If we had come sooner, if I had not backed off on the dragon before it had a chance to return to town . . . Jaax shook his pounding head and lifted his hand to rub his scaly face, only to wince when the movement jostled his broken finger. He would have to remember to be careful in the future.
Healer Faerra was there to check his injury one last time. When she deemed it sound, Jaax joined his companions as they readied themselves to take flight.
“Wait!” someone cried out. “Don’t leave yet!”
The crowd parted and a man, an elf, stumbled forward. His clothes looked stained from the day before and a few scratches marred his face and his pale blond hair was tangled, but other than that, he seemed unhurt.
Jaax turned fully to face him, and as he did so, he saw the elfin woman trailing after him and behind her was . . .
The sight of the young girl, the one who had nearly died from the fire that had engulfed half her body, caused Jaax to nearly collapse. She clung to her mother, her eyes downturned, the burns covered in gauze.
“Please, sir dragon, Healer Faerra has done what she can for our daughter, but her wounds are serious and if they become infected . . .”
His voice cracked and tears sprang to his eyes. Jaax grew rigid again, his mouth cut in a grim line. He looked to the healer, but the sad seriousness to her own face acknowledged that she had already done what she could.
“A Morli dragon’s fire is different from natural fire,” she said softly.
Jaax was troubled by her helplessness. This was the same woman that had prodded at a full grown dragon’s injury, only to laugh in his face when it had clearly irritated him.
“How do you know this?” he whispered harshly.
Even he, a dragon who had a great knowledge of the Tyrant king and his evil, didn’t know that Morli fire was any different than his own. Even Hroombramantu, his mentor and the wisest being he knew, had never mentioned it.
“I know because my method of healing, the same method I use on all my burn victims, always works. There is something about this girl’s injuries that I cannot fix.”
As terrifying as the information was, Jaax was greatly relieved to learn it. One day he and many others would be called upon to fight these dragons; it was good to know now, before it was too late, that their enemy had an advantage. Still, it was not a comforting thought.
“Lord dragon?”
Jaax shook his head and turned his attention onto the elf’s wife. She had moved closer and her daughter had burrowed deeper into her mother’s cloak.
“I have heard that you come from a city of magic, a place where extraordinary healers live. Please,” she took a shuddering breath, “please take us with you.”
“But, your home,” Shiroxx spoke up from somewhere behind Jaax.
The woman shook her head sadly. “Destroyed,” she said, “along with the shop we owned.”
Her husband looked up at Jaax again. “We were jewelers here, very skilled I might say, if my modesty will forgive me. Perhaps we can make a new start in your city?”
Jaax considered this. It would be a small burden to carry three elves back to Lidien, but not impossible. They had nothing left here, except for maybe their friends, but from the way the townspeople held their tongues and eyed the couple and their daughter, Jaax could guess they wouldn’t be missed.
And he had failed them terribly. He had allowed the Morli dragon to destroy their home and nearly kill their daughter. He couldn’t make amends with all the people of Ahseina, but he could perhaps make amends with the jeweler and his wife. And their daughter.
“Very well, you may travel with us,” he said, “but you’ll have to learn to hold on tight, and I hope you don’t mind a little cold air.”
Both the man and the woman smiled brightly, their relief obvious.
“Thank you, my lord,” the jeweler breathed, bowing deeply.
Jaax lifted his injured leg in a gesture of dismissal. “Please, call me Jaax. And what shall I call you?”
“I am Rennor and this is my wife Gracelle and my daughter, Prenne.”
The other three dragons had moved closer, all of them sharing their own introductions. It took the elves less than half an hour to gather what belonged to them. Most of their belongings had perished in the fire, but some items, such as a sturdy cauldron, had survived.
“We use this to make special pieces,” Rennor said, patting the cauldron affectionately.
Shiroxx eyed it warily, but eventually snorted softly, dismissing it as of little hindrance. It wasn’t too heavy for any of them to carry.
Sapheramin and Shiroxx agreed to carry the jeweler and his wife and daughter, while the male dragons offered to carry the large bags that held their equipment. Once everything, and everyone, was settled, the four dragons bid farewell to the people of Ahseina once more and took off into the sky.
The return journey took longer, what with the need for frequent landings to accommodate the elves. Jaax was eager to get back to Lidien, but his frustration waned whenever the young elfin girl, Prenne, crossed his line of sight. When he remembered her injuries, he made an extra effort to tread lightly. Shiroxx, on the other hand, had no trouble letting her ire show.
“It is taking us twice as long to get back to Lidien!” she hissed at Jaax as he peeled off the large travel bags so that he could rest for a while. They had landed in a wide open mountain meadow so that Prenne could get some rest.
Jaax shot his Tanaan companion a poisonous glare. “The girl is terribly injured Shiroxx, we cannot over stress her.”
In fact, Jaax thought she might be getting worse, as if the fire of the Morli contained some magical acid that was eating away at her. He shivered.
“All the more reason to hurry!” the female dragon persisted. “The sooner we get back to Lidien, the sooner she can be taken to a powerful healer!”
Jaax growled and walked away. There was no arguing with Shiroxx, for the only answer to a problem she ever considered was the solution she had to offer.
