by Deb Sartoris
“I’m not sure. Our companions were sent into the caves to rescue them just as we were sent to this castle to rescue that woman.” Roberto gestured to the woman in Steven’s arms.
“We were called here from our journey by someone on this planet or perhaps the planet itself called us. Nothing surprises me anymore.” Roberto sighed. “I have learned to accept many strange things these past few years.”
Roberto turned to Ely. “Let’s get moving. It is getting darker and I want to make it to the lake before night is upon us.”
Roberto had not noticed that the sun was shining brightly above their heads. He vaguely wondered that he should be in great pain from the heat of the sun but, until now, he had not even thought about it. For some reason this planet had allowed the sun to shine on him without causing him injury. Yet another mystery – Sofia would understand he was sure.
They made it to the transport ship and Ely and Wisteria piloted the ship toward the great lake. As they came into view they saw a rainbow of colors all around the lake. More colors then Roberto had ever seen in his life.
The hunter was correct the beast that he had rescued were larger than anything he had ever seen before. As the ship got closer, the beasts made a path for the ship to land. Off to one side, apart from the others, stood a beast much larger than the others. She was golden like the color of the sun that was just above the ridge of the mountains above the lake. In between her legs stood a large egg – glowing like there was a light coming from inside it.
Roberto held Sofia in his arms as they left the ship. Steven held his strange woman as well. Ely and all the others approached the hunter, Mesquil, and his group.
“Greetings all! I see you have survived the beasts!”
“Ah yes we have survived. Have you ever seen such a thing as these before?”
“Never, old friend; you are right, I am surprised.”
Some of the others brought a stretcher out of the ship and there upon it laid Tusk. He was bandaged up but still injured. They brought him up and placed him near the edge of the lake along with Sofia and the woman that Steven held in his arms.
Again the humming started – soft at first but still it was growing louder. As they stood, the great golden beast begin to glow and her wings spread out to each side wrapping the little party in them. Each wing was covered in the same strange markings that were on the woman that Steven had found and Roberto could swear that they were the same as the ones in the elders cave back on his home planet.
As the sun set, the humming grew more intense and as the last of the light faded, everyone turned to find that the great golden dragon no longer stood before them. A white hair woman stood in its place.
“Azual is that you? It cannot be!” Tusk was trying to crawl out of the stretcher. “Azual, you cannot be alive…the witch…she took you a long time ago – how can this be? I thought you long dead. My love, it is you! After all this time, you live?”
“Yes, Tusk, it is I, your beloved. I, too, have suffered at the hands of the witch. Much time has passed since we promised ourselves to each other.”
“Azual, you look as you did when we hunted along this lake. I am aged and have many broken bones. I am no longer the prince that would have had your hand in marriage.”
“Tusk, you will always be to me the man I wish to marry. It will come to pass now. You have seen my secret now; I can no longer hide this from you.”
“What secret? You control the great golden dragon? I knew you had a secret that was to be told to me after our wedding. I am not surprised that you can control the beast. It is said that all our women can control them.”
“No, Tusk, we do not control the beasts…we are the beasts.” With the words leaving her mouth Azual transformed into the great gold dragon once again. She pulled her neck back and bellowed for all the planet to hear.
Then, in a blink of an eye, she was the woman, again, standing before him. Tusk could not believe what he had just seen.
Steven, who was holding the strange woman put her down and took a few steps back away from her.
“What is wrong Steven?” Ely asked.
“She is like that one…I saw her in the castle. She was a great beast like the other. She is not what I thought she would be.”
Azual opened her arms as she walked toward Steven. She bent down and touched her daughters face. “It is good to finally meet you daughter. I have waited a long time to touch your face.” She looked up at Steven. “It took a great effort on all our parts to bring your ship out of his given course and return it back here.”
“It was you then – not the child who called us.” Roberto had laid Sofia down near the white haired woman Steven seemed afraid of. “You called us here. My wife said that she was brought here for a purpose. It was to rescue the planet and save the queens. Are you saying that you and this other woman are the two queens?”
“Yes, Roberto, I am saying that.”
Roberto gave a start. “Just how do you know our names?”
“I know all of you. We have known of you for many time fragments. We hail from your wife’s home planet. It is our life as it is hers. We are the same as she and the others.”
Just as she finished, Sofia stirred. The other woman lying next to her awoke as well.
“Sofia, are you alright? Can you hear me? Wake up my love.”
Azual approached Sofia and Roberto put out his hand to stop her. “Do not worry for her. She and I are the same. I would never harm her.” She bent and touched both women. “Wake, Sofia, Algamight, it is time. You both must breech the egg now. There is little time left.”
Sofia and Algamight woke, their faces showing much surprise. “What…where are we? Roberto?”
