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"Dragons have names." Anton said it for the third time.
The two walked back from the port towards the center of the mostly destroyed town. Shaine busied himself collecting the many broken pieces of his sword.
Out of the corner of his eye, Anton could see the ragged Bly-nnar survivors creeping back in from the forest. They were giving the two strangers a wide berth.
"So how did you divine the dragon's name? How did you discover they had names?"
Shaine seemed hesitant, but he did speak at last, and of course, with pride. "We have been observing them for a long time now. It takes a certain talent, but the best of us are able to observe them in their natural habitat to the north without being detected."
"They have a hierarchy, and a culture that is difficult to notice when it's just one dragon attacking a farm. When more than one interact, they use language, and that's how we discovered their aura."
"Aura? I've never heard of any dragon aura?" The scholar in Anton was intensely curious. He even forgot to fill his words with contempt.
"You could see it if you wanted to. We'll show you. All of you." Anton didn't think the Holy Masters would be pleased to learn anything from Soryans, but he didn't say anything about that.
"But how did you learn the creature's name?"
"Each dragon carries its name within its own aura, along with most of its history and deeds. Much of it is apparently instinctive, but with the greater dragons -red, black and blue -they can consciously use the magic of their aura. If you know where to look you can find their names."
Anton was beginning to understand, but it still did not all make sense. "Still, even if you know the name, what power is there in that?"
Shaine shook his head. "None at all, as much as we can tell. We can't affect them by using their names or their auras"
"Then why did the dragon stop??"
Shaine smiled. "Imagine if you were about to stomp on a mouse, and the mouse looked up and called your name. Would you still kill it?"
Anton considered. "No. I'd be very surprised...and intensely curious. I'd need to know how the mouse could speak."
"Indeed. From our observance, dragons consider us to be vermin. Nuisance creatures to be toyed with and occasional food. Usually, just one would never attack us in Il'Doran, just as one of us would never willingly drop ourselves into a pit of ravenous sewer rats. I wasn't exactly sure what the reaction would be, but I think the dragon was surprised that we were able to call its name."
Anton thought more, and he didn't like where his thoughts took him.
"You...Soryan...FOOL."
Shaine looked at Anton and raised his eyebrows.
"So now the dragons will know that we know! When that green gets back to the north, it will tell it's brethren that the humans have figured out their language! Who knows what they might do?! If we discovered a sewer filled with magic-using rats in Il'Doran, what would we do?"
Shaine spoke flatly. "I'd like to think we'd try to reason with..."
"Pfaaahhh!! Soryans..!" Anton shook his head. "You should have let me die, Soryan, rather than reveal that knowledge. What if the dragons unite? Could even all of us together withstand such an assault."
"That's doubtful." Shaine then smiled and laughed. "Don't worry, though. The Soryans have a plan. We always do."
Anton rubbed his temples. "Wonderful. Aeremon save us from Soryan plans. I hope your great Soryan dragon plan executes much better than this one!" Anton gestured sharply at the destruction surrounding them.
Shaine had put out most of the fires, and now there was just destroyed earth and buildings. There were also burnt human remains scattered about. As Anton looked around, a lot of the rancor left his thoughts, and he truly felt bad for these people. Without their homes many would probably freeze tonight. Aeremon would want him to take pity on such as these. He spoke then.
"We should probably rebuild their shelters. It won't take too long. We can make them even better than before."
"No, we can't." Shaine responded. He sounded sad. "There are too many of the Bly-nnar around now. If they see us use our magic to reform the shelters, they won't enter them. They'll think it's witchcraft."
"GAH! Is there NO END to the ignorance of these people?"
Shaine sighed. "Apparently not. Look." He gestured ahead of them.
Anton followed his gaze to the far end of the town, where a small crowd had gathered. "What now?"
"Unfortunately, I think I know. Let's get closer."
Rendering themselves invisible, the two walked to the very edge of the crowd.
Surrounded by several of the Bly-nnar warriors and many angry townspeople, was the young girl they had rescued earlier. She had been beaten in the face, and now one of the burly warriors was holding her up by her hair. The girl hung there resigned and defeated.
"This is sickening! What is all this?!" Anton asked, knowing their voices were masked from detection.
Shaine, of course, knew the answer. "The girl failed to be sacrificed, and they are now blaming her for the destruction of the town and the lives lost here tonight."
Anton felt some compassion. "Enough of this. Let's intervene."
Shaine agreed, and both of them dropped their invisibility at the same time.
A huge collective cry went up from the gathered crowd when the two strangers suddenly popped into view. They heard music, and the music made them fearful, so many started to turn and run away. Some didn't move fast enough for Anton's taste, so the people then experienced a forceful concussion of air blasting them off their feet.
