The Dragon Healer of Tone (World of Tone)

by Adams, A. D.

  In a cave far from this conversation, the old woman sat watching the images in her fire. The thick fog surrounded her chair.

  “Do you think it’s him?” said the voice of many.

  “Yes, it’s him. He is finally here,” said the old woman.

  “We have been there every sunset; he is almost back to normal. That old Sinut has been there also. He’s trying to control him,” said the voice of many in a somewhat angry voice.

  “No one will control him. He is now beyond any of us. His future is under his control not ours or those old nymphs. We all must wait and let him do what he will.”

  “Yes, Yes that is true. The bitch is still alive; he did not kill her. The darkness protected her enough to keep her alive,” said the many.

  “I know. She will join us soon enough. She cannot stand against him even with the darkness.”

  The old one said as the images of the crevice faded in the fire.

  In a black and dead mountain that was in the center of the lifeless land of the central continent, a hideous old wizard slowly sat down in his solid gold, jeweled chair. He looked at a dwarf holding the only lighted torch and told it to go away. The dwarf moved off leaving him to his own thoughts and in complete darkness.

  “What is happening?” he said into the darkness.

  “He comes,” an odd almost ghastly deathlike voice said with an odd disjointed laugh.

  “He can’t defeat me. I’m the greatest Wizard of all time.” said the old wizard.

  “Are you sure?” the voice said in a laughing tone.

  The old wizard stopped talking and just sat in the dark grinding what was left of his once strong teeth.

  Chapter 63 - A Surprise for All

  (No One Knows What the Future Holds.)

  355 set of seasons since the coming of the Averons

  Terra was fully recovered, and Fienna was back to her full strength.

  Life was somewhat returning to normal except for the dozen or so sea nymphs that guarded the lake and the three dragons that constantly flew guard over the crevice. Gone were the sun-risings of their privacy, and they wanted it back, but no matter how hard they pushed to remove the guards Dawra and Lowlack insisted on them. Terra and Fienna did get away on their own after threatening to leave for good if they weren’t given some privacy. So every sun-rising Terra would mount Fienna, and they would fly off usually not returning until sun down. They went hunting, swimming, and whatever else they could think of doing to stay away from the crevice. The sun-risings passed uneventfully until the sunset of the full moon. The two disappeared into their cave, and as the moonlight filtered into the cave’s entrance, Fienna began her change.

  She actually looked forward to it now. They spent the sunset as they had the last two in deep physical love. They both now knew that this would be their life and neither objected to it. As the sunset slipped away and the great moon slid beyond the crevice’s edge, Fienna did not change back but remained a human. Terra quickly touched her body with all his healing power but only found her to be healthy. There was one difference she seemed to be more than she was before. Fienna glowed with life and strength. The two sat near the waterfall and neither knew quite what to do. They understood that they would have to tell those who guarded them, but how? Fienna’s fear seemed to grow as the sun rose. Terra held her tight and gave his mind and body to her. Her fear disappeared in their love and for now would not reappear. She somehow understood that no one would harm her as long as Terra was near.

  The problem now became a question of how to tell the others that were now protecting them. Terra thought that Dawra would probably be the best to start with. After all, she was Fienna’s mother and probably would understand. Terra knew this would be a difficult thing to do, but it had to be done since it was obvious that Fienna was not going to return to her dragon state. He did not understand why she did not return to her original form, but whatever the reason, they had to explain the problem. Terra decided the easiest way would be to simply tell Dawra straight out. First, Terra comforted Fienna before leaving to talk to Dawra. He slowly walked out of the rear cave and down the stream until he reached the cave’s entrance. There he stood looking out over the now red lake and the activity of the nymphs and dragons flying overhead. Fienna’s mind was full of confused thoughts of both fear and an odd excitement. Terra stood quietly, and with his thoughts, was able to calm Fienna’s mind and relax her. He had always been able to help her calm down, but now they were outside their realm of understanding.

