Serali placed the last few spell components into the pouches on her belt. Her clothes were already put away in her pack. The fancy dresses would stay behind, as would the jewelry. Her books were packed up and her lute case had been fitted with a strap for easy carrying. She looked around at the room, already looking bare and empty. Only a few more minutes and she would leave it behind. Strange to think that she had lived here for four years now. It seemed like it had been only yesterday that she had arrived. This was not the first time she had packed, of course. Her regular visits to her family had taken her away on occasion, and she had accompanied Janus on one of his trips to far lands in search of new spell components. This time, however, she would not be returning for years, if ever. She had earned the status of a journeyman wizard in an unheard-of two and a half years, possibly the shortest ever. She had not felt ready to leave then, so she had stayed on to complete a second course of study, this time in ritual wizardry. And now she could delay no longer. It was time to move on.
She realized that she was procrastinating. She had left places before, of course. Her family had moved to a new house when she was very young, and she had left her home to go with Janus, but it was not the same. Her family's move had only been from one house to another inside the same town. And even leaving home, she had known that she would come back. But she would likely never live in this room again. Oh, she might visit the tower again, but that day lay far in her future. She was setting off on a journey that might last for decades, even centuries, before she settled down again. She didn't think she'd be spending much of that time in Barona, the city or the kingdom. There was a lot more of the world out there and Serali meant to see as much of it as possible.
And besides, she thought, somewhere out there are dragons. My own kind. I want to find them, join them. Maybe with them I could find the place where I belong. With one last glance at all she was leaving behind she left the room and descended the tower stairs. Janus was waiting just inside the door. Without a word he opened the door and gestured to the courtyard outside. Serali walked through the door and Janus followed, closing and locking it behind him.
As she turned to go out the gate, Janus held up a hand. "Wait. There's one more thing we have to do before we go. Or did you forget about your horse?"
"No. I certainly wouldn't want to leave Orison here alone. I was going to pick him up from the boarding stable on our way out. We can drop him off at Lord Mortigen's."
"No, I've decided that he needs to come along."
"What? But I was planning on flying most of the way. I'm not sure I could even get off the ground with him, and I doubt he'd like it much if I could."
"No, not that either. I've got another plan. Would you like to help me cast a major working, just for practice, before we go?"
"Sure," said Serali dubiously. "If you want to."
"I do." Janus pulled a small book out of a pocket. "If you'll do a power raising, I will be doing a marvelously complicated technical change spell."
Serali nodded. She took the book when Janus handed it to her and read through the lines of the power chant. Janus always had her do the chanting because chants work better when chanted on pitch, and Janus was slightly tone deaf. She began, repeating the words over and over. Then Janus began speaking to the background of her chant. The chant was in the formal language of magic, the one used for most spells. Its purpose was to raise power for use in the other part of the spell, which Janus was speaking. He was speaking in the technical language of magic. It was not used as often because it was more difficult to speak, but for changing magic it was the best thing. The technical language could define anything precisely. It was used most often by sorcerers because giving orders to a demon in that language made sure that it couldn't twist the words and do something else.
As Serali listened, she realized that for the first part of the spell, the part where you set out what is going to be changed, he was defining her horse. As the spell continued, he started defining something else. Some thing so big and so heavy, with properties such and such. When he had finished defining, he spoke one final word and made a gesture. Serali immediately stopped chanting. There was no visible result, of course. Whatever change had taken place had done so at the boarding stable, not here.
Janus took back the book and grinned at her. "Shall we see what we've got?"
They went out the gate and strolled along the street to the boarding stable where Serali kept her horse, who she'd named Orison. It was only a few blocks away, so it didn't take long. When they arrived the man who ran the stable let them in. They made their way to Orison's stall. It appeared to be completely empty. When she looked closer, however, she noticed a tiny glint in the straw on the floor. She opened the door and picked up a statue of a golden horse, perhaps two inches tall, intricately detailed and extremely lifelike.
Janus came up behind her. "You can take him anywhere you go now. He'll stay in the statue until you decide to release him, and he can be taken out and put back into the statue with a word."
"In the statue?"
"Yes. When you release him he'll appear, but the statue won't disappear. You'll have them both. When you decide you need to put him back he'll go back. The spell wasn't just a shape changing spell. It actually changed the basic nature of your horse. He's become a dimensional spirit. He'll spend the time he isn't in this world gazing on grass in some otherworldly pasture. I decided to do that, even though it's more difficult than simply turning him into a statue, because the statue spell would have left him aware. It would probably be quite traumatic for him to be put in your pocket if he could see it happening." Janus grinned.
"You're sure that this isn't hurting him in any way?"
"Quite sure. He'll probably be happier in the alternate plane than he would be at Lord Mortigen's in fact."
"Thank you." She gave Janus a hug, somewhat to his surprise. "This is a marvelous gift! But we should get going."
"Well what are you waiting for then?"
Serali laughed, and together they left the stable and headed for the edge of town and the world beyond.
The first part of their journey was uneventful. Serali enjoyed the flight, sometimes indulging in some modest areal acrobatics, diving and pulling up just in time to skim the treetops, much to the alarm of Janus, who was riding on her back. "Stop that!"
"Sorry."
"If you were really sorry you wouldn't do it again!"
Serali just laughed.
A few days later they reached Land's End. Summer had arrived to the high desert and the heat was blistering. Serali, back in her human form, entered the cool dimness of her parents' inn with gratitude. Falio looked up from pouring drinks.
"Serali! We didn't expect you so soon!"
"Papa!" She made her way quickly across the almost empty room and hugged her father. "I'm not staying long, but I'm glad to be back."
Her mother heard the commotion and emerged from the kitchen, followed by a young woman that Serali almost didn't recognize as her little sister Terla.
Serali hugged her mother affectionately and ruffled Terla's hair. "You sure have grown!"
Terla swatted Serali's hand away. "Stop that! Now you've messed it up!"
Serali grinned "Trying to impress the boys, eh?"
Terla's blush was all the confirmation anyone needed.
