Omnixius
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DKP 6-12 Awake and alone
🕑 Added 2021-01-09 18:28:57 +0000 UTCGersius spoke in detail with Thayle and Lilly as they reported on their findings. He was grateful that both the second company and Jessivel were still alive but more than a little disturbed by the battle's account. Lilly was insistent that neither weapons nor blessing had anything to do with the dragon's death but could offer no reasonable explanation.
The account of the dark clouds overhead and the massive shape seen in a flash of lightning left more questions than answers. He wondered if perhaps it was stress or battle fatigue, but then those involved were seasoned soldiers, and a dragon had died for flying into that darkness. The most alarming facet of it all was the mention of snow. He called Mingfe to their discussion to ask her again about the sudden frost before Sarah and Numidel were suddenly injured. She repeated the description that the ground suddenly frosted over as the temperature plummeted so cold her breath became visible. Even now, he looked to the ground to see grass dying from the sudden flash freeze, a reminder that something very strange had happened here.
Lilly wanted to stay and snuggle with Sarah, but Thayle insisted on returning to ensure the second company arrived. He had no choice but to agree and gave them both a firm hug and promise that Sarah would be awake when they returned. With hesitant hearts, they took to the sky, waving before flying off to lead Alayse back. He watched them go with a new burden on his shoulders and a fear of the unknown. Something new and dangerous was out there, and he hated not knowing what.
“Do you think these incidents are related?” Mingfe asked, her dark eyes registering the same concern.
“Something we didn't anticipate is happening,” Gersius replied. “But we know too little about it. I would like to prepare to deal with this possible challenge, but I do not have the information I need.”
Mingfe looked to the sleeping dragons with a deep frown. “They will have your answers, or at least know more. Then you can prepare.”
“Have you spoken to Shadros about it?” he asked with a glance to the sky.
“Only briefly. He has no idea what could have happened. He is unaware of what they did in the dream or how it could have caused them harm. He is also upset that something managed to cripple two mighty dragons. He wishes us to turn back and flee to the east.”
Gersius didn’t like the idea that this new threat made dragons afraid. Regardless, he would push forward, take the city and then unite the empire against the Doan.
“All that matters now is that we move on with the mission,” he said, putting the concern away. He turned about to see the approach of a man who looked tired. His eyes were baggy, his hair roughly brushed back, and deep creases framed the frown on his face. High Priest Legwin had seen better days, but the march to replace the fallen father was wearing him down.
“I saw your wives fly off,” he said in a voice that carried worry. “Is there any news?”
Gersius hated to see the toll this terrible conflict was taking on him. Lengwin was meant to replace the Father Abbot as head of the order and restore the fallen faith. However, as the crimes mounted, so did the chore of restoration. Many now doubted the order of Astikar would ever be seen as a just and honorable faith again. Those words stung the man deeply, adding to the pain he carried in his heart. Years appeared on his face as deep lines as the strain squeezed him.
“The missing soldiers have been found,” Gersius said with a solemn tone in his voice. “But so too was a slain dragon, and reports of something lurking in the skies strong enough to kill it.”
“What does that mean?” Lengwin asked, his eyes searching for some guidance.
“It means nothing,” Gersius replied, trying to sound confident. “It doesn't affect us or our plans to march on Calathen.”
Lengwin's demeanor changed, his tired eyes looking to the dragon in the background as he let out a deep sigh.
“Her condition has affected the camp,” he said. “Many of my priesthood are being asked if this is a sign from the divines that we are in the wrong.”
“How could any of them think such a thing?” Gersius asked, truly perplexed how such a thought could have occurred.
Lengwin put a hand up to suggest calm and went on to explain the concern. “They are both powerful members of the faith of Astikar, and Sarah is his champion. They went into this dream to use some ancient magic to call the enemy and were thrown back out nearly dead. This has been taken by many to mean Astikar was not with them, and maybe is the one who punished them.”
“I can assure you they are wrong,” Gersius replied, with a bit of anger to his words.
“The high priest is only being honest with you,” Mingfe said in a calming tone. “Of course, there is concern when the two great champions of their faith are thrown down, beaten, and broken.”
Gersius ran a hand through his hair as he nodded in agreement. “I am sorry. I understand their concerns. All I ask is they remain strong until Sarah and Numidel can tell us what happened. Then we will know for sure what the danger is.”
“Do you have any idea what the strange cold was?” Lengwin asked. “Many are saying it is some sign from the divine that killing their brothers has angered the god.”
