Legends of Kepler: The Dragon & The Woman

In the Hanging Gardens, the silence that reigned these times was terrifying. The Golden King sensed, a very strange storm was approaching. At this time, he was climbing the steps to his abode, upwards Mount Geneza. He felt the path of the stairs longer than ever.

When he arrived at his place, a strange effulgence shone out of it, he was a man, with a glowing specter. He had a white robe with gold stripes. His feet could not be seen and he floated dimly, with his back to the Dragon. Wiz immediately knew who he was.

“Elgoneth?”

“Wėzhreem,” said the spirit without turning.

“What are you doing here, dear friend?”

“The time has come, King. Do not try to hide it.”

Wiz stood static; in silence, for the ghostly creature still didn´t turned his look around. His face could not be seen. His long white hair stopped waving, and his voice began to distort along with the clearing of the heavens.

“I´m here to bring you the news you fear. It is a final decision, taken from the Golden Assembly after four years of discussing this inconvenient, and annoying situation.”

“The storm is near, then” exclaimed Wiz.

“Closer than you think” the spirit responded. “Tomorrow at midnight, when only the compassionate light of Goddess Gisma hides in the night, and only the impassive red light of the Goddess Rea illuminates the clear threshold of the destiny, you will attack with the Army of Splendor and destroy all this nation. The Kingdom of Anaís will be eradicated, along with all of its people.”

“All its people?” asked Wiz.

“Children, women, elders, and blasphemous men of this stained King will fall, and their souls will be taken out of these dimensions. This phenomenon must be eliminated.”

Wiz looked from side to side, while the divine being expressed his cold and apathetic words. He could not process what the demigod was asking him to do. A choking knot of anxiety and helplessness filled in the dragon´s throat. The duty of a Golden King, however, was to follow all the directives of its creator, the Architect of Life.

“How do you want us to attack the land, if you yourself composed a Natural Law that prevents us from doing so?” asked the Golden King.

The spirit turned slowly, and the effulgence of his dress blinded the sight of the Dragon. The face of the spirit was so bright that it could not be distinguished. Although, from his blurry expression, the dragon could tell the news he was about to give, would sadden both beings.

“For this night, this Law will be repealed” said the spectrum. “The Law will reign in the light, so I need this work to be completed before dawn. Otherwise, the light rays will calcine your bodies, and any dragon that is in battle will die immediately. Do you understand?”

For a second, all the battles the mythical dragon had carried out in his life to protect the terrestrials crossed through his mind. The innumerable times that he had saved their lives. He felt love for them, and this act would only bring about chaos and the destruction of innocent people.

“I understand, Elgoneth” Wiz replied.

“You will leave only my daughter alive” the spirit continued. “You will leave her in the opening of the Anaís Forest, along with the book I´ve given her. There she will be exiled and lost. And in it, she will meet me, and then meet herself. I must correct useless ideologies that now inhabit her mind. Thoughts that distort her purpose. She needs to be redirected to her true path.”

“So it will be, sir,” said Wiz, perplexed. “And what about the King? What should be his destiny?”

“This deserter will be out of my hands. His life is given to you.”

“What do you mean?” asked Wiz.

“Decide what you will do with him,” he said apathetically. “What you decide will be approved in the Divine Assembly as his destiny.”

Wiz froze in an instant, his mind was blocked. He wanted to argue with the spirit, after all, it would not be the first time he would face him, but he understood what he was saying. Besides, he already saw it coming.

He had no idea how he was going to destroy the same creatures which he had protected his entire life. He had no idea what would happen.

“That was all” exclaimed the demigod. “We will be watching this event from the Golden Assembly. Tonight, all eyes will be at the south of this region, and the fall of this kingdom. Don´t worry, you´ll know what to do.” the spirit was sculpting as it faded miraculously.

“Oh, and one last thing” said the spirit. “The destiny of all the creatures of Ïnmâeh depends on the effectiveness of your dragons tonight. I don’t want compassion. We don´t need compassion, Wėzhreem.”

“There won’t be.” said the Dragon in a broken voice.

The spirit faded faintly in the presence of Wiz. The dragon could never see his face. Immediately, he headed towards the main square of the Gardens. He descended rapidly to the waterfalls of the Army of Splendor where the General of the East was.

“Dracko!” said Wiz.

“At your service, sir!” said the dragon, amazed at the presence of the Golden King.

“I need all the dragons in this room to retire immediately!”

The dragons left the place quickly. They were really scared. and nervous at the hurried and surprising presence of the King. He was not in the mood.

“Well, sir, this is indeed a surprise” said Dracko.

“Tonight, the lights of the moons will shine coldly. When the light of Gisma fades, we will attack.”

“We shall attack? To whom, my lord?” asked the dragon.

“The Kingdom of Anaís. The end of their days has come” said Wiz.

Dracko changed his face, to an evil face of happiness. He hated his brother, and his chance to face him directly had finally arrived.

“Excuse me, sir, the boldness” said Dracko. “Why such a decision?”

“It’s Elgoneth’s will! How would you think such an act was my decision? I don’t have time for your sarcasm! This is not a game! And this is not the attitude of Supreme Dragon!”

“Excuse me, sir, I was just clarifying” he explained. “But I ask, how will we attack the land? Is not this impossibility embodied in the natural laws of the Architect himself?”

“This law will be temporarily suspended, just for tonight” exclaimed the Golden King. “The Splendor must finish this work before dawn, for at sunrise the Law will reign again. It would be the loss of us. All the Splendor would die in battle. You cannot allow this, and you must not trust yourself. King Argônæth knows how to defend himself, and if you have compassion, you will lose the life of the army.”

“Oh believe me, sir, there won’t be.” he said rhetorically.

“The sorceress must be the only one to survive. You need to left her unconscious, at the entrance of the forest, along with her book.”

“There will be no problem with that, sir” says Dracko.

“And with respect to Argôn on” he says while Dracko paid close attention, “you will bring him right here. Alive and intact. It will not be easy, for he will not bend to you, but I want him here.”

“Alive, sir?”

“Alive!” shouted Wiz. “You will bring him here, and a final judgment will be issued in the central square. His Last Trial.”

“Sir, with all due respect” interrupted Dracko, “it seems to me that it is a waste of time, and even a disgrace to bring such a traitor into your kingdom. He will be the laughing stock of everyone.”

“Bring him to me here, and in here his destiny will be decided. If we must sentence him, we will sentence him. If he must be annihilated, he will be annihilated, but I want him here in my kingdom. I want to ask him questions before making a decision, and I want to be sure of it before doing it so.”

“So it will be, sir. I will prepare the Army for the great invasion!” said Dracko.