I could not decide on an ending so I made two. In the first one the knock on the door never happened.
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#1
Numair lay in his bed an old gray man in need of help from any of the healers who came to take care of him. Aged and lonely he was living in the palace.
He thought about the past fifty years. Other than the disturbances of the animals in mourning for the first two-three years Daine was missing and the ten year war with Scanra that followed that, the realm had been in peaceAnd the mage had seen his friends age and some die. . During the ten year war the little dog Reba had died in an attack on the swoop. Onua had gotten married a decade after Daine's disappearance she had been happy till the black god took. Alanna was an old widow living at the swoop till the end of her days. Jonathan was still king yet only in name after his wife had died he could no longer run the kingdom. His eldest son ruled the way Jonathan had ruled for his father.
This day Jonathan, shaky and gray with his own troop of healers, came to see the black robed mage and the fifty year old dragon who was finally learning to fly.
Skysong was still black in mourning for her mother and friend. Her scales no longer changed color at her will she would be forever black till the end of time.
Numair had never changed either. Always in mourning, and always a dark cloud over his soul. True to his word he never used magic, even during the ten year war when Jon had DEMANDED it. Numair had refused and in anger Jon locked him in one of the castles dungeons. Though Numair escaped with the help of Skysong and disappeared himself for fifteen years.
When he had returned to the palace he had tried to see the king. Jonathan had refused to see him. And to this day they had not spoken to each other. Now near their end Jon decided that he had been wrong to be angry at the poor mage.
He went to Numair's side, the man on the bed looked at him with tired eyes. Jonathan could see that Numair's life-force was slowly slipping away. "I'm so sorry Numair. I am truly sorry for you. Can you ever forgive me for being so cruel while you were in pain?"
The only thing the mage said as the king held his had was, "Daine."
And with that last word, in the king's arms, he died. And the king saw that for the first time in fifty years the mage was a peace.
#2
Numair went to the door and opened it. And there to his surprise was the badger god. His fur was so puffed out that he looked a lot like a puffer fish when threatened.
"Can I help you?" Numair asked his voice thick with sadness. Seeing the badger reminded him of Daine…
{You are an idiot!} Snarled the Badger trying to get a scratch at Numair's leg. The man stepped back in time so that only his breeches were torn. "You were holding her and did not even know it!"
"Holding who? Daine? She's—She's dead!"
{No she's not! She is alive and well at pirates swoop! She's the little dog you fool!}
"The little dog? You mean Reba. But they found her in the streets a stray. She's just a dog. I saw that myself!"
{Go back! I will make sure that you know who she is!}
There was a flash of silver light and the badger was gone.
The dragon and the man stared at the spot where he had disappeared. And suddenly they leapt to the door and down the stairs where Numair got the Spots and Cloud ready for a ride.
**
A few hours later Numair was at pirate's swoop sweat soaked. George was sitting at the stable petting Reba. At the sight of the mage he stood up and went to him.
"The dog!" Gasped Numair, "Reba, where is she?"
"Right there," Said George confused as Numair ran to the dog and took her into the stall that Daine had used as a room whenever she had been at the swoop. He laid the dog on the cot and she licked his hand.
"Daine, come on Daine come back," Numair was saying.
"Alanna!" George bellowed, "Come down here Numair's mad!" He grabbed Numair as Alanna ran into the stable.
"I have to get Daine back!" Numair wailed.
"Stop it Numair! You're sick. You need help, more than we can give you."
Numair let a stream of his fire go to the dog, and to Alanna's horror Reba began to change. Her body shifted and grew, the white hairs disappeared and Reba's flesh turned pink. Suddenly the dog was human, a young woman with smoky brown curls.
"DAINE?" Alanna said stunned.
George released his grip on Numair who instantly was at the girl's side. She looked at him confused. "I was looking for you. But where am I all I remember is being on the street."
"Oh Magelet! How I missed you!" He wrapped his robe around her and they kissed passionately.
