The Dragon Healer of Tone (World of Tone) (35 page)

As the moon rose and the sun set, a small group of nymphs came walking out of the water headed by the Old Sinut and followed by the king, his daughter, and Seana, both of whom were carrying baskets.

Fienna and Terra sat up. Fienna was leaning back against Terra’s chest.

One of Terra’s arms was protectively around Fienna’s back under her arm, and his hand cupped one of her breasts, his other supporting the two of them. The small group approached.

“You have let Fienna’s condition be known to the guards. Is this wise?” the Old Sinut said in a questioning and gentle voice. His tone surprised the others; he had always talked to them in as menacing a voice as could be imagined.

“I will not be trapped in a cave the rest of my sun-risings. We don’t care who knows,” Fienna said in a somewhat defiant tone.

“I understand, but it might be better if you wore some clothing.

Humans do this to protect themselves from the elements,” the Sinut said.

“I wear clothes only when it’s cold. I see no reason to change just because Fienna is now human,” Terra said with apparent little concern for the Sinut’s opinion.

“Well, whatever you say, but Seana and Setilan would like to help Fienna make some clothes for the times she becomes cold,” he said.

“That would be fine,” Fienna said.

Fienna got up with Terra’s help, and the three women went into the cave. Terra walked to the edge of the rock and looked across the lake.

“Do you have any plans?” the old Sinut said.

“No,” Terra said rather bluntly.

“Are you planning to do anything other than stay in this crevice?”

“No.”

“You have no desires or things you would like to achieve,” the king asked.

“We only wish to be happy. We have no need to leave this crevice.

There is nothing we want outside this place,” he said with simple honesty.

“Perhaps you should have asked Fienna her opinion,” the Sinut said.

“She knows what I am saying and agrees with it.”

The old Sinut knew that this conversation was leading nowhere. He now knew that Terra and Fienna could somehow communicate without talking or even being in each other’s presence. He also realized that Terra would be a reluctant leader, but a leader he would be.

“Do you know that the one who attacked you did not die in the fall from the bird?” the Sinut asked in an attempt to get a reaction from this man who seemed not to be concerned about anything.

“So,” Terra said with no fear or hatred.

“Are you not afraid of her returning?”

“I don’t know what fear is. Fienna sometimes tries to explain it to me, and I can feel it in her once in a while. But, I really don’t understand it. So to answer your question, no I’m not afraid of her or anything for that matter,” he said in a casual tone of voice.

Suddenly, the Old Sinut and the King simultaneously realized Terra knew no fear. They looked at each other with utter surprise. Now they could understand some of his actions. They both seem to comprehend that such a being without power was dangerous. A man without fear that possessed the power that Terra did was unthinkable. Fear in many ways controlled the actions of intelligent beings, but nothing controlled this man except the obvious lack of hatred and his desire to help more than harm. If it were not for his natural kindness, he would be beyond dangerous. Neither knew quite what to say and excused themselves, quickly reentering the water.

After the sun set, the three women came out of the cave. Fienna was wearing a robe of luminous seaweed. It was quite beautiful in the moonlight. The two nymphs said their good-byes and returned to the water. Fienna and Terra returned to the cave and gave in to their love.

Chapter 66 - All Learn of the Change

(Few Times in the History of a World Does a Single Change Make Such a Difference.)

355 set of seasons since the coming of the Averons

The old Sinut did not talk to the king as they reentered the water. He seemed to vanish as soon as the red water surrounded the two. In the underwater cave, the gaunt old nymphan wizard floated. His body was still, but his mind was racing. How could he have no fear? How could he be controlled? Suddenly, from behind him, he heard the voice of a woman.

“You old fool. Do you think you or anyone can control him?”

He swiveled in the water to see a ghostly image of an old human woman.

“Who are you?” he said in utter amazement.

“My name is unimportant, but you would know me as one of the Solans of Tycarr,” the ghostly figure said.

“That’s impossible; they are all dead!” he said with a bit of disgust in his voice.

“Not all. I tell you now; stop interfering with him.”

“Stop interfering with who, you old witch.”

“Don’t act so inane, or perhaps it is not an act. You wizards are none too bright,” she said with an obvious sneer.

“What do you want, witch?” the old Sinut said with a glare and a bit of hatred.

“He is the only one who can save us all. He is the one who is to be and has always been. If you interfere, destiny will not be fulfilled.”

“How do you know this?”

“You know our powers. I assure you we can stop you and will if necessary.”

“I’m not trying to interfere, but he needs help. He has no idea who he is or what he will do. He doesn’t even want or care to do anything.

I want to push him into his destiny.”

“You can’t push him. He must find his own way. His power is beyond your understanding.”

“But, not yours, I suppose.”

“Do not interfere with him again; even you bastard wizards will be restored to your old glory.” With that, her image seemed to dissolve into the water from which it was formed.

The Old Sinut was amazed that one of those witches was still alive, on top of that, to have the gall to warn him off. Perhaps though, she knew more than he did since they did have a library that went back to the ancients, and if she had, it she knew much more than he could even imagine. He would have to tell his old friend after he thought through everything.

Dawra didn’t really want to tell the other dragons of Fienna, but what choice did she have. It was time to leave for the gathering. She walked to the edge of the cave and launched herself into the air. She moved with grace and ease as her great wings slowly pushed through the air. Then she moved up and entered the great winds that would propel her to the gathering. She landed on the edge of the extinct volcano and watched as others slowly spiraled into landings on various cliffs throughout the bowl-shaped volcano. She noticed that a great deal of talk seemed to be going on and what seemed to be odd looks directed at her. This made Dawra uncomfortable. It was bad enough what she had to tell them without all the looks. She perched quietly and waited for the gathering to start.

