STAR DRAGONS

A Story by Owen J Kato

An Astrowizard who forgot how to do magic teams up with a starpilot who doesn't like to work, to explore a triangular planet that is home to STAR DRAGONS!

ATARIA

BOOK I

STAR DRAGONS

By Owen J. Kato

Chapter I

The Astro Wizard

A man with solar-windblown hair sat on a broken moon, looking down upon a pyramid planet, lost in its wonder. The uncharted planet was green and blue and black and grey in color. The moon the man sat on was once whole but had been half brought to oblivion when a comet called the Quickdeath struck its side leaving it with half its mass and a vision of a broken half silver coin if seen from below during the night.

The comet crippled the planet below and scans of majestic magic and life forms beyond the knowledge of the Patrioc and the Exclave itself lay there.

He sat there crushing crescent nuts between his teeth, holding his Moonstone necklace staring into the pyramid shaped planet as if he were reading it’s words until he got slapped hard on his back.

“Astrowizard are you ready?” asked Xivon

“Moons at midnight! You Sun Elves travel so quietly!” gasped Akirion who had adjusted his navy wizard space suit.

“You need to eat more, I could toss you around like a potato in zero-g and you tread just as quietly Astrowizard, half the time I don’t even know you to be around.”

“That’s because I am never around and Wizards don’t need to be tough, they need to be cunning.”

“Well you aren’t very cunning either…” said Xivon with a sly grin. He had thick amethyst hair with a grin you couldn’t trust but wanted to believe all the same. Akirion thought, did not believe it, nor want to believe it. He didn’t believe much, he didn’t even believe in magic.

“If you were more cunning perhaps you’d be able to launch your rocket into Vykaria’s starport.” added Xivon.

“What about my starport?” said a girl with long blonde violently tied back straight hair that was so long it slapped against her behind and Akirion laughed at this every chance he got which was never because she watched him like she watched all her crew with eyes that were ice blue and gave out stares cold as winter.

“Sorry Commander!” Xivon retracted as he stepped into a straight stance.

Akirion shook his head, back and forth, back and forth.

The young women who, must have been no more than twenty-five years old strutted the deck with her large personal body guard behind her, he was twice her size easily and wore thick tactical armor and carried a bright green laser blade.

The young women opened her mouth “We have a briefing in twenty minutes they we drop down, where is -?”

“I’ll get her!” cheered Akirion as he turned and started to skip down the walkway, past a circular tunnel, into a medium sized starship. He tangled his way through straps, past seats and provisions to the flight bridge and looked down at the Captains chair.

A girl with short bright brown slicked back hair that had fallen out of place lay across the chair legs dangling off the arm rest. She had a bomber jacket on with badges from her star academy and a lightning bolt below it read “We are nothing but lightning across the sky, then we are gone, faded into the night.” She also had a black head band keeping her hair out of her amber eyes. Akirion kicked the chair gently but the girl did not wake. “Captain Frees,” he said “ Captain Frees, Frees get up!”

The girl started to move and stretch then she opened her eyes.

“Don’t call me Captain, I’m not a Captain,” she said lazily. “just call me "“

“Frees!” cheered Akirion the girl sighed.

“Your hair is a solar-windblown mess Akirion.” She said as she rose into a hunched over seating position on her pilots seat.

“We descend in twenty minutes, we have to go meet.”

“Can you watch the controls? The solar engine is active and I have to go pee before we commence descent.” asked

“But I have to go pee too, I know during descent we are stuck in our seats.” Informed Akirion.

“Well we both can’t go.” replied Frees.

“Well technically we can… we will just run!” as Akirion ran off and Frees followed. She really had to go.

“You left your post Captain!,” yelled Vykaria.

“I’m not a captain…”

“and you!” as Vykaria pointed her index finger at the young Astrowizard.

“and me?” asked Akirion puzzled.

“You left too! You should have covered!” Vykaria yelled.

“I had to go too.” defended Akirion casually.

“They send me a Star pilot who hasn’t flown further than a solar system and an Astrowizard who can’t do magic!” as Vykaria shook her head.

“We also have small bladders.” Put in Frees.

“We are scheduled for descent in fourteen minutes, please be ready.”

“I was born ready!” proudly yelled Akirion.

“Ready to die.” joked Frees as she punched his arm.

“I don’t care what happens down there but I need you on your toes.” informed Vykaria.

“What about our heels? I like to walk in my heels.” Said Akirion.

“What you crossdress?” laughed Frees.

“Heel, toe, heel toe, repeat, don’t fall down.” said Akirion to her.

“Stop talking like f*****g children, you are grown-ups and professionals!” yelled Vykaria. She had taken to yelling a lot lately.

“Frees is a new grown-up and I never grew up, no one grows up at the Magistars Enclave you just grow wise.” Informed Akirion.

“Get gear up, we go down.” put Vykaria sullenly.

Akirion and Frees sighed.

A screen lit up the darkroom with a picture of a balding man on it in silver hair.

“Father I don’t think this is going to go well.” Said Vykaria.

“Are you not satisfied with your exploration roster?” asked the old man sternly.

“You sent me a short Sunelf, a dumb Sun Blazer and a pilot who hasn’t flown a plane further than I could toss a stone!”

“Now dear daughter you are forgetting something.” The man said calmly.

“What? Is there some sort of secret or moral or guiding angel you’ll surprise me with?”

“You forgot the Astrowizard from the Star River.”

“He told me he was semi-suicidal!” she yelled.

Her dad gave a puzzled expression.

“He, he told me he is tried of trying to learn infinity and hates deadlines and he’d have much more time to study it, if he, in fact, died. Then I asked him what type of great magics he knew of and he told me he forgot everything he learned at school because it wasn’t useful in the ‘real world’ and to peak it all off, he said the Quickdeath wasn’t brought upon the Pyraplanet by powerful magics but nature!”

“He is a wizard hunny, he will come in handy before the last sun has set.”

“Couldn’t the Patrioc, in all its universal power, prowess and wisdom send a better Wizard, perhaps a Sun Wizard or a Planeton graded one, not some crazy Moon Wizard that spent all his time reading books and doing nothing.”

