The Awakening (32 page)

Jahrra was suddenly overwhelmed with the vastness of this place and found herself leaning against Jaax’s foreleg for support.

“Well, do you like it?” the dragon inquired quietly, his head dropped low so that only Jahrra could hear.

“It’s, it’s amazing,” she breathed, her eyes still wide with wonder as she continued to take it all in.

Behind the stage there stood another wall, painted and adorned to look like a castle. Colorful fabric, flowing easily in the light wind, drifted in front of the torches, catching the light of the flames and turning it crimson, gold and azure. To her surprise, Jahrra heard the voices of the people sitting several seats below them, drifting up to her and sounding as if they were standing just beside her.

Jahrra cleared her throat. “So, who is it we are meeting tonight?” she braved. “Must be someone important for you to go to all this trouble.”

She stepped away from Jaax and nodded her head towards the stage far below, then gestured to her own dress.

Jaax gave her one of his looks. Jahrra knew this look very well; it was the look that had just enough question in it to make the overbearing condescension seem almost obsolete.

Before Jaax could say something cutting, she continued on, “You only ever take me out dressed up if you wish to introduce me to some diplomat or relative of some royal somewhere, so I was wondering who we were meeting tonight, that’s all.”

Jaax straightened and returned his gaze to the scene in front of him. His eyes had grown hard again and Jahrra bit her cheek.

“I mean, we’ve been in Lidien for several months, and I figured I had met all the Coalition members by now, but then again most of you keep busy with affairs outside of Felldreim, so it’s possible there are still people I haven’t met–”

“Jahrra,” he said softly, forcing her to stop her babbling, “have I ever taken you to meet anyone of any importance without first telling you who it was we were going to see?”

Jahrra felt herself deflate. He was right; he had always prepared her for those meetings.

“No,” she said, then added tentatively, “so, we’re not meeting anyone then?”

“No.”

“Then why the dress? Why the play and the fancy dagger?”

Jaax turned then and gave her a sharp glance, his emerald eyes looking on the verge of anger. “Jahrra, what day is it?”

She actually had to think about it, then she felt her face flush and then burn as she slumped with sudden realization. It was her birthday. Jaax had done all of this for
her birthday
? If she hadn’t felt awkward before she sure felt so now.

Jaax tilted his head so that she would know he was talking to her. Not that he needed to.

“Despite what you think, I am very much capable of kindness Jahrra. Kindness for the sake of kindness and not for the sake of gaining anything because of it.”

His voice was rough again and Jahrra cringed. She braved a look at his face, expecting to find anger. She found some anger in his eyes, yes, but there was more hurt there than anything else.

Jahrra sighed, feeling unbearably ashamed of herself and pained that she had taken Jaax’s gift as something other than what it was.

“I’m sorry,” she said in complete sincerity. “I love the dagger and I can’t wait to see the play. I even like the dress, and you know how I feel about dresses. I really, truly do.”

“May I help you to your seats?”

Jahrra was interrupted as an energetic attendant appeared before them.

“Yes, that would be most helpful. Thank you,” Jaax responded with pure politeness.

As they made their way across the top of the theater, Jahrra tried to reconcile herself with her reaction to Jaax’s generous birthday gift. She was angry with herself for making assumptions and promised herself she would never do it again. The theater attendant, a young man with auburn hair, led them to one of the upper corners of the theater. Jahrra wondered why they were seated so far from the stage but when she spotted the other dragons perched along the ridge from one end to the next, she realized that this was the only place that she and Jaax could sit without disturbing the other patrons.

Jaax thanked the young man again and in the next moment he was off to find more lost theater goers. Jahrra sat down upon the great stone steps, mimicking those around her. Jaax, being the great Tanaan dragon that he was, settled down on the flat earth just behind her. Jahrra felt unease creep up on her again and she wondered if Jaax had accepted her haphazard apology. At the moment he was being typically quiet. How he could sit among others and remain so silent was beyond her, but she was determined to remain so if her guardian did.

Several minutes passed and Jahrra busied herself with watching the arriving crowd to pass the time and keep her thoughts off of her battered conscience. It was chilly out, what with it being evening and the beginning of winter, so she wrapped her new cloak more tightly around her. The cloak Jaax had given her for her birthday.

Casting that thought away, Jahrra focused once again on those gathering for the play. There were plenty of elves, Resai and Nesnans present. Several centaurs and cenikets took up the section just below the dragons, while a few people belonging to other races she didn’t recognize sat intermingled with everyone else.

On the other end of the sitting area Jahrra caught a glimpse of gold. Her heart leapt to her throat when a familiar, scarred Tanaan dragon settled down to watch the play. She was just about to stand up and try to catch Kehllor’s attention when two other Tanaan joined him. Jahrra sank back to her seat with a dreadful knot of displeasure churning in her stomach at the sight of the red and black dragons. She watched as Shiroxx spoke to Kehllor, the younger dragon giving a stiff nod every now and again, his eyes stubbornly trained forward. Rohdann, as usual, sat quietly, surveying their surroundings like a great, doleful raven.

Jahrra watched them, her eyes narrowing. All of her determination to free Kehllor from Shiroxx’s grasp surfaced once again. It was at that moment that the red dragon turned her eyes in Jahrra’s direction. She had that wicked grin on her face but as soon as she spotted Jahrra, then Jaax just beside her, the ease in her eyes vanished and was replaced with fiery scorn. She whispered something to Rohdann and the black dragon eyed her with those icy eyes of his.

