The waves crashed against the rocks and washed over the dark stone as Ryu Kokoro landed gently on the outcropping. She was on a mission here, and what she needed to find was on these rocks. In the distance behind her, the sky was lit twice - once with a flash of white and once with a flash of blue. A sign that Kokoro's friends were still fighting against the yellow dragon.
"Keri," she called softly. "Keriaira?" With a weak shriek, a mass of what Kokoro had thought to be just more rock shifted. The dragoon of Dreams winced as a sharp pain bit into her shoulder, but she still knelt down and gently scooped up her bond bird. Keri attempted to flap her wings. "No, no, Keri, be still," ordered Kokoro through gritted teeth. "You must be still, Keri. Please." The owl hawk stopped moving and Kokoro slowly began to climb one of the taller rocks. She had to get high enough up before she tried to get off the rocks - otherwise, she would just dive into the water. But the process of climbing was painful because of her right arm. It was not truly broken, but Keri's was and whatever pain Keri felt, her bonder felt too. It almost makes me wish I had bonded a smaller bird, thought Kokoro, bracing Keri against her chest with her almost useless right arm and using her left to help her climb. Keriaira was a large bird; most owl hawks were. She also was a bon bird and therefore, slightly larger then a normal owl hawk. Yet, Kokoro knew that there was no way around it. She had not been the one to actually initiate the bond. In fact, it was completely the other way around.
~*~FLASHBACK~*~
*The rain beat hard against the already muddied ground, making it as hard to walk as it was to see. And making climbing along the side of a small ravine almost an act of suicide.
"Koro!" called Dart over the drumming rain. "We've been down this path twice! She isn't here!"
"No!" Kokoro yelled back, turning around. "This is the only path she knows, Dart! She's here!" The mud stuck hard to both children and exhaustion had rubbed their tempers hard, but Kokoro was not about to turn back. She was here, somewhere on this path. "AHH!"
"Koro!" A large shape swooped down from a nearby tree and over the heads of the two. Kokoro ducked at the last moment, but followed the bird's path across the ravine. It dipped low and disappeared into the small hole. The hole was not far from the lip of the opposite wall and a large ledge jutted out clear into the air.
"Something is wrong with that bird." said Dart hesitantly. Kokoro nodded, but in truth hardly heard him. The bird had caused something to stir in the girl and her attention was focused entirely on the cave. "Koro?" She blinked in surprise as her concentration was shattered.
"Wha-" A gasp cut her off as images and feelings bombarded her mind suddenly. Darkness. Shadows. Cold. Sick. Help.
-Her little sister crouched and sobbing against the back of a small cave, shivering.-
"Koro!" Dazed and confused, the young princess could only look up at her friend in shock. Mud caked the entire right side of her body and was splattered across Dart's face. "Koro, answer me if you're alright!" With a cry, she bolted up and to her feet. "Koro!"
"I know where she is!" She raced back up the sloping path, slipping on the thick mud, until she reached a rope-and-plank bridge that stretched across the ravine. Dart was at her heels and followed her across it until she reached the other side.
"Koro, *wait*!" He grabbed her arm, but she tore from his grasp and leapt down onto the small ledge. "Koro!!" Ignoring him, Kokoro ducked into the tiny cave - no more then a hole- and carefully scooped up the tiny child inside. The littler girl gave a weak cry of joy and buried her tiny face in her older sister's shoulder. As she cried herself to sleep, Kokoro stroked her hair and watched the bird that sat not a foot from her, feathers puffed against the cold. Without asking, the girl knew... she knew the bird instantly and it knew her in return.
"Keriaira..."
~*~End Flashback~*~
Keri chose me. Out of three present that day - Dart, who was strong even then, and my little sister, who had so much potential in her, Keri chose me. But we've adjusted to each other. We're a team now, partners, and nothing can take that away. With a careful dive, Kokoro spread her dragoon wings and swooped low, just above the surface of the water. Her balance was offset by the bundle in her arms, but she pulled up just that much more, so even flying crooked, she was still above the water. Ahead of her, Rion had reached the yellow dragon and both were locked in a ferocious dance of claws and beaks. Except for the differing colors, it was hard to see where one began and the other ended. Kokoro could hear their battle of words, as she was sure the other dragoons could.
Give up, al'niara! A new order is coming and we have no room for old traditions!
I will not give in, you little al'ri! The world has no room for duiar like you! Kokoro smiled to herself and shook her head. Even if the others could hear it, some of it would make no sense.
Duiar, she thought fondly. If I'm not mistaken, that's your nickname for me, Rion. But she kept her comments to herself only. The older dragon need not be distracted from the task at hand.
"Koro! Up here!" Kokoro paused her thoughts and looked up as Meru and Miranda descended from above. "Come on, Koro," urged Meru. "Haschel and Albert already took Carlais to the land. It's not safe on the water anymore."
