Omnixius
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DKP 4-24 An age gone by
🕑 Added 2019-12-31 22:13:52 +0000 UTC
Thayle hurried to rejoin the others in the meeting tent. A sense of tension crawled through her to see the red dragons human form for the first time. By now, the woman would be changed and inside talking to the others. Thayle tried to imagine what she must look like as she passed through the doorway into the tent.
Two dozen people stood in a rough clump near the tables in the center. Most were the officers from the two orders and the infantry units. Gersius was there in his silver armor, and Lilly stood by his side in her blue dress. Standing before them was a sight that made Thayle's jaw drop.
In the center of it all stood a woman that captivated her attention. Her hair was a deep red and pulled through a golden ring on the back of her head. The rest dropped like a tail down her back to the small of her waist. Her skin was a milky white and contrasted with her equally red lips and eyes. She looked older than Lilly, but still within the confines of youth, with a sharp face and piercing eyes. She stood at least two inches taller than Gersius and radiated a sense of command as she spoke to those around her. She was clad in the white robe that Thayle had purchased in Eastgate for Lilly. The robe barely contained her and left her bare feet exposed.
Numidel stood beside her nearly as tall and wearing one of Gersius's tunics. His silver-blue beard was neatly trimmed as she remembered, and his face beamed with a sort of joy. Alongside them was Lengwin in his red layers, and beside him were many of the captain of Astikar in their silver armor with helms off so they could all converse openly.
“Have I missed anything?” Thayle asked to announce her presence.
“The Lady Sutherisa was just telling us of her time with Astikar. She knows history our order has long since forgotten,” Lengwin said then took a sip of wine from a glass.
Thayle noticed they all had a glass or goblet of wine, and she smiled to see there was plenty more on the table at the side of the room. She quickly diverted to the table and reached for a glass to help calm her nerves.
“What was so important that you had to run off?” Gersius asked as she poured a glass.
“I felt a change of heart and needed to make sure it changed for good,” Thayle said as she finished pouring.
“What are you talking about?” Lilly asked.
Thayle turned and took a sip of wine, savoring the bittersweet flavor before cracking a smile.
“Shadros is free.”
The room went silent for a moment.
“This is the black?” Sutherisa asked.
“It is,” Thayle replied.
“And you set him free to go home?” Lilly asked.
Thayle shook her head and took another sip. “No, he is free of his curse.”
“He was still under the curse?” Numidel asked.
“He was,” Thayle replied. “We captured him by accident, and I was able to force him into a bind. We brought him with to see if we could work with him and break the curse. I felt his heart changing just now, and I went to ensure it changed for good. He has finally broken free.”
The silence swept the room again, and Numidel turned to Sutherisa. “Did I not tell you? The woman knows how to melt even the hardest stone.”
Sutherisa took a sip of her wine and studied Thayle. “That dragon was in turmoil when we landed. He looked like he was hoping we would kill you all so he could go free.”
“He was, I could feel him across the bind, but he was also hoping to understand Lilly. He does not understand why she willingly mingles with humans. I suspect having two more of his kind show up and willingly mingle with them was part of what broke him.”
“And you are sure he is free?” Gersius asked.
“I am, I released him from his bind like you did Lilly. I gave him a choice, he could go home, or he could stay and be bound again by someone who cares for him.”
“Cares for him? You care for him?” Lilly asked, confused.
Thayle laughed. “No, sweetheart, not me, Mingfe.”
Lilly and Gersius looked at one another, and Gersius took a large sip of his wine.
“Mingfe cares for him?” Lilly asked.
“She does, I have seen her light. She has been slowly breaking him down over the past couple of days. Stroking his ego and challenging him to show his feelings.”
Gersius swallowed his wine and closed his eyes as he took a breath. “So, he is free of his bind right now?”
Thayle smiled. “No, he submitted to Mingfe and let her bind him as I walked away.”
“He willingly submitted!” Lilly said excitedly.
“He did, he is now bound to Mingfe, and I hope her feelings for him will finally allow him to feel the emotions he needs.”
“What an extraordinary moment,” Lengwin said. “You three are the salvation of the dragons.”
“Indeed,” Sutherisa agreed. “You three are on a path of glory for human and dragon kind alike. I only hope that when the darkness comes at last to challenge you, we are all strong enough to stand against it.”
“You will stand against it with us?” Lilly asked.
“Numidel and I are at your side now as followers of Astikar. We will fight alongside our brothers to free the order of the taint that rots in its core. Then we will follow you out to battle the wild ones from the steppes.”
“I suspect Shadros will help us as well,” Thayle said.
“Four great dragons march with the dragon knights,” Lengwin said overjoyed “The false father will be terrified when the news reaches him.”