“He is of the Paragon, he is a keeper of the Universe, he will serve you well.”

A pause of silence rose in the room as Vykaria’s eyes started to water.

“Father why did you send me here?” she asked.

“To find life, to find what we have all been looking for our entire lives amongst the stars.” The screen went black but Vykaria swore she heard laughs of a sinister nature on the other end.

Chapter II

The Descent

Akirion locked in his seatbelt and smiled. Xivon observed him as if he were nothing more than a salamander trying not to die. Xivon didn’t realize Akirion wasn’t even more pathetic than a salamander trying not to die.

“So you don’t talk much do you?” said Akiro to Gorth while not paying his eyes attention.

Gorth said nothing back.

“I guess you got your answer Astrowizard.” Vykaria said coldly.

“I got no answer actually ring leader.” Akirion shot back.

“I am not a ring leader, I am your Captain against the darkness, I am your general against the eternity war, I am the wayfarer of all that is right and free.” She said majestically. The Patrioc had given her these quest, Akirion knew more than he should for he wasn’t very smart and not very smart people shouldn’t know much but he did, he knew a little too much.

“It is sort of like a circus with all these freaks.” put in Gorth.

“That’s good, he talked,” said Akirion “and you’re the biggest freak in the circus.” added Akiro childishly staring at Gorth.

“Would you like to fight the biggest freak?” as Gorth started to attempt to undue his safety belt.

“NO! Stay!” ordered Vykaria.

“Sit, stay, good boy, you’ll get a treat later, but it’s not a public treat.” added Akirion with a smile.

“Don’t call me the biggest freak, Wizard!” as Gorth pointed with his muscle filled arm.

“You are the biggestest here thou? I do not lie.” Said Akirion.

“Astrowizards aren’t allowed to lie.” Informed Xivon with a smirk.

“Is this true Vyk?” as Gorth turned to his fear filled leader.

Vykaria sighed “An Astrowizard is sworn to the light of the million suns. Their starcode goes like this…

We are sworn to the light of a million suns

we are the light that shines through the shadow

the stars in the dark

the rings that hold the atmospheres together

the solar wind that keeps the sails filled

the weavers of the word

the historians of the cosmos

the keepers of the universe

the defenders against oblivion

the holes, the infinity

the sins and the pity

we are the universe

and nothing all at the same time”

“And till the ends of the universe, and till the last sun burn dead, we will fulfill our duty, against weakness, against the waves of the future, against all hope lost.

We are the conjurors put in place, we are the wizards that guard the stars encased in space.” Finished Akirion casually.

“So if you are the historians of the universe do you know what happened on Yiyak? asked Gorth.

“I don’t remember.” answered Akirion.

“But you are supposed to know?” proclaimed Gorth.

“I am supposed to know an infinite many things, but a man cannot know infinity so I gave up.” Shrugged off Akirion.

“Why did they send us him?” said Gorth openly to Vykaria disregarding the Astrowizards presence entirely.

“There was no one else.” Vykaria said.

“I am sorry there was no one else, if I could get out of this I would. I am all for getting out of things, like duties and life and being stuck with you people, of all places to be, I’d rather go die in a library.”

“Die reading books?” Xivon asked.

“No, I just sit in libraries, because they are quiet and peaceful, it’s like death before death. Quite as a Steelwood coffin. I’d wait there until I died. It’s kind of like practicing for death? Warming up. So that when I die I am good at it already.” proclaimed the Wizard.

“You are obsessed with death. Don’t go get us all killed down there.” Gorth stated coldly giving Akirion a glare.

“Well I tried life, I didn’t try very hard though, but then I got bored, I learned some things, then forgot more and life keeps trying to teach me new things and I refuse to learn, so yeah I guess so. But I’d have more time to learn about infinity in death than in life if you think about it. Life has a time limit, I don’t like deadlines I never have.” Lightly informed Akiro.

“You’re f*****g crazy.” Said Vykaria with a stare.

Akirion smiled a full smile.

Xivon looked terrified, sweat dripped down his brow and he appeared to be shaking mildly. “What if this is just a suicide mission and we are all going down to some toxic planet to die? What if the Patrioc is just using us as the first line against what is down there! What if-“

“What if you shut up back there I am trying to fly this hunk of metal.” Interrupted Frees.

The Starblade dipped down and landed roughly and Frees cursed and Vykaria got nervous, Gorth got confused and Xivon got jacked up. Akirion just sat in his seat staring at a picture of a clock he had brought and stuffed in his backpack, he thought if he stared at it long enough perhaps the hands would change.

Chapter III

The Foggy Bog

The planet had a vast amount of fog and bog. The dropship had landed in a swamp and was slowly drowning itself. Vykaria told Akirion to use levitation to lift it from the bog but he didn’t know what levitation was.

“So the mission here is to search for life.” proclaimed Vykaria.

Her team nodded, Akirion sighed.

“Did you not just listen to my talk? I’d much rather look for death.” He said.

“Wizard of the Star River, of the vast infinities, can you please work with me on this.” Said Vykaria in an almost plea.

“Guess so, I’ll look for death and you guys can look for life...accord?” Then the wizard clad in his navy starrobes ran off into the fog alone almost in a skip.

“Well I’m going with the suicidal Astrowizard!” yelled Frees and ran after him into the mists but not before grabbing her backpack.

Vykaria watched them run off. “Fools.” She said.

However, they were not fools, Akirion and Frees

“What is that sound?” as Gorth looked around the fog as he heard breathing, not human breathing but bigger breathing, like something larger than an elephant.

“Oh flaming suns!!!!!!!!” yelped Xivon as he turned around. He saw in the midst of the mist a mammoth white shadow.

“What the suns is that!!!!” yelled Vykaria with a look of infinite fear slapped across her pale slender face.

“STARRRRRRRRRRDRRRRRRRRRAAAAAAAAGOOOOOOOONNNNNNNNNN! RUNNNNNNS FOR YOUR BEATS, FOR YOUR BREATH, FOR YOUR LIVES!” yelled Xivon as he leapt a giant rock and bolted into the mist.

