Day 340 (318)

Day 340 (318):

(Dream)

I found myself in a council chambers foreign to me. My sisters, our swords as they were in the flesh, our families, and our friends were seated in a jury box. The rest of the room was full of strangers, who were shouting and making rude gestures at me. I stood alone before the judge's box, which was massive. Trying to think of what crimes I or any of us had committed, I looked at the jury box. No one would make eye contact with me, even Vanity. A horn sounded. The judge, a giant of a man with white hair, beard, and angry eyes, entered and sat. The chamber became quiet as a tomb. The judge motioned and a constable stepped around me with a scroll in hand. He unrolled it and announced to the assembly.

"Hear ye, hear ye! This court in now in session! This case is against Kayla of Denar for blasphemy, heresy, consorting with fiends, unlawful use of magic, murder, among a host of other, numerous crimes against man, beast, and god."

He turned and come around to face me.

"How do you plead?"
I was dumbstruck at first. Why was I being charged with such grievous crimes? Finding my voice, I answered, "Not guilty."

The room exploded with noise. The judge's thunderous pounding was drowned out for a few moments. Finally, the chamber was silent again. The constable waved up another man, then sat by the jury box.

"Your Honor, the prosecution will show, beyond all doubt, that this woman has caused chaos, confusion, and untold calamity wherever she has traveled. The people in the jury box are more victims than collaborators. Kayla is the mastermind behind every act committed by those in the jury box. Once we have proven this, we hope the court will have mercy upon the rest."

Whispers passed among the audience, which stopped with a stern look from the judge. The prosecutor began telling of our actions, making every good thing sound like something horrible. After a few minutes, I started laughing. The prosecutor stopped and came face-to-face with me.

"What is so amusing? Do you find your crimes funny?"

"No, I find this situation funny. What's the matter, Konfotuta? Have you slept so long that you believe I would not recognize this as a dream sending? Cast off this facade and face me openly."

The court vanished, leaving only the judge and I in a gray void.

"So quickly? You saw through my construct so quickly? How?" Konfotuta asked, still in the guise of the judge.

"Your court was centuries out of date. No human court looks like that anymore. My sisters, even as prisoners, would not shy away from me. You made our swords as they were in the flesh. Lastly,  you forgot our companions."

Konfotuta smacked his forehead, "The pets! I forgot their pets! Oh, well, it is done and over. This only proves I can enter your mind and make you see anything I wish."

"True, but it is harmless. If your actions were intended to harm me, you could not enter."

"You think so, eh? Let us test your conviction."

Konfotuta became his true self. He encircled me, blocking me in completely. I did not fear him nor what he might do. He opened his massive mouth and moved to eat me. He slammed into Brimagor's barrier with enough force that I heard bone crunch. He pulled back.

"What the hells is that?" he asked behind a paw that was rubbing his face.

"That would be me," came a familiar voice, very loudly.

Konfotuta looked around for the voice's owner. Above us, in the gray void, Brimagor's face materialized, larger than Konfotuta's entire body.

"You were told she is Lawnoss, and still, you try to attack her. You are testing my resolve. I have stayed out of this conflict because you are still true to your dragon nature. However, I am beginning to rethink that position."
"Brimagor, how can you say that? I am acting in your honor."

"MY honor? How is all of this in my honor?" he asked, tilting his face slightly.

"You children have been enslaved. Alkon and I tried to show them the error of making dragons subservient to both aquatics and terrestrials. Dragons, even those inferior 'riding' ones, are born to rule, not be some soft creature's pack mule."

Brimagor sighed, "You learned nothing. Dragons and riders are partners, two parts of a whole. One is not subservient to the other. Riders care for the dragons and vice versa. Sarroset, join us."

Next to me, Set appeared. Likewise, around both of us, an aura appeared. I knelt and held Set to me.

"See, Konfotuta, Kayla and Sarroset are a unit. Apart, each is less than half of what they are together. This is the way it is with all riders and dragons."

Konfotuta looked at us for a moment then huffed, "Unacceptable. This pairing weakens the dragon and makes him less than his full worth," he declared.

Brimagor sighed again, "Kayla, you and Sarroset are dismissed. This is between he and I."

