I shifted me wing to get her attention on it, rather than her human qualms. She grinned, nodding understandably. Suddenly, a piercing sound pounded in my head. It was one of the bells, but this tune was very different from customer's arrival, it was much more concerning. I stood, folding my wings and glancing at Reepida. Her face had gone pale again, making me worry she might faint in this critical time.
She whispered the word, but I knew it before it left her lips. “Lauphai.”
Her worst nightmare materialized before us, in the barn house. He was just like most Lauphai, tall, lanky, pale, with powerful violet eyes, long ashen hair that darkened the shadows on his gaunt face. He lifted his hands. “I want your puppet, Reepida. I hear you made him nicely.”
My Seerxi Smith moved in front of me. “He’s not for trade. Get out of here before I remove you, permanently.”
The Lauphai shrugged. “I realize that Head Mage had wronged you according to your hybrid of Rykrinan and Seerxi ways, but you became more powerful because of it. Don’t be so angry with us, and just give me the dragon and I’ll give you whatever you want.”
I didn’t realize, but Reepida had already gotten a glowing sword in hand. “Give me back my innocence and peace of mind.”
The Lauphai’s expression fell to madness. “How about I take the rest of your mind instead?”
I pulled Reepida out of the way with my tail as the Lauphai cast his spell. The curse hit me like a tidal wave and I could feel its power pulling at me. It was the same burning sensation that had pried me from my flesh body. Now a whirlpool of air swirled in front of me, threatening to take my soul into it. My screen started to crack and I was almost gone. Just over the edge of the whirlpool, I spotted the Lauphai grinning crazily over my suffering. Reepida charged behind him.
A lesson all dragons learn when they first learn about the Lauphai is that a spell cast will not be stopped if a Lauphai dies; in fact, the curse may never end because of it. It would suck us all into the whirlpool with no hope of escape. With the last of my energy, I wrapped my tail around the Lauphai and pulled him in with me. If he was going to seal me in the whirlpool, then I would take him with me and the spell would break.
My plan didn’t go exactly as I planned.
My metallic body fell over limp, yes. I closed my eyes, too afraid to see the void within the whirlpool. Wait, I closed my eyes? And did I just see my own body fall limp? I felt the ground under me and the whirlpool was gone, so what happened? Had the whirlpool been satisfied with the Lauphai soul alone?
I opened my eyes to see Reepida bringing her sword down on my head. I croaked painfully. “Don’t, Reepida! It’s me, LoiTar!”
Wait, I actually spoke. I had a voice? I looked, foreign hands were raised in my defense and Reepida stopped, too shocked to move, or even breath from the look of it. These hands were mine. I felt my face in horror. This was worse than being metallic. I was even uglier now. My life just kept getting worse.
I rose slowly, hands up in defense. Carefully I pried the sword from Reepida’s still hands. Her eyes rolled back in her head and keeled over, unconscious. In a shaky attempt to catch her, we collapsed on the ground. This body was so puny I wanted to rip my soul back out and put it in the metallic monster’s body.
I rolled Reepida off me, sitting up. I was human, sort of. If you consider Lauphai human after all their madness and sadistic nature, then, yes, I was human. I looked over my bony arms and wiggled my toes. I was flesh and bone again. Sure, puny, but alive again. And did it hurt.
Everything ached. And stunk. I had forgotten what it was like to smell again. About to puke from my overwhelming stench, I attempted to carry Reepida into the mud hut but could only make it to the door before being repelled, so I left her there.
I made my way to the water for the forge. Some times Reepida used it for showers. Once there, I spotted my reflection. An interesting thing about Lauphai was their lack of facial hair. To make up for the trait, they grow out this disgusting, uncouth, mane of hair. I doubt this man ever showered, willingly. How did he live with himself?
I grabbed a knife from Reepida’s sets of knives and started sawing at the gnat’s nest call human hair. The idea hadn’t sunk in yet. I was human. I really was. I could talk, feel, and live. I could eat. Actually, I realized, I was really, really hungry. I stopped halfway through cutting my hair and had already pried off the sweat-filled clothing of this unhygienic Lauphai and started looking for any food Reepida left in the forge.
