SciFi and Fantasy Stories: Ryujin's Tales 2 - Chapter 15 to 17

Two hundred years had passed far from home. Ryujin sat on the bench by the hut and stared thoughtfully the grave in the rim of the ravine. The sea was rumouring something, down there, in the rocks below. He didn’t listen. He had refused to listen in the last ninety years.

'You should pay attention,' the voice said by him.

He looked the ghost by him. Svarik was looking at him transparent and ethereal, as usual. Her long hair moved slowly in the breeze, and the eyes stared at him, silvery.

'You should be sleeping, you're dead now,' ha said.

The ghost smiled.

The little girl was almost frozen, but his dragon warmth made her come to. He swam with her to the beach, and carried her to the village. The people received them without questions. And he stayed there, with Svarik for a long time. She grew up, married a fisherman, grew older, and finally she died. And he always lived in a neighbouring hut, taking care of her. The popular imagination had carved dragon heads in the beams of the houses, dragon heads roaring to the storm, and he had helped the villagers in the cruel winters, when it seemed they all would die. And he remained there even after Svarik's death. Her ghost still came to talk to him at times.

'I don't want to sleep. And you need a spank. You have a task in this world. It is time for you to face it,' the ghost said now. The wind blew harder and colder.

'I don't know what you mean,' he said upset.

'Yes, you know it... It's time for you to go.'

'I cannot go and take my place now. I left it for so many years. Maybe she didn't even wait.'

The ghost grinned.

'You should go and check it. And you should check some other things, for I wasn't referring to your Queen.'

Ryujin turned to the ghost. Svarik smiled again.

'Fly away, my dear. Find your roots, to know where are your branches pointing.'

And Ryujin had done. Find your roots, Svarik had said. So he flew back to Benten’s tomb.

The rock had been felled, and the humans had built a castle upon it. A nice castle with many towers and plenty of flags upon them. Flying hidden in a cloud he heard many voices coming from the yards¾ songs and music, and canticles. He flew around a couple of times, and then he went to the Caves of Wind.

A heavy rounded rock with the carving of two eagle feathers blocked the entrance. He landed there and switched into human. He touched the symbol with fingertips and frowned. Who would have dared to block the entrance? A hissing sound struck him. He turned to that direction.

‘Sss... Hello, dragon,’ a voice whispered. ‘He said you would come back some day...’

There was only a yellow snake curled upon a rock, to one side of the rock. Ryujin stared at it incredulously.

‘You’re talking,’ he said.

‘Of course I am. I’m the watcher for Zothar, the Wizard of Water. He committed me here to watch this place. If I didn’t speak, I couldn’t warn the intruders. This is forbidden place for you, my friend.’

‘Why?’ Ryujin crouched in front of the snake. It oscillated a little, trying to mesmerise him, and did not answer. Ryujin felt the breeze whirling around him, and then by his side, and the whirl took the shape of a young man. He said:

‘The four wizards in the Castle sealed these sources of magic. The Witch of Wind sealed this place, the Wizard of Fire sealed the hollow of the lightning, the Witch of Earth sealed her place with a garden... The Wizard of Water knew you’d come back, so he had them sealing the sources so you have to resort to him. And I’m here to warn you.’

‘Who are you?’

‘Zephyr... son of Zephyr, King of Tenyo. I’m a Tennin...’

‘And my cousin. Thank you. Why do you warn me about a human wizard?’

‘Because he’s after you, like his great-grandfather Ewan. The whole family is waiting to take your power and life...’

‘Ewan wanted to live forever. But he’s dead, I guess.’

‘The Water-Wizard is not...’ the snake said.

‘He had transacted with dark creatures... He has his Well of Darkness¾ a well for the sacrifices in the forest... Come on, I’ll show you. You should seal that place to cut off his source of magic.’

‘All right. What about it?’ Ryujin said jerking the head toward the snake. Zephyr just looked at him raising his brows.

Ryujin made a twitched smile and his eyes turned yellow, the mesmerising eyes of a dragon. He stared fixedly at the snake, and it lowered the head slowly. Then it slithered down the rock and disappeared among the stones of the slope.

‘All right, let’s go...’

The hollow was dark. You could breathe evil in this place. The black trees circled a couple of flat stones covered with musty musk and rotten algae, and a well full of greenish cold waters. The surface was treacherously covered with duckweed. Ryujin felt a shudder running along his back. Evil came from this well. There were things in the water... things that he maybe could face, but he was sure he didn’t want to. As he approached the cold got more intense, penetrating his flesh, getting into his bones. The coldness of death. He shook the head and went on toward the well. He must peer into the water to seal the dark magic emanating from it. When he tried to do it, the demons of the depths could attack... or not. It depended on what amount of strength they had won in the last pacts and invocations.

