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Damion stared down at the familiar little snow-covered valley below as he, Snowfeather, and Tempest silently circled above. Winter had come early to the Godstear Mountains, and it was snowing lightly, covering everything in a blanket of pure white. A welter of memories flooded through his mind as he took in every detail of the isolated cottage where he had spent his childhood.
The valley, which had once seemed so large, now seemed tiny in comparison to all the horrors that he had seen and the places he had visited in the months since he left. He was a different person than the young boy had left on a journey of revenge. The trials that he had faced, and the horrors that he braved, had transformed him into a strong, fearsome warrior whose name was now known across the continent.
They had left the Endless Forest only two days before, leaving Sly, Garth, and Dar to lead the newly released slaves to the north. Riding atop Tempest’s mighty shoulders, he had reached the snowcapped Godstear Mountains in a surprisingly small amount of time.
Damion had been amazed at how fast the dragon could propel itself through the air, and even Snowfeather had trouble keeping up. The weary owl finally gave up after an hour or so of trying to keep pace with the dragon, and hitched a ride on Tempest, hunkering down in front of Damion in an attempt to keep from being swept from his perch. They stopped only once in their flight, making camp in the rolling grasslands of the Deola, but after only a few hours of rest and a hasty meal of dried meat, they returned to their flight.
Tempest tipped one wing and they slowly began their descent towards the tiny snow-covered valley. She touched down lightly just outside of the cottage, scarcely making a sound as she settled into the snow. The cottage’s windows were brightly lit from the many lanterns inside, and there was smoke pouring from the chimney.
Damion slid from Tempest’s shoulders and started towards the door, but stopped short, a mischievous grin suddenly flashing across his face. “Tempest, would you please announce our arrival?”
Tempest grinned, then threw back her head back and roared an earsplitting roar that echoed through the mountains. There were several loud shouts from inside of the cottage, then the front door suddenly flew open and Damarius appeared in the doorway, holding his walking staff before him. His eyes widened as he spotted the enormous dragon sitting just outside of his door, and he let out a startled yelp. He was preparing to retreat back into the cottage when his eyes fell upon Damion, who was laughing uproariously.
“D-Damion?” The old man gasped in disbelief. “I-Is that really you?”
Damion, still laughing, ran forward and embraced his elderly teacher. “Damarius, my old friend! It is good to see you again!”
Damarius was still in a state of shocked disbelief. “Damion! I can’t believe it’s you!” The old wizard laughed with delight, then shuffled over to the cottage door. “Skie! It’s Damion! He’s returned!”
Lady Skie appeared at the cottage door, her face flushed with excitement, but stopped immediately when her eyes fell upon Tempest, who had settled comfortably in the snow. All the color drained from her face, and her hands began to tremble, but she didn’t scream.
Damion noticed his aunt’s reaction, and rushed to her side. “Don’t worry. She will not harm us. Her name is Tempest, and she is a friend.”
This didn’t seem to ease her worries much, so he quickly ushered them back inside of the cottage where it was warm. He led them to Damarius’s study and settled down in a chair, his physical and emotional exhaustion weighing on him heavily. He sighed, then winced slightly as the wound in his leg gave a painful twinge.
“You’ve been injured!” Lady Skie cried, seeing his bandaged leg. She rushed over to check his wounds, but he waved her off.
“Don’t worry. It was hardly more than a scratch. The centaur healers have already treated it. It’s almost healed.”
“Centaurs?” Damarius asked with a puzzled expression. “What centaurs?”
Damion waved the question away. “I’ll get to that in a little while. First,” He gave Lady Skie a pleading look. “I’m very hungry. Do you think it’s possible for me to get some food?”
Lady Skie hurried to the kitchen and returned moments later with a huge bowl of stew, a loaf of fresh bread, and several large tankards of foaming ale.
“Quite a lot has happened since we left the valley.” Damion began, ripping a large chunk of bread and dipping it into the stew.
