The Dragon Guard: Oceans and Pebbles

by Sarah Hite

“In order to breathe fire, you have to open the airway between the fire sack and your lungs. This is done by aligning your neck with the organs,” Kei-ata added. He showed her the position and emitted a small flame toward the lake. Then he guided her in aligning her head and neck to open the chamber. As he helped her position her head, he said, “When your spine is aligned, you should be able to feel the chamber open. It will be easy to tell, when your neck locks you should feel it. Can you tell me when it opens?” He gently adjusted her head until she felt it. She looked up at him and nodded slightly. In that position, it was difficult to move.

  Elder continued. “Now, we need you to take as deep a breath as you can. Once you have, don’t hold it in.” She did as she was told; she breathed in until her lungs screamed. Then as she exhaled, her lungs burned as the fire erupted from her jaws. It was not a very big flame, but it was a start. She closed her eyes and whimpered against the pain. She felt like her lungs were on fire.

  “Akina, look at me,” Kei-ata said. When she opened her eyes he continued apologetically, “I know it hurts, but we need you to do it again. In order to remove all the ice, you need to produce a larger flame.” She nodded painfully and tried again. This time she loosed a flame a little larger than the last and managed to hold the flame longer. “That’s good Akina. Can you try it one more time?” She did as she was told, and after the third flame, Kei-ata checked her lungs. They were clear of ice, but it would still be a while until she would be able to breathe normally.

  When he gave her the okay, Moon guided the youth over to the lake. She drank the cool water and seemed to feel a little better. They returned to Sheadod and Moon slowly walked her over to the Queen’s Quarters. The soldier saluted her and opened the door. Kym looked up as she entered, but quickly looked away. She saw Akina and watched as Moon slowly lowered her to the sand, but refused to look at her mate’s sister.

  Caegain

  Pai looked down at Shaelynn, she was still asleep. He studied her for a moment, unsure if he should wake her. It had been three weeks since they had reached the island, two since she had been poisoned. She was recovering faster than he or Shaman Pali had expected. She was still pale, but now she could speak without trouble, and could stand with help. Pai decided to let her sleep; she would call to him when she woke. He left the cave and went to check on Alamine.

  The chieftain was in her third trimester now, and would likely nest by the end of the month. She had been resting as often as she could, but she still led her clan. As the chieftain, she was charged with keeping her kin calm while the dralics were there. Haru had come by a few more times to make sure they were alright, and every time he came he apologized to Shaelynn for nearly killing her. He was glad she was improving.

  When Pai arrived in the center of the clan, he saw Kero, Alamine’s mate, pawing at a large centipede. Pai watched him for a minute before asking what he was doing. Kero looked up at the larger breed. Unlike you, we eat what we can find that is smaller than we are, which usually means bugs, eggs, mice, or small birds. We only get deer meat if the deer is already dead. He beat the centipede again, hard, and picked it up. This, is Alamine’s breakfast.

  Pai only nodded and asked, “How is she?”

  Kero looked up at him, a humorous look in his eyes. As uncomfortable and ornery as most at this stage. She is tired and hungry all the time, and she cannot wait until the month is over. How is Shaelynn?

  “She’s still asleep, and will need to make almost a full recovery before we will be able to leave for home. She still needs the anti-venom, and probably will for a while. Our walks are helping though. In a couple more weeks she should be strong enough for her first flight.”

  Kero nodded. You may be the only shaman from the Middle Kingdom who knows how to treat someone who has been poisoned by an Ocean dragon. It is a shame you had to learn this way.” He paused before adding, “I should get this to Alamine before she starts calling for me. Will we see you later?

  “I’ll take Shaelynn for another walk later this afternoon. We can come by and visit. Will you tell Alamine we said hello?”

  Of course. She will be glad to see you. He started to walk away, but turned back to Pai. I have not had the chance to thank you for helping her. If she had died in the snow, I do not know what I would have done.

  “Don’t thank me Kero, I was not the one who found her, nor was I the one who saved her from the cat, or the venom. All of that was Shaelynn. If you thank her, it may help her realize that she does matter.”

