Omnixius
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DKP 8-14 missed post.
🕑 Added 2022-07-22 16:49:09 +0000 UTCWell this proves how few readers this story has. I missed an entire chapter and nobody said a thing. Oh well.
Gersius and Thayle listened to Sarah as she informed them of her discovery. It was a shocking moment causing him to pace slightly as he tried to make sense of it.
“You are certain she is your daughter?” he asked.
“Of course, I am certain,” Sarah replied. “My daughter is in the cell below.”
“Our daughter,” Lilly insisted, drawing concerned looks from Thayle and Gersius.
“She is Numidel’s daughter,” Gersius corrected as Lilly frowned.
“Why can't she be our daughter?” Lilly asked. “We are one soul with Sarah. Shouldn't that give us some claim to her?”
“She is old enough to have daughters of her own,” Thayle pointed out. “I assume she has gone through the calling.”
“By now, she must have,” Sarah agreed. “For all we know, some of the little dragons we have killed have been my grandchildren.”
“Let us not think of it,” Gersius offered with a wave of his hand. “None of us chose this struggle with the dragons, and we avoid killing them when we can.”
“I suppose the real question is, what do we do with her now?” Thayle said and looked at Sarah. “Is she open to talking to you?”
“If you call threats and accusations open, then yes,” Sarah replied. “She is very hostile.”
“That is to be expected,” Gersisus said as he paced. “We will show her every possible kindness and attempt to reason with her when she wishes to talk. But I do not see what else we can do.”
“We have to get her bound to somebody,” Lilly insisted. “Once she starts to feel the emotions, she will change.”
“And how do we do that?” Gersius asked. “We do not know her true name, and I doubt she will give it willingly. We would have to resort to abuse to try and force it out of her, and we will never do that.”
“There must be a way,” Lilly insisted. “I know I am naive, but I see her as a part of our family. I will do whatever it takes to save her. I will save every dragon I can, no matter what I have to do.”
Gersius nodded at her sentiment, but he honestly didn't see what the little blue dragon could do. The angry child in the cells below would need to break her curse and seek redemption while not bound to another. He certainly couldn't think of a way to get her true name, and even if he had it, who would love that dragon?
“Somebody will,” Lilly insisted. “We just need to find the right heart for our Rose.”
“Rose?” Thayle said as Gersius shrugged.
“I was thinking of calling her that,” Gersius said. “But I doubt she will like the name.”
“She doesn't,” Sarah said dryly. “But I like it, and it fits.”
“When are you going to name me?” Thayle asked with her arms crossed. “You keep giving everybody else beautiful names.”
“You already have a beautiful name,” Gersius insisted.
“Yes, but I want a name given to me by my husband,” Thayle insisted.
“How about brat,” Sarah offered as Thayle turned an angry glare on her.
“Oh, ha, ha,” Thayle countered.
“If we may get back to the matter at hand,” Gersius insisted and looked at Sarah.
“There are a few matters of importance to discuss,” Sarah agreed and explained how Rose let slip that they were trying to resurrect Solesta or something to that effect. Gersius countered that point by explaining how the dragon he had defeated said both goddesses were wrong. He had suggested they were planning to replace the pair with a single all-powerful divine who would set the dragons right again.
“Well, Rose seems very enamored of Solesta and the return of her power,” Sarah insisted.
“This is a very dire possibility,” Gersius replied. “If Solesta could somehow be restored, then the dragon war might very well repeat itself. We could have a second sundering of the world.”
“Let's not get ahead of ourselves,” Sarah insisted as Lilly moved close to cling to her arm. “I have no idea how anyone could resurrect a dead divine. I am not even sure how you kill one, for that matter. From what we know, only a divine could kill a divine, and it makes sense that only they could resurrect her. Since they support us and want Balisha restored to power, it isn't likely they will aid in an effort to restore Solesta. It is possible these fools are grasping at straws, hoping in vain that they can manage the impossible.”
Gersius nodded and had to admit that they had too little to go on to make a decision. It also didn't explain the war with the Doan and why the enemy was holding back.
“Rose did say that if we restore Balisha without Solesta, it would doom the dragons,” Lilly added.
“Did she say why?” Thayle asked.
