Drake had awful dreams... he woke after a few hours.
Everything ached, but he wasn't sure why... he felt different, not really in a good way. Drake felt tired, drained... he shuddered, his mind flashing images from what must have been his awful dream.
And he couldn't find his little dragon.
“Ow...”

As if on cue, Eclipse walked into the room carrying a wide, shallow bowl of warm water intended for the prince to wash up with. A small towel was draped over his forearm.

“Ah, you're up.” The dark haired man observed with a polite, rather than sincere, smile, and then put the bowl and towel down on a small table on one side of the cabin. “Good morning, your highness.”

Drake yawned and sat up. “We're there?” He asked, rubbing his aching eyes.

“Yes,” Eclipse started, his tone gave absolutely no hint of the events of the night before. It was as if it had never happened. “We arrived about half an hour ago. Would you like to see the village?”

“Umm...” Drake used the warm water and washed his face, trying to wake himself up more. “I... I guess so.”

Eclipse gave a curious look. “Are you alright, young prince?” He asked; genuine concern, or what sounded like it, in his voice. He pulled up a stool and sat down on it leisurely, facing the young boy. The gesture indicated he wanted an answer, and was willing to listen to what the boy had to say.

Drake rubbed his eyes again, not understanding why they still caused pain. “My eyes hurt a bit... I ... I had nightmares, scary ones... I can't remember them now.”

Eclipse seemed to consider it a moment. “Perhaps you are getting ill...” He thought aloud, stating it like it was the best explanation he could think of.

“Would you like to go home?” He asked after a moment.

Drake felt bad about it... he didn't want to be the cause of this trip being ruined, but he didn't think he could walk anywhere right now.
Sadly, he nodded. “I'm sorry... I don't want to ruin the trip.”

After a moment, he looked around again. “Um... where... where's my dragon?”

“No need to apologize, your highness.” Eclipse said, responding to the young boy's first statement, then put his thumb and forefinger to his chin as he considered the question.

In his mind, he relived the night before, and saw himself leaving the dragon on the floor near the lake of lava. Damn it...

“I'm afraid I am not sure,” he finally answered. “I will ask Ellipsis, perhaps he has seen it.” He then stood up, and gave the room a quick look over that was mostly for show, before going to leave, “I'll be right back.”

Drake nodded and lay back down. He was tired, but... he never went to sleep without that dragon, not since he'd gotten it and he couldn't remember when he'd gotten it.
It had been a gift... it was important... and it was 'safe' for him. His fire power got him in trouble quite a bit— everything had to be adapted and he felt bad about that.
But the little dragon was important to him...

Eclipse left the room, and five or so minutes passed. Then, outside the cabin, Ellipsis approached. He held the small red dragon toy in his right hand. He paused, looking at it; it reminded him of the prophecy that had caused all this.

A long, long, long time ago. No one is sure when exactly; there were five elemental dragon gods that ruled the earth.

Cináed the fire dragon,
Fafnir the Thunder dragon,
Okeanos the water dragon,
Amon the wind dragon,
and Poseidon, the earth dragon.

Cináed was the protector and lord of their people. He gave them their powers, and even made them part dragon like himself. He was a strong god, and fought off the other dragon gods, who were evil, and wanted to kill the Occultations.

The fire dragon was winning, when the despicable water dragon, Okeanos, and the ruthless earth dragon, Poseidon, joined forces to defeat the noble Cináed.

He was forced by their treacherous ways to test his followers in harsh ways. Like the way that the elder had to open the crest. Only true followers of Cináed would be able to enter the sacred places. But somehow, the two enemies sank to a new depth, and somehow Poseidon managed to steal the very spirit of their master. If that wasn't bad enough, the two gods of water and earth then sank their land. So many of his people had died, and the volcano at the center of their island had erupted with Cináed's grief.

The spirit that would allow his power to come back in the form of a child someday, and allow him to live long past his enemies that sought to destroy him, and Ellipsis' people. This spirit was simply called the Dragon. As it was the very essence of the dragon god's power.

Despite stealing it, and forcing poor Cináed into a weak and dormant state. They could not destroy it, ensuring that Cináed's power would one day be able to be restored. It was not their duty to watch for this child...

Ellipsis walked into the cabin, offering out the toy dragon to the small boy there.

The Dragon must be returned...

Drake grinned, seeing the toy and took it swiftly. “Thank you!” He chirped, but then his energy drained again and he just felt tired— a major contrast from the energy he'd felt on the ride to the village... he was always energetic, now he felt the exact opposite.
“I think I'm gonna sleep for a while...” he said.
His eyes shut before he could even finish 'while' and in moments, he was sound asleep, hugging his little toy dragon tight.

This was right. Ellipsis reminded himself before leaving the room quietly. The boy would need his sleep; the changes ahead would probably not be easy on him. It meant a lot of work for them, too.

Marina stood just inside the castle by the ship docks, watching the horizon.
It was easy to tell she was not a very happy woman. Chaucer was busy that day, and she had accompanied him through much of his business that morning, but by noon, she noticed something... quit disturbing...
Her son was gone, as was Master Eclipse's ship, and had been gone for over two days.
Finally, she saw the ship dock and stormed toward it.

