by Sarah Hite
The two dragons watched the dralics disappear into the horizon, but the moment they were out of sight, Seoung groaned and collapsed to the ground. His breathing came in short pain filled bursts, and his light gray hide was pale. His head, neck and shoulder were bleeding from the gashes Caegain had given him, and minor scratches and bruises were found all over his body. He was losing a lot of blood and quickly slipped into unconsciousness.
“Seoung! Uncle, can you hear me? Please answer me!” He did not answer, and she began to panic. Shaelynn calmed herself down enough to think. The bleeding needed to stop, and she had learned from Pai, what plants could be used to stop the bleeding. She ran off into the woods to find the plants she would need, and hoped she was doing it right. Pai had not actually taught her shamanistics, but instead, she had learned from observation. A few minutes later she dropped the plants to the ground, and began to make the salves she needed. She cleaned the wounds with water from the river and spread the salve over them. Then she began packing the wounds. She had the worse wounds packed and sealed when a shadow fell over them. She spun around, and looked up into the face of an unknown dragon.
Reunited
Midmorning, when the sun was beginning to warm the Guest House, Moon slowly opened her eyes. Kei-ata Lorbrein saw her wake and came to stand over her. “Easy Moon. Try not to move.”
She closed her eyes against a wave of pain. What … hap…pened?
“You crashed and hit the wall of a cliff. You’re going to be alright, but you have to trust me, and stay as still as possible. Do you understand?”
She looked up him. Yes.
He walked away, but a few minutes later he returned carrying a stone bowl. “Here, this will help with the pain.” He helped her drink the tonic before saying, “I have to go, but I will be back to check on you later. Try to get some rest.” He started to turn away, but stopped and turned back to her. “Don’t worry about the children, they’re fine. Sayden is asleep by your side, and Akina is with her mother. It took her a while, but she finally recognized your voice.” He saw her eyes clear as his words sunk in. They were safe, and that was all that mattered. She closed her eyes again and was soon asleep.
The shaman waited just long enough to be sure she would sleep for a while and returned to the Kym’s quarters. The queen had stayed with her nest for the last two days. The eggs were expected to hatch at any time and she refused to leave until they did; as it was, they were already late. She met him at the entrance, and together they checked the nest. There was no change. After they had reburied the eggs, he turned to Akina. She was not asleep, but stared at the door. The queen quietly told him that she had not slept much since the incident three days ago, and had not left the Guest Quarters at all, not even to go into the courtyard. It would be a long time before she went anywhere, especially alone.
He spoke to Kym for a few more minutes before leaving. One of the sentries had seen dragons flying in from the south, and the shaman wanted to be there when they came in. He joined the council on the beach, just as the first group made their landing. Several of them, all Ocean dragons landed in the water and swam to the beach, allowing the Pebblines and Ice dragons to land on the ground. It took almost an hour for them to land and be debriefed. Most of them were families that had been trapped in their dens, but a few were warriors and shaman.
Alani and Aarto walked through the crowd of new dragons. They were joined by three other dragons who had come in from the east. These three had been expected and were led to a small section of beach. Akio and Torak were told to fetch Javi and Eira. Upon their arrival, they saw their parents before the adults saw them. The prince and his friend smiled at the reunion, but they knew three of the kids were still separated from their families. Javi told his father that Daro was here as well and they went to talk to the boy.
Alani continued on her way, and noticed two more dragons in the sky, one of them seemed to be having trouble flying. She called Kei-ata Lorbrein’s and Aarto’s attention to them and stepped toward the beach when the smaller one dropped. They flapped to gain altitude, but fell again, and splashed into the Eliek Ocean. They did not resurface and the other dragon, an Ice dragon, circled the section of water where the other had fallen. They circled for several minutes before turning back toward shore. They, or she, landed on the beach and looked back out over the water. A few, tense minutes later, a fin immerged from the sea foam. It was not the fin of a fish, or shark, but that of an Ocean dragon.
The Ice dragon female ran into the water and helped the Ocean dragon onto the beach. She was shaking and out of breath. Kei-ata joined them and opened his kit. The Ice dragon thanked him and introduced herself as Shaman Kalla. Alani sighed with relief, “Welcome back shaman. Your mate and daughter can be found farther up the beach.” Kalla smiled thankfully and nodded. Kei-ata volunteered to take over for her so she could see her family.
She agreed and told him that the female Ocean dragon had been fine when they left, but halfway through their journey, she had started having trouble. They had landed on a small sand bar so the shaman could exam her, and found that her wing joints had been damaged, mainly the shoulders. They were not sure when the injuries had occurred, but she would not be able to fly for quite a while. She also added, I’m not sure, but it may even be Wingfire. I have not seen that illness in a long time, but if it is, it’s in the early stages. He nodded and began the preparations for her treatment.
Aarto joined them after a moment to tell Alani that the refugees were settling in. He stopped in his tracks and stared at the Ocean dragon being helped off the beach. They did not go far; she was exhausted and needed to rest. Akio! Get a small deer and meet me on the beach. The boy agreed and would be there in a few minutes. Aarto slowly approached the small group. “Keila?”