He gave another step and the slippery rock foul played him. He stumbled on the rim... and dropped himself sitting to avoid the waters. He was about to stand up again when he heard the voice.

It was a song — a song and a laughter, half-chirping, half melody. It seemed a bird had taken a human voice to sing aloud. He crawled back to the solid ground and peered among the bushes, and what he saw took the dark wizards away from his mind.

There was a woman, dancing and singing under the trees. Her hair fell lose past her waist, glowing like fire in the red sun of the twilight. She giggled once again and turned around a thick tree, then she went along through the trees.

He followed the woman. One last thought reminded him of the dark well, but he told himself he must take care of this woman. And the trees seemed to clear the way for her. She was following an imaginary path, and only stopped by the fall. The place of the Water, Ryujin thought. He saw the stone with the symbol of the Water Wizard upon the old shrine, and he felt a wild wish to go and bring down it. The hermit had built the shrine. No wizard had the right to keep the power to himself. But the woman ignored the shrine and the magic seal. Obviously there was no magic in her. She sat on the shore, splashing with bare feet on the waters and she whistled a little. A couple of nightingales flew down to perch on her hand. She whistled a little more and the birds sang with her. She giggled and let go of the birds.

Suddenly she turned the head. Hypnotised by what he had witnessed, Ryujin had given a step out from the shrubbery. She gasped.

‘Ah! Who are you?’ she said.

‘Er... I’m... I’m Ryujin. Who are you?’

‘Fiona. What are you doing here?’

Little by little, Ryujin had recovered his aplomb.

‘The same I might ask you. This place could be dangerous for a lonely maiden.’

The girl shrugged.

‘I don’t care about danger. This is the only place I can be free. Why are you here?’

The candour of the girl had disarmed him.

‘Fixing things I left unfinished. — I think...’

‘Mm. I see...’ She had turned her back on him and looked at the waters. The night was falling, and it was rather dark.

‘Aren’t you afraid?’ he asked.

‘Sh— no...’ she whispered. ‘And if you shut up, we may see the Unicorns... maybe this time.’

‘Uni —?’

‘Sh!’

A golden mist had formed and it covered the fall and the pond beneath it. They heard the sound of hooves, but they couldn’t see anything. After a moment the girl sighed.

‘Uf! It’s always the same. The nightingales said the Unicorns would water here tonight... but every night the only thing I see is mist... I’ll never see the Unicorns!’

‘What do you want to see them for?’ Ryujin asked. That moment he realised the girl’s eyes sparkled like Zulsahi’s eyes used to when she felt excited.

‘Well, if I see the Unicorns, I’ll ask my wish, and they’ll touch me with a bit of magic... I’ll see the Unicorns, and Nymphs, and Centaurs, and Dragons... Do you believe in magic?’

She stared at him with eyes wide open in curiosity. He confined himself to smile, hoping it was enough. She went on:

‘I do believe. I want to believe. My father says I’m nuts, but I know there are other things... So I come here, and here I can talk to the birds, and they understand me. And I wait for the Unicorns, even when they don’t come. I’m free here, you know?’

‘Yes, I know...’ he said slowly. ‘But they might be evil things in this forest also.’

The girl shook her head.

‘Evil things? No, I don’t think that. It is true that there are some places darker and colder than the others, but...’

She waved vaguely the hand without finishing the sentence.

‘It’s getting late. Will you be here tomorrow?’ she asked standing up. ‘Perhaps we may dance together.’

He looked at her for a moment. The light in her eyes...

‘Yes,’ he said without thinking. ‘I’ll be around here.’

So the summer had been passing, slow and nice. He waited in the forest, checking the magical places, and searching for the dark spots. He didn’t seal them, and when Zephyr asked why he just said he didn’t want to be discovered. Zephyr shrugged and turned into wind again. Ryujin didn’t see him in the next months.

Fiona came every two or three day. She whistled like a sparrow and then chirped like a lark in the hollow by the fall, and Ryujin knew she was there.

They shared beautiful afternoons and nice evenings, after looking the sunset from the top of the fall. But they never saw the Unicorns.

‘Tomorrow the summer ends...’ she sighed one afternoon.

‘Yes, it’s true,’ he agreed. He was looking at the stars with a vague restlessness. The Eye of the Dragon hadn’t appeared yet.

‘Are you paying attention?’