"Yes, My Lord," I bowed.

Looking Set in the eye, I said, "Awake."

I sat up in bed with a start. It was still dark.

"Set, you awake?" I asked in a mental whisper.

"Yes, I am. What was that all about?" he asked as he stretched and quietly joined me on my bed.

Gently, I told him of Konfotuta's attempt. Set was upset that he would even try such. We wondered what kind of conversation a sea dragon bent on world conquest has with an annoyed dragon god. Set shook at the thought.

With no desire to go back to sleep, Set and I went down to the dock level of the outpost. It was a strange sight. Aquatics and their dragons were curled up together just under the water, sound asleep. Each pair lay in a way that shown their true pairing. If the dragon was tightly curled, the aquatic was in a tight ball either inside or near that curled form. If the dragon was laid out straight, so, too, was the rider. It was a sight to behold. Set asked to go underwater and see the "wet half" of the city. I found a spot on the edge of the city to sit and share his sight.

Even in the dark, there was enough light for us to see. The underwater half formed a ledge, creating a porch-like affair around the watery half. Irregular holes pierced the coral and rock. Both aquatic people and animals swam around, in, and out of the city. With no need to walk, there were no "streets" to be seen. Some of the larger holes appeared to go all the way through. These may have passed for "streets". Living coral, barnacles, and a host of other things grew on the sides, mimicking the grass and trees one could find around any village on land. Similar to flocks of birds, schools of bright fish darted among these projections in their own random way.

Set swam closer to investigate these things. Unlike the fish in the Faerie Realm, these scattered as he approached. This must have alerted someone. A trio of merfolk raced out of a hole, swimming right for Set. I felt him panic a bit.

"Be calm. Let us see what they want first. If they act mean, pop back to me," I told him soothingly.

"I'll wait. I don't know how much longer I can not breathe," he replied.

The merfolk, two men and a woman, stopped in front of Set. They looked at him, very puzzled. Set pointed up, then at his face. They understood and swam beside him as he came to the surface. The trio saw me sitting on the outpost's ledge.

"Ah, he is that surface dragon. We were confused as to who he was and why he was swimming at this hour. So, Sister, is there any problems here?" asked the female.

"Oh, no, we woke up early and he was curious about the 'wet half' of Arvocan. I hope it was acceptable," I answered.

"Acceptable, yes. Expected, no. We did not know surface dragons swim," one of the males replied.

"We love swimming. It is fun and gets the dirt out of our scales," Set mentally interjected.

The smiles on the merfolk let me know they heard him. We chatted a bit as the sun rose. They excused themselves to resume their duties. 

Set and I were just entering the outpost when my sisters' mental voices inquired about our location. As they dressed, I told them of Konfotuta's dream sending and Set's underwater swim.

As usual, Lisa stormed, Sarah checked us over, Alice nearly fainted, Anna was speechless, Gretta shrank, and Callie was rambling. The only things that settled them was knowing Brimagor's shield held firm and that he was displeased with Konfotuta.

In the eating hall, Varlan, Ian, Sarkin, Corina, Eelly, and all the riders met us. Our secret sharing created an area so clean and pure that it was like a womb, protecting and nurturing us all. A few other aquatics had joined us, but had already told their secrets in preparation. We asked what powers the aquatic races had that could keep Konfotuta in one place long enough to charge and focus the Clapper. Sarkin, Corina, and Eelly told us all of the ability to make whirlpools, water spouts, and other like events.

"Can one be made to enclose this beasty? He is a large bugger," Varlan inquired.

"If the merfolk, neraids, and the like coordinate themselves, it is possible," Eelly answered.

"We will ask for them to practice," Sarah spoke up, "Get them united in this cause."

The rest agreed. Varlan told us that there were more lightning items than places in the Clapper. He was at a loss as to what to do with the rest.

"Well, the riders don't need hands to stay on the dragons," I pointed out, "There's at least a dozen hands to hold them."

"Yes, we can do that," a rider agreed, "We could even hold two if needed."

Varlan did some calculations, "That leaves about half a score unmanned. What of them?"

