The Golden Warrior, Part One

Part One: Amidst the Chaos

The huge ruby scale illuminated with a scarlett glow that lit up the face of Alexander Thrawne. He placed a rough, calloused finger atop it, tracing it across the Rune that was embedded inside. It was shaped almost like a twin helix, spreading out into a circle around the edges. At their center, a larger circle with a dot in the middle, the focus point of the sigil. Thrawne scratched his chin, assured and satisfied.

“As I thought. Or close enough. Mine was more rough around the edges.” He said, looking up at the great being that had shown him the Rune.

“Ohohoho, young one! What could you mean by that?” Roared Aximand, ancient dragon sage and master of Runes. His curiosity had gotten the better of him these days, enough so to take on two apprentices at once. The last time he held more than one, It ended in disaster. Still, the old dragon had become lonely, enough so to take on the risk.

“I’ve learned it on my own, already. My version wasn’t… Well, it did the job, but it doesn’t quite match this one. You could call it cobbled together.” Thrawne answered, with ill memories in mind. Having to learn the word for a Rune on his own was already nigh-impossible enough. But figuring out the sigil was even more difficult. He took the image of the Rune before him and held on to it, focusing it and committing it to memory. He forced himself to ingrain the sigil into his mind, as hard as he could. And it was done.

He raised his left hand to his chest, moving his finger to trace the memorized sigil onto himself, red light lingering across the surface of his armor. His body erupted momentarily with the power of it, the light engulfing him before fading into a thin sheet around him. Thrawne outstretched his arms, and stretched a line of that red light between his fingertips. He was amazed at the power of the Rune, enough so to crack a smile. He could hear Aximand chortling, and he couldn’t help chuckle himself.

“Very good, very good! Quick to study you are, young Thrawne!” Aximand roared again in amazement. Thrawne was heartened by the delight the Dragon showed at his progress.

Pulsating still with the Rune, he took a deep breath and passed his hand across the blazing sigil on his chest. It quickly began to die out, as Thrawne focused not on the power and meaning of, instead looking with intent at the dragon before him. Breathing again, he calmed his mind in an instant, ceasing the activation of the Rune. He wiped his head across his forehead.

“Incredible. I couldn’t pull forth half that amount of power before. I can see why Elysia was so interested in this Rune. I’m glad she reminded me of it.”

The Dragon curled up, sitting in front of Thrawne and nodding its head. The Rune in his scale soon faded out as well, the light from it ceasing like it had done on Thrawne.

“Yes, yes, yes! Indeed, it’s power is mighty, that it is! It pulls forth what you have within you, even that which still lies dormant. One with yourself you fully become, that you do! Ohohohohohohoho!”

Thrawne chuckled again, this time incredulously. Yes, Aximand was knowledgeable beyond his belief. And he certainly knew more than Thrawne ever would. But he was still shocked at how silly the Dragon could be, not to mention downright crazy. Even so, the results spoke for themselves. He was glad to have skipped the concert, for this time spent training had proven fruitful. He smiled again.

“Perhaps I shall show this to Elysia, tomorrow? I’m sure she’ll get it down immediately.” He thought. He knew this Rune was important to his friend somehow, though he was not sure in what way. He thought of how shocked she would be to see him master it so easily, and how she would go right at it, trying to learn it herself. She was an incredibly quick study, even surpassing him in Rune-Craft. Thrawne hoped to change that.

“Hohoho, my young student! I can see that fire in your eye! You’re quite the determined young itty bitty little sprout aren’t you?” The ruby dragon laughed out. This apprentice was ambitious, that he was. His amusement was cut short, as he felt an evil sensation. His heart filled with dread, one that had long since slept dormant. Without wasting a moment, his long wings outstretched, flapping back and causing him to bolt upwards into the air, almost knocking Thrawne down in the process. From atop his home on the farthest reaches of the city, he could see beyond the towering buildings to the east, and up into the sky. There he saw the source of this ominous feeling.

The shadowy eye eclipsed the golden sun that shines above the Gilded Halls, its purple iris staring down at the heart of the vast Empire. Crackles of black energy dripped down from it, specters of death raining onto Etreidies from above. One flew down towards the magnificent dragon, a creature of blackened cinders and oozing dark flame. Aximand chortled, as a Rune across his right arm erupted, a blazing orange fork of fire. The inferno he called forth burned directly into the invading creature, remnant’s of its ash falling down in front of Thrawne below.

“Aximand?! What is going on?” He shouted out above.

“Young Thrawne! Do yourself a service, and close your eyes! What more, shield your ears as well! I would not want you to hear this, indeed!“ Aximand retorted, still facing the sky.

Thrawne was confused, not to mention frightened. He could not stop staring up at the eye above, his vision fixated on the sky near Aximand. The words Aximand spoke boomed out around the city, and Thrawne thought that even if he had muffled his ears, he still could have heard.