  As Fienna’s mind calmed, he was able to rest for a moment. It seemed such a long time since he could simply lie on the sand and sleep in the warm sun. Such a long time! He did not see Dawra, but as it happened, he spotted Lowlack on the crevice rim. He seemed to be looking over the crevice watching for who knows what. Terra had until that point been just inside the entrance, outside the sight of those who protected him. He slowly moved to the center of the large flat rock that made up the entrance to their cave. Lowlack saw him instantly and spread his wings and leaped from the crevice rim. He slowly glided down and settled just in front of Terra.

  “Where is Dawra?”

  “I think she went hunting?”

  “We need to talk to her. Could someone find her for us?”

  “I’ll send one of the young dragons. Is there anything wrong?”

  “I’m not sure Lowlack” This puzzled Lowlack, how could he not be sure if something is wrong.

  “When she arrives could you both come into the cave?”

  “Yes, of course.”

  Lowlack flew off to assign the search to one of the guard dragons.

  Terra could feel Fienna’s mind finally slumping into a restless sleep through his mental encouragement. He stood for a few more moments looking at the sky and wondering if things would ever return to the way they were. Fienna woke suddenly from the short sleep, and he could feel the panic in her. He turned and ran through the cave to her side.

  There he lay next to her and held her quietly in his arms.

  As Fienna drifted back into a troubled sleep, Terra allowed his mind to drift. He seemed to be flying. He saw a young male dragon fly across the land, and then it suddenly started down. He could see Dawra eating a fresh killed runner and the young one drift down toward her, landing just in front of her. He heard their conversation.

  “Dawra, Terra wishes to see you,” the young dragon said.

  “Is something wrong?” she said in an excited voice as she dropped the runner.

  “I don’t know. All I was told to do was find you and give you the message.”

  Dawra did not bother to respond and immediately took off. Terra watched from what seemed to be a point above Dawra. He could see her flying, and then he seemed to be looking over her shoulder. She looked back seemingly trying to see him then turned back to watch where she was going. Terra could see the land change from the rich vegetation to the rocky area around the crevice. Then they over flew the edge of the crevice’s high cliff, and he watched as Dawra headed to a landing next to Lowlack.

  Terra broke out of his dreamlike state and realized that Dawra would be in any moment. He carefully moved Fienna so as to not disturb her sleep and got up. He walked to the main cave, and as he did, he saw Dawra coming through the cave’s entrance with an obvious look of concern on her face.

  “What’s wrong?”

  “No one is ill or sick, but a change has occurred.”

  “What change, to whom?” Dawra said in a voice between anger and concern.

  “It’s Fienna, she is not sick or hurt; there has just been a change.”

  “What kind of change?”

  “It would be better if I showed you. I’ll be right back with her,” Terra said as he turned and walked to the back cave.

  Dawra waited impatiently for the two to return. Terra walked to Fienna, still in an uneasy sleep. He reached down and stroked her hair instantly waking her. She knew immediately what had happened from his mind. As a human, her mind was e
ven more attuned to Terra, if that were possible. He reached down and helped her to her feet. He then put his arm around her waist and walked out to see her mother. As the two came into view, Dawra gazed at them in amazement. She could not imagine Fienna allowing a human woman in her cave even for Terra.

  This woman was strange looking. Her skin was multicolor and looked to have an unusual texture. As they approached, she seemed to remind Dawra of someone.

  “Who is this woman? I can’t imagine Fienna allowing her to stay here,” Dawra said.

  “This is the change I talked about. This is Fienna.”

  Dawra was stunned. “What, What! What do you mean? This is a woman not Fienna,” Dawra said in a confused and almost hysterical voice.

  Fienna spoke, “It’s me mother.”

  It was Fienna’s voice, and she spoke true dragon. Terra then said in a calm matter of fact voice.

  “The last three full moons Fienna has changed into a human and returned to her dragon form when the sun rose. This time she remained human. I can’t find anything wrong. She is not sick, or.”

