Lyzbeam: The Prophesy ~ Chapter 6

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THE SUN BEAT DOWN ON THE FACES OF Lyzbeam and Lopco as they walked across the flat desert plain.  Lopco’s tongue hung out, his eyes finally dry yet caked with dust from his long lost tears.  He scuffed his feet along leaving a long trail of disturbed dust behind him.3

Lyzbeam looked down upon the heartbroken Beexo.  His one true friend had died and now he had no one to turn to.  Lyzbeam vowed that from then on, she would always be there for him.4

Suddenly, Lopco fell to the ground exhausted and a cloud of dust particles engulfed him.  Lyzbeam came to his aid when the cloud dissipated.  Stroking his head she picked him up and put him on his feet.5

“Friendsa, I don’t thinks I can dos thisa.”  He hung his head in shame.6

“No,” Lyzbeam said squatting down so his eyes were level with hers.  Lifting his head up she smiled at him and his eyes brightened.  “Now, let’s go on.  I’ll carry you.”7

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A night and half a day had passsed and no sign of any living thing.  Lopco and Lyzbeam reverted to singing to lighten up their spirits.  Lopco had taught Lyzbeam a song he had learned in school.9

…A Vara cannot jump as high10

As a colourful jumping bean,11

While a Milter cannot fly12

Quite as well as a dream.13

A mole cannot dig 14

As deep as a Wrundler15

And a Therileo can’t rig16

Nets like a sailor…17

On and on they sang relating the characteristics of the creatures of Boyd.  So enthralled were they in this nonsense that they did not see the sheer outline of three figures approaching.18

Lyzbeam stopped singing to catch her breath when she saw the strangers.  Grabbing Lopco from her back, she covered his mouth with her hand.  Lopco immediately grew silent and stared at the oncoming travelers.19

“Lopco,” Lyzbeam whispered.  “These are other dragons, do exactly as I do.”  She unsheathed her sword that she had found along the road by some old bones.  Lopsco did the same with one of the kitchen knives he had stolen.  Lopco jumped up onto Lyzbeam’s shoulders and Lyzbeam flew up over their adversaries.20

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Dimitri gulped some water down from his canteen and quickly put it back into its place.  He licked his parched lips and pulled away his cape.  The sun seemed extremely warmer today.22

Neggi kept glancing at his claws, moving them this way and that.  He had given up trying to get Earstine to a little “one-on-one” combat.  He suddenly stopped.  Looking around he tried to find what his ears detected as a foe.  It was above him.23

Neggi stood as still as a statue until the opportune moment when he burst into the air like a rocket.  Flapping his wings he launched himself at the unknown creature.  Neggi caught it and hurled the enemy to the ground, scratching it with his claws.24

A cloud of dirt arose from the eath as Neggi flew down to meet them face to face.  Earstine and Dimitri ran towards him, determined to see what was going on.  As the haze cleared, a small figure with a sword stood before him.  Neggi squinted to see who it could be.  It was a dragon, no doubt with a small fury animal on its back.  It was greenish-blue and had a pink scarf.25

“Lyzbeam?” Neggie cried.  He ran up and took her in his arms.26

“Neggi, I…” Neggi let go.  His cape had drops of blood on it.  Looking at Lyzbeam’s side, he saw three gouges spurting out blood.27

“Lyzbeam!  I-I’m sorry!” he stammered.28

Lyzbeam held up her hands.  “No matter.  They don’t hurt much.  I’d like you to meet someone.  Lopco!”  A small crouching creature stepped out from behind her.29

“Vell!  Looky vhat ve have ‘ere!” Earstine replied.  He and Dimitri had just arrived and Dimitri could only stare.30

“He’s a Beexo.  I saved him while he saved me.”  She unfolded her wings, showing them off to her old companions.  “I believe we’ve never met.” Lyzbeam said turning to Dimitri.31

