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Eukara Vox -> Issue 43 - Jungles and Mothers - The Search for Talvan (Eukara) (6/4/2009 15:09:16)
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Jungles and Mothers - The Search for Talvan
by Eukara
Panic had long left Chrysa. Now, a severe depression descended upon her, wrapping her mind in a dense cloud of fog. She sat in her overstuffed chair and absentmindedly reached out to pet Talvan, only to find her hand meeting empty air. Fresh tears cascaded down her cheeks, her heart broken and empty. Chrysa was lost as to how she was going to begin her search for the other half of her heart.
"Chrysa?" Chrysa jumped as her silence was broken by a man's voice. Turning slightly, she saw Diren standing just behind her.
"Apologies Chrysa. You left the door open and I thought... Are you crying?" Concerned, Diren walked around and stood next to Chrysa's chair.
Chrysa wiped her cheeks. "I feel so empty, Diren. I knew plenty of people in town have mixed feelings about her disappearance. Sad for me, yet relieved that there have been no disasters in the last couple days."
Kneeling, Diren laid his hand gently on her arm. "Chrysa, no one wants you upset, disaster-free or not." She looked at him and he smiled encouragingly. "Namaran has tried using his own dragon magic to locate Talvan, but all that he can gather is that she is far away."
****
Talvan woke up groggy and wet. As she stood up on wobbly legs, nothing looked right. And she felt gross and whined. "How am I supposed to deal with this? Look at my hide... Mucked up and smelly and ... and... Waaaaaah!"
Talvan flopped down and found herself sitting in a massive puddle. A peal of thunder sounded overhead and the downpour began. "This isn't fair!" she roared in a most juvenile rawr possible.
" 'ey, you! Keep i' down back there!" called a gruff voice from the bushes.
"Yah, ya mis'rable dragon. I don' wan' t' have t' come back there," another yelled.
"Hmmpf! How dare they talk to me like that. I am Talvan, don't they know that?" she pouted and stood, shaking her body to rid herself of the mud. She could feel the heavier caked of mud slide down his hide slowly with the rain and shivered. "No dragon, especially me, deserves this kind of treatment."
"I tol' ya to shut yer trap!"
The bushes shook and out stepped a diminutive creature, quite ugly by Talvan's standards. His clothes were slick with mud, but he apparently didn't care. His face made Talvan shudder for just a moment before she regained her bearings.
"I would 'shut my trap' if you could actually find accommodations suitable for a dragon such as myself." Talvan attempted to preen, but the sodden surroundings put a damper on her display.
The creature pulled out a tiny short sword and pointed it at Talvan. "Like I say, shut yer trap. If ya know wha' is good for ya. We canna find our master angreh a' us."
Talvan took a step back. As much as she wanted to say something, suddenly she lost the desire to do anything at all.
****
Shoulders slumped, Chrysa whispered, "Then how do I find her, Diren?"
"Well, Namaran does have a theory. He said only the strongest mythic magic could severe your bond so thoroughly. He also said that there are few creatures with that kind of strength--" Chrysa gasped, trying to fight back fresh tears that threatened. "--But," he continued, "there may be a way to trump even that magic."
Hope fluttered weakly in her soul. Chrysa allowed herself a small smile. "What is it that Namaran is thinking?"
Diren stood and offered her his hand. "Namaran says that you need to visit her mother. A dragon's parent-bond, according to him, can never be tampered with, nor lessened with time no matter how strong the magic."
Taking his hand, Chrysa allowed him too pull her to her feet. "I don't know who Talvan's mother is. Talvan and I met while I was studying Sea Monks. Our bonding was..."
"...as crazy as your life is currently? I have always suspected that your bonding wasn't typical. It doesn't matter how you came to bond to Talvan, her mother will still receive you." He looked at her and brushed the hair from her face. "Namaran has volunteered to take you to Talvan's mother."
"He has? Diren, Namaran is one of the most wonderful dragons! Will... you be going too?"