  A furious Dawra interrupted Terra.

  “You did this with your magic. Change her back, or I will kill you.”

  With that Fienna stepped in front of Terra as her anger flared. Smoke rose from her nostrils and then a powerful white-hot flame came from her mouth. It hit the stones just in front of her mother’s feet melting the rock. Dawra stepped back in surprise.

  Terra then said in a low almost whispering voice. “Stop! “ The air seemed to freeze. Mother and daughter were held in a fixed position but only for a moment in time. They both were now reminded of the power of Terra. He stepped beside Fienna.

  “Enough, you are mother and daughter. I did nothing; this happened on its own. It was meant to be. Fienna is the only creature I ever loved, and our love made what happened possible, not my magic. I will not have either of you hurt. What is meant to be will be. No one can change it.”

  As Dawra’s mind calmed down, the old legend told to her by Subina came flooding into her mind and the pictures on the wall drawn by the old ones. They were coming true. “No!” she said to herself, “No!”

  Fienna looked up at her mother as she said the words.

  “What do you mean, no?” she said.

  “You can’t be the one’s in the pictures. You can’t!” Dawra said to herself more than anyone else.

  “What pictures?”

  “The pictures in the cave of the old ones,” Dawra said in a daze.

  Then Fienna’s mind remembered the odd drawings, and they did match what they were now.

  “Mother, I don’t know if we are the creatures in the pictures, but if we are, there’s little we can do about it.” Fienna said in as soothing a voice as possible. She knew her mother loved her and Terra, but she was in a state of panic and perhaps this would help calm her.

  “Tell her about Terra,” Lowlack’s voice came from the cave’s entrance.

  “I followed you when you went to the cave, and I saw the great white.” Lowlack continued as he moved toward them.

  “What is he talking about?” Dawra said.

  Fienna moved back against Terra. He put his arms around her waist and spoke.

  “The sun-rising following the sunset of a new moon I change into a white dragon.”

  “A white dragon,” Lowlack scoffed.

  “He turns into the greatest dragon on tone. He is a third bigger than Fienna; his back ridge and teeth are crystalline. He takes even my breath away. No dragon on Tone could match him.”

  Dawra looked at Terra in disbelief and could not imagine such a change.

  “It’s true mother. He is magnificent, and I love him. We will never be parted no matter what form we are in,” Fienna said holding Terra’s arms close to her.

  Dawra flew off, but in a few sun-risings, she returned. Terra brought in Setilan and introduced the new Fienna to her. She was amazed by what she saw. Fienna was the most beautiful creature that she had ever seen.

  “How did this happen?” Setilan asked.

  “Who knows?” said Terra.

  Fienna broke in and told Setilan the whole story, except for Terra’s change. Dawra, Terra, and Fienna, as well as Lowlack agreed not to tell others about Terra’s change. Fienna wanted Setilan’s help in how to deal with her new body. She had no experience with a body of a human, and Terra could only help with so much. His body was different enough that he could not help with everything. Her hair was much longer, and she needed different type of clothing. She was still was a bit unsteady on her feet. Setilan said she would of course help.

  “I should tell my father and the old Sinut,” she said.

  “Who is this Old Sinut? I seen him but know nothing about him,”

  Terra asked.

  “He is the most powerful wizard on Tone. He does not live in the city. No one knows exactly were he lives. He simply appears when he needs something done or he wishes to give us a command. Not even my father will go against him. He can kill or heal with a wave of his hand.”

  “I don’t know if I want him here,” said Terra.

  “He tried to help when you were hurt, my love,” said Fienna.

  “That’s true. He can come, but Setilan you tell him I will be watching, and if he hurts Fienna, no power will stop me from protecting her,” Terra said in a stern voice.

  “I understand. I’ll tell him,” Setilan said.