Her head snapped around and she stared at him. “Aarto? Aarto, w…where are Takato and Akio?”
He walked over, and laid down next to her. He embraced her, wrapping one long wing around her. Alani decided to let him tell her the unfortunate news and joined the rest of the council. “Keila, Takato’s not coming. He was the first they killed.”
“No! No, where is Akio? They were together, they went hunting.” She was beginning to panic.
He leaned closer to her and tried to calm her down. “Hey, hey look at me. Akio is fine. He came to the council chamber and told us what happened. It was only because of him that we had the warning we did. When we were not able to get to you, and you were taken, he stayed with me.”
“He is here?” To answer her question Akio landed on the beach and saw her. He dropped the deer and ran to her. “Mother! Mother you are here!” She offered him a small smile, and hugged him, not wanting to let him go. Aarto stood and retrieved the deer. He gave it to her and left to tell Alani that they had been reunited as well.
Later into the afternoon, the council had been told that they had come to the Middle Kingdom by word of Prince Seoung. Kyeon was not happy to learn that his brother probably gave his life to set them free, but now he understood why he had told Kwan to take care of their family; the prince doubted that he would ever return to the Middle Kingdom. He would soon meet with Alani, Aarto, and Kero, along with Kei-ata, Kwan, and Lang. As the other six dragons came to a remote section of the courtyard, Kym called him. She wanted him to come by their quarters as soon as possible, and if Torak and Kei-ata were with them, to have them come as well. He could only think of one reason she would want that particular group of dragons.
He looked at the other dragons when they arrived. “My apologies Alani, but I must cancel this meeting.” He looked up at the shaman. “Kym has requested our presence. She sounded excited.”
“Your eggs are hatching?” Alani asked, growing excited herself.
“It appears so, but it will probably take the remainder of the afternoon,” he answered. They agreed to postpone the meeting and Kwan volunteered to find Torak. He left the courtyard and flew to where the children had been playing. “Torak!” He dove toward the groun
d, and flared his wings to slow down. Hovering above them, he continued, “Torak, Sir, your parents need you at the palace. They request you come immediately.” He flew off and circled around. Torak launched himself into the air and flew low over the land, reaching the palace within minutes. When the boy had made it to the courtyard, Kwan slowly flew back toward the palace grounds. Something caught his eye and he turned around. He suddenly deepened his dive and called out to Ketowa; the shaman was not far away.
He landed on the beach, hard, and skipped a few steps to slow down. He reached the section of beach just as the dragon tried to get up. He made it halfway to his feet before falling down. Kwan was at his side in a moment. He helped the bigger dragon out of the water and farther up the beach. Ketowa joined them and took over supporting the injured dragon. “Tell the king,” the shaman ordered.
Kwan nodded. He launched himself off the beach and flew to the courtyard as fast as he dared. He slowed down just long enough to land safely before going to the Queen’s Quarters. The door was open and he could hear the eggs squeaking inside. “Sire, I’m sorry to bother you, but Seoung has been found on the beach. Ketowa’s bringing him in.”
Kyeon stood and left the building. He joined his council member in the courtyard and watched as the big shaman gently landed and set his brother down. Seoung’s shoulder wound had opened up again and was bleeding. Kyeon quickly called Kei-ata outside and the two shaman took care of the prince. Kym poked her head out the door to watch, but her focus was on the peeping in the background. Seoung was awake, but he was in a lot of pain and was having trouble breathing. After a few questions, they learned about the challenge, and after a quick exam they agreed that several of his ribs were cracked, and a few were broken. The gash on his face, neck, and shoulder had been cleaned and packed, but he did not know who had done it.
Kyeon told him that the prisoners had made it in and had been cared for. Then he told the prince about Moon’s crash and Akina’s unfortunate experience. Seoung asked where they were, and they told him Moon was asleep inside the Guest House. Seoung wanted to sit with her and they helped him to the building. The prince said nothing about Shaelynn. In truth, he had no idea where she was. She had left with him, but had not landed with him, and he did not have the strength to look for her.
Kyeon knew his siblings would want to watch the hatching, so he asked Kym if she would be willing to bring the eggs to the other building. Ania, Flame, and Lukair joined them and Ania helped move the eggs so the other two dragons could watch, but suggested they let them sleep, at least until the hatching had progressed some.
Kwan went to tell Elder that Seoung had returned, and that the eggs were hatching. He felt sorry for the old dragon; he was being very hard on himself. Ania did not really blame him, it was more like he blamed himself. The elder had left the day of his scolding and had not been seen for three days, only coming back out of his hiding place when the freed prisoners had landed. He had joined them on the beach to help move the wounded refugees to a safer location. Kwan landed near the council-- who were now back at the beach-- and told them the news. There were several sighs of relief, and Aarto asked if he was okay. Kwan shook his head. “He was badly injured. It will be a few days before they know if he’s out of danger.”
