One is Come (Five in Circle)

by C. H. MacLean

  “Oh, go easy on her, Sheela,” Solbright said. “I'm sure she must be frustrated, not being liked by Oakren or Doakren, but really, Haylwen, you didn't ever have a chance with either of them. They're just out of your league, not to mention you're just a kid. I'm sure as you grow up you'll get rid of some of that baby fat and your face will look more like a woman's, and you'll meet someone more fitting.”

  Sheela was apparently translating for Solbright as well as herself, because Oakren and Doakren had the same looks on their faces as Nacia.

  Solbright put her hand on Cadarn and looked into his eyes. “Help your sister out, will you? I know she must have some good personality traits in there somewhere, I mean, she is related to you. Maybe she could work on those until she can lose some weight?”

  Cadarn started to agree, saying something about how nice Haylwen was or something, but Haylwen didn't hear it. While the two girls were talking, she could feel her anger growing like a fire behind her eyes. Her hands ached for being clenched so hard for so long. Her own brother wasn't even able to defend her!

  Solbright shook her head. “That's not very much. Isn't there anything interesting about you, Haylwen? Something someone might find worth their attention? Or are you as worthless as you appear?”

  Oh, I'll show you interesting! Haylwen screamed in her head as she closed her eyes and saw the energy pulsing there. I don't care if they want me to do magic or not. In fact, since they know I can, they probably will be able to use magic to handle whatever I can throw at them. Or so they think.

  She felt the energy around and in her grow and build like never before. She had never felt such a vast amount of energy around her, and at some level knew it was from the trees. I'll explore what that means later, right now I am just going to blast those girls! For the trees, I won't use flames, she thought, just a bubble. Yes, I'll just lock you up tightly, so tight you can't breathe or talk. Just for a moment, just to shut you up for a minute!

  She tried to gather the energy, but it wouldn't settle down. She tried to focus, but couldn't imagine the bubble, what kind of bubble would trap Solbright and Sheela. An image of them being flung backward into the trees flashed across her vision.

  She opened her eyes to see the two girls smirking at her, fueling her rage even more. She could feel the power around her, but she just couldn't connect to it! Maybe that was it. The two of them were trying to keep me too emotionally unbalanced to be able to do anything. Calm, focus, that's the way.

  She took a deep breath and looked at her friends. Yes, they would provide the focus, that's why I'm doing this in the first place. As she let the breath out, she calmed. Like she had come down from a great height, she suddenly could see her friends clearly. Cadarn's eyebrows were raised, his eyes full of concern for her. Oakren had a similar expression. Doakren and Nacia looked more confused than anything, but were also looking at her with concern. All of her friends were ignoring the girls, focused on her.

  With a touch of shame, she realized she hadn't really been focused on her friends. She might blast the girls out of the forest, but her friends might be hurt in the process. She was thinking more of herself, focused on getting rid of the blond girls instead of trying to help her friends. She needed to focus on being a friend, not what she thought her friends needed. Maybe there was something good in those two girls, or at least something good for her friends? Having more magic users around might be good, right?

  She took another breath and let the energy fade, feeling a vague sense of approval in return. Yes, I will look for the good, she thought as she looked at the two blond girls again. “Listen, Sheela and Solbright,” she started to say.

  Sheela narrowed her eyes at Haylwen and threw a glance at Solbright, who also frowned. Throwing Oakren's hand off, she stormed over to Haylwen. “Listen, fat girl, why don't you just get lost? The only sorry one here is you. No one likes you, and you can't even defend yourself!” She had reached Haylwen at the last word, and gave her a shove.

  Haylwen stumbled back, almost falling, her anger rising again, but determined to stay calm. Before she had even regained her balance, Nacia was beside her, Cadarn close behind.

  “That's enough, Sheela,” Nacia said. “She just started learning martial arts.”

  Sheela looked disgusted. “Oh, c'mon Nacia, you can't really think this tubbo is going to show anything important, can you?” She sneered in Haylwen's face. Haylwen was surprised to see a bit of desperation in her eyes. What was going on?

  Sheela tried to shove Haylwen again, but it was blocked by Nacia. She started to say something as Solbright quickly walked over. But before Solbright could get there, Sheela unexpectedly jabbed Cadarn in the face. His nose spurted blood and he yelled, clapping both hands over his nose.

