Her huge white form came to the cave entrance, and she peered out at us. Her look of obvious joy made me smile. Tersa said, "I brought you an old friend to visit."
"It's good to see you Kaltar!" Bitsy exclaimed. "We have been worried for your safety, and are glad to see you home."
It was wonderful to see her, and I said, "I'm delighted to see you too! I've missed you!"
"Shall we fly together today?" she asked. Without thinking, I stepped over to her, and sat astride her neck, just in front of her wings. There was a rush of air, and we were flying over the lava flows of Drevins Spraug.
If you’ve never read of Drevins Spraug, I'm not sure how to describe it. The name roughly translates to Dragon's world, and the name fits well. The planet was created from the dreams of the beast I was now riding. It is a place of sulfur, ash, volcanoes and fire. All the things a growing dragon needs to prosper and thrive. My pale descriptions don't do the place justice.
As Bitsy soared away from the cliff, I got a quick image of Tersa as she jumped fearlessly from the cliff onto one of the nearby dragons. In seconds, they were flying alongside Bitsy and I as we flew over the flaming landscape below.
Several dozen dragons formed up around us, and we started towards the large, erupting, volcano we had noticed on our arrival. The wind rushed past as we gained altitude, and I had time to appreciate the grandeur of this magnificent world. It was many times the size of Remaca, or even Earth. We all flew along for some time, and then I saw something odd in the distance. It was a hint of green and blue where none should have been.
In that moment, I knew we were headed for the spot I had seen. It was on the distant horizon, and we traveled for almost another ten minutes, before I could get a good look at where we were going. The ground below us began to change, and the flames and lava cooled. There was a set of low hills, and the entire topography became dramatically different.
The land below was a paradise. A river flowed from distant mountains, and finally fell in a waterfall, out onto the steaming lava beds. Gigantic steam clouds enveloped the area, but I could tell the water was winning, and the lava was turning to hardened volcanic rock. We followed the river toward the mountains, and finally came upon a gleaming castle nestled at the base of one of the distant cliffs.
We swept in low, finally landing in an open field outside the castle walls. The grass was a lush, green color. Tall, beautiful trees were growing on both sides of the river. If you faced one direction, you saw a beautiful garden. If you turned around, you faced a blazing inferno. The effect was very dramatic.
"How did you do this?" I asked Bitsy.
"It was Tersa," Bitsy informed me. "I wanted humans to have a place in my world. April and you’ve taught me many things. If I wish to learn from humans, they must be safe in my world. Tersa will help me make a place for people to visit, and enjoy."
As Bitsy and I spoke, Tersa and the dragon she rode landed. She dismounted, and walked over to where we stood. Looking a little sheepish, she said, "I meant to tell you what we were doing, but it just never seemed like the right time."
"It's beautiful!" I remarked truthfully. "I’ve never seen a place that looked like this."
"It is the place where I was born," Tersa responded quietly. "It's the only place I ever felt happy and safe." There was an emotional feeling in the link. I could tell how much Tersa missed the place.
"Do you ever go home?" I asked.
On the verge of tears, Tersa said. "It was destroyed long ago. I haven’t seen this place in countless centuries."
"Yet you remember it in so much detail," I remarked. "I'm amazed how the place appears to have always been here. It looks so natural."
"A month ago, this place looked like all the rest of my world." Bitsy noted. "Tersa did everything to make this happen. I am very grateful for all her help."
Tersa grimaced slightly, and said, "Bitsy asked me to create a nice place, and I thought of this."
"I told her it would be a refuge for Kaltar, and April." Bitsy confided. "You will always be safe here with us on guard."
"Would you like to go in the castle?" Tersa asked, obviously flustered. "It seems small now, but when I was young, it seemed like a gigantic place."
"You created this for us?" I asked. "I’m very honored you would do such a thing."
"It was Bitsy," Tersa assured me. "She brought the whole thing up."
