by Toni Cox
“Midnight just showed me. She flew in on a Fire Dragon when she came to the castle. Midnight tried to follow him, but he managed to hide.”
Emotions crossed Blaid’s face in rapid succession. Shock, then incredulity. And then, oddly, understanding flowered through him. Maia almost thought he looked … happy.
“She did it!” he exclaimed. “Come,” he pulled her forward again, “we have some time before lunch. I will tell you everything.”
His excitement was contagious as they continued on to the rose garden and her curiosity grew with every step they took. When they stepped through the marble arches that led to the rose garden, she hardly noticed the glass dome that protected the flowers from the harsh winter, or the immaculate flower beds with their marble statues.
Blaid pulled her down beside him to one of the marble benches; red cushions scattered along the bench and in front of it.
“Several years ago, “Blaid launched straight into his retelling, “some of our people went missing in the mountains. We are a mountain folk and people do not simply go missing. My father put together a search party, but they never returned either. Thinking that there may be intruders in our country, he sent half of the Legion into the mountains to deal with the problem. They were gone for three Quarters and only half of them returned. The Commander came to give his report to my father and no one expected what he had to say.”
Blaid took a breath and then held Maia’s hand. She felt his excitement flow from him like water down a waterfall.
“A scale of dragons, at least fifty strong, had taken to roost within our mountains. From his telling, they were vicious, fire-breathing monsters that wanted only to feed their young with the flesh of his Legion.”
“That is a big scale,” Maia said. “Only Plains Dragons, Forest Dragons, and Fire Dragons fly in scales that large, and none of them breathe fire.”
“Exactly. I was away during the time of the attacks. When I returned to Caverna Estralis, my father asked me to find these dragons and use my Elemental magic to eradicate them. Thinking the stories strange, I went to talk with the survivors. Although some corroborated Commander Shadowson’s story, others tended to think it was their own fault the dragons had attacked. The dragons were nesting, sitting on their eggs, and when people came to their valley, they felt threatened. Dragons have not been seen in Elbendal in several hundred years, so I assumed that the first people killed were curious and went to investigate, which got them killed. It must have been something similar with the search party. When Commander Shadowson’s Legion found the location, they walked over elven bones to get to the dragons. Mad at the deaths these dragons had caused, he gave the order to attack.”
“They were defending themselves.”
“Yes. They were nesting and only protecting their young. I did not want to go to my father with only the accounts of a few witnesses, so I hiked into the mountains to see for myself. When I found the place, the dragons were on edge. The last time they had seen an Elf, they had been attacked. Naturally, they were wary and looked at me with suspicion. Trying to project my Eläm to that many to let them know I meant no harm proved difficult and I was almost attacked myself.”
“What did you do?”
“It was because of an old female that I was allowed to stay. She must have been the mother of many of the dragons along that mountain ridge and had by then lived a full, fruitful life. I think that maybe the fighting had taken the last of her strength, for she was too weak to fly back to her roost. She sat on the ground; her breathing laboured and clearly in pain. Instead of trying to project my Eläm to the rest of them, I concentrated on her. Realising I was no threat, she let me come closer. The others left me alone then, although they kept a wary eye on me.”
Fascinated, Maia could barely sit still on the bench.
“I spoke to her and I knew she liked the sound of my voice. The words I spoke meant nothing, for she did not understand them, but I knew she understood how I felt and she let me come to sit by her side. We sat like that for a long while until, eventually, she trusted me enough to let her guard down.”
Maia held her breath, worried Blaid might have hurt the old dragon.
“The feelings she shared with me were primal, simple, nothing as elaborate or complex as the way Midnight communicates, but I understood. She shared with me her worry for her offspring and the rest of the scale and then she shared with me her pain. Tears flowed freely down my face as I became aware of her suffering and she begged me to end it.”
“Oh, Blaid.”
“She was in pain, Maia, what could I do? I am a Death Elemental and I cannot refuse a request, no matter who it comes from. I comforted her for a while longer, talking gently to her. Then, I laid my hand on her forehead and took her pain away. She slipped peacefully into the afterlife to be with the Mother. I promise, she felt no pain as she went.”
Swallowing hard, Maia put her other hand on top of Blaid’s. In her mind, she noticed that even Midnight was touched by the story.
“Once she was gone and I looked up, most of the other dragons had gathered around us to say their farewell to the old dragon. They let me sit there with her for a long time and only when they dispersed did I get up to make my way home.”
“This is why you had respect for Midnight.”
“Indeed.”
“Did you tell your father they were not the dangerous creatures he thought them to be?”
Blaid’s face darkened. “I did. That is where the strife between us started. He said the dragons need to leave, or be killed. They had taken too many of his people for them to remain here. I told him they were nesting and would not be able to move for at least another year. I suggested that we should close off the area the dragons had made their homes and all would be well, but he worried, with such a large scale of dragons, they would run out of food in their little valley and would come to our valley to hunt. He made the decision that no more people should die because of the dragons and sent in more warriors. I tried to stop him, to no avail.
