Merlin's Kiss Read online

  "Oh Kerian, look!" she cried out as they approached what looked to be the smoking mouth of a volcano. "Is that where the coven is?" She leaned away from him and he felt a shaft of cold where her body had once snuggled close to him. In her fascination, she had forgotten her fear as she pointed to the mountain in question.

  "It is," he answered, placing a restraining hand around her waist. If she continued to squirm, she just might fall off of Dalis's back.

  My Lady, sanctuary for the drackoon, this is.

  "Sanctuary?" she asked before Dalis started a dive that would take them right into the heart of the mountain.

  "Ohh!" she cried out, even as Kerian's arms surrounded her, holding her close. She felt her hair lift straight up into the air, almost as if it was going to be pulled right out of her head, and fought against the urge to cry out as she turned to face Kerian. But he couldn't suppress the laughter that exploded from him in great guffaws.

  "It has been years, Dalis, since I have felt the fierce bite of the wind in a drackoon dive!" He threw his head back in pleasure as he relished the feel of the now warm air caressing his bare arms and face.

  Too long, my brother! Dalis's voice held a hint of regret as well as amusement. He enjoyed giving this privilege to this stoic man who held so much pain within his heart. Between visits, too long, much!

  Brieana was speechless as Dalis pulled his wings in close to his body and zipped through a small entrance near the mouth of the volcano. She felt the pressure slam into her ears as they entered the tiny opening.

  "Oh my!" she gasped as the walls seemed to shimmer with a thousand incandescent points of light, as they sped past. The jet crystals imbedded within the walls reflected the light a thousand times over and made her feel as if she were flying through a giant black pearl.

  "Duck," Kerian whispered in her ear as he pushed her forward, and just in time, too. Suddenly, Dalis ducked low, as an overhang suddenly appeared out of nowhere. Quickly, Dalis dived again and for a moment the walls closed in so tightly, that Brieana felt for sure that they would be scraped raw on the rough crystal surface.

  Before she could contemplate such an injury, they popped out of the hole and into a whole new world.

  The central room of the large chamber had to be at least seventy feet high. There in the walls were imbedded the rarest jewels and precious metals shaped to form a story. As Dalis lazily circled the chamber, Brieana could see the pictures clearer and was shocked to see several that resembled things from her past, fire breathing dragons, magical griffins, and a few who looked exactly like Merlin himself.

  She did not have long to contemplate this, however, for with Dalis's entrance came the clamor of a thousand insistent voices, all buzzing in her head.

  Who is that? they asked. Dalis brought back, who, with him? Is that Zorn? Happened to him, what? Warlord, is that?

  With so many questions buzzing in her head at once, Brieana began to panic. Her head began to ache and she became confused and disoriented.

  As Dalis spread his wings, slowly pumping them backwards, and coming to a graceful stop, Brieana almost fell from his back. If it were not for Kerian's strong arms supporting her, she would have landed on her face.

  "Take deep breaths," Kerian whispered softly to her in a low monotone to her. "Give your mind a chance to adjust."

  Brieana whimpered in fear as she instinctively reached for the torc that hung around her neck.

  The moment she touched it, she felt an inner calm begin to flow through her body. She relaxed against Kerian and felt her mind slowly began to adjust, to block out the background voices and to concentrate on those that were important to her.

  Well, is she? Dalis asked with some concern as he turned his large head and observed Brieana's shaken state.

  "She is fine, Dalis. Remember how long it took me to adjust to all of the drack suddenly being spoken in my head the first time I visited? Give her a moment to adjust."

  So saying, he carefully slid off of his friend's back, Brieana still cradled within his arms, and landed softly on the ground.

  Not ill, she is? a soft voice asked from behind.

  Brieana roused herself enough to look over Kerian's shoulder at the smaller purple drack who eased up next to his father.

  "I am fine, Zorn." She replied and nodded to Kerian to indicate that she wanted to be set down. "I was just overwhelmed for a moment, but I am better now."