“Good, he deserves to know fear for a change,” Gersius replied.
“There is a task we must attend to before we can travel with them,” Numidel said as if to remind Sutherisa.
“It will only take a couple of days,” the woman replied.
“You have something to do first?” Gersius asked.
Numidel nodded. “There is another dragon temple hidden in the mountains to the northwest. We are going there in the hopes of acquiring some proper equipment.”
“We have plenty of swords,” Lilly suggested.
Sutherisa smiled and pulled at the hem of her robe to show her bare feet. “This garment almost fits,” she said. “The temple we seek should have an armory of equipment suited to beings of our size.”
“It was used as a meeting place for humans and dragons,” Numidel added. “So it contained a cache of clothing and equipment suited to our human forms.”
“Why are you two so tall?” Thayle asked.
“It’s our age,” Sutherisa replied. “A dragon grows bigger with age provided it feeds properly. That growth reflects in our human forms.”
“Does that mean Lilly is going to get taller?”
Sutherisa nodded over a sip of wine. “She will one day be as tall as me. Though ancient dragons can learn to control their size and appear smaller than they truly are.”
Thayle looked down and frowned for a moment.
“What is the matter?” Gersius asked.
“I just realized that an opportunity I was hoping for was gone,” she said. When she looked up and saw the blank expressions, she elaborated. “I was hoping Shadros would come to respect me enough to carry me into battle, but I suspect he would much rather carry Mingfe, and I would feel awkward asking him now.”
“We have Lilly to carry us,” Gersius suggested.
“I know, but it seemed silly for both of us to ride on the same dragon. There are two dragon knights, so I thought it would be more appropriate if there were two dragons.”
Sutherisa took a sip of wine and smiled. “That would be silly, but I know a dragon that would be honored to be your partner in this challenge.”
They all looked up at her in confusion.
“It would be a great honor to carry a dragon knight into battle,” she said.
Thayle went wide-eyed and shook her head. “No, I could not ask that of you.”
“Am I not worthy of being your mount?” she asked with a smile.
“You would never be a mount. I am the one who is not worthy of being carried into battle by you.”
She turned to Numidel and smiled. “I really like her.”
“She is a gracious and noble woman,” Numidel replied.
“Even if you carried one of us, it should be Gersius,” Thayle pressed.
“He has his dragon already; you are the one who is without,” Sutherisa pressed.
“I think he should be the one to ride the bigger dragon,” Thayle said.
“No, this is perfect!” Gersius said, his face lost in thought.
“Perfect? How so?” Lengwin asked.
Think about it. The people believe Astikar and Ulustrah are at war, but what if they saw a priestess of Ulustrah carried on the back of Dragon of Astikar? It will send a powerful message to the people and challenge the lies of the Father Abbot.”
“You are right! We need to let it be known that she is a priestess of Astikar! Let the layers of lies be cut to the core and let the world know a change is coming!” Lengwin cried.
Sutherisa put a hand to Lengwin's arms. “I fear such a truth does not come close to the core of it. Please do not hurry to know the truth. It will make the task ahead of you harder. When you are head of the order, I will tell you what you need to know, and you will thank me for keeping it until then.”
Lengwin somberly nodded his head, and they all went silent for a moment.
“Then the dragons knights both have a dragon,” Numidel said.
“If you will honor me with such a gift, I will not refuse it,” Thayle said timidly.
The tall woman locked eyes on Thayle and smiled. “It is already decided. You will be my dragon knight.”
Thayle nodded and moved to stand beside Gersius and Lilly. For the rest of the night, the pair of dragons was questioned relentlessly about the past.
“Women were once allowed into the order?” Lengwin asked as he struggled to believe it.
“Women always made up about a third of the order. They were always more prone to join that of Ulustrah, Vellis, and Asmigaris, but some had hearts of fire, and sough out Astikar,” Sutherisa replied.
“What happened then?” Gersius asked. “We have been told from the earliest days that Astikar does not allow women in the order.”
Sutherisa shook her head in dismay. “I do not know what changed, or when it changed. I was forced into seclusion and cut off from much of the world. I have my suspicions, but to reveal them now would be a great burden on your hearts. When Calathen and the order are free, I will share what I suspect.”
Her somber words stuck them all and moved them to silent contemplation. It was Lilly who asked the next question that made many nod in agreement.
“If you were there in the temple, why didn’t the divines lead Gersius to you?”
“What are you asking me, child?” Sutherisa questioned.
“Why lead him to me, when you are a much bigger dragon and a follower of Astikar?”
Sutherisa made a long sigh as Numidel put a hand to her arm.
“Is something wrong?” Gersius asked.
“Nothing is wrong,” Sutherisa said.
