The dragons began to hum once again and the noise startled Vincent so that he screamed louder than ever.
“What is going on, Mesquil? Can you see anything from the other side of the lake?”
“No, Roberto, I cannot. The steam from the lake has distorted the view and I think that Azual has spread her wings around them.”
Sofia could hear Vincent as he wailed and she became distracted. Mistress Ann asked, “What is it that bothers you so my daughter.”
Sofia turned away from the two strangers and looked back across the lake. “My son he is afraid of the dragon son. He calls for me now.”
“We hear him. Daughter, you say that child is yours? Was he born on this planet?”
“Yes he was just born here last night.”
Master Ares spoke up. “Protector Azual, did you help bring the child into the world?”
“Yes masters he was born at the same time my own daughter was reborn from her egg.”
“They shared the egg together?” Master Ares cocked his head.
“Yes master it was the only way to save both of them. The witch had used great magic on this planet and on all those around them. Mistress Sofia and her then unborn son were in grave danger. It was the only way I could think of to allow my daughter her rebirth and save your daughter and grandson.
Ares looked to his wife. “Ann, did you hear what Azual just said? That crying child across the lake is our grandson.”
“Yes, husband, I did understand what she said.” She turned to Azual. “Azual have you explained what the birth from the egg means to my daughter yet?”
“No…I thought it best if I bring your sleeping ship from the lake and allow you to explain what I did to your daughter and grandson.”
Sofia turned to Azual. “What did you do to my son?”
Ares walked up to his daughter and hugged her. “It is ok, my daughter. Azual did not harm your son…my grandson. She, in fact, has given him a gift. I will show you myself.” He turned toward Azual. “Can you carry us back to others? I wish to see my grandson now.”
Azual bent her great talon leg and allowed the four travelers to climb upon her great back.
“Roberto, they appear to be coming back. They are bringing two others with them.”
“I can see that, hunter. It is my wife I’m most worried about.”
It took only a few sweeps of her wings for Azual to bring the group back to the tents. Sofia jumped down first and went directly over to Vincent. By now, he was making cooing sounds.
“Wife, are you alright?”
“Yes, husband, do not be worried.”
“Vincent woke when the dragons started their song again.”
Sofia smiled. “Yes, we heard him from across the lake. That is why we have returned.”
Ares and Ann approached Roberto, Sofia and Vincent. As was his custom Roberto stood in front of his wife and child to make sure the strangers did not harm them. Sofia placed her hand on Roberto’s chest. “Husband, it is safe. This is Ares, my father and my mother, Ann. They only wish to see our child. Mom, Dad this is Vincent, your grandson.”
Sofia lifted Vincent up and handed him over to Ares. As she did this the dragons started their humming once again. Vincent started to cry and then he was humming in time with the dragons. Ares pulled the cloth away from the baby and looked at him.
“Ann, look at the child! Do you see it?” Sofia, Roberto and Ann all looked down at Vincent. His leg did indeed have a white mark, but not just one. All along both legs and his arms thin white lines were glowing. The dragons hummed louder and Vincent sang along with them. “It is true, Azual. Your magic has given the boy a gift.”
“Yes, master, it is true.”
“Sofia, Roberto, Azual has given to your son, Vincent, the gift of the dragon. No male child has ever been given the gift of the dragon before. Only females can turn their forms; that was our magic from our home world. When Azual placed you and her daughter into the egg she bonded the dragon magic to your son at his birth. When it is time, he will make his first turn and become a dragon. That is what the other dragons are singing about. They have never seen a male dragon that could change into human form before.”
The dragons finished their song. Vincent stopped singing along with them. Ares took the child from her husband, wrapped him back up in his cloth and handed him to Roberto. “Your son is very strong indeed. You are lucky to have such a child.”
“Mother, father, there is something that I should explain to you about Roberto. He is not of Armis nor is he of this planet. He comes from the world that our ship crash landed on.”
Ares put his hand on her shoulder. “It is ok my child. I can see that he is not of Armis. But do you love him?”
“Yes, father, he is my life.”
“He has given to you a son that is part Armis, part his species and now part dragon. His gifts will bond well with this child.”
“You do not seem surprised to find that I have a husband and also now a child.”
Ann smiled at her. “No daughter we are not surprised.”
Ares nodded at Ely. “We also know that Ely has a son…I believe he is around here somewhere.” His eyes wandered through the crowd. “Step forth, Steven. I wish to shake the hand of my other grandson.”
Steven walked out from behind Algamight. “I am Steven.”
“Yes you are. I see you have found our Algamight.” Ann smiled at the dragon.
Algamight smiled back. “Yes we have finally found each other.”
Ares shook his hand and smiled. “You are now bonded, I see.”
Steven turned a little red then. He had forgotten to tell his parents about taking Algamight as his wife during the night. The events of this morning did not allow them to talk first. “I’m sorry mom and dad for not telling you. I just have not had time this morning.”
“It is ok, Steven. We are your parents. We can tell that you have mated with Algamight. We are in agreement with your bonding. We just did not expect you to be mated so soon. After all it seems like only yesterday your Aunt Sofia was helping to bring you into this world.”
“Ah, I see that this time fragment has been accelerated slightly.” Ares looked towards the blue dragon. “Azual, is this your doing?”
