The Dragon Realms Saga

Koda stood in place with his head lowered, hands pressed against each other, and eyes tightly shut. He replaced the crackling sounds of torches with absolute silence. The silence of shadows. The silence of pierceless darkness. Now, with utter focus, his feet sank into deep umbral pools. A sensation of frigid cold shot up through his legs and stabbed at his chest the further he fell into the puddle.

The cool jet-black liquid sloshed over his cheeks and he instinctively held his breath just as he was completely swallowed.

"Good," his mentor's calm voice echoed around him. "Now open your eyes."

At first, Koda only peeked through one eye. It scanned his surroundings. Walls of descending shadows poured from endless skies and the misty ground cloaked his feet. Wraslyn appeared before him.

"Do not be frightened, my student."

Koda opened both eyes. "Where are we?"

Wraslyn gave him a sweeping gesture. "Welcome to the Shadowverse!"

"Shadow…verse?"

"A universe of pure shadow," said Wraslyn with a nod.

Koda looked around once again. Now more confused than curious. How could Wraslyn know of a plane of just darkness? Did it exist outside the Mortal Realm, such as the Roaming Plane did? And what of a Lightverse? Did that exist too?"

"You may notice that despite the lack of illumination, you could still see perfectly well," explained Wraslyn.

"I do…but…" Koda spun back around to face the vampire. "Where did you find this place?"

Wraslyn slipped him a coy smirk. "It was not found, dear Koda, but made."

Koda widened his eyes. "M-Made?"

Wraslyn clenched his fist. "This world took immense focus and raw Magi to create. This is an entire plane of existence. Without it, I could not maintain it."

"But why is it here?"

"How else would our sanctuary be so securely hidden or how do you think our members could teleport so freely wherever we wish?"

Koda stroked his chin. "The Shadowverse?"

"Yes," Wraslyn answered with a slight chuckle. "And now you can travel here too."

Koda smiled. "Thank you for such an honor, master."

"But," Wraslyn began. "There is another secret to bestow on you."

The elf raised an eyebrow.

"It took me several lifetimes to reach this point in my power." He placed a hand on Koda's chest. "But with my help we shall cut that time in half."

Several lifetimes cut in half would still be too many lifetimes. How long did Wraslyn expect him to live? Afterall, with the original Magi from Nashoon ravaged, his people lost their immortality. At the most he would survive ninety years—if that! Already he lived a quarter of his life. Even Wraslyn, with his seemingly infinite power, could not grant him immortality…unless…

Koda eyed his master's fangs. No, he wouldn't do that. Surely Wraslyn cared too much for well being to make him…that! Didn't he?

He shook his head of such thoughts and let Wraslyn continue.

"It is time you learn how to draw power."

Draw power? Like his grandfather could? He harkened back to Xile's ability to tap into the Aether streams that flowed freely within Nashoon and draw it into a more physical form. Even with his grandfather's control, the Magi appeared too volatile to use.

"With this technique, I was able to weave the raw Magi into this plane, just as Nashoon and the Sunless Forest was created."

Koda scrunched his face. "Nashoon and the Sunless Forest aren't planes."

"No, but they were created with woven raw Magi," Wraslyn elaborated. "How else did you think it sported such a wild source of the Magi?"

"Ruens! Angel God of Magic!"

Wraslyn let out a belly full of laughter. "No, no, Koda. The angels have nothing to do with the Magi.!"

Koda tilted his head. Everything he was taught was a lie? Preposeterous! "Then where does it come from?"

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"The Dragon Realms."

"What?" Koda gasped, "How?"

"Their blood is the Magi," answered Wraslyn.

The Serpent Trench. The Poisonous air! It all clicked in place now. Is dragon blood really Magi in its most purest form? That may explain why he was unable to handle it and why the Dragon Walkers could.

"Are you ready to begin now, Koda?"

Koda raised his hands. "Wait. Is this safe?"

"Fret not, I shall guide you."

Koda let out a deep breath. "Okay. I am ready."

"Close your eyes. Hover your hands toward the ground."

Koda did as instructed.

"Now, concentrate on the shadows as you would bend them with tamed magic."

Easy. Practiced all day mastering his new mage color. For whatever the reason, Black's shadow element came easier than say earth or wind. Koda twisted shadow tendrils around his hands and then between his fingers.

"Good. Now concentrate on the Magi that streams through the shadow," commanded Wraslyn."

