Black pupils pushed their dark orange brothers flat as Shi-narok conceded. “Very well.”
Talvirnia motioned Jessica over and wrapped his hands around her waist when she did. His right head mouthed an incantation, and moments later, they were in the air. Slowly but steadily, they glided towards Shi-narok, and the closer they got, the more apparent became its monstrous size. A single tooth was several times larger than both of them combined, and Jessica found herself wondering if there existed a single creature superior in size.
As they landed next to one of the blade-shaped horns on top of its head, she found it somewhat more difficult to breathe than she had on the beach. She smiled nostalgically as an unexplained pressure started to slightly weigh on her.
“Why in such high spirits, young one?” asked Tal curious.
“Being near this creature reminds me of Killmar. It is the first time I have encountered anyone with a . . . presence similar to his, yet still so different,” she lost her smile as she thought of her husband.
“Ah, you speak of quenru.”
“You know of it?” she asked surprised.
“We told you, he was a friend of ours. The difference is probably the difference in power. Killmar was unmatched in that regard,” he answered, delighted by the subject of the conversation.
She shook her head. “No, it’s not just a matter of power. I don’t quite know how to explain it, but even though Killmar’s quenru was overwhelming, there seemed a sense of him in it. It is the same with this creature; it is not just power.”
“Interesting,” said Tal, before stumbling into her as Shi-narok set off. His right head quickly mouthed an incantation, and suddenly they were grounded, indifferent to the effects of movement. “Excuse us,” he said as he helped her to her feet.
Jessica was astonished at the speed with which the Serpent King carried them across the water. She was certain that, if not for Tal’s enchantment, they would have been blown off his head almost immediately. She suspected that the enchantment formed a kind of shell around them as she found that her hair wasn’t even being blown back by the wind.
After hours of silence, she asked, “I am curious, why didn’t you just take me to Lathrion yourself? I mean, with your magic, you could have just flown us over there and spared this creature from having to carry us there, could you have not?”
Tal whispered. “You really should stop referring to Shi-narok as
this creature
. At the moment, the only thing staying his wrath is that you are Killmar’s wife. We would not like to see how long that will remain a sufficient reason. Remember he is the Serpent King of the South.”
Jessica showed genuine surprise. “Oh, I’m sorry. I didn’t mean to be disrespectful,” she said genuinely surprised. Speaking downwards, not really knowing how else to address the being they were riding, she said, “I humbly apologise for my rudeness, Serpent King of the South.”
If he heard her, he made no indication, but Tal smiled and nodded when she looked at him enquiringly.
“So?”
“So?” repeated Tal confused.
Jessica smiled nostalgically as memories of similar situations flowed through her mind. “You didn’t answer my previous question.”
“Oh, well there are several reasons, the most obvious being that Shi-narok would have stopped us, quite forcefully we might add. He is called the Serpent King of the South for a reason. None except for one has ever crossed the Draconian Sea without his approval. Then there is—”
“Except one?” interrupted Jessica.
Tal’s eyes narrowed. “Now listen here, young one. If you want us to answer your questions, you best not interrupt us again. You young ones are always in such a hurry to have your answers. Besides, I would have thought you knew the answer to your question. It was Killmar who crossed without permission. But he is like that, is he not?”
She smiled and looked down as grief tore at her heart. “Yes, he is.”
He placed a reassuring hand on her shoulder. “We did not mean to prod an open wound. Do not worry; all heals with time.”
She placed her hand on his. “I am all right, please continue.”
He awkwardly cleared his throat. “Well, as we were saying, the second reason is that it is excruciatingly hard to use any complex magic near the Draconian Sea. We are not sure ourselves as to the cause, but even with our talents, we would not be able to reach any of the islands without being completely helpless once we reached our destination. It is actually a very intriguing concept when you look at the flow—Oh, forgive us, we can sometimes lose our train of thought when the arcane is involved.”
“Nothing wrong with being passionate about something. You mentioned islands?” added Jessica discreetly.
