Chapter Twenty Six: How Far the Mighty Fall

Lea’s army was weary of camp.  Eager to move on to a new war, a new opportunity, to be paid in gold jewels and more.  The spoils of war.  They had been camped here at the base of a mountain, just outside the Castle Territory for almost a month.  The dragons were ready to move on.  The Captains came to Lea’s tent, and Lea’s condition was overwhelming.

            Lea’s tent was a disaster zone, rotted food, cockroaches and other bugs were having a feast on Lea’s latest food droppings.  Lea’s pelts were rank with filth and the smell?  It was soaked in to everything.  How had it gotten this bad?

            “Lea?”  Said her lead Captain, Scyth.  “Are you all right?”

            Lea turned to face the Captains, and they scrambled back in shock.

            Lea’s once beautiful face was covered in pockmarks.  Huge pustules seeping yellow poison.  Lea had lost so much weight, she would be useless on a battlefield.

            Lea laughed at their response to her, as she laughed the Captains could see her black rotted teeth.

            “Gone mad”, a Captain in the back said.

            “Plague”, another whispered.  “Is it contagious?”

            The dragons quickly left the tent, and gathered outside.  The best solution was to leave her here with a small group of soldiers, a healer and a runner.  The soldiers to protect her, the healer to try to help her, and the runner for if she died.

            This plan was set in motion the very next day.  Before they marched Scyth, again, entered Lea’s tent.  The filth remained, but Lea was gone.

            The alarm sounded and the soldiers searched every nook and cranny of the mountain for her.  Lea had just disappeared.  After several hours of searching Scyth called for everyone to move on.  They would head for the Red Dragon Territory, as planned.  Lea would know to look for them there.

           

            Almost there, just a few more feet and she could rest.  How had she lost her strength?  She knew she was sick, but she could curl up and rest in just a few more feet, she kept telling herself that, almost a chant.  The mountain was several thousand feet tall, and Lea had to climb to just below the crest.  She tried to fly, but her wings had gaping holes in them where the pustules ate through, like canker sores.  She was used to the constant pain now, it barely effected her at all.  She welcomed pain now, if she felt it, it meant she was still sane.  When the pain stopped Lea wondered if she was as mad as Marta.

            She must not think of her, when Lea accidentally let Marta in with her thoughts, all of Marta’s children screamed at her, it lasts all day, and all night circling her head like a crown of death.

            Just a few more feet, and Lea could rest.  The cave was isolated and empty, barely big enough for one dragon.  It would give her shelter, and she could curl up and heal.  Once she was better, she would rejoin her army.  She could start over, it would take time, but she had plenty of that.

            She wondered if Torch would take her back.  She had burned her bridges with Clan Saber, but maybe Torch could help her out with one or two fertilized eggs.  Just a start, she would go slow.  No inbreeding half-breeds male and females could be introduced into the bloodline, just to keep it healthy.  When she felt better she’d go in search of Torch, he had been weak and controllable.  Easy for her to manipulate, just one or two, maybe three this time.  Yes Torch loved the idea of fatherhood.  She would make it three eggs, and leave the half-breed with Torch, so that he got something to of it too.  She smiled her rotted smile.  Her teeth all but her fangs had turned black, with rot and her lips were starting to thin out, showing her teeth.  What was this sickness?  Fever, she was burning up.  The infections were causing a fever.  Just a few more feet.

 

            Leona had raised the alarm this morning at dawn.  As everyone  gathered she told them that Lea was on Saber land, not too far from the Castle to the south.  Torch stood silently, but a single tear slid down his face.

            “Torch what do you want us to do?”  Saber asked quietly.  “She is a criminal to the Crown.  Paolo and Marta were  Royalty, just like you are.  Do we give this information to the Palace Guard or would you keep this private?”

            “Both, give me one day, then send in the search parties.  If I can’t find her first at least she will still stand for her crimes.”  Torch told Saber.

            “Stone, I’m going to search for her, I’ll be gone just today, and I will be back tomorrow.  If I don’t find her I will still come home, and leave her to the Castle Guards.”  Torch said.

            “What will you do if you find her?”  Stone asked with the innocence of a hatchling.  Then he saw his father’s face, and knew the answer to that question.

            “Should I come along?  You might need a healer.”  Stone offered.

            “No Stone, it’s too dangerous, she is a warrior and a killer.  I will never lose another child by her.”  Torch said.

            Stone nodded his head, and went in search of Leona.

            “This map shows all of  L’Arne.”  Stone said.  “Can we narrow down the search for Dad?”  Stone asked Leona and Link.

