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DKP 8-20 A flower to forget me
🕑 Added 2022-07-22 16:45:35 +0000 UTCSarah and Rose went into the house, leaving the three to discuss their concerns in private. Gersius looked at Lilly and Thayle with a sense of worry as he began to have doubts.
“I am very concerned about what we are doing,” Gersius said to Thayle and Lilly. “I thought this would help, but I don't like the complete change in her demeanor.”
“You mean how she is suddenly so compliant and interested in human things,” Thayle agreed with a nod. “It is odd how blocking Solesta's curse has dramatically affected her entire personality.”
“So what if it has?” Lilly asked. “Isn’t that what we wanted?”
“We wanted to try and reach her slowly so she could adapt to the change,” Gersius replied. “This feels much too fast like we have manipulated her. I can't believe the curse has that much of an effect on a dragon's reasoning.”
“Why would it surprise you?” Lilly asked, “You saw how I was. I begged you to kill me instead of binding me. I was too proud to accept a human's help until I was at the very edge of dying.”
“You were traumatized and in no state to be rational,” Gersius replied. “But Rose was committed to denying our lifestyle until we blocked Solesta's curse, and now she is almost a completely different person. I feel we have wronged her in some way.”
“And you don't think Rose is traumatized?” Lilly asked. “She is defeated by her enemies before being dragged into captivity, where she comes face to face with her mother. Now her entire worldview is being challenged, forcing her to consider the possibility that she is wrong.”
“I still worry what we are doing is wrong,” Gersius said.
“What we are doing is allowing her a chance to see things clearly,” Thayle countered. “And the curse isn't gone; it's just blocked. She will be right back where she started when she wakes up.”
“Gersius,” Lilly began. “You never once tried to force your will on me, so I understand that in some small way you feel we have forced it on rose. The truth is exactly the opposite. Solesta has forced her will on Rose, we have simply removed that will.”
Gersius still wasn’t sure any of this was a good idea after seeing how drastically she changed. He began to worry that the shock of the curse returning might inflame her hatred for them.
“It might,” Lilly said out loud as she read his thoughts. “Which is why we need to take advantage of the time we have. For Rose's sake, we need to find a way into her heart while the door is open.”
Sarah wasn't listening to their thoughts as she manipulated the dream creating a stone-floored room with a sunken copper tub. She added simple wooden furniture to the room, complete with a bucket of smooth granite stones to enchant. She willed soapy water in the tub and then began to bless the stones as she added them to the water. Rose asked a few questions as Sarah described the room and how the stones were meant to heat the water.
“I remember the first time Thayle tempted me into a bath,” Sarah laughed. “I didn't understand why it was necessary to soak in the water, but I soon learned there was more to it.”
“And now you do this freely?” Rose questioned as she looked at the soapy pool.
“A warm bath is something to look forward to,” Sarah replied. “It is one of those experiences that changes you a little. Humans have built a whole way of life where treasured moments and new experiences abound.”
“I still don’t understand why you would want to share in these things?” Rose insisted. “Our lives were already complete.”
“Empty,” Sarah corrected as she added the final stone. “Our lives are empty of purpose unless you wish to say our purpose is to eat and sleep. Even these simple tasks have been given a great deal of attention and meaning in human civilization. Look at how much effort is put into their food and the room set aside to sleep in. Now come here, and let’s get that dress off.”
Rose fussed at the idea that they insisted she wear a dress and immediately wanted her to take it off. Sarah had to explain how one took a bath naked and then, to prove her point got undressed first. She entered the tub, sighing as she sank into the water, beginning to steam with heat.
“Now this is an experience every woman should know at least once in her life,” Sarah said and locked gazes with Rose. “Come child. It is perfectly safe to enter the water.”
Rose finally followed her, slipping into the water as her eyes widened. She sat on the bench across from Sarah and let out a low moan. Sarah could see she was amazed by how much she could feel in this human body. The steamy heat of the tub sinking into her body as she relaxed.
“This feels good,” Rose admitted as she sank to her shoulders. “I didn’t believe you.”
