Slay the Dragon

CHAPTER 2 - ERYS

Erys Daragon took a pause from his ascent over the stone steps on the side of Volcron, the biggest volcano in Draconos Isles. The stairs led the path up towards the peak with all greenery and trees covering the crater. He turned his head to mesmerize the islands on his view with worried eyes.

The comet, he thought—is coming soon to destroy them … his realm … the Draconian Realm.

All these green, tropical forests where they harvest their food, these dragons flying around the isles in the blue skies, those of his brethren that survived the Red Century War, and most importantly, those thousands of eggs waiting to hatch in the volcano of Aggronar—all of these would be gone if they would not act now.

Erys needed it … the Orb of Phlareus … the only thing that could stop the humans from annihilating their realm. A hundred years had passed after they lost the Red Century War. The dragons who survived had settled back to their isles, and only a few of them were left. Until now, Erys made no certain thoughts of when the human empire would arrive to lay siege in Draconos—but he knew the end game was near … now that the Phoenix Comet was half a fortnight away.  

Erys didn’t realize he was standing in the middle of the stairs for too long until his eyes caught the Mondramyr, flying his way. Mondramyr Legad flapped his huge wings, covered by his hard, black skin—then landed on the stone steps after Erys.

The Mondramyr shapeshifted into human form, his skin now dressed with dragon scales weaved together to form a chain mail. Those amber eyes, filled with a sense of duty, lowered in respect as he kneeled before Erys and said, “My King, if you’d be so kind—I’d like to have a word.” He glanced at the two mondras behind Erys. “In private.”

Erys turned to the two men guarding him and nodded at them.

“What is it, Legad?” he said as the two of them made their way up the stairs. Two columns of dragon statues lined in parallel on both sides of the stairs. Hyborns they were—multiple-headed dragons who ruled Draconos for thousands of generation, signifying guidance to those who would take the steps up towards the peak of Volcron.

“I may not be in the right place to say this, My King, but the Lawdras have underestimated the humans. They’d never been out there in the human lands. They’d never seen how vicious they are.” The Mondramyr sighed, his hands on his back. “I’d like to ask you to reconsider, My King. The comet is only days away. It’d be far worse than you think if we only stay here in our islands and wait for them to destroy us.”

“If you’re telling me to go offensive, I would not allow it,” Erys replied. “The Lawdras and I have already discussed about this. I would not risk anymore lives of our brethren, Legad. This is for the best.”

“For the best?” Legad stopped and looked at the young hyborn. “My King, the Lawdras may be old and wise but they knew nothing about our enemies. Whereas I have seen them myself, My King. I have witnessed their monstrosity.” He held his chest. “Humans can do anything—even things beyond what we can imagine. We have to stop them before the comet arrives.”

The strong wind, blowing with the ocean scent, filled the brief silence between the two. Erys shifted his eyes from the Mondramyr to the islands in his view. The thought of his brother came back to his mind—Vyseri, who had been too stubborn and reckless of avenging their father’s death. On the previous moon, Vyseri brought all of their mondras to south and waged another war. Erys was mad of what his brother had done. They have already settled back peacefully in Draconos, but Vyseri only destroyed that and brought another danger to their realm. In the last fortnight, the Mondramyr, with only a few of his mondras came back in Draconos, barely escaping from the war against the humans. His brother died in battle, and now the crown of Draconos had been passed on to Erys.

Erys returned his gaze to the Mondramyr. “This is not just about the Lawdras, Legad. Our people—“

“Our people will die—all of us will die if we do nothing, My King,” Legad interrupted. “Don’t make the same mistake your ancestral hyborns had done.”

Erys snapped, his golden eyes suddenly filled with rage. “The same mistake?” he spoke with hard emphasis. “You think I’m making the same mistake? Do you even know the mistake they all did? Let me tell you, Legad. They ignored the counsels of the Lawdras. They never listened to the Lawdras. And look around … where are they now? … dead.”

Erys could feel the burning fire within him, almost coming through his throat. The memory of his father came back to him. In the past moons, he had always been looking forward to his father’s return from making peaceful negotiations with the humans, to end the war and to take the Orb of Phlareus in return for their gold and diamonds found in their isles. However, his excitement turned to sorrow when he learned his father had been ambushed on the way by those dragon hunters—those wicked, merciless humans.

Erys had always believed in his father before. But now, he believed nothing from him. Despite the Lawdras going against with his father’s plan of going south to the human realm, they were only ignored. He never listened to them. And that mistake had killed him. It killed his older brother too … a fool … a brute who only wanted war and bloodshed to avenge their father. They should have listened to the advises from the Lawdras. As the oldest and wisest dragons in the Draconian Realm, they had always known what was right. And Erys would never make the same mistake.

“That’s not the mistake I’m referring to, My King,” Legad spoke, shaking his head.

Erys shifted his sharp glance to the Mondramyr. “Then what?”

Legad looked through him in the eyes. “They had underestimated the humans … that’s what killed them. They had forgotten one rule here in Draconos—not to trust our enemies. If you don’t want to make the same mistake, then you should consider my advice, coming from a mondramyr who battled in the war and witnessed how humans fight.”

Erys set his clenched fists free. “You don’t understand,” he said. “I can’t decide on anything without the guidance from the old.”

“But you’re the king. You have the power and freedom to—“

“That’s the point. I’m a king. And a king must consider the Lawdras with every decision he makes,” Erys cut him off. He suddenly recalled what his father had told him before going to negotiate with the humans, “Promise me … promise me you’ll do the right thing …” At first Erys didn’t know what the right thing meant … but when he learned his father’s death, he finally understood. It was the Lawdras. They knew what was right. And so Erys would follow whatever advice and counsel they would give him.

“You cannot rely on them forever, My King.”

“I don’t have more time for this. You’re dismissed.” Erys walked past Legad. Then he paused for a moment and glanced at his shoulder. “Continue unloading those ships from Ormir. Burn them down after. We don’t want those humans using the ships to cross the sea.”

Erys made his way to the top of Volcron—his thoughts still occupied by what Legad had said. He, too, wanted to end the war by taking the orb—the orb which the humans had stolen from them a very long time ago. It’s what caused the Great War, with the dragons enraged of their stolen power. The war lasted for a century, with the humans claiming victory. And now that another conflict had sparked between the two realms, Erys needed the orb to save his brethren from annihilation. However, the Lawdras knew what was best for the realm and he wouldn’t risk anymore lives after all of what they’d lost. As for what the wise Lawdras had suggested, the best that they could do now was to stay in their isles and destroy the ships from Ormir.

See? They were right. They had always been right. Erys felt a bit of triumph for a moment—but it all faded instantly when his eyes caught the statues of his father and his brother ahead. They never got the justice for their deaths. Wasn’t it Erys’ job to avenge them as the last Daragon and the last Hyborn? Eventually, Erys wouldn’t know, his own figure of dragon statue would be placed next to his brother on the line, and probably the last statue they would have.

Sometimes Erys wondered what each of the Hyborns would do in his situation, knowing that the comet was coming. Would they still be foolish enough to declare war and force the humans to give them the orb? Of course they would. But Erys knew better. All those one hundred and eight years of his existence had made him see enough.

Erys decided. He would open this discussion with the Lawdras later. His anxiety of the human empire’s capabilities had always been troubling him from his sleep every night. He believed they still needed to do something other than destroying the ships from Ormir … it’s not enough to save them.  No … it’s not.