Sorry for the delay. I hope this chapter was worth the wait. :)
I know I said my fanfic, Bereavement, had a lot of info dumping. At the time, that's what I thought it was. And yes, there is a lot of information in the fanfic, there are also important plot points, too. I hope everyone gives Bereavement a read through, so we can understand what's going on in the series so far. Thank you. :)
*.*.*
Parker Dooley sat on the steps of the gazebo, the same place where he and his human wife, Eliza Bowler-Dooley, relaxed and slept for two hours. It was comforting knowing that his human wife was safe, even though she was a spirit.
Parker was a light red dragonoid in his fifties. He had a thin, muscular frame with a humanoid, lizard-like body and a dragon-like head. He had a short snout with a tipped end pointing up towards the sky. He had smooth, red scales that spread out on his head down to his body and his tail. He had long, furry, red ears, which sat between his three-fingered frills, with their black tips at the end of the frills, and his two, short, grey, curvy, wavy horns. His eyes were yellow and cat-like. He had black claws on his fingers and toes, which were retracted since he wasn't in danger. His black spikes ran from his back down to his medium-sized tail, which curled around his feet.
As Maranguan, Parker had red eyes with pinkish hues in the whites of his eyes. Burns, bruises, and jagged cuts protruded from his scaly skin during this phase, when he was evil, then grey/neutral after being betrayed by the Sith Emperor Vitiate. This led to Maranguan | Parker Dooley's eyes changing into yellow eyes with red swirling mist in the irises and the bruises, burns, and cuts fading away as he became good again.
In his human-hobbit form, Parker Dooley resembled his hobbit brother-in-law Tobias, his great-grandson Terrence Dooley, and the gentle-hobbit Frodo Baggins, who Parker met at the Chesapeake Manor. Frodo led him on soon enough, causing the light red dragonoid to use his powers to make Frodo unconscious and forget they ever met. Parker wasn't sure how long his spell would last, but he felt sure he would have to cast a stronger spell to make Frodo forget again, should the time come for the light red dragonoid to do that.
In his human-hobbit form, Parker had bright blue eyes, pale skin, a cleft in his chin, fair elvish features, short pointy ears, and soft, thick, curly dark brown hair resting on his head and the tops of his feet. Whenever Parker transformed, his clothes transformed with him. Parker wore a white shirt, brown breeches, tan suspenders, and a blue cloak. His white shirt had a hole and a bloody red stain on his left sleeve from the blaster bolt that shot him by one of Qua'ra's guards on the planet Zafna, before Parker returned to the Portal Realm and met with Alindor. The burn wound had completely healed, but traces of the pain from the blaster bolt lingered. It would take a while before the pain would completely go away.
As Parker sat in the gazebo, thoughts raced over recent events. His transformation into Maranguan and back into himself, along with his daughter-in-law Anabeth making him whole again with help from the Ice Queen's icicle, which she and Anabeth's mother Janet retrieved after their quest through the Four Seasons, was unlike anything he'd ever experienced before, but he knew there would be more surprises coming his way, if such a thing were possible. If it wasn't for Janet and Anabeth, and a blast of Force Lightning from Vitiate, Parker wouldn't have found the will to become whole again. Of course, it did cause Eliza to be killed, as well as Janet, and that left Parker's heart torn up.
Parker had to say goodbye to the golden-brown lion Corin, who he helped raise and who helped save his life. Parker wouldn't forget Corin, nor would he forget his son Maxin Dooley and his great-grandson Terrence Dooley, who were no longer with him. True, Terrence was still alive, but only for a moment. Now that Parker was in the Portal Realm, who knew if Terrence would be alive or dead. The Portal Realm's timeline worked differently than other worlds, for it was an in-between world with its own set of rules attached. Either way, Parker felt sure he'd meet one of his descendants again, even if Terrence was not with them.
Now, with the help of the spirits in the Portal Realm, Tobias and Eliza included, Parker was able to spend more time with his darling wife Eliza. Oh, how he missed her! He would give anything to be with her again! Sadly, it wasn't meant to last long, for Parker returned to the planet Zafna and confronted Qua'ra, his old friend and now Empress of the Shadow Empire. It was because of Parker the Shadow Empire was about to fall… but was it really his fault?
Parker had to uncover the mystery behind why the Shadow Empire was falling apart. The only place he could go was the Land of Talking Animals, but for how would that last?
.
Parker sighed. He knew Alindor was speaking to Aslan about something important, but what? Parker didn't understand.
Alindor, in his cat form, had soft golden fur. But when he was in his elvish form, Alindor had bluish-brown eyes, soft, thick, short dark brown hair, pale skin, fair elvish features, and brown robes, which transformed with him whenever Alindor transformed into different forms.
Parker knew Alindor transformed into an elf. Not long ago, Alindor showed him his elvish form. Parker was shocked. Now, Alindor could transform into whatever form he wished. Another shapeshifter.
