Vythin staggered to his feet and looked around. Isaac was next to him looking quite relieved as he collapsed onto the floor. What happened? Vythin thought as he gently lifted Isaac with a large claw and carried him towards the fountain, setting him down. He’s alive, at least. That’s good. What happened to that mage? Vythin’s hulking form shook the ground slightly as he made his way to the partially collapsed building, digging through the rubble until he found tattered robes, a staff topped with a red gem, and a book.

  He scooped all of them up with a claw and went back to Issac. He probably spent all of his heat during the fight. He looked down and saw unmarred scales, no feeling of pain in his body anywhere. Quite refreshed, in fact. He must have healed me...somehow. Vythin craned his head up and saw the sun setting in the distance. We should probably stay here tonight. In the mine would be the best - one way in and I can drag more mining equipment down to block the tunnel.

  He scooped Isaac and the skeletal mage’s gear into one large claw and took off, landing at the mine and strutting down the tunnel, until it grew too small for his bulk and he reverted into his human form. At the bottom of the shaft he put Isaac and the few items down, and began to barricade the entrance, glancing over at the nearby wall. Titansteel. So much of it...so valuable... He walked over and placed a hand on the wall, beginning to focus on channeling the heat to pull off a miracle.

  But as he was about to, he glanced back at Isaac who was breathing raggedly. I shouldn’t. I’ve already transformed twice today, and this would put me past my limits. I should reserve some heat in case something happens. But something instinctual tugged against him, and against his better judgement he performed a miracle, the golden flow shooting from his hand and scattering across the rocks of the tunnel. Vythin stepped back as liquid Titansteel seeped out of the rock wall, falling onto the ground and forming neat ingots. Immediately a wave of lethargy swept over him and he staggered behind the makeshift barrier before collapsing into a deep sleep.

  Vythin woke and glanced around the tunnel, his enhanced senses able to feel movement in close proximity, as a small shape descended the tunnel. He stood up, but relaxed as soon as his sight crested the barrier in front of him. Just a mouse. Thank the gods nothing happened while I was asleep. He pushed aside the barrier and walked over to the large pile of Titansteel ingots. Why did I do that? I mean, I’ve been greedy before, but not to my own detriment. He thought back to his home, and the old black dragon on his hoard, grimacing. Right, dragons hoard valuables...so was I fighting instinct? He glanced back as Isaac stirred, sitting up and looking around.

  "Where are we? What happened?" He asked, standing up and stretching.

  Vythin walked over and pushed more of the barricade off to the side, "I pulled you down into the mine - it seemed a good place to hole up. As for the ‘what’ - I killed the mage, but then blacked out for a moment. I came to as you collapsed."

  Isaac smiled and patted Vythin on the shoulder, "I tried healing you - just like plants would heal from injuries. I’m glad it worked, I thought you were going to die. You were in a rough spot."

  Vythin pushed Isaac’s hand away, "I’m sorry, but...something took over when I saw that mage. I just felt...such anger. I’ve never been that angry before." He turned, gesturing to the nearby pile of Titansteel. "I intended to save my heat in case of an emergency, but something in me just pushed me to do this. I just...felt a need to have this stuff." He looked back to Isaac, "I would never take that type of risk before...what’s happening to me?"

  Isaac knelt down and picked up an ingot, examining it all over.

  As he did so, Vythin thought one feeling, felt one desire. Mine. He shook his head and walked up the tunnel entrance ignoring the instinct to push his fellow god aside, Isaac following behind placing the one ingot into his pack along with the book and robe, and carrying the staff.

  "I would guess that our domains are changing us. Zohkah did say that they were the building blocks of creation," Isaac said, musing aloud as the two ascended.

  Perhaps...It’s something worth asking him the next time we see him, Vythin thought. The two ascended into the light of day, the warm sun filling Vythin with renewed vigor as they both made their way to the town center once more.

  Isaac stretched as he spoke, "Right then! Let’s go ahead and search the town. If nothing is here, I say we fly back today. Sound good?" Vythin nodded his assent. Isaac smiled, "You shouldn’t be ashamed of yourself and what you did. But it’s good that we’re learning something here. You, my friend, are becoming very dragon-like. At least, like the ones from stories. Angry and greedy."