“It will do no good to keep this inside,” Numidel said. “You may as well share it and get it over with.”
The tall woman closed her eyes and took another sip of wine. She savored it a second and then opened her eyes to look directly at Lilly.
“I have been asking the same question since Numidel woke me. Why would Astikar send the man he chose to a much younger dragon? Why would he leave his champion to languish in that prison?”
Lilly didn't have an answer, but Thayle stepped up to fill the hole.
“Because Gersius couldn't have gotten you out of that prison,” Thayle said. “You needed Balisha to set you free.”
“He could have freed me the same way he freed her,” Sutherisa protested.
“Could he have?” Thayle said. “What would have been your motivation to let him bind you?”
Sutherisa twitched in irritation as she struggled to answer. “Surely, Astikar could have found a way to show me this was his path.”
“Let’s assume he did, what would protect you from the curse once you left the temple?”
The tall woman thought for a second. “Numidel has told me the bind was protecting Lilly.”
“Only because Lilly suffered a terrible loss and was emotionally exposed,” Thayle said. “You would likely have felt the curse and been unable to act because of the bind. You would have been like Shadros was, raging with hatred for him, and ordered to do everything.
“Perhaps what happened to Lady Lilly’s wings was part of what made her so open to him,” Numidel agreed.
“Exactly, and if that hadn’t happened, why would you need me?” Thayle asked. “If this had gone any other way, you wouldn’t need me to help you keep that bind. You likely wouldn’t even have gone to Whiteford and met me.”
“And Ulustrah's champion would be left behind,” Numidel said with a nod as he considered it. “This was the only way to ensure we all came together.”
“But I am the oldest dragon,” Sutherisa stated rather loudly and then calmed. “I mean to say; I am the one he calls his champion. It only makes sense he would have chosen me.”
“It does make sense,” Gersius agreed. “But you are here, so nothing has been lost, and potentially much has been gained.”
“A wise way to look at it,” Numidel agreed.
Sarah sighed. “I hope I am not offending with my beliefs.”
“I’m not offended,” Lilly said. “The order of scales says you should be first.”
“And yet I am last,” Sutherisa said.
“What is this order of scales again?” Thayle asked.
“It's something dragons do,” Lilly said. “When we do meet, the oldest dragon is always in charge, and everything is done based on age.”
“It is one of the few ancient traditions we still keep,” Sutherisa added. “Dragons always defer to each other by age, and I am many times older than Lilly. If for no other reason, I should have been the first dragon you came to.”
Lengwin swallowed a sip of wine and dared a question.
“If I may ask, just how old are you?”
Sutherisa stiffened and looked down her nose at the crowd. “I saw the world before the war, and I saw the devastation that followed.”
Gasps spread across the room as the woman stood tall and radiant. Thayle couldn't help but notice that she seemed almost regal, like a grand queen holding court.
“You are old enough to have seen the war,” Gersius said. “Then you are over five thousand years.”
“Yes,” Sutherisa said. “And not near enough time has past to forget those horrors.”
“How did it start?” Gersius asked.
“The same way things like this always start, with a mistake,” Sutherisa said. “It was all about the human form we were given. Dragons began to mingle with your kind, and over several hundred years, they began to form relationships. This angered Solesta greatly, but she was willing to endure it so that dragons might learn.”
“It was a golden time in the beginning,” Numidel said. “I was very young, but men and dragons used to sit and debate the laws of nature, or work on building great wonders.” He paused and let out a pained sigh. “But then Solesta changed.”
“What changed her mind?” Thayle asked.
“Balisha did,” Sutherisa said. “She overstepped her bounds and granted a blessing she should not have. This drove Solesta mad and caused the confrontation that resulted in the conflict.”
“I thought the blessing was wonderful,” Numidel said. “I wish I had it.”
Sutherisa swirled her wine and let out a sigh. “It was foolish. What need do we have of such a thing?”
“You never took a human as a partner,” Numidel said. “You don’t understand how important it is to them, or how important it can be to you when you love a human.”
The others listened intently but completely lost as to the context of the exchange.
“What's done is done,” Sutherisa said, ignoring the pain in his words. “The only path forward is to restore Balisha to her place and set the order right.”
Lengwin then asked if Women had full equal access to the ranks of the order.
“Why would they not?” Sarah asked. “They have the same access to the order as they have everywhere else.”
People looked to one another, and many whispers circled.
“What do I not understand?” Sutherisa asked.
Gersius ran a hand through his hair and answered her.
“Women find it difficult to have true equality with men in our modern age,” he said.
Sutherisa leaned back, and her brows raised. “What do you mean they find it difficult?”
Gersius tried to articulate the matter delicately, but Thayle answered bluntly.
