Daedeth

Life started…

Screams and fires faded behind; Thaena ran through the twilighted forest. A heavy roar and scattering of leaves; she ran like her mother bade. Lights bouncing off the surrounding trees grew brighter; she ran faster than she ever had. Risking a glance back, the monster’s silhouette was close; she ran as hard as her little legs could carry her.

Ahead, the forest separated into a dark, round cave. Thaena was scared of the dark, but it wasn’t nearly as scary as what was chasing her. She jumped into the entrance and, as it widened, ran further in. Feeling around in the dark, she eventually hit a set of large rocks she could hide behind.

A loud thump echoed through the cave. Thaena crouched further down.

Another thump, and another, and another. Footsteps– distant at first.

The walls around her got brighter; the monster, closer. The thumping slowed, growing heavier. She held her breath as the air was pierced with a long, sharp scrape.

Boom. The ground vibrated.

Boom. Why were its footsteps so strong?

Boom. Risking another glimpse, Thaena peaked over her rock.

The monster had its back to her, tall frame revealed by the light it held over its spiked, glinting head. Raising its other arm and the jagged metal in it, the monster roared at the direction of the cave’s entrance. Following its attention, Thaena finally noticed them. Dozens of faint lights covered the darkness, dominated by two, brighter stars at the cluster’s center. The stars raised to the height of the cave and the loud booms that she thought had come from the monster echoed again. Leaving the shadows, the cluster briefly became a wall of dazzling gems in the torchlight before a breeze snuffed it out

Another monster roar, a sharp hiss.. fire.

Thaena ducked back behind her hiding place as the heat and the smell and the brightness burned her senses. A moment later, the hiss of the flames stopped and her closed eyes attempted to readjust to the returned darkness. Another moment passed by and she opened them again. The air was still warm around her. The walls reflected a faint glow. Finally, she looked over her rock again and saw no sign of it. No more scary monster chasing her; just Thaena, the stars across from her, and an embering spider web of cracked stone between them.

She sat and stared at the two brighter lights for an eternity. They stared back, studied her, shifted in the air. They glanced from Thaena, to the other large rocks around her, and back. As her sight fully adjusted to the cave's dim glow she could just barely make out more of the gem-covered creature– large, horned, winged. She stood and slowly stepped around her hiding place, keeping her gaze locked onto the two, bright eyes in front of her. She took another step, and another, crossing around the floor's cracks and towards the one who saved her from the monster.

Before Thaena could reach her rescuer, however, he turned away and planted himself on the ground; apparently done studying her. Standing there, she watched the slow, rhythmic raise and lower of his breathing. Eventually her adrenaline wore off and she slumped to the ground as well. Her eyes began to droop and, looking around, she realized her hiding-rock was hollow. She crawled over and curled up inside its cavity before letting heavy eyelids and exhaustion take her.

✦

You took me home…

The next day, Thaena awoke to a warm breeze on her face. Blinking the sleep out of her eyes, she was confronted by the attention of her rescuer. His long, scaly face a few feet from hers; the deep, rhythmic breaths that lulled her to sleep bridging the distance; his large, old eyes questioning– understanding– her thoughts. Daylight fell into the cave and revealed the massive wings that framed his body. Backing his large head away, he looked towards the lighted entrance, then again at her. She stood and, as he walked out of the shadow of the cave, joined her rescuer.

She followed him through the forest, admiring the different colors the rising sun’s light reflected off his scales– never quite the same. Sometimes they followed the path she made the previous night, sometimes they made their own. They passed patches of burned trees and broken limbs; through signs of struggles, and what resulted from failed escapes. After a time, they got to the edge of the forest and left its treeline behind. Ahead was the clearing her town had sat in. Most of it was gone, only piles of charred wood where some buildings stood– half a home here, the shell of another there, one somehow mostly untouched. She followed the indented, ash filled walkways through the mounds of charcoal, trying to find her own house.

Her rescuer followed, poking his colorful head inside any building she passed that hadn't completely fallen. Finally they got to what remained of her house: two, half-standing walls around fallen timber. Her rescuer walked away, moving his nose through the fields of ash and dirt, clouds of the debris occasionally puffing out of his nostrils.

