The Legend- Revealed

by Cheryl Rush Cowperthwait

  They watched as all prepared to leave and then, made their way towards the tunnels.

  Cargo, treasures and riders were loaded and ready for the adventure. The excitement and nervousness rippled in the air. For most, they had not ever seen the Upper World and could not imagine what it would be like, but even so, the prospect of adventure and a more peaceful way of life, led them on.

  For the Dragons and Kaida, it meant going home. That idea alone was the driving force that beat fast in their hearts. All heads turned towards the King of the Mursei. As their leader, he took huge strides and broke away from the ground.

  He roared, “Fly Fast! Fly Direct!”

  His call was met by the thunderous roars of the other Dragons. “Fly Fast! Fly Direct!”

  As the Dragons caught the air beneath their wings, an audible gasp traveled from rider to rider. They were airborne and climbing at an alarming rate, even for the Faeries who had wings and flight experience.

  Galdean turned his head towards his life-long friend, Rynik. The glint in his eyes and the flash of shining teeth told all. This never grows old, he thought. The Dragons had always been accustomed to flight, the power of moving in the wind. Having riders experience their power brought both pride and an urge for the mischievous. Especially in Galdean. He flew and sharply dipped to his left giving Perthorn and Kiel a hard look at the rocky mountainside.

  Perthorn shouted, “Thunder and Lightning!” He had to quickly snatch up his cap before it tumbled away. He felt an odd ripple beneath his seat and knew it to be the confounded Dragon snickering.

  “Galdean, I’d change your wings into wisps of grass if it wouldn’t mean I would fall to my death,” yelled Perthorn.

  Zelspar shot Galdean a piercing glare as a warning which seemed to make the desired impact, at least for now.

  The higher they flew, the more dense the cloud cover until it was hard to see the Dragon next to them. Suddenly, they were rocked it flight, knocking them precariously sideways. Each Dragon fought to stay airborne as rain, no, waves of water poured all around them!

  The King of the Mursei roared. Each Dragon answered and adjusted their flight to follow him. The beat of their wings slowed. Zelspar groaned under the pressure of trying to lift his wings and body upward. From the heavy cloak of clouds, sudden torrents of water crashed against man, woman, Faery and Dragon. The roars continued in the enveloping whiteness. Their hope was in following their leader, following the sound. The roars became muffled, swallowed up in clouds.

  A Lightning flash shot directly in front of the Dragons. The King of Mursei had lit the way by shooting Lightning, and just in time. In front, the massive mountain loomed, water cascading down its sides. Abruptly, the Dragons reared back to avoid the collision and struggled to push their wings to pull them up higher and higher. Their breaths were labored and smoke rose from their snouts. A clear thunderous roar came from above.

  The top. They had reached the top!

  Chapter 25

  Each Dragon found purchase on the mountain top and looked around. No words were spoken, only gasps of wonder met their ears. Every head turned to look at the view. Never before had any looked at what met their eyes.

  Kaida exclaimed, “I have never seen so much water! It surrounds us on all sides.” Her blue eyes mirrored the reflection of the vast waters around her. One hand arched over her brow, shading her eyes from the brightness of the glistening waves.

  The King of Mursei surveyed their area. They had plenty of windswept trees for protection. It provided a good place to rest and let everyone stretch a bit. After such a journey, all their travel parcels would need to be removed and re-tied before they could take their next trip. He made the announcement.

  “We will rest here before any more traveling. All bindings will have to be redone. Please help remove all parcels from us. After that, stretch your legs but do not journey far. We have not returned to our familiar land. I am unsure if there is danger here. Eyes and ears open, be watchful of danger.”

  Zelspar uttered, “By all that is Dragon,” as he took a hard look at their situation. “We must have hit some type of portal from the Inner Urthe. No wonder we were tossed sideways, rocked with so much water on our way up. His eyes had sprung completely open, in a sudden realization when he thought, We could have drowned!

  “Thunder and Lightning! Is your world all water, Uplanders?” Perthorn walked in a slow circle, seeing a repeating image.