Azual had knelt down and picked up Tusk. Just as she was starting to rise, she told them all. “Yes. It is my doing. I have changed the time fragment so that all of my children could be together. It is what I was created for. I am the protector of the Armis family and it was my judgment to alter the time fragment.”
Ares put his hand to his head just then. Ely noticed. “What is it, father? Are you feeling alright?”
“Yes, well, I am a little tired and wish to take some food…but our ship is receiving a message.”
Ann stepped up to her husband and they touched hands. No one spoke for a few seconds. “It is true, daughter. Our ship, now that she is awake, has been in contact with our home world. The message is that all is safe to return home. Our fighters have defeated the attackers. It seems Armis has been safe and ready for our return for many years now. We can return anytime we are ready.”
“That is good news!” Ely beamed.
Ares turned towards Ely. “Yes much has happened on our home Armis while you were gone and while we slept beneath the lake. We have much to prepare for and we must wake the rest of the ship. Your section of the ship must be woken as well. It will take several weeks for all on the ship to be woken and checked to make sure they are all able to make their own decision.”
“What decision is that father?” Ely asked.
“You all must choose whether to stay here or come home with us back to Armis. Each person must make their own choice. We will take all those who wish to return with us when the ship is ready.”
Steven and Algamight exchanged glances.
“For now let us start the preparations to wake the others,” Ares continued, “and let us plan a grand celebration for all those who have survived the great war on Ar
mis and those here who have protected us and all our children from harm.”
* * * * *
Chapter 55:
The weeks that followed were filled with much excitement. Many travelers were woken from their deep freeze. Each one was told where they were and each was given the choice to stay or return back to the home world.
Roberto and Sofia had Vincent to think about. He grew quickly. In a few short weeks, they could see changes in him. The dragons would sing out when another person was awakened and, each time, Vincent would sing with them.
Many dragons found their mates with those that were in the great ship. Some became reacquainted with their lost loved ones while others found their mates for the first time.
As for Roberto’s family, the hunters from Earth, many found loved ones whom they could spend their lives with. Mesquil had been with his brown dragon for a very short time before he made his decision to stay on the planet. It seems that his dragon woman was already with child.
The day came for the ship to leave and there were many tears as everyone had to say goodbye to someone they cared for. Sofia was most affected as she had decided to stay while her parents were needed on Armis. Ely and Wisteria chose to go with them so Sofia was sad to see her parents and brother leaving.
Steven stayed with Algamight so that there would always be two queen dragons to protect the planet. They revealed over dinner one night that Algamight was with child.
Since so many people had decided to stay, Ares and Ann decided that a ship would be left at the bottom of the lake so that if someone were needed on Armis they could travel back and forth. Ares mentioned on-going research on a transport device that would allow them to instantly travel between Armis and the planet but that it was still in the development phase and would not be working for a while. Roberto did not like being frozen in the ship let alone torn apart and put back together again in another device, so he was glad to be staying put on the planet.
The day finally came. The ship left and everything was slowly returning back to the slow pace that Roberto loved. He and Sofia had a cabin built along side the lake, near the water’s edge. Sofia decided upon this place when she was walking one day with Vincent who noticed a white rock in the sand along the shore and showed great interest in it.
Roberto checked in on Vincent, asleep in his own room. Along his walls were many things Roberto had brought from his home world, trinkets to remind him of where he once lived a long time ago: a great rug covered one entire wall; a creature he had hunted stood in the corner. Roberto assumed that someday Vincent would ask about that creature and Roberto decided to write down his stories so that he would have a record of them in the future.
Roberto closed the door to Vincent’s room and walked to the master bedroom. There upon the bed lay Sofia. She was still wearing a pretty blue dress that she wore to see her parent’s ship leave.
“Sofia, how are you doing? You were sad to see your parents leave today, I know. But you have seemed a little off these past few weeks. Do we need to get someone to help with Vincent now that he is moving about so much?”
“Husband, I am tired and yes a little sad about my parents leaving today. I already miss my brother and his wife.” She sat up and smiled. “Vincent is not much work at all. For now I think that I can still manage to care for him.”
Vincent nodded. “He is growing so quickly…I already miss the child I once held in my arms.”
“It is good to hear you say that, my husband, because I have something to tell you tonight. I have waited to be sure and I wanted the timing to be right.”
“What is wrong? Do you regret our decision to stay here on this planet with Vincent?”
“No, that is not it.”
Sofia took Roberto’s hand and placed it across her flat stomach. “Husband, you have given me another child. She will be born here, on this planet and I’m sure she will be glad to have a big brother to help protect her.”
Roberto could not believe his ears. His wife, the love of his life, had another child growing inside her. “We are so blessed to have come so far in our travels and arrived at this great place.”
“I know, husband. Our planet has been good to us as it has been to many others. Our daughter will have many children to play with as I have heard that many of the dragons and hunters are all having children as well.”
She started changing into her night clothes. “It is time to rest now. We have a busy day tomorrow.” She looked at him with a grin. “I wish to start building another room on the cabin for our daughter.”
Roberto smiled back. “As you wish, wife.”
They climbed into bed and extinguished the lights. For a time they just held each other in silence. As they drifted off to sleep they heard the song of the dragons off in the distance.
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