Song of the Universe

"There weren't always dragons in the valley," I mumble to myself as I run for cover again for the third time today. I land face first in what I thought was mud turns out it was dragon poop. I stand up and try to clean my face, and overhead a dark shadow appears. It grows larger. I bend down to pick up my sword and feel a breeze that knocks me down. I stand, gain my balance, and feel the strong urge to find water to bathe.

"All I need now is another tragedy." Mumbling to myself. You see, years ago, two Elves. Particularly worthless no-good idiots were carting a huge find to town, and they came across. They had no idea what they had found. Because of the heavy weight of their prize, the cart lost a wheel, and the two were stranded. They stood for hours quarreling among themselves.

Garnering the attention of a young fairy out gathering berries: she quickly turns to watch them and their scandalous trade.

Finally, a traveler came along with a young human on horseback. "Friend, what have we here?" The Elves being ready to let the prize go to get back to business, were more than willing to sell the man the egg. The larger of the two Elves asked, "What interest do you have in this thing?" The human said, "I love stones of all sorts. I collect them." I'll give you these six coins. The Elves, delighted by this sale, agree.

He then says. "Boy, grab the egg and strap it onto the back of your saddle." The Elves say. "Egg? That's no egg. That's a rock!" He recognizes his blunder and says. "Yes, Yes, you are right." Then mumbles. "Hurry, boy." The two humans scramble off with their prize. The Elves fix their wagon and return home.

The fairy rushes back to her hive and her Queen. "I must speak to the Queen!" The guard at the door asks, "Why? You have to let me in. I have to see her immediately." He can see the Queen from the corner of his eye. She motions for him to let her in.

He moves out of her way. She dashes into the Queen's room and sees several of her ladies-in-waiting around her. All of them wearing lavish gowns, and our little fairy, looking down at herself, but proceeds on. "Matilda, your Highness. I must inform you. I saw two elves with an egg." Matilda turns to her, "An egg?" Her Ladies-in-waiting. "Says an egg"? one by one, echoing the words "an egg?" Matilda then says, "Child, come here. Sit with me. How big was this egg?" It was large and brown.

She spreads her arms apart to show the size of the egg. Matilda says, "Oh dear, that is no ordinary egg." She walks to the door. "I need the Master Guard Immediately. Send out an alter to have all the Generals to be on Stand by and await my commands." Alarmed by this, the guard dashes off into the evening.

I, however, and here finally making it to the river and not a moment too soon. I build a fire, then wash my clothes and try to hide. I lay my sword down where I can find it in case of an emergency. A sword, that's funny, it's more like a long knife, and I had to steal it. "Let's say I'll be avoiding the Glen for a long time. Who knew he would get that mad." I mumbled about laying my clothes around to dry.

"I hate the night! Trolls and assorted boogers come out at night." Forgetting I need to be quiet, I continue mumbling to myself. "Why does everything have to happen at night? Why can't they do their thing in the daylight where everybody can see what's going on?" A crunch behind me snaps me back. "Who's there? I am armed! I will skewer you!" The crunching stops. I remember my father saying, "Things that make loud noises in the woods are small things that make small noises are large." I make a torch from a stick and dried moss. "Nothing is there." I look close to the ground, "maybe it was small."

"Hmm, maybe it's gone now." Then a stick flies by my face. I move just in time to dodge it. An elegant voice says, "Good reflexes." I shout! "Who's there! Then a majestic Hippogriff steps into the light. I fall backward. "How dare you look me in the eyes!" I quickly stand up and bow. "I apologize, kind Sir. I had no idea who you were." I bow. He bows. This majestic creature steps into the light, his feathers glimmering in the firelight. I ask, "Sir, if I may?" His beautifully soothing voice says, "You may." I ask. "Why are you walking? Instead of flying?" He ducks his head. "I flew into a tree a few days ago." I ask, "Were you drunk?" Appalled by my question, he stammers and says, "No, I will have you know Hippogriffs do not get drunk." I add. "Then why would you hit a tree?" He stammers and then demandingly says. "I was distracted, and that will suffice for this conversation." I add. "curious." He turns his beak up in the air. He adds, "Now, if you don't mind. I shall have a seat by the fire." Happy to have company, I say. "Make yourself at home, Sir." He promptly lays down. I can clearly see his rightwing is damaged, and he struggles to move it.

