Nicki's Story

Part 3

Echo lifted the pack of supplies onto her back. She had managed to slip back into camp without anyone noticing and had packed up as much as she could to take back to the cavern. Antirock couldn't stay with the Child without making his brother suspicious at his absence, and she didn't feel comfortable leaving the Child there by himself longer than she had to. She had nearly made it to the outskirts of camp when she heard someone behind her.

"Echo."

She froze, heart dropping. She had managed to avoid Kahzym ever since he had banned her from council…but of course he would find her now of all times. She didn't turn, and she could hear him approaching.

"I've been looking everywhere for you…" his voice was as stern as always, but with some underlying tone she couldn't place. He was silent for a moment then spoke.

"Where are you going?"

She didn't know how to explain the pack on her back…it looked as if she was prepared to be gone for a week or longer. Which, technically, she was. She continued to look at the ground, not wanting to turn and answer. When she didn't turn around, the Oni Ruler walked in front of her in order get a look at her face.

"You're leaving." he said quietly. She shrugged, still not looking at him. He sighed.

"Because you are off the council…you don't feel there is any need for you here?"

That struck her as odd, and she finally looked up to meet his eyes.

"Is there?"

"Of course." He shook his head at her expression, not knowing how to read it. "You were asked to be part of this camp because of your skill in fighting and your ability to strategize. And I would gladly have you back on the council if I knew that you were in agreement with our purpose."

She bit her lip and looked away. She pictured some dragon coming across the little cavern a few miles away…

She jumped as Kahzym took her hand. He had come closer and was looking down at her, confused.

"What's happened to you, Echo? You're distant, hesitant, unresolved… You are not the same Oni I met months ago in that village, ready to take down the dragon nation…ready for peace…"

"I am still ready for peace." she snapped back. She swallowed as she eased her hand from his. "Kahzym, I have to go."

He shook his head at her reply, suddenly angry.

"You do not have my permission…have you forgotten who I am? I could order you…force you to stay…."

She felt a jolt of fear at that, but she refused to show it. Instead, her head snapped and she drew herself up to full height, staring him defiantly in the face.

"Go ahead." her voice was an angry whisper. "Order it."

His brows furrowed, and Echo tried not to think about his personal guard a few yards away, ready to heed any command he gave them. He finally sighed.

"Where will you go?"

"Perhaps I will go home." she said as she walked around him. "At any case…I need a change of scene."

"You cannot go home."

Echo froze for a second time; she had meant to keep walking, to finally get out of the camp. But something in his tone stopped her dead. She whirled around.

"What do you mean?"

He sighed heavily. "It's the reason I've been looking for you. We got word this morning…your village was decimated yesterday by the Dragons. There were no survivors."

She lost feeling in her body, and she found she couldn't breathe. She stumbled backwards, and Kahzym reached for her.

"Echo…"

She turned and bolted away from him, and away from the camp. She burst through the power barrier into the desert surrounding. She could barely hear Kahzym as he continued to yell her name.

Antirock headed to the cavern, emotions jumbled within him. It had been a trying few days, with the creation of the Child and his brother's endless questions. Not to mention what his brother had told him in the meeting right before the younger dragon had managed to escape Jarule's notice. He finally spotted the cavern and wound his way down. The Child was sitting outside, arms around his knees. It looked like he had been waiting for him.

Is Echo here?

"Yes. But she is sad…" the Child said simply. He looked upset as well, and Antirock frowned before pushing his way into the Cavern. Echo had gotten ahold of supplies, it seemed; two bed mats were unrolled on one side and a sack holding food and other tools sat near it. Echo sat on one of the mats, expression blank and tired. Her eyes had deep circles under them as she carved a chunk of wood.

What's wrong?

She didn't respond…it was like she didn't even hear him.

Echo…

"Leave me alone."

Her voice was dull…Antirock felt something twist inside him. He swatted her with his tail, and she shoved it away, angrily.

"Leave me ALONE!"

What's wrong?!

