Blood Bride (Aarabassa World) (5 page)

Wakening noises stirred from every cavern.   Everyone was readying themselves for whichever journey they were to travel. Even Rikka appeared refreshed and packed with a few items for the road.

‘I must say goodbye for now Rikka.’ Heather said, on her way out of the chamber.

‘Do not go just yet child, I have something I must share with ye.’ Rikka was waving her arm for Heather to come closer. ‘I dreamt that the evil one told me to tell ye something.’

‘It was probably just a nightmare Rikka, because you fear him.’

‘No, ye must listen to me. I am to tell ye this.’ 

Rikka felt her old-self surfacing again.  Her Master had come to her in her sleep and told her to tell the Changeling where to meet him on the Dark Side. She had to make the silly girl listen.

‘It is about yer meeting, I know where ye will find the evil one because he has told me so.’

The old woman stood over her packing of a warm blanket and some dried herbs. Noise echoed in the tunnels, soldiers dashed up and down with various tasks. Rikka wore a shrewd intense glare that Heather could not ignore.

‘Very well Rikka. What was your dream?’ Heather was unsure if the old woman had just had a bad dream or a real vision.

‘Ye must go to the part of the Wall where the yellow sulfurs swirl. Most of the Wall will be a dull grey on the other side, but there is one part that will be, as I say it is. Ye will not miss this. The yellow gasses choke the air. Here he will await yer arrival.’

The old woman had grabbed a firm hold of Heather’s arm, her fingers white with a tight clutching grasp, leaving red welts upon the Changelings light pink skin. Rikka’s eyes glazed in a wild stare and her crooked smile spoke with an unfriendly wicked twist.

‘Rikka! Let go of my arm. You have the strength of a bull when you choose.’

Heather wrenched her arm away from the woman, who’s cackling laughter unnerved the Changeling. 

‘How could you know the colours of the Wall in the Darklands?’

Rikka turned away and busied herself by gathering her few belongings, appearing to be unaware that she had spoken with the Changeling.

‘What was that my dear?’ she asked Heather.

‘Nothing, Rikka,’ Heather stammered with confusion. ‘I must go now.’

Heather did not linger for an answer or a farewell speech, she quickly turned and left the chamber making her way to the larger tunnels. She was met unexpectedly by a small and somewhat elderly dragon. Hesitating in her  steps she admired his display of turquoise blue armoured scales. His eyes had a mischievous twinkle, like two deep blue pools of swirling water with a whirl pool of gold in the middle. He was clearly one of the Elders so would not accompany them on this mission. Heather was sure this was one brave old dragon.

I am to take you into one of the lower chambers,
he gallantly Mindtalked to her.

‘Am I not to meet with Queen Thimat on the surface, where there is more room for so many dragons in one place?’ she spoke, seemingly loud in such a quiet place.

All the lower chambers are large. It is where the dragons dwell
, the smaller dragon replied.

‘You’re not a very merry dragon are you?  Are you unsure of humans, is that it?’

I wished to go with you but it is too risky for one so old.
The small dragon appeared to brood over this decision.

‘Why don’t you ask the Queen to intervene? 

Mmmm - the Queen, I suppose that might work. Well, at least my old brain still ticks.

‘Oh that’s good. Wisdom can be more important than fighting skills. Let the young face the battles while the wise ones plan the moves eh...’

The elderly dragon did not bother to reply to Heather’s comments. He continued to lead her on a downhill spiral in a wide tunnel. It was very dark in the depths of the labyrinth, the dragons did not need lighting. Heather waved her hand to produce some light around herself. For all his age and size, the small dragon was going too fast for her and she struggled to keep up with him.  On taking a right turn, which was the only way to go, she noticed he had come to a stop and appeared to be waiting patiently for her.

‘Just as well you waited. I was about to cast a freeze spell upon you, until I caught you up,’ Heather threatened.

Your magic wouldn’t work on me. You’ll have to mature a bit yet.

‘
Hah. Someone needs to teach you some manners dragon. It’s a good thing I’m conserving my energy or I might just do it myself.’