            “I bet we can!”  Link said.

            “Let’s try!”  Said Leona.

            Link lifted the map creating a 3-D effect.  Mountains and valleys, swamps and forests came alive.  Leona concentrated on the south side of the Castle, in the mountains.

            “She’s alone and not blocking.  She’s very sick.  She’s in a lot of pain.  Here, this mountain near the crest.  There’s a small cave, big enough for her to crawl into.”  Leona finished.

            “Let’s show Torch.”  Link said.

            “You guys are amazing!”  Torch said after viewing the 3-D map.

            “It was Stones idea.”  Leona said.

            “Thank you Stone.”  Torch smiled at him.

            Torch was in full armor as he took flight heading South.  Saber and the whole Clan were there for him when he left.  Family, it meant so much to him and he was so very grateful for it.

            Now he was in search of his life-mate.  The killer of their children.  Leona was keeping constant contact in case Torch needed anything.  It was a short flight, about two hours.  Torch wasn’t even winded when he spotted the cave.

            “I’ve arrived Leona, and I am o.k., you can sign off now.”  Torch didn’t want an audience for what he was about to do, and definitely not one of Sabers Hatchlings.  The smell hit him at the entrance to the cave.

            “Oh, no way!”  Torch yelled to the Gods.  “This is so unfair!”  He cried.  “Why?  Why me?  Why now ?”  With tears running down his face, Torch reached for Lea.  She was a fraction of her normal size. She’d lost so much weight.  Sores and scratches covered her body.

            Torch pulled her out of the cave, and laid her on the flat rocks near the opening.  With his heart breaking, he did what he had to do.  What nature demanded.  What was impossible to ignore.  Lea was in heat and Torch could not stop himself.

           

            “So what’s your plan?”  Saber asked.  Torch had sent for Saber right after the mating.

            “I don’t know.”  Torch sad with a heavy heart.

            “I could give you a couple of days for the egg to be laid, then turn her over.”  Saber offered.

            “That sounds good.  Saber?  Am I an evil dragon, because I don’t want this hatchling?”  Torch asked.

            “I don’t think so, but you are gonna want to think about it before you decide.  You could always foster it out, so you would never be around it.”  Saber suggested.  “This hatchling is not Lea.  It might have her blood, but it is innocent of its mother’s crime.”  Saber added.  “And who knows maybe this was the only way the Gods could give back to you, what she took.”

            “You’re a great leader, Saber.  I never would have thought of that.”  Torch said in wonder.

            “You know she has to stand trial, right?  She may be given exile or even death.  Are you gonna be o.k. with that?”  Saber asked.

            “I know, and it is completely deserved, but that doesn’t mean I have to be there.  I don’t think I could watch without trying to stop it.  She is evil incarnated, but she’s still my life-mate, the mother of my children, the one that murdered them.”  Torch said softly.

            “Let me know when the egg is laid.  We will take it to the nursery, and you will have six weeks to decide what to do .  Okay?”  Saber tried for a compromise.

            “That sounds good, thanks for coming.”  Torch looked up at him.  As Saber started to leave.  “Oh, tell Stone I will be late, but I’ll be there, o.k.?”  Torch asked.

            “Will do.”  Saber said as he took flight.

            It was going to be a long day.  Lea was in and out of consciousness.  The cave was too small for both of them.  Link was obviously in charge of the weather.  It was perfect, not too hot and no chill of wind up here at the top of this mountain. 

            Could he raise this hatchling?  Could he ever even look at it and not feel heartbreak?  Torch was a good father.  He’d loved all of his children.  Would this hatchling be loved by him also?  All good questions, where are the answers?

            Lea moaned and thrashed, locked in a fever high enough to kill a lesser dragon.  Would the egg forming in her be safe from the fever?  Did he care?  He must or he never would have asked.  Torch didn’t know which God was in charge of this farce, but Torch would love to have these questions answered.

            As the afternoon turned to twilight, Lea’s stomach began to swell.  It’s almost time, Torch thought.  How did this work, with her unconscious?  Torch didn’t have long to wait for an answer this time. 

            Lea sat up delirious with the fever.  “Get it out!  Now!”  She pleaded.  As she grabbed her stomach and pushed, Torch saw the egg.  Within moments it was over, and Torch held a Pure Red Dragon egg.  It was normal size , and still hot from Lea’s fever.  As Torch set the egg down, Lea screamed again.  He turned to her just in time to catch a second egg.  He stared at it surprised.  They had only mated the one time.  Two eggs, twins.  Not like Link and Leona, these twins had separate eggs.

