Last tale from Gaia, Chapter 2

Last Tale from Gaia
Chapter 2
First step out


A vein of magma was slowly flowing like a small river. A young man was gazing at the stream of molten rock. He has been looking at it for as long as he can remember, but it as always marveled him. How solid stone can be liquid? He was asking himself. He often raised this question to the elders, but all he got was: it’s because it’s really hot. But this answer was not enough for him; he wanted to know more about how the world works. There was something that was pulling on is mind too, he wanted to touch the magma, to feel how warm it is. From the distance he was from it, he was sensing a warm heat enlacing his body. He laid back and closed his eyes. He was not even keeping a hand on his old and rusty sword to be on guard; there was nothing to be on guard against. Life was pretty boring under the crust of Gaia. He lived there since he was born, and now the only thing that was on is mind was the hot magma that is flowing next to him. He knows that he cannot go outside this place, he know the real danger that is waiting for him if he puts his nose out of this place. But as long as he stays hidden here, there will be no problem and his only purpose in life is to keep the gift they were given at the moment of evolution; the gift of magic. The young man is a Dragonnian. For him, it was not enough; he wanted some excitement. Each day, he and the other young Dragonnians were gathered to train their magical power and fighting techniques. But he could not see the point of all this, there was nothing to fight against. He never felt the soft wind or the comfort of the day star on his skin, only the suffocating heat of the underground.

He was still on the ground as he felt the vibration of footsteps coming toward him when he heard someone scream.

-Young man, you are in a lot of troubles!

He opened one eye and saw one of the elders coming right up to him. The elder continued.

-You are still supposed to be in class now, what are you doing of your training it’s really important. Stop day dreaming.

-But I’m already strong and I don’t see how becoming stronger is going to help us. It’s not today that the wise dragons are going to change their mind about us and be willing to let us live outside.

-We never know. And what if they find out where we are, they will attack us and kill each one of us if we don’t protect ourselves.

-Protect? How can we protect ourselves against giant, magic mastering lizards…?

-Don’t lose hope boy, there is always hope if you trust yourself.

-Well I just hope that one day I can finally get out of here and have a real life.

-Just continue your training like everyone, ok?

-Ok but don’t blame me when these other students of yours are going to be hurt, because today I don’t intend to hold of my powers.  

-Ha-ha, well maybe you are one of the strongest in my class, but just don’t think life outside is going to be that easy.

-Well, maybe I want to know what is waiting for me outside. I don’t know why but theses last few days, it’s like a part of my own brain is pulling me to go outside, like I actually have something to do there.

-Come now, we don’t want to make the other students wait for your might any longer, don’t we?

The young Dragonnian got on his feet and followed the elder back to the class. There was about five other young Dragonnians in the room with a teacher. They live in a small village, there are around thirty in total. And the only sources of light are the magma veins that are spreading around the houses.

They entered the class, while a female Dragonnian was showing techniques to the students she stopped and without looking she said.

-So Dojen, did you found him?

The elder raised an eyebrow and said.

-Erion, you were always the first to look around when you were young, don’t tell me you lost this handy habit.

The female Dragonnian turned to look at his interlocutor and quickly she bowed.

-Excuse me lord Soran, I thought it was Dojen who was bringing back Huldar.

-As a matter of fact, I’m bringing him. I found him near de magma stream. I leave him to you now, I’ll advise Dojen that Huldar wad found now.

The training session continued without any stories, except the fact the Huldar was more decided then usual. He was trying hard, may be a little too hard. The end of the day arrived, or more precisely, at the moment it was said that it was time to go to sleep; because it is impossible for then to tell when it’s day or night. All the six young Dragonnians where gathered inside the dorm. The youngs don’t know who their parents really are, because some of them died while they exited the underground to scout the surface. They decided it was more suitable for them to place all the youngs together so they can learn from each other and encourage themselves. But there is always this spirit of competition between these Dragonnians; because there is nothing else to fight against. Because they are always trained to fight, they sometimes end up fighting each other to know who is the strongest. But Huldar couldn’t care much about that, he is the oldest of this group and the one with the highest magical and physical power. He just leave the five others fight each other, and when one of them decides challenge him, he just ignore him.