We started walking forward as we talked, and soon were well within the castle. The floors and ceilings were a gleaming white marble. The walls were in the same shiny marble, but in a deep blue. The doors were red, with gold trim. The place was spacious, and had huge arched entrance ways. We crossed a drawbridge to enter, and even bitsy could readily enter through the gate. There was a large open plaza, and a dozen narrow streets ran off in different directions.
Tersa had called it a castle, but I’d have called it a palace. Ornate carpets, paintings, and fountains were everywhere. Gardens, and all sorts of growing things were all around. All that was missing, was people.
We wandered for almost an hour, talking about the castle, and Tersa's memories of growing up here. It began to sink in how much Tersa loved the place. I began to wonder why she had waited so long to recreate something she loved so much.
"This should be your home." I finally pointed out. "It's a reflection of you. Why would you give it away?"
"I did it for you!" She answered with some hesitation. "I wanted you to be happy!"
"I'm going outside!" Bitsy suddenly announced. "It's too cramped in here for me!" She backed around, and soon disappeared around a bend in the road. We stood there watching as she walked away, and an uncomfortable silence descended.
"Why have you done this?" I asked quietly. "This was your home. You should return, and live in the place your heart still holds close."
"This is a place I created for the man I love!" Tersa replied softly. "If I can't be with him. I will at least know he is safe, and happy!" Her mind in the link was very confused, but she was doing the best she could to remain calm.
"You can't keep behaving this way," I told her. "It's not healthy for you."
"Don't worry," she said in a whisper. "I won't cause you any problems!"
"I'm worried about you!" I observed. "You are probably my best friend, next to April. I want you to be happy and safe, just as you wish it for me."
"If you don't leave me alone, I'm going to cry!" Tersa announced. "Is that what you want?"
"No!" I quickly responded. "Please don't cry!"
Tersa smiled slightly, and said, "You're such a sweet kid at heart. So young and naive, I can't explain why I'm so drawn to you. I've never felt this way, and I'm just taking it day by day."
"Should I send you to Krashure Maug?" I asked. "I have no desire to cause you unhappiness."
"Then don't send me away!" she quickly replied. "That would make me very unhappy!"
I thought of how April would feel about all this, and said, "I don't wish for you or April to be unhappy. If April becomes upset I’ll be in the middle of a confusing mess. Please don't let that happen."
"April is aware of my feelings," Tersa informed me. "She is very secure in your love for her. She has scanned me enough to know I truly want you to be happy. If April makes you happy, then I will want you two to be together. April knows I won't do anything to make you unhappy, so she is fine with me being around you. As long as you love April, she knows I will protect her at all costs."
"I'm sorry," I apologized. "I wish there was something I could do about this."
"Do you have a twin brother?" Tersa asked, smiling slightly.
"No! I don't!" I observed quietly. Tersa's smile widened slightly, and I realized she was joking with me.
"It'll be fine, Kaltar," she said, still smiling. "I'll get over it. I might even fall in love again someday." Her thoughts seemed to leave little hope that might happen. I got the feeling she was telling me what she thought I wanted to hear. I stood there for several seconds debating what
to say. "Please don't send me away!" she pleaded abruptly. I sensed her catch herself, and she looked away. I could see we were done here.
"We need to get back," I remarked quietly.
"Yes," Tersa agreed. We turned, and started walking back up the road. Ten minutes later, we were walking out the castle's front gate. Bitsy was standing there, talking to two younger dragons as we approached. She smiled, as only a dragon can, and asked, "Did you two get everything all worked out?"
"There's nothing to work out," I replied. "I'm sure April and I will enjoy visiting here. I'm also sure we'll always feel safe on Drevins Spraug."
Bitsy nodded, and said, "Kaltar is, as always, very wise. I find this place very calming. I hope Tersa will spread this landscape over more of our world, so that we can provide a nicer place than the caverns for our human visitors."
"That would be a splendid idea!" I agreed. "I know of many people who would love to come and speak to the dragons of Drevins Spraug."
Bitsy became instantly alert, and said, "We would love to see and talk to visitors."
Tersa looked back up for the first time, and said, "It would be my pleasure." She looked me in the eyes, smiled just slightly, and said, "I'm happy you like it."
