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Draco Templari
Surrounded by the fallen bodies of my dead comrades, and overcome with the pain of having my arm hacked off by the Ultralisk's Kaiser Blade, I could do nothing but lie on the blood-drenched battlefield in agony as the creature's massive, elephantine foot descended upon my body. 'Well, old son' I thought to myself, 'this is it.' And it was; there was nothing more to say. Before my world became as nothing, the final thing I heard was the sound of cracking bone... Then, there was darkness... and yet, it wasn't the blackness of oblivion; on the contrary, this darkness was warm, and soothing... and I could hear the sounds of my heartbeat, and the blood rushing through my veins.
'I... I'm alive!' I thought. 'But... how is this possible?! That Ultralisk's foot should have crushed my rib-cage, leaving me dead as a damn doornail, like my Zealot brethren! How is it that I live? And... if I'm not dead, then... where the hell am I?!' As these thoughts entered my mind, suddenly, I heard a voice speaking in a soft, sibilant, and utterly chilling tone. "Rise and shine, Misster Boucher. Rise and shine. Not that I wish to imply you have been sssleeping on the job. On the contrary, no-one is more deserving of a ressst than you. It is... fortunate that we found you, for all His effort with you would have gone to waste, had you been left there to... well, let's just say your time has come again. The right... beast... in the wrong place can make all the difference in the world. So, wake up, Misster Boucher. Wake up and smell the ashes."
Suddenly, as the voice stopped speaking, the darkness became hot, wet, sticky and utterly stifling; I had an overwhelming feeling, a need to get out of where I was, and so, gathering my strength, I pushed! My actions had an effect: the darkness seemed to fly apart, revealing a world filled with light, brilliant, almost blinding light. I looked about, attempting to determine where I was, but I couldn't do so effectively; my eyes were covered with remnants of a strange, sticky fluid--a fluid that seemed to cover my entire body--and I felt goddamn tired and incredibly HUNGRY! Coughing the remnants of 'insert-fluid-name-here' out of my throat, I inhaled deeply, than groaned quietly as I used my hands to wipe the muck from my eyes and clear my vision.
Once that was done, I blinked, then pulled my hands away from my eyes... and for a moment, my breath froze in my throat! My hands... were no longer human. Soft, pink-coloured human skin had been replaced by tough and leathery, bronze-coloured hide. Five fingers had become four; three fingers and a thumb. Razor-sharp, black claws of Keratin had taken the place of blunt fingernails. At that moment, I was overcome with a terrible feeling of dread. 'Oh, no... oh, no, no, no...' I thought. Turning my head this way and that way, I examined myself, and as I did so, my dread turned to fear. 'Tail sprouting from back-end: Check. Wings growing from back: Check. Four legs, two of which I can obviously use like hands: Check.'
Ceasing my quick examination of myself, I turned my attention to the world around me. Without a stitch of clothing, naked and exposed, I stood upon the desert-like sands of a huge, bowl-shaped arena, with galleries to the east and south, filled with dozens of people. Surrounding me were pieces of cracked and broken eggshell, as well as other unbroken eggs, and in front of said eggs were humans--male humans, wearing white cotton robes! I realized, then, that this place was no arena; it was a Hatching Ground... Sheer horror gripped my guts, then, as I heard the sounds of the other eggs cracking, for my fears had been realized: Someone, or some-thing had reincarnated me on the world of Pern... as a goddamn bronze dragon! Only two words were adequate to sum up how I felt about this turn of events.
'Oh. Fuck.'
Taking another deep breath, I closed my eyes for a moment, and attempted to isolate myself from the sheer chaos of the outside world: the hatching of the other eggs, the excitement of the Candidates and Weyr-folk, and the humming of the adult dragons who were there to welcome their young kin to the world. Then, I reexamined my situation. 'Okay... One: as a bronze dragon, I'm way up there in the hierarchy. That's a good thing, as most other dragons won't mess with me; the only ones who might give me any trouble are the queens. And Two: I retain all of my memories, skills, and experiences from my previous life. But why, and for what purpose? The "why" is obvious: whoever, or what-ever reincarnated me, wanted me to retain them. But... if the being who reincarnated me wanted me to use my skills, then why would he, she... or it... reincarnate me as a dragon? What purpose could that serve?'
For now, these questions would remain unanswered, as my immediate needs were threefold. I needed to get some FOOD as I was still RAVENOUSLY HUNGRY! I needed to find a place where I could meditate in silence, in order to begin rebuilding my reserve of psychic energy. And most importantly, I needed to get the hell off the Hatching Ground! With my priorities set, I reopened my eyes... and found--to my shock--that one of the Candidates was standing right in front of me! He was a pale-faced boy with white-blond hair, pointed features, and cold grey eyes, whose very posture bespoke of arrogance, and selfishness. 'By Adun's Blessed Light' I thought, examining his mind with the lightest of mental touches, 'he's a bloody real-life, pernese version of Draco Malfoy from the "Harry Potter" series!'
He looked at me... and I gazed back at him... and as I did so, I found myself recalling a passage from a page on Wikipedia that dealt with Pernese Dragons; something I'd read in my previous human life. "As a safeguard against the possible damage that could be caused by such powerful creatures, Kitti Ping engineered the dragons of Pern to be profoundly psychologically dependent on their riders. Any dragon that fails to Impress to a human shortly after hatching will die." 'How utterly morbid' I thought. Still, the passage was correct; I could feel the instinctive need to Impress deep within, screaming at me to find a suitable rider. I, however, was no ordinary dragon, for I possessed two thing that they didn't have. Discipline, which I had learned during my martial training with the battle-hardened Zealots of Aiur, and control, which I had achieved whilst mastering my latent psychic abilities, under the guidance of the High Templar.
Coupled with the built-in human instinct of self-preservation, along with a fierce need of my own to be completely independent, these things enabled me to do something that no other pernese dragon could do: completely suppress the instinctive need to Impress a human rider! Immediately, I did so, tearing my eyes away from those of the human candidate as I shook my head and blinked. 'Never!' I thought, fiercely. 'I will never Impress with a rider! I am Khassar de Templari, and I will never be 'entrapped' by the people of Pern! I serve Earth and Aiur!' Shifting my weight about and using my tail for balance, I stood upon my hind legs as best I could. Then, leaning my head forwards, I gazed coldly at the young boy--much like a predator stares at its prey--before I struck an horrific pose, baring my teeth in a snarl and waving my clawed hand-paws menacingly.
'And now for the final touch...' I thought. Due to my gnawing hunger and fatigue, my reserve of psychic energy--the mental power of my mind--was virtually non-existent. The emotionally charged Hatching Ground, however, was thick with raw, untapped psychic energy, so much energy that I could almost taste it in the air... energy that I could siphon effortlessly for my use. With a little effort, I let but a drop of that energy flow through me, into my own internal reserve, before manifesting it into reality to stimulate my salivary glands. Then, mantling my wings, I opened my jaws to let out a wet, rattling "Hhhhrrrriiisssssss"; a terrifying sound, reminiscent of that made by the Xenomorph from the "Alien" Trilogy!
