Chapter 2
Lord Vilka, guardian of the slumbering isles, was bored.
He held a rock between his hands, manipulating it lightly between his fingers.
Slowly it was starting to change color and form, dull stone turning to brilliant gem.
He was bringing it into being using the powers all dragons had to manipulate the physical structure of the substance.
When it was finally all a bright uniform blue, he tossed it over his shoulder into the growing pile of precious stones in the corner of the room.
His war chamber, a room that had never once been used for anything remotely resembling war since the fortress was first built, was beginning to grow cluttered with the hobby he kept himself occupied with.
He reached for another plain stone, held it up to his eyes, and wondered idly what he might make this time.
Ruby, perhaps. As his fingers set to work on the stone, he gazed out the window and sighed a deep rumbling sigh.
His posting was allegedly a highly honored one, but though he had distinguished himself in the warrior trials and earned his status many decades ahead of most other dragons, he was being sidelined having been given command of the most remote post possible, a post that looked out over the remnants of the last great war and little else.
There were no homes here, no civilization of any kind, just Vilka and a hundred and one hotheaded warriors.
Hunting was the preferred pastime, hunting and training for a war that in all likelihood would never come.
His father had been privileged enough to see true battle, but Vilka was beginning to think his mettle would never be tested that way.
The single greatest challenge he had was managing his warriors, all of whom felt as he did, whose blood ran hot with dragon fire, and whose natural instinct for battle had distinguished them as creatures best suited for the furthest reaches of the empire.
Delinquents, that was what they were, and he was their king.
“M’lord!” A voice came from somewhere behind him. “I bring news!”
Vilka answered without turning around. “What is it? Are the men restless? Do we need to announce another round of sky battles, Erias?”
“It is an infinitely more pressing matter, my lord.”
Vilka turned to look at Erias with a raised brow. There was something in the man’s tone that held excitement. Erias was never excited. He thought it beneath him.
Erias was the most steady of all those under Vilka’s command, which was why he had made him his second.
Unlike most of the men who had been deployed for various disciplinary incidents, Erias had volunteered for the post. He was a deep and devout believer that the slumbering world eaters would soon emerge, an obsessive with his old scrolls, scripts, and tablets.
If he had not been the second ranking officer in the fort he would no doubt have come in for a great deal of teasing.
As it was, he commanded a certain amount of respect even though he was relatively young compared to Vilka.
Erias was built on a smaller, sleeker scale in both his dragon and human forms. He was dark-haired and dark-eyed and usually smiled easily, especially if he got onto one of his favorite subjects. He was almost beaming now.
“What is it?”
“Yvor and Grail claim to have seen a human emerge into the northern field below the slumbering mountain while they were practicing aerial maneuvers.”
Lord Vilka let out a snort. “Had they been drinking?”
“No, sir. I verified their reports before bringing them to you, of course. Reckless guard chatter is of no interest to you. But both men are in good standing and high esteem. They investigated, saw the human at close quarters and say that it ran back to a very small portal which closed before they could capture it.”
Vilka tapped his fingers thoughtfully against the desk. “It’s not possible for humans to walk in our realm. They are prone to illness.”
“I know, sir,” Erias said. “But at one time it was not possible for there to be any gateways between the realms either, and that changed. It could be that a human has found a way through.”
“It was just one human?”
“Just one, a young female according to the guards. They say she did not seem to be armed, or interested in conflict. She fled as soon as she became aware that contact was imminent, into an area which they described as a dark little hole.”
“We cannot have young female humans creeping about our fields, can we,” Vilka said thoughtfully.
“If I have learned anything about human qualities at all, it is that they are persistent. If this human was able to enter and leave, she will likely return. Perhaps with other humans. It is imperative we do not allow our borders to be breached. The second war of the worlds could take place here if it is.”
“Yes, sir,” Erias agreed. “Human capacities cannot be assumed, they develop quickly, even in their stunted world.”
“This fortress is now on a war footing,” Vilka declared. “Put the field under constant surveillance. If another great tear is to be made in our world, it could be the last.”
“The sleeping mountain…” Erias said. “If the humans were to awaken a world eater…”
“They would realize the error of their ways too late to do anything about it,” Vilka nodded. “I think this is it, Erias. The winds of destiny are rising.”
This was what they had all been waiting for. A second breach. History was upon them and they could both feel it.
“Sound the horns, Erias, I will brief the men.”