Guardian Dragons (8 page)

‘Who knows my Princess? If the
next part had not happened, then our race may not have been
created.

‘I suppose that’s true but I can’t
help feeling sorry for them. They loved each other so much.’ She
rubbed her eyes determined to hear out the end of the
story.

‘Well. Remember that this was the
time when there was no Magic Wall separating the Dark Side from the
Light Side and the monshaad creatures soon heard of this
tale.’

‘This is the bit that scares me. I
don’t like the thought of creatures that are full of gasses that
can poison us all.’

‘But they cannot my sweet because they are imprisoned
behind the Magic Wall, don’t ever forget that. We will cover that
story another time but you know full well that they cannot harm us.
Now
then, in the time when
they were free to roam the world, they believed that if they
captured the magical human-dolphin then perhaps they could work out
how to transform themselves from their foul gas form back into some
type of solid being. They set about to capture her by sending the
cold-water serpents into our warm seas. Once the serpents had found
them, they crashed into the magic bubble with all their might, but
the bubble would not be broken. Unfortunately, this also meant that
they were trapped within. So, the monshaads instructed the serpents
to make an agreement that would allow the human-dolphin to take her
Mate up to the land where he came from but then she must meet with
them to discuss her own fate.

Quintim was growing old with all
his skills of magic weakened. He could not rid them of the evil
serpents that were on constant guard outside of their home. Time
passed by and the two lovers’ neared death with every moment.
Desperate, Lillyanna faltered and left their home, swimming with
her weakened partner to the surface. There she left him, on a small
island where he would be safe from the serpents that hunted her.
She planned to out-swim them and then return to collect him so that
they could continue their happy lives together.

It was thirty moonwakes before she
finally out maneuvered the serpents, managing to escape their
clutches. Returning to the island where she had left her beloved,
she was horrified to discover only the bones of the human mage. His
muscles had wasted through the inactivity within the magic bubble,
he could not even crawl to get himself water or food. He had wasted
away and died and then birds had picked at his body. Devastated at
his death, she buried him and remained on this special island
living in a wet cove.

She lived a sad lonely life until
one moonwake she found a male dolphin that had beached himself
after being chased through the oceans by serpents. He was seriously
hurt and she healed him with her magic. When he was well he refused
to leave her and she used her magic to create his body into the
same image as hers, other than he was a male.

And so, the huphin race began and evolved throughout
time.
She never forgot how she
had lost her beloved Quintim and vowed that no land creature would
be allowed to stay within a huphin city longer than four moonwakes,
so that their muscles would not waste. She named this a seawake
period. Then she added that no land creature could return to the
huphin city until a further three moonwakes had passed, to ensure
their limbs were supple. She named this the seasleep
period.

Of course, no-one really knows the
truth of this legend.’ Prince Gadon ended his story.

‘Yes poppa, but it is how we
measure our time, so I think it must be true? Thank you for my
story. I do love you and tell momma I love her too.’ Settling in
her sleeping pool, she closed her eyes.

‘I know you do Princess and we
love you too. Sleep well my little one’ Prince Gadon climbed out of
his daughter’s sleeping pool, watching her leave the world of
reality and enter into the world of dreams.

Chapter 11 A Princely
Decision

‘S
o, have you finally
ended your fairy-tale?’ Shorwin’s voice whispered as she caused the
tiny shells to tinkle upon the door hanger. ‘As if your daughter’s
head isn’t filled with enough nonsense.’

Prince Gadon slowly crept out of
the sleeping chamber and followed his wife to their own sleeping
chamber.

‘I don’t tell her nonsense
Shorwin,’ he defended his story telling. ‘I would only tell my
children the truth of the world and well you know.’

‘No, I do not know Prince Gadon,’
Shorwin spoke sharply at her husband’s self-defiance. ‘I do not
know if that legend is truth or not but I do suspect it is just
childish legend’

‘Yes well. If our child cannot
enjoy a bit of nonsense at her age, then she would be growing up
all too fast for my liking.’

‘Oh and you’ll be the one to
answer all her many questions when she wakes up with her head full
of fantasy.’

‘If I were here, yes, I would
gladly and truthfully answer her questions. I cannot help that I
must attend my father at every moonwake. He does have an entire
ocean to care for, as well you know.’

As Shorwin climbed down to join her
husband in their shared sleeping pool, she looked at his sulking
eyes with a fondness.

‘I suspect my husband is chastised
enough. With an ocean to organise you had better not let a mother
and her daughter take up too much of your time.’

‘I am happy for that mother and
daughter to fill my life. I am their willing protector’

Prince Gadon turned to roll on his
wife in a playful attack as they blissfully readied themselves for
their sleeping.

‘Actually,’ Gadon suddenly
remembered, ‘I’m not with my father in the moonwake, I’m going to
the surface, to meet with the human Prince Leon.’

‘And what deeds are the two of you
up to this time?’ She stared into his black eyes as he attempted to
crush her in his fake attack. ‘I recall the last time you went off
with one of those human Princes, you got so heavily intoxicated on
some human liquor, that I might add your father is far too fond of,
the pair of you nearly drowned yourselves.’

He gently rolled off his captured
wife, laughing at the good memory of this past event.

‘Well you can’t blame Leon for
that, it was his older brother not he, and, I’ll have you know, we
are both future Kings of our races so why should we not indulge
ourselves?’

‘Such rubbish you speak of. As
future Kings you should be better behaved,’ Shorwin turned her back
on her husband so he could not see her smiling. ‘I’m going to sleep
now and don’t wish to hear of any more of your childish antics. The
future Queen needs her rest.’

