Chapter 91 – What Lies Ahead.

Rachael looked at Crystal, whose gaze was currently on the dragon familiars. There was a softness, a kindness, as well as a determination. She didn’t need to guess what that was with respect to. Crystal was rather fond of dragons. That much was certain. More so, Rachael was sure now, than she had ever realised. Sure, Crystal had shown some interest in them when they had turned up in the campaigns that they had played, but really everyone had. Who wouldn’t. Dragons were cool. Powerful. Untouchable symbols. And beautiful too, though she was more aware of that aspect now than she had ever been, her memories of the images that she’d seen somewhat rose tinted as additional details were now obvious to her. It was uncanny how accurate some of that art really had been, for a creature that was meant to be mythical. Sure, they can in all shapes and sizes, just like any species does, but the overall form, it was there. And those that had featured in the art, she was sure that somewhere in their journey they would come across ones that were close, if not identical.

Mind you, it was always possible that said art had shaped the initial form of the dragons for the first riders, those who had survived from their age, and it had propagated from there, but that theory would be ignoring the statues of the guardians, which Rachael knew for a fact came from before their time.

Dragon was the ancient of the Other Races. But then that raised the question, who was the ancient of the dragons.

....

Rachael was pretty sure that Warrior was trying an innocent whistle, however that worked in the mindscape. It was an unusual sensation for sure. And definitely a human idiosyncrasy.

There was also that memory that Crystal had shared about her youth, that they really needed to get to the bottom of at some point. The draconic creature that she had played with at a young age. There was certainly nothing normal about that encounter, and even a child would be able to see the ancients influence there.

Rachael of course couldn’t deny her interest in the creatures either. Perhaps she wasn’t as strongly taken by them as her lover was, something that to be honest was hard to measure, but she was still very fond of them. Was the interest fuelled by their being deep dragons, or was it possible that they were deep dragons because of Crystal’s and perhaps even her own interest in the creatures? Mind you, Warrior had just said that Velvet was the queen of dragons, so that was probably the most likely cause as to why they were deep dragons. Not that she was complaining. Irrespective, Crystal really really liked dragons. Rachael could just imagine Crystal snuggling a plush dragon, the imagery making her blush.

velvet was the first to be able to talk to her familiars,

though she was an exception,

as the queen of dragons.

ueana was in part touched by that aspect of dawn,

through you, pyre.

more so though,

by you,

for ... reasons.

an unknown, unrealised wish,

an expectation,

from a true dragon,

given form.

given power.

ueana became the template,

for all other riders to be able to talk to their familiars,

an aspect that also became part of both of you,

given the special relationship that you share,

as declared by dragon.

as trivial as it may seem, it still requires significant power to actualise.

and, as you know, it also went well beyond that,

the influence of what you both are.

Rachael blinked. An answer to a question, though one asked by her soulmate rather than herself. A rather lengthy one at that. Warrior really had changed a lot, from when she had first felt the presence of the ancient while sitting in the back seat of Clocky’s buggy. But then, they all had, hadn’t they. It was an aspect of their titles, or perhaps of their bond, or maybe even both, that they both clearly heard Warrior’s answers to either of them. It certainly made for some weird conversations, but the arkchildren were often able to fill in the gaps before either had to resort to actually asking the other. It was an interesting dynamic for sure, and one that was unique to the two of them. And to be honest, she was used to it.

“What was that?” Nisha glared at them, the animosity back and strong. “Are you trying to change us into mutants as well, after what you’ve already done?”

“Like hell,” Rachael growled back at her. There was something about the rider that flat out irritated her. “And I don’t care if your queen is present or not...”

“Rachael.” Alysia’s tone was soft, and calming.

Rachael took a deep breath, her wings materialising again and stretching out behind her as she bled away the pent up stress. Strangely, having them out helped calm her down. But also made her more sensitive to other peoples comments as well. It was an odd sensation, like they were in-between states again.