Being from the primitive, backwater planet of Pern, and knowing nothing of the planet Earth--or of the entertainment produced by the film creators of its populous--the young candidate had no knowledge of what a Xenomorph was. My performance, however, still had the effect upon him that I desired. When he saw my fangs glistening and dripping with far too much saliva, and heard the terrifying sound that came from my throat, the young boy shrieked, then turned from me and bolted; he ran like hell, as if the devil himself was chasing after him! Manifesting my power once more to return my saliva production to normal, I closed my jaws, my bronze muzzle creasing into a smug, self-satisfied smirk as I watched him flee. 'Heh... Stupid bathrobe-wearing idiot!' I thought. 'Now... let's see if I can get the hell out of here... and get some food while I'm at it!'
With the arrogant Hatching Candidate gone, I sighed internally with relief. Many more remained, though; getting out of here was going to be somewhat challenging. Examining my surroundings again, however, I saw that five other dragons had hatched from their eggs... and a simple, yet cunning plan formed within my mind. 'Yes...' I thought deviously, 'that's it! The people of Pern are looking at a newly hatched bronze dragon... so, I'll give them a bronze dragon. Those other dragons are looking for riders. I think I'll join them...' With that thought in mind, I moved among the other newly hatched dragons--three greens, two blues and a brown--and imitated them, deliberately stumbling every so often, and almost but not quite tripping over my wings and tail, as I searched for a rider. My search, however, was not legitimate, it was a complete sham; a spectacular act, worthy of an Oscar!
As I moved among the Hatching Candidates with the other dragons, pretending to search for the one who would complete me, ever-so-slowly, ever-so-carefully, I made my way east. When I finally reached the galleries there, quickly, I darted into the shadows beneath them and then... I closed my mind to the outside world! As I did this, suddenly, every dragon and fire-lizard in attendance at the hatching let out a high-pitched wail that was agony to hear; a terrible cry of anguish, from the depths of their very souls, which crawled into my head and tore at my heart. That sound was the thing that almost did me in; upon hearing it, my eyes misted over with tears and I wanted to make my way out from my cover and assure the other dragons that I was fine... but then I remembered the plan and blinked rapidly to clear my vision as I ruthlessly walled my feelings off!
'Come on, David, get a hold of yourself!' I thought harshly. 'One day, perhaps, you'll be able to reveal yourself to the people of Pern... but not now!' There was a reason for the dragons' mourning. I'd darted into the shadows so quickly that I had appeared to vanish in the blink of an eye. Additionally, with my mind closed, neither dragon nor fire-lizard could sense me telepathically. Thus, to the people and dragons of Pern I was dead, having vanished between after failing to find my rider, my life companion. 'It's a terribly cruel and dishonorable thing to have done,' I thought, sadly, 'but it's necessary, as it'll make things easier for me in the long run...' And it did; as the dragons and fire-lizards continued their keening, and the humans in attendance shook their heads in sorrow at the 'loss' of a prized bronze, I continued to execute my plan.
Although they could be quiet when they needed to be, the Zealots I had trained with weren't stealth experts; on the contrary, they were fearless Templar Warriors who exemplified the ferocity of the Protoss at war as they charged into battle to bring swift death to the enemies of Aiur! Thus it was taking every bit of skill I possessed to remain quiet and unseen as I moved beneath the galleries of the Hatching Ground, slipping from shadow-to-shadow, gradually heading south and then a little to the west until I spied exactly what I was looking for! 'Hah! Eureka!' I thought, happily. Ahead of me, the galleries ended abruptly. A short distance away from where they ended, just to my right, was an exit out of the Hatching Ground which lead to the south. 'I have no idea where that leads to, but any place has to be better than where I am now' I thought.
Although the distance from where I was concealed beneath the galleries to the exit I sought was indeed short, I knew that if I broke my cover, there was a chance of being caught by both human and dragon. 'And if that happens, well, I think I might be done for!' I thought. 'Damn queen dragons might get in my head wanting to know how I survived without Impressing, and the humans will want to know how a dragon can be so intelligent... hell, they just might chop me up into chunky salsa in an effort to find out, and I can't have that happen to me! Damn it, if I wasn't so fucking hungry and tired, I could use my psychic abilities to get me out of this mess...' Among my arsenal of psychic abilities were two that would have been most useful in my current situation. The first of these was one I simply called 'Charm': the ability to implant thoughts in another person's head!
The ability 'Charm' had many uses—I could use it to soothe people who were angry, and calm those who were frightened—but I most often used it to misdirect my enemies, by making them unaware of my presence. The second ability, which would have aided me even better than 'Charm' was the power to conceal myself from sight by bending light around myself: something I'd learned from my Lifemate, Ieesha, after she had learned it from the Dark Templar of Shakuras. Unfortunately, however, I could use neither of these two powerful abilities... yet. 'But... how is it that I've been able to use any of my psychic abilities at all?' I wondered. 'Unless... Wait a minute... Yes, that's right: I remember reading something somewhere... something about... all Pernese Dragons being born with a natural, though weak, ability to use psionics. They use it for Impression, and to carry loads that are really heavy!'
When combined with the training I had received in my previous life, the pernese dragons' natural ability for psionics explained how I had been able to do the simple things I had done--examining that candidate's mind, stimulating my salivary glands, and closing my mind to the outside world--so easily. Suddenly, it occurred to me that my previous thought of using my psychic abilities to help escape my situation... had been in error. 'Shit... I'm thinking as though I'm still the seventy-five year old human I used to be--just eat, have a shower, then meditate and sleep and I'll be ready to kick ass again in the morning--but I can't think that way anymore, damn it! I won't be able to use any of my other psychic abilities, at all... at least, not yet. That includes "Charm" and "Conceal." Not only am I too physically and mentally weak now, but my body itself is far too young. I'm physically a baby... and I definitely do not want to render myself brain dead from Psionic Burnout, due to pushing myself too far, too fast...'
A shiver coursed through my body, then, as I remembered walking through one of Aiur's finest hospitals with my Mentor, High Templar Zhand'Akull, by my side. He'd taken me to the hospital's 'Burnout Ward' to teach me about Psionic Burnout... by showing me the patients there: Protoss, whose ages ranged from young, to old. Children who had tried to do too much, too soon. Former Zealots who'd been too cocky and arrogant, who hadn't listened to their instructors. And last: elderly High Templar. Some of them had willingly made the ultimate sacrifice in battle against the Zerg, whilst others had simply lost control, their minds no longer strong enough to handle the massive amounts of psionic energy they had been trying to channel. Whether young, or old, all of the Protoss in the Psionic Burnout Ward of that hospital were either in a coma, or vegetative state, their minds literally 'burned out' from overuse of their latent psionic energies.