“Mooommyyy,” Thaena called, walking around the outside of her house.

“Moooommyyy,” the empty town didn’t respond.

Mommy..

She dropped down, knees to her chest, and stared at her feet. Some time later, Thaena heard the tromps of her rescuer approach from behind her. Resting the end of his nose against her shoulder, he sighed. She turned and set her forehead against the edge of his nostril, it was as big as her fist, “I know it wasn’t you. Your fire is good.” He blew air across her head and lifted his, turning the direction he just came from and retraced his steps. Again, she followed without question.

Eventually they arrived at a stump she recognized as one her mother would place her on while harvesting herbs. Her rescuer leaned his head around it and exhaled a long, deep breath. Thaena heard a sound akin to when she’d tap and scrape stones together to mash plants the adults gathered. Walking towards the sound, she found her mother. But, not her mother, it was a statue; one as big as her, sleeping. Thaena’s lip trembled and she felt tears well up, “Can we find her?”

Thaena's rescuer nudged her back. When she turned around he leaned in and touched his massive brow against hers, nose brushing the ground. This, how dragons honor fallen, a warm voiced entered her head. She squeezed her arms around the dragon's head and cried against his gem-covered face.

✶✶✶

She couldn't remember when the tears stopped; it didn’t feel like they had. Just as she didn’t remember the dragon setting her on his back. But time moved. They left pain behind– her village, her house, her mother.

Finally she asked, “Do dragons have names?”

Daedeth, humans once called, she felt the same, warm voice press into her head. Thaena lay the side of her face against his back, looking towards the strange, hollow stones she had slept in the previous night.

Daedeth. Father.

✦

..taught me to read…

“Do we need to do this, Daedeth?” Thaena sat in the dirt across from him. Leaning back on her hands, she looked up at the sky through the forest canopy, “Mommy always had the healy-men write for her.” It had been a few months since she lost her mother. She still cried when she thought too much about that day. But she could always visit her statue.

Dragons prize knowledge, his gentle voice reached into Thaena’s head, Runes: base of words. Words: base of knowledge. Speak to reader; Speak to world. World listens. World remembers– changes– at knowledge.

“Like magic?” She moved her attention to the dragon and sat up straighter, “Writing can make me magic?”

He paused, thinking, If practice writing-runes, Daedeth can show magic-runes.

“Is that how you made the statue?”

Magic changes world; reminds world. Flesh forgot how to be stone. Daedeth reminded Thaena-mother; didn’t make, reminded.

Thaena stared at the ground for a moment, “Can.. I remind her to wake up? Can I remind her I’m here?”

Daedeth stared at her with his deep, thoughtful eyes, not replying for a time. Then he stretched his long neck the few feet between them and pressed his forehead against hers, nose scraping the ground. It reminded her of when he first spoke to her. She felt a warm, sorrowful emotion enter her mind and mingle with her own emotions. Her tears fell onto his snout as she hugged his head.

Those gone must rest; can see– need see– living enjoy life. Thaena remember Thaena-mother, not need come back; remembering enough.

She nodded against his face and squeezed tighter before letting go.

He pulled his head back, nodding towards her, Some human tribes write for fallen. Write on earth, let rain take. Tell resting about lives. Thaena want try?

Thaena wiped her face dry and nodded again.

Then Thaena need runes. He stretched a long claw out and scratched a pattern into the dirt between them, This Goh, make ‘t-th’ sound, used alone mean earth…

✦

..how to survive…

Thaena hid from her prey behind the cover of brush. Peering through the leaves, she could see the brown rabbit Daedeth tasked her with catching. It had been four years since he rescued her, and four months since insisting she needed to learn to catch her own meat. She was so tired of berries and mushrooms.

The rabbit lifted its head and sniffed the air before chewing up the lengthy green in its mouth. Thaena squeezed the crude spear in her hands. Turns out dragons coveted knowledge about everything; philosophy to culture, history to farming, even mundane topics like tools and crafting. A good thing too, without his lifelong collection of information Thaena would have outgrown and outworn her clothing years ago– if she had gotten to that point without eating anything she shouldn’t.

