In which a dragon thinks

Chapter 16 of The Time-Teller

Chapter 16
In which a dragon thinks

 

“There’s a light at the top of that mountain!” Megan turned Pyralis in the direction of the mountain.

 

“Excellent,” Pyralis grinned slightly. “Let’s hurry. He might still be there.” Pyralis Began to run towards the mountain barely feeling the ground in front of him with his staff. “We may have made it after all.”

 

“But… what would we do when we get there?” Megan wondered. “When we find him.”

 

“We’ll find that out, won’t we?” Pyralis faced Megan and smiled. Megan was taken aback. She had never seen Pyralis smile such a normal smile before. It was almost annoying that he could seem normal.

 

“Yea,” she said. “I guess we will.”

 

“You know, you really remind me of someone I used to know,” Pyralis turned back in the direction of the mountain, which he could not see. Megan and Lethia kept up with his swift pace although Lethia had some trouble, as she obviously wasn’t used to this much activity.

 

The climb up the mountain was wearisome. In some places there were no more rocks to grab onto, and it was necessary to climb back down and go up a different way, but Pyralis eventually found a way to the top of the mountain. By the time they reached the top, Lethia was gasping for air.

 

“I can barely feel my arms,” she complained. “Why couldn’t you just cast a spell or something to get us up this hill?”

 

“Well…” Pyralis paused. “I do not have the correct materials with me. Besides, there is a dragon on this hill, and dragons are naturally a wizard’s enemy because in the past wizards killed many dragons for their own ends. Sometimes they would enter nests and cut off the tails of their young, then leave them to die a slow and painful death. A dragon cannot do magic without its tail.”

 

“I always thought dragons were like lizards, and their tails grew back,” Megan thought aloud.

 

“Well, you still have a lot to learn,” Pyralis said. “Do you still see the blue light?” Megan looked around.

 

“Only faintly,” Megan began walking. “Behind a boulder over here.” Megan looked around the boulder and gasped. There, in a large opening, was a monstrous, scaled creature. It lay on its hind legs, and stared at her with mystical eyes. Its teeth were sharper than any teeth she had ever seen before. Megan took a step backward, her foot hitting a rock. Then, she screamed as she lost balance and began to fall. A long tail swooped behind her and caught her.

 

‘Be careful, young one,’ she heard a deep strange voice in her mind. It seemed not to be speaking English, but somehow, Megan understood it, as if it were her own thoughts. ‘These cliffs are very easy for someone with your soft skin to slip on.’

 

“I… I’m sorry,” Megan managed, not knowing exactly what she should say.

 

‘You need not speak in your own tongue. I can understand your thought-speech. You are kin to me after all.’

 

“I’m…” Megan stared into the colorful eyes of this strange beast. “I don’t know what you’re talking about.”

 

“Megan?” Pyralis felt his way along the mountain. “Where did you go?”

 

“I’m over here,” Megan spoke loudly. Lethia froze when she saw Megan, who had a giant tail wrapped around her waist.

 

‘Well, young one,’ The dragon spoke in his silent tongue to Megan and pulled her away from the edge of the cliff.

 

‘You do have confused thoughts as well as blood.’

 

“What?” Megan blinked confused.

 

“Hello,” Pyralis faced the dragon. “You wouldn’t happen to have seen a wizard around here?”

 

‘Is he traveling with you?’ the dragon thought to Megan. ‘He is himself a wizard. Can he not track his own kind. You need only to think the response. I will hear you.’

 

‘He is blind,’ Megan thought awkwardly.

 

‘Ah! So this is the infamous Pyralis, Helia’s betrothed?’

 

‘Umm…’ Megan thought. ‘Yeah, I suppose it would be this Pyralis. Although, I was under the impression Helia and he had been married.’

 

‘Married. My, time does move quickly amongst humans.’

 

‘And what did you mean ‘kin’’ Megan glared as she thought.

 

‘I meant what I thought, and I thought what I meant. Even Pyralis can not understand this tongue, and no human would be able to without having a strange combination of blood. Obviously, your parents must have hidden something from you.’

 

‘Well, I figured that much out,’ Megan sighed.

 

“A wizard?” the dragon turned to face Pyralis. “Besides you?”

 

“Yes, of course. I don’t have to look far to find myself.”

 

“Perhaps you might have to look farther than you think for that. As for a wizard, yes, I did see one. He was a very terrible fellow, so I threw him off the cliff, which is why I do not have enough energy to speak in your tongue for very long. Hurry up with your business. Then, leave me in peace.”

 

“Did he injure you?” Pyralis cried. “For a wizard to injure a dragon in this age is unforgivable!”

 

“You have some unique ideals. Most wizards seek only power. You know that. I am still young in the age of a dragon and these wounds should take only ten or fifteen of your years to heal. I should be well away from harm for the duration of that time. Now, as what you are looking for is not here. Please, be on your way.”

 

‘You’re lying,’ Megan thought to the dragon. Somehow, she could feel the insincerity in his words. ‘You shouldn’t lie to Pyralis. There is no point in it.’