  Kiel looked below. Several pools were trapped in bowl shaped carvings on the sides of the mountain. “Look down there, Master! The water is filled with fish!”

  Kaida grinned a wide smile and said, “I will catch us some good food. Flower Bird, get us a fire ready and Zlemtec, get ready to catch all I throw to you!”

  Zlemtec returned Kaida’s smile. He knew this would be a surprise to the others and he found a spot a few feet from Kaida and watched as she used her special talent to fish. He glanced up to see all heads focusing on her and knew they would be in for a treat.

  With waves of blond hair billowing out behind her, Kaida crouched over a large pool of water. She spied all shapes and sizes of fish swimming in the water. She held her hands over the surface and called out to them, “Come. We are hungry.”

  Fish leapt through the water and crashed around Zlemtec. The air sparkled with the spirits of the fish as they gave up their strength to feed the hungry. Zlemtec filled a large bag with the fish and the onlookers broke apart to let him pass.

  Perthorn was tugging on his long mustache, puzzled with what he had just witnessed. “What form of magic did she just do?” He asked no one in particular, and it seemed he was asking himself the question.

  The King of Mursei answered, flashing Dragon pride in the gleam of his eyes and his puffed-out chest. “It is her Dragon Magic that allows her to call the wild things. Only the very adept of our kind are able to do such Magic.” He looked towards his special Dragon, Kaida and then back to Perthorn. “She could do this from the time when she was very young, much younger than any Dragon had done before her.”

  The Master Magician removed his hat, scratched at his scalp and shook his head slowly from side to side. “I would not have believed it. She’s not much more than a scrap of a girl … er, Dragon … er, Dragon-girl. Well, Thunder and Lightning! What is this girl?” Perthorn looked confused and frustrated. Not many things baffled the Magician.

  Zelspar chuckled softly. “She is Kaida. The Dragon Child. Never before has there been one like her. However, I must confess the term ‘child’ no longer seems to apply. She has grown and come into her youth while living inside your world, Perthorn.”

  Kaida, unaffected by their talk, climbed the rocky slope and trotted towards the campfire to squat next to Flower Bird as she prepared the feast with her special herbs and spices that made mouths water.

  King Togar gathered the Solteriem folk and made their way close to the others, to share a meal and the conversation. The Dragons found the vegetation filling and found large round stones on the ground, that when cracked open was filled with sweet water and delicious white meat. After their shared meal, the process of packing and rebinding the parcels, bags and chests took place.

  The King of Mursei looked at Zelspar and noted. “Judging by the place of the Sun in the sky, I think we will have to fly far to the West to find our home. I only hope we will find land before our wings give out.”

  “By all that it Dragon!” Zelspar shouted, suddenly. “I can call up Pravietis! He said I can always call him from the water. He might be the Future Walker but the water is his home. If anyone would know where we are and how to get back home, it will be him.”

  Before Rynik could reply, Zelspar had flown down the edge of the mountain and stirred the waves that lapped next to his feet. “Pravietis, we are in need of your help and direction.”

  The waves began to undulate and crashed into themselves, when out of the water, a great Sea Dragon broke through and crashed back down. The gleam of his multi-colored scales were
dazzling and so bright in the sunlight, it caused a bow of colors to cross over the water.

  “Zelspar, my friend, we meet again! You gave me quite a concern when I saw you and the rest floundering in the water before finding the mountain top. You altered your course. You did not leave the inner world the way you entered.”

  Zelspar asked cautiously, “Are you saying we have changed our Future?”

  Pravietis’ body swished through the water, like a towering tree, its body bobbing up and down in the waves. His eyes locked firmly onto Zelspar’s. “No Zelspar. The Future has not been changed, only its approach.”

  Zelspar’s voice was gravelly when he spoke. “What do you mean by that? For once, Pravietis, can you use a plain tongue? Are we lost out here? Will we be able to find our way home without plunging to our deaths in all this water?”

