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Windspeed the black Whinny walked across the dunes as
the sun burned upon his black back. He was looking for the golden Aisha Boldheart,
also called Merato, who had been thrown by the magic blast of Malothsi. He let
out a soft blow of air as he finally found the Aisha, half-covered with sand,
but still alive he noted as he prodded Merato, and the Aisha gave a groan.
Merato slowly started to lift himself up, the
sand falling away from his body as he did so. He looked up into Windspeed's
large brown eyes, and groaned again. He recognized the Whinny as being the one
that had held the Kyrii who had saved him from Lancoth, but where was the archer
Kyrii?
Windspeed pushed his snout into Merato again,
and the Aisha laid a paw over his neck. Sensing that he was not fully well,
Windspeed shifted his weight to try and help get Merato over and onto his back.
After he finally managed to do this, he started to turn when he heard the roar
of a dragon.
Careful not to drop Merato, Windspeed quickened
his pace as he walked back to Teala, for he knew something was not right, though
the truth was worse then he had thought. There was Dreamoth, the white dragon
who had saved him while he was still young, injured, and unable to dodge another
attack as Malothsi prepared to end all for the dragon. A desert Kougra was running
up towards the twisted creature called Malothsi, but Windspeed knew he would
not make it in time to save the dragon.
Acting quickly, Windspeed ran as fast as his
four legs would take him towards Malothsi. Oblivious to the yells of Teala as
he shot past, and the fact that Merato fall off of his back, he ran in front
of Malothsi, and as he shot another blast of magic, Windspeed jumped in the
way of it.
"NO!!!" Teala cried jumping up and running over
as she watched Windspeed fall to the ground with a large whine. He had saved
the dragon, but the cost may have been at his own life. "Windspeed!" She reached
down, and cradled his large head in her hands. Windspeed opened his eyes, and
gave one last whinny before he closed them for the last time. He had been able
to lay eyes on the white dragon once more.
A tear dripped down the Kyrii's cheek, "Windspeed,
no!"
A crackling laughter hit her ears, and she turned
with anger towards its source, the evil Malothsi. "Dear Teala, the fool is gone.
He should not have interfered with my attack on the dragon!"
"My name…" was all she could say as she stared
up at him. "How do you know my name?"
"Oh, dear Teala, I know much more then that.
Your father was called Earloon, your mother Kakriaka, and your brother… his
name is Ishtolam."
"What did you do to my brother!" Teala cried
standing up, and pulling her bow out. Perhaps Lancoth wasn't the only one who
had a paw in taking her brother.
Malothsi laughed. It was a dry laugh, long and
cold. "Oh, don't you recognize me… sister."
Teala took a step back. "No…" she whispered
slowly.
"Yes Teala. I am your brother Ishtolam, or I
was. I am now Malothsi," Teala suddenly realized it. Ishtolam spelled backwards
was Malothsi, "and I will soon be the greatest power in the world after I collect
the dragons power!" Teala just stood speechless as the once yellow Kyrii who
was her brother, now the evil Malothsi ran off in the directions of the dragons.
"Why didn't you put him with an arrow while
you had the chance!" Krantalo said huffing as he ran up to Teala. "I thought
that you were going to help us!"
Teala's eyes were cloudy as she stared off after
Malothsi, and Krantalo who had left her side to run after the other. "My brother…"
she whispered. She had found what she had been looking for, who she had yearned
to see for the past eight years, and he had become a heartless monster.
"Teala!" She turned, and there was Merato looking
down into her eyes, his were a deep golden color, but they seemed to be angry.
"You cannot sink into depression! We must end this here! Now!" and all Teala
could do was nod. She still couldn't believe the bleak reality that she had
just entered.
***
Mythouny had looked up as she heard the cry of Dreamoth, and saw him fall
to the sand. For a fleeting moment, she had thought that he had been destroyed,
but as she felt his spirit still in his body, she sighed with relief. Her relief,
however, was short lived as Malothsi tried another attack, but was foiled by
the valiant whinny that had jumped in the way.
She watched as the Kyrii prepared to fire an
arrow at Malothsi, and then fell at his feet, as he was able to run past. Mythouny
looked trying to figure out what had happened. As far as she could tell, they
Kyrii was unhurt. She looked as the vile Malothsi ran towards Dreamoth, and
the great red dragon woke from her trance, and started to run to her friend's
aid.
She needn't use her wings, for the distance
was not too long for a dragon of her size and will, so Mythouny ran over to
Dreamoth's side just as Malothsi reached that spot also. Malothsi looked up
into Mythouny's eyes, and laughed. "So Dragon, it appears that you have finally
lost." He motioned towards Dreamoth. "You know that even if you were to destroy
me, that the white dragon would perish. If you give yourself in to me, I will
let him die quickly."
"You yell threats in the face of a dragon!"
