Grusa-kal's Burden

Chapter 5

Grusa-kal's mind eye opened to a grey expanse of nothingness. The spirit world. A spirit had answered his prayer. But who? He saw no one.

"I am here for guidance on how to prevent war between dragons and humans," he said to ensure the spirit who answered him knew his goal.

"The answer you seek, youngling, is not for those without a blaze in their heart," said a voice. Grusa-kal turned to his left to see the spirit who spoke. Head of a grey, unmorphed hatchling body, with a grey undulating spiral for a body and wings the same size as any other spirit. The spirit of a dragon who died young, who would never see its final form. A dragon who, likely through pity, was granted a place in this world before ever undergoing the Rite.

Though he knew he ought to remain respectful to those who have lived and died, it irked Grusa-kal to be called a youngling by a dragon who was not much more than a hatchling. He suppressed a roar, but still growled. "I am no youngling like you."

"Nor am I a youngling, Greatest Elder," said the spirit.

"You bear the look of a youngling. No matter how long you've been here, you lived less time in the living world than I have."

The spirit tipped his snout up in challenge. "And how long, pray tell, have I been here? Tell me, O Top Elder."

Grusa-kal could no longer keep his anger bottled up in the face of such arrogance. As loud as his spirit self could manage, he roared at the youngling before him.

"Exactly," said the spirit. "You know not who I am. I am unmorphed because I lived before dragons were able to morph. Not because I am a youngling. Not that it is your fault for the mistake. And to answer my own question, I have been in this world for over twenty thousand years and lived longer in the living world than you."

A dragon ancestor. Grusa-kal knew exactly which dragon ancestor would have been granted so much extra Time in the spirit world by fellow dragons. And he hung his head down in shame and respect.

"Angond son of Inap. First spirit of dragon kind. I humbly apologize for my behavior."

Angond had single handedly revealed the method of access for the spirit world and forged the link that had made dragons so strong. The single dragon whom all others would grant their respect.

"Yes, I am Angond. Do not berate yourself like you do. In this plane, we are equals, and any might make the same mistake as you. And it was a test for you."

"A test?"

"Remember what I said when I first spoke. 'The answer you seek, youngling, is not for those without a blaze in their heart.' You must be strong, determined, not easily deterred. I have the answer to the problem of humankind, but it is not one to be readily accepted," the ancient spirit said.

"If it will effectively end the possibility of violence, then the dragons will accept it in time," Grusa-kal said.

"That is true, but it is up to you to convince them. That is why you need fire in your belly. Now listen well, for the answer is very complex and requires a dangerous method. Only you must perform this one dangerous part, but you must do it right. It is up to you to determine if multiple spellcasters will be better or worse.

"The solution is to take humankind and dragon kind and use powerful magic to create one species out of two. Not two individuals bonded by magic. Two individuals becoming one individual. A dragon becomes a human and a human becomes a dragon. One soul, one spirit, two physical forms to switch between. No more violence between the two species because there will not be two species."