Eclipse emerged onto the deck, and approached the gangplank to disembark. His luggage would be handled for him, so he didn't have to worry about it.

Though, he probably would have to worry about the rather angry looking Queen charging toward the ship. If he was nervous though, he didn't show it. He just turned his attention to the damp and slightly slimy wood. He was too proud and careful to allow himself to fall on his arse. Especially at a time like this.

Marina charged over and growled. “Where have you been?”
Had she any more rage in her, and not had the proper upbringing she'd been 'gifted' with, she would have shoved him down on his arse. Then kicked him. But as it were, she was just ready to fire him.

Eclipse raised an eyebrow. “Why, to the Island, of course. Where else would we have been?” He asked matter-of-factly, still perfectly calm. This woman had never intimidated him before, and he wasn't going to let her now. She could shout till she was blue in the face if she wanted, and it wouldn't effect him at all.

Marina grit her teeth. “You did not tell me you were going, you said there would be no reason to go there— and even if there was, why didn't you tell me? I would have come. And you took Dracul! Without my permission! He's my son, Master Eclipse, and I won't tolerate this!”


Inside the cabin, Drake was trying to figure out why his eyes still stung. He wasn’t as tired anymore, sleeping for twenty hours has that effect, but he still didn’t feel well. He felt better than he had, but the sudden illness was a mystery to him.
Gingerly, he peeked out the cabin door, wondering if they had docked yet.

“I was under the impression that the King would have informed you of the arrangements,” Eclipse responded quickly. Though his tone was not one of worry, but of simple surprise. It really sounded as if he was a little shocked. His face still held the same calm and collected expression that it held most of the time.

Marina was sure that answer was a lie. Sure of it. She’d asked Chaucer many times if he knew where their son was and he’d always said ‘no’ he didn’t.
But Eclipse said it in such a way that it made her reconsider her actions… Chaucer wouldn’t have forgotten… would he?

It was confusing. A moment ago, she’d been ready to permanently dismiss this man, now she couldn’t even think of anything to say. She was sure she was being lied to, but at the same time… unsure. It was illogical reasoning and she couldn’t figure out what to do next… She just wanted answers.
“But why were you at the island?”

At that moment, Drake ran out and pounced her. “Mommy!”
With that, her anger faded… she couldn’t just fire Eclipse with Drake there, he still couldn’t fully control his powers and would question her as to why she’d fired the only person who could help him.

Eclipse could feel the uncertainty rolling off the Queen's mind like the waves of the sea he was suspended over by a meager bridge. Uncertainty was a useful tool. It made people hesitate. It made them open to suggestion.

Reaching out to her mind with his, and using his powers to reinforce his words, he spoke again. His voice neutral and sure. “If you'll excuse me, the King will be eager to hear how the trip went.”

After he had spoken, he moved carefully past the queen and Drake, and stepped off the gangplank, onto the wooden dock. The strong and sturdy surface as much a reassurance to him, as the queen's confusion.

Next Morning

Drake still didn't feel well... He'd woken up, cleaned up, dressed, and still felt bad. His eyes didn't hurt as much, though, and he was bored...
Coincidentally, since he'd been sleeping so much, he was awake before anyone else in the palace.

So, he walked over to his balcony window and looked out... His vision seemed different, though it was still dark out he could see better than he could remember ever seeing in such dim light.
He noticed he had a ledge outside his balcony and stepped out onto it. Looking up, he noticed there was what, to him, looked like a path above the arch.
Hm... I wonder what's up there? After a second, he decided just wondering was not going to do any good.
So he climbed.

Eclipse sat meditating on his open balcony. His people had not overly enjoyed sunlight for some time, so he much preferred to enjoy the open air at night.

The sky was almost the same color as a blue flame, but darker. The stars could still be seen, but not the sun, yet. The red moon was waxing low in the sky, and the wind was starting to pick up, whistling up the side of the mountain. It made for a calming faint roar, like the sound of waves breaking against the shore.

Only the distant sound of the occasional bird or monster broke into the sound of the wind, but was more beneficial to the effect rather than an interruption.

Eclipse breathed in deeply, allowing himself to relax. Ah, the birds, all of nature, the wind, and the stars...One day you will all be mine.

Then a sound broke his pleasant thoughts. A scrape of something against stone. Like a person slipping slightly on some stairs...

Drake grabbed the stiff frame of his window, having nearly slipped. He took a second to try and regain his balance, and then continued up, his boots scraping against the dark shingles.
Once he got over the window it was easier, just a bit further and he'd be at the top.

Eclipse stood, turned so he was facing the building, and looked up toward the top of the tower. Eclipse was at the top of the tower but for one floor. Drake's rooms were above his. By Eclipse's instructions, in fact.

True, the top of the tower was a privileged spot, but Eclipse was not so bothered. He was only a few meters lower in his rooms, and this way, it looked like he thought Drake was above him, in control of him... So less questions. Also, should anything happen, he was constantly between Drake and everyone else in the palace.

Still, Eclipse looked up; he had good eyes too, and was able to see the small dark form moving on the ledges. So, showing that he was more nimble than he looked, he too climbed up onto the side of the building. He was faster, and stronger than one would believe. He seemed to navigate the wall as if he had done this a few times before. Perhaps he had.