"I agree," said Kokoro, nodding. "Come on. The yellow will not survive and it will be desperate when it realizes this. We must get to land."
***
The sand burst up in angry clouds as the three female dragoons landed on the beach and were greeted by their other three companions. Behind them, grey light flashed and with a great roar of pain, the yellow dragon crumbled to the sea. Through the steam that rose up came a call of triumph from Rion.
"What happens now?" asked Albert, standing next to Kokoro. Her dragoon armor vanished is soft //flash// as she watched the grey dragon fly towards them with a graceful calm.
"We get an explination," she said as it landed gently in the water not far out, causing very few waves for a creature of its size. Kokoro glanced at Carlais, who watched the dragon with no more fear then any of the dragoons. Her suspicions were confirmed, it seemed. Rion, how is it a dragon that young is alive to attack?
Young Sons and Daughters, there are many fates at work here, more then even the oldest dragons could know. Or maybe it is just that they won't say. But nevertheless, old breeding grounds ring with not only the cries of hatchlings, but yearlings and teenagers as well. And my brothers have told me of more battles instigated by those like the yellow. Ryu Kokoro may not know of what I speak, but you other ones do. But Kokoro nodded the same as the others, save Carlais, who remained silent.
"Dart told me," she said. "Of more then one fight with young dragons. But when he first told me the story of Feybrand, I thought it was strange. From what I remembered about the dragons of long ago, they did not attack nor fight in general any human, Winglie, or other creatures. The war with the Winglies to free the human race had quelled all blood lust they had ever had. Then he told me of , with the dragon, as a dragoon. It almost made sense. The dragoon could have been controlling the dragon-" A low rumble cut her off and Rion lowered his head to give her a long look with his sharp blue eyes.
No dragoon may ever control a dragon. The power you have is only a part of what we possess. Kokoro rolled her eyes and gave him a gentle smack on the beak.
"Thank you for the bit of obvious logic, Rion," she snapped. "Here was what I was getting at: Feybrand was a new generation dragon, a young one. Somehow, the blood lust was reborn, either through a lack of parental intervention, or the opposite, that he was taught to hate humans and Winglies from his parents. But that still doesn't explain why there are any young ones alive in this day and age. There should be none younger then seven centries, at the least, and the yellow was half that."
"There be ones younger then that," said Carlais grimly. "Much younger, milady al'hiakio." Kokoro chuckled and shook her head.
"In eleven thousand years, I never would have thought to hear that name," she said. "Then I am right to guess you are not a normal bird bonder? You are al'rahana, no?" He smirked and nodded his head.
"I be that, milady. Bonded six years now to the gentlest ones you will ever meet. Al'Rieaka and Al'Thiaras. Wing of the Sky and Wing of the Water, my two be."
"Al'Rahana?" asked Meru. "What's that?"
Rahana is a word from ancient tongue meaning 'bonder of wings', a title given to bird bonders, said Rion. Al is a suffix given to anything that is dragon related. Al'Rahana are 'bonders of scaley wings'. A very coveted and rare title, may I say, given only to ones who bond dragons. Carlais' deep laugh over shadowed the several gasps that went through the unsuspecting dragoons.
"It be that, al'niara, it be that. I be only the third that I be knowing, but the others... they be even older then I, in fact. If that be possible." Now it was Kokoro's turn to be surprised and she almost fell over in the process.
"Three!?" she all but yelled in shock. "Three of you? And you with two to your name alone? How many are the others bonded to?" Carlais scratched his chin thoughtfully and looked skyward.
"Well... Hitari be bonded to four that I know of, unless Al'Nika's birthing went well, then she be bonded to at least five now. And Kikoai be bonded to... let me see... Al'Brina... Al'Riah... their sons... six? Aye, that seems right. Six then."
"Six!?"
"No... I be wrong. If Riah's eldest has a mate now, by which he should, then... maybe it be more. It be years since I be talking to Kikoai. I may be wrong, milady. Milady?" Kokoro was blinking very slowly and taking very deep breaths.
Twelve... or more. Bonded to only three people. Some old enough to have hatchlings of their own. And some of their hatchlings old enough to have mates. Oh, gods above. How many more? "Carlais, be perfectly honestly with me. Do Hitari and Kikoai know any other 'al'rahana'?" Carlais smiled broadly.
"Aye, milady, that they do."
"Oh... dear." Rion sniffed and nudged the dragoon of dreams in the back. Her arm burst into fresh pain, but she bit back a whimper. "What, Rion?"
Do not be such a fool, Ryu Kokoro. I told you many years ago that there were al'rahana, same as you rahana, running amok in the natural world. Now, if you will all excuse me, I have my own business to attend to. Kokoro nodded and patted his beak affectionately.
