Generations: Broken Prophesy Story

Chapter 9

    Chaser ‘barks’ outside the now familiar cave.  From the dark bowels a ‘bark’ responds.  The sound of claws on gravel reaches his ears before the grinning form of Mwezi greets his eyes.  “Good morning, Elder.”

    “Please child.  Mwezi, if you will.  We are family, and don’t need to stand on formalities.”  His toothless grin reminds him of his own father.  “You didn’t come to visit yesterday.”

    “No.”  He says, sounding apologetic.  “I’m sorry, but after finding out my sister took a mate, and hearing even more about Ahadi, I needed to get away and think.”

    The old male finds a shaded spot outside his den, the sun dapples his scales showing off centuries of old scars.  “Oh?  And where did you fly?”

    “I found the mainland.”  Chaser’s tone becomes more animated as he sees a grin slipping onto Mwezi’s muzzle.  “I even got to meet the outcast pack there.”

    “Did you?”  The old male looks smug, “Very well…  Let’s try something new.”  The old male gets up and approaches, “You know how to use your spine ridges?”

    “Yes, my grandmother taught it to my parents, and they taught it to us.  Amber can use them, but Jade has trouble keeping them open.”

    Mwezi nods, “Yes…  Much like Soulfire, not everyone has the muscle control for it.”

    “Like my Uncle, he can wiggle his ears, but neither of his parents can.”

    “Your Uncle?  The two-leg?”

    “He played with us a lot when we were all much younger.  I guess he saw how mobile our ears were and just kept trying until he figured out how to move his ears.  They don’t move much, but sometimes when he does it, I can read his emotions easier.”

    The deep warble from Mwezi’s throat reminds Chaser of his Fathers laugh,  “We can talk of your two-leg family later.  Right now I’m going to try and teach you a new way to focus your Soulfire.  I’ve only ever known two other Shadewings that could use it.  Do you remember what I was telling you about Dayrunners?”

    Chaser nods, “You described them as white-Shadewings.”

    “That’s them.  Very close kin to Shadewings, but only rarely seen.  They have a way to heat the surface of their scales, making them highly reflective.  So much so, they would appear to be invisible.”  His words make the younger dragon gape at the thought, “Masters of Soulfire can do something similar.  It can be dangerous, though.”

    “What?  How?”

    The old dragon grins at his pupils' eagerness.  “It starts with your spine ridge.”  Turning so Chaser can get a better view, Mwezi opens his blades.  From the base of his skull to base of his spine, the ridges running the length of his body ‘click’ open.  “Hmmm…”  The older male shifts, working out kinks in his back.  “I haven't needed to pop those in years.  Getting himself into a more comfortable position, “Now the hard part is to channel your Soulfire into and through those same blades.”

    Chaser watches as a faint blue glow begins to ignite under the old dragon’s scales.  Stripes and swirls in his scale pattern become more obvious as they take on that same glow.  The blades along his back begin glowing brilliantly.  The faint scent of lightning reaches his nose before he sees sparks arcing between those blades.

    “Stand back.”  The old male says as the arcing becomes more intense.  Chaser backs away just in time as a bolt of lightning strikes Mwezi.  Spots fill Chaser’s vision as his ears seamingly explode.  Rubbing at his eyes with his paw, he pauses as he finds himself alone.  “Mwezi!!” he cries in distress.

    For several moments Chaser stands in mute silence, before the older dragon’s milky-green eyes shine in the shadows, his toothless smile slowly materializing before the rest of his bulk solidifies once more.

    “I THOUGHT THOR, HIMSELF, STRUCK YOU DOWN!!”  The excitable youth yells.

    The older dragon chuckles, “You don’t need to shout.”

    On Chaser's face, a momentary look of confusion morphes into one of dread, “ODIN!!!  I’M DEAF!!!”

    *****

“Radi!  How are you holding up?!”  Umeme calls out to his flightmate.  The younger dragon’s flight is erratic.  Umeme pushes a little harder, and pulls alongside.  He winces at the deep scoring along his friend's side.  The long bloody gash runs just under his wing, narrowly missing the fragile membrane.  Radi’s face shows a large patch of ‘burned’ flesh along his jaw, with a ‘web’ of burns down his neck and right shoulder.

    “Being followed?” the injured male grunts through clenched jaws.

    Umeme looks shocked, in his haste to make sure his friend was safe, he completely failed to notice if they were alone in the sky.  His eyes dart back and forth, scanning the horizon.  “I don’t…  I don’t see anyone.”

    “Island!”  Radi points out.

    Umeme nods, “Go in.  Get Amber and Jade to look over your wounds.  I’ll stay up here and keep an eye out.  Ahadi isn’t going to let you go without finding your mate and her sister.”

    As gently as he is able, Radi flares his wings, slowing his flight and dropping through the heavens.

*****

    “How are you feeling now?”  The wizened voice echoes through the damp cave.

    “BETT…  Better.”  Chaser catches himself as he rests.  The Spots in his eyes had long since faded, but the total silence he was cast into has been replaced by a near constant whine, but it too was fading.

    “I am sorry.  I forgot to warn you about how loud it could be.”

    "Is it always like that?"

    “Yes.  Most times.”

    “How are your ears not affected?  You were right there!”  Chaser asks.

    With a chuckle,  “Yes I was.  It seems that when you fully channel your Soulfire, your ears shut down.  It muffles must sounds into incoherent noise.”

    Chaser’s memories drift back to a time when his mother was in full ‘glow’.  Her single-minded rage against the god Loki, and how hard it was for her to return to her senses.  “So when Mom went off like that, she wasn’t ignoring us?  She literally couldn’t hear us?”

    With a look of confusion, “If your mother were using her Soulfire to its fullest?  Yes.  She would only see what was directly before her, and wouldn’t be able to hear much of anything.  In this state, a dragon can use more fire than would be normal or healthy.  Their vision narrows down to only take in and focus solely on its prey.  Some even have said that time itself seems to slow down.  That last one I’ve never personally experienced, but I could see how someone might feel that way if they are that intensely focused on one thing.”  Getting up from his bed, Mwezi steps next to Chaser.  “So?  Feel like trying it for yourself?”

    With a toothless grin of his own, “Yes.”