There was no 'miracle cure' for something like this; the only thing the dedicated healers at the hospital could do was keep those Protoss comfortable until... until the end. I'd learned a terrible lesson that day and even now, that memory still horrified and saddened me beyond belief. As it faded from my conscious mind, I shook my head, blinking tears from my eyes as I let out a barely audible whimper. 'No. No way. I don't ever want to end up like those Protoss! No... I'll have to start over; completely retrain myself as I grow. For now, I guess I'll just have to make a run for it, and hope for the best' I thought. And with that thought in mind, I prepared myself; dropping to all-fours, I inhaled deeply, before offering a prayer to Adun. 'Well... here goes' I thought. 'Three... Two... One...GO!' Adun, former Master of the Khala and now God of my people, favored me that day, for as I blasted out of the Hatching Ground--leaving a huge cloud of sand and dust in my wake--neither human, nor fire-lizard, nor dragon had any time to react!
Within moments, I was through the exit and racing through what appeared to be an enormous meadow, surrounded on all sides by the 'walls' of a volcanic crater, with a great lake at its end. 'Woo-Hoo!' I crowed internally, 'I'm free! But... where the fuck am I?!' I would have stopped to examine my surroundings further if I'd had the time, but I didn't; as I ran onwards, I could hear the sounds of the humans and dragons I'd left behind at the Hatching Grounds beginning to search for me, the bronze they had thought lost. 'Yep, the jig's up' I thought. 'They no longer believe me to be dead now. I'm too exposed in the open like this; I've got to get the hell out of here...' Pushing my small body for all it was worth, I put on another burst of speed, swiftly dashed through a stone entryway... and then stopped immediately as I smelt a combination of aromas that were utterly mouthwatering!
Somehow, perhaps by sheer dumb luck, I had entered what seemed to be some kind of kitchen area. Set away from it, there was a large kind of dining area containing five long tables, all of which were hewn from solid oak. The first of these was horizontally arranged, and adorned with a cloth of fine silk. 'Hmm, must be where the head honchos sit' I thought. Set away from that table, slightly below it, were four others; these were arranged vertically such that they formed a kind of aisle leading up to the first. Set at either side of all the tables were benches, upon which people could sit. 'Heh... this place kinda reminds me of the Great Hall at Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry...' I thought in amusement. As I continued to take in my surroundings, suddenly, my attention was caught by the source of the mouthwatering aromas I was smelling: plates, and plates, and plates of succulent, delicious FOOD!
'OhgodsIgottahaveit!' I thought and then, letting out a joyous cry I climbed up onto one of the tables and began to feed! The table upon which I stood groaned and creaked ominously under my weight, but I just didn't care as I gorged myself on everything I could stuff into my muzzle! Roasted and smoked meats; baked and mashed potatoes; carrots, beans, peas; strange beverages reminiscent of wine and chocolate... I ate them all as I finally sated my hunger. 'Mmmsotasty...' I thought as I ate. My immense hunger, however, had made me careless... As I gobbled up the delicacies from yet another plate, I suddenly heard the sound of a terrible, earsplitting shriek! Instantly alarmed, I whipped my head up to determine the source of the sound... and as I did so, horror gripped my guts. Someone had entered the eating hall!
Standing just a few feet away from the table upon which I stood was a young girl, dressed in the simple clothes of a commoner, or perhaps a servant. Long light grey hair, which might have once been jet black if not for time and a coating of stone dust, framed her heart-shaped face, the skin of which was almost bone-white; the result of a lifetime spent in the shadows. I thought she was quite beautiful, and had I not been frozen with terror, I might have spoken to her, perhaps even introduced myself. The emotional control I had always maintained in my former life had escaped me, however; all I could do was stand there on the table, my lower jaw dropped open as I trembled with fear. 'Oh, shit! Shitshitshit... I've been caught! That's it, I'm done for!'
Suddenly, time seemed to freeze. The young girl fixed me with a piercing gaze from eyes of the deepest midnight-blue... and I gazed back at her, my own eyes whirling orange-red with emotion. It was a magical moment, as we seemed to connect on a spiritual level--but then, the moment was shattered. Her face twisting into a mask of furious anger, the girl screamed again then grabbed a broom from its place against the wall and swatted me with it! Since I was frozen with fear, that first strike with her improvised weapon was true. The feeling of the broom's hard bristled end crashing against my side, however, shocked me back to my senses, and I yelped in pain before managing to dodge the second attempt she made to hit me... and the third! This, however, seemed only to fuel her ire.
"You--you beast!" she snarled as she swung the broom a fourth, and then a fifth time. "Get out! Get out! Get out, out, out!" As I dodged her sixth attempt to strike me with the deadly cleaning implement, the only thought running through my mind was, 'I'd better do as she says, and quick! A reincarnated High Templar I may be, but hell hath no fury like a woman scorned!' And with that--as the young girl raised the broom she wielded for a sixth attempt at striking me--I jumped down from the table to the dining area's cobblestone floor, and then fled through the same entryway that she had come through... just in the nick of time! The entryway lead into a huge, torch-lit stone corridor, and as I made my way through it, I faintly heard the voice of the girl as she talked to several other humans, males, who had just entered the area!
"... Bronze dragon here!"
"... Bronze...? ... One ... fled ... Hatching Grounds?"
"Yes! ... Eating ... feast ... Weyrlings!"
"... Search ... it. ... Can't gone ... far away!"
'Goddamn it!' I thought frantically, my young body shaking with the adrenaline fueling it, 'I've just... gotta... keep running!' And I did--this way and that way, through entryway after entryway and corridor after corridor--until, finally, I burrowed into a pile of empty cloth sacks, at the back end of what seemed to be a grain-filled storage room. 'Whew...' I thought, my chest heaving as I gasped in great lungfuls of air, 'that's it! No more heavy-duty running for me until I'm ready for it!' Once I'd recovered from the exertions of pushing my young body so hard, and was able to slow my breathing to normal, carefully--so as not to tangle my wings and tail--I shifted about within the pile of sacks until I faced the entrance to the storage room... and then, finally, I started to relax. 'I'm safe in here for now... or at least, I should be' I thought. 'I'm well hidden; nobody should find me...'
Surrounded by the almost complete darkness of the room, and ensconced within the cloth sacks such that only the tip of my muzzle was poking out from between two of them, I was well hidden... but the assumption that I was safe was false, for no sooner had I thought it, than several Weyr-folk suddenly entered the storage room! From where I lay, I wasn't able to see them very clearly, but what I could see of them wasn't good at all; they were huge heavyset men... and they were armed! With hands thickly calloused from years of heavy lifting and other manual labor, two of the men held long tridents made of wood and iron, two carried heavy nets of thick rope made from some kind of plant fiber, and the final three men carried torches! Almost immediately--almost instinctively--I realized why the men were here... and then, bile filled my throat and I began to sweat, my heart hammering in my chest as my body shook with seizure-like tremors. 'Oh crap... oh, crapcrapcrap... they're here to search for me!'
