DragonStone- Fatal Winds

by M A Bernier

  “No.” Eryyn said flatly and turned quickly to EverGreen. “EverGreen, take me, yourself and Ardant to the Marker in town.” EverGreen understood the need for urgency from listening to Eryyn’s voice. Alys watched as vines erupted from the ground to enclose Eryyn, EverGreen and Ardant.

  Ardant had still not become used to this mode of travel as evident in the pale color his face turned. The vines formed a dome encircling the three of them. The dome sank into the ground and out of sight..

  Alys motioned for Cadan to finish his washing and come to her. “Cadan unless your father and I are around I don’t want you searching for things with your mind, OK?” Alys asked and admonished at the same time. Most of the time Cadan would protest his mother’s request, just to keep in practice, this time however he could sense the urgency in her words. Cadan was not sure how he felt at that moment. He had never really seen his mother so serious. For the first time he felt a little scared of the world around him, but he was not going to let it show.

  “Yes ma’am.” He replied. “Can I play in the meadow?”

  “Of course, but stay where I can see you.” He nodded and ran into the meadow.

  Syl, daughter of the Lord of Dragons, was resting on a precipice overlooking the molten lava in the volcano below. The warmth felt very refreshing as she relaxed and breathed in the unnaturally hot air. While her father was away she was in charge. During quiet times there was very little for her, or any dragons, to do except watch the world through other senses. Although dragons had a council, in times of peace their meeting was nothing more than a formality. A few weeks earlier while sleeping she felt a momentary change, but she could not pinpoint the origin of what she sensed. She had dismissed it as a dream until a week later when she felt EverGreen gently probing the Earth in a more direct manner. It was rare for him to diffuse his essence back into the world, she remained alert to listen or feel if anything more out of the ordinary was occurring. If EverGreen needed to consult her kind he would. Knowing him as she did Syl continued about the ordinary business of dragons.

  Syl once again, a few weeks later, lay on the cliff’s edge basking in the warmth of the lava. She felt Eryyn’s presence caressing the unseen eddies and tides of existence. Syl lifted her head then stood and spread her leathery wings for flight. “Enough was enough” Syl said out loud. She mentally summoned the Dragon Council for a meeting. Gliding on air within the large caverns leading to the Dragon Hall, minutes later deep underground near the lava rivers, she arrived at the council chambers and waited for the remainder of the dragon council.

  ***

  Five years ago Rian and Kend fought beside Alys and Eryyn against the dark mistress Lysithia. They felt honored when asked to serve as ambassadors to several new races who desired to form ties with Earth. The world they were on now was almost one hundred percent water surface. Rian and Kend would not have left the water world or its inhabitants by choice. However, both their wives were expecting and had warned Rian and Kend the penalty they would suffer were they not present for the births of their children. Taq’Rian had been discovered by one of the diplomatic colony ships. It was less than a month travel from Earth. It orbited two suns that kept the waters at a constant temperature which Rian and Kend found most comforting in which to reside. Were it not for the need to occasionally dry out, both would have used the breathing devices and stayed constantly submerged for the weeks they conducted trade negotiations with the Kel’Diar. The species appeared similar to bloated leaves on a tree. They came in a variety of colors just like leaves in autumn. The Kel’Diar enjoyed debating as much as Rian and Kend, days would pass before any of them realized how long they had gone without rest. With the trade agreements approved Rian and Kend were asked to tour the ocean depths. They first visited the deeper depths where the underground gardens resided. A sudden and brief pulse of warmth from their staffs caught their attention. A short message passed from the staffs to their thoughts. Their next destination was home and the feeling of the message was that it was not due to their wives being near birth but something more ominous.