The governing element of a Dragonnian determinate the color of his scales, Huldar knows that from his magic class. But there is one thing that keeps him guessing; he saw Dragonnians that were dark red, expressing fire, and with all the magma around, he know what fire is, he saw some that were, dark brown, representing ground, pretty simple to imagine, he also know one that is dark bleu, representing water, that, he drink each day, still simple, there is also the lord who is dark gray, expressing the wind element, and each time he breath he realise what wind is. In the same order of idea, he learned about the black and the white dragons in class. He never saw any, but he realized while watching the dark corner of the cavers and looking at the light that was produced by the magma veins what they were all about. But when he looks at himself, covered with theses light blue and blue scales, he doesn’t understand from where they can be coming from. He asked lord Soran about them and he said that the only thing he ever saw that could be the answer is something called lightning. But Huldar never saw any lightning since the beginning of his underground life, and so he was not able to understand it.

The six young Dragonnians where sitting together in the middle of a small room, there was some sheets on the ground and some pillow too, one of the younger male was telling a horror story about wise dragons attacking poor and defenceless Dragonnians, the two female Dragonnians where hiding under their sheet, the two other males where shaking of anticipation to know what was going to happen next, and Huldar was laying on his back trying not to laugh. He closed his eyes and pictured himself killing a wise dragon and ending their tyranny they are exerting over his race, using this strange power he don’t know, lightning. In his head, he was only looking at the wise dragon and only by thinking at the word lightning, the dragon died.

The next day, he was not able to resist, after training he when strait to the lord’s house, he wanted to know more about lightning. He ran al the way to his house and when he met him, he asked all in the same breath.

-Tel me more about the light thing!

Soran jumped in the air and charged a sphere of mana ready to explode in the face anyone attacking him.

-Don’t do that, you almost made me kill you.

Huldar, lowered his head while Soran made the magic sphere disappear in thing air.

-Hum… I’m really sorry, but I want to know more about this light thing.

Soran sat at a chair and let his head fall into his hands. He tried to take speak slowly and to keep his calm in his tone.

-Huldar, I thought I already answered that, first it’s called lightning, and second, I don’t know much my self, but all I can say is that it’s not a primary state of magic like the four elements, and it’s not an alignment magic. I think it some kind of precise balance between some states, but I don’t know which.

-Really, ah I can’t stand this; I’ll never be able to use my full power if I can’t use my own element. If I don’t know the state of what it supposed to do there is absolutely no chance to find out. Can’t we go out? I’ll follow you to the surface and you will show it to me, I’m sure I can figure out something.

Soran looked like he was upset with what Huldar just said.

-Huldar, don’t be a fool, we sealed the exits so no one will never find us, and we can’t just go out like that, I said it numerous times, even if you want to, there is nothing for you there. Just live.

Huldar was angry at what Soran just said.

-I don’t want to live this life anymore, I hate it. I just can’t stand doing nothing when I could be trying to help our specie.

-You can’t do it, even for me, the wise dragons are too powerful. Listen boy, just stop talk about that, if you don’t stop I’ll have to remove you from the dorm. You will give bad idea to the other children.

Huldar turned, facing the door he took a few steps, but Soran continued speaking.

-Did I make my self clear?

Huldar used a small voice.

-Yes Lord Soran, very clear.

Than, the young Dragonnian exited the lord’s house, he got back to the dorm and felt asleep almost immediately. He made a strange dream; he was standing in the dark, when two eyes began to glow on the roof of the big cavern that contains his village. There was some waves in the air, they grabbed him by the limbs and pulled. He passed trough the roof and found himself surrounded by light, everything was white.