She threw the hunk of wood, but not at him. It hit one of the stone walls of the cavern as she let the knife clatter to the floor. Her eyes were flashing purple and he realized how much anger she was keeping at bay as she put her elbows on her knees and her head in her hands.

"Your…brother. My village…it was…" she exhaled angrily. "Dragons leveled it. Months ago, I tried to get them to set up defenses…but they were so far out of the war-zone, they didn't think it was needed…" She finally looked up at him, and her expression looked both furious and guarded. "Why?! Why would he prey on farmers and miners and villagers…they aren't warriors! They can't fight back!"

Antirock's frown deepened. It was wrong, what his brother was doing…but the way Echo talked it was almost like she blamed him.

Jarule attacked dozens of villages this past week. He admitted. She shook her head in disgust and he continued defensively.

It was a direct response to the deaths of a dozen and half dragons that were poisoned in the south…

She looked up at that and exhaled again.

"I tried to stop them…" she said quietly, as if she was talking to herself. Antirock bristled.

You knew?! And you didn't think to warn me?

"I didn't know they were moving forward with it! I was kicked off the war council, remember?!" she had stood as she yelled at him.

You knew they had the poison…

"Ok, yes…but what could I have done? What could you have done to prevent it? You can't even stop your brother from murdering thousands of innocent…"

He does take Dragon lives seriously, believe it or not!

"OH I'm sure he does!" she spat. "I'm sure your righteous older brother would never do anything to hurt a Dragon…after all, they aren't horrible, degraded, monsters like the rest of us!"

"Stop it!"

They both turned to see the Child standing in the entryway, looking both angry and scared. He came forward, sitting on the other bed mat as he continued to look at them.

"You're both upset…but fighting isn't going to help. We have to stick together to bring peace…isn't that why you made me?"

Echo looked over at him, and her blazing eyes finally faded back to maroon.

"Yes. But…but what can any of us do, really? What can anyone do against senseless killing?"

The Child seemed to ponder that.

"We have to show them that they can work together…just like we can."

But how? Antirock flicked his tail, irritated. They are all stubbornly entrenched in their way…

"We must unite them, somehow." The Child said. Echo and Antirock looked at each other in surprise.

"Unite? I can't see them ever agreeing to that…" Echo admitted.

"Maybe not now…but someday." The Child said. He often got a strange look on his face, as if he was seeing a bigger picture than everyone else. "But that will never happen if the two of you can't even stay united."

His gaze was soft, but piercing. Echo bit her lip as Antirock sighed.

"You're right." Echo finally said. She looked at Antirock with an apology in her expression. "They've already taken so much from us…we can't afford to let them split us apart as well."

It had been a few days since Echo had moved into the cavern. She looked at the dwindling food pile and sighed. She had been hunting…but it was slow going. It was dangerous to travel this close to dragon territory on her own; it made doing most things difficult. She hadn't seen Antirock since their argument; she knew his brother was coming down hard on him. He admitted at the end of their last meeting that he wouldn't be able to come very often; he didn't want to give away their location. She just had to hope he would come in the next day or so…and that he would bring food.

She heard something scuffle outside and she walked over to the entrance, concerned. The Child was pushing himself up out of the dirt, as if he had just fallen. He wore a determined expression as he began spinning. Echo shook her head in amazement as he spun faster and faster, eventually stumbling and landing in the dirt once again. She couldn't help but laugh.

"What are you doing?" she asked with a smile. He turned and gave a sheepish look as he stood.

"There's….there's just so much inside…" he trailed off, looking down at his hands. "I'm trying to find a way to let it out…"

"What do you mean?" she asked, coming closer to dust him off.

"The power…it's all mixed up inside." he explained, looking her in the eye. "It needs to come out."

It had never occurred to her that the Child would have power. Was it Dragon, or Oni? Or both? She felt a flutter of hope as she realized that perhaps this Child was more capable of bringing about change than they had assumed.

"And the spinning helps?" she asked, wiping dirt off his face.