"Mattis said anyone can use them," Anna reminded us, "The sailors on the ship can be taught in their use."

Varlan computed again, "Aye, that would do it. So, as I see it, we got fourteen electric dragons, thirteen riders holding twenty-six items, thirty-six items in the Clapper itself, and ten sailors holding ten items, charging the Clapper. The beasty contained in a spout or something in front of the ship. At full charge, he gets a zap equal to four hundred seventy-nine simultaneous lightning strikes, which, hopefully, will kill the bastard."

We told him that we had been told four hundred would kill him, but the extra might be needed against any magical interference or protection. We spent the rest of breakfast drawing plans and diagrams.

After eating, we met Aoushlunia, Merroc, and the other deep aquatics near Varlan's ship. They confirmed their abilities to control the water and shape it to their wills. To put any doubts to rest, they went several leagues away from Arvocan and produced a grand water spout. Sky went out to check its size. Some one got a wicked idea and shot a small spout at Sky. Pure instinct caused him to electrify the water, shocking everyone within a few hundred feet. The spout died. Sky flew back, followed by the aquatics. The prankster, being nearest the spout, got his punishment two-fold. The shock from Sky and the smacks from the other zapped aquatics firmly deterred him from ever doing such again. Also, he was made to apologize to Sky for his action. Sky, furthering the youngster's punishment, made him explain to everyone why he chose to do this act.

"My cousin told me terrestrial dragons dissolve in water. He had seen one do so years ago. I just wanted to see for myself."

Sky, like a parent or teacher, looked sternly at the young merboy, "Son, that was irresponsible, reckless, and foolish. Next time someone tells you something like that, ask a grown up if it is true. I know of no kind of dragon that dissolves in any water."

"They do so!" came another young voice from the assembly.

A boy, only slightly older than the prankster, swam up beside his cousin. He raised himself a bit out of the water to be clearly heard.

"I saw it! A land dragon walked into the water. I swam to see it underwater, but it was gone. Nothing left but hot water. It dissolved."
We all began laughing. The two boys were baffled. A male merfolk took the pair off to explain kirlan and other dragon skills.

With that handled, the rest of us got to serious plotting and planning. Even though Varlan and Ian were not military, their leadership and organization skills shown brightly as they helped sketch out every detail. By mid-day, it was as orchestrated as any concert.

We terrestrials parted with the aquatics to get food. Our friends had duties to attend and did not join us. Varlan and Ian told us old tales of ancient battles as we ate. Some of the aquatics joined us to listen, marveling at the novelty of land-bound fighting.

As we walked out to meet back up with our friends, a wave of pain knocked me to my knees. Callie and Sarah staggered, but stayed on their feet. Set and Echo seemed affected as well. Our sisters and companions were at our sides instantly. Looking towards the riders and dragons, they, also, seemed to have felt the pain. With help, we made it to them. Everyone was puzzled. None of us knew the source of this pain. We noticed some of the aquatics and sea riders were not there, along with their sea dragons. I went to the water's edge, knelt, and submerged my hands. Many gasped as my eyes lost color.

"Three riders and their dragons plus a handful of young aquatics took as many lightning items as they could carry to confront Konfotuta," I told the assembly.

Shocked gasps, moans, and other noises interrupted me. Aoushlunia and Merroc got them quiet again so I could continue.

"They found the great beast a ways from the saurguin city, alone and distracted. All together, they called forth the lightning, zapping Konfotuta just enough to cause him pain, but no damage. This brought his full attention to them. They fled, but could not outrace him. The non-riders were eaten in a single bite. The three riders were ripped from their dragons, who were seriously wounded, and eaten as well. The three sea dragons, fueled by pain and fear, rocketed back toward Arvocan as fast as they could until exhaustion stopped them. They are floating a few leagues away, too wounded, physically and mentally, to make it back."

All of the standing aquatics surged into the water, merging with those already in it, as they swam to find the injured sea dragons. The riders and their partners outdistanced the rest. I felt their relief when they found the trio. I also felt the sympathy they had for the noble beings. 