“The army marched out, only to return several days later, bloodied, defeated, and more than a hundred dead. Knowing what I did for the old dragon, my father ordered me to go back there and do the same with the rest of the dragons. Of course, I refused, and not only because I cannot wield my Death magic in such a way. My father saw my refusal as betrayal, saying I cared not for our people. He called me a traitor, a weakling, and other names I care not to mention. I have not come back to Caverna Estralis until today.”
In her mind, Maia heard Midnight roar. She knew Blaid heard it in his mind, too, for he looked up at the sky.
“I am sorry, Blaid. You should have told me sooner how hard it was for you to come here. I see now why you do not like your father.”
“I still love him. My father is not a bad man. He has the best interest of his people at heart and he will do anything to keep them safe. Elbendal used to be home to thousands of dragons. If you look at most of the murals around the castle you will find that they depict dragons in almost every scene.”
“What happened to them?”
“Besides the Ice Dragon that will remain in one area for most of its life, none of the other species of dragons are bound to one place. Most will roost in an area for several years before moving to another. This ensures that they do not over-hunt the area and their prey has a chance to recuperate. So, over time, most of the dragons simply moved on.”
Maia nodded; she knew the habits of all the dragon species. Midnight only resided at Shadow Hall because of her, but even he would take a leave of absence to seek out other lands.
“I do understand that your father was upset about the dragons killing his people and do not mean to offend. Please, forgive me.”
“I was upset with my father for a long time, but I have forgiven him. It was a dragon that killed my great-grandfather, which is why my father has no affinity for them. But, that is a story for another day. Come, it is time for lunch. Let us not make my parents wait.”
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The luncheon took a lifetime in Maia’s mind, even though she enjoyed the company of the king and queen. She now looked at them differently, after everything Blaid told her. She still did not agree with everything Blain Elderbow had done, or how he had treated his son, but she certainly understood his need to protect his people.
Blaid’s parents had a lot of questions for her; how had they met, did they have future plans, did anyone know they travelled together without a chaperon, all the questions any normal parent would ask.
Maia realised they were unaware of her Elemental powers and decided not to tell them. It felt good to be allowed to be with Blaid, even if his parents quickly implemented the correct sleeping arrangements and all that went with proper courting regulations.
Here, she could just be a princess, in love with a prince. It did not matter to his parents that he was a Death Elemental; they only saw their son’s success in wooing a princess and bringing her to his country.
During the luncheon, they confirmed the audience for that very evening. They would meet in the throne room after sunset to discuss Maia’s reasons for coming to Elbendal. Only Midnight’s descriptions of the mountains around them in her mind kept her from the edge of insanity with the impatience of enduring the seemingly endless luncheon.
“It is strange,” Blaid said to her after they left his parents. “I have known you for two years. We have travelled together for several Moons. Yet, I feel I hardly know you at all.”
Arching an elegant eyebrow over her emerald eye, she asked, “Why do you say that?”
“Sometimes, you are wise beyond your years. You show wisdom, compassion, respect and knowledge of a person who has lived a thousand years or more. Then, sometimes, you act like a child. You exhibit impatience, insecurity, and jealousy like someone who has not had their coming-of-age ceremony.”
Maia frowned, annoyed, but Blaid followed his little speech with laughter and draped his arm protectively around her shoulder as they walked, a chaperon now following them at a respectful distance.
“Honestly,” she said, “I do not know how to respond to that.”
“You do not need to. It is a mere observation of fact. I think it is endearing.” He kissed the top of her head. “But there is no reason to be jealous of my sister. And do not let her daunt you, either. You are as much a warrior as she is. As for your impatience, well, why don’t we go to the gardens and practice your shape shifting until tonight?”
“Really?”
“Yes. It is too late now to go into the mountains to see if we can find the dragons. We might as well try the shifting again. Here, we do not have to worry about being disturbed. Maybe, the safe atmosphere will give you what you need to transform. Would you like to try?”
With the sudden lump forming in her throat, she simply nodded, and Blaid led her down some stairs, along a broad corridor, and out through a set of double doors. Made of white maple and inlaid with ebony to create the design of a roosting dragon, the doors were only the first taste of the beauty of the gardens beyond.
They stepped out into the weak but brilliant winter sunshine, and Maia stopped, staring. All around her stood horses, dragons, unicorns, wolves, bears, deer, salmon, sturgeon, moose, and foxes; the hedges all still green and so neatly trimmed, they emitted an uncanny life-like appearance.
Between the hedge sculptures, a carpet of multi-coloured flowers spread in all directions, with winding, gravel paths, and white-washed, wooden railings.
“Come,” Blaid said, taking her hand, “there is a pavilion further in. It has a patio large enough for you to practice on.”
Walking side by side, they made their way through the gardens. Midnight flew high overhead, giving Maia a glimpse of what the gardens looked like from above, before he flew off into the mountains to hunt.
After a short while, the pavilion came into view. It had a tall, steepled roof and eight sides; its white timbers shone in the sunshine. As Blaid said, the paved patio had ample space for Maia to practice her transformations on.