  Sheela pushed him hard, making him stumble backward and fall down. Before Nacia or the twins could move, she jumped at him in a flying attack.

  “Cumhachd!” he yelled, one hand raised. Sheela stopped in mid-air, tumbling to the side. She landed with a grunt on all fours. With a grin, she snarled at Cadarn, “Thanks!” Then she exploded.

  The pupils of her orange eyes slitted, her hands and feet grew claws, and the rest of her just grew. Scales of reddish-gold flashed in the sunlight as she morphed into a dragon. She bared her giant teeth and unfurled her wings, taking up most of the clearing in a moment.

  Cadarn scrabbled backward as a giant clawed hand reached for him. “Cumhachd!” he shouted. But Sheela just laughed. She furled her wings and grabbed him, holding him up in one hand easily. She flicked the clawed fingers of her other hand, and Nacia and the twins fell over, stunned.

  Haylwen saw Cadarn in pain and terrified, and reached for her ball of energy. She hummed, and threw raw power at Sheela's shoulder. The power slammed into Sheela's shoulder, denting scales. Sheela roared as her arm fell limp, dropping Cadarn. She stepped in front of Sheela, and glared at her. She hummed again, sending another blast of power to knock Sheela back.

  But Solbright stepped in the way. She was thrown backward, flying up and over Sheela. At the top of her arc, she morphed. A pressure wave blew leaves off of trees as she went from human to bus-sized in an instant. Her wings stretched over the clearing as she righted herself, then furled as she landed next to Sheela, dwarfing Haylwen completely.

  “You have no idea what you are up against, human,” Solbright said. “Come with us quietly, or come screaming.”

  Haylwen screamed, and threw all her fear into a ball of energy. She shot it at Solbright's face. It seemed to just bounce off of Solbright's snout.

  “Ok, then,” Solbright said, and flicked one clawed hand out at Haylwen. One finger like a sledgehammer caught Haylwen and threw her back. Pain erupted in Haylwen's stomach as she landed. She couldn't breathe. A giant clawed hand grabbed her and picked her up easily.

  “Well, that was easy,” Solbright said. Her grip was a coffin, tight against Haylwen's body, holding her arms against her side. “Give me the boy-child, dear, and then I'll leave.”

  Fuzzy black framed Haylwen's vision. Through the haze, she felt the grip of Solbright's hand pressed something into her chest. The wish-wand! She had no idea what she was doing, but closed her eyes, trying to connect to the wand. Her energy and the light around her was still there, and strong. Like opening a door, she connected to the wand.

  The small balls inside her chest grew. Out of the corner of her mind's eye, she saw Cadarn's energy. She felt an odd calm, imagining connecting with Cadarn when they first learned about magic. Suddenly, she could feel him, his energy too! More of the forest's power came with it. And there was Nacia, and the twins! Her mind linked to each of them quickly, beads on a string.

  With the last, all of the vast power of the forest was suddenly hers to use. She seemed to be as large as a world, like she was one with the universe, connected to everything. She felt powerful, and completely in control.

  With the last of her air she whispered. A bubble slid around her. She pushed. Solbright's grip broke, and Haylw
en fell to the ground. Still struggling to breathe, Haylwen hauled herself up. She quickly put a bubble around Cadarn and pushed, breaking Sheela's grip. He fell, landing in a heap.

  The dragons got over their shock and started to attack, but were too slow. Haylwen threw giant bubbles over each of them, imprisoning them. Both dragons roared, and Haylwen felt the shock waves as something hit her bubble. She pulled more energy through her links with the others, trying to collapse the bubbles around the dragons. They shrunk, scrunching the dragon's tails and wings. They were going to crush her; it was only fitting to do the same in return. They roared in pain as the bubbles shrank and they fought back.

  The energy pouring through her took her and Cadarn's initial injuries away, but now it felt like she was being battered from the inside. The dragons were so powerful! The bubbles around them expanded as Haylwen struggled to keep her focus though the splitting headache and nausea. She couldn't let them out! She strained, reaching deeper into her friends, trying to get more energy to flow. The bubbles started shrinking again. She was going to do it!

