The Bubbleship Series; The First Heroes

A Unicorn and a Dragon Sing

Taylenel, the green fairy, lifted the eyelid of the wolf to see bloodshot eye whites. Darkness had come, and the glow globes were set about the court to light the conversation.

“Wolf, what is it you desire with me,” Taylenel asked plainly, impassively.

Brennon struggled to stand on all fours, struggled to open his eyes. The fairies around the glade giggled childlike, innocent, and pure.

All except Taylenel.

“Bring water. Lots of water from the springs. All you can bring.”

The fairies continued to giggle, sitting on the branches. "Go now, all of you!"

The laughter continued, but every fairy of every hue left to return minutes later with tiny bucket after tiny bucket of water, pure and sweet, to be poured. By the time they finished, the dire wolf was soaked. But the warm sylvan forest kept him from shivering.

The wolf had little problem keeping his eye open now. He stood on all fours and bowed his head in homage to the Champion.

“Now speak wolf,” Taylenel spoke with authority.

“The dragon Tzu Khan has possession of an amulet that has the capabilities of breaching the seals of this realm.”

"Where is this dragon? How can we find him?"

“He is of the ancient line of scarlet dragons, and he lives in the caves above the redwoods of Ishmere. The elven king just found him, and although the king knows not exactly where he has sent me here for help.”

"We wait on the Queen. We need more information, but we will leave at dawn. Rest wolf." Taylenel turned to go. "You may hunt the antelope on the plains to fill your belly with meat for the journey."

***

Queen Lensa came out of the door to the glade from the yew tree; the wolf saw them exit from the double doors that disappeared when closed. Brennon watched and rose to his feet.

"Good morning, my Queen, good morning Champion."

In her hand, she carried two scrolls. "We've known about the amulet, but we couldn't find it. Evindale Yinra made it and threatened to use it. The elven king Ilimitar Gilwith sent an army to destroy it, but Yinra escaped, and the amulet disappeared with him.

"Not much is known about the dragon, other than he came from the east. From the land of the Samurai some centuries ago. Has a fondness for silver. The amulet is said to be silver.

“You must get that amulet, Taylenel. We’ll never be safe as long as it exists. I’m not sure how but you must destroy it. And we cannot allow it to be in the hands of Tzu Khan.”

Taylenel spoke up. “Enough, do you know where the Lair is?”

"We don't know for certain, my Queen, but there is one who will. The unicorn in the north." The wolf sat. Feeling at ease. "We know how to call the creature. He will talk to a fairy."

Taylenel walked to a tulip on the edge of the glade and dipped in his hand to withdraw golden honey the fairy called nectar. He sipped it. The dire wolf desired to taste the nectar and had a hard time resisting even though he knew it to be poison.

“I’m sorry,” the Queen said. “That we can’t give you more comfort, but you must leave now. Especially if you desire to hunt.”

*****

Taylenel sat dressed in his silver link shirt that reached to his knees, and at his waist rested the sword, Quiet Sleeper. The dire wolf hunted, for what he said would be a day and night. Taylenel lay back and slept.

*****

Brennon howled outside the thatched hut of the sprite Sarya Petlee. When he opened the door, the sprite covered his ears, his bright orange hair ruffled. “What do you want? Why do you bother me so? I was just sitting down to drink a cup of tea.”

Brennon stopped howling, and the green fairy stepped forward. "Tell me sprite of what you know of the unicorn Sue Lan."

“What? I don’t know a Sue Lan. You must be crazy.”

"I don't believe you," Taylenel stated. "The dire wolf here says you would deny it, but I must ask it a question. The seals, glyphs, and wards that protect my people are in danger if I don't ask this question."

“Do you want to be bitten in half?” Brennon suggested.

“Well, I don't know... but maybe. I can find him." the sprite wrung his hands together. "Come in. Come in. For tea and nectar. I have tea and nectar, yes."

“I’ll hunt,” the wolf stated. “I don’t think I can handle the sprite.”

The green fairy entered the thatched hut and sat at the small wooden table; he had to sit on the windowsill because there was only one chair.

"This is my best mint tea; I just picked it this morning." the sprite placed the mint leaves in the cup.

"When are we to see the unicorn, Sue Lan? My question really is quite urgent." The green fairy downed his tea after the water was poured into the cup.

“Please, let me give you some comfort. You can sleep on my table.”

“No. Now!”

"OK, OK." The orange-haired sprite stepped outside his hut and howled.

Taylenel pushed him aside, and the unicorn Sue Lan stepped into the clearing. His coat glowed bright white and silky, the mother of pearl horn glowed a million hues, many more than the colors of the fairies.

Sue Lan sang a song of questioning and asked why he had been summoned? Taylenel stepped forward and fell to one knee.

"I have a question I must ask," Taylenel pleaded. "Where is the dragon, Tzu Khan?"