  She still believes she does not? the Pebbline asked surprised.

  “She’s struggling with it. All we can do is try to convince her, but I fear until the rest of the Keep sees this, she may continue to believe it,” Pai answered sadly.

  I will speak to Alamine and Pali, they may be able to figure something out. I will let you know later. He stopped and looked out toward the edge of Clearwater, then looked back at Pai. I have to go, Alamine is calling. They said their farewells and parted. Kero went to deliver the centipede to his mate, and Pai likewise, went to find Shaelynn a meal as well. She could eat solid food now, but he had to give her very small chunks instead of the whole deer.

  He walked into the woods to where a small stream passed through a clearing. He had killed the last deer here, and thought he may be able to catch another, and settled down to wait, sure the animal would come. He had only been waiting a short time when he heard one of the Pebblines shout. Her cry was followed by another, which was followed by several others. He could sense their fear and anger, so he stood up and returned to Clearwater. He did not like what he saw. A large dralic stood in the center of the clan.

  This dralic was twice as tall as the average Mountain dragon and much longer. He had crushed several of the inner dens and was working his way outward. Pai was shocked by the size and savagery of the six legged beast, but only for a moment. He quickly overcame his fear, becoming furious over the attack. What made him even angrier, was the fact that the dralic appeared to be having fun tearing up the clan. He could not tolerate the dralic’s actions, and against his instincts, stepped out behind the other creature. He quickly warned Shaelynn to stay in the cave, and said aloud, “Leave them alone.”

  The dralic turned around and sneered. What is this? Has a big dragon come to help the tiny, pathetic excuses for dragons?

  “They’re not pathetic. There may be small, but they are as important as any larger breed,” Pai told the dralic, and added, “I’m going to have to ask you to leave them alone.”

  Really? Why would I want to do that? Why should I? He turned to the young shaman and approached him. It looked like he was going to say more, but lashed out at Pai instead. Pai dodged the blow and ducked under the dralic’s foreleg. A second later, he leapt away from the dralic to the left. He wanted to lead the beast away from Clearwater, away from the Pebblines, and away from Shaelynn.

  The dralic hissed and followed him; he swung his right forepaw at Pai. He ducked, but was too slow. The dralic sent him crashing into the brush, braking off several saplings when he landed. Pai rolled over and shook the small trees off of him. He climbed to his feet and turned to face the dralic. He tore out the trees that separated them and jumped at Pai. The young Mountain dragon dove to the side. He just barely escaped the dralic and again, leapt away. He was slowly leading the dralic away from Clearwater.

  This worked for a few more minutes, but the dralic grew wise to his plan. He tricked Pai into thinking he was going to strike out with his left forepaw so the young dragon would jump to the right. When he did, he lashed out with his right, and caught Pai by the throat. Pai choked as the dralic picked him up by his neck. He rose up on his hind legs, pulling Pai after him. He was completely off the ground before the dralic spoke again. Do you think you can keep me from wiping them out? You are nothing. What did you think you could do?

  I could try, was Pai’s response.

  The dralic tightened his hold on Pai’s throat, causing pain to lance up his neck. He could feel somet
hing crunch as it gave way to the dralic’s strength. He swallowed, and quickly regretted it. Pain was spreading through his head and chest as it became difficult to breathe. The dralic lifted Pai higher, causing him more pain. He smiled coldly and said, You may try to keep me away from them, but they will still die, and there is nothing you can do to stop it. His grip tightened further around Pai’s neck. He felt as well as heard, something break. The dralic looked down at him as if he were an insect to be crushed. Before you die, know this. It was Caegain who killed you and your little friends. He said nothing more, and threw Pai into a nearby ravine. He watched as his body hit the ground over fifty feet below before turning back to Clearwater.

  Dralics

  Pai opened his eyes. his head hurt and his vision was blurred. He could not feel the greater part of his body and knew better than to try and move. Alamine! he called out, hoping the little dragon could hear him. He also hoped the Pebblines had not been hurt. When no one answered, he tried again. Alamine, Pali, can anyone hear me? His breathing caught as he involuntarily moved his head.