“Not, really,” Lilly replied as she thought back. “She was having difficulty dealing with me overpowering her in the dream.”
“Let us get back to the dream,” Gersius interjected as he looked to Sarah for clarification. “Didn't you tell us that finding a dragon awake in the dream was hard to do?”
“I did say that,” Sarah replied with a nod. “And how astute of you to get to the heart of the matter. I was about to bring this point up myself.”
“I don't understand,” Thayle said as she looked at Lilly, who shrugged that she had no idea what they were talking about.
“Then I will explain it,” Sarah said. “When a dragon enters the dream, they usually see a world unique to them. When they wanted to meet, they used special places that were anchored and allowed us to see one another. Another way is to sit in a known location and focus on being seen by others. That we could see Rose means she was in the dream intentionally and actively trying to be noticed.”
“But why would she do that?” Lilly asked.
“Most likely because she is hoping to make contact with her masters,” Sarah suggested. “She may want to tell them where she is and arrange a rescue or even spy on us through some means of weaving.”
“So her allies might think to look in the dream and find her here,” Thayle said as she thought it through. “Which means she could be a danger to us, even behind bars.”
“Can we hide her in the dream somehow?” Gersius asked.
“No, but Lilly and I learned something of great value,” Sarah said as her gaze fell on the little blue dragon. “Lilly’s emotions have rendered her so powerful in the dream; she was able to force rose into a new location and then trapped her there.”
“Isn’t that what Gersius did when her calling came?” Thayle asked.
“It very much is,” Sarah replied. “For thousands of years, dragons have avoided emotion in the dream because of the dangers. Yet Lilly let hers run wild and was able to drag a well-trained dragon around like a pet. Rose was frightened at how easily Lilly was doing it, and she started to lose her composure. I need to find some time to explore the power of emotion and see if I can tap into it more effectively.”
“That may have to wait,” Gersius replied. “We need to meet up with the army and take it west.”
“Why can’t Alayse do that?” Sarah asked.
“Because we have a problem brewing in the north,” Gersius sighed. “Bandersooks have been raiding from the mountains in large numbers. I am ordering Alayse and Jessivel to take their cavalry north to deal with the threat. The army will march west under subcommanders, and we will assume control when we link up.
“Is this the missing northern army?” Sarah asked as she wondered what else might have happened while she was trapped.
“It is hard to say,” Gersius replied. “It seems to be nothing but hoards of bandersooks right now. I suspect the enemy is using them as fodder to clear the dangers from the north. They are likely well in advance of the actual army, so we must make haste.”
“There is never enough time to deal with issues properly,” Sarah complained. “And if we are away, how will we manage Rose?”
“I do not know,” Gersius admitted but explained that they had to deal with the pressing matters first. Rose would have to wait until they had time to deal with her properly. Until then, she would be given human food and all possible comforts to soften her up.
Sarah had to admit it was all they could do, but in the meantime, she wanted to spend more time talking to her. Lilly chimed in that she had planned to visit her with Shadros later, and maybe they could get something more out of her.
When all was said and done, Lilly wanted some time to think, and Gersius wanted to speak with Tavis and Ayawa. He took her with him and headed into the lower palace, where their friends were put up in a suite of bedrooms. Gedris was delighted to see Lilly and the two chattered incessantly about the dragon and the terrible events that had transpired.
Gersius sat down with Tavis and Ayawa to have a serious conversation about Rose. He asked Tavis if there was some way to keep Rose from using weaves to spy on them. Tavis said there was, but it required significant effort and would have to be maintained. He would have to enlist the help of the weaver's college if he wanted to manage that.
“So, what do you plan to do with this dragon?” Ayawa asked when the niceties were over.
“Actually, I was wondering if you might be interested in her,” Gersius said.
“Us, why would we want her?” Ayawa balked with a shake of her head.
“I know you do not care for humans and dragons mingling,” Gersius began. “But Rose will never break her curse unless she is bound to somebody who wants to love her.”
“And what makes you think I want to love her?” Ayawa questioned with a sour tone.
“Ayawa,” Tavis began and met her gaze. “He was just asking us first because we are his friends.”
“I did not mean any insult,” Gersius insisted.
