BENEATH THE STARS OF EMRYSEL

A final burst of warm air breaks the icy surface, escaping as a cascade of misty droplets soon lost to the ocean breeze. One last breath in this all too familiar form. With the coast so near now it is time to return at last. Time to rid himself of this size, these fins, and to feel once again the earth beneath his feet.

The sea sits still and silent, an unseen transformation taking place within. When the surface next breaks this night, it is not by air, or the wide arch of a whale’s hump, but a calm, ever so slightly unsteady human taking his final strokes towards the shore. As his feet take purchase on the sand, bringing his form upright, Arlynn ruffles his dark, damp hair, and inhales deeply into these much smaller lungs for the first time in a long time. It takes a moment to adjust, but before long the emerald of his eyes glint in the moonlight as he surveys the area. 

“Alright buddy,” he says, bringing his hand to the carved yin-yang pendant on his chest, “We made it.” 

The pendant glows green to match his eyes, and falling into step beside him appears a bold, white tiger. Powerful and fearless, Atlas joins his brother, his silent steps barely shifting the sand beneath his paws. The pair moves with perfect synchronicity. Together they are the epitome of grace and balance, and as they exit the beach nature bends around them providing clear passage through the darkened jungle ahead. 

The rustling leaves, the snapping of twigs not too far off, the low growls and whines, and the hoots and hisses, they whisper to the princes, welcoming them home. With every step deeper into the woodland world leaves fall and flutter before their feet sharing the simplest path to a place of well earned rest. Within an hour of strolling through the wilderness, they find a small clearing, covered by the canopy and comfortable enough to set up camp. Arlynn carefully arranges a handful of twigs in a small spiral on the soft, dry ground. He cups his hands below his mouth and with a single puff blows forward a twisting serpentine flame which curves around twigs, expanding into a crackling campfire for two. 

Atlas, with all his might and prowess relaxes into the earth, curling up by the fireside. As the warmth fills the area, Arlynn joins his closest companion, snuggling into the safety of the tiger’s side, the fur a gentle bed and the rhythmic beating of his heart a lullaby bringing once again the comfort of sleep. 

As consciousness leaves him, a small burning ember dances in the darkness of Arlynn’s mind. It flickers for a moment, before light takes the area and he sees himself, a tiny child alone in the woods, laughing and spinning as birds flock in pecking the berries from his hands...food he stole from Grandmother’s stores. The memory changes, bringing him to the first time, the first of many, as the young boy peers wide-eyed over his folded arms watching some fluffy little creatures hatch from their speckled eggs. It will still be a long time from this moment before he can speak to the mother, but she knows he will not hurt her babies. There is another shift, and a group of young men come into view, laughing as they beat and prod a small tiger cub. From high in the trees the wild boy roars, letting loose the first stone which ignites on route to its target. The shock and chaos for all involved is enough for young Arlynn to free the cub from his painful prison, cradling it in his arms as he stumbles into a hiding space beneath the brush. 

The world becomes brighter with every pass of the moon and sun as the pair grow together. Their instant bond grows with their friendship as they revel in nature together, defenders of their endless backyard. 

Another shift as the now much older boy and tiger race through a burning forest, branches crashing down around them as they battle the fierce element. Water shoots from Arlynn’s hands as he struggles desperately to keep the flames at bay, and his furry friend herds the injured creatures of the wood to safety. The dream grows quiet and dark once again as Atlas watches his boy in a more comfortable cave. Young Arlynn places his hand on one creature at a time, calming them as a light, healing glow emanates from their wounds. Exhausted, he collapses on the hard ground smiling. He can hardly move, but it’s worth it. Atlas and his new forest friends crowd Arlynn, protecting him from the cold night air.

On and on the memories flow, flitting from one to the other as he dreams of life before. A nearly grown man now with his hands ablaze stands back to back with his closest ally, surrounded by a crew of beast traffickers. Empty cages, big and small, litter the forest floor, only one left. Outnumbered, the two brothers fight together with flame and claw to bring down the intruders. Battered, bruised and barely standing they drag each unconscious criminal out of their domain. Arlynn returns to the final cage, a light chittering noise coming from within. Crouching down, he tilts his head, peering in to meet his new friend. A white, scaled head tilts to match his angle and his gaze. Her bright blue, intelligent eyes look deeply into his and he knows her name, Alessiary. A true miracle, even in this dream he feels the same sense of awe wash over him at the beauty of this tiny white dragon. She is his brightly scaled guardian of nature, or at least she will be with a little guidance. Knowing she will need a positive force of her own kind to raise her, he vows to find those who will be up to the task. 

Countless memories and emotions move through him until the darkness takes him once again, and with the light of the morning sun, trickling through the canopy above, he wakes with continued sense of purpose. The winds had told him of a disturbance near Alessiary’s new home atop the central mountain of this land. It was a long journey getting here but soon he will find her again and protect her if he must. She is all that matters now. 

The pair yawn and stretch, backs arching, muscles flexing, preparing to complete their journey. What would normally take weeks of travel on foot is nothing for a druid and his companion. As they approach the nearest, widest redwood, Arlynn extends one hand, keeping another firmly on Atlas.

“Stay close to me.”

