Take note that I jump around time crazily in this chapter. The bold&italicized words refer to how long ago the following events took place before Hilaris' and Halicyon's return to earth—the "present" time in the story. I will follow this layout for the following chapters as well, so please keep it in mind.
And yes. The "Kayura" in this chapter is Lady Kayura from the series.
Disclaimer: Everything in the original Ronin Warriors series isn't mine. Everything that wasn't in the original series is mine, and don't you go stealing it.
Pronounciation
Key:
(Two r's denotes a trilled r; a ' means the two
syllables are blended, said as closely together as
possible)
Cyatanacea "see'yah-tah-na-SE-ah"
Cyatans
"SEE'YAH-tahns"
Kyrghan "KEERR-gan"
Kicqpa
"KEEK-pah"
Ksallai "kih'SAH-lai"
Inokian
"ih-NO-kee-an"
Kionden "kee-ON-den"
Hilaris
"hih-LER-is"
Halicyon
"HAHL-ee-see-on"
Enjoy!
Dragondance
By Windsong
Chapter 2
Written 26 February 2004
Five Months Ago:
Cyatanacea was a world that was usually called an "isolated world" by the other worlds. Because that's what it was. Completely cut off from all worlds, because there was no gate to aid in the transfer of nonmagical creatures—be those creatures human or beast—from Cyatanacea to other worlds. Because of this, as a whole Cyatans didn't know about the other worlds. Of course, there were legends—but any well-informed, perfectly sane person could tell you that the old legends were purely flights of fantasy, stories meant to scare children into obedience with. Their answer would probably be accompanied with a strange, or condescending look, or a laugh if you were lucky (Cyatans were not known for their senses of humor). Of course the stories weren't real. Cyatans were also quite practical, and not known for their imaginations, or particularly strong magic. They were also fearful of things they didn't entirely understand.
Because of its isolation from the other worlds, Cyatanacea was very poor, and the world's geography didn't help. It was mainly water, with scatterings of quite small islands and a solitary, not-very-big continent. The land was quite fertile–-but there was only so much land to go around, and eventually Cyatanacea became too overcrowded for the land to support.
There was one other problem. Of all the known worlds, Cyatanacea had the highest concentration of magical creatures. And, because Cyatans were not magical, they could not fully understand these creatures–-and because they feared the unknown, they feared the magical creatures greatly. Well, in varying degrees, of course.
There were three types of magical creatures: Lightres, Darkos, and Highbreds. Lightres were quite weak physically, but they were very powerful in magic, because magic in their world could only be used to its furthest extent by pure creatures they were very helpful to humans, aiding in any way they could. All you needed to do was ask—if you had the courage. Cyatans were probably the least afraid of Lightres, but they were afraid nonetheless. Darkos were their opposite. Quite strong, but because of their evil natures they could only use the most rudimentary spells. They were violent, brutal, and highly territorial; they killed anything that trespassed upon their claimed land. These were the most highly feared, and they were generally avoided. Lastly, there were the Highbreds. They were balanced, knowing a goodly amount of spells but also having a lot of physical power, usually due to their large size. They were also territorial and the lands they claimed were large, in proportion with their size—but although they would kill you if you hunted or settled on their land, if you came to them for help they would generally be agreeable if you were polite. There had once been many Highbreds, but for some reason or another, they had all died out, leaving only one final race—the dragons.
As the population grew to the breaking point, the people directed their anger towards what they already naturally feared, the magical creatures. They started with the Darkos; overwhelming them with power, and then taking over their land. And this satisfied them for a while.
But then the land there was exhausted as well, and so they turned their destruction towards the Lightres, claiming they were eating up the land's resources, and killing and enslaving them into menial work–-for a mage (there were a few mages, but they were treated as outcasts and slaves) had created a collar that could control magic.
But when the people started turning on the Lightres, there were people that spoke out against it. They did not believe that the Lightres were to blame, and saw other ways to deal with the situation. Like–-having birth control so that only one child could be born per family (why should we limit ourselves? people demanded. It is our right to populate this world!)
Others remembered ancient legends that spoke of "gates"—things that could link to other worlds. Why don't we try to find these gates, they asked, and send some of our population there? (People just scoffed at this. Legends? They replied, scornfully. Legends are never true! Only ideas to scare little children with. Besides, magic is foul, and all magical creatures—whether they are helpful or harmful—do not belong here. They belong in Legends—not here!)
Thousands and thousands of Lightres were either enslaved until they died on their lifestyles of overwork and starvation, or just killed.
The Highbreds remembered the Legends as well, but they saw the truth in them. And they searched along with the remaining Lightres to find the spells that would activate the ancient gates. At last, a single gate was opened—but only one, because the magical drain was too strong. And the gate was weak, and wouldn't last for long. So the Highbreds allowed the Lightres to go through first, because, they reasoned, the Lightres were being attacked...and besides, the Highbreds would have no qualms about killing humans if it came to that, while the Lightres refused to.
