Anah knelt on the field. White glowing blood lay all around him. Loose fragments of a dented breastplate sagged. The armor hung by only a few lost strands across Anah's shoulder. He tightened his grip on his sword and stood. The stone golem bent his head towards Anah. The hooded figure behind him glowed with power. The wind blew towards the golem carrying large rocks and small bits of armor. The stones slammed into each other creating larger ones, each making the giant golem larger. When the wind stopped, the golem stood as tall as the trees.

White energy pulsed from Anah. He stood. A swirling fury of fire filled in blood and entered his sword, igniting it in a bright white flame. He ran forward. The golem lurched forward. His stone hand slammed into the ground. Dirt soared as the golem's fists landed in front of Anah. Anah jumped onto the back of the creature's hand. The white flame pierced the hardened material. With the sword still inside the creature, Anah charged up the golem's arm. A roar filled the air. Anah finished his attack by cutting the creature's neck, causing a white firey explosion.

Someone chuckled behind Anah. The creature faded away, the sword changed to a stick, and the battlefield into a small clearing. Vasna stood behind him with his friends laughing.

"Pathetic, Anah." Vasna picked up a stick and pointed it at Anah. "When will you grow up and start fighting real enemies."

Anah smiled and pointed the tip of his stick at Vasna. "You want to test my metal? Have at it."

The sticks struck one another. Anah, the smaller of the two fighters, attacked and retreated, attempting to stay away from Vasna's bind. Vasna's father taught him a few tricks. He swung, pushing forward with each strike smiling as Anah retreated from his strikes. The two battled all over the forest floor. Anah jumped to the side to avoid a downward strike from Vasna's stick, only to collide with one of Vasna's friends.

Anah stumbled. A hand grabbed his shoulder and held him. Vasna's fake sword slashed Anah's cheek. A trickle of blood fell from the wound. Vasna smiled at Anah, "Do you yield?" Vasna's friend grabbed both of Anah's arms and held him.

The other friends of Vasna surrounded Anah. One drove a fist into Anah's stomach the another kicked his legs. Anah refused to speak. Vasna motioned to let Anah go. Anah fell. Blood filled Anah's mouth, and his eyes turned white. Rage filled him, and a white flame burst from his hands.

****

Anah woke to his hand burning and red. Tiny white sparks appeared every so often. Anah took in several breaths as his dream faded from memory. Rage triggered his flame. If he didn't wake, his power would have activated and could have burned everything around him. The sparks stopped. The pain and redness faded.

All night he sat watching the sky, not wanting to sleep for fear his flame could awaken. He unlatched the book Nidhogg showed him. Something about it called to him. Every time the book closed, a need to reopen it and look at the next page pulled him back. When the light from Nidhogg's campfire died, he put the book on his chain one last time. He sat on a rock overlooking the red cliffs until the sun rose.

Nidhogg found him there. "Did you sleep?"

The young god shook his head. "Couldn't. My powers tried to activate."

A small smile crept onto Nidhogg's face. He sat next to the god. "They may continue to try. Do you feel tired?"

Anah shook his head again.

"You might not need it. As you absorb more souls, you will find many things you thought affected your people won't affect you. Sleep and hunger are one. That does not mean you won't do either."

"For now, we may want to deal with your powers."

Anah shifted his gaze to Nidhogg. "Can you change mine?" Losing control of his flame killed his father. Without someone to teach him, the fire would kill him too. "Anything would be better."

"Are you sure? I can manipulate your spirit, but it can be painful."

"The fire hurts." Anah stared at his palms. "You have no idea." Tears filled Anah's eyes. "The fire builds in your veins until it comes out. If you don't force it out, it can destroy you. I have no one to teach me to control it."

Nidhogg grabbed Anah's hands. "You need to understand. Taking spirit from your blood will be painful. Worse than you have ever felt. I'll move it, but it could kill you."

The god nodded. "I understand." He wiped the tears from his eyes and attempted a halfhearted smile.

"We'll see." Nidhogg closed his eyes. Both his hands glowed green. He kept one of Ahan's hands and put the other on his chest. Nidhogg took several breaths before a few black sparks appeared in the green of his hands. His body rested on Anah, but his spirit pushed into Anah.

Holy Fire burned Nidhogg's spirit. The fire ran through the kid's blood burning with pure spirit energy. He moved fast or risked permanent damage. Nidhogg gathered all the energy within Anah's blood and pulled it out. The pain made Nidhogg's spirit roar, but he continued the process, never showing the pain on his face. He pushed it towards the center of Anah's body to the point that connected Anah to the ground. The power settled. Nidhogg pulled back.

