Roberto tried to take command. “Ely, we must take Sofia to the medical center now. Look at her. Something is wrong with the baby. Hurry, help me with her. I can transport her faster if someone helps me.”
“Roberto, STOP. Ely, everything is ok.” Sofia shoved everyone’s hands away.
“What is happening? Is there something wrong with the baby? ” Roberto looked into her eyes. “Sofia, I could not live with myself if my feeding upon you caused problems with the baby.”
Sofia held up her hand. “Roberto, take a deep breath. I promise the baby is fine…I’m fine. Steven? How do you feel?”
Steven thought to himself a moment. “Actually now that you ask, I feel better then ever!”
Sofia nodded her head. “Same with me: I feel as if I have slept and ate and have had the best renewal that could happen.”
But Ely intervened. “Well I don’t think we should just take their word for it. Let’s move them to the medical center and let the ship have a good look at both of them just to be sure.”
Roberto lifted his wife from the table and Ely helped his son, Steven, up and together they all went to the medical center.
* * * * *
Chapter 27:
Algamight stood beside the lake. Cold blue water splashed back and forth, each wave taking sections of the sand off the beach. She was naked once again. Algamight could feel the cool breeze on her bare legs sending chill bumps up and down her body.
Really, I must find a way to transform between dragon and woman without always leaving myself naked. Perhaps next time I should imagine a tunic or something.
Algamight did not remember being at the lake or how she arrived there. Something important happened but was a distant memory that would not come all the way to the surface. It was like having a dream and trying to remember it when you wake up.
The dream did not matter now. She had to change back again to the dragon before she was caught out in the open in her woman form. But Algamight dreaded turning back into the dragon as each time before, it was extremely painful; and then it took many days time before she could transform again. But she knew she must endure the pain once again as she could hear footsteps approaching from the rocky path just above the ledge overlooking the icy blue lake.
Algamight looked into the water and imagined the dragon. She saw it in the water as if she was already turned. She walked toward the lake. Inch by inch the water moved up her body and just as the water was about to go over her head she screamed in pain and fell all the way into the water just as Tusk turned the corner.
“Where are you dragon? The witch will come looking for us. It has been hours. You should have eaten your fill of the wild beast by now and cleaned the blood off your talons. Where are you?”
Suddenly the water in the middle of the lake starting spinning around and around almost like a great wind. Faster and faster the water turned and each time the spinning circle grew closer and closer to the beach where Tusk stood. Tusk started to back away from the waters edge but the water was being pulled inward toward the center of the lake away from the beach.
As Tusk turned to run back up the path the green dragon erupted up out of the lake and landed on the beach. Tusk could see the water glinting off the dragon’s wings. There were new markings on the dragon that he had never seen before. White silver streaks were glowing across the center of the dragon’s body. The same streaks were on the inside of her wings as well. Perhaps, he thought, it was just the way the sun and water reflected off the dragon scales.
Algamight saw Tusk standing by the beach and she turned her great body directly toward him. As she approached she dragged her talons in the water grabbing water as she skimmed along the surface of the water. With a laugh, she sent the water flying directly at Tusk, splashing water all over him.
“I don’t find that’s funny at all.” Tusk growled. “You nearly scared me to death and I don’t have many years left to me as it is.”
“Tusk, it is only water, nothing bad. Besides, I think you could use a bath. You are covered in dirt and leaves. You and the witch must have been rolling around out there in the woods!”
“Come on. We have to return to the castle. We have been gone for hours and the witch will no doubt want something before the night is upon us.” Tusk started to leave but stopped and turned back to her. “Algamight, have you noticed the streaks that are glowing along your back and wings?”
“What? Where? What are you talking about?” Algamight walked back over to the waters edge and used the reflection of the blue water as a mirror. She turned left, then right and tried to look over her back. Tusk where are the marks you are talking about?”
“Open your wings fully and look again? Do you see them now?”
As Algamight looked into the water she saw the markings. Faint, yes, but white silver lines were forming symbols inside her wings. Each marking was different and each side of her wings had markings. The lines were all connected and running up her long neck and around her back.
“Oh…this can not be good. If the witch see’s this you will be punished for sure.”
“I did not do anything wrong. Why would these markings cause trouble for me? I’m sure it is just because I’m growing older and more mature. Perhaps these are normal for my species. Since I don’t have any reference or knowledge of my family how do I not know that all dragons are covered in these markings?”
“Algamight, I have been a slave of the witch for a long time. Long before her arrival, the dragons flew free around our realm. Many of the dragons that I saw carried these marks. Each dragon with these special markings could do magical things. Some could transform like you have done between dragon and human. Others could disappear and reappear in another area.”