  "Are you sure?" Kerian asked as he observed the color return to her cheeks and her curiosity return. "It took me quite a few visits to adjust to so many voices inside my head at once."

  "You did not have Merlin's gift, Kerian," she said proudly as she caressed the torc. "I do."

  The Old Father! a voice cried out in surprise. The Old Father, she speaks of.

  While they were talking, a small group of drackoons had surrounded them, anxious for answers as to who Dalis had brought into their midst.

  Surprised, Brieana looked around and gasped at the colorful sight that met her eyes. Drackoons in every color stood around them, watching her with just as much curiosity. There were large drackoons the size of Dalis with bright red, blue and yellow hides. Some were black and some were the purest of whites, while still others were silver and gold. And scattered among them were dracks, some the size of Zorn others small enough to sit on her shoulder without causing her discomfort, all in vibrant jewel tones.

  "They are beautiful!" Brieana breathed in awe. "I have never seen such a collection of living jewels."

  Fortunate, we are, a softer, more feminine voice rang softly through her mind. From the Warlord standing beside you, a great deal of our fortune comes.

  "Gren!" Kerian cried out in true pleasure, his face lightening up and for once showing his happiness.

  Brieana turned around and her mouth dropped open. Standing before her was a drackoon, the only drackoon present with platinum hide and glittering purple eyes. She was large and poised, yet definitely feminine from the gold tipped wings that rested softly upon her back, to the soft motherly expression she wore on her face as she watched Kerian.

  "True-mother," he addressed this regal creature as he went down on one knee before her.

  To your feet, Kerian! she cried out amused and exasperated at his actions. No need, there is, for this tribute that you bestow on me. I should be the one bowing, in truth, to you! she laughed as she gracefully glided forward and nuzzled the man gently.

  Laughing, Kerian rose to his feet and Brieana caught her breath at the change happiness brought to his face. The years and the cares seemed to melt away from him, leaving him looking younger and more alive and carefree than she had ever seen him.

  "I have brought you back a present, True-mother. A little purple nuisance that I am happy to return."

  Zorn! Gren cried out as she looked anxiously around for her offspring.

  Here, mother, I am, Zorn said softly, a pitiful expression on his face as he slinked forward.

  Of all my children, you are, Zorn, the most troublesome.

  Everyone exploded into laughter at hearing this.

  Turning to Brieana, Kerian added, "She has had over two hundred children."

  "Oh my!" Brieana cried out, looking towards Gren to see if she could tell how having that many children would affect a drackoon.

  Understands, she does, Dalis spoke in a low ominous tone, and just as suddenly the room quieted again.

  The Woman of Legend! Gren softly exclaimed and quickly her statement echoed around the room.

  The Woman of Legend, was whispered by almost every drackoon in attendance.

  Then, my mate, it is time, Gren solemnly said as she turned and motioned Kerian and Brieana to follow her.

  Like a plow through freshly turned soil, the sea of drackoons parted for the humans in their midst and Gren solemnly led them to a smaller cave, surrounded by large torches.

  "Enter please," she said, nodding towards Brieana.

  As Kerian made to wait for her outside the chamber, Gren motioned hi
m inside too.

  You too, my non-son. Concerns you, does this also.

  They were even more surprised when she motioned Zorn to follow behind Kerian before she too entered and Dalis stood guard at the door.

  "Can you tell me, please, of my destiny?" Brieana asked as she looked about the room.

  In the center of the wide tall chamber, sat a stone pedestal. On that pedestal sat a ball of light, roughly the size of a man's head, so bright it almost burned her eyes to look directly upon it.

  Look child. Gren motioned to the pedestal. The cold that burns, look at. Tells the story, it does.

  "What story?" Brieana looked anxiously around for Kerian and sighed with relief as she saw him standing a few feet behind her.

  Our history, child. Your destiny.

  At Kerian's urging, Brieana stepped closer to the pedestal and held in a cry of fright as the ball of light began to pulse. Instinctively, she reached for Kerian and felt a measure of comfort when she felt his large rough fingers close around her hand.