“Of course, you didn't,” Sarah replied. “Like so many things, you must experience it to truly understand. This idea is a cornerstone of how humans view the world. You have to experience it to get the most out of it, and in their short lives, they experience so many things we have words for.”
“But why do you even care?” Rose asked. “What drove you to look this closely at them to even notice these things?”
Sarah looked across the water at her daughter as she felt a pang of hope. Rose being free of the curse had made her inquisitive and open to discussion. It was a huge change from the dragon that kept denouncing their beliefs as a corruption of the dragon's way of life.
“A big reason is I am free of the curse,” Sarah replied. “And I spent a great deal of time talking to your father, who was not only free of the curse himself but had a relationship with a human before the fall. His constant assurance that I didn't understand how much I was missing made me curious.” Sarah paused and looked away as she reflected on her mindset in those final days before they left the temple. She was a very different person even that short time ago, and it was difficult to appreciate the change. “I suppose the biggest reason why I embraced this life was Lilly,” she said at last. “I saw something in her I had never seen in a dragon before.”
“What was that?” Rose asked as she listened intently.
“She was happy to be alive,” Sarah said as she looked back at her daughter. “And I realized that we dragons do not feel the same. We exist, be we don’t care to be happy or unhappy. We simply are what we are, going on endlessly as we always have, never daring to believe there could be something more.”
“So Lilly made you feel like you weren’t happy?” Rose asked as she looked to the water.
“Lilly showed me I wasn't happy,” Sarah replied. “She made me aware that I had no idea what happiness was, and seeing hers was like a dagger in my heart. I couldn't go on not knowing what made that creature so different and alive. When I started digging to find out, I learned her relationship with Gersius and Thayle was causing it. Not only did she love them, but through them, she was learning about the human experience. She was in love with how they embraced life and wanted to learn about all of it.”
Rose put a hand to her head as she tried to make sense of what she was hearing. Sarah could see the conflict in the woman's aura as it twisted in a rainbow of colors. Rose was close to having a revelation, but it was still just beyond her reach.
“Tell me something,” Sarah said as she watched her daughter intently. “Are you happy?”
“Why would you care to know that?” Rose replied as she looked up.
“It's an honest question,” Sarah countered. “But I am willing to bet you don't even know what happiness is. You will say it is laying on your hoard with a full stomach looking forward to passing thirty years away in blissful sleep, but that isn't happiness. It's what we dragons do to avoid acknowledging how unhappy we are. We hide behind the excuse that this is how it's always been and how it should continue. We are dragons, and as such, all we need is our hoard. We don't even need each other, and if not for the dream where we met to discuss minor things, we would hardly meet at all.”
“But, I meet with other dragons,” Rose insisted. “We gather to plan our war against you.”
“And why do you wage war against us?” Sarah asked.
“Because you want to restore Balisha,” Rose replied.
“Yes, we want to restore Balisha because she gives us the freedom to choose,” Sarah pointed out as Rose started to look angry.
“To choose what?” the woman said in a sour voice as red filled her aura.
“To be happy,” Sarah said and then took a deep breath. “I am going to leave you to soak for a bit. When you tire of being in the water, there are towels on the wall to dry off. Please put your dress back on before leaving the room. In human society, it is considered undignified for a woman to walk about naked where others might see her.”
Sarah then stepped out of the tub and used a towel to dry herself off before simply willing her dress back on. She quietly stepped out of the room, leaving rose to ponder what was said. She felt her words had made an impact, but the colors of anger were beginning to flare, and she didn't want to push her luck. She rejoined the others on the patio and told them about everything that had transpired.
“She sounds like she is learning,” Thayle said to be encouraging.
“But will that matter when the curse returns?” Lilly asked.
“None of us can say for sure,” Gersius replied and reached over to take Sarah’s hand. “But I believe you are beginning to reach her.”
“She is so committed to living her life as a dragon would,” Sarah said and looked to the sky. “She is talking but struggling to accept the human concepts of life.”
“Of course, she is,” Lilly said. “So many of them have to be experienced to understand them.”
“I know, and I did my best to explain that to her,” Sarah replied.
“She's talking and asking questions,” Gersius said. “But I am troubled by how much she changed when we blocked the curse.”