Jahrra grinned despite the uncomfortable feeling Shiroxx and Rohdann gave her every time they looked her way. Perhaps at some point tonight she would get a chance to talk to Kehllor alone, especially if Jaax was there to distract Shiroxx. Jahrra bit the inside of her cheek in shame. What was she thinking, imagining playing such games? She would be no better than Shiroxx if she took advantage of the female dragon’s weaknesses. And to use Jaax so blatantly, after all he had done for her tonight? She shook her head, casting such thoughts away as one would scrape leeches off their skin.

“Complimentary opera glasses for your enjoyment?”

Jahrra jumped. It was another usher who spoke, this one holding a box full of what looked like small binoculars.

“Thank you,” Jahrra said, taking the one he offered gingerly.

She heard the young man repeat the same inquiry to Jaax, but she knew her guardian would decline. Dragons didn’t need any aids for their eyesight.

As the usher walked away, Jahrra was determined not to glance back at the three dragons perched at the opposite end of the hilltop. Instead, she eyed the seats around her, wondering why they were empty. She turned to ask Jaax, grateful for something to say to break the strained silence between them.

“Do you see the short wall surrounding the area where you sit?” he asked in response to her question, his voice sounding bored.

Jahrra nodded.

“And did you notice how this area is a little higher than the area around us?”

Again, Jahrra nodded in agreement.

“This is one of the best sitting areas in the theater. There are two more,” he nodded to two other small platforms, the one occupied by Shiroxx and her gang and one in the middle of the top of the theater, “but I have always preferred this one. No one else will be sitting near us.”

Jaax said nothing more but returned to his stony position and Jahrra found no need to ask any more questions. Gratefully, the sound of trumpets put an end to their silent conversation. The great crowd, which had been chattering comfortably all around them, gradually ceased their talking as their eyes were drawn to the stage.

The circle far below them lit up as the props seemed to come alive. Jahrra nearly gasped when what she thought was a potted tree sprung forward and revealed itself to be one of the actors. The activity only increased from there. With the aid of a variety of instruments coming from some unknown location, the performers danced about the stage, twirling and leaping to almost impossible heights. Jahrra was riveted, her wayward thoughts about Tanaan dragons of every sort forgotten.

Torches flared for effect and the light pouring onto the stage shifted and changed color, making Jahrra suspect that magic was involved. Suddenly, voices were added to the lively music as several costumed people began singing a Sobledthe ballad.

Jahrra recognized several creatures Denaeh and Hroombra had once told her about, including the grouldahs she, Gieaun and Scede had once dressed as for the Fall Festival. The demons and denizens of the dark drifted about on a stage alit in shades of red, yellow and orange.

Gradually, the quick pace of the autumn song slowed and molded into a slower, crisper tune. The creatures of Sobledthe poured off of the stage or melted into the scenery and in their wake came several more performers wearing the blue, white and silver mantle of winter. Jahrra gaped.

The transformation had been so quick but it had also been smooth, as smooth as the passage of time between seasons. Following winter came spring, the actors adorned in greens and pastels, the music becoming sweeter and lighter. Finally came summer, the colors growing bolder and the music more languid. The scene concluded on a rather dramatic note with the fall denizens returning once again, crawling out from the scenery and frightening those of summer into the dark corners of the stage. The music stopped and everyone froze. Jahrra released a breath, not realizing she had been holding it.

The stage fell into darkness and a moment later the torchlight rose again to reveal a space empty of performers but filled with what looked like glittering stars. The music, which had slowed and all but disappeared, began to grow louder once again, playing a rather desolate tune, the violins gaining dominance over the flutes and other wind and stringed instruments.

A small glowing light, pale green in color, began growing off to one side of the stage. A figure stepped forward, a figure wearing an incredibly ornate, green gown. There was something strange about the costume and Jahrra wished she could see it better. Then she remembered the theater glasses in her hand. With their aid she could see the dress very clearly. The skirts were full with sleeves draping to the ground. Sewn over the entirety of the dress were streams of blue and silver fabric all patterned with vines and flowers. The woman wearing the dress began to sing a sad, sorrowful song and Jahrra realized with a strange thrill that this woman was playing the part of Ethoes, floating through the Great Expanse before the beginning of their world.

Jahrra wondered where Haelionn was but before she could contemplate it much further a golden light began to glow at the other end of the stage and a male figure, clad in brilliant yellows and golds, came forth upon the stage, singing his own tune. His song was morose at first but soon he and Ethoes spotted one another and their voices mingled, their song becoming more cheerful. The music followed them and Jahrra looked at them closely. They were both very beautiful, she noted, the makeup and glitter they wore adding to the effect.

The music started to change as more instruments joined the violins. Trumpets blared and the woman who portrayed Ethoes threw up her arm. Jahrra nearly shouted in delight. A burst of fiery sparks erupted then fizzled out and in their place a pale blue beam of light flooded part of the stage. The broad sliver was soon occupied by several water nymphs that danced and rejoiced.

The trumpets sounded again, along with cymbals, and Ethoes brought forth another aspect of the world, this time green light and plants, all the while clasping hands with a faithful Haelionn. Mountains and hills followed the plants, then the animals arrived with a scene of plains and deserts and valleys.

Jahrra was overwhelmed by the beauty of it all. The music had grown faster, working its way up to a grand finale. Everyone was dancing in full light now, dancing around Haelionn and Ethoes, forming great circles of creatures and landforms clasping hands, one circle moving in the opposite direction of the one in front of it.

The entire cast was singing now, their voices strong and joyful and perfect. With a final clash of cymbals and blast of trumpets the voices ceased and everyone stilled. Jahrra realized with delighted awe that she had just witnessed the creation of the world, or as close to a reenactment as anyone could get.

The lights dimmed and the play went on. The minutes flew by, Jahrra barely taking heed of them or her surroundings. It was full night now and growing rather chilly but she hadn’t noticed. The stories unfolding below were too wonderful to be ruined by something as insignificant as a change in temperature.