Dragon's Gap: Set Includes Stories 6-7 Plus A Christmas Surprise

by L M Lacee

  “And for that I thank you. However, I will need time and both my daughters with me to find forgiveness for what you did. You say it was the only way I say you as a Goddess did not look hard enough!

  You may be right my sister has often said the same thing. It matters not I cannot go back and change what is.

  “No, you cannot, it is left to me to fix this.” He could feel her sadness and still he did not relent. He was angry and saddened. He had two daughters he did not know; one was with him the other still lost. She started to fade Andre` reached out and touched moonlight, quickly he asked. “How were they conceived their mother was not my shadow?”

  Her sigh echoed throughout the room as she told him. Magic!

  Then she was gone. Andre`s legs finally gave way, and he stumbled towards a chair. Reighn rushed and helped him to a seat. Ash slapped a glass of amber liquid into his hand, he swallowed the contents of the glass and felt the fire sear his stomach.

  “Dragons balls.” He hissed out between clenched teeth, then held his glass out for a refill. He let the conversations go on around him as he drank the dragons’ ale. The last thing he remembered is looking into Verity’s eyes and saying. “Your Dragon will be beautiful sister, as you have always been.”

  Then he was dreaming of watching a movie, or that was what he thought until a golden front foot nudged him and a golden snout came into his view. A voice of sunlight said. Not a movie or a dream a vision of a recent event! She indicated an Elf who stood with a silver dragon.

  That is my sister the Goddess you met tonight. That Fae is your daughter Ciana’s shadow. I thought you might like to know who is bringing your granddaughter to you.

  Andre growled. “Shadow, we will see about that?”

  It is happening dragon, your mission now is to prepare Ciana for her shadow.

  “When was this?”

  Three days ago. Now hush, watch and listen.

  Thorn Moonwalker. King of the moon elves, stood hands on hips surveying the enormous silver dragon. As a dream walker he often walked in the dreams of others, never in two thousand years had he ever been in a dragons dream.

  Interesting!

  Thorn knew that as the King of his people he needed to find his Radiance. And lately, in the last two hundred years or so his drive to find her had intensified. His people were not naturally nomadic, but they traversed many worlds, traveling further and further from their home planet while he looked for his one true mate. His Radiance!

  Three days ago they had arrived on Terra or Earth as the inhabitants liked to call it. Why he had needed to come to this planet he was unable to tell those that traveled with him. Except to say the pull to this world had become quite insistent.

  It had been eons since Elves had graced the lands of Earth and when he had stepped through his portal and touched the soil. He knew they had found their new home. His Radiance was here! He did not of course expect her to be a dragon!

  Silly Fae. I am not your Radiance. Your Radiance is close. But it is not I…

  Thorn felt himself grin as he said. “Beautiful Lady, I apologize for my bewilderment. I have known of your race but have not until now looked upon one, such as you.”

  She turned her ponderous body around and sank on to her stomach, lowering her head and eyed Thorn. There are none such as me, Thorn Moonwalker. King of the moon Fae. I am unique among my kind.

  “And old!” Thorn said without thought.

  I am! Sorrow washed over him he felt it in his bones.

  “What is it that hurts you my Lady?” He dared to run his hand over her warm, shiny, silver scales. Before she could answer he said. “Oh my dear, you are lovely!”

  Her scales darkened and Thorn realized she blushed, charmed he said. “Tell me my Lady, why do you refer to me as Fae?”

  Is that not what you are?

  Thorn thought on it, as he ran his hands over her smooth surface. “It is a very old term. One I have only a vague recollection of. I will ask our Archive, she will know. Now enough of that, tell me what it is that makes you sad?”

  My vessel is distressed. She is in a strange land with dragons, and she is so very much unprepared for her new life. She is trying to understand everything, but she cannot. I am unable to help her and…I allowed something to happen. That I have come to regret.

  “What did you do?” Thorn asked. “Maybe we together, can solve this dilemma after all that is why you called me here, is it not?”

