Author's Note: Striker. Not Strider, although I do like Lord of the Rings.
Anyway, you people can have as many plushies as you want. Not like I can
actually sell them. Yeah, this story is pretty long, and it will get even
longer. I'm not even close to done yet, rest assured.
Chapter 48
The Red-Eye Dragon and his rider sped towards the mountain that had mysteriously sprouted up from the ground more than eight hundred years ago. As the distance between Balaeris and the peak closed, the Dragon began to become anxious. He shouted to Rayen, who was shielding his eyes against the wind. "Are you sure about this?"
Rayen's answer was simple and predictable. "Yes. Keep going."
The Dragon sighed in resignation, then examined the slope with his keen vision. "Where do you want me to land?"
"You're not landing anywhere. Fly into the mountain."
Whatever Balaeris was expecting, it wasn't that. "Into the mountain? Are you nuts?"
"Haven't you people asked me that question enough? No, I am not insane. Like I said, the Winglies will admit us."
Balaeris couldn't shake his doubts. "What if they decide not to let us in?"
Rayen smiled grimly. "Then we'll crash into the rock and you'll probably break your spine."
The Dragon's crimson feline pupils narrowed. "That's reassuring."
"I thought it would be."
They were only a few hundred feet from the mountainside now. Balaeris could see the animals skittering away from his approach. "We're gonna hit!"
Rayen remained calm. "No, we aren't."
Beating his wings one last time, Balaeris shut his eyes hard and braced himself for impact.
None came.
Balaeris eased one eye open, then gasped. The Dragon turned his serpentine neck backwards and saw the same landscape behind them. But this was definitely not the inside of a mountain. An enormous city spanned out before them, trees and plants in full bloom even in midwinter.
Rayen smirked in satisfaction. "Told you so."
A young male Wingly approached the pair. "Welcome to Ulara. Mistress Frahma has been waiting for you."
The Dragon's eyes opened wide. "Charle Frahma? But she's over twelve thousand years old! She can't still be alive!"
The Wingly chuckled. "I assure you she is. We never age under this enchantment. She will remain alive until it suits her otherwise. In the meantime, why don't we take you her? She's been anxious to meet you ever since she heard."
Rayen slipped the crystal Spirit back into his pocket as discreetly as he could. He didn't want anyone to know that didn't have to. "How did she know we were coming?"
The Wingly shook his head. "I do not know, Mistress Frahma was very tight- lipped about the whole thing. Come."
With a shrug, Rayen followed the Wingly to a teleporter, while two more attendants appeared to take care of Balaeris during Rayen's absence. There was a flash of light, and the two were encircled in a green globe of magic and transported to the receiving end, where a small gaggle of Winglies dressed in elder's robes stood waiting. Suddenly, a shrill voice piped up loudly.
"Oh, excellent, you've arrived! It's so nice to meet someone from the outside after eight hundred years, the outside being everywhere except this little city, naturally. Of course, if we wanted visitors, we wouldn't have gone about with this silly mountain business. Horrid idea, if you ask me. However, not all people have as good intentions as you, so I suppose the shield has some merit. We know your intentions, of course. We've been watching you this whole time. Dreadful state of affairs going on out there, just dreadful. But I hope that doesn't impede the enjoyment of your visit, after all, it's so pleasant having a visitor, especially a fine young man like yourself. The people around here are wonderful, of course, but it does get a little monotonous after eight centuries. As I was saying to my good friend yesterday..."
Rayen interrupted as politely as he could. "Erm, if you don't mind, Mistress Frahma..."
At this moment, one of the elders intercepted Charle Frahma through the stream of conversation. Whispering in her ear, he said something Rayen couldn't pick up. Charle's eyes widened, and her smile got, if possible, even larger. "Oh! Of course, of course! Follow me, child. This way!"
