"What's with all the noise!" A powerful, yet very groggy voice boomed through the forest. The following afternoon I decided to eat with the view of the water, as my cave was getting very sad to be in. Between the trees a male walked towards me. His dull green hair to his shoulder, his eyes shone a dull green light. He had more teeth than I and they were very sharp. He was tall and walked with a sense of ancient superiority. His clothes did not match his attitude. His shirt was covered in dirt and his shorts had many holes.
"I am just standing here." I said to him.
"It was loud" He complained. He joined me in my viewing, "What are you doing?"
"I was going to have something eat" I told him, holding out my fruit.
"I got it" he held up a dead Lop. It was a large Lop, probably enough to feed six people.
"Where did he come from?" I pointed
"Came into the cave for warmth" he said, I pitied the little animal "I also got you some fruits and vegetables" he held out his other arm containing a basket of mixed vegetables and some fruit.
"Where did you get that from?" I said, flinging my piece into the woods and grabbed the basket.
"Went into the village on Shilmista this morning. I know you would have needed some variety in your diet" He smiled. For a creature with a terrible temper, Ivan was always kind to me. We went back into my cave where Ivan lit a fire. My fire had gone out that morning and I was in no mood to light one again. One of the benefits to Ivan was that he breathed fire.
"Thank you for gathering food" I said to him "How long have you been up"
"One moon" He started to prepare the Lop. I sat and watched as he did this. Even though Ivan looked like a Fea, he was far from it. His true form was a green weather dragon. Since the end of the second war all dragons hid in the forms of Feas now. They were hunted during and after the war, most of Ivan's kin were kill, along with the younglings. People were shocked when they heard the Elves went against the Dragons. Most believing it wasn't possible.
"She spoke to me yesterday" I said. Ivan looked at me now, he had stopped stripping the Lop.
"Who did" He said confused, "Who else is here" he looked around for a moment.
"Seraphina" I said in an exhausted tone and rolled my eyes. His confused worried look went to a confused surprised look.
"What did she say" he said, slowly starting with his lop again.
"That I should not dwell, there is still hope"
"Meaning?" he asked, throwing a leg on the fire
"No idea" I said shrugging. He was silence for a moment
"Have you heard from the others?" Ivan asked. I just shook my head. That was as far as the conversation went. Both of us considering the words that Seraphina spoke. The silence for the rest of the night was comfortable and understanding. I fell asleep after eating. It always seemed easier to sleep when my neighbours were awake. Maybe it was because I felt more protected or because I didn't feel alone. Ivan was still in my cave asleep the following morning. He didn't snore, but product large puffs of smoke. It half-filled the cave, I decided today would be a good day for a bath. The Oceans on Seraphina were fresh. Some of the lakes or streams had water that was very salty. The Feas had learnt to harness that salt and use it to preserve food. They always had the best ideas. They were also the creatures that learn to make carts with the use of wood from trees. The Slythin weren't much of a building class, they were more protectors, fighters; they had a temper that could rival a dragon. I was also surprised that a fight never broke out between the two. They were always saying the most horrid things to each other.
The ocean was cool today, probably from the rain. Sea life was abundant around this small island. As I didn't eat living creatures and the dragons didn't know how to fish. They would come here for refugee. I took a short bath as the temperature became too cold and I had to remove waste. When I did get back to my cave, cold and wet Ivan was awake and eating.
"You know" I said to him, "That when I see you now, you are usually eating"
He just looked at me "And your point?" he asked
"Maybe we should try something different" I said, sitting close to the fire letting my hair out to dry.
"Like not eating" he suggested
"We could build a house" I said.
He thought a moment, even putting down his food. "That is a good idea, we could build living quarters. However, you don't like cutting down the forest, neither of us can build and I like caves" he snapped, then continued to eat. I sat down in a hump, throwing some of the vegetables he brought me into the fire. They were too hard to eat raw and were much sweeter when cooked. Their outer skin was thick enough to withstand the heat.