On the twenty-third day of Eroi, the fifth month, the gate suddenly collapsed, sending out a huge light and a shockwave of power that didn't destroy anything, but terrified the Cyatans. Do you see? Some cried. They are angry at us for killing them, and we will all die! If you had only listened to us—Quiet! The others roared. They are retaliating, the stupid beasts, but they will soon learn they are no match for us!
But then they realized that they only had one "enemy" left: the dragons. And no one really knew what to do with them. Truth be told, no one had ever known what to do with them, really. You went to them when you had an insolvable problem. But you left them alone because they were so...unpredictable. But everyone silently agreed that they didn't want to attack the Dragons before they absolutely had to. And that's where they had left it. They had food enough to last for at least five years, if they managed things correctly; they had fertile land; and there were no more Lightres or Darkos to feed or give up land to. Only the dragons.
But the five years had passed, and the food supply was running dangerously low once more. It seemed that times of desperation were coming back.
- - - - -
Three Months Ago:
The dragons were called together in a council, one that hadn't been called in at least five hundred years. Kayura's large, slit-pupil eyes saddened as she looked around. She was one of the last to arrive, but it didn't feel that way. The large Cave of Highborn, arcane meeting place of the Dragons, was made for thousands of creatures, but only about twenty dragons were left to answer the call. Everyone else had gone through the gate. It was better in the long run, because their small numbers meant that they would have some time before the humans got desperate enough to attack them. But logic couldn't drive away the loneliness that chilled her bones as much as the mountain ice did. Kayura let out a smokeless sigh and thought, A lot of us left before the Gate collapsed...even my son, Kyreen. Her mind formed the prayer for luck and hope, as it had done countless times over the past few years. I wish I could have followed...but it was more important that the Lightres leave, and we that remain don't have enough magic to create our own gate.
She dropped into a curled half-crouching position, flitting out her left wing in an experimental stretch. She had gotten it torn a few months ago, fighting a particularly nasty Darkos. Even though it gave her a certain smug satisfaction to know that she had slit the stupid thing's throat herself, she cursed it anyway—her wing still hurt!
"Well...why have we been called here?" hissed Kyrghan. He was creaky, by far the oldest dragon there. His bitterness at his withered state had shadowed his spirit and soured its purity, making him one of the weakest dragons. He should have left with the others, but being as stubborn as his namesake, he refused to give up his homeland to "stupid two-leggers".
"Because," said Kahlan. She rose to her hind legs, her tail curling neatly around her feet. "We have to decide what we're going to do with ourselves. Do we fight off the humans?"
Kyrghan's tail slowly swished across the floor. "Sounds good to me," he growled.
"Hush, Kyr," murmured Kicqpa, his blue eyes eerily reflecting the firelight. "And that's silly. The entire point is that we don't want a confrontation, isn't it?"
"Exactly so," Kayura jumped in. "I have another suggestion, but it's going to be hard to pull off..."
"Well, let's hear it, said Ksallai, his tawny-golden claws making distracted clicking noises as he settled himself into a more comfortable position. "We're here to discuss ideas, aren't we?"
"Why don't we try sending out a help-call?"
She was gifted with nineteen blank stares. "What?" Kahlan asked blankly.
"A help-call—a telepathic sending that's strong enough to breach worlds, and it'll reach anyone who can help," she explained. "But it will require more energy than we have by ourselves."
"Well, that's it then, isn't it?" Kicqpa sighed. "How can we do it without enough energy?"
Ksallai's eyes narrowed. "Unless you want to use a sacrifice to raise power—"
"No!" Kayura said quickly, before the glares and accusations could start. "No dragon would ever stoop that low! But—I had another idea. What if we asked the human mages to help?"
"WHAT?!"
"Wait, wait, listen to me!" She called, using the higher range of her voice to cut through the gathering uproar. "They're as oppressed as the Lightres were! And if we say that they're helping us to leave, they would help! It benefits everyone if we leave, so there's no reason for them to refuse us."
"And who would ask?" Ksallai asked scathingly. "You?"
"Of course. It's my idea. It's only right." Kayura replied smoothly.
Before the derisive laughter could grow into more than amused looks, Kahlan snorted. "Fine. You try it. We have enough time to think of something else if your idea fails. But if you get into trouble, don't expect us to bail you out."
"Oh, I don't expect to need any," Kayura said, lowering her head to touch her snout briefly to the floor before exiting.
- - - - -
Two Months Ago:
After a suitable period of time had passed, the dragons called another meeting. When Kayura entered, she had several hundred human mages in tow, following her like a moving, multicolored carpet.
"You managed it!" Kicqpa said excitedly.
Kyrghan growled lazily, "And what'd you do to them? Corerce 'em?"