Tal exposed a far wider array of teeth than she would have expected to be in his mouth as he gave a gigantic smile. “I like you, young one. There are quite a few islands among the Draconian Isles, but we’ll only be passing by two on our way to Sa’leeon, namely Zer’vhean the Dragon Wheir and Ciecion the sanctum sanctorum for those seeking mastery over themselves.”
Three land masses appeared on the horizon, and Jessica found herself in awe at the speed with which Shi-narok crossed one of the largest known oceans in the world. It had been impossible to accurately determine their speed when there was nothing but water in every direction. However now, as the three land masses rapidly gained in size, she fully understood the Serpent King’s majesty and why expeditions into the Draconian Sea have never been met with success. Even a fleet of the fastest ships in the known world would seem like nothing more than a bunch of slow, drifting twigs to him.
They slowed down to a crawl as they passed between two large islands, and Talvirnia indicated the island to his right; its surface seemed unnaturally level for a landmass in the middle of an ocean. “That’s Ciecion.”
The centre of the island was dominated by a massive cone-shaped structure from which countless white cobblestone paths fanned out into rural areas, each of which possessed similar oddly shaped structures. The distance made any detailed inspection impossible, but she could make out some figures against the bright white background of the structures.
Tal lightly tapped her shoulder and indicated the island to their left. “And that is Zer’vhean.”
Zer’vhean was in perfect contrast to Ciecion. Mountain ranges encircled the entire island, leaving only a plain of wilderness at its centre. The only signs of habitation were the large caves that dotted high into the inner mountainside.
“So the dragons live in those caves? It seems very . . . homely,” she said somewhat disappointed.
He shrugged. “It is their way. Well . . . most of them at least. They prey upon those on the plain below when needed, but mostly keep to their respective dwellings.”
As they neared Sa’leeon, Jessica noticed she couldn’t clearly see the landmass or any of its features. It was apparent that there was an entity ahead of them, but it was as if she stared at a mirage through a body of water reflected in polished metal. The sheer indistinctness of it overwhelmed her senses, and she was forced to look away from the shadow apparition as she suddenly felt queasy.
Talvirnia touched her shoulder lightly. “You all right, young one? It is not wise to peer directly at Sa’leeon.”
“So I have discovered. What was that?” she asked as the fit subsided.
“Magic that is even beyond our comprehension. Jessica, now that we are here, we feel compelled to ask you to reconsider. Once you are on Sa’leeon, you will never be able to leave, even if you manage to somehow survive there.”
“I don’t understand,” she said confused.
Tal sighed. “As we thought; you don’t know.”
“Know what?”
He looked hard at her. “There is another reason why we could not have simply flown you to Sa’leeon; it is enveloped by an impregnable magical field. Nothing can pass through it without the help and guidance of Shi-narok. Even time itself is distorted by it. And once inside, Shi-narok cannot guide you out. You would be stranded there for the remainder of your life, which will be very brief once you encounter Lathrion. This plan is madness.”
She felt a sting of doubt, but then realised why Killmar had told her she would be safe there. It provided unparalleled security, which she now found doubly important. “I trust my husband. We will be fine.”
“We?” he asked confused.
“I mean, I. You’re manner of speech has begun rubbing off on me,” she said smiling innocently, despite the drumming in her chest.
“You are sure this is what you want?” he asked, knowing the answer.
“Yes, please allow me to fulfil my husband’s wish,” she said, relieved that the yethlo was not suspicious.
He nodded. “You have her answer, Shi-narok.”
“Jessica, move to the tip of my nose,” answered the Serpent King in unaccented Zinoxian.
She could have sworn she heard approval in his voice before she turned to Tal. “Thank you for everything you have done.”
“We only did our duty as Ferryman, now off you go, young one,” he said oddly self-conscious.
She smiled and hurried down along Shi-narok’s face. After a while, she reached the tip of his nose and steadied herself against one of the blade-shaped horns.
The Serpent King moved his head only a few inches away from the strange field surrounding Sa’leeon. “Walk forward, if you stop, you die.”
Jessica hesitated a moment then stepped off Shi-narok’s nose into the field. Pain ripped through her as if her entire body was being pricked by needles from within. She couldn’t determine whether her eyes were open or closed as she pressed on into the black void. She realised she had been holding her breath and exhaled, only to find there was no air to breathe. Terror gnawed at her sanity, and just when she felt all was lost, light stung her eyes.