Over the next few days there was little to no talk between us, we both sat, ate or read. Ivan would steal books from the village on the mainland, they were what they called story books. Mythical, made up. They were interesting to read sometimes, some were terrible. Even the terrible ones help past the time. The good ones we would keep and read again. Ivan would go to the main island at least once a week to get books. It was only recently that he started to get vegetables and fruit. I am not sure what brought on this change, but it was nice. He would go with Avery, the other neighbour and dragon that lived on the Island. His cave was on the other side and I hardly saw him. Avery had a boat and the journey to the main island was very short. They both enjoy going, I think mainly for the new conversation and the idea of stealing from others. The main island, Shilmista was full of Feas. The population was small, they only had two farms one that grew vegetables and the other fruit. Feas were excellent at growing food, they were able to do anywhere, under any weather condition. Therefore, so many other beings like the Elves and Slythins relied on the Feas for vegetables and fruits. The Feas also ate meat, which they got from the land and sea. They did not keep animals for breeding or for food. I remember asking them once why they didn't, since the Slythin kept some small birds to breed for their eggs and flesh. The Feas said they didn't need to, that unlike the Slythin meat was a secondary food, so if they didn't have it, it wasn't a problem. It sounds nice. However, I would later learn that their meat mainly came from trade with the Slythins, who were better hunter.
"This book is terrible" Ivan said throwing it in the fire.
"Have I read that book?" I asked annoyed
"Yeah, it was that once about the giant and little boy" He said picking at his teeth.
"It wasn't that bad. You didn't need to throw it in the fire. It could have been traded" I complained. He grunted and picked another book. I continued to read my book, which wasn't much better than Ivan's. I didn't know which Feas wrote the books or how they even had time to write them. But I got annoyed when Ivan burnt books that he didn't like. As I thought others might enjoy them. That night Ivan went to see Avery, we weren't sure if he was still asleep or not. As young Lops were becoming adults now, it was time to wake up. Nights alone post Ivan visit were always nice. Even though I slept better with him here, sometimes I wanted to smack him for Dragon arrogance. I laid down in the dirty with the fire and slept. I woke up with a start because of the voice in my head
Don't be angry at Ivan. My eyes flung open as I bolted up right
"Don't do that" I said aloud
Sorry she said sheepishly. There was silence for a few moments, she obviously didn't want to speak again because I snapped at her.
"How are you?" I probed, unsure if she was going to respond. Concerned she said.
"How are they?" I asked, inquiring about my brothers and sister. Alive she said. She was famous for her one-word answers. I laid back down, falling asleep glad to know that they were still alive. The following morning, I was woken in a most rudest way.
"Zuri!" Ivan yelled from the front of the cave
"Huh?" I bolted up right, shocked from this form of waking. My eyes were hazy, and I could just make out Ivan's form against the sun.
"Wake up!" he yelled again, "Zuri! Wake up!"
"What!" I slowly stood rubbing the sleep from my eyes "What do you want!" he grabbed my arm, dragging me out of the cave and too the cleaning. The sun was particularly piercing today. With a smack to the back of the head, courtesy of Ivan, my vision cleared. Out on the water were four large sailing ships. Each sail the colour red and the gold crest of the Elven king. They were moving slowly from east to west. It was like a rock had fall against my stomach, the anxiety came back. I had never seen that crest or colour in this part of the island. I turned to Ivan, his hair a dark green now. I have not seen his hair change for a long time. Dragons were very obviously sometimes, their emotion's causing their colours to change.
"Are they stopping at Shilmista?" I asked.
"Don't know" Said a different rough voice. Behind me came Avery, looking at ragged and gaunt as ever.
"We were going to head over to the main island to see if anyone knows anything" Ivan said
"They would only come here for one reason" I said
"Actually, there would be a lot of reasons" Ivan said.
"They would be looking for farm workers" Avery said.
"Slaves?" I asked, they both just shrugged. I knew they were hiding something from me. During one of the Links, Marians had encountered what other beings called Slaves. Being just like everyone else but where treated like property. The Slythins originally had them on their home planet, Seraphina would not allow such things.
