Guardian Dragons (12 page)

* * *

A weary Fedros dragged his weakened
legs back to the barracks where he was determined to get some
sleep. He had done his Master’s bidding and spent his moonwake
spying on the Prince. Positioning himself under the very willow
tree that the Prince had spent such a long time waiting for the
young mage girl, he had found a perfect spot for spying. Not
understanding much about sea life, he had watched with interest the
huphin creature that the two youngsters had met with. The young
girl had then disappeared into the sea but he was not sure how she
had managed to stay under the water for so long, it must have been
a mage spell. He had nodded off then, as he watched the Prince and
the dog resting while they waited for the return of the girl. The
most interesting thing, he thought, was the bone whistle the Prince
used to call the huphin. Now it was time to seek food and rest
before his guard duty started. One more duty he wished to do was to
introduce himself to the plump little maid who he had seen
attending to the Prince’s grandmother. This would indeed be a
clever way of getting his mother into the palace to attend to the
grandmother’s pains.

* * *

Morte-Bielz closed his thoughts to
the feeble-minded Fedros.

He had learned enough for now.
Through this human’s eyes, he had watched the events unfold of the
two youngster’s meeting with the huphin. He had listened intently
to their words of excitement as she entered the sea and Changed. At
last, he knew the identity of the Changeling. This was not a
foolish girl but certainly an impetuous one. Her friendship with
the Prince was a fortunate one; it would play its role in the plot.
Getting Rikka into the palace was not going to be too difficult for
the next phase of his scheme to evolve. Chaos would yet play its
part in the return of the monshaads to the world of
Aarabassa.

Chapter 17
Confessions

T
he Head Mage Heimarl
poured herbal tea into a tiny white delicate porcelain cup and
savoured the warm, sharp mint flavour as he swilled it around his
taste buds. Traditionally one of his three wives should pour for
him but why spoil the peaceful silence of the moment. Should one of
his wives find him alone, they would only speak of their worries of
family matters and ramble on about the concerns of his daughters.
Naturally, his children were his concern but he wanted to focus on
only one member of his family at this moment in
time.

Pondering over thoughts of his
eldest daughter, of only seventeen suncircles, he was troubled over
Heather. Whilst she was well educated in the standard magics, she
should now be receiving more training in readiness for her first
Change. She had always remained a favourite of his six children,
but he did truly love them all dearly. Heather was such an
adventurer, never in fear of the unknown, a good strong feature for
a Changeling. For now, she would need taking in hand before she
attempted to Change without the guidance of an elder. It would not
surprise him at all if she had already experimented with this gift
that she was borne to. No matter, as long as there were no serious
consequences of such an occurrence. If he did not know about it
then he would not worry about. She was a very headstrong young
lady, there was no denying that.

Looking about the gardens, he
watched as three small charming birds busily nested in a nearby
flowery bush. Chattering with excitement at every tiny twig they
had managed to forage and then quickly disappearing to their nests
before their neighbours should suspect their magnificent find. He
considered listening-in to the bird banter but concluded that the
height of their conversation would be on the lines of who had the
fattest worms and the warmest nests. A Head Mage should not have
time to listen to such tittle-tattle. Still it could not hurt for
just a minute. Closing his eyes, he altered his language abilities
to enable him to listen in on the tiny birds. But, alas no, this
was simply not to be. Disturbing those peaceful moments, his ear
drums were almost ruptured with the loud voices wailing through the
still warm air, they were obviously in search of him, only the
women could shrill that high. The voices intensified to abruptly
cease and conclude with a pretty head peering around the thick
bushy hedge, where he had discreetly placed a garden chair and
table, in hiding.

‘Papa, papa,’ Heather screeched
hysterically at finding the head that she had hunted so noisily. ‘I
simply could not wait for you to emerge from your den. I just had
to disturb you papa. Guess what ... I did it. I
Changed.’

‘Yes, I had a feeling that you
might. I suppose that’s why I was thinking of you,’ he calmly
greeted her. ‘So, dear daughter, despite the fact that you should
not experiment with the magic without an elder by your side, you
still went ahead and trifled into the unknown. What am I to do with
you if you refuse to live by rules?’

‘I’m truly sorry about that papa
but when Leon said he had a very good friend who is a huphin, I
simply had to do it.’

‘Hmph,’ he exclaimed in faked
displeasure, ‘the young Prince Leon also has a part to play in this
rebellious behaviour has he?’

‘No, no papa, it was all my
doing,’ she babbled, non-stoppable. ‘Please, please let me tell you
how I swam with the dolphins and I even saved a huphin Princess.’
She could no more stop her voice from extricating her entire
escapade than she could stop her mind from sinking deeper into the
astonishing memories. ‘I twirled in the seas, brushing the waves
over my head. I dived deep into the waters and saw a whole new
world of wonderful and beautiful creatures.

Little bright yellow fishes with
orange dots on. I even battled with sharks. From a distance of
course. Anyway, Prince Gadon dealt with them. You know that he
would not have let any harm come to me. He is my new friend and he
said he’d take me again whenever I wish to go. What do you think
papa, is this not the most exciting adventure I have ever reported
to you yet?’

‘Whoa, my little one,’ her father
needed a moment for the words to sink into his addled brain.
‘Sharks you say. I will hear more of this. You can only be
referring to Princess Bryley. What have you been doing? I am indeed
lucky daughter that you tell me all, whether I like to hear of it
or not.

‘Ohh pappa, it was so exciting.’
Seating herself on the opposite chair, so she could better see his
reactions, the words would not come out fast enough. ‘Poor Leon,
he’s gone home with a drip white face. He simply cannot accept that
I helped to save the Princess from deadly sharks. Well, actually
pappa, I swam to the surface and showed the poor little Princess
the escape route while Prince Gadon and the other male huphins and
dolphins dealt with the sharks. Did you know that the dolphins are
so very fond of the huphins? And of course, the other way around.
They are our very closest allies.’