Gersius knew this war would be hard on their morale, especially for the men of Astikar who were now killing their misguided brothers. The battle at the river stirred up new concerns that men were dying needlessly, but what choice did he have?
“We do not know what caused the cold,” he replied. “But there was a second instance of cold with the missing company of Ulustrah.” Lengwin looked lost and tired as he turned back to Gersius and Mingfe. He asked what Gersius meant, so he went on to explain the strange death of the dragon and how it began to snow just after the dragon fell from the sky.
Lengwin paced the hill, looking at Sarah as he muttered to himself. “Didn’t you say her injuries looked as if she had fallen from a great height?”
Mingfe nodded. “There were no cuts or punctures. All of her injuries were as if she had fallen.”
Lengwin nodded again and waved a finger in the air as he tried to articulate a point. “And this dragon they found had similar injuries.”
“As far as Lilly could tell, yes,” Gersius replied, understanding where Lengwin was going with his thoughts.
“Could this dragon have been in the dream as well?” Lengwin asked.
“Thayle said that Alayse reported the dragon was attacking her forces. I do not know much about the dream, but I do know one must be asleep or deep in meditation to enter it,” he replied to assure Lengwin this could not have been the case.
Lengwin took a deep breath and straightened up as his eyes came to focus on Gersius.
“I would like you to keep this dragon's death and the strange instance of snow following it a secret for as long as you can. I would also like it if you didn't mention the strange sight in the clouds. I worry it will be interpreted as another sign from the divines.”
“It very well might have been one,” Mingfe argued. “One that they are on our side.”
“What do you mean?” Gersius asked, puzzled by the answer.
“We all know the divines stand behind you,” Mingfe replied. “But the rank and file are not privy to the details of your encounters with the divine or the nature of your binding. They instead look to outward signs to judge the mood of the divine. This is why Sarah's condition and this strange frost is so important to them. This other dragon's death could easily be seen as a divine coming to our rescue and slaying the dragon to save the second company.”
“It could be, but it won't explain why the two dragons of Astikar are in such a state,” Lengwin countered. “Until we know more, I would prefer not to have the men more rattled than is necessary.”
“Of course,” Gersius agreed. “But once the second company arrives, it will be impossible to keep the secret.”
Lengwin looked back to Sarah with an almost pleading expression. “Let's hope she wakes up before then and can put these fears to rest. A man who questions his steps does not march with conviction.”
“A man who lacks conviction also lacks the will to win,” Gersius added, fully understanding what Lengwin was getting at. It was an old saying from the order, but one that was very accurate. In war, a man who has doubts will break easily in battle.
“You should speak to some of the others,” Lengwin added. “Your friends have been complaining you are distant of late.”
Gersius nodded in agreement to that as well. Ayawa rounded up a list of his closest friends and trusted allies, but he had found little time to confer with them. When the march wasn't dominating his attention, he was busy with the details of managing the camp, planning their objectives, or loving his wives. He knew they were present in the camp but thus far had said little more than a few passing comments as he rushed from one duty to another.
“At least the knowledge that the missing company is found will settle some hearts,” Lengwin said before turning away. “I pray Astikar gives Sarah and Numidel his blessing and guides them back to the light of the world.”
Gersius watched as Lengwin walked away, the burden on his shoulders even heavier. He wished there was some better news to give him, but the truth was all he had. At least the road immediately ahead had some promise for a bloodless passage. This land was ruled by a man who was a close friend of his fathers. Surely he would not raise a sword against his friend's son?
He spoke with Mingfe for nearly an hour before she returned to her duties. When Thayle was away, the company commanders were in charge, and Mingfe was now the leader of the third. Chiune was in charge of the first, and Alayse the second. However, the sheer number of women they had now prompted a change in the order. The first and third companies were now much larger than normal, and a fourth company was founded led by a woman named Neveen. Her husband was a captain of Astikar, and she was extremely competent in battle thanks to long hours of sparring with him. There was a fledgling fifth company led by one of the few men of the order, a fitting choice considering his nature. Kilgian from the estate outside Avashire begrudgingly took the duty to lead but three hundred when the other companies had three thousand. Thayle intended to fold any new women into his unit and primarily use it as a reserve to guard the wagons. There was a plan to fold the women healing of broken legs into his force as they recovered, but they wouldn't be ready for battle by Calathen.
