The Dragons' Crystal

Chapter Twelve

"Overthrow him?" I asked, finding myself surprised again. Darius had never struck me as the kind of person to fight. "But isn't that why you came here, then, if he's so evil? Because you're away from him? Isn't that enough?"

"Not nearly." Darius leaned back, letting out another sigh again. "I didn't come to Earth just to get away from him. I came here to mourn."

"Mourn?"

He nodded, sparing a glance towards the skies again. "You see, my father swore he would use the crystal for good. He gained the trust of our people and lied directly to their faces, to all of us. Once he had them underneath his control and the crystal secured in his possession, he turned against us. He started with the dragons that were resistant to the crystal, killing each and every one. He spared no one. He assured everyone that so long as they listened to his command and did as he asked, he would spare their lives. There was a time in summer when I was quite little, no older than five I suppose, he left in search of more power. He took the crystal with him, removing its effects over the people. They didn't realize it at first, but when they did they started a rebellion. They were going to face him and remove him from power, even if it meant killing him. My mother, my siblings, and myself stood with them. We all could sense his corruption. When he returned, he was met with nearly all of his subjects turned against him. We were so close to victory. He declared that all those that refused to stand with him would be murdered. Just as he was about to use the crystal on us all, it shook against the chain he wore it on. In a burst of light, the crystal disappeared and a woman stood before us all. I remember it being the strangest thing." Darius began to chuckle again. "This spirit was fighting against my father. She refused to stand by while another being used her for evil once more. She refused the slaughter of innocents. She was able to push him back into the castle, taking him to a ward even I'm not sure of. They fought it out. Father told me how it ended. Just when he almost had her in his grasps, she transformed back into a crystal. It was different this time, however. The crystal was smaller, barely the size of a small rock, and brighter. It landed on a window. Somehow, it fell out the window and disappeared onto the earth far below."

"Really?" My dreams were starting to slowly piece themselves together. All these stories that Darius was telling me connected to something I had seen before. I began growing anxious, wanting to bombard him with questions after each sentence he ended. I held my tongue, knowing his story wasn't over yet. I needed to listen still. I forced myself to stay still, bouncing my leg to calm myself down as I waited my turn to speak. 

"In his anger, he killed my mother and my two siblings. He left me alive, believing I was still young enough to be manipulated to his will. For a while, I must admit, I was. I was too young to fully understand everything that was happening in our lives. Father created a crystal of his own, modeling it after the original. He wore it around his neck and walked around, forcing everyone to believe that he still had control over the crystal." Darius paused, slumping his shoulders again. "That starts to explain part of why I'm here."

"What do you mean?"

"When I was old enough to realize that what father was doing wasn't right, I decided to clue the people in. I confessed to them all that my father didn't have possession of the crystal anymore. To see that I was right, they simply had to do the opposite of what he asked. They would be able to. They didn't believe me. They all told me I was trying to get them killed, as anyone who defied my father would be executed. I tried to lead by example, demonstrating that I could disobey my father freely. They assumed it was because of my ability to resist." He sighed again, looking down at his hands. "I had been so determined that I'd be able to rescue them. I thought I could finally rid us of my father and we would be a peaceful land again, but I was wrong. The people are petrified of him. No one will stand against him, no matter how much I hope and pray. They refuse to listen. It sickens me to know how scared they are, day after day." He dropped his head into his hands. "After my public display of defiance, father had me locked up in our prison. I was supposed to be executed to help father prove a point. I knew that if I died, hope would die with me. I was the only one that would be brave enough to face him at some point. Doing whatever I needed to do to escape, I transformed inside the cell. It broke the chains and the walls, though dealt me a great wound. My home is located high in the clouds, protected and safe from any besides our own that would wish us harm. I jumped off the edge and allowed myself to just fall." His eyes fluttered shut. 

"That must have been hard." I tried to imagine the situation playing out, picturing Darius falling from all he had ever known. It felt ironic. In order to save the world he loved, he had to leave it. 

"I saw my father's face as I fell. If looks could kill, I would have fallen to my death. Once I was out of sight, I flew as far away as I dared. My wounds started to take over and I found a place to rest. That was where I mended myself and began to live. I built a home and a fire. I was by myself for some time. Slowly, but surely, I found people similar to me. They had all been rejected by those they were supposed to be loved by. I took them in. We became family." His smile was slowly starting to return. "I must admit, they're the ones who have helped me the most through this. In the beginning, I didn't know if I had made the right decision or not. Leaving home was the hardest thing I'd ever had to do before. It's all I had ever known." He paused, finally looking to me. I kept my eyes locked with his, knowing that speaking so personally was no doubt difficult for him still.  "It all comes together now. I'm in search of the crystal, or her spirit. Whichever I find first, I'm going to convince her to aid me. It will be hard, as most before me abused her. I have no doubt that I will have to build a trust with her." 

"With her trust, you will take back your kingdom?" I tilted my head.

Darius nodded. "The first thing I do will be destroy my father."

"If I understood this correctly, you'll be in possession of the crystal. Won't that make you king?" 

"Exactly. I will ensure my people know that I will never abuse such power. It isn't right. My family died because of my father's addiction to it. I want my people, and the spirit, to know that they are free to do and act as they please." Darius ran his fingers through his hair. "Until I find the crystal, I don't dare lead an attack on my father. I haven't an idea how powerful he has become since I left. That was several years ago now. I don't want to lead a suicide mission." 

"Finding this crystal is imperative to your kingdom's survival." I concluded, my dreams repeating themselves in my head. This entire time, I had thought that Darius could help me. I never once considered how I could help Darius. Maybe my dreams held more clues than I realized. "Darius? If you're finished, I have something I'd like to confess as well." I paused. "I think..." Was it crazy to say this? I didn't even know if it was true. I bit my lip. I had already started. There was no going back now. 

"I think I might have some clues as to where your crystal is."