They reached Lidien five days later, descending into the sprawling bayside city as the sun was setting over the ocean. Jaax immediately took the elf family to the Academy of Medicine, a series of buildings located at the far northwestern end of the city where the most talented healers from all around Ethoes gathered to practice and study their art.
He felt comfortable leaving the girl in their capable hands and was assured she would make a fine recovery. He left before her family could even thank him. He didn’t hold it against them; they had been through much suffering in the last several days and he knew their focus was primarily on their daughter. He only hoped that they were able to establish their business once she was healed.
By the time Jaax returned to his own Lidien home, perched snuggly on a wooded hill overlooking the city, it was nearly midnight. He tried not to wake Neira when he entered, but she heard him nonetheless, climbing downstairs with a candle and dressed in her night robes.
“Master Jaax!” she exclaimed. “You’re back! I’ll go fix you some tea and something to eat.”
“No, please Neira, don’t trouble yourself. I am weary and I think I’ll just go straight to bed.” He smiled. “You can wake me in the morning with one of your famous breakfasts.”
Jaax didn’t wait for a response, but merely turned down the hallway that led to his study and beyond that, his own personal room. His finger throbbed and his mind was alive with what he had learned in Ahseina.
If the Morli dragons prove to be stronger than we realized, he thought, then we may not stand a chance . . .
A shudder coursed through him and as he drifted into a restless sleep. His dreams were haunted with the image of the elfin girl, fire engulfing her as her screams tore through the night. Only it was no longer Prenne who suffered under the Morli's dark, magical fire, but Jahrra, the very one he feared for the most.
Part Two
Jaax sat in his usual position in the front of Essyel Auditorium and listened to a concerned Coalition mem
ber drone on and on about how he had never received the proper recognition for some miniscule deed he’d performed.
This cause is not about you! the dragon so desperately wanted to hiss. He clenched his teeth, making his jaw ache, and flexed his fingers. It had been over a month since he’d returned from Ahseina and his broken finger was still a little stiff, but finally healed. It was the scale that healer Faerra had told him would eventually come off that bothered him the most. It pinched his skin between the others, and burned like a raw cut. It feels like your endless, pointless complaints, he mused, eyeing the man seeking fame and acknowledgment.
Jaax had been restless ever since his return from Ahseina. His dreams of the burning girl transforming into Jahrra had lessened, but they hadn’t gone away completely. It wasn’t until a week ago that he realized a trip to Oescienne might be a good idea. Besides, he told himself, it’s been at least three years since you last paid your old mentor and his ward a visit; it’s about time you returned. And then he could tell Hroombra, in person, about what had happened in the south of Yddian, about the malicious power of Morli fire.
In actuality, the more Jaax thought about flying south for a day or two, the more he liked the idea. Soon you’ll be needed to join the others on the far side of the Elornn Mountains, Jaax mused, thinking of his never ending duty of keeping Oescienne’s borders safe. It would be nice to see Jahrra and Hroombra once more before I'm needed elsewhere.
A sudden, small ache in the Tanaan’s injured finger brought his attention back to the babbling Coalition member. Out of habit, he rubbed his other hand over the complaining digit, only to catch the loose scale. He grimaced, and then blanched at the intense worsening of pain. It had been bad timing, for the Resai man had just finished with his plea and now lifted a curious and insulted eyebrow at the Coalition’s leader.
Jaax sighed. “You make a valid point–” he paused and gave the man a closer look.
“Chromarre,” the man offered with a haughty sniff.
“Chromarre,” Jaax finished, almost as an aside. “I will have some of our higher members look into it.”
He wouldn’t, of course. The man was being ridiculous. But it was best to play things out in a diplomatic manner. Chromarre bowed and sat back down, and then another took his place.
Jaax drew in a deep breath and prepared himself for what remained of an already long, dull day. I just need to last a few more hours, he thought, and then I’ll be free to leave for Oescienne.
He had never been too eager to visit those he had left behind in the southern province, but for some strange reason he could not decipher, the thought of seeing Hroombra, and Jahrra, once again put him in a more agreeable mood all throughout the rest of that day.
* * *
From the sky, the Castle Guard Ruin looked like a great pile of old stones, but Jaax grinned when he caught sight of it, banking his wings so that he could make an easy landing in the great field just to the east. Once on firm ground, the dragon shook and then tucked in his great wings, breathing in a great lungful of the Oescienne air. It made him feel safe, at home. He grinned as old memories pranced through his head, memories of when he was young and when Hroombra had brought him here to live. The Tanaan dragon’s smile soon faded, however, when the joyful memories were overrun with the painful ones.
He shook his head. No, he thought angrily, not today, not now. But it did no good, for the image of the destruction of Ahseina and the young girl burned by the Morli joined those other dark memories, as well as the image of Jahrra taking the place of Prenne in his nightmares.
Jaax gritted his teeth and growled, his lighthearted mood at being in Oescienne again soon replaced with bitterness and anger.
He approached the Castle Guard Ruin with some caution, not wishing to surprise its residents. He poked his head in through the small entrance first, only to smile broadly at the sight he saw. The evil memories could haunt him later; right now he was going to enjoy the company of his old mentor.
