The Dragon Healer of Tone (World of Tone) (10 page)

“Land where?”

“It’s about ten dragons’ lengths beyond these trees.”

“All right, get on and I’ll fly us there.”

Terra hopped on her back, and they flew the short distance to a flat rocky area were Fienna landed. In front of them was a large opening in the rocks. Terra led her into a huge cave. The cave was much larger than the opening. Light filtered in showing a beautiful place with crystal fingers hanging from the ceiling. As the light struck the crystals, small shafts of light reflected through the large cave. A small stream flowed through the floor of the cave with deep shelves on either side. The stream emerged from the rear of the cave and emptied out one side of the entrance. It flowed down the side of the flat rock and disappeared into trees below. It would make a perfect place for a dragon and a man to live in.

“Terra, it’s beautiful. Maybe we should not tell anyone about it.

Keep it our secret place.”

They decided to do just that. It would be their private place to visit.

It was starting to get late, and Fienna’s mother would be angry if they weren’t home by dark, so they left the cave. Terra mounted Fienna, and they flew home.

Chapter 23 - Learning to Swim

(A Skill of Life in a World of Danger)

343 set of seasons since the coming of the Averons

Fienna thought that Terra should learn to swim. After all they could play in the water of the lake if he could. The next morning Lowlack had brought his normal package of seed rocks and plants for Terra. They approached him, and he knew by their manner they wanted something.

“Lowlack,” said Fienna.

“Can you help us? Terra can’t swim. Do you know how to teach him?”

Lowlack looked a little puzzled at first and then said, “I know the humans swim. I’ve seen them, but I never watched humans being taught to swim. Let me go see if I can figure out how they learn, then I’ll come back and teach Terra.”

Lowlack found the thought of teaching Terra to swim a challenge.

He liked being useful, so he flew to a lake that he had seen the humans swim in. Every sun-rising he went and watched from the top of the mountain peak next to the lake. Finally, one sun-rising a young female with a small female child came to the edge of the lake. She took the small ones clothes off, then her own clothes. She picked up her child and walked out into the water until she was waist high. She held the child out in the water just even with the top of it. Then the little one started to kick her legs and move her arms like she was grabbing for something in the water just ahead of her. The woman started to walk while the child was kicking and reaching. The two of them did this for a while, then they went back to shore and left. The next sun-rising they came again and did the same thing. sun-rising after sun-rising they did this until one sun-rising the woman pulled her arms away. She stayed close to the child but was no longer holding her. The little one started to swim without the woman’s support. Over the next several sun-risings, the little female swam better and better until the woman did not need to be in the water with her. One sun-rising a male came with them and watched the little one swim. Lowlack thought the male looked very familiar but could not quite decide why. He thought he must have seen him before.

Lowlack realized teaching a human to swim was much like teaching a dragon to fly. He was sure he could teach Terra. That sunset he flew to the cave and told the two he now knew how to teach him to swim, and they would go to the sea the next sun-rising and start. Fienna and Terra were both excited about the idea. Dawra was not too sure and decided to go with them just in case this turned out like the cave fire.

The next morning the four went to the sea and landed on a wide beach. The sand was black but soft to the touch.

“Terra, Fienna come here,” Dawra said.

There are creatures in the sea called sea nymphs; they can be deadly.

They trick their victims by appearing as a friendly animal. Now they have learned from bitter experience not to bother dragons. But Terra you are in danger from them. I want you to always stay near one of us.

You understand?”

“Yes, I understand,” Terra said not really paying attention.

Lowlack walked out in the water until it came about half way to his knee. He then lay down in the water and told Terra to come to him.

Terra walked out, and the water was almost to his neck when he reached Lowlack.

“Now get into my hand and lay on your belly,” Lowlack instructed Terra.

Terra climbed into Lowlack’s out-stretched hand and did as he was told.

Lowlack lowered Terra into the water until he was just even with it,

“All right, start kicking your feet.” Terra did.

“Now cup your hands and reach out and pull the water towards you.”

Terra did everything Lowlack told him to do. Lowlack found that Terra’s small body started to move away from his hand, so he had to hold Terra in place. Even then, it was difficult to hold his little body.

This seemed odd since he had grabbed humans before, and they weren’t nearly as strong. Terra kicked and reached for what seemed to be forever to a human boy. But he was patient and did what he was told.

Every sun-rising for a moon rising they did the same thing. Until one sun-rising Lowlack let Terra go. His body moved out of the great dragon’s hands and through the water. He had no trouble keeping his head above the water, and it seemed so easy to move through the sea.

Lowlack had to stand and walk next to Terra to keep up with him.

Fienna was bouncing up and down on the shore in excitement.

“Mama, look how Terra swims; he so fast.”

Dawra watched as the little body moved through the water with incredible speed. Lowlack could hardly keep up with him now. Terra finally turned and swam toward Fienna who was already in the water bouncing toward Terra. The two met in the water at a depth such that Fienna’s head was at water level. Terra grabbed Fienna’s jaw and kissed her. At that point, a surge of energy flowed through the two that surprised them both. They did not know what it was, but it was pleasant.

The two played for a while in the water as Lowlack and Dawra watched from the shore.

“Lowlack, have you ever seen a human swim with such power and speed?”

“No, in fact I had trouble holding on to him.”

“He is much stronger than what I thought humans would be.” Dawra said with a sly little smile on her face.

“I think he is much stronger than any humans I have ever seen,”

Lowlack said without really thinking about it.