With great care, the trio were brought to the outpost. In the shallow water of the ramp, we saw the damage they had received. Deep furrows in their backs, missing scales, torn muscles, and trails of blood. Sarah wasted no time and jumped into the water to begin healing them. She was saved from drowning by Merroc, who pulled her up to a shallower part where her clothing, now soaked, would not drag her under the water. Still, she and Lust called upon all their strength to repair the damage. She nearly collapsed before asking for our aid. 

As Set and I waded into the water, I squeezed my hand wearing the riding set.

"Brimagor," I mentally called, "your children are wounded most severely. I know you pledged no help against Konfotuta, but they are wounded more than we may be able to heal."

I saw the eye blink and knew he could see their state. It grew very hot, almost too hot to bear. Without thinking, I plunged it into the water around me. The heat did not die, but made the water nearly boil. Those that would stand left the water to witness this event. Those that could not went to the opening of the ramp to the cooler water of the sea. My sisters and Set continued to stand in the hot water. Sarah gained strength along side the hurt sea dragons. Tissue was mended. Scales regrew. Skin became whole. In just a few moments, the physical wounds were gone and the water cooled. However, the eyes of those three shown the mental damage was still present. The sudden loss of their riders was a blow few can hope to understand. I felt their pain as deeply as they. This pain even a god could not heal. Half of their souls had been ripped from them and, literally, devoured. We knew not, at that moment, if they could recover. Falcon had said riderless dragons can pine away and die from the loss.

The other sea dragons helped pull the three unresponsive dragons over to a nest of seaweed. With all of us helping, they were laid down and made comfortable. Sarkin made a list of riders to take watches over them to see if they needed anything. We left, unable to do anything more, as the trio stared blankly into space, seeing nothing but their own memories.

We seven went to change out of our wet clothes. Sarah could not stop crying, feeling their injuries as well. Anna and Alice, who embraced Dawn tightly, has to refocus to keep the event from replaying in their minds. Callie cradled Echo, dreading the pain her loss will bring. Gretta tried to encourage us, but fell into silence. Lisa was stroking Bo's head, the only tonic to her anger, as she came to grips with the situation.

"What now?" Lisa asked softly, "What can be done for them?"

"Very little, I'm afraid," I answered, "They are in deep shock right now. Only time will tell how they handle this tragedy. They may slowly waste away. They may kill themselves. They may rage and force others to kill them. Until their minds grasp what has happened, they are lost inside themselves."

"I suspect Brimagor is none too happy about this," Sarah said in a whisper.

"Dragons fight all the time," I told them, "Injury, even death, of one dragon at the hands of another is not uncommon. Still, there is a chance that Brimagor may take action against Konfotuta for the undue trauma he has caused. I do not pretend to understand the minds of dragons."

The rest nodded. 

We went back outside and met up with the rest of our friends. From their auras, I knew that we were done planning for the day. The three sea dragons had withdrawn so deep into themselves, their auras were a thin thread instead of the wide glow it had been. Their mental voices were silent. The food placed in front of them was untouched. No aquatic nor sea dragon could reach them.

We all left them to the rider and dragon assigned to watch them. Those who were not riders, aquatic or terrestrial, were struggling to understand why they were reacting so strongly to the loss of their riders. No amount of explaining could communicate what they were experiencing. 

The discussion came to a grinding halt when someone said, "So they're dead, tell them to get over it."

We all looked towards the speaker, who turned out to be one of the terrestrial residents of Arvocan. He faced us in shock. Where the spell came from, I don't know, but we seven began chanting. Everyone within the sound of our voices began to feel the dragons' pain. Tears rolled, bodies spasmed, and egos were crushed. The aquatics in the water floated like dead fish. 

When we were finished, Lisa looked at the one who had spoken, "Get over that," she told him in a forced whisper.

By now, it was nearly dark. After they recovered some, the deep water aquatics headed to their undersea dwellings in Arvocan. We went back to the outpost. Maybe it was a part of our spell, but the three seemed in slightly better spirits, their auras a bit thicker than before. 

In the eating area, the mood was somber. The dragons' conditions occupied every conversation. Those that had experienced our spell were trying to explain to the rest the state of the sea dragons. Whether they understood, I was too far away to tell. 

We went to our room to put this strange and sad day to an end.