Legends of Kepler: The Dragon & The Woman

CHAPTER II: COLONEL OF THE BATTALION (1)

CHAPTER II: COLONEL OF THE BATTALION (1)

Humans were very self-centered, but they turned out to be one of the most important species for life. So dragons, as protective creatures, had an obligation to protect and defend them against any evil, even if they were imperceptible for them. Dragons always kept their distance, for they regarded them as harmless beings. But for humans, dragons were legendary creatures. And, sometimes, in the highland regions, during the wondrous days and nights, they managed to observe the fleeting trail left by the magical creatures; flying over the miraculous floating lands. They respected them, and nations already dedicated songs, poems, stories, sculptures and celebrations; for they became a source of inspiration for their art and culture.  They saw them as the link between the gods and the terrestrials.

At that time, the present Golden King was the Great Wizard Wėzhreem. He was a dragon with great wisdom, and his reign was already five thousand years old, a long and unusual period, for the dragon reigns in this ages were usually renewed every two thousand or three thousand Rimerians. Evolution was being increasingly versatile. The dragons had longer limbs, robust skulls, and more glowing roars.

The Kingdom of Old Wiz was focused on the manifestation of the magical, which required the guidance of the dragons to understand the domain of plasma. He formed the foundations of his reign on a set of floating islands, which were later known as the Hanging Gardens of Wėzhreem. There, he raised his giant temples, and consecrated his beautiful squares. And from there on, he taught his children to use all the elements of life, in their favor. This was convenient for the endless battles against the Nénufar´s region.

The Seven Supreme Dragons taught their warriors to roar an extensive fire with an eccentric splendor never seen in the generations of dragons. This is where the Splendor Army, received its name. This feature gave them an advantage against any enemy that tried to confront them.

One of the Supreme Dragons, representative of the lineage of fire, was appointed as the Colonel of the Battalion and leader of the Splendor. He quickly became the best warrior. He was created by Wėzhreem, through the mystical energy of a gem belonging to the Ruby Essence, and a red crystal of this energy was embedded in the dragon's forehead.

He participated arduously in the wars of Nénufar, fiercely defeating the monstrous beings. He possessed the darkest blue blood of all the dragons, an unusual range that represented a highly developed resistance for battle. This was the Supreme Colonel Kramian, but this colonel had a reproductive problem. While all the other dragon lineages had proliferated and multiplied abundantly, the lineage of fire couldn´t do so in the same way. While he was the exemplary leader in battle and war techniques, the weakness of his lineage was evident and this weakness was critical, as reproduction, was a crucial part in the continuity of the dragons’ kingdom.

Kramian ended up being the last supreme to procreate. It was not until three thousand years after the beginning of the kingdom of Wiz, that he had eight embryos; deposited in eight sacred dragon eggs. For this, the Golden King felt mercy on him, and ended up being his right hand. He was a special dragon for Wiz.

The last of the Colonel's children, Coelum, was born with a wing deficiency. He could not fly, or at least, he did so at very low elevations, and this completely prevented him from being part of the Splendor. In addition, he was very weak, so the Colonel did not give him courage and decided to focus on strengthening his other children.

Coelum, even so, was always present in the training days, for he had the genuine intention of becoming a warrior. However, over the years, he characterized more by standing out in their art and the mastery of magic, a condition that was taught from the beginning by Wiz himself to a special litter of dragons.

Meanwhile, Kramian, felt a desperation to prove that his children were strong. He pushed them, and forced them to go with him into all battles in the Nénufar Region, risking them to the limit of their powers; exposing them to the risk of death. They were often very young or very immature, but he was not going to allow his lineage to be left behind. The adjacent lineages were plethoric and abundant, and the Colonel felt that the solution was to keep pushing them to the fullest, in order to get the best version of them and turn them into true warriors.

This constant pressure resulted in the death of six of his children, happening over a period of one thousand years. Some died in the battles of Nénufar and others by lethal infections as a result of them. Kramian felt a profound level of helplessness, for he was only left with Fliper, his eldest son, and with Coelum, his youngest one. The latter, according to the Colonel, was unusable, since he did not participate or intend to participate in any of the battles, not anymore. He had given up the idea of being part of the Splendor, and had dedicated himself to the internal social development of the Hanging Garden. Therefore, the Colonel hoped that his eldest son could procreate, so he could ensure his warrior offspring, and thus save the lineage.