He woke up, quickly exited the dorm, he did not even notice that it was really early; the light is always at the same intensity in the cave. He looked at the roof, but there was nothing. He could not figure out was happened this night. During the training time, he had trouble focusing; he was even thrown to the ground by one of the younger Dragonnians. He was not able to figure out anything and he finally decided that it was just a bad dream. There was nothing to worry about.

After the training, he went to the spot where he looks at the magma stream, but there was Soran, Dojen, and some other older Dragonnians already there. Huldar approached and asked what was going on.

Soran explained.

-Look Huldar, look at the stream. Don’t you see anything unusual about it?

Huldar approached more and looked at the magma, ha was surprised by what he saw.

-Yes I see, the flow stopped, and the level of magma... it's higher than usual.

Soran smiled.

-I wanted to be sure about that, and you are the one who passes the most time around here, so you just confirmed my worries.

Huldar was stunned.

-Is there something wrong with that? Why are you worried?

-The problem is that when magma stops, it has nowhere to go, and then the level raises and pressure is going to build up… until well… the pressure is strong enough to break out.

-So? There is no problem, it will just return to how it was before, no?

-Hum… well that’s a possibility. But this is only truth if what is blocking the way is weaker than the ground and the walls of the cavern.

-You mean…?

-Yes, the cavern will collapse, sadly.

Huldar, felt terrified.

-Is there anything we can do?

-If we knew what was blocking the way, we could try to remove it, but it’s under the magma, and we cannot go under and see for ourselves. We don’t even know where the blockage is.

Dojen turned toward them and said.

-We can still try to localize it.

He putted a hand on the ground and began to charge mana. Huldar was carefully examining how Dojen was using this psychic state magic. Using his mana, Dojen was probing the ground, trying to feel his surrounding with his magic powers.

Dojen felt on his back and said.

-Nothing, there is nothing I can feel around here. It must be really far from here. I have no idea what can do this.

-We can still take a chance and wait, maybe it just nothing to worry about. It’s possible it will pass with time.

Soran charged some mana and made a mark a large rock that was on the ground.

-However, if the magma to hit this height, we will have no other choice than to be going elsewhere, the chances that the blockage fall will be too thin to risk it. Dojen, I leave you the task of warning everyone of what is happening here, there is no time to lose. It kills me to say it, but we may have to leave.

By the end of daytime everyone in the village knew about the danger and an emergency escape plan was now in session.

Huldar went all the way up to a hole that was pouring magma into the stream. He thought that if it could be sealed, the magma would be raising slower. But he had no idea how to do that, he was not strong enough to stop the magma from flowing. He than made the same thing Dojen did earlier. He sat and putted his hand on the ground. He used mana to peek around; trying to find holes or something that would feel like a week spot near the hole. But there was nothing, the heat hardened the stone to be as hard as steel. He decided to return to the village, it was still far but he noticed that the magma was still rising. When he walked near the point where Soran made the mark on the rock, there was magma over it, and it was more than a few fingers over it. He felt some sort of vibration in the ground; he closed his eyes and tried to feel from where they were coming from. He was not able to put a finger on where, and it was because everything was shaking. The rocks that were forming the floor started to crack, even some boulder from the roof felt down. He started to run toward the village, he could not see any other Dragonnian. The village was empty. He entered the village and passing around a house he saw Erion. She was looking in each house using their doors or windows. When she saw Huldar it was like someone just removed a boulder from her back.

-There you are, I looked all over for you!

-Where are the others?

-They are going to the exit, but I decided to stay behind, we could not go without you. And there is still another young one missing. The young girl with red scales, you know who I’m talking about?

-Kalltia? You mean she is not with the others?

-Exactly! She is nowhere to be found. You know her better than me; you lived in the same dorm. Do you know where she can be?

