Peace Porridge Hot

by Metool Bard

Embrace the Winds of Change

Ember and Needles followed Nova in complete silence through the ravines and crevices of the Dragon Magi's land. Needles tried to meditate, but she found that she couldn't empty her mind. That, and she wasn't in the mood to listen to Ocard scold her. Finally, she let out a sigh.

"How much farther?" she murmured.

Nova turned her head. "You're still upset."

"Gee, I don't know where you got that idea," Needles snapped.

Nova frowned. "Needles, I know your father was very stern with you, and perhaps he wasn't right to act in such a manner. But we still love you."

"Yeah, well. He has a weird way of showin' his affection," said Needles. "And I still don't know why we can't help the Dragon Lord. The Dragon Magi are supposed to help anyone who asks. What makes Seth so special?"

"Patience, Needles. I will reveal all soon," said Nova. "Ah, here we are."

Ember perked up as she heard a howling wind echo through a large cavern just up ahead. Nova flew inside without so much as flinching. When Ember tried to follow, a powerful squall hampered her movements. The winds were so strong, Needles flew off of Ember's back.

"Whoa!" she yelped.

Ember's eyes went wide. "Hang on! I gotcha!"

She made an attempt to grab Needles, but the winds forced her off-course. Struggling to keep herself airborne, she watched in horror as Needles fell towards the jagged rocks below. But before she hit them, the wind suddenly carried her skyward, back to the mouth of the cave. Both Needles and Ember were dumbfounded by what happened.

"Do not fight the winds," Nova's voice echoed from within the cave. "Bend with them, and you'll be safe."

Ember nodded and put Needles back onto her back. Taking a deep breath, she flew towards the cave again. This time, the winds seemed to guide her towards her destination. Deep inside the cavern, Nova waited.

Once Needles got her bearings, her jaw dropped. They were deep inside the mountain, yet the winds howled as if they were on the open plains. The cool breeze was a sharp contrast to the harsh desert heat. The whistle of the constant air current whipped around her ears. It was a harsh sound a first, but as she adapted to her environment, it became soothing; almost melodious.

"Wh-what is this place?" Needles asked.

"This, my dear Needles, is the Delta Stream," said Nova. "The remnants of a spell Zheng Long cast many moons ago. The air within this mountain will forever move freely. Fight against the wind, and it will fight back. Embrace the wind, and it will embrace you."

Needles scowled. "Great, more of this non-violent preaching. I get it: Dragon Magi are not supposed to be violent."

"Don't be so quick to jump to conclusions, Needles," Nova scolded. "There's more to this chamber than a pacifist's riddle. And it's about time you learned the significance of the Delta Stream."

She breathed a cool pink flame that swirled along with the wind. Ember and Needles watched as the flames took shape, portraying small dragon puppets.

"Back in the olden days, after the reign of chaos, Zheng Long made it a point to teach other dragons his ways," said Nova. "Most dragons ignored him, but some were willing to listen. Of that select few, there were skeptics who challenged his way of thinking. 'Why must we listen to you?' they asked. 'Power and might is all we have ever needed. We have no use for your ways.'"

Ember flinched and fiddled with her scepter. She couldn't quite put her finger on it, but something about those words made her uncomfortable. Nevertheless, she continued to listen to Nova, not daring to interrupt.

"Zheng Long was not one to be deterred, however," said Nova. The flame puppets danced across the walls, depicting the scene. "From his mate Plume, he learned the ways of the western dragons. Through this, he formed a plan to expose them to his way of thinking by appealing to their aggressive nature. He created this very cavern, dubbing it the Delta Stream. He claimed that whosoever could endure the winds of the chamber for an entire day would gain unimaginable strength."

"Well, we're sittin' in it right now, and I don't feel any stronger," said Needles. "What gives?"

Nova smirked. "See, that was the trick. The western dragons made a sport out of the Delta Stream. Those willing to follow Zheng Long's teachings bathed themselves in the winds of the cavern, while the more critical dragons waited outside. Both sides would then engage in combat."

"And, who won those fights?" Ember inquired.

Nova's smirk turned into a full smile. "It was different every time. Sometimes those that endured the Delta Stream won; other times they didn't. But after each battle, Zheng Long revealed the truth. There was nothing magical about the winds of the cavern, other than they would perpetually flow forever. The outcome of each battle didn't necessarily go to whoever was stronger. Sometimes, it went to the one who was the most clever. Or the most swift. Or the most graceful."