  You’re not wrong there, Vythin thought as he took the lead.

  They began walking the city; it was split into four quadrants by main roads, creating natural separation between districts. The Southern District was dedicated to craftsmen and the mine itself, full of smithies, tanneries, and other places of craft and trades. The Western District appeared to be residential, where housing was plentiful in neatly arranged townhouses that could accommodate several families of varying levels of wealth - some being much larger and more spacious. The Northern District was mostly open space surrounded by large temple-like structures - six of them. The Eastern District was dominated by a single very large building, the largest that either Isaac or Vythin had seen. This one they explored together and discovered some type of conjured lighting from above - which Vythin could immediately tell mimicked sunlight - and fresh soil with inlaid irrigation. Isaac channeled some heat and determined that the soil was fertile and crops could easily grow here. The city even had a functioning sewer system, although where the waste went to was unknown, as the tunnels were incredibly small. The whole town was completely empty - ancient meals sitting petrified or rotten to nothing on set tables, but no bodies anywhere.

  "Who built it all?" Isaac asked aloud as they made their way towards the gate in the north, near the temples.

  Vythin shrugged, "I don’t know. But it feels out of place. Why build a walled, self-sustaining city in the middle of the Starfall Badlands? You can’t trade easily - there’s no way to get goods out without risking disaster."

  Isaac rubbed his chin, "Maybe some isolationist society? That doesn’t explain the barrier though. It goes all the way up until it gets cold?"

  Vythin nodded, "Yes. And down in the tunnel below. My guess is that the exterior of the walls is completely protected, all the way up to where the sky ends, and down to the depths of the world."

  Isaac whistled, "That seems like really powerful spellcraft. Or the work of a god."

  Vythin commented, more to himself than Isaac, "The whole place is made of the same stone, some type of grey marble streaked with silver. I mean, the whole place, if broken down and sold, could provide enough wealth for several kingdoms."

  Isaac looked sidelong at him, "Then a god must have been involved. It’s been quite some time though, judging by those undead. Terra maybe? Her Divine Metal is in the mine."

  Vythin nodded slowly, "It would make sense, she’s a goddess of cities along with her other domains. I imagine something like this place would be extremely easy to make for someone as powerful as her."

  They reached the gate and stared back at the now empty town. "Can you think of any way to keep others from getting in while we go get Slate?" Isaac asked.

  Vythin responded, "I don’t think any miracle I can pull off would block the gateway, unless you want a wall made of gold."

  Isaac shook his head, "No, you save your heat, you have to fly us there and back here again. I’ll do something." He knelt down and placed both hands on the rough, barren dirt in front of the gate where the stone tiles ended. A flash of green shot downwards as enormous thorny bushes sprang up blocking the whole entrance, filling the gap with razor sharp brambles. He stepped back and admired his work for a moment. Vythin transformed himself and Isaac hopped on as he took off, streaking south around the city towards the river where Slate was.

  You could be reading stolen content. Head to the original site for the genuine story.

  The journey took only a few hours. Before the sun was high overhead they descended towards the riverside tree-house. A few small forms waved up at them as they descended, Slate and his two students near the outside of the house digging some sort of trench near the river, diverting the flow into a small garden. Vythin landed a short distance away and Isaac slipped off his back, walking over towards the group.

  "Ahh! You made it back safely. Good. Very good" Slate opened his arms in a welcoming gesture.

  Vythin stomped forward in his draconic form before realizing what he looked like, and shifted to his human shape.

  Isaac spoke up as he walked past Slate looking at the small garden, "It’s a good start. But do you plan on staying here for a while?"

  Slate shrugged, "I don’t know how long we are going to be here, so I figured we should at least have a sustainable source of food outside of Vythin pulling bread from his pocket.

  Vythin smiled and reached into his pocket, focusing on an image in his mind as he pulled out a basket of fruit. Slate’s eyes went wide and Isaac looked impressed as he set the basket down and handed Matthew and Mary some sweet apples. "Give me more credit you two, I can do much more than just bread."