“We were all worrying that when the curse returns, she might feel we have manipulated her,” Thayle added.
“I don’t think she will,” Lilly cut in. “She was very nice to me in the cave, and I told her we had prayed to block it.”
Sarah looked at Lilly in shock and asked her to explain what possessed her to tell Rose they were blocking her curse. Lilly defended her choice to be honest with the woman who was confused by her sudden feelings. She also pointed out that Rose had been so compliant that she wasn't even troubled by the egg.
“I forgot the egg is in the cave,” Gersius said and looked at Sarah. “Your daughter knows a human and dragon have reproduced.”
“She said nothing,” Sarah replied as she considered the implications. “I wish I could know what was going on in that mind.”
“If she is like me, she is struggling to understand why she wants to learn more but feels like she shouldn't,” Lilly said. “My dragon nature is very strong, and I still hear it calling at me to turn away from human things.”
“That’s the curse,” Sarah sighed. “And I hear it too, but the binding is so overpowering. It drowns out the voice so I can keep growing.”
“She will keep growing,” Thayle insisted. “Her curse is lifted, and a very inquisitive and intelligent woman has come to the surface.”
“But we have one final day,” Gersius pointed out. “Our time with her grows short, and soon she will be under the curse again. She somehow has to understand that she needs to stay with us and seek a human to bind with if this has any hope of being successful.”
“I honestly don't see her coming to that conclusion,” Sarah said as she looked into his eyes. “And we can't suggest the idea too freely as she will see that as a trap. She needs months to come to desire it herself, and we simply don't have the time.” She looked away as tears began to well in her eyes until Lilly came to her side and knelt.
“Sarah, don’t be upset,” Lilly insisted. “You are forgetting the most important factor at play.”
“What?” Sarah replied as she whipped her eyes.
“Love,” Lilly whispered. “The magic of love can work miracles and shatter chains. Our love is surrounding Rose, and two days is more than enough to cause a change. Don't be sad, be happy because even if the curse comes back, she will be haunted by what she learned here. Sooner or later, she will have to face the truth, and when she does, she will need her mother.”
“You sweet, beautiful creature,” Sarah cried, holding her arms out so Lilly could enter them. Lilly happily jumped into the embrace and held Sarah as the two women glowed with love over the binding.
“When did Lilly become the avatar of love and compassion?” Thayle asked as she looked at Gersius.
“Lilly had all her dragon barriers stripped away when she was left for dead in her valley by one of her kind,” Gerisus replied. “She was reborn into the world of humans, and now that great strength knows only how to love.”
“I love you so much,” Sarah sobbed as she clutched the blue-haired woman to her chest. “Thank you for showing me I wasn't happy.”
“I knew the moment I saw you that you were destined to be my wife,” Lilly replied. “I didn't know how it would happen, but I knew I needed to love you. I couldn't bear the thought of you spending another day as a dragon. I wanted you to have all the love I did so you could be happy too.”
Sarah buried her face in Lilly's hair as she cried in happiness and pain. Her fears that Rose would never know these feelings haunted her heart and stirred emotions she had never had before. Thayle and Gersius were at her side as she tried to work through the doubt, the hope, and the fear. She was surrounded by their love, unaware that Rose was watching from the window. None of them understood the impact their honest conversation was having, or how Rose began to question herself. She turned from the window and went to the bed to think, trying to understand why she felt lonely.
An hour later, Sarah was back in the kitchen cooking what she considered to be a traditional human breakfast. Gersius tried to tell her that most humans ate a very simple meal, but Sarah wasn't about to settle for simple. She had eggs cooking with pepper and a mountain of mushrooms simmering in some of the beer. Tomatoes and other vegetables were cooking down in some cream while a type of bread called a biscuit steamed from the plate at the side. There was an entire tray of sausages and two small wheels of cheese. Four jars of jam and one of honey were already set on the table, with spoons to scoop the delicious contents out. When she had it all ready, she sent Lilly and Thayle to find Rose and bring her to Breakfast.
Rose sat at the end of the table while Gersius sat opposite her. Lilly was full of her usual happiness as she described all the wonderful flavors Rose was about to experience. Rose was encouraged to sample everything and eat as much as she wanted. This was dominated by the sausages which she loved and devoured with a terrible hunger.She demanded to know what animal this was and how they had made it so different.