"We must return to Remaca soon," I observed. "I don't like leaving April alone for very long."
Bitsy tilted her huge head to the right slightly, and said, "I need to speak to you alone, Kaltar."
Tersa seemed slightly stunned, and quickly said, "I will go ahead to Remaca, and make sure April is alright." Without another word, she folded space, and was gone.
Bitsy looked at me, and simply asked, "You do realize she's in love with you?" I nodded without comment. After a few seconds longer, she said, "Tersa has chosen a course deep into pain."
"If you have any advice, I’d love to hear it," I acknowledged.
"I'm just a dragon, and know little of what humans call love." Bitsy commented. "I fail to see why you can't love both April, and Tersa."
"I do love them both." I agreed. "But it’s two different types of love. April is my beloved, and Tersa is my best friend. I cherish both their lives, but see them each differently."
Shaking her head slightly, Bitsy said, "I don't understand, but that's not why I asked you to remain for a minute. I wish to discuss helping you against the Darkness."
"Helping in what way?" I asked.
"There will come a day when you’ll need the light born in every dragon," Bitsy assured me. "When that day comes, you must call upon us. There are many hidden places where the Darkness may try to hide. You have shown love toward us, when fear is the norm. You’ve protected us when we were weak. My children will be there for you when the time comes. You’ll know when the time is right. Call upon us, and we will be there for you, April, and the two young lives she now carries."
"The Magi Council may balk at having you leave this world," I reminded her.
"We don't respond to the wishes of the Magi Council," Bitsy stated plainly. "We follow the commands of Kaltar, and his beloved, April. When you call upon us, we will be there for you. Not the Magi Council, nor the Darkness, will deter us. We obey you, and you alone. Never forget that my friend."
I could sense the word "friend," meant more to a dragon than it would to most humans. For the first time, I fully realized what an unforeseen force was growing on Drevins Spraug.
"I will remember your words!" I told Bitsy. "I am proud to call the dragons of Drevins Spraug my friends."
The great white dragon smiled warmly at me, and said, "You should return to Remaca now. Please tell Al I miss him, and await his return."
"He's ready to come home to Drevins Spraug." I noted. "Only his sense of duty keeps him on Remaca."
"His love of April keeps him on Remaca," Bitsy corrected me. "Love is a driving force in nature, and should not be underestimated."
I could tell Bitsy was trying to get a point across. I nodded my head to agree, without fully understanding why. Bitsy's smile grew slightly, and she said, "Don't worry young Magi. You’ll understand later. Just remember my words, and call upon us when we are needed." There was an intense moment in the link. A sensation of warmth, and I realized I was deeply linked with Bitsy. The sensation lasted for several seconds, and then disappeared, like smoke on the wind.
I thanked Bitsy, and folded space for Remaca. I was tired, and wanted to return home.
Chapter 4
Attack on Remaca
Upon my return to Remaca, I found Tersa and April talking on the front porch to my home. They were rather animated, and as I stepped up onto the porch, April walked away without a word. Tersa looked at me, and said, "I suggested she shouldn't be angry at you, so now she's angry at me."
"I better go speak to her," I observed.
"I wish you luck!" Tersa replied. "I'm going down to the school, to check on some of my students." She folded space, and I went into the house. As soon as I stepped in, I could hear April crying. I found her in what she called the living room.
"Are you alright?" I asked as I stepped into the room with her.
"No!" she practically yelled at me. "I hate being pregnant! I get sick every day, and people all act like I'm made of glass!" She was extremely angry, and I wasn't really sure why.
She was standing in the middle of the room, and crying in sobs that shook her entire body. I stepped close, asking, "Can you calm down, and talk to me?"
In an abrupt move, she wrapped her arms around me, and stood there crying loudly. "I don't understand what's happening. I get so emotional over nothing. I feel like I'm losing my mind."
"You're pregnant," I reminded her. "You're supposed to be emotional."
"Well, I don't like it!" April mumbled, her face pressed into my chest. Her voice had dropped to a hoarse whisper.
