The Dragon Healer of Tone (World of Tone)

by Adams, A. D.

  “That’s the life cord. It can’t be cut, or the baby will die,” one of the healers said in a high-pitched frightened voice.

  Terra concentrated, and slowly he felt the cord move. At first, he had a hard time controlling the movement, but it slowly became easier. He was able to move the cord from around the baby’s neck, and then he healed the small bruise that had formed.

  “This baby wants to come out,” he said to Seana.

  “I know, but it will die with the cord around its neck,” Seana said in great pain.

  “I have moved the cord. She can come out now. You two help her,”

  Terra said in an authoritative voice.

  “Yes, sir. Yes, sir,” they both said in unison.

  The two healers had a great deal of experience in the birthing process. They knew that this child would die during the birth because of the position of the life cord. When a healthy crying baby emerged, they were amazed. No healer could have done what he did. It was simply impossible. They wiped the baby off of its birth fluids and handed it to the mother. Almost together, they turned to stare at this human. They said nothing, just stared. Then Terra approached the mother and child.

  “You will be fine now. I don’t think you need anything else,” Terra turned to swim back to Fienna.

  “Terra wait,” Seana said.

  Terra turned his head as Seana spoke.

  “You have done more for me than anyone on this world could. I owe you my child’s life twice over. She will be named Terrafienna, and you will always have me as a teacher and a friend.”

  “Don’t talk; you need to rest. Tell Setilan if you need me again.”

  “Terra swam back to Fienna and mounted her. As they flew off, a crowd had gathered and watched as the great dragon flew through the water with ease and grace.

  The healers reported what they saw to the king and his advisors. The king now realized that this human’s powers were beyond any being that they had ever encountered. They must make sure that he always remained their friend.

  Fienna and Terra returned to the small lake to rest.

  “You are a skilled healer my Terra. You can heal anything can’t you?”

  “Yes, I guess I can.”

  “You’re tired I can feel it. Keeping us safe underwater drained you.

  The healing didn’t seem to fatigue you like it used to.”

  “No, I think I even feel better after I heal.”

  “I never saw the birth of anything. It was strange to see something alive come out of Seana.”

  “Yes, it was. I never saw anything like that either.”

  “You did something different this time. You actually saw and moved that cord. I saw it with you. How’d you do that?”

  “I don’t know. I just thought if I could move that cord the little one would be all right, and it happened. “

  ”Maybe you should try to move something in the open. Let’s see,”

  Fienna looked around and spotted a branch that was floating in the water and pointed at it.

  “Try to make that stick rise out of the water.”

  Terra concentrated on the stick and pictured it rising. As he did this, the stick did rise completely out of the water. Then Terra stopped the thought, and the stick dropped back to the water’s surface.

  “I’m tired. I need to rest.” Terra said in an unusually strained voice.

  Fienna felt him lose a lot of energy moving the stick. He could do it but it took a lot out of him. Fienna curled up on the shore and told Terra to lay in his accustom place. He got comfortable and Fienna pulled her wing over him. He fell asleep almost immediately.

  Chapter 45 - Someone’s Watching

  (You’re not invisible when You’re Watching Someone.)

  351 set of seasons since the coming of the Averons

  As the black pool cleared of the images from Seana’s birth bed, the Old Sinut stood back.

  “That’s four, but there’s five stones glowing,” he said to himself while scratching his head in bewilderment. He returned to the viewing pool, and it began to focus on the bleak and desolate landscape outside the great stone wall. He focused on the old one now sitting outside his cave on a low rock. The hot bright sun was baking him as he held a staff that seemed to support him. He was breathing hard as if he just returned from a difficult walk. The ghostly figure of the Old Sinut formed in front of him.

  “Ah, you’re back,” the old one said in short hard breaths.

  “Please forgive me. I’m out of breath. Do you have news?”

  “Yes. I’ve seen four powers now, and the amulet has five glowing stones. I don’t know the fifth power yet,” said the Old Sinut.

  “Let’s see. He has adaptive magic and healing.”

  “Yes, and the two new powers are thought movement and sounding.”

  “He’s a sounder. I thought that power was only an old tale,” the old one said in an amazed voice.

  “I saw and heard him. He is a sounder. The fifth power I don’t know.”

  “He now has more power than that black bastard and his Solans.”

  “Yes, but he really doesn’t know how to use them yet. He is learning though. Buy the way, where have you been?”

  “Oh, talking to those fools, the ones that lead now. They keep thinking that if they attack they could defeat the black bastard and his armies of dwarfs. I keep telling them it’s suicide and time and again convince them not to do it. If I weren’t here, I think they would all die,”

  the old one said in disgust.

  “If we’re right, I don’t think you have long before you can turn them loose.”

  “I hope your right old friend.”

  You know I’ve been thinking. Don’t you think it odd that this Terra knows only dragons and sea nymphs? He has no contact with his own kind and desires none apparently. It’s as if he is hidden from all that could harm him and protected by the power of the dragons,” said the old Sinut.”

  “If what you say is true, who could be hiding him?”

