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I am floating alone in a murky, grey fog. An apparition appears before me, my mind struggling to recognize its form. It is similar to a dragonkin, with a streamlined head ending in a flat snout, but it's body is long and serpentine, twisting this way and that before ending in a tapered tip. It's two forelegs protrude from the sides of it's chest, its hind legs stick out from further along its body, all four limbs ending in sharp, curved talons. It looks at me with glowing, blank white eyes, a sinister expression drawn on its features. My mind flashes with comprehension; this is the Divine Dragon.

It opens its mouth in a silent laugh, and I feel an uncomfortable presence in my mind. It begins to force out my thoughts, invading my consciousness in an attempt to take control. I desperately try to combat it, my voice making no sound as I try to cry out in fear. My own thoughts fade into the background, like a whisper in a crowd. In my final moments of lucidity, I realize with horror that my body is moving of its own volition. I struggle to fight it, able to do nothing except close my eyes. I shut them tight, praying that this will end, and I hear a distant, familiar cry of anguish.

I open my eyes and am greeted by a horrific sight. Rel stands before me, his golden eyes staring at me with shock and disbelief. His mouth hangs open, drops of crimson oozing from his mouth, rolling down his chin. I glance down and see my hand gripping a sword impaled deep in his chest. Blood flows down the edge and onto my fingers. My mind screams in terror, my body refusing to obey my panicked commands. Rel falls backwards, slipping off the blade. I struggle to reach out to him, feeling warm tears stream down my face. His mouth moves as if to speak, but there is no sound as he falls into an endless white void, disappearing into the light.

I jolt awake, my scream echoing through the forest. Bolting upright, I pant heavily, my panicked fear making way for the reluctant relief that it was a dream.

"Zu, are you okay?"

I look to my side and see Rel kneeling over me, his face etched with worry.

"Rel, oh gods, I..." I throw myself into his arms, holding him tighter than I ever have before. The image from my dream is still fresh in my mind, and it frightens me to my very core.

"Ack! It's okay Zu, it was just a nightmare. You're... crushing me."

I lighten my grip, gazing into Rel's eyes, trying to overwrite what I saw in my dream with the reality. He looks at me with concern, holding me in his arms as he tries to assuage my fears. My quickened heartbeat begins to abate, the memory of the dream fading, bringing reality to the fore. Rel rests my head back onto my makeshift pillow before lying down beside me, watching me with caring eyes. He does not inquire what the dream was about, but I feel compelled to tell him, almost as if to warn him.

"I... I dreamt that you had died, Rel."

His expression remains unchanged. "It's just a dream. No need to be worried."

"No. I dreamt that it was me. I killed you." Feeling uneasy about the Divine Dragon being in my dream, I neglect to mention it. "Controlled by some terrible force, I drove a blade through you. It was so vivid... I'm scared, Rel."

Rel gently raises a hand to dry my face, still damp from shed tears.

"It was a nightmare, Zu. I cannot pretend to understand our dreams, but know that I have no plans on dying anytime soon, least of all to you, my fasra."

I breathe deeply, Rel's soothing presence serving to slowly ease my anxiety. I slide up against Rel, burying my head into his bare chest. I focus on his warmth, the steady motion of his breathing, the quiet thumping of his heartbeat. He idly strokes my head, his breathing slowing as he begins drifting off to sleep.

"Don't ever leave me, Rel. I would be lost without you."

Shifting himself to get comfortable, Rel wraps an arm around me and holds me close, his head resting atop mine.

"We will always be together, Zu. I love you so very much, I would never leave you. Not for anything in the world."

His words echo with sincerity, putting me further at ease. I lie awake for some time, pondering the meaning behind my dream. Rel snores quietly, our bodies still held in an embrace. The thought of the dream is unpleasant, and I drift off to an uneasy slumber.

--

The rest of the journey goes by without incident. For another full day we travel, making small talk all the while and resting among the increasingly scattered trees. We trek through the light woodland, following along the northern cliff face. The rock wall bends away to the north and we continue along it, coming to the east end of a large, windswept grassland. Razor leads us to a rugged path leading up the cliff face, once-smooth stone having weathered the elements for an age. Passing through a small cave lit up by the afternoon sunshine, we enter a small valley, sheer walls of stone rising up on all sides. Ancient statues of dragonkin are placed in rows along the faded path leading further along, their blank gazes staring unerringly at the mouth of the cave, instilling a creeping sense of unease in the three of us as we trod cautiously forward.

