“Then you need me, if only because I do know the way,” concluded Phaeote.
“You’ve been to the Temple of the Gods!?” screamed Juice, completely forgetting to be respectful.
Phaeote laughed and answered, “Been there? I was the model for their dragon sculpture!”
Janus didn’t remember any dragons carved beside the four presidents on Mount Rushmore but chose not to comment. He just hoped Granny was leading them to the right place.
✽✽✽
The journey was long, but Phaeote was correct about her ability to fly. She was a giant dragon with a wingspan longer than a school bus. Juice was the far more powerful dragon, but Phaeote seemed to effortlessly glide through the sky, while Juice fought his way through the air. Janus pointed this out to Juice, but his stubborn friend only pumped his wings even harder.
They stored the talismans in Merlin’s office in the training cave mid-morning and reached Septumcolis by midday for a rest by Juice’s cave. He had scattered and hidden his precious nest but was happy to see his home and to show off his dormant garden to Granny. Phaeote feigned polite interest but hurried them on their way after a quick lunch. She claimed they had many miles to fly before nightfall.
By mid-afternoon, Juice was resting in a field out of breath.
“Now she’s just showing off,” he complained as he watched Granny circle high overhead.
Janus replied, “No, dude. She’s soaring. You should try it.” Then he watched her do a barrel roll and added, “Well, maybe she is showing off a little.”
Juice grumbled, “I’ve been flying for longer than you’ve been alive, little boy” before admitting defeat and asking, “So, what’s soaring?”
Janus grinned and smacked his friend’s neck with a friendly slap.
“That’s the spirit, Juice. Soaring is when you ride thermals.”
Juice groaned, “Not helping, dude. What’s a thermal, and why does Granny keep flying in circles?”
Janus explained, “Thermals are columns of warm air. They’re useful because warm air rises while cold air sinks. Soaring is when you glide along the edge of thermals and let the warm air spiral you higher and higher.
“Granny’s riding that thermal up and will glide out of it in whatever direction she wants to go. She starts to lose altitude slowly after leaving the warm air. But she has a long way to glide before needing another thermal to start rising again. She just has to keep her wings in the right positions and hardly has to flap at all.”
“Whoa, that is so cool!” sighed Juice with amazement. “How do you know all this? Do you have wings on Earth?”
Janus laughed, “No, I have something better. I have science. Let’s go give soaring a try.”
Juice rose off his big belly and grunted, “I’m game, but how do I hold my wings to soar, and how do we find a thermal?”
Janus laughed, “I have no idea, but I bet that sticking close to Granny and mimicking her moves would be a great way to learn.”
Juice had mastered the mechanics of soaring by the time they roosted for the night, but neither he nor Janus could figure out how Granny sniffed out thermals. Neither cared, though. They just wanted to sleep. Granny had located a small, abandoned dragon cave beside a vast body of water. Janus guessed that they would be along Lake Michigan, somewhere near Chicago, if they were back on his Earth. He marveled again at the similarities and differences between the two worlds.
✽✽✽
The next morning Granny noticed her great-grandson’s stiffness when he arose and offered to carry both Janus and Merlin. Juice complained at first, but complied after a short, limping, walk out to the beach. Janus ate his breakfast while watching Granny teach Juice the proper ways to stretch. The two dragons almost looked like they were doing Tai Chi on the beach.
Today’s journey was long, and the scenery was dull. The pair of dragons would spiral up to unimaginable heights where Janus could see the earth’s curvature before effortlessly gliding back toward the ground for dozens of miles.
They traveled much farther than the previous day with very few rest stops. But that evening, Juice confided to Janus that his arms and shoulders hurt in places he never knew he had muscles. Janus joked that he wouldn’t be so sore if he indeed had larger muscles there.
Juice agreed, and added, “I never thought I’d admit that Granny is stronger than me, but I guess it’s true.”
Janus joined his friend, as he gazed at the old dragon and said, “Yeah, she is one tough, old bird.”