I sit amazed. I am sitting next to one of the most majestic creatures imaginable. Kings fight to find and imprison Hippogriffs. Because of what they can destroy. One swipe of those claws can be sure of death for any creature they scratch. However, a little-known fact their saliva is the cure for their poison. My grandmother taught me that just before a dragon ate her.

I sat there that night amazed. There are dangerous mud snakes, Demigods, Demons, Dragons, eels that eat your soul, Elves, Fairies of all sorts, Ghosts, Ghouls, Griffins, Hippogriffs, Kappas, Leprechauns, Manticore, Poltergeists, Witches, and many more that I have yet to see. I am sitting next to one of the most powerful creatures of them. I murmur, "Thank you!" We spent several days together. He only tried to kill me six or seven times. He gave me mercy and allowed me to ride his back from time to time. We grew close over the new few weeks.

We traveled from village to village, seeing the damage firsthand. We look around, "This is no ordinary dragon. There were clues along the way that he would point out. At the last village, he said. "This dragon was loved and cared for by a man." I asked, "Why would you think that?" He replies, "I don't think it. I know it." I ask. "How did you come to this conclusion?" He responds. "Look how it has destroyed each village. There were no humans left alive. Normal dragons save some for later." He points to a burned hut, "See, this hut means it flew from the top of the mountain."

He sniffs the air, "We need a different kind of help." I ask, "What do you mean?" He says, "Magic." I turn to him. "Magic? You are the most powerful creature around. Why would you need magic?" He moves his wing and looks at me, reminding me of his wound. I ask, "What kind of magic would help you?" He says, "all of it." Bewildered by that statement. I ask, "What do you mean, "All of it?"

He says, "Sit" I stomp my foot, "I am not an Elf or some creature you can command." He says demandingly. "Sit, and I will tell you why I need this help." I reply, "Oh." He adds, "The disrespect, you need a bath, foul creature." I ask, "Is this going to be one of those 'In the beginning stories?' Because, if it is my, grandpa used to get drunk on mead and tell stories all day." He stomps his foot. When a Hippogriff stomps his foot, he has had enough. I shut up.

"It is said that at the beginning of the universe. Several energies diverged energy was powerful and had counter energy life and death, happiness and anger, vibration and vacuum, music and silence, love and hate, balance and imbalance. They all came together to form the planet you and I walk on today. I ask, "are there more energies?" He answers, "Yes, many more." Some creatures are gifted the ability to manipulate them all, and we must find them. This dragon that destroyed these villages is one such creature that can have the ability to alter all of the energies. I ask, "Do you know who they are?" He answers, "Only a few." I ask, "Is there someone that can help us find them?" He answers, "There used to be. She should be close to here if she hasn't moved. Tonight we need to rest." I add. I need to clean your wing." The massive bird lays down and unfolds his beautiful wing to expose a healing wound. I ask, "So what can these people do?" He responds, moaning and groaning. "They usually don't know they have the ability. Once, I met an Owl that could manipulate crystals. Then next time, a Troll could feel vibrations from miles away and know what was about to happen. The last was a tree that could manipulate the wind." I ask, "So what about humans?" He answers, "All of them can manipulate something, just not well." I say, "There, you go for the night."

The massive bird says, "I am endeared to you, my friend." I lay down next to him, and he placed his wing over me. I lay feeling safe for a change.