Parker hoped Alindor and Aslan wouldn't take too long. They only just met, and yet this Portal Realm with its purplish-dark blue sky and the colors brown, blue, purple, green, and yellow rippling across the grassy landscape and massive mountainside kept the light red dragonoid busy. Whatever Alindor wanted with Aslan, Parker hoped he could stay out of it. But then the light red dragonoid needed to get to the Land of Talking Animals, and the only way he could do that was to trust Alindor. He just hoped he was all right in the end.
.
The light red dragonoid looked around, spotting the golden house cat approach him. Parker said nothing as Alindor took a seat next to him, admiring the view.
A moment later, Alindor spoke to the light red dragonoid, saying in a calm voice, "I'm sorry if we weren't properly introduced." Alindor said in introduction, "My name is Alindor."
"It's Parker. Parker Dooley, also called Maranguan." Parker fell silent, grunting as he looked at the grassy ground. He spoke softly, kindly, to the golden house cat, "So, you've been looking for me?"
"Haven't you?" Alindor asked, curiously.
"I don't know." Parker said, seriously. "It's been a long time since I felt whole again. Ow!" He looked at his arm, where the sleeve's hole was. Yes, it still hurt.
"Will you be okay?" Alindor asked, concerned about him. "How did you get that hole in your shirt? Does it hurt?"
"Blaster bolt wound. It's healed, but the pain is still there, as is much of the pain from my other scars and wounds," Parker said, shaking his head. "With time, it heals, but the memories are still there."
"I see," Alindor said, hoping the light red dragonoid was okay.
Parker teared up, pointing to Eliza, "She looks happy. Happier than I would have thought she'd be. I missed her greatly."
"The human woman. She's your wife?" Alindor asked, curiously.
Parker stared at Eliza, watching her smile. He grinned, nodding to the golden house cat. "She is. I love her so, so much."
"She kind of reminds me of my own wife. A shapeshifter. Her name's Ulmayá," Alindor said with ease. He added, facing the light red dragonoid again, "She's an elf—and a shapeshifter."
"Like you?" Parker asked, also facing the golden house cat. He chuckled, turning away a moment later. "I can't believe you've waited for me all this time. It must have been a feat, getting out here alone." He declared softly, "By yourself. Don't you fear someone's looking for you? You're a king after all."
"I doubt I'll be forgotten." Alindor admitted. "I'm a king and you're the most famous dragonoid around. Everyone in the Land of Talking Animals talks about you." Parker grunted in disbelief. "It's true. Don't let anyone tell you otherwise. You're famous. Your deeds are known throughout our Seven Realms." He added, "I don't know what's going on in the other Seven Realms."
"I'm not worthy of that title," Parker admitted, looking at him.
"But you are," Alindor said, serious. "It's one of the only reasons why I'm here. The other reason is different." He inhaled, exhaling a moment later. "I need your help. Melisandre is on the loose. Yes, she redeemed my title as king, but it's in name only. I'm lucky to have my title still intact."
"Melisandre?" Parker asked, curiously. "She's not the same snow leopard who caused the Shadow Empire's downfall?"
"I didn't hear about that, but if it is her, then she's got a lot on her plate besides allowing me and my family to keep our royal titles," Alindor nodded. "We've got to go back to the Land of Talking Animals and speak to her. I'm sure Melisandre will understand."
"I don't know. If Melisandre is the same cat that caused my best friend and apprentice's empire to fall, then she's got a lot to speak for, for her crimes," Parker said, seriously. "I need to get to the Land of Talking Animals and find out what's going on."
"Jine is alive!" Alindor blurted out. "She's my mother." Parker snarled, looking away in disdain. "It's true, Parker! She is my mother. It's the same cat who beat you up. She's changed, but what she did to you damaged my family's reputation. We're never going to have our reputations back unless the family does something right. I fear it won't be my generation that causes us to redeem ourselves. I fear something terrible is going to happen unless we get to Landseer, Melisandre's kingdom, in time, before Melisandre does something."
"I need information and the only place I'm going to get it is in Landseer," Parker said, serious. "Also, I found a holorecording. Melisandre said she's changing Zafna's name to Teremode." He shook his head. "I found the holorecording on Zafna, before I fled. Qua'ra let me go. She's still my friend. I just… wasn't sure if I could trust her."
"If she's alive, we can get her and her family out of Zafna. The scarred lions and lionesses can flee. They'll be safe in my kingdom. I promise, they will be given clemency. Maybe they can start their new lives in my realm," Alindor suggested, determined to help Parker.
"Thank you. It's all we can ask for," Parker said, allowing a silence to fall between them. He broke it moments later. "Let's speak to Aslan. Get this mess done. I want to see my friend, before her empire falls."
"It was your empire, too," Alindor said. "And yet, I'm still willing enough to help you get them to the Land of Talking Animals."
"Thank you. Let's go," Parker said, standing up and leaving the gazebo. He looked back in time to find Alindor follow him. Well, it was better than no new friend at all.