The Woodland Visitor Ch 19: Future Death
#20 of The Woodland Visitor
Finally. I have to apologize to everyone for posting this so late. With returning from Iraq and all the preparations before and after, I haven't had a second of time. Better late than never though. I want to thank those who were concerned and contacted me. It was greatly appreciated.
Now, back to the story.
The Woodland Visitor Ch 19:
Future Death
"Mama?" Amber cried as she tried to push past my legs.
Quickly I reached down and wrapped my arms around her. "Amber, listen to me for one second."
"No, let me go. It's my mama." She said as she struggled in my arms.
"Amber, listen to me first!" I lightly yelled. She stopped struggling and with fear in her eyes she looked at me.
"Remember what happened to your mama?" I asked her in a gentle tone.
"She died... But she's back, now I can go home."
"Amber, I'm sorry but nobody comes back from death. Your mama's spirit is here but she is gone and can never come back. I wish it were different, your mama probably does too but some things cannot be changed."
Pearl lowered her head down so it was near us. "Listen to your new father. He is wise and telling the truth. I am no longer here except in spirit. I cannot take care of you anymore but I will never leave you. Just close your eyes and think of me and you will feel my love within your heart for I will always love you my sweetheart."
"But mama" Amber quietly said as she reached out to her mother. I watched her hand pass right through her mother's nose to her surprise.
"No dear, you are with a new family now. They will take care of you as I would. I will always be here for you, but they are your family now."
Absently I reached back and placed my hand on the end of Pearl's nose. She jerked her head back and stared at me wide eyed. I, on the other hand, lost my balance and landed on my ass looking up into the eyes of a very surprised ghost.
Amber came up to me and nuzzled me. "Are you alright?"
"I'm fine, I just lost my balance."
"How did you do that?" Pearl asked.
"Do what?"
"Touch me. I'm only a spirit. Physical contact should be impossible."
I hesitantly reached out to her and ran my hand over the end of her muzzle. "I don't know. You feel real to me." And she did feel real. The only thing that felt different was the fact that she was cold to the touch. Slowly I stood up and ran my hand across her head to her cheek where she had been gouged by something. I noticed along with the cut she was missing a few scales there.
I ran my fingers over the cut, tracing its path across her cheek. I jumped back and stumbled as I saw the skin begin to mend itself back together, healing before my eyes. As the flesh healed the scales began to slide back into place with new ones sliding in to replace those that were missing.
Pearl jerked her head back and looked at me wide eyed as she ran a talon across her now healed cheek. "But how..." Even Tonya looked surprised at what I had done. I just stood there stunned.
"Ummm... let me guess. That should be impossible too."
"There's a legend among my people of a dragon who had the power to heal anyone or anything. I don't remember any mention in the legend about being able to heal the dead. That legend was the only mention of anyone healing like this."
"So does that make me some kind of powerful being or just a freak?" I asked as I walked back over and stood beside her. I ran my hand down the cut on her neck and watched as it healed before my eyes.
"That would make you a great asset if the prophecy is indeed coming true."
"A great asset, how?"
"I don't know. The guardians have given you this power. Only they know why and how it's to be used."
"Guardians? What are they?"
"The guardians are the spirits that created the entire universe and all the life within it. They do the bidding of the tree of life and the one called the father."
"The father?"
"It is said that when the tree of life felt the urge to fill the vast empty space in the universe, she planted one seed. From that seed sprouted the first guardian. She nurtured that guardian and showed him her plans for the universe. He was to be known as the 'Father of the Universe' and be the only link between the guardians and the tree. She sent him out to plant the seeds of what would later become 'The Guardians of Life' as my culture has called them. The father gathered together all the guardians and gave them the seeds of the universe. They went out and spread the seeds creating the planets and stars. When the heavens were populated with the planets they returned to the father. The father took the knowledge the tree had given him, and giving each pair of guardians another group of seeds ordered them to go forth. They were to find a planet among all those they planted and spread these seeds across it. These seeds were the seeds of life for all the races of beings that were to populate the universe. They were then ordered to watch over the seeds and guard them while they matured. Legend has it that they still walk among us taking our shape to watch over us."
"Why can't we ask these Guardians about what's going on?"
"Nobody knows who they are and they will only help out as much as necessary."
"Like creating the prophecy that you spoke of." Doc Travis said as he squeezed his way through the gathering. "If these beings have the power to create life..."
"Only the tree has the power to create life." Opal interjected.
"My apologies, to nurture the life they planted. Then it is safe to assume that they would know that to help that life every time something happened would be just as bad as slavery. Life would become to dependant on them and never be able to do anything for them selves. Every life form has its own views of these beings, but some things are always similar. Number one, they never help people directly. They usually leave clues about what needs done and the life they protect has to make it happen."