  Nacia gave a low moan, and Haylwen heard Cadarn groan too. Were they going through what she was feeling? She hesitated, and the bubbles stopped. She couldn't do it. If it meant harming her friends, she couldn't do it. Connected as she was, she just had to look at Cadarn to know he agreed. They would have to surrender, to go with the dragons to protect their friends.

  She let go, and the bubbles vanished. The dragons unfurled their wings, white teeth flashing in triumph. Cadarn stood up, and with their connection, Haylwen couldn't help but see the dragons through his eyes. Hungry, and just protecting their young, hunted and misunderstood. Mind to mind, he whispered to her, “It was my fault they are here, and I am sorry.”

  He stepped forward. “Sheela, if that is your name, I'm sorry.”

  Haylwen was about to surrender and say, “We'll go with you,” when Sheela's dragon face imploded. Her wings thrashed once, sending Haylwen's hair fluttering around her face, before they slammed into her back. She shrunk, claws retracted, and once again Sheela looked human. “No!” she screamed.

  Solbright's dragon eyes opened wide, and Haylwen's expanded thoughts tumbled and slid into the answer. Of course!

  “I'm sorry,” Haylwen said, stepping forward to look up at Solbright. “Please forgive my attack.” She really felt sorry for attacking, but the start of something else slipped across her face. Still full of power, she sent Solbright love and healing, honestly trying to erase every possible injury she or Cadarn could have caused.

  The giant dragon moaned, and shrunk back to human form. “No!” Solbright whispered.

  The attack was what they had been waiting for, it was an invitation! The apology took it away. And if one invitation revoked took that away, then she knew how to get rid of them once and for all.

  Solbright saw it, and put a hand on Sheela's arm. “Brace yourself,” she said softly, “I'll have to time this just right...” but Haylwen didn't let her finish.

  “These are my friends, and this is my home,” Haylwen said. “You are no longer welcome here. Please leave.”

  Faces stretched in shock, the two girls leaped backward. But instead of landing, they kept flying, feet never touching the ground, back to the edge of the forest. Like a drain had been opened, in an instant they were sucked backward down the trail. The forest behind them opened slightly, and the two slipped out of sight in a moment. A few quiet rustling of leaves and all was still. The last thing Haylwen saw was Solbright make a small motion with her hand as she disappeared.

  With that motion, Haylwen felt a feather across her mind, chasing the last moments into nothing. She blinked and looked at Cadarn, who had a completely blank look on his face. They blinked at each other, trying to think as Nacia and the twins sat up suddenly.

  “What just happened?” Nacia said, to no one in particular, looking around. Everyone just shrugged. Haylwen and Cadarn shared a look, caught the twins doing the same. There was something, just a feeling, not enough to remember. They stood there for another moment looking around the clearing. They all felt it, but couldn't bring a memory to it.

  “Sheela and Solbright were here, pushed you, and then... I don't know what happened,” Nacia said in the pause that followed. “They must have just left. Just as well. It's a big mistake to go picking on one of our friends.” The twins smiled and nodded. “And let's not invite any more strangers in, right?”

  Everyone laughed, loud and long. Haylwen looked around at their faces, smiling and happy, and felt tears fill her eyes and an odd sensation filled the rest of her. She stepped forward, hesitantly, but Oakren caught on immediately and met her half way to wrap her in a hug. Doakren and Nacia were just a moment behind him. Doakren pulled away just long enough to drag Cadarn into the big group hug. Haylwen couldn't remember ever having felt more completely happy, more at home.

  Epilogue

  From Fire

  Solbright and Sheela stood at the edge of the forest looking in. Solbright was pensive, but Sheela just looked angry.

  “I hope I wiped enough of their memories,” Solbright muttered to herself. “I can just barely feel the ring now, certainly not enough to manipulate thoughts.”

  “Well, that didn't work,” Sheela grumbled. “Now we'll never get them.”

  Solbright shot her a surprised look and cuffed her in the back of the head.

  “What?” Sheela said.

  “Never say never,” Solbright said firmly. “It would have been nice to get them directly, but it was just one possible path. I'll just figure out a way to let the Conclave know where they are. I'll get credit for finding them, and the humans can figure out how to get them out. It’s better to let humans do the dirty work anyway.”