Charle started walking briskly in another direction, and Rayen followed, leaving the swarm of elders behind, who were looking after Charle anxiously, as if unsure she should be left alone. From what he knew of the ancient Wingly, Rayen already agreed with them. Charle continued from where she had left off. "It's nice to know that what you need had some use in it. Unfortunately, we never knew what it was for before now. I received it after my dear brother Melbu left; it used to be his. But he didn't make it, because he was constantly studying it. I watched him ponder over it several times, so I kept it. We've been trying for thousands of years now, but we still never found any use for the thing. Many of the researchers wanted to throw it out, but I wouldn't let them. I suppose it retains a little sentimental value. Having it for nearly twelve thousand years does make an impression on you, of course, and it belonged to Melbu... poor Melbu, nobody really understood him, not even that horrid Faust character. I don't think even I knew what went on in that head of his. Dealing with terrible people like that Faust, then stirring up war. I'm not sure he was quite right in the head near the end. Brilliant man, my brother, but always so pessimistic, so brooding. Not good for a boy. Ah, here we are."
They stopped in a small, enclosed, windowless room. A chest sat in the corner, unlocked. Assuming that the artifact lay inside, Rayen walked over to the chest and lifted the lid back. It was empty. Charle gave a small laugh. "Oh, of course it wouldn't be in there. Much too obvious. Besides, that chest isn't nearly big enough to hold all our relics. We have quite an extensive collection, but I daresay you'll want to see it for yourself."
With a simple flick of her wrist, Charle sent the chest soaring up into the air, dropping neatly back onto the ground with a soft thud, and even snapping the lid shut again. While the display of magic was undoubtedly impressive, especially for such little effort expended, Rayen was slightly more interested with what lay beneath the chest. Another teleporter was revealed now, and the chest's only purpose appeared to be hiding that teleporter from view. Rayen and Charle stepped on the pad, and in another flash of neon green light, they were transported to somewhere else altogether.
When the magical globe faded, Rayen found himself staring at the most interesting collection of objects he had ever seen. Artifacts of all shapes, sizes, and types were carefully arranged in rows of glass cases. Rayen followed Charle through the seemingly endless rows of relics, until they reached a single case at the end of the room. A knife sat in this case, quite ordinary and unassuming. But one look at Charle told Rayen that this was their destination. "All we know about it is that it is exceptionally good at cutting, but that was hardly what interested Melbu. No, there was something about it that fascinated him, something that nobody could find, not even him. I think he might have had suspicious of a hidden power, but he was gone long before he could find it. Luckily, the Creator came to me last night, and told me that you needed it for something that would affect the future of Endiness as we know it."
Rayen gingerly lifted the glass container with one hand, then pulled out the crystal Spirit with his other. As soon as the Spirit was out of his pocket, the knife started to gleam with a strange light. With a mind of its own, it lifted into the air, and rushed at the prism. Rayen let go of the Spirit and jumped back in surprise, but the Spirit remained suspended in the air. The knife made four quick strokes. As Rayen leaned in to examine the work, he saw that the four slashes made a thin diamond that looked a great deal like a cat's pupil... or a Dragon's. Their work finished, both artifacts fell to the ground with a clatter. As he stooped down to touch the Spirit, it burst into a brilliant myriad of colors that shifted and danced before his eyes. Scooping them both up off the floor, he offered the knife back to Charle, but the ancient Wingly held up a hand. "Keep it. I daresay it will be of more use to you than to us, sitting in its case. Its sheath is in the case as well."
Rayen nodded, then picked up the sheath. Unlike the knife itself, the sheath was very ornate, made of silver inlaid with pearl. Slipping the weapon into its covering, Rayen put the knife into his pocket with the Spirit. Charle clapped her hands once in satisfaction, then spoke again. "I assume you must be tired after your journey. Come, we will find a place for you to sleep."
As if Charle's words had triggered something within him, Rayen suddenly felt a deep surge of exhaustion. Following Charle through the maze of teleporters, he was eventually led to a small room that overlooked the city's gardens below. The perfume of the flowers had a soporific effect on the young human. Not even bothering to change, Rayen fell onto the soft mattress and was instantly asleep.
Author's Note: It's official, Charle talks WAY too much. DDX, Rayen got into Ulara because Charle and the others let him in. He doesn't need Rose's choker for that. Yay, Rayen's new Spirit is complete, soon we'll see what happens when he decides to use it! Okey dokey, a new chapter is up, so review!
