Orb of Gidae

We stayed the night with Dioney. Misuni wanted to stay longer, studying the cave drawings that Dioney had created over the last hundred years or so. She often drew what she saw in her visions. The history of many peoples was found on her walls. So we stayed for another two nights, and Dioney and I grew closer still. She had often fascinated me, and I could tell her visions often burdened her. I visited her until I was fully grown and the wars had started in earnest. By then I was tired of the world and had decided to stay by myself in the forest. I didn't realize how much I had missed until then.

The third night, I laid with Dioney under the starry sky, no moon to light the world around us. We slept until dawn broke and Misuni went to the hot springs. We could put off no longer the journey before us, so we packed and Misuni climbed upon my back. Our first destination was the Temple of Ren, located to the west and south of Dioney's home. More to the west than south. It had long been forgotten by many, shrouded in legends and mystery, but dragons' memories were long.

The temple had once been used by a race that was wiped out during the First Great War. They had been a smaller people as I recall, although I had been little more than a dragonling the only time we visited there. I still remembered the giant forest, with trees that regularly hid in the clouds. The temple most likely still stood as ruins above the surface. It was beneath the surface that held what we searched for.

We traveled as before, high in the sky. Dioney had been kind enough to provide Misuni with an old overcoat that had once been worn by elves long ago. It had been left to Dioney as part of an ensemble dedicated to her for her visions and help in times long past. It was too big for the girl, but it kept her warm in the high altitude.

It took many weeks to reach the mountain that was once home to the Renthians, as I thought of them. There was a forest on the mountain that I remember vividly, oranges and reds and yellows painting the mountain majestic. The colors hadn't started changing as of yet, and bright greens of the many trees greeted us as we finally drew near. Misuni and I still practiced during the night on our way, but I called a stop to that as we landed within a day's flight. It was a sense of foreboding that caused me to call a halt to our practicing, a sense of being watched.

We walked the last day rather than flying. The foreboding hung over me, dread making me feel heavy. Dioney's warning echoed in my mind. I knew that forces of chaos would try to prevent us. I just didn't know how yet. Misuni walked quietly next to me as I led the way. We reached a clearing, an overgrown path cut into the mountain trailed upward and we began the trek to the temple. It was cut directly into the mountain and I recall the warren of tunnels that led to the central cavern that was our most likely destination. We approached the entrance, ruins eroded away by time and weather. Statues that once stood tall were now little more than stone mounds and the opening was partially caved in, half an arch remaining to mark the way.

We entered into twilight, rays of sunshine filtering through cracks and bits of dust swirling as we walked past. Cobwebs draped the corners and bits of decoration clung to what was left of the walls. Skittering could be heard as our footfalls echoed back to us. At first nothing happened as we made our way deeper, following the long untrodden pathways deeper into the temple and underground.

We made it to the central chamber. It was an open expanse, with an altar at the far side. The altar still stood, made of stone and wood. The trappings that once adorned it were gone, eaten away and disintegrated by time. We approached the end, crumbled stone crunching under our feet. Misuni walked up to the stone surface and ran her hand across it. She walked around it, looking all about for what else may be contained nearby. I walked to the stone wall behind the altar, strangely untouched and unmarred by the passage of time. Misuni followed me and we studied the wall in silence.

"Something's different here," Misuni’s voice broke the quietness that surrounded us.

"Do you sense anything?" I question her. She places her hand against the wall.

"It's like… it's been enchanted, I think. Like someone wanted to keep whatever is behind this wall sealed away. Perhaps to keep it a secret?" She trailed off, one hand still against the wall and looked at me.

"Perhaps," I responded. I placed my hand against the stone surface, reaching out with my magic. There was resistance there, and I agreed mentally that it was indeed enchanted. "Misuni, try to command the enchantment to let us pass with your magic. Consider this a test to see more of what you are capable of."

I sensed her magic slipping beneath mine. The wall suddenly shone a gold shimmering light beneath our hands, and a passage opened before us. I nodded my approval to Misuni and we began walking down the path. The corridor was just wide enough for me to fit through and still walk beside Misuni, as long as I kept my wings folded. Unlit torches hung in sconces on the walls and the decay we had seen above was not as evident here. The passage ended after a short distance into a large cavern. I remember it being larger when I had been young but I suppose our perceptions change as we age. Circular stone tables still stood throughout the room and a raised dais rose at the far end. On the dais were two seats, where once the priest and priestess of the temple would sit. This had been the gathering hall.

"What happened here, Yongmun?" Misuni’s voice echoed eerily back to us. We approached the dais as I thought about her question.

"A long time ago, when I was very little, a group of people lived here. They were peaceful and wanted to purify themselves for the next life. They were smaller than humans or elves, and the last of their race lived in these mountains. When the time of great peace came to an end, the first Great War broke across the land." We stepped up onto the dais and behind the seats, where another passage awaited us. It was slightly smaller, and we had to walk single file. "The Orb of Gidae is said to be powerful, able to amplify the powers of light cast by the wielder. Many wished to get their hands on it, to use for evil or to destroy it. The Renthians, as I believe they called themselves, tried their best to keep it safe. But in the end they were wiped out and the last priestess and priest cast their last bit of magic to hide away the orb and trap the enemies left in the mountain." Another chamber, much smaller than the gathering hall had been, greeted us at the end of the passage. "The way ahead will continue to grow narrower, until I can no longer travel with you. Let us rest a moment, and I will tell you what lies ahead as I recall." This chamber had once held sections, but it had crumbled away with time so that only the stone remained. There were beds on opposite sides, one to our left and the other to our right. A partition would have divided the priest and priestess' rooms from each other with a sliding door in the middle to allow them to communicate. Openings where doors once stood exited from each side of the room, totalling four exits including the one we had entered by. The one directly across from us was the widest and young dragons had once passed through it.

