by Sarah Hite
“No, I will try it, but I don’t know how long I can hold it. I don’t want to draw attention to us,” he said.
Lukair looked around and saw a crop of trees about four hundred yards away. “Do you think you can get to those trees?” he asked.
Torak looked over at the trees. They seemed very far away, and would take at least an hour to reach. “I don’t know. I guess there’s only one way to find out.” He took a deep breath and closed his eyes, then as Akio was about to ask what he was doing, he suddenly vanished. “What! Where did he go?”
I’m still in front of you. We should go before I reach my limit.
Lukair watched as one of the branches moved on its own, and motioned for the shocked Ocean dragon follow. As they walked over to the children, he explained that dragons from the Middle Kingdom had the ability to hide themselves from view when they wanted to. He also explained that it was something they had to practice, and was not easy to do. Each dragon had a limit; once reached, they would have to reveal themselves and rest, no matter the circumstances, or the consequence. Akio only nodded. He had not known this was possible and now understood why Torak had seemed unwilling to do it.
When they reached the children, Palo asked where Torak was. Neela scoffed and replied, “He probably took off, the baby. I do not know why he was put in charge anyway. When we join the army I am telling the queen that he left us.”
She huffed again and started to walk away, only to jump when Torak said so they could all hear, Go ahead, tell her. She won’t believe you and will agree with my decision.” The children jumped, and looked around shocked. They did not understand how he had heard her, as he did not seem to be around. Akio just shook his head and had them move out. Lukair helped Shanni-- who seemed to like the flat land better-- navigate their path.
They reached the trees without incident and Torak thankfully revealed himself. His sudden appearance made the kids jump. However, he did not notice. He was tired, and his breathing was a little unsteady. “Are you alright?” Akio asked him. Torak did not answer. He just laid there, starring out at the grass beyond.
Akio looked over at Lukair; the young man looked worried. “We should let him rest. I’m sure the kids could use it too.” Akio agreed and had them all take a nap. Lukair carefully sat down at the base of a tree and leaned against it. He repositioned the travel wrap so Alamine would be in his lap, and closed his eyes as well. Akio remained awake, and kept watch over the little group.
He woke them after a while and went to check on Torak. The young dragon was awake and looked over as he approached. “Are you alright?” Akio asked again. He nodded and slowly stood. Together the boys made sure the children were ready to go; before they left, Torak looked out over the grass again and sighed. “You do not have to hide again,” Akio told him.
“I won’t risk it,” he answered and prepared to again be invisible.
A few hours later, Alamine jolted awake. She saw the dark fabric around her and panicked. She kicked Lukair in the stomach and tried to get out of the cloth. He gently wrapped his arm around her and said, “It’s okay Alamine, you’re all right.” She heard his voice and remembered what she was in.
She tried to slow her breathing and heard Torak ask, Are you all right?
I…I think so. I…just forgot where I was, she stammered.
He stopped the group and asked Lukair to give Palo the leaf pack. While the young Pebbline prepared the next dose of treatment, Lukair carefully reached in and helped Alamine out of the wrap. He gently set her on the ground next to the small stream they were following. Torak showed himself and joined her as she took several long draughts of water. Are you sure you’re all right?
She looked up at him, and nodded, I am much better than this morning. Although it still hurts, and I am very tired.
You’ll tell me if anything happens, won’t you? If we need to stop, for any reason, you will tell me? She nodded and took the treatment Palo handed her. She turned and slowly walked back to Lukair, curled up at his feet, and was soon back asleep. She did not even wake when Lukair picked her back up, and slept for several more hours. The boys decided that a sedative must have been added to the mix, to help her sleep. They continued to follow the stream until it turned northward. Once there, they turned southeast and worked their way toward the Snaketooth Mountains.