Dimitri came around out of a trance and held out his broad but scarred hand.   “I-I am…My name is Dimitri.”  Lyzbeam took his hand and for a moment were locked in each other’s gaze.32

“Come on.” Neggi said looking up at the sky.  “We should get to the Tree of Mifflin by sundown.  It looks like it’s gonna storm.”33

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And it did.  The drops pelted down on the traveler’s backs.  The dust turned to thick mud and caked between their toes.  The few plants, now coming more and more frequent, blew over sideways, their capes likewise.  Lopco scurried along by Neggi’s feet underneath his flailing cape.  The lightning flashed and the thunder roared as they arrived at the Mother of all trees.  A giant willow known by the name of the Tree of Mifflin.35

The four dragons and the Beexo approached the ancient massive trunk.  Earstine ran his toes across the engraved runes above a large boulder.  He backed up and yelled into the black of night, “Vissa sacevis magiians!” 36

A slot in the trunk next to the boulder opened.  To eyes peeked through the narrow space.  Threads of light filtered through the opening, piercing the darkness, reflecting off of Lopco’s green eyes.37

“Who approaches the Tree of Mifflin?” A low voice boomed.38

“Et es I, Earstine! Now ztop azkin ztoopid kestionz and letz uz in!” The boulder rolled aside and a tall handsome black dragon (like Neggi) stood in the doorway.  He wore no cape but had two curved swords by his sides.39

“Ah, Earstine, we have been waiting for you…and your guests.” The dragon said, eyeing Lyzbeam awkwardly.  40

“Ello, Posh.  Do what choo ‘ave to do!”  Posh snapped his fingers and immedietly Lopco, Dimitri, and Lyzbeam were surrounded by dragons of all colours and sizes.  They grabbed the three and bound them in chains.41

“What is the meaning of this?” Dimitri yelled as Lopco screeched in fear.42

“This is nessessary.” Stated Neggi watching them gag Lopco.43

“For what?” Lyzbeam asked stricken dumb by the mere thought of everything going on.44

“Why, for our protection.”45

“Why?  From who?  I don’t understand!”  Lyzbeam’s eyes filled with tears.46

“From you, Lyzbeam.  Don’t worry, all will be explained shortly.”  With that he and Earstine watched Posh and his commanders drag Lyzbeam and Dimitri away with Lopco in a potato sack.47

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Lyzbeam woke up to Dimitri shaking her.  She rubbed her eyes and sat up to see she was in a torch-lit cell.  Suddenly she recalled the past events.  How could they do this after winning her friendship?49

“They left us some Razzle-Tazzle Wine, Therileo meat, and something they call “grum”.  I made sure there was enough left for you.”50

Lyzbeam took one glance at the food and scrunched up her nose in disgust.  “I don’t want any.”51

Dimitri tried his hardest to comfort her but Posh came back with another dragon name Scap.52

“Colonel Earstine and Negistrate have requested that you both be present for a very important meeting.” Posh informed them.53

“Where’s Lopco?”  Lyzbeam yelled.  “Surely he can come, too!”  They paid no attention to her distress but unlocked the door and led them up some twisting wooden stairs.  The inside of the tree was well kept and many dragon’s bustled from place to place.54

Scap and Posh approached the main hall at the very heart of the tree.  Shoving Lyzbeam and Dimitri into the room, they took their places before the meeting.  A small fire crackled in the middle of a circle of benches.55

Many more dragons arrived.  One was as small as a rodent, another with his right arm missing, and another wearing a nurse’s hat.  They, too, took their seats around the fire.56

Eventually everyone was present.  There were nine dragons along with Earstine, Neggi, Dimitri, and Lyzbeam.  Neggi stepped forward, which signaled the beginning of the meeting.57

“Good evening.” Neggi began.  “As you all know, we just arrived yesterday evening.”  Lyzbeam couldn’t believe that it had been that long.  “We have come here to decide what to do about, Them!  But first, I must tell our guests who we really are underneath it all.”  Neggi turned to Lyzbeam and the others smirked.  “We, Lyzbeam, are assassins.”58

