Step Five: Circle Down
Humans need love. It is essential to their being…as is hate to balance it out. But when the barer of shining light for that dark soul disappears, what is the young, new soul supposed to do? They need love to fly…to grow…but there is none there. They are all alone. She awoke when the first traces of dawn crept in. The torches still remained lit and their glow danced on the gold. She lifted her head from the pillow and noticed her robe was beside her. Feeling a soft, hot breath down her back, she rolled over and spied a dark face beside her. She smiled as he squinted in the darkness. "Is it morning already?" Narn placed a gentle hand to his face as he gently kissed her forehead. She snickered and lay down again. Kitzer wrapped her up in a gentle hug and laughed. Narn snuggled closer to him and shut her eyes again. Kitzer did not go back to sleep nor did he get up. He just lay there, keeping a watchful eye over her until he had sealed the cave entrance. His wings did ache to be stretched but he would not leave her company. He kissed her face again and watched her sleep.
The months seemed to pass by so quickly, Narn could hardly believe it. She and Kitzer had become very close and he had taught her all about dragons. The sun was setting now…in a blood red sky. Kitzer came to stand by Narn and pulled her close. "Blood sun means red will run…" Kitzer said. Narn was worried. The red setting sun never meant good things…and Nanr knew she would come tonight. Kitzer kissed her head and turned into a dragon. He smiled then said, "Wait for me, love." She smiled gently and nodded. He flapped his wings and flew off to go see the elder. Narn turned to go read but she heard the rampant and very spastic beat of wings coming closer so she turned around and waited. A small white dragon crashed in, head-over-heels. "Has she come yet?" Narn smiled. "No, not yet Prin. Soon, I know." "What cha gonna name her?" Narn blinked. She didn't know. That thought hadn't crossed her mind so she panicked. "Is there a special name I have to give her? Does it have to mean anything?" "Calm down Narn," the young baby dragon said as she laughed. She sat down and rocked on her tail. "Kitzer's really happy. He's nervous too." Narn nodded as she sat in the rocking chair Kitzer had picked up from a nearby village. Narn took her book and read stories to Prin until night had come…and Kitzer had not returned. Narn stood looking out at the cold, pale moon and hoped he returned soon.
Narn had returned to bed only to find it had been time. So she came, while they were all alone in the dark cave, for Narn could not light the torches. Narn now held her in her arms, breathing heavily. Something was wrong. She could feel it but without a light she couldn't see. Kitzer swooped in, crashing into his hoard, sending gold everywhere. He quickly lit the torches and turned human. He saw Narn, sweaty and deathly ill…holding a baby. He fell to his knees beside her, a smile meeting hers. But he could also feel that something was wrong. Narn's breathing started to become slower. Kitzer looked at his daughter and saw what he feared. She wasn't breathing and she wasn't moving. "She's…so beautiful." Kitzer's eyes welled up. "Yeah, she is." She doesn't know he thought. "What's her name…daddy?" She smiled at hom, her breathing very slow now. Kitzer put a hand to her head and stroked her fiery red hair. "Whatever you want love, whatever you want…" His tears fell upon her face and she put a comforting hand on his face. "Nore…Nore me Lineas Mineth…" Kitzer was shocked. "Mineth? But that's my last name…" "Of course it is…" He smiled. "Nore me Lineas Mineth…Flame of the Heart…" He let more tears fall onto her, unoticing of her breath stopping. She smiled and closed her eyes sighing. Kitzer's ears heard nothing. He looked to her and saw no movement. Her body grew cold even though the rock was aflame. But he did hear breathing. He sighed saying, "Oh Narn…I thought I you were…" She didn't move. He wondered who was here, hiding among the shadows. His eyes flashed red as he scanned the room, growling quietly. Then, as his eyes passed over Narn again, he saw his daughter was very much alive and well. She opened her eyes and smiled at him. Kitzer gently took her in his arms, scared to hold such a tiny thing. He cradled her close to him, wrapping her in a piece of silk. She was very small, as long as he arm from wrist down to his elbow and weighed as light as his smallest scale. His tears fell on her face. "So small…yet you will be so great. This is my little daughter." Nore didn't cry, didn't scream, only reached towards her father. He was frightened for her. The dragons might not believe she would grow up to be what they wanted, for Kitzer knew she would be the best. He heard an eerie tap at the doors to his cave. He set Nore in the rocking chair and covered Narn up. He wiped a few tears as he turned into himself and pulled the doors open slowly. The elder was there, hovering. "Where is the child?" Kitzer's face saddened as he let the elder swoop in. He alighted and turned to his wizardly form. Kitzer turned his regal head and saw him go to the chair. "Oh my…" "What is it?" "So tiny…" "Elder…I know she is small…but she'll grow and be great." "I know." Kitzer was confused. He quickly turned human as the elder picked Nore up in his arms. "What was the name chosen for her?" "Lady Narn chose Nor…Illy. She chose Illy." "Illy?" The elder looked at him suspiciously. "It's not like you to lie Kitzer. What is the child's name?" He sighed, saying, "Nore…Nore me Lineas Mineth…" "Flame of the Heart…hmm…Where is Narn come to think of it?" Kitzer shut