by Toni Cox
He studied the lay of the land, the vegetation, the mountains and rivers and surmised that if he kept to this speed he should be able to get there by the time the moons touched the edge of the mountains. A deep rumble rose from his chest at the thought of what awaited him. He could not explain this feeling, only that it felt right. Even She-Who-Circles-The-Sun had not made him feel like this. He closed his eyes for a moment and thought about Bright-Shining-Silver-Star. When the feeling had first started, he had felt a shudder run down the length of his body; she was in danger and in need of him. Although he would not have been able to say what was wrong, he had known she was in trouble. He had tried to mind-link with her, but had only been able to attain a tenuous connection. Her distress had eventually eased and he could not feel it now at all. But he had missed her so; he could not wait to see her. When he opened his eyes again, his wings beat faster and he flew with a new determination.
Maia now sensed him circling overhead. He usually did not come to this part of the city, as most people were afraid of him. In her mind, she showed him the plains of the valley leading up to Shadow Hall. It was one of the places where they often met. She felt him consent to meeting her there. They had been apart for so long; she could sense his desire to see her. Maia felt the same.
Regretting her decision to wear a dress, she hoisted her skirts higher and ran even faster. By the time she raced out of the Silver Forest into the open, her legs were shaking. The magic from tonight had taken much of her energy. She slowed and walked across the open ground, staring at the night sky. The moons were now completely hidden by the mountains and only the stars were visible, sparkling in the night sky.
Then, a great shadow passed overhead, hiding the stars from view. She stopped as she felt the familiar feeling of being watched by a great predator. Her skin prickled and the hairs on the back of her neck stood erect as her body screamed the warning at her. But she did not move; he would never harm her. Then she felt the downdraft of Midnight’s great wings and like a menacing shadow, he gracefully landed in front of her. She felt the ground vibrate through the thin soles of her shoes. She closed her eyes for a moment and breathed in his distinct dragon smell. She had always wondered about it; it was not quite reptile, nor mammal, but something in between, something incredibly dangerous. When she opened her eyes again, his large head was only a hands span away from hers. His left eye, such a deep red that it looked almost black, was looking directly at her. She first felt, then heard his rumbled greeting and not able to contain herself any longer, she threw her arms around his large muzzle and hugged him. His skin felt smooth and rough at the same time; something between leather and rock.
The rumbling became louder, almost as if he was purring, and by the time she let him go small curls of smoke were rising from his large nostrils. Soul Dragons were the only ones able to flame and their great bulk was only rivalled by that of the Ice Dragons who lived far to the north. Maia gazed up at him, but he was so big that she could only see a fraction of his black body.
Midnight lifted his head to its normal height, then tilted it to look down at her. Maia swayed on her feet as she tilted her head to look up at his face. From where she stood below him, she could clearly see the ivory gleam of teeth; each tooth the length of a forearm, razor sharp double rows of it. The black outline of his horns and neck spikes was even visible against the night sky.
“Where have you been? I have been back for days already and have not heard from you.”
She often talked to him and he liked the sound of her voice, but it was not how they communicated. Soul Dragons could read minds and it was her thoughts and feelings which he understood. So he was unaware of her accusing words and only felt the love she had for him.
Over half a century ago, when he had been younger and foolish, he had gotten himself into a sticky situation that he had not been able to free himself from. She had rescued him and they had formed their bond, as was the nature of a Soul Dragon, and now she was his, forever. Soul Dragons did not bond often and did not do so lightly either. Once the bond was formed, however, nothing could break it.
He now put images in her head of flying above the clouds and she responded willingly. He knelt down low and stretched out his left foreleg. His long, pointy talons scratched deep furrows into the grass. Quickly the girl, so light it tickled his skin, made her way up and settled down into the hollow on his neck. He rose again to stand on all fours, then beat his mighty wings and was airborne almost instantly.
Dragons always seemed to run at a temperature higher than most creatures, and even when flying with him high above the clouds, Maia was always warm where she touched his skin, nestled snugly into the bony part where his neck met his torso.
She looked down as he soared over the Silver Forest and the sparkling lights of the city, then looked ahead as he flew towards the mountains. Maia knew she would not return home tonight and settled closer to his skin, revelling in his great power and warmth.
They communicated through their mind link and he told her that he had come because he had sensed she was in trouble. He let her feel what he had felt and she realised that, when she had been in her dream-state after coming through the Gate, it was Midnight’s presence in her mind that had prevented her from going over into the void. She dried a tear on her cheek and hugged him more closely.
She also learned that during her absence, he had flown out towards the south, looking for a mate. Soul Dragons were rare and he had flown far before he had encountered a female that was willing to mate with him. Two years she would carry his eggs before they would hatch and Maia smiled at the thought of little Midnights learning to fend for themselves. Her dragon rumbled his agreement.
And so they flew for hours. Flying over lakes and forests; sometimes startling deer and other animals. Only once the sun started to rise in the east did he turn around to make his way back to the city. From up here it looked like they were flying straight into the sun.
