Lyzbeam: The Prophesy ~ Chapter 2

21

road to Arneeya2

LYZBEAM AND NEGGI SAT AROUND A SMALL    fire just outside of the Northern Kingdom.  They ate a roasted coney and drank some blue fizzy juice.  They were unaware of the set of eyes that lay in the bushes behind them.3

“So you come from a Kingdom where all the dragons are different colors?”4

“Yeah, unlike you Pygmy Dragons, we come in all different colors.  They say we come from the Rainbow Dragon herself.”5

“No-way!  That ole’ dragon from the Elder Day Legends?”6

“The very one ole’ gel.  I’ll tell you the story.”7

*****8

“There once was a dragon in the Southern Kingdom who was the most fair and beautiful of them all.  She is said to have scales of every color imaginable and not imaginable.  Her eyes were one day the brightest blue but the next day they would change hue to a soft silver.  It was for this reason that she was named Ranaydn or Rainbow Dragon.9

“Ranaydn’s voice was as beautiful as the stars and was soothing beyond belief.  She would often take a walk in the Scyven Tree Forest singing, singing as she walked along. The wildflowers and trees seemed to bend closer to the path where she was walking as if they wished to hear her clearer.  She was rarely seen but was always heard.  She usually sang:10

Open my eyes and let me see11

The heartbreak and need of those unfortunate12

Of those who weep; of those who hate;13

Of those who scream and cry out at night;14

Of those who wonder aimlessly through packs of wolves in fright.15

O God, help me with this.16

“There were more verses but none could be found recorded.  Well one day, she was walking down a path that she had made when twelve Ruffian Dragons jumped out at her, knocking her off her feet.  They bound her front legs and wings for she was fully-fledged and could fly expertly.17

“Ranaydn struggled to get free but they held her down.  As she wiggled, her scales shimmered in the sunshine and her eyes rapidly changed color.  The Ruffians stepped back as she started to rise naturally off of the ground.  Later one of those Ruffian Dragons said it was as if the sun was calling her but then released her as it absorbed some of her wondrous color.18

“Well the sky clouded over and a thunder started to roll off the mountains.  Ranaydn lye on the ground before she got up.  She was described as a ghost not moving but was sort of lifted by an invisible hand.19

“Ranaydn looked at each of them and sang her song.  Then she signed their death wish.  She said: ‘Death will come upon you and your generations to come with hasty wings by the armies of the colored ones.’  The Ruffians were so frightened that they lunged out and ran their swords through her heart.  20

“Ranaydn gasped for breath but her eyes clouded over and lost their tinge of joy.  But instead of falling to the ground and bleeding, she simply disappeared; not one drop of blood spilt to the ground.21

“All of a sudden, the clouds above the Scyven Tree Forest split with a crash of thunder and a bolt of lightning.  A rainbow came down out of the sky in-between the fissure in the clouds and it rained scales.  When the scales hit the ground, dragons appeared out of no where.  They were a variety of colors; reds, oranges, yellows, greens, blues, purples, and everything in amid them.  They drove out the Ruffians and these two races of dragons are at war to this day.  22

“Some say that it never did rain scales and it was just Ranaydn’s family coming for revenge out of the midst of the trees. But I believe it did rain scales…Ranaydn’s scales.  She was taken to live in the clouds to spread her beauty after a sad rainfall and to promise her dragons, who came from her scales, that she would always be watching them.”23

*****24

Neggi stopped and put a log onto the fire.  “That’s what is said about my race of dragon.  But I don’t know if it’s entirely true.  If you look at a rainbow, black is conspicuously absent.”25

“Wow!” Lyzbeam exclaimed.  “I never would have…” Suddenly, without finishing her sentence, she fell over on the ground, the wind knocked out of her.  Neggi looked at her.  A rock from a slingshot had hit her in the back of her neck.  Neggi stood up and spread out his wings out to their full extent, baring his teeth.  26

Lyzbeam regained her breath and saw Neggi reaching into his cape only to pull out golden claws.  He slipped them on over his own hands and stood in a battling posture towards the foe.27

