Day 186 (164th)

Day 186 (164th):
I awoke to Sarroset nibbling at my foot.
"Wake, please, so hungry," he whined.
I got up and dressed. He tried to climb into my arms. I heaved his growing bulk off the floor and headed to the kitchen. All the while he was telling me how hungry he was. I became concerned as he had not done this before. He had an instant audience when we walked through the door. Coos and scratches nearly made him forget his hunger until a strong pang clenched both of us. The servants raced to the cold room when I asked for him something to eat. I took Sarroset to a small table in the corner. He sat in the other chair, tail nearly reaching the floor. He nearly knocked the food out of the girl's hands, almost attacking it.
"Falcon, are you awake? Something is wrong with Sarroset. He's voracious this morning."
I felt Falcon review this morning's activities and he spoke calmly.
"Sarroset is going through a growth spurt. In the next few days, it will seem as if he only eats and sleeps. This is normal, albeit sooner than most riding dragons. You will not be able to carry him much longer."
"No more snoggles?" Sarroset asked sadly.
"I can still snuggle with you, I just can't carry you after you grow."
"Oh, I will miss it, but we can still cuddle together, so it will be fine."
I brought my chair around the table and stroked his back as he ate. I watched as his muscles rippled under his hide and scales as he chewed and swallowed. When the plate was empty, I told the servants about his growing and asked for another. They said they were getting breakfast ready and showed me where it was kept. I thanked them and prepared him another plate.
When I returned, Sarroset was gone and the servants were staring at the table. They looked at me.
"He vanished! He cocked his head like he heard something, then he was gone! What happened?"
I could not tell them. I felt and called for him, "Set! Where are you? Where did you go?"
My vision shifted and I saw the halls whizzing by at incredible speed. At first it was low, then it was higher up. A point of light was getting closer. Just before it was covered by a claw, I saw the shape of a rat. Sarroset reappeared in the kitchen with a large tail dangling out of his mouth. He grinned then swallowed.
"Heard small feet. Smelled fur and blood. Followed it to fur ball. Ate it."
I laughed. I explained his actions to the servants. They, too, laughed. I, then, explained to Set that it was called a rat and he could eat as many as he could catch. His tail thudded sadly on the stone floor.
"I still get plate food, right?" he nearly whined.
"Yes, you still get plate food," I said as I laid what I was holding on the table. He hopped into the chair and ate, slower this time. The servants, seeing I would be here a while, gave me breakfast at that little table. I informed my sisters of my location. They said to take my time and tend Set. Set asked why he could have the rats. It took a while to explain, but he finally understood.
As we were finishing, my sisters asked us to join them in the courtyard. I grunted as I carried Set out. He told me he wanted me to carry him until I couldn't any longer, as he knew it would be very soon before I no longer could.
In the courtyard, I walked out to a sea of faces. Some I knew but many I did not. Our cleric friend explained that these were clerics of many faiths who wished to speak to us about our choices of paths to follow. I was amazed there were so many. My sisters were already in deep conversations with many clerics. My sight allowed me to see who was sincere in their faith and who only gave it lip service. Some pulled away when they saw a living dragon in my arms. A few told me my only chance for "salvation" was to abandon the "foul beast" I was holding. Set snarled and they left us alone.
Callie had found a dwarfish cleric and they were deep in discussion.
Lisa and Alice had two different elves engrossed in whatever they were talking about.
A trio of gnomes sat with Anna.
Gretta sat as two leprechauns stood and talked with her.
Sarah was with a person who looked like he had just come out of the rain. While not dripping, his hair was definitely wet.
I walked over to a bench so I could put Set down beside me. He was sniffing at everyone.
"Why so many? Are they here to eat?"
"No, they are priests. They want us to join their faith and be part of their church."
"'Priest'? 'Faith'? 'Church'? I don't understand," Set whimpered.
"Falcon, help me explain faith and stuff to Set. I don't know how to explain it in dragon," I asked, completely unsure of dragon religion.
Growls, snorts, and other noises passed mentally between the two.
While they spoke, I surveyed the assembly. The human clerics seemed to be avoiding me. They huddled together and kept glancing my way. A presence approached me from behind. I turned and stood, coming face to face with another rider.