After another hour, Akio began to look for somewhere Torak could rest. He knew that his friend would not be able to stay invisible for much longer. He spotted a couple of trees, but they were still a ways off, and he did not know if Torak would be able to make it. He quietly asked how he was holding up, and was told that he would need to rest, soon. Akio nodded and ushered them in the direction of the trees. They had only gone another thirty feet when something flew over the valley. It was still quite a distance away, so Lukair pulled out his sight glass. He did not like what he saw. The dralic was flying slowly, his head moving from side to side, as if he were searching for something.
“Into the grass, hide!” he warned them. He and Akio made sure the Ocean and Pebbline dragons were hidden in the grass, and helped Shanni hide under a clump of bushes. Akio laid down in the grass as well and Lukair slowly and carefully laid down under the bushes with Shanni. He held Alamine with one hand while he scooted under the brush. Once there, he put the other hand on Shanni’s side to keep her calm. Lukair feared that Torak would not be able to stay hidden until the dralic had left.
The dralic continued his slow approach and grew closer. He was nearly over them when Alamine woke up. Lukair gently patted her to keep her still. “Easy, easy. Stay still,” he whispered. She could tell something was wrong and did as she was told. However, she did contact Torak directly. Torak, what’s going on?
Dralic. Stay with Lukair. She could hear the strain in his voice and wondered what was causing it.
Several tense minutes crept by, but the dralic did not turn away. Akio suddenly jumped as an unfamiliar voice filled his mind. He desperately hoped he had not been seen. He slowly looked around for whoever was speaking, fearing it was the dralic, and sighed when he saw the dragon at the other end of the field. He was behind the dralic and had not been seen. Hold on, the dragon called, and turned back towards the east.
A few minutes later he returned. This time there were three other dragons with him. Akio could tell one was pale in color, while the other was darker, and slightly larger. The one who had called out to the kids, was the smallest of them. He and two of the other dragons flew at the dralic. Quickly gaining speed, they attracted the dralic’s attention, before flying away across the grasslands, with the dralic close behind. The forth dragon flew toward the kids. It was not until he was closer that Akio recognized his uncle.
Uncle! he called, and directed the older Ocean dragon toward them. When Aarto landed, he had the kids come out of hiding. Akio was the first to emerge, the other children followed his lead. Lukair opened the wrap and let Alamine out. She carefully climbed down off of his stomach and slowly walked to the other council member. Lukair rolled out from under the bush and helped Shanni out. They looked around but could not find Torak. “Torak!” Akio called. He was not answered and feared the extra strain of hiding from the dralic had been too much.
Aarto suggested they go under the trees, just in case the dralic returned. The children readily agreed and turned that way. A dip in the ground caught Akio’s attention, and he decided to investigate it. “Uncle!” he called.
Aarto had the children rest under the trees while he went to join Akio. Akio had jumped the short distance to the bottom of what he realized was a dry creek bed. He was lying next to Torak, who was trembling and was having a hard time breathing. His breath came in short bursts, as if he could not fill his lungs. Aarto joined them and leaned down to inspect the young prince. He shook his head and looked back toward where the other three dragons had disappeared. After a moment, they appeared over the horizon and quickly flew to them. Lukair heard them land, but his attention was focused on Torak. He kneeled next
to him and put a hand on his shoulder. He could tell the young dragon was afraid. “It’s going to be okay,” he said, trying to sooth his fears.
Akio watched the three dragons approach. Two he recognized as Elder and Seoung; the third however, he did not know. This stranger was the one who had called out to him. His small size and the row of spikes down his spine identified him as a Forest dragon, but that was all Akio could tell. Elder spoke with Akio and Aarto while the unknown dragon looked around. Seoung climbed into the creek bed to see what was wrong with the boy. When he saw Torak, he froze. The young prince’s hide was pale and he was still shaking. Seoung quickly crossed the remaining space between them and was at his side in a moment.
He put a paw between his shoulders, at the base of his neck. “Easy Torak, easy. Take long slow breaths. You’re going to be all right.”
