by Ben Marble
When Nightfire had beat everyone to Xander, mainly due to the shock of the crowd when her fellow apprentice had won, he had healed her friend up very cleanly. Brianne had no doubt despite having received a cut from Pinenut's sword from one side of the rib cage to the other Xander would not have a scar to remind him of the duel. Not that they could not have gotten rid of the scar on their own but healing a cut that big so completely was no mean feat.
The worry was that Nightfire had done something else to Xander. She could feel his body shifting and changing subtly. Ember had been no help, but from the way she refused to look at Xander when she was in the room it had to be something bad. Brianne debated what they would do if bringing Xander back home would just mean more inquiries and examinations from the dragons. The head apprentice hated stuff like that, and now he would be subjected to no end of poking and prodding.
The other apprentices where getting ready for the road. Since lifting the restrictions, the elves had allowed the group to move around the encampment freely. The elves had turned from impartial to friendly. In many ways she felt the elves were as curious about the humans, as the apprentices were curious about them.
The elf that Xander had dueled had recovered quickly. She didn't know what was going on with the elves regarding him, but none of the others would speak to or acknowledge him. The reason she knew this, was as soon as he was well he had taken up guarding the room in which Xander recovered. Any time she had tried to talk to him, he had just answered with a blank stare, and then continued to stand there wordlessly. Brianne had decided since Ember did not seem worried about the elf, she should not worry either.
The chaos dragon had left right after healing Xander. He had grumbled some words to Ember in a language that Brianne had not understood, turned to his dragon shape and flown off. No long speeches or grandstanding. Lilyshade seemed embarrassed the elves had let the group's enemy get to Xander first. It had taken a few discussions with Ember before she had stopped apologizing. Brianne suspected part of the reason they were enjoying the freedom with the elves they had now, was because of that embarrassment.
She was sure that freedom was not at hand. Nightfire had promised to destroy them, and she held no illusions he might be bluffing. Ember still could not contact the other dragons through the shield, and she was not willing to leave the apprentices on their own. Even when Sierra had pointed out how well they had done on their own the dragon simply shook her head and informed them they were sticking together. The plan now was to reach the edge of the elven territory, and when free of their magic shield Ember would contact the dragons through the dream. Afterwards there would be no reason to hurry home. They could wait for re-enforcements at their leisure and the elves seemed content not to push them out of their territory. Things really seemed to be working out for the best.
Mumbling in his sleep Xander rolled over. Brianne wished she could help him further. Whatever changes where happening in his body felt natural, and as such she had no way to curtail them. Even if she had known what was going on she was not sure it would be safe to stop what was happening. One simply did not step in and alter nature without a full understanding of what one was doing.
She did one last check and made sure that Xander was tucked in securely. Her presence was not going to make a difference at this point, and she wanted to give one last farewell to Michael before she left. Brianne straightened her robes and looked around. The green marble on the stand caught her eye.
Such a strange little thing and it had brought them so far. Sierra was going to have to teach the rest of them how she managed to tie the pocket dimension to the little object. There were so many uses for such a space. Brianne pictured again how useful it would be to have a fully stocked medical room you could move around, or even provisions for feeding a large group of people. You could camp without needing a tent or packing anything else if you prepared properly. The uses were endless.
Without thinking about it she pocketed the marble and started heading for the door. Pinenut stood to attention as she passed but kept his gaze forward.
"I'm not the fighter Xander is, but please don't do anything to harm him," She knew that Ember was not worried, but she had to say something.
"My life is tied to him my lady; no harm will come while I stand guard. You have my word." The elf still stared forward and did not meet her eyes. It was strange to Brianne such a change could come over the elf. Gone was the arrogant and brash being that had marched in and challenged Xander. Though he still stood tall, something seemed broken in him. She would have loved to examine it further, but they were on borrowed time. As soon as Xander woke up they would be leaving, and it would not be too long before he woke.
Every elf she came across nodded to politely as she walked across the encampment. Some even gave her big grins or stopped to shake her hand. There was music in the air and an area near the center had been cleared. A large bonfire burned large enough to be seen over the buildings. Dancing and laughing could be heard on the wind though she was not sure why the elves were celebrating. You would think that one of your own being defeated in a duel would cause more negative feelings then good, but elves seemed to be strange beings.
Michael's monument still stood for all to see. Since they had left the oak seemed more solid and the image of Michael seemed more real. She had to reach out and touch it to confirm the figure was wood. Her fingers moved to the side and she touched the sword he grasped proving to herself at least the blade was metal. His face still showed everything he had been. He looked on protectively, but you could also see the caring in his features. She could still feel his arm around her and the soft brush of his lips. Brianne closed her eyes and let her mind wander in memory before bringing herself back to the present. She whispered into his ear things she could not share in front of the others. She had told Michael about how she had wanted to be his before events had brought them together. She had named children that she had hoped they would have someday. She had talked about how their home would have been, and how they would have grown old over the years together. Right now, they seemed the dreams of a teenage girl. she held on to possibilities that were not likely to ever happen. Part of Brianne wondered if the teenage girl was going to be left behind here, with Michael's body. Too much had been shattered in her world too quickly.
