by K. Dzr
* * * * *
“I knew this would lead to trouble,” King Robert muttered after Tahir explained all that happened with Declan and Smokey. “I knew it when you first came here talking about unicorns and magic and such.”
“We didn’t bring this trouble, Sire. It would have happened whether we were here or not. It is most fortunate that we are here. At least we have the resources to deal with it,” Gavin offered.
“Deal with it? How do you plan to deal with a dragon and a lunatic of a magician?”
“First of all, I think it best if you order Declan to be released. We need him to help us find this evil and keep it imprisoned. Next, I plan to send word to Demetrius and Alexander and explain the situation.”
With elbows resting on the table, the King put his head in his hands and breathed deeply through his closed fingers. Gavin and Tahir waited anxiously. Finally he raised his head.
“Listen, I am not completely ignorant to things that go on in this world. I am aware that there are magical creatures, wizards, witches, dragons and fairies. I know they are out there, but I have gone to great lengths to keep them at a distance. It is not because I am afraid of them or that I don’t like them. It is only because of what I have at stake in my own personal life. You just don’t understand. I don’t want Destiny running around with magic, discovering things she shouldn’t. Never mind!” He shook his head. “I just don’t want to draw attention to this family.”
They were puzzled; neither understood what the King was trying to say or not say for that matter.
“Robert, what are you talking about? Whose attention do you not want?”
The King merely waved his hand as if to dismiss the thoughts from his friends’ minds.
“I suppose it doesn’t matter. The point is, I’m afraid of what Francis might do when he finds out about all of this. He absolutely despises magic of any sort, you know.”
“Robert, my friend, I understand your concerns. But what would you have us do? You have a crazy magician locked up in the middle of the village just itching to start casting spells to free himself of his prison. There is a dragon roaming the forest, looking for an herb that will gain these magicians access to the gods. A dragon that has already put the village in an uproar once today. What do you think he will do if we turn our backs on this situation and leave his master locked up? All we are asking is that you free Declan and allow him and his dragon to go back to wherever they came from.”
“And then what? What about this evil that is going to be set free?”
“Tahir and I will deal with that. We will keep them out of your kingdom, and if there is such an evil we will take care of it with the help of Demetrius and Alexander. But it will no longer be a concern to you or your family.”
“Fine. I will order this fellow to be released under two conditions. First, you must not allow him to open the gates of heaven. He is not to disturb the gods in any way. Second, I want him out of my kingdom immediately. If he ever returns, I will have him beheaded.”
King Robert wrote a note giving orders to release Declan. With an exasperated sigh, he sealed it and handed it to Tahir. Moments later, Gavin began gathering some of his things and met Tahir at his treehouse where he was also throwing a few items into a pack.
“Are you ready Tahir?”
“Yes, we should double up on Bounty. I will be riding Oraden shortly. I don’t want to be responsible for one of the King’s horses being left in the forest.”
“Excellent idea. I’ll go fetch Bounty. Meet me in the stable as soon as…”
“This is Windsong. She’s fast, smart, and gentle,” Destiny surprised them. She held Windsong and Bounty by the reins. Both were readied for traveling.
“What are you doing out here?” Tahir asked as he took a few steps towards her.
“I heard your conversation with my father and I decided to come with you.”
“Oh, no, you’re not!” Gavin practically shouted. “If you heard the conversation then you know how your father feels about this. I will not go against his wishes. And neither should you!”
“More than anyone, I know how my father feels. I am not a child anymore. I have been hoping for an opportunity like this for as long as I can remember.”
“Destiny, you cannot go with us. We promised your father that we would handle this matter without any further involvement of his kingdom or his family. That obviously includes you.”
“But Gavin...?”
“No, Destiny. He’s not only the King, but also my friend. I believe there is much he has not told me. Perhaps something about you, your brother…I do not know what is going on with your family, but I will respect his wishes. Besides, I don’t know where we will end up or how long we will be gone. You cannot come with us. That is final.”
“Is it so wrong to want to learn about a world that has been kept secret from me?”
“This is not my decision, Destiny. You know that. I would love to hear your story, but unfortunately, we simply do not have the time right now. Once we have completed our tasks, we will sit down and talk this out thoroughly and see if we can’t get your father to compromise.”
“Do you promise, Gavin?”
“Absolutely. I always keep my promises, little one.”
