“Hey, we have to take all these good fish to the meeting area. Then, do you want to fly over the rocks?” he added cheerfully.
“Yes!” cried out Kaida, “I love flying!”
The King watched the two gather up fish and hurry away. His felt a flush of warmth watching them. They made him proud. He headed off to wait for his Queen to join him in their lair, to go over all that happened. She would be in for a big surprise in regard to their little dragon.
The Queen entered their lair and came to sit by her King. “We have had a day today, but it certainly went better than I envisioned. We have always had good relations with all the Hails which joined us both in battle and our return here. I had high hopes that we could continue without too much opposition.”
“You hardly gave them enough room to wiggle in.” the King remarked, smiling. He had always been drawn to her, she had a nature within her that always drew others around her and now she was his. “You have a special way of explaining a situation where your end desire is the only picture they can see. That is a remarkable quality.”
The Queen beamed at his words. Not all bonded Dragons had the same relationship, and she was so pleased they shared not only the same vision for all Dragons but also felt so strongly about one another. She leaned her head against him, resting gently.
Rynik had an ache deep inside as he started a new discussion with his Bonded. “Our little Dragon has once again astonished me. I returned to our cave in time to witness her latest development.”
She raised her head and looked into the King’s eyes. “What did you see?”
“She and Zlemtec were by the pool in the cave when I saw her call up the fish from the water.”
The Queen’s eyes widened. “She has learned to call the creatures? That magic has only been used by the Qyrdrom Hail. Only the very old and wise Dragons have the gift.”
“Yes, my Queen. I know. She has advanced far beyond anything known to Dragon. She doesn’t believe even Zelspar knows she is able to do this, but it goes on from there. In her explanation of her calling of creatures, she explained talking with a Nightbird, understanding his loneliness. She can also communicate with them.”
“By all that is Dragon, is this true? How can this be? She is too young to be so adept.”
“Remember, my Queen, we have no gauge to measure what progress to expect. We must only help her reach her full understanding and potential,” he replied.
“Yes, yes. You are right. I must confess, unknown and uncharted skies are hard to fly.”
The King looked gently at this Dragon which meant the world to him and tenderly reminded her of an obligation both would rather forget.
“My dearest Starleira, we must talk with Zelspar. She may be approaching the time to return to her people.”
The Queen abruptly leapt to her feet saying, “No! It is not time-- She is still so young. How do we know she has all she needs to know? We have to make sure she has all the tools she will need to become what she was born to do.” The Queen’s voice bespoke a sadness like a poison arrow that found its way through all her armor. Her eyes searched into the King’s face, probing for a confirmation of her words.
“I understand your words and, more deeply, I understand your heart. I never imagined when you gave me her Guardianship, this day would approach so rapidly. More so, I did not contemplate the little soft-fleshed child could embed herself so deeply under my scales. Ours, our Dragons, have always remained with our Hail. We must take her to Zelspar, soon. He will need to perform her testing,” he replied with an unanticipated brokenness.
The Queen’s heart quickened. She had found her small hope and clutched it tightly to her heart. “Soon. Agreed. Right now, we must establish our new Council of Dragons. Zelspar is hard at work organizing the matter currently. We cannot disrupt him, for now.”
“True,” he replied. “There are obligations we must attend to.” He suddenly had a fleeting desire, that for once, Zelspar would meet with trouble in making the arrangements.
“Are you ready to go to the gathering room? It’s been a long day, perhaps we need to find something to eat. It would be nice to listen to Zlemtec and Kaida. They were going to fly as one again.”
The King had stirred her with his words. “I do find myself a bit hungry. Yes. I’m ready to go. I hope our hatchlings have returned. It’s such a delight when they share their adventures.”
The meeting room was filled with Dragons from the various Hails, all eating and conversing, filling the room with the pleasant sounds of friendship. The Queen stood there for a moment, taking it all in. Not so long ago, this was not possible.
