72
The Truth
Trisha and Fira are standing at the edge of camp. Everyone heard the roars, everyone felt the earth shake, but not everyone could feel what Slyfer did and what they are feeling makes them worried. Luna standing next to them is not oblivious to this fact; them being worried makes her worried as well.
Soft footsteps and a scent of sweet berries laced with a forestry tinge interrupts the trio’s worrying. The three in front of Cresha do not turn around despite her ploy to alert them of her presence, instead she watches as Luna leans towards the other two and whispers. “The super-bushy-fluffy tailed person has come.”
Cresha subconsciously takes a hold of her tail. The thing had caused her no end of grief with her people. However, comparing her tail to the red head's, she can’t help but feel pride in it. The feeling is fleeting just as it is confusing. She has never felt this way about anything. She has never compared herself to anyone but her mother, since she saw the woman as her role model.
She lightly coughs, -why do they continue to ignore me?-
Trisha rolls her eyes at the other two and turns around trying to look more mature than the others. The truth is she is just too curious about this new arrival. She looks the Dryad over with a fleeting glance and then asks, “can we help you?”
Cresha fumbles with her hands. She had walked over with all kinds of questions and ideas, but now that they are actually talking her mind is blank and her tongue is tied. “I, ummm. Well….”
Trisha watches as the Dryad breaks from her confident attitude; from ramrod straight, her shoulders are now slumped. From looking Trisha in her eyes, they are now flitting about, looking everywhere but at her. Her hands that had been moving and rubbing since she came are now squeezing tightly, rubbing harder.
Trisha finds all these signs familiar. She had stood like this countless times, wanting to make friends, wishing to learn form an adult and of course hoping just to talk to someone else. After a moment she realizes, -the Dryad girl is a lot like I was.-
Cresha feels like mountains are pressing down on her. She is starting to get a feeling that the cat eyed girl in front of her, is looking right into her being. The silence is oppressive, inwardly she wishes that someone would just say something. She prays that her mother calls for her, or a tribe mate will come fetch her for something, anything!
The silence is so oppressive that when Trisha finally speaks, Cresha’s heart jumps. “You can start by saying your name.”
Cresha looks up and to her surprise Trisha is smiling. Something only her mother has done. “My name?”
Trisha nods, her smile broadening and says, “Don’t worry you won’t be judged here.”
“Tch.” Fira clicks her tongue behind Trisha.
Its Trisha’s turn to look awkward and she quickly follows up with her previous statement. “Well at least not from me.”
Cresha finds herself smiling before she can help it. “My name is Cresha.”
“I am Trisha, that is Luna and the rude red head is Fira.” Says Trisha while pointing at the mentioned people.
Her words nearly makes Fira swing around. The words cause her eyes to twitch. She is finding it hard to control the anger and changes to her personality that were caused by Slyfer. She can’t explain it herself. The girl irritates her, her smell, her voice… her very bushy and soft looking tail.
“So how can we help you Cresha, I doubt this is a social call?”
Cresha looks at one of the cat ears and it twitches. “Well, you see I was wondering if you could talk and explain to me why we are… different?”
Fira, finally unable to hold her words, turns around. “We are not to share any information with those that are not part of the alliance.”
Cresha’s eyes narrow at Fira. Timid she may be when it comes to socializing, but in a fight one rarely socializes. Seeing Fira’s tail only makes her irritation for the red head worse. “I think it is way past that. We basically have no choice but to join due to the Demon’s words.”
She immediately regrets her words as not only Fira, but Trisha and Luna also give her an angry look. The silver haired girl, makes her especially nervous. Luna steps forward, her face passive and says, “if there are demons here, Luna thinks you stupid people are the stupid demons of stupidity, with a special skill of being stupid and able to use magic that makes them even more stupid…. Stupid.”
Trisha holds her hands up for silence, before she hears another “stupid” and with an angry voice asks a question. “You are treated differently than others are you not, because of the tail and how you look?”
Cresha manages a nod while still trying to figure out Luna’s sentence, but Trisha’s next words causes her to pause. “So you, more than anyone else should know what it is like to be judged for powers and appearance you have no control over. Despite this fact you still call Slyfer a demon.”