"This room had been their room for rest. I may be too big to fight through the far door, but I will try regardless. The next room had been their purity chamber, where they purified themselves before going to the Orb of Gidae." I paused for a moment, collecting my thoughts and memories of this place.

"The Orb of Gidae was said to allow the Renthians to communicate with their deity, Ren."

"So that's why it's called the Temple of Ren," Misuni mused. I didn't mind the interruptions. I came to think of them as her human side, impatience causing her to speak lest she forget what she wanted to say.

"Indeed. The Orb of Gidae is said to be able to mess with your perceptions, and you may need to push beyond your normal senses to locate it." I stood once more and Misuni followed me to the far side of the room. "We will need to perform the rite of purification to be able to find and touch the orb. Are you ready?" I looked at the young girl, even now her wide green eyes and brave face are vivid in my memories.

She nodded in the affirmative and entered ahead of me. I was no longer a young dragon, so I had to squeeze myself into the tight space. I had never thought of myself as being claustrophobic, but I had a sudden longing for the skies once again. My wings scraped against the walls on either side, but I was lucky that they had been worn smooth and no sconces hung here. When I at last broke free on the other side, I was glad to take a deep breath. Misuni had already walked to the far end, where a wide pool reflected the strange glowing gems overhead that provided light enough for us to see. It was smooth, almost as though frozen, and no ripple marred its surface.

"How do we perform the rite of purification?" Misuni asked aloud. I chuckled at her, for almost everything she spoke was a question of some sort.

"We bathe here. The pool is enchanted, and it reads the heart of those who dip beneath the surface. When you stand, a set of robes will be on the far side if you are pure enough to pass. Beyond is another chamber, where you will need to pass a veil that is hung from the ceiling. The Orb will be in a small chamber that only you will be able to find.

"Be strong beyond the veil, for I will not be able to follow you there. You will be confronted with your inner self, and you will need to feel the Orb of Gidae to find it. I will be here when you return." She nodded and began to undress, slowly stepping into the water. There was nothing more for me to do, so I settled down to wait. However long it took, I was determined to wait for the rest of eternity for my human to return to me.

She sank beneath the surface and I watched for her to rise once more. A flash of light and an aurora of colors shimmered across the water. When she rose once more, I breathed a small sigh of relief, for robes neatly folded awaited at the far end. She clothed herself and passed into the next room.

I scooted closer to the water, looking down at my reflection. It shimmered, and a man appeared where my face had once looked back at me. I remember blinking in surprise, as the water bubbled up and created a small mound shaped like a face. Small pointed ears, dark brown hair, and gold eyes in an oval face looked at me from the water and then spoke.

"It has been a long time since I have had contact with anyone living in this world," he spoke with a strange lilt, but the sound did not echo as ours had. "I have met a young woman, with a heart full of determination and a voice of sound reasoning residing within her. Her magic surpasses my greatest high priestess, but her blood is not my own. Who is she?"

I lower my head in respect, "Her name is Misuni, a child of elf and human and belonging to neither world. She has been raised in a forest and is hunted even as we speak by the same dark forces that destroyed your people. She wants to end the wars that tear the world apart."

"I am a god without people and she is a child with no greater power than her own. I will choose her, and lend her my power. I do not wish the world destroyed, though great evil was done to my beloved. She may take the Orb of Gidae. I will place my blessing upon her and her children will be marked as my people."

I bowed low, my head now resting on the ground.

He spoke once more. "Yongmun, you once visited my temple long ago, when my people still lived. You will protect this child, I can see it in your heart. For this reason, I place my blessing upon you also, and your children will bond with my new people. When Misuni returns, you will enter the water as she does, and a link will be formed between you and her. You will be able to communicate and call to each other from great distances and your power will increase ten fold. Bring peace to the land that cries for no more bloodshed." Before I could thank him, he slowly disappeared and the surface was still once more.

I do not know how long I lay there, awestruck. I was roused from my stunned senses when Misuni entered the chamber once again. A glowing blue sphere was held in her hands, and she moved slowly. She did not remove the robes as she stepped once more into the small lake. I arose and stepped into the water to meet her.

I was blinded by a flash of light, the water becoming a whirlpool as we met each other in the center. The orb floated between us as a voice echoed, "A link will be formed between you, the first dragon bond."

When we awoke, we were laying outside the entrance to the temple. The blue moon was setting, the sun just peeking above the horizon. I raised my head to look for Misuni, my heart suddenly racing. She laid beside me, curled against my belly. I breathe a sigh of relief as she opens her eyes. She smiles at me, and I feel a strange emotion. It was not my own, but hers.

Can you hear my thoughts?

I nearly jump, and her laughter bounces off the trees. Is this what he meant by a dragon bond?

She answers me aloud, "We have been changed, but I think we are still the same. Yongmun, I think we might really be able to save the world." I can feel her delight and hope shining strong, like a thread that linked us. I had raised her as close to a daughter as I could, and for the first time it felt like we were truly family.

"Our next step is to reach the Isle of Raha. It is in the middle of the sea, far to the south of us. I will need to gather as much strength as I can before we take this journey. We will have to fly for days on end beyond the coast to reach where it is said to have disappeared. There will be no place to land once we leave the shoreline," I explained to Misuni.

"Can we go back to Dioney? I would like to see her again and tell her about what happened." Her eagerness was strong. I would have to learn to tamper down the emotions I could feel from her, lest they influence me to behave differently. It may not be a bad thing, however.

"Yes, let us return to Dioney's home. She will be interested in recording what has happened thus far." She was a historian at heart, a collector of stories and adventures.

And I miss her, I think, but I could tell Misuni heard me by her giggle as she climbed up on my back.

End of book two of the Misuni Saga.