"Only if you want me too, Chrysa. Namaran is prepared to take you alone if that is what you need." Diren's face showed no indication of how he felt about this.
"I can't ask you to be separated from Namaran! That would be awful of me, here on the search for my own dragon, taken from me, riding a dragon that I took from someone else." Chrysa stared at him wide-eyed, bewildered at such a proposal.
"I don't see it like that, and neither does Namaran." Diren said seriously, though inside smiled.
Diren, if she ever knew that you already knew how this would go down... He heard his dragon speak in his mind.
He replied before continuing his talk with Chrysa. And she won't, will she now, Namaran? "It is solely up to you."
"No, you should never be without Namaran. Besides, I may need company that can talk to me." She smiled and nodded. "This will be a fine arrangement."
****
Talvan roamed the small clearing in which she was confined. On one side was water, and a lot of it. Sometimes it was blue, but mostly it seemed tinged with mud and silt. She knew she wasn't home. The forest around her was dense. Noises she assumed were birds singing in the treetops, sounded in the distance, but she didn't recognise them.
She whimpered quietly and thought about Chrysa. I miss Chrysa. I hope she finds me soon and gets me away from these horrid goblins. They are so uncouth and barbaric. And the smell is just horrid. She sniffed as several tears trickled down her cheeks. I bet if she was here right now, she would teach them a thing or two. Talvan laid down on a pile of leaves and branches she had gathered and rested her head on her forelegs. I wished I had listened to Chrysa more when she tried to teach me stuff. Maybe I would know enough to get a hold of her and tell her where I am.
Talvan closed her eyes and cried herself to sleep as rain poured down upon her now irritated hide.
****
"Good, I can have Namaran waiting for us in the field outside of town. You will want to dress warmly, for Namaran says that Talvan's mother lives above the Arctic circle, on one of the islands that makes up Svalbard."
Chrysa blinked. "Svalbard? I am not familiar with Svalbard."
"Ahhh, Namaran will like this. He gets to teach the teacher. See you in ten minutes, Chrysa." Diren stepped back from Chrysa and bowed slightly before heading to the door.
She turned and followed him until he disappeared outside. "Svalbard... I better grab my coat. So, Talvan's mother is an ice elemental dragon. Interesting."
Turning back, Chrysa headed to her room where she exchanged her simple sandals for the heavy winter riding boots in the back of her closet. She also pulled out the heavy coat from her cedar chest and shook it out. After checking it for damage, she declared it in good condition and headed out the door towards the fields. When she approached, she watched Namaran affectionately headbutt Diren and her throat tightened.
Namaran saw her first and bugled his welcome. She smiled and jogged over, immediately setting about the business of giving Namaran a good scritching along his eye ridges and down his neck. A very audible rumbling came from his chest and she laughed.
"Talvan either cannot purr or chooses not to." She rubbed Namaran's nose, feeling the surprising softness of his hide. "I personally think it is a choice."
Namaran offered his paw for Chrysa to use to mount. Diren chuckled and relayed a message from Namaran. "Namaran says that perhaps your dragon needs to learn a few essential communication skills. He says it seems that Talvan assumes much."
****
Talvan awoke to severe poking on her flank. When she slowly lifted her head, her goblin keepers snickered. " 'ere's yer food, dragon. Berries agin, since ya canna fend fer yerself. Grosche was right, yer as 'elpless as a newborn human babe."
Cackling madly, one of the goblins threw the berries at Talvan, while the others clapped him on the shoulder. "Maybe yer human sis will finally learn t' keep her nose outta th' bizness of others."
The goblins marched away triumphant, making comments about Talvan's state of being. Her hide burned from all the water, patches itched from the grit getting lodged in hard to reach places. The berries looked putrid and smelled acrid. Obviously, they were not fresh, but Talvan was hungry enough to eat them.
****
Chrysa graciously accepted Namaran's gentlemanly behaviour, and stood on his paw. Lifting her up gently, he made sure that she was plenty close to the double riding saddle and would have no problem mounting. "Um, which seat should I take?"