Cresha finds herself unable to retort.
“If Slyfer is a demon then I would rather be one instead of…” Her face scrounges up and she gestures at the fox Dryad. “….this. Being a hypocrite must be nice.”
Left speechless Cresha watches as Trisha turns around and once again looks off into the distance, where the dragons disappeared to. In a bland and emotionless voice Trisha says. “We cannot share information with someone who is not part of the alliance, please leave.”
Defeated and dejected Cresha turns around and takes a step. She stops. “I apologize and hope that we can talk again after all this has been sorted out.” She is met with silence and while letting out a sigh, she makes her way back to the tent.
Fira norts. “We should burn her.”
Luna frowns. “Stupid.”
Trisha can only shake her head.
Jade finds herself surrounded. The representatives were timid at first but as time passed they became rowdy. Demanding answers, answers to questions she herself does not know.
“Siillleeeence!”
The High Elf Queen looks over the people that in her eyes are acting like common peasants. “You will receive answers in due time. We do not know why the dragons took Slyfer away or why there were sounds of battle. This however…” Her gaze roams over them. “….is none of your damned business.”
The snow elf King steps forward, still wiping blood off of his face. “To hell it is? We deserve to know what is going on.”
“You deserve nothing.” This time it is the Dwarf King that spoke. “I told you we need them more than they need us, yet you still act this way.”
The Snow Elf snorts. “Not all of us are willing to tuck our tails between our legs.”
The Dwarf chuckles. “Oh, says the one that nearly pissed himself earlier.”
Jade rubs her temples and the two continue to argue. Unconsciously groups are starting to form, two factions to be more accurate; some leaders siding with the Snow Elf and some with the Dwarf. All accept for the Dryads. Their leader has been sitting quietly ever since the dragons left.
Jade escapes the throng of different races and makes her way over. She wants to see if she can atleast win them over while all this madness is going on. As she is drawing near the Dryad with a tail returns and takes her seat next to her mother.
They start o speak softly, but as soon as Jade is near their jaws clamp shut. The Dryad looks her over. “How can we help you Dunmer?”
Jade too tired to beat around the bush, asks directly. “Will you join us?”
The leader frowns at the girl. “You have left us with little choice. Moving… is not so easy for us.”
Jade nods and the tribe leader falls quiet, filling the air with an awkward atmosphere. Cresha is the next one to speak. “The three girls that was next to the de- umm Slyfer earlier, who are they?”
Jade thinks for a while and then decides it won’t be detrimental to share the information. “Well the girl that came in with the tigers, is Trisha. She grew up with the High Elves, but things were… complicated. The red head, or should I say multicolored head, is Fira, the Princes of our race and daughter to Great hunter. Luna the silver haired girl, is the basisk the human spoke about earlier.”
Stolen from Royal Road, this story should be reported if encountered on Amazon.
The tribe leader regards Jade after the information. “The basisk, is she not supposed to be a mindless beast? Do you have the drug to keep her sane?”
Jade once again thinks on how to answer. “When we found her, she was a lot… different than she is now. Slyfer “woke” her up and took care of her. She soon learned to speak and act somewhat normally. We do have the drug, but we don’t use it.”
Cresha grows curious and asks. “What are they to Slyfer?”
Jade frowns. “I don’t think it is appropriate for me to say.” While saying it she thinks. –I am not sure myself.-
Cresha nods in acceptance under the glare of her mother. The leader then gestures towards a chair, “please sit, we are going to be allies soon we may as well eat together.”
Jade takes the chair, feeling very small due to the size of the Dryads. She smiles when hearing Elyna threaten a noble who was insisting to see her. Food was served a while ago, but mostly ignored. The Dryads of course, do not eat meat. Seeing Cresha not eat it, Jade can’t help but comment. “You should eat meat.”
Mother and daughter look at each other and ask at the same time, “why.”
Jade frowns and nearly answers but then stops. “After you have signed the treaty and joined the alliance I think its best that you talk to Slyfer and the other two that are similar to you. They can explain things better.”
Cresha sighs, she knows Jade is basically telling them to join, or no info.
Changing the subject, the leader asks. “If Slyfer is not a King, why is he leading the alliance?”