-Hum... good question. She where always amazed by magma. It is a manifestation of her main element. But I was coming back from the main stream and she was not there.

-Oh… I just hope she did not fell into the molten rocks… It would be terrible.

The ground made another quick vibration. The floor opened and magma began to run trough the cracks. Huldar climbed on the top of a house and gave a hand to Erion to join him. Huldar said.

-I’ll help you look for her, I think I know where she his. It is truth that she likes magma, but only when it a really small vein or a little pond. So she might have gone the other side of the village. Follow me, will use the roof.

-Ok, I hope you are right, poor girl…

They traveled to the other side of the village, evading the boulders that were falling from the top of the cave.

Finally on the other side, Erion found Kalltia, she was crying next to a small vein of magma. Erion pointed her to Huldar and said.

-You were right, look she is over there.

-Thank the giver, she is not hurt.

Erion approached her and asked.

-Why did you come here? You where supposed to go with the others.

Kalltia dried her eyes in her hand and, trying not to cry she said.

-I don’t want to go! Why magma is mean to us? Why?

Huldar tapped on Erion’s shoulder and alerted.

-We don’t have time. If Soran is right, the pressure is going to make this cave collapse anytime now. We have to go.

Huldar grabbed Kalltia by the hips and held her like she was a baby. She cried.

-Huldar, please leave me alone, I don’t want to go.

At these words, he realized that, yes, he was finally going somewhere, and this last half hour was the best in his life, it was exiting, and the feeling of doing something important was making him stronger in his mind.

The ground was still shaking and the level of magma was now really high. They climbed back on top of a house and they started to go as fast as they could. Huldar was a little slower because he was carrying the young girl. Erion took a few steps ahead when they were finally approaching the tunnel for exiting. They were able to see everyone of the village cheering for them. Erion jumped two houses ahead of Huldar, when one of them collapsed, there was no way around. Huldar was stuck on the other side with Kalltia.

Erion turned back and was then terrified by the situation. She looked at Huldar and screamed.

-Don’t even try to jump, it’s too far.

Huldar stopped. The houses where small with a lot of spaces between them and counting the one missing they were only four houses away from the tunnel. The heat was getting up and so was the tension. Kalltia looked at Huldar and said with tears in her eyes.

-Huldar... are we… going to die?

-Kalltia, thrust me on this one. You are not dying today, not with what we just passed trough, and it will not have been a useless effort.

He grabbed the girl by the back and threw her in the air. When Erion saw what Huldar just did she began to scream.

-NO! Huldar, she won’t get here, she is going to fall in the magma!

Huldar focused a short moment. He gathered his mana and said.

-I haven’t said my last word, she is going to live.

Huldar launched a massive ball of mana that enlaced Kalltia and made her flew to the other side. She landed in Erion’s arms. The female dragonnian then screamed.

-Huldar, can’t you make the same thing with you?

-Sorry but I’m too heavy and I just used too much mana for her, you’ll have to leave me here. I’ll fond something…

And than he said with a small voice that only he could hear.

-I hope.

Soran approached and then screamed to Huldar, trying to cover the sound of the magma and the tremors.

-Huldar, don’t lose your time, I can’t help you with my magic, you are too far, but there is a second exit, it’s the other side of the village. You will have to climb the tall pillars to gain access to the tunnel, and the end of the tunnel is sealed with a rock, you’ll have to think of something. You can do it, I know you can. But one last thing, and it’s the most important, remember this; don’t open your eyes once outside, or you will die. You will die, do you hear me!

The thought of dying terrified Huldar. He wanted to get out and at last live the life he always wanted. So he turned around, but just before going he looked over his shoulder. There was, just the other side of the flow of magma, everyone he ever knew in his life. People he may never see again. He jumped from one house to another, trying not to fall into the volcanic liquid. Some houses were missing from their emplacement and he had to take other path than the strait line. It felt like it has been doing this for ever, and the pillars were still far.