Drake got to the top and climbed up, looking at the 'path' and wondering, Now... why did I want up here?

Eclipse quickly and silently circled around the other side of the roof, and then climbed up top, so he was standing a little way behind Drake. Hopefully the boy will not have noticed him. He hoped not...this might actually be... fun.

Drake looked at the path, which... just went and circled up the tower to a platform he'd seen dragons land on a few times.
So! Now he was up high... and still bored. Drat...

Eclipse glided silently closer to Drake. Choosing when to move carefully so that the morning breeze would carry away what little sound his footsteps made. Once he was close enough to Drake, he reached out a pale hand...

...and grasped the boy's shoulder. Fast and firm enough to cause a shock, but gentle enough so that it wouldn't hurt him, and wouldn't make him think Eclipse was going to hurt him when he realized who it was.

Drake flipped out.
Not a little bit.
A lot.
He screamed and kicked backward as hard as he could, flames erupted around him for a second as he moved forward and then spun around to see who'd grabbed him.

Eclipse grunted slightly at the kick. It had caught him right under the kneecap! The fire however, he had been prepared for. He was still able to control Drake's power, with effort. Most effectively when he was expecting it. Drake still lashed out on instinct a lot, and Eclipse bent to rub his knee while giving Drake a glare. A glare that said he was in trouble for sneaking out, and not controlling his powers properly.

Drake knew that look... that look said 'busted'. He put his hands behind his back and bowed his head apologetically. “... sorry?”

Eclipse sighed. “What are you doing up here?” He asked the boy, his voice was not angry, but still demanded an answer. The inability to control his own power could wait till the morning...

Down below, a bell chimed, just loud enough to hear. Five o'clock.

Drake shrugged. “I was bored... I didn't think anyone else was awake, and I'd never been up here before. Just wanted to see what was here.” he explained, truthfully. “I didn't know you were awake,” which secretly meant; 'I didn't think anyone would know I snuck out'
Drake was a fan of exploring things— he couldn't help it. He wanted to find everything out and he loved to be up high.
It got him in trouble... quite a bit, but he had no desire to stop.

“Why didn't you ask?” Eclipse inquired, “I might have taken you.” The response wasn't sarcastic. It sounded sincere, and it might well have been.

Drake shrugged yet again, “I didn't know you were awake.”

Eclipse considered this. Perhaps he should shove the child off... let him fall for a while before using his magick to save him. That should teach him his lesson!

But no... that would cost the boy's trust. He couldn't afford that, even if it would be fun. He might even tell his parents. Which even if they didn't believe him, would make them suspicious...

In the end, he just sighed. “We will talk more about this tomorrow. Perhaps not leaving the tower for the whole day will show you how important it is that you don't wander off. Especially to dangerous places.” Eclipse said, and then turned his back on the boy, telling him that it was final.

Drake's eyes widened. Not be allowed to leave the tower for the entire day?
“But, but, but... But that's boring!” Drake complained.
It was useless... with Eclipse, begging hardly ever worked when he'd already made a decision... didn't mean Drake wouldn't try.
“I didn't know you were awake, I was bored!”

“Then you should have come to wake me up. Or waited. There is no excuse.” Eclipse informed him. He would not accept such a pitiful argument, even if the boy was polite for not wanting to wake him, and too young to really make a real argument. He refused to make him weak.

Eclipse climbed carefully back onto the ledge, and began climbing down. He knew Drake would follow.

Drake followed his advisor, complaining the whole way. “But I didn't want to bother anyone!”
He wasn't nearly as good at following Eclipse back down, but he managed.
It just wasn't fair! He hadn't wanted to cause problems, he'd just been bored. Now he was being punished for it.
“Why do I have to stay inside the tower the whole day? ... ... Fifteen minutes? An hour? An hour is forever! Not the whole daaaaaay!”

“If you keep complaining, it will be two days.” Eclipse threatened.

In fact, this would allow him extra time to work on teaching the boy to use his powers, and observe if there had yet been any noticeable changes. Most fortunate, really.

He continued down to Drake's balcony and climbed over the rail, then turned to help the prince back in.

“It's not fair when the punishment can get bigger...” Drake pouted, but accepted the help over the railing.

He really hadn't meant to cause problems...

... Midnight... Midnight is the end of the day. I'll just go out then, he silently decided.

Midnight? Eclipse thought. He was trying to observe the boy's thoughts subtly. However, this had mostly eluded him. All he had gathered was 'midnight'. He would have to watch the young prince... He was a crafty one. Less obedient than he would have liked.

The robed adviser ignored Drake's comment about fairness, “Go back to bed for a couple of hours. You still look pale,” he recommended in a way that made it clear that's what he wanted Drake to do.

Then he headed for the door. Climbing out the window would have been a... bad example. 

Drake walked to his bed, and crawled in obediently. “Okay...”

19 Hours Later

Drake was at the bridge. The archway that lead to the rest of the castle, watching the clock like a fang waiting to pounce on a Mu.

He... couldn't tell time, really... but he knew when both the dragon wings pointed to the top two numbers that it was midnight.