“Women and men are not at all equal. They are meant to stay in the home and raise children while the men do all the important tasks. They are discouraged or outright barred from any position of power or leadership outside a few faiths. Some lands actively punish them for so much as speaking out of turn.”
“That isn’t true everywhere,” Gersius said.
“It may as well be,” Thayle said. “You asked me once why so many women in the order of Ulustrah ran away from families or marriages. This is the reason why. It's the only path they have open to them to live their own lives.”
“So, humans no longer treat their women equally?” Sutherisa asked.
Thayle looked at Gersius, who had a very hurt expression. She put a hand on his shoulder and lowered her head.
“Gersius treats Lilly and I as his equals and with great respect. I have never met a man so kind to women in my whole life. Many of the men in this camp have wives and treat them with love and care.” Thayle paused to look to the concerned dragon. “But many lands have adopted a right of rule that passes down through men. Women aren't allowed in any of the positions of power or to own property. They are seen as nothing but their husband's property and have no value outside of marriage.”
“Then your kind has suffered as much as the dragons did,” Sutherisa said. “What a terrible loss.”
“There are still lands that treat women fairly,” Gersius insisted. “And even in the lands where they don’t, many men inside them treat women honestly and equally anyway.”
“How a farmer treats his wife means nothing if the king will seize the land and cast her out of it, if he dies,” Thayle replied.
“We will fix this inside the empire,” Gersius said. “I swear to you; we will set the example for all the others to follow.”
Thayle smiled and leaned in quickly to kiss his cheek. “I love you,” she whispered while everyone watched.
“The empire?” Sutherisa asked.
Heads turned to look at her as mouths fell open.
“The dragon empire,” Gersius said. “The empire founded by the first dragon knight?”
“Oh yes, the dragon empire,” Sutherisa said with a shake of her head.
Faces turned her way as the woman took a sip and looked down into her wine.
“You have an issue with the dragon empire?” Gersius asked.
“I have no issue with the empire. My complaint is with the fool dragon knight.”
People glanced between one another, uncertain about how to respond to such a statement.
Numidel picked up the story to clarify for the crowd.
“Remember, I told you that other humans had come to our temple and not run away?'
Gersius, Lilly, and Thayle all nodded.
“The other was the dragon knight that proceeded you. Like you, he arrived with a blue dragon, but he came seeking knowledge of the nexus itself. He knew it existed but didn't know where to find it. This dragon with him knew of our temple and suggested the secret of its location might be hidden inside. They met me, of course, and I spoke to them at length. They were different than you in many ways, and some very similar.” He seemed to accentuate this point by looking at Lilly.
“I was asleep for his visit,” Sutherisa said. “But, Numidel told me all that happened. This man and his dragon found the nexus and went before Balisha. They came back tasked with rebuilding her faith but foolishly chose to wait until after their victory in the wars.” She made a very sour expression and shook her head, showing obvious irritation.
“So, what happened?” Gersius pressed.
“We were not able to aid him because no power of faith was flowing to Balisha,” Numidel replied. “We were helpless to wait in the temple as the man, and his dragon waged war against the wild ones. Only when he had conquered all the land between the hills and the river did he start. Even here, they dragged their feet for reasons we do not understand. They decided they wanted to build the temple first, and then begin accepting followers.”
“Because he dawdled, we were not there to aid him when the treachery struck,” Sutherisa added.
“We almost made that mistake,” Gersius said. “If not for Lilly’s insistence, we would be waiting as well.” Lilly put a hand to his shoulder and smiled at him for acknowledging her.
“If you were trapped, how did you learn about all this?” Lilly asked.
“She fled to our temple to stand before the shrine and accuse the goddess of betraying her.
Lilly put a hand over her mouth in shock.
“What happened to them in Calathen?” Gersius asked.
Numidel shook his head. “I only know what she was willing to tell us. Only that they struck from within and poisoned her food, she was too weak to fight them, so she ran. As she did, her link with her love faded away.”
“She felt him die,” Thayle said. “How horrible.”
“I have never seen anyone so angry. Like Lilly, she'd fallen in love with this man and believed they were meant to be together. When he died, she raged in anger and blamed the divines for his loss. At that moment, I knew she would never aid them again.”
“I am not sure she was aiding them to begin with,” Sutherisa said.
“She was a priestess of Balisha just as Lilly is now,” Numidel said.
“Maybe, but she had other ambitions that were never spoken of,” Sutherisa replied.
Thayle tossed her head as she considered the story, and a question came to mind.
“Why didn’t you tell us Balisha would free you if we started her faith? We might very well have gone down the same path as the previous dragon knight.”
