Myrddin Custos: An Egg in Iwao's Spine

Myrddin Custos

An Egg In Iwao’s Spine

Twenty one years prior

1/2/487 

I hauled myself up the side of the mountain. When I finally reached a cave I sat down on the ledge with a sigh. 

“Iwao’s Spine. The mountain range that divides the continent of Embia in half. Known for its high peaks and high death rates,” I muttered. “Now, let’s see what secrets you hold for me.” 

I walked down the cave. Several scratches and stalagmites surrounded the walls. I ducked after nearly hitting my head on a stalactite. 

A bat shot through the air above me and I looked at where it came from. There was a faint crack going down the wall at the end of the cave. I walked down to the crack and something blue caught my eye. Something blue and crimson was inside the cave wall. 

Odd. What's that?

I reached out to the stone and slowly moved it away from the object. I stopped stock still at the sight of a dragon egg. A dragon egg? Not possible. 

A large egg that was covered in rows of deep blue scales that faded to crimson at the tips sat in a cubby in the stone. I saw a piece of paper underneath it and I pulled it out. It was old paper with slanting handwriting on it. I stopped and stared at the writing. The ancient language. How old is this egg? I looked at it and several words leapt out to me.

Keahi

Alaka'i

Koa

Dragonkin

“Dragonkin,” I whispered. “Myrddin. What have you gotten yourself into this time?” 

I picked the egg up and almost dropped it. The scales had cut into my palms and I hissed in pain. Hmm. It’s so cold. Aren’t dragon eggs supposed to be hot? I’d assume the same goes for dragonkin. 

“Well, I suppose we’re going to have to hunt some one down who can read the ancient language Little Dragon,” I said to the egg. “Little Dragon. I like that.” 

The next day, I stood in a messy workshop, with vials of colorful liquid that covered slanted shelves. A gaping hole in the cylindrical workshop looked out over the forest. Cyfrin looked at me in disbelief. His blue eyes were unnaturally wide. 

“So, you found an egg in the mountains? With a piece of paper in the ancient language?” Cyfrin asked me. 

“You can read the ancient language. What does it say?” I asked the mage. 

Cyfrin looked at the paper for a long moment. “Myrddin Custos. I swear you just continue to attract trouble.” Then he began to read.

“To the person that finds this egg. Please know that this may be the last surviving dragonkin.”

I furrow my brow. Of course it is. They've only been dead for over 500 years.

“Name her Keahi and care for her like she is your own. Her egg has been suspended in time since 8/15/1588. If you are a Water wielder like me then you should know how to unsuspend her egg.

Alaka’i Koa.” 

A Water wielder like me, I thought. Well, Alaka'i, you're in luck. 

Cyfrin shook his head. “The Taniwha dragonkin. What on Embia have you gotten yourself into?” 

I sighed. “I’m not quite sure. But I do know that this isn’t going to be an easy task. Unsuspending the egg. Hmm.” I started pacing through the workshop. “I have a feeling it’s rather easy. I’m just missing it.” 

“Myrddin?”

“Yes?” I paused and turned to him.

“Where is the egg now?”

“Oh that. It’s in my little home.” I resumed my pacing. I kicked papers out of the way as I paced across the worn stone floor. 

Cyfrin shook his head, his brown hair flopping into his eyes. “Oh Myrddin.” 

“What?”

“I’m just hoping that the Warrior Council never finds out about this.”

“What? That you’ve been teaching me?” I asked.

“No. The egg. Alasdair will lose his mind.”

“I don’t think Alasdair is the mind losing type,” I said. “He’s more of the silent fury that makes you feel horrible.”

Cyfrin nodded. “So what are you going to do about the egg?”

“I think I know how to unsuspend it. It just might take some time.” 

“Time is what you don’t have Myrddin,” he pointed out with a raised eyebrow. 

“Don’t remind me,” I muttered. 

A little while later, after traveling to my home and getting the egg, I brought it back to Cyfrin. 

I put the egg in front of him. He stared at the egg for a long moment before finally speaking. 

“I would have assumed it was smaller. It’s rather large,” he said. He wasn’t wrong. It was larger than my head. More of an oversized watermelon than anything. 

“Well, it has to hold Little Dragon inside,” I pointed out. 

“Little Dragon?” Cyfrin repeated as he paced around the egg. 

“That’s what I’ve been calling it,” I told him.

“I think you’ll have to give her a name eventually." Cyfrin looked up. 

“Keahi was the name her mother picked out,” I mused.

“Keahi. I like it. It means fiery,” he said. Cyfrin walked across the paper covered floor to a desk. He brushed his arm across the desk and sent papers flying through the air. 

“So you’re an expert on the ancient language and the language of the Taniwha dragonkin?” I asked him. A paper landed on my head and I plucked it off. 

“Yes.”

I sighed. “So many layers. And so few things you reveal.” I tossed the paper to the floor. 

“I’d rather I kept to myself than dump my guts out for you. I never chose to take you on as an apprentice,” Cyfrin grumbled.

“And yet you did,” I pointed out.

“And yet I did.” 

I put the egg down on the floor and took a deep breath. I sat down in front of it and began to focus on the energy inside the egg and the water in the air. I closed my eyes and began to move the water around. I could feel the energy that was inside the egg that was practically nonexistent slowly begin to increase and speed up. 

Then the energy exploded. I was knocked to the ground. The energy was hot and fast. I could sense flames and lightning and a deep hatred. 

I gasped as I pushed myself up. Cyfrin picked the egg up and immediately dropped it on his foot with a curse. I looked at him. 

“Now it’s hot,” he seethed. 

I picked the egg up and almost dropped it myself. It was burning to the touch. I put it down and watched as it began to burn into the wooden table. 

“What are you doing? Pick it up!” Cyfrin cried. 

“A true dragonkin. What on Embia have I gotten myself into?”