As the men fanned out and began their search, occasionally shifting aside full sacks of grain as they moved throughout the room--one of them suddenly turned and spoke to his companion. "Ya' think that drudge was tellin' the truth, Aaron? About there bein' a bronze dragon in the kitchens, eatin' the feast meant for the Weyrlings?" The man's companion, Aaron, shrugged his shoulders and gave a noncommittal grunt before replying, "Pah! Who cares; if the pale-faced bint saw it, than she saw it, Marcus! If she didn't than I'll damn well give her a whippin' fer lyin' to me! Still... 'er story might be true. I know I caught myself a glimpse of somethin' racin' outta the Hatching Grounds... and whatever it was was movin' fast, like it was runnin' scared from Threadfall! Also, I hear tell that the dragons here are all in a right state; that they've asked their riders to have the whole of Benden put on alert for any sightings of 'a bronze that went between and then came back.' Now, let's stop talkin' and get lookin' fer it!"
Gulping down the bile in my throat, I pulled my head back slightly such that my snout-tip was no longer exposed and then I just lay completely still and waited as the men continued their search, gradually moving closer and closer to the back of the storage room, where the pile of sacks in which I was hiding was located. Overwhelmed with fear, my thought processes devolved into a chaotic mess as I fought back the urge to whimper audibly. 'Oh gods... pleasepleaseplease, don't let them find me I don't need a rider I don't understand Impression I don't want a rider I will not be bound no one will ever tell me what to do I won't be enslaved just turn away just walk away there's no one here there's nothing here please just go away...' I'm not exactly sure how I did it, but I must have unconsciously influenced the men somehow, because when they finally reached the back end of the storage room and searched there... they didn't notice the sack pile, at all!
No... let me try and correct that: it wasn't that they didn't notice it. It was as though the sack pile didn't exist to them; even though it was right there in plain sight, their eyes skipped over it, completely! When they were unable to find me, eventually--after at least an hour of searching the storage room--the men became disgruntled, frustrated, and weary, then left shortly thereafter. Once they were gone, utterly exhausted from the stresses of the day, I arranged myself more comfortable within my sack pile, then fell into a deep, dreamless sleep. Before my mind slipped away to the land of nod, the final thoughts that ran through my head were: 'Benden? Benden Weyr?! Oh, great! Out of all the places to get stuck in on Pern, I just have to end up in Benden Weyr, home of Perns' largest Queen Dragon, Ramoth... and her mate, Mnementh! If I run into either of those two, I'm history. I need a fuckin' map...'
When I awakened, it was night. How could I tell this, you ask? Well, there was a distinct lack of sound around me; it was quiet, too quiet, almost like a ghost town. There was also the fact that, as a Pernese Dragon, I possessed an innate sense of time; somehow I just... knew that it was night. Feeling well rested and refreshed after my long sleep, slowly and carefully--so as to make as little noise as possible--I crawled out from the pile of cloth sacks, and then just stood for a moment, turning my head left and right, glancing around the storage room. Apart from the sacks of grain which had been shifted--the evidence that the Weyr-folk had searched for me--nothing seemed to be amiss, and I sighed quietly with relief. As I did so, however, a thought suddenly occurred to me. 'Hang on... didn't those men say that Benden had been put on alert for me? If so... then, why isn't everyone still searching for me now?'
I puzzled over that for a moment, before finally coming to my own conclusion. 'They probably did continue to search for me throughout the whole day, but didn't search this room a second time, and since I was asleep didn't hear them' I reasoned. 'They'll probably resume their search for me come morning, but until then... the time is mine!' It was then, that I decided to do something both extremely brave... and, possibly, extremely stupid: explore Benden Weyr. 'Yes... I will do it!' I thought, gleefully. 'It'll give me an opportunity to explore the Weyr, and perhaps gain some self-taught stealth training...' It took me longer than anticipated to complete my exploration of Benden Weyr--several months, in fact--and I actually ended up living there, in the storage room, for that time. Out of necessity, I became a nocturnal creature; I would sleep in the storage room during the day, and awaken at night, to acquire food from the kitchens to eat before traveling throughout Benden.
Traveling throughout Benden not only enabled me to train myself in the ways of stealth, but also enabled me to learn to walk properly upon my hind legs without difficulty. Once I had mastered this ability, and was able to regain the use of my forepaws as proper hands, as I continued to explore and map the Weyr in my head, I found myself helping the people there in my own small way. I didn't directly interact with any human or dragon, of course--since they were usually asleep when I was awake--but... If the people of the Weyr had gone to sleep, leaving work or chores unfinished, I would complete them. If cargo was left behind, in carts in the unloading area, I would unload it. If rooms were left untidy, then I would locate supplies to clean them, and do so.
If a Dragon Rider, fatigued and weary from fighting Thread, ever left their dragon's harness unmaintained, then I would maintain it for him or her; I would find the supplies to do so, and than carefully oil and polish the leather and metal harness before re-hanging it carefully upon its hook. That work was often the most difficult, yet also the most beneficial for my stealth training, as I would often have to work in very close proximity to the sleeping riders and their mounts; thus, I would have to always make sure to be as quiet as I could! My training in the ways of stealth wasn't always successful; there were times during my nightly travels when I would encounter the odd human still awake. If they saw me, however, it didn't truly matter, for what they saw of me was usually very little--often just the brief flash of a bronze wing, the tip of a tail, or even the reflection of a faceted eye--before I would vanish once again into the shadows, unseen and unheard. My work for the Weyrfolk of Benden also began to be noticed.
They would, at first, believe that said work had been completed by Drudges, but eventually--after enough people had seen me, due to mishaps with my stealth training--whispered rumors would begin circulating throughout Benden Weyr. Those rumors would eventually become a story about 'The Lost Bronze of Pern', a bronze dragon who had gone between after failing to find his rider, only to return from that cold, black void as a spirit, forever bound to haunt the halls of Benden and help its people as he searched eternally for the companion he couldn't find in life. The story would be told by the Harpers of Pern to all whom would listen. It would serve as a harsh lesson to Candidate and Dragon Rider alike, and every time I heard it, my eyes would mist over with tears. Eventually, my time at Benden Weyr came to an end.
On the first night of my seventh month there, as I made my way to the kitchens to liberate some food, I heard a series of odd sounds, coming from a small alcove, just off from the entryway of said kitchens: quiet grunts, intermingled with muffled distressed, feminine cries. 'What the hell...?' I wondered. Swiveling my new draconic ears forward, I crept closer to the alcove, and then, I saw what was within... Among the refuse scattered on the floor in the dead end, seven figures--the Weyr-folk who'd first searched for me in the storage room months earlier--were clustered around another figure on the ground: the young girl who'd caught me in the kitchens six months ago! Five of the men were holding her down... while the last two were raping her, brutally; the first man thrusting into her mouth, as the second forced himself into her behind.
"Ungh... you told us your story about the dragon, you worthless Drudge, but there was no dragon! Whatever I saw leavin' the Hatching Grounds must a' been a figment o' my imagination!" he whispered harshly as he continued his 'work.' "You stole the food yourself, didn't you?! Yeah, you did, and than you blamed the theft on some imaginary dragon so you wouldn't get in trouble." At that, the first man chuckled softly. "Yeah, you're a fuckin' thievin' whore... but you won't ever steal or lie again by the time we're done with you!" he hissed. 'Holy shit and damnation!' I thought, shocked. 'I... I know what rape is--I've heard about it on the News before, on Earth in my previous life--but to think that it would happen here, on Pern, of all places...' At that moment, a feeling of raw, primal fury overcame me and I bared my teeth in a vicious snarl!
