But not everything. Our purpose here remains undisclosed. I don’t feel guilty about the lie. Like any parent, we are merely trying to protect our children until they reach maturity.
The dragons and their riders know we are different; some of them whisper that we are the gods who brought magic to these lands. Perhaps that’s why they want our favor.At least they have an inkling of knowledge of the truth.
Slowly, the dragon begins to descend. Looking down, I study another fallen human warrior for a long time. My heart aches.
“I need to help them. All of them. They fight for power, but what they lust for is safety,” I admit. The original seed of guilt in my stomach has turned into a lush forest with deadly plants. I feel their thorns every time they spread.
“These things take time.” Erevan gently pushes my hair off my shoulder.
“I understand that, but I cannot turn a blind eye to this. What good is an army if they hate each other? They must be equal.”
“My magic still slumbers, but when it awakens, I can try to alter things,” Erevan offers. His originals increased in number, producing offspring. Each new generation possesses stronger magic.
Then there are the demigods whom we kept hidden until this world finds peace.
“No, that’s not what I mean,” I say as I lead us out of the battlefield. “We must leave some humans untouched. It’s cruel if we erase them, but that doesn’t mean we can’t help them. Give them a chance to fight back with equal power. Respect and fear are necessary for peace. Our new creatures need to learn they are not the most formidable monsters in these lands.”
“Are you suggesting we reveal ourselves?” he asks cautiously.
Before I can reply, the ground shakes. The dragon lands in the small open space between the battlefield and the forest. The rider begins to make his way to us. His armor matches his dragon, making for perfect camouflage when he is on the beast’s back.
As he comes closer, he removes his helmet and dips his chin in respect. “Erevan. Amariel.” He bows, proving our assumptions are correct: they think we are gods.
“Rider,” Erevan replies. He looks at the dragon and nods. It purrs back a compliment.
“The humans are marching back to reclaim their dead. But another vampire squadron lurks in the forest four miles south. I believe they plan to ambush the humans again,” the rider informs us.
How can I help these humans? What can I forge for them that will make them as strong as Erevan’s creatures? What can my hands create that will make them all equal, so the fighting stops? I press my palm to my stomach. Erevan steps closer, as if he can shield me from my inner pain.
“We can burn away their path,” the rider offers.
“I think that is wise,” Erevan agrees. We’ve been using the riders as a means of intervention. “There has been enough death for today.” He reaches for my hand. I link our fingers, fearing that if I don’t, my soul will be set adrift, bound to float endlessly with the countless dead that surround me.
The rider nods and then returns to his dragon. Erevan watches with pride as the huge beast launches into the air.
“Their hearts are pure,” he says softly. “The others will learn in time to be like the dragons and their riders.” He’s correct; animals sense what humans can’t. I think the dragons know it is Erevan who created them.
“What if they continue to fight until only the dragon riders are left? They alone can not be the army we seek,” I voice.
Erevan rubs the back of his neck, hesitating.
I press on. “Dragon riders are still technically human. The rune I made bonds them and enhances them, but their core is human. Riders are chosen, not born.” A memory of the fire of my forge presses into my skin; sweat beads on my brow. I willnot build a forge again, but that doesn’t mean I can’t create something to help everyone. “I have an idea.”
We travel back to the home we made here on Panthas. A safe place only the dragon riders can reach. The fae below do not know that this mountain, which blankets the land to the west in darkness, has been claimed by the gods. The fae have established two ruling courts. This mountain separates the Day Court from the Night Court.
I race up the last steps we carved into the mountain, past the near invisible veiled walls of our home. If you didn’t look at the stars, you’d think you were in Attkris, in Silas’s lands to be exact. Famed for his crystal walls, which are made of his veil magic. Walls the elves could peer right in. His kingdom was one of the first to be abandon. There was nowhere for Silas to hide.
We each had tasks when we arrived on Panthas. Erevan’s was to make creatures. Silas’s was to build our homes. The location we picked was tactical. The top of a cloudy mountain no human had dared to climb.
I appreciate Silas’s hard work, but I miss the walls I forged. I made every brick from stardust, and they glowed at night. A beacon the elves thirsted for. Do any of those walls still stand?
Erevan’s hot on my heels as I barge into our chambers. “The book you made for me,” I announce eagerly, grabbing what I seek off my drawing desk. As I turn, I look at Erevan.
Is that a smile? A long time has passed since my lips curved up.
Erevan begged me to make a forge here once we arrived, but I refused. How could I work without Lucian sitting in the corner watching me as he leaned against the star rocks? Lucian was the one who ensured I did not work until I fainted; he’d pick me up, wash me, then carry me to his bed, where he consumed me.
After a few decades here on Panthas, Erevan came to me with a gift. A book he had created using his magic, making itindestructible compared to the books humans used. He didn’t want me to lose another thing so he placed a piece of his core magic into this book.