Turning back to Falio, Serali said, "I'm not planning on staying too long. In another week or so Id like to be on the road again."
"You're welcome for as long as you're here. With both your brothers out of the house, there's plenty of room."
"I knew Dentol had married, but what happened to Ohlito?"
"He's apprenticed himself to Breck. Turns out he's got a knack for smith craft."
"They're all growing up so fast!" Serali shook her head. "I've missed so much, and now I'm leaving again."
Falio smiled at his adopted daughter. "We all miss you, but you can't live here forever. It's enough that we can enjoy your company while you're here."
"Thank you, Papa. Whatever else happens, I'm glad that my family will be here."
"Don't just stand there you two," broke in Marilla. "Sit down, eat something. You too Janus."
Serali smiled, her mother's reaction to just about everything was to try to feed it. A reaction which was responsible for the fact that she was getting plumper every year. Serali and Janus were indeed well-fed over the next week, but at last the time came to go. Serali had enjoyed her stay with her family, but she was now looking forward to going. Out there somewhere was her real family. Serali still wondered why they had abandoned her. She feared that they hadn't wanted her, and yet she also feared that they had, and that they'd been killed by the mysterious enemies which they'd hinted were following them. Or maybe there was some other, more mundane explanation. But whatever the truth was, Serali was going to find out.
Serali headed north-west. Janus had mentioned that there was a dragon community somewhere in the Ocean of Grass. Finding anything on that vast plain was a bit of a gamble, but that was still the best place to start. Janus had said goodbye when she left Land's End, telling her that she needed to go on on her own, and he had his own work to do. So she flew alone over the beautiful but desolate wastelands that bordered the country around Land's End. There huge canyons cut the surface, and high cliffs rose above tumbled expanses of multicolored stone. There were broad plains studded with outcrops of rock that looked eerily like twisted creatures. There was even a great sandstone arch, easily large enough to hold her weight, on which she alighted for a moment to consider a spectacular view of a particularly beautiful valley.
These lands were not devoid of life. Serali often saw hawks and eagles circling, or a group of large-eared and wide-eyed deer winding their way up the side of a seemingly impassable cliff. Once she even glimpsed a griffin soaring in the distance. There were rivers flowing at the bottom of the deep canyons, and springs often sent cascades of water tumbling down the sides of the high cliffs. It is a rule of nature that where there is water, there will be life.
But after only a few days Serali left those lands behind her. Now she flew over a nearly endless expanse of grass. The horizon stretched to infinity as she soared high over the almost perfectly featureless land. She had reached the Ocean of Grass, a plain that stretched without anything to break the level monotony for hundreds upon hundreds of miles. Only the direction of the sun as it rose and fell made navigation possible in this land. On a foggy day trying to travel would be purest folly since the undifferentiated expanse of grass gave no clues as to direction. But for the first few days the weather was clear and bright. On the third day the sky was thick with gathering clouds as Serali wended her way across the plains, but the glow of the sun showed clearly enough to guide her.
She was enjoying her flight, the feel of wind in her face, the glorious freedom of motion as she dipped and dived playfully. There was a storm coming. She could smell it in the wind. The clouds overhead spoke of it. Rain, lighting, thunder. She thought she could hear a distant rumble, indistinct and unsure across the miles. Tonight there would be a furious storm indeed. Serali loved storms. Her mother had told her that she had been born in the middle of one of the fiercest storms that she had ever seen. Perhaps that was a reason, perhaps not, but Serali found no greater thrill than riding on the lighting-filled winds of a storm as thunder crashed around her. She had been struck by lighting more times than she could count, but it seemed that in dragon form at least she took no harm from it. The feel of all that energy coursing over her skin was exhilarating.
She was jolted out of her thoughts by the impact of something that struck her from above like the lightning she so enjoyed. But this was much more solid, not to mention more painful. Serali tumbled from the sky and only just managed to get her wings spread enough to break her fall before she hit the ground. From down here it was evident that the plains were not quite as flat as they looked from above. Serali had landed in a dip between two small rises. Countless other such low hills surrounded her. She looked up but could not see whatever it was that had hit her. Perhaps it was behind one of the hills, or perhaps it was some creature of magic, and thus invisible.
Cautiously Serali climbed to the top of the nearest rise. Her muscles protested at the movement, the impact of the thing and her subsequent fall had left her bruised all over. From her new vantage point, Serali could indeed see her assailant, or rather, assailants, for there were three of them.
At the sight she let out an involuntary gasp of surprise. They were dragons.
They were slightly different from her, being smaller, and having short horns poking from the sides of their heads. They had no cresting or spine ridge, and small horse-like ears stood just below their horns.
At the noise from Serali, the trio turned her way and started up the hill. The largest of them, a somewhat stocky dragon who looked, in the grayish light of the cloud-shrouded day, to be a light blue-green, rushed up the hill ahead of his fellows and threw himself at Serali, yelling, "Hriksha lossithar! Vashli kav ssitha!"
Serali backed away from his furious advance. He stopped moving forward and drew in a deep breath. Serali had a second of awful realization, he's going to flame, before instinct took over. Even as fire blasted out of the other dragon's mouth, Serali was rolling backwards down the hill. She felt the heat of the blast. If it touched her, it was a brief enough touch to do no harm. He scales were designed to resist flame, but dragon's fire could be hotter than any smith's forge, and if it got hot enough it could damage her despite the protection of her scales. But now was not the time to muse on the properties of dragon scale. Serali got to her feet quickly. She looked up. The blue-green dragon and his two slightly smaller companions were standing at the top of the hill. The blue-green dragon spoke again.
"Trevasslan vikar! Brith tav morin?" His voice was full of anger, his teeth bared in a raging snarl. Serali spoke in the only language she knew. "I don't understand you!"
The dragons didn't seem to understand her either, for they again moved forward. Serali had no idea what was going on, or why she'd been attacked. She backed away from them again. Suddenly there was a break in the clouds and the sun streamed down around them. Serali could immediately see that the three dragons all had scales that shone like pearl. The blue-green dragon's were especially vivid. His companions were both in more muted shades, the one a green almost the color of the grass he stood on and the other a light amber color.