Huldar was thinking about life and excitement, this is the kind of life he wants. Not to be sure if you will wake up later, or just die. He was dreaming, if only everyday could be just like this one.

He reached the pillars, they were not really hard to climb, using the few mana he had left he were able to carve some holes in the rock to help him. When he reached the top, the magma was now attacking the base of the pillars. He reached for the tunnel entrance and grabbed at its base, he then pulled himself inside.

It was the channel is used to gather water for the village. The tunnel was disgusting, it was wet and some kind of moss was growing all around it. He reached the top, composing with the odors and the sensation of shaking ground all around him. He heard a massive collapsing noise. The cave must have finish crumbling.

He knocked his on something hard. He felt like it was the rock that was sealing the exit. But the first thing first, he had to find a way to get it out of the hole. He passed his hand around the boulder. He felt water passing under the rock and air passing over at that point he knew that the boulder was not completely underwater, that was a very good thing because he don’t know what swimming means.

He then sat and started to focus. He would need more mana if he wants to move that rock. He could hear the magma level that was still rising, he began to be afraid for his life. He practiced enough to know that he only had a little mana left and he could only have one shot at this, it just had to work. He looked downward to the tunnel; he began to see a red light reaching for him. The magma was burning the moss and evaporating the water, making steam that was now heating up the portion of the tunnel Huldar was in.

He spoke to himself with a strong willed voice.

-OK! It’s now or never. Show me what you got.

He turned around and slapped the palm of his hands on the rock. He though about it one last time, and he told himself.

-Now I close my eyes to never open them again. I won’t see the world, but it will see me, it will respect me.

He closed his eyes, he could almost see the different state of magic that he knows spinning in his head, but he did not waned any of these. He was only using psychic magic, the most easy to use, the magic that only moves matters, and the one that uses the less mana. He sent it all inside the rock, pushing with all his muscles, all of his mind at the same time. The rock moved from its site. When he felt that the rock was now out of the tunnel, he let all go and jumped out of the way, the boulder felled back in hole. He was about to open his eyes, but he restrained himself, returning to his mind the last words of lord Soran.

He was still feeling the ground shaking under his feet. He had a feeling that if he staid here he would be in danger. He started running, his eyes still closed, and id didn’t took three steps before hitting something hard.

-OW! What is that thing… AH, it hurts…

Huldar lost conscience after a few seconds.

When he woke up, his eyes opened by their selves, for the first time of his life, he saw the sky. It was the night; he was able to see the starts for the first time. He was looking at the horizon, and in his head, a single line was standing, a full world to explore.

He then realized that he was actually looking with his eyes, but he was not dead, or was he? Everything was mess-up in his head. But he knew he survived. He got on his feet and thought.

-Well… I think I should try to find the rest of the village.

But at this very moment, it was like he was stroke right in the back of the head by an unknown force. He turned around but there was nothing.

-What is that? It’s the same thing that was harassing me, that was pulling me to get out of the cavern. It’s stronger than me I have to know what this is.

He forgot to go see his family. He went the other way, the way that his destiny chosen for him. A few hours later, the daystar showed its face. At first sight, Huldar felt like something was burning his eyes off right out from his skull. He realized what Soran meant by dying, he wanted to protect his eyes from the orb of fire.

After some time, he was able to open his eyes and to look around with no problems, as long as he did not look at this glowing yellow orb. He was looking around him; he could see a million things he never saw before. He always thought he was intelligent, but now, in this new world, there will be so much more to learn. But first he had to find some way to hide his identity, in the cavern the temperature was high and they were all Dragonnians so they did not fear to show their scale. But here, the air is chilly and some people might want to hurt him, or even worst, if he falls on a wise dragon, he would be done for.


He closed his eyes and focused on that strange feeling that was pulling on him. He felt it again, he was able to evaluate the exact direction to take and he followed it, and this time he was sure to keep his eyes open, and his spirit open too.