“When the others arrived with the witch she took notice of the special markings of the dragons and started capturing them to obtain their power. This is why you don’t see any more of your kind out in the open. The witch has placed all the dragons that hatch in a secret place far away from here. No one knows where this place is. Only the witch comes and goes to that place. There are rumors that bad things are done to the dragons as the witch try’s to capture their magical essence.”
“I think we need to figure out a way to hide your markings. Can you walk back out into the lake a little? I think some well placed sand and mud will hide them. They are very faint now and I’m sure that we can keep them hidden from the witch if we try.”
Algamight nodded. “So be it, Tusk. I will allow you to hide my marks for now.”
Tusk worked for a little while using the sand and mud from the lake to cover the marks. The sun was beginning to set but was still hot enough to quickly dry the mud. The green scales and the mud blended well together and unless you were standing very close to the dragon you could not make out the markings at all.
“Tusk, I need to tell you something.” She hesitated. “I think something happened while you were resting up on the ridge. Did you…see…anything?”
Tusk shook his head. “Nope. I was resting, remember? That means my eyes were closed and I was not watching you. Last thing I saw was a large beast in your talons. You had just landed and was pulling its leg off. I had seen enough so I left you to your kill and I took a nap.”
“Why? What happened? Did the beast fight back?”
“No, that’s not it. But something…I’m not sure…” His voice trailed off, then he shook himself and spoke in a more certain tone. “Sounds to me like you over-ate again. Every time you gorge yourself you have some kind of memory loss. Maybe I need to put you on a diet again; you are getting a little pudgy around the belly!”
Algamight took her wing and pushed Tusk to the ground and bellowed up to the sky. “Never tell a dragon she is getting pudgy!” Algamight hovered her large talon inches from Tusk’s chest. Tusk swayed back. “Ok, ok, I’m sorry! Don’t tear me into pieces!”
But Algamight spoke gently. “Come on, Tusk. Climb up on my leg and get up to my head. I will fly us back to
the castle. It will take less time and you should see the forest from up here; it is a sight to behold.”
As he climbed, Tusk started thinking out loud. “Algamight, I have been thinking we should be prepared for the worst. The witch keeps saying she is expecting guests and that she can’t wait to kill them. It is like she is obsessed with these new visitors; thinking like they mean her harm. She keeps trying to find ways of ending their lives but each time she tries something new, it fails. Well, except for today, with you. That drug she gave you lasted a long time and you were in such pain. I’m sorry that I made you drink that stuff.”
Algamight circled the lake, each time taking them higher and higher above the pine trees and around the rock cove where Tusk had been napping in the cave.
“Tusk,” she said, “that drink the witch made – while it did make me feel pain at first, it faded very quickly and I did not feel any pain after a few minutes. I was able to transform into the silver hair woman while you were gone and I snooped around the chamber.”
“But, when we returned, you were screaming in such pain.” Tusk’s heart ached when he recalled the terrible sound. “I thought you were suffering so much.”
“Well yes, I was in pain, but not from the drug.” She replied. “Each time I turn between the woman and the dragon I experience pain. I wish I knew how to control the transformation better.”
“Perhaps there is someone who could help me, Tusk. Do you think that you could locate my fellow dragons? Among them is our queen. Maybe she could help me understand what is happening with me. I believe I must either choose a form to stay in or endure the pain of going between both creatures. I think only the queen can tell me what to do. You said that the witch took all of the other dragons away and locked them someplace.”
Tusk sighed. “Algamight, I’m not even sure they’re still alive. The witch said she was having them destroyed. I know that is what she said. But I think there are many among the slaves that still favor the old ways. I think they told the witch they destroyed the dragons but they may have hidden them away somewhere safe.”
Algamight straightened her course toward the castle. “I know they are alive as I can sense them. I must find them Tusk. I think our lives depend upon it. I think these visitors must find the dragons and rescue them.”
As the words left her beak something stirred within her memory. A man was standing in front of her on the beach by the lake. She was talking with him. She touched his face. She remembered that face: it was the same one that was in her dreams from before. He was older now, more man than boy, but the same person. The memory of the dream came forth faster and faster. Algamight knew now that this strange man would someday rescue her and the other dragons and free them all from the witch.
Tusk yanked her out of her reverie. “Look, Algamight, below – what is that? It looks like a mountain cave but the trees are pulled in front of it. Circle back around…did you see that? A pile of bones – large ones – they look like the beast that you just killed and ate for your supper. Did you eat here before?”
Algamight thought for a second. “No, I did not fly this far. I have never been here before. I was not looking where I was flying and I veered off course. I had something else on my mind. This is all new territory to me. Have you ever been here Tusk?”