Numidel sighed. “When the divines could still speak to us, and they created the barrier on our temple, they also gave us some instructions.”
“We were forbidden to tell you,” Sutherisa said flatly. “All we were permitted to do was advise you and try to direct you to the nexus.”
Numidel nodded and gestured with his wine. “He had to choose his path without being told what to do or what the result would be. Even with Lord Gersius, I only suggested he take Lilly to the temple. I never told him what the outcome would be.”
“Lilly got her wings back,” Gersius said with a smile.
Thayle noted Lilly's sudden concerned glances at him and the feeling of apprehension over the bind. Gersius was too lost in the conversation to notice, and Lilly looked at Thayle with concern.”
“The plans of the divines are frustrating,” Sarah said, breaking the tension. “I long for the day they can speak to us freely again.”
“I doubt those days will ever return,” Numidel replied. “It was speaking to us directly that led to the catastrophe of our kind.”
“You were alive when the divines freely spoke?” Lengwin asked.
Sutherisa nodded her head. “They only spoke directly to those of great favor, but they did speak, and the orders knew what was to be done.”
“How I wish for such a blessing,” Lengwin lamented.
“Why can’t they speak to us now?” Lilly asked.
Numidel looked at her with troubled eyes. “The one who rules over them has forbidden it. They can speak if they want, but they have to answer for why they did. They only speak in riddles now, or answer when the need is absolute.”
“The divines have a ruler?”
Numidel nodded. “There is a divine order that governs the heavens. The divines of this world have a divine above them, and that divine answers to another.”
“There are gods above the gods?” Thayle said in shock.
“Both Astikar and Ulustrah told us this,” Gersius said.
“When?” Thayle asked.
Gersius shook his head. “When they told us that they could not break the command of the one above them.”
Thayle thought back to her time with Ulustrah and then nodded her head. “It’s the same reason why she had to punish me. She could not break the laws set by the one above her.”
“Ah good, then you understand it,” Numidel said.
“How many divines are there?” Lilly asked.
“Of this world, there are or were twelve primal divines, and dozens or so lesser divines. They were ruled over by a single great divine.”
“That many?”
Numidel nodded. “Many of them are still there, I am sure, but their faiths have all but faded like Balisha's has.”
“Many are still there? Are some of them gone?” Gersius asked.
“Empilus, the stone mountain is dead,” Numidel replied.
“As is Appateros,” Sutherisa added. “They were both slain in the dragon war when the divines came to the world itself and fought one another.”
“The god of the sun is dead?” Thayle said in shock.
“Did you think the sun would cease if he was gone?” Sutherisa asked. “The sun is eternal. It was simply the domain he called his home, just as Balisha calls the silver moon hers.”
“But Solesta called the sun her home as well,” Lilly said.
“And Tychandris calls the moon her home,” Numidel said. “Many divines claimed the same influences.”
“I have never heard of Tycandris,” Gersius suggested.
“A lesser divine,” Sutherisa said. “Few knew of her even when the divines were at peace.”
“Do you know who the god above them is?” Lilly asked.
“That has something to do with Solesta and Balisha,” Sutherisa said. “The two are somehow involved in a secret that hides the identity of the great divine. None that I ever spoke to know that divine's name.”
“Is Youthan one of the twelve?” Thayle asked.
“Unfortunately,” Sutherisa growled. “Though his influence was never strongly felt in the time before.”
“Do you know the names of all twelve?” Lilly asked.
Sutherisa nodded. “Ulustrah, Vellis, Astikar, Gorrin, Asmigaris, Youthan, Tidus, Empilus, Appateros, Pillikis, Ordruin, and Tarnia.”
Thayle felt a strange confusion grom Lilly as Sutherisa named them. Lilly counted them off on her fingers and then looked around lost.
“But that’s twelve? What about Solesta and Balisha?”
“Those two were born into the order bringing it to fourteen,” Sutehrisa said.
“Born into the order?” Gersius asked.
Sutherisa looked distant as if trying to recall something from the distant past.
“Even for me, it's hard to understand,” she said. “I was no older than Lilly is now when the world was torn asunder, and Numidel was practically a babe. We spoke about this many times after we fled to the temple. We don't truly know where they came from. My mother told me there were twelve divines and one that ruled above them, but as I ventured into the world, I discovered there were fourteen, and Solesta and Balisha seemed to be the newest and most important. The other divines bowed their heads to them as if they were the queens of the heavens.”
“My mother said they made a pact with the grand divine to bring about the change in dragons,” Numidel said. “When they argued and fell into war, the great divine punished them all and set the rules in place that forbid the divines to meddle directly.”
“So nobody knows the name of this great divine?” Lilly asked.