She practically bellowed out at Malothsi. A creature would either have to be
a fool or be mad to challenge a dragon while standing in front of it. With his
large grin, Malothsi was probably the later. She raised her hand to swat him
away, but then his words finally sunk into her heart. "Dreamoth…" she whispered
softly, he was in trouble. She took a quick glance back at Dreamoth, and felt
her throat tighten. She knew he was hurt, but how badly, she could not tell.
She looked back down at Malothsi and growled. With a deep anger that he had
hoped to stir in her, she lunged for him, and as she did, he pulled out his
sword, and let her weight push herself into it.
Mythouny fell back with a pained roar, taking
Malothsi's sword with her. It wasn't enough to defeat her, but still enough
to put her out of the fight. "So it looks like I have both of the mighty dragons
in a position where I can bend their magic and strength to do my bidding." He
snickered, and looked down at Mythouny. "You can be first." And with that, he
took out a blood red gem with odd markings on it, and began to murmur some words
in an ancient tongue.
"Stop it!!!" a voice cried, and Malothsi stopped
in his muttering to look up at the source of the voice, and there stood Teala
her bow loaded, and her last arrow aimed right for her brother's heart. "Leave
now, or I'll fire into your blackened heart, and end your evil now! I don't
care if you once were my brother, because now you're nothing but a monster."
"Sister," he said maliciously, "Don't worry,
your time to die will come." And at that, on of the thieves on Malothsi's side
fired an arrow at her. The only thing that saved the red Kyrii was the fact
that the thief's aim was off, so instead it nicked her bow just as she fired,
and instead of going into Malothsi, it went past him, and crashed into the cliff's
side. Out of habit, she reached back for her quiver finding it empty as Malothsi
pulled a concealed dagger from his vest, and aimed for Teala. "Say your final
farewell, sister." And he pulled back his arm, ready to throw.
Teala closed her eyes, and prepared to meet
her end, but it never happened, instead she heard Malothsi yell out in surprise.
She opened her eyes up again to see Krusk holding onto his arm by his fangs.
"I'm here for you missstresss," he said letting go for a second before striking
at Malothsi yet again.
With a quick twist of his arm, however, he sent
Krusk smacking into the cliff face behind him, and before the reptillior could
recover, Malothsi stomped upon him and left him crushed to the ground as he
walked back towards Teala. Looking at her brother's face, she saw droplets of
sweat forming all over him, and he had a stagger in his step. Before he could
take seven, Malothsi fell to his knees in the sand, and Teala walked over. "That
darn reptillior..." he said. "His poison…" was all Malothsi said before falling
face first into the sand, and slipping away from the realms of this world and
into the next.
"Krusk," Teala whispered as she walked over
to the body of the reptillior, who opened one glassy yellow eye.
"Missstresss…" he said. "You are safe. Now sssave
the dragonsss…" and his eye closed, and his movements stopped.
Teala stooped over him waiting for him to come
back as he had before, and nothing happened. "Krusk?" she said as a single tear
dripped down her cheek. She wanted to wait longer, hopping with a false hope
that he would come back as he had before, but it didn't happen, and she knew
that she had to help the dragons. "Thank you," she said softly wiping her face
as she ran over to Mythouny's side and the red dragon slowly rose to her feet,
the wound on her belly looking horrendous to Teala.
"Dreamoth…" she gasped, and Teala put her paw
on the scaly shoulder of Mythouny. "I can still heal him." She said, and she
slowly walked with lumbering steps over to the side of the white dragon Dreamoth,
and she placed one large paw over where Malothsi's blast of magic had hit him,
and started the healing process of Dreamoth.
***
As Mythouny healed Dreamoth, Merato stood over the body of Lancoth, sword
in paw, and watched as, leaderless, the desert thieves quickly scattered away,
and split up. "Lajonah," he said into the air, "I'm sorry I failed you, I-I…"
"You what?" Lajonah said walking up behind him.
Merato's jaw dropped as he looked into her golden eyes, transfixed by their
beauty.
"You're alive," he said, and fell into her arms.
"I thought that I had lost you." And Lajonah returned the embrace, tears of
mirth silently falling from her eyes with finally defeating their foe Lancoth,
and at having Merato at her side.
***
As Mythouny poured the last bit of magic into Dreamoth to heal him, she collapsed
into the sand. "Mythouny!" Dreamoth said rising to his feet before he even realized
he had been healed.
"What's wrong?" Krantalo asked from his side.
"She poured all her magic into healing to save
me," he said slowly. "She's dying…"
"That can't be!" Lajonah said running up with
Merato right besides her. She had gotten to know the great red dragon quite
well, and to see such a creature die would be horrible. "There has to be a way
to save her!"
"I don't know…" Dreamoth said, for once he had
no soothing words to calm the others.
"My staff," Merato said. "If only I had my staff,
I could use some of the powder to save her…"
Dreamoth looked down at Merato, and a grin spread
across his muzzle as with a large flap of his white wings, he took to the air,
and flew towards the cave that he and Mythouny occupied. The place where he
had left Merato's staff when he has picked it up that day that seemed so far
back. He quickly found the staff, and then taking it up in his talons, carried
it back down to Merato, and gave a slight dragonish bow. "Please Merato, do
your best for my mistress."