She took a deep breath, and as her vision refocused, she found that she was falling to her death. Realising that she must have exited the field at the same height at which she had entered it, she desperately tried to think of a way to avoid her imminent death. A primal scream of panic escaped her mouth as fear finally overwhelmed her when a strange reptilian creature appeared below from out the jungle. It extended its hands towards her, and her descent slowed immediately. She exhaled in relief as she floated harmlessly down towards the ground.
“Sorry about that. Shi-narok never takes his height into account,” said the reptilian creature as she landed in front of him.
Jessica stared at the strange creature. It was about five feet seven inches tall and covered with fine yellow-green scales. It wore a light brown robe that stopped at its ankles, and had its thin tail coiled around its waist.
“Do you understand me?” he asked in heavily accented Franca.
“Yes. I apologise for my rudeness. It is just the first time I’ve had the pleasure of meeting a khaanmoloch.”
He fully exposed his small needle-like teeth as he smiled. “You know of my race? Few do.”
She returned his smile. “My husband told me about your kind.”
“Oh? He must be quite an interesting individual.”
“He is. In a sense, he was born here long ago.”
“I don’t see how that is possible,” answered the reptilian, clearly unconvinced.
She shrugged. “My name is Jessica. I am here to speak with Lathrion.”
He gave a courtly bow. “I am called Igneel, First Servant of the Black One. You are most peculiar. Usually those who come here intend to slay my master, not speak with him. You should not expect him to be very hospitable.”
“That I have already been told many times,” she stated plainly.
A strange whistling sound came from him which she took to be laughter. “Talvirnia, no doubt. He tried to dissuade me from coming here as well a long time ago. He’s one of the few remaining who witnessed my master’s empire, it has left him . . . anxious in matters concerning my master.”
“You also came here from elsewhere?” she asked surprised.
Igneel mirrored her expression. “Of course. The only way into Sa’leeon is by the leave of its two warders.”
“Warders? I didn’t meet any warders.”
“Talvirnia and Shi-narok; they are the turnkeys for this prison,” he said as he started down a narrow path into the jungle.
“Prison?! What do you mean, prison?” she asked as she followed.
The path forked, and he indicated they should turn right. “You truly are not suggesting you did not know Sa’leeon was a prison, are you? The name means
punishment
in Dragon Tongue.”
She noticed the webbing between his fingers but thought better than to enquire. “It would appear my dear husband neglected to tell me a great many important things.”
The reptilian shrugged as he continued to guide her. “It would seem so.”
The trees started thinning out, and they soon stood in a clearing. Jessica held her composure as she examined the scene before her, however, her heart pounded so loudly that she feared Igneel would hear its distress.
A massive singular mountain rose out of the southern part of the island. Cleared of all vegetation, it proudly brandished the breathtaking image etched into its side: a great dragon with a throng of skeletal figures gathered around it. The representation was made all the more horrifying by the valley below it, as hundreds of skeletons tended to the well-cultivated fields of produce and cattle.
“What is all this?” she asked, unsure of how to process the utterly bizarre sight before her.
Igneel looked at her puzzled. “They are servants of my master, of course. He is unmatched in the necromantic arts. In times past, he was known to some as the Lord of the Dead.”
She silently followed him up a slope that ran along the edge of the mountain until they finally stopped in front of a pair of massive black metallic doors, each embossed with an alien skeletal figure facing the other. The figures had hornlike bones that extended a foot from their elbows, knees, and heels. Bone spikes spiralled two inches out of their spines, all the way down to the tips of their long tails. They possessed triangular skulls like that of a bull, but with the teeth of a carnivore.
Igneel smiled at her obvious curiosity. “They are called revxians and reside within Henensu’s realm. Occasionally, they would enter the mortal realm to deliver the god of death’s judgement, as these two were. Henensu does not take kindly to those who manipulate the dead, you see. When my master defeated them, he had them sealed within these doors as a warning of sorts.”