The Dragon Savior of Tone: World of Tone: Book 2 (34 page)

She gently embraced his body, holding him close to her heart and walked slowly to the cave entrance. She extended her wings and gently pushed her wings down, lifting her body into the air. As Fienna gained height, the tunnel and cave entrance collapsed behind them. Then overhanging crystals slid down, forever closing the cave to all. She considered flying to the crevice and leaving this all behind, but she knew he was too weak for such a trip. So, she flew back to the trees' edge.

As she landed, Fienna saw that at least half of the fighters were moving toward the foothills to deal with the remaining dwarfs. The others awaited Fienna and stood back as she landed with Terra. They backed away, allowing her to walk toward the trees. Fienna saw the ground moving below one of the protector trees. Small hair-like roots were coming up through the soil, creating a soft place obviously for Terra.

Rammy was waiting and saw Fienna moving toward the large tree. She and ten female fighters ran to the tree seeing the soft roots forming into a sleeping mat. Fienna gently placed her love on the roots as Rammy covered his body with a soft cloth. Fienna and Rammy simultaneously noticed changes in Terra's body. Where once there was an image of the amulet, now lay a glowing white circular crystalline spot. Rammy touched it and felt soft supple skin, although it looked like hard crystal. Her fingers tingled after the touch. His fingernails and teeth had also changed to crystal, but they were hard and strong.

He moved below the covering as he opened his eyes to see Fienna above him. He smiled, but those around him stood back for a moment before coming forward to adjust the cover.

“Fienna, my love. It's done,” he whispered.

“We know. Rest now,” Fienna said as she looked into his now sparkling crystal eyes. Gone the ancient wood color replaced by the crystalline eyes of the ninth power. Terra closed his eyes and fell into a troubled sleep, dreaming of the death of thousands and in the end the rebirth of a world.

At that moment, Terra was the most protected being on Tone. Thousands watched over him as he slept. Odd-shaped fruits formed in the trees about Terra. They grew and ripened at an unbelievable rate and began to drop before Terra awoke. The fighters tasted the purplish fruit and found it had a sweet wondrous taste. Rammy personally ground the fruit into a paste for Terra.

Terra stirred and opened his eyes. He had never seen the world more clearly. Every limb and leaf were as a clear to his eyes as if they were only an arm length away. Fienna's face came into focus as she looked down upon him.

“How do you feel?” she asked with concern in her voice.

“I am tired, very tired,” he said, barely able to move his hands let alone his legs.

“Rammy has something for you to eat,” Fienna told him as she knelt down next to him. She put a bowl to his lips and he half drank; half ate some sweet purplish mush. It was very good and he could feel the strength it provided spread through his body. He looked up from the bowl and saw the sun set behind the crystalline mountain he had created. He watched as Fienna went through her change. Behind her, the mountain lit the expanding darkness like a thousand fires. As soon as she was in her human form, she ran to him and lay next to his body. Normally, his body was warm, so warm that it kept her body heated, but this sunset he was stone cold and as the light vanished, he began to shiver.

She asked for rocks to be brought and laid in a pile at Terra's feet. Even though her fire was much smaller, as a human, it was hot. She got to her knees and hit the rocks with a thin stream of concentrated flame. It only took a few moments of her fire to heat the rocks white hot. Terra felt warmer as she formed her body around him. She had never seen him so weak; he had given all he had to save them. As he grew warmer, his hunger grew. Rammy brought him some fired meat and more of the crushed fruit.

At first light, Terra was able to sit up, but was still too weak to walk. Xillal had sent runners to the mountains to tell all of what he knew. Dawra and a hundred dragons started flying to the dark mountain after the clouds had been banished by the great wave of light.

Fienna decided not to leave until Terra could walk. She would not take any chances with his life. His weakness was so profound that she feared any attempt to move him might mean his end.

Two sun-risings passed as Terra's strength grew steadily. The dragons arrived near sunset on the second sun-rising to find the now sparkling crystal mountain and Terra in his weakened state. They also found the crystal eyes that seemed to look into one's spirit.

Terra had told Fienna what had happened within the dark mountain. He allowed her to determine whom to tell the story of the last fight. After Fienna had told Xillal, the elf king, and Rammy, the story spread like wildfire through the fighters.

Fienna wanted to fly Terra back to the mountains, but Terra refused. He told her he wished to travel with the fighters that he had come with, even though it would take longer.

Dragons were sent back to the mountains with the story of the final fight. They would also send a Flight back to protect Terra, along with spreading the word that, the fight was done. Fienna decided to leave before the Dragon Flight could arrive and Dawra agreed. They left the next sun-rising, even though Terra could only sit up. A carrier was built with wood given by the trees. They broke their own limbs off to provide the wood. Every fighter wanted to be one of the bearers for Terra. The leaders selected the most deserving of the honor.

After two more sun-risings, Terra could walk a few hundred steps. The dragon Flight had arrived and they as well as Fienna flew directly above him. She landed often to check on her love. At sunset, Fienna stayed within touching distance of Terra at all times. She would never be parted from him again. They arrived at the mountains near sunset on the eighth sun-rising.

Chapter 63 - The World Learns

(A man, a dragon, offers his life for a world and a world is grateful.)

- Forth Sun-rising of the World Reborn-

The old land nymph wizard learned of the final fight from both the dragons and the runners that had returned. He had dead branches lying upon the ground collected and built a small fire. He concentrated to connect with his friend, the Old Sinut. The Sinut floated above his black pool and saw his friend’s image slowly form on its surface. They greeted each other and the old wizard described what he knew of the last fight.