  Maybe!

  Thorn chuckled and whispered. “Tell me?”

  She sighed. It is…You are a very persuasive Fae.

  Thorn ran his hand down her snout and under the eye facing him. “You are part of my dreamscape, or I am part of yours, it matters not. I have searched my entire long life for the other part of my heart. You tell me my Radiance is close so I am yours to command until I have her in my arms. I know you called me here for a reason. Now tell me?”

  The dragon settled further on the earth and told Thorn what she had done. Many minutes later he leaned against her flank. “Well, that is a pretty mix of problems.”

  He scratched his cheek. “First, can you fix the partial shift?”

  “Yes as soon as she goes to sleep.”

  “Good, you do that as for the babe tell me where you feel she is and my warriors and I will retrieve her. Then we will introduce ourselves to the residents of this Dragon’s Gap, where my Radiance is now staying.

  Shadow!

  “I do not know this term.”

  It is soul shadow, you call the other half of your soul Radiance. Dragons call them shadow. It means the same.

  “Ahh! I see. Now my Lady.” His voice turned stern. “You must talk to her father.”

  I know I must, but I worry he will not listen to me and his daughter and granddaughters will need him.

  Thorn slid his hand along her warm scales in a soothing caress. “Dear Lady, he is her Dadai (dah dee). Her giver of light. Her Sire he will not stay angry. Explain that it was not your decision alone, tell him there was no other choice. It had to be him. That is true my Lady is it not?”

  It is true in part. Fae there was no other. Only Andre`.

  “If he is the dragon, you say he is, then he will forgive you and understand why no one else would or could bring forth his daughter. Do not fear my Lady, love is a great motivator for forgiveness.”

  She rumbled her agreement.

  “Now I must go and assemble my warriors and rescue a babe and prepare my people.”

  Thorn stepped away and then he asked. “Dear Lady, is my Radiance as beautiful as you?” The dragon snorted white flame as she laughed. How would I know? She has two legs, two arms and one head. The males around her seem to think she is interesting. At least I think that is why they stare at her and want to know her.

  Thorn roared and grew taller by another foot. His body widened. Muscles exploded along his arms and legs and before her stood an enraged Elf who was twice the size he had been.

  His skin had darkened from a light grey tone to dark grey as his voice deepened to resemble a full grown angered dragon male.

  “Do not allow this to continue. Remember she is mine. My Radiance tell her Dadai to keep them from her. Do I make myself clear?”

  The dragon eyed him and yawned her large, wide mouth full of razor sharp teeth.

  Very impressive! That should scare the males at Dragon’s Gap. Remember Fae. My human is half dragon, and has no knowledge of you and yours and the Dragons here may not remember your kind. So tread warily. Especially around her. I will help all I can. You will still have to win her.

  Thorn growled. “Win her. She is my Radiance. She will know me as soon as she sees me.”

  The Dragon Goddess sighed. Maybe she will. Maybe she will not! Having the hatchling will help. I hope. She grumbled low in her throat. I do not always understand most of what she thinks. It is hard to know what she will do. Humans are unpredictable. Half dragons even more so. Take care when you meet. Remember she will not know of this meeti
ng.

  Thorn eased his tense body some. “My understanding of shifters was they shared a soul. What one knew the other did too. Her dragon may know of my kind?”

  The Dragon agreed. Perhaps that is so but remember she is only half dragon. She is not like me. I did tell you I was unique. Now you must go as must I. With that she puffed a breath of air at Thorn.

  The scene dissolved around him and he found himself once again in the glade he and his warriors had settled in for the night.

  Thorn King of the moon elves released a battle cry that roused them all.

  Warriors we must go. Get up you lazy Elves now!”

  Every Elf there scrambled to their feet to do their Kings bidding. When they saw him in his battle mode, they automatically followed suit, instinct demanded the change.