“Why should she be insulted?” Lilly interjected and joined the conversation with Gedris at her side. “She has a dragon for a daughter, so why can’t she have one for a wife?”
“That is a very different thing,” Ayawa remarked. “It took quite a lot of convincing to get Gedris invited to my bed, and I am not seeking another wife. If this dragon were to find a place in our relationship, it would be under very obscure circumstances.”
“You still don’t like the idea of Gersius and I sharing love?” Lilly asked with a twinge of sadness.
“It isn’t that I don’t want you two to love,” Ayawa said as Lilly started to look sad. “I am just afraid of what happened the last time this came about.”
“Well, it's a little late to worry now,” Gedris said. “Lilly has already born him a child. Her egg is hidden away, and one day soon, it will hatch.”
“And this is exactly what it appears the war started over,” Ayawa said.
“Solesta is gone,” Lilly insisted and folded her arms. “There is nobody to rage over a man and dragon reproducing. Balisha is recovering, and soon her love will set the matter straight. I wish you could see that your fears are no longer founded. There is no one to oppose Balisha this time.”
“Is there?” Ayawa asked and stared Lilly down. “And who is our enemy? The very force that has nearly killed Sarah three times. How many times has he almost killed Gersius or you? Now he starts wars around your borders while you scramble to figure out what he wants.”
“We learned something about that,” Lilly said defiantly. “They want to resurrect Solesta.”
Ayawa looked aghast at that proposition, and Gersius let out a tired sigh. That knowledge was only going to convince Ayawa that dragons and humans mingling was a bad idea. Before she could comment, he announced that he only wanted to give them the chance to meet her first and that he would find somebody else to try and break her curse. He excused himself, leaving Lilly with Gedris as the two girls looked at the now pale Ayawa.
“Ayawa, what is the matter?” Gedris asked as she went to her wife.
“If they could resurrect Solesta, they could shatter the world again,” Ayawa replied as she sat down.
“Let’s be honest,” Gedris said as she sat beside her wife. “How can anybody resurrect a dead goddess?”
“I don’t know, but look at all the trouble they have gone through,” Ayawa said. “They obviously believe it is possible, and they are willing to kill hundreds of thousands to do it.” Then, she got up and went out into a small garden leaving the rest of them to wonder what was going on in her mind.
“I want to talk to her,” Lilly insisted, but Tavis held up a hand to stop her.
“You are better off letting her think,” Tavis said. “When she gets this way, she goes to clear her head and then often see’s things more clearly.”
“But Sarah thinks they are wasting their time,” Lilly insisted. “She doesn't believe they could resurrect Solesta without the help of the divine.”
“Just give her some time,” Tavis urged and looked to Gedris. “Maybe we could buy her something to soothe her nerves.”
“If you are referring to alcohol, there isn't enough in the city to get her tipsy,” Gedris laughed.
“Then we had better find her something pretty,” Tavis suggested.
“Why don’t you do that,” Gedris replied and looked to Lilly. “I want to talk to Lilly for a bit.”
Tavis nodded and left them in the room, where Gedris waited a few minutes before beckoning Lilly to follow. Then, they headed out into the palace halls and took a winding route to the outer yards, where they could talk mostly alone.
“I appreciate your suggestion we could love Rose,” Gedris said once they were out walking a garden path.
“You three are our family,” Lilly said. “And we thought you would love her the way she needed to be loved.”
“I am sure I could, and I know Tavis would manage, but I am afraid Ayawa would not be able to adjust,” Gedris replied.
“But why?” Lilly asked as they moved under the shade of a nearby tree.
“It has a lot to do with their history,” Gedris explained. “They once had a culture that put this city and its lands to shame. They had an entire class of priests called shaman who worshiped the earth mother and kept their society balanced with nature. They never overhunted, fished, or farmed the land. They built cities in ideal locations, guided by the whispering of the earth mother herself. They could see the spirits of the earth and tap into a primal power of nature. They were divided into twenty-two sects, each with a special totem animal. Like you, they could change forms, becoming their animal and gaining access to fantastic power.”
“So why can’t they do that now?” Lilly asked.