            As Lea collapsed back into the fever, she pushed one more time.  A tiny egg, probably dead, followed the first two.  Triplets.  Even if the tiny one was dead, they were still triplets, not twins.  It seemed Lea’s fever acted as an incubator, and these hatchlings grew, because of it.  All three were solid red, not a speck of any other color on them.

            Torch looked down at Lea.  Her beauty was gone, her strength also.  She spoke in her sleep about killing hatchlings.  Over and over, she swatted at the air trying to get away from something around her head.  She was delirious as her fever raged.

            Torch called for Leona to tell her father it was time.  He also said to bring three carriers, not one.  Torch was willing to see these hatchlings born, just out of curiosity, not love.  He had six weeks to ponder it, and then he would have to make a decision.  No matter what these eggs mean, or how these dragons came to be,  Torch would forever put Stone ahead of them.  Stone may not be blood, but he is Torch’s first born son, so to speak, and always would be.

            Torch was glad they were Pure Reds, they would remind him of Lea, and that they were her hatchlings, not his.

            Saber, Ryoch and four Castle Guards, all loaded down with carriers of various sizes, arrived right on time.  As they landed along the mountain cliff, Ryoch jumped to the flat rocks in front of the cave.

            “Are you o.k.?  My family is forever in your debt, and if I can do you even the smallest favor, it would still be only a drop in a bucket of what we owe you.”  Ryoch said, his voice thick with emotion.

            Torch held out his hand, and they shook as Torch said, “This makes us even.”

            “Not even a little bit, Torch.”   Ryoch replied.

            The guards needed access to Lea.  Ryoch climbed to a higher shelf in the mountain, and Torch reached in to grab Lea’s arm.  Her fever still raged, and she was swinging her arms again.

            “A fever has her delirious, but with her pockmarks, you might want to cover her up, and keep her isolated until she heals.  A healer should be able to cure the fever, and infections before her trial.”  Torch said to the head guard.

            The guards  had brought a sturdy pelt, large enough to use as a carrier.  They had wrapped the sides around two long saplings and secured it all with rope.  Lea was laid upon the pelt, and then tied to it, so she wouldn’t fall while in flight.  Saber saw then off, and promised to go by the Castle later.

            Both Saber and Ryoch looked to Torch.

            “Are we ready?”  Ryoch asked.

            “They’re in here.”  Torch said.

            “They?  As in more than one?”  Ryoch asked.

            “Her fever acted as an incubator.  She had triplets, three separate eggs, though I think the little one is dead.”  Torch said.

            “Why do you think that?”  Ryoch asked.

“Because it’s so very small, and Lea’s fever raged while it grew in her.  The first egg burned my hands as I lifted it.  All three were really hot.”  Torch explained.

            “Let’s take a look.”  Saber said.

            Torch reached in to the cave again, and pulled the eggs out one by one.

            “They’re all pure reds.”  Saber said uneasy.  “Even the little one.”

            “Yeah, I got that too.”  Torch said sarcastically.

            Ryoch had the small one in his hands.  It barely filled his palm.  He could feel it, that small little beat of a heart.  Ryoch very gently placed it in his own carrier.

            “You my friend are going to be the father of a miniature Pure Red Dragon, a one of a kind.”  Ryoch said.  “This babe is alive, not dead and it has a good heart beat.”  He went on.  “Darna taught me to feel a heart beat through the shell when I was worried about my miniature.”  He finished.

            “Your Missy will be happy she isn’t the only one anymore.”  Saber said.

            “Wouldn’t it be great if it was a male?  Missy would have a mate.”  Ryoch said happily.

            “Are you two finished?”  Torch said with anger.  “I don’t even know if I am going to let them live or foster them out, or love them.  And you already have them as part of the Clan, mating and such!”  He yelled.

            “Oh Torch, I’m so sorry.”  Ryoch said.  “Would it ease your pain to know what Bella saw?”  Ryoch offered.

            “I guess that’s up to whatever she saw, wouldn’t it?”  Torch remarked wary.

            “She saw them live, Torch.  Your babes live.”  Ryoch said.  There was so much more to Bella’s vision, but Ryoch didn’t think Torch could take it all at once.

            Torch sagged in relief.  He already knew he could never kill them.  He just didn’t have it in him to do. Torch was a father, not a killer of his own babes.

            As the sky darkens the three Clan Saber fathers headed home with precious cargo.                                               

          

            “So Stone what do you think?”  Torch asked his son.

