*Dakarth, Drannus, and Drakis are copyrighted to Eric Huston

*All other characters copyrighted to Poseidon Simons

Chapter 5

Mysteries

 

                That morning, Hana woke screaming.  She could remember everything that had happened last night up until their foreheads had collided.  Breathing hard, she checked the sheets.  There wasn't a sign of last night on them anywhere.  The room did not have any smell whatsoever except the usual smell it had.  Her breathing slowed a little, "It was all a dream then.  Thank god it was all just a dream."  The only thing that might have said otherwise was her nightgown, which lay on the floor.  Of course, such things happened in her sleep all the time, so she couldn't count that for anything.  Ben woke crying in the next room, graciously taking her thoughts from the horrible dream she'd had, "It's okay Ben.  I'm here now.  It's okay..."  She took him out of the crib and rocked him back and forth until he stopped.  For a moment, she looked at his adorable face, using it as something to sooth her troubled mind.

                "Thank you."  A voice spoke in her mind.  At first she thought it was merely Drakis speaking to her again, until she realized that the voice had the sound of a child, "I was scared..."

                Hana glanced around, unsure of the voice, "Who spoke?  Show yourself."

                "I'm right here, mother."

                Hana gasped and stared at Ben.  He was looking at her in such an odd way..."Ben?!"

                "Yes?"  When he answered, she slapped herself and ran to the bathroom to splash water all over her face.  She was sure she was still dreaming, "What are you doing?"

                "I..."  She looked at her son straight on, "You're the one speaking?  But Gareth can't do that...he can hear other thoughts, yes.  But he can't speak back like that except to animals...how long could you do this?"

                Ben did not answer back.  He had fallen asleep in her arms.  Sighing and busily trying to adjust to everything that was happening, she took Ben with her back to the hospital.

 

                "I don't understand...why did this happen to me?.."  Gareth asked aloud.  The dark figures did not answer, "Say something.  I need to know why this all happened to me."

                "Do you?  Such powers are not to be questioned.  The Guardian knows this better than you, human."

                "The Guardian?  You mean Drakis, right?  But I need to know..."

                "He said the same thing, yet he does not know why either.  What have you gained with your powers?"

                "A family...a life among friends...but I--"

                "What more do you need to know then?  Are these treasures not enough?"  One dark figure turned toward him.  His face was hidden in a large hood, reminding Gareth of every story he'd heard about the grim reaper.  As a child, he'd never forgotten those frightening stories, and this figure fit the bill perfectly, "The gift you were given can be taken away.  Do not question what you need not question."

                Another dark figure turned toward him as the first turned away, "To understand what you want to know, you would need to be one of us.  It shall be years before such a thing can even hope to occur."

                "What are you?"  He asked.

                The second figure's hood slipped slightly, revealing blood-red eyes, "It is not for you to know, mortal."

                The next dark figure turned toward him as the second one turned back.  The hood slipped on this one as well, but instead of blood and destruction hidden beneath the hood, Gareth thought he saw kindness beyond anything else.  He paid the most attention to the third, "Gareth, you have fought hard and well, but you must not question the knowledge of ourselves.  We have yet to accomplish many things, and must not reveal our secrets to anyone.  Be patient, and enjoy what you have been given."

                The other two figures turned back to him, and all three spoke as one, "Gareth, return to the world of mortals.  The Child of Reckoning has been chosen, and you are to teach him."

                Gareth's eyes shot open in the hospital.  He looked around, shocked when Hana was not there, "Where did she go?!!  Where did she go?"  He calmed himself and searched for her mind, heaving a sigh of relief when he found it just then entering the hospital.  Ben was with her again.

                A few minutes later, Hana was up in Gareth's room, handing Ben over to him, "Gareth, you won't believe what just happened.  Listen to Benjamin's thoughts."

                Gareth, uncertain of what she was trying to say, did so, "What's she trying to prove?"

                "Daddy?"  Gareth half-jumped in his bed at the voice, "When can you come back?  Mother misses you."

                "What?  Are you speaking to me?"

                "Yes.  As you are speaking to me.  What is wrong?"

                Gareth shook, "But--but I can only talk to animals like that...I can't talk to anthros..."

                "What about that other black one?  You spoke like that yesterday."

                "But I--he made that possible, not me!  I can only hear thoughts..."

                Ben wiggled around on Gareth's lap, even though he was unable to move on his own.  Gareth, now shocked beyond words, handed him back to Hana and carefully laid down on the bed.  Hana put a hand on his shoulder, "Did he do it to you too?"

                "Yes, he did...what does this mean?..

 

                "Make it stop.  I can see everything happen if I do something wrong.  I don't want this burden.  I did not ask for it.  I can't let myself fail...if I do, there will be so much death, so much sadness...it will be because of me.  Why must I be the Child?..I do not want to cause all that pain...Even as a newborn, I will change the course of events...I already have in the lives of my parents, yet they do not realize it.  I must not die, for fear of destroying everyone as it is.  I am supposed to save so many..."  Around him he could feel the warmth of his mother.  Her arms were holding him near her, near the only place of safety he had ever known.  His eyes were closed as he tried to relive that small time of safety from the world.  He tried to imagine everything dark and warm again, that place in his mother's womb where he could cause no damage to anyone's lives.  The reasuring sound of his mother's heartbeat calmed him, but it did not make him feel safe again, "There is no way to go back.  I must live now..."

