Arkon-Vaal's Story

"Spell? What spell?" said Astra.

"I will explain when the time comes. I do not want to risk our enemy finding out about it just yet. But you needn't worry. You will not be harmed if all goes well."

"Well, I'd be a little more willing to go along if you explained at least something," said Glenda. "Like just who this enemy you're talking about is supposed to be."

"I'm afraid that's a little bit complicated," said Arkon-Vaal. "We don't know. At least not anymore... I suppose I shall have to explain a few things about our history. You see, the Dragons were the first race to live on Earth, second only to yours. We created the humans from apes to serve us..."

"Liar!" shouted Fred. "You did nothing of the kind. The Gods formed us from the sacred ash trees. You are no god. You are a dragon, and your kind has been the enemy of man from the very beginning."

"That is what your myths say," said Arkon-Vaal. "But those were stories of things that happened millions of years ago. None of you would remember those times, but they are still in living memory for the oldest of our kind. My father was alive when the first great war with the humans ended. You see, we were not always the enemies of your kind. Once we ruled over them peacefully and benevolently. Although they were more hotblooded and shorter-lived than we, we sought to make sure that they would join us in greatness. We taught them wisdom, in hopes that they would one day be able to rule themselves, and we bred them for intelligence and self-control. But over time, your ancestors grew impatient with us..."

"Impatient?" said Astra. "Of being kept like animals? No wonder!"

"Listen," said Akron-Vaal. "In that age, the Earth was at peace. There were no wars among your kind and no innocents were killed. But those of you who we had foolishly taught our secrets before they were ready rose up against us, with some of the Others, who you know as the Fae or the Elves, as their allies. They were weaker than us but they were many and they were cruel, and we were not prepared for their cruelty. Nevertheless, we would have beaten them had it not been for the Gate.

"One of our kind, driven to imitate the cruelty that humans had taught him, sought to develop a weapon of mass destruction using powers beyond this sphere, which could annihilate entire armies. In doing so, he opened a door and something came through. For the first and last time in history Human, Dragon and Other were joined together against the things that came from the Gate of Frost. In the end we were able to drive them off and seal the gate with a spell, but that spell took the lives of most of the dragons. And the enemies were able to wipe our minds of all memory of just what they were."

"After the war with the things from the Gate ended, the war between humans and dragons broke out again. Your ancestors won, killing even more of our people, even those who had been innocent and desired peace with them. Most of the survivors fled to the East where they made peace with one human nation and took a place as agents of their gods, but a few of us remained in the West, mostly in hiding. Some few have sought revenge and retaliation in a desire to retake the land which was once theirs, or out of sheer boredom. And so it has continued for millions of years, until the last century when the Gate reopened. Since then something has traveled across all the human lands wreaking terror and destruction. It has often cloaked itself in the form of a dragon, trying to raise up hate against us, since it knows well that only the power of a dragonmage can destroy it. I have developed a spell that will allow me to close the Gate of Frost and hopefully weaken whatever has come through without any loss of life, but it is very risky."

The three others stood silent at this for some time. Then Fred said, "Why should I trust a word you say, serpent-tongue?"

"You humans never change," said Arkon-Vaal. "Always you cling to old hatreds even when they destroy you. That is why you needed our guidance."

"As much as I hate to say it, Fred is right," said Glenda. "I think there's some truth to what you're saying, but... just how old are you, anyway?"

"I have walked this earth for half a million years," said Arkon-Vaal.

"So I doubt your memory of your early life is perfect. Also, you haven't shown the greatest wisdom. You left Astra in the care of your son, a brute and a thug."

"For that, Glenda, I apologize. I did not know that he would stoop so low without my guidance. I thought he would be better than a human."

"That does it!" shouted Fred. "You have no right to speak against us after the way your son treated Astra! Now I'll have no part in this spell of yours, whatever the truth of your story may be. Let the three of us go or you'll know my sword!"

1. "Very well," says Arkon-Vaal sadly. "You pose no threat to me, but the spell needs willing components."
2. "I'm afraid I have no choice," says Arkon-Vaal. He snaps his fingers and Fred's sword--and clothes--disappear.
3. "No, listen to him," says Glenda. "I know he's right about the Gate, at least."

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