Sarah explained how humans ground the meat and added what they called seasonings to give it flavor. She then extolled the cooking processes, going into great detail about how it enhances the flavor. Of course, eating meat raw was something a dragon could do, but every meat could be made better by cooking it over a flame.
Lilly showed her how to spread jam on the biscuits, and after she tried one, she was hooked. She sampled the flavors, eating almost a dozen of bread herself. Lilly and Thayle devoured the mushroom and vegetables, commenting on how well Sarah had seasoned them. What went particularly well was when Rose tried the eggs, refusing to believe that's what they were.
“This is not an egg,” Rose insisted.
“It is the contents of an egg,” Sarah corrected. “You crack the shell and pour it into a hot pan.”
Rose wouldn't accept that answer until Sarah took a raw egg and cooked one before her very eyes. Then, she slid the cooked egg off her pan onto Rose's plate and dared the woman to deny it any longer.
It was all going well until Rose looked up and stared at Gersius.
“What are you doing?” she asked in genuine interest.
Gersius was in the middle of a grand construction. He had split a biscuit and added a bit of cheese to the bottom. On top of this, he put a chopped sausage, an egg, and some tomatoes and mushrooms. Finally, he put the top of the biscuit back on and held it up, saying he wanted to combine the flavors.
“That looks delicious,” Lilly said as she eyed the construction of food.
“Why is it our husband keeps displaying hidden culinary talents?” Sarah quipped.
“I am just eating my breakfast,” Gersius insisted as he looked around the table of glaring women. “Soldiers often do this to consume a quick simple meal.”
“And you never thought to share this experience with us?” Thayle asked.
“I was not trying to keep something from you,” he countered. “I was simply reliving a memory from long ago. If it means that much to you, why don't I make one for each of you,” he said, causing all four of them to smile.
He prepared four more, then passed the plate around so each woman could take one. He then demonstrated how he had intended to hold in his hands and eat it like any other bread. Around the table, the women copied his motions, each taking a bite of the wondrous construction. A chorus of hums filled the air as the women savored the new creation's flavor; before long, he found himself making them each another.
It was as if they were a family, sharing in a moment that would one day be a treasured memory. Sarah kept glancing at Rose, who was more interested in her food than anything else. She and Lilly had spoken like friends when Lilly encouraged her to try all the flavors. Now the meal was winding down, and Sarah felt so grateful to have had this brief moment where she had a proper daughter.
Afterward, Lilly suggested they go for a walk and circle the valley. Sarah held Gersius's hand as the girls walked just ahead, telling Rose stories about some of their sillier adventures. The event became even more magical when Lilly and Thayle held hands to sing. Rose was given a new experience as the two lifted their voices together, singing a beautiful song about love. Thayle and some of the women of Ulustrah had been teaching Lilly how to sing. Now that effort shined as Lilly's silver voice filled the valley. Rose didn’t say a word but her aura betrayed what she was feeling. It was full of curiosity and a touch of doubt, but what most stood out was the calm that was appearing. Slowly the dragons aura was starting to show she was relaxed, perhaps even enjoying herself.
It took them several hours to reach the lone tree growing in the corner, and Sarah suggested they stop. She willed a blanket and basket of sweet treats to appear and announced they were having a picnic. Under the branches of the unusual tree, they sat and talked like a family. Rose was introduced to cakes, tarts, and sweet bread as they sat together and feasted.
Lilly then asked Rose if she would fly with her, and Gersius turned his back so they could change. The blue and red dragon took to the air, soaring above the valley as the rest watched from below. Sarah had a continual stream of tears in her eyes as she watched the two dragons fly while wishing this moment would go on forever.
“This is going well,” Thayle said as she hugged Sarah.
“It is, but this is only the dream, and soon it will end,” Sarah replied.
“Lilly is right. Even if the curse comes back, she will remember this moment, and it will conflict with what she feels,” Gersius said as he sat beside them and watched the dragons flying in circles. “She may come to the point where she needs answers and will seek you out again.”