"Good, I would have been disappointed if you could not detect my presence. As both a rider and fey, anything less would be a problem."
"Are you a cleric, too?" I asked, indicating for him to sit with us.
"Officially, yes, since I never resigned when I became a rider. I teach cleric spells to riders to supplement the arcane they learn from Falcon and their dragons. Healing spells, mostly, but also purifying and ones to fight undead."
"Why do they stare so? Is there something I have said or done wrong?"
He laughed, "No, it is your Faerie blood. Only a few teach that Fae are demon kin. The rest, however, place them, and you as their blood, a little above demons but significantly below angels and their kind. Adding dragon rider to the mix and Sister as well, you thoroughly confuse them."
"I am sorry. What can I do to enlighten them?"
"Not much. Their opinions are almost set in stone."
Quietly, I watched the crowd. My sisters were happy, I could see and feel it. Meeting distant kin had erased a lot of doubts and fears.
I felt a familiar warm wind blow. I got the cleric rider's attention and pointed at a cluster of bushes.
"Watch," I whispered.
Seemingly on their own, the bushes parted and the Faerie Queen walked out as if walking through a door. All talking stopped. She nearly floated through the crowd, parting it as she approached me.
"It has come to my attention that I have failed in a crucial part of your education. Let us find a quiet place to talk."
I nodded.
Set nudged me as I made to stand up,"Can I come too? I want to hear about fizzes."
"Faeries, young emperor, not fizzes."
"You can hear his mind speech, too?" I asked, rather shocked.
"Yes, my child. His, the other dragons, your sisters, along with many other races and entities. It is a talent you will acquire in years to come. For now, let us discuss Faerie beliefs, shall we?"
I hauled Set off the bench. The cleric rider asked if he could accompany us. I didn't mind so the Faerie Queen allowed it. We walked through a silent crowd. Even my sisters had stopped speaking. I felt rather exposed, rethinking this walk, but followed behind her as she gracefully walked towards a quiet corner behind some hedges. Could I ever do that? Would I part the crowd just by walking? Would I ever be that graceful to appear to be floating instead of walking?
"In time, my dear daughter, in time," came her mental reply.
We found a shaded corner. She waved her hand and three chairs formed out of the ground. She sat and motioned for us to do likewise. A nest-like area rose near my seat. I settled Set into it and we all got comfortable.
"Now, do you want to ask specifics or do I start with the basics?"
"The basics, for now, I may have specific questions later."
"Very well. I will do this aloud so our human guest may hear as well.
"Very few races are as connected to the world and its mysteries as we Faeries. Having thousands of years to learn makes us skilled at finding even very obscure or rare things. Things humans are now learning we have known for ages. As far as the faith of the Faerie, we are a bit unique. While others guess at the will of their god, goddess, or gods, we can go to the source and know without a doubt. This can make us seem arrogant, haughty, or appear superior. That is not so.
"The Faerie Realm lies just inside the Mortal Realm. The Realm of Immortals is as close as Cassabla Palace is to Raval Palace. I cross the border many times a cycle and speak directly to the gods. So, if asked which gods or goddesses I serve, the answer is all and none. While I answer to all of them, I serve none of them. I have been called upon to mediate between two gods before."
"How is it that Faeries don't serve any gods?" I asked as I hung on her every word.
"While humans, elves, dwarfs, etc. were fashioned by one or several gods, we Faerie were made before these gods were born. The most ancient of powers, when fashioning all of creation, made us to tend to the creations. Then, that power bore the gods who were given large parts to oversee, yet we were still the workers tending every hill, tree, river, mountain, ocean, all of it. When it became needed to separate gods from mortals, we were placed upon that border, partly mortal and partly god. We could interbreed with both as easily as with our own. Even after many generations, you and other partly Faerie still retain a lot of that power. Your confidence and conviction are but shards of the diamond will of pure Faerie. The longer you are in our realm, the more your Faerie blood will show until you will be as a pure Faerie. In a thousand years, it will be you they sing and tell stories about: Kayla, the Faerie Queen."
I am sure I blushed. The idea that anyone would sing of me was beyond my belief. The cleric rider was also listening intently. To have the Faerie Queen explain the Faerie way was a very unique opportunity for a human, even a dragon rider.