Destiny’s face showed obvious disappointment. She looked to Tahir for help. Her eyes begged him to include her in their adventure. His eyes shifted back and forth, averting hers.
“Your Highness, Gavin is right…”
Her icy glare cut him off. “Sir Gavin, give us a moment of privacy please,” she waited until he distanced himself from the two before continuing. “Why are you being so cruel, Tahir? First you scold me like I am a child, then you ignore me, now this? What have I done to make you despise me?”
“Despise you? How could you say that? You speak as though I have a choice in these matters. I have to do as I am ordered.”
“Who ordered you to treat me in this manner?”
“What did I do that was so wrong? Your father forbade us to involve his family in this matter and Gavin told me that it was inappropriate for me to spend so much time with you. Your place is in a castle with a man of noble blood, not running around the forest with me and Oraden. You must remain here!”
“Gavin? Tahir, you are insufferable!” she swatted at him furiously; he ducked and shielded his face from her attack.
“Calm down!” he yelled.
“You let a drunkard tell you how to handle your affairs? So be it; I shan’t delay you any longer. Go.”
“I’m sorry about this Destiny, but we’ll talk when I get back. You understand, don’t you?” he reached out to take her hand.
“Do not touch me!” she jerked away from him, crossing her arms and refusing to even look in his direction.
“Tahir, let’s go,” Gavin said as he mounted Bounty, anxious to be on their way, and away from Destiny. As he recalled, the king’s youngest daughter had quite the temper.
Tahir hated to leave Destiny upset, but by now his patience was thin and he’d been gone too long. He could only imagine how agitated Oraden must be by now. He wanted to smooth things over with Destiny but didn’t know what to say. He climbed onto Bounty behind Gavin and they rode off, leaving Destiny pouting alone beside Windsong. She solemnly watched as they raced off into the forest.
Thankfully, Oraden, Meelix, and Smokey were still in the clearing. According to Oraden, Smokey was very distressed about not having found Declan or the herbs. Oraden had to repeatedly explain that he would soon be reunited with Declan and they would all help him find the herbs.
“Tahir, we could split up,” Meelix suggested. “While Gavin works out a plan to inform Demetrius and Alexander, you and Oraden can go get Declan to lead you back to wherever he’s from. Smokey and I will meet you along the way.”
“We could try to summon Nayani. Have her tell Demetrius and Alexander,” Oraden suggested.
“Nayani? We can summon her?” Tahir was skeptical. “Are you sure we w
ant to?”
“She can be intense sometimes, but she has our best interests in mind,” Oraden explained. “Fairies have told me that it’s possible to communicate to dryads through plants, any plants. We just have to get her attention.”
“Oh, boy, she’s going to be angry about this…” Meelix mumbled and rubbed his face.
“Okay, so we just talk to some plants?”
“Let me try,” Meelix walked up to a yellow flower and cleared his throat, “Hello, flower. My, but you’re looking lovely today.”
“Just get to the point, Meelix,” Oraden scoffed.
“I don’t want to be rude,” Meelix whispered before turning back to the flower. “Ignore him. He’s always so impatient. I’ve never known a unicorn like him,” he cleared his throat again. “By the way, I’m Meelix. What’s your name? Marigold? Oh, that’s a lovely name!”
“Fairies, Meelix!” Oraden neighed, “I'll do it!”
“I was getting to it!”
“Your turn is over, Meelix. Unbelievable.” Oraden turned and kicked a nearby tree. “Nayani! Nayani! We need you!”
“Could you show a little respect, or courtesy? We’re asking for a favor, for goodness sake!”
“I think I like Oraden’s way better,” Tahir pounded on the ground. “Nayani! We need you!”
Meelix watched them for a moment. “Try using your horn, Oraden. Make it glow or something.”
Oraden poked at the ground, flowers and trees. His horn glowed, changing colors every few seconds as they all called for Nayani.
“Stop, stop!” Gavin had had enough of their foolishness. “This is not working, and I think you two may have gone mad. Instead of screaming like banshees, how about we split up like Meelix said? Tahir and Oraden will go with me to get Declan. Meelix and Smokey will go back to Elysi to find Demetrius and Alexander.”
“What?” Meelix was aghast.
“Meelix, listen. You are small enough to ride Smokey. He can fly, so you’ll get to the sea fairly quickly. Once there, all you have to do is go to that island where the dragons live. They will take you to Elysi. They know the way.”
