By Nyassa Kaiba
Notes: Most of the chant that Feralae uses is taken from Dancing With Dragons, by DJ Conway. The piece "Robinton's Dream," is an instrumental piece from the Dragonriders of Pern soundtrack, available on Anne Mc Caffrey's website.
Chapter 8
To the mountain of fire
Came the girl and the beast
To rescue a heroine he held dear
Or to try at least…
Feralae and Raven were curled up in bed that night. A long meeting had resulted from the findings. There were NO fingerprints on either the pendant or the glove, and none on the Draconitas either. Feralae did not mention that this was a sign of magic at work. Raven did however.
The conclusion was that they should consult Feralae's grandmother in Kyoto. The Titans had recently acquired a jet for emergencies, so Cyborg and Beastboy had spent a good portion of the night, (and a large amount of coffee and snacks,) getting it ready for the next morning.
Feralae was surprised then when there came a gentle knock on the door. "It's Beastboy, may I come in?"
"Let me come out." Feralae replied. He didn't want her to see Raven sharing her bed. Feralae wrapped herself up in her bathrobe and went to the door. "Hi." Beastboy said shyly as Feralae closed the door behind her. "I was… um… wondering. Do you know a ritual that can change somebody who's been turned into stone back to normal?"
This was why Feralae, Beastboy, Nidon, and Nidhoggr ended up sailing over the bay in the middle of the night. Feralae was in ritual garb and carried a backpack and bundles of herbs. A small pouch of different crystals, her sword and atheme, bodhran, and glass fife were belted to her waist. Feralae also had her staff balanced on Nidhoggr's neck.
Beastboy clung to Feralae's shoulders for dear life. "Okay, head northeast. The volcano is about twenty five miles beyond town, in the national forest."
"Okay, you heard the man Nidhoggr." Feralae told the Dragon Lord. As they went Feralae considered what she'd need. Stones and some of the herbs could be found on site. But National forests were prime places for forest and mountain dragons. And then there might be one living in the Volcano itself. Feralae had brought with her an expensive bottle of Sake that she tended to use for offerings, as well as two of her ritual chalices. But if the Volcano dragon said that she wasn't allowed to take Terra back, then Beastboy's girlfriend had to stay. They could come back when they'd finished in Kyoto.
"You realize there might be a dragon in the volcano?" Feralae asked. "I brought appropriate offerings of food and wine, but if there is a Dragon, and it isn't buying it your friend stays. Volcano dragons are known for causing karmic upheaval if you cross them."
"But…"
"I'm only saying what I was taught. Dragons are way stronger than any super hero alive. Even Superman would have trouble with them, and he's easily the strongest Hero I've met. Nidon beat the crap out of the Joker before Batman got on the scene, and he's just a hatchling. Get an idea about their strength now? And if a Volcano dragon is angry they could even make their Volcano erupt. And then we'd be in a fine mess wouldn't we?"
She did not mention that the Draconitas would be able to indicate the presence of dragons. Feralae was initiated in the way, this meant she could see them. But the stone itself would glow when in the presence of a dragon.
They flew in silence for a time. Then Beastboy pointed. "Here it is! Down there!"
Feralae directed Nidhoggr to land on the rim. "Okay. Let's have a look."
Beastboy led the way down the side of the now dormant volcano to a ledge inside the volcano itself. Sure enough, the Draconitas began to glow. Feralae whirled around on the path. The Volcano dragon was sitting there on the path above them. Feralae bowed and whispered to Beastboy. "Be respectful! Bow to him!"
"Right!" Beastboy bowed. "Um… should it be here physically?"
"It's reacting to my presence. Dragons can recognize one of the Clan by our power signature." Feralae turned to the nameless volcano dragon. "I am Dragonsinger, daughter of WildWing of the Dragon Clan. This is Beastboy, of the Teen Titans."
"Hi." Beastboy waved nervously.
"We mean you no harm, we came because a friend of ours is stuck down here… um… do you have a name?"
The dragon nodded and pointed to a shiny black shard of stone at our feet. Feralae picked it up. "It's obsidian. Then your name is Obsidian?" She asked.
The dragon nodded again and padded slowly, lithely, down the slope towards them. Beastboy gulped and began to back away.
"Don't. Put a damper on your fear. They'll sense it." Feralae warned them. "He'll see right through you. And if you run away, he might not let us restore Terra. Remember, you have to stay in his good graces to get her back."
Feralae reached into her pouch for a gem, something the color of flames. She found a topaz crystal the color of a sunrise. It had been expensive at the rock shop she'd gone to sooo many years ago in Gotham, but it was perfect for a fire dragon. She set it down and backed up a few paces on the slope. "This is for you Obsidian." Feralae told it.
Obsidian leaned down, sniffed the rock, and picked it up in his teeth. The dragon leapt into the sky and disappeared. "Whew!" Beastboy sighed in relief.
"We aren't out of the woods yet." Feralae told him as Obsidian flew straight out of the lava towards them. It stood a respectful distance away and shook itself off like a dog.
"AH!" Beastboy cried as lava sprayed everywhere, singeing the rocks.
Feralae chuckled. "Shall we commence?" She asked, extending a hand to Obsidian.
Obsidian came forward, nodding as it took her hand in it's paw. Then as it pulled away it leaned forward and licked Beastboy's face. The littlest Titan laughed. Then the dragon led the way the rest of the descent into the volcano. "Can't you understand what he's saying?" Asked Beastboy.
"He's not saying anything. Some dragons are like that. They make themselves known with feelings and gestures. Sometimes the indications are physical, like a room becoming hotter or colder unexpectedly, or the feeling of being watched, or a wave of foreign emotions. But the older the dragon the less likely it is to speak, unless it has rank, like Lord or Knight, Dean or King. They HAVE to talk. This dragon is probably very old." Feralae told him.
