| No matter what the difficulty, there is always an end where there is a beginning. -Dragon�s Teachings, pg. 6 Part 3 She relaxed and nodded. � But if you haven�t left Evil Forest since you got here, how did you meet Zidane?� � I do not know why the caravan chose to go through the Forest. Its reputation should have been enough to keep everyone away from it. Evidently, the shipment was late and they decided to go through the Forest. About half the way through, they were attacked by a pack of fang. I heard it and ran that way. I don�t know if I was planning to save the humans, help kill them, or just snatch the shipment. Whatever it was, the humans were dead by the time I got there. I moved through the destroyed caravan, but no one was alive. � Then I came upon a man and woman laying very close to each other. The woman was terribly injured, but alive. She was trying to wake the man, who must have been her husband. She noticed me and was scared, but at that time I couldn�t talk as humans can and was forced to just watch her. � She never asked for help--not that I could�ve given any then--and died within an hour. Fifteen minutes after that I heard whimpering and followed it to one of the wagons that seemed too damaged to hold anything. Even so, I stuck my head inside and was greeted by the sight of an infant wrapped securely in a thick blanket. I decided to keep him, since he was alive and healthy. The blanket had his name on it, so I didn�t have to bother with that.� � But if he was an infant, how did you care for him? Baby humans need milk to survive.� � I knew that much about humans. What most humans don�t know is that hatchlings need milk for a full month after hatching. I survived by eating the insides of the clutch�s fraudulent eggs, which provided the same nutrients and minerals I could get from milk. This time, however, there were no eggs.� She waited for several minutes. � What did you do?� I really hadn�t planned to explain this. � I fooled myself into believing that I had a clutch to care for. I did this every month until it wasn�t necessary.� Her eyes were wide. � Is that where his tail came from?� � As far as I know. Dragons are born with tails, but their wings have to grow on their own. From what I gather, he grew a furry tail because he is a mammal and it would be easier to hide a tail than wings.� She stood. � Kiti, you did a fine job. If there were an award for raising children, I�d give it to you.� � Thank you.� We started back to the grove. � Did he ever call you Mother?� � Never in earnest. I told him not to.� � Why?� � A hatchling eventually leaves the nest, Garnet. I have a soft heart for those I grow to like. If he had addressed me as his mother, I would�ve bawled my eyes out when he left. As it was I laid around for days afterward, depressed beyond belief. I didn�t want him to feel guilty for leaving.� � Oh.� . . . I opened an eye to make sure he was comfortable, then drifted to sleep also. Morning brought a rude awakening. My brain vaguely alerted me of a snarl before something landed on me and slashed at my chest. My eyes popped open and I attacked without pretense, rolling my opponent off into the moss. I rose to all fours and stared down the intruder. [How dare you! This is my home! I have done nothing to you!] [You have! You killed my father!] I dodged a snap. [What are you talking about?! I have killed no dragon!] He rose onto his rear legs and began casting a spell. [This will be the last thing you�ll ever witness.] I bared my fangs. [Then I�ll see you in Hell!] He released the energy, but not at me. I turned to see who he�d fired at and my blood froze. I regained control of myself and dashed alongside the energy. I would only have one chance . . . I pulled slightly ahead of the attack and moved directly in front of it. My legs felt like lead, but my heart forced me on. I caught Zidane�s vest on my fangs and tossed my head to the side, throwing him to safety. The move unbalanced me and the energy I had just barely been outrunning abruptly rammed into me. I flipped repeatedly, sailing straight into bare space, a hundred feet from the ground. I started to fall. *~~* He had been surprised that the other dragon had attacked him and therefore had not been ready. If Kitiane hadn�t been right on top of the situation, he�d probably be a crispy kid. With wide eyes, he watched as Kitiane went tumbling over a cliff edge near the camp area. He stared at the cliff; waiting and praying. Kitiane didn�t return. A surge of power rushed through him and a pain in his shoulders made him arch back. � Mo~othe~er!� Then, just as inexplicably, he felt a strange calmness settle over him. Calm rage. That which had been the downfall of many. He glared at the new dragon. � If you worship any type of god,� he said in a calm, deadly voice, � pray for your soul.� The dragon tried to keep from being worried. � You cannot beat me!� � Don�t bet any gil on it. You�ll lose.� � You can�t hurt me!� the dragon raged, firing energy at him. Without moving, he absorbed it. � That tickled. Like to try again?� Now the dragon was scared. He backed away, tail tucked up against his stomach, head almost dragging on the ground. � P-Please have m-m-mercy.� � Did you have mercy when you killed my mother?!� The dragon shook his head. � And you expect mercy now?!� The dragon shook his head again. � Then shut up and die!� With that, he loosed some of the power contained within him. The last thing he clearly remembered was the shriek of a dying dragon. <--Part 2 Part 4--> |