  “I don’t know.”

  In a cave, an old woman was sitting in front of a fireplace carved out of the wall. She was staring into the flames of the fire where an image of the two old wizards was slowly dissipating. An odd fog filled the cave just behind her. It stretched out of the cave opening and into a larger cave then into the distance through a huge opening guarded by a large dragon.

  “Those old fools don’t even know what’s happening,” the old woman said in a loud and clear voice.

  An odd whispering voice filled the cave, seemingly from nowhere.

  It had the sound of many voices in one. “They will soon.”

  “Only if he doesn’t get killed,” the old woman said.

  The voice of many responded, “He will not. He has survived what no other human could.”

  “Perhaps we should have helped him more,” the woman said.

  “If we had helped him, the others would now know of his existence.

  They no nothing right now, and that is better. He is an amazing survivor. He is even educating himself with the help of the sea nymphs,” the voice of many said.

  “Yes, you’re right. I just wish the waiting were over,” said the old woman with a deep sigh.

  “It will be soon my sister. Let us see the girl,” the voice said in a less serious tone.

  The old woman concentrated on the fire, and an image of a young girl with her mother appeared.

  “She is growing fast,” the voice said.

  “Yes, she is. She also is growing quite beautiful,” the old woman said in a wistful voice.

  “Has she shown her main power yet?”

  “No, not yet. She can heal, like her mother, but I haven’t seen anything else. It will probably take an emergency to have the power come out.”

  “Perhaps we should create one,” the voice said in a questioning tone.

  “No, she’s still a little young. We have time enough for that. It will be several seasons before it’s Terra’s time,
and she does not need her power until then,” the old woman said in a satisfied voice.

  “If you think it’s wise to wait, we will,” the voice of many said as the fog cleared the room.

  Chapter 46 - Moving

  (Time Seems So Short to a Parent when their Child Moves Out.)

  351 set of seasons since the coming of the Averons

  As the full moon rises passed, Fienna and Terra would spend more and more time at their new home, sometimes even a whole sunset.

  Dawra had encouraged this even though she hated seeing her child growing independent. Terra and Fienna had started to make the cave a true home. Terra had found a ledge to put his clothes on and several small holes to store the seed rocks that Fienna got him. Lowlack still did get him food, but only when an opportunity presented itself. They had a small area in front of the cave that Terra could have a fire in and cook his food. He could now come and go as he pleased. He didn’t need Fienna to carry him everywhere.

  The private pool in the back of the cave was still their secret. Only they knew of its existence. Terra would sometimes lay near the pool’s edge and relax in the cool air during the few times Fienna left him alone to go hunting. She felt that their new home was secure enough that she could leave him without worrying. During those times, he thought about his life and how good it was. He had a loving companion that would be with him forever, a good home, and friends that cared about him. He remembered little about the time before he came to the dragons. He vaguely remembered a beautiful woman would hug him and give him food and strong tall man would come to them at sunset and play with him. She would sing to him, but he could only remember a little of one song.

  Sleep the sleep of love, my little love,

  Love the sleep of life and wake with love,

  Live the life of love all your life,

  Love the life you live for all your life.

  He couldn’t remember any more, but he recalled her voice made him feel safe and loved. He had no desire to go back with his kind though. He could think of nothing that they had to offer him that he did not already have in abundance. The only thing he truly desired was a way to mate with his beloved Fienna. That was the one missing thing that would make his life complete. He often wondered about what the future held for him. All he could hope was that the life he led now would not change.

  It was time for the hot season to start and for Fienna and Terra to move permanently to their new home. Dawra, Fienna, and Terra flew to the cave. Dawra did what mother dragons had done for all time. She flamed the caves opening to purify it for her daughter and, of course, Terra. This custom was so ancient that no one knew where it came from. They were now officially on their own in the world.

  After Dawra left, Fienna wanted to celebrate their freedom and new home. She wanted Terra and her to have a feast, just the two of them.

  Terra agreed it would be a nice thing to do. So he mounted her back, and they went hunting for a big running beast. As they flew out of the crevice, Terra looked back and saw how beautiful their new home truly was. They flew across the land where the sun was bright and the winds gentle. He thought about the song he remembered from the woman.

  “What is that song you’re thinking?” Fienna asked through her thoughts.

  “Oh, it’s just something I remember from before I came to you.”

  “What else do you remember?” Fienna asked in a curious tone of thought.

  Terra thought of the vague images of the two people, a man and a woman. He remembered looking down on them from above. The woman was sitting on a small wooden thing drawn by a runner beast, and the man was on the ground. A large multicolored cat was lying dead near them.

  “That’s the last thing I remember before coming to you. I think they were my parents, but I can’t quite remember their faces. It was a long time ago,” Terra thought with a little sadness.

  “Well, you belong to me now, and I plan to keep you. Let’s look for a beast that will fill us both,” Fienna thought in a happy tone.

  “Yes, let’s stop thinking about the past. We have our future together, and I know we’ll always be happy,” Terra said with an upbeat tone in his thoughts.

