The Return of the Dragonhawk

Chapter 26 --Point of No Return

Shivering, Rhoz sat up in bed. In her dream, she had just seen Thureelor shattered to powder by an enormous lightning bolt.

Her fingers caressed the rune stones at her throat. Perhaps -- perhaps she could learn something of her destiny from them. There was so much to speculate about, so much to fear.

She pulled back the window curtain to let in the cool radiance of the moon, a day short of attaining the perfect circle which signaled the sacred interval of celebration. Once back in bed, she pulled the thong over her head and undid the knot. Her fingers trembled as she explored the viscous drops inside the pouch. This time, none seemed any different from the next. She poured them onto her coverlet.

She had never stopped marveling at the way the liquid drops solidified into stones when they left her hand. The silver runes shone as if they had life of their own, sharing a mystical conversation with the moon. The whole room glowed with their mysterious light.

Rhoz leaned back against the pillows and allowed her eyelids to droop. The knots of anxiety in her stomach loosened as she recalled her dream of the Azure Dragon. If what she dreamed was truth and not imagination, it was painfully clear that the rune stones were his. If he were to be awakened, she would have to surrender them. Always something more to give up! Would there be no end to sacrifice?

Duty. Always duty. Duty had drawn Alyn away from her home and station to serve as a lady's maid; duty had imprisoned Arabelle in Muktar's castle; duty had driven Alyx into his heedless search for the secret that might save Dys.

Great Avatar, let him live -- and live happily. May a free nation be his children's heritage.

She drifted in the blue radiance, feeling her spirit dilating, reaching for the love and wisdom that permeated all things. She was at one with the stars, at one with all life that teemed on the earth, at one with the crystals born deep in the heart of the mountains. Her thoughts dissolved in the reassuring warmth of the ultimate good that had birthed the universe.

She returned to ordinary awareness unwillingly, assailed by a swarm of troubling thoughts. She kept her eyes closed, not wanting to see anything but the wondrous light that had touched her. 

 "All will be well," she said out loud in defiance of all evil that might presume to challenge the ultimate goodness of the Avatar. The familiar sound of her own voice shocked her. It was mundane, part of the prosaic life that blinded her to the glories beyond. "All will be well," she said again, more firmly.

"All will be well," another voice said softly beside her. "Is that a prophecy?"

Rhoz opened her eyes to the moonlight. Alyn was sitting on her bed.

"Oh!" Rhoz said, partially delighted at seeing her beloved friend, partially disappointed that the commonplace world still existed.

Alyn gestured at the tray sitting on the side table. "I could not sleep either. I heated some mulled wine for myself, and thought you might like some."

"Thank you," Rhoz said, gathering up the runestones on her coverlet.

Alyn picked up the stone nearest to her, watching it turn into liquid in her palm. "Great Kyra! How did you come by these?"

"Alyx gave them to me as a farewell gift."

Alyn played with the gems, her eyes wide as they transformed from solid to liquid to solid again. "These must be the legendary Dragon's Tears," she said at last.

"They are valuable, then?"

"They are the most precious heirloom of Dys. It is generally believed that they disappeared with the crown jewels. I thought they were only a fable."