In moments, I found beef jerky and ate through it quickly. However, it was difficult to swallow. I was thirsty, so I drank from my shower bucket. The water tasted like mud, but I drank it anyway. I poured the leftover water over my shoulders. I blinked after a moment, realizing my mistake. That was all the water left.
The well water was in Reepida’s kitchen, which I couldn’t enter. Then I remembered she had made me make an opening in the roof for rain to fall in. In my starkness, I climbed weakly to the top of the hay roof, near the opening. Peering down, I looked at the glittering, unattainable water. I licked my newly parched lips. This body was dry already with the sun beating my bare back. The water was too far down for me to reach. Lying flat, I scrapped hopelessly at the water’s edge. The sand had dried to my skin, causing irritation.
Reepida’s voice broke my attention, as confused and weak it was. “LoiTar?”
I looked over hopefully, forgetting I could speak and gestured to the water. Her eyes widened the more she looked at me. Swallowing to make my throat moist enough to talk, I tried to answer. “Water.”
She blinked a couple of times before nodding. “Get off the roof first…I will be right back…”
The hay scratched at my skin painfully as I slid off the roof and tumbled into the burning sand. Rolling onto my back, I watched as a dark blanket flew over me. Confused, I pulled it back, sitting up. Reepida had her fingers splayed over her face as she handed me the pitcher of water. I drank it gratefully. “What’s wrong, my Seerxi?”
She shook her head. “Have you any decency? You look…crazy. What happened to your hair? And your clothes, for that matter?”
I shrugged, happily licking my lips. “The clothes stunk. The hair did too.”
Raising a brow, Reepida sighed. “I still can’t believe it’s you, LoiTar. You look so…” she shivered, turning her back to me. “…Lauphai. Wrap the blanket around yourself and go into that barn, I will be right there.”
I stood. “What do I need the blanket for? It’s hot.” I started jumping from foot to foot as each sizzled. “Very hot.”
Reepida shook her head again. “Just do it.”
Without further objection, I quickly moved to the barn. The doors were a lot harder to go through as a human. Inside was my collapse mecha body. I nudged it with my toes. Not surprising, I stared as it didn’t move. I sat on my mecha shoulder. The metal was very cool, but not comfortable. I didn’t understand how Reepida ever rode me. At that thought, my Seerxi walked in with a bucket, pants, rags, and a pair of scissors.
She began, tossing me a rag. “Use this and the bucket of water. We don’t have a lot of water, so you’ll just have to settle with a rag wash. When you are done, put on these pants. Then call me, and I will fix your hair... and find you a makeshift shirt.”
With that, she was gone again. I wasted no time cleansing myself. I savored the coolness of the water, but pinched my nose at the smell of my hair. Uncomfortably putting on the pants, I peered out through the barn doors, calling for Reepida and retreated in. She came with a brown tunic. “This was all I could find, so turn around and let me cut your hair.”
I obeyed, sitting on my oversized paw. She cut away at my hair silently. I started to remember how much she hated Lauphai. And now I was one of them. I cleared my voice. “I’m a dragon from far north DragonCrest, not some Seerxi’s quest for immortality, and definitely not a Lauphai.”
Silence fell between us again. The last long strand of my hair fell to the floor. She lean her head on
mine. It felt same as when she rested on my shoulder before. Relief flooded my veins; there was still a connection between us. A friendship. Her voice came out softly. “I know. It’s just when I see that pale face, those violet eyes, I just don’t know what to think. It’s as though I’m staring into the face of an enemy.”
My voice went softer then I thought it could. “I know. It felt the same for me. Looking into red eyes, eyes like machines. Looking into the eyes of my enemies.”
Reepida replied, choking on her words. “I knew you hated Seerxi ever since that Feast, I just pretended not to. Do you hate me?”
I shrugged. “I hate all Seerxi.” I felt a twinge of guilt, and added. “Except Reepida and the Seerxi she likes. After all, she’s my Seerxi.”
She mumbled softly. “I heard dragons were possessive. You know, you were right about something.”
Curious, I queried. “About what?”
Reepida sighed softly. “Your hair does stink.”