The trio of dragons, on the other hand, could immediately see that Serali was a brilliant metallic gold. The sun glinted brightly off of her smooth scales. Their reaction was as startling as it was sudden. The lead dragon halted his forward rush, a shocked expression on his face. "Arvasen," he said, in tones of wonder. All three of them started at her with expressions of shock and awe.
The blue-green dragon walked up to Serali cautiously and, opening and closing his large wings once to make a sharp clapping sound, he commenced to give a lengthy speech in apologetic tones. Serali couldn't understand a thing, though she thought she caught one or two of the Dragonish words that Donovan had taught her. Which made sense, since these were dragons, what else would they be speaking? She shook her head and said again, "I don't understand."
The blue-green look at her with a puzzled expression. He walked back to his compaions and spoke with them for a moment. They seemed to come to a conclusion, for he walked back over to Serali and motioned. The gesture was clear, come with me. He pointed to the sky and then repeated the beckoning gesture.
Serali nodded her understanding, pointing to the blue-green dragon, to herself and to the sky. The dragon smiled at her, nodding enthusiastically. Then he took a few running steps and leaped skyward. Serali followed, taking a bit longer to get airborne than the smaller dragon, whose wings, she noticed, were much larger in proportion to his body than hers. The other two dragons followed after.
After flying for some time, Serali noticed something ahead. Something that was definitely not flat. As they got closer she could make it out more clearly. Out of the unrelieved sameness of the plain rose an outcropping of stone. The light gray rock showed clearly against the green of the plains. Near the base of the rock, a streak of darker green where trees grew around water marked the course of a stream. The rock looked like it might not be far, but they kept flying long after she thought they ought to have arrived. The rock just kept getting bigger and bigger. It was huge! And what she had thought was merely a tiny stream was really a great river. When they got close enough to make out the dragons moving about on the rock, the true scale of it hit home. You could easily fit the entire city of Barona inside this thing and have room left over, thought Serali. The rock was several miles wide at its narrowest point, and loomed hundreds of feet over the flat plain. It was truly colossal.
The blue-green dragon led the way to an opening in the side of the rock. He landed gracefully on the edge of the opening and vanished inside. Serali followed him, although her landing was a bit more awkward, the ledge was only just big enough for her. Inside there was a tunnel leading down into the rock. It was dimly lit by a set of glowing glass globes hung from the ceiling at wide-spaced intervals. The passage twisted and turned for quite some time before finally coming out in a wide, high-ceilinged chamber. On a slightly raised dais at the far end of the chamber lounged a dragon. He was obviously quite old, his horns were worn and he was at least twice Serali's size.
The blue-green dragon clapped his wings and spoke to the amber dragon. Serali recognized the same gesture he had used when speaking to her. The amber replied briefly and then motioned to Serali. She stepped forward.
"I'm afraid I don't speak dragon, if that's what you're speaking."
The amber dragon looked quite surprised at this. He spoke then, in perfectly understandable common, although he had an odd accent. "How is this, that you are a dragon but speak only the human tongue?"
"Sir, I was orphaned at my birth and raised among humans. I don't know any other language, and I'm afraid I don't know much about dragons at all." replied Serali.
"How can that be possible, that a child of the royal race that was thought to be almost extinct, should be raised among humans?"
"My parents left me among them the day I was born. I know nothing else."
"Why then have you come here?"
"I may be raised among humans, but I know better then to think myself one of them. I want to learn the ways of my true people."
"I understand your desire to know your people." He gestured to another dragon, rose colored, hornless, and very tiny compared to his massive bulk, that Serali hadn't noticed standing in the shadows in a corner of the room. He spoke for sometime to her in the dragonish tongue before turning back to Serali.
"Child, you are welcome here. We rejoice to find one of the race thought lost. I myself shall see to it that you learn what you must know to live among us. I am Drevass, the leader here at the dragon stone. Now come, sit here and tell me your story."
Serali climbed to the dais, still a bit apprehensive. She began to tell the amber dragon about her life. By the time she reached her encounter with the blue-green dragon and his friends, she was feeling quite at ease. The small dragon that Drevass had spoken to walked into the room just as she was finishing her telling. She tugged at Drevass' tail, a gesture Serali though rather odd, seeing how everyone else had respected the elder dragon so much.
Drevass noticed Serali's gaze. "That is Sleeah, my several times great granddaughter. I let her get away with almost anything, the dear child. Besides, she isn't even twenty yet. She's not old enough to know better."
"But I'm only just turned twenty myself," Serali protested, "and I don't feel like a child."
"Truly?" Dravass seemed surprised. Then a thoughtful expression crossed his face. "Ah. I think it must be because you were orphaned from birth. Dragon children grow slowly, and do not begin to mature until they are near adult size, which often takes more than a hundred years. But I have heard of a few cases where dragons who were orphaned began to grow rapidly, and were mature adults within a few decades. Since you have been orphaned all your life, you must have started developing into adulthood almost immediately. Though you are not quite there yet, I suspect." He smiled at her. "I have seen a few adult royal golds in my long life. They were larger than I am now, even when only just barely grown enough to clutch. So you quite likely have some growing left to do.
"But Sleeah has delivered my message, and there is a young dragon who speaks the human tongue and is willing to be your interpreter and guide while you are here with us. He is on his way here, or should be."
"Thank you. Though I guess that by young you mean only a century old or so?"
He smiled. "Yes."
"This is going to take some getting used to."
Just then another dragon entered the room. He was perhaps half Serali's size, and his scales were a vivid sky blue. He spoke to Drevass in dragon for a moment, and Drevass answered him the same way. Then he turned to Serali with a smile. "Hello, I'm Cherval. Drevass says you only speak human?"
Serali nodded. "Yes. I was raised by humans, so I don't know a thing about dragons at all."
"That's really strange. I've never heard of anything like it!"
"Neither have I, to tell you the truth."