The fire activated and burned Anah. Every spark Nidhogg moved burned Anah's insides. When the spirit settled, and Nidhogg pulled back, Anah's vision blurred. He slumped back, but Nidhogg steadied him. Neither being could move for a while. The pain echoed in their bodies.

Hours later, Nidhogg stood, still recovering from moving the spirit energy. His once glowing, flawless skin sat green, elongated, and rough like dragon scales. His dark hair now resembled black spikes that went over his head and ran down his spine. His nails grew into long black claws.

He placed his book's chain on his back. He helped Anah to his feet and guided him towards the path. Walking sent shock waves of pain up both their bodies. Nidhogg wrapped an arm around Anah's shoulder to stabilize himself as much as the god.

As the two walked, Nidhogg pulled his hood up. He retained his non-dragon form, but only a thin veil remained. Moving Anah's spirit took more out of him than he thought it would. He wrapped his cloak around much of his body. He hoped it could hide enough of him.

Pain still racked much of Anah's body. Pain and a chill. His people didn't feel the temperature around them, but losing the Holy Fire in his blood chilled his body. As Nidhogg walked him up the mountain, his joints stiffened. The pain caused Anah's sight to fade in and out.

Neither spoke until they came to a fork in the path. One way led further around the mountain. On the other path stood six armored gods. They stood with long tower shields, alpha symbols on the front, and short spears. Their helms followed Nidhogg, who pulled his hood tighter, and Anah. They locked their cylinder-shaped shields and pointed their spears at them as they grew close. Nidhogg pushed Anah down the other path.

As Nidhogg walked past the spears, he leaned his head down so the soldiers didn't overhear. "Do you know what lies at the peaks of this mountain?"

Anah glanced back at the other path. The soldier's spears pointed at them. He focused on the symbol on their shields. Alpha, the other half of Heaven's army. While Omega Army attacks, Alpha protects. His father said the line like a slogan. The young god shook his head. "Something important."

"The entrance to a prison. Gods created this entire mountain to hold one thing, the last Dragonlord," Nidhogg said.

Anah nodded, not knowing how to respond. His father never spoke of Dragonlords before. Nidhogg appeared to sense Anah's confusion. "Dragonlords led my people. Their fire is not air, but a gel, and could Transform."

"Into what?" Anah asked.

"Transform is a power my people have. It forces your spirit energy to the surface. It allows a dragon to shift between spells without words, but we use raw spirit energy. Only dragons can do it. The only thing close is your people's Holy Fire."

"Have you ever tried to free him?"

"I tried to go to him, but a barrier kept me from entering."

"Why don't you go through the ground? You lifted the dirt to bury my father easily enough. I imagine stone for you would be no harder."

Nidhogg smiled. "Would be a waste of time and energy. The barrier extends all around the inside of the mountain, even underneath."

The red mountain surrounded the two with rock walls for much of their journey. One side fell away as they continued. The sun passed overhead. Nidhogg paused. He removed his chain and sat down for a moment. The two stood high in the mountain. A forest stretched out to the edge of his vision. The farther it went, the sparser the trees became. At the edges of Anah's vision sat a desert. "How far are we going?"

Nidhogg pointed towards the desert. "It will take a month for us to reach the area, but we will find my home beyond the desert."

"Couldn't you teleport us?"

"Only myself. You are another matter. Teleportation magic is difficult to control. Takes a constant stream of energy from me. Anything can cause the magic to change the destination, including the light within your spirit. I've been looking for a way but am yet to find one."

"I could fly us to my castle, but a dragon sprouting wings and shooting into the air tends to attract attention. This close to Heaven, attention can be hazardous. I will take flight when we get beyond the desert, but before I risk the gods finding my home in the Beyond Lands."

A horrified look filled Anah's eyes. The Beyond Lands stood at the far side of the continent. Several gods went to it, and none returned. Travelers near the border between the Middle Kingdom and Beyond speak of the towering mountains that stand high above the clouds.

"The climb will be dangerous. So before we exit the desert, I must teach you to fight."

Nidhogg snapped his finger, and a campfire exploded to life. He crossed his legs in front of him and took a small breath. Anah did the same. "What do you know about your people's spirit?"

Anah didn't understand the question. Nidhogg nodded.

"I see." He lifted his hand a black flame sparked to life in it. "Our people's spirits came into existence on the same day. Mine is magic and comes from a race of creatures older than the Fates. It is chaotic, moving throughout the body, and can be pushed to individual chakras." His flame morphed into smoke and a small tornado before turning back into a black fire."