Lyzbeam gasped as individual dragons pulled out knives, swords, cutlasses, spears, and scimitars.  Even the nurse surprised Lyzbeam when she pulled out a sword.59

“It’s like this, Lyzbeam.”  A dark green hooded dragon spoke.  He sat closest to the fire and shivered underneath his robes.60

“Dominic, you don’t have to do this!” Neggi said61

“Who was gonna tell her, you?  No, I think she should hear it from me.”  Turning back to Lyzbeam he smiled and removed his hood.  Two large scars ran down from his forehead, over his right eye, and to the tip of his nose.62

“Lyzbeam, you need not have fear.  I am going to tell you our story.  The Eastern Kingdom, as you know it, is a barren wasteland of which no one enters, right?  Wrong!  For in this land lived a dragon of an evil sort.  His cape is long and flowing, black as his heart.  Spikes line his back down to the tip of his tail.  His scales are the deep red of blood and his one eye is that of the stone, tiger eye.63

“This is how he got his name and how he put fear into his followers.  His eye is so terribly strong in holding its victims gaze.  Well, he had this overpowering need to rule all of Boyd, or at least those he could defeat and use against the others.  He smart-mouthed his way into earning others trust but we, here, were some of the first in his army to want in on his evil plan.  We were the only ones who knew the truth, his plans.64

“We did what he bid or death.  We fought his wars or death by the Iron Hand.  We conquered all that opposed us and we put fear in the mouths of little ones.  We were undefeatable.  Dragons, Varas, Milters, Beexos, even Uniles were frightened of us.  We killed for pleasure, and domination, at the time, felt good.65

“But we felt, eh, empty of something.  Sure we stole each other’s food, drinks, weapons, and led a monstrous life of insolence and a constant fear of death, but that could easily be adhered to.  What we were missing was freedom.66

“TigerEye lied to us often.  I knew all of his evil schemes though for I was his magic-user, his advisor, and his most trusted Commander.  He told us that this was how all soldiers feel and that to leave would be ruthless; it would result in death.  So we stayed under his power.  But eventually he went too far.67

“TigerEye began to bring in captives who he tortured.  He’d have them chased by a mad Julieam or he’d have them flogged.  He began to pour hot acid on their bare bodies or he’d have them skinned alive, making sure every slice was more excruciating.  He’d make every single one of us watch and at first, being assassins, it was amusing.68

“It all came to us what his plans were when the war of the trolls ended.  Only a few of us remained and one of us, a traitor.  TigerEye was narrowing us down to see his best soldiers and the cowards.  With all our friends’ dead, we secretly set out on our own decision to go kill where we pleased.  But our ally soon became our enemy.69

“TigerEye pursued us throughout Boyd, wanting our heads on his wall and our blood on poisonous toadstools.   But we found a place of refuge, a place where any run-away, outlaw, or assassin like us could seek sanctuary.  This was the Tree of Mifflin, named after one of our friends who gave his life to TigerEye so we could have time to escape.70

“Colonel Earstine and Negistrate left soon after.  Colonel Earstine went to his home in Arneeya to work in his forge.  As for Colonel Negistrate,” Dominic looked at Lyzbeam more deeply.  “He went looking for you.”71

Lyzbeam jumped to her feet in alarm.  “Me?  He tried to take my food after I was banished!”72

Dominic smiled.  “Yes, yes.  But why did you get filed an expulsion?”73

Lyzbeam took her seat.  Dimitri slipped his hand into her for comfort.  “I-I stole some Pinking Potion.”74

Laughter.75

“No, Lyzbeam.”  Dominic replied.  “Colonel Negistrate planted the Pinking Potion in the fern after he broke into the palace’s potion storage room.  He followed you to see that everything went to plan and that you were banished.  Then everything went along great.”76

