Amalek

The sun sat low on the horizon when they reached the summit. The peak was a long, narrow stretch of barren rock eight thousand feet up. The wind blew strong and brisk. In the distance, looking like a dot, sat their objective.

Zebulun led them forward at a slow, casual pace. As they grew closer, the size of their quarry revealed itself. The dragon sat coiled like a snake, its wings wrapped around its body, its head tucked beneath its left wing. It looked to be sleeping. It’s black scales seemed to absorb the light of the sunset.

Davion whispered to Zebulun, "Should we announce ourselves? I would hate to startle a dragon."

"You can’t sneak up on a dragon," said Zebulun. "He can hear your heartbeat from here."

Davion looked at Zebulun with wide eyes and closed his mouth.

The three of them went forward. The dragon remained immobile until they were within thirty feet, at which point the serpent slowly, deliberately, took its head from beneath its wing and uncoiled, raising its head to a full forty feet above them, and unfurled its wings, stretching like a feline after a good nap. It curled its wings back around itself and looked down into their eyes.

Zebulun spoke with his command voice. "Amalek," he said, "I am Zebulun Koh. These are my companions, Quinn and Davion. We’ve come to ask for your help."

The dragon stared down into Zebulun’s eyes for some time. He then looked at Quinn, who gave him a friendly wave. He looked at Davion, who avoided his gaze.

The serpent lowered his head and extended his body forward until his eyes were mere feet from Zebulun’s face. Zebulun held his gaze, unmoving. The serpent turned his gaze to Quinn, who blushed, but waved again. Davion kept his eyes firmly to the ground when the serpent turned to him.

The serpent reared its head back, flicking its tongue in and out, sampling their scent. It paused, looked down at the three of them, and transformed. Wings became arms. The serpent’s lower body split into legs. It’s reptilian head became a human face. In the end, it assumed the form of a tall, lean old man with skin black as onyx and woolly white hair. His avatar had a regal bearing; grace without arrogance. He looked upon the three of them.

"I have so many questions," he said.

Zebulun looked past the avatar and up into the dragon’s real eyes. "Ask."

The dragon’s avatar looked at Zebulun, looked back at his serpentine self, and then back at Zebulun. "You must be strong willed, for a man," he said, "if you can see through my sorcery."

Zebulun nodded.

"Very well," said Amalek. "First: how did you know where to find me?"

"I saw it in a dream," said Zebulun.

"You dreamed I was here?" asked Amalek.

"I did."

Amalek regarded him for a moment. "Alright. Second: what on earth made you think I would help you?"

"Ur," said Zebulun.

"Ur?" asked Amalek. "Is that a person, place, or thing?"

"It’s just a name," said Zebulun, "among many, for The Creator of the world."

"Ah," said Amalek, "I’m afraid I’m not familiar with this religion."

"It’s new," said Zebulun.

"Your new god told you where to find me?" asked the dragon.

"Yes," said Zebulun. "Ur said you would be my greatest ally."

"I must wonder why he would say such a thing," said Amalek. "Men are livestock to me. Why would I help a cow or a goat fulfill its goals?"

"I don’t know," said Zebulun. He looked into the dragon’s eyes with mirth. "I only know that you will."

Amalek’s avatar smiled. "Confident, are you? Out of pure curiosity — because I cannot imagine how you even found me — what, exactly, do you want help with?"

"I want you to help me forge a new kingdom," said Zebulun. "The Kingdom of Ur. Based on the law of Ur: love others as yourself."

Amalek’s avatar laughed. It was not a snide or haughty laugh, just a genuine chuckle. "Why on earth would any god believe I would do that, if it knew what I am?"

"A good question," said Zebulun.

A moment of silence passed between them. Quinn broke the silence.

"Hey," he said, "Why’d you leave?"

Amalek looked at Quinn. "Hm?"

"My man Davion tells me the last emperor was, like, boss of the whole known world. From what I’ve seen, that means you were in charge. Why’d you leave when you were on top?"

Zebulun looked at Quinn, then up at Amalek. Amalek paused for a moment, lost in thought.

"I had just conquered a vast island kingdom that had vexed me for decades," said Amalek. "I celebrated by spending weeks bathing in the sun of their glorious beaches. After I returned from my triumphant relaxation, I came down with draconic lung rot — a disease of the tropics. It’s a fungus that’s not dangerous to men at all, but deadly to my kind. It would kill me within years."

Amalek’s avatar looked off to the setting sun in dramatic fashion. Zebulun saw that the dragon’s real face looked in the same direction. "Upon learning of my death sentence," said Amalek, "I wondered what it had all been for. What had been the purpose of any of it? I had forged an empire spanning the entire known world…​ and I was going to die. Someday, despite any monuments, it would be as if I never existed. What was the point of it all, in the end? It was all vanity and striving after wind."

"I became despondent. I saw no reason to do anything. I left it all behind and came here. The fungus does not like the cold. It hates dry air. Living atop a mountain keeps it at bay. It will still kill me, in time, but much more slowly."

"You got sad," said Quinn.

Amalek’s avatar looked at Quinn with amusement. "That’s a human term," he said, "but I suppose it fits. I felt a great melancholy at my own mortality."

"And it was more than that," the dragon said. "I had defeated every one of my enemies. At some point, there was no one left to fight. There was nothing more to gain. I felt…​tired."

"Bored?" asked Quinn.

Amalek looked down at him. "Yes," he said. "I was bored. My reign had become too easy."

"What if we could offer you a brand new challenge?" asked Quinn.

Amalek looked at Quinn with a raised eyebrow. "Such as?"

"Well," said Quinn, "You ever tried building a kingdom where everyone is happy? Not just the dragons and their flunkies, but all the common people too?"

Amalek gave Quinn a knowing smile. "Such a thing is not possible. The strong do what they will; the weak suffer what they must. There has never been a kingdom that made everyone happy."

"That," said Quinn, looking up into Amalek’s serpent eyes with humor, "sounds like a challenge."

The dragon looked down into Quinn’s eyes for a moment before opening its mouth and pupils in amusement. His avatar looked at Quinn. "You are clever, aren’t you?"

Quinn blushed with false modesty and said, "I been accused of worse."

Amalek’s avatar smiled at them, then looked sad. "It doesn’t matter," it said. "Even if I were inclined to entertain you, I still have this disease. I won’t live long if I leave the cold, dry air of these mountains."

"I can heal you," said Zebulun.

Amalek’s avatar gave Zebulun a skeptical look. "Really?" he asked. "You have that power?"

"The power is not mine," said Zebulun, "but yes."

"So that’s the deal? You heal my disease, and I help you forge a new kingdom?"

"No," said Zebulun. "No deal. I’ll heal you right now. After that, you can decide for yourself whether to help us."

Amalek’s avatar stared at Zebulun for a moment. "Truly?" he asked.

"I swear it."

Amalek allowed Zebulun to approach him. Zebulun laid on hands. Amalek felt holy fire burn away the semi-dormant fungal spores living in his lungs. He breathed better than he had in years. He leapt into the air and circled, joyful in his regained youth.

Amalek returned to earth. His avatar appeared and looked at Zebulun with narrowed eyes. "I am impressed," he said. "I’ll entertain your crusade for now. But I promise nothing."