“That was one of the few times that Sarina intervened. Probably why Inadar doesn’t remember the actual fight.”
“It was a stupid fight. All over that ridiculous dragon.” Urake scowled.
“Enthbani is adorable.” An expression of amusement formed for an instant.
“Vicious little beast.”
“You have never seen a Vaulwar dragon hatchling. The Garoche are far more elegant creatures. I regret that I was unable to save them, but it seems that Cero was able to bring them back from the cusp of extinction.”
“How is that possible? There is only one.” Urake found himself curious about the fact that there was more than one type of dragon.
“A little history first. Before we came here, we were known as shifters. We were elemental energy that was able to take various forms as we desired. There were thirteen banished shifters that came to this land. We discovered a lone dragon. Their kind were mortals at that time and were about to go extinct. A disease had ravaged them with only one remaining. One of our number, Deep Tremor was her name, she was fascinated by the dragon. She shifted and took the form of a dragon in order to preserve the race. That dragon mated and fathered a generation of new dragons that were part shifter part dragon. This is how they gained their elemental abilities. However, Deep Tremor had taken the form so wholly in order to bear the hatchlings to maturity that she was never able to take another form. Although, she was able to divide herself similar to how a human cell divides and created more dragons after her form. The two distinctive races of dragons chose the separate mountain ranges for their homes.”
“What is a cell?”
“Never mind the cell. It was a poor example. The point is that Enthbani is neither male nor female. In a few hundred years, Bani will lay an egg. Every three hundred years or so after that, Bani will lay another egg. The Garoche race of dragons will return to this land in a few more centuries.”
“How are they different other than well… what you described?” Urake inquired taking a seat on a black glass chair that he didn’t remember having been there before.
“They are more graceful. Where the Vaulwar dragons beat the air into submission, the Garoche dragons mold it into their will. Young Garoche dragons can bend the light through their clear scales and hide in plain sight. The ability diminishes as they mature, but an adult is a thing of beauty regardless the way the light is refracted. Their elemental abilities also tend to be stronger than the Vaulwar dragons.” Eld’or described the dragons with an enraptured expression on his face.
“As enjoyable and enlightening as this is, I need to get back to the real world.” Urake stood and realized that he had no idea how to do what he proposed. Eld’or remained seated, Urake didn’t quite remember when the Dragon Lord had taken the seat, and smiled at him. Urake felt the distinct sensation that the Dragon Lord had read his mind.
“I will help you on one condition.”
“What can you do to help me? You are a shadow of something from an age long past. An echo is what you called it.”
“I saved your life a few times. When you had your run in with the elves, I was the one that stopped you from bleeding to death and helped you heal your wounds. I was the one that hid you from their searching minds. That cultist that you killed, I was the one that stopped him from tearing your mind to pieces. Not that he would have fared much better in your mind. How do you think that you have been able to go for weeks without any sleep? I am Eld’or the Night Soul. I may be a shadow of what I once was, but I am not powerless.” As Eld’or spoke, he stood. Images of battles with Eld’or wielding lightnings against armies flashed on the walls of the chamber and energy arced between his fingers casting reflections that danced and twisted. The dark glass shifted violently between scenes of from millennia ago. The very dark quality of the stone seemed to reach towards him with shadowy fingers that could have been there or nothing more than an illusion created by the backdrop of tortured motion. Urake shivered as he thought of the meanings attributed to the warrior Night Soul. He had taken elements of that