“I had a dream.”
The male voice choked slightly in exasperation. “A dream? Dreams are not for the likes of you, Diori. Dreams are for corporeal beings, you are a creation designed to be above such mental frailties. Dreams, real dreams, can be very powerful, but they can also be complete and utter distracting nonsense.
“It was as I said, Thokul,” she affirmed forcefully, and I could tell this was not the first time these two had disagreed.
He let out a long breath of tired resignation. “Fine, you will tell me of this dream.”
“A creature my mind only referenced as a guardian rose from under me and lifted me from my place of inactivity. I could feel its sides heaving and see small puffs of moisture. And it smelled of the surface world.”
“Have you been sneaking around in the upper caverns again?”
“No…well, not recently…anyway, the beast took me to three scenes or portents this night. We seemed to travel for several minutes through complete darkness with not a crystal or a spark of magma lighting the way. Soon, we burst back into the non-dream world, the creature’s legs finding purchase and diving down from the heavens. It took me to a collapsed cave deep underground, a wondrous place with mounds of ice crystals mixed with lovely silica. Ohh, I could have luxuriated there forever! We wandered through room after room until it came to a stop at a place where the silica was disturbed. There, I found luminary shells, Thokul!”
“A clutch? How old?”
“No more than ninety to one hundred cycles; there was no appreciable deterioration.”
“Did you imprint the scent?” the male asked excitedly.
“Of course; I am my master’s finest creation. I have them firmly affixed in my memory.”
He snorted somewhat disparagingly but agreed. “Excellent, did you search for other sign?”
“No…the guardian was impatient to leave and again spirited me away before I could explore further. Once more, it took me through the darkness of the dream world. We reappeared in yet another cavern, with wondrous water and mineral formations, a stream running through it, and gemstones that glittered like magma reflecting off pyrite. The presence of luminary was indeed strong here, too. This time, however, the creature walked forward with considerable trepidation, finally stopping and planting its feet, its entire body trembling with dread. It snorted a strange sound, and the mists of dreams parted, revealing to me a nightmare!”
“Tell me what you saw, my child.”
“Stark white bones, scattered scales, teeth, and empty hide, my Master, death…extinction. When my mind could accept the sight, I could see that this place extended far, way beyond the range of my vision. But in every instance, the noble jaws and empty eye sockets stared back at me in helplessness and sorrow. Bronzes, whites, greens, silvers and blues filled this abattoir with their wordless screams. A centum or more of luminary…the end of the species…” The voice I had come to know as Diori wept quietly, reliving the experience.
Her master was silent, caught up momentarily in her vision, as well. Finally he spoke again, his voice shaky with emotion, “I don’t understand; with the renewal of magic to this world, the luminaries should be starting to actively breed anew. The Auric’s death was indeed tragic, but it was the result of honorable battle, not some nameless disease or malady. Did the phantom show you anything else at this place?”
“No, Thokul; again it drew me away as if we were on some strict schedule of time. Either that or it wanted to leave this place far behind, too. One thing I did notice as the guardian flew up and swept over the corpses and back into the night of dreams, there was no aura of rot or decay; by rights, it should have been overpowering. It was almost as if I had looked at a sending of what was to come, not the here and now.
“A scene of the past, a scene of the future, which would only leave a vision of the present left,” he reasoned. “Finish your tale, Diori.”
“The last scene was the most puzzling, my Master, having never actually been to the surface world…” She huffed this resentfully as if this was another point in some long-standing debate of theirs.
“You are still no more than a thousand cycles old, my dear. Your diorite core has barely cooled and yet you hound me for more freedoms? Silly girl.”
“None-the-less, it limits my understanding of the world around me.” She made a growling noise which sounded more like gravel being created than a natural animal.
“Please continue.”
“For the first time, the guardian spun us into the dream world but then quickly back out again and into open skies. Where were the walls? What was above our heads? What kept everything from falling in on itself? And what was that annoying light? All things I was unprepared for, even though it had been my fondest wish for some time. The beast circled down and finally hovered at the edge of a granite outcropping extending out over the river below us. A large number of corporeal beings were gathered at its edge, including this specimen. We floated effortlessly alongside this elf girl, I believe they are called. Amazingly, we were not visible to the group, or we were so commonplace as to be beneath notice. In any instance, we did not seem to garner any attention at all from the assembly.
“There appeared to be some rancorous discussion going on between her and the crowd. Interesting, but I could not fathom why my guide had brought me to this place. What purpose did my being here serve? It in no way involved any luminary sign as in the first two visions. Finally impatient, the guardian snorted out an icy puff of mist, and then sucked it all back within itself. For whatever reason, my mind copied this, and I drew in a sample of air myself…Master, that’s when I made the connection!”
“What connection? What did you find, girl?”
I again strained to open my eyes, but absolutely nothing worked; my body was entirely shut down. I found it odd that I could hear the conversation between the two of them, but I continued to listen anyway. Diori made a joyous sound and answered the question triumphantly.
