by Lee Morgan
Connor immediately jumped down the hole, worried for both lives. Knowing that the Keeper is alive for the moment, he checked out the egg first. He used Sonar to penetrate its hard and thick shell.
Sarah yelled down the hole from the surface “What is it?”
He cut the flow of power and looked up at her and his sister peering down at the scene with worried eyes. “It is a Keeper’s egg! It is still alive because I can see the little guy’s heart beating!” He looked at the Keeper and she proved to be in worse shape closer up. Mud and snow covered most of her body. He cautiously touched her skin and found it to be as cold as the ice that covered her. “We need to get the both of them to some shelter! It’s going to snow again in a few hours and I know they won’t be able to survive it!” Sarah then looked into the sky and knew he wasn’t lying because the clouds had become thicker and darker in the past hour. “I’m going to call in some reinforcements.”
Connor sent his thoughts in the general direction of the others. Finding the three familiar minds a few seconds later was all too easy. He entered everyone’s mind simultaneously. “Mark! Jillian! Jack! Can you all hear me?”
“Connor, did you find something?” Jillian asked calmly.
“Yes, I found a Keeper!” Suddenly each of their minds became blank except for the two who remained above himself. “Listen, the Keeper and her egg were trapped under the avalanche. She is in some bad shape from this ordeal. Mark, I need both you and Kara to become a Fwen and search for a shelter big enough to hold everyone. Searching the sky will make the task easier. Jillian, I need for you and Jack to get over here and give us a hand. Look north of your position and find us. Follow this!” He cut the link and focused on making a flame from the heat of the surrounding area. He finally made an orange and red fireball in his right hand and threw it up the shaft and into the sky. It would be impossible to miss the flame. Both Sarah and his sister stepped back to look down. His sister’s eyes were glowing and her shirt and cloak were now missing. She was wearing her leather top and Connor knew she needed to be rid of them for her to grow her wings. Once her wings were complete a plume of snow gave knowledge that she was searching the immediate area for shelter from above.
Connor needed to find a way to bring them all to the surface. He focused his mind on the ground below his feet. Using Terra, he brought both the Keeper and the egg to the surface without effort. It felt more like riding an elevator of frigid stone and earth.
Once they arrived above the snow Sarah checked on the unconscious Keeper. Connor looked above the tree line and saw two large flying figures searching in a circular pattern. He grabbed his sister’s tossed shirt and cloak and stuffed them in her bag.
About ten seconds later two figures could be seen swiftly running in their direction. Once Jillian and Jack arrived they knew he wasn’t making up a story. They had to decide how they were going to carry both of them to safety. About two minutes later a large shadow began descending in their direction.
Mark landed on the snow with all fours. His glorious wings finally were tucked into his sides as he approached. He glanced at the Keeper, but only for a moment. In his deep and animalistic voice he explained “We found a cave to the southeast and it will be large enough to accommodate each of us. Kara checked it out already and said there weren’t any hibernating bears inside.”
“That’s good enough for me. Lead the way.” Connor said to his best friend.
Connor walked around to the Keeper’s head. He put his arms under her back and made it to where her large head rested on his left shoulder. It was all too easy to lift her top half, but to keep any injuries from worsening her entire body had to be carried. Jack grabbed her tail and laid it over her abdomen. He put his arms under her bottom and lifted. Sarah grabbed both of the legs and soon the Keeper was hoisted off the frigid ground. Jillian took charge of the egg and cradled it gently, keeping pace with the mother in the case she awoke.
Connor started walking backwards as he followed the sounds from the steps Mark created in the snow. He could tell that Mark remained walking on all fours by sound alone. They carried the Keeper slowly so as to not further injuries. The snow was just strong enough for them to all carry the weight without sinking too deeply in the snow.
About ten or so minutes later Kara’s voice howled in the distance and it sounded like she was still in wolf form. “Honey! Over here!”
“We’ll be there in a minute. Did you find us some firewood?” His voice also still thick with wolf.