They each take a deep breath as they step forward together, the rough bark lurches, leeching its way up across their limbs, face, torso, enveloping them whole. Encased in a coarse cocoon, they are thrust beyond themselves and the laws that bind those unattuned with nature. Connection, balance and a sense of oneness that few are able to wield with such mastery, allows them a near instant path to the edge of their destination. 

They emerge from the white, deadened carcass of a matching width tree, warping outward from the frigid frost-covered mountain at the heart of this broad and isolated land. Expecting the thin ridge that meets them, Arlynn and Atlas grip the ice and bark. Hugging the face of the mountain they ascend this treacherous path to keep from plummeting to shards of stone and earth below. A thunderous roar shakes the world around them, debris tumbling from the top, threatening their passage. Racing round the final bend, less cautious than before, they breach the peak plateau to find the enormous bloody form of an ancient silver dragon slumped over the remnants of a shattered, crystal pillar, and towering over her an even larger red wyrm. Purple energy ripples in the air around him, a matching fog swirling in his eyes as he rears back and pounds the floor causing more destruction as his weight cracks the frozen earth.

It melts beneath his feet as he shifts into a crouch and sneers, “I will find you!”

Arlynn and Atlas lock eyes, acknowledging what they must do as the gargantuan form of Ravanacari turns to discover them. The pair leap into action, Atlas charging forward to face the scarlet embodiment of death and Arlynn diving behind a crystal pillar for a covered location to begin his opening spell. As Atlas darts around the battlefield, drawing and dodging attacks, the mighty dragon enraged by his speed, Arlynn’s emerald eyes begin to glow. Waves of dark clouds tumble outward from the centre of the clear morning sky.

A powerful crack of radiant green shoots from the sky, striking the red scaled demon’s hide as he takes off into the sky. Fury drives Ravanacari as he releases a terrible cone of flame, singeing the great white tiger who barely escapes the full force of the blast. Back and forth the elements fly, damage taken on every side. The constant assault of fire and lightning fractures the foundation of the arena as pillars crumble and ice boils. 

Ravanacari chuckles as the heat of battle threatens to bring the mountain down, soon to consume his tiny foes, “Foolish ants!” 

With the ground unsteady now beneath his feat Arlynn leaps onto Atlas’s back in a swift, practiced motion as he had in so many trials before. Knowing his brother’s mind, Atlas dashes with unfaltering grace up one of the falling pillars and leaps into the air. At the highest point, the fearless druid takes his chance. Vaulting off the tiger’s back, he extends his arm towards the towering beast and draws upon the forces of nature with all his will. With a single touch, the impossible giant’s wings lock, sending Ravanacari crashing through the ground, leaving an enormous crater as the surrounding surface falls away, tumbling down the mountainside in an unstoppable avalanche consuming everything in its wake. 

It is on phantom dragon wings Arlynn flies down, swooping in for a final round. At one with the earth, however damaged, the young man pulls his hands slowly together forcing the spatter of crystal, ice and clay into bars above his foe forming a temporary prison. He touches down upon the bars, met by a low growl and those strange, swirling purple eyes. 

His face softens, “It’s ok. I don’t want to hurt you. I just want to see”

Arlynn closes his eyes and reaches out to touch the dragon’s giant brow. A flash of images fill his mind, cloaked figures, a violet mist, and a sudden strike breaching the scales along Ravanacari’s crown, then anger, fear, madness. He blinks in recognition as understanding fills his heart with pity and determination. 

“Don’t worry.” Arlynn smiles weakly, “It’ll all be over soon.” 

With a steadying breath Arlynn accepts the affliction haunting the old dragon before him, siphoning the poison into himself. He drops to the ground, the world melting into a purple haze around him. Prepared for the rush of painful and insanity inducing emotions he felt in Ravanacari’s mind, Arlynn fights to maintain his grip on reality, on his sense of who he is. He thinks of Atlas, Alessiary, the balance of nature, all that brings him peace and surety. Finding the anchors to his soul, Arlynn draws the mist within his mind into a tiny amethyst sphere and tucks it away. 

He opens his eyes to see the intimidating presence and piercing red glare of the dragon he had so recently felled. 

A low growl sends a light shudder through the land that holds him, “You have one day.” 

With that, Ravanacari takes flight once again, leaving Arlynn alone on the crumbling mountaintop. Panic takes Arlynn for a moment as he takes in his surroundings, noting one very important missing piece, but he soon steels himself. He would know if Atlas were really gone, he would feel it. 

A shimmer of light hits his eye and he looks to the sky finding overwhelming relief as a young, but now quite large white dragon clutching a pale tiger in her claws glides down to her ravaged home. Arlynn places his hands on each of them as they land, releasing a burst of healing energy to ease their pain, then pulls them each into a firm embrace. 

Together they pursue one final task, agonisingly challenging but worth every moment of hardship. It takes the remaining daylight hours and much of Arlynn’s magical resources, but they finally dredge up Emrysel’s ancient silver body and put Alessiary’s foster mother to rest. With the proper rites, her ashes float from a gentle flame into the air, up towards the stars where her soul may live on forever. They look up at her twinkling form, a new constellation in the sky above, remembering her for who she was and who she will always be, a light in the dark for all those who need her.