All in all, Ulustrah now had close to twelve thousand women and men under arms. No doubt they would liberate more camps, and those numbers would grow and make up the bulk of his army. It was a sizable force, but his calculations told him it would not be enough. The walls of the city were high and well defended. Any protracted battle at the wall would be a slaughter for his forces. To breach the city, he would need fifty thousand women so he could leave forty thousand of them dead at the wall. His only choice was to get inside quickly and seize the inner walls so that he controlled the flow of soldiers to the temples and, most importantly, the central palace. He was sure the Father Abbot was operating from the grand cathedral there. Once the head of the serpent was crushed, the city would surrender, and the first terrible bloody conflict would be over. With nothing but worry and time on his hands, he settled in to wait, hoping his plan for the gates would work.
Sarah opened a wary eye to greet the dim light of a world just slipping into darkness. Her memory was cloudy as she regained her senses, but something was immediately apparent. She turned her gaze to find a man sitting with his back against her arm, sleeping in peace.
At first, there was a sense of indignation until her memory cleared, and she realized this was the man she called husband. It was a funny word for a dragon to use, something useless to them in the context of how they existed. No dragon would take a husband, especially not a human one, yet she had done just that and now bore the title of wife. Slowly she raised her weary head to look down on this tiny creature. Somehow she felt compelled to do something emotional, share a gentle moment with this man, but how? Lilly made it all look so easy, the way her affection flowed to those she loved. She was too big to nuzzle him or risk crushing him against her arm. With a sigh, she resorted to lowering her head beside him and using her tongue to nudge him. He came awake with a yawn, looking up with anxious eyes.
“Sarah?” he asked, moving to sit up.
“Sit where you are,” Sarah encouraged. “I am rather touched to find you sleeping against me. Lilly said she was fond of you and Thayle sleeping against her as you traveled.”
“Sarah, we need to know what happened,” Gersius urged. “You nearly died.”
Sarah let out a snort ruffling his hair as she considered their final moments in the dream.
“We called to our enemy, and he answered,” she replied. “But it wasn’t the answer we were expecting.” Gersius looked confused as she struggled to keep her voice soft.
“What was wrong with the answer?” he asked, his tension easily felt over the bind.
Sarah looked about with one eye to be sure nobody was close enough to hear what she was about to say.
“It’s a dragon of terrible power. One so old, even Numidel and I are but children to it. He told us he was going to break the curse of the divines on our kind.”
“What curse?” Gersius asked, truly perplexed.
Sarah could only shudder to remember the scene as it unfolded. She lifted her head and looked down to Gersius as she spoke the words that froze his heart.
“He wishes to remove Balisha’s blessing and strip the human form from dragon kind.”
She could feel his mind working as he imagined a life where she and Lilly could no longer take the human form. There was a terrible sense of loss and isolation that made her feel the need to intervene.
“Husband, please. What he wishes to do is impossible,” she pleaded, hoping it would encourage his heart, yet not sure why a dragon should care. This new tangle of emotions she felt was stifling at times, but her words had some effect as he looked up.
“I would rather die than you lose the human form,” he said, his voice weak. “Lilly would be devastated. She would never recover.”
Sarah let out a deep breath as she looked about again, noting that Numidel slept beside her. Confident that they were still alone, she lowered her head and voice to speak.
“Still your heart. I have yet to tell you the terrible part.” She then explained how the divines also answered the call, their signs apparent until the flames arrived.
“They fled, or were driven before it,” Sarah whispered. “And when we refused to join him, he did the impossible, attacking us in the dream.”
“You said this could happen before, but that all you had to do was wake up,” Gersius urged.
Sarah nodded, “It is very difficult to inflict a true injury in the dream. There are creatures of the dream that can do it more easily, but this was not the case here.”
“Why didn’t you flee and wake up?” he asked.
“I was too overcome by my fear to focus on the dream. At that moment, it lashed out, and in seconds we were broken. I was sure I would never see your face again, but then it began to snow.”
“Snow?” Gersius said his anxiety reaching new heights.
Sarah explained how the mountain was protected from the cold by ancient wards, but something powerful enough to overwhelm them arrived and swept them away. She didn’t remember much of anything beyond a sensation of being cast away.
“I do remember the ground going white with frost,” Sarah said.
Gersius felt terribly upset by that comment, so she asked why that particular facet of her encounter had him so upset. It was here he explained the frost that covered the hill just before her body seemed to flatten and bounce. He also explained how another dragon was slain by something in the clouds. Just after the death, it began to snow, leaving the forces below in stunned shock.
