The Fire and the Storm - Metric Pro Edition: Fiction, Dragons, Elves, Unicorns, Magic (7 page)

“Yes.” Mark nodded.  “Some want the rustic look of roughly shaped stones and mortar.  And the mortar does give a nice color contrast to the stone.  Almost all of those who chose smooth squared blocks are having them fused, and the fusing is being done by elves with a spell Alilia had, since it looks like our dragons are going to be hollowing out that mountain for another couple of hours at least.  Quewanak’s den is done, but Kragorram and Povon’s is barely half finished.  No need to make Kragorram do a bunch of stone fusing after all of that.”

“I wonder what they’ll do with all the extra stone?” Nemia said as they moved along.  “All these that are being used by the rest of us are only a tiny fraction of what they’re taking out of the mountain.  There’s a huge pile of it between their dens.”

“Kragorram says he’ll use it to build an astronomical observatory on the top of the highest mountain in Hiliani.”
Povon psionicly reported. 
“He says that such serene contemplations as astronomy shouldn’t be interrupted by distracting weather, even for those of us who’re immune to discomfort from such things.  The observatory will be more than large enough for us to teach Karzog of astronomy there, so a great number of you smaller folk will be able to observe there at once, if any are inclined to such things.  I’m not, particularly, but I do wish to share in the experience as Kragorram teaches our son about the sky, and what’s up there.  Besides, at this point, astronomy is also scouting the enemy, and the battlefield for the coming conflict.  And I wish to know that battlefield very well when the time comes.”

“Thank you Povon, that’s good to know.” Yazadril told her with a smile.  “And some wise thinking on your part, as well.”

“Thank you.  I’m really not assisting with this den-building in any way, except by contributing power, and my thoughts on the design of our home.  So I’ve been using my spare attention to follow the activities in the rest of the settlement.  And of course I couldn’t help but notice when you thought of us.”

“Ah.  What’s little Karzog doing?” Nemia asked.

“He’s watching the excavation.  He loves us both, but he really idolizes Kragorram, and takes him as his role model.  He watches all that Kragorram does, and imitates what he can.  Of course, though he’s fourteen years old, his mind is equivalent to that of a four-year-old human, or perhaps a five-year-old elf.  Dragons develop slowly, but then we have more development to do, and more lifespan to do it in.  So there’s not really a lot he can do to help right now.  But he memorizes everything he sees with fierce concentration.  He will be much like his blood-father in size and ability, if not in personality.”

“Who is his blood mother?” Talia asked.

“Tekritimaki, formerly First Flame of Serminak, second in power under Zarkog when he was Dragon Lord.  Our adopted son has a strong bloodline, there is no doubt.  Tekritimaki had a brood of one hundred and thirty-one surviving young from six different clutches, the last three of which were Zarkog’s.  Since Zarkog fell she’s given all but eighteen out to adoption, keeping nine boys and nine girls from her last clutch, and she’s given up all duties to devote herself to raising them full-time.

“Zarkog fertilized three or four females every night, when he wasn’t engaged in astronomy.  Not counting the many young he fathered in his very long life before he took over Serminak, he had over forty thousand children as Dragon Lord.  About one-third of living dragons can find him in their bloodline somewhere.  And of all the children he had, Karzog was the only one who came out black.  Karzog also had the largest egg and the heaviest hatching weight of any dragon in history, and was the only child that Zarkog allowed to be named after himself in any way.

“After the war, no one wanted to adopt him but us, because they feared that he might be difficult to raise.  It’s suspected that Zarkog may have magically altered him in some way during the fertilization.  That’s part of the reason why The Ninety-Nine asked us to adopt only him, when Kragorram and I had planned on adopting nine young after the war, as many Xervian Draconians have done.  The other part of the reason being that they wanted us to concentrate most of our energies on re-building and running Serminak, as Dragon Lord Regent and Prince of Serminaki Draconia.  I know I didn’t have to point that last out, but I’m still rather thrilled by having gained such a high position!”