After what seemed to be an eternity, the old dragon in charge asked if any others would like to speak. Dawra spread her wings and launched herself into the air and slowly drifted down landing on a small peak just below the old one in the center of the bowl-shaped extinct volcano. She lifted her head and started to speak.

“I am Dawra, mother of Fienna. My daughter and Terra are the inseparable pair who fly our skies. A change has occurred to Fienna.

She is now human.” With that, the entire assembly of dragons seemed to talk at once. The old one finally got them quiet.

“She and Terra are now full mates, and as you all know, his power is as great or greater than any dragons. I do not know how this happened or why, but it happened. She is now dragon made human. I have no answers to give you to the many questions you must have, for I myself have no answers to my own questions.” With that Dawra was going to fly off and end this, but just then the old dragon she had met in the cave of the ancients seemed to appear in the sky from nowhere. He drifted down and landed on the floor of the volcano just in front and below Dawra.

“You all know me as the old fool who moved into the cave of the ancients. I am no fool. I have been studying the writing on the walls of the cave. Many of you have seen them. They tell a story of the one who will save Tone from the evil of the darkness. He will be a human that mates with a dragon. The human will become dragon, and his dragon mate will become human. They will be called the Draman and the Wogan. There will be no others like them.” he then turned to Dawra.

“I ask you. Does Terra become dragon?” The bowl erupted in the sounds of dragon voices. Then from his perch on the highest rim, Lowlack answered for Dawra.

“Terra becomes the greatest of all dragons. He becomes a white twice the size of any here. He has a ridge and teeth of crystal. He is truly magnificent,” Lowlack’s voice drowned out the sounds of the others, and when they heard what he said, a quiet fell over the volcano like none before.

“Dragons once flew over the whole world. We kept the world in peace and no one dared oppose us until the bastard wizard came and destroyed all that was,” the old dragon said in the soundless volcanic bowl.

He continued, “Our great ancestors foretell that two will come. The two are Terra and Fienna. They will bring us back to our past glory. A glory you have all forgotten. I am the only one who has kept up with the old knowledge. You can see what I say is true; you can hear for yourselves the change of dragon to a human and human to dragon. This has never happened before.”

Dawra felt uncomfortable and took off. She did not land but flew directly up and into the high winds. She was soon home and tried not to think of what might happen. Dawra walked over to her sleeping area and lay down. As she drifted in and out of sleep, her mind seemed to be swimming in thoughts of Fienna and Terra. Then she felt a touch on her tail. Her eyes opened to see Fienna’s father.

Dawra pushed herself up and in a surprised voice said, “Why are you here?”

“My daughter is apparently more than just a dragon. At least, that’s what the old one says. “ he said in a rather gentle voice for a male dragon.

“I know I’m not supposed to care about my children, but I do. I have from time to time seen Fienna in the skies and have admired her great strength and beauty. She has seemed to have become more than simply a dragon,” he continued.

“She apparently is, but what I don’t know,” Dawra said in an unsure and tired tone of voice.

“I would like to see her if possible, but I have no idea where to find them. I know Terra could stop me if he wishes. We have all seen what he is capable of, but I would still like to try,” he said.

“I don’t think he would care, and I’m sure Fienna would like to meet you. Let us go now, I should have flown straight there from the gathering, but I was very tired and wanted to rest,” Dawra said.

The two hopped to the rim of the cave and took off.

Chapter 67 - The Visit

(Truth is often hidden.)

355 set of seasons since the coming of the Averons

As the two dragons flew, Dawra had a strange feeling. She could not quite grasp what it meant. She knew that it was strange for a male dragon to be interested in its offspring, but it had happened in the past, usually when the mother died, and a young dragon needed care. The father would reluctantly step in and raise the dragonette, but something seemed strange about this. But what?

As they peaked the crevice walls, Dawra could see Terra and Fienna sitting on the flat rock just outside the cave’s entrance. They seemed to have a favorite way of sitting together with Fienna supported by Terra’s arm, which was invariably around her back and cupping one of her breasts. Terra looked alarmed as they landed. Suddenly, from behind her, Dawra felt a massive blow that knocked her down and to the side.

It was so powerful she could feel her body actually sliding across the rocks’ flat surface. The pain traveled through her like lightning. She looked up helplessly as her once mate advanced on the two. She saw Terra raise his arm with his palm pointed at the advancing dragon. The orange glow from his arm was almost blinding. Fienna had to turn her head to shield her eyes. A thin rod of orange light came from the center of Terra’s palm and struck the approaching attacker. The beast stopped, and the entire outside of the dragon instantly turned orange. The dragon shape seemed to waver and then vanished and was replaced by the form of a hideous creature of a type that Dawra had never seen before. It was as big as a dragon with feathered wings and a great hairy body. Its mouth was massive, three times greater than a dragon with irregular teeth of various sizes, some as big as Terra’s whole body and streaked blood red. It had a tail with scales and a body with four huge legs and metallic looking claws half the height of Terra.

Terra’s eyes narrowed, and the thin orange rod expanded. The creature was lifted off the ground and began to screech in pain. It opened its mouth and tried spitting a clear liquid, but instead of hitting Terra and Fienna, it was deflected back onto the creature. It screamed in pain as the liquid burned the hair off part of its upper left leg. Terra lifted it halfway up the crevice walls and over the lake. He then started to close his hand. As he did, the creature was being crushed by the orange glow. It screamed in pain and then suddenly went limp. As Terra’s hand closed to a fist, the creature’s bones cracked and broke as it was crushed into a bloody ball. Then Terra thrust his closed fist forward, and the bloody ball was thrown into the sky never to be seen again.