Gorth and Vykarian looked upon one another, to the white shadow, back at each other and took to running like clumsy babies into the unknown.

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“Oh my rings!” huffed Vykaria as she flicked her hair out of her sweaty face.

“A dragon, a real white drake.” Said Gorth as he unlocked his laser sword.

“I want to go back to Satarius.” said the Sun Elf.

The three took a seat on some stones darting their eyes around in fear. They were in a forest now with odd noises and chirps from beings they had no idea where they were.

“I don’t like the food on the Doomed Moon, I find it both subpar and standard fare.” said Frees as she adjusted her headband. “It’s like chewing on a cardboard box.”

Frees was a tiny young women, the reason for this was she hated the taste of food. Anything she tried she hated the taste of.

“How can it be subpar and standard fare? Is it either subpar or standard but subpar is below standard. Ouch!” as a slim grey branch slapped Akirion across the face.

“Watch where you are going.” said Frees.

“But I can’t see where I am going?”

“Still watch.”

“But I can’t see.”

“What kind of Astrowizard are you?”

“The kind that didn’t study foresight, but I have backsight.”

“Huh?”

“I can see the things that have already happened.”

“Isn’t that useless?” asked Frees.

“No.”

“Why?”

“I don’t know.”

Akirion dropped to a log. He knocked on it then sat and took out a device from his pack.

“What’s that do?” asked Frees.

“It measures the air, I think we can breathe.”

So the two took off their helmets and Akirion took out a few slabs of meat jerky and started gumming at it.

“Hey can I have one?” asked Frees as she side stepped closer to the log Akirion was resting on.

Akirion gave her some and she gummed it too.

“So I think we are probably going to die here.” said Akirion casually.

“Why?” asked Frees.

“Well I can’t be certain, but while looking for life we will probably die in the process.”

“Why?”

“Well look at it this way. We aren’t trained and the Patrioc probably sent us here to look for life and die when we find it. I looked at this digifile and this ‘Planet Y” has signs of massive life that will surely be big enough to bring us to our death. So they send an idiot Sun Blazer with a heavy hand and a balloon for a brain. Then they send a Sunelf with something to prove, and a pilot who hasn’t flown much and me.”

“You’re supposed to help us through the unknown, like Vykarian said, you are supposed to be the light that pierces the shadows or whatever, the defender of space.”

“Guess so.”

“You guess so? What the stars am I doing here then!” yelled Frees.

“They probably paid you well.”

“They did.”

“But you won’t be able to collect.”

“Why?”

“Because you’ll be dead.”

“You said you don’t have foresight.” Shot back Frees.

Akirion then walked off, patrolling around for some form of walking stick, he eventually found one while Frees hung by her log bench blowing magenta colored bubbles with her chewing gum.

Akirio came back preoccupied with his new grey oak walking stick. “Yeah you are probably right, I don’t know if you will die here but ohhhhhhhhhhhhhh moonnuts!” he gasped.

“What is it?” asked Frees tightening her body up.

A large one eyed basilisk hung from a thick grey tree right behind where Frees was lazily sitting.

“I think there is something bad behind you.” said Akirion.

Frees’ face went from relaxed to immense fear. “Whhhatttt iss it?”

“It’s a giant snake or no.”

“No?”

“It could be a giant eel, yeah it sort of looks more eel-like.”

“WHAT!” exclaimed Frees.

“Yeah it’s a big rainbow colored snake, it looks really beautiful but it’s the beautiful things that do the most damage I have heard.”

“Oh my stargod, oh my stargod, what do I do Akirion?”

The basilisk started to swirl in the air like a halo overtop Frees’ tiny frame.

“Probably nothing, or you could try running.”

“No please stay…” said the basilisk.

“WHAT THE STARS!” yelped Frees, still not looking behind her.

“Hmmmm, I didn’t plan on staying too long, but I guess we could stay a bit longer.” said Akirion.

“Good, good.” Said the rainbow scaled snake.

Frees started to cry, she cried good and quiet as the basilisk slowly coiled around her scared frozen body, its thick scaly body gently moving around her tiny frame. Akirion looked on curiously.

“Akirion, Akirion.” she said.

“Just let it happen, it’s all good.” he replied observing the monster in action.

“Can you do something! Magic!” Frees yelled in desperation.

“Oh… an Astrowizard stands before me…” said the Basilisk.

“I don’t think she appreciates being touched by you good sir.” mentioned the Astrowizard.

“The ancient stars call me the Deathilisk.”

“That’s a pretty cool name! I’m Akirion and the girl, your new squeeze is Captain Frees of the Starblade!”

“Frees, that is a lovely name for a dying girl.” said the Deathilisk darkly.

“Don’t forget it’s Captain Frees.” informed Akirion.

“Well Frees isn’t it great? Mission accomplished we found life!” declared Akirion who gummed at his meat jerky with one hand as he slipped his other behind his navy starsuit.

Frees’ tears bounced off the Deathilisk’s thick scaly body as it completed its coil around her.

“I am going…am I going to die?” she asked the world.

“Of course, we all die.” said Morak the Deathilisk.

“He’s definitely got a point.” added Akiro.

“Astrowizard do you know magic?” asked the Deathilisk with a sinister smile as his prey started to become unconscious.

“No but I know this.” said Akirion as he leapt up to the snake and slapped it across the face with his oak grey walking stick.

“ARRRRRRRRRRGGGGGGGGGGGGGG.”

Akirion then started to kick the flailing Deathilisk, he kicked it aimlessly and often missed as the snake lessened its grip of the young star pilot.

Frees came more awake and went into fight or flight mode but she was stuck and couldn’t get away so she chose to fight and took out a miniature hunting knife and started to stab.

“F*****g space devils!” she sworn as the Deathilisks blood poured green.

Akirion kept on kicking as the snake cursed but did not let go of Frees.