'This is blasphemy... This is madness... THIS... IS... PERN!' I howled internally, and then with a real, physical, howling-roar, I charged into battle! What followed could only be described as the clash of the century! Although my new draconic body wasn't trained for combat, since I still possessed all my memories of the martial combat training I'd received during my previous life, my mind was! Thus, even though I didn't fight well, like a Rogue from the game 'Dungeons and Dragons' I was still able to 'hit them where it hurt'... and I did, using every cheap, dirty, dishonorable, and downright immoral trick I knew. With claws, teeth, wings, and tail, I hacked, slashed, ripped, bit and tore into any weak and vulnerable area of any man I could find: Achilles tendons, knees, faces... And even though they gave back as good as they got, eventually, I was the victor!
When the last of the men was carried away with a ravaged face and destroyed ankle-tendons by his fellows, shocked and horrified at what she'd been forced to endure, on hands and knees the young servant girl crawled over to me, and then, she embraced me, as she cried and cried, and cried. As her tears streamed from her eyes to run down her pale cheeks and drip to the floor below, I wrapped my arms wings and tail about her naked body, clumsily returning her embrace and holding her close. Finally, when she was able to calm herself and stop crying, as the last of her cries faded into the night I softly licked away her tears with my forked tongue, causing her to giggle a bit before she quietly said, "Th-Thank you for saving me. I... I'm sorry I hit you earlier. I am called Erin." Then there was silence in the alcove, save for our quiet breathing, as I debated whether to speak to her or not.
'Should I?' I wondered. 'As soon as I start talking, she will realize that I'm not an ordinary dragon! She could bring the entire Weyr down on me within moments... But, I did save her from... what just happened a few moments ago. I don't think she'll tell anybody about me, not after that...' My mind made up, I responded to her speech by nuzzling my bronze snout against her cheek, and then I 'spoke' to her directly. ~Hello, Erin, my name is David~ I said. ~I'm glad I was able to help you. Though your thanks is appreciated, there's no need for it; one of my many duties is to protect and defend those in need. As to your apology for hitting me... well, heh, you had every right to drive me away from the kitchens, as I was stealing food that you obviously spent a lot of time preparing.~ Upon hearing me speak to her, the girl--Erin--gasped softly, her eyes widening.
"How is is that you're speaking to me, great dragon? I thought that dragons could speak only with those they Impressed--at least... that's what I'd overheard." Releasing her from my embrace, I proceeded to watch over her carefully whilst she dressed herself in the now tattered remnants of her clothing. Then, once she was dressed, I replied, ~We dragons can speak with whomever we wish, not just those we Impress.~ Erin nodded... but then, her eyes narrowed as she gazed at me with a hint of suspicion. "Your name, 'David', doesn't sound like a dragon's name" she murmured, "and your voice and accent aren't Pernese; they're unlike anything I've ever heard." Heaving a deep sigh, I replied ~You're very perceptive. I'm not an ordinary dragon, Erin; that's all you need to know for now, as I don't trust you enough yet to talk about this in depth.~
Erin nodded again, the suspicion in her gaze becoming replaced with warmth as she replied, "I understand... but even though you might not trust me yet, David, I trust you; you did save me after all." Suddenly, a wistful sigh escaped her, before she continued, her voice filled with frustration, "I would very much like to leave this place. I... I know the way out, but... this place is all I've ever known, even though my time serving the people here has often been less than pleasant. Many times, I have thought about leaving on my own, but--until now--I've been too afraid to act." Suddenly, her expression brightened. "Perhaps... Yes, perhaps we could leave together!" she said excitedly. Turning from her and moving to sit on my haunches, I pondered her words for a moment, my thoughts running amok. 'Leave? The both of us? Together? Abnormal Bronze Dragon and Kitchen Drudge? What the hell...?
This whole situation seems to be playing out like one of those bloody cliche's from some of the spectacularly bad "Dragon Riders of Pern" fan-fiction that I used to read during my previous life! Hmm... how do those cliche's usually play out again? Ah, yes... super-powerful Gary-Stu dragon Impresses Kitchen Drudge. Then, Dragon and Kitchen Drudge run away together, only to emerge decades later from wherever-they-went, in order to save the whole of Pern from some terrible fate, that no one else can deal with. Bleh...' With a shake of my head, I pulled my thought processes back on track. 'Still... I'm pretty sure that Erin and I could make a go of living on our own in the wilderness. I know I've got some basic survival training somewhere in this head of mine and I'm pretty certain I could learn how to hunt.
Erin, being a drudge... would know the usual things drudges know, I suppose: how to cook, and clean, and sow, and mend stuff. Of course, anything we both don't know, we'll just have to learn as we go... and it certainly will be one hell of a learning experience, for both of us. It might even be fun! Yeah... despite how cliche it seems, leaving this place with Erin... doesn't seem like such a bad idea. As for the rest of the "cliche script", however... fuck that! There's no way I'm ever going to Impress with Erin, or anyone for that matter, and I'm definitely not going to save Pern from some "terrible fate"; that's what the damn Dragonriders are there for...' Together, Erin and I did leave Benden Weyr; under cover of darkness, she and I slipped away and journeyed south into a region I learned was called Nerat: a place of rain forest and nigh-impenetrable jungle.
It was there that we settled, to begin our lives anew... and it was there, that she and I would stay, for nearly thirty years. Life in the wilderness was cruel, harsh, and unforgiving, but we persevered; during our time there, Erin and I learned to hunt the various ground and tree-dwelling animals of the region. We only hunted what we needed, of course, and we learned never to waste anything of the animals that we caught; Together we would prepare and cook the meat from whatever we caught, and from the hides and feathers, Erin would fashion new clothing for herself. When I asked her to, she even crafted a horse-rug like garment for me! It was an odd thing: many hides decorated with feathers from various birds, stitched together with tough string-like plant fibers, open at the back for my wings and 'buttoned' at the front with toggles made of bone that I could manipulate easily with my paws.
The garment was never replaced, because Erin had designed it such that--as I grew from hatchling, to adolescent, to adult--new hides could be easily added to it, to increase its size in accordance with my growth. Erin, however, wasn't the only one who made things from the remains of the animals we ate; I did, too. I learned to fashion various different kinds of knives and blades from their bones. I also learned how to carve rocks and stones into axe, spear, and hammer-heads; when lashed to wooden handles these made crude, but effective tools. As the years passed by, I would refine these tools considerably, placing six of them--a stone hammer, two stone axes, and three bone knives--into a crudely fashioned "utility sash" which I would wear about my waist!
