a tale of dragons part 9
#9 of A tale of dragons
Wow! Seven votes and every one a five! That's a first for me. Thanks ya' all.
More clues as to who Brain really is. All the clue's are there. You'll kick yourself when you find out. I promise.
A bit late of this chapter too, but it's a bit longer.
I finally introduce Kershahk properly in this chapter. He's very strange for a raptor, so deal with it. He's polite, to say the least.
FUCK! I keep mixing up names! Please tell me if I mix up any names in this chapter, or any others for that matter. I keep calling Debri Kylara for one.
Okay, I have a proposition. The first person who emails me who Brian really is correctly, will be able to name the female raptor who's in my new series. Only emails count, so if you put the answer in the comments section, I'll ignore it.
And finally, this chapter was supposed to be up yesterday, but I don't have the Internet on my pc, and I picked up the wrong disc. So sorry for the extra day of waiting.
A tale of dragon's part 9
Miralage stood on the crest of the hill, her whole body tensed with concentration, her entire being focussed in the tree stump lying at the bottom of the hill, trying with all her might to use her magic.
Brian lay on the other side of the hill, observing her, safely out of the way if her magic happened to go awry.
He couldn't help staring under her raised tail. He stared at her as if hypnotised, unable to wrench his eyes from the wonderful sight. She looked so gloriously beautiful, framed by the setting sun behind her, her scaled glittering like precious stones. In his mind, he hit himself over the head repeatedly with a heavy object for staring at her. He knew he shouldn't. He had some memories of the cave, which had reawakened the day before. All he really knew was that Miralage was young. Very young. And she was a dragon, which made it a lot worse. Why was he even imagining this? Why was he having these fucked up feelings? They were completely unrealistic and did nothing productive, except giving his heart and lungs a very good workout every time he saw the little dragon. Especially now, when her tail shifted, or lifted a bit to reveal the tender, pink lips of her sex.
Brian wrenched his eyes from her form and did hit himself. Giving himself a dead leg that felt like it would last for a long time.
He had to stop thinking about her! It didn't do any good! She didn't even feel anything for him!
Miralage turned towards him then, and walked shakily down the hill. She collapsed into his lap.
It didn't work. She stated petulantly.
"You know what he said. It'll take months for you to develop your magical abilities enough to be able to use them at will." Brian replied, gently stroking her cheek.
Miralage didn't look any happier.
Yesterday they had seen a magician at Indeago's tower, who had taught them both how to use magic. It was pretty pointless for Brian to learn, as he couldn't use magic consciously, but he had said that Miralage would be able to draw on the information, directly from his mind, which would strengthen and set her own information so that it would always be there. And then, when her magic became viable, then she would be able to use magic easily. That was basically the only reason that a human always trained with a dragonet.
Brian could exactly remember the instruction.
Focus on the object.
Focus on your magic
Let your magic flow from your fingers along an invisible thread to your target.
Release your magic along the thread, keeping in mind which branch of magic to use.
This had been drilled into his mind so many times that Brian almost felt he could do the magic himself.
Focus on the object, the stump. Focus on your magic, which was supposed to be a neon white glow mixed with swirling black. Then let you magic start to flow down an invisible thread to your target. And then release, while focussing on fire or water or something.
The tree stump Brian had been unconsciously focussing on burst into flame, and then sizzled as if dunked in water.
Brian leapt up.
"Did you do that?" He asked Miralage uncertainly.
No. She said, staring at the sizzling stump also.
"Did I just use magic?" Brian muttered, not really a question.
Well I didn't, and there's no one else around, so you must have. Miralage said, with the air of someone remarking that one plus one equals two.
Jus then there came a rustling from the trees nearby and the magician walked out.
"So, you've already figured out how to use magic." He said kindly to Miralage, smiling, treating Brian as if he was just another unremarkable shrub.
"She didn't." Brian said coldly.
"Then who did?" The magician asked. Brian had the sudden urge to hit him.
"I did." Brian replied.
Immediately the wizard cupped his hands and then lifted and opened them, as if releasing a dove or butterfly to the wind. Instead of a creature, what came out was made of pure light. It glowed an eerie red colour, perfectly round, lifting high into the air, where it began to pulse, the light brightening and fading in time with it's inner throbbing.
Brian stared at it for a few seconds, remembering the same thing happening, only a yellow ball, before it disappeared. When Brian looked around, Indeago was standing at the bottom of the hill.
"What is it?" Indeago asked, sighing wearily.
"This man used dragon magic." The magician stated, pointing at Brian.
