Dragon Tide Chronicles: Dawn Rising

Chapter 44: Prelude to New Dawn

Chapter 44: Prelude to New Dawn

After a lot of persistent badgering, the Elders finally gave in to what have told them, I have no intention of invasion, nor does my parents. And to be honest, that was the truth. The people here are so weary and spent, it’s heartbreaking almost. Except when they give me death glares.

“Very well, Danica. We are satisfied with your answer, and will send you home, but first, I think it is appropriate that we have a nice meal and rest, it wouldn’t be right to send you off so rudely, when it’s almost dinnertime anyway.” His voice was the kind of elderly voice you would expect from your favorite grandpa, soft, and kind. And almost everything about him also made him feel like a kindly old grandfather. I smile at him.

“I wouldn’t mind a bite to eat, and I guess I could stay for the night…” He nods, pleased with my answer.

“Then I will call on the cooks to prepare a meal, Danica, it may take a little while to get started anyway…” I frown, I still feel uncomfortable from sitting in those chairs…

“Why were the chairs so ragged and stuff? Don’t you get new furniture?” The elder shakes his head.

“They’re new, it’s just they’re made of the driftwood we get from the shorelines. We can’t use the good quality timber, it’s used for maintaining the walls and the tower, and the supplies of wood only are enough just to maintain them and them only.”

I frown. “But why would the Gem dragonlings do that? I don’t understand.” He sighs.

“Neither do I, Danica.” He turns, and walks out the door, followed by the rest of the elders. I notices something on the meeting table that I didn’t notice earlier, so I peek at it, and what I see may change the course of this insurrection that has been raging here. Stealthily, I grab the scroll and hide it in my bag.

I hope this information is enough for the generals at home to enter the conflict here. And that I don’t get in trouble for taking this. Knowing my luck, I will certainly be getting in a lot of trouble, but I hope it will be worth it.

I hurry out of the room, and join the others at a dining table. Ignitus gives me a quizzical look, but then just smiles and shrugs.

“Come and join us, Danica. Come and break bread with us, it’s been nay but hundreds of years since our kind did so with yours.” I frown, puzzled.

“What are you talking about?” He laughs.

“Thought as much. Ya don’t know that much about us, and yet called us your enemy, you fairies are something else. When the world’s nations of today were still young and developing, why, ours was the bastion of civilization, everyone admired and feared us. We acted as nation builders, building up entire civilizations in but a year. These nations often became good friends, and trade flourished. Such examples are that of the human superpower that once existed, Hav’angina. That was truly a realm of beauty in its own. We also played a role in the development of the Fairywoodlands.” He smiles at me. I just sigh.

“Nonsense. Our nation built itself up from the ground and…” He smiles again.

“And what? Did it all by yourselves? Did your people ever notice days when gold say… literally fell from the skies in rain? When strange, even, mysterious flowers bloomed into being overnight? You never had experiences like that?”

I nod, reluctantly. “The Gifters. They were a race that fascinated our people for generations, they would leave gifts for us overnight. It often rained gold, and they even gave us the…”

“Triangle Flower?” He guessed.

“…Yeah, they gave us the Triangle Flower. Wait, how’d you know that?” The Triangle Flower’s bloom is in the shape of a triangle, hence their name, and is the national symbol of the Fairywoodlands.

“I know that because the so called ‘Gifters’ were really the Dragonlings. I myself did some of those things, and it was Alexandi who suggested the creation of the Triangle Flower. But did you know something, Danica? There’s a special meaning behind them. Don’t they give you a sense of peace, of ease?”

“Yeah, I never noticed that before… but there’s no way dragonlings were the gifters! We never had contact with you until the war!” I retort at him, annoyed.

“Ah, but we did. The Triangle Flower was a gift, but it was more than that. You see, we were… nervous, we wanted to contact your kind, be allies and work together in harmony, but we were too shy, too afraid. The gifts of golden rain and the Triangle Flower were a peace offering.”

I frown, confused.

“Can we talk about something else?” I asked, peeved off. He seems upset by my tone, but smiles gingerly anyway. I find his attitude likable, in comparison with Alexander the Great Explosive Time Bomb. He reminds me of a kindly grandfather, and a easily adored one at that. I involuntarily smile back. Maybe dragonlings aren’t that bad…

“Hey Danica, just one thing.” Alexander speaks up.

“What now?” I sigh.

“Apples.” SMACK!

Scratch that. Still hate a lot of them.