  Pravietis’ eyes closed softly. When he opened them he said, “When you are ready to travel, I will guide you to land.”

  “Well now, that is what I was asking! I will go and tell the others. We will follow you.” He made his way back to the group and explained they would have a guide back to land.

  Pravietis rippled through the water, flashing his brilliant colors as he moved. He thought, There was so much more to tell, but then perhaps, telling of the Future this time would be too much for any of them to absorb … and … this Future cannot be altered. Yes, they are in fact, on the right course for their Future.

  The peoples and Dragons alike, strained to look into the water below, in hopes of spotting the One who was only whispered about, Pravietis. Hearing the buzz of excitement from above, Pravietis broke through the water. The regal Sea Dragon with his sleek glistening body, undulated in the air before diving back into the great waters.

  Perthorn looked alarmed and had begun to stumbled backwards when Zelspar came to his aid.

  “There is no need to be concerned. He brings no harm,” Zelspar assured Perthorn. “Have you heard of the Future Walker in your world?”

  Perthorn pulled at his mustache as he tried to find his words. “He was a myth! Yes, even in our World we have heard his name, remember, long ago our world had Dragons also. But … but, we always thought of Pravietis as a myth!”

  Zelspar’s brows lifted. “He is no myth, as you can see. He has been very helpful to us in the past. Without his help, all Dragons would have perished. He and the Historian, Wyrtregon, came to our aid when the Great Deceiver, that instigator of Chaos, tried to kill us off simply for his sick entertainment.”

  Perthorn replied, “We know of the Deceiver, Dargenoin. We suspect he played his hand in our world, also. Creating hate between the Faeries, Giants and ourselves. I do not want to run up against that one.”

  Zelspar unconsciously rubbed his hand across the top of his staff, knowing the hidden compartment and its secret. He softly chuckled. “There is no need to worry about Dargenoin. I have heard from the highest authority, he is contained and can no longer meddle in the affairs of any in this world or even yours, below.”

  “I would like to know more. How did Dargenoin cause the Dragons so much harm?” Perthorn asked as he tugged on his lip hairs, thoughtfully.

  “That is a long story. Perhaps a story better suited once we reach our home. Now, let’s finish preparing for that journey. Do what you can to help reload and cinch up our travel gear. We don’t want to lose our goods somewhere over the vast waters!”

  That said, they made their way back to the flurry of activity as the others had already been busy preparing for the trip. Flower Bird, Molakei and Kaida hurried over to help load Zelspar up with his load. Once finished, all riders mounted the Dragons and cinched themselves tightly to their backs.

  The King of Mursei strode to the edge of the mountain top. He glanced behind to take a long look at his Dragons, friends everyone. His hand reached up to hold his Dragon Tear which hung down from his neck. His protection. He hoped it would be enough to help him reach his home safely, with all his friends, the peoples and the Solteriem folk.

  His call rang out,“Fly fast! Fly direct!”

  All Dragons answered the call as they left the mountaintop, surrounded by the rippling waters.

  “Fly fast! Fly direct!” Their sound thundered across the vast expanse of the ocean.

  They followed the great Sea Dragon, Pravietis as he led them towards land. The sun was at their backs as it gained speed on them, eventually overtaking them on their journey.

  They had flown for hours and the sun was moving ahead of them, to the west. The place where the sun would set in their homeland. Weary wings pushed on, following the crests of the Sea Dragon as he guided them to land.

  As the sun threatened to disappear beyond the horizon, great birds had been sighted off in the distance. They were diving into the great waters and pulling out their meals.

  The King of Mursei called out, “Look! The fishing birds. We must be close to land because their wings cannot carry them great distances.”

  It was as if a new wind found their wings. Each Dragon pushed onward with a renewed strength, their weariness forgotten with the hope of land, rest and home. It was not long before an outline of land was spotted.

  “Just ahead,” roared the King of Mursei, “a shoreline!”

