Chapter 32- Visions of War
{Makiar -narrator}
A sharp headache rips my current thoughts from me. I growl in pain and ram my head against one of the pale white walls of my chamber. Ever since Uria and Ziggurat went out to find Finca, the Leviathan has left me alone in my room. I groan and flop down on my thrown together sheet bed, my headache getting worse as I try to get my mind off of think about it. It feels like my head is slowly being torn into two halves.
I snort and close my eyes, feeling a sudden lack of energy. Part of it being that I've been so long without my former host being near and the other part being . . . well I don't know what the other part is to tell the truth. I begin to focus my mind and concentrate. Sometime after Uria and Ziggurat left, the Leviathan taught me how to transform myself into a human form. I honestly like the fact that I can now be human for the first time in my life.
But enough about that! I sigh and open my yellow eyes feeling hair rolling over my shoulders. I turn my head to see a few strands of reddish hair covering my shoulders. I roll onto my back and sit up. Stretching my stiff joints, I get to my feet and walk over to a small night stand on the other side of the room to collect my jewel incrusted sword that lay within its sheath.
When I had mastered the skill of becoming human, the Leviathan presented me with a sword that held a ruby in the base of its handle that lead to the beginning of the gray metal that was the actual sword that you used to fight with. My sheath in hand, I walked out of my room on the second floor of the palace and began to move toward the throne room where the Leviathan would be usually if he wasn't out hunting for food or using the power of the Orichalcos in the Guardian chamber's main chamber's wall where the Guardians used to be chosen for their human partners at before paradise sunk to the bottom of the ocean.
"Kesar!" I call out as I enter the throne room.
Yes Makiar, what is it? The Leviathan asks as he approaches me from behind.
I turn to face my son, lowering my sheath to the floor as I do so.
"I was wondering if I could go and find Uria and Ziggurat for you since they've been gone for so long," I answer.
I see . . . No, you cannot go, the Leviathan growls as he whips his tail through the air.
I jump back, narrowly avoiding getting hit with by my son's powerful tail. I walk past my son and leave the throne room. As I walk along the hallway that leads to my room, a strange purple amulet shows up around my neck.
'You let Kesar get away!' A male dragon's voice echoes through my head.
"I know that," I growl.
'But why? You had him in the perfect position for us to take him out before he put either of us in further danger,' the male growls.
"Simple Szar, if we leave now then Kesar will follow us and thus probably find why Uria and Ziggurat have not returned yet," I snap.
'Fine, have it your way then,' Szar snorts as he retreats back into the amulet and the amulet disappears from my neck.
I enter my room and close my eyes. Concentrating, I focus on my dragon form and the power that I have as a dragon. When I open my eyes I find that I have returned to the form of a red dragon.
Time to go Szar, I growl as the amulet shows up.
'Took you long enough,' Szar snaps as I open my wings.
Better late then never, I comment as I rise into the air and crash through the roof of my room.
Sarina yawns and stretches out as she lays by her dragon's side. Silver dozes as the two of them rest under one of trees that surrounds the Guardian chamber and castle. Sarina closes her eyes and curls up beside her dragon as Silver's right wing drapes over her body.
A few hours later Sarina wakes up. She gently pushes against her dragon's white underbelly to get Silver to raise her wing. Silver blinks and opens her eyes, feeling Sarina's hand against her side. With a yawn, Silver gets to her feet and unfolds her wings, stretching them as she does so. Sarina stands up and brushes several strands of grass off her brown cloak.
Feel better Sarina? Silver asks as she folds in her wings and turns her head slightly so that she can easily see her owner's eyes.
Yes, and you? Sarina asks.
Of course, Silver hums as she turns her head farther to brush up against Sarina's long purple hair.
Sarina leans against her dragon's outstretched head for a while until she hears the distant sound of voices.
People? What do they want? Silver asks as Sarina stands upright.
I'm not sure but I'll go check, Sarina answers.
With that Sarina walks over to check on the noise. A few minutes later she returns to her dragon, fear showing in her eyes.
What's wrong Sarina? Silver asks.
The Great Leviathan is on the move and to make things worse, Uria and Ziggurat are here along with Finca, Sarina replies.