“The dragon war is why,” Gedris replied. “It so devastated their lands that they lost everything. By the time the war ended, all of their cities were destroyed, and most of their population was dead. Not a single shaman survived to teach the people how to contact the earth mother. They lost their connection to the world and the power it once held. Some of the sects were completely wiped out so that all of their history was lost.”
“So they lost the secret of their power,” Lilly said with a nod. “And now she is afraid the war will happen again, and they will lose even more.”
“Do you blame her?” Gedris asked. “Poor Ayawa has had a hard life that she doesn't like to talk about. I have been married to her all this time, and I still don't know the details. All I know is she was supposed to join a circle of women to become some kind of guiding force. But she had to give up her freedom and her love of Tavis. When she refused, they turned on her and decided she was too wild to hold such an honored position. So they arranged her marriage to Two Crows and tried to force it on her. This drove her to run away, but they were expecting this, and some of the women from the circle were waiting. I haven't gotten her to admit it, but I suspect she killed them.”
“You think so?” Lilly asked in surprise.
“I know that whatever she did to escape branded her a traitor. She ran after Tavis, and together they tried to build a new life, but the tribes sent people after her. Two Crows was supposed to be her husband, but that isn't his real name. There were a pair of women famous in the tribes for being able to hunt and bring down any prey. These women were known as the two crows, and he sent them to bring Ayawa back. He hoped he could save her by marrying her and thus restore her to the tribes, but the two crows found Ayawa and made the mistake of trying to kill Tavis. Ayawa killed them both and left their bodies where they would be found. She also left a message behind that if any more hunters came after her, they would all end up the same way.”
“That's terrible,” Lilly said as she considered Ayawa. To Lilly, Ayawa was a stern but kind woman who was also a loyal friend of Gersius. She also went out of the way to make Lilly's marriage special by giving her a crown and standing in as her mother. Lilly considered her family, and that meant Lilly wanted to help.
“I can see the pain in your aura,” Gedris said as she took one of Lilly's hands. “You love Ayawa, don't you?”
“I consider her family,” Lilly admitted. “She is my wed mother, and that means a lot to me. It is hard to explain how much I have come to desire a family. We dragons do not form family units like you humans do, and we never share a home. But now that I understand love, I crave having a family with every ounce of my solus. It is all I think about and why I hoped you could help Rose.”
Gedris nodded and then explained how Ayawa was a lot like Gersius. She had a strong desire to raise a family and teach her daughters the ways of the tribes. Gedris was kept so close because Ayawa was treating her like a daughter, but eventually, she realized she wanted a wife.
“The problem was that the hunters didn't stop coming, and they couldn't settle anywhere,” Gedris said. “They started working for Gersius mostly because he was constantly out on some mission. This kept them moving and helped them hide from the people pursuing them. It has taken a terrible toll on Ayawa, she desperately wants children, but like Gersius, she is forever looking for a safe place to raise them.”
“How sad,” Lilly said as she considered her poor mother's plight. Ayawa was deeply rooted in her people's culture despite fleeing it. She just wanted to start over and have a family, but like Gersius, circumstances were always getting in the way.
“I wish we could help you with Rose,” Gedris said. “Maybe if you talked to Ayawa latter, you could get her to think on it again.”
“I will try,” Lilly agreed and looked at Gedris to see a soft pink tinting her aura. “Do you mind if I ask you why you have a pink light to your aura?”
“Not at all,” Gedris replied with a wide smile. “I’m pregnant.”
Lilly's eyes lit up as Gedris smiled and rubbed her stomach. She explained it was early days, but she knew the signs, and Lilly seeing the pink only confirmed it. She hadn't told Ayawa or Tavis yet, fearing they would be upset with the timing, but she would make the announcement soon.
“I think it’s wonderful,” Lilly said. “Our family is growing.”
“We are family,” Gedris agreed. “And I can’t wait for you to see our baby.”
They parted with a hug, and Lilly's heart was filled with hope for the future. She was so excited by the news she sought out Thayle, who was oddly in a back room with Sarah. When she opened the door, she found Thayle sitting on a chair as Sarah held a hand to her stomach.
“Is something wrong?” Lilly asked in alarm.
“I’m fine!” Thayle cried as she winced in pain.