Chapter 48
The Red-Eye Dragon and his rider sped towards the mountain that had mysteriously sprouted up from the ground more than eight hundred years ago. As the distance between Balaeris and the peak closed, the Dragon began to become anxious. He shouted to Rayen, who was shielding his eyes against the wind. "Are you sure about this?"
Rayen's answer was simple and predictable. "Yes. Keep going."
The Dragon sighed in resignation, then examined the slope with his keen vision. "Where do you want me to land?"
"You're not landing anywhere. Fly into the mountain."
Whatever Balaeris was expecting, it wasn't that. "Into the mountain? Are you nuts?"
"Haven't you people asked me that question enough? No, I am not insane. Like I said, the Winglies will admit us."
Balaeris couldn't shake his doubts. "What if they decide not to let us in?"
Rayen smiled grimly. "Then we'll crash into the rock and you'll probably break your spine."
The Dragon's crimson feline pupils narrowed. "That's reassuring."
"I thought it would be."
They were only a few hundred feet from the mountainside now. Balaeris could see the animals skittering away from his approach. "We're gonna hit!"
Rayen remained calm. "No, we aren't."
Beating his wings one last time, Balaeris shut his eyes hard and braced himself for impact.
None came.
Balaeris eased one eye open, then gasped. The Dragon turned his serpentine neck backwards and saw the same landscape behind them. But this was definitely not the inside of a mountain. An enormous city spanned out before them, trees and plants in full bloom even in midwinter.
Rayen smirked in satisfaction. "Told you so."
A young male Wingly approached the pair. "Welcome to Ulara. Mistress Frahma has been waiting for you."
The Dragon's eyes opened wide. "Charle Frahma? But she's over twelve thousand years old! She can't still be alive!"
The Wingly chuckled. "I assure you she is. We never age under this enchantment. She will remain alive until it suits her otherwise. In the meantime, why don't we take you her? She's been anxious to meet you ever since she heard."
Rayen slipped the crystal Spirit back into his pocket as discreetly as he could. He didn't want anyone to know that didn't have to. "How did she know we were coming?"
The Wingly shook his head. "I do not know, Mistress Frahma was very tight- lipped about the whole thing. Come."
With a shrug, Rayen followed the Wingly to a teleporter, while two more attendants appeared to take care of Balaeris during Rayen's absence. There was a flash of light, and the two were encircled in a green globe of magic and transported to the receiving end, where a small gaggle of Winglies dressed in elder's robes stood waiting. Suddenly, a shrill voice piped up loudly.
"Oh, excellent, you've arrived! It's so nice to meet someone from the outside after eight hundred years, the outside being everywhere except this little city, naturally. Of course, if we wanted visitors, we wouldn't have gone about with this silly mountain business. Horrid idea, if you ask me. However, not all people have as good intentions as you, so I suppose the shield has some merit. We know your intentions, of course. We've been watching you this whole time. Dreadful state of affairs going on out there, just dreadful. But I hope that doesn't impede the enjoyment of your visit, after all, it's so pleasant having a visitor, especially a fine young man like yourself. The people around here are wonderful, of course, but it does get a little monotonous after eight centuries. As I was saying to my good friend yesterday..."
Rayen interrupted as politely as he could. "Erm, if you don't mind, Mistress Frahma..."
At this moment, one of the elders intercepted Charle Frahma through the stream of conversation. Whispering in her ear, he said something Rayen couldn't pick up. Charle's eyes widened, and her smile got, if possible, even larger. "Oh! Of course, of course! Follow me, child. This way!"
