Chapter 3: Youth Gone Wild

     

Sora rolled over and bumped into the warmth of a human body. She reached out to see who it was and felt a hand grasp hers. She opened her eyes and saw Link looking back at her. Sora gave him a lazy smile, and then yelped as she was tugged violently to her feet. It was still dark, but Link was already awake and waking up everyone else. Frat turned away from him with a groan and tightened his arms around Oliana. Link sighed.

"Come on!" Link snapped. "Don't be lazy! We have to get moving. It's morning already, now let's go!"

"But it's still dark!" Roxanna whined.

"It's time to wake up!" Link said. "We're almost to the Dragon Land. If we go now, we can be there by late morning."

Sora sighed and began packing her stuff up. Gossamer lifted her huge head and turned it towards the group of scrambling, droopy youths. She blinked, then stood, shaking herself out from the top of her snout to the tip of her tail. Sora smiled and smoothed back one of the Dragon's many fins. She gripped the shaggy, scaly Dragon mane and hoisted herself up onto Gossamer's back. She reached down and took the chunks of cheese and bread handed to her.

"Eat quick." Link commanded. "We have to move fast."

"I agree with the young King." Gossamer spoke up. "I fear for my people. We must not waste time. Not a moment!"

"Then let's go!" Sora said, swallowing a last mouthful of food. "What are we waiting for?"

"Nothing!" Link said, swinging up onto Gossamer's back behind her.

Frat grumbled and helped Oliana and Roxanna get onto the Dragon's back. Then he climbed up behind them, gripping the fin Link had held the other day. Gossamer stretched out and unfolded her wings, lifting them to the sky. She flapped them a few times and lifted into the air gracefully.

^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^

Flynn hunched over in the hallway. This was so familiar, standing in the halls of the castle with a dagger in hand. There were no guards this time, since everyone was upset over the disappearance of their King. Flynn smiled to himself. The kid has spunk, I'll give him that, Flynn thought. I wonder if he took that girl with him… Flynn shook his head and slunk down the hall, pressing himself tight against the wall.

He turned one corner and pushed open a door. The room inside was huge, meant to hold three people or more. Only one bed was filled. On it lay a small girl with golden hair and a peaceful face. She was young, not more than ten or eleven years of age. Flynn knew she would not be hard to turn, and being young, she would last longer. He pulled out the Dragon Stone and walked towards her. The light of it shone in her eyes and she woke.

"Link?" The girl asked.

"He's not here." Flynn said, so softly he could hardly hear it himself.

The girl's eyes widened. "Who are you? What do you want?"

"Don't fear, child." Flynn soothed, although his voice held a layer of mocking. "I am here to take you to the ultimate happiness."

"Go away!" The girl shouted, curling up on the far side of the bed. "Leave me alone!"

Flynn ignored her whining. He put away the stone, so the light was extinguished and it was hard to see. He pulled out a cloth and moved forward swiftly in the dark, his hands coming in contact with the girl's body. She tried to scream but Flynn pressed the cloth over her mouth. The girl squirmed for a moment or two, trying to break free, then held still.

"Too easy." Flynn muttered, grinning.

He scooped the little girl up and slung her over his shoulder. She was tall for her age, but light, and Flynn had no trouble carrying her. He went out into the hall, dagger again in hand, and looked around. No one was in sight. Flynn took a deep breath and disappeared.

^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^

"Ya, ya, ya, ya, ya!" Sora chanted. "Do doot dooooo!"

"Is this a hint Sora?" Link asked. "You're trying to drive me crazy, aren't you?"

Sora shook her head. "Naw. I'm just bored. Not much you can do, this high up, on a Dragon's back, now is there?"

Link sighed and rolled his eyes. The ground was far below them and the clouds just below them, but this ride was anything but boring. Link had never liked heights, and riding on so huge a creature this high up was freaking him out. He took deep, shuddering breaths, trying to keep his mind off the long drop. Sora's insane babbling didn't help any.

"Doooowwwwwnnn we gooooo! Splat! Splat!" Sora sang, slapping her hands together.

"Sora, please don't." Link groaned, clutching his stomach.

"Soon will be a spot, on the ground!" Sora sang. "We'll go SPLAT! Down, down, down!"

Link doubled over as best he could, trying hard not to throw up. Normally this wouldn't bother him so much, but the thought of them being a "spot on the ground" didn't exactly make his stomach happy. He was greatly relieved when Sora's quit her strange verses and just stared absentmindedly into the clouds.

