Chapter 2

"Welcome, to my home, sire," the voice booms all-around but this time, it doesn't feel as numbing or calming as last time.

"Who are you, and where am I?" I look around, but everything is shrouded in darkness, and it's impossible to see.

"As I said, we are in my home, my realm within your conscience. It's dark because this is how you view me, darkness incarnate, but to be fair, the Queen would have you believe this anyway, but I assure you, sire, I am much more than darkness. I am power, speed, demonic, protection, murder, sacrifice, but most importantly, I am a piece of your mother that she didn't want to give, but she had no choice."

"What do you mean? You speak as though the queen is not my mother? Also, doesn't this mean your evil being demonic" I stare into the darkness, but emerald eyes stare back?

"Now who says demonic is evil, the humans below who can't even comprehend their present pathetic state, the angels who fly above everyone believing they know best. Or the gods who fear the power of darkness and the power of their opposites, or the stories told from one side" the eyes creep closer.

"If you are not evil, then what are you," I ask, trying to stay as calm as possible.

"I am a creature of darkness. My purpose is to oppose light, but let me ask you this child, why is light seen as good" the eyes stop a couple of feet in front of me.

"Light helps us see, allows life to grow. It's also a representation of purity, of what all creation strives to be." I stare into his eyes. "Plus, it's the source of my power, the fire I'm able to emit, and control is a part of the light. Plus, isn't one of the gods who create a light god."

"Interesting theory, child, but you are as blind as those who live in the light. No, I would say you are more blinded than the humans who worship light, for your power does not come from the light. It comes from your soul, your energy. Also, fire is not a light child. It is energy; it feeds, breaths, and grows like you. It is what pure energy looks like; not only that, it can be transformed into more than just fire, it can empower increasing your speed and strength, or you can transform that energy into what you might call a black flame, a flame that doesn't cast light but absorbs it, and burns worse than any other flame known. Or you can change the form of fire and transform it into something greater or much more." Lighting starts to shoot round the dark space revealing the creature in front of me. A dragon of black scales that absorb light, a speed that no one can match, the dragon of the night, Alastair.

"Why is the mighty dragon Alastair within my mind" I stare at the green eyes, my mind racing.

"I made a deal and was curious. But do you understand what light and darkness are?" Alastair stares down at me, his scales starting to glow. "They are simply opposites. The term good and evil is merely perspective" I stand up, looking around.

"When will I be able to wake up?" I look around for an exit hoping it would be as simple as finding a door.

"You can leave whenever you want, but I would still like to ask you a few questions" Alastair sits lighting up the room with flames. I glance around the room to see books upon books, a couple of weapons locked behind glass, and strangely a bed but not for a dragon but a person.

"What's with the bed" I gesture towards it.

"It's my bed. Do you think I constantly look like this, come on now? Didn't they teach you anything about me" he growls while shadows start to surround his figure that begins to condense to a humanoid form. "I'm a Shadow Monarch, The Shadow King, The demon of Night, etc., etc." He sounds disappointed at me for not giving any reaction.

"Never really heard of you, sorry, but how did you transform like that? " I scratch the back of my head, smiling.

"Then my questions have been answered, and now you're going to get a damn history lesson," he shouts, pushing me down into a chair. "Also, I learned the trick from the wardens, and they also unlocked a few extra abilities," he smiles.

"Do you know how this realm came to be, or why there are the 13 kingdoms or why your people rule those kingdoms?" he stares me down.

"Because we won the war against the gods, right?" I raise an eyebrow questioning my answer.

"anything else?" he questions, leaning forward.

"And that we asked the wardens for help to fight the gods to topple their hierarchy and to abolish oppression" I watch him grin.

"Now, who helped them with that." he sits up.

"They told us that it was just the wardens," I respond, slightly hesitant.

"I knew it that damn lion couldn't keep his promise. Anything to increase his pride," he chuckles. "Now it's time for you to learn the truth of your history as well as Celest history from someone who was there." he sits back, taking a deep breath.

"An unimaginable force and power created the world of Celest. It is also the same force that created the mortal world. The humans call it God, but gods are no more than the first beings that the light and darkness created, but they started to experiment with what they could make, and it soon became what couldn't they make soon; we just became a game. 'Monarch to Tokan Village,' 'Flame God to Tokan Village. Defend it till you fall' they just kept going, but we started to play against the game. We thought we might die doing so, but they started to reward us giving us more power, more abilities. Even changing us, but we soon learned that even they weren't immune to boredom, so their creation challenged them to a game. Of course, the game was rigged so that he would win, but they knew this and played anyway. For their amusement, they played along, giving their creation false hope. Still, to no one's everyone's surprise, he lost again and again but, they were having fun despite winning all the time" He stares at the floor, replaying the whole thing in his head.

"This went on for some time, and eventually, the man won to everyone's surprise. They asked him what he wanted, and he asked if they would stop using us as a game and leave or, instead of going, if they would live among them and play more games with him so that he can learn more about them. They agreed, and it felt like the chains had been lifted, and they disappeared with the man, still missing to this day, but they left behind the wardens as watchers. But soon, they stopped watching. Instead, they started helping people taking their limits and breaking them the first to enslave the wardens were the gods like Zeus, Titans, and so many others. Some gave them something for their trouble like Odin, he gave his eye for all knowledge, and sure enough, he got it, but he became well Odin. But everyone took the chance" He looks at me. "Everyone took their chance to gain power and oppress each other"

"What did the first Leo king do," I ask, leaning in.

"He met with with the demons and the creatures of darkness to help him overthrow the gods, Orpheus also accompanied him to speak with them, and sure enough, they agreed. The war started when Leo walked up to Apolo on Olympus during one of their 'meetings' and shoved his hand through his chest, crushing his heart, absorbing his power and strength. Then he learned what was possible and started his rampage. We called him Guriel the sun demon. Oh man, I still remember our raid on God, watching Guriel put the "all-mighty" being on the bottom of his shoe. He told them they had to leave, free the Wardens, and never return, or the next time, he wouldn't just kill them. He would erase them. They ran and came up with a new story so they didn't seem so evil as you would put it" He looks at the roof smiling.

"Despite whatever story he told his people, they still banished him to a cave, where the king has to kill him, I believe it's every 16 years, and it's been a few millennia. Your people have killed him quite a bit, haven't you" he stares daggers.

"Then let's come up with a plan to save Guriel" I stare back, wanting to know more about this world and to see if he's telling the truth."I should wake up now" I walk over to the bed laying down.

"Hey, what the hell are you doing? Get off my bed and go out the door like a normal person, you freaking weirdo," he shouts, pointing to a door in the corner of the room.

"Wait, this isn't like some inception thing or something else like that," I ask, quickly moving towards the door.

"No, you damn nerd!" he sits down on the bed and shoos me away with his hand.