The Cleansing (Book One: The Folara Chronicles)

075: Kara

Kara knew that several Minions were stationed at the entrance to Galantyne's fortress to capture her, and knew that her protector would never let them take her now. She walked with confidence, copper plated armor girded about her hips and shoulder, her sword tucked securely at her waist, the sea arrow quiver restored to her as well, slung over the armored shoulder. Her hair was pulled back and braided, but strands had fallen out as she walked the tunnels with Talisman at her side, from the top of the mountain to the bottom, it had taken over an hour on trails she'd never seen before, smelling faintly of sulfur and rock walls that no longer dripped with dewy wetness, but were rough and dry, porous, hurting her fingers as they trailed along. She had no need to meld with the mountain, she knew she was safe with Talisman at her side.

As they'd traversed the tunnels, light glowed from his body that filled the pathway. "Talisman, why didn't you find me sooner?" She said in his Zalez, lamenting the fact that her vocal chords had been severed and the only sound she could make and be understood was a hissing whisper.

"I only woke recently." He answered, his voice a humorous tone she could never get used to. Humor had never been a part of her life, which seemed to have been strictly and formally revolving around finding him for as long as she could remember.

"Why did you wake now?"

She felt his light-hearted mental shrug. "I was hungry."

Visions of him eating several Minions at once or ten Shadow Eaters encroached on her mind. His chuckle was loud inside, and she covered her ears as if to ward it off. "Can you turn that down?" she cried, and he subsided to a low hum of mirth.

"I become hungry when I am needed. Actually, my mother's voice woke me. My mother is Darci."

Kara took a deep breath, not sure if she could take any more explanations of past history or mythical lore after the deluge she'd received the previous day. "Darci is a beautiful name. Where does your mother live?" She pictured a cavern filled with lotica flowers somewhere inside the mountain, and a lovely pond with another bulky and wobbling dragon waddling down a dry trail.

The purring chuckle threatened to erupt once more, as Talisman's eyes crinkled up with his effort not to blast her with his guffaws. "Not here!" 

She knew he wasn't telling her and put a hand on his rubbery scaled back, "Tell me!"

He turned to crinkle his glowing eyes at her, and his long snout opened and fire erupted lighting the tunnels, as they proceeded. "She is safe."

"Tell me..." She lowered her mind voice. "I think it is important that I know more about you."

"I am Talisman. I am alone."

"You just said you have a mother!" she protested, hearing his throaty purr of laughter once again. "Stop mocking me!"

"I do have a mother! And you have a mother!"

"Don't state the obvious! Is it something you can't tell me?" Kara was angry and she let it show. She'd looked for the Talisman for so long, thinking it was a pendant or a sword, but instead found it to be a living dragon, with powers to control the Mountain, to heal people and air and those around him.

"I can tell you." Talisman chortled. "But I'm not going to. You're not laughing at my jokes."

"Jokes!" Kara bit out, stopping once more to slap the rubbery scales.

"I intend to be light and funny." Talisman turned and gave her that toothy grimace that frightened and fascinated her at the same time, with the knowledge that any moment could see him bite her in two, and yet he wouldn't.