The Enchanted Realm: At Journey's End

Attempt at Redemption

 Orion stood before the cavern. His foot hovered over the edge. With his sword in one hand, shield in the other, Orion was ready to face the dragon. He had vanquished one before. He could do it again. But why did he kill it? It was probably a lone mother, trying to raise its young to fly across the Enchanted Realm. Orion only wondered why he wanted to kill another dragon. He didn't have to mindlessly murder this one. He could tame it, teach it to aid him in battle. But Orion knew that this would be his last adventure. He had one chance. And this was it. Orion sheathed his sword, putting his shield on his back. He climbed into the hole, dropping right into the nest of the dragon. The dragon refused to wake up. Orion got onto his feet, taking off his helmet. He unclipped his sword from his side, setting it into the nest. Now, he only had his shield made of wood and leather. Then Orion saw it. A dragon egg, the size of him. Orion slowly set his hand on the egg. "I nearly killed you..." He whispered. "I'm sorry." Orion's head turned to the sleeping dragon. He carefully stepped toward it, reaching his hand out.

The dragon's eyes shot open, and it rose, towering over Orion. The teen felt something he hadn't felt in a long time. Fear. Orion fell on his back, seeing his sword laying beside him. A part of him wanted to reach for it. Orion rolled over, getting onto his feet as he spun around to face the dragon. He took his shield, putting it before him. "Can't we just...talk about this?" Orion felt stupid for asking that question to the likes of a dragon about to burn him alive. The dragon growled. "Or not." Orion began to walk backwards, avoiding touching the eggs as he attempted to escape the nest. He found the gaping hole he made in the mountain wall a day earlier. Orion ran as fast as he could, but the dragon was faster. It grabbed Orion with its talons, breaking through the mountain as it flew off into the distance. Orion always wanted to fly, but this wasn't how he imagined it. "What's your plan? Drop me over the ocean? Let me drown out at sea?" Orion called, his body trapped in the dragon's talons. The dragon growled lowly again. "Is that all you answer with-" Orion was suddenly dropped. "I regret saying that!" He yelled as he careened towards the ocean. But something caught him. Orion nearly rolled off the side of it. He opened his eyes when he realized that he was on the back of the dragon. Orion looked up, seeing the dragon effortlessly glide over the blue ocean. It began to swerve upward, taking flight again. Orion saw the wound he made with his sword the day earlier. Dried blood slowly creeped down its neck. Orion could only watch as the dragon flew across the world. "Hey, I forgive you. I understand why you took me." Orion spoke to the dragon. "You thought I was hurting your babies. I know. It's what mothers do right? Take care of their young, until they're ready to fly?" Orion felt like he was talking to someone, instead of the dragon. "The reason I came back was because I wanted to...at first, I wanted to kill you. But then, I realized that...you don't deserve death. No one does. So, I came to apologize." The dragon huffed softly, continuing to glide across the entirety of the Enchanted Realm.

But then, Orion heard something. The sound of water falling. Orion peered over the side of the dragon, and saw it. Water, falling right off the edge of the Realm. The dragon began to dive down, past the waterfall, and into what Orion thought was either a void or space. But it was none of those things. It was another world. Specifically, the rest of the Enchanted Realm. "Wait, wait, wait. The Enchanted Realm is a floating island?" Orion exclaimed in amazement. The dragon flew above the vast, uncharted world, with Orion seeing amazement everywhere. The Realm was nothing like he ever thought. Cities of technology rose tall, but not as tall as the floating island he previously thought was the entire Realm. "All this time, I thought that all this had never happened." Orion told himself. "For four years, I thought all this never existed!" Orion exclaimed. "This changes everything!" The dragon flew above the cities, soon flying back to the floating island.

...

The Enchanted Realm is much bigger than I could've thought. Orion wrote in the leather-bound journal. At first, I thought it was just two continents surrounded by ocean. Now I realize it's much more than that. There's an entire planet down there. This Realm I've been exploring is just a large floating island. And the world down there is far more advanced than this one is. Heck, they might be more advanced than my world. That said, I still need to find a way back, without the Commander.

"You've been stuck in that book for nearly an hour." Moonlight chuckled.

"Moonlight, there's another world down there. A whole uncharted world. This place, it's a floating island! Down there, you wouldn't believe the technology they have!" Orion seemed so excited about it. He hadn't felt that excited since he first discovered the Enchanted Realm.

"Do you think Eclipse is down there?" Moonlight inquired. Orion took his head out of the journal.

"She might be..." Orion answered. There seemed to be something weighing on his mind.

"Orion, you okay? You look like you have to say something."

"Moonlight...at first I thought this place was a fantasy. A home away from home, where I could think of things and they'd happen." He began. "But, after the raiders..."

"After the raiders...what happened?"

"Moonlight, you're not the last of your kind. There are more, but they're all enslaved or missing. I-we can't save them all. You could be hunted down. You could be killed, Moonlight. I don't want that happening to you."

"What are you saying?"

"I want you to come back with me!" Orion exclaimed. "It's not safe here! It's never safe here!" Tears began to form in his eyes. "I already lost everyone else. I don't want to lose you, too."

"Orion..." Moonlight sighed. She hugged him tightly. "You don't have to worry about me. I've survived on my own for seventeen years."

"But I still worry..." Orion nearly broke down. "I don't want to lose you. I want you to come with me."

"And you can't lose me. Orion, I've always wanted to see your world. Of course I'll come back with you. After all, someone has to make sure you don't lose your cool." Moonlight's fingers ran through his hair. "Now, come on. Let's go find a Legend."