Elder looked over when he heard the king’s brother. He told Aarto to take Akio and the rest of the children to the check point, then he looked over at the Forest dragon and said, “Kwan, I want you to help them with the little ones, and Alamine. Shanni, however, I will have to carry.” He nodded and joined Alamine, who had stayed with the children. Aarto spoke with him for a few more minutes before joining them. When Elder knew they would be on their way, he came over to see what was wrong with the boy.
Seoung was still trying to slow his breathing. Elder studied them for several long minutes. They did not ask what had happened, but seemed to instinctively know. It took them several more minutes to ease his breathing, but when they had, he was able to speak. He tucked his head in the cruck of his foreleg and asked, Wh…why…does it …hurt?
The council members looked at each other. Seoung looked sad, and Elder seemed troubled; however, Seoung gently answered him. “When we hide, our brains do most of the work. If we pass our limit, it strains that section of our brain. If we hold it for too long, it could damage our brain. You were forced to hold on passed your limit. It will take a while before the pain goes away.”
“Do you think you can get him back to the check point?” Elder asked.
“He will have to rest for a while, but we’ll make it,” the prince replied.
Elder nodded, “I will inform your brother of what has occurred.” He turned away, and leaned down. Lukair knew he was offering him a ride and accepted. After he was in place, the old dragon gently picked Shanni up and took off. Lukair looked back at Torak once more, before the two remaining dragons disappeared from sight.
An hour later Lukair, Akio, and Alamine were sitting off to the side, listening to the councils discuss what had happened. “The boys did as they were supposed to. When the children were too tired to continue, they were supposed to stop and rest. The only problem they faced was being out in the open. Torak knew if a Dralic was in the area, he would be all too easily seen.” Elder informed them. “So he did the only thing he could do; he hid.”
Kyeon looked up at the word. Hid? How? He’s not skilled enough to stay invisible for more than an hour.
The Southern council was now confused; they did not know of the other dragons’ ability to hide from sight. They remained quiet and let Elder finish. “He knew that, but he refused to allow his coloration to bring the children harm. He was willing to risk it.”
The king laid his head down. Is he all right?
Elder looked down at his friend and leader, “He will be. Seoung stayed with him to let him rest. Once he regains his strength, they will join us. He only strained himself, he should recover.” Kyeon slowly nodded and said no more about it, but Elder could tell he was worried. They began to discuss the dralic instead, and decided that sentries would have to be posted along the route. This way, they would be able to warn the army of any dralic activity, and help keep a better eye on the children, so they would not be left behind.
At the conclusion of their meeting, Seoung slowly walked in to the hollowed out wall of the riverbed. Kyeon saw him first and looked up. How is he?
The king’s brother looked tired. “He’s asleep. I don’t think he’ll wake up until late tomorrow morning. Would it be okay if Kwan led the children until he joins them? I would be willing to stay with him until then.”
Alani looked the Middle Kingdom’s council over. She did not fully understand what was wrong with the boy, so she asked, “Is it that bad?”
“He needs to recover, and the only way that’s possible is during sleep,” Elder told her. “When we hide ourselves from view, it takes a certain amount of control, and a massive amount of brain function. If we were to pass our limit without rest, it could cause the blood vessels in our brains to burst, depending on how much longer we hold it.”
“Torak held on just enough to strain that section of his brain. Any longer, and he could have severely damaged it,” Seoung added.
“How long do you think it would take to catch up to us?” Alani asked.
“I’m afraid I can’t answer that. It would depend on how long he slept,” Seoung replied.
Ketowa joined them and agreed with the prince. “Torak will probably sleep until midmorning. He shows no signs of neuro distress, or trauma, but he has definitely overloaded his brain. Even when he wakes up, he may still be sluggish and slow to move. Leaving him here and allowing him to rest, or having him carried, are the only options right now; and I don’t know of any large breed who is not already helping someone, including myself.”