After that it was chaos, the Bly-nnar all ran like demons were after them, many disappearing back into the forest.
Shaine smirked, but it didn't reach his eyes. "Well thank you for not killing any of them this time."
Anton was not amused. He looked down at the ragged girl. She was laying on the ground and staring up at them with large, fearful eyes. Anton could see the hysteria in her face. She was too afraid to move, otherwise he felt certain she would run away from them.
"They'll kill her if we leave her here." Shaine said, and Anton knew it was true.
"So, we'll leave her in a neighboring village. Problem solved."
"We can't do that, these people are fiercely territorial, if she doesn't belong they will kill her."
"Soryan, we have to do something with her, we can't stay here and protect her, and we can't take her with us!" Anton was really getting tired of these Bly-nnar and this cold, harsh land. He just wanted to go home now.
Shaine turned to face him. "Why can't we take her?"
Anton was sure his face was frozen in shock. "What are you talking about? Take her back to Il'Doran? Nonsense!"
"Why is it nonsense?" Shaine was becoming agitated, and he stood there with arms folded.
"We can't take this wretched creature back to Il'Doran! She doesn't speak our language, and besides that she is an ignorant, superstitious savage!" He gestured forcefully at the girl, and she shrunk away every time he did.
"So we'll teach her our language. She'll live a good life!"
"She'll always be around people who are not like her! Why not give her to the Kelland? Let them educate her and feed her and house her?! They must be closer kin to her than us!"
Shaine shook his had vigorously. "Why is your every solution to dump the problem onto the Kelland? We made this problem! We should be the ones to help her!"
Anton was now shaking his head. "We already did help her! We saved her life! How much more need we be responsible for?"
Shaine pointed at Anton. "Enough! She is coming back with us!"
Anton was silent. Then he smiled. "Fine, Soryan. Fine. She can come back to Il'Doran, but she's not coming back with me." Then he turned and began walking away. His body faded as he walked. Shaine watched Anton take two steps, then three. By the time he would have taken four, he was gone.
Despite himself, Shaine smiled. Now he was alone on the other side of the world. He looked down at the thin red-haired girl. She couldn't be any older than he was. She had curled herself into a ball on the cold ground and was taking quick, terrified glances at him.
He sighed. If she was afraid now, what would she think about flying all the way back to Il'Doran? He hoped she wasn't afraid of heights.
Then he had another thought. He wondered if the girl could sing?
***
In the trees, invisible and undetected by the fleeing Bly-nnar, Anton or the remaining Soryan, a silent figure watched, as he had been watching since before the two youths had arrived.
Oman had been given the task of watcher by the Most High Holy Brother Durraine himself. As a Brother of the Wrath of Aeremon, he had no choice but to obey. Brothers of Wrath such as himself were more suited for action, for burning out heresy wherever they found it, but if the Most High wanted him to spy, then he would spy.
The young Holy Brother had acquitted himself in a satisfactory manner. Although Oman could see the flaws in Anton's magic, he acknowledged that the feats performed tonight were admirable for one of that young age and level of skill.
Oman had been surprised that the two returned after their first skirmish with the dragon. He had been about to transport himself back to Il'Doran and report when he saw them engage the dragon.
It must have been the Soryan's doing. Anton should have left these Bly-nnar to their fate for their refusal, many times over, to come to the ways of Aeremon. Still, charity could possibly earn the favor of Aeremon this day.
Then, as he watched, the young Soryan gathered the pitiful human sacrifice in his arms. Oman heard music then, a very upbeat rhythm that seemed out of place in these surroundings. Oman frowned as he always did when he heard Soryan music.
A moment later, the Soryan floated into the air, gaining speed as he flew. The young girl's screams overpowered the music but it did not seem to disrupt the Soryan magic. The screams continued until the figures were specks in the distance.
He could have burned this Soryan alive right then. It was his instinct. It was his calling, the same as any other Brother of Wrath. That was not his task tonight, though.
Oman watched then as the ragged Bly-nnar crept back into the remains of their town. He watched them dispassionately. He thought he might do them a favor by destroying them now. Many would not survive the cold this night. Perhaps the Soryan should have left the fires burning.
He turned his back on them and began walking through the forest. Walking helped him collect his thoughts. The only thing he could not determine was what magic the Soryan had used to halt the dragon. That had given him chills.
Anton must have gotten the secret from the Soryan, he thought. If he didn't, I'll have to do it myself.
Thinking of just how he would do that made Oman smile then, and he used his power to take himself home to Il'Doran.
Click to read Chapter 7 - THE CONSEQUENCES, PT. 1 |