  With the other hand she reached for the comfort of the torc and felt the strange jeweled collar began to tingle.

  They all looked on in awe as the pulsing light began to glow and fill the room with its cold light. Brieana's eyes grew wide as the light continued to pulse and glow until the whole room was engulfed in its cold fire. Just when she thought her heart could take no more, the light exploded and before her very eyes, pictures began to appear.

  First was the earth, but it was an earth that she had never seen before. It was loud and congested and filled with strange wagons that moved without horses. And the people, the people were dressed so strangely. Women were dressed in strange short gowns and men wore strips of cloth tied around their necks like nooses. And everything was moving so fast. The people moved quickly into strange box shaped castles and forts where they seemed to argue with each other.

  She saw that the land, the grass and the trees were being cut down and cleared out for more of these large box homes. And the animals were disappearing. Instead of roaming freely as they were meant to, they were locked inside cages, forced to live in a strange environment and give up their birthright, the skills that made them special, to become puppets and slaves for these oddly dressed humans. Just when she thought that she could take no more, the pictures changed and before her flashed scenes of war.

  Instead of the honorable combat and chivalrous fighting that took place in her time, large armies flew in metal birds that dropped fiery death from above or sat in large metallic wagons that spit out exploding cannonballs. Death was instantaneous and indifferent. The innocent, the guilty, the soldiers' own armies killed indiscriminately, each wanting to conquer the other.

  Then there was an explosion.

  Red, orange, and blue fire spilled from a large gray mushroom-shaped cloud and she watched as wave after wave of heat scorched the land, killing everybody in its path. And she saw nation after nation of peoples dying from some painful wasting sickness that she was sure came from the death cloud. The great land masses disappeared and were replaced by two islands. Surely all was lost, but then she saw something moving in the barren lands.

  She saw people, survivors of every race and nationality, merging to become one. They divided themselves into two groups, one moving towards a dark island that glistened in the sea like a golden brown sand jewel, and a lighter island that glittered like a sparkling emerald and showed sprouts of new life.

  Together these people, black, white, red, and yellow, merged to become one people dedicated to creating a new life for themselves on this green island. The other island soon became lost in a dark haze and nothing was seen from the many peoples who had settled there.

  The pictures changed again and she saw a group of people who resembled Kerian and his family, grow and divide into peaceful groups. Instead of going back to the old ways, these people began to fight with swords in honorable combat, although they seemed to strive for peace. She saw castles go up and people continue to work the land with strange new animals, similar yet different from the creature that she was familiar with. She saw the drackoons emerge from their hiding places and interact with the people. She saw hope. Then the pictures began to fade.

  Blinking to clear her eyes, she looked around the room to see Kerian staring in awe at the pulsing light, that was once again the size of a man's head, and blinking as if to clear his eyes too.

  "What was that, Gren?" she asked softly. After watching that presentation, her voice seemed odd and out of place. "Was that what happened to the earth?"

  Yes, child. While asleep, you were, the world changed rapidly and for good, not always.

  "But that should have taken hundreds of years to happen, Gren. Was I asleep that long?"

  Already, this answer, you know, Gren stated as she watched the young dark-haired woman accept the confirmation of the facts, as she knew them to be.

  "And what does this have to do with my destiny?"

  You, child, are the Woman of Legend, away from a dark fate, to lead us, destined.

  "Me?" Brieana cried out in shock. "But Merlin said that I would have my own kingdom to rule! There is no kingdom here!"

  And your rightful kingdom, already completed, was it? Gren slyly asked.

  That caused Brieana to shut her mouth and think.

  "No, Gren. It would have taken hard work and dedication to turn the Britons into a fit kingdom, but I had Excalibur there."

  Ahh, the Old Father, the riddles he creates! Gren chuckled.

  "Old Father?" Brieana asked as she looked at Kerian's confused expression. He knew the history of his world, even though he had never seen it in such brilliant color, but had never heard of an Old Father. He shrugged his shoulders and looked towards Gren.