I think to myself, "I wonder, what can these creatures do? Do I have some special power?" I watch the stars that night and drift off to sleep. In the night, I feel the sting of something piercing my skin. I look down to see the claw of my friend's front foot has pierced my skin. Knowing I only have seconds to live. I remember what my grandmother said, "Only the saliva of a Hippogriff can save you from its scratch." I stick my hand in his beak, waking him and insulting him. He springs to his feet, "How dare you!" I quickly rub the saliva on my leg. I can feel an instant sense of relief. He scolds me. "The nerve of you! Why would you do such a thing!" I back against a log and say, "I had to. You scratched me." His anger turns to concern. "Let me see." He gets next to my leg. His huge eagle eye looked up and down my leg. "Why did you stick your hand in my mouth?" I reply, "My grandmother said it cures a scratch from you." He says, "Hmm, it does. Does it? How would she know this?" I reply, "I don't know, but I feel great." I hear, "This nasty creature needs to take a bath. Now I will have to find water and clean myself." I reply, "I am not nasty. Thank you very much. I bathed last week." The bird looks at me and says, "I didn't say anything." I confront him. "Yes, you did. I heard you!" He gets close to me again. I see that extra-large eye glaring into mine, "I. Did. Not." I reply, "Yes. You. Did." He scoots me close to him and says, "Lay down, boy. we need rest." That morning, I woke up. I looked at my leg to see if there was no infection. My leg had healed overnight. Now we must try to find all these creatures to defeat this monstrous dragon before it nests and overruns the realm with dragons. A voice invades my head. "You must bath. First, you smell terrible." I ask, "How can I hear you in my head now?" The Hippogriff says, "I'm not sure." I ask, "What do I call you?" He says, "Aquilae Talen." I ask. "What kind of name is that? I shall call you "Leonard the great!" He replies, "You will do no such thing." I then say, "How about Lester the Great!" The great beast opens one eye and looks at me with disapproval.

I ask, "Where do we find these mystical creatures?" He replies. "I have no idea?" I ask. "Isn't there a stone or a stick that will show us who they are?" He says, "No." We have to find Ronae. My friend, she should be around here somewhere." I ask, "What will she do? He replies, "I have no idea." We trudge through the swamp and up the mountains. The Hippogriff walks up to this large oak and says, "Ronae! My dear old friend!" I see this act and say, "You crazy bird, that's a tree. Tree's don't talk." "Oh, is that my beautiful friend Aquilae Talen?" I stand there in awe. "Trees don't talk!"

"Sure of that, are you?" as a limb reaches down and gently lifts my chin. I stand amazed. "Thought you understood everything you see, didn't you?" I stammer, trying to answer. She laughs. "Do you have a name, boy?" The Hippogriff says, "I call him dirty boy." My name is Lord Earl the fourteenth. She adds, "Black-hearted Earl, robber, and thief?" "Not really black-hearted, kinda brown, robber no, not really, and the thief just the sword." She laughs and says, "Bravery is not your thing. I see." Aquilae Talen steps up and says, "He stood up to me." She adds. "Oh, brave or out of stupidity?" Aquilae says, "Both."

"You have come to me to understand something? A great quest, people will die? The world will end?" I say, "Yes!" She says, "They have since the beginning of time. This process is nothing new. We don't inter fear with how people rejoin the universal energy." I add. "That's just lazy and uncaring." I watch Aquilae Talen as he nods in agreement with me. She laughs, "In agreement, are you?" She snaps a twig from her limbs from the back side of her trunk. She digs up this sparkling multicolored crystal. "Boy, do you have leather or twine?" I search myself to find my shirt has a loose string. She grabs the twine unravels it, and some sap quickly binds them together, making a beautiful wand. She stabs the dowel into the ground and says, "Let the sun harden the liquid. Now, sit with me, and let's talk.