When the Kingdom of Wėzhreem lay four thousand years old, he decided to gather all the dragons of the army in one of its main squares at night. He warned them, of an approach battle that had never been seen before. Those of Nénufar, had tripled their forces and these would unleash the first advanced generation of monstrosities that controlled water currents, from the nearer rivers and swamps; using these natural forces in their favor. They had already dominated the aquatic area of the region.

An important war was coming and they needed the greatest amount of dragons for the battle. The Golden King told, the Colonel to begin preparations for the great confrontation. The days were numbered, and they did not have much time left. Kramian then decided to open new places to start recruiting new dragons to the army, and he managed to triple the amount of dragons he usually carried with him for battles. About six hundred dragons with the best yields, were chosen by the Colonel to form the renewed Army of Splendor; becoming larger and more demanding. The arduous mission of counteracting the monstrosities, was again in his hands.

Coelum then, decided to ** for training at the request of the Golden King. He had already achieved, thanks to continuous practice, the ability to fly straight and level. In addition, he could emanate a considerable fire, and faced at the need for more dragons, he managed to enter the Splendor. The Colonel, in fact, allowed him to enter out of pride for he was not concerned with the potential consequences that his son could have in this battle.

Kramian was more concerned on the idea that Fliper could generate an embryo before the great battle. His mind was set on this. He was not worried about the battle, for he was confident he was going to succeed. After all, it was not the first time he would lead this type of fight. He was more disturbed by what this intense confrontation, would represent for the life of his lineage since only he and his two children remained, and both of his children had the same deficiency of reproduction.

Neither of them had been able to procreate, thus far. The situation got worse considering that he did not take Coelum into account for the continuity of his generation, so his dream rested only in his eldest son. His mind mortified him constantly with the uneasy thought.

Days before the battle, he approached to Wiz. He really needed to talk to him.

“What worries you, my son?” asked Wiz. “In a few days, the great battle will begin. I need your maximum concentration. On the attitude of the leader, rests the success of these warriors. You know that well.”

“I have a severe restlessness, your majesty” he said. “It doesn't let me think clearly, in these possible last times.”

“What is this concern, that does not allow you to find peace in your mind?” asked the Golden King.

“It's the future and the continuity of my lineage, sir” the Colonel exclaimed. “I will take my presence, and that of my children, to this great risky battle. I can no longer procreate. I am tormented by the idea of dying, and likewise the idea of the death of my children. We will all be exposed. And if this happens, what will then happen with my lineage? I will become a ridiculous story for generations, your highness. I will be known as the Supreme Dragon who couldn´t defeat the extermination of his own lineage; due to a reproductive deficiency.”

“I understand, my son” said Wiz. “I know you, and I know that you came here to help clarify this. I can help you, but you are the only one who can truly clear this in your mind, you know that right?”

“Yes sir, I am aware of that” replied Kramian.

“Now, tell me, how can I help you?”

“I want to know the destiny of my descendants” exclaimed the Colonel. “I want to know if my son will procreate before risking our lives in that battle. I want to know if an heir could beget soon.”

The Golden King had a boiler of precious fires, which always contained a boiling liquid. There, he could communicate directly with Mother Nature, and she taught him to perform new spells every time. On the liquids of it, he could also observe any part of Kepler, in order to determine the necessary defense strategies for the world. The inside was made with a purple quartz called amethyst. This fragments also covered the outer part of the mythical boiler.

Wiz then, effectively prepared the mixing of essences and plasma properties, the main element for magical processes. Inside the boiler, he combined a precious yellow mineral, symbolizing future visions, and with the fusion of a quarter of Kramian's blue blood, he elaborates the spell of the Near Future.

This charm was based on a mental question from Wiz, and life would respond with a simple answer: yes, or no. After having performed the spell, and a few seconds of concentration, Wiz pronounced the following words.

“Observe the steam that flows” he indicated, “It is a positive result. Not only will you have an heir, but your child's female will successfully fertilize him in these upcoming days. Consider this the affirmation, for the arrival of the third of your generation.”

“Thank you very much, your majesty!” Kramian exclaimed in gratitude. “I will never know how to pay you for this. This is truly a relief for me.”

“Pay me in that battle, Kramian” exclaimed Wiz. “The continuity of this entire reign depends on your results.”

“So it will be, sir. We will overthrow this together” he responded.

The Supreme Dragon withdrew, and immediately notified Fliper. The following days, both eagerly awaited the birth of the dragon egg. The third of the Fire Lineage generation, after four thousand years of reign, was about to be born.