"Well, Drevass tells me he wants me to start you learning proper speech as soon as possible, so I guess we ought to start now. I'll show you around the dragon stone and tell you the names of who or whatever we see in dragon, how's that?"
"Sounds good to me." Serali smiled back at the smaller dragon.
His smile widened and he turned to go, Serali trailing behind. "Now this room we are in is just one of many here, and the word for room, by the way, is 'vart,' though actually, you can use that word for a natural cavern as well. And this hallway here is called…"
Cherval tutored Serali for several long months, teaching her not only how to speak, but also how to read and write in the dragon's tongue. Reading and writing were harder than they might have been because the dragon's written language wasn't composed of letters that stood for sounds, but instead pictograms that stood for concepts or objects. Serali had a difficult time of it, but her mastery of the spoken language was a far easier task and it wasn't long before she was speaking it almost as if she had all her life. Though according to Cherval she had a most dismal human accent.
He also taught her about the culture of dragons, though often he plead ignorance to her many questions. But as Drevass was always willing to spare a moment or two for her, she soon learned much. One thing that continually amazed her however, was the respect that all the other dragons, even the older ones like Drevass, gave her. Cherval explained it to her.
"The metallic dragons have always been the nobility among us, but the golds especially are respected, ever since the day Arvass became the first dragon king. But everyone thought that there was only one gold left living, a huge ancient named Brethor. He spends all his time writing, since he's the keeper of the Book of Knowledge and the Book of Thoughts.
"Everyone thought that the old dragon king and his mate were the last of the gold line besides Brethor, and they vanished years ago. Some say that they're still alive out there somewhere, but most dragons think they're dead. The current dragon king, Skrisish, who's a royal red, chased them from the royal caves in the north mountains when he took the throne and they haven't been seen since. I was still a child at the time, so I'm not sure exactly what happened. But you can see why all the dragons here are so glad to see you, since everyone thought that all the golds were gone."
They were speaking in dragon, and Serali had needed to stop Cherval once or twice for clarification, but she understood what he had said. She thought for a moment. If Cherval had been a child when the old dragon king had left, when had it happened? And could it possibly be that she…
"Cherval, how long ago did they vanish?"
He thought for a moment. "Twenty years gone now, I think."
Serali nodded. "I see," she muttered absently, in human.
"Serali…" Cherval started, but he could see her mind was elsewhere.
Serali turned and went back to the little nook that she had been given to live in, thinking confused thoughts. Images of kings and queens, of dragons and humans, and of a certain stormy night that she had seen but did not recall, swirling through her mind. She didn't want to assume something when she didn't know for sure, but more and more she was starting to think that she knew who her parents were.
The wind was howling around the dragon stone. It bore the fresh, exciting scent of rain and lighting, the smell of coming chaos. The wind whistled through the thousands of holes and tunnels that the dragons had bored through the rock. Many who had dug their lairs in windy places might regret it this night. But despite the drafts, all of the plains dragons who lived there were inside, sheltering from the wind and the rain that would soon follow it.
Serali however was not inside. She was perched at the highest point of the dragon stone, watching the storm approach. Cherval was sitting next to her, folding and unfolding his wings nervously. He had followed her everywhere these past months, explaining things, teaching, helping her begin to understand what dragon society was like. Though he had also warned her, "Plains Dragons are the most social of all dragons, you know. I've never heard of mountain dragons or even sea dragons living in groups bigger than a dozen or so. Dragon stone is probably the largest dragon community ever, and there's only around two hundred of us here. Nothing at all to compare with human cities with their thousands."
But now it seemed that one hundred and ninety-eight of the two hundred dragons were inside, and only Serali and Cherval stayed out to watch the storm. Serali was going storm flying tonight. She had invited Cherval, but he had agreed only to watch the storm. He absolutely refused to fly out into it.
Serali was not going to be held back by her guide's reluctance. As the distant storm drew closer and the display of lighting ceased to be a show to watch from a distance and started to be a play that you yourself were acting in, Serali spread her wings and launched herself off into the night. The winds buffeted her, blowing her this way and that, her flight made erratic and uncertain. She put all of her effort into gaining height, not caring to fight the winds for a specific direction. As she mounted toward the seething clouds, lighting flashed all around her, huge drops of rain splattered against her scales. Drawn by the metallic nature of her scales, a bolt hit her directly. She could feel the energy coursing over her skin, crackling all around her, and then passing over her, flowing across her scales as it continued on its journey down. Something about a lighting strike made time seem to stand still. Even though she knew that the stroke had been so swift that the eye could hardly catch it at all, she had felt and noticed each of the many individual discharges that made up what looked like a single bolt. It was a strange and exhilarating sensation.
Serali rode the winds for a bit longer, but as a passing gust brought her back over the dragon stone, she decided that she had enjoyed her self enough for this night and dropped toward the rock below. Cherval was waiting there, looking worried.
"Serali! You're all right!"
"Of course I'm all right. What would be wrong with me?"
"I saw you get hit by lighting!" He seemed startled by her lack of concern. "I was afraid that you'd be killed."
"That's utter nonsense, lighting couldn't possible hurt me. I've been hit so many times I've lost count."
Cherval blinked in surprise. "I've seen a dragon who was hit by lighting before. He nearly died of it!" He paused to think for a moment. "Maybe it's because you're a gold, and you have metallic scales."
"Perhaps. I see now why you didn't want to come with me though! You've been courageous enough waiting out here. Let's go inside."
Cherval looked relieved as the two descended into the tunnels of Dragon Stone. Serali extricated herself from him with a few muttered words about her adventure having left her tired and in need of sleep. She wanted some time to herself, and it seemed that Cherval was everywhere she went these days. She enjoyed his company well enough, but she didn't want him hanging over her shoulder every moment. And the truth was that she didn't really need the sky-blue dragon anymore. Oh she still had a ways to come, her accent was still terrible and she still had a hard time reading and an even worse time writing, but as for understanding and making herself understood in everyday situations, she was just fine.
When she reached her chamber she found Sleeah sitting in front of the door. The little rose dragon held out a large rectangular package.