Mid-kick he noticed the mouth of the Deathilisk going in for a bite of Frees’ face and as the Deathilisk opened his wide open Akirio shoved his walking stick in it as hard as he could, which wasn’t very hard. The Deathilisk gasped for air and spat out neon green venom or acid and loosened his grip of the star pilot. She wormed her way out kicking at the massive rainbow snake she even spat at it a couple of times.

“Finding life hasn’t gone very well, let’s run from it!” yelled Akirion to Frees. She leapt out of the coil that was now loose and limp and bolted into the mist striding along an acid filled lake. Akirion followed.

“I will kill you Astrowizard!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! I will end your universe!!!!!!!!!!!” cursed the Deathilisk as he tried to slide after them but his body was too weakened.

“I can’t wait….” Yelled the Astrowizard back to the bloody and beaten Deathilisk.

“What in the f*****g stars was that?” asked Frees after she had ran a good forty-five minutes past the acid lake and halfway up a bluff of rocks with neon green grass.

“He told you, don’t you listen? The Deathilisk! Interesting fellow.” Said casually Akirion.

“He tried to kill me!”

“That’s what life does oh little one.”

“We need to get the f**k off this pyraplanet!”

“The planet must have a name, and don’t judge a place because you had one bad experience.” informed Akirion.

“I almost died!”

“I know! Aren’t you lucky!”

“I was so scared, I was so scared of death.”

Akirion gave her a smile. “You should be more afraid of life.”

Back near camp Vykaria was devising a stupid plan to get back to the teams ship, the Starblade.

“We need more men.” Said Xivon whilst in a frantic pace.

“No! Don’t need anymore of you idiots down here, we need a Sickle Lizarian or a small army of them to track and kill that dragon.” said Vykaria in her own pace.

“What we need, is to get out of here!” said Gorth sitting hunched over near a fallen grey tree with a look of fear.

“God damn Astrowizard ran off to die. I knew he would, didn’t think that kid pilot was dumb enough to follow. Those are probably face down in the swamp sucking on mud till their heart goes to sleep forever.” Put in Xivon.

“This planet is cursed, the Patrioc knew it and they send us here to die.” said Gorth.

“We need to record the dragon and get out. That is our mission. Find life.” said Vykaria.

The Sunelf and the Centurrien Sun Blazer both nodded.

Chapter IV

Tea

“Starghosts and broken chains, I hate hiking!” said Frees as she ascended the bluff.

“I enjoy it, I like walking, it makes me think of nothing.” put in Akirion.

The two made it to the top of the bluff. Their eyes scanned across the horizon and up above the mist. Frees pilots eyes widened.

“The stars is that?” she said pointing to a giant tower.

“It’s a giant tower.” Said Akirion.

“I know that wizard, but is it occupied?”

“I dunno, why do you ask such stupid questions?”

“Because you should be able to know. Can’t you steal a birds eye and go fly and perform recon or attack the tower with an invisible wind monster?” asked Frees.

“What kind of stupid dream is that? Plus I don’t even know if there are birds here.”

“God what are you good for? Aren’t you a wise man of the Exclave, a Wizard of the moon? A being made entirely up of dreams.”

“That’s not entirely true, but I did kick a rainbow colored snake half to death for you.”

“Anyone could do that.” Akirion sighed at this and started to move towards the tower.

“Let’s go walk there, I think it’s just through that boggy thicket and then over the field, there shouldn’t be any snakes in the field.”

“Maybe they have food?” added Frees.

“Maybe we are going to be their food.” Put in the Astrowizard.

“You are mad!”

“Probably, want some tea? I brought some midnight berry tea, it tastes like midnight.”

“What the stars? Midnight doesn’t taste like anything?”

“Doesn’t taste like anything besides midnight. That’s like saying an apple doesn’t taste like anything besides an apple. You need to become more-wise young star pilot.” said Akirion calmly.

Frees gave him a sullen look.

“I think I am going to keep this walking stick.” said the Wizard.

Frees shook her head.

Chapter V

The Obsidian Tower

The black tower was tall, narrow and black, it had only tiny windows and Akirion joked it looked like a giant schlong. Frees didn’t laugh but knew what he was talking about as the two approached running a bit then hiding behind the scarce trees in the field than run some more. Frees even did a roll and Akirion laughed himself to his knees and cried a little as well, while Frees looked at him with a smile.

As Akirion was behind a tree he heard something whizz by and a branch fall right beside him.

“Moons and milk!!!! They are trying to kill us!” yelled Frees.

“Who the towerfolk?” said Akirion puzzled.

“Yes!”

“How do you know it came from the tower?”

“An educated guess!”

“We aren’t educated with this place? What if it fell from the sky?”

“At the academy we learn about trajectory! And it came from the tower!”

“Hmmmm, this should be interesting.” Said Akirion as he walked out from the tree. Another lazer ball flew past him missing him horribly. He started a slow zigzag and then started an awkward run dance type thing. Frees looked on from behind a tree, eyes filled with fear and smoke.

Akirion sprinted all the way to the base of the black tower and a guard stood on one side of the door with a helm covering his face.

“Morning!” cheered Akirion.

“Starling, you are out of jurisdiction.” informed the guard with a thick heavy voice. The type of voice that sent children scattering, the type of voice the enhanced a type of fear in the listener that could not be described.

“I need a kettle for my midnight tea.” Said Akirion.

Frees took a sigh and started a sprint at the base of the tower. Lazer cannons flew past her as she ducked and yelped and cursed but she made the base.

The being in armor looked over the two humans who stood much shorter than it.

“You will come with me.” He ordered.

“Then who will watch the door?” said Akirion.

“Yeah there’s usually like, two guards at the door, you shouldn’t leave your post.” Pointed out Frees.

“There is only one who guards the way, who slays those who slay.” said the being.

“But how can you slay those you slay? Because if they slay? Then you are, well, slayed?” added Frees whilst she rubbed the top of her head.

“We are the ones who kill the death, we are the ones who fight the fog.” said the guard.

“Fighting the fog must be exhausting, it’s, like everywhere. How do you fight something that is everywhere?” asked the Astrowizard.

“With everything.” Answered the guard. “Now, with me outlanders.”

“Should I watch the door? I wouldn’t want the fog to get in…” added Akirion.