And the moment that happened... he was out of there.

Drake ran through the hall like an Ash out of Hades kingdom.

Eclipse arranged it so that he was waiting in the shadows at the end of the hall. Midnight... and where else would he go? He'd be severely disappointed if he tried to get to the top of the tower again. It would be foolish, even for a boy his age. Eclipse expected better. Still, he had asked Ellipsis to keep an eye out there for the boy.

Down here, he was now hearing the fast and completely unmasked footsteps coming closer. He waited....

Drake looked behind him for a moment as he ran, then back forward... he wasn't, exactly, breaking the rules, but he was worried about getting caught.

I'm not doing anything wrong... I waited the whole day. He told himself, though he knew he had reason to fear being caught.

Maybe he'd go find his parents... they wouldn't be mad at him for leaving the tower so soon, would they?

Once Drake had run past him, Eclipse stepped out of the shadows. He could sense the fear of getting caught in the boy. If he had come down here thinking it was all right, and he wouldn't be punished— Eclipse probably would have let him off... And even now, a certain disrespect for the rules... it showed strong character that would be useful in years to come... But he was deliberately disobeying him. Eclipse could not have that.

“Where are you going?” Eclipse said loudly, not quite a shout, but almost. It carried a long way down the dark and silent corridor.

Drake stopped dead. He hadn't even... but Eclipse did seem to appear out of nowhere at times.
Drake's mind went through a few thoughts, one part of him yelled that he should have been more careful, stealthy, sneaky... the other part saying he was wrong to have broken the rules in the first place... The first voice was winning and after a long moment, he turned around with as innocent a look on his face as he could give.

“I'm just going to find mommy.”
It wasn't, 'I was' it was in no way past tense. That is what he was doing, not what he HAD been doing before he'd gotten caught.

“Oh? And why is that? It's very late.” Eclipse said to the young boy, crossing his arms and eyeing the boy with some scrutiny. “You wouldn't want to wake them, would you?”

Drake thought about that a moment... No, he wouldn't want to wake them.
“They might not be asleep,” he replied.
It was a bold move... probably a stupid move, but he caught himself walking again... away from the tower.

“Be careful then, your mother always gets so angry when she is woken up...” Eclipse warned, not moving to follow him. He gambled that a child his age wouldn't ask how Eclipse knew that, and just take it for fact.

Drake stopped again. “... Angry?”
He wondered... would she be mad at him? If they knew he'd been punished, would they be especially mad?
His father— come to think of it, his father had never punished him. His mother had, once, when he’d met this annoying pink-haired girl and asked if she was possessed, he was put in time-out for five minutes... Though they did not punishing him, they had never seemed to oppose to any of the punishments Eclipse gave...

“I should think so. It is very late.” Eclipse said, his voice sounding a little sympathetic. Then he turned away as if to leave, but did not take a single step yet.

Drake frowned, not liking the idea of upsetting his parents... Reluctantly, he also turned back toward the tower and headed back to his room where he'd already spent most of the day.

Next Day

Preparing to meet the king of any land is considered a big event. However, Eclipse, who was currently readying to do just that, would be the first to tell you that it got very monotonous when you had to do it every day….
Eclipse had known the King for years and years now. Since before Drake was born, but would he get away with a crease in his robes? No way. It was a good thing Eclipse was a naturally neat person, or this might have driven him mad by now.

Eclipse leisurely made his way to the throne room as he did nearly every day. Was forced to wait long, frustrating moments to be let in, like he had to every day...

Eventually he was allowed in, and was soon standing before the king. Only the slightest hint of boredom on his face.

Chaucer looked over. “Ah, you're a bit late today. I'd like it if you would join me for supper, and bring Drake. I haven’t gotten to see him in a long time.”

Drake was still somewhat ill, and Eclipse was keen to keep that hidden as much as possible, so he reached out with his mind as he often did with the King. For a man in such a high place, he was also easy to manipulate.

“Of course, your highness. Are you quite sure you want Drake to come?” Eclipse asked, while subtly implanting a feeling of uncertainty. Why risk dominating his mind with guards and readers close by, when he could quickly put a feeling in there, and allow semantics to do the rest?

Chaucer paused, seeming to think things through. “... Am I... No... No, Drake doesn't need to come. If he wants to, he can.”

Eclipse grins inwardly. “Yes, sir. I'm sure you are very busy anyway.” The robed man said to the king, his tone neutral, but his mind was reaching out and giving the King the same feeling you have when stressed out with an enormous workload.

“Yes... now that you mention it, I have a lot of things to do... Yes. I have that meeting...” Chaucer rubbed his goatee, suddenly remembering all the things he needed to do... most hadn't seemed so important till now, but he could profit by getting them done.
“Drake will see me if he needs me,” he concluded.

“Yes, if he needs you...” Eclipse echoed, reinforcing the thought with his mind as he bowed. “I shall leave you to your business.”

The king nodded dismissively, already preparing plans for the rest of the day.

Eclipse headed out of the room, pleased with himself. The king had always been this way, and it made it so easy for Eclipse to slowly corrupt the man's mind over time. Make him think how Eclipse wanted him to think.

