Journey to Rainbow Island (5 page)

They sat next to the great wizard's bed. “I am so happy to see you awake, Metatron. I . . . I was so worried . . .” Yu-ning's voice broke off as she began to sob, placing her head on Metatron's chest. The wizard winced silently, as his ribs were very tender, but he did not want to let Yu-ning know. He patted her head gently and smiled for the first time in many days.

“Yu-ning, the sight of you has accelerated my healing by leaps and bounds. I feel as if I could take on the obsidigon myself, seeing you up and about. Let me see you, child. How are your burns healing?”

Yu-ning slowly removed her left arm from its sling and gently pulled back the bandages around her wound. Metatron, who was wise in the ways of natural healing, examined the wound carefully. “It looks like our good doctor is taking excellent care of you, my dear. The balm he is using is working nicely, and . . .”

Metatron stopped, transfixed as he stared at the underside of Yu-ning's left arm, just on the inside of her upper tricep. “Why, this is amazing . . .” he muttered. He turned the arm this way and that, in his excitement causing Yu-ning to wince in pain. “I'm sorry, Yu-ning. It's just that I have not seen this in several decades . . .” Again the tall wizard's voice trailed off, leaving Yu-ning and Cristobel to exchange quizzical looks.

“What it is, Master Metatron? What do you see?” queried Cristobel.

“Why, I am not 100 percent positive, but I believe something extraordinary is happening here, Cristobel. I believe we have a Darq Render in our midst.”

As he said this, the old wizard and Cristobel gazed at Yu-ning in what could only be described as a new light. They were smiling at her, but there was also a sense of reverence in their looks that made her feel a little uncomfortable.

“I don't understand . . . why are you both looking at me that way?”

Metatron asked for a drink of water. Cristobel poured water from an earthen jar next to his bed and handed a ceramic mug to Metatron, who drank deeply. He handed the water back to Cristobel and with both hands smoothed the covers around himself, gathering his thoughts. “Yu-ning, do you see that birthmark on the inside of your left arm, above your elbow?”

“Yes, I've had it since I was a baby.”

“Look closely at it, and tell me what you see.”

“I don't see anything at all,” said Yu-ning, now thoroughly puzzled.

“Exactly!” said Metatron with growing excitement. “Look at the skin all around that birthmark. It is red and burned from the attack. But the birthmark and the skin around it were not touched by the dragon's fire. Don't you see, Yu-ning? The old texts say that every Darq Render has a crescent-shaped mark on the inside of their left arm, as you do. But I never thought anything of yours—I just thought it was an ordinary birthmark. But I was wrong. The texts also tell us that the certain sign of a Darq Render is that their mark
cannot be damaged or harmed by dragon's fire. That perfect and unburned skin is proof that you are, indeed, a Darq Render.” The wizard had raised himself up in bed by his arms in his excitement, but now he collapsed back down, his fragile state getting the better of him.

“I honestly did not know any of the bloodline were still alive,” he finally offered, as if starting in mid-thought. “The last known Darq Render disappeared into the northern wastes of Darqendia more than twenty-five years ago. Since then, I have been waiting and watching for their return, but to no avail.”

Cristobel and Yu-ning helped Metatron get comfortable in his bed and poured him more water, which he accepted with gratitude. His voice dropped an octave as he gestured Yu-ning to come closer. “The only way for you to fully learn all there is to know about a Darq Render, Yu-ning, is to meet the man who knows more about them than anyone I know. Very few people still survive from the Great Obsidigon War, but one in particular can be of great help to us, I believe. His name is Balthazar, and he lives on Gracia Island in the Tower of Light. I first met him on the plains of Darqendia, immediately after the last battle against the obsidigons. I was serving behind the lines, as a healer to the wounded.

“There were hundreds of obsidigons then, and the Darq Renders were the only warriors who battled the beasts on the front lines, their light bows bringing victory over the dragon horde. If it weren't for the Darq Renders, it is uncertain whether or not we could have defeated the obsidigons.”