Silver growls as Sarina jumps onto her back.
Go and let us find these traitors! Sarina shouts as she draws her sword.
Silver roars and takes off toward the castle.
Within a jagged mountain pass, a human crouches to examine a strange groove of marks left in the ground, his black hair being blown by the wind.
Master is that the pattern that we saw earlier? A female dragon asks as she perches on the carved out path that runs along the mountain, just above where the human is.
Yes it is Hertota but I sense that we have company, the male answers as he turns his green eyes toward his dragon.
The red female dragon known as Hertota looks at her master in curiosity, as if she doubts his words.
Hertota stop looking at me like that and instead go and find our company! The male snaps.
Yes master Neptune, Hertota growls as she flies off.
A few minutes later Hertota returns with a red dragon. The red dragon lands and folds her wings in. Hertota growls before going back to her perch.
You are? Neptune asks.
My name is Makiar, the female growls.
Makiar, as in the legend of the red dragon that ruled beside Eon, that Makiar? Neptune asks.
Yes, Makiar answers as she feels her body quiver.
'What's wrong Makiar?' Szar asks suddenly as he feels her quiver.
I feel weak, Makiar replies.
'Rest Makiar and I shall take over if you wish,' Szar hums.
I like your offer Szar but I shall decline, Makiar snorts.
'Why?' The black dragon asks.
Because I don't need . . .
Makiar collapses before she can finish her sentence. Szar growls and then, by using the power of the amulet and combining it with his own magic to make himself visible, alerts Hertota of Makiar's collapse. The red female nods and turns to Neptune to explain.
We should get her back to our camp then, Neptune says as Hertota grabs Makiar by the base of her neck and throws the red dragoness onto her back before taking to the air.
Makiar groans as she dreams, her nightmares vivid and terrible for the red dragoness to bare. Finally one dream reaches her . . .
Two armies stand opposite of each other in a deserted valley. One bares the symbol of the Seal of Orichalcos. The other bares a symbol of a streak of light. The two armies clash and begin to fight. In the midst of the battle is a dragon and its rider. The rider is attacked from behind by a long serpent-like dragon and the serpent leaves a scar across the rider's back with its fang. The dragon screams as it can only share its rider's pain as the human's back is tore open by the serpent. The human pauses for a second before it falls off the dragon's back. The dragon shrieks and dives toward its human partner, speeding up to hopefully catch the human before it falls to its death . . .
Makiar is aroused by Szar. The black dragon stopping his growling as soon as he sees that Makiar has awoken.
What's wrong? Makiar asks.
What's wrong? The only thing that's wrong is you! I've been trying to awaken you for the past two hours and yet you refused to move, you were just screaming in pain, Szar snarls.
Sorry, Makiar sighs as she gazes into Szar's golden eyes.
By the time that the dawn had come, Makiar had drifted back to sleep. Szar stood watch over her, his golden eyes never leaving the red dragon. Finally, as the first rays of sunlight break through the brown cloth that covers the window of the small log cabin, the black dragon stretches his stiff body and holds back a yawn as Hertota enters the cabin.
Sorry for all of this, Szar snorts as he uses his magic and the strength of the amulet to make himself visible.
It is no problem Szar, Hertota says as she lays a wet rag on Makiar's forehead to combat the fever that the red dragon has developed over the past few weeks.
Are you sure? Szar asks.
Yes, Hertota replies as she turns to leave the cabin.
Wait please!
What is it? Hertota asks.
I'm curious as to why Neptune didn't speak to Makiar through way of mouth but instead he used his mind, Szar answers.
That . . . Well you see when Neptune was little he would go play with Santerous Nekita sometimes and one such day he and Santerous were playing together and he ran ahead of his friend and straight into the path of a sleeping Guardian Dragon. The dragon was awakened and was in a bad mood that day so its claws slid past Neptune's throat, thinking it was harmless. My master recoiled as soon as he felt hot, sticky, wet stuff rolling down his neck and onto his black cloak. He fainted as soon as he saw what the wet stuff was; his own blood. When he awoke, he was told that his vocal cords had been torn from the tear in his neck and that if he were to talk very much he would lose his voice forever unless he learned how to speak through his mind. That is when he got me, Hertota says sadly.