“You are not fine,” Sarah snapped. “These stomach pains are getting worse. Perhaps we should have the priests of Vellis use their seal to try and counter it.”
“The pain only lasts a minute,” Thayle insisted and rubbed at her stomach. “It is already going away.”
“I can see the distress in your aura,” Sarah insisted. “You flare up with purples and reds when these pain spikes come.”
“I don’t like these either,” Lilly said as she shut the door and rushed to Thayle’s side. “Please let the priests of Vellis look at you.”
“Lilly, they have already looked at me,” Thayle replied. “This isn't like Sarah, where they could detect lingering magic. They tell me I am perfectly normal and full of life.”
“Well, something is the matter,” Sarah said in aggravation. “I worry that this is another attack of our enemy.”
“And how are they attacking me?” Thayle asked.
“Maybe it's some kind of poison?” Lilly suggested.
“I haven’t eaten anything in two days,” Thayle pointed out. “And besides, I can cure poisons, remember?”
Lilly nodded but rubbed Thayle's hand nervously anyway. She was so startled by the scene that she almost forgot to tell them the news. When she explained that Gedris was pregnant, Thayle was delighted, but Sarah was quick to condemn it.
“Why would you say it was foolish?” Thayle asked.
“Because we are marching to war,” Sarah pointed out. “A pregnant human is a burden on all around her. I have seen how you get near the end. Some of you can barely manage.”
“Most women can manage just fine,” Thayle quipped. “And besides, Ayawa desperately wants children.”
“How did you know that?” Lilly asked in surprise as she hadn’t shared that detail.
“I have dealt with a lot of women,” Thayle groaned and stood up. “I know the lies we tell ourselves and the games we play when we don't want to admit the truth. I have spoken to her at length before, and it is clear she wants a family.”
“Gedris says she is like Gersius,” Lilly agreed. “She wants to settle and raise a family but is afraid to because of how dangerous it is.”
“Then she shouldn’t have allowed her second wife to breed,” Sarah remarked.
“Oh, will you try being happy for them,” Thayle insisted. “What if I wanted to get pregnant?”
“I would tell you no,” Sarah replied sternly. “Now, as we prepare to march to a bloody war, is not the time to bring a child into the world.”
“It's too bad she can't lay an egg,” Lilly said. “Then she could have it now, and it wouldn't hatch for a year.”
“Your egg is bad enough,” Sarah quipped. “I worry about that child night and day.”
“Balisha sent me a vision to show me it would be safe in my cave,” Lilly argued. “And before you bring up that it is half-human, Balisha said it would take the same time to grow as a dragon.”
“So, does that mean the child is a dragon?” Thayle asked.
“Balisha didn't say,” Lilly replied and looked at Sarah. “Also, Gersius asked Tavis and Ayawa if they would be interested in trying to love Rose, but Ayawa was against it.”
“I am certain she was,” Sarah replied. “That woman has never approved of our relationship with Gersius.”
“Her people suffered terribly in the first dragon war,” Lilly countered. “You can’t blame her for being worried.”
“Child, I don't blame her,” Sarah replied and came to take a hand from each of her wives. “I saw the world before it fell, and I know that all people suffered greatly. But her culture has held on to that pain, keeping it alive for thousands of years. They now identify themselves by what they have lost, not what they can do. If she would only let go of some of that pain, perhaps she could finally begin to heal.”
“That was surprisingly insightful,” Thayle said with a proud smile. “You really are wise.”
“I am tired,” Sarah replied. “The way I see it, this war has never truly ended. So long as Solesta's curse poisons the hearts of dragons, we are still fighting it. I spent too long hidden away in that temple, and now all I want is a future with our family. I want to see the world healed and some of the wonders recreated. My hope is that dragons will come to appreciate humans as I have, and with the bloodshed over, our race might grow again.”
Lilly wanted that too, and she pulled her two wives into a hug, eager to share their love. She longed for the day she could lay in bed with her loved ones while the children played in the valley. It was a dream she held dear to her heart, but until the war ended, it was only a dream.
Comments
Thank you for pointing that out. I am not sure how I managed that.
well, I fixed it
Sam4005
But this chapter is not 14 its 20 again :p