Roberto grabbed Sofia’s hand. “We are here, beloved; all is well.”
Sofia placed her hand on her belly just as a great wave of pain hit her and she called out.
“Sofia, what is wrong?”
Azual called out. “Bring the egg forth! There is not much time.” The other dragon creatures pushed the egg toward Sofia and Algamight. “You both must enter the egg.”
Roberto’s voice cracked. “What are you asking? Send my wife and unborn child into that egg casing? She needs medical attention. You do not understand! I am not of her species – we are different. The child she carries will kill her during birth if we do not help. Please let me take her back to our ship! We have the ability to save them both there.”
“It is the only way to save the child. If you do not allow this, we will lose all three of them; it must be so or all is lost.”
Sofia stood of her own accord and walked over to Roberto. “You must trust me. This is what I told you: our son must be born on this planet and he will help save the other queen. It is what must happen.” Sofia kissed Roberto and bent down to help Algamight up. We enter the egg together; it is what must happen.”
The other dragons surrounded Roberto and the others as Sofia and Algamight walked toward the egg. Roberto dropped to his knees. “Please do not harm her – she is my life! I will die without her.”
As Sofia and Algamight entered the egg it slowly closed in around them. The dragons began to hum once again. Azual faced Steven and Roberto. “Now we must wait. They will stay inside the egg for the rest of the night. They will return back to us tomorrow after the sun has set once again. Rest now – I will have food brought in for you.”
Azual returned back to dragon form and flew to the other side of the lake. She was gone but a few minutes and she flew back and landed next to Tusk. She returned back to her human form. “Tusk, it is time for us now. I can heal you – if you will allow it. You must have faith that I can save you otherwise the magic will not work. Do you understand?
Tusk smiled. “Yes I understand. I thought you lost long ago. It is already magic that I can see your face now. Do as you see fit; I will try anything if you think it will work.”
Roberto, Steven and the others watched as the Queen Azual changed back into dragon form and pick
ed Tusk up in her talons. She pulled him closer to her chest and started to spiral up and up into the air above the lake. Up and up Azual carried them both into the darkness until even Roberto could no longer see them with his eyes.
* * * * *
Chapter 46:
Tusk woke up in a grassy hill far above the lake. He remembered the place. He had been there a long time ago, before the witch had arrived. He was with someone…a woman…yes… his woman. He remembered her now. They had just bonded in body and were resting when the news of the witch had arrived. Tusk was called back to the castle to help his father make ready for the war. He never got to say goodbye to his bride as when he woke, she had been gone.
“Are you awake yet, Tusk? You have slept for a long time – I was afraid that my magic had not worked on you.”
Tusk stood. His leg did not hurt as it had before. The long gash down its side was still there but the pain was not.
“Yes, I am awake. Where are you hiding yourself?” As Tusk looked around he felt the wind above his head and he looked up to see the great golden dragon hovering above him.
“Are you still afraid of me Tusk? Shall I show you that I am still the woman that was to be your wife?”
“I am not afraid of you. Please come down here next to me.” Azual landed and transformed back into the woman of his memory. This time she stood in front of him naked.
“Do I still please you, Tusk? Even if you know that I can change into the dragon beast?”
“You are the woman I remember. I knew you held a secret but it did not frighten me then and it does not frighten me now.”
Tusk felt like his old self again. He reached up and touched his hair to find that the bones were braided back into it and it had grown long and black. His arms were tan and full of muscles like when he was a young man.
“Azual what did you do to me? I am like I was before the witch came. Almost…the gash upon my leg is still there from my father’s sword but otherwise I feel strong and young once again.”
“I can bend time, Tusk. The witch…she was holding the planet in an endless loop. Her evil crafting caused great harm to you and this planet. Once I was free and all the dragons could absorb the light of the red star above our planet we could heal it and all those around us.”
They gazed at each other for a few long moments before Azual spoke softly. “I have another gift for you. Look above you on the ridge at the tree – what do you see there?”
Tusk turned and looked up at the tree. In its branches were many little birds. A bright red one flew down and landed on Tusk’s arm. “Chirp, Chirp” I believe she is a friend of yours Tusk. She is happy to be returned back to her family. She is grateful that you cared for her even if the witch punished her many times for your kindness.” The little bird flew back up above the tree, circled it twice and flew off; the entire flock rose and followed it out of sight.
“You did this with your magic?” Tusk sighed.
“Yes. The planet is healing even as we speak.” Azual turned toward the lake. “The day is almost over, my love. We must return back to the lake. Our daughter will be emerging from her egg soon and Steven must make his choice now.”
“What do you mean…our daughter? That cannot be. I saw her hatch as a dragon on the grounds – I was there.”
“It was me Tusk. I am the queen, remember? Each day, I pushed the egg to be near you when you slept. I wanted you to watch over her.”