“It was faint, Thokul, but without a doubt there - the very same scent I locked into my memory from the first dream with the luminary shells. This ‘elf’ has had recent contact with a luminary, two of them; in fact, the very ones from the first dream!” She paused for effect. “At that point, the creature that bore me along slowly withdrew out over the water, still hovering. Suddenly, the others conversing with this elf grabbed her physically and cast her over the ledge and into the water below. If I am not mistaken from my studies, most corporeal creatures require oxygen to survive…is this not so?”
“Yes…yes, continue, Diori…” her companion said in a distracted fashion as if he was still lost in his own thoughts. “We must question this elf and persuade her to lead us to the luminaries, lest the second vision come to pass.”
“Master, at that point, the guardian snorted and a haze enveloped us. Immediately, I was returned to my place of slumber as if I had never left. I awoke in a panic, frightened that I might already be too late. It was then I summoned the wimrants to search for the girl.”
“Well, they found her it seems, but I detect no spark of life left in her.” The male voice intoned, disappointed.
Huh? I’m dead?
“She is not quite inert yet. When the wimrants brought her to me, she was nearly so. With no viable alternative, I cast a time-holding stasis on her body. She hovers even now on the brink of eternal stillness. The spell will expire shortly and she will be returned to the last few seconds of time prior to her demise. This is the reason I roused you from your rest.”
“Impossible!” he blustered. “We cannot let an opportunity like this slip away, Diori. We must have the time to find out what she knows. You have been my most diligent pupil with regard to the intricacies of life and death, probably because you will never actually experience either yourself. What do you recommend?”
“I do have a thought, Master, but it is borderline heresy...”
“Explain quickly, then.”
“For this elf to recover her fun
ctions long enough to give us the information we desire, we must heal her injuries or inertness will overtake her body before she can help us. The only corporeal healing materials we have available to us are the non-viable vessels currently already in stasis.”
“You are referring to the ones we save in the event of a catastrophic breach?”
“The same, Master Thokul.”
“You are correct, it is borderline heresy,” he whispered, a touch of awe seeping into his voice, and I heard the scuffling of feet as if he were pacing restlessly. “We have no record, no concept of what effect this might have on this creature. But then again…does it really matter? Once we have the information we seek, would it not be prudent to end this experiment and be rid of the creature to prevent any future problems?”
Diori paused for a few moments as if pondering the gravity of the situation and then responded. “That line of thought would not be approved of by the Auric if she were here, Thokul. Someday we may need to answer to her successor.”
“Yes, my young construct, but it is increasingly likely that that day will never come unless we move with great conviction. Very well, we will postpone the final disposition of the elf until we can assess the effects. How long will this take until we have results?”
“I estimate a couple turns, providing the girl is strong enough to survive the experience, and contingent upon the conveyance spell working as it should.”
“So long?”
“Master, nearly every supporting framework in this elf is fractured, broken, or shattered outright, and I don’t know where to begin on the watery parts. I only hope her memories are intact.”
“You will not fail, Diori. Make it so…”
“Yes, Thokul.”
My eyes snapped open and I attempted to take a deep breath…what a horrible idea! Racking pains shot through every pore and molecule of my body, to the point where it was impossible to pinpoint where it hurt worse. The writhing agony came with the absolute realization that death was just seconds away. I screamed hysterically into the darkness.
Sometime later, my eyes opened languidly. I was sleepy, naked, and comfortable in my new home. There were still some sore ribs, aches, and pains that primarily manifested when I tried to move; but overall, much better than the previous wake-up call. The fact that I was hunched over in an impossibly small spot was more comforting than alarming. I felt wet, even floating. It was so dark, my sight offered me no explanation as to my condition or location. At least, I was no longer shackled by those itchy iron manacles. Again, I drifted back into a deep healing sleep.
The next time I remember waking, I sensed light and movement outside my walls. Initially, my vision was blurry but it adjusted as more light made its way through the translucent sides of my chamber. Apparently, I was still naked and sitting in a small pool of warm viscous liquid. The floor was concave, the walls sloped and rounded as well. I put a hand on the wall and was startled at how smooth it was. There was no door or window or any form of exit at all, and now that I thought about it, the air inside was becoming remarkably stale. I’m in a damn egg! Crap, birds at least get an egg tooth to use! I had nothing but my feet and hands, both of which were soft and waterlogged.
Hitting the side of the shell with my foot only proved there was no give at all. But it did trigger some sort of a reaction outside, as the illumination that filtered its way in brightened appreciably, as if someone had turned up an oil lamp in preparation for my arrival. A few more blows by my feet drove me to the realization that it would take something tougher than standard human or elf anatomy to break through this barrier. Not knowing what kind of reception to expect once outside the egg and still feeling weak, I decided against changing wholly into another form.
Concentrating on my hand, I used five years of practice to conjure up just my Jag’uri paw, complete with three-inch sickle-shaped claws. Experimenting over the years trained me to be able to complete the process in a few seconds or less, much faster than a full change. It was another reason I traveled weaponless, save for my small bone dagger, which I consider more of a tool than a threat. Examining the claws in the dim light, I allowed myself a slight smile; yes, this was much better for me than a sword any day. But the sight also reminded me of the separation from Naurakka and how worried she would be. I couldn’t feel her presence, and I had no idea how long I had been away or what happened to my other friends. I needed some answers.