  “The Conclave can't get into a Dragonway any more than we can,” Sheela whined.

  “Oh, they'll find a way in. They have big, dead machines and lots of money. The Chairman of the Conclave comes from a long line of betrayers, and I taught him almost everything I know.”

  Sheela looked unimpressed at the first, but nodded at the second. “Ok, then we can get them?”

  “No, he will want to do it himself. But no mater. Thinking he doesn't need us will be his own undoing. Our destiny is the same, dear one, no matter how we get there. Come, let's go. I have a surprise waiting for you back at the cave.”

  Sheela smiled, and then jumped up into the air. Solbright shook her head, looking carefully all around before following. They were mere specks in moments. One, and then the other, of the specks enlarged massively into reddish-gold glints arcing across the blue sky.

  ***

  Tommy peeked around the corner. He had followed his mother’s men carrying the rolled up rug since they came in. He was almost going to pretend he hadn't seen anything, but there was what looked like a bit of a lizard’s tail sticking out of the roll that caught his eye. It looked just like Izzy's tail, he thought. His mother had never liked that iguana, and Tommy didn't believe Izzy would run away. It has been more than a year, but he had not forgotten.

  So, here he was, scared, but following his mother’s men to the level where the giant incinerator lived. Tommy ducked into the storage closet down the hall from the room and peeked out the gap in the door. The men were having trouble with the door. They finally struggled their way through, the door snapping shut behind them. He could hear the squeak of the doors, followed by a dull thump. His mother’s men left, eying the door, brushing their hands off and laughing. They went down the hall and stopped by the Golden Door. Tommy couldn't believe his eyes. What were they doing? he thought. He even considered saying something. Before he could, they opened the door and went in. He heard their loud voices and a laugh. A feeling of dread came over him, but he couldn't move. He watched as the Golden Door opened, but couldn't take it any more and slammed his eyes closed. He couldn't help but hear the dull pop, once and twice, and the sounds of something metal hitting the floor. Burnt hair smell shoved up his nose, popping his eyes open. He
watched as the Golden Door closed slowly, shoving the two piles of black ash into the hall.

  Tommy quietly went into the incinerator room, shutting the door carefully behind him. He looked around, not seeing the rug, and then went to the big double doors to the incinerator. He opened them, seeing the flames just starting to lick their way around the pile of paper on the floor of the incinerator. The rug barely fit, and was bent almost in two to make it. Even more of the tail was exposed. Maybe his parents had used Izzy for something, making him into a giant, and he had died in the process. Cremation was as good as anything, but Tommy almost started crying. He had hoped Izzy had run away, at least then his only real friend would have been free.

  Tommy started to close the door when the tail twitched. He gasped.

  Without thinking, he reached in, tried to yank on the rug. It was too heavy, and already starting to smolder. With no other option, he grabbed the tail and pulled. It shifted a bit, exposing a bit more. Tommy pulled again, and the tail slid some more, followed by two feet. Tommy calmed down, gathered energy, and whispered a command. If I only used a little, and only Air, maybe no one would notice with the distraction of the furnace flames, he thought. He focused a flow of Air into the roll, and pulled again. The body pulled out more, and Tommy saw feathers, and a smear of blood. Fear, and then anger, at his parents for lying to him exploded. They had done something horrible to Izzy and then beat him!

  He poured more Air in, wrapping it around the body. It worked! The giant lizard body pulled out of the rug down to its shoulders. The fire started to grow, so Tommy took some of its energy to directly lighten the weight and pulled again. The body was hung up in the rug on something.

  Tommy twisted the Air, turning the lizard's body at the same time as he pulled. Slowly at first, then with a wet sound, the body slid out of the rug and out of the door of the furnace. Tommy saw the hole in the creature's chest, blood oozing from it, then the giant fangs, one covered in blood. He instinctively reached out with Spirit to feel if Izzy was still alive. He could feel the draw from the hole, and could sense Izzy was alive. He poured healing energy into the hole, gambling his lizard’s life against getting caught. Tommy watched as the hole very slowly filled in. Good enough for now, he thought.