Her prey jerked to the side, snapping her attention back to reality. Thaena, remember, focus, she felt Daedeth’s voice enter her head. She exhaled a sigh, always reminding her to stay on task. Slowly she lifted her spear to eye level and pulled it back, waiting for the rabbit to decide there was no present danger. It relaxed again and returned to eating– her chance. Tensing her arm, she yanked the spear forward and let go. Wind zipped past her head as the shaft made its course through the air. The rabbit turned towards her, the spear left Thaena’s hiding place and..

..planted itself in the soil, a measley foot away from the rabbit-- which immediately bolted into the bushes before she could even groan in frustration.

“I hate this!” Thaena sat down with a thud, crossing her arms and staring at her lap.

Hatchlings must learn, food caught; become big, become strong. Daedeth curled around from where he lay so his head was adjacent to hers. Animals didn’t mind him, ‘Dragons rarely need to hunt’– or however he put it– while she had to hide and 'focus'.

“But I’m not even any good at it. Besides, what’s the point if you can catch it for me?” She furrowed her brow, refusing to look at him, “This wasn’t ever a problem when I was a little kid.”

Thaena grows, must grow inside. Need skills, need survive.

“You’ll always be here to help though." She thought for a moment and loosened her arms before turning to face him, “Won’t you?”

Daedeth paused, looking into her eyes. With his, it was easy to believe he had enough experience to collect everything he seemed to know. His dark, shining eyes portrayed the vastness of the night sky in all its shades and hues, as well as the age of its stars. Future, hard to know. Must be ready for all in store.

✶✶✶

Thaena ran through a bush, pushing its branches to the side with an odd mix of excitement and anxiety. She hit it– she actually hit the squirrel. She’d always practiced with targets on the ground, but to actually hit her prey while it was above her– even if it was on a lower branch– amazing. She found her spear by a fallen log and looked around for the squirrel. It lay a half-dozen feet away, propped against the base of a tree.

Anxiety then overpowered her excitement and her heart sank. Its little chest moved up and down in a frenzied rhythm. It must have heard her as she stepped forward, because it started to scramble and kick at the ground. It clawed itself a few inches around the tree, revealing a large stain of blood and releasing a dreadful cry. She had hurt it. Badly.

Thaena froze. “Wha- what do I do? It’s still alive. Daedeth–” she turned away as it started squirming more, “Daedeth, it’s hurting!”

Thaena failed giving quick death. Need end suffering.

“Can’t you do it? I don’t know–”

Cost of hunt, hatchling, waves of soft and soothing emotions accompanied Daedeth’s voice as he tried to comfort her, Sad, but necessary, lesson.

✶✶✶

Thaena sat against the base of their cave's entrance later that night. She had managed to push through the guilt and eat her catch, if only because of Daedeth’s words to honor the squirrel and not let its energy go to waste. She was still a little mad at him for making her hunt. “Daedeth.. you’ve.. done this a lot for me, haven’t you.”

Thaena growing, needed strength, needed meat. Daedeth provided.

They sat in an extended silence, “Does it get easier?”

The dragon laid his head next to her lap and watched their fire. Is part of life. But no. Does not. Should not. Always respectful, never easy.

Thaena sighed and lay across the top of Daedeth’s head, rubbing her hand up and down his smooth scales. “Thank you, Daedeth.”

✦

..even how to defend myself…

Daedeth finished drawing in the dirt and lifted his claw. Roughly, it was the letters for fire and air, but with extra bits connecting and surrounding them. Now that Thaena was ten and had mastered writing, Daedeth had promised– after some persuasion of course– to finally begin teaching her magic.

“I see Che and Xon, but.. the rest of it?”

Markings for time, distance, amount. Guide magic during practice. In future, not need, will infer. For now, need. Now, as exercised.

Thaena nodded and focused on the runes, thinking about their meaning, how they connected to what they represented. She imagined a large, roaring fire like the kind Daedeth made for her at night; its warmth, its light, how it smelled, how it danced in the air. An odd pressure pushed on the back of her head. It almost felt like when Daedeth was about to talk, but.. different. Unemotional. Finally she closed her eyes and placed her hand on the runes.

Nothing happened.