Stay away from the breeding grounds, alright? The last thing we need is any child of yours. The dragon sniffed again, but said nothing in return to her comment as he sauntered further into the water before taking off in the air. They watched him leave in silence, all lost to their own thoughts already.
Chapter 2
Night swept gracefully over Fueno, like a curtain falling softly. Laughter echoed loudly from its tavern and through the streets as men told tales of a great dragon battle over water. They were instantly tagged as drunks, but they were nonetheless entertainment for the night.
"There," said Kokoro as she finished bandaging Keriaria's wing. "Better, Keri?" The owl hawk hooted and butted her head against her bondmate's fingers, making Kokoro smiled and Meru giggle.
"I think that's a yes," she said. "How long will it take to heal, Koro?" Kokoro moved her fingers to the scratch the bir'ds chest and cocked her head to the side.
"A week, maybe less," she said. "It wasn't as bad a break as I had originally thought and, on top of that, bond birds heal faster then normal birds..." Meru lay back on the bed and stretched her legs out, happy with the answer she had been given. But Miranda still looked troubled.
"Princess... how is it Carlais is a- a, what was it? Al'rahana?" she asked finally after a silence.
"It... it wasn't something he chose," said Kokoro slowly, thinking hard on her answer. "Bonders never aspire to be bonders. We're all very normal people, in general terms, and lead normal lives. But the birds choose us... no human really knows why." Kokoro sighed regretfully. "Eleven thousand years ago, bird bonders were a hundred times more common then they are now. At least one in every two hundred people - humans or Winglies - was bonded to at least one bird, sometimes even more. Rahana were trusted people, trusted because the birds had chosen them as a partner, therefore, they were very kind and virtuous in nature. The same thing was true with dragons, but Al'rahana were less common and to be Al'rahana, you had to be Rahana first. The ones chosen to be Al'rahana were tested by the birds first, before they were bonded by dragons. Sometimes ones who were very good Rahana were not Al'rahana in their nature. Among the population of Rahana, Al'rahana numbered from one to every five hundred, to one to every thousand. They were few, but the greatest of all souls. And then... Cina's time of madness came. As he wiped out dragons, he campaigned propaganda against the Rahana and put bounties out for anyone, Winglie or human. Al'rahana were killed same as their bondmates, only they were tortured and publicly humiliated as traitors to the world. So... with more and more people refusing to bond to avoid being hunted down like dogs, the bonding began to grow out of the birds. It still comes back, even now, thousand of years later, but it is so rare and so often refused again that... it may never come again. It is the same with dragon bonds, only time and the deaths of dragon after dragon has caused it to dwindle." Kokoro stopped scratching her bondmate and gently moved her to the head of the bed, where she would sleep for the night.
"Isn't there a prophecy about something like this?" asked Meru, rubbing her nose. Miranda nodded.
"Spoken by the Wingle Lord Cina himself, as he slayed what he thought was the last dragon: "When the dragons call again, all blood shall answer back before it shall be spilt by dragon-hate." But by then, he was so insane, no one knew if he meant the hate of the dragons to the humans and winglies or the hate of the humans to the dragons."
"Everyone knew by then the old fool was nothing more then that, an old fool," said Kokoro bitterly. "If he had slain every dragon, then how would they call again? But, of course, all of the dragons were dead, so the mistake of following a psychotic old bastard around could not be undone."
"But dragons escaped, obviously," said Meru thoughtfully. "If they're coming back now."
"Exactly," said Miranda, nodding her head. Kokoro sat on the bed at the feet of the Winglie and smiled.
"Not only did some escape, some eggs were left as well. Dragons can take care of themselves from the day they hatch, most breeds anyway. The only ones who really can't are reds, dragons of mountain fire, and whites, dragons of healing light. Of course, morals and such can only be taught by parents but... that is almost impossible in these days."
"It is a sad thing," said Miranda. "Most people know no more about dragons then they do about dragoons. Dragons are simply a creature of legend to them. Creatures to be hated and feared."
"And those that know better are so few," added Meru sadly. "And far between that even they were all together, they still could have no effect on the thoughts of the world." Kokoro nodded slowly, then yawned.
"It has been a long day for all of us," she said, stretching. "In the morning, we can talk easier. Personally, I'm so tired, I'm already half asleep as we speak."
"I agree entirely," said Meru sleepily. "Good night, everyone." She rolled over onto her side and was fast asleep before Miranda or Kokoro spoke another word. The two women looked at each other, then just smiled.
"Good night, Princess," said Miranda. Kokoro stood up carefully and pulled the blanket up over the shoulders of the young Winglie.
"Good night, Miranda. I'll be right back. I'm going to tell the men we're turning in for the night." Miranda nodded as Kokoro stepped from the room and quietly closed the door behind her. I really wish she wouldn't call me Princess. I'm not that person anymore