Chapter 26: Beware of Names, a Destiny Woven of Worthless Stones

  When the great dragon opened his eyes once more, Primer summoned all dragons to his presence. The five dragons gathered by their elder brother and inquired after his condition. Once the greetings were over, they all turned to their Lord to hear His command.

  Some were nervous, some excited and curious. All wished to know what their God had to say. Some had questions they hoped to finally receive answers to.

  Primer looked at them from beneath the hood of his cloak and slowly nodded.

  "Very well, now that you are all gathered, I can share my words with you. First, call me Ilar, not names such as Creator or Lord. Second, I created you with free will, so none of you are bound to obey me. Each of you is free to roam the earth or seek power and experience as you wish. Third, every male among you must take a mate from among the females. Know that you were not created from the same flesh and blood, and thus are not true siblings. Fourth, you will not be my only sentient creations, as I will soon bring other races into this world. Fifth, do not seek to destroy each other or bring extinction to my other children, for you are all dear to me. The sorrow of watching my creations kill one another causes me pain and closes the gates of hope and mercy.

  Pieces of me dwell within each of you and within all of my creations, whether wise or not. I have embedded a hidden power within you all. Whether or not you recognize it depends on yourselves. That is all of my advice and my requests."

  The dragons exchanged glances, then silently nodded and bowed. The great dragon, with excitement clear in his voice, said:

  "O great Ilar, we live only to serve and obey you. Should you wish anything of us, we shall fulfill it. My Lord, are we now worthy of the names you would bestow upon us?"

  Primer smiled inwardly and gestured toward the great dragon.

  "Yes. Now I shall bestow upon each of you a name worthy of who you are. First, your name shall be Buhaires, meaning one who is mighty and great."

  The great dragon bowed again, declaring his loyalty. Primer then stepped toward the smallest dragon, whose aura now surpassed that of his siblings. Primer knew the reason well, for he watched their every move without them ever sensing his invisible gaze.

  "I name you Rizaires, meaning one with wisdom and talent."

  The small dragon, now Rizaires, bowed and pledged his loyalty like Buhaires. Primer passed him and stood before a dragon who had hunted in her dreams and bathed in blood during the night.

  "You shall be named Ajiris, meaning one who is cunning and opportunistic."

  Ajiris did not like the meaning of her name, but buried that feeling deep within and presented a cheerful fa?ade, bowing in loyalty.

  Primer nodded and moved toward the eldest sister. He gazed upon her and admired her inwardly. She was the perfect image of a majestic dragon—ancient, wise, and proud, though young in age.

  "I name you Argonis, meaning one who is dignified and powerful."

  Argonis followed the path of her brothers and bowed. Primer acknowledged her and stepped forward, now facing the youngest sister. Her excitement was unmatched, as though she herself were a source of boundless energy. In her eyes shone the same light Primer once saw in his younger brother. It was the innocence of childhood. He smiled inwardly and thought of Nova...

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  Time passed in silence. The dragons began to wonder why their Lord had gone still. They wished to ask, but chose to wait quietly—except for the little one.

  "Lord Ilar? Lord?! Are you asleep? Or... or am I not worthy of a name? But—But I— sob sob..."

  Suddenly, Primer returned to himself and noticed the tears forming in her eyes—tears like rivers flowing from a sea of sorrow, running down her obsidian-colored scales.

  "Huh...? No, it's not like that! I was merely lost in memories of the past."

  "Oh... really? sniff... But I thought that—"

  "Enough. Keep your thoughts to yourself! From now on, you shall be called Roanis, meaning one who is innocent and eager."

  Roanis bowed like the others, and Primer passed by her without commenting on her muttered words. He now stood before the last dragon.

  He needed no mind-reading—Primer could sense his subtle trembles and anxiety. This dragon spoke the least of them all, rarely uttering a word.

  "Why are you so nervous? What troubles you? Am I frightening to you?"

  The dragon shook his head and replied in a soft, fragile voice:

  "It’s not that... I just like silence... and I hate war..."

  "..."

  These dragons are something else! Each one weirder and more broken than the last! Maybe I should’ve made humans first?! Ah…

  "Very well. From now on, you shall be called Safiris, meaning one who is quiet and withdrawn."

  Safiris bowed and thanked him with a stutter. Then Rizaires asked:

  "O great Ilar, during your time with Buhaires, I learned to draw the free energy from the air into my core. Once I had gathered enough, I hit a strong barrier. With effort, I broke through it and freed myself from unbearable pain. Then came a sweet and intoxicating sensation—indescribable in words. I fell into a deep slumber, what you called the evolutionary sleep. Now I ask: is this truly how progress through levels works? And if so, how far can we progress? Do these levels have special names?"

  A faint chuckle echoed from beneath Primer's hood.

  "Wonderful! I see you’ve already discovered how to advance and break barriers. Yes, that is the true path of progress—there are ten levels in total. You were all born with magic cores, but your offspring will not be. I have not named these levels, but you may give them names of your own."

  The dragons exchanged glances again, and Rizaires asked:

  "O great Ilar, why will our children not be born with cores like ours? Does this mean they’ll be weaker? Will the use of magic be limited only to us, the founders of the dragon race?"

  Primer stared at him and replied:

  "When did I say your descendants are doomed? That will never be the case. You can extract natural magical gems from mountains and the earth’s depths and merge them with your offspring’s bodies. Cores and gems are of the same nature, but gems rarely possess ten levels, and their quality and power are much lower than the cores I made. Most will remain below level five; only a few will rise beyond. Destiny shall determine the outcome for each. The cores within you are foreign entities I implanted—they are not hereditary. Although, you may pass them on, but their levels will reset. Every being must earn its own strength—not inherit it."

  With excitement, Buhaires asked:

  "O great Ilar, when we progress, will you teach us magic?"

  Primer laughed.

  "Why would I teach you something I already placed within you? Everything you need to know is in your minds—you must simply ascend the levels to fully unlock it. Just remember: when attempting to break through, be in a safe place, far from predators. The time required for the evolutionary sleep increases each time. Though I gifted you with extraordinary talents, I estimate it will take at least five hundred years to reach level ten.

  Now it is time for me to leave. Should you wish to see me again, perform the Ritual of Offering and call my name."

  Argonis, the eldest sister, asked:

  "Lord Ilar, what is this Ritual of Offering?"

  Primer smiled inwardly and pointed to the sky.

  "When you see the fourteenth moon in the sky, summon me with the sacred prayer."

  Argonis, full of curiosity and longing, asked:

  "And what is the content of this sacred prayer, my Lord?"

  Primer, with a heavy gaze and a voice of power, said:

  "O God of solitude and Creator of light and darkness,

  O Artist of the cosmos and Lord of moon and earth,

  O Merciful Parent of beings and All-seeing One,

  Hear my plea, for I am in need of You,

  And answer me as You do Your beloved followers..."

  "Then speak your request..."

  And with that, Primer turned into white mist and vanished before their eyes.

  Roanis, confused, asked:

  "What’s a fourteenth moon? Did anyone manage to memorize that prayer?"