  ***

  Two apprentice’s, apart from those they once knew reflected upon the fall of the Council of Mages five years before. It was then the merging of their minds occurred at the hand of one they perceived as their enemy, Eryyn. For the first few months both spent their entire waking moments plotting the death of the other, unable to hide any thoughts they resorted to near animal like behavior. During one encounter they fell into a pit trap. When they awoke they found themselves changed in different buildings. Instead of being treated as animals they were cared for, kept clean and fed well, but not released. Every day a villager came to each of them and sang while they played a small stringed or hollow instrument. One day, months after their capture, their world turned inside out as they realized the meaningless of their conflict. Memories of the past crashed upon them as they recalled the pain caused to others. Their concept of the world changed in an instant. Upon the first day they looked upon each for the first time since their capture they saw each other as friends instead of enemies. The climb to reality and sanity began anew. After two years with these unique villagers on a continent they had never been to they found understanding, friendship, and family. They both wanted peace with the world and those they caused any pain to, but that would not come until they returned to those they hurt. They wanted to leave their old names behind, but Sho and Ri realized they must make amends for their old lives.

  Amara and Tenaur looked at the two young men they adopted as sons they never had, Sho and Ri. They had been nothing more the brutish killers filled with hatred and anger. Now, they were the sons they never had, and they were ready to return to the outside world.

  “Our sons, it is time you returned to the place where your journey first began.” Amara felt tears in her eyes as she spoke. “You're the children we never had, and we are proud of both of you.” Sho and Ri looked at their adoptive parents, their faces were calm but tears were forming in their eyes.

  “If we could, we would stay.” Sho replied.

  “There is a great deal of pain we must heal.” Ri continued. Amara and Tenaur hugged their sons once more and then walked them to the edge of the village. Sho and Ri stepped onto path leading into the thick woods and back to a life they had almost forgotten. They knew many would be displeased to see them. They may even be going to their deaths because of the crimes they committed but it no longer mattered. What was important to them was to answer for their crimes, face their punishment and make amends for the evils they had done in the past.

  ***

  Eryyn removed his hand from the town marker and then turned to EverGreen and Ardant. “We should consult with Syl and the Dragon Council.” Eryyn felt a familiar presence approaching as he spoke. He looked up into the sky and saw Syl, angling her descent and gliding effortlessly, land in the center of the village.

  “Perhaps we should talk in a more private setting?” Syl suggested as she looked around the village, regular folk were milling about their daily business. They had become accustomed to the frequent visits of dragons since their return five years ago. Syl knew however how humans would react to the potential sound of concern in a dragon’s voice. If something was bothering a dragon then there was probably good cause for concern.

  ***

  Alys was not surprised to see Syl fly into the meadow with Eryyn, Ardant and EverGreen upon her neck. Her and Eryyn’s adopted son Jaymee had just returned from the west shores where he was training new apprentices. He had asked where his father was and Alys assured him he would return home shortly.

  When he was adopted at sixteen Alys and Eryyn were slightly taller. Jaymee had a late growth spurt and now stood several inches taller than his adoptive parents. Alys was very proud of the young man he had become. She ushered Cadan inside as she and Jaymee approached the others. Cadan tried to peek from the doorway of his parent’s home. His father’s voice, in his mind, sternly admonished him and then Cadan obediently went
to his room.

  “It’s good to see you Syl.” Alys hugged the large neck of her dragon friend. Alys looked at the others. “I assume by your faces something serious is occurring?”

  “That is what we’re trying to determine.” Replied Syl. “Recently all of us have felt something unusual. However, determining what we felt is proving to be very difficult.”

  “In what way?” Asked Jaymee, “Mother has informed me of recent events.” He explained seeing the looks on their faces as to how he knew so much already.

  Eryyn spoke for the group. “Whatever we felt is so small it’s impossible to find the source.” Eryyn paused as Syl explained further.

  “It was like someone threw a grain of sand into the ocean. On a subconscious level we all felt the change, but we have no way of telling where that grain of sand was dropped.” EverGreen finished the explanation.