"Focus on it, and think of earth, Brian." Indeago said, without delay.
Brian did so, and the fire changed, becoming a flickering flame of fine red sand.
"Now air." Indeago said.
Brian did as asked again, and this time a whirling maelstrom of wind picked up the earthen flames and whirled them into a strange, miniature tornado.
"Now death." Indeago said with relish, his eyes sparkling.
Brian did so, and suddenly the flames turned an iridescent black colour, red etchings swirling in their confines. Something about it spoke of absolute power and the ability for great good or even greater evil. Brian just wanted it gone. Miralage scurried behind his legs, peeking out at the strange phenomenon fearfully.
Indeago gestured with a hand and the flame disappeared.
Brain clutched at his forehead, another painful memory being played in his head. He heard Indeago mutter something. "So like Trinyth."
* * *
He was standing on a windswept hill, staring down at the same tree stump he had just magicked. He was concentrating with all his might, trying to find his centre, so he could finally use his magic as he had always hoped. It was the key to everything he ever hoped for. With magic, he would be able to have Ryshkae, and the eggs he always wanted, and even have a hoard of pretty gems if only he could use his magic! He redoubled his efforts.
Red suddenly obscured his eyesight, the whole world tinged with blood. His magic loosed then, uncontrollably.
Fire shot from every direction, scorching the green grass, torching the surrounding trees. The wind picked up, blowing embers in a swirling maelstrom around him. Water joined it, hissing as it impacted the fire. And finally the very hill beneath his paws began to tremble and shake as if in an earthquake.
He tried to control it. But it was completely out of his grasp.
The magic spiralled out of control, just as he blacked out.
* * *
He came to, a hand in front of his face.
He followed the arm to it's owner, staring at Indeago.
"I'm sorry father." He whimpered, his scales scorched and half of them hanging off.
"It's alright, my son." Indeago said. "All dragons are unpredictable when they first use magic."
The memory slowly faded.
* * *
"Indeago?" Brian asked, getting up from his knees, everyone staring at him.
"You were Trynith's father?" Brian asked cautiously.
"What!" Indeago roared, losing control. Brian thought that he was going to attack him.
"Yes." He said, settling down and sighing wearily again.
"A child fathered by me with his mother. He was the strange one. The child who never did as he was told. He left, just after he got his magic. Then he disappeared for about three hundred years. He came back, mated his nest-darling [the dragon equivalent of a teenage sweetheart]. And then disappeared again. He didn't want anyone knowing his name. I don't know why." Indeago said tiredly.
"No more questions." He said softly, holding up his hand as Brain opened his mouth to ask a question. He left then, in a whirl of leaves, there one second, gone the next.
* * *
Matimura and kylara were to be found, once again, in Kylara's treasure room.
Kylara was lying on her back amongst the rubies, watching with slitted eyes as Matimura heaped the red stones upon her body with infinite care, making piles in different spots on her body according to the size of the ruby. It was starting to become her favourite pastime.
Matimura could see that she had several 'favourite' stones, mainly because there was a larger amount of her favourite ones than of ones that she liked less. The one's she liked best were diamonds, rubies, and black opals.
"I think I'm in love with you." Matimura said, as though he was announcing that he thought he had Black Death, and that it was probably catching.
"What's so bad about that?" Kylara asked, genuinely curious.
"Because it's never happened to me before." Matimura replied.
"Oh well. I've got you all to myself then!" She said brightly, smiling.
"I'm not joking." Matimura said seriously.
"Neither am I." Kylara replied. "I want you all to myself." She said.
"Truly?" He asked hesitantly, as if afraid of the answer.
"Well, until you die obviously." She stated playfully.
"I don't intend to die." Matimura replied.
Kylara pulled him down close and kissed him, crushing rubies between them, making their edges dig painfully into Matimura's chest. But he didn't care. As long as she kept kissing him, he wouldn't have cared if it were trollops [a weapon designed to be dropped onto the ground to 'discourage' pursuit. It is a small, four pronged metal object, and no matter how it falls, there will always be a spike sticking straight upwards] caught between their bodies
* * *
Matimura slowly made his way down to the encampment from Kylara's lair. He hadn't visited Skel for a while, and even though he sung in the worst voice imaginable, he missed exchanging barbed comments with the lovable gryphon.
When he got to the tent, there was no one there.
"Oh. Matimurrra." A voice said from behind him.
"Kerasaline?" Matimura asked as she walked into the tent.
"Everyone's moved." She said sadly.
"Where to?" He asked.
"Don't know." She said. "They didn't invite me."
"Well, that was rude of them." Matimura commented. "Are you back to begging again?" He asked.