The day of the great battle arrived. Colonel Kramian prepare himself, since the clear fall of dawn. He aligned the army early, and one by one, he placed the great armor on them, by himself.  It was comprised by three parts: the steel head, for the protection of the skull and the frontal gem. Next, the iron chest armor, bathed in molten gold that covered their giant torso; the giant legs were protected with a small shield of precious copper. And finally, the protection of the tail, which was armored in a specific way depending on the type of dragon.

Each lineage had a specific shape in the extensions of their tails. Those of Eizhăr, of the Lineage of Light, had a delicate and elongated tail, with thin but firm tissues, which emitted powerless currents of electricity to the adversaries. Those of Wargolo, of the Mystic Lineage, had a split at the end of the tail, which in turn, was subdivided into two thick extremities and at the tip of both pieces they had a small circumference where they could emanate plasma attacks, with rays of violet coloration. The Rufian Lineage, the vegetative lineage, possessed a small tail with scaly tissues and parallel bumps; in triangle shapes, which were actually in a solid and rocky state. They were very useful in battle.

When he went to take the armor to his children, they were gathered in a thicket that was located in a corner of the Central Square. There was a small crowd of dragons. And when he approached them, he realized something that disappointed him completely.

“What is the fuss about?” asked Kramian.

“Sir, it's your son! The female has given birth to a sacred egg!” exclaimed a dragon.

“This can't be” said the Colonel. “My son is in the royal temple.”

“Your other son, sir! It's a miracle!”

The more the Colonel approached the place, the more his eyes filled with revulsion. Dozens of dragons chanted the name of Kramian, and his youngest son, who was also there, but the Supreme was known for his irascibility, and the place was beginning to seem like a hindrance. Coelum lived the event with tears in his eyes, for he was sure that he would never have children. Old Wiz was in the same place, and perceived Kramian's reluctant and indifferent attitude. What allegedly worried him was his offspring, and yet in him, there was still a feeling of disappointment. In fact, frustration had increased even more than before.

“Sir, aren´t you happy?” asked a dragon.

“Enough of this exhibition! You are afflicting the mother!” exclaimed an irritated Colonel.  “We are on the eve of a battle. Break ranks immediately!”

He removed all the spectators, sending the members of the Splendor to their positions, and the natives of the area to their regular activities, but the Golden King remained in place. He separated the Colonel from his son and his beloved, as the situation filled him with curiosity.

“Why are you muddy with discontent? Is this not what you wanted?” Wiz asked.

“With all your respect, sir, this is not what I had in mind” he replied. “When I asked for my son's offspring, I was referring to my oldest son.”

“Don't be ungrateful, Kramian,” said Wiz. “You have been waiting thousands of years for this moment. This is the third of your generation, and the problem that supposedly harassed your heart. Is it then, that this may not be the problem?”

The Supreme Dragon found himself on the edge of discomfort. His gaze twisted, and his helplessness prevented him from seeing clearly. He paid no attention to Wiz's words, much less to the miraculous birth of his grandson, retreating from the place towards the Battalion stations.

The base of the Splendor Army was located in the southern wing of the Hanging Garden. It was the lowest level of the realm. It was designed in the form of waterfalls, so that the magical waters that disintegrated in the sky, allowed them a smooth and quick descent. The base was composed in six stations, which were distributed in three big teams: Ûm, Sol and Quetra. Normally, only two of these stations were used in the great battles, but in this case, Kramian decided to use all of them; one hundred dragons were in each one, assigned in order for the descent of the three attack subgroups, two defense subgroups, and the last one of rescue and/or utility.

When the night became cold and evident, and the moons began their luminous dance, the stations opened their floodgates. The descent was fast and aggressive. They were violently heading towards the Nénufar Region, as it was only a matter of time for the monsters to rise from the roots. The three attack groups were the first to move, passing through the floodgates of the first three open stations. The leading attack group Ûm, commanded the flight orientation and strategy; the initial moves. It was commanded by the Colonel, flying as the head of the team; accompanied by his two children. The main strategy was to attack the Neufratos at the time they were entrusted, and committed the Sol Defense Team to get in charge of the Neufaros’ unexpected lines, which were much smaller. But the latter rose faster, and in greater quantity; usually born in the smallest mangroves.

The Neufratos, on the other hand, rose from the main swamps, some even from the set of aquatic algae, taking possession of a part of the Lileín River. The danger of the Nénufar was that all these beings were commanded by a Major Neufratos, known among dragons as the Neufratos Mother Root. This was the core of all of them. Usually, this being rose as the last one, for it needed to accumulate a significant amount of energy from the moonlight, so he could do so. It needed both moons to reach their perfect waning state of alignment. It was the oblivion, a battle between giants and beasts.