“We are not mutants,” Rachael stated, and edge to her tone. She couldn’t shake her distaste for what Nisha had said, even when she was calmer. “Just different. Other races, something that you will have to get used to. In time, more will emerge, and your attitude will not serve you at all.”

“And that was Warrior,” Crystal added absently, as if that was enough to answer everything. Which it was, for those who already had the context.

Torie placed her hand on Nisha’s shoulder. “That’s enough. As much as you like this place, it always leaves you edgy, and these are the wrong people to try and pick a fight with. No matter how you see it, what they’ve given us is a blessing.” Ebony gave a confirming rumble in response. “Not to mention, she’s already kicked your ass,” she then added in a whisper. Torie then looked at Alysia. “What now your grace? Do you want us to continue to escort them to the palace? It will mean that the coast will be left unobserved.”

“Hmm. A good question,” Alysia mused. “It all depends really.”

Alysia looked at Crystal and Rachael inquisitively. “Why exactly are you here in the first place? As envoys perhaps?”

Clocky chuckled as Crystal looked down at the ground.

“Actually, we just wanted to explore, but we’re not going to be able to do so, are we?” Crystal said sheepishly.

And search for the souls of the guardians Rachael mentally added to herself as well. But she already knew the answer to the queens question as much as Crystal likely did. Yes, it was something that they had both wanted to do, but reality hadn’t taken long to drag that dream back to the ground. But not completely crush it.

Alysia sighed, which was almost worse than her just calling them idiots. “I understand the sentiment, as I spent centuries doing just that, but it is somewhat of a naive hope for both of you at this point in time. You aren’t just a couple of girls. With your friends of course,” Alysia quickly amending as Fairweather gave her a look. “The skimmer will attract attention no matter where you go, as will your appearance and power. And your effect on riders, and who knows what others. People will take notice of you, for better or worse.”

“We know...”

“And when said people realise the connections that you have...”

“They’re not always obvious you know,” Rachael said, taking Crystal’s hand and giving it a reassuring squeeze. The queen wasn’t being harsh, but it still felt like she was telling them off. Back when she had been a priestess of the core, none had been the wiser, her magic carefully hidden, especially when she had fled her responsibilities. Now though, it was a different age, and a different story. To them, she didn’t think that they were obvious, but in truth she had no idea exactly what people were able to sense.

Alysia gave them a thoughtful look. “Like your effect on the riders, I think that most people will actually sense them, whether they realise their true nature or not. Granted I am an exception, but I can feel them a lot more clearly than last time we met, and I know that there have been changes as well.”

even power carries it’s own cost,

and there is more to you two than most realise.

‘That’s not being very helpful’,’ Rachael grizzled mentally back.

“That’s not to say that you can’t explore though. I certainly can’t and won’t stop you, nor is it within my right to do so, but you will discover that it will end up being secondary to whatever else you are involved with.”

“You have a proposal though, don’t you,” Clocky asked, arms crossed. Rachael could read that between the lines as well.

“Of course. I’d be a fool to squander the opportunity, even if it looks like I am taking advantage of you both. But it would be for both our benefits.”

“And that is?” Crystal asked.

“I would like you to meet with the other members of Clan Daybreak. Well, at least as many as practical.”

Rachael could feel the excitement build up within Crystal. While she wouldn’t care much for the riders themselves, they all of course had their familiars. And, while they hadn’t had the opportunity to talk on it yet, she knew instinctively that Crystal was rather set on spreading the blessing.

“What the #$@% queen!” Nisha all but shouted, her rage clearly visible. “You want them to infect the rest of the clan?”

“Nisha!” Torie snapped, her patience wearing thin. Rachael had thought that Nisha was the leader of their little group, but at the moment that dynamic seemed somewhat messed up, and Leah was off to the side seeming rather stressed as she looked with worry at the ash orange rider.

