"They are not ready for that, great dam", said Delishaterina. "If we deliver the ring to Lucifer, he can safeguard it in Hell. That way the bitch will not be rushing to kill our people to be hosts to the damned souls that would take the ring from us. We will buy enough time for the Dragon Lords to mature, and gain their main strength."
"Only Owen and Briana together can hope to cross the Pitt and drop the ring now. They have both been tainted by the Demon this day. It will take all of their strength to cross", said Baird.
“Before they go, Owen must be brought before Znost”. Falos had joined the discussion. He was bleeding from wounds to his wings, chest and leg.
“Nay, great one”, said Baird. “They must be cleansed first. If they fail in this there will be no audience with Znost, and if they pass over it will be an indicator the old great one will appreciate.”
“As you say, wizard. But it is I who must answer for not doing what he asked of me, and if healthy he would be here now. To defy his wishes grinds against my nature as a dragon!”
“Hmph. Fret not, Falos. Znost is not so insecure that he would begrudge Baird’s judgment", said Zana.
“Here, let me look at you Falos; you are sorely injured”. Briana approached him and raised her hands. She felt strong again, thanks to Owen’s swords.
Falos lowered himself so that she should go over him, stretching his wings and his leg when she asked. Her touch was gentle but firm, and healing warmth spread from wherever she touched him. “That feels so good, Briana. You are not so abrupt and wasteful as your mate.”
Briana blushed. “I guess it’s true”, she thought. “My mate. What a dragonish point of view. Well, I AM a dragon after all.”
The animals wandered off, and most of the fairies. The dragons, Baird and the fairy Queen and her guardians remained, to camp near the mother tree.
Later, as Briana made ready to sleep under Zana’s wing, Delishaterina approached. “Sleep upon the mound this night, Dragon Queen. Owen and the mother need you, and you will be drawn in next to him.”
The idea actually appealed to her, so she lay in the softness of the living mound and being very tired, drifted into fitful dreams.
Briana dreamed. She dreamed of the forest, the trees, the grass, the flowers and the many creatures within. She dreamed of the fairies and the unicorns and felt their magic entering and making fiery tracks through her muscles and bones. She dreamed of the great trees and the roots deep underground and deeper still the halls in bedrock where the rock gnomes live. She dreamed she was a great tree, and could feel the nutrients flowing from the soil below, the sunlight playing upon the leaves above and the flowing sap between. She became aware of Owen, lying by her side within the living mound.
Chapter Twelve – Father?
He drifted in a sea of darkness, deep within its frigid depths. Things slipped past unseen, and as they brushed against him he felt their stark terror, dismal despair, fury or bitter hatred. There was no love in this dark realm, no hope, no will. More and more lost souls congregated near the faintest glimmer of his undead thoughts.
“Here prowl the uncollected souls. Many were trapped by the Demon, cast out of their living bodies to provide bodies for his army of the damned.”
He knew not the origin of such thought. It was, so he listened.
“You can free them all from purgatory, my son. Will it while they gather around you, and so it will be.”
So he tried, yet to will required life and he had none.
While pondering this in the molasses of his scattered and fractured mind, he felt the hateful black implement of his torture removed. He sensed a spark of light, the first drops of a coming flood.
Collecting his scattered thoughts, he managed: “Father?”
Trying his will once more, he held the light at bay for a moment. His will, yes, he could do it! He willed the light to come, not only to him but to the host of souls that clung to him. The light did come, from a vast source of power, washing purgatory clean, then came power and terrible, terrible pain. In his pain racked mind, he saw the host of collectors in their true form, winged Angels of both darkness and light.
“Only the truly dead are without pain, which is the harbinger of life”, said his Father.
Chapter Thirteen – Forest Mother
Owen drifted in a world of green security and warm comfort.
He had been semi-conscious and drowning in pain as the dragon had grabbed him up and laid him under the Forest Mother’s canopy. He was aware of Briana and his swords, yet he could not speak, and his eyes seemed glued shut. He had felt the vines that wound themselves securely around him and could smell the flowers. He jerked as a new power flowed through him, wild and old as magic itself. He felt himself healing and being cleansed of the black sword’s poison.
"Owen, can you hear me?" It was Briana. The timber of her mental voice was too high, and she thought so quickly and so faintly that it took time for him to understand.
He answered her. “Yes, Briana, my heart, I hear you. You have saved me.”
He felt himself drifting off. “I must sleep now.”
Owen dreamed. He dreamed of the forest, the trees, the grass, the flowers and the many creatures within. He dreamed of the fairies and the unicorns and felt their magic entering and making fiery tracks through his muscles and bones. He dreamed of the great trees and the roots deep underground and deeper still the halls in bedrock where the rock gnomes live. He dreamed he was a great tree, and could feel the nutrients flowing from the soil below, the sunlight playing upon the leaves above and the flowing sap between. He sensed Briana, now lying beside him.