  He thought about Shaelynn, and hoped that she too, had escaped detection. He wondered what had happened to her, and was about to try to contact her when a shadow crossed his path. He thought it was one of the Pebblines, but someone unexpected landed before him instead. It was Ketowa, the shaman from one of the Ice clans. Pai sighed, somewhat relived. Ketowa’s appearance could only mean one thing, the warriors had arrived. As the shaman bent down to examine the young dragon’s injuries, Pai slowly slipped back into unconsciousness.

  He woke some hours later in unfamiliar territory. He tried to sit up, but could not move his neck, although he could feel his lower extremities now. Then he remembered Ketowa and assumed the shaman had done something to keep his neck still, and realized that the dralic must have damaged it. He heard someone approaching and heard two dragons talking. “I found him at the bottom of a ravine. I don’t think he was awake for long, and he didn’t stay awake long either.”

  “Is he alright?” the other asked; the voice sounded familiar.

  “He will be, in a couple of months. His neck was swollen. I examined it and found that both his larynx and trachea were damaged. Someone strangled him. His wings were also broken, probably from the fall. I covered his neck with cormin so he can’t move it, and he won’t be able to speak out loud for quite some time. He also won’t be able to eat solid foods for a while, and there is also a potential threat to his lungs. With his windpipe damaged, it may make it hard for him to breathe, if it isn’t already.” The two came into view and saw that he was awake.

  “Easy son, you’ll be alright.” It was Seoung.

  Shae… where…is Shae? He closed his eyes against a wave of pain, and the two elders exchanged glances.

  The Prince lowered his head so the boy could see him more clearly. “We’ll find her. Can you try and tell me what happened?”

  Pai looked up at him. Haru…poisoned Shae. She’s still…recovering. It was becoming hard to think. He was in too much pain to find the right words, but knew the Prince needed to know what had occurred.

  “I’ll send someone to find her. Where was she?”

  Alamine's clan…above ravine.

  The prince sent Kwan to the clan, knowing that Shaelynn would go to him, and turned back to Pai. “Now, can you tell me what happened to you?”

  Dralic…couldn’t let him hurt…

  “You stood up to a dralic?” the prince asked surprised. Pai did not answer, but there was no need to, Seoung had figured out what had happened. “Okay, so a dralic found Alamine’s clan and you defended it. Then the dralic choked you and threw you into the ravine?” Pai was too busy fighting off a wave of pain induced nausea to answer, and did not hear most of what the prince said; he was beginning to lose consciousness again. The last thing he heard was Seoung say, “I’ll get word to your father that you’re alright. He’s still in Sheadod with Kym.”

  When he opened his eyes again, he looked right into Alamine’s. She had been with him for a while. You are alright? We did not know what had happened to you.

  He told her that he would be and asked about Shaelynn. She sadly told him that no one had seen her since the dralic had found Clearwater.

  Not too far away, Seoung and Kyeon were talking. “I don’t know how Kym managed to stay here for three months. I’m afraid I’ll step on them,” Seoung said, stepping over one of the Pebblines. Kyeon merely nodded and watched the tiny dragons scamper out of the way. He looked around and saw Torak helping one of them build something out of stones. The Pebbline had requested help with this since most of the stones were almost as big as he was. Torak had dug out the earth at a slant, with the deepest part ending at a hollow in the roots of a tree. They were organizing the stones to resemble a tiny den. As the last stone was put in place, and Torak began to cover the stones with the earth he had removed, Alamine and Shaman Pali landed nearby.

  Kyeon realized that the chieftain would be nesting soon, and they had made a safe place for her and her clutch. While she investigated the dwelling, Torak gathered some moss and long grass. He put the grass and moss on top of the stones with some of the grass hanging over the opening. When he had finished, the tiny den looked just like a small earthen mound, and would easily be overlooked. Kyeon called his son over and the three dragons joined the other council members.