"Okay. What exactly did that prove?" asked Needles, scratching her head.

"It proved the value of all ways of thinking," said Nova sagely. "The skeptics were afraid that Zheng Long was trying to impose his culture upon them, but he was merely offering them a chance to open their minds. As such, direct challenges to Zheng Long's lifestyle tapered off, and while there were those that still didn't agree, they respected his viewpoint as his ways."

The flames swirled and spiraled, forming new puppets. "Since that time, the Delta Stream has been used as a rite of passage for the Dragon Magi. In honor of Zheng Long's symbolic demonstration, a pupil would sit within this cavern and emerge to challenge their master. The winner of that fight was irrelevant, of course. Again, it was meant to show that no perspective on life was right or wrong. They were simply different, and Zheng Long saw beauty in that."

Suddenly, one of the flames turned black, and the winds suddenly became harsher and colder. Needles shivered, huddling to Ember for warmth as Nova's face darkened.

"But with every agent of change, there are those who reject it entirely," she said. "Seth was one such dragon. No one knows where he truly came from; only that he had spent his life in the desert. Some say he's an agent of destruction summoned by the sphinxes during a time of war. Others say that he was one of two brothers, and that he murdered his older sibling in cold blood. But while his origins are an enigma to all who still live, he was infamous for his use of dark sorcery. It is said that for untold ages, he was the only dragon who could perform magic."

The puppets shifted and danced along the walls of the cavern. All the while, Needles was so engrossed in the story that she could almost feel what was happening.

"When Seth heard of the Dragon Magi and how we embraced peaceful ways, he was indeed furious. He came to our land and challenged us to a magic duel. Whoever was better at spell casting held the distinction of being the only dragons allowed to use magic."

"Huh. Good to know he was a jerk long before he went after the Dragon Lord," Needles muttered. "Please tell me y'all didn't take him up on his offer."

"Well, of course not. It was a ridiculous challenge," said Nova frankly. "But Seth was a stubborn one. He slandered us, calling us cowards and claiming we weren't really dragons. We continued to ignore him, forcing him to use more violent means. One night, when the moon was full, Seth raided the nest of Hindel, one of the wisest dragons of the clan at the time. Using his dark magic, he stoked the fire elemental within Hindel's heart and caused it to rage out of control. He thought by doing so, he would convince us to kill each other."

The fire puppets roared and howled, clashing with each other with such force that Needles almost shut her eyes.

"But things did not go as Seth anticipated. Hindel, in his great wisdom, kept his own wits while his elemental went rogue. Before any damage could be done, he fought his elemental in combat, begging it to stop. It was a long and grueling fight that lit up the desert for an entire evening. However, even while the damage was being controlled, Seth had a contingency plan."

"What? What did he try to do?" asked Ember.

Nova let out a sharp snort, almost as if the very memory wounded her. "He attempted to slander Zheng Long by weaving a tale about the Delta Stream. He said that there was magic here, and that it would cause all the dragons to become soft and allow their fire elementals to destroy them. The only course of action, of course, was to abandon Zheng Long's teachings and revert back to barbarism. If not, all would suffer the same fate as Hindel."

Needles gulped. "Wh-what happened then? Hindel didn't die, did he?"

Nova sighed. "Not in that battle. Hindel managed to quell the flames of his fire elemental, using both his western aggression and Zheng Long's eastern wisdom. But the battle left him fatigued and weak. Seth had counted on the fire elemental to win, and when it didn't, he fell back on another contingency. Using his dark magic, he destroyed Hindel's footing and caused him to plummet to his death. He claimed that if Hindel truly was strong, he wouldn't have perished."

Ember deadpanned. "Did he seriously expect the Dragon Magi to be fooled by that?"

"He did indeed. But unfortunately for him, we weren't that gullible," said Nova. "We chased him from our lands, scaring him out of his wits. It was the cause of much confusion for him. How were we so peaceful, yet so powerful? In his mind, we couldn't exist. Friendly dragons in general couldn't exist. We defy everything he knows, and that frightens him."

She looked down at Ember. "And now he has reemerged, trying once again to quash change."

Ember blinked. "Wait, how do you know about me? You Dragon Magi don't answer to the Dragon Lord."

"No, but we keep our ears to the ground," said Nova. "And speaking personally, I admire your resolve. Change is good, but it isn't easy. Zheng Long knew that all too well, and you are learning that now."