Midnight dropped her off on the far side of Shadow Hall and left to go hunting. He would not go far and promised to return tomorrow. Exhausted, but happy, Maia made her way towards home.
As she stepped onto The Axis, she decided to take a detour past Silas’ cave. She was still feeling the elation of the ceremony and last night’s flight and did not want to encounter Aaron before she had at least some answers. She remembered the promise she had made to herself before her father had announced the ceremony. She would deal with the problem and help Aaron get back. It must be hard for him to cope with the loss of his wife under such strange circumstances. His children were coping with it better, but she assumed they too were missing their home and mother and everything they had left behind. She entered Silas’ cave and found him sitting on the floor by the fire.
“Maia,” he nodded a greeting and then rose to put a pot on the fire for tea, “come sit with me.”
She went to sit by the fire, finding a cushion on the bench, rather than the floor. She felt awkward in her dress. Silas picked up his own cushion and went to sit by her.
“You look tired. Did you enjoy the feast last night?” His lips curled into a teasing smile.
“I did, but during the night Midnight came home.”
She wondered what he had been thinking that would make him smile like that.
“Ah, that explains your absence for the rest of the night then. I was wondering why you were still wearing your dress. Jasmin was looking for you when they went home. She was worried what could have happened to you.” After a short pause, he added, “She really likes you.”
Silas rose to take the pot off the fire, found two cups, added some herbs and poured the steaming water into the cups, before returning to his seat by her.
“I like her too. She is always so easy going.” Maia took her cup from Silas, blowing at the hot liquid.
“And Luke and Aaron?” Silas enquired, blowing on his own cup.
“Luke seems to be nice enough and I have found him to be witty and intelligent. But I think A
aron is very resentful towards me for what I have inflicted upon them. And I have decided that I need to make it right as soon as possible. That’s why I have come to see you now, before going home. I cannot face them again without some answers.”
Silas chuckled. “Ah, and here I thought you had come because you liked me,” he teased, but then carried on in a more serious tone. “Give him time Maia. He has just been ripped out of his own world, losing not only his wife, but also his entire way of life. It is easier for his children to deal with as their minds are still young.” Silas took another sip of his tea and was frowning by the time he continued speaking.
“I have been thinking about how they got here in the first place. Somehow, you have brought them here and the ability to send them back is within your power, even if you do not know how to do so at the moment. When you initially brought them through, you were in your human form and it must have been something instinctual, not something you actively sought to do. I have been studying some of my Elder scrolls to see if I could find any reference to this problem.
So far, an answer has eluded me. However, I have only scratched the surface of all the information that I have here and I won’t give up until I find something. Until then, they will be our guests and we must treat them as we would our own.”
Silas took another sip from his cup, then stood and walked over to one of the workbenches. After rummaging through the items upon it he returned with a yellowing scroll.
“This is what I have found so far. It is known that everyone capable of Travel is also able to transport a certain number of objects through the Channel. After all, that is how we have always traded. It just takes an extra amount of energy to move the object, or objects, one wants to take along. But some are even able to move larger goods. It takes a lot more concentration and energy, but it can be done. Do you remember the story of when the Elders moved the stones from Karakrr to Agoria to build the circle and the other structures? Agoria did not have such large stones available, not above water, so the people of Karakrr agreed to lend the stones to the people of Agoria, which is how their now millennia-old trading agreement started. You know how large those stones are, so that must have taken some extraordinary power. I believe, that with the right kind of focus and energy, one should be able to move almost any object. So why not transport a person? I believe it is possible.”
Silas unrolled the scroll in front of Maia and showed her the passage of runes that told of transporting goods and the relative energy certain objects needed. Silas had taught Maia to read and write runes when she had started her apprenticeship with him. Runes were the writing of Elementals and all apprentices had to learn to use it proficiently. But most of the scrolls and books were written in their normal Elven tongue and were a lot easier to read. Once they had finished with the scroll, Silas moved on to some other writings. Their use of the Channel over the millennia had been well documented and Maia was surprised at the amount of information Silas had on hand. They sat for hours until they were both too hungry, and in Maia’s case, tired, to concentrate.
“You should go home. We can carry on this discussion another time. There are a few other strange things that I do not fully understand, and they will need some further research.”
“What other things?” Maia asked, curious at what else he was talking about.
“Like I said, I want to do some more research, but did you not wonder how your family is able to speak our language?”
Maia was stumped. She had not even realised that, of course, they spoke a different language on Earth. Why had she not noticed?
“Don’t worry, Maia. I don’t think they have realised it either. They are in the belief that they are speaking their own tongue and have accepted the fact that we also speak it. I don’t think they even questioned it. But we leave this discussion for another day. I would like to see Becci; she promised me roast pigeon for dinner.”
Silas started to pack up and Maia rose to give him a hand.
“No, don’t worry Maia, I’ll clean this up. You’ve been gone most of the day again. Go home, get some rest and then spend some time with your guests.”
