Half-Dragon
Author's Note: Here's more Half-Dragon. I'm really, really sorry it took so long in coming…but here it is…enjoy!
Chapter 4: Silvara's Answers
"We've been walking in these mountains for three weeks!" Silvan complained. "How much longer will it be, Keaira?"
"Quiet," Keaira snapped. "We'll probably have to go all the way to the Valley of Death."
"Isn't that quite a ways away?" Gilthas asked.
"Actually, no," Keaira answered. "The Valley of Death is only about…12 meters to our right."
"Good," Silvan said. "I'm SICK of walking."
"You hush."
"Seriously, Silvan, shut up! I really don't think we need any arguments today," Gilthas added.
"Fine then," Silvan said, looking a little disappointed.
About an hour later, they entered the Valley of Death—the resting place of the city Neraka.
"I don't like this place," Gilthas said quietly. "It gives me the creeps."
"Hush," Keaira said, listening. "Listen."
Gilthas and Silvan listened. Crunch. Crunch. Footsteps on dry gravel. Crunch. Crunch. A slender figure stepped into the light. Instantly, Keaira was on her feet, holding the figure's head to the side, exposing the neck, which was being scratched with Keaira's dagger.
"Please…" the figure whispered. "I mean you no harm!"
Stunned, Keaira let go, dropping her dagger as she did so. "Mother?"
The three young elves and the dragon were seated in a small cave in the mountains. Silvara looked at them, each in turn. Gilthas, named for his ill-fated uncle. Silvanoshei, named for his people. And Keaira—named for nobody in particular.
"I am surprised to see you here, all of you," Silvara said quietly, waiting for the response that would tell her whether these were friends—or enemies.
"Keaira summoned us. Me and Gilthas, I mean," Silvanoshei said.
"Why are you here, Keaira?" Silvara asked.
"Father died a few weeks ago, Mother."
Silvara paled. "Gilthanas!" she whispered.
Keaira put her arm around her mother's shoulder.
"In fact, Lady Silvara," Gilthas said quietly, "That's what we wanted to talk to you about."
"What do you mean?" Silvara asked.
"When he died, Father told me to seek out my cousins—I've done that—and to 'sprout silver wings.' Do you have any idea what he meant by that?"
"No…he shouldn't have told you…but, then, you deserved to know…"
"Know what, Mother?"
"Keaira, I am a dragon. A silver dragon."
Keaira didn't seem surprised. "I know."
"You—you know?"
"I—I think I've always known."
"Then that makes my task easier."
"What do you mean, Mother?"
"Keaira, my daughter, you know the gods left us at the end of the Chaos War and---"
"We all know this, Lady," Gilthas said impatiently.
"Very well then. You know of the seven gods of good, the seven gods of neutrality, and the seven gods of evil. You know of Chaos, the Father of All and Nothing. But…there was one other."
"Who?" Silvan asked eagerly.
"Takhisis had a twin sister, Moruadh. She was much like their father, except that where Chaos was fire, Moruadh was ice. Takhisis was insanely jealous of her twin. Moruadh had everything—she was her father's pet and plaything, beautiful, powerful, and the essence that bound the universe together. We could survive without Chaos. We could not survive without Moruadh.
"But, as I said, Takhisis hated Moruadh. And the one thing that Moruadh could not fight was her own element—ice. Takhisis knew her twin's weaknesses, as she knew her strengths. Takhisis bound Moruadh in ice—no one knows where. Moruadh was the only one who could stand a chance against Chaos—she was the only one stronger. If Moruadh had not been entrapped during the Chaos War—we might very well still have our gods."
"Why are you telling us about Moruadh? And how did you know?" Gilthas asked.
"I knew because Paladine revealed this all to me just before he left. He knew that Moruadh could be our savior. All we need is someone to free her. She can help you. And she can help us all."
"So, we must find this Moruadh?" Keaira asked.
"Yes, daughter. You must find and free Moruadh. That is what you must do to follow your father's wishes. That is how you will 'sprout silver wings.'"
