This world truly is magical, she thought, staring down as a shimmering lake appeared, cradled by cliffs. Waterfalls cascaded down, veiling the entrance to ruins carved into the rock. Massive stone pillars, some broken and crumbling, others proud and defiant, stood sentry.
“Welcome to Arkla. The first home of the dragons,” Draegor called out with a proud expression.
They circled once over the lake before descending. The wind shifted, carrying the scent of damp stone, moss, and the metallic tang of magic long dormant. The ground hummed beneath Phoenix’s talons as she landed on the thick slabs of stone that made up the front entrance.
She shook the water off her wings before shaking the rest all the way to her tail. She grinned when Valyndra and Draegor did the same. Gazing around her, she stepped far enough away from the spray of the waterfall before she transformed back into her two-legged form.
Ruins stretched before her—ancient, wild, and heartbreakingly beautiful. Vines crept over cracked stone, trees growing where walls once stood. The lake glittered in the morning light, its waters impossibly clear, reflecting the soaring cliffs and the endless sky.
Valyndra’s voice was soft, reverent. “This… is where it began.”
Phoenix stood, staring wide-eyed, her lips parted in awe. “What is this place?” she asked, rotating in a slow circle as she tried to take everything in.
Draegor’s deep voice carried over the mist. “The birthplace of the Guardians. The first rose here—against darkness, against the void. And one of the Guardians… chose to stay.”
The air pulsed around her, thick with magic. Phoenix shivered, sensing eyes long gone watching from the shadows. Valyndra approached a stone plinth, her fingers tracing the worn symbols.
“I know this place… because I was one of them.”
Phoenix’s breath caught. “What?”
Valyndra turned, the weight of centuries in her golden eyes. “I came from another world… long ago. Searching. Lost. Just as you are now.”
“I… I don’t understand,” Phoenix stammered.
“You don’t have to. Not yet. All you need to do is listen… with your heart.” Valyndra smiled gently and placed her hand over Phoenix’s heart. “Come. There’s more.”
They walked together through the ruins, the ground soft with moss beneath their feet. As they moved deeper, the air grew heavier, the magic thicker. Phoenix glanced at Valyndra.
“What brought you here… to the Seven Kingdoms?”
Valyndra’s steps slowed. She glanced at Draegor, her expression softening. “I felt a pull… a bright shimmer in the darkness of space. I followed it… and found him.”
Draegor reached for her, pulling her close. Their foreheads touched, the intimacy of the gesture tightening Phoenix’s throat. For a fleeting moment, a memory danced in her mind of a spot of light she remembered seeing… and feeling a pull towards it.
But it was so far from Valdier.
A shiver ran through her. It had happened the last time she came here… well, on the way home. She shook her head and pushed the memory back into the recesses of her mind. She was too young to feel what they were talking about.
She followed the couple through an arched doorway until they stood in what had once been a great hallway. Towering pillars lined each side, leading to a massive domed ceiling painted with a battle scene—Valyndra’s golden dragon soaring through the stars, her wings aflame as shadowed beasts clawed at the edges of creation.
Phoenix’s breath caught. “That’s… you?”
“Yes.” Valyndra’s voice lowered, carrying the weight of a myth. “Long ago, one of the Gods grew jealous. He could not stand the powers the Goddesses bestowed upon the worlds.”
Phoenix stared, enthralled. “What kind of powers?”
“The power to shape-shift, wield magic, and create using nothing more than the energy around them. I think he was jealous that we could feel and embrace strong emotions. Emotions like love.”
Valyndra moved forward, and as she did, the very walls shimmered. Images burst to life around them—worlds spinning in slow, graceful arcs. Phoenix twisted, her eyes following the images. Draegor’s voice rumbled through the air.
“My father’s father’s father created a spell to capture the magic of this place. He wanted to keep the stories alive, so none are forgotten,” Draegor explained.
Phoenix’s fingers trembled as she reached out, her hand passing through the swirling images. She gasped as she recognized Valdier, Ceran-Pax, the Curizan home world, Sarafin… and Earth. Others—worlds she didn’t know—danced just out of reach. Her eyes were draw to one that pulsed with a soft, warm light.
Valyndra’s gaze swept the swirling cosmos. “The jealous God resented what was gifted. He wished to see only those weaker than he survive. So, he set about destroying the worlds the Goddesses created.”
Phoenix turned sharply. “Why didn’t the Goddesses stop him?”