“Sure did. I found enough to last us all night and then some.” A minute later sounds from his shoes changed from crunching snow to exposed stone. He stole a glance over his right shoulder while keeping the Keeper’s head steady.
The cave opened in a rock face at least ten feet tall and he couldn’t see how deep it went. It also had a wide mouth for an entrance. The outside wall was plastered with snow, but the inside of the dark cave didn’t have any. He stepped inside the cave first since he led the unconscious female. On the ground to the left were bundles of lumber, hastily gathered. Some of the thicker branches were freshly broken and a glance to a nearby tree, closest to the cave, revealed several broken branches. The walls of the cave were either dark brown or light grey and the floor was littered with small stones or small boulders. From the clean smell, no animals live inside, for the moment.
When there was good enough place Connor gently laid the massive Keeper on the ground. Both Jack and Sarah eased their ends down as gently. He noticed that she was still unconscious and her heart kept beating. She was still fighting for survival and for her egg that has yet to hatch.
Immediately Connor issued everyone some orders. “Jack, get a fire started in here because warming up the Keeper will be only half the problem. It’s going to snow soon. Mark, dig in my bag for the space blankets and get yours out as well. We need to keep the inside of this cave warm. Kara, I want you to try and use your body heat and keep the egg warm until the fire is stable. We cannot risk putting the un-hatched creature through much more shock from temperature changes. Jillian, we will need water and can I ask you to build a snow wall at the mouth of the cave when things get settled. Sarah, I will need you to go with her and give her a hand. I will stay here and clean her up. Her injuries could be extensive and it would be best to correct the problems while she oblivious.”
Everyone started with their tasks. Mark shifted back to normal and quickly put his silver shirt back on. He grabbed all of the space bags from the packs and gently opened the thin metal covers. Jack had to use his power over fire to ignite the semi-wet logs. Connor tossed him Tool and he chopped up the remaining tender to get the best yield in the fire. Kara cradled the egg. She sat on the ground, still transformed with her golden fur still loose. She tenderly held the egg close to her chest with her legs crossed to avoid the egg from touching the cold cave floor. Jillian and Sarah came in holding enormous snowballs in each hand. Connor had them melt the snowball into a water ball by holding it over the fire and not a drop escaped their control. The balls became a tenth of their size, but it was a good enough to start with.
Jack rummaged in his pack and pulled out a set of metal cooking bowls. The girls dropped the water in them and went to collect some more. Connor ripped a small piece of cloth from his white cloak, dipped the rag in the warmed water and started cleaning the Keeper. First to be washed was her face, then her arms and legs came next. She breathed only through her nose and it remained a constant slow and deep rhythm. She had small cuts between her smooth scales, but they were already healing quickly. He finally got up the nerve and unclasped her golden belt to open up her robe. Her chest was as flat as her abdomen and spotless so he didn’t have to clean for injuries. Her scales were just as impressive as she was as a whole. He redressed her robe and clasped her belt back to its original position.
Since her robe became so dirty and wet, he decided that she should look decent upon waking. Connor used both Terra and Liquid to pull away every particle of dirt, sand,
water and mud from her robe. It looked brand new after he finished. Her robe was pure white silk and it had red trim around the neck and the sleeveless openings around her arms. Sarah touched his shoulder and whispered in his ear “You did a great job, Connor. She looks much better now. All we can do is wait.”
Close to an hour later Jillian made a wall of snow, covering the mouth of the cave when the storm began. She left an opening at the top to allow the smoke to escape, but the frigid wind wouldn’t harm anything or anyone tonight. With Mark’s help, the two friends pressed the space blankets on the snow wall. The blankets reflect almost all radiation and that includes heat. The room’s temperature instantly began to rise. When finished, Mark sat beside the fire with Kara as she still held the egg, but she was now looking human and had her pink shirt back on. Jillian sat with Jack and munched on her power bar and watched the fire to pass the time. Sarah sat beside the still sleeping giant. He walked over and sat beside her.