To an outside observer, the sight of a young bronze dragon wearing crude clothing, and wielding primitive tools as it walked upright and hunted game like a human might have been utterly bizzare, or even fascinating... but to Erin, it was utterly hilarious; whenever she saw me geared up before every hunt, she would laugh and laugh, and laugh! When she did so, I didn't stop her; on the contrary, after how she'd been treated at Benden, to hear her laugh was wonderful, so I only encouraged it--by giving her a good-natured grin and then doing a reasonable attempt at a Moonwalk or some other style of dance from Earth--until the poor girl laughed so hard her sides ached! Meat from animals wasn't the only food source that Erin and I lived on, of course. During our hunting trips, she and I would often make time to explore the forests and jungles of Nerat for various plant materials to add to our diet.
Said explorations were usually quite fruitful--we would often find various herbs, fruits, and other kinds of plants, many of which I recognized from Earth--and we soon learned which plants were good to eat, which were not, and which kinds were useful for medicinal purposes. Eventually, Erin would add a medicine bag to her garments, and I would add two small pouches to my utility belt; these we kept filled with crushed and dried herbs, which could be turned into various medicines, poultices, and even poisons to aid us during hunting! When we weren't hunting and gathering for food--working from memories so ingrained into me that they could never be lost--I retrained myself. I relearned the teachings of the Khala, the strict set of disciplines which defined the behavior of all citizens within the Protoss Empire.
I also put my new draconic body through its paces, through physical exercise and retraining in the ways of the Zealots. Once more, I learned how to fight as they did--this time, without the aid of their amazing technology--and once more, I learned how to attune myself to the disciplines of the Khala in order to invoke the state called 'Ka'Doth', a near berserk rage in battle. As I relearned my martial skills, I taught them to Erin; she and I would spar regularly as she learned everything that I could teach her. By the time my training in the physical arts was complete, I had become stronger, faster, and physically fitter than any other bronze dragon on Pern. I didn't look like a 'muscle-bound freak'; on the contrary, my body appeared thin and lean because nearly every ounce of useless fat had been either burned away or replaced by finely-toned muscle.
Erin, too, had benefited from the physical training; her skin had lost its albino-like paleness and had gained a healthy tan and her body had become ripped; she looked like some kind of female bodybuilder or Amazon Warrior! No longer was she a mere kitchen drudge; well versed in the disciplines of the Khala, and fully trained in the arts of physical combat, she was a powerful warrior woman who would have been a fine Zealot of the Protoss Empire! With the physical aspect of my training complete, I turned my attention elsewhere as I began to walk further down the Path of Khala and retrain myself in the ways of the High Templar. I re-taught myself Psionics—the art of tapping the mind's potential. This, unfortunately, was something Erin could not learn; she hadn't been born with the ability to wield psionic energy like I had been.
Determined to learn as much as she could, however, she followed me as best she was able. When I relearned how to meditate--in order to properly close my mind to the outside world and focus my latent mental power--though she possessed no power of her own to focus, she learned to meditate, too. After relearning the technique of meditation, I relearned how to channel the power of my mind to augment the natural physical strength and endurance of my body. Then, I began reteaching myself the 'lesser' abilities I had once possessed. 'Telekinesis'—the ability to remotely interact with objects, without physically touching them. 'Healing'—the ability to channel the power of my mind to regenerate damage to my own body, and the bodies of others. And finally, 'Charm'—the ability to implant thoughts in another person's head. Relearning these abilities was relatively simple; I would practice Telekinesis by levitating various objects around me, and would use Healing whenever I or Erin became injured from hunting, or sparring.
Charm I would invoke whilst hunting, as it allowed me to make even the most skittish of animals completely unaware of my presence. When I'd remastered the lesser abilities, I turned my attention to relearning the 'greater': 'Psionic Blast'--the ability to physically manifest a sphere of condensed psionic energy, which I could throw at a target. And 'Psionic Assault'--the ability to create a physically manifested psionic shockwave, which I could use to stun, or kill, an entire group of opponents! Psionic Blast was another ability which came in useful when Erin and I were hunting, for once I became skilled with it I was able to fell the avian life of Pern from the sky and strike ground targets dead from a distance. Psionic Assault, too, came in useful; on one particular day, when Erin and I had been exploring the region, by chance we'd come upon a cave... and had been attacked viciously by its occupant: a great black bear whose face and hide had been ravaged by Thread! With Psionic Assault, I had been able to kill the creature instantly.
As I traveled further down the path of Khala, Erin and I noticed many remarkable changes taking place within me. The physiology of my body changed, such that it became somewhat like that of a true Protoss; I found that I could gain nutrition from sunlight, or moonlight, by absorbing said light through my hide! Unlike true Protoss, however--whom only needed light and water to survive--I still required normal food as part of my diet, though far less than a normal bronze dragon would eat. In addition to this, my five primary senses sharpened far beyond all that I had experienced before, and my hide--originally smooth, with a suede-like texture--changed at the genetic level! Everywhere except for at my body's joints, it thickened, hardened and strengthened, becoming something like the incredibly tough Carapace Armor of my greatest enemy, the Zerg!
The final change that took place within me, however, was perhaps the most mysterious: when I reached my full adult size--at the age of eighteen months--gradually, the rate at which my body aged slowed to a crawl. Erin and I soon discovered that the ravages of time had lost their hold upon me; for every year that passed, I would barely age a day... if I even aged at all. Upon achieving mastery of my 'greater' psychic abilities for the second time, I set about relearning how to manifest my power into the devastating attack that all High Templar use in battle: a chaotic 'storm' of psionic lightning, called the 'Psionic Storm.' When she saw me invoke this power--one of the final three that I possessed--as she watched the power of the Storm light the skies, Erin gasped audibly, half in awe... and half in fear.
With the Psionic Storm mastered, I swiftly relearned to manifest the power of my mind as illusionary duplicates of other beings--phantasms possessing no physical substance--which could be used to sow confusion amongst enemy forces. Previously taught to me by my mentor, High Templar Zhand'Akull, this was the second of my final three abilities, and it was simply called "Hallucination." This, however, was not the greatest of my abilities. No... that title was reserved for the final power I relearned, the power I called 'Projection'—the ability to project my soul out of my body in an ethereal form made of pure psionic energy, which had limited interaction with the physical world. During my previous life, once I'd gained mastery of all of my psionic abilities for the first time, I had been allowed to create a Khaydarin Amulet--a holy amulet that could be used to more potently focus my mental power.
With a set of special carving tools, I had carved it by hand from a shard of Khaydarin Crystal, and it had been one of my most prized possessions. Neither Khaydarin Crystal, nor the tools used to carve it could be obtained on Pern, however, so I could not recreate my special amulet. Therefore, after I had mastered my abilities for the second time I set about creating a brand new item for myself: a Chanfron. The Chanfron--a component of 'barding', or horse armor--was specifically designed to protect a horse's face during combat, and extended from the horse's ears to its muzzle. Early Chanfrons were made from boiled leather whilst later types were made from solid, metal plates. The Chanfron that I would create for myself on Pern, however, would not be designed for a horse; it would be crafted for a dragon, and the material used to create it would be something far more macabre: the bones of the dead.