“NO!” Roared the guard as he removed his helm. His face was that of a dragons, a face of shadow and red eyes and scales that could slice a human’s flesh into scraps.

Frees was taken aback and fainted shortly after. Akiro smiled slyly.

“Star Dragons…” he said. “Star Dragons….”

Star Dragons

My name is Torgon the Conqueror and you are now in the custody of the Stargon Dominion.”

“What’s a Stargon Dominion?” asked Frees.

“It’s a guild beyond your age and time.” Stated Torgon.

“What have you conquered?” asked Akirion.

“What do you mean?” asked the Black dragon who had the body of a human save his scaly skin and dragons neck and head.

“What do you mean it’s beyond my time? If you exist right now and so do I then it’s of my time and therefore not beyond it.” asked Frees.

The Dragon guard became overwhelmed with the barrage of questions.

“ahem it means, girl, that we seed from stories much older than that of your own.” Said the black drake.

“How do you know that?” questioned Frees.

“Don’t upset him Frees He has a spear.” whispered Akirion.

“Stop calling me that and you have a wizard’s staff!” she yelled.

“It’s a stick with a rock on i-.” replied Akirion in a mellow tone.

“We will call you what we wish girl.” interrupted Torgon.

“I hope you wish to call her Captain Frees, it’s what I call her.” put in Akirion.

“I’m not a Captain and my name is-“

“Then let your name be forever marked in the star constellations of old as Frees the Questioner of all things.”

Akirion smiled grinningly.

Frees sighed and dropped her head in shame as the black Dragon towered three feet above her.

“What’s my constellation name?” asked Akirion.

“If you rank as a Wizard of the Stars only the Comet King may name you.” Stated Torgon.

“The Comet King?” questioned Frees.

“Yes the Comet King that lives to the South in the Castle of Flames.”

“Is it hot there?” asked Akirion.

“It is a tropical city on the Wave Pool.” Informed the Dragon.

“Wave pool?” questioned Frees.

“My guess would be that it is an ocean of sorts, perhaps with azure waters.” Put in Akirion.

“It is a pool with waves and the dragren play and bathe in it with smiles on their stouts and light in their hearts. But enough, I must take to the Tower Master.”

“Who’s the Tower Master?” asked Frees.

“I will take you to him.” said the Dragon annoyance in his strong voice.

The three spiraled up the tower and Akirion stopped at every window to peer out, he saw a grey swamp in between two mountain ranges on either side, he saw the acid lake where they met the Deathilisk and he made out the Starblade sticking out of the swamp.

“Ugh don’t you people have an elevator?” asked Frees as she stomped higher and higher.

“No we do not use magic here, no elevations or uses of bending the winds to our will, Frees the Questioner.” Said Torgon, Frees sighed then gave Akirion a sullen look, he smiled back then went back to gazing out windows.

The three entered a large room at the peak of the tower that had all oak furniture, a large desk and a black animal hide chair facing towards a large rectangular window overlooking the swamp valley.

“Cygon.” Said Torgon timidly.

“Who’s stationed at your post?” asked the chair in a dark voice.

“I found an Astrowizard and a starpilot.” Said Torgon.

“So this justified you to leave the post unguarded?” roared the chair.

“See I told you.” said Akirion, the black drake snapped his stout at him. Frees froze in fear, Akirion just smiled at both of them and then the chair.

“Hello there, chair, may I ask if you have any food for us to eat and water for us to sip?” asked the Astrowizard nervously.

“Do not address the Tower Master as a chair,” Warned Torgon. “He is Cygon Soulslayer of the Obsidian Tower, guardian of the Valley Swamps, The Watcher within the winds, the descendant of the great Hidragon himself.”

“Why’s he a chair then?” asked Frees in an innocently curious tone.

“Good question, questioner.” added Akirion with a sly grin.

“I AM NO CHAIR!” roared the chair as it twisted around to a silver scaled dragon head that had eyes that burned through your soul and teeth crooked like ivory tusks, one eye had an eye patch made out what Frees would guess was solid gold.

“Tower Master.” bowed Torgon, Frees followed this motion but Akirion stood aloof to the presence of the Tower Master.

“Who enters the Obsidian Spire?” as the Silver drake addressed the three.

Torgon stepped forward “This is Frees the Questioner and he, he is an Astrowizard.”

“Where do you come from netherfolk?” asked Cygon.

“I come from the distant Star River and she comes from her mother.” Answered Akirion.

Frees shot Akirio a sullen glare but he didn’t notice it as he was looking out the window to the great swamp valley.

“What are you doing in these treacherous lands?” Cygon sneered.

“Well first, we didn’t know they were treacherous or we wouldn’t have come and second we were looking for life and we found it.” added the Astrowizard without confidence.

“What brings you to Ataria Astrowizard?” asked the Tower Master.

“Well, you see, they paid me in moon silver coins and I need those to live, but they sent me here to probably die so I can’t collect them, but I didn’t really have anything else to do with my time since I gave up trying to learn infinity. “

“That is a fool’s reasoning.” Stated the Silver dragon.

“No, no, I don’t see it that way. Trying to study infinite on the deadline of life is impossible, unachievable even.” said Akirion.

“Why would one try to study the infinite?” asked the dragon who gave Akirio a look up and down with his broad head and long scaly neck. “Hold my starstone! What is that?!”

Frees looked over at Akirio who was standing in poor form with his hands grasping his walking stick.

“It’s a stick with a rock in it.” Informed Akirio.

The Silver Drake immediately rose from his desk chair and strode over to the wizard who stood three feet shorter to the towering Tower Master.

“It is not stick with just a rock in it.” Stated the Dragon strongly as he walked circles around the anxious Astrowizard.

“Ya it is, look.” Said the Wizard.

“Where did you come across this shadow stone?” asked Cygon giving Torgon a look as if he had missed something.

“Well we ran for a bit to get away from doing work and tasks that our leader wanted us to do, which was seek out new life. In turn we accidentally came across new life that tried to kill us.” Started Akirion.

