The Dragonriders

Chapter 7

A Sister And A Lie

Shirley

The next few weeks are calm compared to before my trip to the Lamia village. I get the time to train my archery and work on my still not to great magic abilities. It seems that both Celeste and the Dragon Guard council member noticed I'm not ready yet. It is later in the second week when Celeste interrupts my archery training with my Elven bow from nowhere. 'Shirley, do you have a moment?'

As I look at her I release the arrow. Then I fully turn to her. 'What's wrong?'

She closes her eyes. 'So your actions have had quite an effect you know. A delegation has arrived today from the Swamps. Some are wishing to become riders, however one was send specifically for you. To train you.'

As she steps aside a female Lamia is shown. Her hair flows down to where a human would have hips, but for her the snake tail begins. Her scales are a vibrant pink with golden diamonds on the back and she wears bright red clothing. Her staff is somewhat similar to the one given to me, only hers has pink gems in the eyes and is a bit rougher. Another thing she has differently is her staff also has a hood like a cobra. The Lamia slowly slithers towards me. 'So, it is true. A human is wielding the staff of Kai'chira. You are less pretty than I expected... but you still look dangerous. With training I can give you the elegance and deadlines of a true Lamia.'

She grabs my wrist firmly and lays her fingers on the marking. Her fingers feel soft and smooth against the slightly roughened skin. Then she closes her eyes and softly chants something. After the chant she smiles. 'Yes. Come, follow me. Let me teach you about the Lamia way.'

Together we go outside, through the two gates and to the grasslands that sit between Celaris and the dark green forests surrounding it. She motions me to sit down and close my eyes. 'Concentrate. Feel the nature around you. The grass, the insects, the rodents and what hunts them. Feel the balance...'

As I sit there, cross legged, with my staff on my lap and my hands on the staff, I finally discover what peace feels like. I cannot say I can feel much with my eyes closed, but by using my staff I at least manage to open my mind to my direct environment. As the Lamia circles around me she puts a hand on my head. 'To learn our magic you have to feel how each creature affects the balance of the creatures around it. The humans simply kill what they believe is dangerous or edible. Dwarves hunt the biggest creatures they can. Elves eat only vegetables because they believe all life is sacred. However they are all wrong. To truly live in balance with nature is to see, truly see, where an imbalance lays and to remove that imbalance. As you do that, you both get your food and you help the world around you. That is the power of our magic. Equal trades.'

I focus on the world around me. With my eyes closed and only using my mind I can only see as if looking through a partially closed eye. I can feel and see some insects close by, just like some other small critters in my direct environment but even my new teacher I cannot sense. 'I... don't feel much. It is almost as if my vision is clouded.'

The naga grabs my right wrist again. This time much more tenderly. 'To truly understand the world around you takes years. To learn to see you have to use your minds eye. Try to focus on what you can see and look at every detail. If you can, look into the minds you can see.'

I attempt what she tells me. As I do I feel her wrap her snake body around me. She isn't doing it tightly but it is noticeable. Then she lays her hands on my shoulder. 'Let me guide you...'

I feel my vision get clearer. I can see the world as she sees it. I see the ants in their nest feeding a fungus that they in turn use as food. I see mice gather food and a snake hunting a mouse. And deeper than all that... the balance she talked about. Then I get interested and under her guidance I touch the mind of the snake. I feel its scales slither over the dirt, some of it sticking to its scales. I feel its hunger, I see its narrow sight and taste how it locates the mouse using its taste pupils. When it lunges and sinks its fangs in the mouse I feel the life slip away from it. Then I hear her speak again. 'This is how it goes. One death feeds the life of another. With the death of the mouse the snake can live on for some time. Eventually the snake will die either from old age or because a greater hunter kills it, and then it in turn feeds the next link. And so the great balance remains like that.'