Jade shrugs her shoulders. “The Alliance is not one race but many, who better to lead it then one who does not belong to any race?”
The leader smiles at the obvious lie. “You say this, yet he stated that you are his sister and the…. Change earlier makes me believe he is a part of some race. Maybe you just don’t know about it? I also find it hard to believe that the dragons will support one that is not one of their own without an extraordinary background.”
Jade only smiles and retorts. “What race would you say your daughter is?”
“I am Dryad,” Says Cresha with a frown.
Jade nods and then drops a bomb. “Does your people see you that way?”
Seeing them stiffen Jade inwardly smiles. –I wonder if father would be proud of me?- Thinking back to when he taught her about politics. He always said. “It does not matter if it’s a battle of the mind, sword or magic, it is always important to keep your enemy off balance.”
The Dryad leader clears her throat, “well does it matter, she believes and has embraced the Dryad way of life.”
Jade nearly falls into the trap. “Of course it matters. If she were a normal tribeswoman it would not, because then the opinions of others would not matter, but as a daughter of their leader it matters a great deal. How many enemies have you made due to adopting her? How many are plotting to take your place?”
The tribe leader frowns and Cresha looks crestfallen. The fox girl had never realized how much her mother sacrificed for her.
Jade lifts her hands, “I apologize, I did not know it was a sore subject.”
Trying to regain control the leader says, “It is not.”
Silence.
Jade takes the last bite of her food. “I thank you for keeping me company, but it is about time we continue with the proceedings.”
“You will continue without Slyfer?”Asks the leader.
Jade nods. “Slyfer is my tribe’s strength. I will be a force that helps him direct that strength. As you have seen, he is not the best statesman.”
They watch Jade’s short figure disappear into the crowd. “That girl is dangerous.”
Cresha looks over at her mother confused and the woman explains. “I asked the questions to figure out the state of their internal affairs; instead she turned it around and figured out ours.”
“Alric we will not know how he feels until he wakes up.” Serena says, surprising herself for the sudden need to comfort the asshole that made her life so difficult for the past few years.
Alric shakes his large head. “I can feel what he is, remember. I caused him great pain with my actions…. Even so I want to know, I want to know why he had that aura if he gives the wrong answers.” His head turns to her. “I will kill him.”
Slyfer finds himself in a very familiar place. In front of him is the white dragon. Still angry at Alric, Slyfer stands up, grunting at the pain he somehow still feels even in the dream world. “So you finally decide to grace me with your presence. The great and powerful Slyfer lowering himself to speak to little old me.”
The dragon growls. “If I were alive, I would have…”
Slyfer snorts. “What, killed me already? Get in line apparently even my foster father is in it now. I don’t care anymore. Not for you, not for the races… nothing. So do your worst bright eyes.”
The white dragon is quiet; nothing but his breathing causing a sound. “Pffft.” Seeing the great Slyfer without words the little one turns around and sits down with his back to him, intending to wait till he wakes up so he can continue the hopeless fight against the red bastard.
“Stop acting like a spoiled child.” Says the white dragon’s voice, causing a vein to appear on Slyfer’s forehead.
Seeing the boy has no intention of talking to him, the dragon decides to play on his obvious weakness… anger. “Do not blame Alric for his actions.”
“What?” Asks Slyfer, the vein pulsing quicker.
“I said, do not blame…”
“I heard what you said; I just thought I must have been mistaken since it sounds like the ramblings of a imbecile…”
“Blame me for them.” The dragon interrupts.
Slyfer closes his mouth and his brows sink. “Blame you? Why, you weren’t the one that nearly cooked me alive, although I do deeply regret ever taking your name. Perhaps I should just have fallen to my death.”
“Don’t be a coward.” Says the dragon.
Slyfer glares at him, but he can’t refute.
“I say blame me, since what happened was my fault. If you want to kill something try and kill me although you may have to wait ten thousand years before you are able to.”
“How was it your fault?” Asks Slyfer, finally biting the bait.
The dragon lies down and yawns, revealing his impressive set of pearly whites. “To understand, you first have to know some truths. Facts that may change the way you see the world. You can accept it or reject it, it is up to you. Just remember in the coming battles Alric will be one of your most needed allies.”