Now her concern matched his as she saw the apparent link between the two encounters. She looked about again to make sure they were alone before silently scolding herself for not thinking to use the bind to speak.
“I see you are concerned the events are connected,” Sarah said silently over the bind.
“I know they are linked, but I am not sure it is a danger to us. It seems to have killed a dragon harassing our forces in the south and rescued you from our enemy. I wonder if perhaps it is a divine working to ensure our victory.”
“The divines can no longer take a place in this world,” Sarah reminded. “They are limited to working through their servants. We are their wills here now, and it is through us they cause change.”
“Then perhaps it was another dragon, one as powerful as our enemy,” Gersius suggested.
Sarah thought about it a moment, wondering if perhaps he was right. Certainly, there were powerful dragons in the ages gone by, ones known as great ancients who could blot out the sun when they passed overhead. Still, it was hard to believe this was what they were dealing with and used the bind to explain why.
“We dragons know how to find one another in the dream. Since I was trapped in the temple, the dream was the only escape I had from my prison. I spent thousands of years scouring it for dragons of great power and found nothing but a few close to my own. I can’t explain how a single dragon of this magnitude could have hidden from my sight, let alone two. I am also fairly sure most passed in the war, and the one or two who remained would have passed into the dream long ago.”
“What happens when you meet another dragon in the dream?”
Sarah understood his question to mean what they do when they meet, but he didn't understand how the dream worked.
“Nothing happens,” she replied. “We tend to see only a ghostly image of a dragon sleeping in a cave. Rarely do we find a dragon sitting in the dream waiting for visitors.”
“But you dragons use the dream to organize your society. You met there for purposes of rule and to organize mating.”
“You have to understand that the dream is a mirror of this world, yet is fluid to a certain degree. There are some places that, for ancient reasons, are moored to this world and locked in a timeless age. These places do not change, and here it is possible for those who walk the dream to meet easily. It was to one of these places Numidel, and I went because from here the dragons ruled and held their councils. There is a place on one of the peaks where a dragon will always hear its name or specific title spoken.”
“That is why you went there,” he surmised as she continued.
“Yes, but the rest of the dream is malleable. It shapes itself around the sleeper, becoming a vision of what they expect to see. If I were to approach a dragon sleeping in its lair, I would see the dream as it interprets it. If it doesn't expect me to be in the dream, it will not see me unless it is very old and wise. A dragon that is aware that it is in the dream and others might be present can perceive them. Then with a little focus, it can bring them into being, but otherwise, all you will ever see is a sleeping dragon.”
Gersius nodded. “Lilly mentioned that she sometimes saw sleeping dragons when she dreamed. This must be what she was talking about.”
“It most certainly is,” she replied as Gersius reached a hand up. She lowered her chin just close enough for his hand to caress a tiny portion of her jaw. She marveled at the sensation and her own reaction to allowing a human to touch her.
“This is making you tense,” he said softly.
“Of course it is,” she replied in his thoughts. “I have lived for thousands of years, never believing a human would one day touch me with compassion. I am not even sure I understood what that meant. Now you touch me, and I feel something inside. It twists and pulls at me as if it were trying to escape.”
“Lilly felt the same thing. You should talk to her about it,” he suggested as she held still, relishing his touch.
“We are being foolish,” Sarah insisted. “We must marshal our forces and press on.”
“We are waiting for Lilly and Thayle to return with the second company,” Gersius countered, his voice clear in her thoughts. “And you are likely not yet ready to travel.”
She turned her head so one blazing red eye could see him, offering his hand a new place to caress.
“Why are you not afraid of me?” she asked over the bind. “Do I not terrify you?”
“You are beautiful,” Gersius countered. “A dragon of such vivid red that I often wonder if your scales are made of ruby.”
Sarah raised a ridge over her eye to be complimented so. Her heart began to flutter as he smiled, his caressing never ceasing.
“You said that to make me react,” she accused.
“I did,” he replied. “But I meant every word of it. I have been around Lilly's dragon form long enough to see it as being every bit as beautiful as her human shape. When I look at you, though, I wonder if perhaps the dragon form is even more beautiful.”
Sarah pulled her head away, turning so both eyes could look down on him. She felt a deep clawing inside and a sense of hunger for him.
“What have you done to me?” she asked. “Why do I crave your touch?”
“Because I love you,” he replied. “And I wish to express it.”
Sarah nodded and looked back to Numidel asleep beside her. How many times did he try to tell her such feelings existed? She wanted to cry for joy for finally learning the truth, and yet cry for how many years she went ignorant of it. Lilly was right; this was the most terrible pain of them all, realizing she could have known this love thousands of years ago. Now that time was gone, and all she had to show for it was the dust that settled on her sleeping scales.