  “Warriors I have found my Radiance!” Thorn thundered to the joy of those around him. His brother and cousin came to him thumping him on the back.

  “Thank the Luna Goddess. We can find a home.” A warrior said.

  Thorn grinned. “We can and we will. First we have to complete a mission before we can call the others. We must rescue a babe, a very important babe.”

  He then proceeded to tell them what had taken place on the dream scrape and of the dragon he had met. When he was finished, his warriors stood stunned it was his brother Tayne who said what they were all thinking. “A moon dragon, are you sure?”

  Thorn did not take it personal, it was disbelief in the idea of dragons and a moon one at that rather than they thought he lied. “Yes and yes brother.”

  “There are more dragons?” His cousin Darrick asked.

  “Yes, there are. She said there was a whole town of them.”

  “Your Radiance is a dragon?” His other cousin Marcus asked.

  Marcus’s second Darrick asked. “Is that even possible I mean…” As everyone looked at him he explained. “Dragons are so big.” He held his hands wide apart to emphasize his point.

  Thorn would have ignored the idiot’s words but when he looked around at his men he saw they were thinking the same thing. He sighed and pinched the bridge of his nose. “Seriously! Did it not occur to any of you that the dragon was a shifter or changeling?”

  At their blank looks, he said. “Not a one of you?”

  Then his words must have penetrated because there were many relieved smiles of understanding, when a few of the older Elves explained to the younger ones what a changeling or shifter was.

  Thorn shook his head. “The Goddess told me that female dragons, do not or cannot shift.”

  “Except for when the moon and sun dragons walk the world! Then it is possible for all dragons to shift. Moon Dragons shift and they are always female.” Stated Phoebe as she walked from the back of the Warriors.

  She was the only female on this trip, not only because she was Thorn’s sister but he liked having her where he and Tayne could protect her, and she knew Elf battle magic.

  All Elves knew magic to some degree but only the Royal females of the family could wield battle magic. Females were seldom born amongst Elves and amongst his people, less so. He did not know why and while he searched for his Radiance he searched for the answer to that puzzle as well. He, like Phoebe believed it was connected, find one, and find the answer to the other.

  Phoebe was his peoples walking, talking, archive. She was born with a unique ability to know the entire history of Elves.

  All Elves everywhere and anywhere when she arrived at a world, she could download the entire history of the race of elves if they had resided on that planet. If the elves had come in contact with another race, she could look into their history as well. Nothing was hidden from her.

  She could learn anything she wished to know so for her to know the truth of what she said was not unexpected or for her to have the knowledge of dragons unsurprising. Except she had not been near the dragons yet. None of them had, even Thorn had only been close in dreamscape so he asked her now. “How is it you know this, Phoebe?”

  “I do not know it. It is a memory only, a very old memory, from our people of when they walked this world.”

  “Ahh! So I was right Elves have been here before.” Thorn stated. “She called me Fae, is that a term you are familiar with?”

  Phoebe bowed her head a minute later she said. “It is a very old term that was used to convey respect for Elves and magic, this world believed in magic and the Fae or Elves. At one time Elves ruled over these lands but the magic faded and so they left. There is more, do you wish it?”

  He hugged her to him. “No sister, later will do. Now we have a mission.” He rubbed his hands together. “Alright Warriors lets go we travel to rescue a baby dragon and then we go find my Radiance and our new home.”

  As they had spoken, the warriors had broken camp so when Thorn made a small gesture and an oval doorway filled with silver moonlight opened he walked through as his Warriors advance after him all still in battle mode, followed by Phoebe who was not able to summon battle mode. Which is why she was protected by battle magic making her a Warrior in her own right.

  Her Magic gave her lethal weapons giving her the edge in battle, able to dispatch enemies quickly and efficiently with magic as many could attest too. If they had been still alive to do so.

  As the glowing oval closed. Andre` looked towards the golden dragon. “My other daughter was not mentioned?”