Alysia gave Nisha a measured look. “Yes. In fact I do. Whether or not you accept the change, being able to talk to your familiar is a significant advantage, and I dare say the natural evolution of your magic. You may not like it, for whatever reason, but the other riders that I have talked to with the change can’t see their lives existing without it any more. I also see it as a when, not an if.”

“I agree with the queen on that one,” Torie interjected, arm still on Nisha’s shoulder. “Even if I’ve only had it for less than a day, I certainly wouldn’t give up the change, and it would be a massive boon to our clan. I have no doubt that other clans will eventually benefit from their power as well, given their desire to travel. Why not let our sisters have the opportunity first?”

“And what is in it for us then?” Rachael asked. “I would say that you are definitely taking advantage of us, irrespective of your relationship with Velvet and Myne.”

“An opportunity to gauge the extent and intensity of the effect, and to meet a whole lot of riders and their dragons. Something that I am sure you are actually quite keen on,” Alysia said, looking at Crystal in particular. “I can also arrange for a rider to accompany you on your journey, which would help offset the issues that your skimmer will cause, though...” She paused, seemingly distracted by something as she stared at the ruins of the temple behind them.

“Though you are unsure if you would be sending them to their death, given the other task that you want to ask of us,” Clocky concluded for her, his eyes glowing the brightest that Rachael had ever seen. Scarily so, in fact. A wave of magic washed out from him as the glow faded and he keeled over, Fairweather catching him before he hit the ground. Images flashed through her mind, most too fast to even recognise.

“Clocky?” Fairweather asked with worry.

“I’m okay,” Clocky answered weakly, using Fairweather to righten himself.

The riders looked confused and on edge, Torie’s fingers going white as she restrained Nisha. Alysia looked pale and sick, shock on her face as she stared as Clocky. Rachael couldn’t blame her, feeling rather unsettled herself.

“Precognition?” Alysia finally asked curiously as she seemed to recover, magic visibly swirling around her. “No, foresight. And rather powerful at that.”

“And not fully my own that time either,” Clocky said with a frown. “A warning perhaps, or maybe just a hint of things to come.”

Rachael had felt it too. An ancients magic had been mixed in with Clocky’s own, the source of the surge.

“Time is not fixed, the future not set in stone,” Alysia stated. “Visions do not always come to pass, events unfolding in different ways, as a result of ours actions. A glimpse of mere possibilities.”

“But often they are still highly likely,” continued Clocky. “The further out, the more fluid they are. Forewarned is forearmed though. This however, was not the original nor main form of my quirk, but an evolution due to our exposure to the ancients.”

Alysia smiled weakly. “Yes, I can see their marks on you as well. You are right though. That was my concern. There are two things that I would ask of you all, one simple, the other that gives me pause. I do not treat the lives of anyone lightly, even those who are not of this kingdom.”

“Contacting Odinsphere will not be an issue,” Rachael stated. In fact, the message had already been sent in anticipation, as she knew she wasn’t wrong about it, and Odinsphere wanted connections on this side as well. “The arkchildren are able to do that easily enough, though I do wonder why you hadn’t done so via Kyla yet. I assume that is the simple one, easy enough to gather from just context, given that you had the riders patrolling near the storms.”

Alysia nodded. “You are correct on that one. Like Velvet and Myne, Kyla is her own person. We are friends, bound by shared experiences, not by positions. I haven’t actually seen her though since the pulse, so I have not had that opportunity. I would appreciate that, given that it does indeed appear that a crossing is now possible.”

“She was there for her return, but left shortly afterwards,” Rachael mused.

“Is that why you were getting additional vessels constructed?” Crystal queried.

“Yes, though I hadn’t expected it to happen quite so soon.”

“Why not? Velvet’s return was rather pressing.”

Alysia chuckled. “I think you are underestimating the significance and sheer impossibility of what you both achieved.”

“And the other?” Rachael asked.