‘Mm. Yes, of course. Tomorrow the summer ends. What’s up with it?’ he said turning to her.

‘Are you going to leave?’ Her brown eyes trespassed at his. Yes, he was thinking of it. But he hadn’t told her.

‘Mm.’ He shrugged. ‘I never promised you I’d stay.’

She nodded and looked at him again.

‘I never asked you anything. I just want to know. Will you be here tomorrow? That’s only one more day...’

Those sweet eyes were glittering and he couldn’t refuse.

‘Yes, I’ll stay for tomorrow.’

She clapped hands.

‘Excellent! See you then.’

He knew he should have left this place months ago. And even so he was still here. The day had passed slowly, as he dawdled until the sunset. The zephyr blew strangely cold, and Zephyr was not around. He hadn’t been around since the last spring when he met Fiona. The yellow snake of the wizard wasn’t around either. He had put a strong mind-blinding spell on it. It shouldn’t tell he was here.

But the dark places...And the blocking seals. That was something he should fix. It was not fair that those four wizards of the castle stole the power supposed to flow to everybody around. In the last years he had visited many places and he knew that in every village, or in every closed group there was a bunch of Guardians, the Keepers of the Elements. He had spent some time in the city also, but people used to lose contact with Nature there. He couldn’t find the Keepers in the city.

He checked the dark places again. They seemed derelict, abandoned. Obviously, nobody had practised dark magic in there during the summer. Evil was sunken, sleeping by the moment. Maybe there was no need to close the places. So thinking he went to the fall to wait for Fiona.

She came when the sky was turning red. Her dark cloak hid a wonderful orange dress. Ryujin’s brows arose. He opened his mouth to say something, but she put a finger to his lips with a smile.

The light turned red, and she started to dance. So suddenly an unexpectedly as she had appeared. Her red hair seemed to be made of fire in the twilight, and the breeze dragged the first red leaves, like sparkles spinning around her. She seemed to be dancing with fire. Ryujin was watching her delighted. He had felt clearly the power in Fiona’s movements. It was — though Fiona would never guess it — an ancient dance to liberate the power of Fire. Almost the same ancient dance Zulsahi had performed long ago and far away. But Fiona was not a witch. She was dancing moved only by the feeling. The old Fire was burning in her heart... And the light died out. The sun had gone. With the first star, Fiona saw the white mist and the silver Unicorns climbing down the opposite shore to water.

Ryujin had left her then and there. A voice had crossed his mind: ‘Find your roots to know where your branches are pointing...’ Svarik’s voice, and Svarik’s memory. They refreshed him even when he was almost in fire in watching the dance. And he thought no more. He transformed behind Fiona, and flapped wings, disappearing in the night. He didn’t see the tall man prying on Fiona contemplating the dance.

He had landed in the square, by the Crystal Rock. There was a few inches of a strip of black stone hinting to surround it. The stone shone with a pale light that seeming alive, like it was throbbing.

A group of children of various ages ran toward him crying.

‘Ryujin! He’s come! He’s back at last! Ryujin!’

They surrounded him and pushed him toward the Palace. The doors were open, and the guard didn’t stop them. Moreover, they joined the gabble.

‘He’s back! Look, he’s back!’ they were saying.

Ryujin tried to release himself of the many hands that touched him and drove him someplace. When they finally left him, he was in the Throne Hall.

The high stairs to the thrones was empty, and the King and the Queen were not there. A tall woman stood up from the Queen’s side and descended slowly the stairs. Her black eyes seemed to be full of stars, and they caught him as usual. He fell on his knees.

‘Milord. At last you’re home,’ she said, stretching the hand toward him. He kissed it.

‘Milady. There’s no other place I should be in...’

‘Where are the King and the Queen?’ Ryujin asked.

The Lady smiled. They were at the breakfast table, in the main room. Servants and guests had withdrawn long ago.

‘They are preparing for the Ceremony. They’ll be among the next Givers...’

Ryujin stared at her with some surprise.

‘Shouldn’t they wait until—?’ He made a vague gesture. The Lady nodded.

‘Yes, but you came, and I was already here. The coronation will take place as soon as you’re prepared.’

Ryujin made a grimace. She was the one who had said no.

‘I thought you needed time,’ he said.

‘And you gave me two centuries. Come on, milord. Neither you nor I can fight destiny.’

There was certain light when she said that. And she didn’t avert the regard.

‘Is your fate so... unbearable?’ he asked. Her smile shone brighter.

‘No,’ she said with a naughty look.

‘And then?’

She broke into laughing.

