Dragons' Truth

Chapter 12

Permalink for this paragraph 0 And then they studied.  And in only fifty years, Larry had mastered what had taken Merle over three centuries to grasp.  And after one hundred years, Larry was a full-grown dragon who understood what had taken Merle seven millennia to work out on his own.  And Merle had also taught him all the magic he had ever learned, from the human side and the dragon side alike, and Larry picked it up with an adeptness Merle had never imagined.  Larry tried to explain to him that it was all about a foundational basis for understanding.  That having gained the true sight as Merle had never been able to, Larry could see what each magic truly was, and instead of having to fight with the true nature of the universe, he worked with it.

Permalink for this paragraph 0 Finally it came to a point that they needed to leave Ghadshyk’s home to continue Larry’s education, and when Merle balked, Larry was easily able to create a fold within the fold, to freeze time for Merle as it was already frozen for the rest of the world, and to seek out his further education on his own.  He could not take the normal dragon route out of the house, as Ghadshyk was blocking it, and as he ascended the stairwell, instead of finding himself turning gradually back into a human form, he merely reduced in size until when he reached the top of the stairs, he was seven feet tall, but in the shape of a full-grown dragon.

Permalink for this paragraph 0 His friend, who had practically stopped talking to him after the incident with Ghadshyk, was standing on the sidewalk at the edge of the lawn, as though waiting for Larry to come out.  He appeared to be just as frozen as everything else in the world, looking in the direction of a small bird that was frozen in the air near his head.  Larry walked over to the boy, understanding all the intricate details of the existence of time and how Larry’s magic was holding his friend trapped in a fold in time, but since the only frozen beings he’d seen were dragons he took a close look at his friend.  And then his friend’s head turned, and he spoke.

Permalink for this paragraph 0 “So you’ve finally come out, have you?  I’ve been waiting here for you for almost a hundred years, Larry.  That’s a long time to keep someone waiting.”

Permalink for this paragraph 0 “I uhhh…” Larry stammered, still speaking the high-dragon tongue.  “I … shouldn’t you be frozen?”

Permalink for this paragraph 0 “Like this bird here?”  The boy reached out and plucked the frozen bird from the air, holding it out towards Larry’s blue face.  “Trapped by your magic?”  He released the bird, and it stayed where his hand had moved it, upside-down in the air between them.  “Susceptible to …” as the boy paused, the bird seemed to catch fire on it’s own, “whatever your whims may be?”  And the flaming bird exploded, littering the sidewalk with still-burning bits of time-stopped bird.

Permalink for this paragraph 0 “How did you do that?”

Permalink for this paragraph 0 “That’s not any more important than why I’m not frozen.  What is important is that I say goodbye to you.”

Permalink for this paragraph 0 “What do you mean?  Where are you going?”

Permalink for this paragraph 0 “I know what’s coming, I’ve examined the situation.  When you’re done studying out here, you need Ghadshyk to take you to the only place in the enclave he’s never been.  He’ll know what you mean.  Don’t mention that you spoke to me, just trust me.”

Permalink for this paragraph 0 “I don’t understand.”

Permalink for this paragraph 0 “Don’t worry, you will. After you’ve been… where Ghadshyk has never before been, you’ll be able to see and understand more than anyone had before, and you’ll know why I took you to meet Ghadshyk in the first place.  But you’ve got some studying to do, and I’ve got to vacate this universe.  Again, don’t ask.  I don’t want to be around for the cleanup, though.”

Permalink for this paragraph 0 “What cleanup?  Never mind.  I trust you.  And I suppose I’ll never see you again?”

Permalink for this paragraph 0 “Not in this universe,” he reached out and took Larry’s tiny dragon-hand in his, “but I’m glad I could give you this adventure.  Do the best you can, and everything will work out fine.”

Permalink for this paragraph 0 “I will.  Thank you, goodbye.”

Permalink for this paragraph 0 And just as Larry was saying goodbye, still holding his friend’s hand in his own, his friend disappeared, simply fading away, replaced only by the air that had been pressing against him a moment before.  Larry stood there only a moment, his hand still out in front of him, surrounded by the still-smoldering bits of the frozen-in-time bird.  Then he took to the air, and flew to his destination.

Permalink for this paragraph 0 When he had exhausted every book at the university in town, he flew to they Library of Congress and worked his way through every title on record there.  When he had exhausted that, he flew to the new Library of Alexandria and read every title published in every language by man, everywhere on Earth and throughout man’s history.  When he had finished that, he felt he had a firm understanding of every person, place, and thing that man had ever deigned to write about, and felt he knew each author personally, understanding their lives, their countries, their beliefs and the superstitions.  He knew everything that had ever been written by man about dragons, and that most of it was propaganda created by dragon authors he was already familiar with.  He flew, finally, back to Ghadshyk’s home and took the stairs down.  He stood where he had not been for nearly two hundred years, facing a Merle who would still be telling him they should not consider leaving, and he unfolded time.  All of it.

Permalink for this paragraph 0 “– not in Ghadshyk’s instructions… what have you done?”