Charle started walking briskly in another direction, and Rayen followed, leaving the swarm of elders behind, who were looking after Charle anxiously, as if unsure she should be left alone. From what he knew of the ancient Wingly, Rayen already agreed with them. Charle continued from where she had left off. "It's nice to know that what you need had some use in it. Unfortunately, we never knew what it was for before now. I received it after my dear brother Melbu left; it used to be his. But he didn't make it, because he was constantly studying it. I watched him ponder over it several times, so I kept it. We've been trying for thousands of years now, but we still never found any use for the thing. Many of the researchers wanted to throw it out, but I wouldn't let them. I suppose it retains a little sentimental value. Having it for nearly twelve thousand years does make an impression on you, of course, and it belonged to Melbu... poor Melbu, nobody really understood him, not even that horrid Faust character. I don't think even I knew what went on in that head of his. Dealing with terrible people like that Faust, then stirring up war. I'm not sure he was quite right in the head near the end. Brilliant man, my brother, but always so pessimistic, so brooding. Not good for a boy. Ah, here we are."
They stopped in a small, enclosed, windowless room. A chest sat in the corner, unlocked. Assuming that the artifact lay inside, Rayen walked over to the chest and lifted the lid back. It was empty. Charle gave a small laugh. "Oh, of course it wouldn't be in there. Much too obvious. Besides, that chest isn't nearly big enough to hold all our relics. We have quite an extensive collection, but I daresay you'll want to see it for yourself."
With a simple flick of her wrist, Charle sent the chest soaring up into the air, dropping neatly back onto the ground with a soft thud, and even snapping the lid shut again. While the display of magic was undoubtedly impressive, especially for such little effort expended, Rayen was slightly more interested with what lay beneath the chest. Another teleporter was revealed now, and the chest's only purpose appeared to be hiding that teleporter from view. Rayen and Charle stepped on the pad, and in another flash of neon green light, they were transported to somewhere else altogether.
When the magical globe faded, Rayen found himself staring at the most interesting collection of objects he had ever seen. Artifacts of all shapes, sizes, and types were carefully arranged in rows of glass cases. Rayen followed Charle through the seemingly endless rows of relics, until they reached a single case at the end of the room. A knife sat in this case, quite ordinary and unassuming. But one look at Charle told Rayen that this was their destination. "All we know about it is that it is exceptionally good at cutting, but that was hardly what interested Melbu. No, there was something about it that fascinated him, something that nobody could find, not even him. I think he might have had suspicious of a hidden power, but he was gone long before he could find it. Luckily, the Creator came to me last night, and told me that you needed it for something that would affect the future of Endiness as we know it."
Rayen gingerly lifted the glass container with one hand, then pulled out the crystal Spirit with his other. As soon as the Spirit was out of his pocket, the knife started to gleam with a strange light. With a mind of its own, it lifted into the air, and rushed at the prism. Rayen let go of the Spirit and jumped back in surprise, but the Spirit remained suspended in the air. The knife made four quick strokes. As Rayen leaned in to examine the work, he saw that the four slashes made a thin diamond that looked a great deal like a cat's pupil... or a Dragon's. Their work finished, both artifacts fell to the ground with a clatter. As he stooped down to touch the Spirit, it burst into a brilliant myriad of colors that shifted and danced before his eyes. Scooping them both up off the floor, he offered the knife back to Charle, but the ancient Wingly held up a hand. "Keep it. I daresay it will be of more use to you than to us, sitting in its case. Its sheath is in the case as well."
Rayen nodded, then picked up the sheath. Unlike the knife itself, the sheath was very ornate, made of silver inlaid with pearl. Slipping the weapon into its covering, Rayen put the knife into his pocket with the Spirit. Charle clapped her hands once in satisfaction, then spoke again. "I assume you must be tired after your journey. Come, we will find a place for you to sleep."
As if Charle's words had triggered something within him, Rayen suddenly felt a deep surge of exhaustion. Following Charle through the maze of teleporters, he was eventually led to a small room that overlooked the city's gardens below. The perfume of the flowers had a soporific effect on the young human. Not even bothering to change, Rayen fell onto the soft mattress and was instantly asleep.
Author's Note: It's official, Charle talks WAY too much. DDX, Rayen got into Ulara because Charle and the others let him in. He doesn't need Rose's choker for that. Yay, Rayen's new Spirit is complete, soon we'll see what happens when he decides to use it! Okey dokey, a new chapter is up, so review!