“No one I ever met knew the name of this being, but there was a name on the oldest temples walls that no dragon or human could identify,” Sutherisa said. “That name was Estaisha.”
Around the tent, men and women exchanged blank looks as nobody recognized the ancient name.
“I feel almost overcome to be discussing such ancient knowledge and have no idea what any of it means,” Gersius said.
“I wonder why Balisha didn’t tell me any of this?” Lilly said.
“Probably because she doesn't want you to know,” Sutherisa replied. “Even before I was born, the divines had already clouded their nature in secrecy. They appeared as animals or objects of power instead of in their true forms.”
“She must have a good reason then,” Lilly said.
“You will forgive me for saying so, but I do not trust Balisha,” Sutherisa said. “She and her sister Solesta were often referred to as the keepers of secrets.”
“I am sure all the divines have their secrets,” Thayle said. “She probably told Lilly what she needed to know to complete her mission.”
“I am sure she did just that and no more,” Sutherisa said. “Just as your goddess likely did for you.”
“Ulustrah has nothing to hide from me,” Thayle stated.
“Really? You who were surprised to know the god of the sun was slain?”
“None of us knew that,” Thayle said. “It isn’t Ulustrahs purpose to teach us the history of the divines.”
“It would surprise you to know then, that it was Ulustrah who slew Appateros,” Sutherisa stated.
“What?” Thayle said in shock. “Gentle Ulustrah slew a god?”
Sutherisa closed her eyes and shook her head.
“The war was out of control, and mankind was tipping the balance in Balisha's favor. Appateros and Solesta both claimed the sun as their aspect and were very like in heart. He fought for Solesta fiercely, and when it was clear that mankind would change the outcome, he came to the world in all his radiance.”
“To do what?” Gersius asked.
“Scorch the land so that no harvest would grow for years. He knew we dragons would slumber away, and by the time we woke, the land would be renewed, but the humans would have gone through many long years of starvation.”
“How terrible,” Thayle said.
“Ulustrah was horrified to see the plants of the world being destroyed. She descended from the heavens in her emerald armor and met Appateros on the fields of old Ethuwan, and there they fought, leveling the lands in a battle that practically erased the people there.”
Thayle and Lilly looked to Gersius as Sutherisa recounted the story. He felt torn with pity and shook his head as a tear formed in his eyes.
“Gersius, why does that wound you so deeply?” Thayle asked.
“Ethuwan is the ancient name of the empire Ayawa’s people once ruled.”
“No wonder,” Thayle gasped.
“Who is Ayawa?” Sutherisa asked as she looked around, waiting for the woman to step forward.
“She's a woman of the southern tribes, the people who were left of Ethuwan after the war,” Gersius said.
“She was against Lilly and Gerisus having a relationship,” Thayle said. “She kept talking about how here people were nearly wiped out the last time men and dragons mixed.”
“Then, her people carry some memory of what happened?” Numidel asked.
Gersius ran his fingers through his wild brown hair. “Hardly. I have spoken to her at length of her past. They remember almost nothing of it. You have told me more about what happened than she knows.”
“How tragic,” Sutherisa said in a flat tone. “I suppose this woman stands against us?”
“No,” Lilly said in a suddenly firm tone. “Ayawa is a good friend, and she is helping us with our mission.”
Sutherisa looked skeptical but remained silent.
The conversation went on as the two began to explain their plans to fly out, hoping to find needed equipment. This led to questions about where to meet and how they found them in the first place. Numidel and Sutherisa had flown to Avashire and been told where they had gone. From there, they were flying back and forth following the road south. As the conversation moved to the future, Thayle pulled Lilly aside.
“I felt how upset you got when Numidel nearly spoiled your secret,” Thayle said as she hugged her.
“I was afraid Numidel was going to talk about the coins,” Lilly replied. “Gersius is smart, if Numidel linked the coins to my wings, Gersius would ask what I used the blessing for.”
“This is why carrying a secret is terrible. While I agree this might have a negative affect, it might be better to tell him.”
Lilly shook her head and began to pace. “I feel something inside that says now is not the time.”
Thayle decided not to press her and took her back to the table to get another wine. She refilled Lilly’s glass and then her own when a voice spoke up behind her.
“Is something the matter?” Sutherisa asked.
Lilly nearly spilled her wine when she jumped, and Thayle had to steady her again.
“Nothing is the matter,” Thayle said. “Lilly just has some trouble adapting to human concepts sometimes.”
“I see,” Sutherisa said as she reached for more wine for herself.
“So you have a bonded relationship with this human?” she asked, glancing at Lilly.
Lilly looked as if surprised and didn’t answer until Sutherisa set the wine back down.
“I am his wife,” she finally said. “To him and Thayle.”