“How is Terra?” the Old Sinut asked in concern.

“He is recovering. Apparently he used all he possessed to destroy the dark one. He has recovered enough of his strength to start back, according to the messages the dragons have brought. A Flight has been sent to protect him.”

“I assumed he refused to be flown back?”

“That is my understanding,” the old wizard replied.

“You know he used only his own power. He did not draw upon the core powers,” the Sinut said.

“Yes, the power he used was beyond my understanding. We now know what the ninth power is, pure white healing light. The final wave of light healed everyone here.”

“When the light passed us it illuminated everything. It even penetrated to the great depths. The great waters are full of those living and dying, but nothing was dying after the light. I saw one of our young ones left arm regrow in a few moments. Pains I have had for many seasons vanished, I have never felt better. He healed an entire world. He gave everything to give this world a new future. We owe him everything and all know it,” the Old Sinut said with a serious tone in his voice.

“I have been told he has changed.”

“Changed how?”

“His finger and toenails as well as his teeth are pure crystal. Where the amulet once lay upon his chest, now a crystalline circular mark has taken its place. One final thing his eyes are a sparkling crystal. They say looking into them is like looking into endless tunnels of cascading light. One of the runners believes he can look into one's spirit. At sunset, his eyes and the mark upon his chest shines with a gentle white light,” the old wizard said with an awed look on his face.

“He has grown beyond us. He is magic itself,” the Sinut replied.

“Yes, yes he is.”

“We must make him the offer. He must be the leader of this world. Terra is the only one who can unite us all,” the Old Sinut declared.

“I agree. I will call a meeting of the leaders upon his return to the mountains. We will convince him. We have little choice. No one else could prevent future fighting. I believe the fighters would abandon their own leaders to serve him.”

“I will await your contact.”

The last true Solan had prepared for the final fight. She had no idea what might happen when Terra used his magic so she and Terra's sister moved the amulets to a small tunnel off her main cave. It was a reasonable precaution for when Terra used the ninth the ancient box exploded from the intense light that came from the amulets. The ninth stone of the two amulets they wore lit so bright that holes were burnt through their clothing. They both were temporarily blinded by the light. The old Solan's pain vanished as the light passed over her cave. She felt better than she had in many a season. Where they had stored the amulets, the tunnel walls had crystallized and many of the amulets were embedded in the walls. The two Solans picked up those amulets they could, and placed them in a new box.

The wave of light passed over the cave lighting the entire interior. They both went to the cave opening and saw the wave in the distance. The local plants, which were wilted at best, were now green and strong, almost bursting with life. Plants had also started to spread across the soil and even the rocks. The world was renewing as they watched.

The fog flowed around the two Solans.

“He has used the ninth! The Dark One is no more,” the voice of the many exclaimed.

“Yes, Terra has done all this world, and we have wanted him to do. He is and shall always be the Draman. How are you?” the Solan asked the fog.

“We are stronger and even more vital.”

“Good, I think Terra will need us for now he must rule this world.”

In the crystal cave below the water, Cardana sat on her grandmother's lap as the walls lit up. Cardana smiled in the light and her small body glowed green. Terra's mother looked down at her granddaughter and knew the world had been saved from the darkness.

By the time Terra arrived at the mountains, all knew of what he had done for Tone and all those who lived upon her. His strength had improved to the point where he could walk half a sun-rising. The fighters all looked to him as their leader. Those who came in close contact with Terra still had difficulties looking into his extraordinary eyes.

Chapter 64 - Peace

(A final peace and those who keep it.)

- The Ninth Sun-rising of the World Reborn -

Terra rested for two sun-risings. On the third sun-rising, Fienna flew him to the mountains where he had a long discussion with all the dragons. On the fourth sun-rising, he walked into the trees with Fienna. He left his guards behind, telling them he needed time alone with the trees. They saw no harm in this for the trees had protected them all from the lightning.

Finally, on the fifth sun-rising, he called a meeting with all the leaders. They arrived at a small clearing among the trees, just before sunset and sat facing Terra. There was great tension in the air, as the leaders seemed to be oddly quiet.

“I have brought you together to discuss what will happen now that the dark one is gone. We now have choices to make that will not only affect all that live on Tone, but all those who will come after us,” Terra told all those present and the ghostly images of the sea nymph king and the Old Sinut hovering above a small fire.

The old land nymph wizard stood and faced Terra. “I have been chosen to speak for the leaders. We have been discussing the very issue you have brought to us. We feel there is only one that can lead us into the future, and that is you. You alone can command the respect and love of all those on Tone, you must be our leader.”

“Do you all agree with this request?” Terra asked.

“Yes,” they all shouted.

“I thought you might ask this, but understand, you may not like what I will do. Once you do this, you cannot change your minds. The dragons and the trees will not allow my removal from the leadership of Tone. So, I ask one final time, do you wish this?”

“Yes,” was once again shouted by all.

“So be it,” Terra said as he looked over them.

“What will you have us do?” Naron asked the new leader of Tone.

“First, I know of the traditional lands that each of you controlled before the fighting. Naron brought me ancient drawings of our world as it once was. You shall all have those lands once again. I will not interfere with how you and your kind control your lands except for one thing. The trees will not be harmed. I have talked to them and they have agreed to allow large growing areas. They will leave enough space to grow several times the amount of food your populations need,” Terra said as he looked about and saw nods of approval from all.

“The dwarfs' lands and the mountain will belong to me. No one will enter there without my permission. It will be left alone; no one will live within its boarders. Too much death has come from that land. It needs to heal itself.” Terra stood and walked around looking at each leader.