Granny growled, “I heard that, young man. Lie down and spread your wings, Betelgeuse.”
Juice acquiesced and watched Granny strut over to him in the awkward manner dragons had of hopping along the ground. She grasped the base of one of his wings with her old, gnarled talons and squeezed.
“Aieeeeeeee!” cried the young dragon as he writhed in pain.
“What are you doing?” screamed Janus, before being silenced by a seething glare from Granny, who ignored Juice’s screams and kept squeezing.
Granny relaxed her grip a minute later, and Juice sighed, “Oh, that feels so much better.” Then he added, “Wow, what did you do?”
Granny laughed, “I just gave you a little massage. Hold on while I work on your other side. Your muscles need to relax from being tense all day. This will help them stretch out.”
She grabbed the base of Juice’s right wing, and he screamed out in agony again, but his scream quickly slid into a low, pleasurable moan. Ten minutes later, he was snoring.
Granny stepped away panting, and Janus said, “Thank you, Granny. Your massage seems to have helped.”
Granny smiled and replied, “Yes, Betelgeuse needed a good rub. He’ll be ready to fly again in the morning.”
Janus said, “He’s lucky to have you, Granny. We both are. But you should know that he prefers to be called Juice.”
Granny laughed, “I am aware of his nickname; however, I prefer his proper name. It was foretold a long time ago, as was Saiph’s name and even the names of their children. And, I’d like to add that he is fortunate to have you too, Janus. Talking sense into a male dragon is difficult. He trusts and respects you more than you know.”
Janus felt an unexpected warmth spread down his arms at her compliment. He could not remember anyone ever saying anything like that to him. He wondered aloud, “What do you mean their names were foretold?”
Granny casually replied, “Dragons have legends and beliefs, just like you humans. Ours are just different. We live our lives, name our children, and even build our nests based upon the stories of the stars. Betelgeuse and Saiph are two of the hunter’s dragons, destined to save the world.”
Janus felt chills tingle down his arms as he struggled to remember his childhood prayer. There was something in it about a hunter returning from the stars.
“Both the Septumcolans and the Lachians have bedtime prayers, which mention a hunter coming from the stars. The Lachians seem to think that Stavius, Versera, Nariana, and Elisa are those hunters. The gods themselves informed them that their real names are Mars, Venus, Luna, and Terra! It doesn’t help that Stavius used to call himself a dragon hunter. Oh, great gods! They really are the star hunters! The Prophecy is coming true!”
Granny began laughing at Janus’ theory, and said, “You humans think everything is all about you. You aren’t the star hunter; you’re the weapon!”
She stared at the young boy and laughed so hard she began coughing.
Juice woke up and scurried over to his wheezing great-grandmother, yelling, “Granny! Are you all right? What have you done to her, Janus?”
Granny waved her great-grandson away and sputtered, “I’m fine. I’m fine. The young lad just reminded me of how much I enjoy the naivete of humans. They are so cute. Recite your bedtime prayer, Betelgeuse, while I catch my breath.”
Juice sheepishly stared at Granny and admitted, “Well, it has been a long time since I prayed before bed. I might not get it entirely right.”
Th
e ancient dragon glared at him and growled, “Perhaps it is time for you to get back in the habit. Let me hear it.”
Juice gulped, closed his eyes, and recited:
Bring forth the hunter from deep in the ground,
with magic from Earth and the stars all around.
Defend all the good through each day and each night,
wielding a weapon of ultimate might.
Beginning is ending. The world starts anew
in the ultimate search for what’s right and what’s true.
Seven will battle, and seven will fight
to draw back the darkness and to bring out the light.
Granny smiled and said, “Excellent, Betelgeuse. I was confident you weren’t going to disappoint me. Now, explain that poem’s meaning.”
Juice’s eyes flew open. He said, “Um, well, I always imagined seven mighty dragons fighting and battling bad guys using their awesome fire breath. It gave me great dreams as a kid.”
