Chapter 90 – Seeds of Change.

Riding dragons was certainly the way to go, the wind rushing past you, their powerful bodies under you. One accident between absolute freedom and plummeting to your death. Except if you had powerful reinforcement magic, or wings of your own. Or both. Then it was just pure freedom. Crystal may have let out a happy shout as Ebony, Torie’s familiar, had launched into the air, startling said rider. Who had then spent a good half of the ride being wary of her passengers, even if their hands were tied, both to each other and to the saddle of the dragon. And surprised most likely too, by how well both of them managed to stay seated on the dragon, and how unconcerned they were about it all. They’d had plenty of practice, on a dragon that was multitudes bigger. In comparison, this one was much easier to ride.

But it was over all too quickly, night falling as they left the Weeping Forest, the moon and stars providing enough light for them to continue to travel by till they reached the ruins of a temple complex, the dragons descending sharply and landing in the middle of it. More accurately, it was the ruins of the Southern Temple of the Sisters of the Radiant Dawn, the location familiar to both her and Rachael, having visited it with Myne last time they were here. Nothing had changed at all, even down to the feel of the land and its desire to reclaim what it had once been. Okay, that wasn’t quite true; that particular aspect of it did feel much stronger than it had before, their awareness of it previously only because Warrior had told them of it. But now, she could feel it quite clearly. The cry of the land. Crystal and Rachael hopped down from Ebony, a little awkwardly with their hands still bound, but still without any real issue.

Fairweather landed the skimmer just behind the dragons, the hum of the engines ceasing as it was powered down and Clocky and Fairweather exited. The engine wasn’t overly loud, audible when the wind wasn’t rushing past their ears, but a lot quieter than any of the cars that she had ridden in. A level of technology that hadn’t commonly existed at that point in time. As Spectre had informed them, all of the damage to the skimmer appeared to be superficial, some rather noticeable dents in a number of places and claw marks along the side from Ezizer, but the engines and all of its circuitry was undamaged. There was some internal damage to the walls as well, but fortunately nothing serious. While Nisha had set the pace, the skimmer had had no trouble keeping up even without the extra mana from them, the remaining two dragons flying behind just to make sure that they didn’t suddenly decide to try and escape, leaving Crystal and Rachael behind. Not that they would have of course. But they would still have to get it repaired at some point.

‘Modified spider...’

Hint taken. Again. Crystal rolled her eyes. There were other options as well, such as taking the skimmer back for repairs. Surely there would be a way to adapt the shift array to move the skimmer. Definitely something to investigate, as it would be a waste to have to abandon it if it took excessive damage. All of the arkchildren had remained in the skimmer. There was no telling how these riders would react to them given what had happened thus far.

“Why did we have to land here?” Leah was looking around nervously, arms wrapped across her chest. She wasn’t the only one by the looks of it, all of the familiars also looking a bit unsettled.

“We need somewhere to stay for the night,” Nisha replied absently, making straight for the dorms where Myne had housed them the previous time. “It’s not like there are any ghosts here, and even the opportunists stay away.”

“It still gives me the creeps.” Leah shuddered, but followed along behind Nisha, Torie ushering their group along.

“You know, we can just sleep in our craft,” Crystal offered.

“Nice try, but no.” Torie shook her head. “You’ll be sleeping where we can keep an eye on you.”

Crystal shrugged. It wasn’t like they’d actually slept in the skimmer’s beds yet, and they had slept here before. And in the open enough times too. Beds were of course preferable.

While Leah probably hadn’t been here much at all, eyes darting around every few steps, it seemed that Nisha had, the rider walking through the complex with complete familiarity. She led them straight into dorms, hand passing lightly over the mana switch on the wall as she entered, the entrance room bathed in a soft yellow light, before directing them all to rooms on the ground floor to use. Well two rooms. A larger one for Crystal and the others to sleep in while one of the riders watched over them, her familiar settling itself down just outside to also peer at them through the window, and a smaller one through the wall that the other two riders would sleep in. Rummaging around in a chest that had been pushed under one of the beds she pulled out a number of blankets, reinforcing that she had been here plenty of times before.

“Sleep,” Nisha said, glaring coldly at them as she threw them a couple of blankets.

Crystal held up her bound hands with a questioning look as Clocky caught the blankets.

“They can stay like that. Additional insurance that you don’t do anything silly as you sleep.”