"As you can see, while other religions build on what they think, hope, or are told is the will of their god, our's is built on first hand knowledge of their wills. Even that original most ancient of powers, whom we refer to as our Parents since it is our father and mother, can be spoken with directly. We have no priests or clerics studying ancient prophets writings about the way to please the gods. We go to them and ask. No interpretation, extrapolation, or guessing required. So we have no church or temple as we have no rituals of worship. We still have ceremonies, like weddings, holidays, and funerals, and celebrations, like anniversaries and birthdays, but these are personal and seasonal. Do you understand, Kayla?"
"Amazingly, yes, I do understand. Humans and other mortal or near mortal races need to hear the words of their gods from clerics who read and reread the ancient tales from those who spoke with the gods. Being practically in the gods' backyard, Faeries are like those ancient people and talk with the gods themselves. Faerie actually have no 'faith', which is the hope that they are doing what pleases the gods. They, or we I should say, have fact, the absolute knowledge that we are doing right because they told us directly."
"Exactly, my dear. Your conviction that you were meant to find the swords of power is but a spark of the fire your will can hold. Others may misunderstand your confidence as arrogance and your certainty as vanity, but we know its true nature and source."
We all sat in silence as we absorbed the understanding and marveled at the knowledge she had shared. Then, Set started growling. I felt anger getting closer.
"I hear angry feet. They are stomping all over. I think they are hunting for us."
"Let them come, young emperor. We need not fear them."
Four men rounded our concealing bushes. They yelled when they saw us. They each had a large glass bottle filled with more of that sparkling spring water. I had to force myself not to laugh.
"Foul being! It is bad enough her blood carries your taint, but now you seek to corrupt her soul! Stand and face holy justice."
We looked at each other and stood. The threw the bottles at our feet. They shattered and sprayed us. As before, other than being wet and a tingle, nothing happened. They were surprised to not see her writhing in pain or Set dissolving in screams. Set growled at the four men, infant flames escaping through his teeth. As he did this, he shook the water off of him, soaking me again as he was at my side.
Pushing wet hair out of my face, I approached the men, "Sirs, I appreciate your concern, but as you see, there is no evil here to purge. The Faerie Queen is not evil. Sarroset, this dragon, is not evil. Neither I, this rider, nor Vanity, my sword, are evil. Please let others know that this water only gets us wet."
They ran, screaming as if I had threatened them. I turned to face the others. The Faerie Queen smiled. The rider looked fit to faint.
Set cocked his head at me, "Your eyes are different. Not all brown anymore. They almost look like hers," he told me as he indicated the Faerie Queen.
I looked into her gem purple eyes. She nodded in agreement to Set's assessment. I found a pool nearby and looked. My brown eyes were taking on a purple cast. They were no longer just brown. Apparently it was striking enough to make them run. We explained to the rider and Set the effects of dragon magic and spring water. His shaking water off of him and on me while breathing fire had furthered my change towards my Faerie kin. While wringing out my hair, the red cast had increased as had the curl. Also, it felt as if it was growing in my hands. I felt it and it was longer now than this morning.
My sisters and others skidded to a stop when they found us, plainly worried about the encounter we just had. My sisters fingered my hair and commented on my eyes. They also showed me that my frock didn't fit right anymore. The bodice was a bit looser and the skirt was now a hand above my ankles instead of at my ankles. I had to put the ring of my harness set on my middle finger as it slid off of my ring finger.
We all walked back to the center of the courtyard. Others marveled at my change. Human clerics were the least accepting. I asked our cleric friend and the cleric rider to dismiss the clerics except the ones whom my sisters wished to continue in conversation. Once cleared, only non-human clerics, save the rider, were left. We asked our friends to explain that our ancestral cultural deities and faiths were our preferred choices. My sisters nodded to indicate we all felt that way. He smiled and said it would be his pleasure.
The Faerie Queen, now completely dry and as gorgeous as ever, asked if I wished her to stay. I did want her to stay. We seven split up and became deeply engrossed in talking with our distant kin. Set laid his head on my foot and fell asleep as she and I spoke.
We were out there all day. Near sunset, our guests bid us good-night and left. The Faerie Queen went back through the same bushes and vanished. We talked well into the night, both in the courtyard and our room, about what we had learned from these people.