“I am the Forest Mother, fully awake now for the first time since Kragon. Do you hear me?”
“Yes, Forest Mother, and I feel your life blood flowing all around me, everywhere to the ends of your realm. I thank you for sharing this with me.”
“Yes, I hear you as well”, said Briana. “I know what you have done.”
“All such boons bear a price of some kind or another. First know that time passed for me is not the same as that known by mortals. Also know that I have given you other boons than simply healing your body, Owen. These changes are irreversible, and in time you may regret the price.”
“Tell me, Mother. I sense no evil here, so what harm can come of knowing what you have shown me in my dreams?” asked Owen.
“Dreams? Not so Dragon King. The fairy magic and the magic of the unicorn are but further immersion into our arcane planes. For one such as you this means being less and less like a mortal. To take on my power as your own is different entirely. What I give you has never been gifted. However I now realize that I need partners, a blood brother and sister that live in mortal time, who can be arbiters of my power in the protection of this forest and all who reside here. We have made a bargain, although I did not ask your permission. Your father wanted this. You will become an arbiter of his power also, in time.”
Mention of Owen’s father startled him more than the bargain she had implied. “Our father spoke to me in purgatory, and gave me the power to free the trapped souls in that awful place. If you know who he is, please tell us. We want to know!”
“That is for him to tell you, not me. He is my master, and that’s all I will say.”
Briana said “We would have protected the forest and you, its soul of magic without these boons, yet will honor this bargain made for us. If my suspicions are correct, neither of us has a choice anyway.”
“You and Owen must leave the comprehension limits of mortals behind, and remember – you are NOT siblings. Rise then. Your healing is done. You can call upon any magic of fairy, unicorn or of the forest itself. Use this power with restraint and with more wisdom than you have demonstrated so far!”
Chapter Twelve – The Pit
It was just dawn on the third day since Owen had been laid under the mother tree, while it only seemed a single night to Owen and Briana. When they woke, the four Unicorns had scattered the now dead flowers and vin
es so that the two dragon elves were free to stand and look about. They headed over to the glowing coals, remains of the nights camp fire, where Baird was sleeping in his bed roll, and where Delishaterina sat watching from a branch of the Mother's Tree.
"Good morning Owen, and Briana", said Delishaterina, gliding down from the tree with her fairy eyes twinkling. "Or should I say good morning, my brother and my sister? It seems we are all Mother's children now."
"That's true, I think", said Briana. "Its allot to absorb in a single night."
"Twas three days you lay there, Briana, not a single night! "
"We were sleeping three days?" asked Owen.
"Three of our days. One night of the Mother's time. I can sense the fairy in you, ha! The Unicorn too. The Mother has really done it this time. You must come to the fairy dance. All fairies must dance. The dance of Mother's awakening, once the word has spread, will be in the forest around the Dawn Glade. When we call, you must come."
"How long will it take to arrange this?" asked Briana.
"A week maybe. We will call. For now, you must take that damned ring and drop it in the pit!"
"What ring?", asked Owen.
"You killed the Demon's body, or don't you remember? His spirit entered a great black jewel that Baird has encased in magic. It must be delivered to Satan in the great pit. Only you can do that, if you are not pulled into it yourself after that fool stunt you pulled with black magic!"
"Oh yes. I vaguely remember the ring, but I was certain that I was dying at the time. As for the black magic, how else could I have penetrated his wards? None but the Forest Mother could do that without black magic. I expect that's one of the reasons she gave us her power. I believe the reason for doing what I did was sound and will pay whatever price I must. But I also have reason to believe this is forgiven, at least this time."
"What assurance do you have, Owen?", asked Briana, looking at him intently.
"Our father spoke to me in purgatory, Briana. He must be a very powerful Angel to give me the means to free all the lost souls from there. I get the feeling that made up for my bad behavior, although that was the only good in an experience I would NOT wish to repeat!"
Owen shuddered at the thought, and Briana hugged him warmly. "He has never spoken to me", said Briana.
"Regardless", continued the fairy Queen. "You must carry the ring and drop it in the pit as soon as possible!"
"Well I guess we had better wake Baird and the dragons then", said Briana. "I am famished, although I guess we can hunt on the way." She and Owen passed a flask between them, each taking a long drink of the cool delicious water.
Baird was already awake, and was packing away his bed roll and munching on something. "Here, you walking dead. Have some of this hard tack. Fills the stomach at least." He came over and offered them some of his hoard of field rations which they took gladly.
Owen counted the sleeping dragons, and came up six short. "Briana, six of the dragons are gone."
"Are you sure, Owen?"
"Yes, I don't even remember all their names, but six are missing from those who stayed with me. That's half of them, not counting Falos."
