The fireplace had only a few embers sparkling among the pile of ashes. I quickly threw a few logs inside, trying to ignore the liquid shadows that I could see with the corners of my eyes moving like flowing rivulets on the walls.
"Are they following me?"
"Appears so," replied the dragon, sitting in front of the fireplace and setting ablaze the logs with his breath. The room filled with light and the shadows retreated on the dark corners of the room. Some even in my shadow.
"Can they hurt me?"
"No."
"Who uses them? Powerful mages?"
Pyrope chuckled, as if I said something terribly amusing.
"Nobody uses them. They are just weak shadows."
"Mindless?"
"Not really, but they have the conservation instinct. Truth be told, no one pays them attention. Everyone looks for powerful spirits or elementals to get under control, and these are not on top of their list... or the bottom."
"But don't they have a legend or something like that?"
The cold bit the exposed skin of my arms and I went closer to the fire, leaning my back on the dragon. Pyrope put his arms on my sides, just like before I woke up, and I placed my forehead on his chest. His skin was warm, making me feel quite cozy.
"Some legends say that The Goddess of Death gave to almost all beings a shadow on their own, as a gift of their mortality."
"Mortality as a gift? I can't imagine death as a gift."
Pyrope closed his eyes. I could read a heavy sadness looming around his features. He let go to a long breath.
"Only the ones who can't die can feel the longing for death. In its absence the madness creeps into the soul, leaving just an empty body devoid of everything that makes life so cherished. And such an existence is very sad and terribly lonely. At first, you may think it's a gift, but with the passing time you realise it's nothing more cruel than to live forever."
"How old are you?"
"I don't remember. I was born in the times where gods were still walking on this earth. Back when Death didn't exist yet..."
Pyrope paused again for a long time, and just when I couldn't hold my curiosity in check and felt like snapping at him, the dragon decided to speak again.
"After Namsamal, The Lady of Stars, and Eolarev, The Lord of Chaos, created the world, Aetheria, they sought rest, and left it in the care of the other gods."
"Namsamal... Namsamal... I think I've heard that name before. Ah! Bezmal said she was a priestess of The Lady of the Stars."
"Namsamal is an obscure goddess these days, but she is still revered by some of the priestesses that serve as oracles in all the eight kingdoms of Aetheria. Most of these priestesses work for royal families. I think you should tell me all about what happened before I met you."
"Interesting, so Namsamal is like Apollo from my world. And if I were to guess... these priestesses have the true power in the state, just like Bezmal."
"Yes, yes, yes. But after you tell me the story you started. I find it more fascinating than mine. I'll try not to interrupt you too much."
He nodded and cleared his throat.
"When I was born, the world was a complete chaos. The gods were at odds with each other and could find all sorts of reasons to raise countless wars, where humans were the pawns... The loser part was turned into the slave of the winner, and since there was no death, that ment eternal torture and slavery for the perdants... and that meant gods alike too. It was their favorite form of entertainment."
"My parents gifted all their children to the most powerful gods, in order to protect them from the worst fate possible, since they couldn't tell when would the gods turn their attention to the dragon kin. Only eight gods started to gain all power, and the other gods had to either be forced into slavery, or serve willingly and obey. And so, eight kingdoms were created."
"Only eight? Wasn't Somnia the ninth one?"
"No. Back then, there was a kind goddess who had both the powers of her parents, Namsamal and Eolarev, therefore, the other gods didn't dare to provoke her. Her name was Iela – the Goddess of Life, later known as Somnia – the Goddess of Dreams – and Orta... Death. She didn't care much about the other gods' games. She lived on the top of a mountain, secluded, taking care of the Temple of Dreams."
"Temple of Dreams?"
"Yes. That was an enormous temple carved in the mountain. By day couldn't be found easily, because it resembled the mountain's stone, but at night, its walls were glowing white from the inside. Although I was gifted to Somnia, I never saw what was inside that temple, nor what she was doing there. It was forbidden for anyone to enter there."
"Did anyone else, except Somnia, manage to get inside?"
"Willingly, just one goddess, unwillingly... well, all the other gods."
I shifted my position, throwing a log in the fireplace, then quickly nestled back into his arms.
"To be spared a life of slavery, many people run to Somnia's territories. Somnia let them be, but she found out about the deeds of the other gods and felt sorry for the people, therefore, she sent her shadow-servants to latch on each being's shadow and she saw everything they've been going through. She felt pity for them and gave their bodies the rest of death, commanding her shadows that upon the death of the body, to turn into birds and carry the soul back to her, where she would send it to her divine parents. But when the other gods learned that people were dying and they were being left without slaves and entertainment, that made them angry and terrified, because they were afraid that Somnia would make them mortals too... which she did eventually. And then came the betrayal."
Pyrope sighted. For a while we just listened in silence to the crackling of fire and the howling of the wind outside.