Mildly inconvenient, but it was what it was. Crystal walked over to one of the beds and swung herself onto it, Rachael lying down beside her. Snuggling was a bit more difficult with her hands restrained, but she managed the best she could. Clocky threw one of the blankets over them before he and Fairweather took the other bed. The riders hadn’t bound them, obviously regarding Crystal and Rachael as the greater threat. However that worked. The riders hadn’t seen Clocky and Fairweather’s weapons at all, the armaments locked away in the skimmer. Nisha remained to take first watch, the other two riders disappearing into the other room.

---

Images flittered through her mind. Reflections. Memories.

The first stone being laid by a woman, strong and proud, snow lightly falling around them as a cold wind blew through the site. Long flowing silver hair tied in a ponytail, the hint of silver tinged dragon bone armour under a worn puffer jacket. A massive grey dragon watching from behind her.

The main temple slowly being built, rising into the sky as the seasons passed.

The surge of magic as dragons came into being, the first touch between the familiar and rider.

The hive of activity as people worked the land, riders coming and going.

The convening of the first council of the lady knights. Confident, hopeful. Determined.

Elation and celebrations. Riders dancing under the stars as others played musical instruments nearby.

Anguish at the death of the first rider. More riders than had ever been seen before, all gathered in one place, her remains buried in the centre of the complex, a young sapling planted on top. A young girl with her head bowed down, tears drenching the earth. A powerful lady watching from the shadows.

A massive growth in the number of riders. The first exodus, riders leaving for other newly established temple complexes. A sense of pride. Paternal.

Riders sparring, honing their skills. Teaching, learning. Improving. Warriors, strong and proud. Defenders. Guardians.

Desire. Love. Riders seeking each others embrace and comfort out of sight. Seeking the love of others, from other walks of life.

The birth of children to those that help and support. Instincts. Maternal.

The hive of activity as people worked the land, riders coming and going. Normalcy. Contentment.

Dark tendrils of corruption, lust, greed, seeping through the ranks of the riders. Fear, worry. Dismay.

Black deeds. Under the mask of night, covered and hidden. Claws of blackness, hate.

A massacre. Sister turning on sister. Innocent slaughtered, lives forever lost. Human, and dragon. A rider watching on, her heart black and twisted.

Anguish. Despair. Desperation.

Desolation. Emptiness. Buildings falling to ruins, ravaged by nature and time.

Scavengers. No, riders. A glimmer.

The Hellfire, Ashling. Their first visit to the temple complex on their way to the capital. Hope.

A surge of power through the land. An awakening.

And then them again. The deep dragons, accompanied by riders. Hope. Reaching out.

Even in her subconscious mind, she could understand. The yearning of the land. Of what it once had been, and still wanted to be. What it was.

Its identity.

---

The door to the room burst open, slamming against the wall as Nisha stormed in, furiously glaring at them. Crystal blinked and sat up, stretching her wings as she groggily rubbed at her eyes, Rachael propping herself up beside her and facing the door. The ropes must have come off during the night, her wrists now unbound. The blanket, which had been barely covering them, slid to the floor. Leah jerked upright from her slouching position on the chair by the door. It looked like she had been half dozing, but she had definitely been snapped out of it now as she glanced at the intruding rider before she stared open eyed at them.

"What did you do." Nisha's voice was icy cold, and wavering just a little bit as she summoned her blade and held the point against Crystal's neck.

"I have absolutely no clue what you're talking about," Crystal replied, absently reinforcing her forearm and pushing the blade out of the way. She was still tired, and in no mood for theatrics.

Nisha brought the blade back to her neck again. “Dragons don’t talk.”

Crystal smacked the blade again, with a lot more force than she had intended, surprising both herself and Nisha, the weapon being jarred from her hand an impaled into the ground. “They don't?” Crystal looked at her confused. “Really? That's sad. They seem like they'd love to to me.”

“Dragons don’t talk,” Nisha reiterated with a snarl. “It’s a known fact. Yet now he is!”

Crystal blinked, surprised. “That’s a good thing then! Though I have no clue what this has to do with me.”

If looks could kill, Nisha would now be a murderer. “He said you were the source.”

“I am?” Okay, that could actually be true, with everything that had happened around them since their awakening. “I still don’t see how this is a bad thing.” Crystal shook her head. She was going to have to ask Warrior some questions. Or Dragon, if he’d deem to answer them. What she had felt earlier when seeing the familiars was starting to make sense though. “Is Ezizer unhappy about this?”

“No...” Nisha started, sounding a bit lost, before she glared at her, yanking her sword out of the floor, the boards around it shattering. “You changed him. Changed my magic.” She pointed the blade at Crystal again.