So that is what he did. Over the next six months, he widened the gap between father and son. Every time a bridge started to be built by either side over the abyss, Eclipse would burn it down instantly, and secretly. Both of them were aware of the void, but not of the horrible monster that lived down there.

Drake kept getting worse... At first he'd just felt tired, now he hurt all the time. He couldn't leave his room, he couldn't hardly get out of bed...

His father hadn't come to see him— not once. And when Drake tried to go see him, he got too tired before he could even leave the tower, or Eclipse would notice Drake was very pale and suggest he go back to his room.

Drake stopped caring if Chaucer came or not. Eclipse was right; any caring parent would never abandon their sick son.

Marina still came, though. Drake liked that.

“I still don't feel good.”

“I know, Dracul, but you'll get better soon.” Marina promised, Hopefully…
She was worried... it was hard, since Chaucer became so busy suddenly, and Marina needed to be with him much of the time.

She didn't like leaving her son alone when he was sick. His illness was a mystery. It wasn't a cold, wasn't a flu, wasn't any type of virus they knew of, nor childhood illness everyone gets... but he was so pale all the time, and his eyes... were changing color. They were darker. It seemed like they were turning blood-red and most of the time already looked like they had.

Eclipse was on his balcony, below Drake's room. He knew the Queen was in there with him. It had been so easy getting his father to stay away, but the queen was stubborn. Always fighting his attempts to make her stay away. He supposed it would be expected, with the boy as sick as he was. Eclipse may have underestimated how debilitated the boy would become. He was even starting to consider the possibility that the boy would not survive.

That would be a shame. All that work for nothing. He was fortunate though, that the Queen did not suspect him of causing the illness. That would be problematic. She still had a lot of influence over the boy, and could fire Ellipsis and him. That would not do. It was time to see that she was out of the way, too. Time to alienate Drake from her.

If Drake was going to survive the change, Eclipse was sure it would finally be complete in the next couple of weeks. That's when he would act...

“Dracul...” the Queen was back in Drake's room a week later.

Drake wasn't completely awake, but he was as close to being so as he'd been in a few days. “You got sick after that little trip... do you remember what happened?”

Drake heard the question, and weird images flashed through his head... images he weren't sure were even true. “Saw a dragon...” he replied quietly.

Marina blinked a few times. “... Like a Grand Dragon? Like the ones outside?”

“No... red... red dragon.”

“... Red...?” Marina tried to think of what... red dragon? Her mind stopped on a legend—, but before she could fully remember it, she saw Drake's plushy red dragon on his bedside table. “Oh... Red dragon.”

“Yeah...”

Marina sighed as Drake fell asleep, then she got up and quietly walked out.

Eclipse emerged from the shadows in the room a moment after the queen left. Drake was starting to remember. Eclipse was sure that was a good sign for the change, but that had been too close. He had seen the legend being recalled in the Queen's mind.

If Drake did not complete the change in the next week, or the queen started to find out things again... he might have to arrange an 'accident', but that would be messy.

Drake would forget again once the change was complete. Once he was fully conscious again, and not half in the realm of dreams.

Queen Marina thought about what her son had said for a moment.
A red dragon... He had a toy dragon that was red; it was his favorite one.
Nevertheless, she couldn't forget the first thought that had come into her mind... a legend she'd heard as a child...

Prophecy

There have always been dragons.
They were walking before man, hunting before fangs, and flying before birds.

The dragon gods ruled before any other form of royalty existed.

And the two main ones were in a constant battle.
The fire dragon fought aggressively for control of the world. He was primal, he was destructive, and he was the most powerful. Cináed, the fire dragon, had taken over Amon, the wind dragon’s territory. The electric dragon, Fafnir, was next to be taken over…

Okeanos, the water dragon, had teamed up with Poseidon, the earth dragon, rather than take over. The teamed up pair were able to keep a majority of the territory, but Cináed became more and more aggressive.

When the humans came, the power struggle heightened. Okeanos and Cináed’s rivalry grew worse as they tried to take over human villages.
Cináed favored giving people power, transforming them into dragon like beings.

Okeanos gave his followers power as well. He gave them great knowledge, and the ability to gain more. He also gave them basic elemental magick, and chose one family to rule. To them he bestowed them the aquatic abilities to create water, control it, and harvest it for energy.

Cináed’s followers became the Occultations. They were as close to being dragons as anything could get. The stronger they were, the more demonic their appearance—cursed with power. The light began to give them problems; they couldn’t use their full powers when daylight struck them.
Their island became a jungle of trees and caves—a dark, shadowy place. At the center of their massive island was a grand volcano where the fire dragon lived.
Cináed made his presence overly apparent. He wanted his followers willing to die for him, too want to fight if he told them to. He was starting a war—and needed his army as ruthless and evil as he was. He gave them immortality so they would not fear death, and you couldn’t get a better army than one who didn’t think they could die.
Death was possible for them, of course, but the stronger you were the harder you fell.