‘Worry not my dear, I am helping
Leon with a favour and will not be gone long. Now, if you aren’t
going to kiss me then I’m going to sleep.’

‘You cheeky little ...’

‘Now, now Shorwin, don’t get over
excited. By the way,’ he whispered in an attempt to end on a
lighter note, ‘your daughter said to tell you that she loves you.’
He watched her smile as they both pictured the image of their
lovechild. Closing their eyes, they jointly entered into a blissful
world of sleep.

Bryley awakened to the muffled
sounds of voices emanating from the living quarters. Climbing out
of her sleeping pond she went to wake up her parents but as she
entered their sleeping chamber, she found them gone. Realising the
voices were those of her parents speaking with someone else, she
sneaked through the connecting tunnel to spy upon the living
quarters.

‘But sire, the baby will be eaten
for sure!’ a distressed male voice pleaded.

‘We cannot breach the barrier of
our city for every whale that is attacked.’ Her father’s stern
voice was slowly getting louder. ‘It is the nature of the sea for
sharks to devour other sea creatures. Why should we interfere on
account of one incident?’

‘This is not just any whale sire,’
the male voice explained. ‘It is one of the Queens of the ruling
harem, begging that we aid her. The sharks have hunted them for a
long while and she cannot out-swim them with such a young cub in
tow. She only asks that we mislead them while she makes her escape
with her cub.’

‘Absolutely not! The sharks will
be in an uproar if we start to interfere with their feeding.’
Prince Gadon was adamant that no help would be
forthcoming.

‘My dear,’ Shorwin joined in. ‘I
must disagree. I think we should help one another where the young
are involved. Think of your own daughter’s life.’

‘No Shorwin!’

Bryley nearly announced her
presence as she gave a startled cry at the sound of her father
shouting at her mother.

‘We cannot interfere in the
natural running of the seas. This is one of our most fundamental
rules as leaders.’

‘Shall I awaken the King?’ the
other voice asked.

‘No, no. That is not necessary I can deal with this
matter.’ Prince Gadon looked at his wife’s pleading face. ‘Look,
take the whale and her young one into one of the loading bays for
the rest of the moonsleep. That is all we can offer. We cannot and
must not attack the sharks. We are here to protect all the sea
creatures and that does not mean that we assist in starving the
sharks just because they chose the wrong whale to eat. Hopefully,
they’ll tire of waiting for
the whales to emerge and will swim away. Upon early
moonwake, you can inform the mother whale that she must be on her
way. We cannot afford to be seen as favouring one creature over
another. Are my orders clear?’

‘Yes sire,’ the other voice
answered. ‘I will ensure your orders are followed. Thank you
sire.’

‘Good because I do not want to
hear of this matter again. Now then, my wife and I wish to return
to our sleeping chamber.’

Bryley quickly scampered out of
sight. Swiftly making her way back to her chamber, she was
horrified that the baby whale was going to be eaten by the sharks.
She had always believed that the sea would be a better place
without those viscous sharks. In fact, they were better suited to
live in the dark side ocean with others of there ilk.

Listening to the soothing trickle
of the running water in her sleeping pod, she was unable to sleep.
In her restlessness she weaved a plan that would allow her to help
the trapped whales.

Chapter 12 Mother
Whale

T
he next moonwake,
Bryley was very pleased with herself, arriving early at the docking
bay where she would find the whales. Surely, her parents had
suspected nothing of her excuses to leave early due to extra chores
in her schooling. Well, maybe she felt a little guilty at telling a
small untruth but it was very necessary and it was for the good of
the ocean that she served in her duties as a
Princess.

The walls of a docking bay were
black when the bay was full of water and awaiting a ship to be
transported from the surface of the city regions. If the bays were
empty of water then the walls were transparent as there was no
danger from within the large loading area. At this moment, it was
half-full of seawater and Bryley attempted to see through the
opaque wall of the bay, she could just make out large murky dark
shapes moving around in the water. Approaching the golden membrane
that allowed passage through to the bay, Bryley attempted Mindtalk
to the mother whale at the other side.

Can you hear me beautiful creature of the ocean?
The young Princess asked
hopefully.
I am here to help
you and your baby?

The mother whale awkwardly tried to
turn her huge body in the shallow water. This was not an easy task
but she wanted to look upon the creature that was Mindtalking to
her. Alas, the mother could only make out a tiny silhouette.
Surely, this was not the creature who offered assistance against
the danger that still circled the waters outside.

Can you hear me?
Persistent in her efforts to contact the mother whale,
Bryley would not give up easily.
Soon you will have to leave the safety of our protection
and the sharks are still waiting for you. You must allow me to help
you
.

Again, the water in the loading bay
swirled around as the mother whale attempted to get a closer
look.

I cannot see who you are but if you truly can save my
child, I will be forever in your debt,
the mother whale replied.

I am a Princess of the huphins, so I am allowed to assist
you,
Bryley did not look upon
this as lying but more as exaggerating the truth.

‘Guards,’ she shouted trying to
sound confident. ‘It’s time to release the whales. As my father is
busy, I am to swim with them for a short while.’

‘Are you certain of this?’ the
guards questioned. ‘Those sharks would as soon eat you as the young
whale. I cannot see why our young Princess should put her life in
danger. Your father cannot possibly have sanctioned this
order?’

‘You dare to question my
instructions. I am Huphin Royalty and the sharks would not dare to
attack whilst I swim with the Queen. Now release them immediately
so we can be on our way.’