“Dragons aren't just a part of your magic. They are also a being themselves.” Crystal stared hard at Nisha. That much at least was dead obvious. An unavoidable truth. Did none of the riders understand that? No wonder there was such sadness from the familiars.

“What would you know about how the magic works?” Nisha challenged, before taking a step back, surprised at something, a draconic growl coming from through the wall. The sound of support for dragon kind from the familiars.

Crystal had had enough. She slid off the bed and took a step towards Nisha, her magic flow through her untamed, her body glowing and leaking mana, horns bright and flaring, her wings growing and stretching out her to twice their usual size, tail trailing behind her.

“I know, as I am a dragon myself.” Crystal took another step towards the rider, her voice raised, ignoring the crash as Leah fell off her chair. “I feel the kinship. The connection. I can see them for what they truly are. Beautiful creatures, powerful creatures, born of a bond, but lonely, yearning for a true relationship with their riders, just like this place yearns for riders to return. You would deny them that. Deny yourself that?”

Nisha took another step back. “You can’t be...” Her eyes flickered over to the window. “No. I refuse to believe that.” She brought her blade up again, shakily holding it out in front of her.

“It’s not just you,” Leah said in a small voice from her prone position against the wall. “Sylka is talking to me too. I kinda like it though. It’s nice, and she’s happy.”

Nisha turned her head and stared at Leah, emotions raging on her face as she opened and closed her mouth multiple times. The room started to warm as the riders magic intensified, power blazing in her eyes as she turned back to Crystal. “I don’t care. No one interferes with my magic.”

“I don’t care,” she repeated again, in response to a dragons cry from outside. One of concern, and warning. Raising her blade, she pointed it steadily at Crystal. “You will pay for what you have done.”

“I will not fight you,” Crystal stated, restraining her magic and dismissing her wings and tail. “For the sake of your dragon.”

“Are you afraid?” Nisha sneered, as she advanced.

“No, she is showing you compassion. Compassion for the sake of your better half, and more than you deserve.” Rachael stepped up beside Crystal, her body radiating power, wings and tails manifest, motes of flames shedding harmlessly off them. “I on the other hand, do not take to anyone threatening her.”

Pausing for but a mere moment, Rachael launched herself at Nisha, fist impacting the rider with a sickening crunch as she sent the her flying out of the door and through the wall of the adjoining room and then through the outer wall of the dorms, timber and stone raining down around her as she tumbled ungracefully across the ground. Rachael strode purposefully out of the dorms through the newly formed entrance, debris crunching underfoot, as Nisha picked herself up, spitting blood onto the ground. Crystal hurriedly followed after her, the morning outside rather pleasant in the first rays of dawn.

She heard Ezizer howl in worry from the other side of the dorms, shadows being cast around them as Nisha’s familiar flew over the building, landing beside her rider. It looked terrified.

“Showing your true colours, huh, demon,” Nisha spat, coughing again as she brought her blade to the ready.

“No. Teaching you a lesson the only way you seem to understand.” An array formed under Nisha briefly as Rachael advanced, a warm light flowing around the rider before it disappeared. A familiar magic. Rachael’s magic.

Ezizer leaned forward, and growled at Rachael.

“Do not interfere,” Rachael growled back at the familiar, the Ezizer immediately ceasing as it took a step back, trying to shield his rider. “I will not kill her.”

“Rachael...” Crystal said quietly. Her own emotions were in conflict, part of her fully supporting what Rachael was doing, another part concerned for the familiar. And part of her was flattered at what Rachael had said and that she had stepped in. Irrespective though, she did trust her soulmate. She would be true to her word.

“Stand aside,” Nisha commanded, placing her hand on her familiar’s leg, magic flaring around her as she reinforced herself more. “This thing will eat her words.” Ezizer looked at Nisha and whined, before looking at Rachael, and then sulked back further.

Rachael didn’t give Nisha a chance, easily stepping around her sluggish attempt at a counter as she dashed in, a kick sending the rider tumbling again across the dewy ground, Nisha managing to scramble back to her feet before she collided with a nearby building. Screaming, Nisha charged at Rachael, who just slid out of the way and whipped around, another kick sending the rider sprawling on to the ground.

“I had a rather panicked rider come wake me up in the early hours of this morning, but I wasn’t expecting to find this.”

Crystal looked away from the fight to see Queen Alysia standing on the path that ran past the dorms, an amused smile on her face. Well, at least, an image of her. She suspected that it wasn’t the real one, given travel time and all and the hints that she had given about her magic.