* * * * *
Chapter 28:
Algamight circled back around and as she did, she could sense something below; not an animal or prey like the furry beast she had for her supper but something different.
But Tusk spoke up. “We do not have time for this now Algamight we must return to the castle before the witch comes looking for us. If you can remember how to return here we can try and come here another day when the witch will not be watching for us.
“I don’t want to leave this place Tusk. I know it is an important place.”
“Listen to me, Algamight we must go back. The witch will punish both of us if we do not return soon. You know I can not endure her whip again. I’m not strong enough and I do not want you to be punished either. You are not in control of your human form yet. If the witch shackles you and uses powers on you to punish you perhaps you will transform by mistake and she will know you have magic within your blood. Now is not the time to do this. Better we come another day. Circle back around so you know how to get here again and let’s get back to the castle.”
Algamight did what Tusk said. She circled around, took notice of the trees and landscape and headed back toward the castle.
* * * * *
Chapter 29:
Below Algamight and Tusk far deep inside the cave that was hidden by the trees there laid the great queen dragon. She stirred from her encasement. Something or someone had woken her. But all around it was dark. Beside her in the stone wall were others of her kind. As far as she could see each dragon was held with a shackle around its leg and locked inside cages.
The great queen, Azual, was covered in mud and blood. Her leg was bloody and torn almost to the bone. You could no longer see her blue scales as the cave was deep enough to shield them from the sun. With out the light of the sun to renew her colors she was now a dull brown. She could no longer transform into the woman of long ago as the lack of sun and food had all but taken away her magic.
All of the other dragons were in the same condition and Azual shed a tear. She had tried to bring someone to help them. She had used much of her remaining magic to search for someone to save them. She thought that she had found that person but that time seemed to be many years ago. Maybe it was just a dream. She was very old now she knew.
After each clutch the witch would bring her back to this place and chain her to the wall. She would be put to sleep and the time would pass for many years. Azual was not sure why she was awake now. Perhaps the witch was coming back for them now.
She knew that she had laid another queen egg at the last hatching but was never allowed to see it. Her daughter, the next queen, was to be hatched. She would be old enough to begin changing between dragon and human form by now. Azual remembered her time of that age. Without proper training and strength she knew her daughter would suffer each time during her transformations.
Soon the new queen will need to go into her egg and be reborn again. Azual and the other dragons always helped prepare the egg that the new queen entered. It was their way. The old queen and her group would create the new egg case and the new queen would enter it for her time of rebirth. Only the dragons knew of this magic and no amount of pain inflicted on them by the witch would reveal that secret.
Azual missed her family. The Great War with the strange people who came and killed all of her beloved people had occurred so many years ago. Azual knew that her family was all killed but she held within her heart the love of the man she left behind. She would never see him again she knew that now but the love of dragon and man never dies until the dragon takes her last breath.
* * * * *
Chapter 30:
"Medical examination complete"
Ely read the results. “Sofia's unborn child has no ill effects. As for Steven, his internal scans show no ill effects. However, his brain scan showed that his mind had some changes as if he had a mental projection inserted into his primary lobe. What does this mean Sophia?”
“I do not know, Ely” Sofia replied. “The computer says that there has been someone tampering with Steven’s mind and I'm sure that somebody has been talking with me. I’m sure it is not the computer or one of the crew. It has to be somebody from down on the planet.”
Ely shook his head. “That doesn't make sense. No other species outside of our own planet has ever been able to communicate with us. How could this be possible? This planet was not even on our star charts.”
“Ely, I'm not sure either. The computer cannot give us the answer. All we can do is make sure there's no ill effect to the ship or the crew and make a decision as to what we are going to do about the planet.”
“We should leave the exam room. You k
now that Roberto will not be waiting patiently in the outer area for us to finish.”
“I know, Ely. I'm just trying to decide the best next step.”
* * * * *
Chapter 31:
“Finally!” Roberto stopped pacing as Sophia and Ely walked in to the room. “You are done. I was just about to come in there if you did not appear in the next 5 minutes.”
“Relax husband. Both of us are fine. The computer did not find any abnormalities.”
“Ok…well…that is not logical at all. Both of you just faded to wisp form for several minutes and then fainted. There is SOMETHING going on. I don’t care what that soulless machine keeps saying.”
“I totally understand what you are feeling, Roberto. Ely and I both feel the same way. It is not normal for our species to change into wisp form like we just did. As for Steven…he should not be able to make his first change until many years from now. It is as if we both were forced into our true forms so that we could better understand our instructions from the planet.”
Ely spoke up. “What did you say ‘from the planet’? I thought earlier you said that SOMEONE was talking to you and now you just said the PLANET?”