"Yeah, I'm learning it the hard way," Ember muttered. "Even now, everything just feels out of place. I'm trying not to be a cruel dictator like the Dragon Lords before me, but if I don't exert my authority, punks like Seth and Garble are going to walk all over me. I-I just don't—"

Her cheeks flushed, and she pouted. "Ugh~! I don't wanna talk about my feelings!"

"I'm starting to think it might do ya some good, Your Lordship," said Needles, raising an eyebrow. "Y'know, just to get stuff off your chest."

"Th-there's nothing worth getting off my chest," Ember grumbled. "I'm going to find a way to beat Seth and show the world that I'm the rightful Dragon Lord."

"I know. And I'm here to help you," said Needles, giving Nova a look. "I'm just wonderin' why you're not."

Nova shook her head. "We cannot fight Seth. That's what he wants. We refuse to play into his claws."

"Refuse to— You're playing into his claws right now!" Needles protested. "If you do nothin', he's gonna attack the Dragon Lord and steal the Bloodstone Scepter!"

"But if we do something, he will make us forget our virtues," Nova countered. "Violence is the only thing he understands. As long as we aren't violent towards him, he remains confused and afraid of us."

Needles suddenly gasped. "But he ain't afraid of the Dragon Lord. Oh my stars, I think I know what his game is!"

"What?" asked Ember.

"The Bloodstone Scepter! Any dragon who wields that has control over all dragons barring those that use magic!" said Needles. "If he gets his claws on that and uses his dark magic in conjunction, he'll be able to control the Dragon Magi, too! Ma, we can't ignore him!"

Nova's brow furrowed. "You think it's that easy, Needles? On some level, you're right. Seth is using more and more drastic tactics to get a rise out of us. But if we fight him, his victory is all but assured. In truth, we may all be doomed."

Needles sputtered. "I-I can't believe this. Y-you're just willing to accept that?!"

"Reality will occur whether we accept it or not," Nova said sternly.

"So rather than goin' down fightin', you're just gonna ignore him and hope he goes away?! Th-that's absurd!" Needles roared. "How is it that I'm the less-experienced Dragon Mage here, yet I have the better idea?!"

"Neither ideas are wrong, Needles. But neither of them are right, either," said Nova. "That's the problem."

"Well, what is the right idea?! These can't be our only options!"

"If you have a better idea, I'd like to hear it."

Needles opened her mouth to retort, but found herself completely stumped. With a growl of frustration, she threw a magic throwing star. The star travelled all over the cavern. Ember sighed.

"Believe me, Needles. I share your frustration," she said, looking up at Nova. "I respect your ways, but I cannot afford to just sit by and do nothing. I plan to make a lot of changes as Dragon Lord, and sure, they're not going to be popular. But if you think I'm going to let this punk intimidate me into submission, then you're out of your mind."

Nova nodded. "I understand, Lord Ember. And, I'm truly sorry. But there's nothing we can do."

"I refuse to believe that," said Needles, clenching her fists. "I'm gonna—"

"Your emotions are still raging out of control? I haven't even fully recovered my strength yet."

Needles snorted as Ocard made itself known. "I don't want you to start, Ocard."

"And I don't want you flying off the handle again," Ocard countered. "Do you think I like turning into a raging fire monster?"

"I dunno, do you think I like losin' my temper?!" Needles shot back.

Before Ocard could respond, there was an explosion outside. Nova's wings flared.

"It's Seth. It has to be him," she snarled.

"But, last I checked, it was only noon," said Ember. "We were supposed to fight at sundown."

"Seth never was one to abide by rules, not even his own," said Nova.

"So, what're we gonna do? Nothin'?" asked Needles.

Nova sighed. "We can't let him rile us up. We'll protect the Dragon Lord if necessary, but the moment we strike back, he'll win."

She then flew out of the cavern. Needles sighed as she hitched a ride with Ember.

"Is that right?" she muttered, her voice drowned out by the raging wind. "Well, I'm just gonna have to put that to the test..."

Comments

[redmar]

It's clear that the pacifism of the Dragon Magi is not without drawbacks. A threat like Seth needs to be dealt with in a permanent manner or else he will just come back. Seth probably intends to become a dragon version of Sombra and enslave the entire world.

[Hyperon_Ion]

What the Dragon Magi don't understand is that there's more than one way to fight back. They just aren't thinking creatively enough.

If you had someone you didn't want to hurt but you wanted to get back at somehow, what would you do?

[OmniFox]

He's desperate and afraid.
Ember is the one who earn the Bloodstone Scepter but Spike is the one who won the Gauntlet of Fire.