Without being aware of it, Yu-ning was gently touching her crescent-shaped birthmark, tracing the arc of the crescent back and forth. As evening wore on, bedside lanterns
went dark around the infirmary. Eventually Metatron's light glowed as a single beacon in the large hall. Long after the other patients drifted off to sleep, Yu-ning, Metatron, and Cristobel still talked about the history of the Darq Renders, their role in defeating the Great Obsidigon Horde, and what had happened to their kind since then.

Metatron told them about how the Renders once ruled Darqendia Island and prospered there in peace. Though the island was now mostly vast expanses of sand dunes and desert, the Renders had discovered diamonds and other precious stones and minerals in the hills and mined the land prosperously They also harvested the bounty of the sea, mastering the arts of shipbuilding, fishing, and ocean trading.

When the warlocks conjured the obsidigon army, their plan was to pillage the precious stones of Darqendia for their own. Thankfully, many of Darqendia's surrounding neighbors came to their aid, and with the Darq Renders leading the army, the obsidigons and their warlock masters were defeated.

“Each Darq Render bares the mark of the crescent moon, as you do, Yu-ning,” said Metatron. “And there is this: Darq Renders have an ability to understand the obsidigon and to fight it more effectively than other clans or races. That is why that mark on your arm is so significant—you may have inborn abilities against these dragons that the rest of us do not possess,” added Metatron, looking intensely at Yu-ning. She felt a little nauseous and couldn't quite take in all that her master was saying!

“But no one knows just exactly how the Darq Renders were able to slay the dragons,” Metatron continued. “Legend says that all earthly weapons are ineffective against the beasts. And we have no surviving texts or firsthand accounts
of the Darq Renders' methods in bringing down the obsidigons. They marched into battle as one—alone. The rest of us—all those who did not bear the Darq Render birthmark—stayed in the rear guard, simply waiting to come to the aid of the wounded after the battles were over. All their history has either been lost beneath the sands of Darqendia, or destroyed in the fires wrought by the dragons' breath. Balthazar is the one man who may still have some clues to these hidden mysteries.”

Metatron paused, a far-off look in his eye. “A rainbow bean for your thoughts, Master,” said Yu-ning.

Metatron smiled and said, “I just remembered the oddest thing. There we were, in the midst of war, surrounded by darkness and destruction, but the thing that I remember most is the colorful butterflies.”

“Butterflies? What do you mean, Master?”

“After the battles, as the Darq Renders marched back from the front lines, oftentimes great masses of butterflies could be seen in the skies,” said Metatron. “I don't know why I just remembered that—even in war, beauty can be found, I suppose.”

Their heads filled with images of diamonds, deserts, and dragons, Cristobel and Yu-ning sat silently next to Metatron's bed. After the wizard drifted off to sleep, Cristobel and Yu-ning made their way back to Yu-ning's cot, where her dinner tray had been placed earlier by one of the teachers-turned-nurses. She said goodnight to Cristobel, nibbled a bit at her food, but soon pushed away the tray, too overwhelmed to eat. She reached under the bed and pulled out the careworn book Cristobel had brought earlier. She hoped it would
distract her from the terrors of the past few days and from the revelation of being a Darq Render.

As she slowly and carefully leafed through the thick pages, her eye stopped on a striking image of a dark dragon. It was an exceptional rendering of an obsidigon, which looked a good deal like the beast that had attacked Rainbow Island. Its eyes were piercing and full of malice; it seethed destruction and chaos in the angle of its wings. Its tail was raised high in the air, poised to crash down on a terrified group of Darq Renders. The warriors were frozen in terror, crouching away from the dragon, with wide, terrified eyes.

As Yu-ning carefully closed the book and slid it under her cot, she revisited the evening's revelations in her mind, floating in that in-between space where wakefulness ends and sleep begins.