“Kill you? For being pathetic? For not being a part of this world?” questioned Cygon who had now walked to the window and glanced out it, over the land that was his to protect.

“Well I don’t know the Deathalisk seemed polite at the start then he tried to squeeze the life out of poor Frees the Questioner here.” Akirion pointed to his co-worker who appeared she that she was tired of standing up.

“The Deathalisk!” roared Cygon.

“Yeah it was a rainbow colored eel like snake thingie of sorts that had one gaping eye and teeth like daggers and it was as long as this tower is high!” cheered Frees.

“And where did you meet this Deathalisk?” asked Cygon whose anger twisted to concern.

“Near the acid lake, I was sitting on a log thinking about not doing my job when he hung down from a tree and then started to hug me, I didn’t ask him to, he was in my space bubble and then he started to kill me.” informed Frees.

“Ya and I was excited too, because we found life, but it tried to bring Captain Frees here to death. It’s sad that I had to kick it half to death. We could have brought it back to Vykaria and then left this place back to the Doomed Moon.” As Akirion made kicking motions.

“This stone is no normal stone.” As Cygon approached it, his eyes lit up.

“I know, it’s a rock actually.” corrected the Astrowizard.

“I think it is like looking into a black hole, it looks like a miniature black hole.” Added Frees.

“It is no black hole, and is no rock.” Said Cygon.

“Well it’s not a crystal.” Put in Akirion.

“Come to the attic for dinner this evening and bring the-ugh stick.” Ordered Cygon.

The starpilot and the Astrowizard exchanged glances and both nodded.

“What are we going to be having?’ asked Frees.

“Scorpion stew and mashed carrots with blue bean sauce and seaweed nectar from the southern Wave pools.” Informed Cygon.

Frees nodded with scared eyes, she never had scorpion stew before, Akirion smiled and then went back to looking out the window, past the great swamp valley, to the south.

VII

The Infinity Staff

“I don’t want to be here anymore,” said Gorth, “This is a cursed bog, full of acid air and evil spirits.”

“Stop being paranoid. Just because you believed you saw one dragon head and ran off like a kid after of a moonless night.” Put in Vykaria who had her right hand on her lazerblade and left on binoculars scanning the swamps.

“Where is that damn mad wizard and Captain Frees?” asked Xivon who had taken to sitting on a grey log and started playing with the string tension of his tribow.

“I can locate them on their trackers, but I suggest we gain the advantage of higher ground and go up the mountainside to see above all this swamp fog.” As Vykaria started to scan the row of mountains to the east.

“I agree, we can map out the Starblades co-ordinates and scan for their infrared signatures from atop the mountain, it should be a three hours trek if we don’t stop for provisions.” Put in Xivon.

“That is why we brought crystal water.” As Gorth took a clumsy sip, the water spilling out trickling onto his chest down the crest of a sun and crossed swords.

“To the top of the mountain is it then.” confirmed Vykaria.

The Sun elf, the Star Blazer and their commander trudged through the mists and into elevation. Gorth was a strong man but did poorly over long distances and complained. Vykaria was light but tough as titanium and pioneered on, cursing the Astrowizard and his careless yet reasonably intelligent move in running from the dragon hidden amongst the fog. Xivon prayed to the Sunson Elven Gods as he kissed his circular necklace of a half sun half-moon.

No life was found with the eyes but the group encountered weird buzzing sounds and howls off in the distance. Then finally reached a rocky vista and Vykaria took out her binoculars and set them to infrared.

“Starships and solar sails! I think I can see a body of water and perhaps a clear sky to the south!” she yelled. Xivon, Gorth darted his eyes and smiled as he saw the same.

“Team, do not get too excited we are not out of the fog yet, but I…. oh.” said Vykaria.

“What, What is it?” asked Gorth.

“I think I see a black tower, a structure, and inside the heat coding of our lost team members.” Said Vykaria.

Xivon took the binoculars from her and peered into them. “A tower forged of obsidian on the edge of a crater filled with acid. My people have a prophecy of all these things.”

“Oh no, not another ridiculous story, I have enjoyed the Astrowizards absence, keeps the star rubbish down.” Put in Vykaria. “Did you know he went outside the airlock and started walking amongst the Broken Moon and took a rock from it, named it a Moonstone and made a necklace, it wasted half his day, but he did it anyway.”

“Fine, I will tell you another time, either way we found life.” Finished Xivon.

“So, do we approach the obsidian tower?” asked Gorth who unlatched his lazer sword and had a sly grin.

“They may be prisoners there, held against their will, tortured, having poison fed upon them, and pain injected into their blood.” said Xivon.

“Tis, true leaderess. We do not know how many guardians the tower has, but we are three, three strong yes, but still only three.” Said Gorth.

Vykaria stole back the binoculars from Xivons now shaky hands. “A tower that size must house a force of at least forty. We wait till we can see the Broken Moon and sneak in. We cannot storm a tower of forty.”

VII

Scorpion Stew

“So how many of you Dragonians dwell in this black totem pole?” asked Akirion with a mouthful of scorpion stew.

“Eleven.” replied Cygon who sat at an old white ash table in a room with a circular window all around it encased in a glass that moved when the valley winds punched up against it. A dragon sat at the head of the table hunched over, old, wrinkles around his eyes and white whiskers came out the sides of his snout.

“Who’s he?” asked Frees who sat hands below the table, not taking one slice of wheat bread or one bit of scorpion stew. She did not even take a portion of mashed carrots. She chewed her magenta colored bubble gum.

“He is our Elder, Elder Vorrigon the Wise.” informed Cygon.

Everyone had taken their seats Akirion sat next to Frees who sat next to Cygon who sat next to Vorrigon who sat next to Akirion.

Akirion had his stick hidden underneath the table, Frees blew bubbles from her gum nervously as the room fell silent.

Vorrigon cocked his head up and started a gaze at Akirion who was aloof staring or rather, trying to stare out the windows that were blocked by large trophies.

“Astrowizard.” he said in a genteel tone.

“I think he is addressing you.” As Frees nudged Akirion who had his head down spooning scorpion stew as if it were his last meal.