"Oh, either. It makes no difference which you are sitting in," Diren called from the ground.
"Then I will take the second seat and let you be up front. You are 'driving' you know!" she replied. As she climbed into the saddle, she felt the rumble of laughter from Namaran. She was thankful he saw the joke too.
Soon enough, Diren was in the saddle and he gave the request to take off. Namaran's great cream-coloured wings spread out from his crimson hide, and with one powerful sweep, they were airborn. Chrysa closed her eyes and held onto Diren, enjoying the rush of air across her cheeks and through her hair. One day, Talvan would be full grown and capable of such effortless flight. Chrysa couldn't wait.
"Alright, Namaran says now would be a good time to tell you about the place we are going before he does a timeslip jump, so go ahead and put your coat on. Svalbard is a collection of islands off the northwest coast of Norway. It is covered in glaciers and several snowy mountain peaks. Talvan's mother lives nestled halfway up Pallasfjellet, on the island of Spitbergen. Now, these mountains are not what you would see in the Andes, Rockies or Alps, but they are an awesome sight to behold nevertheless."
Diren paused, as he received more information from Namaran. "Namaran says that he will only be able to get you so close to the mountainside. Beyond that point, you will either have to fly on your own or climb. He asks how well your wings work in bitter cold."
"Well," she yelled over the gusting wind, "I fair decently. I haven't had to fly much in the cold, so I may have to do a mix of both climbing and flying."
"Sounds like a plan. Get ready for the timeslip." Diren nodded and suddenly the world was dark. A second later, Chrysa looked around at a white world of dark peaks peering out from under ice and snow. She drew in a very cold breath in wonder, admiring the beauty of Svalbard. The mountains were rugged and wild, a beautiful contrast to the calming cover of snow that spread out before them.
It took her a few moments to realize that she was being spoken to. "... and that is the biggest thing to worry about. Just make sure that Dnari understands that."
Oh dang, that's not good. I wonder what he was saying. Probably something important for when I am standing in front of the enormous ice dragon inside those mountains. "Alright, Diren. I just hope she likes me."
"She will. I mean, you are Chrysa, why wouldn't she?" Diren coughed slightly as Namaran hovered midway up Pallasfjellet. "Namaran says this is as close as he dares approach. Her cave is hidden from view, but you will know it when you get there. There is a dragon Hidden Spell cast over the entrance. Apparently, male dragons are not to come within so far of the entrance to a female's cave without invitation, or face the consequences. I, um, would like to keep Namaran whole, Chrysa."
Chrysa patted Namaran's hide, spread her wings and used the updraft coming from the lower lands to begin her flight towards the mountainside. Eventually forced to land due to the cold stress on her wings, she found a semi-secure spot close to the assumed opening to the cave of Talvan’s mother, Dnari.
The climb was harsh and her hands, even through her heavy riding gloves and an extra pair beneath those, were beginning to feel numb After a grueling climb, as she reached up to grab a handhold, her arm went through the side of the mountain. I found the entrance! She began to pull herself up into the cave entrance when something grabbed the back of her jacket and lifted her up. Looking up, Chrysa saw a massive being towering over her. She was being held in the jaws of a dragon... Talvan's mother.
She was swung around in mid-air and soon found herself being carried deeper into the cave. After counting to twenty, she was deposited on a rocky "bed" and the large dragon settled on the floor directly in front of her. Chrysa swallowed hard; she had never seen a dragon as large as the near translucent blue staring at her. It suddenly dawned on her that she had no way to communicate with Dnari, for she wasn't bonded to Dnari, but her daughter Talvan.
"Well, this is awkward. I finally get here and I have no way to speak with you." Chrysa bit her lower lip.