Granny groaned, “I swear that male dragons are as bad as humans. Didn’t your mother explain anything to you?”
Juice mumbled, “Probably, but I don’t really remember. That was a long time ago, and I’ve had other things on my mind, you know.”
Granny yelled, “Betelgeuse! This is important! Now, I want both of you to pay attention to me.
“The Star Hunter is a fellowship of seven dragons. Saiph and Rigel are the foundation. Betelgeuse and Bellatrix are the heart and soul. And, Mintaka, Alnilam, and Alnitak bind them together.”
Juice’s head popped up, and he interrupted, “Hey, that’s what Saiph named our kids!”
Janus kicked him, and Granny nodded in approval.
She continued, “The legends claim that the Star Hunter cannot overcome darkness alone. The Star Hunter must be joined by other races of the world to succeed.”
It was Janus’ turn to interrupt, “And the seven talismans are the weapon of ultimate might!”
Granny sighed again. “You are so close, but no. The talismans power the weapon, but the weapon itself is comprised of a team of six heroic humans. Their names are Terra, Venus, Luna, Mars, Ops, and Saturn.”
Janus’s shoulders slumped, and his chest collapsed. He felt every last bit of air leave his lungs, and every last bit of energy drain from his body. He had started to believe he was a part of a team, and, once again, he had been excluded.
Juice saw his friend sag and quickly interjected, “But Granny, the poem says seven, and you only mentioned six. Did you forget about Janus, the seventh human?”
Janus looked up to see Granny fondly smiling at him, and his hope soared.
Granny explained, “No, I did not forget about Janus. He is not a part of the ultimate weapon.”
Janus felt as though he had been kicked in the stomach again.
“Janus is called Meissa in our tales. Meissa is the one who guides us all. Meissa is the head of the Star Hunter.”
Janus woke up on the ground a minute later with a coppery taste in his mouth and blue sparkles obscuring his vision. He had been holding his breath while Granny spoke and fainted upon hearing her words.
“I’m the head of the Star Hunter?” he breathed when he awoke.
Juice was prancing around worried, but Granny smiled and gently said, “Yes, Janus. You are a part of both the human and dragon fellowships. It is up to you to not only lead us all to victory but also to guide us down the right path. The battle between light and dark is an over-used metaphor. The truth is rarely so simplistic. You have the most difficult task of all. You alone must decide what is right and what is wrong for our entire world. You alone will know how to build and use this ultimate weapon. You alone will decide if and when to use it. You are the key. At least, you are in our legends.”
Juice observed, “Wow. No pressure, dude. But seriously, I’m the heart of the Star Hunter. How cool is that?”
✽✽✽
Juice was so stiff the next morning that Granny offered to carry both Janus and Merlin for the day. She claimed it would be fine since they should arrive by the afternoon but, Janus could tell by her uncharacteristic silence that she was struggling. The only comment she made all morning was a brief explanation about magic. Janus had realized that he was not feeling at all nauseous, despite being outside of a magic pool for several days. He posited that this was due to his proximity to the dragon stones inside their gizzards. The boy marveled at how powerful those stones must be to support both her and her riders. Granny snorted at his misunderstanding.
The old dragon explained that they had been traveling in magical energy streams for most of their journey. She said that magical energy flowed throughout Mearth in meandering currents, which resembled ropes wrapped around the planet’s core. Some of these energy flows were as thin as a finger, while others had diameters that were many miles wide.
Janus excitedly agreed that Stavius could sense these currents as well and had described them as planetary veins. He added that these currents ooze out into pools of energy when they end at Mearth’s surface. He said that he and his friends were even learning to see this energy.
Granny seemed surprised and impressed at their abilities. She had always believed that humans could not see magical energy but now suspected that they just chose to ignore it. Humans were, after all, much more interested in altering and controlling their environment than in perceiving and enjoying it. Most other creatures can see magical energy. This is how they survive outside of the expansive magic wells, which trap humanity. Dragons, however, can detect magic better than any other creature, and they can fly.