In the sea, three pairs of eyes were watching the human swim with the dragon in disbelief.

Chapter 24 - Meeting a New Friend

(Hunters and Prey can become Friends.)

344 set of seasons since the coming of the Averons

Terra and Fienna went to the sea often to swim and play. One sun-rising they found a secluded cove where they could lay on the sand and sun themselves on warm afternoons. The cove was surrounded by high cliffs and could only be reached by flying or swimming. The sandy area at the base of the cliffs was a semicircle completely open to the reddish colored sea. It was mid-afternoon, and Fienna was asleep.

Terra was looking at the sea half asleep himself. He thought he heard something, but he couldn’t quite make it out. He decided it was nothing and laid back against Fienna’s side.

As he started to dose off, he again heard a cry or something. Terra got up and walked down to the edge of the water. The waves lapped up at his feet as he looked out over the sea. He didn’t see anything and was about to turn away when he caught a movement out of the corner of his eye. There in the rock on the edge of the cove was what appeared to be a creature that looked similar to him except with long golden green tinted hair and a slim body with two large mounds in it’s chest area. It’s skin appeared as smooth as his and was the color of the sea at dusk when the sun is setting. It did not have legs but two tail-like limbs similar to the sea creatures he and Fienna often ate. He was, for some reason, attracted to this creature and found it very alluring. He didn’t understand why. The creature seemed to be calling to him, so he walked toward it. As he approached, he could see that this creature was quite beautiful, and he was very attracted to it. As he got closer, it looked at him with large green blue eyes that seemed to draw him in.

“Who are you?” Terra asked.

“I am here for you.”

“What do you mean?”

“I am yours.”

“I don’t understand.”

“Come closer and sit next to me, and I will explain.”

Terra saw no harm in this and did what she asked. As he sat down, the creature put her arm around his back leaning her hand on his shoulder.

“Now what do you mean you are here for me.”

“Well, I am going to take you into the sea with me.” With that the arm suddenly turned into a tentacle and wrapped around Terra’s neck.

Terra’s body began to glow orange, and with that, the creature screamed in pain. Fienna heard the scream and woke up. She instantly saw Terra with the creature. Suddenly, three more came up out of the water and wrapped tentacles around Terra’s body. They all began writhing in pain and finally released their grip on him. Fienna was on her feet and furiously half running, half hopping toward Terra. The creature that had originally attracted him had fainted from the pain and fell against a small pointed rock. Blood was coming from its head.

Fienna reached Terra as he started to stand.

“Terra what happened?” Fienna’s mind said to him.

“They attacked me for some reason.”

“Why did they stop?”

“I don’t know,” Terra said in a questioning tone.

The one lying on the rocks just below Terra was dying. He could somehow feel it.

“Fienna, it’s dying. I can’t let it die,” he said as he pointed to the creature with one hand and one tentacle.

“No Terra, it tried to kill you.”

“I know, but I still must help it. I don’t understand why, but I can’t just leave it dying.”

“I know you well enough that I won’t win this argument. All right, but be careful.”

Terra climbed down to the creature and touched its head where the wound was. His hand started to glow orange, and the wound began healing. It awoke and started to move away, but Terra reassured it mentally, and it stayed still until he was done healing the wound.

“Why did you help me after I tried to take you?”

“It is my way,” Terra said.

Once it was healed, he lifted the female form and threw it back into the sea and climbed back to Fienna.

“Terra, if you ever scare me like that again, I’ll, I’ll. Well, I don’t know what I’ll do, but don’t do that again. “

Terra said with an impish grin, “I won’t.”

Over the next several weeks, Fienna and Terra did not return to the cove. Instead they went to their secret cave and small lake in the giant crevice. Finally, one sun-rising Terra wanted to go to the cove, and he promised that he would not approach any strange creatures. As they were lying on the beach, five heads popped up out of the sea. They started to move toward the shore. When they reached the water’s edge, they started emerging from the water walking on legs. Fienna was standing and even though she was not to her full size, she was an impressive creature. The five included the thing that had attacked Terra on the rocks, and three others as well as what appeared to be much older one than the other four. He stood in front and began speaking.

“I am Sedoc. I have come here to give my thanks to the one who healed my daughter.”

Fienna did not understand his language at first, but then with the help of Terra’s mind, she slowly understood what he was saying.

He continued, “No land animal has ever helped a sea nymph before.

They always try to kill us, so we return the hatred with our own type of justice. But this man that stands here instead of trying to kill my daughter saved her life. We owe you a debt that cannot be repaid.”

“I helped her because it is my way, and I don’t seem to have a choice in this type of matter. So you owe me nothing.”

“I am the king of the sea nymphs, and you shall always be safe in my kingdom. You will have our friendship as long as you live. I have brought my daughter Setilan and the others that attacked to make their amends.”

Setilan stepped forward and bowed, her beautiful golden hair falling over her bare shoulders. “I am truly sorry for what we did, and I wish to be your friend.”

Fienna came forward and said, “I don’t trust you. You can be our friends, but if you ever try to hurt Terra again, I will boil the sea with my fire until you all die.”

“Fienna,” Terra said disapprovingly.

The old one said, “I understand,” looking at Fienna.

He then turned to Terra and said, “You must be a very special human to command such devotion from a great dragon. It would be better to have such a one as a friend rather than an enemy. You shall never have a reason to doubt our friendship from this time forward.”