The path ends at a large bronze gate, standing at least two dragonkin tall. Two statues flank the door, stoney grey spears pointed at us with tense expressions. At least, as tense as a statue can express. The stylized head of a dragon decorates the stone wall above the door, it's face carved into a soundless roar. Ancient, faded draconian letters line the door, and a cursory glance reveals it to simply be random indecipherable gibberish. Razor gestures to the door.

"Here it is. This is as far as we got. The door does not open, see?"

Razor grabs the oversized handle on one of the doors, shaking it roughly. The door rattles, but does not move. Rel steps forward, testing the handle himself. He strains against it, to no avail. I hear a faint whispering from the direction of the door.

"What was that, Rel?" I ask.

Rel looks back at me. "I didn't say anything,"

I glance at Razor, who looks back curiously. Another whisper issues from the door. Unconsciously, I take a step closer.

"Is something wrong Zuro'ki?" Razor asks, his expression a blend of curiosity and concern.

I take another step closer, straining to hear the whisper. It's so faint, but the sound of it is so distinctive. Before I know it, I am standing next to the door, my hand reaching out for the handle. Rel and Razor look on with confusion.

The moment my hand touches the bronze handle, I feel a rush of energy. A vibration runs up my arm, thrumming through my body. A symbol on the door flashes bright, blinding me. As my vision clears, I take in my surroundings. Rel and Razor stand motionless nearby, frozen in expressions of surprise. The letters on the door have re-arranged, now reading "Western Reliquary". I have only a moment to wonder what has happened before things return to normal, finding myself between the now opened bronze doors.

"How did you do that?" asks Razor, disbelief in his voice.

"I don't know, I just touched it."

"It might respond to a Moonborn." Rel says.

We tentatively accept this explanation and enter the doorway. We walk into what appears to be a shrine; a small one considering the size of the courtyard outside. Most of what was inside must have been taken long ago, leaving a mostly featureless interior. The stone walls and ceiling are immaculately smooth, left untouched by the elements. Two large unlit braziers sit on either side of a statue on the other end of the room. The center of the room looks as if it once held seating, perhaps for worshipers, but any furniture is long gone. Lying in front of the statue is a waist-high altar carved in marble.

The statue depicts a long, serpent-like dragon, it's sinuous body swirled around in the air, the head angled down towards the altar, wearing an expression of melancholy. The most striking feature about the statue is the soft glow it seems to radiate. The blank, pupil-less eyes flicker white as it stares down in remorse.

"So, this is where you two have been all this time."

The familiar voice fills me with a sense of dread. I spin around, coming face to face with Shen'zuka, flanked by Zerius and a half-dozen armed imperial guards. I curse our lack of caution, bitterly wondering how he caught up so fast.

"I will not ask what you are doing here, with the leader of the Feithiro no less. All I require of you is to stand aside."

Fear, doubt, and panic crowd my thoughts. All possible actions I could take race through my mind. Do I stop him? Do I try to run? Do I step aside? What will happen to us? To Razor? I am paralyzed with uncertainty, standing frozen on the spot. Shen'zuka takes slow, deliberate steps towards the altar.

"Ah, such a pleasant glow. The glow of divinity."

Reaching the altar, Shen'zuka inspects it briefly before his attention turns to the head of the statue.

Panic tears through me as I see Razor step towards Shen'zuka, dagger in hand. Stopping a few paces away, Razor speaks with a vengeful tone, failing to conceal his anger.

"Why? Why slaughter so many for this?" His pain is echoed in his words. Shen turns around to face Razor.

"Do you mean to kill me for my crimes against your people?"

"I believe I will not leave this valley alive, so I would spend my last moments seeking vengeance for the dead."

Shen chuckles, a slow and patronizing laugh. "Your people are doomed to perish. Before me, you are nothing but an INSECT!"

With that last word, a torrent of flame erupts from Shen as he thrusts it at Razor. The blaze impacts the defiant blue figure, his cry of pain ringing through the air as he is sent sailing backwards, slamming into the wall with a sickening crack. I nearly fall to my knees in despair. Shen turns around once again, reaching out a hand to touch the glowing statue.

"It is time for me to claim my birthright."

As the hand touches the stone, a bright flash issues forth. Blinding light fills the room as I hear Shen cry out in triumph. A gale of wind blasts from the direction of the altar, nearly causing me to lose my footing. When the light fades, Shen standing is before the altar, his figure having taken on a slight radiance. As he turns to face us, I note with shock that his eyes are now bright white, glowing with an otherworldly power. He begins to speak, his voice no longer the booming authoritative tone of Shen, but something else entirely.