She rested her head on his shoulder and spoke very quietly. “Do you think that she will be alright?”
Looking at the face of the Keeper he said “I believe that she will. She’s a mother and that means she is a fighter.”
Sarah and Connor simply sat there and watched her chest rise and fall. He felt her scaly skin often and knew she was finally beginning to warm up. Connor moved his position over to the cave wall for some minor comfort. He propped his back and Sarah took the opportunity to sit between his legs and lay her back against his warm chest. He was amazed at what a Keeper really looks like.
About two hours later the Keeper’s breathing changed. Connor said to everyone “I think she is waking up!”
All of them stood up and walked over to her, but kept their distance. Her throat rumbled like a groan and her tail twitched. A minute later Connor saw her eyes slowly crack open. Her eyes are a golden yellow and about the size of a grapefruit. Also her pupils had a catlike slit in them just like when Changer transforms. She opened her mouth for a moment then snapped them shut, but not before he got a good look at them. All of her front teeth were as long as his thumb, curved back slightly like canines and serrated. Her back teeth were somewhat flat and were designed for chewing. Putting those two together he assumed that she was an omnivore like humans are, but the teeth could shatter bone like a tortilla chip. She then slowly sat up and tried to clear her head by shaking it slowly from side to side. Even with her sitting on her rear she was still as tall as he. A few seconds later her eyes widened in shock when she remembered recent events. A frantic rumbling escaped her throat as she looked directly at them.
Suddenly Connor felt a mind just almost as powerful as Sarah’s trying to gain access. He allowed it, but only enough to listen to the voice. “Where am I?” Her mental voice was somewhat sluggish and actually very feminine.
Connor spoke for the whole group. “You’re safe now. There was an avalanche and you were buried. We were able to avoid the slide… We found you and brought you inside to recuperate.”
Her golden eyes widened with the fear for another. “My egg! Did you find my egg?” Her mental voice grew loud and frightened.
“It’s right here!” Kara said calmly. “Brother was the one to find the two of you buried. He said that your baby is alright.”
The Keeper’s eyes went dark because someone other than she was holding her child, but she didn’t dare move for fear the humans were malicious. So he did. Connor walked up to his little sister who held an egg that was much larger than she was. “May I?” He held his arms out. Kara smiled as she handed the oversized egg over to his care. He easily cradled the eggs and turned back around. The mother’s eyes watched his every move as he walked in her direction. A quick glance showed her tail moving slowly into a striking pose, but he smiled and tried to look friendly. For some reason the sight of her tail twitch made it look like a spear and would skewer him. He understood he would be in serious trouble if he made even a single mistake during this time.
Walking away from the group and closing the distance her whip-like tail twitched just as his instinct warned, but he continued walking normally; disguising the fear in a pleasant mask. As he walked up to the worried mother he told her “This is my first time meeting a Keeper. So I don’t know anything about your physiology. We first warmed up your egg with body heat and then close to the fire to keep it warm. You on the other hand were cold as ice. I decided to allow your body to warm up gradually so that your system didn’t go into shock.” He stopped three yards away and her intense eyes softened.
He held out her egg with both arms.
With both of her large clawed hands she reached forward and gently cradled her egg out of his possession. She brought it to her chest and a deep and low purr escaped her leathery lips. Then she looked down at her egg and he suddenly began to feel rapid pulses like he does when using sonar, but it originated from her. Then her golden eyes began to glow just like his does. Connor turned to look at his family and waived them off. He secretly entered their minds saying “Don’t say anything. We need to keep our secrets until we meet the Elders.” Everyone nodded slightly and turned their eyes to the Keeper again.
There was something similar about her technique…
She looked at him with bright and warm eyes and then turned to the companions after her glowing eyes returned to normal. “My egg is perfectly healthy and unharmed. Thank you all for saving me and my little one. I am in your debt.”
