The Dragons' Crystal

Chapter Eleven

After Darius had caught his breath, he slumped further against the tree. "I'm sorry you had to find out like that. I couldn't see any other solution. I wasn't expecting there to be so many." He pushed his hair out of his face, briefly pausing to glance up at me. He smiled, though I could tell he was nervous. 

"I don't understand. Everyone back at camp was so open about their past and their abilities. Why wouldn't you let them tell me?" I tilted my head, recalling the night at the bonfire. He had interrupted Dove. I suppose there wasn't much time after that for him to explain, but he could have also said something when he first brought me to camp and I met Dove, Finn, and Genevieve. Was there something he was ashamed of? Frightened of? I was just a normal person. What was there to hide from me?

"I'm not currently proud of what I am. I am the only dragon that lives here on Earth, that I know of." He admitted with a shrug, laughing afterwards. "I ran away from home. That's a good way of putting it." Darius glanced around, motioning towards a fallen log nearby. "Here. Let's go sit over there. This might take a while." He led the way, his pace slower than it had been earlier. I couldn't figure out if it was because he genuinely felt weakened by the small battle or if he was trying to stall.

The shock was slowly beginning to fade away. At first, I could hardly believe what Darius had transformed into. The only other transformation I had witnessed was the one of my father in my dreams. It occurred to me that Darius might be more helpful than I had first thought. He might have information on my dreams. I followed behind, watching each step he took. The questions were pounding at my head, demanding to get out of my mind. It would be best to let him explain. No doubt, each would be answered in the next few minutes. Anything that didn't get covered, I'd be able to ask him about. Hopefully, he'd have the answers I was looking for.

We settled down on the log. Darius extended his legs out, brushing some fallen snow off of his pant legs. He let out a sigh, struggling to get his words out. I let him take the time he needed, figuring the story he was about to tell would be filled with hardships. 

Finally, he spoke. He raised his eyes towards the sky, looking through the clouds. "I am the Crown Prince Darius Doryu. I am the only living, and youngest, son of King Doryu. My father is currently the ruler, though I pray each day someone is able to take him over before I get to him. This might get confusing. Let me explain it first, then you can ask about it if you still don't understand. Long ago, there was a king. He was of royal blood and looked over his people, the dragons, and was kind. Honestly, he was one of the better rulers we've had in our history." Darius shrugged, then offered a smile towards me. "One day, a spirit of the Earth called out to him. They begged for help, saying that they were under attack by traitors of their own kind. No one else would come to their aid. He took matters into his own hands and traveled with his best soldiers. Days of fighting passed, but soon we gained the upperhand. We helped the Earth spirits gain control of their land again and saved many of their people. They felt eternally grateful to him and decided to bless him with a gift. They picked one of their most powerful spirits named Allira and, with her consent, transformed her into a crystal the size of your palm. This crystal would grant its beholder power unimaginable. Since this ruler was kind of heart, they entrusted him with the power. They wanted all to know how great of a king he was. When he returned to the land of dragons, he found his people were bent beneath his will. The power that he wielded through this crystal put control over all dragons within his land. It ensured that none of his people would turn against him like how some spirits had turned against the others."

I took in the information, doing my best to follow along. The name of the spirit alerted me. Allira? Hadn't I heard that in my dreams? I made a mental note, wanting to return to that subject after he was finished. I began to wonder if I should have been telling Darius my dreams instead of everyone else. It was starting to seem as though he was the only one who could tell me truly what my dreams were meaning.

"For some time, things were great. Overtime, the power of the crystal went to the king's head. He began using it for dark purposes. When he died, the crystal was left alone. One of his servants had picked it up, instantly resuming the role of king. Throughout generations, it has been whoever wields the crystal is the king, or queen. We've had both. It truly depends on who gets it first. Sometimes, the crystal is handed down to sons and daughters. Others, it is taken by servants and civilians. There were some that used it for good, but I'm afraid too many used it for bad. With the power of the crystal, not many could stand against it. There were a few that could resist the power, myself included. When my father took control, he became the worst. He searched high and low for any that had a resistance to the crystal. If he found them, he murdered them where they stood using the power of the crystal." Darius sighed, looking down at his hands. "Truly, it's a misfortunate. Those spirits gave us a gift that could have prevented wars both within our own lands and the lands upon Earth. The powers of the crystal are nearly unlimited, as far as I know. It had the ability to heal the people and keep them safe. It was meant for a king with an intent to protect his people. We've come so far from then."

I looked over Darius, noticing how he now held himself. Before, he was calm and relaxed. He would wear a smile and look around, but now he had his eyes locked on the snow upon the ground. His shoulders were tense, raised higher than normal. He rubbed his hands together through his gloves, partially shaking his head. "You mentioned you wanted someone else to take him down before you get the chance to. If he has control of this crystal and has killed all others with a resistance, how would that be possible?"

A smirk came across his tired face. "He doesn't have the crystal anymore. I don't think anyone has realized it yet, but he is powerless in reality. I want to find it before he does."

"Find the crystal?" I paused, thinking it over. "You said most used it for evil. What would you do?"

"The complete opposite. With the crystal, I want to overthrow my father."