"This really changes our plans," I said as we all walked
after Tron, the darkness faerie seeming to walk as quickly as was possible.
"What does?" a newly healed Heshrou asked looking
at me.
"You and Thiowa, that's what," I said sounding
meaner then I meant to.
"Now why is that?" the ex-Krawk militia leader
asked.
"I counted on only having to carry one creature
on my back, and she being a young Zafara. Carrying two full-grown, usually under
feed Zafara's, meaning your mother and father," I said turning to face Zana,
"Is usually hard enough. I don't know if I could manage two well-eaten Krawks,
plus Zana here."
"It may now be a problem," Tron said to me without
looking back.
"How is that?" I asked.
"Well, that healing potion may also have tuned
up your muscles, making it possible for you to carry much more weight then you
ever could have before." Then she turned to give me a cock-eyed smile, "If not,
you can always make a boat."
"But that would take a week at least! Much precious
time would be lost."
"Then hope that you can carry more weight."
And with that we continued on our track through the swamp of Tisitan.
Tron seemed to know her way well enough, and
so we could follow her trough the swamp without any worry of falling into a
pit of sinking mud, or end up wandering off into a marsh, and drown before anyone
knew that we had disappeared.
During the nights, Tron would find a good place
to rest ourselves, and then every morning I would awaken with Elecwator curled
up at my side.
"That Meowclops has really taken a shining to
you," Thiowa said one morning as she woke up to find him asleep upon my
head.
"Yeah, he really has," I replied to her, not
saying that I had to him.
This routine continued for almost four days
until Tron turned to face us with a smile. "The coast is just beyond this last
growth of trees and shrubs. After that it will just be warm sand and salt water
as far the eye can see." And then she continued to lead us through the last
stretch of the swamps of Tisitan, and onto a sandy warm beach.
"It feels so good against my paws," Zana said
with a huge smile plastered upon her face.
"Yes," I said, "Though you sink into it as you
walk," I said finding the ground to not be solid.
"It is a lot easier to walk once you come nearer
to the waters edge," Tron said walking over the sand with ease, almost
as if it wasn't even there. "Come on," she said looking as Zana, Heshrou,
Thiowa and I tried to grow used to walking on the constantly moving sand.
It was the easiest for Thiowa and Heshrou to
adapt, being used to walking across marshes where the ground was almost never
solid, and even Zana Taru caught on quickly enough, but I was a different story.
No matter how hard I tried to, I couldn't walk straight across without slipping
at some point in time, so I stuck to walking on the damp, yet much more firm
ground near the waters edge.
Tron walked over to me. "Well, if you want to
go and save your friend, you should be off soon, and before you go, you should
test to see if you can carry the weight of three."
"Yes," I said, "You're right." And then I called
the others over to test.
"Are you sure that you can do this?" Zana asked
from my back as I prepared to take off.
"No, but I have to try." And then I started
to run. Carrying them wasn't that bad, but flight was different, so as I spread
out my wings I hopped, and as I jumped into the air I crossed my fingers that
I wouldn't just fall back to earth.
"You're doing it Dorono! You're flying with
us all!" Zana yelled over the rush of the air. So I was, I could carry them
all. I smiled, and did several more circles, before slowly coming back to the
ground with hardly even a pant.
"Well, looks like you can fly," Tron said to
me with a smile.
"Yup. Looks like your potion really worked."
"It might not have been the potion, but you,"
she said, and then she looked off to the distance before returning her gaze
to me. "Well, this is where I bid you farewell."
"You mean you're going!" Zana said walking up
to Tron.
"Yup. I can't stay forever, I have places to
go." And then she spread her wings, they were much larger then I ever would
have guessed when they were folded up, and much more beautiful too. "You can
leave as soon as you would like, but don't leave too late, because if you get
tired when flying over the ocean, you are stuck." She pointed due North, "Fly
in that direction for a few hours and you will catch sight of the island which
holds the flower. Good luck." And then with a flap of her wings, she was flying,
and quickly disappeared over the horizon.
"Well, that's that," I said, "Perhaps we will
meet her again someday."
"But for now, lets go!" Zana yelled.
"Yeah!" Elecwator shouted jumping up and down,
and Heshrou and Thiowa nodded in agreement.
"Okay, get on," I said lowering myself to the
ground, and then they all boarded my back except for Elecwator who jumped up
onto my head between my ears.
"Mush!" He giggled, and with a shacking of my
head, I jumped into the air, and was airborne.
As the wind rushed into my face and I soared
over the vast ocean, I knew one thing. I was going to save Zarrel Charmain,
and also find out who this Valvex was, and if she could help. I had already
gained three new companions who were eager to help, so perhaps this Valvex would
too be helpful. Or so I hoped.
The End | 