A gentle cough behind her, made Brianne turn around. Ember stood in the clearing behind her and regarded the image with a troubled look on her face. Brianne nodded to her master, and the dragon walked up next to her.
"I thought you might be here." Ember kept her gaze forward. "We need to discuss Xander's condition away from prying ears."
"You aren't here to pay tribute to your dead apprentice," The words felt bitter and sharp the moment then left Brianne's mouth.
"I will pay him tribute by keeping the rest of you alive. Nightfire hasn't gone far, I can feel him on the wind close by. I am no match for him physically and I hatched too late to have any real experience fighting chaos magic. He is a veteran of the war before we went to sleep. He's not stupid. He will be watching the edges of the elven territory waiting for us to expose ourselves. He may not be worried about letting the word of their return get to the order dragon's ears, but he still may want to slow it. Every moment we waste there could be another cave breached, and another fallen dragon."
"But you wanted to talk about Xander?"
"Yes." Ember shivered a little. "When I healed his eyesight, a decision was made. We decided that his changes posed no real threat to the dragons, so we allowed it to remain rather than to risk killing Xander by restoring him."
"I know this. It's apparent every time he opens his eyes he's been changed."
"But he doesn't know how much."
"I'm sorry," Brianne turned to face her master. "You are saying there is more to it?"
"Xander was changed on a base level. I essentially had turned part of him into a dragon and his body was... evolving to compensate. The reason that Michael couldn’t kill him during
battle practice is that his skull and skeletal system has already been strengthened beyond that of a human. If he had been normal, there would have been nothing left to save of him."
"But he's changing now. When I healed him in the cave there was nothing changing. I checked him thoroughly. I would have noticed if something had been different in him."
"Yes, you would have." Ember held the silence for a moment. "When we were examining him, a decision was made to halt his changing. We had no idea where it would lead to with Xander. It might have stopped about where he was, or it could eventually twist his body and kill him as he transformed. We still aren’t sure about the extent of what might have happened." The dragon finally turned to meet Brianne's eyes. "It took seven dragons to put a magical block in him that stopped the tranformation. Even then it was close to impossible, because we had to find a point in the growth where he was stable. Now I don't think that block can be restored, and that was Nightfire's gift to Xander. He didn't just heal him, he removed that block.
"How did he know about the block?"
"To a dragon that block would have been apparent to any who examined Xander closely. If Nighfire hadn't noticed it before that moment, he would have seen it when he healed Xander's wound. I suspect he had noticed it beforehand though, because I see no other reason for him to rush out there then to take the opportunity to meddle by causing us one more problem."
The figure of Michael seemed to be watching them more closely now. Despite the warmth in the gaze Brianne felt a small shiver run down her spine. "What can we expect?"
"I don't know. The fact that his skeletal structure was changed means whatever I did is not just tied to his optic system, or his nerves. All I know is we need to keep an eye on the changes, and you need to be aware of what we may be facing. If I bring in another dragon to heal or help with this, they will want to study Xander. He deserves more than that. I won't bring anyone from the outside into this unless I must. The second I do the decision of what to do will be taken from our hands."
"What will happen if they discover he had changed? I mean, what repercussions are we facing if this is found out?"
"You will face nothing. To the other dragons you are but an apprentice. I don't know what they would do to me. They might strip me of my right to teach you. They could put me back into the sleep for a while. They won't kill me or remove me completely, with the chaos dragons return they can't risk thinning our numbers. They will need everyone who can fight."
"They will find out eventually though."
"They will. When they do, I expect Xander and the rest of you to have been declared full wizards. If we can hold them off to that point, then it will be in their best interest not to take a recognized wizard out of the field. Then I will happily accept any punishment they give me."
Brianne regarded Ember carefully. The dragon was willing to put her welfare over that of Xander and the rest of them. "I thought to dragons, humans and wizards were just tools to be used."
"To some dragons; humans and wizards are tools. To others we have spent enough time with you to know better. We are not perfect creatures. If we want to continue in this world, we need to recognize that we share it with other interests. One of our biggest flaws is the fact that dragons believe they are superior to all other creatures through virtue of what we are."
"I will watch him. You get to explain to Xander what is going on." Brianne started to leave the clearing. "Preferably when the rest of us are somewhere we can't hear him yelling at you."
A dark chuckle left Ember's throat. "I will be sure of that."
Brianne left to check on Xander, now that she knew what he would be facing maybe she could figure out where it was leading. Maybe.