“Meelix could be back in Elysi by tomorrow night,” Tahir said.
“There are only a few problems with your idea,” Meelix said. “I don’t remember where the dragon island is, or the way to the sea.”
“I will give him explicit directions. He is to get you to the small island and then immediately return to his home where Declan will be waiting for him.”
“You make it sound so simple, “Oraden added. “But you haven’t been with that dragon all day. He is unstable. There is no telling if he would actually do as he is told. He could carry Meelix off to who knows where. We may never see either of them again.”
“I suppose that is something to consider,” Tahir scratched his head. “Let me think.”
“What if we get Declan first and have him tell Smokey what to do. He’ll listen and obey Declan, won’t he?” Gavin asked.
“Talking to Declan is twice as hard as talking to Smokey. I could never get him to agree to send his dragon off across the sea, or anything else for that matter,” Tahir explained.
“Maybe we should all just stick together. We all go get Declan. Then, together we all go back to Elysi,” Meelix suggested. He did not like the idea of being separated and possibly lost from his friends forever.
“That would take a lot more time. We don’t know how much time we have before this evil is released. If Gavin and I stay here we could work on getting information from the other magicians to figure out a way to stop it if we can.”
“I have an idea,” came a familiar voice. They were so involved in their conversation that no one heard Destiny approach.
“I thought I made it clear you couldn’t come with us!” Gavin scolded.
“I didn’t come with you. I followed you. And it’s a good thing I did.”
“What are you talking about?”
“I can get Smokey to do what you want him to do.”
“Destiny, go home. You have no idea what you’re talking about.”
Destiny approached the small group, mesmerized at the sight of a dragon. She held her head high and kept her back and shoulders straight to convey her inner strength.
“You have a problem and I have a solution. Wait, hear me out,” she held up her hand to silence any who might want to silence her.
“As I see it,” she continued, “you could tell Smokey that I will take him to Declan as soon as he gets Meelix to the island. I will lead him to the sea on my horse. He and Meelix can follow overhead. I will wait on the shore for his return and lead him to Declan.”
“Your father would have a fit if he were to find out you were…”
“Which is more important: saving the world or pleasing my father?”
“She has a good point,” Oraden offered. “I like her plan.”
“It makes me feel better knowing that someone would be leading Smokey,” Meelix agreed.
“Good fairies, this is getting more complicated by the minute,” Tahir said, exhausted by the turn of events.
“What do you think, Tahir?” Oraden asked. “Do you think you can talk Smokey into believing that Destiny will take him to Declan?”
“Are you sure you want to do this, My Lady?” Tahir searched her eyes.
“We are running out of time and we are out of options,” she moved closer so only Tahir could hear. “You know very well how I feel about my father shielding me from the world. You know why I need to do this; I should not have to defend my actions to you.”
“I know, I know,” Tahir whispered. “But this is much different than a swim in a lake, or a ride through the woods. I’m not sure that you are ready for this. And your father does NOT want you involved. Please. You should go home.”
“I am not a child, Tahir! I am more of an adult than you. Most importantly, I am the daughter of the King, which gives me authority over all but my father, and ‘all’ includes you! You do MY bidding, not the other way around. And as for my father’s position on magic, does it not strike you as curious that I can speak with Oraden and Meelix?”
Tahir paused to think over the last few months; they’ve been spending more and more time together. How could he have not noticed? Somewhere along the way she began to understand Oraden and Meelix. Destiny has magic! Their magic must have awaken something inside of her just like their magic did in him. Destiny watched Tahir’s face turn from understanding, followed by surprise.
“Yes. Now do you see? Whether my father likes it or not, I AM involved in this.”
Tahir nodded in agreement then turned to speak to his friends. “Well, unless someone has a better plan, I think we should try it.”
“But how will we even know for sure that Smokey takes Meelix to the island?” Oraden asked.
“Suppose Meelix…”
“Excuse me,” Destiny interrupted, “why not just ask Smokey if he will agree to the plan?”
They were silenced by the simplicity of her suggestion. Tahir shrugged and walked to the dragon.
“Smokey, we will take you to Declan, but first I need you to do me a favor. Would you do a favor for us?”
“What favour?”
“You see my little friend over there?” he pointed to Meelix. “He needs to go quickly to a small island in the sea to meet another dragon.”
“Another dragon? Like me? There are other dragons?” Smokey asked in disbelief.