“Oh ^%#$,” swore Torie, shaking her head as she emerged from the newly created entrance to the dorms, and took in the scene. Leah, who was just behind her dropped to one knee. “Queen Alysia.”

Both Clocky and Fairweather also dropped to one knee, having already followed Crystal and Rachael out.

“Morning your highness,” Rachael stated, her eyes still on Nisha as the rider picked herself up.

“And a good morning to you too Rachael,” Alysia replied, before her gaze settled on the ash orange rider.

Nisha stood, looked towards the queen and then glared at Rachael and Crystal. “May your...”

“Don’t say it,” Clocky warned, interrupting the rider. “It’s not worth the cost.”

Nisha stared at him, before she sighed and dismissed her weapon. “Queen,” she said as she also dropped to one knee.

“So, what exactly is going on here?”

---

Alysia rubbed her temples, a weary look on her face. “It’s still too early for all this.” The queen had perched herself on the edge of the fountain, facing the skimmer. All three riders were standing off to one side in a group, looking nervous, and also angry if you were Nisha, their familiars standing behind them. The dragons looked to also be sharing in the nervousness, glancing worriedly between all of the parties present. Crystal stood with the others, opposite the queen. Rachael had dismissed her wings and tail, and was now holding Kistune, who had come out of the skimmer when they had returned to it.

“I had suspected something of the sort to be honest,” Alysia sighed, “but, well, I guess I really had no idea of the true extent, even with my visions. Nya’s panicked return to the capital has definitely driven that home. I’m just grateful it didn’t get more out of hand. We need to have a long chat. I cannot, the kingdom cannot, afford to remain in ignorance.”

“We can do that,” Rachael said, stretching her shoulders. Nisha was glaring daggers at her, but Rachael was just ignoring her now.

“On behalf of the kingdom, I apologise for what has occurred here,” Alysia said, looking at Crystal and Rachael. “But,” she added, silencing Nisha who looked like she was about to start shouting out in rage, “even with their trigger happy nature, it is not entirely their fault. They were tasked with patrolling the coast, as I knew something was going to occur here. Things however did not pan out as I had expected. Even remotely.”

“Your skimmer,” she continued, gesturing to the craft, “is going to cause massive issues no matter where you go. It stands out. It’s just too foreign, too alien. Though you yourselves are not,” she added, looking at Nisha.

“They still seem like demons to me,” Nisha growled, this time not stopped.

“They could have just be a new form of feral,” Alysia interjected. “Yes, horns like that are rare, and their wings more so, but it’s not outside the bounds of possible.”

“But they aren’t. They claim to be dragons!”

“And that is indeed what they are. Can you not see that? They are no longer just human, their magic having changed them at a fundamental level, if I understand it correctly. Deep dragons. I know this as a fact, the truth plain to see for those who actually look.”

“This is a dragon,” Nisha stated, pointing to Ezizer. Torie was shaking her head, while Leah looked as though she was trying to sink into her own familiar.

“The world has changed Nisha. They are dragons just as much as the manifestation of your magic is. In fact, given that the dragon is part of your magic, a significant part at that, one could argue that you are also draconic in some ways. Their draconic nature is just more encompassing.”

Nisha scowled, but seemed to relent a little.

“They aren’t the only ones who have changed,” Fairweather stated, ears twitching as her flames briefly flared. “Nor are we the only ones.”

“That you aren’t.” Alysia nodded.

“Huh? Wait, they weren’t always dragons?” Torie asked, giving them an odd look.

Crystal shook her head. “No. Originally just normal people. Not even ferals. The ancients made us what we are now, not that I’m complaining.” Not at all. She was proud of what she was, of what she had become when she had become complete. Of being her.

Clocky chuckled. “For a given value of normal.”

“Ancients?” Torie asked.

“A tale for another time, when the sun hasn’t just risen,” Alysia stated.

“Are all the non-humans going to be like them?” Leah suddenly asked, still up against her familiar. “Ferals, but more?”

Alysia looked at Crystal and Rachael. Rachael shrugged. “He hasn’t told us anything about it at all.”

“But don’t assume that it is isolated to just ferals or anything either?” Alysia said, half query, half statement.

“None of the other races that we are aware of were ferals,” Rachael confirmed.

“At the very least, they won’t be quite like these two.” Alysia sighed. “From what I have heard, due to their very nature, they have an effect on riders, and I suspect that is part of what almost caused a catastrophe.”