The unicorn sang a song of mountains and cliffs and ledges. Sue Lan sang a song about the cave where the dragon could be found. Taylenel saw a scaled dragon, serpentine of scarlet and green. It slept atop a hoard of silver, and around its neck hung a silver and jade amulet. When the dragon heard the singing of the unicorn echoing off the cavern walls, it awoke, and its eyelids opened to reveal serpentine eyes, like the eyes of a snake.

“May I ask one more in the name of love?”

Sue Lan sang yes.

"I loved a fairy, dear. I wish to see her again. My question is do I have a soul like a man. Will I see her after I die?"

The unicorn sang a song of everlasting love so sweet that the fairy mourned Clarrisa’s death for the first time. He remembered his lips brushing against hers, and he cried further. His soul, and in that instant, he became convinced he had one, longed to see her.

With another song, the unicorn sang for the fairy to follow him.

The sprite went back into his hut.

Taylenel followed as the unicorn led. After a time, the fairy rose in the air to fly behind Sue Lan. They came to a field where a bald man set about gathering honey from hives. He wore a brown sackcloth tunic.

Sue Lan sang, and the bald man put down his buckets of honey and came over. "Good day," he said. "How may I help the both of you?"

The unicorn sang.

"Oh," the bald man exclaimed. "You're wondering if you have a soul? Well, come with me, and we'll see."

"Thank you, Sue Lan," Taylenel said. "I'm sure I have one; your music sang to it."

*****

Back at the friar's hut, that is what he introduced himself as, Friar John. "I come from the Shire of Tuttle on the coast of the English Channel. Quiet place, full of childhood laughter. Then one day, I was out collecting honey for my mead, and I swear I saw Jesus. Next thing you know, I’m here. There’s a village over the hill, over there.” He pointed out the window. “They give me wheat for my mead.”

Taylenel followed him into the hut and found the smell of warm bread welcoming him, and the friar said the jars contained honey. “So,” the friar sat down at his table and poured an amber liquid into his mug. “You want to know if you have a soul.”

“Yes,” the green fairy said. “The unicorn’s song sang to what I believe is a soul.”

“Well, there was a man named David who once danced through the streets of a place called Jerusalem to show God he loved him. The music sang to his soul there.”

“I loved a fairy; I wish to see her again when I die. Will I?”

"Now there is another named Jesus who said love thy God, and you will have everlasting life. Did she love you back, then you will love her in heaven. Yep. Yep. Love conquers all.”

“I think I can feel her love,” Taylenel said. “I think I like this man David and the one you call Jesus.”

“Yep, Yep.”

"Now, I must be going. I have to find my dire wolf and kill a dragon to save my realm."

The friar laughed. “Oh, is that all.”

A howl came from outside. Taylenel went to the small window and looked out. "There's Brennon. I think you should tell others of this love and soul thing. And if he, this Jesus, tells of this place heaven, then I like him even more."

He fluttered out the window.

*****

Taylenel arrived with Brennon at the cave’s entrance of the lair for the dragon from the east. The den being lit by an opening in the cave roof. Inside they could see a great pile of silver coins.

“Perhaps we should go in at night,” the green fairy said.

“Where is the dragon? Where is Tzu Khan?”

"I don't know, but I don't like it."

“Well, there’s nothing for it.”

Taylenel drew Quiet Sleeping, and the dire wolf put his head down to smell out the dragon. In they crept step by step.

“Hello,” said a whispering voice that echoed through their minds.

Taylenel spun, bringing the sword to bear. The scarlet scales reflected off his silver armor, turning it red as blood.

“What do you think you want in my cave?” asked the same whispering voice in their mind.

"We come for that amulet around your neck, oh magnificent one," said the dire wolf, knowing dragons enjoyed praise.

“What are you willing to give in trade?”

“I could give you my armor,” suggested the fairy.

“I sense elven magic in that sword, too."

“That you can’t have.”

“Perhaps I’ll take it.”

The dragon opened its mouth, and vibration built, filling the air with sound, and Taylenel covered his ears with his hands, dropping his sword. His body felt wave after wave of sound until the dire wolf attacked...

The dire wolf let out a growl and leaped to be knocked back by its whipping tail, thudding into him. Jaws snapped and locked onto the tail, and the dragon let out a scream to fill the cavern. Tzu Khan snapped its jaws, but Brennon twisted to avoid the bite. He let go, and the dragon’s body coiled onto itself to protect the tail.

The dire wolf spun and locked onto the neck just under the bearded chin of Tzu Khan, and green blood filled the dire wolf's mouth. The body uncoiled from being almost wrapped around the dire wolf and went limp. The wolf spat out the throat.

Tzu Khan lay dead bled out.

Brennon lay suffering as his moth burned. The blood had eaten his throat, and he, too, bled out. With his last thought, he thought of his cubs.

The fairy lost consciousness.

*****

Taylenel awoke sometime later to find the dire wolf dead. He would never return to his mate.

The silver amulet had a jade stone in its center, and Taylenel knew it would be difficult to carry back. He lifted his sword and brought the blade down on the stone in a hacking motion. The lightning burst knocked him to the cavern wall, but it was done. The amulet lay shattered on the cave floor, among the piles of silver coins and jewels.