 

‘He is a wizard like the others. The fact that Helia is not with him now proves her love for him was wasted.’

 

‘Helia died,’ Megan thought to the dragon. ‘I don’t like Pyralis at all. He’s cold, rude, and arrogant, but I know that he loved Helia. The only times he shows true emotions are when the name Helia is mentioned. He lost something dear to him, and he is still trying to help me. He tries to help me even though he knows that I hate his guts. That is to be respected.’ Megan didn’t understand why she was defending Pyralis, but somehow, it annoyed her when the dragon spoke so condescendingly about him.

 

‘You have a high respect for someone you hate. Hate is unwise.’

 

‘You seem to hate him.’

 

‘All dragons are born with a strong hatred for wizards. They are our sworn enemies.’

 

“Hmm… You are a stubborn dragon,” Pyralis spoke, answering the dragons previously spoken words. “I know the wizard I’m looking for was here, and you did not have such an easy time as you pretend to have had. He injured you. Did he not?”

 

“He attempted to take a tooth from my jaws as I slept, an unwise decision on his part,” the dragon spoke truthfully.

 

“What is this girl you accompany?” the dragon gestured toward Megan.

 

“I have no idea,” Pyralis half-laughed at his own ignorance. “I’m not sure I will ever fully understand her, but believe me, she has proven to be apt in both mind and magic. I doubt she would ever fall into the darkness that consumes the majority of mage-kind.”

 

‘Mutual respect,’ the dragon thought mildly to Megan. ‘Although the hate is one-sided.’ Megan scowled. This wasn’t the dragon’s business.

 

“Pyralis,” the dragon spoke. “What reason do you have for seeking this wizard?”

 

“It is for Megan. She wishes to find the man, who started the fire in which her parents met their deaths.”

 

“You are an orphan?” the dragon asked Megan, speaking aloud.

 

“Yes,” Megan replied. “I am.”

 

“That is unfortunate indeed. Perhaps I will assist you after all. I lost my parents before I was even a grown hatchling. They were taken from me by a wizard like your parents.” Megan coughed back a tear and bit her lip to numb the pain in her chest.

 

“You’ll help us?” Pyralis said astonished. Obviously, he had not been expecting this turn of events.

 

“The wizard you seek suffers from injuries of a magical nature. These cannot be easily healed. Almost every method requires dragon ingredients, which is why so many wizards have turned against us dragons. “I have ways in which to find those who have been injured in such a manner. I am a master of dragon magic.”

 

“I thought you were young?” Pyralis said confused.

 

“Do you want me to help you or not?” the dragon glared at Pyralis. “I will require something in return. You know that.” He looked at Pyralis sharply.

 

“Of course,” Pyralis shrugged. “I already knew that.”

 

“Good. Now, come into my cave, and I will give you some further details,” the dragon moved surprisingly gracefully aside from the entrance and unblocked a wide darkening tunnel. Megan looked suspiciously into it. She had always imagined dragon’s caves to be filled with gold and jewels, but this cave seemed to be filled with nothing but grainy rocks and an occasional cobweb.

 

“You need not fear entering,” the dragon spoke to the group. “There is nothing inside that will bring you to harm.” Megan entered the cave first, followed by Pyralis and Lethia. The tunnel seemed to last a very long time, and for that time, the only sounds that penetrated the dense silence were the echoes of the party’s footsteps.
Finally, the tunnel widened. It was too dark for Megan to make out what it widened into.

 

“Ouch,” Megan heard Lethia trip over something and land noisily on the floor sending an echo reverberating off the walls of what sounded like a large space.

 

“You ok?” Megan asked feeling for Lethia’s hand to help her up.

 

“Forgive the darkness,” the dragon’s voice penetrated the black. “It is not often that I have visitors besides dragons and every once in a while, the lonely shape-shifter.” Megan heard Pyralis cough softly.

 

“About the method you have of tracking those injured magically,” Pyralis spoke. “Can you perhaps elaborate.”

 

“I can, but the correct question is, will I? What will you give me in return?” the dragon laughed at Pyralis.

 

“Megan and I might perhaps be able to heal the damage you sustained from your encounter with Gethin,” Pyralis said calmly.

 

“It would take very advanced magic to do this, Pyralis of flames. Do you have that kind of healing ability?” the dragon spoke in a mocking tone.

 

“Perhaps I don’t, but Megan managed to heal the king of serpents when he was on the verge of death. She may be able to do it again, but then again, it may have been a one time thing.”

 

Megan thought back to the many-headed creatures, which had delayed their journey for a while.

 

“Very well,” the dragon said softly. “I will accept your attempts at least. I do not have much to lose if you fail.”

 

“Thank you,” Pyralis thanked the dragon. Although, Megan couldn’t see, she knew from Pyralis’ muffled voice that he was bowing.

 

“Now,” the dragon continued. “Firstly, let me lend my assistance to heal this child of mixed blood, for I sense like injuries in her as well.”

 

“Me?” Megan had entirely forgotten her own magical damage that Pyralis had informed her of earlier.

 

“Then,” the dragon sighed. “I will reveal a secret of those who have taken such damage.”