They came to the ledge where Terra's figure had come to rest when the lava had receded. It was just big enough for a careful ritual. On a second ledge, above it, was a circle of shiny rocks, mainly obsidian, pumice and quartz, and inside of it were… "EGGS!" Beastboy gawked. "Dr…dr… dragon eggs?" He looked over nervously at Obsidian.
The dragon nodded and with a hum of pleasure breathed fire on the rocks to keep the eggs warm. "Oh I get it, you heat the rocks and they heat the eggs." Beastboy said as he crouched down next to the nest.
Obsidian nodded. Then her head swiveled around to Terra's ledge. Beastboy smiled. "Yeah, that's the friend we came to get."
Obsidian snorted and sailed down to the other ledge. It stood on it's hind legs and put it's front paws on Terra's shoulders before wrapping her wings around the stone statue.
"I know you've been protecting her, but we're her friends! We came to get her back! We can't give up on her!" Feralae told her.
Obsidian growled and batted her wings, refusing to give in.
"How about if I give you some food, or maybe some sake?"
Obsidian stepped back and walked over to Feralae before cocking her head to the side. "Sake is this liquor that comes from Japan. My ancestors lived there, so I've been keeping a supply for rituals."
Obsidian considered this for a moment. Then it nudged Feralae's gem pouch. "Oh, you want that and another gem?" Feralae spread out the contents of her bag and her gem pouch. "See? I have azurite here. And this is rose quartz, and there's a garnet."
Obsidian nudged the Draconitas.
"You want that one?"
Obsidian shook her head and pointed her nose in Terra's direction.
"Oh, you say it will help her?"
Obsidian nodded.
"Okay, I'll hang onto it for the ritual then." Feralae picked it up out of the pouch.
Obsidian chose an amethyst from the gem pouch and Feralae poured a chalice full of Sake for Obsidian. Obsidian lapped happily at the alcohol. "Fire type dragons will ONLY drink alcohol." Feralae explained to Beastboy as she put away the things she didn't need. "So I keep a supply for them, high quality too. But its worth it to help out a friend. Now help me set up. We'll need larger rocks, about double fist sized." Feralae pulled out her crystal pendulum and cast around with it. "There's a ley line this way. We'll need all the energy that we can get. So start getting rocks to form a spiral and place it around her with the entry facing this way." She pointed to the northeast. "With any luck it will gather energy relatively quickly. And understand that this may or may not work. I'm basically winging it right now."
Feralae placed the Draconitas between Terra's fingers where it stayed, glowing dully. "That will come in handy later." She started up some incense and placed candles at the quarters. Feralae warmed up by doing a test roll on the bodhran and test scale on the fife. Then she made sure that her sword was clean and sharp. She'd need that.
Feralae placed her Dragon pentacle off to the side. She would need it for calling Chaos and Fire dragons. Her reasoning was that since Chaos and Fire had claimed Terra, then it would take Chaos and Fire to let her go. Feralae also made preparations to call on mountain and earth dragons, because Earth was Terra's element. Lastly, Feralae lit incense and opened the jar of ritual salt.
By then Beastboy had finished off the spiral. "Did I do this right?" He asked.
Feralae looked over at him. "Yeah, hang on." She straightened the line here or there. "Okay, it's ready." She called. "Obsidian! Have we your blessings?"
Obsidian nodded.
Feralae poured one chalice with water and one chalice with sake. She set them at the entrance to the spiral. Then she picked up the bodhran and began to play a beat, chanting in dragonspeak. She beat the drum three times, then began a beat like the pounding of a heart.
Arise of breath of dragons, fire, earth, chaos
Fill this land with goodness
Bless me and mine with your positive energies
And repel all those who wish us harm in any form…
Feralae began to glow, the glow pulsed, black, red, brown with the energies she was gathering.
I welcome all dragons who come to this place of power
May we work in harmony and in love
May this sacred spot become a haven of centeredness
A refuge that revitalizes
A door that leads to the Otherworld's knowledge
May your powers become one with mine…
According to the ritual she bent to touch the ground with the palm of her hand.
That I, my family, my community, my country, the world, my friends
May become whole and healthy again
And the improv part, the hardest part where Feralae must speak slowly, carefully, and neither stutter nor blunder her words. She placed her fingers to the ground and the energy that she'd called from her surroundings ran along the spiral flowing into Terra's figure. The draconitas began to pulse with a heartbeat, and it wasn't Feralae's. IT WAS WORKING!
Feralae took a deep breath and said, again in dragonspeak.
So the chaos has claimed her
So the fire has shamed her
So that she may return
To those she loves who yearn
Feralae began to dance, slow, stately, to emphasize Earth energy. That was what was missing from Terra's body. Carefully she made it around the spiral. Then Feralae returned to the beginning of the spiral. She needed more energy. Feralae picked up her fife and began to play a piece she'd learned called "Robinton's Dream." It was a haunting tune, perfect for the mysteries of the Earth element. This time Feralae could sense emotions coming from the statue, terror, longing, hatred, and an all consuming need to be near the people Terra cared about.
Almost. She muttered.
Feralae walked to the ley line and pulled her witch's cord from her outer robe. She placed it on the ley line and activated it, soaking up energy. Then Feralae picked up her sword, channeled energy from the earth and the volcano into it. Then the Dragonmage plunged it into the ground at the start of the ley line and began a delicate series of maneuvers with the same sword around the statue.
That was when the outer coating of the statue shattered and Terra fell forward into Beastboy's waiting arms.