  The Old Father's gift, you wear. She enlightened them with a chuckle.

  "Merlin?" Brieana exclaimed, as her eyes grew wide in shock. "So, the old stories were true."

  "Can you fill me in, please?" Kerian asked. "I thought Merlin was the one who cast the spell of sleep over you."

  "He is, Kerian. But the old legends say that his mother was a great sorcerer and that his father was a…dragon."

  "Dragon?" Kerian asked confused. He had never heard of a dragon before. Were they related to the drackoons?

  Fire breathing ancestors, all! Gren chuckled when she saw the look of surprise cross Kerian's face.

  "Fire breathing?" he asked. The only thing he knew about breath as a weapon came from the drackoon, and they breathed ice.

  Belief is hard, is it not, my non-son? Gren asked with a chuckle. From him, through my veins, magic flows.

  "But what has that to do with me?" Brieana asked. "I can accept that I am the Woman of Legend, but what am I supposed to do?"

  The clans. Unite! Gren said as she turned and motioned for a wide-eyed Zorn to leave the room.

  "Unite the clans?" both Kerian and Brieana echoed together.

  "But…but…How?" Brieana stammered as she followed behind the silver/white drackoon and her youthling.

  A quest, you must go on! Gren called over her shoulder as she passed her mate and motioned them to follow.

  The center chamber was now cleared of all the drackoons and dracks as Gren and Dalis led them through a short maze of tunnels that descended deeper into the mountain.

  "A quest for what?" Brieana wailed as she followed after the quickly walking dracks. "This destiny business is harder than I thought it would be!" she whispered to Kerian as he hurried along with her.

  A queen, what made you? Gren asked as she entered another large open chamber, presumably her personal place. Have you what, made you special, did?

  "Excalibur!" she cried instantly as she entered the large chamber and smiled in surprise. This room was filled with flowers and light. In one corner sat a plush pile of furs and in the opposite sat a large platform made of the jet-black crystals that lined the cave entrance.

  Then find Excalibur, you must! she said before she settled down on her com
fortable pile of furs. Dalis chuckled from a corner, yet still stood guard just inside the room. Zorn sat near his mother.

  "What about this great darkness, Gren?" Kerian asked as no further questions came from Brieana, his Woman of Legend.

  The Woman of Legend, your path follows, my non-son. To find what you seek, you must follow her.

  "But this great darkness, Gren. Does it have anything to do with the information I have been getting? Are the Dark Isles getting ready to invade?"

  This, you know, Kerian. This I tell you, your path follows the Woman of Legend, my non-son.

  "If we don't succeed in finding Excalibur?" Brieana asked, joining in the conversation, wondering what would happen to his land and its strange inhabitants.

  Doomed, we are all, then.

  Her answer brought a stunned somberness to the room. After a moment of silence, Kerian said, "Then we must succeed. If Brieana is to be Queen of this land, I will do whatever is necessary to save it and my people."

  This, I know, my non-son, Gren said sadly as she watched this man struggle with the foretold shift of power. As usual, Kerian accepted her word instantly, without argument. If Brieana would be queen, he would make it so.

  Accompany them, you will, Zorn! Gren ordered as she watched surprise and displeasure fill her youthling's face.

  Mother! he wailed as he thought of spending more time with the hostile Kerian, of another uncomfortable trip away from well prepared meals.

  Treaty, you broke, treaty, you fix! That was that. Gren was leader of them all, especially when it came to her children.

  Go you now, and prepare to leave.

  Now! Dalis commanded, adding emphasis to his mate's command.

  Head dropped between his shoulders, Zorn left the room, tail dragging and looking utterly dejected.

  "I shall prepare to leave, also, my True-mother," Kerian added, with a thoughtful look on his face. "If my information is correct, we haven't a spare second to waste."

  I shall accompany you, brother, Dalis said and together they exited the chamber, leaving Brieana standing in the center of the room with a confused look on her face.