Part 11: The Three Siblings

– What can you tell me about Wallanime’s sons? – was my next question.

– Her favorite son was named Zohorone. – Draxenath answered. – Even though he was born with magical power, he was interested in the human methods of magic. His thirst for knowledge led him down a very dark path.

– Zohorone, The First Necromancer?! He is legendary! Many have tried to follow his steps, but it’s hard to tell how much of the legend is real and how much is a mere embellishment. Would you be so kind as to unveil his true achievements? – I asked.

– He dabbled in the mysteries of life and death, – she continued – making horrible experiments that upset even Samsara. Among his discoveries were the reanimation of corpses, and the means to transfer his consciousness to them, even more than one at a time. He could also invade the minds of the living and exert his magic on them in the same manner.

– I have heard legends that the ranks of Draconia’s army included reanimated dead that were exceptionally coordinated among them. Such legends say they spread like a disease, that anyone killed by them would rise as one.

– Indeed, he built armies that way. Even in the rare cases when the reanimated corpses could not kill their victims, the contact with them allowed Zohorone to use his magic to finish them off and reanimate their bodies.

– That is very disturbing. I start to wonder, how could the enemies of Draconia sleep at night? – I commented. – And what happened to Zohorone? There is no legend or historical record mentioning his death, it’s as if he just vanished one day.

– It doesn’t surprise me. – she said. – Zohorone retired to an inhospitable place to continue his studies undisturbed. He might still live, thinking of new ways to manipulate life and death and become truly immortal.

– Immortality is a goal many have pursued with no success, but I think if someone has any chance of that, it’s him. Tell me about another of her sons, please. – I requested.

– The best shapeshifter among her sons was Athel. – she answered. – He loved furry creatures and spent a lot of time with them, taking their form and learning from them. He gained a considerable following, especially among felids, canids, and rodents. He would often assume shapes that combine characteristics of multiple creatures, as well as from his draconic shape.

– I have heard that name before… there are legends about a feral kingdom, inhabited by beasts larger and tougher than the ordinary. They would sometimes venture to the villages and cities and take the cattle away. Athel was the name of their king, he is.described in many different legends as a monster with a body composed of different animal parts, the only consistency among them being the feathered wings and fire breath. He is considered protector of all creatures covered in fur. – I commented.

– Those extraordinary beasts are his offsprings. – Draxenath added. – He mated with many different species, lots of fun he was having with the furries in more than one way, the naughty boy. The humans tried to slay him and his army but had no success. He continued raiding villages and cities and driving the humans away. He claimed all that territory for his kingdom. Eventually, the humans decided to move as far away from his territory as possible.

– I was not expecting that. – I commented. – There is no legend or record of his death either, so I guess he might still live. What can you tell me about Pram of Draconia, besides what you already told me?

– He was very disciplined, a formidable warrior and strategist. He inherited his mother’s craving for humans. In the battlefield, he would rip his opponents’ throats with either his bare hands or his teeth in order to drink their blood. He left his father behind and founded Flameside as a kingdom of his own. He fought the vampire and human armies for years. He always looked up to my… to my firstborn. – A lump in her throat interrupted her for a brief moment, then she let out a very long sigh. – He was a young boy admiring and trying to emulate his hero… he was devastated after the death of my child. That is likely the reason he let his guard down and was wounded, and most likely also the reason he never came out of his chambers afterward.

Draxenath remained silent for a moment, then talked again. – All of them were sons of Athaldar as well. Her other offsprings are also special one way or another, but those three are the ones that left the deepest mark in the world.

She looked stern. I got the feeling she was thinking of someone, a black sheep among them, perhaps? I did not dare to ask.