            “Why are you asking me?  I understand that they’re your flesh and blood and I am not.  When I reach my majority maybe I’ll go check out the Elementals.”  Stone said, kicking around a rock as he spoke, head down.

            Torch came to Stone, he picked up the rock, and had Stone sit next to him.

            “You too have flesh and blood here.  Would you rather go live with Alred, he is your real grandfather.  Then there’s Raven, who knows how long he’ll be here, but he is going back at sometime.  Would you rather be with him?”

            Stone looked up wide-eyed.  “NO!  This is my home, you’re my dad.  I don’t want to do either one.”  Stone said.

            “Then what makes you think that I’d want you to go?  Do you think I could love you less, just because I have three new hatchlings?  Stone, I don’t even know if I want to raise them myself or foster them out to some clan, and I’d never see them again.”  Torch explained.  “You are my oldest son, and I’ve claimed you as my oldest son in front of the Queen.  That means you are my heir.  You’re Royalty Stone.  You have a title and everything.  You are my son.”  Torch finished.

            “Wow, that’s-----.  I don’t want to leave, I want to be with you and Clan Saber my whole life.  Thank you Dad.”  Stone said.

               “O.K., I think you need to work your head back around to the place where you realize these hatchlings are innocent of any evil their Mother may have had.  I think with you raising them with love that they deserve, they will be happy healthy, and normal hatchlings.  You are the one to raise them to be a productive and positive addition to Clan Saber.  And yes the miniatures, hoping it’s a male for Missy is a little presumptuous, but miniatures don’t happen very often.  I agree that it had to be Lea’s fever that brought you triplets instead of one hatchling, and I also agree with Saber when he said it was a gift from the Gods to give you three where she took two away from you.”  Stone finished.

            “Okay..... you’ve put a lot of thought into it haven’t you?”  Torch asked.  “I’ll work on it, okay?  I have another few weeks to decide.  Thank you for your honesty, and advice.  When did you get so serious?”

            Stone laughed “ I’m not slow-witted like you told Saber, Dad.  I just choose to be who I am.  I may not be mature enough according to some dragons, but you of all dragons should know exactly how mature I could be.  Growing up in a war zone camp after the dragons Stoned my mother I can to death , being named Stone, because of it, finding you and keeping you alive with my magic, and food and water, joining a whole big family, and receiving love from it every day.....I think I am extremely mature for what I’ve been through.  I just choose not to be, I want to laugh and play, enjoy as much of my yearling-hood as I can before it’s too late.  I hope I don’t disappoint you Dad, but I have to be who I am, not what others expect me to be.”  Stone

finished.

            “You are amazing, and you right!  Be young as long as you like, Saber waited Three hundred years to grew up and look at him now.  You’re just fine in my book.”  Torch said.

            “Father have you been to see Lea since she was arrested?”  Stone asked

            “No son she is dead to me and she has nothing I need.  I just wish it be over and done with.  Either exile or death.”  Torch said with disgust.

            “Would it be o.k. to heal her body, so she can stand trial faster?” 

            “Just her body?  Why?‘  Torch asked.

            “She’s very mad, crazy, her brain no longer functions like it did.  I can’t fix madness father, but her sores her fever, her weight.  I can fix that, then she could stand trial.  Her health is the only thing they are waiting on.”  Stone explained.

            “This is your gift from the Gods, and I believe in you completely, but if you want to do this, you must, also be able to handle her being executed sooner, because of your help.”  Torch said.

            With a grim look , Stone said, “I am just fine with that.”

           

            “Mother how do I do this?”  Bella asked anxiously. “ Exile, I can handle death is something different.”  She stated.

            Glenna pondered a minute, and realized Bella needed to see  the crime.

            “Bella, I know your sight tells you the future, but have you ever tried to look back in time?”  Glenna asked.

            “No, I never thought it, it would take strong magic.  I would need the twins with you, and Mare on back up.”  Bella said.  “Why?”

            “If  you could see her crimes maybe it would be easier to understand what her crimes call for.  Exile or Execution.”  Glenna suggested.

            “Of course, thank you Mother, we will set it up tonight.  We will need everyone with magic to help.  I’ve never tried this, and I don’t want to get stuck in the past.”  Bella seemed to feel better as she spoke.

            “Why not?  I need all the magic I can get, why can’t I use him too?“  Bella asked Leona.

            “Because he’s just.....Cuz I don’t want to o.k.?”  Leona whined.

            “Tough cookies Leona, I need everyone, and he is a master sorcerer.

            “Oh fine!  He can come.”  Leona said.