She didn't say anything, but the way she bowed her head told him the answer.
He sighed, and tried to work out what to do. "Well, I'd invite you up to Kylara's lair, but she knows that you...like...me." He said wearily.
"No I don't." She said, in a matter-of-fact way that reminded him forcibly of a dragon.
"You don't?" He asked, bewildered.
"No. I just wanted to make Skel jealous." She said shyly.
"So you liked Skel all along?" Matimura asked, completely thrown by the information, but breathing an inward sigh of relief.
"Oh yesss..." She hissed with relish.
"Well, I suppose I might be able to talk Kylara into letting you stay." He said, sighing, he knew he was in for more yelling.
* * *
Actually, there wasn't any yelling at all. Kylara just looked at him for a second, and then showed Kerasaline to a small, pillowed room. It was on the other side of the main den from the treasure room and 'guest room', a fact that Matimura was quick to notice.
Then she dragged him off to her treasure room again.
"No yelling?" He asked hopefully.
"Nope." She replied.
"Aren't you scared that she'll try to steal me away from you?" He asked.
"Not really. Because, if she does, I'll tear your arms off." She stated simply.
"Good answer." Matimura replied. "Anyway, she doesn't even like me."
"You heard Skel." Kylara said, flopping down in a pile of coins and stretching luxuriously.
"She was playing hard to get with Skel, trying to make him jealous." Matimura said, lying down gingerly next to her. He had learnt just that morning that there were several unsheathed daggers lying among the treasure, and was being very careful about where he put his weight.
"She's smart. You've got to give her that." Kylara said, resting her head on her paws and purring, her eyes closed. "But you can tell that she's never been in a relationship before."
"Yep." Matimura replied, pulling her close and kissing her neck, gently trailing his fingers across the soft leathery skin of her wing.
"She's got to learn that if she's trying to play hard to get, you have to go all the way. Maybe then he'll notice." She said.
"She probably doesn't know how to go 'all the way'." Matimura replied.
"Maybe we should give her a persona demonstration." Kylara suggested playfully.
"I don't like audiences." Matimura replied, now rubbing her chin gently.
"Maybe we should, you know, help her along a bit." Kylara suggested mischievously.
"And how would we do that?" Matimura asked sceptically.
"You know, pretty Kerasaline up a bit, that sort of thing. Teach her how to seduce the male of the species, and I've got some gryphon aphrodisiac in a bottle too." Kylara said, with a truly evil gleam in her beautiful eyes.
"That could be fun." Matimura said slowly, thinking about it.
"But first, let's have some fun." She said, pulling him down into the coins and kissing him passionately.
* * *
Debri was sitting among the sick-tents, a ways away from the tent that they all resided in up until yesterday.
She wanted to find Matimura. She knew that the bonds shackling her to him were completely broken, but she found herself strangely drawn to him. She didn't have any sexual feelings for him, and she didn't love him, she knew that. But there was something there. She just wanted to talk to him. He was the first person who had actually been kind to her.
"Excussse me?" A voice asked hopefully. It had the same hissing as a gryphon, but was different. A voice that was polite, refined, coming from a throat that was completely unrefined and coarse. It was a strange sound, but not unpleasing.
"Yes?" Debri growled, not even looking up
"I'm looking forrr inforrrmation. I would be verrry much obliged if you could help?" The voice said, turning it into a question.
Debri finally looked up, and what she saw took her breath away.
She didn't know if it was her canine instincts, or something else, but she was powerfully attracted to the creature standing in front of her. It might have just been her instincts to submit to a stronger male.
He was six-two, standing erect, his long tail held out behind him for balance, his eyes glistening with intelligence, his front claws nothing compared to the ones on his feet. Each one carrying a giant sickle-shaped claw.
"What makes you think I could help?" Debri asked in a growl.
"I jussst thought that you might be able to point me in the dirrrection of a knowledgeable person who could help me?" The raptor asked.
"I only know of Indeago." She growled. She decided that she liked the raptors hissing and trilling, although she had never liked it when Skel and Kerasaline had used it. "And he's never around."
Kershahk sighed. It was a breathy sort of trill; sounding like it should come from a small budgie and not a huge dinosaur. "Doesss the army have a place for a rrraptorrr?" he asked hopefully.
"I don't know." Debri growled. "Come with me and we'll find someone." She growled, standing up, seeing that they were the exact same height. She had the sudden, insane urge to feel his arms around her, just so she would know what his scales against her skin felt like.
She walked off towards the barracks area of the army, Kershahk trailing after her.