‘I’m waiting for you to ask me, milord. If you don’t ask, I can’t say yes.’

‘Nale!’

She shuddered. It was probably the last time she could use her name. But it felt good it had been him who pronounced it.

‘Milord?’ she asked feigning innocence.

‘Nale...’ he whispered standing up and approaching. He wasn’t joking. ‘Nale...’

She hadn’t blushed when she was playing, but she did now, and bowed the face. He held her chin to look into her eyes.

‘Would you be my Queen, milady?’ he whispered.

‘Yes, milord. I’ll be your Queen until our fires die together...’

He nodded slightly, and leaned down the head to kiss her. It would have been very romantic if Lizzie hadn’t barged in crying and clapping hands.

‘At last! All right, you slow in loves. We’ll have the wedding and then the coronation, or do you like it the other way?’

Nale separated a little, giggling and very pink in the face, but Ryujin held her waist and didn’t let her go so far. He straightened and said slow and clear over Nale’s head:

‘If you don’t disappear, Sparkle, I’m going to roast you...’

‘Uf! Excellent, a grumpy King. That’s what we needed exactly...’and she disappeared. He and Nale went on laughing for a long while.

They hadn’t taken to much time to concrete the wedding and crowning. They did both things in the same ceremony. The old King smiled wide when the Silver Butterfly wrapped them in the silver thread three times. That meant a long marriage, s long way to go together. And they danced in the gardens until dawn.

***

Now Ryujin looked over the fields of golden wheat with a vague smile. The Queen pulled his sleeve.

‘So you’ve been here also?’ she asked, her eyes glittering.

‘Mm... Long ago. This used to be a dark valley full of mist. Two families lived here, by the mire, in the same miserable barn...’

‘And you brought the sun for them,’ Queen said.

‘No. I came one night, dragged by the storm. They received me with no questions. When I left them, I drained the mire... You’ll see it over there: it is a clean lake now.’

‘How did you?’ She raised her brows. He shrugged.

‘I swam and somehow I cooked the bottom. The thing is that they found good land to cultivate and they did.’

‘Didn’t you bring the grain?’

He shook the head.

‘No — What do you think I am, my Queen? A god?’

‘No. The Dragon King. Come on, let’s test the crop...’

‘What?’

She laughed aloud and transformed into the silvery white dragon. She skimmed grazing the ears and raised up again crying him to follow. He also transformed and chased after her. They played for a long while, looping in the noon sun, sometimes near the fields, toasting a little the golden grain, and sometimes up high, near the clouds. And without noticing it they were reaching the village by the lake.

‘Dragons! Call the alarm!’

The outcry surprised them, and Ryujin called Queen.

‘Stop! I don’t know what —’

She stopped fluttering around and planned low, and he followed her.

‘Dragons! They’re upon us!’ the people cried. They observed the people running scared and hiding inside the houses. Everyone but one man in black cloak.

‘Should we land and talk to them?’ Queen asked.

‘No, I don’t think — Watch out!’

The iron spear had had launched with no warning. Ryujin plunged upon the Queen and they rolled in the air. He took her away from the village sky.

‘Are you fine, milord?’ They had landed the other side of the lake.

‘Er... Yes. It’s my wing. I think I tore it... don’t worry, it’s easy to fix.’

Queen had sat on the ground and made him lay flat to check it herself. Yes, the wing was torn.

‘It doesn’t look well...’ she said.

‘Don’t worry... I — Mm...’ He tried to reach his wing to blow healing fire, but he wouldn’t reach it. ‘I’ll need your help, my Queen...’

‘I have no healing— ’ she began.

‘No. Melt these bubbles of fire on my wing. That’s all.’

He blew a couple of bubbles of golden fire and let her put them on his wing. He felt relieved immediately, but let her go on caressing him for a long while.

‘Are you fine?’ she asked nervously.

‘Mm. A little to the right, please...’

‘Are you—?’ He had sounded very calm. He was cheating on her. She pulled his ear. ‘Are you fine?’

‘I won’t if you don’t let go of my ear...’

She kissed him and switched to human. He united her.

‘Why did they to that, my King? Weren’t they friends?’

Ryujin shook the head.

‘I don’t know, milady. I never showed my real form to them.’

‘Should we—?’

‘No. I think we better leave this place.’

She nodded in silence and they prepared to set off.