"Grandpa said this is for you. He says you can read well enough now to understand it. He also said to tell you that this is very important, you can't really understand dragons without it."
"Tell Drevass thank you for me, Sleeah. I'll start reading it tonight."
"I will. G' bye!" And with that she scurried off down the tunnel, presumably heading toward Drevass' chambers.
Serali went into her room. It was a rounded chamber, one of the larger ones in the dragon stone, as she was bigger than most of the adult dragons there, save for a few of the oldest ones. Inside she plopped down in the cushion-lined stone basin that served as a bed and opened the book. It had pages of some silvery metal, the words inscribed deep on its surface. The first page held only a short note.
Written by the hand of Lrrisha the scribe, in this the tenth year of the fifth century of the age of Magic. A copy of the book written in the first days of the world by the hand of Claron.
Serali turned a page and started reading.
The Book of Truth, chapter one, Beginnings.
Before the start of things there was the Creator. When all things began, the Creator made the Bright Ones, and they made the worlds. Now before they began in the making of worlds, the Creator…
Serali stopped. There was a word she'd never seen before. It looked a bit like the character for "speak" but not quite. It definitely had something to do with talking or communication, but what? She'd have to ask Drevass or Cherval about it. I suppose that's all I'll read today, she thought. I've plenty of time to read more tomorrow.
Cherval wasn't in evidence the next morning when Serali exited her chamber and headed through the twisting tunnels. Wonder where he is? It seems like he's been underfoot everywhere I go. Not that he hasn't been handy at times, but it makes me feel like I don't have any privacy. I don't really need a translator anymore, and I certainly don't need a baby-sitter! Especially not one that's half my size, even if he is four times my age. Well, he's not here now, so I'll just have to ask Drevass about this.
She'd grown used to navigating in the confused tangle of tunnels and rooms that honeycombed the dragon stone, so it didn't take her long to find Drevass's rooms.
The big amber was sitting on the dais, reading a book. Serali had the Book of Truth tucked under her arm. She took it out and opened it to the page in question. She clapped her wings in the traditional gesture of respect before speaking.
"Drevass, I've been reading the book you gave me, but I had hardly read a single phrase before I reached a word I don't know. What does this mean?" She pointed to the character that had baffled her.
"Ah, that means 'spake.'" He said it in dragon, which is what they were both speaking, then said it again in human. "It's an archaic word. You won't find it used much in modern language. But that book is very old and the language is quite formal. You'll find many such words in it. "
"Thank you, Drevass."
"It's my pleasure to aid in the education of another."
Serali clapped her wings again and left the room. Back in her chambers she continued her reading.
Now before they began in the making of worlds, the Creator spake unto the Bright Ones. He showed unto them the purpose of many things, even the purpose of stars and of planets, and of the many wonders which he wished to come to pass, but he did not speak of all things. And when his speaking, or his song, was done, he sent the Bright Ones out into the unformed void and commanded them that they should make stars and planets, and all things even as he has sung unto them.
Serali read all that day and for many days to come. At first there were many pauses as she puzzled out unfamiliar words or stopped to ask Drevass to clarify things, but eventually the going became easier and she read page after page eagerly.
And they went and made stars and planets and many other wonders, both large and small. And when they had finished making these things, the Creator divided the Bright Ones, and gave each dominion over certain things, so that every star and every world might be watched over.
But when he came to a certain star he found that which was not as he had sung in the beginning. And he spoke to the Bright Ones, saying: "Which of you has done this thing?" And one of them, who was called Aldon, answered and said "I made this star, and the worlds that circle it." And the Creator said "It is not good, for lo, I sang of a world whereon life might live, and thou hast not made such a world." And Aldon said "I did not count myself worthy to reign over such life, so I made no world for life."
But the Creator was displeased and said unto Aldon, "I see that you have feared failure, but by your fear you have failed with a much greater failure. But let it be as you wish. I give you dominion over this star, and over this star only. You shall have no true power upon Earth, nor on any other world. Nevertheless, you shall be worshiped and honored, but it will not bring you joy."
And the Creator went, with others of the Bright Ones, and made a world in the place where a world had been sung. But Aldon only watched, his power to create having been taken from him.
Often after reading a passage she would discuss it with Drevass. The story of Aldon she found especially interesting.
"Drevass, when I lived in Barona City, there were five hills. One of them had the palace, one had the college, and two just had parks. The fifth had a temple. It was the largest temple in the whole city, and it was a temple of Aldon. If Aldon doesn't have any power, why is he the head of the gods?"
"The humans believe something very different from what we believe, Serali. Didn't you hear the story of the Age of Creation when you were a child? And wasn't it a different story?"
"Yes, I do remember hearing it. My parents followed the Creator, as much as they followed any god. Religion wasn't talked of much in our house, Papa always said that we should leave the gods alone and they would do the same for us. But I've discussed religion with a few humans. The story I heard from them didn't have Bright Ones in it at all."
"Your human parents followed the Creator? That is quite unusual. Most humans don't acknowledge the Creator in any way. They worship the Bright Ones as gods, with Aldon at their head. Though I've heard it said that the Easterners worship the Creator. I'm not an expert on human theology. One thing I do know it this, the worship of Aldon only fulfills the prophecy that the Creator gave at the beginning. Aldon is worshiped and honored, but I doubt it bring him any joy. False honor seldom does."
"Galen would agree with you that honor doesn't always bring joy," said Serali with a sigh.
"Who is Galen?" Drevass inquired, curiously.
"He's a human prince. Everyone bows and scrapes in front of him, but they all want to get power from him, they don't really care about him at all. He said that he'd rather the friendship of a single peasant girl who didn't know who he was then the honor of a thousand royal toadies."
"A wise man, this Galen."
"Yes, he was that."
