The Sword and the Flame: The Forging

Chapter 23

The sudden feeling of weightlessness threatened to make Viola panic as it worked to overwhelm her.

"Concentrate. Focus on the vision within your mind." The voice was gentle and forceful at the same time. Viola knew it belonged to Mern, but the last thing she remembered him saying was an incantation. She wasn't able to understand the words he used; they were so advanced that the words befuddled her mind, but she saw an image in her thoughts. Though very small, the image resembled an island in a sea of swirling black colors. Each ring around the island was darker than the previous; each devoid of something specific. Love, fear, warmth, cold were all drained from her while she floated there, powerless to stop herself or to make herself continue on.

The panic threatened to seize hold of her once more; she never felt so helpless in her entire life. "I can't!" she cried out into the expanse, her voice was swallowed by one of the dark pools.

"You must. Concentrate or you shall remain here for eternity." Though the voice was gentle, she knew it would abandon her to float among the voids until time itself ran out. "Open your eyes and concentrate. Reach for it."

Open her eyes? The thought never occurred to her because she thought they were open! Everything appeared so vivid before her that Viola tried to close her eyes, to shut out the terrible sight of nothingness before her. "I can't!"

"You must."

The finality of those words struck her deep down, in a place she didn't know existed. There, a fire burned bright and fierce, attempting to drive the fear and darkness away by its intensity alone. From that spark, she found the strength to take control, if not of her surroundings, then of herself. With torturous effort, she fought back her fears, fought back the doubt and the helplessness that gave strength to the darkness until she forced her eyes open. While opening her eyes a sliver at first, she forced them open the rest of the way upon seeing the brightness waiting for her.

The ever-darkening bands surrounding her and the island were replaced with glorious, multicolored light. Viola felt the warmth and love return to her as well as fear and cold. Together, they gave her the strength to win against the fear and raise her hands towards the sliver of an island that was so far away but was now within reach. With her mind now clear and focused, Viola concentrated on the island as she'd been instructed.

The far off vision became solid rock beneath Viola's feet, and the vibrant colors that surrounded her were replaced by a clear night sky, though the stars above were strange to her. The ground that appeared green, lush, and inviting was now gray dirt and blackened rock. As Viola took her first breath, she expected it to be cold and still, but instead it filled her with an intense, vigorous energy. Curious, Viola bent to pick up a stone to examine it closer. The sudden shock it sent through her was pleasant, like a warm tingle that made her feel alive.

"I didn't think you'd succeed. For a moment, I thought I'd been mistaken." Viola turned to the familiar voice. She failed to notice her master standing a few feet away with his back to her, and his hands clasped behind his back. Without giving her a chance to respond, he continued, turning to face her with a proud smile on his face. "I'm glad to see I was mistaken."

Viola felt herself flush at the pride flowing from the old mage and regained her composure. "What is this place?"

Mern smiled. "Child, you are only the second mortal to set foot here. Welcome to the birth and death of the universe. Welcome to the Dragon's Graveyard."

Viola stood silent for a moment; she'd had so much happen to her in the last few minutes that it was difficult for her to understand it all. "The Dragon's Graveyard?" she repeated with a chill while looking around. For the first time, she noticed the skeletons, some as small as a house cat and others standing as tall as mountains. "But... I don't feel anything evil or sinister."