During the rest of the travel, they avoided human villages. Ryujin got surprised of how many they were. In the ninety years he had stayed in Svarik’s village humans had grown a lot. ‘They are a strong breed,’ the hermit used to say. And yes, it seemed they were. But tonight the stars peered down among grey clouds and the night smelled sweet. The forest was deep and old and dark — for humans. But Ryujin’s eyes were keener, and the smells of the wood and the fallen leaves enraptured his senses. Queen was down, swimming in the pond. Her wet skin, though human form, reflected a little the light.

‘Come on, milord!’ she called. She sounded happy now. When they set off she was full of concerns. The Crown was heavy, though she had accepted it long ago. Long before he himself had done. The day the old King out the Crown upon his head he understood many things. The old King had told him, but he hadn’t been conscious of the magnitude of the power. With the Crown on his head for the first time, he had felt his life, his mind was splitting and he lived many lives in less than a second. He had blinked, confused, and sat down in the Throne. Like in a magic mirror, he looked around and saw many people who weren’t there. People that had been. People that would be... And the people that was really there that moment. He delayed a moment in realising that the Crown allowed you to be in several times at the same time. It took you out of time. He made an effort and focused on the Queen at his side. His Queen. Her vision was what gave him power to control the Crown. And he knew she was the source of his power. ‘I love you Nale,’ he thought then, and he thought now: ‘I love you, my Queen.’ And her voice took him back to present.

‘Come on my King... Water is so nice tonight...’

He stepped into the cool water and shivered. It was cold. So he switched into dragon. The water around him warmed up at once, boiling a little around his tail. He stirred it a little and tenuous clouds of steam detached from the dark surface. She neared sinuously, still in human form.

‘Come on, my King,’ she purred.

He settled his yellow eyes on her, resisting.

‘Come on...’

And he gave up. He returned to human forms and held her tight. She felt so warm and soft in his arms He pressed her against him and whispered the ancient oath in her ear.

She repeated the words along with him, and he felt her liberating all her power in the invocation. The magic link shone in white light for a moment, stunning them a little until the stars shone bright upon them again.

It was after midnight. She was still playing in the waters. He had got tired a while ago, and was idling on the dock, moving lazily his tail into the waters to keep temperature. She called him once more, but he didn’t want to get into the lake again. So she swam for a while, and now she was floating, indolent near the shore. He had closed his eyes, and she splashed him all of a sudden. The water was cold — she had brought it from the bottom, and the droplets hissed on his hide.

‘Hey! What do you —!’ he protested. Her giggles made him shut up. He plunged into the waters without switching.

‘Hey!’ Now it was her turn to protest. ‘You’re boiling me!’

‘I do not care,’ he said, wrapping her in snake-like rings of golden fire.

She also switched, and curled against him, tangling with him in silver and gold. Cries and giggles disturbed the night. And a burst of water stopped them.

A great dragon was shaping up from the waters. She had a white-green jewel on her head.

‘Who is disturbing this place? You’re going to boil all my pets...’

‘Princess Saris,’ Queen greeted. The dragon looked at them frowning and then she smiled.

‘Ah, I should have guessed it. The young King and Queen. Good evening, milord and milady. Though it is a little bit late.’

‘I’m sorry, grandmother. We didn’t intend to —’ Ryujin began.

‘— boil my pets. No, you didn’t,’ Saris said seriously.

‘What pets are you talking about, milady?’ Queen asked. Saris smiled.

‘Fishes, my Queen. Little silvery flat things that uses to live in lakes and ponds... These ones are very special.’

‘Why?’

‘Well, milord. These are not so little.’ Saris clapped hands and a lot of enormous animals jumped from the waters. ‘I’ve been bringing them up here, for this is a lake hidden enough. When they are a good number, I’ll take them into the other lakes...’

‘And the sea?’

‘No, no! They’re fresh water fishes. Let Melori and Eryne take care of the sea. I had enough with their gift...’

‘Gift?’

‘A black egg of a kind of sea snake that ate every fish in three lakes around. I placed it in a large salty lake over there... Well, lovers, I’ll leave you alone. Don’t bother my fishes.’

And so saying she disappeared into the water again. Ryujin and Queen looked at each other for a moment and then they broke into laughter. Saris was so alike Vasti after ninety years of living together...

And the last day of the holidays had come. They were walking in the forest by the lake for the last time. Of course, there would be other forests and walks — but... Well, they were walking by the hand under the trees. There were pines at home, but these ones smelled so nice. And he sky peering among the branches never looked so blue. Tomorrow they would take the complete weight of the kingdom upon their backs. And the responsibility laid heavy upon their consciences.

Ryujin had told Queen about the circle of stones and the sealed sources of magic near Benten’s tomb. He thought he should do something about it.