Permalink for this paragraph 0 There was the sound of the beating of large wings instead of the silence that had filled Ghadshyk’s home for nearly fifteen decades while Merle had been working with Larry, and Merle knew something was wrong.

Permalink for this paragraph 0 “I unfolded time, Merle.  Just because you folded it doesn’t mean that you have to be the one to unfold it.”

Permalink for this paragraph 0 “That’s never happened before.  No human wizard, even the one who taught me that magic, could do that.  I couldn’t do that.”

Permalink for this paragraph 0 “But neither of you understand what is really going on when you fold time like that.  What forces are at work.  I do.”

Permalink for this paragraph 0 Ghadshyk was just landing near them, “What’s this about?  Did you take care of it?  Did –” then Ghadshyk seemed to notice Larry.  If his size change was not enough of an indicator that there had been a major change in him since what felt like just seconds ago, the view of his whole being confirmed it.  “You did what I asked.  Merle, I’m surprised you allowed him to trick you like that.”

Permalink for this paragraph 0 “Like what?  What did he do?”

Permalink for this paragraph 0 “I folded you into another bit of time and went out and studied on my own.”

Permalink for this paragraph 0 “Without my permission?”

Permalink for this paragraph 0 “Ghadshyk, what do you think?  Did I need his permission, or was I following your original intent?”

Permalink for this paragraph 0 “You did exactly what I was hoping you would, and from the looks of you, in record time.”  Ghadshyk reached out and took a sip of his still-warm tea, “How long have you two…?”

Permalink for this paragraph 0 “Merle and I worked together for a little over a century, and I spent about twice that working by myself.”

Permalink for this paragraph 0 “It took you that long?  After they way you absorbed everything dragons had to offer, I don’t know how that’s possible.”

Permalink for this paragraph 0 “There are a lot more humans than there were ever dragons in the world, Merle.  I think you’ve spent too long studying with the dragons; you don’t seem to have a very high view of humanity.  You are still human, you know.”

Permalink for this paragraph 0 “As if it weren’t obvious by the color of my scales.  Of course I’m human.  So are you.  I just don’t understand…”

Permalink for this paragraph 0 “Merle, don’t worry about it.  His friend was right about him.  What Larry has done was the right thing for the situation.  I would guess that he knows by now what must be done?”

Permalink for this paragraph 0 Larry wanted to do what his friend had said and keep his mouth shut, so he ignored Ghadshyk’s comment as smoothly as he could.  “The only dragon texts I haven’t read yet are the ones that you don’t have here.  Would you like to go directly to the enclave?”

Permalink for this paragraph 0 Merle replied first, “Unless we all go into a fold, I don’t know how we could make it there before the dragons arrive on the shores of America.  They should be reaching California any time now.”

Permalink for this paragraph 0 “That’s alright, Merle.  We won’t be able to convince them to just turn around and go home.  Larry, you have an idea?”

Permalink for this paragraph 0 “Well, it’s not a fold in time, if that’s what you mean, but Ghadshyk, if you think for a moment about the location of the secret texts, or as close as you have seen with your own eyes?”  Larry waited for a moment, and Merle looked on in frustrated wonder.  “Now Merle, if you don’t want to go, you’re welcome not to, but if you do, I need you to relax and be open to it.”

Permalink for this paragraph 0 “Open to what?”

Permalink for this paragraph 0 Ghadshyk spoke in calming tones, “Just relax, Merle.  Everything will work out alright.”  Merle’s heart rate immediately slowed down, and gradually the trepidation dissolved from his incongruous eyes.

Permalink for this paragraph 0 “Okay, thank you.  Now close your eyes, everyone.”  Larry closed his eyes and could still see the universe unfolding around him in all its depth and beauty.  He focused on the image Ghadshyk had given to him, of a particular place in the enclave that was the only one he had never seen.  He held onto the connections between his soul and Ghadshyk’s and Merle’s, and he made the image from Ghadshyk’s mind fill that space, with his companions’ energies still right beside him.  He opened his eyes to find his mind’s eye image had been replaced with the reality of the place, and that Ghadshyk and Merle were standing there with him in it.

Permalink for this paragraph 0 “I’ve never tried that, but I just knew it would work.”  Merle gasped and Ghadshyk grinned.  “Now, Ghadshyk, would you like to lead the way?”

Permalink for this paragraph 0 “Certainly.”

Permalink for this paragraph 0 The three of them flew down into the now unguarded entrance to what appeared to be a large cave with Ghadshyk in the lead and Merle bringing up the rear.  There was a steep downward turn where they descended what must have been several thousand feet, against a strong, warm upward wind.  Then, after another turn back to the horizontal, they emerged into a huge cavern that seemed to have its own heat.  It was filled with large scroll-jars, more than any of them had ever imagined would be there.

Permalink for this paragraph 0 They began to work through them, Ghadshyk and Larry as any dragon would do, and Merle by magical absorption.  He insisted they didn’t have time for a thorough study, and they insisted that a thorough study was the only way to find out what they needed to know.  Finally, Larry seemed to find the document he had been looking for, and folded time to more thoroughly and properly study it.  It was exactly what he had been expecting.