Slyfer snorts and sits down. “Talk.”
The dragon growls, his scales starting to turn black. Seeing it, Slyfer chuckles. “I can do that too you know.”
The words calm the dragon and he huffs, causing a gale to nearly blow Slyfer away. “I will start from the beginning….”
“Many years ago, I was challenged by a dragon for the right to claim his name. The dragon was far smaller and by far the bravest hatchling of them all. You see not one other dragon had ever challenged me except for the current elder and Chronos. We fought and let me tell you this, I did not hold back for I was Slyfer. The leader, the great white dragon! Bah, such a fool I was. I only made sure not to kill him, but to my surprise he claimed his name. The first and only dragon to do so, the name was Alric. Contrary to what I thought would happen. He promised to keep it to himself in order not to hurt my standing and pride and set off to wherever a hatchling sets off to. Not only that, but if the others were to find out what he managed there would be no end of challengers who would want to face him.”
The dragon lowers his head. “Instead of keeping his trust I broke it. Many years later I found a mate and she laid an egg. The egg was golden a sight that the hatchling would be too. My mate and I were happy, for a golden dragon is nearly as rare as a white one and it does not matter who the parents are. The color of an egg is completely random. Something to do with the elements and Argutsand.”
Slyfer lifts an eyebrow at the word. “It means sprites.”
Slyfer nods at the dragon, “I know what it means, but Aldowin has told me sprites are nothing but a myth.”
The dragon chuckles a bit of sadness in it as he says. “I thought so too, until I met the crazy old man.”
Slyfer not caring to reminisce keeps quiet so the dragon could continue.
“My son was born not long after and everything went well, but as he got older, my fame and power started to weigh on him heavily, for he felt he would always live in my shadow. Wanting to comfort him I made the biggest mistake of my long life. I told him about Alric and how he too could forge his own path by doing what others thought was impossible. I betrayed Alric and paid a heavy price.”
Slyfer swallows not sure what it has to do with anything, but stops himself from telling the dragon to get to the point.
“My idiot son went around telling everyone what Alric had accomplished and that he the great son of Slyfer would reclaim my pride by defeating the dragon that gained his name from me. Ever since our fight I had not heard anything from or about Alric. He did not join my forces nor did he get in the way. Instead, he faded away into the background. I did receive word about him now and then, but it was purely because I asked after it, not because of accomplishments or great deeds. I found it strange, since we dragons lived for those things. It was only later that I found out the reason behind his challenge. It was not for honor or fame, but a reason far more precious and worthy… it was for love.”
The dragon’s voice had nearly broken near the end. Regret burned like a fiery pit in the white dragon’s heart. “If only I had kept my mouth shut, if only…” He sighs, calming himself. A few days lter my son returned. Angry, defeated and filled with self-loathing. His pride had been broken, he could not claim what Alric got from me and he hated Alric for it. Hated me, hated the world…. Hated himself. What made it worse was the boasting. The other dragons ridiculed and teased him, yet I did nothing. Hoping it would serve as a lesson for my son.”
“Many young dragons went to challenge Alric after that. Soon his fame grew, since not a single one could defeat him. What he feared most had happened. My son bitterly trained for years. Determined to defeat Alric and reclaim his honor, mine was long forgotten at this stage.”
“My son, feeling confident once more went to challenge him, but was denied by Alric. He, himself had grown stronger due to the constant battles he had been put through and he judged my son as unworthy. Word spread and the ridicule my son received, got worse. In anger he did the unthinkable. He challenged Alric not for a name, but to the death! Fearing for his safety after I heard I made my way to Alric’s lair. Breaking the taboo I saved him in the nick of time.”
“That day Alric swore and cursed me for bringing all the battles to his doorstep, he could not start a family because of it, which at the time was his greatest wish. But the reason he challenged me stopped the whole thing. His mate, a female that even I have to admit had the most beautiful flanks of all; Her scales were purple, her claws slender yet powerful. She was older than him by many years, but he wanted her and as a joke she told him. He could only get her if he won his name from me.”
The white dragon shakes his head. “I took my son then and as compensation promised to decree that Alric could only be challenged by those I deemed worthy…. but what I should have done is kill my son.” The dragon closes his claw causing the air to ripple and tare around it. Like waves his scales continuously fluctuate from white to black as his body shivers in rage.