“You must not look at it like that,” he said in her thoughts.
“How else can I look at it?” Sarah replied, her gaze coming back to him. “You have awakened in me things I had no idea existed. Numidel said they did, but you can't understand them until you feel it.”
“I am sorry, I only wanted to express my love for you,” Gersius insisted, going back to using his voice.
“Don’t be sorry,” Sarah replied, lowering her head back to his hand. “Please, just fill the years I have left with your love.”
“I will, and so will Thayle and Lilly. They were upset to see you injured.”
Sarah closed her eyes and took a deep breath. “Why do I care so much about what two women feel for me? Even if I were to rationalize my relationship with you somehow, how do I explain them?”
“Is it so hard to explain?” he asked.
“You know what I mean,” she insisted with a firm glare. “I am a female with two wives.”
“It is not uncommon for a man to have two wives,” Gersius pointed out. “Three is rarer, but it happens.”
“You are avoiding my point,” Sarah stated. “A man with three wives often has a bedroom for each and goes to them each alone. They don’t all climb into one bed and pounce on me.”
Gersius started to laugh softly as she grew embarrassed at her own brashness.
“We have been rather focused on you of late, but that was only to ensure you felt accepted into our relationship. You are treasured among us and deeply loved. I am grateful to the divines to be able to call you my wife.”
Sarah smiled a toothy smile and let out a rumbling sigh. “I am grateful too,” she admitted. “Every time I have one of those tender flowers asleep at my chest, I want to thank the heavens for it.” She took a deep breath and suddenly looked down as Gersius thoughts flooded her mind. “Why are you thinking that? We have far more important matters to attend to than our love.”
He shrugged. “It is not every day that the girls are away, and you and I are alone. We can't leave until they get back, and there is nothing we can do about what happened in the dream.”
“What about the link between the cold in the dream and this dragon in the south?” she insisted.
Gersius looked up and shrugged. “What can we do about it? We might learn more when the second company gets here, but until then, all we can do is make the camp aware you are awake and then wait.”
Sarah looked about as she realized he was right. For once, they had nothing but time on their hands, and the girls were away.
“What should I do?” Sarah asked.
“Change. I have a dress waiting for you in my pack.”
“I am on the peak of a hill surrounded by thousands,” Sarah pointed out as she looked about. “Are we alone enough for me to change?”
“Once you are in your human form, you will be far more difficult to see,” he encouraged with a smile.
Sarah nodded and struggled to her feet. She felt weak and would continue to do so for many hours, but this was too good an opportunity to pass up. As black smoke began to crawl over her scales, she sent him a mental image of her desire. A flash of light later, and he was at her side, helping her into a dress. Before she could finish tying the front, he swept her into his arms, cradling her to his chest.
“What are you doing?” she said in alarm as her bare feet dangled over an arm.
“You are still too weak to walk. I will carry you.”
“I am sure I can walk to the tent,” she argued.
“Lilly once insisted she could walk when she should have let me carry her. I had to use the command to get her to do what was logical. Will I have to command you to let me carry you away?”
Sarah smiled and poked a finger at his nose. “I dare you.”
He looked deep into her eyes with a smile and spoke with a clear, commanding tone.
“Sutherisa, I command you to let me carry you.”
Her eyes went wide as the chains of the bind pulled, forcing her to desire to be in his arms even as she tried to resist it.
“That is a terrible and amazing feeling all at once,” she said. “I have no control. You could command me to do anything.”
“I will never forsake the trust you have placed in me,” Gersius assured her. “I would never use the command unless we are playing as we are now.”
She smiled and placed a hand on his cheek, staring into his eyes.
“Then I have a command for you. Carry me to our bed, and make love to me until I beg you to stop.”
Gersius smiled as the bind pulled on him, forcing him to carry her away. He realized she would be too weak to resist him, but then she had no desire to. They spent the rest of the night alone in their love, sharing the moment to be one body and soul. As the passion of their union flowed strongly through their hearts, they were both sure of one thing, Balisha hadn't cursed the dragons. She had given them the greatest blessing in history.
Comments
Sam4005
np, ty for chapy
Sorry this was a day late. I am working seven days a week now, and I had more to this chapter that was all conflict and battle, but it did't mesh well with the tender scene that developed here. I decided to to run with the tender moment and remove the war stuff.