“No kidding?” Damarius said sarcastically, glancing out of the window at the enormous dragon which still lay curled up in the snow outside.
Damion slowly began to give them the details of their long, and sometimes frightening, journey. Now and then, Damarius would gasp, or Lady Skie would let out a startled cry, but they allowed him to continue without interruption. When he had at last reached the point that he must tell them of Kariah’s death, he choked. It took him several long minutes, and another tankard of ale, to work up the courage to speak the words. Afterward, all he felt was a strange numbness envelop his soul, a welcome change to the heart-breaking pain that had been there before. He now understood that there was nothing more that he could have done to save the young elf maiden’s life, and that acceptance seemed to help ease the pain.
Once he had finished his tale, Damion sighed wearily, and sat back in his chair rubbing his eyes. “So, it turns out that we spent the last several months chasing after a complete idiot.”
“It just goes to show you how dangerous power is in the hands of an ignorant." Damarius muttered sagely, brushing his brow lock from his eyes. The old man was obviously excited. When Damion had told him of all the various creatures that he had encountered, the old wizard nearly leapt from his seat. He seemed especially intrigued by the discovery of a colony of centaurs living in the Endless Forest.
“So, Sly is going to lead all of the freed slaves back to the Godstear Mountains?” Lady Skie asked with a dubious look on her face. “I didn’t realize he could lead anyone to anything other than a beer tap.”
Damion chuckled. “He’ll be fine. That old scoundrel is a lot more resourceful than he looks. He saved my hide on several occasions during our journey. Besides, I’m going to rejoin them in a few days.”
Damarius was watching him closely. “So, do you to wish to tell us what is bothering you?” The old man asked, his gaze knowing.
“What do you mean?” Damion asked, though he already knew the answer. He had come all this way in search of advice, and it was obvious that Damarius had known the purpose of his visit all along.
“Do you wish to tell us the reason you would fly across the entire continent on the back of a dragon, just to speak with us?”
Damion sighed heavily, then slowly drew the Dragon Sword from its sheath and placed it upon Damarius’s desk. As usual, it was glowing with a bright light that seemed to pulse slightly. Both Damarius and Lady Skie gasped at the sight of the legendary sword, watching with fascination as it continued to pulse rhythmically, much like the beating of a heart.
Damion slowly sat back in his seat. “Now that I have recovered both the gem and the sword and united them, I’m not entirely sure on what my next move should be.” He frowned. “I must decide whether I should release the rest of the dragons that are still trapped.” He glanced out of the window at Tempest, who was still curled up comfortably in the snow. “But if I release the dragons into the world, the blood would be on my hands if they begin the destruction once more. We have already seen what kind of destruction a single dragon could cause. Imagine if thousands of them decided to just wipe out all humanity entirely. We wouldn’t stand a chance!”
“Well, destroying the gem and sword is out of the question.” The old wizard commented, shuddering at the thought. “The devastation would be unthinkable. Not to mention, it would destroy the dragons still trapped inside of the gem.”
Damion nodded grimly. “So, I can either keep thousands of innocent creatures trapped against their will, or I could unleash them into the world, and possibl
y doom mankind to extinction.”
“If legends of about the dragons are true, they are largely peaceful creatures who prefer solitude. They are said to be wise, gentle creatures that will only attack when provoked.”
“If you release the dragons, but keep the Dragon Sword, wouldn’t you still be able to control them?” Lady Skie asked, her face pale, and her eyes still wide with shock. “As long as you have the sword, couldn’t you keep them from harming anyone?”
Damion nodded. “Which brings me to my next problem. I don’t know if I wish to have the responsibility of bearing this power on my shoulders. Whoever wields this sword could easily take over the world. I don’t know if I can handle such power.”
Damarius snorted. “Don’t be daft. You were born with more power than any other man that walks the face of this planet. You have always used it with a restraint few others could have achieved. It is only logical that you should be the one that carries the burden of protecting and wielding the sword.” The old wizard smiled. “Besides, who else would you trust with such power?”