 

                "My dad'll stop you!  He's smart and strong!  He has lots of friends that know how to help him!  You'll see!"  Tom struggled in the grasp of the white dragon.  He wanted to be able to fight back, but the anthro's grip was too strong!

                Ingrid sat, quivering in the dragon's other arm.  Her silver mark shined for a second, or was it gold?  At that particular angle, he couldn't quite tell, "What are--what are you going to do to us?.."  She whispered.

                The white dragon laughed, "The boy doesn't really matter to us except as a hostage.  As long as we have him, his father won't come to your rescue.  As for you, we have some tests."

                "What?..What tests?.."

                The white dragon leaned closer to her and whispered something in her ear that Tom couldn't make out.  Whatever he'd said made her gasp and start crying.  Tom scowled, "You leave her alone!"  He jammed his elbow into the white dragon's chest and shoved the arm around him out of the way.  He nearly jumped out of the helecopter, but someone caught him first.  He looked back to see the white dragon clutching his tail.  He started squeezing on it so hard that the end of his tail went purple!  Tom pulled at it, but the grip was too strong.  He was forced back to the dragon's lap, where he stayed until they landed.The white dragon smiled down at them.

                "Sleep tight kids."

                Tom gasped as he suddenly felt sleepy.  He fought off the strange fatigue for as long as possible, seeing Ingrid succumb to it first, then fell asleep.

 

                Drannus heaved in and out as he struggled to keep going.  He almost didn't have the strength to keep up a glide!  The helecopter had long since left his sight, and he had no idea if he was still going the right way.  Too tired to think straight, he started to drift downward too steeply.  He shook his head to get his mind back into focus, and panicked upon seeing the ground race up at him.  He shut his eyes, preparing for his last moment of life.

                As soon as it had happened, it stopped.  Drannus opened his eyes to see he was still floating in the sky, "Drannus, your father came."

                "Thanks Grandpa."

                "You're welcome."

                Drakis swooped out of the sky and set his son down, "Next time Drannus, tell me you're leaving before you actually go.  You can't use magnetism that well yet..."

                "But dad, I saw the whole thing!  Peter is--"

                "Faking it.  I was sure of that from the start."  Drakis finished the sentence, "Do you still want to help?"

                "Yeah, so long as you don't send me home."

                "Send you home?!  Drannus, you know me better than that!  Listen, the helecopter went to Hop city.  The only way we're going to get there before tomorrow is with my magnetism, so hold on tight!"  Drannus climbed onto Drakis' back and clung to him until they slowed.  The sun was about to set, but they were right outside the city, "Okay Drannus, keep watch for anything that looks suspiscious.  I need you to make sure we aren't being followed, okay?"

                "Okay..."  Drannus scanned the street they were on, glancing behind him more than in front.  Drakis soon pulled his attention away.

                "Drannus, it's late.  We should find a place to sleep for the night and search more tomorrow."

                "But what about--"

                "I know, Drannus.  The problem is, we can't stay up all night.  If we don't get some sleep--and by we I mean mostly you--then there is no way we will be able to stay focused.  I promise I'll wake you the moment I get up, just you promise me that you'll try to sleep."

                "I promise..."

 

                Hana had just finished putting away the groceries she'd bought when someone knocked on the front door.  She made sure Ben would be alright until she came back, then answered it by opening it a crack, "Hello?"

                "Hana?.."

                Hana slammed the door shut, "What the hell is she doing here?!!!!!!!"  She leaned against the door as she shouted, "GO AWAY!!!!!!!!!!!"

                "Hana, will you listen?  Please?.."

                "GO!!!!!!!!!!!"  She listened to the response, becoming confused when she heard sobs.  She debated on whether or not to open the door, then decided on opening it just a crack, "Go away."  She said through clenched teeth.  Gareth was no longer under Amy's strange addiction, and there was no way she wanted it to happen again, "Now."

                Amy was sitting on the front step, bawling into her hands, "Hana, can we talk?"  Amy sounded frightened, unsure of herself, "I--I heard about your daughter and I--I wanted to say how sorry I was for you."

                "What, so you could gloat in my face?!  I have no doubt that it was either you or Peter who took her."

                "And I don't blame you at all, but I swear, we didn't."  Amy dried her tears a little before she started crying again.

                Hana sighed, but didn't open the door any further, "What's wrong?"

                Amy calmed herself before she spoke.  It came out rather hurried, shaking all the way, "My son was kidnapped."

                Hana stared at Amy, "You had a son?  With whom?"

                "P--P--Peter."

                "WHAT?!!!!!"  Hana couldn't believe her ears, "But he's sterile!  There is no possible way for him to aid in bearing children!"

                Amy nodded, "But it's his, nonetheless.  I haven't had another man since we married.  Our son is named Tom."

                "Tom?  Then that means--DAMN!"  She opened the door a little more, "Your son is a water dragon with wings?"

                "Yes, and the wings have little golden tips."

                Hana gasped.  That fit the description perfectly.  Little by little, she found herself opening the door wider.  She eventually was sitting by Amy and trying to comfort her.