Shaped and sized perfectly for my head, the Chanfron I created was crafted from a hodge-podge of skull pieces! I gathered these bone pieces from the skulls of animals I'd hunted and then, with a simple application of psionic power, I melted them together to form the Chanfron, which extended from my ears to just over the tip of my muzzle. After adding a pair of flanges to the armor as protection for my eyes, with one of my bone knives, I carved dozens of glyphs and symbols of the Protoss dialect into the Chanfron's surface, which I then inked in with a pigment made from black clay. I then made the glyphs permanent with another application of psionic power. A decorative feature common to many Chanfrons is a rondel with a small spike, usually located at the center of the forehead, between the eyes.
Within the center of the forehead of my Chanfron, however, I placed a Sapphire; a brilliant blue gem, that with my power I had torn from the earth and hardened, until its toughness matched that of a diamond! After that, I cleaned and polished the head armor until it shone brilliantly. Then, finally--by the light of a newly made fire, with Erin as my witness--I slowly affixed the Chanfron to my face with a pair of simple leather straps as I once again solemnly swore the Oath of the High Templar. My training was, at last, complete. This idyllic lifestyle which Erin and I were living couldn't last forever. And it didn't; in fact it ended abruptly, three days after I'd completed my training, as I snapped awake feeling that something was terribly, horribly wrong! Slowly and carefully--so as not to awaken Erin, who lay against my side, still asleep--I took a good look around the rainforest clearing in which we lived.
Nothing seemed to be out of the ordinary--on the contrary, the state of the clearing seemed to be fine--but the feeling of wrongness persisted; in fact, as time passed, it seemed to intensify! 'Hmm...' I thought, puzzled, 'nothing seems to be amiss here, so why the hell do I feel as though I'm being stalked by a Hydralisk?!' Whilst I continued to try and figure out why I felt the way I did, I happened to glance up at the sky, towards the north-east -- where a haze of shimmering silver clouded the horizon... Even though I'd never encountered it during my previous life as a human, and even though I'd never seen it before in my new life until today, through racial memories and instincts inherited from my ancestors--the many bronzes who had come before me--I realized what it was... and as I did so, every instinct within me screamed ENEMY!!! This, I realized, was the source of the wrongness I had felt!
It was the Destroyer, the Devourer, Pern's Great Enemy. It was... 'Thread!' I thought, my lips drawing back from my teeth in a vicious, silent snarl. At that point, I suddenly realized what I was doing and--with an irritated shake of my head--I stopped, immediately. 'No! No! I won't be a slave to my instincts!' I thought. 'I know I'm no longer physically human... but relearning my skills has enabled me to reclaim much of what I lost--my metaphorical humanity; what makes me human inside--and I won't lose that to bestial instinct! I won't!' Taking a metaphorical step back, I assessed the situation. 'I serve Earth and Aiur; I have no allegiance to this planet, or its people' I thought. 'Besides, Pern has enough dragons to battle thread already; they don't need another one, and the folks up there probably won't appreciate me 'interfering' where I mightn't be wanted.
There's also the fact that Erin and I have had no access to Firestone, therefore, I've never had the opportunity to chew it before. I do know how it works, however: it's a phosphine-bearing rock; I chew it up and swallow it, whereupon it gets partially digested inside a second stomach chamber within me. Said digestion releases the phosphine in the rock, which mixes with the acids in my stomach chamber, producing a gas that I... belch... as flame!' Suddenly, I blinked... as I realized just how utterly ridiculous the whole thing sounded. 'What. The. Fuck? Was Anne McCaffrey high on drugs, or something, when she wrote that?! It is fuckin' ridiculous; having to chew up rock to produce fire. What the hell's gonna happen if Pern runs out of Firestone one day?! It'll be like... some insert-number-of-years later, the head of the Mining Division walks up to the head of the Dragonriders and says, "Well, that's it; we're all outta Firestone!"
And the head of the Dragonriders 'll be like "What?! We're out of Firestone?! Oh no, how are we gonna save Pern now?!"' As I envisioned that scenario, suddenly, I couldn't help it: I cracked up laughing! I couldn't do it physically, of course, no matter how much I wanted to--since that would awaken Erin--so I did it internally, my eyes whirling brilliant blue-green as my muzzle creased into a tremendous grin! When at last, I was able to stop laughing, I returned my attention to the matter at hand. 'Let's resume. After digestion, when all the phosphine has been used up, all that's left behind is ash which a dragon has to... expel... by vomiting! I don't ever want to be doing that--puking up ash all day--but the real thing that concerns me is: what is really known about Firestone? The phosphine within the stone--and part of the stone itself--is digested, thus, it becomes part of a dragon's body chemistry.
What effect might that have upon me? I might have an allergic reaction to it, it might make me as sick as a dog... and it could even drastically shorten my life, for all I know! Also... it's fucking rock for chrissake; if I chew it, the stuff might blunt, or even break my fucking teeth, depriving me of a very useful combat weapon. That... and no one knows what it even tastes like; it could taste like shit for all I know! No, I won't ever be chewing Firestone and flaming Thread from Pern's sky; I can't risk it. Pern's problems are not my own!' No sooner had that thought entered my mind, then suddenly I remembered... In keeping with the codes of the Khala, my people--the Protoss--had taken upon themselves a task called the Dae'Uhl, or, `Great Stewardship'. The Dae'Uhl called for them to protect, and safeguard the races living under their shadow.
Since I was a High Templar, a Holy Warrior and Defender of Aiur, I too had to answer that call; part of the Oath I had sworn upon completion of my training--both in my previous life as a human, and in my new life as a Bronze Dragon of Pern--demanded that I uphold this sacred duty. For a moment, mixed feelings of sheer horror, and utter disgust welled up within me, as I realized that I had been about to break that Oath... and then, I broke down; my faceted eyes misted over with tears and my body shook with silent sobs as I wept. 'What the fuck is wrong with me?!' I thought, berating myself. As my tears fell from my eyes, ran down my cheeks, and then dripped off to fall to the earth below, I immersed myself within the empathic bond of the Khala--though not so much that I lost my sense of self.
Subsumed within the link, I could feel no Protoss minds touch my own, for there were no Protoss on Pern... or so I thought. Suddenly, without warning, my mind was filled with feelings--all-encompassing, overwhelming feelings--of sympathy, compassion, understanding, love, and forgiveness. I realized, then, that though there were no mortal Protoss here on Pern, there was a divine Protoss with me. ~Adun...~ I thought in wonderment. No sooner had I thought that, then the feelings I was experiencing changed, becoming one of affirmation as He spoke to me. ~Yes, it is I. Feel no shame, young Templar, for your actions; you have not angered me, nor broken the Oath you have sworn recently, and did swear previously, so long ago. Though you almost did stray from the Path that you, and my other Sons walk, you realized you were about to do so, and stopped yourself in time; for that, I am all-the-more proud of you.