"Don't be stupid." Kayura snapped, as the human mages huddled together, looking up fearfully at the other dragons. They were nervous, and they had every right to be; dragons' reputation preceded them. "I told you, both sides can only gain. And besides...if we leave, they want to come with us." Kayura glared at Kyrghan. And hold your tongue, Kyrghan...unless you want to lose it. I'm more powerful than you, Elder or not, and weneed these human-mages!
Kyrghan arrogantly met her glare. And you would do to hold yours, hatchling, he replied, slow anger in his voice. I'm not stupid.
Oh, really? she snapped, and before he could get the last word in she continued. "Now that we're all here, shall we begin the help-call ceremony?"
- - - - -
Three Months Ago:
Kionden tried his best to keep his breathing even as he and Inokian reached the top of the hill. They could have probably summoned mounts to make their traveling easier, but since when have monks ever traveled by horseback?
They were wandering this world, looking for an enclave of destructive magical creatures that had been wreaking havoc on nearby towns. They hadn't found anything yet, but they figured it was only a matter of time. After all, you had two very powerful mages walking very slowly. Anyone that stupid was probably untrained, and anyone untrained was easy prey and easy power. The creatures would probably come to them.
"What exactly do you know about these things anyway?" Inokian asked as they walked.
"According to the villagers, they're big and have lots of teeth. They seem to be more about attacking physically than actually using magic, but their magic is wide-range and highly destructive. And no one has ever seen what they look like. They move too fast."
"Fast, hm..." Inokian chewed on her lip absently as she leaned on her staff. "Too fast to use paralysis-spells, I bet. Perhaps if we could cast acceleration spells on ourselves..."
"They'd only be able to last for a little while; we're not used to that much speed. It would hurt our bodies after a while."
"But if we move at their speed long enough to cast a paralysis spell—"
"Good idea," Kionden agreed, smiling at his sister. "We've gotten better at this."
"Yeah, well, maybe you have," she laughed. "I don't remember a thing about paralysis spells."
"...Um, neither do I."
Inokian stopped in her tracks. "You don't? Ah, hell!"
Kionden laughed. "Guess we'll just have to think of something els—WATCH OUT!"
Inokian threw herself to the side, barely dodging the razor-sharp claw that rent the air where her neck had been. Yelling, she tried to smack it with her staff, but it was too fast and flitted away before she could land a hit. "Thought of something else yet?!" she yelped.
"Close your eyes!"
"What?!"
"Close your eyes and work by sound! I'm going to try something!"
Obediently, she closed her eyes, stretching out her magic to fill the area around her. She heard a hissing above her, and a distinctive blank spot in her magic spoke of magical shielding; she jumped out of range and then back in again, dodging its outstretched paw and managing to get a grip on a claw. Surprised, the creature let out a whistling shriek and jerked its paw upwards, aiming for her throat. It was too fast for her to dodge, and her hand clenched convulsively, fighting to slow the thing down. I'm going to dieeeeeee! her mind screamed before a flash of light seared her eyelids, making the creature scream in pain and fall over. As it collapsed, she felt a sudden flash of fiery pain streak across her neck.
Inokian opened her eyes and jumped away from the creature, shuddering, clapping a hand to the shallow, long scratch on her neck. "So? What did you think of?"
"Light. They're probably dark-elementals, which is why they attack more than use magic—since we're high up north, there's no darkness for the next three months. They're magic's drained, so they have to attack more. Concentrated light kills them."
"Works for me," Inokian shrugged, struggling to slow her racing heartbeat. "I'm just glad I'm not monster fodder!" Laughing nervously, the siblings began their return to the town, to rest up and tell the villagers of their findings.
End of chapter two! And I told you I was nuts! cackles
Yes, there is a reason that Kayura is a dragon. Don't worry. Everything has a reason. I promise...
Kyrghan: "Goat" or "Ram" in Dracon, with a positive slant to the word. "Kyr" means "little goat," but when people use it on Kyrghan they use it in a mildly insulting manner—it's like calling an elder "boy." When dragons reach adulthood, one of the rites is to choose a use-name. "Kayura" means "flow", with connotations to hint at "river" and "wind". "Kicqpa" means something bursting into sharp light-reflecting fragments, like an exploding star, or a fisted claw opening. "Ksallai" means a moonless night, perfect stillness, stealth. "Kahlan" is related to mother-attributes—gentleness, love, care, hope; it also means sunlight, and righteous anger. And all dragon use-names start with "K." The "K" sound is pleasing to draconian ears, and a coveted, well-loved sound; therefore, they name themselves with the sound they love best. Yes, "Kahlan" is an obvious tribute to the Sword of Truth series. All of you go read it. First book in the series is "Wizard's First Rule". Go read it. NOW! kicks ...After you watch Gravitation, of course. ;;-
And FYI: Inokian and Kionden are not on Cyatanacea. They're on some other world.
Well, ja mata ne!
-Windsong - windsong 137 at gmail dot com
"Hamlet...in a mosh pit." -Mr. Roundy