  Slate chuckled, "Right, I keep forgetting you’re still experimenting with your abilities...and it’s only been, what, three days? Lots more experiments to be had."

  Isaac filled in Slate on the events that transpired in the city they just returned from, and Slate’s eyes narrowed at the mention of the book. "Pull out everything he had," Slate said, in a very demanding tone.

  Isaac complied and set the staff on the ground along with the tome and the robes.

  Slate passed his hand over the items and flared with red light as he passed over each. "The robes are just robes - nothing special. The staff is indeed a mage’s staff, only useful to him. But this book," he said, picking it up and opening it, "Is the creature’s book of spells."

  Vythin walked over and glanced at the interior of the book, seeing weird formulas, patterns, and shapes. "I thought mages just used their abilities at a whim."

  Slate shook his head, "Priests and clerics of the gods are given their powers due to their god actually lending them their heat, or a small capacity of it. Something we can do in the future with followers and worshippers of our own. The druids and shamans of the Vaysha Rift and the Krekyo Dominion - respectively - draw their power from the raw elements of creation itself as they are in motion. Then, you have this variety - the magi, as the plural form of mage is called. Those who can change creation...but they must work out how to do it for themselves. Some don't use a spell book, but some do. He must have been around for a long time, or had a poor memory, if he had to resort to using a book to keep track of what he could do. It's more common among generalists."

  Slate put the book back on the ground and continued, leaning back as the two children paid rapt attention. "The first few years at a mage college are spent learning the basics. The underpinning rules of spellcraft. Then, once they have mastered the basics, students advance. They come up with their own form of studies under tutelage of a more experienced mage. Every mage writes in their own way, and reasons out spells in their own ‘language’. It would take me a while to crack, but I could look through this book over a few days and discern any hidden secrets that might be contained within. Mages often write in their own shorthand, so it can be difficult to parse out what's really going on in the tome."

  Vythin put a hand on his chin and thought aloud, "It may have some history of what happened at the city. In any event, I think we should get rid of the robes and staff. It’s not like we need them."

  Isaac nodded and picked up both objects, throwing them into the river.

  Vythin sighed before perking up, "Okay then! Let’s get this group back to the city." He glanced over at the cart, I’m not sure if it’ll hold up. He turned to Slate, "Do you think that you could fashion some type of reinforcement for your cart? I think the easiest way to get there is me flying and carrying the cart, with you and the children, in it."

  The kids smiled and Matthew piped up, "We get to fly on a dragon?!"

  Slate looked at Vythin and grinned, "I can absolutely do that. Are we leaving today?"

  Vythin looked at Isaac, "What do you think? Should we head back now?"

  Isaac frowned, "I don’t know. I…" he trailed off, looking off towards the northwest as a look of fear and panic crossed his face. "No…" he whispered, falling to his knees.

  Vythin ran over and put a hand on his shoulder, Slate stood as well and looked with concern.

  "What is it? What happened?" Vythin asked.

  Isaac spoke softly, "I don’t know...something happened in the grove. I...I have to get back. Now." He stood up and looked pleadingly at Vythin. "Please, I need to go."

  Slate spoke, "Does it have to do with Willow?"

  Isaac shot a look back at him and stood, "Yes….you both deserve to know." Isaac paced to the river’s edge, staring off towards the Vaysha Rift. "My...beloved, was cursed. She was turned into a tree. She took a curse meant for me..." He began tearing up and covered his face with his arm, wiping away some tears. "And I just felt something, just now. Like my stomach tied up in a knot... and I just feel like something is wrong. The glade calling out to me, calling for help. The surrounding forest, calling me."

  Vythin looked back at Slate, worry written on his face. An unspoken message passed between them, we need to help him with this. Slate nodded and gestured towards the children. What should we do about them? Vythin thought. Seemingly reading his mind, Slate spoke once more,

  "Of course we’ll help you, Isaac. And I may be able to help if I see her...condition. But, we still have responsibilities to these children. We’ll need a caretaker while we are gone. Tell me, have you heard of nature souls - such as dryads?"