"Was that even wind... or something else? I could ask him, but I don't want to ruin this moment. His sadness is almost palpable. Maybe he needs to talk, to get this weight over his shoulders. Maybe I already know what's outside there..."
And I waited. And waited...
"Forgive me," he said eventually, when I thought he fell asleep. "It's been such a long time that even legends forgot these things. My memory is hazy. I forgot so many things... good and bad... Back then, I remember that I wasn't contemptuous of my parents' decision to give me in Somnia's care... What a fool I was, but although I blame my youthfulness, I can't forgive myself for what I've done. I craved power and recognition, just like my siblings. I wanted to show my powers and win battles... and that without knowing what the stakes were."
"Somnia shared her healing powers with me, but that made me feel ashamed, hence I started to nurture a deep hatred for her. Maybe because I never got closer to her and even then, I spent most of my time alone, since she was inside the Temple of Dreams all the time, and when she rarely got out she visited her people, talked to them, cared for them... I was just invisible. Even people avoided me because of my siblings. That fueled my rage even more."
I gulped. His story was so familiar that it made my heart ache and my eyes filled with tears. I felt like I was suffocating trying to keep in check my sadness.
"Back when the gods were still disputing the lands of Aetheria, only one goddess found out that even the gods lost their immortality, and she thought that that was her way to rule over the others and made a plan. She pretended to seek shelter from the wrath of the other gods and she came to the mountain of Somnia to ask for protection. Her name was Kilwa and for the first time in my entire life, I thought I found a friend. Little did I know that all was just a ruse to destroy Somnia. Although I felt that something was off, I ignored that part of me that warned me, letting myself be tricked into helping Kilwa. I betrayed Somnia... Does that make you despise me?"
The sudden question took me by surprise. But his confession didn't really phase me, as I kind of expected it. Somehow, I had the feeling that deep inside he was more human than many humans. Therefore, I thought he didn't lack a large dose of naivety.
"Look who's talking, Miha!" I admonested myself, clutching my head on my hands. "For someone who claims to have a great judgement of human character you made a dumb thing after another recently by putting your trust in all scums. You share the same naivety as the dragon... That may be right, but I learn..."
"You had your reasons. Somnia had hers too perhaps," I answered finally. "And for now, you did nothing for me to despise you. I could say that I'm worried you will betray me too, but I'm not Somnia to give you the same reason to turn against me. It happens that all of a sudden, I dread being alone... but even to have as company humans... especially humans... and I quite like a chatty dragon that tells me ancient stories."
Pyrope's eyes sparkled, then he cleared his throat a few times before he would talk again, his voice slightly hoarse and trembling.
"Kilwa was a weak goddess with great ambition and even greater cruelty. She asked Somnia to share her powers with her, but my master refused, warning her not to tempt her patience any more than she already did."
"Doesn't that mean that Somnia already knew Kilwa's intentions?"
"I don't know, it's not like she ever talked to me about her thoughts... or anyone else. Somnia's territory was receiving lots of refugees that started to form villages and even small towns. As a gift to these people, Somnia gave them dreams in their sleep and so, the ideas started to flow for them and soon began to create all sorts of amazing things, just like you saw in the capital. That sense of purpose made their lives full of happiness and Somnia cared for them, always reminding me to take care of those weak beings and show them mercy."
"Gave them dreams? Oh, perhaps that's how it works. What if that temple was some sort of..."
"Kilwa noticed my true feelings and she got closer to me," continued Pyrope, distracting my thoughts and getting my attention again. "Hoping to find out more of Somnia's weaknesses, while plotting her downfall, she just waited for the right moment to call the other gods and attack Somnia."
"What did you tell Kilwa?"
"That Somnia spent most of her time in the Temple of Dreams, but she was getting out on certain days to check on her people, but it's not like that was such a big secret, since everyone there knew about that. She asked me what was inside that temple, but I didn't know exactly, just assuming that it was related to the source of Somnia's powers. And that was all it took for Kilwa to come with a plan... and I aided her."
"Why? What was in it for you? What did she promise you?"
"She promised to let me serve her in her conquest for the throne of gods. She wanted to reign supreme over all the others and I wanted to help her accomplish her wish. She agreed and I felt then that I had found my purpose."
"Hm, if I were to guess... Kilwa sneaked inside the temple when Somnia was outside, visiting her people."
"You're right. She couldn't get past the first chamber though... but in that first chamber was the Fountain of Immortality... Having access to that spring ment having back your immortality. Kilwa entrapped some water into an orb, so in that way she could have permanently a connection to the fountain's waters, but the spring couldn't be all contained, so Kilwa severed its healing powers by throwing a poisoned needle into its depths. Only she could neutralize the effects of the poison and be able to use its powers, therefore, cutting the direct source of Somnia's healing powers... and mine too. And that's how my curse began."
I listened attentively, thinking about the statues I saw in the secret hall beneath the throne room of the castle, the one with the orb and the needle flashing in my memories. All their expressions were cruel and had something sinister that made my skin crawl, but that of Kilwa was almost kind... and was the most unsettling of them all.