She reflected about their lives on Verlaunde. The constant battles gave no respite in which to enjoy companionship. It was a battle simply to survive. Even when they made their escape to Urthe, the battles continued. A feather of gratitude landed lightly on her spirit. For now, they had pushed back the Jodrugs Hail, and their quest for dominance over Urthe, Verlaunde and all of them. Yes. One must savor the deliciousness of this moment, she thought. They battled long and hard for this freedom. She and the King wove their way through, until they reached the food platform and helped themselves to the ample nourishment displayed before them.
Nearby, the Elderess of the Cygorgz Hail, Shintondre, was speaking with the Queen of Tendryl and the Queen and King of the Svendelar Hail. Shintondre’s long stinger tail slowly flipped up and down as she spoke cheerfully. “I am so elated by this new home; have you ever thought life among our Dragons could be so.... well, so enjoyable?”
The Queen of Tendryl found herself amused, most certainly one of the first times in a very long time. “Elderess Shintondre, I have not ever seen you quite so animated. It is a loveliness that illuminates your splendid coloring.”
“Queen of Tendryl, you are so kind,” the Elderess gushed, “I am enthralled with our new home and the peace we have found. I thought I would lose our entire Hail after our Queen and King perished in the Battle on Verlaunde. We had no retreat until the Queen of Mursei and her Hail came. We lost so many, so very many of our Hail.” A sadness touched her eyes, as she spoke.
The Queen of Tendryl replied, “Yes. All of our Hails lost many Dragons. I only hope we can stop the rest of them from leaving Verlaunde to cause more harm.”
The King of Svendelar added, “Yes! By all that us Dragon, we must block their way here. It is said, the Queen and King of Mursei have sent their Dragon scouts out to determine where other portals are located and how far we have pushed back the territory of the Red Dragons. It is easy to forget we have but a precarious hold on our peace here. I have noticed also in our group gatherings; old ways don’t slip off the scales of all so easily.”
Elderess Shintondre asked, “What is it you have noticed King of Svendelar?” Her curiosity aroused quickly, making the stinger on her tail buzz.
“I overheard some Dragon talk. You know the kind, jaws flapping with the mind less engaged than the tongue.” He continued, “The King of Brodokks doesn’t seem pleased at all by the Urthe child--hatchling, being here with our Dragons. He was venting doom and poison to others listening.”
The Elderess Shintondre narrowed her eyes. “He did, did he? Even with the understanding of The Legend? I cannot imagine this. We have been told for untold generations of Dragons to be watchful. We knew the Dragon Child would come to us.”
“Not all believe, Elderess. I know of many on Verlaunde who thought it was only a breeze of hope uttered by our ancestors, long, long ago. We have been under oppression for so long, such hope gave us a reason to not give up,” the King of Svendelar answered.
The Queen of Tendryl responded, “I would think it wise to bring this before the Queen and King of Mursei. We cannot afford dissent amongst us.”
King Svendelar nodded his head, “I agree, but perhaps it would be better to wait until we are called upon for the meeting of The Council of Dragons. As I stated, it was Dragon talk. We will see what his actions prove in the meantime.” His companions
nodded agreement and went on to discuss lighter subjects.
Chapter 5
Zelspar was perched high upon the mountain, in deep meditation. Troubling visions had plagued him for two nights. He asked for answers. He waited. A cloud of thin white smoke gathered above him, becoming thicker and re-forming before his eyes. The shape of a large White Dragon danced overhead, swirling up and down, and slowed until directly in front of Zelspar.
The Great Ancestor of Dragons, spoke. “You have seen the future; you have seen the past. Changes are rampantly raging. Will the Dragons last? In your hands lies the answer. Into the darkness she must go-- You may temper the pathway, but the battles soon follow.”
Before Zelspar could ask questions, the clouds thinned and flowed off to the east.
He sat in silence, feeling the wind gain energy. An unpleasant scent hit his nostrils full force. It was the acrid smell of Dragon flames, charred Urthe and battle. He must go tell Starleira and Rynik.