Okeanos and Poseidon saw this. They knew what was coming, and hatched a plan.
There was a sacred power Cináed held— a fire spirit that allowed him to give his followers their power. This spirit was the fire dragon’s very essence, its source of power. While the other elemental dragons had retained their spirits within them, the fire element released his and while the other dragons faded away, Cináed stayed strong as ever. That dragon spirit was the reason. It was destined to be great—it was developing into a soul which would be reborn and would hold all the powers of Cináed and contain the power to destroy the other dragons completely.
The Occultations worshiped this spirit, and awaited its earthbound arrival. It was their assurance that they would remain in control—that even if Cináed faded he would be able to return; they went to calling it Dragon, giving it a name as if it were already alive.

Poseidon stole it.

Poseidon knew his time was coming to an end, he was fading and nothing was going to stop that. Going down without a fight, as the others had, was not in him. He wanted to go down with a righteous act, so he stole Dragon and flew swiftly back to Okeanos and gave the spirit to him.
They acted fast, after that, because Cináed was enraged and prepared his army to go after the two other dragons.
Okeanos and Poseidon fused their powers and attacked Cináed’s island with all their might.
The earth shook and the waves plowed into the island—the fiercest storm it had ever before taken. The volcano erupted with Cináed’s rage, but his main source of power was gone, and he could not save the island.
It sank. It sank till it was only a fourth of its original size, and the volcano had crumbled into itself—using up the last of Poseidon’s stored energy. He went into hibernation as the other gods had. Resting, and letting the sentient beings rune the world, acting only when called for.
Most of the inhabitants were killed. Drowned, crushed, burned…
Two groups remained: the Pure Occultations who had the demonic appearance and the major power, and the ‘Lessers’ who appeared human.
They still sought after Dragon. It became their only hope of obtaining all that they had lost.

The prophecy was the most important thing.
A child would be born with the flame ability. That child would be the Dragon—and Cináed would awaken. If it was the right soul, the prophesized one, then Cináed would know.

The Occultations began searching for the soul, knowing it would have to be born eventually.
Even as Okeanos quieted down and vanished from view, the Occultations searched.
Just because it was taken, did not mean it was lost. No matter what—it would eventually transfer to the cycle of souls and be born by a host that would be able to contain its powers.
It would be its own person. Maybe kind and gentle, or maybe primal and fierce as Cináed was, but it would be theirs once again.

No matter what.

Drake woke up feeling... strange. He still felt awful, but the idea of staying in bed made him feel worse... he had to move.
He got up and pulled his slippers on, went to the door and opened it.
The guards were asleep. That was somewhat strange. Convenient, but strange.
That was when he smelt it... something... something nice.
Drake looked around, but it was late... it was doubtful anyone would be awake, so he continued down the stairs, and then across the bridge to the palace.
It never crossed his mind that he shouldn't have been able to see in such darkness, he just... could. His vision had been blurry for so long, now he could see and that was all that mattered.
He could see, and he could walk, and he could smell, and something smelt good. Needed.
Drake was hungry... he hadn't eaten anything in a long, long while.
He walked to the kitchen and found the source of the scent.
Maphox Tonic.
A popular drink among his parents and their friends, but they never let Drake have any. It was made from the roots of a very hard to find flower and was full of caffeine.
Not something many parents wanted a young child to have, especially one already as energetic as Drake was.
Someone must have forgotten to put it away. A whole bottle rested on the stone counter, just above his reach.
Drake went into the dining room and grabbed a chair. It slid across the tile with a scratching sound. If he had been trying to be stealthy, he as doing a poor job.
But no, Drake didn't care if he woke someone up. He felt better and just wanted that drink. If his parents woke up, he'd explain it to them— not that Drake thought Chaucer would care, but Marina would. He'd tell her he was feeling better and she'd just be happy.
He pushed the chair up to the counter and climbed up, taking the glass bottle and drinking from it happily.


Marina shivered in her sleep, hearing some scraping sound that didn't quite make sense in her nightmares. She wanted to wake up, but she couldn't— couldn't escape these haunting thoughts.
Her poor Chaucer, screaming in pain... Something had happened, she hadn't been there... she needed to be with him now... but there were other images, trying to explain the sound she'd heard. Demons scratching at the walls, climbing through the windows. Horrible monsters creeping through her palace.

Eclipse cracked his neck as he walked toward the kitchen. It had been some time since he had last used this power, and it was a strange sensation no matter how many times he did it. The new body 'felt' completely different. Skin tightened in different places, bones popped at random, it seemed. Not to mention everything looked a different size from the change in height. And these stupid lady's boots. How was he supposed to sneak around in these? A mu wearing tap shoes would be quieter.

At least this time he didn't have to be quiet.... The person he was going to see was certainly making no effort.

Drake heard footsteps but ignored them. For once, he was completely sure that he wasn't doing anything wrong— the most he could get in trouble for was drinking all the Maphox Tonic, but that was hardly cause for complaint. After how sick he'd been, Drake figured any possible anger would just turn to relief.

Eclipse reached out and opened the kitchen door, and by the time his first footstep inside the room sounded, he was completely in character. He rubbed his eyes as if just woken, and leaned against the doorframe tiredly.

“Drake?” Eclipse asked hoarsely. He was pleased by the effect; it almost made him feel thirsty just from hearing himself. But more importantly, the major change was that it was Queen Marina's voice that was heard.