  My sister and I love your people. Everything we have done we did to ensure their survival. Sadly Ciana’s sister was not part of my sisters thinking she believed that Ciana and the moon dragons were the only important beings. She has come to realize this is not right that Ciana’s sister will be important to you and Ciana and is very disturbed. I hope it will help you to know she understands now she was wrong in forgetting about Ciana’s sister.

  She knows that not keeping account of the other sister, and never making sure she was well. That she was loved and had a happy life like Ciana did, was wrong. Very wrong. In fact I am sorry to say she had in the past done nothing to ensure her safety. To answer your next question we cannot know as we cannot find her!

  “That seems impossible you are Goddesses?”

  And yet it is so. She has become opaque to our senses.

  “Is someone doing this to her?”

  Maybe but we feel it is her, she has blocked us!

  “How? How is this possible?”

  We suspect she has a core of rage that has forced a barrier and blocked her to our sight.

  “This is what you hope, is it not?”

  Yes.

  “Because if it is not that, it means you and your sister were wrong and she is much more than an appendix to her sister. She is a vital part of the whole?”

  Yes and we would have wronged her terribly and maybe sacrificed the female dragons future.

  “I feel that you, Sun Goddess already know she has been wronged.”

  Let us both hope I am incorrect in my suspicions. Because I fear her rage and hurt may not allow her to do what I suspect she must for our blessing to be established.

  “Why do you not know? You gave your blessing once before surely you remember all the parts to it?”

  In the past our blessings were one of many for that time. Magic evolves dragon Andre and there is a possibility the blessing was tampered with.

  “I am not sure I understand.”

  You have no need too!

  “I see and now you both will wash your hands of the mess you have caused for my daughters and dragon kind. You both expect I as her father to fix this?”

  She looked down at the dragon and said very softly with a wealth of sadness in her voice. This is so. I cannot see another way for the wrong to be righted!

  “I feel you are not talking about the female dragons now?”

  She did not answer him. “Very well, you leave me no option. Just know this Goddess, when my daughter asks. I will tell her it was your sisters meddling in our lives that caused this.”

  As is your right dragon And
re`.

  “It is. And if my daughter is as angry as you assume she is, you and your sister will meet her and explain your reasons. Or I will ask the Elementals too.”

  Yes dragon Andre`. Replied a very subdued Goddess.

  CHAPTER SEVEN:

  A ndre` came awake slowly listening and watching the end of his dream that wasn’t a dream. So many people affected by decisions of others. Was he still angry? Very much so!

  His dragon huffed at him. You did not find out name of our other daughter?

  Oh damn! No, I did not. We must look for her.

  We cannot the Goddess said we will not be allowed to leave.

  Well, we can have Rene’ and Storm’s warriors hunt for her.

  Yes, we have brother and nephew search for our young, although I do not think threatening the Goddess was a good idea!

  I do not care. She and her sister have caused us much distress.

  True but to threaten them with the Elementals?

  They should be thankful it could have been Edee or Verity!

  His dragon laughed. Harper or her sister would have been better.

  No, that would be just too cruel.

  His dragon laughed again then said. We are changing and she will need us.

  They all will.

  This is true and I like our change, it is calmer.

  Yes. I think it is time we talked to our daughter of her life before Dragon’s Gap. And prepare her for another hatchling and a shadow.

  His dragon snorted and then said. As well as a sister.

  Andre` agreed. It is a lot for her to understand!

  Yes but she is our daughter. She will have us to help her.

  Yes, she will! Andre` opened his eyes and almost yelped in an unmanly way when he found Ciana sitting at the bottom of his bed combing her hair.

  “Sorry didn’t mean to startle you. I was worried. You have slept longer than me. Sharm said to check on you every so often.”

  Andre` lifted the covers saw he was naked and said. “Sharm said that huh!”

  He desperately needed to get out of bed, his bladder was calling to him, he said softly. “You got your hands back I see.”

  “Yes, I woke up all me again.”