  “In one respect we now know a great deal more by confirming what we each felt.” EverGreen paused as he and his friends looked at one another. He then looked at Alys. “There are few beings which can hide their actions from us. If we are indeed facing some new threat it is potentially very serious.”

  “There is still the possibility that it may be nothing more than some subtle shift in the eddies and flows of the universe around us.” Replied Eryyn. The moment he finished his sentence a white orb slowly appeared in their midst along with a very strong gust of wind. Everyone looked at the fabled DragonStone now appearing before them. It then faded almost as soon as it had appeared and the wind ceased.

  “Interesting.” Ardant looked his friends. “A mythical stone we have only seen once heralding the possible destruction of this world now appears again.” Ardant turned to EverGreen. “Your nearly an immortal right?” EverGreen nodded yes. “And you have lived for so long you cannot remember your beginning?” EverGreen nodded again. Ardant closed his eyes as he asked his next question. “How many times have you seen the DragonStone yourself.”

  “Three.” Ardant opened his eyes hearing an answer he was not expecting. EverGreen’s smile however looked deceptively innocent and Ardant narrowed his eyes. “The first time was when I was chosen as a protector.”

  “Why me?” Ardant crossed his arms, looked at sky in a vain hope for answers. Five years ago he was captain of a colony vessel full of human kind just trying to get home. His world of science turned upside down by Eryyn’s first contact. Meeting dragons for the first time, and seeing a mythical stone of destiny; which was only to appear when the most serious crisis was about to occur, and only to those involved. Ardant was looking at his friends as if admonishing them for turning his life upside down when the electronic pad in his robe pocket beeped. He pulled the thin pad and pressed the flashing green button. Lt. Karen, his wife, appeared on the screen.

  “I may have found some unusual activity recently.” The screen changed to show a list of names scrolling upward. Lt. Karen’s voice continued. “In the past five months these were people who have vanished without a trace.”

  “I don’t want to seem cold.” Replied Ardant. “But sometimes accidents happen, people get attacked by wild animals, fall into lost caves, it's sad and unfortunate, but it happens.”

  “Except for one thing. All of these people disappeared out of their homes at night.”

  “Thank you.” Ardant closed the connection and looked at his friends. “I guess that settles it, we have a problem to uncover.”

  “We should split up and obtain any information we can.” Syl said as she stretched her wings. “Obviously we need to start at the disappearances, perhaps some clue has been left behind.” Each one of Eryyn’s friends volunteered to scour a section of the continent they lived on in order to obtain any clue to the mysterious disappearances.

  Cadan jumped up and down with delight upon learning that Syl’s sons Gydin and Rothyn would be watching him while his parents were away. The two younger dragons arrived within hours and left to watch over Cadan. Eryyn and his friends looked at one another. Their faces revealing the seriousness they all felt of the task they were about to embark upon. With the appearance of the DragonStone none of them doubted any longer that recent events were ‘ordinary’.

  CHAPTER THREE

  The Collection

  Odien stood silently next his master Jyn-Taa. The shadow possessed High Cleric, referring to himself as Koth, stood bent over as if leaning on an invisible cane. The three of them watched as another shadow walker accompanied by a shadow gatherer placed the unconscious form of another person into an alcove in the rocky wall. The shadows, now inhabiting many of the clerics' bodies, brought forth victims. Placing a dark hand against the rock, an alcove formed to hold their captive. A shadowy mist stretched over the captured victim holding him in place like all the others. Dozens of people, men, women and children had been captured and imprisoned in a deep sleep within the walls of the temple. The inner wall they stood before made a complete circle around the base of the mountain.

  The hunched over former High Cleric appeared to be oblivious to what was happening around him, but he was anything but unobservant. Trapped in this useless body others thought him useless and he soon realized he may use their assumptions to his advantage. His eyes were deceptively vacant, but his ears heard everything, and he was surprisingly strong.