  The wings of the Dragons pumped the adrenaline through their bodies, using the last of their reserves to make landfall. The sun had dipped low and streamed the sky with amazing colors of reds and purples, all reflected across the water below. The King of Mursei dropped down his feet and made contact on the rock strewn beach. His Dragons followed and all gave a mighty roar, the sound of triumph over the waters. The sound of coming home.

  Chapter 26

  All were relieved to touch ground again. They made their way from the rolls of the waves kissing the shore, towards the trees and hillside where they made quick the unloading of their belongings. They all were in need of food and rest.

  The Dragons had formed a loose circle around the peoples, a habit they had formed to protect their companions from any sudden threat. While the Dragons rested, the peoples and Faeries alike, prepared a quick meal from their packs.

  Kaida, the first to wake and stretch whispered to Zlemtec. “I will be back. I want to climb the hill and look at what lies ahead.”

  “I’ll come too. I can take you quicker than you climbing.”

  Kaida’s face radiated the warmth of her heart. “You rest, Zlemtec. This won’t take long. My legs need to stretch after so long in the air, just as you need the rest to prepare for the journey. I’ll be back soon.”

  Zlemtec nodded and watched with groggy eyes, as Kaida climbed along the hillside. Weary down to his bones, he rested his head on his outstretched arm and closed his eyes. When his eyes opened again, he did not see Kaida. He was certain he had only closed his eyes for a moment because everyone else was still resting.

  He sat up and stretched. His eyes traveled the area where Kaida had climbed but saw no sign of her. Something inside of him started to crawl. A worry so strong, his chest was pounding in loud thuds. He leapt into the air and landed solidly on the hillside. What he saw out in front of him, hit him with shock.

  He yelled, “Kaida!”

  His yell caused many heads to turn and reach for their arrows. Kaida spun on her heels, her arms spinning, knocking down the pulled arrows. Kaida made rapid hand signals and words, exerting all her efforts to communicate with these peoples. “Stop! We mean no harm.”

  After hearing the commotion, three more Dragons appeared on the hillside next to Zlemtec. They stared at the group of peoples around Kaida. There, surrounding Kaida were a cluster of people unlike the peoples near their home. These looked remarkably similar to Kaida with the same blonde hair and blue eyes. They were all of advanced age, and they had Kaida surrounded.

  “By all that is Dragon, they have our Kaida!” Zelspar was on the verge of taking flight when Kaida implored her Dragon friends to stay where they were.

  “Please wait. I’m trying to find out more f
rom these peoples. I can only understand some of their words. I thought they were calling my name but it was only similar. They think I am ‘Kiayla.’ I have tried to tell them my name is Kaida but they don’t understand.”

  The King of Mursei answered Kaida. “We want to come near. See if they will allow us to approach.”

  Kaida struggled to find the words and gestures to speak to these new peoples. When her attempts seemed in vain, her head shot backwards and a great thunder roared. The blonde haired peoples fell to the ground. Kaida’s arms were thrust wide and vibrating. Her hair stood out on end as a bolt of blinding Lightning flashed. The accompanying thunder was deafening. Then silence.

  The blonde haired peoples and the Dragons looked on in awe. Kaida was glowing and in her hands, a great staff with glowing gems. Kaida’s head fell forward. She shook off her shock as her head rolled from side to side. That is when she first noticed what she held in her hands.

  The blonde peoples uttered, “med sa tivar!” The loose translation given by the glowing staff was ‘by the gods!’

  Kaida whirled to face the peoples and said, “I can understand you now. Speak to me.”

  A man rose from the ground and said, “Are you Kiayla? She disappeared from us many years ago when we left our homeland.”

  “I am not the one you look for,” answered Kaida. “Do not be afraid of the Dragons, they are my friends, my family. They want to come closer.”

  The man said, “If they mean no harm, let them come.”

  Kaida had begun to tell the Dragons they could come but they were already moving.

  The King of Mursei spoke. “Kaida, we heard and understood his words. It must be something with your new staff. What we could not understand before, we can now.”

  “Oh! I didn’t think of that,” Kaida said, turning the new staff around in her hands. She noticed the gems illuminated when someone spoke.