"What if..." I began but was interrupted
"They would have no way to know that you are here" Avery said, "Only one person knows"
"Nevio would die before he spoke" Ivan said. Nevio was the leader of the Slythins, he was their king, but they didn't call him that. Technically, the Slythins didn't have a term for their Leader. Long ago when they first arrived, the Slythins voted for a leader, plus seven people for the assembly. Which through generations and the laziness of Slythins are still the same families. Their only law was that you must be true Slythin to be part of it. So, if you are half Fea or half Elf you cannot be leader or part of the assembly. This hasn't been much of an issue as Slythins would normal just stay with other Slythins. However, if there were any half younglings, the role got given to their sister or brother. As for Nevio, because he married an Elf, his children will never be leader.The responsibility will fall to Nacarise his sister. She will be a good leader. She is already married to a Slythin, so the children will rule from then on.
"We will be back as soon as we can, probably best to hid in the cave" Ivan said. I nodded. I spent the rest of the day concerned. What if I had to fight? I had not trained in years. I felt weak all over just thinking about it. If I started training now, I would be in pain from the training, not the fighting. I paced, I couldn't eat and continuously looked out of the cave towards the water. I started to jump at every sound, whether from a bird or a lop. I tried to calm myself down, shaking my head I felt embarrassed at my reaction. I was a legend, I had batted hundreds of beings at once and won. Now I am nervous over a few Elves. Though, my last battle with the Elves ended terrible. Not only was I defended but I nearly died from bleeding. My blood like other Mairan's was white, pure white. The light from the sun reflected my blood, so bright that it could be seen from far away. Ivan told me that Fea's thought Seraphina herself came to stop the Elves. That she took on a physical form to fight them, to save herself and the planet from them. They were saddened and shocked to learn that it was just the blood of Mairan.
"I am pathetic" I hung my head, ashamed of what I had become. You are just rusty was all she replied with. I couldn't help myself but laugh. I thought that was a major understatement. Her voice gave me pause and I felt the anxiety leaving me. I sat down and picked up a different book. It wasn't until well in the afternoon when I saw Ivan and Avery walked back. Surprisingly with more fruits and vegetables. Avery was carried an expression that was either confusion or annoyance.
"You don't read so you don't get it" Ivan was saying as he walked into my cave.
"Waste of time and space" Avery said, plopping himself down with a new Lop in his hand. Ivan passed me the fruit and books as I continued to listen to their bickering
"Shut up, Zuri and I both enjoy them so shut up" Ivan snapped. They both humped at each other and there was silence for a moment. Sometimes it was like being with younglings or what Fea's called children. Impulsive, reckless, and silly. I waited a while for them to start talking but it was just silence. Some encouragement.
"So, how was town?" I asked smiling trying to keep my voice light.
"What about it" Avery shouted.
"You went to find out about the Elves!" I snapped at him, "you come back with supplies!"
"Oh" Avery and Ivan said at once. They looked at each other like they were trying to remember if that was true.
"Did you forget?" I asked, my tone not so light anymore.
"No" Ivan snapped, sometimes the dragon's temper would make me laugh. Sometimes I wanted to slap them across the face, "The Elves are looking for four Slythin boys that they heard were coming this way."
"Slythin boys?" I asked
"Yeah, said they did some horrible crime and need to be punished." Avery said, "Though I know most of the folks. Even if they knew, they wouldn't tell the Elves"
"People don't like the Elves" I said
"It is more than don't like" Avery said, "They hate them." The conversation dwindled after that. I knew that others hated the Elves as much as I did. As I wasn't the only one to lose to them. I knew that we all thought the same thing; three full crew ships, for four boys, a bit much. Ivan said that the talk in the town was that they must have done something horrid. Though, most folk would celebrate them not condemn them to the Elves. I also thought for a moment why were the Elves punishing the Slythin's. I wondered how much power the Slythins and Fea's had lost to the Elves after the war. Avery left just before night fall, but Ivan stayed. I didn't want to tell him how I was feeling or that I spoke, even though briefly to Seraphina again. I was surprised that she had even responded to me.
ns 15.158.61.8da2