‘Mm. I agree. But you remember the way humans received us last time.’

‘Yes, milady. I think Ryujin must not show up again.’

Queen nodded and pressed his hand. Times were changing...

‘And speaking of that, milady... I think we should visit the cities in the old fiefs and raise a fence around them.’

‘The Garden Land, East City, the Frozen Land, you mean?’

‘And the Submarine City, and the City of Air... I’m afraid humans had seen some of us. I want to know how many we are and where we are... to rescue them when the time comes...’

She looked at him. She had seen the same in the future, but it was far ahead. Many other thins were to come before the end.

‘There are closer things to worry about —’ she hinted. He sighed.

‘I know, my love. But it’s never too soon to—’ He stopped suddenly, stretching an arm to keep her back. She put a hand on his shoulder and looked over it.

The forest had been burnt and felled in a wide circle. Dark stones had substituted the trees. A cold sensation invaded them in a surge.

She pressed his hand, and she didn’t need him to tell it aloud.

The forest of the hermit was dark and it felt cold. Of course, it was winter. It could be a good reason. But Queen shuddered and walked closer to Ryujin. He seemed to know where he was going. He strolled fast and secure along a half-hidden path under the trees. She felt the power emanating from the fall, to the right — a silver glimmer of moonlight on the waters and a faint whisper among the trees. It would have been impossible not to feel it. The water sensation, the feeling, the insight, penetrated the senses and overran them. But he didn’t drive her there.

The breeze kissed her face and she knew there were other places... wind earth, fire. The smell in the breeze told her, but they didn’t go there either. The sealed places needed a different kind of work, and more time to be released. He took her to a place she didn’t want to go. She felt the cold getting in her insides like a claw, taking her breath, stopping her heart. It was indeed a dark place. And though it was abandoned... Was it really? Evil was lurching, waiting for the first one who approached enough to take hold of him. It didn’t care what kind of creature it was. It just waited for it... she couldn’t breath and pulled Ryujin’s sleeve.

‘What’s up,’ he whispered.

She couldn’t speak. She signalled him she couldn’t approach.

‘All right, my love. Wait here. I’ll try to seal this hole...’ he said. He kissed her on the forehead and left her by an old tree. ‘He’s so very strong,’ she thought as she watched him getting lose among the trees.

The dark pond was exactly where he remembered it. The dark trees around, the slippery rocks and the tricky musk on them. He stopped and looked at the waters. He was thinking of what would be the best way to close this place. If he could know how did they open it!

‘Sss...’ A hissing was the answer to the question he hadn’t made. Ryujin looked around.

‘You are and are not unexpected, you know?’ the voice said. ‘We knew you’d come back... But today we were waiting for someone else.’

‘Who are you?’

A yellowish thing moved in the corner, and Ryujin saw the snake — the yellow snake he had hypnotised to prevent it to warn the Wizard of Water.

‘You? Are you still alive? And you’re still a messenger, I see.’

‘Sss... I am still. The wizard of water is waiting for you,’ the snake said. ‘Your life will be his. Sss.’

‘I don’t think so. And I’ll take away his power... He won’t resort to these friends any more...’

The snake made a noise like laughing.

‘Do you think? Do you really think that?’ it mocked.

‘I’ll do. For this!’ So saying, he withdrew the White Jewel and held it high. It shone and sparkled, and the shadows ran away.

But the dark power was set against him, and it was waiting.

‘Ryujin?’ Another voice said behind him. Ryujin turned round. Fiona was there with a surprised look in her brown eyes. ‘I — I didn’t expect you here... What are you doing?’ She said, but it was like she didn’t know what she was saying or doing. She advanced toward Ryujin, stepping on the slippery rocks with strayed eyes, and she lost balance. She stumbled, moved her arms a little and fell right into the dark waters.

‘Aah!’

‘Fiona!’

He didn’t think. Just dived after her and made her stick out the head.

‘Aah!’ she gasped astonished. The cold water had made her come to. ‘Ryu — jin... What was — that?’

‘Sh!’ he urged.

The dark thing was coming for them. He couldn’t explain it, but he knew it was coming for him and Fiona. He pressed her against the wall of rock, almost under the water, squeezing his body tight against her. ‘Sh! Close your eyes and don’t move,’ he whispered quickly. She hid her face on his neck for she felt clearly the wicked wave of darkness rising up from the bottom of the well. A wave of cold his warmth couldn’t stop or fight. She thought she would die there. But it passed, and she breathed again.

‘Wait here,’ he said submerging again.