  Odien silently watched Koth as closely at Koth watched Odien’s master. Odien and Jyn-Taa were only free when Koth communed with his master. On these occasions Jyn-Taa walked through the temple with Odien recruiting more vessels for the shadow walkers and gatherers. The collection of the descendants for the coming ritual had begun. The one descendent who was key to freeing the elemental demons had not been found, yet. Odien would very soon be able to tell Jyn-Taa of another creature that he could free and use for his goals. Odien needed only to wait until the approaching eclipse. The ancient magic keeping this dangerous creature at bay was very powerful and the eclipse was the time to release the cures. Tonight Odien would be free to speak of the creature imprisoned.

  The demon messenger spoke occasionally to Jyn-Taa in words Odien could not understand. Jyn-Taa’s face displayed his displeasure with what he had been told. He turned to Odien anger showing on his face. Odien knew the anger was not directed at him as Jyn-Taa spoke. If the myth Odien knew of was true concerning the deadly creature below it could bring freedom for Jyn-Taa. “Bring more clerics and witches to the chamber we have need of more servants for the collection.” Jyn-Taa coolly demanded and dismissed Odien with a wave of his hand.

  Odien left their presence, before meeting Jyn-Taa he hated walking these halls. After the change by Jyn-Taa Odien no longer cared or was angered by the taunts of those who were once his peers and superiors. As he expected most outwardly pretended to serve Jyn-Taa, he decided it was time for a lesson in obedience. Odien walked the corridors to a part of the temple housing he had not been before. He opened a door into the long corridor beyond which led to a common gathering area at the end. The voices grew louder as he approached, many faces looked at him when he entered, most with disdain. One cleric stood with drink in hand and addressed the crowd around him while he looked at Odien.

  “Look, the pet of our new master is here to greet us.” Most of the group burst into laughter, some did not.

  One of the witches, slouching in a chair and waving a tankard of ale, straightened her posture. She was trying to either impress or intimidate Odien. “Those you took to the chamber were weak, not like us.” She pointed with her charred hand to herself and the others around her. “Take care not to force your will upon us, servant.” She laughed at Odien. No one in the room saw Odien move or flinch. Many felt the ropes which held their robes moving. The ropes wrapped around their wrists pulling their hands to their backsides and bound them tightly. It was simple for Odien to manipulate the ropes, many clerics and witches found themselves bound and fell to the floor vainly trying to escape the choking hold upon them. Those bound tried to speak, the ropes wrapped tightly around their necks allowing only gurgles
to escape. A few clerics and witches raised their hands and staffs and released red streams of lightning that struck an invisible shield around Odien as he held his hand to protect himself. The attack ceased almost as quickly as it started. Clerics and witches looked at each other nervously and starting to back away as Odien walked several steps closer to them. When he removed the hood revealing his coal black eyes two clerics fainted. Odien moved his hands upward as if raising something in them, those bound by the robes quickly found themselves in a standing position. The ropes remained tight around their hands and neck however, loosened only enough so they could breathe easier and walk.

  As Odien led his captives through the upper corridors to the central chamber screams of agony reverberated upon the corridor walls. As the screaming became louder his captive’s eyes opened wider and glanced nervously back and forth among each other desperately hoping for a plan of escape. Odien led them into the main chamber to see Jyn-Taa standing over a cleric. From a raised hand, black energy like lightning emerged and crackled around the cleric writhing on the floor. Odien led the captives within the four pillars at the center of the chamber. His captives eyed the new feature with a newfound fear. Jyn-Taa stood between the pillars and the table where the cleric counsel once feasted, he ceased his punishment of the cleric as he looked upon those behind Odien. The cleric on the floor remained curled in a fetal position, whimpering and quivering on the floor.

  “Remove this betrayer from my presence.” Jyn-Taa pointed to the whimpering cleric while addressing Odien. The demon messenger was not present, Odien felt this was the moment could speak freely.

  “Master, he may be of use to you in other ways.” Jyn-Taa stepped closer to his loyal servant. Had another contradicted him they would have suffered a fate worse than death.