Drake looked over and smiled, still holding the glass bottle.
“Mommy!” He grinned.
Drake was about to say more when something... rather surprising happened.

Eclipse did not even hesitate. Did not even give a care to the result of what he was about to do to the boy. His only concern was being able to do it convincingly enough.

He screamed.

Not just any scream. A scream in the voice of Queen Marina, even though he doubted that her throat had ever produced such a scream. It was blood curdling. The kind of scream that you read about in books that sent a shiver down the spine of people just able to hear it, and nearly stopped the hearts of people in the same room.

It was so full of anger. So full of blind hatred, that it was sure to have given nightmares to the guards that simply could not wake.

Drake jumped— startled by the horrible scream. His hand involuntarily released the glass bottle, which shattered on the floor in a black mess. Her scream was full of fury and yet fear accompanied it. Her eyes were wide and full of hatred.
Drake half fell, half jumped off the chair he'd been standing on and hurriedly tried to pick up the glass bits.

“I'm sorry!” He kept repeating over and over, trying to figure out what he'd done so wrong.

The fear in her voice got to him... why fear? Hadn't she wanted him to get better?
She... she'd wanted him to get better... at least he thought so.
So why was she screaming like this? Fury, rage, and fear all combined... why?!

For the first time out of training, Eclipse fired a spell at Drake. It was Holy, possibly the most powerful offensive spell Drake’s mother knew, but he made sure to hold back. He couldn't actually cast Holy by himself, his magick was not that type, he had to use a special item. An orb that contained the spell. He then used his magick to counteract the force of the Holy spell. To dull it to about a tenth of its usual strength. Eclipse could easily kill the boy in such a weak state. He didn't want that.

Of course, all this happened in a split second, and the boy, at his young age, would have no idea of what had just happened. A fully trained mage would only notice the weak power, and not realize why. Drake had no chance...

Drake shrieked, completely surprised and was fiercely thrown back, causing the glass he'd been holding to dislodge from his grip and tear at his arms and hands.
His mother kept screaming, cursing the mess now. Drake just kept repeating that he was sorry, that it was OK, he felt better now... she didn't listen.
Drake felt pain in his arms and noticed the cuts were a lot worse than he'd expected, they hurt badly and bled everywhere.

“Please!” he begged. “Help me!”

He cried to her... begged, sobbed... it hurt so bad, he pleaded with her to help him.
And she left.
She left, while he cried out to her, over and over... and he didn't see her look back, not once.

Eclipse had assessed the wounds. They were bleeding pretty badly, he hadn't really meant to hurt the prince that much, but, it could work to his advantage.

As he walked out, he was deciding how long to take to come back... he had wanted to leave him all night, but the cuts needed attention... if Drake died, Eclipse would lose nearly all that he had gained, and his people would never return to full power-- he would never rule this world. Drake was vital to all his plans, but he was never going to let the boy know that... still, he had to be careful when his prince was still so small.

Drake sat there, huddled in a corner, crying and not knowing what to do. He hugged his arms to him, trying to get the pain to stop. He couldn't bring himself to get up and go after her... he couldn't convince himself to go anywhere, so he just sat there wondering what had happened. The nightmares had stopped and he couldn't even remember them, the constant pain, the feeling of being on the brink of death was gone! His vision had cleared, some of his energy had returned, and yet somehow it was all worse now? Shouldn't his mother have been happy? And where was Chaucer? Surely, after such noise someone would have woken up...
Was it him? His mind wondered this. Was he the reason she screamed, did he actually scare her? Had she wanted him sick so he couldn't use his powers, and had secretly feared them all along? Was he that detestable?
His thoughts turned to slight anger.
He'd been doing his best, learning to control the fire, the quakes, everything! He'd done all they asked of him and this was how he was repaid?
Never again... his thoughts whispered, Never trust her. Never again.

Eclipse took his time changing back, and getting into his regular clothes. He even spent a few minutes on his balcony, taking in the seldom seen sight of the tower seeming to be built on a cloud...

Then he headed back down to the kitchen. He strolled in like he had no idea what to expect, then he faked slight shock.

“Drake?” he asked, confused, or so it would seem to anyone.

Drake looked up and saw Eclipse. He said nothing; not knowing what to say, deciding there was no explanation he could give, or simply because his own confusion was too great. For perhaps the first time in his life, he preferred silence rather than ranting about an event he wasn't clear on.

Eclipse sighed, but didn't ask anything. He came into the room, and walked calmly over to Drake, picking up a white towel as he went. The glass cracked as it was crushed under his feet.

Without a word, he began to treat the cuts. You didn't get to be his age without learning how to treat wounds, and fortunately, the boy being as shocked as he was, made him easier to help.

Drake stayed quiet, his bright red eyes watching Eclipse.

“... ... I'm sorry...” he finally whispered.

“What for?” Eclipse asked as he worked.

He had lit some lanterns and was working on picking glass out of the boy's hands. It was delicate work, so he didn't look up as he spoke.

“I must cause problems...” Drake said quietly. “No one can stand being around me...”

Eclipse pulled a small shard of glass carefully out of the boy's palm before speaking.