Sutherisa turned her head to regard Thayle, who could see the thinking look in those eyes.
“Lilly and I are both his wives,” Thayle said. “And we love each other.”
“You are both bound to him, or just the dragon?”
Lilly fidgeted as if struggling to find the answer, so Thayle spoke up again.
“We all share one bind. We are each bound one to another equally.”
Narrow eyes looked over Thayle and then Lilly as if studying them in detail. “So knowledge of the ancient magic still exists?”
“The magic of the bind does,” Thayle said. “I can’t say we know anything else.”
“I suppose I will soon learn how much of the past is lost,” Sutherisa said as she took a sip of her wine. “The world I have flown over already looks very different.”
“What did you mean when you said Balisha was responsible for what happened?” Lilly asked.
“Because she was,” Sutherisa said. “She overstepped her bounds.”
“How?”
The tall red-haired woman sighed and swirled her wine. “They both encouraged the dragons to go among men and learn. However, Balisha encouraged them to form relationships. Solesta was opposed to this idea but didn't prevent it since men and dragons could not mix their blood.”
“So, what happened?” Lilly asked innocently.
Sutherisa looked her firm in the eyes. “A young dragoness fell in love with a human man and prayed to Balisha. She deeply desired to bare him a child, and Balisha, in her foolishness, granted the blessing. She quickly became pregnant and laid the first cross bloodied egg. This is what enraged Solesta and caused her to act.”
Lilly went even paler than she already was, and Thayle quickly set her wine down to hold her. Gersius arrived just as she reached for Lilly, and his strong arms came around her.
“Are you well, my heart?” he whispered to her as he turned her to look into his eyes. “You feel as if you are under great distress.”
“I was just surprised to learn about how horrible the past was,” Lilly said.
“Do you need some time alone?” he asked softly. “I will walk with you outside the camp if you wish?”
“I’m fine,” Lilly said. “Please, go back to the others.”
He leaned in and gave her a gentle kiss as Lilly closed her eyes and accepted his affection. He then looked to Thayle with his concern still apparent.
“She’s fine,” Thayle said. “I will take care of her if she has any more problems.”
He nodded and looked to Sutherisa, who watched everything with narrow calculating eyes.
“Forgive my intrusion. I did not mean to interrupt your conversation.”
She swirled her wine as she nodded at him.
“You deeply care for her?”
Gersius looked confused a moment and then nodded. “My wives are my very heart. I would not have continued on this path without the love they have given me.”
“It doesn’t disturb you to know that this very sort of relationship is what brought about the shattering of the world?”
“Ayawa is bothered by it, but I know in my heart that Lilly and I are meant to share our love. I never doubt it, and never allow so much as a shadow to pass over it. Lilly and I are one, as is Thayle. We are all bound as one being.”
“So they have told me,” Sutherisa replied. “To think I saw this very thing as the world fell, and now all these years later, I wake up to stare it in the face again.”
“Solesta is no longer there to object about our union,” Gersius said.
“Solesta wasn’t the only divine who objected,” Sutherisa replied. “Many of the lesser divines were just as angry. Let’s hope Balisha isn’t foolish enough to bless Lady Lilly with the same doom.”
Gersius looked at her with a curious expression as the woman walked back to Numidel.
“What was that supposed to mean?” he asked.
“Balisha gave one of the dragons a blessing that triggered Solesta's wrath,” Thayle said as she avoided lying or telling the full truth.
“I wonder what it was?” he said as Lilly choked on her wine.
He didn't press the point and poured himself a wine before returning to talk to the others. As the night wore on, the two dragons insisted on flying to find the distant temple promising to return in no more than six days.
Thayle could feel Lilly's relief to see them go and then felt her desire to be hidden away in the room. She took Lilly to their chambers, where Gersius was already undressing. With gentle hands, she pulled Lilly's garments away and laid her on the bed.
“You lay right there,” Thayle said as she took her own robe off.
“What are you doing?” Gersius asked.
“Lilly is very tense over the arrival of these dragons. I am going to give her a massage to calm her.”
“We do not have any hot oil,” he pointed out.
“I don't need any,” Thayle said. “My people practice message as almost an art form. It's handed down from mother to daughter over generations, and my mother was a master of it.”
“Why have you never mentioned this before?” he asked.
Thayle sighed and shook her head as she stood beside the bed and reached over Lilly.
“It never came up. Honestly, we are always so busy with the army and managing the camp. It's a wonder we have time to share anything.”
“We are busy,” Gersius agreed.
Thayle began to trace circles with her fingertips on Lilly's back to either side of her spin. Gently she circled until she was happy then pressed into the circles with her thumbs, working them deeply as Lilly groaned.