"Falos and the others were injured. Thanks to the power of your swords, I had enough energy to heal them. Speaking of the swords, Zana has shown me some very large rubies in her cash, even larger than the ones on your swords."
"That's great! There are many uses to which we can put them, Briana. We can discuss that later, if Zana will let us have them. Look, Falos is waking. I need to speak to him."
Baird said "I think Zana will part with them if you ask her, Briana."
"Good morning, Falos! You are looking better than when I last saw you", said Owen.
"First light, little one, yes. Your mate has gentle hands that heal without pain. You should learn from her."
"Well I am not surprised by that, Falos. Although I don't think I could equal her skill at healing no matter how hard I try. We would have been lost without your help, and I can't help but notice that Ianos, Delos and four others are no longer with us. I morn them."
"We will honor them, Owen. They died a noble death after an age of life, and their spirits will be rewarded. Now though, we have other matters to attend to. Fly. Take that accursed ring and drop it in the pit. If you are not drawn in behind it, we will know you as our new King. We will follow, and we will send the signal to all Dragons. Those that can will be there."
"I will follow as well, and will brave the pit at your side. No, don't even think about arguing!"
"I welcome you at my side, Briana. Coming Baird?"
"Wouldn't miss it, Owen. But I cannot pass the pit. Only a Dragon Lord can pass, and his or her chosen Dragon companion." Baird mounted Falos, and the big Dragon lumbered skyward. Zanos and the other six dragons were quick to follow
After changing, Owen rose rapidly skyward with Briana close behind.
With Salece's and her "father's" the elf's help, she had been able to create a halter much like Owens that could stretch and take on whatever shape was required to assuage her modesty. She changed and flew with Owen nearly wing tip to wing tip, on his left. "I have seen the pit Owen." She sent him an image and also the best route.
"Thank you Briana. You are a stunningly beautiful Dragon. Has anybody told you yet? It's wonderful to be so near to you."
Dragons cannot blush or she would have. "Not quite in that way, no..."
They flew through the night and at dawn they saw several Buffalo browsing on the lower slope. "I'm still hungry", Briana sent.
So by mutual consent, Falos, Zanos and two of the others swooped down and killed four of the lumbering beasts. Forsaking his usual kill pattern, Owen joined in the feast. He and Briana had not eaten much in the last three days. Soon the large herbivores were reduced to red stained bones.
"It's not far now, but it's almost straight up", Briana told Owen.
They were soon on their way again, laboring higher and higher along the face of the mountain. Owen could feel the Pit as they finally approached. Up over the edge of a wide ledge they flew, and there was the Great Pit. Only Briana and Owen continued onward. The rest landed on the ridge, which continued in a rising semi circle around the cone of the one time volcano. On the far side, the rock wall rose higher, and Owen could see the entrance of a large cave in the rock wall. Over the cave, carved in the rock was the figure of a red dragon and its rider. The rider wore a crown, Kragon.
Owen began to feel the pull. Around the lower perimeter of the pit, the dragons watched in concern, hundreds of them.
Briana was at his side, wing tips almost touching, as they flew out over the pit. The energy of her soul arced in blue fire between them, and bolstered Owen's resolve. Looking downward, Owen saw dark tendrils being sucked out of his struggling wings and torso.
"Look below, my love. Keep fighting, there is no true darkness in you."
"I see it, Briana. Do not fear, I will never give up."
Below them a great flaming hand stretched taloned fingers up and opened as if to catch something. Owen threw the ring, the black jewel now exposed once again. As the ring left his hand, the pull lessened greatly, and the two dragons began to make headway toward the cave above. Dark streamers drew from Owen and surprisingly a few from Briana as well now, decreasing and then ceasing. Owen watched the ring fall toward the huge, open hand. Just before the hand closed upon it, a dark female shadow streaked across and snatched the ring from Satan's hand. The images faded with a roar, and a peal of maniacal laughter that retreated into the roiling maelstrom of darkness below.
"She snatched the ring."
"Yes, the Demon's mother I am guessing", Owen sent. "At least it will be some time before that monster can return. We must use that time to prepare."
Free of taint, the Dragon King and his Queen flew up to the cave, landed and changed into Elf form. Owen placed his arm around her, and her warm body nuzzled against his. He noticed that she had also acquired a lovely, blue harness outfit ensorcelled
to withstand the change. Looking back they could see clear sky and hundreds of miles across the forest, hills and wetlands below.
"Oh, how magnificent", Briana sent. Against the starting backdrop of the world below, a semi-circle of flames rose from the dragons lining the ridge. In the center, a column of green energy spewed high into the sky. The likeness of a giant emerald dragon graced the empty space above the void, dripping emerald fire into the pit. It was salute to the young new Dragon King, which could be seen all across the land.
"We cannot let them down."
"We will not, my love."
Dragons Shining Page 22