When finally she caught up with him she realised that he was waiting for her on a ledge at the top of a huge cavern.

Very well,
he Mindtalked,
magic yourself to the floor of this cavern, because that is where you are to Change. The Queen will arrive when you are ready.

‘Getting to the floor will be easy enough but what do you mean by Change? What am I to Change into?’ Heather asked promptly looking over the high ledge.

The walls of the chamber were covered in sparkling rocks that threw a rainbow of light in all angles. Straight lines of beautiful colours filled the cavern shining from ceiling to floor and side to side. It was truly a magnificent sight. 

‘Is this a magic cavern?’ She asked the dragon.

No,
the smaller dragon appeared impatient with her impertinent questioning.
Are you going to Change into a dragon or not?

‘A dragon? Oh, yes, of course, I will Change into a dragon. Why didn’t I think of that?  What colour do you think I should be?’

Heather had not seen many of the dragons but she had favoured the Queen’s luscious red and rich gold.

Who cares?
The little dragon was growing impatient.

‘Very well, I suggest it’s time that you go call for the Queen. I’ll be ready for when she arrives.’ Heather was starting to dislike this little creature, even if he was Royal. 

She focused her mind away from his image, not wanting to replica his bright turquoise. It suited him though, in a regal sort of way. She wanted something a little more feminine. That was it, yes, she could be a stunning pure white. Without any further thought she instantly Changed her form in to that of a long slender snow white dragon. She turned her long snout up to observe the remaining little dragon who watched her from a high ledge.

So, Royal One, where is the Queen then?
She Mindtalked him, a little annoyed at his constant presence.

He did not reply but hurried away from the chamber looking quite pleased with himself.  Heather wondered at what he had to be so happy about, perhaps he felt attracted to her gracious charms. She was quite confident that she made a fine looking female dragon,

The Magic Wall shimmered with a glittering emerald green barrier, a splendid sight.

Six bulky dragons stood firmly confronting the humming force. Heather positioned herself proudly, her snowy scales flickering whenever she swayed her body. The Queen stood next to her and four adult male dragons accompanied them.

I meant to mention to you, Queen Thimat,
Heather Mindtalked her companion,
Your father could do with a few lessons in manners. Why he …

Heather, my father no longer moves in this world, I am the oldest dragon in my lineage.

So who was the little royal elderly dragon that directed me to the sparkling cavern and instructed me to Change to a dragon?

I had assumed that you had chosen the dragon form yourself and I agreed and thought it a good idea.

Oh. I see. That is strange isn’t it? So who is the little turquoise dragon who calls himself a Royal?

This is not familiar to me. What is a turquoise, is it a name?

Let’s just forget it shall we? Someone is playing tricks with me. I’ll attend to it later. Are you ready to pass through the Wall?

Heather felt cheated by this little trickster. What was his game? She had not sensed any evil presence in him, in fact there had been a kind of cheeky kindness in his bearing.

The Queen approached the radiating partition and quickly advanced through the Wall. Half of her body vanished as she advanced through the pulsing colours. Then she was gone. Heather followed, apprehensive of the magical elements. The four male dragons were at the rear and soon all had passed through the magical partition.

It’s dark and cold here, Heather peered around in the deep gloom. Her dragon senses allowed better vision in the darkness and although her scales protected her from feeling the coldness, she just sensed the chill. She could make out the contour of dark icy walls where shiny wet icicles dangled dangerously, ready to thrust downwards upon any creature that walked under their piercing tips.

This is only the Crossing Cavern, one of the males informed her, we must make our way up to the surface.

The pathway was almost a mirror image to that which they had taken in the Lightland mid-mountain caves, following wide winding tunnels. The others seemed to know their way but Heather still imagined being lost for all of eternity in this never-ending labyrinth. 

At last, the air was fresher, they had arrived at the end of their underground journey. 