There was a time, my Son, when I was as mortal as you, and during that time there were days when I, too, sometimes stumbled when I felt as though everything became too much. During those times, I would seek out my Mentor, whom would counsel me. Though you have no Mentor here on this world whom can do the same, remember that you are not alone. Allow your friend, Erin, to do what she can, and always remember that through the bond of the Khala we may always commune. I, too, am here for you -- as I am here for all my Sons of Aiur. Now... as for the people of this world...~ Suddenly, unexpectedly, the feeling of His determination welled up within me as He took command of my physical body, lifting my head and opening my eyes such that I gazed at the Thread falling from the sky.
~Lend them your aid, my Son of Aiur!~ he commanded. Whilst my Lord Adun and I had been in communion, the Threadfall had moved closer; I could now make out flashes of orange amidst its shimmering silver haze--the fire of the Pernese Dragons as they fought--and so when He released me from His control I softly answered, ~I will, my Lord.~ The divine prescience of Adun left me, then, as He turned his attention elsewhere, but it didn't matter, for I now knew that He would always be with me. Swiftly, I turned my attention to Erin and nudged her gently with my muzzle to wake her. ~Erin? Erin? Wake up, please. We have to go, now.~ When she felt me nudging her, Erin murmured sleepily, than attempted to bat my muzzle away from her sleeping form with a hand, but I was persistent; eventually, she opened her eyes to gaze at me
A yawn escaping her, she groggily asked "... Mmmh... Whas th' matter, Dav'd...? Why'd we have to go?" My face set into a grim expression, I answered ~Look up at the sky, Erin, toward the northeast.~ She yawned and stretched--raising her arms to the sky--before doing as I had suggested... and then, she snapped awake, all of her previous sleepiness vanishing in an instant. "By the Khala's Light," she exclaimed, "that's... that's Thread!" Quickly getting to my feet, I nodded to her, then dressed myself and wrapped my utility sash about my waist as I replied ~Yes. I must help the people of Pern destroy it!~ Upon hearing my reply Erin, too, got to her feet and then--as she dressed herself in her hide garments and equipped her medicine bag--she said, "I thought you didn't want to help the people of Pern!"
Turning to her, I gazed at her solemnly for a moment, before I heaved a deep sigh and replied, ~That... was before, Erin. I'd just been reborn and I -- I wasn't myself. I was paranoid, terrified and selfish. Things have changed now, however; relearning my skills has allowed me to also regain much of my humanity, much of what I once was. As a High Templar, I am charged with the task of protecting and safeguarding the "lesser races"--a task called the 'Dae'Uhl', or Great Stewardship. You, too, know of this task from my teachings.~ When Erin nodded, I continued, ~I must uphold this sacred duty, Erin, not only because it's something that I have to do, but also because Adun has commanded me to!~ At that, Erin took a step back, her eyes widening. "Adun... Adun is real?!" she asked. With a solemn nod of my head, I answered, ~Yes, Erin, He is; He's an active god and He does watch over His people. He has commanded that I aid the people of Pern, and I must heed His words!~
With that, I told her of what Adun had said to me. Once I finished speaking, for a moment, Erin thought about what I had said... and then her face became set in an expression of grim determination as she replied, "Then we shall heed his words together, David!" And with that, I crouched down--as if to have Erin mount me for battle. Instead of doing so, however, she suddenly cried, "Wait a moment, David! How are we going to do this? I've never ridden a dragon, and you've never flown before!" At that, for a moment I was overcome with a terrible feeling of panic, as I realized that she was right; I had never flown before, and now would be my first time! 'Shit, she's right! How the hell am I gonna do this?! And what might happen if I screw up?!' For a moment longer, I stood there, my thoughts a whirlwind... but then, I 'took a step back', stopped, and sneered at myself internally.
'Come on, David, you pussy; get a grip!' I thought to myself. 'You're a Bronze Dragon, for Adun's sake! You've got instincts, and now is the time use them, to teach yourself as you go along!' And with that, I crouched down again, turned my head to look at Erin and then--placing just a hint of power in my voice--I softly uttered a command in Khalani, the native language of my people. ~Tul, Roquen!~ The words I had spoken translated as "Come, Rider!" Although Erin couldn't understand them, the power and authority behind them spurred her into action; silently, effortlessly, she vaulted herself into position upon my back as though she'd been doing it all her life! After that, with a touch of my psionic power it was a simple matter to hold her there, thus, when riding me, she wouldn't need any complicated harness, or saddle. Once Erin was secure, I crouched down further, tensing--my powerful muscles rippling beneath my bronze carapace-hide as I gathered my strength...
And then, with a tremendous psionically enhanced leap and a powerful beat of my bronze wings, I soared upward, out of the valley, and into the clouds. Like a dance of light, I burst up through the overcast, thin eddies of mist trailing from my wingtips as I ascended higher and higher into into the sky. Upon reaching a respectable altitude, I turned and swiftly winged my way northeast towards the Threadfall. ~Hey, this... this isn't too bad!~ I said to Erin as I flew. ~I'm doing pretty good for a first-time flier!~ From her position atop me, Erin gave my neck an affectionate pat. Since the roar of the wind made hearing physical speech impossible, she replied by broadcasting her thoughts strongly. 'Yes, you are,' she said. 'Now, let us bring swift death to the enemy of Pern!' When we reached the leading edge of the Threadfall and dove into it, the Wingleader and the two-dozen Dragonriders he was leading in fighting the abomination were startled to see us.
Their dragons, too, were surprised--they peppered me with questions, wanting to know who I was and where I'd come from--but I closed my mind to them, a terrible roar-howling war-cry escaping me as I unleashed the full power of my psionic abilities for the first time, to devastating effect! Weaving erratically around and between the other dragons, I knocked smaller clumps of Thread away from them when it got too close, destroyed huge swathes of the stuff with repeated Psionic Storms, and healed any dragon or rider who became injured. Erin and I ended up fighting with the Wing of Dragonriders for roughly eight hours, as they followed the pattern of Threadfall south-east across Pern. At the end of that time period, "our" Wing of Dragons was relieved by another; that Wing would continue to track the Threadfall until it, too, was relieved.
Feeling dead-tired, yet also utterly exhilarated, I projected satisfaction to Erin as I said ~That was awesome!~ I felt her affectionately pet my neck as she thought loudly, 'Yes, it was! We fought well... and we didn't outshine the other dragons--at least, I hope we didn't...' Chuckling quietly, I projected equal amounts of amusement and affection into her mind as I replied, ~Well, Adun commanded that we aid them, not outdo them! Let's go home and rest for a while; we might be needed again.~ And with that, we did go home... or tried to, at least. As we turned to wing our way back to our home in the forests of Nerat, suddenly, I heard a voice call to me weakly, as though it was coming from within a long tunnel. ~Wait! Who are you? Where have you come from? Why do you not stay at the Weyr with us?~ Hovering there in the sky, ever-so-slowly, I turned around to look behind me... and there, I saw something which sent shivers down my spine. 'Oh, fuck no...' I thought, in horror.