“We were together as man and woman only one time before the witch came and that was a very long time ago. How is it that you just laid that egg only weeks ago?”
“Time moves differently when I’m in dragon form, Tusk. It is our gift from our home planet. I held time long enough for your friends to find each other and free themselves from Roberto’s home planet. It took great effort to bring them here at exactly the right time of Sofia’s birthing of her son.” Azual had a far-away look in her eye. “Roberto and Sofia have another great adventure. They must journey on; the birth of their son on this planet is but a first leg in their adventure together.”
She shook herself. “Come on, Tusk. The sun is setting; the time draws near.” Azual changed back into the great golden dragon and Tusk climbed up her talon and rode proudly upon her back toward the lake.
“I have always loved you, Azual. I will take you as my wife. When the time is right for you, just say the word.”
“Soon my love – we will have two weddings. Just wait and see!”
* * * * *
Chapter 47:
“Roberto, wake up. I see the great golden dragon approaching. She is carrying someone on her back.” Ely gently shook Roberto’s arm. “The sun is almost down. You have slept most of the day. We will see if my sister and your son are safe.”
Azual glided down toward the lake just as the sun settled down past the mountains. Tusk climbed down and walked up to Roberto and the others. “It is I, my friends. Azual has healed me I am as I was before the witch came here. I’m the prince of this planet. My strength has returned as has my woman. What say we go see what has happened with the women inside the egg.”
They all walked toward the edge of the lake where the great egg stood. It was surrounded by many dragons of all colors sizes and shapes. “They have stood guard all day over that egg while you slept Robert.” Ely noted. “No one was allowed near it and all the while they have been keeping their dragon song going.”
Azual changed back into woman form and walked toward the other dragons. They allowed her passage and left an opening so that all the others could follow. After examining the egg at different angles, she motioned to them. “It is almost time. Roberto, Steven – please take a seat in front of the egg. The rest of you gather around; we will see what happens next.”
As everyone took their places the dragons stopped their song. The ground rumbled just a little and Tusk shook. “What is happening? The ground is shaking…are we sure that the witch is gone?”
Azual gave him a sad look. “Yes, Tusk, the witch is gone. She did not cause the ground to shake; this time it was the egg.”
After a few moments, Azual stood and walked toward the egg. “It is time my children.” Then she spoke to the other dragons. “Break the egg, please.”
The dragons took their talons and each took a hard strike at the egg. Roberto stood to interfere but was pushed back down by some unseen force. “Please…let me go…do not harm her.”
“Do not worry, Roberto; the egg is very tough. Without the sharp talons of my sisters, they will not be able to emerge.”
A crack appeared starting at the top of the egg and running all along the whole length of the egg. The dragons started their humming again and the crack grew larger and larger. A bright light appeared in front of the egg, nearly blinding to all those who were near it.
Shadows formed in the light. The dragons stopped their song and the light disappeared. There, standing in front of them, were the women. Roberto ran up to Sofia. “My love, you are safe! I have been so worried for you.” Roberto could not believe his eyes. In the arms of his woman lay a tiny child. He had dark hair and his eyes were as green as the water at their feet.
“He is here, my husband – tired, hungry and crying for his father. What do you think of him? Is he not everything you have hoped for?” Just then the child smiled and there along the top row were the two sharp teeth that matched his fathers very own. “He is your son my husband of that I have no doubt.”
“Does this child bring to us his name…the way that Steven did at his birth?” Roberto asked.
Azual walked up to Roberto and Sofia. “I think I can answer that for you, Master Roberto. He does come to us with his name. He is to be called Vincent.”
“Master Steven – you have someone here that wishes to see you. Please come forth.”
Ely and Wisteria were standing next to Steven. They both gave him encouraging looks and Steven walked up toward the egg.
“Steven, I would like
to introduce to you to my daughter. This is Algamight. She is the next queen dragon in our realm. What say you to my daughter, Steven? Do you still choose her knowing she can transform into the great emerald beast that you have seen?”
What Steven saw, he could not put into words. There stood the most perfect woman he had ever seen. Her eyes were as green as the skin of the dragon he had seen. Her hair was long and touched all the way down below her waist. Along her arms and legs were the same white markings he had seen when he had rescued her from the castle.
Algamight took a step toward Steven and he walked toward her. “You are the girl in my dreams. I saw you at the lake. It was you that called me here. “
Azual interrupted his thoughts. “Master Steven you must make your choice now: will you care for my daughter as your wife?”
Time seemed to stop. Steven knew this woman who stood in front of him like they had been together for all of time. He did not care that she could transform into the great dragon beast. She was his woman: the one he had come to love.
“Yes I have made my choice. If Algamight will have me, then I will take her as my wife at the time of her choosing.”