"A rupee for your thoughts." Link said softly.

Sora shrugged. "It's just…we hardly got a chance to rest. We got home, and then we got right back into trouble again."

"I thought you liked adventures."

"Oh I do." Sora said. "Just, I think I've had my fill for now."

Link frowned thoughtfully. He never remembered Sora ever having her "fill" of adventure before. She always seemed ready and raring for something new to pop up. When they had first parted, her going back to her home and him to his, she had sent him letter weekly asking if anything was up. He'd never personally wrote back to her. He'd always let Poonta do it for him, thinking Sora would appreciate hearing from her old friend.

"We're almost there." Gossamer said, startling him out of his thoughts.

"How can you tell?" Sora asked, looking down at the clouds.

"Instinct. Now, pass along the word to HOLD ON!"

"Okay. Everybody, listen up!" Sora shouted at the top of her lungs. "Gossamer says to HOLD ON!"

Suddenly the Dragon plunged straight downward. Link choked back a scream as he was shoved back against one of the Dragon's fins and nearly fell off sideways. The wind tugged his hair from the tail he had put it in and whipped it around his face wildly. He could here shrill screams from the Dragon's hind end as well. No doubt they were from Roxanna and Oliana.

They rushed through the clouds and plunged downward for awhile. Then they came to a sudden, screeching halt. Gossamer straightened herself out, now maybe fifty feet off the ground. She zoomed through the air, leaning slightly sideways. Her reflection showed in the clear waters of a lake nearby. She turned fully sideways and Link could suddenly see his own reflection. He grabbed onto Sora and buried his face in her flying hair so he wouldn't have to look.

Then Gossamer was flying upward again, her belly skimming the tops of tall tress. Link slowly let go of Sora (who was having the time of her life) and peered down at the treetops. As they went the trees became smaller and smaller, until Link was certain they were far above them. It took nearly an hour to get past the forest, although Link was certain Gossamer was flying as fast as she possibly could.

When they finally cleared the forest area Gossamer slowly began to descend. Link could see Dragons in the distance, all colors and sizes, coming to greet them. Gossamer lifted her head a trumpeted loudly. Answering trumpets, bellows, roars, trills and chortles could no doubt be heard for miles. The great silver Dragon flew until she was nearly twenty feet from the horde, and then landed with the grace and majesty of a swan.

"Mother!"

A small dragon, only slightly bigger than Gossamer had been when she first was released from the pendant, raced up to them, galumphing along on all four feet. This dragon was a mesh of silver, red and black scales. Its snout was completely black, with huge blue eyes gazing up at Gossamer in awe and respect.

"My people!" Gossamer called. "I bring with me, Heroes! I bring the Grandson of the Hero of Time, A Lady Wizardess and her Magician Brother!"

A great cheer went up, but Sora found herself frowning. She never claimed to be any Wizardess. Her powers came only from her birth, they were her right and had been for many years. She did not think that she had anything more than the rest of the family, but she was still ignorant to such matters. Maybe to these Dragons her power truly was great. In that case, they would need all the help they could get.

"Very human like, are they not?" Link asked softly.

Sora nodded. "Too human like."

"Is this the Lady?" The little Dragon asked, gazing up at Sora.

"Yes." Gossamer answered calmly. "She and the boy king will need the aid of two of our fastest fliers. It is them I choose to seek the help of the Centaurs in the west."

"I don't remember volunteering for this." Link muttered.

"Aye milord." Poonta chimed in. "I doubt we have a choice in the matter."

"I will aid the boy king!"

The tone was a deep basso and Link looked in its direction. A Dragon of shimmering blue stepped forward. He wasn't very big, and Link guessed that he might be the Dragon equivalent of a teenager. I think we'll get along well then. Link thought, a smile flickering over his lips. Indeed, a teenage dragon would be more likely to understand him.

"Very well, Amiri, Dragon Prince." Gossamer nodded. "You go with the youth."

"Prince…" Link murmured. "How strangely convenient."

"Well, who will aid the girl?" Gossamer asked.

No answer came.

"Where are you, my Noblest of Nobles?" Gossamer demanded. "Do you desert your own in this time of need? Someone, step forward! Who of you is brave enough to bear this task?"

"I will."