"The prophecy," Sienna said.
"Exactly, they create prophecies and the beings that receive them are the ones to do what needs to be done. And number two, they usually give some people 'enhanced abilities', for lack of a better term. Usually these beings play a major part of fulfilling these prophecies."
"Like Tom?" Sienna replied again.
"Quite possible. Earths legends are inhabited by such individuals. People like Hercules, Perseus, and many more throughout religions and mythology within every culture."
"But how can you compare this with mythology, I mean this is real." Josh said.
"I can prove that some of the myths we know have, to my mind, been given an actual factual base to come from. This means they could be true, not just the myth we know."
"Yea, how?" Josh asked.
"Take the dark ages. What was the fearsome creature that the knights fought to slay to save the maiden?" Doc Travis asked.
"Well, dragons but they don't..." He trailed off as he looked from Pearl to Amber.
"They don't what? They don't exist? But as you can see the legends of dragons could have actually come from real dragons that came here. Everyone knows how rumors run. Start at one end and by the time it reaches the other end it is totally different and sometimes doesn't even resemble the original rumor. Same goes for history."
"But... that means..." Josh said wide eyed.
"It means that everything you knew isn't real and that..."
"Reality is an illusion created by an alcohol deficiency." I said with a laugh. "Seriously though, what is this prophecy and how do I fit into it?" I asked turning back to Pearl.
Pearl swung her head back down to my level and looked at me. "I've been chosen to give you the following message." She then held up her claw and I watched as smoke began to swirl within. The smoke formed a ball which began to softly glow. Slowly removing her claws I watched as the ball hung in the air right in front of my face.
I wanted to step back from it but it was as if my body was paralyzed. I could only watch as the smoke cleared away and shapes began to form within. I watched as smoke began to stream out of the ball and surround me. Then I felt my body being drawn into the orb.
I tried to scream and fight what was happening but my body wouldn't respond. I could only watch helplessly as I was sucked into the ball. It was at that time my mind shut down from the overload it was being put through.
* * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * *
I felt my wings sweep effortlessly through the air in great arcs. Each sweep moving me along with ease.
~Wings... I don't have...~
I could feel my long neck sweep around and look back at a set of wings.
~I have wings... and a tail... I'm... A... Dragon... but how?~
I watched as the light reflected off of polished chrome wings. The muscles underneath making the skin move like molten silver. I could feel the power as my wings carried me along. But where was I going?
Turning my head back I watched a pinpoint of light appear in front of me. Slowly it grew and began to take shape. Soon I could make out what appeared to be an island floating in the middle of nowhere. And I say nowhere because it was as if the sky went on forever in all directions. No land or water or even clouds in sight as far as I could see. Only a single piece of land as if someone grabbed the tree in the middle and tore a big chunk of ground out, placing it here.
I flew towards the land and slowly circled it. The island itself was very large and flat and appeared to be a perfect circle with the center of it being a giant tree, the likes of which I have never known. The surface of the island was covered in grass that looked to be perfectly tended to. The last thing I noticed was beside the tree sat a golden dragon, easily twice the size of me, just watching me circle.
It appeared to have a glow about him as he sat there waiting for me. Turning I began to descend, feeling my wings sweep great amounts of air to slow me down. As my back legs touched down I could feel my claws dig into the soft earth.
I don't know what surprised me more, that I was a dragon, or how comfortable I felt as one. It felt like I had always been one. Sweeping my wings back, I folded them and slowly made my way over to the other dragon. Something inside me told me that this dragon was to be respected, even worshipped, but the tree was beyond such mortal thoughts. It felt as if the tree was the essence of life itself, something that was beyond the comprehension of a mortal mind. Something that would make the birth of life seem like a trivial matter. A feeling of peace and safety swept over me as I came to stand in front of the dragon.
"My son, it is good to see you again. The time is almost upon us that I shall have need of your services again. Your brothers are already awakening and the balance of power grows more evil every day. Soon your power will be once again needed to restore the balance and keep watch over those you have sworn to protect."
"But I..." was all I could get out before he held up a claw and stopped me.
"I do not have much time. Your current form cannot withstand this stress for too long. I have given my instructions to you in the form of the prophecy. But beware, you cannot fulfill your destiny without the help of those around you. Forces are in motion that will destroy those that are close to you. You must not allow this to happen."
He then turned and reached out. As if the tree had a life of its own, a branch slowly descended and dropped a seed into the dragon's claw. Turning back to me, it held out the claw.
Reaching out, I was just about to take the seed that was offered when the dragon grabbed my claw in what could only be described as a handshake. Light flared out from between our claws as an excruciating pain enveloped my claw. As fast as it came it was gone and he released my claw.