The Magi within the shadow? He never thought about the elements themselves containing the Magi. He always assumed his Magi could just control those elements, such as vernal magic or fire magic. He tried all the same. At first he searched for the veins of the shadows with his mind. Imagining them as blood vessels of a man or roots of a tree. His eyes darted beneath his lids, before he opened them. Concentration to see something that he could only imagine—no, he needed his…auravision. Yes, using a small portion of his own Magi to flow through his sight would allow him to see these vessels. These roots.

"Do you see them?"

Koda's eyes burned with a bright blue glow. There they were. Magi. Raw Magi streaming throw the darkness and the blackened waterfalls. It was nearly blinding, but Koda resisted the urge to shut his eyes.

"I do," he said. "I do Master Wraslyn."

"Fantastic! Now draw from it. Draw upon the Magi that forges the very shadows of this world!"

Koda clawed his fingers and tried to absorb the magic. However, he could not. Either through focus or willpower, the Magi did not come when called.

His hands quivered, struggling against the magic's resistance to obey. Finally he collapsed to his knees. "This is impossible. I'm not as strong as you!"

Wraslyn bent down and placed a calm hand on his student's head. "You are nearly there, Koda. I can sense this. You just need a conduit."

Koda raised his head. "Conduit? Like a silver mage's sword?"

Wraslyn clasped his hands together and then slowly pulled them apart. As he did, a long two-handed saber materialized.

Koda gasped in awe. "My ilrune! How? How is it here?"

"The Shadowverse is full of wonders, isn't it?"

Koda took the blade out of Wraslyn's hands and rose to his feet. He twirled and flourished it before rasing it to his eyes. Beautiful. Still as beautiful when it was first given to him.

Koda let out a long sigh and dropped the sword down to his side. "You said Arrelion's methods were not the way to mastering the Magi.Now you ask me to use silver magic?"

"It is true that my brother created silver magic as a crutch to match my own skill, but if you need this same crutch to walk, I suppose there is even a reason for his teachings too."

"Wait," Koda shook his head, hawking at the revelation. "Your brother is Arrelion and he was the one to create blade channeling?"

"We are not brothers by blood, but we are still family; foster brothers if you will," Wraslyn explained. He chuckled and recited part of a poem,

"Soon he found himself as a provider

Raising two orphans who he needed him so

Happy to feed them warm meals and hot cider

But soon one of them had to go"

"A poem?" asked Koda. "Is it about you?"

"No. Nothing but an old rhyme." He assisted Koda with raising his sword and positioning the young elf properly. "Now draw the essence of the Shadowverse and make the power your own!"

First through my feet, then down my arms. Lastly, into my blade.

The ground cracked and buckled underneath the power exuding from the wavering shadow magic. Specks Magi, no larger than dust, twinkled in the air. They flowed sluggishly into Koda's glowing ilrune.

"Yes! Good!" Wraslyn exclaimed. "Keep concentrating, don't lose focus."

Koda's blade vibrated as sweat dripped down his chin and soaked his grip. He clenched his teeth, his eyes tightened under the increased strain.

"Keep going! You are so close!" cried the vampire.

Shards of darkness raised from floated and hovered level with Koda's head. Shafts of light magenta light exploded all around him. He let out a scream of sheer intensity. The sword dropped in a loud clatter. Like a broken dam, shadow and light poured from the blade.

Koda swayed back and dropped to the ground. He heaved out his words with labored breaths. "I-I can't. The p-power is too great…"

Wraslyn narrowed his eyes. "Up."

Koda rolled to his feet, disappointment written on his face. He bit his lip and clenched his fists. "I am sorry master. I failed you."

Wasly commanded a wisp of shadow to raise and offer the ilrune back to Koda.

"Nonsense. We shall try again once you are ready to."

Koda bowed. "Yes, Master."

***

The chamber warped and ebbed as Koda and Wraslyn stepped out of a shadow portal. Wraslyn turned to his student. "Off now. Find the Collector, I am sure he has a task for you."

He waited for Koda to nod and walk out his chamber before calling his two servants into the room.

"You wished to see us, Master Wraslyn," Sable said.

He paced around the runewriter and demon as he spoke. "It is time for you to retrieve Thell Yol'Roth O'blivis for me.

"The Skyripple?" asked Calsoon.

"Find the diamond key and bring me the lance," Wraslyn finished.

"Where might we find it, my lord? Sable glanced at Calsoon who raised a brow. "The other four keys took you a lifetime to gather."

"There is a man called Shady McGee. He knows the location of the final key."

"Shady McGee," Calsoon snorted. "With a name like that, he must be a buffoon!"

Wraslyn ignored the demon's comment. "Get it done."