“Oh sorry, good morning Stardragon. This, here, this is fantastic stew.” Replied the Astrowizard.

“It is mid-afternoon.” Informed the grey dragon.

“So it is.” As the Wizard referred to his lunar wrist watch whose hands were perpetually stuck at eight o’clock.

“The staff.” said the old dragon. Cygon gave Akirion a look then moved his eyes below the table.

“Oh my walking stick? I think I am going to name him Moonstick.” As Akirion dropped his head down and pulled out the stick with the black stone in it. The old dragon took it up in his hands and shook up rapidly.

“What? What’s wrong with my stick?” asked Akirion. The dragon did not reply.

“Where did you get this black stone?” asked Vorrigon.

“Yeah, actually, I don’t remember you having it before the Deathilisk came for a visit.” Put in Frees.

“The Deathilisk!” roared the elder, as life came back into his face, as the fear of a young naïve creature was ever present in his now sparking green eyes.

“Yeah that snake thing I kicked half to death because it was inside Frees personal bubble, she has a big bubble around her, she also blows bubbles with gum, Frees do the bubble trick!” cheered Akirion. Frees blew a massive bubble, the size of her head and then Akirion popped it. “See, magic!” he said.

“You encountered the Deathilisk and then you presumed to kick at him? asked Cygon in shock.

“Well I didn’t kick at him, I kicked him, but that didn’t totally get him to stop killing poor Frees over here, so I got this stick, which at the time didn’t have a rock in it, and jammed it down the Deathilisks throat, and that got his attention enough, then Frees took the knives to him, as I kept kicking him, I think perhaps, maybe, that the stone came from inside the Deathilisk, he must have thrown it up when he gagged on my walking stick…” said Akirion almost questioning his own story.

“Oh and! Then he threw it up and the acid from the Deathilisk melted it into the stick or a the staff, whatever you ma-call its!” cheered Frees, like she had figured it all out herself.

“That would explain its perfect formation within the ashen wood of the staff.” Said Cygon to the Elder.

Elder observed the staff stroking his chin in uncomfortable silence.

“It’s a stick.” said Akirion.

“It is no stick Astrowizard.” Said the Elder.

“It is a stick.” Said Akirion.

“He is right Akirion, it’s not a stick, it’s a stick with a black rock lodged into it.” Added Frees with a smile that faded after she looked around at the concern on the two stardragons faces.

“It is a stick with a rock and within that rock lies the entirety of everything itself.” announced the Elder.

Akirion and Frees raised their eyebrows at the old drake.

“How can everything be in here and we not be in it?” asked Akirion.

“Because the universe is both everywhere and nowhere, we are but a thing in it.”

“But so is this black rock, it’s one thing and I am one thing but I am not inside it.”

“To the universe, everything is everything.” Announced the elder.

“Well how in Kytons Nine moons does that make any sense?” asked Frees who now had her hand positioned under her chin like she was in deep thought. The elder exhibited a look to her that she was not capable of deep thought.

“We are universes inside universes, we are both here and inside there.” As the elder pointed to the black stone.

Frees put her amber eyes to the black stone. “Iiii think I see stars.” She said.

Akirion started to giggled, then broke out into a laugh.

“Do not laugh Astrowizard for in your clutches is nothing less than the Infinity Staff.” Said the Elder. Cygon gave a surprised and scared look. “Forged by the the choice of a champion mixed with the blood of the end itself and finished with the heart of the Hi-dragon himself.

“No it cannot be.”

“The Deathalisk from the fallen stole it from the Hidragon himself. The one head that left the nine. It is legend, it is legacy, it is the universe encased in glass.” Announced the elder then he took a bite of scorpion stew. Akirion followed taking a sip and sat it out violently then started to cough. Frees didn’t know whether to laugh or be concerned so she gave out a fake cough because she was starting to laugh a little bit.

“Well if there’s the universe in this rock that is now lodged into my walking stick you can keep it, I don’t want it. I don’t like responsibility that’s why I ran away from this job we took where are mission was to find life.” said Akirio as he handed the staff to the Elder carelessly.

The Elder backed away holding his scaly claws up. “No Astrowizard.” He said with concern strung across his face. Akirion shrugged and waved it over to Cygon. “Noooooo Master Wizard, I will not touch it!”

“Frees you want the universe? Its first come first serve and there’s only one left...” Akirion said as he placed the stick in front of her.

“I think I’ll pass, seems like a lot of work. Maybe the Deathilisk will want it bac-“

“No you must not give it back to the one they call the Destroyer of all Breathe, the Snake that hears all and hangs in the walls, the Champion of all things dead and dreadful.” announced the Elder.

“Well who would want this stick and rock then? Like I could advertise it all little better, say things like ‘it’s a solid walking stick and comes with the addition of the universe,’ really it’s not a bad stick, I beat the Deathilisk half to death with it, maybe like sixty percent to death, yeah well, definitely over fifty percent wouldn’t you say Frees?”

Frees gave the Astrowizard a confused look then nodded bobbing her head up and down, up and down.

“You cannot kill what is beyond dead.” Put in Cygon darkly.

“Wha-“ started Frees.

“Wait, hold on, how does one to get this… beyond dead life status?” interrupted Akirion.

“One must turns the tides of time, bend the will of the worlds, corrupt gravity, destroy things you folk call love and hope.” Said Cygon, the Elder nodded as well.

“Hope isn’t hard to destroy, because it doesn’t exist, it’s just something people use to get through hard times. It’s like say, you’re in a bad spot but can’t do anything about it, so you ‘hope’ it gets better, but that hope doesn’t do anything or go anywhere, but it isn’t anything.” added the Wizard. “Hope isn’t natural.”

“You are a narcissistic Wizard now aren’t you.” put in Cygon.

“I’m not narcissistic I am just not a big fan of life and what you have to do to keep on living it.” Put in the Astrowizard coolly.

“He’s crazy,’ added Frees “But I understand where he comes from, we didn’t want to find life here, and now we found it and look at all this work we have to do, like we have to talk to you and now you tell us we have this rock, which, is the universe and now we have to try to sell it off and that’s even more work.” A lightbulb came on inside Frees head.” Perhaps we could just drop it in the acid lake!?”

