got knocked aside by an almost casual
backhand. “Is that all you’ve got?” Kalgar weased, testing his opponent.
The creature laughed again as it smashed its hands together.
A thunderous force shot out, knocking Kalgar back, and he was struck with
lightning. Among the pain, Kalgar thought how odd that thunder hit first.
Kalgar’s entire body went stiff as the energy coursed
through him. He could feel a single heartbeat and his blood flowing through his
body. Everything inside him seemed frozen, on fire, and exploding at the same
time. Kalgar screamed and the clouds overhead screamed back, recognizing his
pain.
Lying in a crumpled heap, Kalgar pulled himself to his knees.
His vision was blurred, his scales steaming. “Kord, you brought me here, I will not fail you now.” Slowly, he
rose to his feet.
“Ha! There is life in you still? You will learn the price of
pride.” The creature charged, and Kalgar retreated. Turning the fists just
enough to barely smash off his armour, Kalgar matched step for step, but was
losing ground. Fighting on the edge of a cliff, he tried calling the storms,
but as loud as they were, they weren’t listening.
“Fool.” The creature said as he smashed his fist down.
Kalgar had prepared for this, shuffling his feet, remembering his training with
Shizuka, and he stabbed the creature in the neck with his katana. Howling, the
creature threw its head back, and Kalgar still holding his sword, went with it.
High into the air, he spun around and around. Storms, seas,
creature, sky. He had the satisfaction of seeing the creature fall over the
cliff. That satisfaction disappeared as he realized he too was falling. In that
brief moment, Kalgar’s life flashed in his mind; ships, training, earning his
rank, Sora, weapons of mass destruction, meeting Alvyn, Tong, great battles
fought, but his mind kept returning to Aes. There
is so much left to do, he thought. In a world full of war and turmoil,
Kalgar’s heart thought of home.
Falling, Kalgar splashed into the still water. His armour,
heavy plate, had been specially designed for cases of drowning, but this was
not a normal sea. Melora reached up and dragged Kalgar down and down. The water
grew dark, and Kalgar was running out of breath. Kalgar prayed. Melora, Kord, forever have I followed in
your footsteps. If this is the fate left for me, so be it, but do not forget
how I have fought for you.
Above, a flash of lightning struck the water and went
straight for the dragonborn. His eyes snapped open, and as he was struck, he
felt the pain once again. The waters turned, and the pain forced its way out
his back. Reborn, among sea and sky, two silvery copper wings ripped out of
Kalgar’s back, and the sea surged beneath him. Throwing him high into the air,
his wings caught hold of the wind and he glided gently back onto the cliff.
The creature was gone, and the storms seemed quieter.
Suddenly, a voice echoed through his heart, mind, body, and it came from
everywhere and nowhere at once. “KALGAR!” it whispered.
Holding his hands to his head, Kalgar barely kept himself
conscious. “What! Enough games! I...”
Kalgar stopped in mid-word as he looked up. The storms were
spinning, faster than he had ever seen them before, lightning flashed, and he saw
Cyfandir, the world, from above. He saw the dragons fall, and the dragonborn
rise. Another flash, and he was in battle formation in Adamantina, facing
against the Warlord. Once more, dragons flew overhead and burned everything
around him.
The storms coalesced and above him, all around him,
everything that was not him seemed to
be one giant creature. “KNEEL KALGAR, KNEEL IN MY PRESENSE!”
Kalgar took a knee, but kept his eyes fixed on the creature.
“I kneel before your strength, but I hope to one day rise to meet it.”
The universe rumbled, pleasantly it seemed, and the creature
shrank down, revealing the red-bearded body of Kord. “Well said. Rise, sir, let
us talk.”
Kalgar rose and sheathed his sword. “My lord, it is a great
honour.”
“The honour is ours to share. You have...changed, and grown
much in a short span of time.”
“I strive to follow your teachings.”
“And you have, you’ve been making a name for yourself.”
“I have, and I think I’ve earned some answers.”
“You’re a bold one, but you show respect as well. You’re
right.”
And before Kalgar could ask, Kord said. “You want to know
what you’re doing here. Don’t look surprised, your heart is clear to me, were
it not clear to others. You are here because you’ve been making a name for
yourself, in my name, and I wanted to
see if you were worth my time. I’ve been bestowing strength upon you as you’ve
earned it, and you’ve done great things.”
“Devils, demons, ghosts, krakens, and now a dragon? You had
my curiosity, now you have my
attention. But still, the experience has left you marked.” Kord gestured toward
Kalgar’s newly formed wings.
“Yes, I, I do not know what is happening.”
“If I were to search your heart, what would I find?
Strength? Honour? Loyalty? Your heart runs pure and strong, like the dragons of
old. But, you’ve seen them now, haven’t you? Greedy, and lusting for power.
Kalgar, you have been blessed, thrice, by the goddess of the sea, the dragons
of old, and by me, lord of storms and the sky. In your heart runs a purity of
will not seen in quite some time. Legends give me many names, one of them being
dragonbane. There was a time when
that was not true. When a dragon’s strength and honour inspired me to fight, to
grow. But, those days changed, and the hearts of dragons became colder than the
bottom of the sea. The dragonborn were raised from the ashes and caverns of the
sea, but even their hearts are
running cold, as you’ve seen in Aes.”
“You are learning the cost of power, and the burden of
strength. If you are willing, you’ll be asked of much more before you’re done.”
“Strength must be
checked, and weakness is its own punishment.” Kalgar said, his words ringing
true as always.
“Indeed. Your strength will be checked, that I assure you. We
three who have blessed you expect great things from you. You are to light a fire
in the hearts of dragonborn and remind the dragons of what they used to be.
Strength is good, destruction is not. Like a thunderclap, your presence will
serve as an ominous reminder of your power within, and you’ll find your
connection to the dragons of old will grow. You have called the storms many
times Kalgar, now you will have direct
control. So go, and I hope to see you again on the field of battle!”
“Wait! Please, one more thing.”
“Yes, the Order. I was wondering if you’d have the courage
to ask. What you have learned is true, the Order is full of those who have
earned favour fighting in my name. There have been many, but like candles in
the wind their loyalty and devotion have gone out amongst the storms. You have
already sensed its power, but you have barely begun to sense your connection.
Each member of the Order feels a connection to me, and thus a connection to
each other. What little know, however, is that this power can be combined. It
has not happened often, but at times of great need, my soldiers have offered up
their strength to a chosen few, or one, and used that strength to win the day.
This knowledge is part of the test of being within my Order, Kalgar, for it is
a test of what you would do for strength, and what you would use that strength
for. I have seen your heart, held it in my hands, and I know you will make the
right choice. I tell you so you may better lead the hearts of other men. Now
go!”
No comments:
Post a Comment