I'm sorry I didn't know, Szar says.
It's fine, besides he can now speak to others even if I'm not right next to him, having to repeat what he tells me, Hertota sighs as she leaves the cabin.
Szar snorts and looks at Makiar for a moment before leaving the cabin as well.
Morning Szar, Neptune says as the black dragon walks past.
Szar growls at the cheerful greeting but then continues into the nearby forest, looking for food to relieve his hunger pains. Szar returns a few hours later, his belly full of meat. Szar is about to lay down and rest when Hertota approaches him, her brown eyes filled with worry.
What's wrong? Szar asks.
It's Makiar, Hertota replies.
Is she okay? Did her fever worsen? Szar asks as he uses all of his willpower to keep his voice from wavering.
It's not that Szar, Hertota answers.
What is it then? Szar growls.
She is pregnant, Hertota says calmly.
{Szar -narrator}
I stare at Hertota in shock.
What did you just say? I ask.
Makiar is pregnant, that is what I said, Hertota answers.
I stammer in shock at what Hertota just said.
She is pregnant? But how? I ask.
We may never know but I think that her fever will break soon, Hertota answers.
Hertota leaves and I ponder over how it could have happened. I sigh as I end up getting nowhere with how it could have occurred. I plod back to the cabin that holds Makiar, my mind still wandering. I enter and find myself face-to-face with Neptune.
Forgive me Szar for being in your way, Neptune says as he steps aside for me to enter.
The room is pale except for the bed that rests in the middle of the northern wall, that contains Makiar. The walls, floor, and ceiling are brown and I already mentioned the curtain on the window being brown as well. I walks toward the bed that holds Makiar and stop just three inches away. Beads of sweat cover her forehead, a reminder of what happened last night. I pause, hearing a strange sound, but then realize that it's Makiar's whimpering.
I blink as I try to understand why she would be whimpering in her sleep, perhaps another dream?
Szar . . .
A single voice enters my mind, its words calm and clear. It takes me a second to realize that it's coming from Neptune. I turn my head as he walks over to my side.
Makiar will be fine Szar. She is a fighter and she can fight this, Neptune says as he strokes my right shoulder.
Perhaps, I snort.
Neptune pauses for a moment and looks at Makiar before returning his green eyes to me.
Is she ill? Neptune asks.
I stop before I speak. Did Hertota not tell Neptune?
She is pregnant Neptune, I stammer before I can come up with a good excuse.
Neptune stares at me, his green eyes locking with my own golden ones.
Are you sure? He asks.
Yes, I answer.
The next morning I awaken to find that Makiar is still unable to regain consciousness for very long before falling unconscious again. I sigh and notice that Makiar's sheath is missing from beneath the bed. I growl and leave the cabin, determined to find who took it from Makiar. As I leave the cabin, Neptune approaches me. He lays Makiar's sheath in front of me before he turns to walk away.
Wait!
What? Neptune asks.
Why did you take it?
I wanted to see what power it held, Neptune growls before he walks off.
I snort and pick up the sheath in my jaws and return to the cabin that holds Makiar. I enter and lay the sheath by her side.
Szar . . .
A weak telepathic thought reaches me. I growl and back up.
Stay Szar . . .
I blink and cock my head in curiosity at the sound.
Stay Szar please . . .
The voice withers away but it leaves me uncertain about who spoke it. I sigh and look down at Makiar. She forehead is creased as if she was trying to somehow contact someone. I pause and remember when a weak telepathic thought reached me.
Makiar? I question the red dragon whose eyelids only flicker in response.
Unconscious again, I sigh as I lay down by her bed.
A few hours later I awaken to the sound of the bed creaking. I sit up and look toward the bed in curiosity. I get to my feet in shock as Makiar crawls out of the bed, her yellow eyes distant and void of emotion.
Makiar what are you doing up? I ask.
The battle shall come. The armies of light and darkness shall clash. Guardians shall fight for both sides. The fate of our two worlds is in the hands of those that choose to accept their destiny . . . Makiar mutters as she collapses to the floor.
I catch her on my back and call out to Hertota for help.