“That's not true.” he said, and if you didn't know better, you would be sure you heard affection in his voice, “I can stand to be around you. You're just... gifted. They don't understand that.”

“I scare them, don't I?” Drake asked.
A large part of him didn't want to know the answer to that... the other part wanted an answer for what had happened tonight.

“Most people fear those with power, or special abilities.” Eclipse said, matter-of-factly. “But that is their fault, not yours.” He added, while dabbing away the blood of a smaller cut.

Drake looked at the cuts, “Is it bad? It hurts...”

The bleeding seemed to have mostly stopped. At least enough that he could walk without leaving a trail of blood. A quick glance at the clock said that it would be light before long. Eclipse knew that if morning came, his spell on the guards and royals would wear off. He needed to sort this out before then...

Drake waited for an answer, silently.

“You'll be alright,” Eclipse said and gave a slight smile. A very slight smile. “Come on, let's get you back to the tower, we'll finish fixing these there.”

He stood up from the kitchen stool, and went to hold the door open for the boy. Meanwhile, he was slowly allowing the maid in the next room to wake up, while implanting the task in her head. To clean up the glass and blood. She'd do it before she even realized, then probably remember it like a dream, until it was a distant and faded memory.

Drake got up and sidestepped the glass. Walking silently, a trait not usual for him, he followed Eclipse back to the tower.

Eclipse led the boy to and up the tower, making sure to hold all the doors for him. Until eventually, they made it to Drake's rooms. Once inside, Eclipse instructed him to sit in a chair that was in a 'living room' style part of the rooms. It was quite the contradiction; the room was fit for royalty, with red and gold velvet carpets and curtains. Ornate furniture and even a fancy fireplace. Scattered around were various toys, despite several visits from a maid every day.

“Wait here, I am going to go get a doctor.” Eclipse instructed as he turned to leave.

Drake sat down in the red leather chair that rested against one wall. A bookshelf was to his right and an ornate table with a gold pyramid shaped lamp was to his left. A Zemzelett doll and a Yan plushy were in the corner by Drake.

A few of his toys were around, spilling out of the dark oak and gold chest in the corner opposite of him.
A fluffy Mu and a puffy Bandersnatch, a pack of miniature Fangs, a Cactaur and a Feather Circle pillow, an Amdusias figure next to an Axolotl figure, three Behemoth's (one plushy, one wood, and one silver with gemstones of the appropriate colors), a stone Dracozombie was on a little table with a stone Epitaph, on the floor next to it was a plushy Dragonfly, a Gargoyle statue with a glass top made another table holding a three Grand Dragon statues of stone, gold, and oak, there were a few other Grand Dragon plushy toys of varying sizes tossed about along with a griffon or two and about five Red Dragon's that differed from his favorite toy, an Ironite wall banner was hanging over a stone Nymph table which held a Python figure, a shell dragon, and a Serpion doll. In the center of the wood floor was a giant rug with five dragons. A red one, a yellow one, white, green, and blue all surrounding a blood red orb that glowed. He had toy dragons specially designed for him in the same colors. His red dragon was in his room still, he remembered he'd left it there when he'd gotten up.

Eclipse arranged his now short gray hair so it wasn't in his eyes. His gray tunic was too tight, but it would do. The long gray goatee itched a bit, but was an interesting experience. Still, he had no time to waste; he quickly opened a drawer and took out a small blue orb, slipping it into his pocket. A healing spell that he had acquired from the Island.

Then it was back to Drake's room. He moved now with the awkwardness of a person losing the flexibility that they once had. Slow, and with the slightly crooked stature of a man with chronic back problems. He entered the room with a friendly smile lighting up his pale green eyes.

“ A'llo there, Son” He said, his accent rather noticeable, but his voice was friendly.

Drake watched the man with cautious eyes “... hi.”

The 'doctor' saw the boy's look, and smiled warmly. “I'ma Doctar, Yer Adveyeser sent me.”

Adveyeser. Drake snickered inwardly, trying hard to fight the outward smile and losing.

“Righ' then, lets us ava looka tha cuts..” The doctor said, and held out his old hands gently, a clear indication he wanted to see the boy’s hands.

Drake still wasn't too sure about this stranger. He wasn't in a very trusting mood.
Slowly, he held out his hands revealing the wounds.
Oh well... if things get scary I can just burn him, he decided.

When he was injured, he'd noticed, his power worked easier, stronger, fiercer. When he was bleeding, his power doubled...

The man took his hands gently with one hand, and then removed the orb from his pocket with the other. He held it over the boys cut hands and arm, and within moments, a unique type of healing spell was cast. It had the same light that surrounded the boy as Curaga, but was different... and left the scars. It still removed all the pain, though. When it was over, the orb was gone.

Drake watched the blue orb with a fascinated gaze. When it was done, Drake looked at his arms and hands. The pain was completely gone, but the small scars remained, just barely noticeable.
It confused him for a moment. Why should there be scars? There had never been scar before when Marina had used her cure spells.
He was about to say something, but... the scars weren't all that noticeable. In time, he bet they'd go away...

“Thank you...”

“Thar yer go, son. Yer welcome.” The doctor said, and smiled. He stood up slowly, and brushed some silver dust from his hand, where the orb had been.