It was a pack of Uniles, a fierce wolf-like creature with horns and poisonous fangs.28

“Leave you creatures from the scum of the earth or you will taste my claws and your own blood.”29

A big Unile stepped forward baring his blood stained fangs.  “It is not our blood we lust for but your friends’ there.  We’ve been watching you for over an hour now and it is that beauty we want.  Her scales for our wives and her meat…for us!”30

Lyzbeam rose to her feet as another Unile growled at her.  She didn’t know what to do.  She had never fought before.31

“You won’t lay a fang on her!  You’ll have to go through me first!”  Neggi’s nostril’s flared and his claws gleamed in the firelight.32

“Looks like we’re gonna have seconds, boys!”  The leader cried and a series of howls pierced the night.  Then, as Neggi suspected, they lunged at him, all except two that found their way around the mob to Lyzbeam.  They circled around her eyes glowing yellow-green.33

Lyzbeam looked up at Neggi.  Uniles surrounded him; he stood his ground lashing out with his golden claws.  But then three Uniles jumped out at him from behind and tore at his unprotected back with their thick, gray claws.  Neggi winced and reached behind his back and grabbed an unfortunate Unile.34

The two Uniles were pushing Lyzbeam back towards the woods from where they had come.  Lyzbeam gasped in terror as the whole pack pounced on top of Neggi’s back.35

Then there was an explosion from underneath the pack of Uniles and the wolf-like creatures went flying into the air; some had severe third-degree burns and others had just scorched, skin or fur.  Lyzbeam saw Neggi stand up off the ground covered in blood.36

The two Uniles who were leading Lyzbeam into the forest began to nip at her scrawny legs.  “Neggi!”  Lyzbeam screamed as she tripped and fell to the moss covered ground.37

Neggi whirled around and saw the two Uniles stalking Lyzbeam.  With a roar like thunder in a hurricane he ran to her aid. He opened his mouth and sparks formed on his tongue.  It took shape and became a mass of lightning bolts in the back of his throat.  The blinding bolts shot out wounding one of the Uniles.38

The remaining unwounded Uniles fled, finally getting the hint that he was too powerful for them.  Yet the Unile standing over Lyzbeam remained steadfast.  39

Lyzbeam turned over and kicked upward into the Unile’s gut, sending him sprawling on his back.  He quickly recovered and before Lyzbeam could kick him again, he bit her ankle.  He looked up and caught Neggi’s vile stare and retreated into the forest to join his comrades.40

Lyzbeam let out a piercing scream.  Neggi ignored the vigilant eyes in the grass and ran to Lyzbeam’s side.41

He looked at her ankle and sighed.  “His poison was running smoothly through his teeth today.  I cannot heal you but we must move swiftly.  You need Earstine’s medicine.  Can you walk?”42

Lyzbeam got to her feet and put pressure on her right foot.  “Yes, I’m okay!”  Lyzbeam lied.  “Although, it is turning black!”43

“Yes, and it will get also gradually worse hour by hour.  That is why we must get to Arneeya as quickly as possible.”  With that they set off at a steady pace across the plain with Uniles following in their wake.44

*****45

They hadn’t walked far before Lyzbeam started to limp.  The wound on her ankle began to swell and was black.  It was spreading up her leg.  Neggie knew that if they didn’t get to Earstine’s house soon she would die.46

“Are you alright?  Do you need to rest?” Neggi asked concerned. 47

“No, I’m alright, I can go on!  …Ah!”  Lyzbeam fell to the ground clutching her ankle.  She gritted her teeth in pain.  48

Neggi knelt down beside her and tried to reach out to comfort her.  “Here, let me help you.”49

“No!  That’s okay!” Lyzbeam recoiled into a ball trying to not stare at the golden claws still attached to his hands.50

Neggi looked down at his hands.  “Oh!  My claws, I’m sorry.  Never seen a dragon do what I did back there, huh?  That’s understandable.”  He removed them and put them into his cape pocket.51

Lyzbeam stared at his strong, rough hands.  They were muscular and worn but claws were conspicuously absent.  Lyzbeam gasped but wish she hadn’t; she felt embarrassed. 52