Alani sighed, she did not like the idea of leaving someone behind. However, she understood the options, and knowing the boy’s character, she knew he would not leave the children without protection. She also knew that he was not one to leave work unfinished, and would join the children as soon as he could, if he were well enough. She finally, reluctantly consented, and they began making preparations for the next day.
Snaketooth Mountains
The sun had risen and was quickly approaching its zenith when Torak woke. He blinked and slowly looked around. He was in the same place he had fallen asleep, but this time, there was no one around. Deciding he would look around, he tried to stand, but stopped halfway up and slowly laid back down. He laid his head on his left forepaw and closed his eyes, attempting to stop his head from spinning. He knew it was late, the smell of hot earth wafted in with the breeze.
He slowly opened his eyes again when he heard someone approach and blinked in order to bring his vision to focus. As his eyes cleared, he saw Seoung standing in the entrance. “How do you feel?” the king’s brother asked.
Torak did not lift his head to answer. Instead, he spoke with his mind. I’m alright, I think. My head hurts and the room’s spinning, but I’m okay. Seoung nodded and joined him. He helped Torak to his feet and aided him out of the small cavern; he let the boy lay back down after they had left the cave system. Torak was surprised to find it was almost noon, and wondered where the army was.
“I’ll be right back,” Seoung told him and disappeared into the trees that bordered the caverns. After a few minutes he returned carrying a small deer. He set the deer in front of his nephew, and watched as he tore into the food. When he had eaten most of it, Seoung asked if he was ready to join the rest of the army. When Torak did not answer, he leaned down and said, “We’ll go slow.” Torak finally agreed and finished the deer before slowly rising to his feet. He stumbled, but Seoung caught him and led the youth into a clearing. He let the boy take off first, before joining him in the air, and led him toward the others.
Several hours’ journey to the east, Kwan led the children through a crop of trees. They had left the grasslands and were entering the foothills of the Snaketooth Mountains. Here, trees were plentiful, but spread out. He helped Shanni climb over a fallen log and watched as the other hatchlings and dragonets followed. Akio followed behind the group. He kept looking behind them hoping Torak would appear. He knew his friend had been hurt by hiding so long and knew it may be days before he was well again; but he missed his friend, and he was worried about him. He had not seen him since they had left him in the field. He watched as J
avi went around the log and joined Daro on the other side. Neela was standing off to the right. She had already past the log and was watching Kwan help her sister over a group of stones. Akio also noticed that she was being unusually quiet.
Lukair carefully climbed over a boulder and after dropping back to the ground, he extended his arm so Alamine could climb back onto his shoulder. She said nothing but the boys could tell she was worried as well. She curled her tail around his shoulder and looked over at Kwan. He was not in a talkative mood; the children unknowingly reminded him of Shaelynn, and the fact that she was missing. He was worried about her, and the chieftain knew it. Alamine knew what the family had been through, and she wondered how the child’s parents could stay so strong.
Do you know why Kwan was put in charge of us? Akio asked her as she studied the older dragon.
I think it has to do with the children. He and Lyong Ryou are the only two members of the Middle Kingdom’s council who have children, other than the king, and the rest of the warriors are too busy helping the wounded to help us, she replied. Besides, he is the only one whose children are the same age as the majority of this group.
He has children? Who is taking care of them while he is here?
Alamine looked over at the youth, her eyes sad. I believe his mate is caring for their son, but their daughter is here.
She is?
Yes. Their daughter is Shaelynn. He had heard of Shaelynn, but he did not know much about her. Instead of answering, he turned his attention to Tomel and Zema. Tomel was standing on the top of the boulder Lukair had just left, and was watching Zema climb up to him. When she reached the top, Akio helped them off the stone. Lukair’s focus was on Alamine, and the two tiny Pebblines were making their way on their own. He knew they were tired and needed to rest, so he offered them a safe perch on his back.