“Yes, there are many dragons. Would you take him to this island?”
“I would meet a dragon? Another dragon? In the sea?”
“Yes, another dragon in the sea. My friend Destiny will lead you to the sea. Then you will fly Meelix to the island, understand?”
“We will meet other dragons on the island?”
“Smokey, do you want to meet other dragons?” Tahir asked.
“You said I’m a dragon. Now you say there are others. I’ve never seen another me! I would like to meet another dragon.”
“So, you will take Meelix there?”
“I will, but I’ve never been to the sea. Once I get there, how will I find my way to the island?”
“That’s the easy part,” Oraden chimed in. “Once you get to the sea, fly low. There are many water creatures who know where the island is. You might even meet some dragons before you get to the island. Meelix, if you see any mers, don’t hesitate to ask them.”
“Smokey,” Tahir stepped closer to the dragon and squatted to come face to face with him. “It is very important that Meelix gets to Elysi. The dragons are the only ones that can get him there. Do you understand? You have a very important job. It’s up to you to get Meelix to that island so he can find the wizards who can help Declan stop the evil. Take good care of him and don’t let anything happen to him. Can you do that?”
“Without a doubt. I will get Meelix to the island of dragons. You need not worry about him. He is in safekeeping with me.”
“Meelix, how do you feel about this plan?” Gavin asked.
Meelix hesitated to reflect on the situation. “I… yes, I guess I trust Smokey,” Meelix answered. “We’ve learned a lot about each other while we waited for Tahir to return. We’ll be fine. I’ll get to Elysi, find Demetrius and Alexander, and be back before you know it.”
Gavin nodded then pulled a long rope from his pack and fashioned it around Smokey’s neck so Meelix would have something to hold on to. Meelix scrambled up the dragon’s knee and hoisted himself onto his back. He was surprised at how comfortably he fit between the rows of spikes.
After a few last instructions and words of encouragement, Destiny gave Windsong a swift kick and galloped into the woods. Smokey leapt into the air with Meelix hanging on tightly. He extended his featherless wings and glided southwest, following Destiny. Tahir, Oraden and Gavin watched their little friend being carried away on the dragon’s back.
Gavin turned and patted Tahir on the shoulder.
“Don’t you worry about him. He’s going to be fine. You’ll see. I have a good feeling about that dragon.”
“I know. I have the same feeling. It just seems funny to have come so far, only to send him back home so soon.”
Side by side, Tahir on Oraden and Gavin on Bounty, they headed toward the village to free Declan.
“Did you notice anything different about Smokey?” Oraden asked Tahir.
“Like what?”
“Like what, what?” Gavin asked.
“Nothing, I was talking to Oraden.”
Gavin could not get used to the idea of Tahir and Oraden conversing. It was like watching someone talk to an imaginary friend. Actually, he thought it was quite rude.
“Like, maybe his speech,” Oraden replied.
“Now that you mention it, he didn’t seem quite as, I don’t know, as confused as before.”
“He told a very interesting story while you were gone. He said that those magicians found him when he was still in the egg. They carried the egg home and kept it until he hatched. They raised him since before birth! The three magicians are the only ones he’s ever had contact with. And they are loners. They have a house in a swampy area that no one ever visits and they seldom leave. Though he’s seen humans, birds and animals and such, he’s had no association with them. We are the first outsiders Smokey has ever spoken to.”
“That’s terrible. Why would they keep him locked up in a swamp like that?”
“I don’t think that he was locked up, Tahir. I think he stayed because that’s all he knew. He has no idea who his parents are or why they abandoned him. Just imagine. He’s never seen another dragon before; he knew he was different from the magicians, but he didn’t even know he was a dragon.”
“That explains his excitement when I mentioned the island of the dragons.”
“He seemed very eager to meet them. The other thing is, the more Meelix and I talked with him, the better his communication skills became. I don’t think he is as simple as I originally thought. I think he only speaks that way because the magicians do.”
“Oraden, you have no idea how difficult it is to have a conversation with Declan. I hate to even think about trying to talk to all three of them.”
“What if Smokey doesn’t come back?” Oraden asked.
“What do you mean?”
“What if he decides to stay there with his own kind?”
“That’s fine. As long as he gets Meelix there. He’d probably be better off anyway. A life secluded with three dim-witted magicians can’t be good for anybody.”