  As they flew across the land, they could see how green and lush it had become from the early rains. They finally saw a group of the runners they were after. Fienna liked the taste of these specific beasts, and they had already passed several other kinds to look for her favorite.

  After all, it was to be a feast. She spotted the largest one at the lead of the group. It was four times larger than Terra, but that mattered little to a dragon Fienna’s size. She flew up and then dived on them. Terra closed his eyes when they dove. If he didn’t, they would burn afterwards. He would always watch through Fienna’s eyes. She dove, and Terra could feel the strong wind pulling at his body, but he was attached to Fienna with a power neither of them understood. It didn’t really matter. They paid little attention to this connection, and after all, it was natural for them. Fienna pulled her wings flat against her powerful body to increase her speed. The beasts had seen her and started to run, but it was too late. She grabbed the large one she wanted with her rear legs and extended her wings lifting the great beast off the ground as if it were nothing. Her talons sunk in deep, killing it almost immediately. She regained her height, and they flew to their new home.

  Terra was now able to gather the wood he needed for his fire without the help of Fienna. He found several dead trees and simply reached up and broke large branches off as if they were nothing. He could not know that no normal man could do what he did. The strength it took to break just one branch would have been a struggle for three men. Although getting his own wood was a small thing, it made him happy to be independent. He placed the wood in a pile near the cave’s opening, and Fienna lit it with her flame. She then tore a small piece of meat from the runner, and Terra placed it on a rock near the fire to burn. She waited until it was done so that they both could eat together. They filled their stomachs with all they could eat. Then they took a swim in their lake to clean themselves. It was so nice to have the lake near them. That sunset they lay together and slept deeply and peacefully in their home.

  Chapter 47 - Terra Is Presented to Dragon Society

  (Change is Hard to Accept.)

  351 set of seasons since the coming of the Averons

  Dawra was sunning herself in the early morning warmth on the cliff edge just above her cave when she saw four dragons approaching. She did not recognize them; they were not from this area of the coast. The four slowly spiraled down and landed on either side of Dawra. They seemed somewhat familiar to her, then she realized three of them were the dragons that Terra healed at the gathering, and the fourth was the dragon Terra hit with that blast of sound then healed.

  “What do you want?” Dawra asked in a questioning tone.

  The large male that Terra had injured then healed spoke first.

  “I am Sith. I don’t know if you remember me, but the human healed me at the last gathering.”

  “I remember,” Dawra said suspiciously.

  “We have come to warn him about some trouble that might happen when he is presented at the gathering.”

  “What trouble? Only a fool would cause trouble at a gathering,”

  Dawra said in an angry voice.

  “It’s Voltac. He’s the other dragon Terra healed. He has a small group that wants to stop Terra from being presented. It’s only a few dragons, but they are all large males, and they will kill him if they can’t stop it.”

  “How do you know all this?”

  “They approached me. They thought that I would join them.

  Nevertheless, I said I was not going to the gathering. They accepted that. Since he healed me, I feel I owe him my life. Voltac only sees Terra as an enemy. The others here feel the same. We want to help.”

  Dawra thought for a moment and then said, “I’ll take you to them, but I want no others to know were they live. I will seek vengeance on anyone who harm
s them.”

  “We four feel the same.”

  Dawra leaped off the cliff and took flight. The other four followed.

  She led them across the cliffs then suddenly turned inland. The four were confused. Where were they going? No dragon lived inland. They flew over a large crack in the ground where Dawra curved down into a spiral descent. They could see a lake and a path to a cave opening. They realized that this was a place that both a dragon and a human could live.

  The five came to rest just outside the cave. Dawra called out, and Fienna came to the cave opening. Looking at her mother then the other four, she slowly came to them, all the time looking around for other dragons.

  “Why have you brought them to me mother?”

  “They have news about trouble that might happen at the gathering.

  They wish to talk to you and Terra.”

  Fienna looked them over carefully and with great suspicion.

  “I will have Terra come out, but I warn you I will kill anyone of you that tries to hurt him,” Fienna said with such an intense look on her face that it was obvious that she would do exactly what she said. Terra came walking out with what seemed to be complete unconcern. Fienna never made a noise, but he still came. He stood in front of Fienna and looked at the four dragons.

  “You are the four I healed at the gathering. What do you wish from me?”

  “We have come to warn you about trouble at the upcoming gathering,” Sith said.

  “First, what are your names?” Terra said with a pleasant voice.

  “I am Sith; this is Ticen, Gopo and Lina.” Sith was yellow-colored and perhaps one of the biggest males yet born, but he was still a dragon’s head shorter than Fienna. Ticen was an average size brown male. Gopo and Lina were both females of average size one blue and one a pale green. None of them matched Fienna in size or beauty.

  “All right, what is the trouble you speak of?” Fienna said still eyeing them all with suspicion.

  Sith answered, “As we have told your mother, Voltac, the other dragon Terra healed has a small group that wants to stop Terra from being presented. It’s only a few dragons, but they are all large males, and they will kill him if they can’t stop it. I found out about it when they asked me to join them.”