Chapter 7: The Truth
Adjusting to a mammal’s body was more difficult than it had been with the mechanical form. At least the mecha body had been mildly similar to my dragon body, as inaccurate and ugly it was. This body wasn't. It ate, drank, slept, and needed a lot more…effort into understanding it.
Another change was now that I could talk, I found there were lots of things I had to argue with Reepida over. In fact, we agreed on very few things. She wanted to sell to outside dealers for one price, I thought another was better. After all, I used to have a panoramic view of her customers who thought I was just a machine when I made deliveries. The experience, I argued gave value to my suggested price.
Another change was that I wanted her to buy more meat and she wanted me to eat more vegetables. We did agree, however, that there was enough bread. I spent much of the time running, exercising, and hammering to keep my puny body less puny. That’s how I justified getting more meat. Because meat was rather expensive in these parts, she even said to consider becoming a vegetarian. That suggestion ended very quickly. It ended with us both working in the forge full time so that twice the amount of the tools were sellable and we would start a garden, cook our own bread, and we would have enough money to buy meat.
Only one real problem bothered me about this ugly, puny, body; Reepida wouldn’t look at me often. Even now as I worked across her in the forge, smashing down a long sword and she checking the melting irons. I glanced up, looking over her. As a dragon, I thought she forgot I existed. As a man, I knew better. Instead, I believed she may have wanted me not to exist.
I wondered whether I should leave her in peace. But now, in this body, my only choice would be to go to the country of Lauphai. I wasn’t really a dragon anymore, after all. I could spend hours staring at my posed mecha body, wishing to return to it. At least as the metal monster, I could pretend I was a dragon. I could be the one who hated the one I loved. I could then hate myself for my own reasons, not someone else’s.
Forgive your foes, love your enemies and you will find peace, LoiTar. So she said, and I did try, but now I was the foe and enemy. Reepida interrupted my thoughts. “That sword doesn’t need to be hammered any more. Just sharpen it…”
I looked up. She was looking over her own work. I set the sword by the spinning wheel and sat down to grab the lever that made it spin. What would King Vulwind do if he were in my place? After all, he managed to resurface in all these years, so he must have faced hundreds of obstacle to come back. If he were here, what would he say to me? Wow, you have a puny body. Hmm, that sounds like what I would say to me…
I finished smoothing the swords, but left the sharpening until later, leaning it against the wall. Another feast would be in a week, and we had finished every delivery until then. It wasn’t as simple as when I was a dragon and travel had become an easy feat. Sighing inwardly, I left the forge to wash up. It was my turn to attempt to cook. I took a rag to wash myself, wiping away my sweat. Looking into the bucket, I gazed at my relatively new face.
My hair was short, my eyes still violet, but my face wasn’t gaunt or pale. Instead, it was strong—for a human of course—and I was a deep tan color. Relieved, I sighed. Aside of violet eyes, I looked nothing like a Lauphai. Pleased, I splashed and dried myself.
Reepida had made me the exception; she allowed me in the house, at least the upper floors. I had no reason to go below, so I didn’t fight her on that. In the kitchen, I fetched vegetables that my Seerxi liked and chopped some meat and put it in a pot. I was trying to copy a soup I remember seeing briefly in town. All I knew was there was vegetables and meat in it and the sauce was creamy. Oh, and it was a northern Rykrina meal called stew. So, in essence, it was close to my old home in DragonCrest, and therefore I liked it.
I heard Reepida come in. She started down stairs. To see if I could get her to talk to me more, I queried. “What was that soup called again?”
She popped her head in the kitchen. “How many times do I have to tell you? It’s called stew.”
I shrugged. “I never had to cook as a dragon, so why should I be good at remembering names of things related to it.”
She looked at my work with a raised brow. “Are you trying to cook it again? Don’t forget spices.”
Reepida had given me an earful about it the last time, so I didn’t forget them.
I feigned ignorance. “Where are they again?”
Sighing in her annoyance, she came in, checking a cupboard. I had moved them, hoping she would spend more time in the kitchen with me. My plan worked without a hitch.