Running Out
When Xander woke, he found himself alone in his rooms. For a moment panic gripped his heart and he worried that Nightfire had captured him. A quick glance around and the slight green tinge to the light confirmed he was still in the elven encampment. He worried the group might have left him behind due to his injuries, but once again forced the fear down. They would not have abandoned him after everything that had led to this point.
Running his hand down his chest Xander checked to see the extent of the damage left from the duel. He found his skin whole and unmarred which was a surprise. He was pretty sure the sword had slashed down to his rib cage, and a cut like that doesn't just get healed quickly without some powerful magic. He was in the home of the elves though, and it was more than possible they had helped heal him.
He threw his feet over the edge of the bed to stand and found himself strangely energized. If he had not been so hungry Xander might have tried to run a couple of laps around the building. If the elves allowed him to. A quick search allowed Xander to find his clothing and robes. He dressed quickly. It was time to find some food.
A quick step out his door was another surprise. His group was not here in the building, but Pinenut was. The elf who had tried to kill him stood at attention outside his door, pointedly looking forward and not acknowledging Xander. He would have to fix that.
"Hey Piney, where did my friends get taken to?" The elf looked rather well for having been drowned. It made Xander wonder momentarily how long he had been asleep.
"They are all about the encampment. Queen Lilyshade gave them free reign to wander and visit with our people." Pinenut's voice was even and level.
"You were left to guard me?"
"No, I am bound to you." The elf still didn't look at him directly.
Xander examined the elf carefully. He wasn't sure about anyone being bound to him. He had read stories where if you saved someone's life in different cultures there was a debt to be repaid. It often meant service in some form or another to the one that saved your life. He had killed the elf. Yes, he had brought him back to life, but any type of service attached to that seemed strange.
"So, you're my servant now? You must protect me until you save my life? What do you mean bound?"
"I am nobody’s servant, but if someone tries to kill you, I will defend you." The elf now turned his gaze straight to Xander. "When I died, I had a vision of fighting at your side, the spirits spoke. I am bound to you. It's just as well since I didn't die in the duel my family has disowned me, and my own people have all but exiled me."
"You are being punished for not dying?"
"I am being punished for not winning. If you had beat me unconscious and left me, it would be the same." Pinenut looked at the floor unhappily. "My destiny lies next to you, so I will follow you until such a time as it is fulfilled."
"Or, and this is just a thought. You could find a way to restore your honor and stay with your people."
"In order to restore my honor, I would have to kill you in another duel." Silence hung for a second and Xander tried to read some type of emotion in the elf but could not get a read on any.
"Well, I guess I am stuck with you for the moment. Come on Piney let's find everybody."
"It's Pinenut."
"Trust me, Piney is better."
✽ ✽ ✽
A few hours later the group was being led through the forest by Pinenut. The elves have been friendly, but overall Xander had the impression they were not sorry to see the group leave. He suspected now Nightfire had left, they wanted to see the trouble Ember and his fellow apprentices might bring leave as well. There had been some discussion on which direction they would go to leave the elven territory, but it was cut short when Ember mentioned between his magic and flying it would nott take Nightfire long to discover them. They chose the quickest path to civilization in the hopes the chaos dragon had decided to leave.
Ember was in dragon form flying high up where her apprentices could barely see her. Xander knew if trouble found them she would return in a matter of seconds, but it still left him feeling exposed. He could not argue with her decision. It was high time the dragon stretched her wings and got some exercise to help her body heal correctly.
The forest was just a jumble of trees and ro
cks to him. Every time Xander felt confident they were going down in a comfortable fashion, Pinenut would soon take them back up and around another mountain. The elf had assured them that the nearest town was only a couple days of hiking if they kept a good pace. It was hard to figure out what kind of pace Pinenut was used to.
It was along the side of a mountain when their guide lifted his arm up and looked around carefully and called a halt. Here they had an area of a few hundred feet that cleared out to their right, making a small field dotted with pines leading up to a cliff face with a couple hundred-foot drop. They had been following this cliff for a good half mile as they worked their way up the mountain. It always made Xander feel fragile to see all the rocky crags and sudden drop offs these mountains had, and today's hike was no exception.
"We are at the edge. A few more feet forward and officially we have left my people's land."
"Are we entering another people's land?" Chandler looked distractedly over the cliff edge as he asked.
"I am not sure. Most creatures don’t measure out what is their land. The only reason elves do is because the greedy humans think we need to pay tribute to live where we always have."
"How do you know we are leaving your lands if there are no markings?" Brianne was scouring the area visibly, looking for some sign they were leaving the elven territory.
"How do you remember to breath? Or know how to walk?" The elf did not give any more explanation, but he loosened his sword and straightened his shoulders. "I suggest you all prepare for an ambush, or attack. If it's going to happen, now will be the time."
The group took a second to put up their shields and Ember flew down to join her students. Xander took careful note of the fact the dragon was glancing his way more often than normal. Brianne also seemed to know something about him that she was not saying. Both were treating him carefully like he might burst into flames at any moment.