Now after the world had been made, and set in its place circling the sun, to be lit with sunlight by day, and yea a moon was also made that there might be light by night, and oceans and land placed in their proper places upon the world as had been sung in the beginning. Yea, after all this had been done, the Bright Ones told the Creator that all was prepared. So the Creator looked upon the world, which was yet without life, and said "Now is the time to make life upon the world." And when one of the bright ones, whose name was Pelor, began to make an intelligent being, to place life upon the Earth, the Creator halted him saying "All thing in their proper order." And Pelor was much ashamed, that he had not seen this in the song at the beginning of things.
Now the Creator placed a seed upon the Earth, and commanded it to grow, and it grew. So after the Bright ones also made seeds, and all manner of plants grew. And the making of the plants was long. But lo, after this making was done, and green things covered all the earth, the seed which the Creator had planted had grown into a great tree whose branches were white and whose leaves were green to surpass all other greens. It bore no fruit, neither nut nor seed of any kind, but stood alone.
And after the creation of the plants was done, the Creator began the creation of animals. And this he did by making an egg. He set the egg among the branches of the tree, where it waited while the Bright Ones made the animals. And they made all manner of creatures, both those that swam in the oceans and those that flew in the air as well as those that walked upon the ground. And the making of the animals was long. But when all had been made, the egg which the creator had made hatched. And therein was a bird like no other seen upon the earth, whose plumage was white to exceed all whiteness. And after the bird had hatched, the tree wherein it sat bore fruit. And the fruit likewise was white, but it yet had no seeds within, for the tree stood alone.
Now after the making of the animals was complete, the Creator began the making of the intelligent beings. And he began again by making an egg. Now Aldon had watched the creation of all things with jealousy in his heart, for he could not create. And when he saw that the Creator had made an egg, he taunted him saying: "Thou shouldst think of something new, for behold, I have already seen that trick." But the creator answered him mildly saying, "Perhaps thou hast, but it is a good thing nonetheless, and I will not unmake it." And he placed the second egg upon the ground, beneath the branches of the tree.
And it came to pass that even as impatient Pelor reached forth his hand to place upon the Earth that which he had thought from the first, that the egg cracked and out of it came a Dragon, whose scales were white even as the whiteness of the bird and the tree. And the Creator spoke to the dragon, and named him. But his name is not known among dragons, neither spoken among the Bright Ones. For he is called First Father of Dragons. But at the time of his birth he stood alone, and there was no mate for him.
"Drevass, if the First Father was alone, how were the rest of the dragons created? You need to have two parents in order to have children, after all."
"Things change, and if you keep reading you'll see the story of how. That's one thing you ought to learn now if you haven't already. The only thing that you can count on is change. Nothing has to stay the same. The Creator sang a single dragon, and now we have a whole race of dragons. Many other things that used to be are no longer so. There are even races that were made in the beginning that no longer exist." He paused for a moment. "Have you ever heard of a thing called a greyling?"
"No, I haven't. What is it?"
"Greylings were tiny creatures. No one is sure if they were made in the creation of the animals or in the final creation. They might have been intelligent, they might not. But there were never very many of them and they built no lasting civilization. They lived in a single river valley and when the river dried up a very long time ago they didn't leave. Perhaps they couldn't. Perhaps they just chose not to. But they all died there, every last one of them.
"Now perhaps that is what they were destined to do, perhaps not, but the fact remains that something which the Creator sang in the beginning is no longer upon the earth."
Now as the Bright Ones each began to make all of the many creatures that should inhabit the Earth, First Father looked upon the things that they made and was sad. For behold, each new being was made with a mate, yea they all were made two by two, that their races might multiply upon the Earth. And the Creator beheld First Father's sadness and he asked "Wherefore is this sorrow? And why art thou sad? Seest thou not the many wonders around you?" And First Father answered him saying, "I do indeed see many wonders, but behold, I would have a companion, that I might speak and say 'look, there is a great wonder.' For it is not good to be alone."
But the Creator spake to him and admonished him, saying, "From the beginning I sang that thy life should be thus, for thou art given a task and a calling, that thou shouldst be a guardian over this, my tree, which also has a purpose since the beginning of all things."
And First Father answered him thus: "Sing then to me this song that has defined my destiny." And the Creator sang with a voice like no other voice that has ever been. But First Father lifted up his voice, and lo, it was not like the voice of the Creator, nevertheless, it was a voice most sweet and pure. And he sang a harmony and a counterpoint, to the song of the Creator. And it was a most beautiful thing, for there had never before in all of creation been a duet.
And the Creator marveled saying, "I see a new thing, which I have not seen before, that a song which is not the song from the beginning could have such merit." And First Father said unto the Creator, "Thou hast seen that a song which is not thy song can yet be a good song. Change therefore thy song that I might not be alone." And the Creator had compassion on him, and sang again. And the song he sang was as the counterpoint that First Father had sung. And as he sang, lo, a second egg was created. And it hatched, and out of it came another Dragon. And behold, her scales were black as night.
And the Creator looked upon them and said, "Thou hast changed my song, it is not fit that thou shouldst remain thyself unchanged. And he sang again. And when his song was done, First Father was no more white as the great tree, but of all colors. And his scales were as opal, being bright with shards of every color that has ever been seen. And his mate also was changed, and her scales likewise were of all colors, yet she remained dark, while First Father was light. And First Father was no more a guardian of the tree, but he and his mate went forth into the world, which had begun to be filled with all manner of beings.
"You see what I mean about change?"
"Yes, I see. But I don't understand how the Creator could change his mind just because of something he created in the first place."
"Serali, I don't think the humans, even the ones that worship the Creator, teach this much, but the prime attribute of the Creator is love. He loves every one of his creations. If we want something that will make us happy and won't do us any harm that we can't bear, he'll give it to us."
"Don't you mean 'won't do us any harm at all?'"
"I meant just what I said. The Creator didn't make life so that it would be easy. Yes he wants us to have joy. But don't you often enjoy something better when you know what it's like not to have it? You probably appreciate flying more than I ever can because you know what it's like to dream of flying and be earthbound. Would you really rather have been born a dragon, or don't you think the life you lived then makes you that much happier now?"
"I think I understand. I've never really thought about this kind of thing before."
Now of all the beings made in the final creation it cannot be written, but the tale of a few may be told.