Lyzbeam was furious.  Is this what she was to them; a pawn in their scheme for conquest?  No, she won’t give in to their temptations.77

“What do you need me for?  Are you trying to make me an assassin, too?”  There it was.  She basically just gave herself up.  She trembled and Dimitri continued to hold her hand.78

“We need you to help us defeat TigerEye and his forces that are brewing in his Kingdom.  Normally, we’d kill you on sight but there are some qualities that you have that we need.  Our army of assassins, outlaws, and run-away’s are growing and are strengthening.  I think we could defeat…”79

“You underestimate TigerEye’s power!”80

The whole ensamble looked over at Dimitri.  He had let go of Lyzbeam’s hand and was standing by Dominic.81

“TigerEye, I met him.  Face-to-face!  And it is folly if you think you can defeat him now.  Over the years he’s grown stronger, wiser, and more powerful.  He’s learned some dark magic from the Black Era and he now knows of a green-blue Pygmy Dragon that can carry an army against him.  He captured me, tortured me, and tried to make me tell him where this dragon was. I fought him on my own and barely made it out alive.  I then set out on a quest to find this so called greenish Pygmy Dragon this tyrant sought; the colour is rare indeed.  And that leads me here.  I am telling you, you aren’t ready!”  Dimitri returned to his seat.82

Dominic stared into the fire puzzled.  Lyzbeam looked over at Dimitri’s scarred hands.  Everything was becoming clear now.  They were assassins who needed her to be in their army to help defeat TigerEye.   This was all happening so fast.  Should she accept?83

“This is ill news indeed!”  Posh said84

“How are we to accomplish all this, Colonel Negistrate?” said some girl dragon with long claws and spikes along her back.  Her eyes were like silver flame.85

“Well, Vasha, we don’t exactly know that yet.  First we need to train for everything that we may encounter.  So, in that case, will someone release Lyzbeam and Dimitri from their chains and show them to their dormitories?”  As Neggi finished, a small fury round ball rolled into the room.  Three dragon guards were chasing it.  The ball unrolled and revealed a panic-stricken Lopco.  Lopco ran up onto Lyzbeam’s lap and stuck his tongue out at the guards.86

“Hand that wretch over here!  He escaped our dungeons some how!” The first guard in the room said.87

Earstine waved them off and turned back to the group.  The fire was growing dim; it was getting late.88

“Tomarrow ve ztart our trainink!”  They filed out of the room and the nurse showed Dimitri, Lyzbeam, and Lopco to their rooms.  It was a long series of halls that had many doors to different bedrooms, girls separated from guys.89

Scap showed Dimitri and Lopco to their room and the nurse showed Lyzbeam to hers.  She turned to the right and beckoned Lyzbeam to follow.90

“Roight this way, miss.” The nurse said.  “We ‘ave some noice Pygmy soize rooms roight down this ‘allway.”  She grabbed a torch and lit it with a breath of flame.91

“Oh, by te way, miss, Io’m July.”  She looked at Lyzbeam.  “Is someting wrong?”92

Lyzbeam, startled, followed July into a dorm.  “Well, it’s just, all of this, it’s just, overwhelming!  With you guys and Dimitri.”  Lyzbeam sighed.93

“I know it’s ‘ard to swallow, but you know wot I tink?  I tink Dimitri loikes you.”  July looked into Lyzbeam’s eyes like you know I’m right.  “I tink you loik ‘im, too.”  July lit a torch in Lyzbeam’s room and made sure Lyzbeam didn’t need anything before she left.94

“Io’ll leave you to tink on it.  Loights out toe, it’s te rule.  Early day tomorrow.”  She shut Lyzbeam’s door and retreated down the hall.  Lyzbeam watched the light fade from underneath her door.95

Maybe, Lyzbeam thought.  Maybe she’s right!  With that she blew out the torch and fell onto her sea of Vara fur blankets.96