“I don’t want her to seek me out again,” Sarah said and wiped her eyes. “I want her to stay at my side.”
“We all do,” Thayle urged and rubbed her back. “Lilly and I were hoping she could be our first daughter.”
“So was I,” Gersius admitted as Sarah looked at him intently.
“You were?” she asked with a trembling lip.
“I know she is not of my blood, but she is of yours, and you are a part of my heart,” Gersius explained. “I deeply hope I will be able to call her my daughter and have her smile to hear it.”
“She will one day,” Thayle said as they all looked up. “Now that she has met Lilly, she will never be able to live as a dragon again.”
Sarah saw a ray of hope from that point of view. Lilly was a fountain of love, and she treated Rose like a member of the family. Maybe she could plant such doubt in the woman’s mind that she would be unable to deny the truth. It might even be enough for her to want to say and try to learn more.
Eventually, the two dragons came down and stayed in their dragon form while Rose described her mountain home. It was a cave hidden in a frozen crevice high in the peaks where she had dug a long twisting tunnel to a lower chamber. She spoke of flying over these peaks as if she longed to see them again. It was the first time she displayed any emotion but anger when she spoke about herself. Her home was far to the west wherean unusual number of dragons laired.
Lilly got them to finish the walk, and once they were back at the house, Rose changed forms. Lilly and Thayle convinced her to let them push her on the swing then laughed as she clung to the ropes like she might fall off.The dragon woman seemed to be enjoying herself, and Sarah caught a smile as she swung with the others.
That night Sarah made another feast, introducing Rose to as much human food as she could manage. She laid out roast chicken, a thick stew, and sliced bread flavored with garlic and herbs. There was a pudding and another meat pie, followed by a tart made from layered fruits.
Rose ate and ate, enjoying the flavors as everyone spoke as if this was how it had always been. Rose was their daughter, and she was welcome in their home as part of the family. Eventually, they parted so Sarah and Rose could walk in the front garden where they would be alone.
“The time is almost up,” Sarah said as they crossed a hill.
“I am aware,” Rose said as she looked away from her mother.
“I know you don't need to hear me say this, but I want you to stay,” Sarah said. “We will honor our promise and let you go, but please consider staying a little longer.”
Rose was silent as she glanced Sarah's way. She looked down as torment filled her aura. Once again, Sarah wished she could know what the dragon was thinking, but she said nothing.
“I am going to miss you,” Sarah said.
“Why?” Rose asked as she finally looked her way.
“Because I love you,” Sarah said and smiled. “You are my daughter, and that makes you precious to me.”
“I am the daughter of every dragon your age,” Rose said. “But I have come to see you value this human idea of family, and in that respect, I am your daughter directly.”
“So you have learned something,” Sarah said with an approving nod. “I just wish I had more time to show you more.”
“I have learned a great deal,” Rose said and looked around the valley. “But I don’t have any time to give you.”
“Rose, Sarah began and turned to face her. “I meant what I said to you. If you truly hate me, I will not defend myself.” Sarah waited to see her daughter's reaction as she was reminded of her mother's promise. She could kill Sarah and achieve a great victory for her master. Sarah saw the flashing over the dragon's head as she tried to make a terrible decision.
“I don't wish to talk about that,” Rose said.
“Child, Lilly told us that you know,” Sarah explained. “We all know you are aware that Solesta's will is being blocked, and it has made you so much like the daughter I know you to be. But when we return, you will awaken to that mindset again, and then you will have to look upon me. I don't blame you for hating me, but in the moment before you strike me down, try to remember I only did this because I love you.”
“Mother,” Rose began and then turned away.
“Rose,” Sarah said as she reached out a hand but was too afraid to touch her.
“Why do I feel so conflicted inside?” Rose asked as she looked up again. “Why do I feel things I have never felt before?”
“Because you are free to feel the emotions you were meant to know,” Sarah replied. “I am sorry, but soon they will be gone.”
Rose took a deep breath and turned away.
“Will you do something for me?” Rose asked as she dared not look at Sarah.
“What can I do for you, my daughter?” Sarah said.
“Don't be there,” Rose replied. “When they set me free, be far away. Don't keep your promise.” She walked off as Sarah went to follow but called back. “I need to be alone. Please, no more until I wake up.”