The crowd parted for the owner of the voice and there came gasps and angry murmurs. The Dragon before them was a mirror of Gossamer, but smaller, with a masculine face. His eyes were of the deepest, gold flecked blue. His wings were long and shimmered in the light. He was more beautiful than any of the Dragons in the crowd.

"Rogue." Gossamer said softly. "You will aid the Lady Wizardess then, my son?"

"I will." Rogue repeated. "I do it not for you, or your people, who scorn me so. I do it for the Lady only, and my reasons I will not explain."

"Very well." Gossamer nodded.

"Can I go too mother?" The little Dragon asked. "I want to help."

"Aidan, you are as yet too young for such matters." Gossamer told the baby.

"Awww!" Sora whined. She slid down from Gossamer's back. "Why can't he come?"

She grabbed the little Dragon and tickled his snout. Aidan chortled and playfully tickled her back with the tip of his tail. Sora fell back and rolled on the ground, laughing. Everyone watched them in the silent patience adults have for all the silliness of children. Finally Sora stood, hoisting up the little Dragon. It clung in place on her hip and suddenly she felt whole again.

"So it is settled." Gossamer conceded with a sigh. "You go with them."

"Yay!" Aidan cheered, and broke of in dragonly giggles as Sora tickled him under the chin.

^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^

Flynn appeared back in the dripping lower cavern with the girl still slung over his shoulder. He tossed her carelessly to the bed and scrambled for a match to light the candle nearby. He found one and struck it against the roughness of his gloved hand. The flame flared up and he lit the candle. In the dim light he could make out the form of the little girl on the bed. She stirred slightly, then awoke, staring at him in terror.

"Oooo!" Faylah cooed, appearing in a dark corner. "He brought us a little girl, Sammi!"

"What's the meaning of this?" Kyrissam demanded, appearing next to his wife.

"She is the next Power Field." Flynn explained. "She will take longer to be depleted and come easily to out ways."

Kyrissam nodded and studied the girl thoughtfully. Flynn carefully went about his business, taking the Dragon Stone out from his pocket and setting it on the table near the bed. The light it emitted illuminated the whole room, making his parents, himself and the girl fully visible. Kyrissam strode over and grabbed the stone, just as Flynn was about to pick it up.

"I will hold bond to this girl." Kyrissam growled. "You saved the last one, it will not happen again!"

"Father, you know nothing of the-" Flynn began, but Kyrissam cut him off.

"I know enough!" Kyrissam snapped. "Now you, boy, to your rooms! Dare you not speak to me in such a done again!"

Flynn turned and slunk out of the room, wrapping his cloak tightly about him. When he was gone, Kyrissam bolted the door and Faylah laughed, coming to his side. Together they rested their hands on the Power Stone and the girl looked at them, terrified.

"What is your name, little girl?" Faylah asked.

"I-Isannah." The girl stammered, transfixed.

"Isannah, you are now ours!"

^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^

Flynn's head snapped up with the sudden realization of what his parents planned to do. He turned and sprang for the hall he had just left. As he turned to corner, Fay guards appeared out of nowhere, brandishing swords and shields. Flynn pulled out his own dagger, knowing he would need more than just six inches of steel to deal with them. He did not like using sorcery on his own people, but if it came to that, then so be it.

He charged into the crowd of guards with an angry war cry. The slashed at him, but he was smaller and quicker than they were, which gave him much advantage. He got hit, more than once, but he was unworried. He diminished them quickly with a few simple spells they did not know and 15 years of battle training.

Flynn was not going to get off so easily though. A row of shadow warriors dashed out from the walls of the hall. His parents had most definitely planned ahead for this, that was certain. Flynn tried his best, slashing at the shadow warriors with his dagger, but the blade went right through. They slashed at him with claws and teeth, opening wound after wound. Flynn forced a spell out between his lips and they dissipated.

He collapsed in front of the door to the chamber where his parents were. He banged on the door furiously, until his hands were cut and bleeding, but it did him no good. He felt power zap through the air, and howled in despair. Suddenly the door flew up and he was being pulled to his feet by the collar of his shirt. He was yanked into the room and thrown up against a wall.

"How dare you try to defy me!" Kyrissam snarled, backhanding him.

Flynn slid to the ground, coughing up blood. His whole body was covered in blood; it came from his nose, throat and the many wounds on his body. Flynn groaned and rolled onto his side, realizing what was up. In one moment, everything became clear to him, and then bright light exploded behind his eyes.

Back to Story Menu