All
was not well in the land. The Earth Dragon Caldor was getting old,
and a new fetus was being kindled within its bowels. Although this
was part of the Earth Dragon’s life cycle, it spelled inevitable
death for all who thrived upon it. Already the ground was becoming
dry and flaky, which was a sure sign that the vegetation was next
to go. An old prophecy stated that a man would be born who could
go inside the Earth Dragon and come out alive. This man would be
able to destroy the embryo and become the King of Caldora. Acora
Lynn knew the prophecy spoke of Jason, and set out to trigger its
manifestation.
For
the first time he showed Jason the face of Dinictis in a pool of
water, the face of the primal ancestress, exceeded in age only by
Caldor itself yet radiant with immortal youth. Jason immediately
became infatuated with her and resolved to sneak into the Crystal
Castle to see her firsthand. However, he was caught by palace
guards, and sentatnced to be sacrificed to the Earth Dragon Caldor
during the Yi Faiye Balaam as all criminals were. But this was
only a minor setback for Jason. As foretold, he eluded the
digestive fluids of the Earth Dragon's innards and found his way
back to the surface through Caldor's blood vessels.
As
soon as Dinictis heard of Jason's escape, she summoned Acora Lynn
and his apprentice to the Crystal Castle and told them they must
collect shards from each of the ten Crystals of Power. She then
had had Jason put the pieces together into a magical medallion,
forged from the forces of light and darkness, creation and
destruction. This was a powerful medallion indeed, capable of
neutralizing anything without divine blood, including the Earth
Dragon itself. Dinictis told Jason that he was now the Keeper of
the Crystals, and must wield them with care, for if he so much as
dropped them on the ground, Caldor would die.
Together
journeyed into Caldor’s entrails. They dodged attacks from the
ever-diligent Tooth Guardians, and avoided corrosive acids in
Caldor's stomach. Eventually they found the developing embryo and
neutralized it with the medallion. Jason showed Dinictis which
blood vessel lead to the surface and they washed up in the East
Forest. Thus Caldora was saved, and for his role in the mission
Dinictis proclaimed Jason King to rule alongside her and endowed
him with immortality.
The
force with which the crystals negated the embryo was so great that
it knocked the Earth Dragon Caldor out of its orbit and sent it on
a path towards the neighboring planet Lossi. The collision with
Lossi was a gentle one, for the bulk of the dragon touched down on
its buoyant oceans, with the tip of the beast’s tail landing on
a vast continent at an area called the Enchanted Forest. This
place now served as a junction between the two landmasses. Many changes needed
to be made: new maps to be charted, new lands to be explored, new
astral worlds to be reconciled, and the Overworld traffic of souls
to be merged.