his eyes tight, choking back tears. "She lies dead Elder…died for Nore." The elder muttered a Draconian prayer and looked at Kitzer. "I will take care of Narn…" he said, handing Nore to him, "Take care of her." He turned dragon and carefully wrapped his front foot around Narn's clothed body. As he lifted away, a few strands of her red hair fell upon Kitzer. He picked them up and held fast to them. He turned back to Nore and brought her to his cheek. She smiled and made a little squeak. Kitzer jumped. He looked at her more carefully. She had little bronze scales on her arms here and there and her fingers was claws. He smiled, and sat in the chair, slowly rocking her back and forth. While he sat, he held the hair in the air and enchanted it, making it so it would stay the same forever. Then he slowly wove it into a necklace, fetching a small jewel from his hoard. He noticed it was everywhere. He shuddered but ignored it for now. The jewel was a blue and green rock, that sat nicely in the middle of the choker. Before finishing it, he put it around Nore's neck and bound it there, to grow with her as she grew. He smiled at her again. A head poked up and over the edge. He looked at it oddly, the sun in his eyes now. A small, white dragon hopped to him. "IS IT HER!? IS IT HER!?" "Prin?" "Kitzer?! IS IT HER!?" He smiled and laughed. "Yes, it is. Come, look." "Okay mom, he said we can come see her!" A huge white dragon flew up and hovered for a moment. She smiled and proceeded to say, "Kitzer, how are you?" "I am fine." He smiled and nodded for her to come in as well. She turned human and walked to him. Her dark blue eyes marveled at the child. Prin hopped up to look as well, her tail balancing her on the back of the chair. Strae admired Nore. She saw she was going to be very strong. "Kitzer, she's probably hungry…" He looked worried. "Um, what am I supposed to feed her?" Strae laughed. "Oh my, don't you know?" "I am a male, if haven't noticed." "Then, if you permit me to share some of your dinner tonight, I will help you today." Kitzer thought about this. He could barely find enough food for himself anymore. He sighed, knowing he needed the help. "All right, you and your daughter may share dinner with me tonight." "Very good. Now, let me see our beautiful mistress." Kitzer was reluctant to hand Nore over but he had known Strae a long time. "Kitzer, I'll help you put your gold back while mom feeds her." Kitzer smiled. "Thank you Prin and tonight I shall bake you a cake." "Yay!" Prin started picking gold up happily and carefully. Kitzer kept careful watch over Nore while they cleaned.
It took all day to clean the gold up. Kitzer kept getting visitors wanting to see the new mistress. The elder black dragon had been troublesome. He had knocked the gold down again, which infuriated Kitzer. Kitzer had turned dragon and roared at him to get out, causing Nore to cry…for the first time since she had been born. As soon as she had, the black left willingly, Strae screaming herself. She quietly talked to Nore, but she wouldn't calm down. Kitzer took her to his private room while Strae and Prin continued cleaning. Once inside, he turned into himself and curled around her gently. He quietly tolled a dragon lullaby to her while rocking her gently. His big dragon heart went all mushy inside. He hated it, yet he loved Nore. As soon as she was quiet again, he came back outside and gave her back to Strae while he went and hunted. When he came back, his cave was over run again by many different dragons. He was carrying two deer in his mouth so he couldn't scream. He did the next best thing. In his throat, he summed up the biggest growl he could. The all turned and saw him, looming there in the door way. Strae was cornered as Prin tried to keep them all back. Kitzer dropped the deer on the floor when he saw Nore in one of the red's arms. Everyone had the sense to leave as he walked to him. Kitzer snapped his teeth in his face as he dropped Nore. Kitzer panicked and dove for her. Luckily, Strae had her wings out and gently caught her in her arms. She quickly took her away as Kitzer roared, in his loudest tone, "GET OUT!!" The red hissed at him and Kitzer bit his tail. He yelped as he spastically flew out. Kitzer turned human and punched the cave wall. Prin was frightened so she went to her mother. Strae handed Nore to her while she went to Kitzer. She calmed him down after a bit and then they had dinner, in which they all ate rather much. Kitzer was now making one of his renowned Strawberry and Blood cakes, while Strae rocked back and forth in the chair, singing quietly to Nore. Prin lay on the carpet at her feet, hunched over a book. The only thing keeping her awake was the smell of strawberries filling the cave. "Strae, I have a proposition for you." "What is it?" "I cannot evidently take care of Nore on my own. So…" he sighed, "will you help me?" Strae did not answer. As he took the cake out, he thought of a surefire way to get her to help. "You know, Rosa will have to stay if this one doesn't make it," he said, smiling to himself. Then he heard Strae mutter, "You little, conniving…stupid…Oh all right." Strae had one of the biggest dens in High Home. Rosa never cleaned it so her gold was also renowned as the giant heap of dust and no other dragon would touch it. When Prin had had her cake and night was well under way, Strae and Prin returned home. Kitzer was relieved they were going. Dragons were solitary animals and he didn't really see how he was going to put up with her for at least two years. He sighed, closed his cave doors, lit a few torches, sat in the rocking chair and slept with Nore in his arms.
