The Ruins

Earth Dragon

Ishloche

Ishloche growled. He stomped the ground with his huge feet. His talons were scraping up the rocks and dirt flew into the air. “Gone away, , until she learns, Ramal must stay, why her soul burns.” The fairies were back. They had seen it all.

“Gone where?” Ishloche demanded. “Where is she? I just got her back!” The dragon growled. His scales turned red and orange in his anger. Smoke came from his nostrils as he breathed.

“The other creation. Time untold. Deviation will be bad, she must uphold.” The fairies whispered in unison. The flew in circles around the three of them. Their large eyes stayed open, glowing azure and purple. “Must not interfere, Ramal will be here.” They flew away.

Ishloche growled again. Lanai was baffled. She shook her head. “What other creation?” She pursed her lips and her brows furrowed together in thought. “Deviation…?”

“I think that meant that she will be fine. We shouldn’t try and find her. It would be a bad thing. “ Jakombie told her resting his hand on her shoulder. He looked back to the men at the camp. “We should go and see what we can do.” He reached down and grabbed Lanai’s hand. His eyes pleaded with hers for it to be ok.

Lanai looked down at their hands and entwined her fingers through his. “Are you coming Ishloche?” She asked him.

“I have other work to do.” He ran and flew off.

Lanai and Jakombie walked hand in hand through the field that they had ran through. She looked up at him and smiled….

Ishloche returned to the mountain and called to his spirit ancestors. His scales flashed in all the colors of the rainbow as he closed his eyes and breathed his chant. “ Family is all we have. I need you.” I whispered to the wind.

The magic pulsed through the air around him. The wind swirled. Leaves turned colors on the trees, and the forest transformed into an ancient dragon tomb. Tan stone arche ways encompassed the circular realm. Floral engravings decorated their surfaces. Grey and brown statues of gargoyles and angels hung from them. Ishloche was standing in the middle of the circle.

“The prophesy has been fulfilled. I have Ravania’s daughter. Only she was taken from me by a magical crystal. “ He told the circle. He shook his enormous body. Some of the scales came loose and shifted.

The air around him grew icy. His breath froze as he spoke. The air around him turned blue. A thick fog emerged from behind him until it filled the circle. “Ishloche.” Was just a whisper. “Earth dragon.” Another breath. The voice was tiny and feminine. “You are true.” She breathed again. “This task has not been light. The dwellings still need to be cleansed with fire before the rebirth of the people.”

The hazy fog swirled him. The smelled of lilacs and roses came to his nostrils. “Ramal has been lifted away from this place. She needs to free her mind.” The voice cooed. “Where she is, no changed human, or mystical creature may enter.”

“What does that mean? Where is she?’ Ishloche asked. He spun in a giant circle. “How am I supposed to protect her and teach her our ways if she isn’t here?” He grew frustrated.

“Earth dragon,” The voice persisted. “You cannot.” The whisper faded and the fog started to lift.

“Wait!” He cried. “What am I supposed to do?”

“You have been seen, Ishloche. Man needs you to cleanse their world. You do not need instructions.” Her voice was jovial, as if she were laughing at him. “Trust me. She will need to conquer her own way, before she can embrace ours.” The fog lifted and this time did not return.

Ishloche was left in the middle of the circle, where the stones that have been shown to him, were disappearing. He laid his head down on the ground and tucked his front paws under it, as he flopped the rest of his body into the dirt. He felt lost. She was supposed to be his rider. “Ramal!” He yelled out, even though he knew she would not hear him. ….

LANAI

Lanai and Jakombie finally entered the camp where the soldiers lay. Their wounds were bad. “Water, please!” They cried. Jakombie took the canteen and water bags that he could find to the river.

“Don’t!” Krag shouted. “Namani!” He lifted his hand and pointed to where the giant fin surfaced.

Jakombie laughed off the warning. He went to water’s edge and filled the containers. He returned with the cure for their parchment. “These men are in need. We cannot leave them to wither away in the sun.” He placed the bags and canteen in front of Lanai.

Krag stared him down. “You fool! You could’ve been killed by the river monster!”

“Lanai. Please bless this water to heal these men.” Jakombie ignored him. Krag came next to him. He looked as if he would throttle Jakombie for disobeying an order.

“Boys.” Lanai came forward. “If you don’t mind.” She lifted her hands in front of her and felt the power surge from the earth and the water. She drew energy from the fires heat still left in the ground. She chanted something incoherent to them. The bags of water shook and glowed. The canteen rocked on its edges. When she was done, she dropped her hands at her side and smiled. “There, there.” Her eyes grew wider, the color of emeralds.

She shook her head at both of them then grabbed the first water container. She took it to Brock. He was awake and in pain. Lanai raised her hands in front of her and put them palm to palm. Her hands were not touching, but there was an energy source manifesting between them. She closed her eyes and spoke a soft mantra. When she opened her eyes, they were calm and caring, but still flashed emerald.

Brock inhaled sharply as she placed her hands on both sides of his shoulder. She began to move her fingertips just enough to let him know that she was. Her fingers went in and out working her magic into his body, taking away his pain. He shook his head in disbelief. Then he stared at her.

“Drink.” Lanai told him. “Feel better.” She walked to the next war victim. She had another bag of her blessed water. “Lift your head if you can.” She instructed. She placed her arm under his shoulders and helped him sit up. “Drink, she told him. “And feel better.” Jakombie followed suit. Soon all of the injured had been filled with their required sustenance.

Krag watched them in awe. “Thank you both,” He said. “It has been a long time since this land has had a healer. “ He bowed slightly to them and nodded his head in the appositive. “Thank God for you.”