Heather departed from the damp underworld to look upon a spectacular landscape. The world appeared with a hue of sinister yellowish dimness. Nytloon shone down on them on a much grander scale, radiating with an eerie red and orange glow that almost seemed to pulsate. Never before had she seen this moon’s true colours. In the Lightlands, Nytloon was the least prominent of the two moons and pinker rather than this reddish colouring. The skies were truly extraordinary, dancing with a sprinkling of twinkling silver lights.

What manner of creatures are those?
Heather asked of herself.

The dragons chuckled at her naive fascination. She could sense the chorus in their minds and turned to question them, taking them by surprise.

What?
She asked of them.

My dear,
Queen Thimat gently coaxed her.
We all of us forget of the wonders and beauty that the Darklands have to offer. What you see in the skies are the stars of the outer worlds.

What is this “outer worlds” that you speak of, Queen?
Heather could not shift from her upwards gaze of the spectacular display of shimmering lights.

It is believed among the dragon race that we are one world of many. Each light is known as a star and represents another set of worlds. We have enough problems of our own, so let’s not be worrying what other worlds are about.

Can we travel to these other worlds?
Heather asked as she continued to stare at the wonders.

I know of no path, but the dragon race is not as curious as you humans who strive constantly for that which they have not yet found. In this, we differ. We are content to live in harmony with our own singular world.

Realising that perhaps she was overreacting at the wonders that beset her, Heather turned to look at the dazzling landscape of the mid-mountains of Madzren. Covered in an incredible white carpet, it was very cold and wet to the touch.

It is called ice and snow and covers most of the Darklands. Without the heat of the sun, there is nothing to provide this landscape with warmth,
Queen Thimat explained to a baffled Heather.

Never have I felt so bitterly cold. A human would perish in these lands.

It is time to take flight, this snow is deep, even for a dragon’s body.
Queen Thimat was keen to get moving.
We will fly lower down in the mountains where the ice and snow is less prominent.

The vast lands at the foot of the mountains are surrounded partly by frozen oceans. Then beyond the dark Archaronian Ocean lays the Ice Cap, home of the monshaads.

All around the darkness invaded, the moon’s rays reflected from the pure whiteness of the snow and generated a yellowish haze of misty light. The bitter cold air infiltrated stabbing icy pains through the thick armour of the dragons’ bodies.

Heather closed her armoured scales tighter around her reptilian body. Peering up at the dark sky again, puzzling over the twinkling dots.  Although she now understood them to be called stars, she still found them astounding. The skies in the Lightlands never boasted such a show of illumination.

No, we cannot leave the Wall,
Heather suddenly remembered.
We need to search for a part of the Wall that is curtained by yellow sulfurous gasses. It is there that the monshaad Emperor Morte-Bielz awaits our arrival.

Heather did not wish to disclose that Rikka had informed her of the meeting place.

I will not ask where you heard of such news child, but if he is making his voice heard on our side of the Wall, then his strength is truly growing.

Queen Thimat felt an uneasy shudder at the notion of meeting with such treacherous creatures as the monshaads.

There is no doubt of his reach, Queen. He’s even managed to communicate with the human King through  his Mind Control powers.

Dark shadows unexpectedly emerged in front of the group of dragons. They found themselves confronted by the ghostly monshaad Lords. An unwelcome voice interrupted their thoughts.

I cannot greet those who should not be here
. A malevolent Mindtalk penetrated all of their minds.

Dragons are not welcome in my lands. You are all prisoners, that is, until the Changeling decides to make an appearance. Only then will I negotiate your freedom.

Insolence!
A male dragon Mindtalked to the Queen.

Silence, Ramdon,
Queen Thimat warned in a closed communication.
I wish these creatures to believe that they have overpowered us. Keep your thoughts to yourself. The Changeling is well protected. We must observe before we make our move.

As you wish my Queen.

Ramdon would risk no harm to the safety of the Changeling or his Queen. He fully understood that the monshaads were not of the material world and near impossible to destroy. 

The Guardian Dragons stood solidly back to back within a large circle and settled themselves for a long wait. Meanwhile they silently observed the behaviour of their malevolent enemy, the monshaads. They would make no further movement until their Queen commanded that they battle or retreat, whichever she alone determined.