****
Lonelier and lonelier Talvan grew in her little captive world. Living creatures stayed away because the goblins had a habit of hunting them. Weak, tired and sore, she had had enough. When the goblins seemed asleep, Talvan slowly rose to her feet and walked over to the water's edge. The mud squished between her claws and she balked. Not to mention there was stuff in the mud, gross stuff, nasty little wriggly creatures. But she needed free and this was her only way out. She took a step towards the water and then reared back as something stuck its ugly head out of the water and waved at her.
She tried in vain to keep her footing, but the mud was slick. Talvan suddenly found herself sliding headfirst into the dirty water. a very audible splash sounded as she met the water violently. Talvan had not thought to check the current and it proved much more than she could handle. She rolled and was jostled as she rapidly floated away from the land. Above the din of the current, she could hear the alarm cry as the goblins arrived to the conclusion that their prisoner was gone.
The forest on either side of her passed by in a blur of green and brown, dizzying her. She fought to stay afloat, but her current state was no match for the element. Eventually the forest began to thin, until she realized the florest was no more... all she could see was water. No! I can't swim long enough to outlast the sea! She cried, afraid. It was in the midst of nearly giving up that small hands grabbed her legs and dragged her agains the current. It seems hours before she saw land again.
She pulled her tired self up on the shore and looked back. Bleary-eyed, all she could make out was conical shaped body and small hands. Knowing she needed to take shelter to stay out of sight, she half-dragged her weary body to the forest edge. It was there that she saw salvation... a dragon.
****
Dnari inhaled slightly and blew over the area between her and Chrysa. One fully extended claw scratched across the ice, sending shivers down Chrysa's spine, causing goosebumps to crawl up her arms. She realized Dnari was writing a message in the ice.
'I have not lived 1000 years without learning a thing or two about communicating with humans. I assume this will suffice?' Dnari looked up at Chrysa expectantly.
"Of course!"
Dnari blew across the floor again, a fresh layer of ice covered the writings of earlier. 'Very good. Now tell me what brings you here, for it has been a long time since one of your kind sought me out so tenaciously.'
"It is regarding Talvan, your daughter and my bonded dragonsister. She is missing, taken from me by a magic that I cannot battle. A magic that has severed her bond to me to the point I cannot feel her anymore."
Dnari shook her head and Chrysa tried not to giggle, for she herself had shaken her head like that many times. The great dragon swept one forearm across the ice and reformed the layer to write. 'What has my child gotten herself into this time? You are here because you were told of the mother-child bond between dragons.'
****
It was a curious sight indeed. The dragon before her had no legs, yet her magnificent wings were ornate, much more than Talvan was used to seeing. The dragon slithered towards her and nuzzled her face.
"Are you okay, dear?" Her voice was soft...yes, her, for that voice was unmistakable female.
"I want my human!" wailed Talvan. "I want Chrysa!" Huge tears splattered on the ground.
"Oh, you poor thing. You must be just a little one! Come with me and sit here next to my nest. You will be dry no matter the rains." The dragon disappeared, but returned in minutes with large two fowl of colorful plumage. "Eat young one, eat up. You need your strength. Once you are done, tell me what is going on."
Talvan nearly swallowed the birds whole, not caring that they still had their feathers. She was starving. Stomach slightly bulging, Talvan laid next to the nest and regailed her tale, her captivity and her escape.
"Oh dear! What misfortune, and to have to deal with that at such a young age. Why, if one of my babes had been in your place, I would tear the world apart to find them." The dragon released a slight tongue of flame to emphasize her point.
"I know Chrysa is looking for me. I just do, but this world is so big and I am so small." More tears fell, causing the dragon to curl up around Talvan. Talvan rested her head on the dragon's body and felt a warmth that she was not used to in dragonkind. "What kind of dragon are you?"
The dragon licked Talvan's face. "I am what is called an Amphithere. We are a type of amphibious dragon, living both off the land and water. My name is Sarpha."
"Chrysa would have loved to meet you. She loves talking to and getting to know marvelous creatures like you. She would have loved you." Tears threatened and Talvan turned from Sarpha.