"Your power comes from the Fates. Your people's spirit is focused on one chakra within your body. This creates a connection to something within Nibmu. Your old ability is one of the oldest, a white flame of raw spirit energy. I put most of your spirit energy into the first chakra. It connects you to the ground beneath your feet. You can manipulate the rocks, sand, or anything solid."

"Both our spirits are different sides to the same coin. Light and darkness. Neither side is good nor evil, but both are powerful beyond measure. To understand it, you first must understand that. Close your eyes."

Anah closed his eyes.

"Breathe," Nidhogg told him.

Anah did.

"Feel the ground beneath you. The hard stone of the mountain."

The young god put a hand on the red rock he sat on.

"Do you feel the vibrations as it moves? Focus on only the area around you. Block out everything. The birds, the wind, everything, even my voice."

Everything quieted as Anah focused only on the touch of the stone. Soon only the rough texture of the rock remained. The stone vibrated in Anah's hand. The trimmer grew more noticeable every moment he focused on it. Anah's heart beat faster and faster, and the trimmers grew larger. The ground beneath him shook until small pebbles fell onto him. Anah opened his eyes. The shaking continued around him for a second, then stopped. The dragon smiled at him.

"I will teach you to do more than make the ground shake. You can sense your spirit energy and manipulate it. You can make yourself stronger and faster. To heal and heal others. I will teach you everything you wish for and more. All I need is for you to trust me."

"Won't manipulating my spirit hurt?" Anah asked, remembering the pain from earlier.

Nidhogg shook his head. "That only hurt because my spirit and yours are opposites. You shouldn't feel a thing when you do it to yourself."

Anah closed his hand. "Will you teach me how to kill Adro?"

Nidhogg nodded. "I will not stop you if you wish to go after him. But remember, you go after Adro. You will go alone."

"Will you teach me to control the symbol?"

Nidhogg shook his head. "Your symbol is older than this world. No one can teach you to control it, but you may manage to tame it. I will be here to help."

Anah nodded. He closed his eyes and created more trimmers. The shakes went further every time he did so, sending larger stones tumbling off the cliffs. Before the sun rose, Anah could produce them without closing his eyes.

****

From sunrise, Nidhogg and Anah traveled through the mountains. At night, Nidhogg stopped. He worked with Anah all night, teaching him to control his chakra. After three days, Nidhogg told him to try carving through the red rock walls by running his fingers across them. Anah did. At first, only a tiny groove appeared, but his fingers pushed the stone apart like water as he continued trying. When the two reached the edge of the desert, they switched and traveled only by night and trained during the day.

The desert allowed Nidhogg to teach Anah to control millions of particles. He forced Anah to push and pull the sand. A sandstorm proved to be his final test.

The winds of the desert kicked up a storm of fast-moving sand to attack the two. Nidhogg led Anah through the desert while Anah kept his eyes closed and focused on the sand around him. He couldn't stop the wind, but sand particles bounced off each other and sent vibrations toward him. Pushing and pulling the particles away from them used all his focus.

Millions of fast-moving particles forced Anah to his knees. His mind taxed with millions of pulsations bombarding his mind. A curtain of sand crashed down upon them. Nidhogg raised his hand to stop the wind, but Anah rose before he could. He yelled, and the sand exploded away from them.

Nidhogg waved his hand to quiet the wind. When the sandstorm faded. The dragon smiled at his student. Anah and Nidhogg performed mock battles after that day. Anah kicked and threw a curtain of sand. Nidhogg knocked the sand away with ease. Only after Anah pressed the sand together forming spikes did Nidhogg move to dodge attacks. Soon the two stood at the edge of a steep mountain.

No one carved a path for them up this mountain. Anah stared up at the mountain, "Shall we fly now?"

Nidhogg smiled. "No."

"Come on. I am the only god for miles."

Nidhogg pointed east. "Only god of Heaven. Not far from here stands the city of Tartarus. The Titans founded it after Khoda Havesp banished them. Many of them seek a pardon for their crimes. They might send an army to find a dragon in the Beyond Lands. I would rather avoid this inconvenience." He reached forward. "I will climb first and make a path for you to follow."

The dragon slammed his hand into the stone face of the mountain, and Anah used the dents in the rocks to climb after. The climb brought sweat to the god's brow. Something about this mountain felt different. He paused and took several breaths to regain his strength. His muscles ached from the climb.

Nidhogg created a path to a ledge far above the clouds. Anah took a breath and climbed farther. With every movement, his body wanted to stop, but the god only focused on the next dent in the rock.