Thaena opened her eyes and lifted her hand, examining it and the runes. Had she done something wrong? She focused on the image of Daedeth’s fire again, still feeling the strange pressure in the back of her mind. This time she pushed on it and jumped as it quickly passed through her body. Smoke appeared in front of her hands with a loud pop and gust of heat. She yelped, waving them in the air frantically and tucked her singed palms under her armpits. Daedeth leaned his head over to investigate. “I’m okay, just surprised.”

Hands off runes. Suspect mind as well.

“I know, I know, I just felt this weird pressure and got distracted.”

Pressure: connection. Tapped for runeless magic. Thaena not ready. Use eventually, but rune now.

Thaena shook her head, “It was an accident. Just, let me try again.” She rubbed her hands and returned them to the rune before Daedeth nudged her shoulder.

Daedeth glad Thaena okay. Glad eager to learn. Only worried; magic dangerous.

She lifted her hands and stared at him for a moment. Laughing, she hugged his face, “Thank you, Daedeth.”

✦

I learned how to be human…

“You’re so lucky, Thaena.” Faeyen stood up, returning her knife to its sheath, “Learning magic isn’t a very common thing for people to do, much less master it.”

Thaena deposited another mushroom into Faeyen’s basket, “I wouldn’t say I’ve mastered it, but Daedeth does seem impressed at my progress. Says I’m a natural." After four years of practice, Thaena was beginning to understand the finer points of his lessons. She could do basic practices without the guiding-lines, and sometimes even the runes themselves– with Daedeth’s supervision of course.

“Well I’m glad he allows you to have freetime. Taez still hardly gets to leave the smithy and he’s been an apprentice for.. What is it, two years now?” Faeyen’s brother used to accompany her on weekly excursions into the forest to gather seasonal plants. It was on such an excursion five years ago that Thaena had come across the pair of them and, after becoming fast friends, shown them her favorite places to gather mushrooms.

As Faeyen said, though,“Yes, two years sounds right. I do miss him.”

Faeyen smiled and nudged at Thaena with her shoulder, “Oh? Is someone regretting her rejection of my brother’s feelings?”

Thaena felt her ears redden, “It was a child’s crush; he got over it. Besides..” she glanced back at Faeyen, struggling to find the words. “I–” for a moment their eyes locked. Faeyen’s were like Daedeth’s: deep and bright. But instead of his glittering shades of black, Thaena found herself falling into a lake of blue and green hues. “..had my studies to focus on!” She turned the opposite direction, heat rising up her face, and pointed across the sky. “Did I tell you, Daedeth promised he’d teach me to fly soon!”

Faeyen stepped up beside her and leaned her head on her shoulder. A light breeze carried her scarlet hair and sweet honey scent across Thaena's face. “Take me up with you once you have the hang of it?”

“I, uh, I’ll have to ask Daedeth.”

Faeyen shifted the mushroom basket to the side opposite Thaena, brushing her newly freed hand against her own, “We could ask together. Maybe I’ll finally get to meet this ‘dragon’ of yours.”

Thaena knew as another heatwave washed her face that she was now the same color as Faeyen’s hair. Unable to force words through her mouth, she just nodded furiously.

Faeyen laughed and loosely wove their fingers together, “It’s okay, me too.”

✦

..and a dragon…

Thaena trudged up the steep incline towards her launching point, her back heavy with the weight of her wings. It took six months to make them– and another two just to fine tune the runes– but they were finally ready for actual flight. These wings symbolized both her ability to use runes and Daedeth’s permission to control magic without them. Therefore, she didn’t mind if she had to haul them up to the cliff alone. In fact, she agreed that it was something she should do herself; a commitment to her desire to fly. Even so, the trek still wore her legs out.

Another ten minutes and she finally reached the hilltop: a flat, empty field where Daedeth waited. Thaena unstrapped her wings and gently set them on a rock before walking over and slumping down next to him. Wings, heavy burden, his warm voice pressed into the back of her mind.

She leaned against him and let out a long, satisfied sigh as her muscles relaxed, “Long hike.” They sat in a peaceful silence, taking in the rising sun's warm rays and crisp morning breeze.