The moment Silas said it, she felt guilty. Why could she not do anything right? She so desperately wanted to fix this, but in trying to, she was making it worse. Here she had spent all day thinking about how to get rid of them like they were some pest, without giving any thought to what they might be doing today at all. Even the days leading up to the ceremony, she had spent Silas, practicing. How had she not noticed that what she was actually doing, was shirking her responsibilities and leaving it to her parents to deal with? They were her guests and her responsibility.
Still feeling ashamed she left Silas’ cave and was surprised to see that the sun was still out. She had assumed it was already evening, but it seemed to be only late afternoon. People were still working. She could hear the sounds coming from the direction of the workshops.
She hurried along The Axis, which led past the Silver Forest and all the way to her home. Then she climbed the short, but wide, staircase, called The Royal Steps, onto the veranda that encircled their home. It was quiet inside, no-one was home. She grabbed an apple from the bowl on the table, then made her way back out to look for Jasmin. Luke would probably be wherever she was.
She had finished her apple by the time she found them in her mother’s pottery workshop. Luke was sitting behind Malyn’s potter wheel, covered in wet clay. Jasmin was holding her sides, laughing hard. Even Malyn was holding her hand over her mouth, giggling. At first, Maia just felt annoyed. She had felt so guilty and had worried so much about leaving them alone for the day, and here she found them enjoying themselves. Then she frowned at herself for even thinking such a thing. Of course she was glad they were having fun, and she was thankful to her mother for taking care of them. And it was a funny sight; Luke covered in clay. Maia giggled with them, and then helped them clean up before they made their way home.
It had taken Malyn a while to convince Maia to lie down and sleep for a while. Because of her guilt, she had wanted to stay up and look after her guests. But Malyn had made her take off last nights dress, take a bath to wash the clay off her arms and then sleep. When she woke up it was already dark in her room and she lit a candle to get dressed by. She could hear voices through the closed door. She wasn’t sure if she was ready to face Aaron just yet, but she couldn’t avoid him forever.
Dressed in suede pants and a loose-fitting cotton shirt, she made her way into the common room. Her parents were sitting by the fire, quietly talking with Aaron. Silas, Luke and Jasmin were sitting on cushions next to one of the windows, also deep in discussion. Maia crossed the room and greeted her parents. She nodded to Aaron, but her greeting stuck in her throat because of the way he looked at her. She couldn’t interpret the look, but it made her feel very uncomfortable. She hurried past the fire place to join the others by the window. Jasmin jumped up when she saw her and gave her a warm hug, then drew Maia down beside her.
“You sleep like the dead. I’ve been dying to talk to you all day. You were amazing last night. How did you do all that?”
Maia felt the blood colour her cheeks, but Jasmin’s smile was so genuine, that Maia found herself smiling with her.
“Thank you.” She didn’t really know what else to say. “I can show you some time if you like.”
“Oh, that would be wonderful.” Jasmin beamed with joy. “Can you show us now?”
“I think it is a little late for that today, Maia must still be exhausted. I’m sure she will be able to show you tomorrow or some other day.”
Silas gave Maia a nod and then said, “Luke and I have been talking. Did you know he was studying to become a Healer back on Earth?”
“I did not,” she said a little flustered.
She had not really given it any thought; she didn’t know much about them at all. She didn’t know where their interests lay, what their strengths and weaknesses were, or what they liked and disliked. She didn’t even know
if they had had someone special back home. To cover her embarrassment, she leaned forward to take some bread out of the basket on the table. Chewing, she sat down again by the window.
“It has got me thinking, Maia,” Silas continued. “As there is no immediate solution to sending them back, it might be wise to integrate them into our community. It would earn them the respect of the clan and they would be able to learn our ways so much faster.”
Both Luke and Jasmin nodded to Silas’ words; they had obviously been discussing this subject already.
“I am willing to take on Luke as an apprentice while he is here with us. He has agreed. And I will teach both of them some of our history and our relationship with the other planets, including Earth. Aaron has also agreed to learn more about us and will join us for the history lessons. What I want you to do is to take Jasmin around to the workshops and see if there is anything she is interested in or has a talent for. I have suggested candle making and Malyn has offered some pottery lessons.” Silas now looked at Jasmin as he said, “Others are also willing to help and you will be welcome in their workshops any time.”
It was a strange evening, but Maia was happy with the developments. They joined her parents later in the evening and they all discussed their various options. She even talked with Aaron without it turning into a fight. Although, the way he had looked at her still made her feel uncomfortable. It turned into a late night, but they all went to bed feeling better.
Today, they were all going to Silas’ cave to put into action what was discussed last night. Maia woke feeling excited. She quickly washed and dressed and only realised how early it was when only her father joined her for morning tea. He poured himself a cup and then took a seat next to her.
“I am sorry, Maia. I know you all had plans today, but I would like you to attend me today. There are matters that you have been unaware of since you came home and it is time you find out what is going on. Jaik will be there as well; it is where he has been most of the time since you got home. Finish up here and then meet me by the Elder Hall.”