“Some years later, my son the fool that he is, followed my example and went to the library to gain power. Only my reasons were very different. I wanted piece for all. A united land, but he wanted power for selfish reasons. I was travelling at the time trying to broker piece with yet another race, I don’t even remember which and as always access to the Library of Gunistuf was restricted. The dwarves were the gate keepers, since my race is far too greedy for power.”
Seeing Slyfer’s blank stare. The dragon swears and starts to chastise him.. “I suggest you search through Malgrobin’s memories, you are an idiot for not being more familiar with it already….” After grumbling about how useless the hatchling is the dragon continues. “The Library was at the heart of our home. A place that held items, scrolls, slabs and things that should not be mentioned as well as things that could save thousands of lives. Strength, magic ability these are not power, but knowledge hatchling, knowledge is the ultimate power in the world. Once you have it, it can never be taken from you. A wiser creature always comes out on top. If I was wiser, I would have killed my son the first day he returned from the first battle. Then we would not be here!”
“My son, my failure broke into the library. I still have no idea how since even at the peak of my power it would have been nearly impossible for me. He gained access to the fallen moon, a large crystal that fell from the skies millennia ago. It was something I did in my youth as well, only I won the right to enter, but the results were far different. He lost to its power, became insane. No, not insane but an entire different creature!”
The dragon roars as despair fills his being. His voice grows rough and he bangs his claw into the ground, that does not shift or crack. The shockwave sends Slyfer flying, his ears starting to bleed.
Everything goes white, and what feels like a second later SLyfer appears near the dragon again. Ignoring what just happened and Slyfer’s confused face the dragon now calmer simply continues his story.
“By this time Alric had finally had his family. Two sons and one daughter. The chances of a female laying three eggs is miniscule, but this miracle happened to them. Alric was away when my son got there….”
“Unable to find Alric, he went crazy and took the rage out on the little ones. His mate tried to stop it and was ripped to shreds as a result. Everything Alric worked and cared for, everything he loved taken away in an instant and it was all done by my own offspring, my own flesh and blood…”
The white dragon seems to deflate and lowers his head to the ground. “It was all done by my son, the betrayer of our race, later known as Chronos.”
Slyfer swallows the lump in his throat. He may be angry at Alric, but what he just heard explained so much! All the hurt in the dragon, the pain, the anger… Slyfer can’t help but think, -what if I had experienced the same? What would I have done, how would I be today? Despite all this, Alric still spoke of Slyfer with respect.-
“Alric never found out Chronos was my son. You see, not only did his personality change, but his appearance too. Very few know this and I was too cowardly to tell him, too ashamed.”
Slyfer looks at the white dragon, mind blank. “So all these years… wait. What does that have to do with me though?”
The dragon looks at Slyfer and then turns his gaze away. “Has anyone ever told you how this world came to be?”
Slyfer nods. “The battle of the gods?”
The dragon nods. “It is not just a story, but the truth. We are not sure, but it is believed that the fallen moonstone is a part of gods that feel down during the battle. As you know the darkness and light basically became a part of everything. When the darkness is dense enough though. Voices can be heard. The voice of the dark god. I know you have heard it. That which is in you probably does not know what it is. It only has an instinct to collect more of itself as well as cause destruction.”
Slyfer swallows. –So that thing in my head is, is a god?-
The dragon, silent at first waits for Slyfer to recover before speaking again. “Do not worry compared to Chronos the darkness in you is miniscule. My son stopped being my blood that day. Instead he became a new vessel for the dark god and every day that passes, he prepares to put himself together again.”
Slyfer freezes again. “So, so the mana stones, enslaving the magic races and drawing the magic from them is all for his resurrection?”
The large dragon, nods and continues, “I was blessed with Light god’s power and in the last battle with the help of the wood elves I sacrificed myself in order to use the power and curse him, sealing away most of his strength.”
The White dragon hangs his head again and in almost a whisper shocks Slyfer once again. “After seeing through your eyes, listening through your ears and learning that he has started to move...."
"Common sense tells me, he has found a way to break the curse.”