Eventually, Thaena decided she’d recovered for long enough and stood. After readorning her wings, she ventured to the cliff’s precipice and slid her hands into their control straps, spreading her arms wide. The wings opened and extended in response, accompanied by the creaks of wooden frame and snapping of unfurled canvas. Daedeth had again lent his wisdom in order to create them. Using knowledge he collected from shipwrights in some far off land and applying it to what he instinctively understood of flight, a bit of magic for lift was all she needed to add. As far as he knew, nothing like them had ever existed. Thaena was so excited.

Shame Faeyen not come. Daedeth liked. He walked up beside Thaena as she braced her footing against the wind's threats to sweep her increased surface area away.

“Don’t worry, she liked you too. Well, once she came to terms with ‘my dragon’ being an actual dragon,” she smiled and closed her eyes while crouching down, “She said she was going to watch from down below.”

Thaena ran forward, feeling the wind on her face and envisioning its powerful lift. When she reached what she knew was the cliff’s edge, she jumped, diving through the air and opening her arms wide. Her descent lessened as the air pushed her wings up. She poured all her intention to soar into the runes, thinking about how the air currents pushed up birds and leaves and even dragons.

When she opened her eyes she could see the forest below her, trees and clearings passing underneath. She was gliding through the sky; she was flying. Her heart welled up and she let a triumphant cry ring through the wind. When she passed over the groves she vaguely identified as their regular meeting place, she circled them, attempting to ensure her flight was visible and maybe even spot Faeyen.

Soon Thaena heard the loud claps of rushing air that signified Daedeth’s flight. As he caught up and flew parallel to her, a warm mix of his pride, excitement, and joy pushed into the back of her mind. Thaena smiled and lifted her wings, beating them through the air to help envision acceleration. For added flair she reached into the back of her mind and conjured smoke, blowing it in his face with a roar as she burst ahead of him.

Cheat! His amused voice rang in her head.

They raced above the forest for hours until they eventually called her first flight a success; Thaena definitely won.

✦

Maybe even a better one than you…

Thaena ran through the forests’ vegetation, pushing through barricades of branches and thorns to save time. She had heard it from this direction; Daedeth’s deafening roar echoed through the trees about a half-mile away from where she had been spending time with Faeyen. Thaena didn’t know what kind of trouble could warrant such a bellow, but, whatever it was, he needed help. Scraped and bloodied, she finally emerged from the trees. Arriving at the lake in the forest's center, she entered an air of feverish screeches and vibrating growls.

Daedeth lay low, body thrashing and tail whipping through the air towards his assailant: another winged creature. Smaller and more nimble, it darted through the air like a falcon after its prey, landing blow after blow on Daedeth. Something about this fight was wrong– obviously he couldn't outfly it, but Daedeth’s movements were too erratic, his fire too reserved against the creature.

Thaena left the tree-line and rushed across the shore. Digging deep into the back of her mind, she jumped as hard as she could and left the ground behind.

In a second she passed over Daedeth and smacked into the beast. Though initially shocked, it soon began to grapple and tear at her. Thaena’s attention diverted, runes flashing in her mind and intentions shifting from offensive strikes to defensive barriers to last-moment dodges with every instance. Shrieks, roars, and cries engulfed the air as adrenaline numbed both pain and passage of time.

✶✶✶

Thaena came back to consciousness slowly. Head pounding, her eyes ached as blurred images came into focus. Sounds wavered as she recognized Faeyen sitting over her, “..think a wyvern.. here?.. be more?.. Hopefully that- Thaena!” Faeyen had glanced down, “Thaena are you okay? Can you move–”

Her senses faded again.

Thaena, Daedeth’s voice, but far off and.. concerned, sad, maybe even angry? It didn’t matter, she was too tired.

Daedeth sending.. Thaena.. forest.. her thoughts couldn’t focus on his words. She was just too tired. He could tell her later.

Own kind..

✦

I thought you believed differently…

Thaena bolted awake, breathing heavily. It couldn’t be true– what her subconscious pieced together– Daedeth hadn’t sent her away. Looking around, she wasn’t in their cave; the walls were wood. Faeyen jumped from beside the bed and gripped her in her arms, “Thaena, you’re awake. How do you feel? Does anything hurt?”

A rush of emotions hit Thaena and she felt tears well up as she buried her face in Faeyen’s neck. After a moment she pushed the words through her dry throat, “Where’s Daedeth?”