“So, you’ve found out.  Took you long enough.  Like you, I was born this way.”  Neggi paused.  He didn’t want to tell her the truth…yet.  He knew he could confide in her but yet he wasn’t sure if she was ready, let alone he. “So I went to Earstine.  He is a great blacksmith and medicine maker.  He made me these claws out of gold so I could fight in the battles that often came to our village.53

“I enlisted to be a soldier so I could rid my family’s village of the awful Ruffians.  I eventually was injured at the Battle of Octset.  I was rushed home.  Need I say more?”  Neggi looked ahead prolonging his story to another day.54

Lyzbeam gritted her teeth.  Every step was more and more excruciating. Bullets of pain ran up her leg.  The blackness had spread to her knee.  Lyzbeam slowly, without thinking sat down on a near boulder, holding her head.55

Neggi caught her as she started to fall off of the rock.  He felt her head as her body went limp.56

“Oh, visoot!” Neggi cursed.  He looked up to see Uniles approaching, ready to receive their prize.57

Neggi wanted to get his claws out to destroy the greedy killing pack but he couldn’t leave Lyzbeam alone.  He picked her up and lifted her onto his back.  He spread his wings and began flapping.58

Dust flew up off the ground, stinging Neggi’s eyes.  The dust engulfed Neggi and Lyzbeam and the Uniles could be heard yipping and barking in rage. 59

Neggi gained altitude; only then did he clean the grit out from the corners of his eyes.  After he could clearly see, he saw the rising cliffs in the distance.60

“Arneeya!” He exclaimed and beat his wings even faster.61

*****62

Lyzbeam awoke; blinking her eyes multiple times before all the liquid was drained out of them.  Her head was throbbing but no pain came from her ankle.  Lyzbeam glanced down at her ankle.  Two holes protruded into her foot where the one Unile bit her. 63

“You’ve been getting better.  You’ve been in Earstine’s care for almost a month now.”64

Lyzbeam looked towards the doorway of her room.  Leaning against the wall was Neggi, his legs outstretched in front of him.65

“I’ve slept for a month?” Lyzbeam gasped.66

“Nearly.  If I didn’t get to Earstine soon enough you would have died and the Uniles would have devoured you.”67

“Earstine?  Who’s he?” Lyzbeam couldn’t help but ask.  Neggi straightened up and went through the door.  After quite some time, she could hear his heavy footsteps leading another; smaller pair of feet up the hall.68

Neggi walked through the doorway and behind him walked a smaller dragon.  “Lyzbeam, this is Earstine.”  Lyzbeam looked at the dragon as Neggi stepped aside.  Lyzbeam couldn’t believe her eyes.  Earstine was only four feet and was standing on his hands!  His mouth was beak-like and his eyes seemed to bulge out of his head.  He was scrawny and had tiny, tattered wings.69

“Welcome ta Smoodon, Lyzbeamer.  I hoop choor stay will be, em, luvly.”  With that he smiled and trotted (if you can say that he trotted on his hands) away down the hall.70

“So how do you like him?” Neggi asked, bringing Lyzbeam out of her trance.  Suddenly a hammer striking metal echoed off the walls.71

“You say he’s a blacksmith?  The very one who made your golden claws?”72

“Yes, with his own two feet.  He can use his feet like hands.  The Tree of Mifflin helped him to use his feet so skillfully.  Just like I learned how to shoot lightning out of my mouth.” Neggi explained as he sat down on the opposite corner of the bed.73

“And I was thinking, if you want to become pink, then you and I should head for…”74

“…The Tree of Mifflin!” exclaimed Lyzbeam, finishing Neggi’s sentence.  “I’ll go!  Where’s my scarf, where’s my haversack?  Point me in the right direction.”75

“No!  Earstine says until your fully recovered, we can’t do anything, so lie down and rest!”  Neggi pushed Lyzbeam down and headed towards the doorway.  “Maybe I can get connections to have you trained by Mangescall.”76

Before Lyzbeam could ask whom Neggi was talking about, he was already down the hall.77