Rise of the Dragon Sovereign

Chapter 5: In The Name of Bellion

Ward looked around, but all he could see was the gloom of the grey void, it was like being trapped in mist. Then, all of a sudden, three eyes lit up in the distance like spotlights, shining down at him. Ward noted that he was in his previous form, his human body.

"I HAVE BEEN WAITING THIRTEEN YEARS FOR THIS MOMENT!" the voice boomed as a dark shape took form around the three spotlight eyes. "EVER SINCE I SENSED YOUR SOUL ENTER OUR WORLD, I KNEW THIS MEETING WAS INEVITABLE!"

"And, um, who am I speaking with?" Ward asked, he wasn't sure who or what was before him, but he could feel its power throughout this place

From the gloom, the largest dragon Ward had ever seen appeared. It was massive, easily as big as several city blocks, with jet black scales with blood red markings and golden horns and spikes. Astonishingly, upon closer inspection, it appeared to be an impossibly complex automaton, a configuration of mechanisms all amalgamated into the life-like draconic form before him. A bright golden glow emanated from within it, visible from the many tiny gaps in its intricately layered armor-like carapace. Its three golden eyes revealed an intellect and wisdom far beyond his own and untold years of experience. This was a true living machine in every sense of the word.

"APOLOGIES," the dragon said, bowing its long serpentine neck, "I AM BELLION, THE DEVA OF CELESTIAL LAW, TRUE DRAGON KING, AND LORD OF THE PRIMORDIAL LANDS."

The void around them shifted and transformed into the Gravelands, only vastly different. The land was a volcanic activity, and the Sacred Pyre caldera was a massive cauldron of magma which flowed from in massive rivers all throughout the land. There were also dozens of other dragon automata in many shapes and sizes roaming about. It occurred to Ward that from how their bodies shimmered, they may have been made of Orichalcum.

"You are the great dragon," Ward realized, bowing his head in respect towards the black dragon before him,

"WE DEVA WERE THE FIRST BEINGS CREATED ON THIS WORLD BY THE OUTER GODS, OUR ROLE WAS TO ESTABLISH THE WORKINGS OF THE WORLD FOR THE LATER BEINGS TO COME FORTH. WE WERE BEINGS OF PRIMORDIAL CREATION, AND AS SUCH WIELDED TREMENDOUS POWER."

As Bellion spoke, the plane around them reflected its words.

"WE KEPT THE BALANCE OF ORDER AND CHAOS IN THIS WORLD, AS DICTATED TO US BY OUR CREATORS, AND WHEN THE LOWER BEINGS BEGAN TO EMERGE, WE TOOK UP THE ROLE AS THEIR GUARDIANS AND CUSTODIANS. THOUGH, AS THESE LOWER BEINGS LEARNED FROM US, THEY BEGAN TO REVERE US AND SOMETHING... CHANGED." Bellion recounted, "THE LOWER BEINGS BEGAN TO VIEW US AS GODS OURSELVES, AND SOME OF US BEGAN TO AGREE WITH THEM."

"But to a lower being, you would be the closest thing to a god they knew of,"

Bellion looked down at Ward, "TO AN ORDINARY LOWER BEING, YES. HOWEVER, YOU HAVE MET AN OUTER GOD BEFORE, YES?"

All of a sudden, Bellion vanished in a puff of mist, now replaced with the likeness of Idris ward had seen before

"YOU REFERRED TO IT AS 'IDRIS'?" Bellion's gravely male voice said, coming from Idris' mouth,

"Wow, that is weird," Ward commented

"WHILE WE DEVAS WERE THE EPITOME OF POWER IN THIS WORLD, WE WERE NOT GODS, WE WERE FUNCTIONS OF THE GRAND DESIGN. TO ASPIRE TO BE MORE WAS TO GO AGAINST OUR PURPOSE." Bellion continued as the scene changed again, "HOWEVER, SOME OF US WERE NOT SATISFIED WITH OUR PURPOSE AND SOUGHT MORE, THEY SOUGHT TO BECOME THE VERY GODS THE LOWER BEINGS SAW US AS."

"That doesn't sound like a good idea,"

"IT WASN'T." Bellion said, as the scene shifted to see dragons fighting one another, "THEY DESIRED TO ASCEND BEYOND WHAT WE ARE AND TAKE THE FRAGMENT OF INFINITY --THE SPARK OF CREATION THAT SPAWNED US ALL— TO FUEL THEIR APOTHEOSIS. BUT THE REST OF US STOOD AGAINST THEM, A TERRIBLE WAR BROKE OUT BETWEEN US, A WAR WHICH NEARLY BROUGHT ALL OF CREATION TO RUIN. IT BROKE MY HEART TO SEE MY BRETHREN FIGHT ONE ANOTHER, SLAY ONE ANOTHER, FOR I UNDERSTOOD THE IDEALS OF BOTH SIDES, AND SO COULD NOT SIDE WITH EITHER, BUT I HAD TO STOP THE FIGHTING."