“You deserve to be, as you deserve to be very proud of the job you two have done there.” Mark told her as they made their way over to the site of the dragon’s constructions.  They heard it before they saw it; a continuous cacophony of breaking rock accompanied by an intermittent roar of fire.

They came within sight of it; an arched opening in the rock face over fifteen meters high with a stream of rock dust rising out of the top like hot smoke that didn’t dissipate.  The stream of dust rose up the steep rock face and disappeared from sight over the mountain.  A constant stream of rocks ranging from pebbles to boulders floated out of the middle of the cave’s entrance and along the rock face to the huge pile that was growing almost a hundred meters away.  Looking inside revealed an already huge cavern, Karzog crouched in the center of it and watching intently, Povon lounging behind him with her tail toward the door.

Povon turned her head on her sinuous neck and gave them a smile before turning back to watch the excavation.

Kragorram and Quewanak worked together on excavating the back wall further into the mountain.  Kragorram blasted the rock face with a huge stream of blue-hot fire, then Quewanak cast Cold on it. Then fire again, then Cold.  This cracked the rock, making it easy to tear the rock out of the face, with claws in Kragorram’s case, and with Movement spells in Quewanak’s.  Kragorram constantly felt ahead in the rock face with his psionic awareness and guided the positioning of the fire and the cold, while Quewanak dealt with the dust and the rubble.  They removed a vertical strip of rock from the ceiling to the floor, then started at the top again beside the last strip.  The slowed when they were removing rock near the floor, and exercised the extra care needed to leave the floor perfectly smooth and flat.

“They’re going a lot faster now, since they finished making all the shaped stones that were requested.”
Povon reported, still speaking psionicly since the noise of the excavation made normal conversation impossible.
  “Just ripping the rock away is much quicker.  Kragorram will smooth the rest of the wall and ceiling when most of the excavation is finished.”

“You’re keeping this dome shape?”
Equemev asked.

“Yes.  It’s the strongest shape, Kragorram says.  This will be our main room, with another domed room in the back for private activities and sleeping.  He says there’s a spring running through the rock deeper in, and we’ll have a bathing pool in the back room.”

“Nice!”
Talia told her.

Then they all received Dalia’s broadcasted Speaking. 
“Could we have all the available Translocators come help with bringing household goods and supplies?    We might as well get started on it now, then we can have all our new homes ready to move into by nightfall.”

Mark and Talia waved goodbye to Povon, and went to join the effort.

Much of that work was indeed finished by nightfall, and though all were tired and many had not slept for many hours, they still found the energy to gather for a celebratory founding dance in the hall.  They were joined by seventy-three children who had not been brought along for the constructions to keep them out from underfoot.  All the new children were human except for three elves and one unicorn, none of whom were allowed to play with young Karzog.  As Povon explained, the young dragon only ate once per week and was due to eat the next day.  Until he had eaten, it was unwise to trust him with other children since he was already almost seven meters long.  And after all, he was still an infant.

Karzog didn’t mind.  He stuck to Kragorram and Povon like a burr on a sheep, observing everything carefully.  Occasionally one of his adoptive parents leaned down and quietly spoke with him in Draconian, as discretely as that snarling and growling language allowed.

Mark and Talia took their turns leading the dance; choosing a song and singing it as Mark played the harp and Talia played a lute, or sometimes a flute.  Tables covered with dishes of delicious foods were arranged near the entrance to the kitchen, and everyone ate their fill.

Almost everyone there stayed in their new homes on Hiliani that night, since exhaustion, magic depletion, and intoxicating drink and herbs ensured that few were willing to trust their Translocations.  Most went back to their old homes the next morning, to continue with saying farewells and preparing their affairs for their extended absence.

Mark and Talia went back to their routine for the next five days, and concentrated their visits on those they knew who would not be joining them on Hiliani.  It was only a little sad for them to say such farewells, since everyone they were emotionally close to would be coming with them, with the exceptions of Tithian, Somonik, and Grakonexikaldoron.

