The suns light woke Domino up, she opened her eyes and looked around her, she was on the top of a tall tower in the city of Ankh-Morpork. It was a clear day but with a slight haze of dust, she stood up and looked around the city…there seemed to be a mood of celebration in the air, she caught a glimpse of bunting and flags on some of the streets. Towards the east, well she presumed it was east, lay a large amount of crystallised wreckage which she presumed was the Crystal Palace.
It was as she was looking at the wreckage of the Crystal Palace she saw Thunderchild lying, still unconscious, on the tower next to her.
It all came flooding back to her, the memories of last night, the battle in the Crystal Palace…Thunderchilds bizarre transformation and her subsequent defeat.
Shouldn't I be dead? She thought
Kneeling next to Thunderchild she checked his breathing, it was faint but steady, he seemed to be almost in a coma like state, god alone knows how long they'd been like this, the last thing she remembered before waking up here was the platform beneath her collapsing and her plummeting to her doom.
She sat on a pile of rubble next to him and wept, it was all over but could Thunderchild ever love her again? She had nearly killed him…then again, he had nearly killed her.
It was strange, she thought, that they were so different and yet so alike.
The noise of people talking growing louder made her stiffen and prepare to hide, but there was nowhere to hide and it was with great reluctance that she forced herself not to draw her weapon.
"I saw the beast land somewhere up here." Said a voice
"I hope you're right Snikity…it'll have been a long climb for nothing." Said another
Two women emerged onto the top of the Tower of Art, Domino crouched in a defensive move.
"Who are you? What are you doing here!" she demanded
Snikity went to draw her sword but the other woman stopped her, a glimmer of recognition in her eye.
"I am Mizrah…and this is Snikity…you must be Domino."
Snikity gasped and bowed to Domino.
"What if I am!" snapped the genome
"I have come looking for Thunderchild…we have not been able to find him since the Crystal Palace collapsed…we fear he may have died in the destruction."
Domino shook her head
"He isn't dead…he's here, with me."
She moved out of the way and indicated Thunderchild still form with her hand, Mizrahs eyes widened.
"Then the beast must have brought you both here…" she reasoned.
Domino shook her head again
"No…the beast was Thunderchild…I don't know how," she said as Mizrah and Snikity began to protest "but he transformed into that dragon beast during our fight in the Crystal Palace."
"He fought you? Why?"
Domino shrugged
"I dunno, I think he had lost control of his actions…like I had of mine, he was focusing on who attacked him…which was me."
Mizrah sat on another pile of rubble and put her head in her hands.
"And yet…he saved you from the palace."
Domino nodded
"Yes…I don't know why either."
She looked down at Thunderchilds comatose body
"The only person who does is him…"
Mizrah stood up.
"Well…now we've found him we'd better get him out of here…this tower isn't safe and besides I can think of better places we can let him rest."
Domino agreed and helped Mizrah make a stretcher of sorts out of some fallen wood and rope, they then loaded Thunderchild onto it and carefully made their way down the Tower of Art.
As they walked through the Unseen University quadrangle, several wizards bowed their heads as they past and others took off their hats in a mark of respect.
When they walked out onto Sator Square they passed people carrying wheelbarrows full of crystals out from the area just east of the square where the Crystal Palace had stood.
"In its death-throes the palace still managed to cause destruction…an area from Hopper Street down to Esoteric Street and Market Street has been terribly damaged by it's collapse…but we are free again…that's what matters." Explained Mizrah
A small crowd of people gathered along the street as word spread of the discovery of Thunderchild, people murmured quietly as Domino, Snikity and Mizrah brought Thunderchild past them. Many bowed their heads like the wizards had.
"Why are there so many people about?" asked Domino
"Your husband is a hero…it was he who helped organise the uprising…he who battled in the Crystal Palace. The people want to see him…to catch a glimpse of this heroic figure."
Domino looked down at Thunderchild, he was still in fairly bad shape, blood lining his sleeping face which looked at peace with the world. She asked the burning question.
"Is he going to die?"
Mizrah jumped at her bluntness.
"I hope not…I'll have a closer look at him when we get him back to my place."
"Your place?"
Mizrah nodded
"Yeah…I have a house on God Street…we can use that, most of the inns are full of the people whose homes were destroyed during the battle of Ankh-Morpork."
They walked down through the Plaza of Broken Moons and onto the Street of Small Gods, the rubble of the Temple of Small Gods was being cleared by some trolls and several dwarves, the dwarves turned and removed their mining helmets as a mark of respect as they walked past. Everything was so quiet.
"Say…isn't dat…?" began one of the trolls but was silence by a harsh look from one of the dwarves.
"Do they think he is dead or something?" asked Domino to Snikity
"He looks it…but no, many believe he may die though…"
Domino blinked a tear from her eyes, she didn't want him to die…not after all this, he had faced Jara and won…she didn't want him to die now.
They turned right up Baker Street and right again at the God Street intersection before entering a house on the left of the street, inside were three men that Domino recognised from the Crystal Palace, all of them looked very concerned.
"Is he going to be ok?" asked the balding one.