Author's Note: Here's more Half-Dragon. I'm really, really sorry it took so long in coming…but here it is…enjoy!
Chapter 4: Silvara's Answers
"We've been walking in these mountains for three weeks!" Silvan complained. "How much longer will it be, Keaira?"
"Quiet," Keaira snapped. "We'll probably have to go all the way to the Valley of Death."
"Isn't that quite a ways away?" Gilthas asked.
"Actually, no," Keaira answered. "The Valley of Death is only about…12 meters to our right."
"Good," Silvan said. "I'm SICK of walking."
"You hush."
"Seriously, Silvan, shut up! I really don't think we need any arguments today," Gilthas added.
"Fine then," Silvan said, looking a little disappointed.
About an hour later, they entered the Valley of Death—the resting place of the city Neraka.
"I don't like this place," Gilthas said quietly. "It gives me the creeps."
"Hush," Keaira said, listening. "Listen."
Gilthas and Silvan listened. Crunch. Crunch. Footsteps on dry gravel. Crunch. Crunch. A slender figure stepped into the light. Instantly, Keaira was on her feet, holding the figure's head to the side, exposing the neck, which was being scratched with Keaira's dagger.
"Please…" the figure whispered. "I mean you no harm!"
Stunned, Keaira let go, dropping her dagger as she did so. "Mother?"
The three young elves and the dragon were seated in a small cave in the mountains. Silvara looked at them, each in turn. Gilthas, named for his ill-fated uncle. Silvanoshei, named for his people. And Keaira—named for nobody in particular.
"I am surprised to see you here, all of you," Silvara said quietly, waiting for the response that would tell her whether these were friends—or enemies.
"Keaira summoned us. Me and Gilthas, I mean," Silvanoshei said.
"Why are you here, Keaira?" Silvara asked.
"Father died a few weeks ago, Mother."
Silvara paled. "Gilthanas!" she whispered.
Keaira put her arm around her mother's shoulder.
"In fact, Lady Silvara," Gilthas said quietly, "That's what we wanted to talk to you about."
"What do you mean?" Silvara asked.
"When he died, Father told me to seek out my cousins—I've done that—and to 'sprout silver wings.' Do you have any idea what he meant by that?"
"No…he shouldn't have told you…but, then, you deserved to know…"
"Know what, Mother?"
"Keaira, I am a dragon. A silver dragon."
Keaira didn't seem surprised. "I know."
"You—you know?"
"I—I think I've always known."
"Then that makes my task easier."
"What do you mean, Mother?"
"Keaira, my daughter, you know the gods left us at the end of the Chaos War and---"
"We all know this, Lady," Gilthas said impatiently.
"Very well then. You know of the seven gods of good, the seven gods of neutrality, and the seven gods of evil. You know of Chaos, the Father of All and Nothing. But…there was one other."
"Who?" Silvan asked eagerly.
"Takhisis had a twin sister, Moruadh. She was much like their father, except that where Chaos was fire, Moruadh was ice. Takhisis was insanely jealous of her twin. Moruadh had everything—she was her father's pet and plaything, beautiful, powerful, and the essence that bound the universe together. We could survive without Chaos. We could not survive without Moruadh.
"But, as I said, Takhisis hated Moruadh. And the one thing that Moruadh could not fight was her own element—ice. Takhisis knew her twin's weaknesses, as she knew her strengths. Takhisis bound Moruadh in ice—no one knows where. Moruadh was the only one who could stand a chance against Chaos—she was the only one stronger. If Moruadh had not been entrapped during the Chaos War—we might very well still have our gods."
"Why are you telling us about Moruadh? And how did you know?" Gilthas asked.
"I knew because Paladine revealed this all to me just before he left. He knew that Moruadh could be our savior. All we need is someone to free her. She can help you. And she can help us all."
"So, we must find this Moruadh?" Keaira asked.
"Yes, daughter. You must find and free Moruadh. That is what you must do to follow your father's wishes. That is how you will 'sprout silver wings.'"