  Setilan went to her father and told him the story. He called Seana and asked her to go with Setilan and help with Fienna. As they left, the king of the nymphs spoke aloud to an empty room.

  “Old Sinut, I have something you need to know.” He then floated slowly back to his throne. There he waited for what seemed an eternity.

  Finally, the old wizard appeared from behind one of the room’s great columns.

  “What information do you have?”

  “Perhaps it would be better if you saw for yourself.”

  “I am busy you fool. I have no time for this.”

  “It is Terra and Fienna. She has changed into a human.”

  “What! Let us go now.” With that the Old Sinut exploded the room’s doors open. He swam at a speed greater than that of the king or his guards and quickly out distanced them. When he arrived, he seemed to float above the ground as he left the water. His fins still in place, he floated into the cave and saw the beautiful Fienna lying in Terra’s arms.

  Terra looked up as he approached.

  “Stay back. What do you want?” Terra said in a strong almost overpowering voice.

  “I am here to help.”

  “Why?”

  “I can not say. It is what is. Let me approach. Please.”

  “Come, but be warned. Don’t hurt her.”

  “I know you could as easily kill me as breathe. So it would be quite foolish to do anything that would harm her.”

  The old Sinut approached carefully and touched her forehead.

  “I feel nothing wrong. She is as healthy as you are,” he floated back and considered.

  “I do not understand what has happen to her. I will go and look in my books and see if they say anything,” the old Sinut said.

  “Go then, but don’t lie to me when you return,” Terra said. He seemed to know the old nymph was not giving him the whole truth. It didn’t really matter. Terra had no interest in the Sinut’s opinion since he never seemed totally honest and did nothing but watch the two.

  Fienna slept through the whole experience. All the changes she had been through seemed to have made her extremely tired and sleepy.

  As the old Sinut drifted down the path toward the lake, Seana and Setilan were walking out of the water with baskets full of various things, and Seana’s baby strapped to her back. They were both surprised at the site of the Old Sinut drifting above the ground still with his fins. The old Nymph moved passed them without even noticing their presence and slowly descended into the water. The two moved toward the cave looking back and watching the Sinut disa
ppear. As they came to the cave entrance, Setilan yelled into the cave.

  “I’m here with Seana; can we come in?”

  Terra suddenly appeared in front of them and held his arm out in a gesture of welcome. Fienna was sitting by a fire keeping warm. She was not yet used to the small and vulnerable body she now had. Seana stopped as she saw Fienna. She was the most beautiful creature she had ever seen. She was also much larger than a female sea nymph but obviously just the right size for a man like Terra.

  “Hello, Fienna. We have come to help you,” Seana said with true concern in her voice.

  “Are you cold?”

  “Yes.”

  Seana pulled a seaweed wrap from the basket and put it around Fienna’s shoulders.

  “This will help.”

  Fienna pulled the wrap around her, and it did seem to warm her. She had a hard time understanding how her Terra had stood the cold all his life without even a complaint. Seana unstrapped her baby and set it down near the fire to keep it warm; its little fins flapping as it slept.

  Setilan and Seana began to work with Seana. Her hair was tangled and needed combing; she in essence had no idea what or how to groom herself. She was also still a bit off balance when she walked, and the two nymphs helped with that also. She needed clothing, and that was perhaps the biggest challenge. She was much larger than the nymphs were. Seana sent Setilan to get some seamstresses to help sew clothes for her. They arrived and immediately began to measure her proportions. They soon had a dress fashioned for her. Fienna felt uncomfortable in the fabric even though it was very soft. She put up with it because it kept her warm. Terra sat on the ledge above all this activity watching. He never left, not once. The love in his eyes and the concern over his lover was obvious to all. Within several sun-risings Fienna had become accustomed to the clothing and walking with the help of her new friends. She never before considered these creatures’

  friends. They were so small when she was a dragon, and although they helped her and Terra sometimes, she basically put up with them for Terra’s sake. Now though, they were helping her and giving their friendship to her not Terra.