Behold, the first creatures placed upon the Earth after the Creator began the last creation were the children of Pelor, who are called gnomes. And even as Pelor is hasty, so are his people. And thus it is, each creature having some portion of the nature of the Bright One who created it. Thus do the Dragons say that we hold some small part of the gift of the Creator.
Now among all the races created in the last creation by the hands of the Bright Ones, the races of the Elves and Dwarves have gained the most renown on the Earth. For though each creature has a purpose and a destiny, to each is given according to his ability and according to his needs.
And to one is given a great loud song, and another a soft song, but every song has its place in the great chorus of the Creation.
The race of Dwarves was made by Brethain the smith. Now when the world was first made, Brethain of all the Bright Ones took the most joy in this making, for while all others looked forward to the making of life, Brethain took much joy in the making of stone and the shaping of mountains. And he was pleased to place precious metals among the stones. It was his delight to stud the mountains with gems, yea he rejoiced to make beauty beneath the stones where it would lie hidden until searched out.
So it was that when Brethain set out to make a race to dwell upon the Earth that he created his race in the caverns beneath the ground. Thus it is not known when the Dwarves first set foot upon the Earth, for they had already been long in their caverns when they first came to the surface and met the other races.
Of the love that Brethain had for stone the dwarves have a generous measure, delighting above all in delving in stone. They work the treasures of Brethain, gold and silver, diamond, ruby, sapphire and all the many other bounties of the stones, with love and skill. Other beings live in the deep caverns, but none love them as the Dwarves do.
"Drevass... does the Book say anything about humans?"
The large dragon shook his head. "It says a little, but not very much. Nobody knows which of the Bright Ones made them, or what their destiny is. And I know only a little of their own lore, you no doubt know much more than I."
"I don't think human lore says anything about a destiny, though most stories I've heard say that Aldon made them. But the Book says that he couldn't make things. So are the human religions all a lie?"
Drevass smiled. "That depends on how you look at it. Whether the story of creation they tell is true, or the story in the Book is true, I know that most of the human religions teach what the Book teaches, and that's goodness and love. Though much evil has come of religion too, among them and among us. But I myself tend to think that more good has come of it than bad. We all have to judge for ourselves though. I asked you to read the Book of Truth so that you would understand dragons, most of us follow it, to a greater or lesser degree. Whether you believe it or not is up to you."
Now Rilliya made the race of Elves, and long she was in the planning. She spoke with the Creator before she lifted her hand to make them, and thus they too have some of the Creator's touch in them.
Rilliya loved the starlight, and she also loved the moon. She danced in quiet groves under the night sky. She has been called the lady of twilight. Indeed the evening was her delight and dusk her joy. She it was that created the oak tree and the aspen, and her people love these as none other. She danced to the song of the Creator and with her dancing were the Elves born. They arose from the earth and from the mists and out of the trees and danced with her. Thus were the Elves born, in music and under the stars, and thus live they yet.
And as they were born out of the earth and the mist and the trees, so are some of the Elves kindred with the air, and some with the mists and waters, and others with the earth, and with the trees. But rare indeed is the Elf who has kinship with fire.
For though they know well the art of its making, they seldom use fire, for the love of trees is in them and they will not fell living trees for fires' sake, nor for any other reason. They are warmed by the light of magic, for magic is in their souls. And even as the tree is rooted in the earth, so the Elves root themselves in magic.
"Do all races have kindred elements?" Serali asked Drevass the next time she spoke with him.
"All that I know, save humans."
"What are the elements of the dragons?"
"The dragon is kindred first to air and second to fire, though each dragon is a bit different. I myself am kindred first to earth and second to fire, a very unusual combination."
"I see. Then I suppose that I'm kindred first to fire, then to air, and thirdly to earth."
"Truly? I have yet to hear of any who are kindred to two opposing elements. You are an unusual dragon in more ways than one would think."
"You're implying that one would think I was an unusual dragon in other ways."
"Why so I am! How astonishing!" Drevass grinned, and Serali couldn't help but laugh.
Now it came to pass that during the time of the final creation First Father and First Mother of dragons wandered the Earth together, and they saw many wonders, for things were new in those days and all the many races began to walk upon the Earth, save the race of humans who yet walked not, for they were the last made of the age of creation, and whose hand set them upon the Earth none knows.
But after a time First Mother spoke saying, "Let us find a place that we may stay for a time, for behold, I am with child, and my time draws near." And so they found a place, and the name of the place was Kolar, but where it lies is not known.
And First Mother laid a clutch of eggs. And the number of them was great, nevertheless, their number is not known. But after they had hardened for a time, they hatched, and from the eggs came many dragons of many kinds, yea even two, male and female, of each kind. And the first hatched was Arvass the gold and his mate Alora.
Now First Father and First Mother raised their children with care, but they were many, thus as soon as they were able they went out into they world. And they scattered far, some to the east, some to the west, some to the north, some to the south. Some went to the sea, some to the land, but all went two by two out into the world.
And they also laid eggs and raised children. But seldom indeed did such children come, for in his wisdom the Creator saw that were they to bear their children as other creatures they would soon fill the world, for dragons are closer to immortality than any other creature upon the face of the Earth. Thus it was that every child was precious unto them, and they reared them with much care and kept them long.
Yet they did have children, and though they were few, they were enough that soon dragons were in all parts of the Earth.
Now behold when Arvass and Alora bore their first child, they were much amazed, for their son, whom they named Claron, came forth from his mother alive, without an egg. And so it has been since that day, that alone of the dragons the golds have born their children live, but all other dragons are born from an egg.
"That answers a question that I've always wondered about. I thought it would be truly unnatural for a dragon to bear a live baby, the way my mother did, but I see that it's not so unusual after all."
"Yes, but I would think she made a great sacrifice for your sake all the same. A dragon newborn is only a bit larger than a human infant, but the pain and troubles that a human mother goes through are a hundred times worse than the pain of a dragon mother, for the human baby is actually rather large in comparison to its mother, while a dragon baby is quite tiny."