  Isaac nodded, turning around, "Yes. I’ve heard of them before. Woodland souls that are said to be the...essence of the forest. A person who loved nature so much that they became the very thing they loved." His demeanor changed to that of the serious huntsman once more, "I know what you want me to try, I’ve seen a shaman summon one before. I can give it a go." Isaac knelt down and green flashed into the ground.

  The reeds and grass grew to the height of a man and began to weave and bind together; and in a near instant standing in front of the trio was a woman made of plants and dirt who opened her eyes, two orbs of pure blue like the river nearby, and spoke with a melodious voice. "I’ve been summoned, Forest Lord?" she asked, addressing Isaac who seemed taken aback.

  "Umm...yes. I’m Isaac. You’re a dryad?" he asked in return.

  She scoffed, "Yes. I’m one of the servants of your domain. What is your command?"

  Isaac looked at Slate and pointed at him, "Take commands from him please."

  The dryad bowed and walked over to Slate, giving a slight head nod. "What is your command then?" she asked.

  Slate gestured to the children, "I need you to take care of these two for a few days. I’ll also have lessons for them to learn and you will need to administer. Give me a few minutes to get everything together." He hurried off to his cart and began grabbing materials.

  Vythin knelt down next to Matthew and Mary, "Okay you two, we have to go in a little bit; but we will be back. I want you two to listen to…" Vythin glanced up at the dryad, "What’s your name?"

  She looked down, her expression turning jovial and upbeat, "I’m Yvilli. It has been some time since I’ve been entrusted with the care of young ones."

  Vythin continued addressing the children, "Okay, you heard her. You’re going to be taken care of by Yvilli for a little while."

  Matthew poked her in the leg, "She looks funny."

  Mary giggled and stood up, "She’s a plant-person, silly"

  The time flashed past as the children were acquainted with Yvilli, Slate showed her all of the lessons he had planned and ensured she understood. Isaac seemed tense the whole time, pacing around the house and staring off to the north-west. Vythin stepped outside and clapped him on the back. "Hey, it’s okay. We’ll find a way to return her to how she was. We’re gods, after all."

  Isaac glanced back with a forlorn smile, "I hope so... Thank you."

  Slate came out and closed the door behind himself, "Okay then you two. Are we ready to go?"

  Isaac nodded and looked at Vythin. Alright. We need to get there fast. He thought as he channeled heat once more, becoming his majestic full-dragon self.

  Isaac hopped up but Slate seemed anxious. "I’ve never ridden a horse, much less a dragon" Slate said sheepishly.

  Vythin chuckled, the sound shaking the air nearby, "I can carry you in a claw, if you prefer."

  Slate nodded, "That would probably be best. You promise not to drop me, right?"

  Vythin replied, "What’s wrong, Slate? Afraid of flying?"

  Slate grunted, "Yes. So please just take it slow. Maybe lazy circles going up."

  Vythin didn’t respond, instead gently picking up Slate as he pushed off with his hind legs, flying up into the sky with wondrous speed as Slate screamed below him.

  "You didn’t need to be a dick about it! Go Slower!" Slate yelled up.

  It’s like swimming, Slate. You just have to jump in to get over the fear, Vythin thought as he wheeled to the northwest, heading to the Vaysha Rift and the glade he once met Isaac in - gaining speed until he soared over the landscape.

  Several hours passed, The Sun and Inferno crossing their zenith and descending as night fell, and still Vythin flew onward, his two companions quiet. His keen eyes able to see perfectly in the darkness, making out various cities and towns as he flew onwards towards the glade.

  He felt his throat tighten as the glade came into sight. Oh, gods no.

  The glade was no more - in its place was a large swath of land, eviscerated - stumps of trees and shattered ground all that remained. To the south, towards the river, large bonfire smoke rose from some sort of encampment. As he descended, he heard a shout of grief from his back and glanced to see Isaac, face torn between rage and sorrow, jump off of his back and disappear in a green flash. Vythin looked towards the center of the grove and saw Isaac standing there, in front of a decimated tree.

  He landed and set Slate down, reverting to his human form. Slate looked at Vythin, "Don’t tell me…"

  Vythin nodded, "That stump he’s standing near. I think that was Willow."