“Hroombramantu,” he said as cheerily as he could, “do you ever do anything other than sit at that old desk all day and study?”
The ancient Korli dragon, who had had his eyes lowered in concentration, started and glanced up, a look of shock on his face. Then he too grinned broadly, his eyes shining.
“Jaax! What on Ethoes has brought you to Oescienne? I had no letter from you!”
Jaax’s smile softened and he flexed his fingers, which were planted firmly on the ground. His newly healed injury twinged slightly, and he took a deep breath.
“There is something you need to know about, something I fear might prove troublesome in the future.”
Hroombra’s face fell and his smile vanished.
Jaax swiveled his head. “Is Jahrra around?”
He wondered why she hadn’t shown herself yet and he was eager to see her, to see how she had grown since the last time he’d visited, three years ago. To see, unlike the image in his nightmares of late, that she was safe and sound.
“She is out with her friends and I am certain they’ll be gone most of the day.” Hroombra grinned. “Wait until you see how she’s grown! But for now, let’s get this baleful news out of the way. I’ll meet you in the great room.”
Jaax nodded once, pulled his head free of the door and walked around to the side of the building where he could enter through a large gap in the wall.
Once the two dragons were settled, Jaax began his tale of what had happened in Ahseina: about the renegade Morli dragon, their battle, and the monster’s eventually demise. But it was his description of the effect the fire had on the elfin girl’s skin that troubled Hroombra the most. As it troubles me, Jaax mused.
Hroombra rubbed his chin in contemplation. “Definitely a problem,” he said softly, “but perhaps not so horrifying as we think. Did you speak with the healers after they helped the girl?”
Jaax nodded. “They told me it was partly due to the magic of Ciarrohn, but mostly due to a type of acid that the Morli dragons produce naturally. But,” Jaax paused and gave Hroombra a confident look, “they believed it only affects unarmored skin. So if a Nesnan, Resai, elf or human were to protect their skin from exposure, the healers believe they should be relatively safe.”
Hroombra sighed. “Well, that is what we’ll have to count on for now, until we can learn more.”
Before either dragon could say anything else, the hurried sound of hoof beats quickly approaching broke the relative quiet outside.
Jaax gave his old guardian a look and the Korli dragon smiled more brightly than ever.
“That would be Jahrra returning with Phrym,” he said. “You should see that young colt now, much bigger than when you left him off as a sickly orphan.”
Without giving Hroombra a second glance, Jaax rose and quietly exited the ruin from the dragon’s entrance. What he saw outside took him by surprise. Sitting atop a fine marble grey stallion was a tall girl with blond hair and a confident set to her shoulders. Her back was to him, but it was clear this child was far different than the one he left those few years ago.
Could this really be Jahrra? Where is the timid little girl I last saw?
Just then, two other riders came flying up the trail. Jaax thought they looked familiar, and then he remembered the two Resai siblings who had been with Jahrra the last time he had paid a visit. They were laughing and out of breath.
Jahrra said to her friends, “You two almost beat us!”
The girl then said something about Jahrra and her semequin being too far ahead. Jahrra responded with a laugh, insisting that she and her semequin could have easily been caught.
For some reason or another, Jaax decided that this was his cue to make himself known. He hadn’t noticed his scales conforming to the colors of the stones behind him and when he finally did, he felt as if he were spying on the trio of friends.
Clearing his throat, he said in a teasing manner, “No, they wouldn’t have. You were much too far ahead.”
Everyone froze, and
then slowly turned to look at him. Jaax’s smile, which had been warm and friendly at first, faltered. The two Resai children must have made some movement, because he could hear their horses shifting beneath them. But his attention was fully on Jahrra, the human girl he had found in Crie eleven years ago and had left with Hroombra so that she might remain safe. She glared at him, her blue-grey eyes like ice, and frowned.
Jaax nearly stepped back in shock. He couldn’t believe the outright hatred that poured off of her, and suddenly, all of his eagerness at seeing the girl he was responsible for disappeared like a tendril of smoke on a windy day. Burning anger replaced the worry he felt for her and bitterness churned in his stomach instead of joy.
“What are you doing here?” she asked with spite.
His lip curled in irritation. “I’m here on business.” And that is all you need to know for now, until your attitude changes.
“Where’s master Hroombra?” she pressed.
“He’ll be out soon,” Jaax replied coolly, then feeling particularly spiteful, he added, “After hearing your approach, I thought I’d come see what all the shouting was about. Tell me Jahrra, do you always enjoy deceiving your friends?”
It was harsh, Jaax knew that, but he had a bad habit of turning nasty when anyone was rude to him. Jahrra blanched as she tightened the hold on her reins. So, he thought with a satisfied smirk, that hit a nerve, did it?
Jaax let Jahrra seethe in the cesspit she had created around herself and instead turned to the two Resai siblings, Gieaun and Scede, Jaax suddenly recalled. He offered them a warm greeting and when Scede asked about his ability to create fire, the Tanaan dragon eagerly put on a show, complete with smoke rings.
Tales of Oescienne - A Short Story Collection - Volume One Page 7