By the time Zelspar returned to the cave, he was met at the opening by Queen and King of Mursei and a group of the Dragon scouts. Dire looks were chiseled onto their faces. He caught the very last of a scout’s conversation.
“...there were thousands! The sky was filled with the Jodrugs and Dezertico’s. Screams, fire and Dragons mixed in the air. As they would die, we saw new Dragons flying in from behind them, ready for battle. There must be a portal. They all seem to choose that particular area for battle. We returned to bring you the news.”
“How far did you go? Are they getting closer to us?” The King of Mursei asked.
“They are still a great distance away. We flew over the mountains and past the deep valley. The mountains rose again to tremendous heights. We rested there and saw them below, in battle. The air is thick with death.”
The Queen of Mursei asked, “Portals? Did you find any portals?”
“No, my Queen. We only can guess by the onslaught of the fresh Dragons coming into the battle. It must be further east. We would have to go through the battlegrounds to reach it.”
“Please, call the Hails to the gathering room. We must lay a plan quickly,” the Queen asked of the scouts.
“Queen, King of Mursei, I need a moment please,” Zelspar stated.
The Queen, feeling distracted, replied, “Now, Zelspar? We have to make plans before...”
“Now, Queen. It’s highly important. It involves Kaida.” Zelspar’s voice was firm.
“Oh! We were coming out to find her and Zlemtec. Did you see them?” she inquired. “They might have slipped in...”
A scout interrupted, “Excuse me, Queen of Mursei, but we passed them on our way here. They were flying along the valley.”
Shock registered across her face. She asked, “The valley? They went that far?”
Without missing a beat, the King of Mursei leapt into the air saying, “I will go bring them back! Head to the meeting. Fill me in later.”
“What is it, Zelspar? What did you need to talk to us about regarding Kaida? Did you see them? Is she alright?”
Zelspar quickly sensed the concern in the Queen’s voice. He dodged her questions for the time being by saying, “I wanted to schedule some time with Kaida. I’m afraid we have missed some training lately. All that can wait.”
“Yes, yes Zelspar. It will have to wait. We must find them. It is not good they have ventured that far away, Zlemtec has only just started flying. What would make them head so far away?”
“Starleira, the King of Mursei will find them. We must go to the meeting area; the Hails are most likely waiting for us.” Zelspar gently nudged the Queen.
“Zelspar, couldn’t you--” she began.
“No. Starleira, they will need you. They respect and honor you. You must hold this meeting,” Zelspar commented, well aware of the anger in her flashing eyes.
“Very well!” the Queen of Mursei bellowed. As she turned to go inside, her swinging tail clipped Zelspar’s walking stick, sending it clanging across the rocks. But Zelspar, without missing a step, grabbed his staff and followed her into the meeting area.
“Please, please, everyone quiet down,” the Queen of Mursei said as she approached the front of the room. “Our scouts have returned with troubling news. The Jodrugs and De Dezertico Hails are in battle here on Urthe. Judging by the sheer numbers our scouts reported seeing, there must be a portal located close to their battleground. They are still a distance away from us, but we can’t afford complacency. Here are the problems as I see them. There are far too many coming here. If the two Hails pose a truce, they could form an alliance and use their might in numbers to come against us.”
The room became a flurry of voices, all speaking out and with a great deal of anger. It was difficult to hear all the immediate thoughts and suggestions. The Queen sought to gain control of the room again, but her voice became lost in all the commotion.
Zelspar rose and floated above their heads. Dragon by Dragon lifted their heads up to see him. He cleared his throat. “Return your attention to the Queen of Mursei. All will have ample time to join the discussion when she is done.” The room settle down to a low murmur.
“Thank you, Zelspar. As I was saying, they could form an alliance. We must keep that in mind. They are both Hails that are filled with greed and hate. It may suit their needs to work together until they could eliminate us. They would not be as strong over here but.... if we are to stop them from being able to come and go from Verlaunde, we must go to them, and go through them to find their portal. We cannot sit idly by and hope they annihilate each other, because while we wait, they very well could be preparing an attack on us.”