"I never though if that. If a dragon baby is so small, don't the parents have to worry about hurting it by accident?"
"I've never heard of that happening. You see Serali, as the Book says, dragon hatchlings are few and far between. A mated couple might have two or three clutches in their entire lives, and though each clutch holds a dozen or more eggs, none will hatch more than three or four hatchlings, most not even that. We cherish our young, guarding them long after they are capable of going out on their own. My own granddaughter will most likely stay with her parents until well into her second century, unless she mates young."
"That is why dragon parents never crush their own offspring, they take too much care of them for that to be possible. And that is why the murder of a hatchling is the most awful crime that I can think of. There are only a bare handful of offenses punishable by death, and that is one of them."
Serali was returning to her room after that discussion when she ran into the blue-green dragon who had first led her to dragon stone. Literally ran into him in fact, since she was lost in thought as she wandered back to her room. Not noticing the dragon rapidly approaching down a cross hall, she bumped into him with some force.
"I'm so sorry!" Serali exclaimed, recognizing the dragon who had attacked her.
"No, it is I who should be sorry. I meant to apologize for attacking you earlier, but I have not been at the Dragon Stone often since then." He ducked his head slightly, a gesture of apology.
"There was no harm done, and if I had not met you, I might never have found this place. So I owe you that."
"Shall we call it even then?"
"A marvelous idea." She turned to go, the stopped. She'd been curious about the reason for the dragon's unprovoked attack since she'd come here, and now was her chance to find out. "Sir… I'm afraid I don't know your name…"
"I'm called Trillor," the blue-green replied.
"I'm Serali. But Trillor, I want to ask you. Why did you attack me when we first met?"
"I mistook you for someone else. The full story is a long one, and... not one I really want to tell in full, honestly." He looked sad.
"Oh. I'm sorry to have bothered you," she said.
He looked up at her. "I don't know. Maybe I should tell someone. I have never really talked about it to anybody, not even my mate. She... doesn't want to talk about it at all."
"Maybe we could find a better place than the middle of the tunnel, and you could tell me about it? I don't mind listening."
"All right."
The two found one of the small side chambers that dotted the Dragon Stone. It was furnished with a pair of the padded lounges that most dragons favored. Settling herself into a comfortable position, Serali said, "Tell me what happened."
His voice was flat as he began, and Serali sensed that he was trying very hard to hold in his emotions.
"I've been mated for almost twenty years now, and my mate Rialna and I had a single hatchling. We'd been lucky to have a clutch after only a few years, but it was a small clutch and only one egg hatched. Our hatchling was a girl, turquoise blue with Rialna's amber eyes. We named her Laurill and loved her more than anything.
"She was twelve years old and she'd been learning how to fly. She was already good at it, and we'd wandered far afield, enjoying our flight together. I can remember it all so well. I don't think I'll be able to forget a single detail until the day I die. We had landed by the bank of a stream. Laurill was in the water, swimming like a fish, and I was sunning myself on the bank when a group of strange dragons landed near by. They were royal dragons, a couple of bronzes, some coppers, and a brass that seemed to be the leader. Most mountain dragons look down on us plains dragons and royal dragons even more, so they were looking forward to pushing around a little burrow-digger, that's what they call us."
Serali shifted uncomfortably at that. She would never dream of saying such a thing, but somehow she felt guilty by association.
"The brass was about your size. Which isn't really big for a brass, he couldn't have been adult for very long But he was bigger than me, and he'd shoved me across to one of the larger bronzes. They kept pushing me around, from one to the next. They never let me fall over, but they never let me get my feet under me either. They were all yelling insults and making noise. I was shoved back round the circle to the brass and he hit me hard. I fell over and I couldn't get up.
"Then Laurill came out of the stream. She was angry, angrier than I'd ever seen her. She had her wings spread was acting like she was bout to flame the brass. I suppose she might have. She was old enough to flame, though she never had before. The other dragons went quiet when she showed up. They were just out for some fun, they weren't really after trouble. But the brass, he didn't calm down a bit, he got even madder. He pushed Laurill over, and she couldn't do much, he was ten times her size. But she did what she could. I think she wanted to protect me, and if that brass dragon had been sane it might have worked.
"The other dragons didn't like him pushing a hatchling around, they started muttering. He spun around on them and cursed them all for cowards. One of the bronzes said something about there being no courage in hitting hatchlings, and he flew off. The rest of them followed after.
"That just made the brass madder. He yelled and cursed them, calling them cowards and fools. He was raging. I've never seen a dragon so angry. It was more than just anger, it was madness. He turned back to Laurill and started kicking her. She, brave child, fought back the only way she could, she bit his leg. He howled, a sound like I've never heard, and grabbed up Laurill. Then he threw her to the ground. I could hear the sound she made when she hit. He seemed to have forgotten me, but I was still too dazed to move. He kicked Laurill a few more times and then left.
"I finally managed to pick myself up and go over to my daughter, but it was already too late, she was dead." Tears were trickling down Trillor's face as he spoke, and his voice had lost its unemotional flatness.
"Brass dragons have very short horns, and their crest spines are joined together into a ridge that looks just a bit like your crest. You are about his size, and brass looks much like gold in dim light. I was so grief-mad that when I saw you, I thought you were him." After he finished there was a long silence.
"Trillor," Serali spoke at last, "I don't really know how you feel, I've never felt anything like it, but there's one thing I do know. If ever I meet the dragon who did this, he will not live past that meeting."
Trillor looked up in surprise. "You who hardly know me would do this?"
"I haven't been raised in the ways of dragons, but even among humans this would cry out for punishment. I could do no less than this for any dragon."
"You say you do not know our ways, but I say that you know them better than many who have lived them all their lives. It has been many long months since my Laurill died, and few indeed are the dragons who have offered such help to me." He clapped his wings sharply in respect.
Serali shook her head. "I only wish I could do more. Revenge is not much to offer in place of such a loss."
"None but the Creator himself could offer more, and I know that Laurill rests safe with him. She will be happy there until the day I can join her."