Tightening the tendons, I extended the claws to their full range and cautiously dragged them over the surface of the egg wall. They skidded off ineffectively, and there were no seams or cracks to exploit either. The curved shape of the Jag’uri claws was not ideal for this purpose as they were designed to capture, rend and slice. Snarling and retracting, I processed the thought of another form. The puma hide thinned and changed colorization, leaving behind long straggly tan hair. The claws grew larger and even more hooked, becoming almost bone-colored instead of midnight black. Yes, claws made for ripping open termite mounds should be what I need.
Now fully formed, I jabbed the claws forcefully toward the side wall, but again found no purchase on the smooth sides. I was starting to run out of forms, imagination, and energy, and with the increased activity, lack of oxygen was looming as well. Enough air seemed to seep into the chamber during periods of inactivity, but not enough when engaged in trying to escape. Perhaps this was motivation on the Earth Mother’s part, or just a humane way to end the life of a weak hatchling.
Mentally slapping myself back into line, I considered that no sharp items were working; that would leave blunt force. Reabsorbing the anteater paw, I forced my backside up out of the ooze and readied a leg. Striped black and white hide encompassed me from the ribcage down both legs, finally ending in wicked black hooves. Hip muscles rippled and grew, as well, as I struggled to remain small enough to have the movement to kick in this enclosed space. Placing my still human hands firmly against the shell bottom in the leftover amniotic fluid so that I could utilize the longest part of the egg, my legs twitched with pent up energy. I focused on getting good extension and let it fly. My hooves pounded into the shell top with a satisfactory crack. Looking up, I noticed a glowing spider web of light radiating out from the point of impact which seemed to spread itself out over a far bigger area of the shell. Then the lines of light extinguished and it was as if I had never struck the shell at all; self-healing!
Panting erratically, I allowed myself to go limp, even sliding ungracefully into the warm egg slime while I considered my situation anew. This was no ordinary shell and given the size, it came from an immense creature. The largest natural egg I had ever read about was that of an ostrich; this chamber was many times bigger and tougher. If that is the case, then this had to be the shell of a magical creature. I ticked off the magical creatures with huge eggs in my mind, and almost every one of them required magic or magical weapons to harm. It could be that their egg shells featured the same protection.
My friend, Lin, had taught me a Druid cantrip, which occasionally became useful when faced with undead such as vampires. Usually, it was cast on a weapon or stick but I would have to see if it worked on hooves, as well. Settling the incantation on my feet, I was pleased to see at least a faint blue light ring the sharp outer edge of my hooves.
“Thanks, Lin, you may pull me out of this yet,” I panted aloud, the sound of even my own voice buoying up my spirits a bit. Readying my stance exactly as before, I coiled all my remaining energy down toward my hands and then released it explosively back toward the top of the chamber. Both hooves shattered a good-sized chunk of shell outward, leaving a hole the size of my head. As cool, clean air poured into the shell from above, I kicked a couple more times to assure I had a space large enough to escape. The shell’s perfect arch was ruined, its invulnerability a thing of the past, and I was free! Gasping at the rapid influx of painfully cold life-giving oxygen, I tried to fully catch my breath before becoming an elf once more.
Still naked, I pulled myself up out of
the egg chamber. The eggshell, and now my feet, rested upright on a round, smoothly-polished stone dais of sorts. Five feet or so above, the ceiling was covered with brightly shining crystals that gave off a strong white light. There was a collar of stone around them so that the light shown straight down and did not diffuse much to the sides at all. Even with my elf night vision, I couldn’t see beyond a few dozen feet past where I was standing. I had no way of verifying it, of course, but I couldn’t feel any green growing life force anywhere nearby and it frightened me a little. Even far underground, persistent roots seek water and nutrients. The thought even crossed my mind that I had truly died and this was the entrance to the elf underworld that the elders endlessly prattled on about. My association with the Nova and Sky Raven had driven most of that dread and misinformation out of my mind, but still the fears of a little girl lingered ominously in my head.
“Good, you are awake and active,” the female voice from my dream echoed in my mind. At least, she had seemed somewhat friendly.
“Diori?” I asked hesitantly.
“Yes, that is how I am known here. I see my experiment in letting you listen to the conversation with Thokul was a success. Excellent, I believe it will speed things up considerably.” A short ways away, another section of ceiling crystals lit up, revealing another similar-sized platform. This one contained a being sitting cross-legged, hands folded in front, watching me intently. When I say being, well that was kind of a stretch, at least, in the living sort of way. It appeared that Diori was made of stone, a black and white, coarsely mixed variation. Her physical shape and features matched my own; in fact, it was like looking at a Ryliss statue. “Are you calm and in control now, elf?”
I leaned tiredly back against the shell and nodded. She continued, “As you are aware, I am very anxious to ask you some questions. But I also think that if this situation is anything like the fable of the Nine Cats of Diogethes, then you have questions as well. I propose we take turns asking what we desire to know, but first, I perceive you have some corporeal needs.” She nodded off into the darkness, and I heard a scampering of small feet.
Fireclaws - Search for the Golden Page 14