“I have never seen a message like that,” he said.
“It's called Shiriatsu,” Thayle said. “It's far more than a message. All across the human body are nerve centers where the body's energy gathers. If you know how you can stimulate these centers and gather that energy, then you can use the message to move it to other places in the body. There are ways to heal injuries and illness just by relocating the body's energy.”
“And you know how to do all this?” Gersius asked.
Thayle smiled and began to drag her thumbs down Lilly’s back. She held her thumbs in place as her fingertips circled at Lilly sides.
“My mother is known as a woman with golden hands for her skill at this technique. I learned from her and had a great deal of practice as an acolyte of Ulustrah.”
Gersius looked at her with a sideways glance. “You mean with the other women right?”
Thayle nodded with a smile, and she began to rub deeply into the small of Lilly's back.
“So what will this message do for my dragon?” he asked.
“I am gathering the energy from her back,” Thayle said. “When I have it all, I will drag it to her neck and release it just at the base of her head. It will race down her spine and send her body into a state of deep relaxation.”
He looked down at her and smiled. “She feels relaxed already.”
“That’s because she likes being touched,” Thayle said with a pleased smile. “I still remember the dragon that was afraid to talk to me.”
“You behaved so strangely when we first met,” Lilly said.
“I could see your aura, sweetheart. I knew what you were, but I could tell you were trying to keep it a secret. So I played a little game with you both.”
Thayle began top fan her hands out over Lilly's back and rubbed upward while pressing down with her thumbs. Lilly groaned and arched her back as Thayle slowly worked her way up.
“That's it, sweet dragon, just relax and let this wash over you,” Thayle whispered as she curled her hands over Lilly's shoulders. Her thumbs went to the base of Lilly's neck and pressed up toward her scalp.
“Oh!” Lilly said as Thayle rubbed just under her hairline.
“Now take a deep breath and exhale slowly,” Thayle said.
Lilly complied, and as she exhaled, Thayle pressed down with her thumbs and then took her hands away.
Lilly made a long groaning sound as her head came back, and her hands turned into fists on the bed.
“That will take a few minutes to fade away,” Thayle said as she ran her hands down Lilly’s back and rolled over her rear. “Just lay still and let it wash over you.”
“You are a very skilled woman,” Gersius said from where he stood watching her squeeze Lilly’s rear.
“I have my secrets too,” Thayle said with a playful smile. “Now that your dragon is taken care of, I want to talk about Sutherisa.”
“What about her?”
“What did you think of her?” Thayle asked, concentrating on how he felt over the bind.
He shrugged and sat on the edge of the bed beside Lilly. Slowly he ran a hand up her leg and caressed her tenderly.
“I do not know what to think of her.”
Thayle saw the truth of that in his aura. He was overwhelmed with the encounter and needed time to ponder what happened.
“Maybe you need a message too,” Thayle said with a smile.
Gersius smiled and ran his hand up Lilly’s back as she trembled under his touch.
“I am struggling to grasp that such an ancient dragon has come to our aid. That she can tell us about the world that was lost, and that she is a priestess of Astikar.”
Thayle saw his aura flare at that last statement.
“Her being a priestess is what has your mind working the most,” Thayle said. “Is there something wrong with that?”
Gersius looked up and shook his head. “No, what's wrong is I believe the order was just and righteous. She is living proof that it is not, and has not been for a very long time. Whatever secret she has to share with Lengwin has me concerned as well.”
Thayle nodded her agreement and sat beside Lilly to join him in rubbing her back.
“We knew a lot of what we believed might be in error. My order has been forcing women to go silent for hundreds, if not thousands of years. I suspect every major faith has fallen from the path in some ways.”
He let out a sigh and brushed Thayle’s fingers as they rubbed Lilly.
“Maybe I do need that message. Lilly feels completely calm.”
“I would be more than happy to give you one,” Thayle said.
He looked up and smiled at her. “What else can you do with this talent?”
“You would be amazed at what I can do for you with these hands,” Thayle teased.
“You could always show me,” he teased back.
“I can’t, I would need to tie your hands first,” Thayle said with a bat of her eyes. “Most men can’t stand it and will fight to make it stop.”
Gersius looked at her with wide eyes as she started to laugh.
“Get into bed, husband. I will send you to sleep every bit as rested as Lilly is now.”
That night, Thayle and Gerisus made passionate love, while Lilly recovered from her message. Then Thayle pulled Lilly over and helped her find a release before finally letting the dragon go to sleep. As Thayle laid her head down on Lilly's chest Gerisus curled up behind her pressing himself to her back. She slept sandwiched between her two lovers as her heart sang silent praises and thanks to Ulustrah.
Comments
Sam4005
message should be massage