‘Ryujin! Don’t leave me here! Ryujin!’

But he was out of ear-reach, under the waters.

She looked around confused. The rocks in the rim of the well were wet and slippery, and she hadn’t a place to step upon and raise herself up. She tried once and again, and she slid down splashing and muffling a shout. And then a green sleeve appeared in front of her.

‘Hold on! I’ll take you out,’ a low voice said.

She stretched her arm to the hand, and she sank again. The hand came to the rescue and pulled from her. She came up coughing.

‘Hurry up! It’s coming again...’ she whispered.

The man hoisted her up just on time. The explosion of light made the water bubble and jump up in a surge. The man covered her with his body, and then, strange flames caught up in the water. The water and the weeds were in fire, and the boiling droplets hissed and inflamed the musk and the stones. Fiona yelled terrified.

‘What’s up?’

‘Sh! Let’s get out of here,’ the man said.

Somehow the man didn’t slip on the slippery rock, and he drove her firmly away from the well. She turned round and saw an enormous burst of fire coming up from it, and a white dragon planning upon the column of fire, before plunging into it with a mighty roar. The new explosion made her pass out.

Ryujin had dived deep in the dark waters, following the wave of cold in dragon form. He must reach the heart to close the door for them. His dragon heart was in fire, and the plenitude of his might was blooming now. And the coldness, swimming in front of him knew it.

The well had a deep mud cover, and the wave of shadows penetrated into it. Ryujin was behind. The Jewel was still shining on his chest, powerful, undisguised, illuminating the path; but the wall of darkness was ahead. And they reached the bottom rock. There was a little crevice, but instead of penetrating into it, the darkness dissolved in many little creatures. Slithering slimy things of mud and coldness and darkness, twitching and curling one against the other.

Ryujin stopped and opened his wings. The light of the Jewel on his chest reflected on the golden scales of his body and converged upon the things. They shrieked and the wave they were forming kind of exploded in little black things. Some of them hit the walls of the well and gathered again; but some other reached him. He felt like they were biting him, stinging him, but he saw one or two were getting under his scales. The pain was intense and he roared.

The second blast was of light and fire. The water in the bottom of the well went backwards, and the fires were so powerful that kindled the running away droplets. The mud separated to show the open mouth of the crevice.

For a split second he thought the things would flee, but he was wrong. The things gathered again and formed slowly one mass, dreadful, obscure. He recognised it. He had seen its shadow in the stirred waters of the whirlpool, in the bottom of the sea, where his grandfather had tried to kill him. And he had read of it in the stones — long ago. The Dread of Water. A dark creature, made of water and darkness, one of the one-element creatures, servant of Nobody, or at least, servant of his dark side. If he had felt fear before, when he was a child and he knew nothing, now things at stake were so much important, and he was risking a lot more than his life. He was risking all Ryujin’s lives, for he was the King. But as he had done before, he faced the darkness and the cold evil in it.

Queen had dropped herself sitting under the old oak. Her head felt heavy and she was dizzy. Breathing was difficult, and the sensation of great danger was suffocating.

‘He’s strong,’ she repeated to herself. But as the minutes went by, the fear took voice: ‘but maybe not enough...’ And the fear of what could happen to him — not the kingdom, not the struggle... him — won her heart. She made an effort and stood up. The dark coldness had elapsed; as though it had its mind concentrated in another thing. She started to the well and a few steps away the pain in her arms made her stop and bend. She was feeling Ryujin’s pain. He was being attacked. She left out any other consideration and transforming into the silver dragon and taking out the Jewel, she flew toward her husband roaring his name.

The Dread was standing before him. Its water tentacles flapped around it, lifting the mud and wrapping it in a turbulent and muddy whirlpool. He approached cautiously and felt its voice in his mind.

‘Hi, we see each other again...’ the mocking voice said. And the image of the whirlpool from where he had escaped thanks to the help of his grandmother came to his mind.

‘Get out of here,’ he said calmly. ‘And don’t come back.’

A cruel laughter stabbed his mind. It felt cold.

‘I go wherever I please. You should know, kid.’

‘You will submit. I am the Dragon King,’ Ryujin said.