"So that was Kilwa's statue, but wait..."
"How come Kilwa is now part of the eight gods?"
"History tends to forget what it's bothersome. The story goes that the Goddess of Death was the villainess that stole humanity's immortality, and the eight gods that dared to confront her are regarded as heroes, therefore, worthy to be worshipped, while Somnia only deserved all the hatred and the curses... and that amount of hatred towards someone... leaves deep wounds."
"And how much of this legend is true?"
"To some degree, all of it, depends on whose side you are on."
"I will listen to your side of the story, since I don't take sides... only mine."
"Sounds like a good choice. After helping Kilwa steal the healing water, we planned our escape... but before getting away, Kilwa ordered me to burn down the villages from the mountain. If it matters, I was reluctant to do so."
"But you still did it. Did Kilwa tell you that if you can't do at least that, then you can't earn her trust?"
Pyrope looked at me with wide eyes and shifted his position.
"How did you know?"
"I've met that kind of person before. Then?"
"The short version is that then it started a war. Kilwa now had the power to go against the other gods – I even fought against my siblings and my parents. She got rid of the gods who served the seven ones, the ones who possessed the less threat, but she lost her human pawns – she never used the healing waters to save anyone, just to prolong torture of the prisoners, that's how they all learned that even gods had their immortality taken away. And they were all afraid, that's why they agreed to a truce and decided to take back what Somnia took away, with the condition that Kilwa should heal them if they were hurt."
"And she didn't, right?"
"Indeed, that was her plan, to let them all kill each other, but..."
Pyrope remained silent, as if enjoying my reaction.
"Aaaaand?" I asked, almost exasperated.
"They were no match for Somnia. That's when I learned that she wasn't weak, but chose not to use her powers to hurt others. But she was enraged because she couldn't save the villagers I've hurt. She fought to protect the ones that remained... And the gods were losing, forcing Kilwa to use the powers of the healing waters... That's how Kilwa doomed them all and the remaining gods were touched by the same curse."
"I still don't get what exactly is about this curse..."
"It's a terrible one. It keeps the soul entrapped in a hurt or decaying body... a never ending excruciating cicle of pain and despair. In their pain, the gods started to ruin everyone and everything in their path. That's why Somnia stopped them by entrapping them inside the Temple of Dreams... along with her. And the world was spared."
"Even Kilwa was trapped inside the temple?"
"Even Kilwa."
"And what happens inside?"
"If I were to guess... Somnia still fights them to keep them from escaping."
"But... I guess they still have some powers that affect this world... because they've answered to the summoning ritual..."
"It's difficult to say what happens inside the temple. It's not like it can be found anywhere. Even I don't know where it is now, though I've spent years there. It's like my memory erased everything about that location."
"What about the kingdoms that were left behind by the gods?"
"They were ruled by their heirs. Some of those gods had children, even with mortals. They fought among each other, until a few rulers ascended... and so were created the royal families where the power goes from generation to generation. About them I know almost nothing. I struggled to survive, but people were afraid of dragons now and very few royals accepted them. There were some of my siblings who refused to serve a lowly descendant, so they simply vanished... no one heard from them before..."
I had the feeling there was more about this story than he told me, but I didn't insist with the inquiries. He seemed exhausted and somehow a little bit annoyed so I didn't push my luck.
"Thank you," I whispered. "I was still terrified and by talking I was keeping my mind distracted from the recent memories from that mine. It's the only way I can cope right now with my bursting feelings of fear, hatred, rage and desolation. I feel like I stay at the edge of my sanity. And I am still too weak to even cry my soul out. Actually, no. I refuse to shed these tears, because tears can wash away a part of this fury and I may forget the pain... until I would wonder if I truly felt it or it was all an exaggeration of my mind. I want to take revenge on those who hurt me twice now, but it's even more painful to realize that I'm powerless against them... and pretty much everything in this cruel world. If I had the power... If I had the power... I would get my revenge."
"You have the power to kill those who hurt you, but you seem reluctant."
A shiver ran down my spine. "I have the power to kill..."
"No, it's just that it's not in my style to be reckless. It would be suicide to meet them again, because I don't know yet this power, besides, I lack experience and they are seasoned assassins. No matter how great the power, in inexperienced hands equals nothing but trouble and certain death. I don't want to risk my life when the odds are all against me. I want to live. It's a shame I don't have that treasure anymore, though..."
At the mention of treasure he suddenly became very attentive.
"Treasure? What treasure? Was it gold?"
"A lot of gold, piles of gold coins, which could've been of great help to me, but, most importantly, there were lots of books and maps and secret scrolls. There were some weapons and clothes left too. Even some food..."
At my words, the dragon's gaze gave me new chills and I avoided it, turning my face towards the flames. He looked dangerous. Then, suddenly, he raised on his feet.
"Let's go after them!" he said with a determined look on his face.