The Origins of Anusa

Chapter 6: Expectant

Norbert took to the sky with the clan of dragons close behind her. She made a wide circle over the crystal lake before plunging straight into the middle of the lake. She stayed under the water for a bit before surfacing. She looked around at the colorful, shimmering water that reflected the setting sun to the last little differences between orange and yellow orange, and looked towards the base of the mountain with the Cave of Tales in it, and a large, fir forest that had needles falling from some of their branches. She glanced at Sarah, who Norbert knew was an actual person now and not a wisp.

Norbert swam to the edge of the lake where dragons were landing from their small flight from the Cave of Tales, and got out onto the beach, which was covered in shimmering, little stones.

"Her eyes...!"

"The girl...!"

"She must be...!"

"How did she...?"

"Silence!" Ipota bellowed glaring at the now murmuring hoard of dragons. He turned back to Norbert before continuing, "How? That is impossible. We have tried all kinds of magical cures for the lake, but... you just come and it works again. Also, that vision thing... We saw your memories."

"As I have said before I am Anusa, the dragon that rules. I do not know the fullness of my magic, Ipota. It is too advance to tell all the things I know I can, but the things I will find out I can in the future is a lot harder," Norbert announced looking at the hoard of dragons while they started to bow. Norbert knew that some were quite uncertain about this, but there was very few of them. Ipota was the first to bow to Norbert, Sarah did a small curtsy for Norbert after she had clambered down from her back.

"You are to rule the dragons as you are the true ruler of the dragons," Azimu announced to the crowd.

"Um... what do I do now?" Norbert asked Ipota that was the closest dragon, only about a human away.

"Appoint a second in command maybe, I do not know I am as confused as you are, " Ipota said backing away into the crowd next to Azimu.

"So... um... hi, I'm as you call me Anusa," Norbert stammered, "but I would prefer that you...erm... you call me Norbert."

"No... Norbert, hi," a pale yellow dragon muttered walking hesitantly towards Norbert. "How did you do that thing in the cave? We... we're all curious. We want to know how." All the dragons were staring intently at Norbert.

"Um... what thing?" Norbert glanced at Ipota as she said this. "Well, um... I do not know how I did the vision thing in the cave as I told my story."

"So, you can't teach us how to be magical?" a dark brown drown dragon piped up as others agreed.

"I... I am not sure I can," Norbert muttered to the crowd.

Dragons were glancing around themselves, Norbert spoke to the Rivers,"You must walk into the Crystal Lake to go back to your lovely home. When you get to the rim of the deepest part of the lake dive in and you will come up near your town. There is a surprise in your house."

Charles nodded his head and walked to the edge of the lake before looking back, "Thank you. You have been a great help."

Sarah hugged Norbert before walking with her father and mother to the rim of the endless pit.

"Goodbye my friends," Norbert said as they dove into the lake back to their home. "Now, um... subjects. What does a dragon do normally day to day?"

"Tomorrow is the summer solstice, so you get to care for your first ever egg," Ipota spoke to Norbert and the crowd at the same time. "Do we agree?"

All the dragons agreed, so Norbert announced, "You are probably all tired like I am, so where will I sleep to wait for tomorrow?"burning to see Azimu walking towards her.

"Come," Azimu said taking to the sky, and circling around the group of dragons. So, Norbert followed Azimu towards one of the smaller mountains that had the most trees on it, by the looks of it. In the side of the mountain there was a collection of caves roughly the size of two dragons, but some were as large as three or four dragons by the looks of them. Azimu dove into one of the smaller looking caves, but inside the cave it covered the distance of about seven dragons. The cave was so large that there was a small lake with a miniature waterfall on the opposite side of the cave.

"Wow," Norbert murmured as they landed in the cave.

"This is the fabled cave of the Anusa," Azimu's voice echoed around the cave.

"So, what do you mean fabled?" Norbert asked curiously.

"I am unable to see it; to me this is a crack in the mountain," Azimu answered Norbert as she walked into the cave from the small ledge they were on that was not necessarily part of the cave, but was still covered from the swift winds.

"Why not come in out of the sun?" Norbert said looking back at Azimu as she stood there in silence.

"This... this is amazing. How did... the what?" Azimu stammered clearly stunned, as she stumbled into the cave as if her head was a windmill.

"The cave is enchanted, I think. It, I believe, can only be seen if I give them permission to come in," Norbert admitted to Azimu as she settled down near the lake to rest.

"I quite enjoy this place..., but I must be off. I will wake you tomorrow when we have found the first egg," Azimu said trotting out of the cave and flying off into the bright sunlight.

Norbert closed her eyes and fell asleep almost instantly.