{"id":4103,"date":"1984-07-13T00:01:13","date_gmt":"1984-07-13T04:01:13","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/tellest.com\/?p=4103"},"modified":"2016-08-12T08:42:39","modified_gmt":"2016-08-12T12:42:39","slug":"dragonspeaker-chapter-one","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/tellest.com\/dragonspeaker-chapter-one\/","title":{"rendered":"Dragonspeaker, Chapter One"},"content":{"rendered":"

Dragonspeaker
\n<\/strong>A Tale by Michael DeAngelo<\/strong>
\nChapter One:\u00a0Cat of the Kehara<\/strong><\/p>\n

 <\/p>\n

Crystalline granules of sand whipped about in a frenzy, scattering this way and that.\u00a0 Even without the oppressive wind casting the dunes her way, she would have still had to deal with the sun.\u00a0 Its radiance reflected off of the golden mounds, bright enough to blind anyone.\u00a0 She was prepared though, several light layers of burgundy cloth wrapped around her face so that only a small portion of her eyes were visible, amber jewels that scanned the sands.<\/p>\n

Kaiyonani let fly a deep breath that was caught by her headwear.\u00a0 Saveon summers were difficult to endure, and that one was said to be one of the worst.\u00a0 Still, she had a task to perform \u2013 one of the first in her life that she was trusted to partake of on her own accord \u2013 and she meant to perform it well.<\/p>\n

She began another ascent up one of the steep dunes.\u00a0 Her padded feet were perfect for scaling the rolling sand, and her outfit, scarce as it was, allowed for mobility.\u00a0 The staff at her side was used more for balance than prodding the ground.\u00a0 Indeed, she often held it just above the surface.\u00a0 Her youthful body had become toned and strong from such endeavors.<\/p>\n

As Kaiyonani reached the peak of that tall mound, she finally allowed herself some respite.\u00a0 With a firm tap, she rooted the staff in the sand, and braced against it.\u00a0 A slow, deep breath filtered in through the sash, and she relished in the cooler, clear air that blew atop the dune.\u00a0 Free of the harsh sand, she reached up and tugged on her makeshift mask.\u00a0 As the sash lowered, it revealed her feline features.<\/p>\n

Kaiyonani parted her lips and breathed in the cool zephyr that traveled atop the dunes.\u00a0 Blinking away her fatigue, she ventured a glance over her shoulder.\u00a0 The oasis she had left behind was so far away then.\u00a0 She could barely see the palm trees casting down their shadows on the wide pool, nor the encampment that called the place home.\u00a0 The zephyr intensified, and she could see those distant trees bend to the wind, and she watched as sand rolled over the dunes that surrounded the oasis.<\/p>\n

Taking in one last breath of clean, unfiltered air, she labored at putting her mask back in place.\u00a0 Staring out among the Kehara, through that thin band of her protective headwear, she could only reflect on what had transpired to lead her down her present path.<\/p>\n

 <\/p>\n

*\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0 *\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0 *\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0 *\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0 *<\/p>\n

 <\/p>\n

Haemado sat on bent knees, his hand gently stroking the uneven scales of the creature before him.\u00a0 Those scales, once a lustrous shade of ochre, had faded into a dusky ecru.\u00a0 With every labored breath, her body was losing its color.<\/p>\n

The kaja elder didn\u2019t dare to remove his hand, even as tears welled up beneath his eyes.\u00a0 Every inhalation drew further than the one before, and her eyes barely opened.\u00a0 He knew that she wouldn\u2019t see him, but he couldn\u2019t bear to sit on the other side of her, where the damage was most prevalent.<\/p>\n

He wanted to remember her more fondly.<\/p>\n

Iraneth grew far too weak to speak, but she made attempts anyway.\u00a0 Haemado whispered to her to hush, that he knew everything that was important.\u00a0 By then, the words she communicated between bouts of agony were in draconic anyway.\u00a0 Even if the kaja had studied all of his life, he would not have been able to manage the mysterious inflections and harsh sounds that the mighty tyrant and all of her kind had mastered naturally.\u00a0 No, dragonspeaker was more of a symbolic title, a promise that a bond had been made\u2014an oath that two races had come together with the intention of always protecting the other.<\/p>\n

Haemado bowed his head at that failure.\u00a0 He understood that he was not to blame for the attack on Iraneth\u2014he wasn\u2019t even present when her injury had been incurred.\u00a0 But that did nothing to alleviate the guilt that swelled inside.\u00a0 When she arrived, there was not much time before her energy had been sapped.\u00a0 Haemado could only understand a few words of her labored speech.\u00a0 One word rang true, however: brood.<\/p>\n