Mizrah just shrugged and shook her head
"I don't know…he is weak…but far from dead…some rest should do it."
Domino helped Mizrah take Thunderchild upstairs and lay him down on a soft feather bed, she sat down by his side and took his hand in hers and let the tears flow freely. Mizrah let her be as a mark of respect for her and her husband and passed Zidane on the way out.
"Domino!" he cried as he saw her.
Domino turned and saw Zidane, she leapt up and hugged him.
"Zidane, oh Zidane, I never thought we would be rescued…I thought we were going to spend the rest of eternity as soulless drones…I couldn't go through that again!"
"I know, I know," said Zidane as he comforted her "But everything's ok now…Jara is dead and we are safe."
"But what about Thunderchild?"
"How is he?"
"Weak…I hope he pulls through." She replied
Zidane nodded
"So do I…he's a brave man, he saved us all."
He lead Domino from the room and took her downstairs where the others were waiting.
"So…you're the woman who stole Thunderchilds heart…" said a mysterious man with a goatee
Domino just nodded
The man offered his hand which she shook
"My name is Proeliator…this is Beowolf and this is Nagy, I'm afraid the last time we met was under less pleasant circumstances…"
"I understand," said Domino "And for my part I am so, so sorry."
"Don't worry Domino," said Nagy "We understand that Jara was controlling you, like she was controlling Zidane and Mikoto."
"Mikoto? How is she?"
"I'm fine Yugami," said a voice from behind her.
Domino turned to see Mikoto leaning on the doorframe into the next room, Domino ran over and hugged her genome friend.
"It's good to see you Miki." She said
"And it's good to see you Yugami…and it's good to be free again!"
Domino nodded
"Yes…but at what cost?"
"Thunderchild will be alright…he defeated a Nova Dragon, two Black Waltz's and several other mist monsters…he's strong Yugami. You mark my words, he'll be fine."
"I wish I had your confidence Miki." Replied Domino
They waited until late that night, Domino rarely straying from Thunderchilds side as he slept on. Mikoto and Zidane joined her after nine and together they sat by his bedside, not once uttering a word. Dominos face was a mask of worry, she even started pacing the room until Zidane told her to sit down and stop worrying.
"He'll wake up when he wakes up…there's nothing you or I can do to make a difference right now, except be here for him."
Domino nodded and sat back down again.
The hours passed slowly, Mizrah would bring up food and drinks from time to time but Domino was too worried to eat anything and drank only a little when persuaded to by Zidane.
"He wouldn't want you to worry yourself to death." He said
All the time they sat there worrying, Thunderchild slept on.
He opened his eyes to find himself in a desert landscape, miles and miles of sand stretched away from him.
This isn't Ankh-Morpork he thought
Thunderchild looked around him as the sun bored down on him making him break into a sweat despite the loose tribal clothing he was wearing.
Is this heaven? He thought, the last thing he remembered was being smashed out of the side of the Crystal Palace and falling to his doom…he had felt the dragon spirit within him rise and emerge but after that had known nothing until he had awoken here.
Maybe it wasn't enough, maybe Domino killed me he thought
He walked towards the setting sun, but it was hard to tell what distance he had covered because as soon as he had reached the top of one sand dune, there was several hundred others stretching in front of him.
Sighing he continued walking
After a time a light breeze blew up, making his desert clothing flap around him and blowing sand into the side of his face, covering his mouth and nose up with his headdress he carried on walking.
He heard the wind call to him
YissanI must be going crazy he thought Sunstroke or something
Yissan GojentaHe heard it quite clearly that time, he looked around as the wind grew stronger but he couldn't see anyone for miles.
Come to me"Who are you!" he shouted into the gathering wind
I am your past and your futures end"What!"
The sand blasted into him now making him stagger instead of walk as the wind howled around him.
Blast it he thought Stuck in the middle of a sandstorm!
You will find me where the desert sun strikes the sand…a place you used to call home"Is that you Jara!" he shouted
There was no reply, but as he crested another sand dune he saw below him a mighty army striding through the sands, it didn't seem to be hindered by the storm but blindly continued walking…as he looked at the army he could make out Black Mages, Genomes, Mistodons and some other creatures he didn't recognise.
And then he woke up.
"You're awake!" shouted Domino hugging him tightly
"Ow…" he winced as she hugged his broken ribs
"Oh, I'm sorry…I'm sorry…" she said releasing him "We were so worried."
He looked around and saw Zidane and a genome he recognised from his visions.
"Hi Zidane…and aren't you Mikoto?" he asked
Mikoto nodded
"Yes…and I thank you for freeing me and many other genomes from the control of Jara."
Thunderchild coughed harshly
"You mean…we won?"
Domino nodded
"Yes…Ankh-Morpork is free…you're a hero Thunderchild."
Thunderchild gasped
"A hero? Oh no…"
Zidane frowned
"What's the matter…don't you like being a hero?"
Thunderchild weakly shook his head
"No…too much attention."
Mikoto opened the door and called down to the people waiting below
"He's awake!"