“They are rather cute,” Leah mumbled with a blush.

Torie nodded. “I think I’m seeing that now.”

Crystal looked at he queen confused. She wasn’t quite sure what she was talking about.

Alysia laughed, her eyes sparkling. “I guess you never really had the chance to find out, did you. You have left more than an impression on some riders, and I strongly suspect that it is instinctual to both sides. To put it bluntly, they find you attractive. Desirable. And not just a little bit. I get it though. Not only are you two both very beautiful, you also have draconic traits, which resonates with their draconic nature, being riders and all. They want you, in that way.”

Oh. Oh!!

Crystal felt herself bush something fierce as she stared hard at the ground. That was going to make seeing riders and flying on their dragons them quite a bit more complicated. All the more reason to try and reawaken the two guardians.

‘If it helps, Rachael wasn’t aware either, and is blushing just as hard as you are. She is holding it together better though.’ Obviously replayed via Kitsune, as Spectre was still somewhere inside the skimmer.

‘No actually. I’m on top of the skimmer now, inspecting the damage.’

Crystal glanced his way. She hadn’t been paying enough attention, and sure enough her cat-fox was where he had said he was.

“Mind you, it may manifest as something else if they don’t swing that way. Jealously perhaps. Maybe even anger. Though I do hope that some are strong enough to overcome it,” Alysia added.

“Yeah, me too,” Crystal mumbled, returning her gaze to the queen. It would hurt, being so close to dragons, but yet having to stay away. She felt Rachael wrapping her arm around her, pulling her close. She needed that. Giving her soulmate a weak smile, her hugged her back with full force.

“Hmpf,” Nisha grumbled. Crystal looked back at the riders. Nisha was pointedly staring at the skimmer, Torie had an amused smile on her face, and Leah was blushing something hard as she quickly looked towards the queen.

“But there is much more to it than just that.” Alysia was looking at the riders now. “I think you’ll find that all four of you are able to converse with your dragons now.”

Nisha frowned. Torie blinked, and then nodded. “Nya too?”

“Yes. For much of her journey back apparently. It was one of the first things that she mentioned, but I could already tell before she told me.”

Crystal gave the queen a questioning look, dreading the response.

“The change leaves a magical mark on them. Your mark. She wasn’t the first rider I’d seen with it either.”

“And they also can now speak to their familiar?” Okay, it was asking the obvious, but she wanted to confirm.

“Yes. Very happy about being able to do so, and wondering why they haven’t always been able to do so.”

“A rider that we’ve met?”

“Yes, though their case may be special.” There was something that the queen wasn’t saying. Well, probably lots of things, but in this case something specific to the thread of the conversation.

Crystal looked at the queen, thoughts racing through her mind, something niggling at her. “Ueana?” she finally asked, the clues all dropping into place. “She’s an other race as well now, isn’t she. Fox aspected?”

“Indeed. A Pyrefox rider to be precise.” With a very clear emphasis on the pyre.

as for rachael, for you.

though in this case,

there were also other contributors.

Well, she knew that the title was there, and had seen the statue, but still, she wasn’t quite sure how to digest that. Petunia was one thing. Ueana though. It was personal this time. Even named after her, in the way that the ancients referred to her, and there was no mistaking the reference. Rachael had handled it all so well. Crystal leant into Rachael some more. Had Ueana also been effected by them in the same way that the others had, by the whole appeal aspect? Would she hate her for it?

i could tell you,

that she is at peace with the changes,

ecstatic even,

ditto for your appeal to her,

but i think that those are things that you will need to confirm for yourself.

something that you must confirm in fact.

before it becomes too late.

There was a sense of urgency behind what Warrior had said.

After her display in front of Nisha, she had now also shown weakness. Not the best way to leave the impression that she had wanted, but what was done was done. Crystal straightened up, and looked back at everyone else. Alysia was smiling in that knowing way. The riders were looking confused, while Fairweather and Clocky gave her a supportive nod. She had no qualms about her and Rachael being responsible for riders becoming able to talk to their familiars. In fact, that was something that she’d happily spread, something that she now knew the familiars were yearning for. Her conviction on what she had said before to Nisha was still there, as strong as ever. But as to the side effects. She sighed. It was going to be complicated. Very complicated. Very, very complicated.

Pyre was leaving more of a mark than she had ever thought.

Petunia and Ueana wouldn’t be the only ones that they were the triggers for either she suspected.

indeed.

marked of the ancients.