"Well, then, young one. Then perhaps we need to get you back to this Chrysa you seem to love so much. Very few creatures like you and I like humans anymore. She is one in a million."
"I know, Sarpha. I know that more now than I ever did. And my name is Talvan." Talvan collapsed into a dreamless sleep, wrapped in the warmth of a mother Amphithere's hold.
****
Chrysa nodded solemnly. "We research and seek out 'mythic creatures,' trying to understand them and get to know them better. It is out of concern and conservation that we do what we do."
Dnari added a layer of ice. 'Yet, you have come across those who do not like your work. Yes, I can see how that would bother some. Many have not changed in the thousands of years we have walked upon this planet. There are several creatures who possess the might that would tear you apart like this: the Ruk, the Bane Sidhe, the Chimaera, and the Unicorn.'
Chrysa thought about the dragon's words for a second and stood, pacing a bit. "We have yet to come across three of those. Yet, Talvan and I witnessed the rebirth of a Phoenix, at the near cost of our lives. A very large Ruk tried to intervene, to prevent the rebirth."
Again, she swept a forearm across the writings and reformed the layer. 'Then you must find Talvan. This is not good news. And I would suggest trying to befriend the other three creatures, for it is without uncertainty that the Ruk is behind this. They are persuasive creatures... and usually get what they want.'
Dnari closed her eyes and settled, her body still as the very ice she breathed. Chrysa held her breath and watched, curious to know what it felt like to share with another creature a bond not even the strongest magic could tear apart.
Finally, after what felt like eternity, Dnari opened her eyes. Her eyes swirled white and Chrysa felt a sharp pain piercing her head. I know this is painful, but writing is taxing and bothersome... and you need to get going. Talvan is surrounded by water and a jungle... in the southern hemisphere. It seems that there are also a lot of other islands around, but the water isn't blue... it is tinged brown. She is confused and very depressed. That is all I can get from her. This magic IS strong.
Chrysa collapsed onto the rock bed, holding her head in her hands. Tears fell from the severity of the pain and her eyes couldn't focus on anything in the cave. Once she could see, Chrysa looked up at the great dragon and swore she saw concern on the creature's face. "I will find her. And then, we will figure out what is going here. Together."
Dnari nodded and rose from her place, allowing Chrysa access to the exit. She ran as fast as she could, ignoring the still lingering pain in her head. When she got to the cave opening, she jumped and spread her wings, pumping them hard to fly to Namaran.
She needed to figure out where Talvan was, and fast.
****The sounds of wings woke Talvan from her sleep. If she had been impressed by Sarpha, the dragon in front of her was spectacular. He (she assumed) was huge, as if Sarpha had been enlarged to three times her size.
"Ahh, you are awake. Poor thing, you were exhausted. And such good timing too. This is my mate, Brethen. We are devising a plan to get you back to your beloved Chrysa." She smiled warmly and nuzzled Talvan.
Brethen slithered closer, towering over both of them. "So Talvan, can you tell me where you live?"
Talvan shrank from his form, suddenly keenly aware of just how little she had ever paid attention to Chrysa. "Um, well, I know that we live in a nice village. There are forests around and huge fields where dragons like myself have classes."
Brethen huffed. "That is all, little one? Did your human not ever teach you where you live?"
Talvan bowed her head sheepishly. "I am sure she did, sir. But I have not been the best listener."
"Her danger is here though, mate." Sarpha interrupted. "She needs to get far from here and fast!"
Brethen nodded. "I know not why you are far from home or out of your obvious element, but you must be returned and reunited with this Chrysa. What you describe is across the ocean. Perhaps that is where you need to be. If you will hop on my back, I will take you there."
Chrysa nodded emphatically. "Thank you very much!"
Before she mounted the large dragon, she turned to Sarpha. "Thank you for helping me. Your hatchlings, when they come, will be the most fortunate for having you as their mother." She licked the female and climbed carefully atop the male. He slithered to the shore where he spread his great jeweled wings and took off towards the horizon.
****
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