The shadow hesitated for a couple of seconds. The possibilities were... fantastic. But Ryujin didn’t give it too much time to consider them. He drew out the Jewel again and concentrated his might upon it. The Jewel sparkled in a white light so diaphanous that traversed the heart of the dark Dread. It shook and wobbled, and it seemed it was going to split in the tiny things Ryujin had seen before, swimming in the dark waters. But it didn’t. It spat a kind of dark fire, and Ryujin fought it with his golden one. The fires repelled each other, but the Dread was treacherous. A couple of little tentacles of water had separated and attacked Ryujin from behind. On turning round to face the new attacker, the black fire reached him, and the other tentacles, hundreds of them, took hold of him. He struggled to release himself, but they were too many. And he started to debilitate. That moment Queen showed up. Her white fire was strengthened by the Jewel’s fire. And the love of her husband. It was a lightning of fire that had Ryujin reacting at once. He freed one hand and raised up his half of the Jewel. The tow halves knitted a net and entrapped the Dread, pushing it toward the crevice.

‘By the Power of the Jewel of Ryujin! We declare this door shut!’

The net closed the crevice, and the stone lips closed like a mouth. The Jewels shone less intense now there was no evil to fight against. Queen held Ryujin and they both started to the surface of the blocked well.

The man was not looking at him when he stepped into the hollow.

‘Get away. Don’t touch her,’ he said. Ryujin startled.

‘Who are you?’

The man stood up and turned round to face him. There was something indefinably familiar in him.

‘A wizard from the castle. One of the four.’ He made a gesture. ‘I was waiting for you,’ he added slowly. His eyes looked yellowish, like the eyes of a snake. And Ryujin spotted him.

‘You are Ewan’s son!’ he said.

‘More or less. Ewan was the first wizard of my family. He brought magical powers to all of us. But he was the grandfather of my grandfather.’

The man was looking at Ryujin upside down, very interested.

‘I’ve been told about you,’ he said.

‘And do you have a name, son of Ewan?’ Ryujin asked not paying attention. He was determined not to respond to the other’s provocation.

The wizard shrugged.

‘Zothar. But you may call me the Snake. They call me such.’

‘They — who?’

‘My friends in the castle... and out of it. Every one of us selected an animal as a... pet.’

‘And a spy. And an element. And you stole its power.’

The wizard grinned.

‘I guess it could have been so... at first. But we didn’t steal. We were born with magic related to the four elements. And I found this place... My grandfather told me about this place. A rock from which the power flowed like a spring...’ the man chortled. ‘I didn’t believe it, you know. And then... there it was. I told the others, and we build this castle here.’

‘Why did you seal the sources?’ Ryujin asked. The man’s eyebrows rose.

‘The sources? We didn’t seal any source.’

Ryujin stared at him frowning, not knowing whether he should believe him or not.

‘Why did you open the well?’ he asked then.

Now the man couldn’t keep his face blank.

‘I admit that. I needed to know — but I hadn’t used it in years.’

Ryujin tried to probe into his mind, and found a wall. Maybe Queen was luckier. She was hidden behind, in the trees. The man blinked. He was resisting, but it demanded energy from him. He was a powerful wizard. Ryujin pressed a little more.

‘You endangered her,’ he accused.

The other flushed.

‘Did I? You did! You carried her from one place to the other — last summer. I followed and saw you. You filled her with magic like she was a... like she was a bottle! What were you thinking? She’s not a magic person. You could hurt her!’

Ryujin looked at the man.

‘I didn’t! I’d never hurt her!’ he protested.

‘Oh, you’d never... you’d never! So you took her to the well and plunged her in it.’ The wizard was angry now.

‘No! She followed me! I didn’t know she was there, and then she slept... I tired to take her out.’

The eyes of the wizard sparkled in fury.

‘I had to take her out for you were not there. And you almost burn her.’

‘It... It was out of intention... I was fighting the — ‘

‘Don’t name it! I know what is in the bottom of the well...’ the other broke off. Even through his anger Ryujin could guess his fear. ‘I had enclosed it in the waters of the well. They couldn’t get out,’ he said in low voice. ‘Until you freed some of them when you burnt the water.’

Ryujin turned round to see Fiona. If she had been touched by those water things... She was pale, fainted by the fire the wizard had lit up. She moved a little in dreams, and mumbled something. The wizard stopped him.

‘Don’t touch her.’

‘She’s —’

‘She has one of them in her. I’ll heal her — somehow.’

Ryujin looked at the man.

‘I’ll heal her. She’s my friend. I have Healing Fire.’

‘No! You’ll burn her!’ The wizard had stepped in the middle. The two men struggled, and Ryujin blew some fire upon the wizard. Some of the flames were dark and got upon Fiona’s cloak. He cried, and the wizard shouted an invocation to quench the flames.

‘See? They’re into you also. You cannot heal any more. Get away, dragon. Get away from here! You damaged us enough.’

Ashamed, Ryujin ran away into the forest.