The kaja shook his head at his selfishness.\u00a0 Of course she had offspring.\u00a0 They had talked about it at length over the course of weeks, perhaps even months.\u00a0 Haemado had yet to see them though.\u00a0 Iraneth had told him then what he already knew.\u00a0 A whelp was too young to introduce to a mortal.\u00a0 They would imprint, and the dichotomy of the two races would be lost to the majestic creature.\u00a0 They would, in essence, never understand what it meant to be a dragon.<\/p>\n

Haemado was lost so deep in his thoughts that he didn\u2019t realize at first that the dragon had not drawn breath in some time.\u00a0 Hissing at himself, he cursed his selfishness once more.\u00a0 He had not been present for the death of his truest friend\u2014not fully anyway.\u00a0 He looked into the closer of her large eyes, the iris clouded over and pupil impossibly small.\u00a0 The dragonspeaker leaned forward and shut that eye with the palm of his hand.<\/p>\n

It took some time for him to finally rise.\u00a0 The oasis that he called home was not large, but a section of it had always been specified for Iraneth upon her visits.\u00a0 The other kaja didn\u2019t understand the relationship a dragonspeaker had with one of those creatures, but they revered them nonetheless.<\/p>\n

When Haemado stepped away from his fallen companion, he looked to the far side of the oasis.\u00a0 There, all his people stood in solidarity, burning candles in hand.<\/p>\n

 <\/p>\n

*\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0 *\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0 *\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0 *\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0 *<\/p>\n

 <\/p>\n

It was unbelievable to think that the inside of the hut could be hotter than the scorching desert sands.\u00a0 When Kaiyonani entered, she nearly flung herself out again.\u00a0 But Haemado, her grandfather, sat just before the fire, his eyes closed and his arms stretched wide.<\/p>\n

\u201cTake a seat, child,\u201d he spoke.<\/p>\n

\u201cGrandfather, we must leave,\u201d she protested.\u00a0 \u201cYou\u2019re bound to pass out from all this heat.\u201d<\/p>\n

Though he kept his eyes closed, Haemado let a one-sided grin show one of his fangs.\u00a0 \u201cYou think Iraneth breathed fire that was cooler than this?\u00a0 I will manage, and so will you.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cI don\u2019t understand,\u201d she said.<\/p>\n

He pointed one of his outstretched hands to the floor of the hut.\u00a0 \u201cSince we have lived here, the kaja have survived because of two things: cleverness and favorable alliances.\u00a0 One of those was with Iraneth.\u00a0 A dragonspeaker is a kaja tribe\u2019s best hope to endure the hardships that the Kehara and indeed all of Saveon put forth upon us.\u00a0 It is a title that is an honor to hold, and it is usually one that is held throughout a kaja\u2019s life.<\/p>\n

\u201cI always believed that I would have more time to seek out my successor.\u00a0 My bones are not yet brittle, and though my muscles ache more now than in my youth, they still have some years in them.\u00a0 But my time as a dragonspeaker?\u00a0 That is over.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cWhat do you mean, Grandfather?\u201d Kaiyonani asked.\u00a0 \u201cYou\u2019ll always be a dragonspeaker.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cIn title alone,\u201d he said.\u00a0 The kaja elder opened his eyes then, peering at his granddaughter.\u00a0 \u201cA bond like that can only be made once in a mortal\u2019s lifetime.\u00a0 It\u2019s unheard of, but if a dragon should perish, their mortal is without a conduit forevermore.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cWhat does that mean for our tribe? Without a dragon to protect us, the other kaja of the desert could overwhelm us.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cWithout a doubt,\u201d he said.\u00a0 \u201cThough it will be some time before they hear news of Iraneth\u2019s fall, when they do, our days on these sands would surely be limited.\u00a0 Without a true dragonspeaker, we are at great risk.\u00a0 This is why another dragonspeaker must be chosen.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cAnother?\u201d Kaiyonani asked.\u00a0 \u201cThere has only ever been one.\u00a0 No tribe has ever had more than that.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cThese events are unprecedented.\u00a0 There has never been such an occasion as this.\u00a0 But I have closed my eyes and let the heat wash over me.\u00a0 A vision has come to me, and a successor has been chosen.\u201d<\/p>\n