Anah pulled himself onto the plateau. Nidhogg stood above him, offering a hand. "We'll work on endurance training." He smiled. A small fire burned behind him. The light from the sun faded, leaving many areas in shadow. "Come, I wouldn't want to see this place at night."

"You've never seen this place at night?" Anah spoke between breaths. He reached up and grabbed Nidhogg's hand.

The two walked to the fire. "There is a reason why I didn't continue."

"You mean besides me not being able to keep up." Anah sat down and leaned back, letting his strength come back.

"That, and I have seen this place at night." Nidhogg sat beside him and stretched his muscles. His joints cracked as he moved. "It can be scary. If attacked, I would rather not be moving."

"What is with this place? I've never been this tired." Anah closed his eyes and laid back, taking more breaths.

Nidhogg stared into the fire. "I don't know much for sure. I believe these mountains are cursed. It stops any creatures from regenerating. Not to mention, those that live here are unique. Normally I teleport passed here to avoid both." Nidhogg bobbed his head a bit. "And it's harder for hunting parties to track me."

Anah scowled and rubbed his toes. The mention of the hunting parties reminded Anah of Adro and Vasna. Both took pride in the god's hunting parties. Twenty to thirty gods went out into the forest to chase and kill a creature. Most of the time, the beast couldn't stand up to one god.

"How strong are you?"

"Every single remaining dragon fears the day they see a hunting party. A single god is a threat, and more would be suicide to fight. For me, they're an inconvenience. Try to relax. I don't know how long we will have."

Anah laid back and closed his eyes.

The sky grew dark. A rock shifted above Anah, making an audible clunk. The god opened his eyes. After a moment of staring into the darkness, he closed them again. Gravel fell onto his forehead. He stood.

Nidhogg kept his eyes closed. "Lay back down," the dragon whispered.

"We're not alone," Anah replied.

"I know." Nidhogg's claws grew. Nidhogg's voice grew firm, every sound he made short and loud enough for only Anah to hear. "Lay. Back. Down." Anah laid back down and took several breaths. "Put your hand on the ground. Send a trimmer out. Follow it. Feel every rock it touches. Every piece of gravel. Find who is above us."

Anah performed the task. The trimmer he sent echoed through the rocks around them. The slight movement carried Anah's senses out and up through the mountain. A pair of sharp fingers dug into a cliff edge not far above them. The trimmer penetrated the creature's rubber skin into the bones and passed through the skeleton. An image formed. Small body, arms, and legs but a massive skull and ears. The pulse faded, and Anah sent another. More creatures appeared.

"There are many." Anah's voice grew as he spoke. "I can't see everything. They're small, with claws. Heads are massive with large ears."

"Goblins," Nidhogg said.

One of the creatures put more pressure on his feet. Anah reached for his belt and pulled out his father's knife. A goblin hissed.

A green goblin jumped from the shadows and onto Anah's stomach. Before Anah could react, others emerged from the same area. Nidhogg rose with speed. Dark green blood filled the air as his claws ripped through the creatures.

Anah jumped up. The goblin on his stomach cut into his chest. Anah attempted to slash with his knife. The goblin moved to his back. He rotated back and stabbed the goblin in the side. It screeched. His knife melted in his hand as the goblin's blood poured from the wound. The blood leaked down to Anah's side. It burned a hole in his shirt. Steam rose from his skin as acid burned down his side. The goblin scratched down Anah's cheek creating several small gashes.

"Use your powers," Nidhogg called out. More yellow eyes appeared, and more goblins stood on the plateau. Nidhogg roared, and a red and yellow flame fired from his mouth, cooking most of the goblins. Other goblins held shields in front of them and charged Nidhogg. The dragon roared in his native tongue. The wind grabbed the goblins and cast them off the mountain.

Anah slammed his foot down. Stones pushed into the air and coated Anah's arms. He grabbed the bleeding goblin and threw him off his back before stomping on the creature's skull with a stone-encased boot. Its acidic blood did nothing to the stone.

Drums and howls from more goblins filled the air. Nidhogg turned his head. The drumbeats grew louder. The next wave numbered in the hundreds, too many for Nidhogg to fight and protect Anah. His roar added to the beat of the goblins. Nidhogg's back split open, and out came a pair of leather wings the length of the plateau. He stretched them out and flapped them a few times. The wind from the flapping wings sent some goblins flying off the mountain.

"Anah," he stretched his arm out.

The god ran to him as the drums came closer. As Anah grabbed his hand, the dragon jumped off the plateau. A group of goblins jumped at Anah as the two fell. The goblins jumped off the stone. The wind blew, and the wings lifted into the sky. Nidhogg beat his wings and soared higher into the sky, above the mountains, and Beyond.