For no reason in particular Connor started laughing aloud. Her eyes shifted down to him and blinked in confusion. When the fit came to an end he explained. “I’m sorry for laughing… I’m sorry, but can I have your name? Calling you Keeper just doesn’t feel right. You do have names to identify yourselves right? My name is Connor.”
Her leathery lips drew back slightly, revealing the points of her teeth. Her eyes said she was pleased so he knew she was simply smiling and not being threatening. “Yes, we all have names. Very well, Connor. My name is Veronica.” Her smile widened and revealed more teeth. Muscles around her eyes and cheek gave a wide range of emotional representations, similar to humans. Possibly it meant some kind of evolutionary convergence. “So this really is your first time meeting one of my kind?”
“It is for both myself and my sister.” He pointed over his shoulder.
“It is a pleasure to meet you, Veronica.” Kara walked to stand next to him, completely at ease. “I’m Kara.” His sister offered her right hand.
“And just what do you want me to do with that Hatchling?” Her eyes seemed confused yet amused. “Am I supposed to eat your limb or something?” Veronica crossed her large legs and rested the egg between the void her legs created.
Kara laughed and playfully slapped Veronica’s leg. Her golden eyes went wide at his sister’s playful tap. “Don’t be silly. I was wanting to shake your hand. It is just a simple custom we do when greeting another for the first time.” Kara grinned up at Veronica expectantly.
Veronica leaned forward and examined his sister more closely. Their faces were barely an inch apart. She breathed through her nostrils and Kara’s hair billowed out with each breath. Then his sister decided to smell the Keeper herself. Veronica then leaned back and smiled. “You’re an odd one aren’t you? Very well I will try out your custom.” Veronica reached out her large clawed hand and Kara took it and shook one claw twice, proudly. When Kara released the claw she walked back to Mark’s side; grinning from ear to ear. “Might I ask the rest of my heroes names?” Connor realized that Veronica was asking him.
“Of course.” he pointed to Sarah’s parents. “That is Jillian and her mate Jack.” The two of them graciously bowed their heads to Veronica for some reason. He then pointed again. “This is my best friend, Mark.” He also bowed with the same respect. “You’ve already met Kara.” He then held his hand out saying “And this is my mate Sarah.”
His wife looked at him and smiled once she realized his intensions
Sarah cautiously stepped forward. When she took his hand, her
green eyes were guarded as she looked up at Veronica. “It is a pleasure to meet you.” Sarah bowed her head.
Veronica too bowed her head at his mate. “The pleasure is mine as well.” Veronica looked up at the closed entrance and her eyes narrowed. “May I leave?”
“I’m sorry, but I would rather you wait until the blizzard ends for both of your safety’s.” She looked down at him and nodded with her large head. “Tell me, how are you feeling? I checked and you don’t have any broken bones.”
Veronica cocked her head. “I think I struck my head and my tail is also sore, but other than that I’m glad to be alive.”
He lifted a free hand and pointed to the flames. “Would you like to sit by the fire? If you wouldn’t mind, may I ask some general questions?”
She peered at the fire then at him. “I think I can allow that, but I must warn you…” She held up one of her clawed finger pointedly. Suddenly her eyes became ageless and he knew she was far older than even Mark. “If you ask me a question that is too valuable and I don’t answer, don’t pursue it. That is our rules.”
“And the same goes to you, Veronica.” She blinked again with surprise. Suddenly, she started laughing and it came out as a deep, hissing sound. Her mouth opened completely and she continued laughing while her voice reverberated in the room. He then noticed her pink tongue was rather flat and looked extremely abrasive.
When Veronica finally stopped laughing she easily stood on her back legs and being so close to her made him feel tiny for the first time in his entire life. She had to duck her head as she walked with them over to the fire carrying her egg with gentle care. He had to dodge her long tail because it almost smacked him across the face. They allowed her to sit first and the six of them sat comfortably around the remaining fire.