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#1
Numair lay in his bed an old gray man in need of help from any of the healers who came to take care of him. Aged and lonely he was living in the palace.
He thought about the past fifty years. Other than the disturbances of the animals in mourning for the first two-three years Daine was missing and the ten year war with Scanra that followed that, the realm had been in peaceAnd the mage had seen his friends age and some die. . During the ten year war the little dog Reba had died in an attack on the swoop. Onua had gotten married a decade after Daine's disappearance she had been happy till the black god took. Alanna was an old widow living at the swoop till the end of her days. Jonathan was still king yet only in name after his wife had died he could no longer run the kingdom. His eldest son ruled the way Jonathan had ruled for his father.
This day Jonathan, shaky and gray with his own troop of healers, came to see the black robed mage and the fifty year old dragon who was finally learning to fly.
Skysong was still black in mourning for her mother and friend. Her scales no longer changed color at her will she would be forever black till the end of time.
Numair had never changed either. Always in mourning, and always a dark cloud over his soul. True to his word he never used magic, even during the ten year war when Jon had DEMANDED it. Numair had refused and in anger Jon locked him in one of the castles dungeons. Though Numair escaped with the help of Skysong and disappeared himself for fifteen years.
When he had returned to the palace he had tried to see the king. Jonathan had refused to see him. And to this day they had not spoken to each other. Now near their end Jon decided that he had been wrong to be angry at the poor mage.
He went to Numair's side, the man on the bed looked at him with tired eyes. Jonathan could see that Numair's life-force was slowly slipping away. "I'm so sorry Numair. I am truly sorry for you. Can you ever forgive me for being so cruel while you were in pain?"
The only thing the mage said as the king held his had was, "Daine."
And with that last word, in the king's arms, he died. And the king saw that for the first time in fifty years the mage was a peace.
#2
Numair went to the door and opened it. And there to his surprise was the badger god. His fur was so puffed out that he looked a lot like a puffer fish when threatened.
"Can I help you?" Numair asked his voice thick with sadness. Seeing the badger reminded him of Daine…
{You are an idiot!} Snarled the Badger trying to get a scratch at Numair's leg. The man stepped back in time so that only his breeches were torn. "You were holding her and did not even know it!"
"Holding who? Daine? She's—She's dead!"
{No she's not! She is alive and well at pirates swoop! She's the little dog you fool!}
"The little dog? You mean Reba. But they found her in the streets a stray. She's just a dog. I saw that myself!"
{Go back! I will make sure that you know who she is!}
There was a flash of silver light and the badger was gone.
The dragon and the man stared at the spot where he had disappeared. And suddenly they leapt to the door and down the stairs where Numair got the Spots and Cloud ready for a ride.
**
A few hours later Numair was at pirate's swoop sweat soaked. George was sitting at the stable petting Reba. At the sight of the mage he stood up and went to him.
"The dog!" Gasped Numair, "Reba, where is she?"
"Right there," Said George confused as Numair ran to the dog and took her into the stall that Daine had used as a room whenever she had been at the swoop. He laid the dog on the cot and she licked his hand.
"Daine, come on Daine come back," Numair was saying.
"Alanna!" George bellowed, "Come down here Numair's mad!" He grabbed Numair as Alanna ran into the stable.
"I have to get Daine back!" Numair wailed.
"Stop it Numair! You're sick. You need help, more than we can give you."
Numair let a stream of his fire go to the dog, and to Alanna's horror Reba began to change. Her body shifted and grew, the white hairs disappeared and Reba's flesh turned pink. Suddenly the dog was human, a young woman with smoky brown curls.
"DAINE?" Alanna said stunned.
George released his grip on Numair who instantly was at the girl's side. She looked at him confused. "I was looking for you. But where am I all I remember is being on the street."
"Oh Magelet! How I missed you!" He wrapped his robe around her and they kissed passionately.