Self-conscious, Maia glanced around, but the gardens were empty. Even their chaperon was nowhere in sight. Maia could still pick up her Eläm; the Server was two paths behind the pavilion, but far away enough not to make Maia uncomfortable.
Rolling her shoulders to relax herself, Maia took her position in the centre. Blaid stood in front of her, head cocked to one side, grinning cheekily.
“What?”
“I was just wondering …”
“Wondering what?”
“Well, you are not a Death Elemental. What if you cannot turn into a raven, or a wolf, or Razorback Boar? Maybe you are more of a dove, or even a swan? Perhaps a winter hare?”
Maia cuffed him lightly on the arm. “Why did you only pick white animals?”
“You know … Princess of Light?” He laughed. “I was never taught if only Death Elementals could shape shift, or if those forms were limited to Death Elementals. When I learned to transform, Master Margoth gave me those three options to concentrate on. But, while we were travelling, I was thinking that maybe you were having problems because those forms were not meant for you. Maybe, you first need to find out what animal lives inside of you.”
“I thought there was something significant about those specific animals. Why did you choose the wolf?”
Blaid looked out over the gardens for a moment, pondering the question. Maia stood next to him, leaning her head on his shoulder, savouring his nearness, the chaperon forgotten.
“I have always liked wolves,” he finally said. “They are noble creatures; brave and intelligent; loyal. Sometimes, though, I wish I had chosen the raven, as they can be more versatile when it comes to travelling as a Death Elemental. But, I have no regrets; I think the wolf suits me.”
“Yes,” Maia agreed, “I think he suits you, too.”
Only the songs of the birds around them kept them company while each followed their own thoughts, until Blaid made Maia resume her position in the centre of the patio again.
“Remember your lessons. Relax, centre yourself. Envision yourself from the inside out. Block out all outside influences and find the quiet within you. Open your mind. I am almost sure there are no limits, no specific animals, so don’t hold to the three Death Elemental animals, but be receptive to whatever comes. Breathe. Breathe.” His voice became softer as he retreated. “Breathe.”
Listening to his retreating footsteps and the sound of her beating heart, Maia turned her thoughts inwards. She liked the idea that she could be any kind of animal. What if she could be a horse? Or a fox?
Midnight could eat her then!
Her dragon’s thoughts were accompanied with his distinctive whopwhopwhop sound in her mind, telling her that he was laughing. Midnight found the thought of her being an animal highly amusing.
Maia eyebrows drew together in a frown and she concentrated; trying to centre herself and, at the same time, trying to block out Midnight’s increasingly irritating snide remarks.
At some point, she opened one eye and glanced at Blaid, but he seemed oblivious to Midnight’s comments and it was obvious that Midnight was not including Blaid in their conversation.
Stop, Midnight, this is important to me. Do you not understand?
Maia can run with the cattle of Thala Yll. Whopwhopwhop.
Urgh.
Now angry, she closed herself off from him completely and from everything else around her, too. She saw nothing, heard nothing, and felt nothing. She just wanted to be left alone. Never before had Midnight needled her so. Why would he be so upset about her shifting into an animal? She pushed the thought from her mind and only concentrated on herself.
Squeezing her eyes shut, she tried to envision herself from the inside out, yet the red pinpricks of anger at Midnight’s silly remarks kept surfacing. Frustrated, she soon felt tingling in her hands and feet and shook them out to ease the feeling. She muttered under her breath, rolling her shoulders, and trying everything she could to relax her body.
“I cannot do this, Blaid, I am too upset,” she shouted across the patio, followed by a sob.
Blaid rose from the boulder he sat on and strode over the flagstones towards her. “What happened? You were doing great.”
She shook her head. “Midnight was in my mind and he was making fun of me.”
“That does not sound like him,” Blaid said with a peculiar look on his face.
“I am just so angry,” she spat the last word at him, “and it hurts so much.”
“What hurts? That he was making fun of you?”
“No. I don’t know. My hands. My feet. And especially my back. I was trying to relax, shaking out my hands and feet, and rolling my shoulders, and now everything is sore, and I am just so angry.”
“Maia, shh, it’s alright,” Blaid put a calming hand on her shoulder, “there is no need to yell.”
“I am not yelling!” she shouted.
Blaid stumbled backwards as Maia’s energy erupted from her. Blinded by the light she emitted, he could not at first see what was happening. He put up his arm to shield his face. He barely noticed the Server running back towards the castle.
“Maia,” he shouted, but received no response. Midnight, what is happening?
Connected to Jaik she is. Anger there is. Take care.
Her body burned with the fierceness of the sun and she arched her back as the visions danced across her mind. Anger seared her soul when she saw Silas, broken on the floor; the Vampyre standing over him. She saw Jaik looking at her, scared, questioning, and a General smirking just past his shoulder.
With the speed of thought, Maia and Jaik exchanged their information, before Maia retreated back to her present. Her body burned with rage at what had happened within the heart of her home. She lost of control of herself.
Blind to her surroundings, she let go of everything she knew. She gave in to the sorrow, the rage, the torment, and then, with a scream of agony escaping between her lips, her body tore apart.