Sarah had to wipe her eyes as she watched her daughter go, knowing that this was likely the last conversation they would have. She made her way back to the house where the others were waiting at the door, having felt her pain over the bind. She told them of Rose's final words, and Gersius sadly explained that they had less than an hour remaining.
Sarah wanted to run after rose and use every last moment to try and reach her daughter, but she knew there was nothing more to say. When the time finally drew near, she pulledthem out of the dream and returned them to their proper place. Sarah was too nervous to face her daughter, so Lilly and Thayle comforted her while Gersius went to uphold his promise.
Gersius went with twenty soldiers to thelower dungeons and down the hall to the cell at the far end. There he found a woman seething with anger as she accused him of lying.
“You have no intention of releasing me,” she snarled.
“On the contrary,” Gersius replied and held up a key. “You are free to go, provided you go and not try to cause harm. If you cause me to regret opening that cell, I will lock you back in it for a hundred years.”
He unlocked the door and led her out, taking her through the palace surrounded by her escort. They eventually arrived on the terrace set aside for dragons to change form and fly from. It was late at night with a sky full of clouds and a chill wind blowing from the north. Lilly and Thayle stood beside the wall watching with hope in their hearts as Rose was led to the center.
“I have done as I promised,” Gersius said and stepped back. “What happens now is up to you.”
“Is that why you have all gathered here?” she asked in a superior tone. “You think you have fulfilled all your promises, but where is my mother? She has one promise left to keep,” Rose snarled as she looked around at the thirty additional guards that lined the garden ring along the walls.
“I am here,” a voice called as Sarah stepped out of the doorway wearing a simple silver gown. The two locked eyes as a silent threat was exchanged as Roses's aura filled with anger.
“I can’t believe how foolish you are,” Rose laughed.
“Take your dragon form,” Sarah commanded. “Let us be done with this painful moment.”
A black mist began to crawl over the woman's body before she was engulfed in a massive ball of swirling night. They heard clothes tearing as she changed forms, eventually stepping out of the smoke to stalk her mother.
“You intend to honor your promise to me?” Rose laughed as her eyes narrowed on Sarah.
“I will not run from you,” Sarah replied. “So make your choice. You are welcome to stay or claim your trophy and fly back to your master.”
“What is she talking about?” Lilly asked as Gersius started to worry. The three watched as Rose lowered her head, baring her teeth, while Sarah made no effort to move away. Gersius realized that Sarah was going to die for her daughter and was second away from ordering the guards to strike the dragon down. He hand began to move to give the order but then a voice rang out, as everyone fell silent.
“Rose!” Lilly called, causing the dragon to look her way.
“That isn't my name!” she roared, but Lilly stepped forward unafraid.
“I will miss you,” Lilly said with a weak smile. “Please come back, but if you don't, I promise we will tell our daughter about her beautiful sister.”
There was a strange expression on the dragon's face as her aura filled with conflict. She looked back at Sarah, who was standing defiantly but had tears falling from her eyes.
“Make your choice,” Sarah insisted as she trembled before her daughter.
Rose flared her nostrils, but at the last moment, she looked away. Slowly she reached a scaled hand to the garden wall and plucked something unseen. Sarah felt her heart break as her daughter held out a single rose to give to her.
“Take it,” Rose said and dropped it into Sarah’s hands.
“Rose?” Sarah called.
“Now, forget about me,” Rose said as she flared her wings.
“Rose, please don’t go!” Sarah cried as the dragon leaped into the air and beat her wings.
“Goodbye, mother,” Rose called as she lifted away. “I will never forget what you showed me.” She turned and headed for the sky, flying off until the clouds concealed her form.
Sarah crumpled to her hands as the dragon flew into the night sky, heading west away from the city. She clutched the single flower to her chest, crying profusely as her tears wet the petals. Gersius picked her up and carried her away as a pall settled over the whole assembly. They had done their best to tame a savage beast, but the curse could not be broken, and Sarah was yet again wounded to the core.
Comments
odd, I thought I replied to this. It made me sad to write.
Sam4005
Gj, now im sad before going to work lol