"It feels…right." he said. She smiled at him.

"Then keep on trying." She stood; he was no doubt hungry with all of this running about.

"I don't intend to quit," he assured, and she laughed.

"I would hope not!" she headed back into the cavern to get them something to eat. After glancing at their pile, she fished out two loaves and headed back out to watch. She sat on a rock as the Child breathed deeply, and began striking different poses. Each pose was slow and deliberate…they had a peaceful feel to them. Then he began spinning again. This time, however, something happened.

Echo nearly dropped their dinner as a small tornado sparked to life, pearly gray in color.

"…What?!"

The tornado wobbled, and the Child suddenly came crashing out of it back into the dust. He looked over at her surprised expression and grinned broadly.

"I think that was it!" he said as she rushed over to help him up.

"But…what was it?"

He thought about it for a moment.

"Spinjitzu"

"Spinjitzu?" she asked, not understanding. He nodded emphatically.

"Yep. I just made it up."

She laughed and he laughed with her. He spotted the loaves and scampered over to hop up on the rock to grab one. She came and sat next to him, eating her own loaf slowly. He leaned against her, content, and she put an arm around him. Nothing about this situation made much sense…and more often than not it felt like she was walking along the edge of a cliff. Yet, she couldn't remember a time that she had been happier.

"Kahzym?"

The Leader turned away from the map, where a handful of villages had been crossed off. He turned to see Virgil behind him.

"Yes?"

"The evacuation efforts are still going forward…the new fortress is well guarded; the refugees should be safe there."

"Good." Kahzym looked back at the villages, stroking his goatee. "There's no pattern to these attacks…they seem reactionary."

"Since when do Dragons make sense?" Virgil scoffed. "The poison attack was victorious…the next installments should be ready soon."

The Leader nodded, expecting Virgil to leave, but instead the eastern leader came around the table, grinning.

"But I haven't even told you the best part..."

Kahzym looked up, eyebrows furrowed as Virgil leaned in.

"We've spotted a Golden Dragon…he's been making the same trip week after week. I don't know what routine he's got going on, but…"

"The Elder?" Kahzym asked sharply. The other leader shook his head.

"Nah…smaller and pale…definitely part of the Elder race, though."

Kahzym exhaled, thinking.

"We could kill it!" Virgil said excitedly. "We know it's routine now…and tha'd be a good strike against the foul beasts…"

"A member of the Elder race would have valuable information…information about strategy, targets, plans…and the ability to tell us about them."

Virgil scoffed. "You want to capture it? Why should it get to live?"

"It would only live long enough for me to get some answers."

Jarule watched his brother closely. Antirock was resting on a plateau a few leagues away with a few young elemental dragons. He had always been a bit of a dreamer…but Jarule had always hoped he would grow out of it. The more time went on, however, the more his younger brother slipped away. It wasn't safe…it wasn't acceptable. But the whole of the dragon nation rested on Jarule's shoulders…he couldn't watch his idealist brother at all times. He shook his head. The last few months, Antirock had been bringing up ideas…very dangerous ideas. He hadn't the foggiest idea where he was picking them up from. He never said them straight out, of course, but he hinted here and nudged there. The Elder couldn't figure out what Antirock was playing at.

He watched as his brother glanced around, as if looking to see if he was being watched. Jarule was hidden; his brother didn't see him as he slipped off the ridge. Jarule sneered. Where was he off to now?

He wasn't going to follow him…not initially. But the longer he thought about it, the more it irritated him that he didn't know what his brother was doing with all of his time. Making more of those inane flower patches? Or something more?

He finally slipped off his rock, determined to find out.

Hold on! You're just like Echo! Antirock said with a laugh.

The Child laughed as well as he gripped tighter. Echo rolled her eyes from her position on the ground.

"Be careful!" she yelled up at them. It was a risky thing, taking the child on flights…but he had wanted to. She found it incredibly hard to say no to his pleading gray eyes.