D
AYS WENT BY
, and each dawn came pale and sullen, the light of the bright tropical sun diminished by the loss of the sacred rainbow. Slowly the village was rebuilding, with many of the burned structures already cleared, fresh timber and thatch taking their place. At least the work of house building served to distract the masters, teachers, and children from the loss of their colleagues, the sacred crystals, and Romeo.

Yu-ning recovered sufficiently to return to her own cave, where she was visited throughout the day by both Cristobel and many of her fellow Rainbow Children. Her burns were healing well, allowing her to remove the sling and to do small tasks, with just bandages protecting her arm and shoulder. The herbal remedies given her by the Island doctor worked remarkably, reducing the healing time of the burned skin by half. Though tender to the touch, the skin healed quickly, and the pain diminished more each day.

As she rose one morning, slowly dressing herself and eating the breakfast of eggs, toast, and mango juice that one of the teachers brought her, she heard a familiar voice at the entrance of the cave. “Hello? Are you up, Yu-ning?” It was Cristobel.

“Yes, come in. It's good to see you, Cristobel. I was just about to come down the path and visit you in the village. How are you?'

“I'm well. Very busy helping to oversee reconstruction. But this morning, we've a special visitor who would like to see you. Come outside and you will see what I am talking about.”

Curiosity aroused, Yu-ning emerged from her cave into the morning light, the sun not yet hitting the entrance of her grotto. From between the great tropical trees surrounding the path, she saw a massive creature with enormous, rainbow-feathered wings; it had the head of a man, a pointy eagle nose, a magnificent white-feathered body, and two human legs. The creature's gigantic, colorful wings seemed to fill the entire sky and radiated shining, dazzling lights.

“Suparna, Suparna, it is so good to see you! It's been so long since you've visited us!”

The breathtaking creature glided to a landing before Yu-ning, lowering his body and wings before her in a sign of respect. “Suparna, your friend, at your service, Yu-ning,” said the regal figure.

“At
my
service, Suparna? No, it is I who should be bowing to you, in your beauty and wisdom,” said Yu-ning, bowing at the waist before Suparna.

“No, Yu-ning. You do not need to bow to me,” said Suparna. “I have learned of your bloodline, Yu-ning. You are
a Darq Render. I am familiar with the noble history of the Darq Render clan. I am proud to serve you.”

“Suparna, I am still so confused about who I really am. But I do feel different. I don't know if it's because of how everything in my life seems to have been shattered, or because of the revelation of my identity as a Darq Render. All I know, Suparna, is that I am scared, I am confused, and I don't know what the future holds.” At this, Yu-ning ran toward the magnificent bird and buried her face in the soft feathers of his chest.

Suparna looked at Yu-ning with shining eyes and enveloped the diminutive girl in his voluminous wings. “Much has happened in your life these past few fateful weeks, but I know one thing for certain: the light of love is in you, it is in me, it is in the children and teachers of this Island, and it will once again shine in the world around us. But in order for the light to shine, and for our glorious rainbow to be restored in its healing glory, we must rend—or tear—the light from the dark. Do you understand what I am saying, Yu-ning?”

“But that is not me, Suparna. I am not capable of rending light from a dragon! I am just one little girl.”

Suparna drew back from Yu-ning, releasing her from his wings, and rose up before her, thunder in his eyes. “YOU ARE NOT just a little girl, Yu-ning! Light does not know
size
—even the tiniest speck of light, when it touches darkness, tears it apart!” As Suparna finished addressing Yu-ning, his eyes grew soft again, and a smile creased the corners of his beak.

“I believe you, Suparna, but I am still very scared,” said Yu-ning.

“I know, my child. But we are in desperate times, and you are going to have to face those fears. News travels fast, and when I heard about the troubles on Rainbow Island, I came as quickly as I could,” added Suparna. “Unfortunately, Rainbow Island is not the only part of our realm under attack. The warlock Hobaling and the obsidigon have also attacked the Imperial City of Tunzai. Even the skilled bows of the Empress's own royal guard were no match for the hard-scaled armor of the obsidigon.”