  Both councils were present except for Alamine and her mate. The two would stay in the little den until after she had nested. The councils exchanged greetings. There was one Ice dragon, four Ocean dragons, three Pebbline dragons, two Forest dragons, and three Mountain dragons. They were grouped together away from the rest so they could talk in private. They needed to figure out if they should stay on the defensive, or switch to offense.

  One of the Ocean dragons seemed distracted; Kyeon and Seoung knew why. He thought they might retaliate against him. The brothers decided to stay his fears, Kyeon focused on the smaller dragon and said, Relax Haru. We are not going to harm you. You may have poisoned my niece, but if you are to be punished, it will be by your own council. Haru looked over at him and seemed to relax a little, although he still looked uncomfortable. They continued to plan their attacks until someone mentioned Alani. The Southern council went quiet; news had spread that the dralics had killed her and morale was low. Kyeon looked over at his brother, "Didn't you tell them?"

  "I haven't had the chance," he responded.

  The Southern council looked up at the larger dragons. "Tell us what?" Haru asked, becoming alarmed.

  Before anyone could answer, Elder landed nearby, he watched as another dragon landed a few feet away from him. The Southern council could not believe their eyes. The Southern Queen hopped on her wing for a moment before settling down. "Well that was not my best landing. That hurt."

  Kyeon turned to her as she approached. "I thought you were going to stay in Sheadod with Kym?"

  "I changed my mind. My injuries have healed enough for travel, and the skin has even grown back on my side." Her injuries were indeed mostly healed, although she was still limping slightly.

  "Alani, your Majesty! They told us you were dead," Haru said joining her.

  "Aatu, you know better than to believe a dralic." She studied him for a minute and her voice grew heavy, "and as for what happened, we will deal with that later, but do not think I will forget."

  He lowered his head submissively. "Yes ma'am."

  "Where are Alamine, Pai, and Shaelynn?" she asked. One of the other council members quickly filled her in. He added that most of the Ocean dragons who had escaped capture were hiding in the Eastern Caverns. "Thank you Aarto. How is your nephew?"

  "Akio is here with me. After the dralic killed his father, his mother was captured. I thought it would be better if he stayed with me instead of a stranger." He shook his head. "He is not taking this very well."

  "I am sorry to hear that. At least he will not be the only child here." She turned to Kyeon. "How is your son?"

  "He's
doing better than most of us; the boy is used to fighting." He looked around. "Where’d he go? Torak?"

  Torak landed just then and ran to his father. "Father! Dralics are coming. I think there are ten of them."

  "Seoung, prepare our warriors for an attack." Kyeon ordered. Alani turned to Haru also, "Spread the word."

  The remaining council members followed the young prince to a ledge overlooking the valley below. They had a clear view of the approaching dralics. Horror griped Kyeon as he saw them for the first time. He had underestimated their size and strength. The dralics were at least twenty feet tall, and their girths were massive. Each had six legs, two forelegs and two pairs of hind legs. Most of them had massive ribbed horns that curled around their heads.

  A few had a single pair of horns that curved back slightly. The horns looked almost dainty in comparison. These three dralics were also quite a bit smaller than their companions. Kyeon decided that these three must be females. He also noticed that each dralic only had two claws on the front of their feet and one in the back. They all had a row of spikes that ran the length of their spines, and their wingspans were almost as wide as a Fire dragon's. He secretly feared he had sent his warriors to their deaths.

  In fact, the only one who did not seem unnerved by the dralics was Torak. He stood in front of the councils, his head down, studying the dralics; his expression determined. He pulled his head back a few inches, as an idea came to him. "Father look. The males have surrounded the females. They must be vulnerable to our attacks." He turned to face him. "Could this give us an advantage?"

  Kyeon studied the group; the males had indeed surrounded the females. "It might." He turned to the other council members. "What do you think?"

  The Southern council did not answer; they were studying the approaching group. As far as they knew, none of the dralics who had attacked them had been females. Aarto told the Middle Kingdom’s council this and added, “Either the females must not be allowed to fight, or they cannot. Their defenses do not appear to be as strong as the males, and if you watch, they seem to be afraid of the surrounding land.” He paused and watched them for another minute. “The female in the middle, I think she is ill. She would be an excellent target.”