The Queen could sense she was making progress. There were many nods as she spoke. “I know you have come to join us on Urthe for a chance of peace. We have no chance as long as the Jodrugs and De Dezertico Hails bring their battles here. They wish only for control and dominance. We have been working daily, forcing our Pure air out into the sky of Urthe. It has slowly broadened our area and kept them apart from us. It is not enough. We must locate their portal or portals and close them off for good. In order to do so, we must also prepare for battle.” She looked around the room for any opposition; she found none.
“Will you lead the battle, or you and the King?” asked Elderess Shintondre, looking around to find him. Her question had others looking also.
“The King flew out after the scouts delivered their message. He-- needed to take a closer look. I am sure he will return shortly, and then we will decide when we leave. Return to your homes and prepare. We ask of our Elders to help here, to watch and care for the young. Everyone else, await news for our departure.”
“Queen,” Galdean said, “I wish to fly after the King. He may need my assistance.”
The Queen of Mursei pulled Galdean towards the side of the cave. “Galdean, Rynik has gone on a search mission. Zlemtec and Kaida are missing, and the scouts saw them in the large valley. As you know, the battle rages just over the mountains surrounding the valley. They are in danger.”
“With your consent, I will leave now, my Queen.”
“Yes Galdean. Use every caution, and thank you,” The Queen replied.
Galdean flew the path next to their mountain range that dropped down to a long valley. The valley is the place where many Urthe peoples congregate. Some had moved from the caves and had made out-buildings in which to live close by streams and lakes. The peoples looked to the sky in fear anytime a Dragon was seen, and for that reason, the Mursei hid their colors when they passed through the valley, as Galdean did now.
His eyes searched across the green land, riddled by large branching trees when he noticed the smell of fire. He lifted higher into the sky to take a better look. His senses became sharper, his scales vibrated in high alert.
Two Jodrugs were circling a large stand of trees, intermittently shooting Flames and dripping their poison down below. Galdean launched himself at a furious speed, his wings feeling the strain of every beat. He climbed higher to get above
the Jodrugs. Once above them, he quickly shot first one and then the other with his Ice fire, sending them crashing to the ground.
Galdean roared as his mighty wings moved the leaves. In the middle of the trees, he spotted the King of Mursei. He looked wounded, with his wings outstretched fully, lying on the ground. He made a rapid descent.
“King Rynik!” he screamed; afraid his best friend had been hit by the Jodrugs.
“Galdean, over here, come!” the King called out in relief. He closed his eyes momentarily, thanking his ancestors for bringing his friend safely to him when he needed him the most.
Galdean quickly knelt down by his King and friend, concern etched deeply across his face.
“King…” he started.
“Galdean please, help me.” As the King lifted his face, Galdean could see what crouched under him--the hatchling Zlemtec.
The King revealed what had occurred. “Those blasted Jodrugs had him cornered and were closing in on him when I came. I began to draw them away only to see one break away and return to fight Zlemtec. I had to return too, but it brought them both down on us. Zlemtec is injured, I had to cover him, or he would have been ripped apart.” The King’s normally flashing green eyes has changed to a dull yellow, showing a deep hurt dwelling inside.
“Where is he injured?” Galdean asked. The King was still protectively hunched over the hatchling. “Where is Kaida, do you have her there too?”
The King’s face became a contorted image as grief welled up and out.
“No--she--is gone. When Zlemtec was hit, she slid off him. He tried to grab her, but she fell with the Jodrugs hot on his tail. He shoved her down in some bushes and took off in flight, bringing them here. He was trying desperately to save her. He said he doesn’t know--if she survived. He said behind him he heard the roars of the Jodrugs. Galdean, I feel my heart will explode.”
Zlemtec started to stir and cried out, “Kaida, my Kaida, I’ve lost you. Kaidaaa!” Zlemtec’s whole body shuttered with the pain of his loss that overshadowed any physical pain.
The Legend of the Dragon Child Page 5