The Binding

1

A breeze rippled the treetops. The only sound was hushed throbbing of the wind, with a soft melody intertwined with songs of the birds. It told of ages past, of great wars between the forest world Zalkeiron and the dark god Thraxton. In that time that world was completely covered with trees. During the final struggle with Thraxton, the Ancient Ones, dragons, powerful mystics travelled up the mountains to the ruins crowned upon the head of the mighty rocks. (They were shaped in a circle and known as the sentinels.) The ancient ones burned off all the entire southern hemisphere and created a surging river that rimmed the earth and made it impossible for any forest dweller to enter the southern side of the planet or any of Thraxton’s dark forces to enter the north.  Zalkeiron was saved and life soon returned to normal.2

The sun slowly drifted down between two precipitous peaks in the east. In the far west where darkness was slowly ascending the sentinels were sending up pulses of intense white light, that flew up gracefully and finally came to rest in the sky and formed the stars. However no matter how far you travelled towards the stars you would never reach them. You had to focus on them in your mind and by means of magic teleport yourself there. 3

The song of the forest began to quieten down and eventually cease. The Karule sighed and leant back on the tall tree. The stars illuminated his face. He had deep blue eyes, jet-black hair, a finely chiselled nose; a rigid chin which was dressed with a goatee. On his forehead was the symbol of the ancient ones, the mark of magic. He was wearing a red cotton shirt with dark green pants with a light green silk cloak. 4

The stars shone down brilliantly on Zalkeiron. The sap of the trees, which peeked through and dribbled out of the cracks in them, was illuminant green, glowed and ebbed magic.  The ruin Drorb (Zalkeirons moon) hung low in the sky and stayed in the sky rather than return to Zalkeiron like the stars. Drorb was created by the third ones (third set of gods) as a library of works and scrolls of magic created by the previous gods. After the third ones had been conquered though by their predecessors, the fourth ones became the ruling gods. However the fourth ones were great explorers and spent much more time exploring than they did living in Drorb. Eventually they travelled so far that the location of Zalkeiron was faded from the god’s memories. So without the gods there to look after the planet each sentinel created one dragon, by infusing a star into the soul of it. They were named star dragons, from the infusion of the star with their soul, not only giving the magic of the star but the ability to breathe fire. It was well known that soon after the dragons had come into existence, the dragons had made the Karule, Elf-like creatures, which have a spike in their wrist, their wrist that secretes poison. It was said that they had the spike to help the Karule to keep evil out of the lush forests of Zalkeiron..5

The Karule layed back his head and slept. He dreamed.6

He was in the ruins of Drorb. He was walking along elongated hallway that abruptly opened into a colossal round chamber. The heart of Drorb. The walls were lined with millions of books. In the centre there was a glass dragon with its head pointed at the sky, wings outstretched and standing on its two hind legs. The dragon breathed rugged red flame 10 metres high. The Karule turned and put all his attention towards the dragon. He started manipulating the flame so it became smoother, and more cone like. He continued working hard at this and the lighting in the room became brighter when suddenly he had the flame in perfect cone with the point coming from the mouth. Something snapped in the creature’s brain and he was instantly drawn to the dragon’s stomach. He had an insatiable craving to touch the belly of the dragon, yet part of him battled not to touch it. It became overwhelming and finally he out sprawled his hand on the statue and felt relieved like he had made an important decision.7

As soon as he touched the statue the flame vanished without smoke. A hole opened up in the dome in the roof and a cylindrical white light came down straight into the dragon’s mouth, down its throat into its belly and ignited the star inside. The Karule’s hand blocked some of the light casting “v” shaped shadow on his face. The star sent a beam of light at the Karule and impacted him in the chest.8

The room faded out of sight and the Karule was immersed in darkness. It was a bright darkness, vibrant and buoyant. Full of energy. It was immense, infinite, and intricate. He was in the very fabric of magic. He was aware of other beings. Drawing magic, and moving through it He saw other beings from distant planets. He saw the gods. He tried calling out to them but an invisible barrier stopped it from reaching them. The Karule’s mind staggered backwards. It spun and swirl unable to take so much stimulation and so little at once.9

A being materialised in front of the Karule, or what the Karule thought was his front. It was a star dragon and communicated by mind speech.10

“Hello” said the star-dragon11

“H..H..Hello” replied the Karule, dwarfed by the immense being12

“Who are you?” The dragon asked13

“Huxier. Who are you?”14

“I am Dragolass, Dragon king of the Northern Hemisphere of Zalkeiron. Long ago when the Southern Hemisphere was still covered with forest, there was a second dragon king. His name was Malachi. He lived in the second moon Kalakeya, like I do in Drorb. A glass dragon. However the moon was destroyed during the final struggle, for you see it was the dragons of the south that stopped Thraxton and his armies. They sacrificed themselves for this world. And they did it by destroying Kalakeya, for it harbours all the magic of the Southern Hemisphere and without it, the Southern Hemisphere burned and was destroyed. Malachi was killed in the process but because all dragons have stars infused in their souls, he lived on magically and all the other dragon souls that were destroyed infused with him, and they now live here. In the magical realm.”15

“Why are you making me privy to this knowledge?” The Karule stammered16

The great dragon replied “Because there is a time not long off where Zalkeiron will come under great threat. And the only way to overcome this is for Malachi to take a physical form”17

“How do you know this?”18

“When the world was still but young, the true gods revealed to me a prophecy. It spoke off a Karule who bore the mark of a dragon and could command the forest and fire. You will hear this prophecy soon enough. Now prepare yourself to bond with Malachi”19

“What if I refuse!!!" yelled the Karule panic rising in him20

“You accepted as soon as you touched the dragons stomach in the chambers of Drorb” the dragon replied.21

And with those words the Karule felt a deep sense of calm, and with this he prepared himself and without knowing why opened his mind letting thoughts come and go.22

And it began.23

The Karule’s head began to spin. Faster and faster like a cyclone. His thoughts began to float, then bob, then swim and finally drown as if a tidal wave had hit them. Memories, thoughts and emotions all came and mixed with his own. He was scared fearful and joyous all at once. And they were not all his feelings.24

He felt wings slowly form out of his back, drawing skin like a sheet, His skin became though as iron and smoother than silk. He could feel fire on his hands but not burning, and he could control it, His sight became sharper than arrows and his hearing keener than Trezags.25

Then it settled like ripples in a lake.  Or so he thought.26

An immense being of power approached ebbing copious amounts of power and magic. It came forward to the Karule. It came closer and closer until it reached the Karule. 27

Magic and soul bubbled as the two joined together to become a powerful form.28

And then it was over.29

“You and Malachi have bonded. You are now part dragon part Karule. You are a Dragule. Not seen since the beginning of the dragons, you will be the ones to save Zalkeiron”30