.Dragon's Legacy.

-43-

I skated across the ice to the shore and jogged to the noise.

"Wow." It was a long and narrow serpentine body, almost a tube shaped dragon without wings, just a dragon head and limbs, from its body grew plants and rocks, eyes as green as the brightest of leaves on a summer day. "Ssh." I caught Kela and pulled us to hide behind a nearby tree as I observed this being move around, slow but at a decided pace, the rock of its body grinding loudly together and chipping away.

"I've never seen something like this." She whispered, looking over my shoulder at the half earthly being.

"This is one of the description given to forest spirits." I whispered back.

"How do you know that?"

"As much as elves are better at magic then we humans are, us mages know more about the spirit plains then all of the people combined while what the rest know are myths of it. Long ago the two realms collided like they are doing now and us and the spirits mingled and some got stuck in the wrong real when they separated, many spirits embody something in our world, there are river spirits, forest spirits, winter spirits or even good luck spirits that became one with what they embody.... This one is clearly a forest spirit."

"But if they became one with them why do we see it?"

"I can just assume that since the worlds are meeting again the separation also is getting so minuscule that they become visible to us."

"This is so beautiful." I nodded, watching the eons old spirit gracefully shamble through the trees and rocks it became part off, the soul of the forest in other words.

"I fear if this goes on humans and other beings will be at war with the spirits soon, difference is scary to people and usually they try to kill." I said when I was sure we'd be out of the spirit's earshot.

"That's one of the mages work isn't it?"

"True, we must know off each race and each thing to be able to make critical choices without being influences by fearing the unknown."

"You have this ability to connect to spirits on a personal level, you could mediate this if needed it to be."

"True but I wish that it doesn't come to that, come on lets walk back."

"Right."

-------------------------------------------

"Why don't you tell her?"

"Huh?!" I said really impolitely, even I don't go huh-ing at people, that's peasant talk but this woman I didn't like and couldn't help.

The twins were 'set free of their duties' after we came back so they could go relax a bit before we moved again tomorrow.

So I was stuck watching after the woman with Kela being with my sister this time instead of me.

"You look at her with such a look, just ask her to start courting already."

"Stop talking to me as if I was your friend already!" I snapped a bit, pulling on her collar to pull her face right in mine as I glared. "I am not your pal or friend, I'd kill you if I had the choice."

I scared her silent so I let her go and stood up, walking to the window and staring out it to distract myself but I didn't like the awkward silence either.

"What's you name?"

"What?"

"Wre you deaf? I asked what's your name?!"

"A-Arianna."

"There we go." I said, walking back to sit on the bed while she got to sleep on a blanket on the ground, hands still bound back. "Do you know if they are planning something?"

"T-they wanted to attack a week after we did if we failed but since you moved they need more time to track you down."

"So we can await an 'ambush' soon?"

"Yes enough time passed for them to have your position again and mobilized a strike team."

"You are useful after all..... But why throw your life away for such endeavor? It is not worth it."

"It is not that simple."

I turned to my side, a hand under my head.

"Then enlighten me, why attacking my family and loved ones seem oh so better then what you had."

"Most of us.... No, all of us were rejects, people the society oppressed, looked down on, thrown in the streets like trash, no one cared for us, they mistreated us and left us there to be forgotten... These people offered us change, a chance for a new life with meaning, a new life with a choice to be someone more then street trash, they gave us a home, food, education and love, the raised us up to be able to stand on our own against the world, they only asked us to follow them to help purge the world of the people that took their master away."

"You do realize you errors I hope." I said sitting up, legs crossed at the ankles.

"Yeah, you are nothing like rumored by them, nothing is like they said, not all are corrupt monsters thirsty for power and riches."

"Some are but most aren't, you need to understand, I only got this life because mather found me as another child thrown on the streets and she didn't even know about my magic right away, it is just the circumstances."

"Yeah I do realize now but so many are brainwashed into dying for their cause, so many believe their words and beliefs."

"Why don't you?"

"When I was about to die was when I realized their ideologies aren't worth my life, why should I die so they could live and for what purpose? To erase the world? To wipe the future they promised us? Then it was how your queen behaved, not like a tyrant, no torture no.... She was gentle and even brought me food while what I was taught was proven wrong."

"Us mages are taught to never look at a situation from one point of view, we are the linchpin for many important things in life, a queen dies another can take her place but if you loose your mages your land is in great peril while if we loose someone living on the streets nothing will change, that cult played on your want to be more important, more powerful."

"Yeah."

"And I bet most of you don't exactly know what you are fighting for, why they need me to join you and kill me if I refuse to join, am I right?"

"Yeah."

"Arianna they didn't open the cage you were trapped in, they offered you a bigger cage you can't see locked with their lock saying you are free, to get somewhere in life you need to rely on your on strength not what someone else gave you."

"Yeah...." It was nothing but a whisper, her eyes staring down at her lap.

I sighed through my nose and laid down, staring at the ceiling, thinking.