Merato gulped. "I will…" and with a single paw,
he undid the strap holding one of the bags to the staff, and opened it, taking
out a whole paw full for Mythouny before closing back up the bag. "I hope this
works," he said as he sprinkled the powder over Mythouny's wound.
The group watched over the dragon, waiting for
results, and nothing came. Dreamoth's ears fell back, tears dripped down Lajonah's
face, and Merato buried his face in his paws, but then a strong voice broke
the silence. "You have to speak some words to make that work on a dragon with
the healing magic. I can help you there," a yellow Kyrii garbed in a long white
robe walked forth over to Mythouny's side. He then started to whisper some words
in an ancient tongue like Malothsi had, though his words sounded peaceful unlike
the dark ones of Teala's brother. He then took a step back. "It is your turn
Merato." And with a slight nod, Merato took a few steps foreword, and laid a
paw upon Mythouny's wound, and suddenly a large wind blew forth, and all of
the bits of red dust seemed to spring to life in the shape of a wonderful red
dragon with large horns sticking back from its head, and two deep wise looking
eyes.
Who hath with the ancient words of the dragon-kind
summoned forth I, Thinub'reka, the first of all the dragons of healing to do
thy bidding. He looked down at Merato, and flapped his dusty wings a bit.
"It was I," Merato said after the Kyrii gave
a slight nod. "Please help us your greatness, and he motioned down at Mythouny.
"Please let this dragon live on."
The dragon of dust looked down upon Merato,
its eyes looking into every crack of his soul when Dreamoth. "Please, do this
oh great one. You know that she is the last of your once great bloodline." And
he bowed his head foreword. "I promise that if you heal her, I will study in
the arts of healing myself. I'll be her underling for all the time it takes."
And he lifted his head.
The shadow of the great dragon seemed to smile
down at Dreamoth at his words. You shall be one of the great dragons. I can
see this in you even though you are still young in reckoning, though the paths
of healing are not for thee to take. Even so, as you say is true, she is the
last of the red healing dragon's line, and I will not let thy bloodline die
when I can so save it. And with another gust of wind, the dust broke apart,
and the dragon spirit dived into Mythouny, healing her from the inside out,
and then silence fell.
The silence lasted for some time before Mythouny
finally opened her eyes and looked back at Dreamoth and she smiled.
***
Merato took one last look at the two dragons before he and Lajonah made their
way back out into the desert. Even though the main evil was rid of, there were
still many stray thieves to deal with, and to keep away from the innocent. As
he and Lajonah walked paw in paw past the many mighty sand dunes, he promised
himself that he would forever wander until he had rid the desert of all its
evil, or until he could no longer do so. He would always be Boldheart, Spirit
of the Desert.
***
Teala stood on another dune as Merato disappeared. She stood over the grave
of Windspeed, who had born her all this way, and never made it out. "You were
valiant Windspeed." She said. "I'm sure that you're in a better place now."
"I'm sure he is too," a voice behind her said,
and with a gasp, she turned to see the yellow Kyrii
"Who are you anyway?" she asked looking into
his eyes. "Why did you help us!"
He looked into her eyes, and Teala saw a touch
of yellow in them. "The curse is finally broken, my mistress." And he smiled
a lopsided grin.
"Krusk…" Teala said open mouthed, and Krusk
slid his paw under hers.
"When I gave myself up for you, the curse was
finally broken, and I was allowed to return to my first form. I thank you Teala."
And she smiled.
"It's finally time for me to return home," she
said, and looked back at Krusk. "I would like you to come with me."
"I will always be by your side my mistress,"
Krusk said and then the two Kyrii's walked off in the opposite direction of
Merato and Lajonah.
***
"Dreamoth," Krantalo said looking up into the eyes of the dragon he had become
friends with. "It is time for me to return to my kingdom now. I will miss you
my friend."
Dreamoth smiled down, not taking his eyes from
the setting sun. "I will not hold you back Krantalo. Return to your father,
I'm sure he awaits your return anxiously," Krantalo smiled, and with a quick
bow started off.
"Goodbye Dreamoth!" he said, and with a flick
of his tail disappeared off down the dune.
Dreamoth just smiled, and watched the sun disappear,
and didn't move from the spot even long after the cold of night had set in.
"It is never goodbye," he whispered into the air. "Not for you at least my prince.
Like the endless deserts, and like the sands that cover them. Your adventures…
they will never end."
The End
Authors Note: I would like to thank all of you who were patient with all
of the long breaks I had in between the Boldheart series, and sat with me to
the end. I hope that the series was able to entertain you all. I would like
to thank all of you who sent me the positive feedback, and to all of the people
who pressed me into making this a series, I had a lot of fun writing it. Any
questions or comments will be welcome, so just drop me a Neomail, and for now
good bye!
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