“I third that motion!” said Akirion.

“No one seconded it.” Put in Cygon.

“Well if it makes any difference, one mans trash is another Deathilisks treasure and if none of us want this terrible responsibility perhaps we should give it back to the being that does.” As the Wizard used hand signals as he spoke. The two dragons stood flabbergasted.

“But the Deathilisk isn’t a good uh, um, Deathilisk! He tried to crush me and then eat my soul and even worse, eat my body!” added Frees.

“The truth is, the starpilot speaks no lies.” as Akirion started to pat at his chin too now. He thought it made him look a little smarter.

The Elder dragon walked up to his younger Tower Master and whispered his sound hole. Akirion made out some words.

“South, City of Flam, The Titanius Vaults.”

“So you will take the Universe south to the city of Flam! And put in into a Titanium vault! That is a grand idea but… lots of work goes into that, travel, walking, moving, feet stomping…” as he the Wizard dropped the Infinity Staff on the wooden floor boards and started a sprint. Frees saw this and flipped her scorpion stew bowl over at the direction of the two dragons and rocketed off down the spiraling stairs of the Obsidian Tower.

“Akirion! Wait up!” as she ran after the Astrowizard.

Frees ran and started to leap down the spiral steps until she slammed into Akirion who had halted his escape as a lazer spear buzzed right in front of his chest.

“Astrowizard you cannot escape this tower.” Said an Orange dragon that had a little fur around its face.

“I left the Universe upstairs, take it, you can also have her Scoprion Stew she didn’t touch it, I just want to go back to the library on my home planet.” pleaded Akirion to the orange drake.

Sounds from up the steps got closer and closer and then down stepped Cygon with two fully armored dragon guards.

“I will show you our library Astrowizard.” He said sinisterly.

Frees sighed, Akirion smiled, he liked libraries.

VII

The Library

Gorth ran like a solarbear, he kept pace but tried and had to slump next to a tree often from his lighter counterparts.

“Gorth keep up, they could be tortured in there and the Tri-suns are setting, ones already down!” yelled Vykaria as her pony tail whipped back and forth through the swamp trees.

“I am dying, the air in this swamp is killing me.” Said Gorth.

“Here drink this.” Said Xivon.

Gorth took his metal water can and tipped it back sucking in bright blue liquid.

“What is that?” asked Vykaria.

“It’s an ice elixir, it will help his lungs feel less like burning.” Said the Sunelf.

“Good, keep the pace, we run until tri-sundown.

And so the three trudged through the acid swamps towards the obsidian tower under the dying light.

“I don’t think this is a library.” said Akirion as he scanned over the empty shelves.

“Yeah, where are all the books?” asked Frees.

“Books?” questioned Cygon.

“Yeah, books, libraries have books, not dusty empty shelves.” Explained Frees.

Before them was a room, high in the tower with floors and walls of stone. The room contained many shelves but all were empty besides a layer of thick dust.

“I can’t read dust!” exclaimed Akirion.

“Of course not Astrowizard.” Said the Elder as he walked in.

He strode gently over to a podium and unlocked the massive hinge opening its flat top to a large book bound in dragon scales.

Akirion ran up to peek but the Elder flipped the page before he could read the title. A curious Frees followed.

“This is the Book of the First Sun.” said the Elder to the three others who looked on in amazement at how big the book was.

“It is the recorded history of the Pyramid planet of Ataria and dates back before the Shadow fell, before the Comet king who sits atop his Lightning Throne.”

Announced the Elder.

Akirion gave the large tome a serious stare. “Can I check it out?”

“What do you mean ‘check it out’’? asked the Elder curiosity strung across his old dragon face.

“He means like check it out of the library and bring it back once he has finished reading it.” Put in Frees.

“No!” roared Cygon.

“What why?” asked Frees.

“I know! I know! Because if I took your libraries only book…” mentioned Akirion.

“…it would no longer be a library.” Finished the Elder.

“Akirion the light look, its going down.” Exclaimed Frees.

“Moons and milk! The lamp light is dying out!” yelled out the Astrowizard.

“You will remain here tonight, and you will hold onto your Infinity Staff, for it was forged from your own doing.” Instructed the Elder.

“I don’t want it.” Shot back Akirion.

“Fate doesn’t care what you want.” Said the Elder.

“Fate isn’t natural.” Replied back the Astrowizard.

“There is a stream to your life, if you don’t follow it, life will punish you with horrors beyond your darkest dreams.” Informed the Elder.

“My dreams are dark enough.” Replied the Wizard.

“You are a Wizard of the cosmos, a Wizard of the Moon Exclave, you are made up of dreams, you are made up of the infinity and you will weld it until your heart ceases to beat, until your lungs go black, until the tri-suns no long rise. You swore to be a keeper of the Universe and you will honor your oath, the Infinity Staff has come to you and it is yours.” Billowed out the Elder in a swirl of extreme power.

“I don’t want it, I didn’t ask for me, it is not my fate. I just want to read that book.” Said Akirion.

“Oh my stars, just take the damn stick, it’s probably useless anyway.” said Frees.

The four walked to the top of the Obsidian Tower and as the last tri-sun was setting Akirion walked over and took up the Infinity Staff, he gazed into the black abysss of the stone. It appeared as a hurricane swirled within or stars and worm holes and planets. He unhinged a window and looked down. It looked a ways down. He looked at the storm within the black stone, looked to his white moonstone and held the staff out the window.

“What are you doing?” said a female voice.

“Moons and Milk! Don’t sneak up on me like that Frees, I almost leapt out the window and it clearly isn’t far enough to kill me.” He said.

“And you would use the winds and levitation to bring yourself down to safety.” said Frees.

“No, I would break my legs, maybe a couple of ribs and hopefully this stupid stick.” As he tossed it out the window.

“No! No!” yelled Frees.

Cygon ran up to the yell. “What have you done Astrowizard?” he roared.

“I dropped the Universe out the window.” answered Akirion with a grin.

To be Continued…