‘Slow down little Heather. You
speak your words so fast I can hardly comprehend the tale you
tell,’ her father chuckled. Secretly he was very pleased she had
managed to get through her first Change in one piece, let alone
save a Princess. He would no doubt receive news from Prince Gadon
as to the true event that took place. For now, he would let his
daughter have centre stage, for a little while anyway.

Finally, Heather reached the end of
her tale.

‘What do you think pappa? What do
you think of me now?’

‘I think, my little sweetness,
that tomorrow moonwake I will arrange for you to be better trained
in your Changeling skills,’ he replied with humour in his
tone.

‘Is that it?’ Breathless, she
could not believe that was all he had to say. ‘Was I not brave
pappa?’

‘Do not confuse bravery with
conceit my dear.’

‘Oh dear, do you think so pappa?’
Her eyes widened at his response. ‘That will not do. Mother will be
disappointed in me if I’m being conceited. I had better shut
up.’

‘Heather, you have always accepted
your fate as the Changeling.’ Heimarl took on his more formal
voice. ‘Never have you shied away from your destiny. I trust you my
daughter to develop in your own time. But you must know that
someone who is not experienced in this magic could end up becoming
whatever they have Changed into, permanently.’

Heimarl rose slowly from his chair
and teetered around the table to pat his daughter lovingly, on her
silky head of golden thick curls.

‘I would like to keep my human
daughter if you please, just a little longer anyway. Do we agree
that you will receive more guidance?’

‘If you insist, pappa.’ Heather
sighed heavily, feeling suddenly at a loss. She sensed her
inexperience. ‘I suppose I have no choice, but how hard can it be,
I’ve already done the deed?’

‘Yes daughter, but you have not
Changed for any length of time. The longer you are another
creature, the less your chances of Changing back to your self,
unless you learn how to control the deep corners of your spirit so
that your soul does not lose itself when you become another. When
you are well schooled with this skill, you will Change into many
creatures for long periods of time, when the need arises. We serve
to protect, it is not a game but an honour little one. Let me tell
you the tale of the Guardian Dragons and the ancient powerful Mage
Saurlton Barronz.

Jumping from her seat to join her
father, they walked together in the heavily scented garden.
Approaching an old, mossy stone built well, they both perched on
the edges of the cool, coarse sandstone. Her father began one of
his charming tales.

‘Let us not forget that the
dragons are the guardians of the Magic Wall that shimmers with warm
violets, peaches and apricot colours. It reaches from land to sky
and can be seen at the very top peak of the highest mid-mountain
range of Ginnung that stretches right around the middle of
Aarabassa. Not only does this mountain range serve to separate the
Dark Lands from the Light Lands, it also keeps evil from
good.’

Her father could not endure the
hardened surface of the well’s wall on his aching limbs, so he
stood and meandered along the sandy yellow path that would take him
to the ornate petite wooden bridge that he was so fond of. Heather
followed, eager to hear more.

Chapter 18 Tale of a
Mage

‘M
any centuries ago a
powerful mage known as Saurlton Barronz was born with the
Changeling ability. He could alter his form to replica any
creature, other than that of the dead whose souls have moved on
from this world.’

‘Why would he wish to be a dead
creature anyway?’ Heather was curious.

‘Ahh, you see little one, much you
have been taught in your education but much more there is to learn.
You know little of the monshaads.’

‘I do too pappa. I know that they
are foul.’

‘They are also dead. It’s believed
by some scholars, that they have no souls. This I can’t quite
comprehend. I think they have their souls but it cannot pass to the
Realms of the Dead. It’s just stuck in limbo, somehow.’

Turning the winding path, passing
the scented yellow rose blossoms perched proudly on top of long
thin trunks, Heimarl lingered, to savour the sweet
aroma.

‘I cannot see how any creature can
be without a soul, but then what is the soul I ask myself,’ he
mumbled, more to himself than to his company.

Heather’s eyes were blinded to the
beautiful display of brightly coloured roses, she listened intently
to her father and pondered over this befuddled question.

‘Saurlton travelled the world of Aarabassa, taking the form
of whichever race he visited,’ her father continued. ‘In the very
same land of the dragons, he came upon a family group of ape-like
people who had found an orphan human baby girl and taken it upon
themselves to feed and raise her as one of their own. He Changed
into a young male ape to understand the nature of this situation
and decided that the little girl was as happy as any other child he
had witnessed in his observations of humanity. He did not
interfere but promised himself he
would return later, to see the evolution of this unusual
bond.

Then Saurlton became involved with
the Serpent Battles for many suncircles. We know that the Emperor
Morte-Bielz led his armies of evil serpents against the Light Land
dragons. Indeed, we believe that the Emperor and the ancient mage
are possibly brothers. They both originate from the same human
tribe and it is deemed that one brother followed good magic and the
other followed a darker path. In the end good prospered over evil
and Saurlton used his powerful magics to create the Magic Wall as a
barrier. He had, in effect, imprisoned the creatures of the Dark
Lands. But, the elements must balance and for the world to sustain
the miraculous barrier and maintain its natural stability, the
Emperor was able to create another magical being which we know to
be Vellar, a fire breathing creature. We have not yet found the
scribes that teach us of his powers. It is known that this great
beast is buried deep in the hot sands of the Merpell desert. The
how or the why it got to be there is not too clear but it is
believed that Saurlton burried him there. This would mean he was
born in the Lightlands, well so we think. So, you see a Changeling
is a powerful tool.’