            The Throne room was ready, a large circle of Bella’s family, each and every one magical was waiting for her.

            “Raven, please join the circle?”  Bella asked.

            “I’m just here to witness, not join, besides I am not family.”  Raven said.

            “I need your magic as much as everyone else’s.  You are a master sorcerer, and I need your strength.”  Bella explain.

            “Oh come on pup.”  Alred said, as he walked in to the throne room.  “This will be an experience you will remember all your days.”

            “If you both think so, then I will.”  He joined next to Leona just in case this went to crap, he wanted to be able to save her.  Traveling back in time has never been done, and to think this family was about to achieve it both terrified him and amazed him.

            “Is every one ready?  Just channel your magic towards the center of the circle.  Keep it loose, but controlled o.k.?”  Bella asker everyone.  “Here I go.”

            Bella’s eyes slid up into her head, and she fell to the pelts on the floor, just for this happening.  Alred, Glenna, Link, Leona, Mara, Missy, Raven and Stone all held hands, and waited wondering what was going on for Bella.  They’d soon find out. Bella felt like she was flying, but not in a good way, this was going too fast.  Now spinning faster and faster,  Finally she came to a stop.  She looked around and realized she was in the bunk house.  Lea was not there yet, a young page was in this room, reeking of stale beer.  He was obviously drunk.  It seemed he couldn’t see Bella.  A moment later there was a knock on the door, and Lea entered.  She had a smile on her face, and happiness in her eyes.  She asked the page where Paolo was, and was shown a closed door.  The page warned her not to open it.  There was a moment of uncertainty, as lea lifted the page up by his throat, he answered her questions quickly.  Lea’s whole body flexed, and her wings unfurled.  Her face was that of a warrior.  She busted in the door, Paolo was said to be in.  The smell from the room was sickly sweet.  A guard came flying out with his throat ripped out, dead.  Screams could be heard, and then they stopped.

            Bella was feeling the magic get stronger and stronger, as she moved towards Paolo’s room, the magic swamped her, and suddenly the whole family was there with her, seeing what she saw.

            Paolo was a crumpled shell on the pelts.  His spirit gone already He smelled of ale, sex and death.

            Suddenly everyone was in the servants nursery watching Marta on her pile of pelts.  She looked different, older, she was having a conversation with Lea, not a nice one.  Lea stepped out of the of the shadows, and Marta said something to her just before a slap across her face sent her to the floor again.  Lea unwound her whip and snapped it at Marta.  Once, twice and Marta was bleeding from her face.  Then the whip cracked over and over.  Missy and Mara became sick, and threw up.  Leona soothed them mentally.  Marta was unconscious, and still the whip cracked.  Blood was splattered everywhere and the pelts Marta laid on.

            Again the family was in a different place, they were outside watching, as Lea threw Marta to her Captain.  Marta healed but with horrible scars all over her body.  A soldier was having sex with her, Marta just laid there staring ahead giving no response.  The family saw her used that way over and over again, Marta never said a word.

            Eggs, lots of eggs, and Marta being made to smash them all.  They looked half-breed with red and other colors mixed in.  The whip cracked at her, as she stopped smashing the eggs.  Quickly she finished.

            The family changed locations again, and saw Mara take a vial from a soldier with tears in his eyes.  Marta writing a letter, then feeding five Pure Red hatchlings diner laced with what was in the vial.  Marta just swallowed the rest of it.

            They saw Lea run to a locked caravan, and opened the door.  They saw her fall into the mud screaming and crying. Finally the family read the letter Marta had left for Lea.

            The connection closed, and Bella slowly got up.  Everyone looked at each other silently knowing without word they had been in the presence of pure evil.

            Lea’s execution was not witnessed by anyone, but Bella, and if she weren’t queen, she would not be here either.  It was quick and painless, being beheaded by a guillotine.  It was much too easy, Bella had wanted her to suffer more.  Lea’s madness seemed drawn from the letter Marta left behind.  Bella hoped Marta kept her promise, and dragged Lea into hell with her.

             Bella turned to go in, and ran right into torch standing silently behind her.

            “It’s over Torch.”  Bella said softly.

            “Yes it is, thank you.”  Torch said just as softly.

            Bella reached up, and wiped a tear from Torch’s cheek.  With that one touch, Bella and Torch felt a spark.  They stared at each other, letting the silence deepen, absorbing the spark.

Bella could walk away now and it would never be spoken about. Torch could turn away, and it would just be an awkward moment. The silence continued as the stared at each other.

            Just a spark, that’s all it was.