✶✶✶

Thaena limped into the cave, gripping her makeshift cane.

Faeyen had told her everything; The wyvern, how Thaena had killed it, Daedeth treating her more severe injuries with magic, him insisting she needed to leave the forest. She left Faeyen’s house then, the calls of her family fading as she got deeper towards her home.

“Why?” She called out, stepping further in, “Why are you sending me away?”

Thaena.. His voice was distant, hidden, ..cannot stay. Daedeth made mistake keeping–

“Is it because I rushed in? Yes it was risky, but I won!”

Thaena pushed magic too hard. Almost died–

“You would have died if I hadn’t! I had to save you! You’re the one who taught me how–”

Daedeth selfish to!

Brought danger teaching, keeping. Thaena need own kind; need go home–

“I am home!” She fell to her knees, squeezing her eyes shut against the water behind them, “You rescued me! You taught me! You took me in!”

Daedeth remained silent for what felt like hours, not entering her mind to speak or to share emotion. She couldn't take it anymore, dammed eyes burst.

A whisper fell alongside her tears, “Did you not love me because I’m not a dragon?”

Daedeth’s nose tapped her face before his own pressed against it.

She wrapped her arms around his snout as she had done so many times before and cried against his scales. “I was born in this cave, hiding behind a rock. I may not have hatched from your egg but I was born behind it. I started my life inside of it. Daedeth, if you can’t see that– if you kick me from my home–”

A soft, warming river of mixed emotions pushed into the back of her mind and she squeezed his head even harder. She felt comfort, pride, fear, self-loathing, love, Thaena Daedeth-daughter. Want protect.. but.. Daedeth old.. scared. Can no longer make fire. Can no longer see clearly. Can no longer protect.

Thaena inhaled slowly and pushed through his emotions; reaching towards Daedeth's mind, until she felt immersed in him, Then let me protect you, Daedeth.

✦

..but I know better now..

Thaena stood on the precipice of the cliff, her toes dangling off the edge. Had it really been five years since she first entered the sky from this very field? She closed her eyes and took a deep, euphoric breath. The air was scented with a sweetness that flowed across the top of the forest during its change from spring into summer. “I remember the hours of racing we did in these skies,” Thaena laughed, “Faeyen said she could tell every direction we were going based on the smoke trails I blew at you. It still wasn’t cheating, I’m a dragon.”

She watched a group of birds fly overhead, turning around as she followed them. “You know, it’s thanks to you that I met her. Even if you take being rescued out of account. If someone else had saved me and taken me to their village, I doubt we would have ever crossed paths.”

Across from her, Faeyen laughed softly, “Somehow I feel like being the reason for meeting me doesn’t quite meet the same worth as being the reason for flying.”

Thaena smiled and joined her. Reaching for Faeyen’s crimson hair, she ran her fingers through its silken strands. “Trust me, he’d agree that it's worth more.”

She smiled back and lay her hand on top of Thaena’s before kissing her cheek, “I’ll give you two a minute alone.”

After Faeyen departed, Thaena faced Daedeth’s sleeping figure; a content, regal display.

She sat on her knees in front of him, placing her hand on the end of his nose and smiling. “I hope– from the bottom of my heart– that you knew what you meant to me, Daedeth. That you’ll always know, even now, what you mean to me.” She took a deep breath and willed her eyes and voice to stay calm.

“My life started when you rescued me. You took me home– gifted me with home.. You taught me to read– even if I fought it at first– showed me how to survive in and respect the world around me, even gave me a way to defend myself and those I love. I learned how to be a human from the friends you let me meet, and how to be a dragon from the greatest one to ever exist.” She sniffed and chuckled, attempting to banish her tears, “aside from myself of course.”

It was in vain. Her pain– her loss- rained down onto Daedeth’s face.

“There were times when I thought maybe you didn’t agree with that.. But I know better now. I know you see me as a hatchling. Your hatchling.”

Closing her eyes, she gently kissed the bridge of Daedeth’s nose, pouring her love, her sorrow, her desire to preserve his memory, into it. As she lifted her face away from his, the sound of scraping rocks filled the air. Daedeth’s body became stone.

“Thank you, Daedeth.”

Thank you, Father.