Alysia looked guilty as she chose her words. “Some riders brought to me a hint about the whereabouts of a person that we had been looking for for quite some time, and they offered to follow up on it for me as well. I accepted their offer, after warning them that one of their number would likely die. Like you, they declared their intent to fight fate.”

“You’re sugar coating it,” Clocky accused. “It’s much worse than that.”

“Yes I am, but I was not aware of the true extent of it till after they had left. Had I, I would not have agreed to their proposal. And what you’ve just seen has made it that much worse.”

“Who are they looking for?” Rachael asked bluntly.

“Water, one of the lieutenants of the Demon King. A rider in fact, of whom we actually know very little. As to what they would do once they found her, I left that to their discretion, but it seems now that their involvement is going to end up a lot deeper than that. More than they are going to be able to handle.”

Rachael got a sinking feeling, a chill in the pit of her stomach. Crystal shivered. What Warrior had earlier said was suddenly taking on a more sinister edge.

“It’s Ueana isn’t it,” Crystal said, beating her to it. “You specifically didn’t say that they were members of your clan, and you’ve seen them recently.”

“Yes,” Alysia answered with a pained expression. “Ueana, her two bondmates Fleur and Coorie, as well as Lady Knight Asher and Hatchling Armur, all of Elmer’s Brood.”

Leah sounded like she was about to choke. “Lady Knight Asher is with them, and you think they’re going to die? She’s a lattice soul!”

“Yes.”

“%##$@.” Torie released her grip on Nisha, the ash orange rider glaring at them all.

“We’ll do it,” Crystal declared, standing straight, sword materialising before she stabbed it into the ground, fiery energy arcing around it’s hilt as she let it go. “I will not let her die. I cannot, not upon the titles that have been bestowed. Of what we are.” Crystal’s aura was strong, wings and tail manifesting, bright, vivid, twice their normal size and rather awe inspiring, even for Rachael.

indeed.

she is your daughter,

paladin.

guardian.

“Your choice is your own,” Crystal added, looking at Clocky and Fairweather.

“This does not change my decision,” Clocky stated, his eyes back to normal. “We are aware of the risks.”

“We will meet with the clan as well,” Rachael added, “though if one is to accompany us beyond that, they must be fully aware of the risks.”

“Of course,” Alysia agreed.

“Do we even have time for that?” Crystal asked.

you have time.

being informed is time well spent,

acting in haste is time wasted.

“Yes,” Alysia answered. “We need time to make a decision, and try and work out exactly where they’ve headed.”

“But you’d have sent them somewhere in the first place?”

“I sent them with my thoughts on the clue they presented. That still leaves a lot of options. A whole six kingdoms worth. A ring, no matter how unique, is still somewhat vague.”

A dragon and its rider dead in a massive pool of blood. A gold ring in the image of twisted vines, with a perfectly cut spessartite garnet that was almost of the same size, magic hiding deep within it. A ring that they needed to see for themselves if they were going to discover the truth of it’s origins. Two of the images channelled through Clocky.

There had been others as well, that should couldn’t quite recall, flickering past too fast, fragments that teased on the edges of her consciousness. Though as Alysia had said, she wasn’t sure how many were just possibilities that would never amount to anything. They could be points on their journey, they could be hints to the past. They could be nothing at all.

But then there was the final image, that had been the most vivid of them all.

Arcane, her six wings dripping with blood, a severed head in one hand. Her expression one of pure hatred.

Rachael knew exactly who the look was for.

And it was rubbing her the wrong way.

mogust

Rachael's perspective again. It has been a while, as Crystal seems to be the preference out of the two. They're both MC's though and retain their importance. (Ueana being the third of course).

So, they have a short term plan now. A gathering. What could go wrong :P

Thanks for reading as always. Comments are welcome.

The next chapter (92 - Otherwise known as a Date) will be out around the same time next week (hopefully a bit earlier in the day than this weeks release).