"The power, it is sublime!" he says, as he laughs maniacally.

Zerius steps beside me, his gaze focused on the glowing figure of the now-divine Shen.

"Zuro'ki. You and Rel'zeo should leave, now. I do not know what will happen next." As he says this, he takes his spear in hand and approaches Shen. Stopping between Shen and the entrance, he stands upright, resigned determination written throughout his features. I look back and notice the host of imperial guards has disappeared.

"Long ago, all dragonkin were created by the Divine Dragon. It was He who sculpted our bodies, infused our minds with thought and reason. This much is true in our histories. But that is where fiction and reality branched off."

Shen grins at Zerius but doesn't say a word, appearing intent on listening to his prose.

"We believed that the ebon dragonkin were born not of the Divine Dragon, but of envy and hate. My brethren revolted against our creator, striking Him down and scattering His essence to the winds before being struck down by our fellow 'kin in vengeance. This is true, in a sense. We did do battle destroy Him, but it was to preserve ourselves as a whole. We were born simply as another facet of the Divine Dragon, along with the others."

"You are seen as rebels?" Shen intones before cackling madly. "Such short memories, how foolish!"

Zerius nods. "Indeed. In truth, you tired of us, and attempted to destroy your own creations, for what reason I cannot fathom. Perhaps to derive some sick pleasure from the act, as only a creator destroying its crafts can gain. Or perhaps it was to regain what essence you used to create us and give us strength. Regardless, it was the ebon dragonkin that had the power to fight back, and we did. Very few of our people know this, believing instead that our creator was unjustly stricken from the world and still watches over us, protects us, in the way only unfathomable deities can."

Shen's face twists into an expression of malevolence. "How naive. They know nothing of me."

Zerius readies his spear, pointing it directly at Shen. "And perhaps they never shall. Those of ebon heritage have defeated you before, destructive one. And that day has come once again."

Zerius and Shen both gesture with a flourish, sending twin cyclones of flame towards each other. The twisting blazes impact each other, sending waves of intense heat throughout the room. I wince from the searing air, attempting to shield myself with my own magic. Across the room, I see Rel kneeling over Razor, maintaining a barrier of swirling air in an effort to protect them from the heat. Searing winds whip through the room as the two battlers channel columns of fire towards one another.

My mind races. My distrust of Zerius is softened by his show of hostility towards Shen. I frantically wonder what will happen if Zerius is defeated. I am given little time to ponder what was said prior to the battle, with the fighting reaching a chaotic pitch. Slowly closing the distance with one another, Zerius and Shen continue to buffet each other with continuous blasts of fire before readying weapons and engaging in fierce hand-to-hand combat. Shen holds the advantage, dicing expertly with a pair of swords while projecting gouts of flame onto Zerius through pure mental will, forcing Zerius to make great effort in defending himself from both sword and fire.

Anxiety creeps into my mind as I helplessly observe the combat, the intense heat fading. I want to help Zerius, but Shen wields such terrible power, what could I do? My gaze is drawn to the dragon statue. It's eyes are still faintly, almost imperceptibly, glowing. Without a second thought, I rush towards the statue. Shen notices my dash but is deterred by a new assault from his steadfast opponent. Flame arcs through the air as Zerius slashes with his spear, channeling fire through the blade. Forcing Zerius back with a twirl of his blades, Shen makes to turn to me. Before he can bring anything to bear, a deafening crack echoes through the room. A flash of light emanates from Rel's outstretched hands, a bolt of volatile lightning streaking forth to strike Shen square in the body.

For a fleeting moment I see Shen stumble backwards from the blast of electricity, but as soon as I touch the statue everything stops. Zerius is frozen in the middle of capitalizing on Shen's brief stumble. Rel is stopped as he was preparing another blast of magic with one hand, the other wielding his staff. The whisper I heard before speaks again, its tone clear in the surrounding silence.

"Yes, come closer." The whisper echoes with sinister intent. "I will give you power. Save your friends. Strike down the unjust."

I hesitate, my hand still resting on the statue face. I feel a presence probing my mind, but its attempts are weak and do not upset my thoughts. I recall my dream, still haunted by it, even as the memory fades. I stare the statue in the eyes, and it stares back. From the bottom of my soul I fear the consequences of what I am about to do, but I feel I have been given no choice. I pray that the tiny remaining sliver of essence will not overpower me as it did Shen.

I close my eyes, opening my mind to the presence.