Antirock made sure that the Child had secured himself before he began weaving off into the late afternoon air. Jarule was more suspicious if he came home after dark, so he had begun slipping away during the day while his brother was busy in councils of war and realm-checks.

The Child couldn't help but reach a hand up into the air as it rushed by. With one hand still firmly latched onto the Dragon's hair, he was able to keep his balance.

"I wish I could fly…"

The Dragon smiled at that. He still wasn't sure if this Child would be able to do all he and Echo hoped for…but he was fond of the small boy regardless. In fact, he couldn't think of much else he had cared about as much as he cared for this strange and unexpected answer.

The Child lowered his hand, looking down at the landscape with a smile. The smile faded, however, as he caught sight of a glimmer behind a rock formation.

"Antirock…" he said, starting the warning. But the ambush had already closed its circle, and blasts of power exploded towards them. Antirock twisted quickly to avoid the blasts, but one hit home and he grunted. He tried to fire down at the Oni, before blasting higher in the air to be out of range. However, the Oni had reached the top of the rock formations above him and fired nets down at them. He pulled off a bolting maneuver, winding through the air at high speed. He had all but forgotten the small figure holding on until he heard the shriek. He looked down in panic as the Child hurtled to the earth. He immediately changed direction, speeding towards the falling figure. He managed to catch him, but he couldn't dodge the attacks aimed at them.

He hit the ground hard, dust and dirt exploding from the impact. He winced at the pain from the landing and the ongoing attacks, but he felt the Child moving in his grasp and felt a flood of relief.

It was short lived as Oni began throwing chains.

Echo had been sorting through the food Antirock had brought when she heard the sound of the horn. Her head snapped up; it was an Oni ambush. She could see Antirock in the distance…weaving through the air in a defensive manner. She took off running.

The dragon put up a good fight, but it was on its own and Kahzym had brought a strong ambush force. It wasn't too long before the golden beast was restrained, with Oni using Hatred to keep his energy level lower. The Oni Ruler faced the Elder-raced dragon, who glared back. But even the rare dragon wasn't as interesting to Kahzym as whatever it was he appeared to be hiding in his interlocking feet.

"What do you have there, beast?" Kahzym asked calmly. It merely snarled at him, and Kahzym turned to a few warriors at his side.

"Let's have a look, shall we?" he said, gesturing to the dragon. The warriors set off to pry the feet apart. The dragon snapped protectively, but other warriors yanked forcefully at the chains around his head and face and blasted him with bruise-colored orbs. A minute or so later, the Oni were finally able to extract what the Dragon was trying so hard to hide.

Kahzym raised his eyebrows in surprise as they threw a small figure at his feet. He hadn't been expecting this…

The child looked up at him, surprisingly calm.

"It's hideous…" Virgil said from behind him. Kahzym shook his head. The boy looked like an Oni…but it was golden in color.

The boy got to his feet and began backing up, but the Oni Ruler lashed out and grabbed the Child's arm. The Dragon roared, and Kahzym scoffed.

"Does this child mean something to you, beast?" he asked softly.

"He isn't a beast. He's Antirock."

Kahzym looked down in surprise as the Child spoke. It fixed him with an unwavering gray gaze, unafraid.

"And what are you?"

"Kill it, Kahzym!" Virgil snarled behind him. "Whatever it is…it sure isn't natural."

The Child didn't react, still staring at the Ruler.

"I'm the Child."

"The Child?"

"That's what Echo calls me."

Kahzym lurched back, as if physically struck. His grip on the child's arm tightened and a flicker of pain crossed the boy's face.

"What did you say?" he hissed.

"You're hurting me…" the boy said, trying to pull Kahzym's hand off his arm. The Ruler didn't release his grip, shaking the child.

"What are you!?"

The Dragon roared again and Kahzym shook his head. He pulled out his long knife, and the Child's eyes widened.

"NO!"

The Ruler froze. A figure burst around the bound dragon.

"Echo…"

She reached them and ripped the child out of his grasp, pushing his small figure behind her own. She was breathing heavily and shaking, but she stood erect as she faced down her leader. Kahzym glared at her, not understanding.