Aquilae Talen asks, "What do you know of this dragon?" She answers, "One of many, and a signal of a change of times balance, will be replaced by imbalance." I ask what does that mean? She says, "The energies only hold in place for so long. Then they switch. It is the way of the universe." I ask, "How do we fix this?" To fix this imbalance, you will have to unite all energies that will bring everything back together and ultimately destroy everything." Aquilae Talen and I say, "Yeah, we don't want that." She adds, "There is a way to bring balance to the universe, but it will come at a substantial cost. You will be a hero if you survive. Unless you want to be the drunk at the end of the bar."

I ask. "What do we have to do?" She says, "I will have to consult with my friends around the realm." I ask, "How will you do that you can't move?" At my feet, a root comes out of the ground. We are all connected, young ones. I sit back. She says, "Rest until I return."

Aquilae Talen says, "You need to bathe." I say, "Rude." We watch her as her personality disappears into the tree bark. He says, "Now for that bath." I say, "No." He looks at me. His already large eye opens wider. "Ok, I will." Two days later, she returns. "There you are, Gentlemen. I need your attention." I feel a tree branch move me. Aquilae Talen also feels a tree branch. He springs to his feet, insulted by the besetting, "What is this touching me? Putting your limbs on me, the nerve!" She says, "Calm down, crazy bird." I laugh. He turns to me, giving me the eagle eye.

"Gentlemen! I have spoken with my consorts and elders." I speak to Aquilae Talen in my head, "Wow, she has elders? She's older than dirt." He stomps his foot.

She continues, "You must start in the mountains of The Magaliesberg, where you must find the first of the group that will help you reunite the energy. The forces that called this imbalance into existence want the destruction of all we know. They want a complete realignment of life and the order of life." I ask, "how will we know when we've met this person?" She says, "Did I say it was a person? I think not." This quest will reveal what you need to do next each step of the way."

I ask Aquilae, "Where are these mountains?" He replies, "Far away." He says, "We have no chance with my wing." I ask Ronae, "How will we get there?" She looks at Aquilae, "Are you not half bird?" He replies, "I have a damaged wing." She says, "Let me see this wing." She looks at it carefully. "Why have you not spit on it?" He ducks his head. "That's gross." She shouts, demanding, "Spit on it, bird!" I console him. "My leg healed overnight." He says, "Fine, disgusting acts." "Boy, help him get the saliva all over the wound." I hurry to do what she says. She adds, "Now rest." Tomorrow you start your journey. I have laid out everything you need on the other side of the tree.

That morning we wake to find all kinds of herbs and armor. Aquilae says, "Look, my wing doesn't hurt anymore." He smiles and says, "You and I are flying to the lake." He snatches me up, taking me higher than I have ever been before. I look down to see Ronae looking up at us, laughing. He grips my arms firmly. "It feels good to fly again!" I scream, "Don't let go." I look down and become terrified of heights. I can see the lake coming into view. He dives down with me going faster than I have ever gone before. The air gets caught in my cheeks and makes my mouth flop. He shouts. "This will help the smell!" and drops me into the middle of the lake. I scream, "I can't swim!" He shouts back, "That will make for a bad day." Then, he laughs and flies off over the hill, his feathers glimmering in the sunshine.

Meanwhile, I hit the water then, and I struggle to figure out which way is up. "Just stop struggling and float," I shout in my head. "I'm drowning here. I could use some help." Aquilae says, "I am not going to allow you to drown." Then a surge hits me. Something powerful grabs me and thrusts me out of the water. Moments later, I am lying on the lake shore. I hear, "You already smell better." I ask, "Why would you do that to me!" He answers, "Because you needed a bath." I say disapproving, "Not like that!" He laughs. We fly back to Ronae.

We reach where she once stood to find cinders. "How could this happen?" The beautiful tree that was once Ronae gone. A brutal roar comes from the sky above us. Aquilae says, "Duck." I fall to the ground. The beast barely misses me. Aquilae says, "We have to escape somehow." I ask, "What about the quest?" Aquilae says. "That just started whether we wanted it to or not. Now hop on, and let's go."