A thumping noise on the staircase indicated they had heard and were running upstairs.
Mizrah, Nagy, Snikity, Proeliator and Beowolf ran into the room, it just fitted all of them in.
"You're awake!" shouted Nagy
Thunderchild just nodded
Beowolf reached down and patted Thunderchild on the shoulder which made him wince and start coughing again.
"Ah…sorry but…well done! You're a hero…as are we!" he said
Mizrah nodded and offered her hand to him.
"Come…see what impact you have made on this city." She said, helping him stand up and taking him over to the window which was shuttered closed.
She threw open the shutters and Thunderchild looked out onto a street full of people, when they saw him they all burst into applause and started cheering.
"What the hell…?" he asked in amazement
"What did I tell you Thunderchild…you're a hero." Said Domino as she stood beside him.
Thunderchild just stood there, amazed at what he saw…then he waved at the audience to stop clapping and cheering and cleared his throat.
"Thank you all for your concern…but I am fine, as are my wife and my companions. Thank you for your support in the battle…without you there would have been no uprising and I would be dead. Your applause therefore should not be directed at me but at each other…you are the heroes not me. I salute you of Ankh-Morpork." He said bringing his hand up to the position of his heart in a closed fist in the traditional Terran fighter pilots salute.
He then turned and walked back over to the bed and fell back into it.
Mizrah closed the shutters and turned back to him.
"What do you mean…you're not the hero, you're the one who helped start this uprising."
Thunderchild held up his hand
"Mizrah…please…I can't take praise…this is my way of dealing with it…now, let's leave it at that…there is much you need to tell me."
"What do you mean?" asked Domino
"Well…the last I remember was falling to my death after Domino here smashed me through a wall."
Domino shifted slightly, almost squirming.
"Well…you changed…you transformed into a dragon being."
"Ah…Dragon Trance…" he said nodding his head
"Is that what it was?" asked Domino
Thunderchild nodded again
"Well…after you changed you attacked me…I went into Trance x2 and threw some pretty heavy attacks at you but you brushed them off and attacked me with some strange, strange thing which created all types of dragons which destroyed the Crystal Palace. The last thing I remembered before waking up on the Tower of Art was the platform underneath me falling apart and me falling to my doom…then something hit me on the back of the head and I lost consciousness."
At this point Snikity spoke up.
"As the Palace was falling down, I saw a strange Dragon beast fly out of the falling wreckage carrying something in its talons…it landed on the Tower of Art. When Mizrah and I investigated we found you two."
"Then you saved me…" said Domino looking at Thunderchild "Even in Dragon Trance…an uncontrollable rage within you…and still you saved me…"
It began to dawn on Domino just how much Thunderchild felt for her that even through the veils of rage that he had had something still persuaded him to save her.
Thunderchild turned to Proeliator
"And what about you…did you get the crystal?"
Proeliator nodded
"Yes…it's in safekeeping…"
"How safe?"
Proeliator leaned down to him and whispered
"It's in my vault."
Thunderchild nodded and thanked Proeliator
"I'm surprised you got out before the Palace collapsed." Said Mizrah
"We barely did." Replied Nagy
"Well?" asked Thunderchild
"Well…when we got to the crystal…we found that the genomes were lost…Jara had relinquished her power over them…presumably to focus on Zidane and Domino. Zidane attacked us but halfway through the battle Jara gave up control over him as well…to focus on Domino, this must have been when you went into Dragon Trance."
Thunderchild nodded
"Well…we took the crystal and ran for it…but it was clear we wouldn't make it in time…so we found a table in one of the rooms, turned it upside down and slid down the stairs in it."
Thunderchild started laughing, he laughed so much that he started coughing instead.
"That sounded like fun."
Nagy nodded
"It was…although Zidane didn't seem to think so."
"You're crazy…all of you," Said Zidane "I thought we were all going to die."
"Anyway…Jara's dead now, we have the crystal…we just have to get home." Said Domino
"Any ideas?" asked Zidane
Thunderchild sat back and thought for a moment.
"Last time I went to Gaia it was Mage transport…"
"We haven't found any Black Mages left…I'm not sure what's happened there."
Something about that statement bothered Thunderchild greatly but he wasn't sure what it was.
"And I came to the disc in…," his eyes opened wide "MY SHIP!"
Domino clicked her fingers
"Of course! Do you reckon it's still space worthy?"
Thunderchild tried to shrug, which with several broken ribs wasn't an easy task.
"I dunno…but it's worth a look."
"But it's in Klatch…" said Beowolf
Thunderchilds dream came back to him.
You will find me where the desert sun strikes the sand…a place you used to call homeWhat the hell?
"We'll have to set out to Klatch soon then…first though, I must speak to the Patrician."
"The Patrician! Are you sure? He might not want to speak to you…" warned Proeliator
"I just saved his bloody city…I think the least he could do is listen to me!" coughed Thunderchild.
"There's no hurry," said Domino "Our quest has been completed…the threat to Gaia and the Discworld is gone."
Thunderchild thought about his dream…and had this horrible feeling that Domino was very, very wrong.