"You only have a few more months, and it will be over," I reassured her. "It's supposed to get easier as you go along."
"Not fast enough to suit me!" she noted quietly. Her face was still buried in my chest as she said, "I'm sorry I was angry at you Kaltar! I love you! I don't mean to say mean things, or hurt you."
"It's alright beloved," I responded softly. "I love you! As soon as the children are born, we'll be so busy, it will be as if this never happened."
April finally lifted her tear stained face up to look at me, saying, "You always know how to make me happy."
"I just love you with all my heart," I assured her. "It gives me great joy to see you happy." I leaned down, and kissed her. We stood there locked together for several seconds, and finally broke the kiss.
April stepped back slightly, saying, "The twins and I are starved. How about I fix us some dinner." I soon found myself in the kitchen, helping with dinner. I was so happy to be with my beloved. So happy she wasn't angry at me. We spent the evening together, and when I fell asleep that night, the last thing I saw was April, asleep next to me.
For the next two weeks, April seemed to feel better with each passing day. The morning sickness disappeared, and I could tell April was feeling much better. As the days passed, the twins became more active and alert in the womb. Their ability to scan out of the womb was unexpected, and I realized they would be born with far more mature minds than most normal humanoid children.
Doctors from Earth would visit once a week to check on April. They were part of the Chosen, and very nice people. They told April, that she and the babies were doing very well. It was a very happy time for us, and I began to feel that the rest of April's pregnancy would go smoothly.
April and I had gone to bed, and were asleep several hours, when I suddenly woke up. A feeling of intense fear filled the room. A quick glance at April told me she was sound asleep. Scanning further, I realized the fear was emanating from the twins. I couldn't understand why they were so afraid. I reached out, scanning the house, and could sense nothing wrong.
A loud roar could abruptly be heard outside. I jumped up, headed for the window to look out. A klaxon and sirens began to sound off in the distanc
e. I looked out the window, to find Al, Bonnie, and Clyde, all belching flame onto several large Fasck constructs that stood in my front yard. The war had come to my world, and I truly felt fear.
It would be bad for April to fold space if we had to flee. Our backs were to the wall, and there could be no running away. I could hear screams, and explosions. Turning slightly, I caught a glance of April's face. The terror was etched into her eyes, and for just a moment, I believe I lost my mind.
"I'll be right back!" I assured her. Without another word, I folded space to where Al and the dragons were fighting the constructs. A dozen of the things lurked out in the shadows cast by the lights.
My appearance in the yard was mirrored by Tersa. She glanced at me, and loudly asked, "What's going on here?"
"I haven't got a clue!" I responded truthfully.
The Fasck constructs were each about twelve feet tall. Unless you scanned for them, they were invisible. The dragons seemed to sense the constructs, and a few seconds of flame clearly showed what we were fighting, as the creatures became visible.
The Guardians, and the Chosen, had visited Remaca many times. They had installed the sirens and klaxons I heard going in the distance. A glowing blue shield had risen over the Magi school down by the river. There is no moon orbiting Remaca. So with the exception of artificial light, night prevailed.
All around me was movement. My scans showed more constructs arriving. The dragons were amongst them, burning and smashing the constructs, but more of the enemy kept appearing. Tersa focused for a moment, and a blast of ball lightning arced from her hand. A construct eighty feet away seemed to explode when it was hit. Screaming like a Banshee, Tersa ran into the battle, and disappeared into the night.
I was left standing in front of my home, wondering what to do. I had to stay, and defend April. I scanned her every few seconds as she moved around inside the house. I had to remain close by, in case the house came under attack.
There was a very odd noise, and something huge rushed by with a sound of rushing air. A construct suddenly appeared in my scan as it moved toward me across the lawn. The sound of rushing air whisked by again, slamming into the attacking construct. Its crumpled form went airborne, and disappeared into the shadows of the night.
The Books of Kaltar Farsara Boxed Set - Books 1 through 3 (The Kingdom Kaltar Farsara Built) Page 33