Those two dragon traits enable them to see magical currents deep within the planet and beyond. She informed her riders that magical pools don’t form from magical currents ending at the planet’s surface. They develop from energy spilling out as the flows breach the surface. These currents continue into the air before arcing back down to continue to revolve around the core below ground. Small arcs might extend a few yards. Large ones, like the one flowing out around Septumcolis, rise thousands of feet into the sky before crossing back below ground hundreds of miles away. The travelers had been riding thermals to gain height and gliding along energy flows on the way down.
Janus had a million questions about magic but could tell that his mount was laboring to fly, so he chose to chat with Merlin instead. The two riders talked about Merlin’s life in the days of King Arthur. Merlin was amazed at how the gist of the stories was still remembered. He was equally annoyed with how important aspects had been altered. He told Janus where Camelot was located. It wasn’t in Wales. The old wizard thought the name Guinevere was beautiful but explained that it wasn’t Arthur’s wife’s name. Arthur was married to King Tewdrig’s eldest daughter, Arglwyddes Gwenhwy-fawr, whom everyone just called Gwenhwy-fawr or Gwen. He only shared his stories after making Janus promise he would write a revised version of Geoffrey’s book when he returned home. Janus quickly agreed and attempted to remember everything he heard.
Juice was feeling better at midday, and the two riders switched to his back for the remainder of the journey. An hour later, they began to see mountains, which looked like piles of rocks in the distance. By late afternoon they were flying over them, and Granny had turned to the north. A few minutes later, Juice, Janus, and Merlin gasped. Far in the distance was a gigantic carving of a resting dragon sculpted into a mountain with the faces of the four gods nestled under her neck.
Chapter 22
Through the Eyes of Dragons
Shon’s family had visited Mount Rushmore the previous summer, which was when she had learned about the little-known room carved into the mountain behind Teddy Roosevelt’s head. It was intended to be a museum, but the facility was never completed. This seemed like an ideal place to leave a secret message for future generations. The location was so remote that it was unlikely to be disturbed, yet it had an unmistakable landmark.
There was also a landmark here on Mearth, but it was quite unlike Mount Rushmore, and it was not iso
lated. A town containing thousands of people was built near the base. Teddy Roosevelt looked similar here as he did on Earth, although he was missing his eyeglasses and mustache. The other three looked like women, with George Washington looking much thinner and Abe Lincoln losing his beard. Thomas Jefferson looked more feminine than the rest, but Janus was unsure why.
Granny said, “Those are the famous busts of Luna, Venus, Mars, and Terra. And, that’s me, carved in the stone behind them. I represent the role dragons play in preserving the memories of the gods.”
The enormous dragon carved in the stone cliffs dwarfed the human busts, and, to both Juice’s and Janus’ amazement, it did resemble Granny. The group was resting at the top of a hill to the south. They could see both the town and the sculpture, and the sight was striking from this distance. However, Janus remembered how much more impressive the monument was up close. He couldn’t fathom the scale of that gigantic dragon.
Granny was continuing, “This whole mountain is known as the Temple of the Gods. The sculptures were carved over centuries as a tribute to the gods. They also protect the Shrine of the Gods behind them.”
Janus muttered, “Let me guess. The Shrine of the Gods is a small, rectangular cave carved into the cliff behind Mars’ head.”
Granny looked surprised and replied, “Yes. I wasn’t aware you were familiar with it. The shrine is considered to be the most sacred place on Mearth. It contains the oldest and most valuable writings and religious artifacts in existence.”
“And it is heavily guarded, of course,” groaned Janus.
“There is a gauntlet of troops protecting the narrow chasm leading to it at all times,” agreed Granny. “Only the high priests are permitted to enter the shrine, where they study the ancient scrolls almost every night.”
“Well, one of those scrolls probably contains the missing clue,” sighed Janus.
“Good thing you brought a couple of dragons,” laughed Juice.
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