"What…"

Dragon roars echoed suddenly through the gorge, and Kahzym's head whipped up to the sky.

"The Elder…" he breathed. He must have gotten word that his own had been captured. The guardians had come as well.

"Well well well…let's kill them all, shall we?" Virgil grumbled from behind him. Kahzym knew that they wouldn't make it out alive if a battle broke out here, however. He held up an arm, signaling to his archers to hold. He did not command his men to release the captured dragon, however.

The Elder opened its mouth to fire, as did the guardians.

"Hold…" Kahzym ordered as he caught sight of the glow in the mouths of the beasts. They were about to fire, and he was seconds away from ordering his archers to do the same.

JARULE, STOP!

The Oni all lurched in shock at the sound of the Dragon's voice. Kahzym looked towards the captive dragon, confused. Had he ordered his own to stand down?

The Elder's mouth snapped closed as he snarled.

How dare you order a ceasefire!

The enormous golden dragon landed on a nearby formation, roaring down at them.

The smaller dragon in chains turned to look at Kahzym.

Release me…or he will destroy you all

"Don't be soft, Kahzym…" Virgil warned, but the Ruler held up a hand for him to be silent. He glared at the dragon and then glanced at Echo. She stood frozen, defiant, with that small child huddled behind her.

"Release it."

The Oni did so and Antirock shook off his bonds. He looked up at Jarule, who glared down at all of them.

Explain yourself

The Elder was furious, and Antirock swallowed.

The war has lasted long enough, Brother…

The Elder's tail lashed.

How dare you…what are you saying?

Meanwhile Kahzym was looking at Echo, his eyes hard as flints. They were purple now, and Echo tried to keep herself from shaking.

"I…" she hesitated. She hadn't expected to have to defend their dream so early, but there was no going back from this. "I want peace…Kahzym…"

"Who is the boy, Echo?" His voice was hard and unforgiving. She glanced back at the Child, who looked up at her. His expression was calm, though he clutched her shirt.

"He's mine."

Kahzym's eyes blazed, his grip on his long knife tightening.

"You filthy…" Virgil started.

"How?" Kahzym's tone was as collected as ever, but she knew he was furious.

Echo turned and realized that all the Oni were staring at her. She drew a shaky breath.

"You wouldn't have believed us…none of you would have believed us!"

"Us?"

She ignored her ruler's bitter question. "The war…the loss…it doesn't have to be this way. Dragon and Oni power can coexist…"

The Oni began jeering. From his perch above them, Jarule sneered down at them all. He had caught sight of the Child…but suddenly he realized that he could sense power within the small form. He had assumed it was just some Oni freak…but the power within was not just Oni power.

What have you done Antirock?!

His brother was free now, but he had remained in the gorge…as if he was protecting that small mutant.

The existence of the Child is proof that our powers can coexist, as Echo says…

Jarule snarled as Kahzym's head snapped up at the mention of Echo's name. Understanding finally hit and he looked like he was going to be sick. For the first time, his calm demeanor broke.

"This is why?" he yelled. He came forward and grabbed her arm. She wasn't sure what to do…what she could do. If she tried to fight him the archers or personal guard would kill her and the child without hesitation.

"Stop!" the Child cried out, and Kahzym turned to him in disgust.

"Just…just leave him alone…" Echo begged, but Kahzym shook his head as he shoved her towards his personal guard. She tried to run back to the child, to protect him, but one guard grabbed her braid and the others restrained her by her arms. She struggled and fought in their grasp, desperate to get free.

"NO!" she screamed again as Kahzym moved towards the child.

Antirock launched forward to protect the child, but Jarule bolted down to knock his smaller brother out of the way.

RELEASE ME

That atrocity must be destroyed…

NO

Even with Kahzym approaching and the dragons and Oni watching, the boy remained calm. He looked over at Echo, who continued to fight those holding her back. Then, the Child began to spin.

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