She finally found them, glaring at me. “Why did you put them back so randomly, or did you forget where they go too? Seriously, they just go in the cupboard, it’s not that hard to remember, LoiTar.”
I shrugged again. “It is for me. This puny body has an equally puny brain.”
She set the spices beside the counter, muttering under her breath. “You’re not so puny anymore.”
I glanced at her in surprise. “A compliment?”
My Seerxi looked away. “Just pretend you didn’t hear that. You may not remember anything, but you have good ears.”
A grin spread over my face. “Another compliment?”
Shaking her head, she slapped my shoulder. “Fine, no more for the day.”
I caught her hand, leaving the soup to bubble. “I like it when you’re like this, not ignoring me.”
She stared at my hand holding hers. I let go, returning to the soup.
She mumbled. “I don’t ignore you.”
I argued, stirring the soup furiously. “Yes, you do. I get it, I try to focus when working, but even when we’re eating, you never look at me. I looked at you when I didn’t like you. Can’t you just forgive me?”
She turned around. “Forgive you for what? You did nothing wrong.”
I put the soup aside. “That’s what I want to know. I never asked you to save me out of the dunes. You did it all by your lonesome.”
She finally turned around to face me, glaring into my eyes. “I wasn’t trying.”
That anger was familiar. I made her upset again. “You weren’t trying what?”
Sighing, Reepida got the bowls out of the cupboard. I now wonder why she had two of everything when no one came here to stay, much less to eat. It was just her before me, right?
She began. “I was trying to just run. I wanted to leave this place. Go home to Seerxi.”
I queried softly. “Why?”
She shook her head. “Why not? Don’t you want to go home after something awful happens? Didn’t you want to just see dragons after what the Seerxi did to you?”
I nodded. “Yes.”
My Seerxi looked out the window, seeing into a distant past that I wasn’t a part of. “I wanted to see Seerxi. I wanted to see anything other than Lauphai. But when I saw you in the sand, I saw a way to destroy them. You could burn them down. Since you’re a mix of Lauphai magic and Seerxi mecha, you would be relatively indestructible, plus with my enchantments, you could
make it to central Lauphai without them being able to destroy you completely. It didn’t cross my mind that you could have thought the same of me. A tool in your revenge box.”
Revenge box, I liked that. Pouring the soup in the bowls, I asked softly. “What made you stop?”
Reepida sighed. “You did. You ran away. And a Lauphai brought you back to me. It was just so wrong the way it all happened. I didn’t want to do anything but destroy you I was so angry. Rather than killing all Lauphai, you brought them back to my doorstep. I let you sit there for days before starting repairs.” She looked down in her soup in shame. “It wasn’t until I remembered how awful it felt to be suddenly alone. I remembered what a relief it was to find you in the desert. You were my own broken angel God sent me to fix. It turns out I was just as broken.”
I gritted my teeth bitterly. “And then I turned into your worst nightmare.”
She shrugged this time. “I suppose it’s only fair. After all, I’m yours.”
We set the bowls on the table. There were two chairs. It was a table made for two people. I questioned, very quietly. “Who sat here before me, Reepida?”
My Seerxi didn’t look surprised. “A Lauphai did. Rykrinans always warned me not to ever associate with Lauphai. And he was one of the Head Lauphai. He was my most common visitor. We were on relatively good terms. He was more cohesive than other Lauphai. He said he was on his way becoming what all Lauphai strive to be, a Berserker. The highest of all Lauphai kind. Then he could join the nomadic Berserkers in their travels around the world. It sounded good, right. But he lacked one thing, one key difference stood in his way, in the way of all Lauphai.”
Folding my arms over my chest, I leaned back. “What was that?”
Following my example, she explained. “There are four ways to be a Berserker, be born one, or make a Lauphai in your place by one of three ways.”
I raised a brow. “Make a Lauphai? How?”
Reepida sighed. “By three ways. The hardest and most costly way is a transmutation, from which you create a living disaster through found objects, which would cost a limb. The second way would be to mate with an equally ranked Lauphai, have a child, fight to the death between you and your mate and the survivor must bring the child to the Berserkers. Or lastly, harbor magic in someone who is in no way a Lauphai, which he did to me.”