Those three joined them in Hiliani on their last morning in contact with the rest of the world.  Many others were visiting the settlement that morning as well, taking advantage of the last chance to see loved ones who would not see them for a score of years.  All were gathered on the beach, enjoying a warm and sunny day.

“It’s a strange thing, knowing I will see you in two months, but I will have missed twenty-four years of your life.”
Tithian said as she nuzzled with her daughter and gently rubbed their horns together.  Her deep emotion was well conveyed in her psionic voice. 
“How much more strange it must be for these human visitors, who will miss a third of the lives of those they visit.”

“I’m hoping that won’t be the case, actually.” Mark told her.  “We’ll be working with Hilsith the Healer and the other senior wizards while we’re here, to try to extend the youth and lifespans of our human citizens.  We’re hoping we can end the aging process altogether, as is the case with the elves and you People of Morning.  I’m pretty sure we can at least eliminate the aging they’d normally experience in our score of years here, so the adults shouldn’t be much older physically when we leave than they are right now.”

He paused and shook his head.  “It’s just so unfair that some races are long-lived, and others have such short lifespans.  If we can end aging in humans, we should be able to do it for the rest of the short-lived races too, once we’re out of here again.”

“A noble goal, to be sure.”
Tithian nodded. 
“I wish you the best of luck in it.  As a seer, I have no indication whether you will succeed or not, more’s the pity.  It would be nice to be able to give these people that assurance.”

“It would, but we can’t have everything, I suppose.” Mark commented as he looked around, and noticed the arrival of Falgaroth and Visinniria.

“The gods arrive, our time together grows short.”
Tithian noted.

“Greetings.  I trust that all is ready?” Visinniria asked as they approached.

“It is.” Talia told her.  “Except to send our visitors home a minute before the time-bubble is cast.  And good day to you both.”

Falgaroth nodded and shook his long blue mane, waving his horn as he did so. 
“We will be Translocating all visitors home in fourteen minutes.”
he announced, and was ‘heard’ by everyone there.

“It is much more occupied here than it was.” Somonik observed.

“Yup.” Mark nodded.  “We’ve added over a hundred new human citizens, some seventy elves, and three more unicorns since the first day of building here, and built all their homes.  And of course the livestock pens and shelters and the gardens have helped fill in some of the empty spaces.  It’s still a very spread-out little village, compared to most.  I think only the elves build their communities so sparsely, and even they don’t when the town has more than a few thousand in it.”

“Mind you, it’s still only a bit less than three kilometers from one end of the flats to the other, so no-one really has to walk very far to get anywhere.” Talia added.  “And we brought our yacht for fishing and getting away from it all.  I imagine there’ll be times when such a small community starts to feel a little close.”

“I love what you’ve done with the streams.” Grakonexikaldoron commented as she looked around.  The four streams that flowed through the flats now meandered around so that they passed through every household’s property, bordered by banks of lush green short lawn.  Artistic and delicate-seeming elven wooden bridges crossed them every thirty meters or so.

“Thanks.  Bezedil directed that, actually, and they grew a lot of underground piping to bring water to every building.  Every building also has an indoor privy, equipped with an elven spell that takes the water out of the waste so both can be used in the gardens without smelling up the place.

“We’ve made a good study of the needs of isolated communities, and we’re pretty sure we’ve got everything we could need, including enough books that it would take me the whole score of years to read them all.”

“You’ve done well, young ones.” Visinniria told him with a smile.  “We are proud of you.”

“We will Translocate your visitors home as we leave and cast the time-bubble.”
Falgaroth informed them. 
“To your senses, all three events will happen simultaneously.

“At the same moment, twenty-six more time-bubbles will be cast by the gods in other locations, as you suggested.  All within are tasked with having children, and with performing research, training, and construction during their years of isolation.  Along with your other tasks here, we charge you with building the defenses, shelters, and offensive emplacements that will be necessary for Hiliani to prove its worth in the coming confrontation with the demons.”

“Ah.  That’s a good point, if I’ve ever heard one.” Mark nodded.  “There’s no use building a wonderful little outpost of civilization here if it’s just going to be helpless against destruction by the demons.”