### “***PRESTIS, VIS’IBRIT, MAAL-IKLAN, VELANDOS, KRU-SHAKAR!”***

With the first word, a golden eye appeared above Aximands head. With the second, It flashed with crimson light, growing in size and strength in an instant. The third, it surged out across him like a barrier. The fourth, a beam of black shot from it, darkness connected the two eyes. Then, with the fifth and final word, that beam of shadow erupted, crackling across the eye above, but even then leaving only a tiny wound, barely enough for it to notice. Aximand was startled, like he hadn’t been in thousands of years. In his ancient existence, only a few could have had a hope of surviving such an attack, let alone scoffing at it like it was nothing.

Thrawne gazed at the dragon in awe. Five words, five symbols, all spoken at once. Aximand had spoken runes like a sentence, combining their power and fusing them into something new, something direct. It was hard enough for him to focus on one rune at once, any more were out of the question. And five was downright impossible… Or so he thought. He steeled himself, and began to open his mouth. But Aximand rushed down to meet him, crashing into the rock at his maximum speed.

“NO, THRAWNE! DO NOT UTTER ANOTHER SYLLABLE!” He shouted, the fear in his voice almost given life by his sheer power.

Thrawne stepped back, immediately frightened himself. He had never seen the dragon act this way, and the look on his scaled face made what he was thinking clear as day. The man placed a hand across his mouth, nodding. The dragon stepped back, peering into Thrawnes golden eyes. He huffed, as smoke came from his nostrils.

“That is a technique forbidden to your kind, my student. I had wished for you not to learn of such a thing’s existence, but it appears that couldn’t be helped. Promise me, here and now, that you will never attempt such a thing. If you do, I will abandon you as a student.” Aximand uttered, each word sharp as a razor. Thrawne gulped.

“Of course. As you say, I promise.” He said, his mind still racing with possibilities. Still, the fear he had was genuine, and he was relieved to see Aximand relax a tad at his promise. Best not to anger the dragon. He would commit that to memory, too. He much preferred the kind and whimsical Aximand to the terrifying and angry one. The dragon nodded at him, and once more looked up to the sky. Thrawne took a step towards him.

“So what now, my teacher? Do you know what’s going on?” Thrawne asked, looking at the golden eye that still blazed across Aximands forehead.

“Hmmmm… That is difficult to say! I worry for those in the Palace, yet…” His words trailed off, his gaze lingering above.

“Just tell me what I need to do.” Thrawne said, a fierce look in his eyes. He placed a hand upon the golden hilt that hung from his belt, and remembered the one who had given it to him. He would fight if he had to, like he had chosen to do in the past. That was his way. That was what his mother had taught him.

Aximand looked upon the man before him, looking into his eyes that were focused and bright, like that of an eagle. He could feel the spirit of Thrawne, his heart, just from that look. It reminded him of another he had met, some time ago. And the color of those eyes, that radiant gold, reminded him of yet another person. He had two students, like he had so long ago. Elysia was a spirited young one, like Thrawne. He knew in his heart that she was headed towards the center of this calamity. He simply knew it to be true. If that was the case, then she may be in grave danger.

“My Lord. Please, just tell me what I need to do!” Thrawne shouted at him, anxiety beginning to rub away some of the confidence he held. For he knew what ill-fate might await Elysia and the rest of his comrades too.

Aximand puffed out smoke once again, having come to a decision. He set his wings out, prepared to fully take off once again, when he felt yet another strange sensation. He could feel the world around him beginning to slow, beginning to freeze. Below, Thrawne himself began to come to a complete halt. Aximand looked down to his Apprentice, and saw the stalwart golden glow still burning in his eyes, even as his body began to freeze in place. He was fully awake, fully aware of what was going on around him. Yet he did not waiver.

### ***“MAT’RIAM!”***

Time began to restore itself to Aximand, the concept of linearity and progress mantled by a Rune that surged across his back scales, formed by dozens of smaller matching runes. He flew down to Thrawne, placing one of these runes on him. The man lurched forward, his body no longer frozen. Indeed, the area around Aximands home was entirely restored to normal, though at a great effort to the ancient sage.

“Gods, what was that?! That was… Horrifying.” Thrawne barely muttered, still shocked at what had just happened. He reached down to his belt, fully pulling out the shining gold hilt. It’s burning radiant blade erupted out of the end, as Thrawne brandished it before him, ready to do battle with whatever foe had done such a thing to him. Aximand chuckled, which surprised the man.

“THRAWNE M’BOY! Put your sword away, we’ve not time for that! The enemy you seek is not one that you can face!” The Dragon roared, with a joyousness that annoyed Thrawne.

“What?! What are you saying? I don’t think you should be joking, sir! We have to do something! There are no doubt countless people losing their lives as we speak! We have no time!”

Aximand gestured out to the city across on the other islands, still completely frozen in place. He chortled once more, placing a huge, clawed hand atop Thrawnes shoulder, with a gentleness that once more surprised his apprentice.

“My dear boy! We have time. Time enough to prepare you. Your real training begins now…”