They spoke for a few more minutes until they were surprised by a delighted squeal. The whole group turned to see Shaelynn standing on the beach. She launched herself off the little mound of sand she stood on, and ran to her father’s side. “Papa! Papa, what happened? Where did you go?”
Kwan embraced her, pulling her close to him. “I had to come back. I didn’t want to leave you there, but your mother was hurt. I had to come back to help her.” He hugged her again before setting her down. “Why don’t we go see her? I’m sure she will be glad to see you.”
“Hmm, I was wondering who that little one belonged to.” The council turned to the new voice. Before them stood a strange looking Ocean dragon. He was of average size, but his coloration was odd, unique for any dragon. Slightly wavy, vertical stripes of black and dark green covered his whole body, making it impossible to tell which the base color was; it reminded Kwan of seaweed.
Aarto shook his head, but could not take his eyes off the other dragon. “Where in the Ancestor’s name have you been? We all thought you were dead.”
The new dragon gave him an odd look and did not answer the question; instead, he said the obvious before changing the topic. “No, Aarto, I am not dead. Where is Alani?” The first name reference told the Middle Kingdom dragons that he was probably a member of the queen’s council. Aarto volunteered to take him to the courtyard; Kym had invited her friend to the hatchling.
Kwan decided to go with them, after all, Moon was in the Guest House. Shaelynn trotted along with them, right by his side. They entered the courtyard and quietly approached the Guest House. The black and green dragon looked around at the humans curiously, but he said nothing. Aarto and his companion stayed outside while Kwan and Shaelynn quietly entered. They were just in time, both eggs cracked at the same time and the shells fell away. One of the little hatchlings kicked the shell aside and looked around, then tried to run away when Kei-ata picked them up.
He looked the dark brown hatchling over before handing him to Kyeon and Kym. “A healthy male. He has his father’s attitude,” he added with a hint of humor. They turned back to the other egg, where a pale golden brown hatchling was shaking off the shell fragments. One of the fragments was stuck to their head, and no matter how they tried to get it off, they were unsuccessful. Kym gently picked the little one up and pulled the fragment off. This hatchling was smaller than the other, and looked up at Kym with bright eyes. Kym smiled and carefully handed the child to the shaman. He thought that with her quiet disposition, she would likely grow up to be like her mother.
Kwan joined Moon just as he gave the little one back to Kym. His mate looked over at him with sad, pain filled eyes. She swallowed and asked, Where… is my little girl? Her voice was weak, and filled with pain, confusion, and fear.
He nuzzled her cheek, and quietly answered. “She’s right here.” He turned to where Shaelynn had stayed by the wall, and pulled her forward. She quietly crept forward and nuzzled her mother’s face.
Her silent approach did not go unnoticed. Sayden saw her and jumped to his feet. “Shaelynn! You’re here.” He tackled her in his excitement, but she knocked him off and said, “I don’t want to play right now. I’m tired, and hungry, and all I want to do is sleep.” The council smiled, and Moon looked up at her. She spoke to the child and Shaelynn settled down by her side. Moments later they were both asleep.
Kwan turned to Alani, “Your Majesty, there’s someone here to see you.”
She nodded and left. Seoung soon fell asleep and Kyeon helped Kym move the little ones outside. It had taken Kym hours to convince Akina to come out for the hatching. She had finally agreed, but stayed close to her mother. As the council left the building, they saw Aarto talking to a strange looking Ocean dragon. Alani froze when she saw him. Aarto noticed the group, and motioned toward them. The green and black dragon turned and slowly walked toward them. He bowed his head with great respect. “Your Majesty, the dralics have left the islands, none remain. It is safe to go home.”
He was still about twenty feet away, and seem to have no inclination to come closer. Alani did not answer; she ran to him, stopping only a foot away. “Takaro! I thought I had lost you.” She nuzzled him, rubbing her head against his.
He smiled and returned her motion. Then he looked at her and said, “You know I would never leave you, not if I had the choice.” She cocked her head confused, and he took a step back. After he had stepped away from her, he slowly unfurled his left wing, balancing on his right. When the wing was completely stretched out, the long knotted scar that spread the whole length of the wing was now visible. “I was doing my job, but I did not know the canyon was unstable. An underwater quake brought it down, I got trapped inside. It took a long time to heal compl
etely, and even longer to find a way out. I did not even know how much time had passed.”
She smiled, and a chocked laugh escaped her. She hugged him again and turned back toward the Guest House when Kym said, “See, I told you he’d find you.” Alani only smiled and nodded.
Table of Contents
Oceans
Alamine
Questions
The Beginning
Akina
Determined
Second Chances
Torak
Alani
Shock
Crown Prince
Ghosts
The Announcement
Search
Sacrifice
Peril
Truth
Endangered Life
The Pain of Recovery
Caegain
Dralics
Precautions
Kwan
Responsibility
The Grasslands
Snaketooth Mountains
Predators
Shaelynn
Prophecy
Royalty
The Cost of Protection
Reunited