The flames flickered in Kaiyonani\u2019s eyes as she realized why she had been summoned.\u00a0 \u201cGrandfather, you can\u2019t mean\u2014\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cIt is true.\u00a0 Surely you must have known that you were destined for this.\u00a0 I may have some life in me yet, but I won\u2019t be around forever.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cI suspected Barrus would be the next dragonspeaker.\u201d<\/p>\n

Haemado grinned but shook his head.\u00a0 \u201cBarrus will make a fine leader for the tribe.\u00a0 He is strong and fearless, but I can see in his eyes that he will always lack wisdom.\u00a0 A dragonspeaker must be just as brave, and willing to endure, but they must also be cunning.\u00a0 No, Kaiyonani, it was always you.\u201d<\/p>\n

She exhaled, uncertainty causing her breath to shudder.\u00a0 \u201cBut I have no dragon.\u00a0 We\u2019ve seen none that aren\u2019t accounted for in the skies.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cA dragonspeaker must also know when to lie\u2014or at least, when to omit the truth.\u00a0 Another dragon waits in the sands.\u00a0 Five, in fact.\u201d\u00a0 When he saw Kaiyonani\u2019s brow furrow, he nodded.\u00a0 \u201cIraneth had a brood.\u00a0 They are without their mother now, and will need aid to survive the days ahead.\u00a0 One of them will be the one you bond with.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cI can\u2019t do this, Grandfather.\u00a0 I don\u2019t know how.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cYou will learn, as we wall did,\u201d Haemado returned.\u00a0 \u201cConsider this: when it was my turn to take up the mantle, the previous dragonspeaker had already passed on.\u00a0 I will guide you as best I can.\u00a0 I have no doubt that you will be the greatest dragonspeaker that ever lived.\u201d<\/p>\n

The elder kaja stood, and gathered a large wooden bowl from the side of his hut.\u00a0 Without hesitation, he dumped its contents on the fire.\u00a0 The water and the flame met, sending a sizzling protest into the air.\u00a0 Steam fled to the room and the open chimney, and only a few embers remained behind.\u00a0 Haemado traded his bowl for one of the pieces of tinder, charred black from the heat.<\/p>\n

\u201cWe will spend several days preparing you for your journey, my child.\u00a0 Even though that moment is on the horizon, we must treat it with the utmost urgency.\u201d\u00a0 He pressed the stick into the ground, rubbing the black into the dirt.\u00a0 \u201cFirst, you must know where you are going.\u201d<\/p>\n

 <\/p>\n

*\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0 *\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0 *\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0 *\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0 *<\/p>\n

 <\/p>\n

Kaiyonani looked at the long stretch of the Kehara desert before her.\u00a0 Sparkling sands were disappearing into the horizon, as far as the kaja could see.\u00a0 It was the farthest she had ever been from home.\u00a0 A glance over her shoulder proved that thought, for the oasis was no longer in sight.\u00a0 Tall dunes obscured her view of it, though the setting sun assured her she would not be able to consider that homesickness for long.<\/p>\n

There were still many miles to go, and long shadows would creep across the desert before long.\u00a0 The dragonspeaker ascendant would have to consider the journey ahead in order to protect the paradise she had left behind.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

Dragonspeaker A Tale by Michael DeAngelo Chapter One:\u00a0Cat of the Kehara   Crystalline granules of sand whipped about in a frenzy, scattering this way and that.\u00a0 Even without the oppressive wind casting the dunes her way, she would have still had to deal with the sun.\u00a0 Its radiance reflected off of the golden mounds, bright […]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":2,"featured_media":4091,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"spay_email":"","footnotes":"","jetpack_publicize_message":"","jetpack_is_tweetstorm":false},"categories":[1],"tags":[],"jetpack_featured_media_url":"https:\/\/tellest.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2016\/08\/22-2-e1470774071341.jpg","jetpack_publicize_connections":[],"jetpack_sharing_enabled":true,"jetpack_shortlink":"https:\/\/wp.me\/p1UVey-14b","jetpack_likes_enabled":true,"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/tellest.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/4103"}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/tellest.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/tellest.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/tellest.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/2"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/tellest.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=4103"}],"version-history":[{"count":1,"href":"https:\/\/tellest.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/4103\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":4104,"href":"https:\/\/tellest.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/4103\/revisions\/4104"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/tellest.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/4091"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/tellest.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=4103"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/tellest.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=4103"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/tellest.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=4103"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}