Minglings - Book 3 chapter 15: Lauruna

There's something odd about him, Jake thought as he followed after Zendrin.

The way the supple dark dragon moved, and how he kept looking around reminded him of a predator… which was odd as he was one himself now, which was part of the problem. His new instincts were constantly warning him about tiny movements Zendrin made or the way other dragons moved out of his way.

"Do you think we are in trouble?" Emma whispered. She was looking between him and Zendrin.

Jake sighed and shook his head as he smiled at Emma. "Nah. If we were in trouble, we wouldn't have been asked to see Talia.

"Quiet. We are almost there," Zendrin said, looking back as he continued through the palace-like building's halls. His eyes seemed to draw in all the light around him like dark pits. "Make sure you show proper respect. You are going to meet one of the elders."

Jake nodded, which seemed enough for Zendrin, who turned back around and led them through a wide corridor.

"That's Lady Talia's room," Emma said, her voice loud and in awe.

Jake nodded, but he wasn't paying attention. Since he was here, he'd seen the blue mana lits drift around quietly, sometimes drawn to him or others. Now, any that came anywhere near the door turned and moved through the door as if they were being sucked up by something behind it.

After a moment of hesitation, he pulled in some of the watery mana, turning it to ice. Instantly the little bit of worry he was feeling washed away, and his mind was clear.

Zendrin knocked on the door before stepping aside.

"Send them in, Zendrin," a familiar voice came from inside.

Zendrin grinned, then stared at Jake. "Be nice so I don't have to come here again. Usually, it's not a good sign if I have to come somewhere twice."

"Noted," Jake said calmly, staring back into the dark eyes. With the calm of the ice over his mind, he realized part of what was making him on edge. Any bit of mana that moved near Zendrin seemed to drift around him as if pushed away by a barrier.

Zendrin frowned. "An odd way of using that word," he said, then turned and moved away.

"He acted like I wasn't even here," Emma whispered.

From how she looked after the dark dragon, Jake wasn't sure that was a complaint or something she was happy about.

"Let's go inside," Jake said as he moved to the door and pushed it open.

A spacious room sprawled behind it, both posh and cozy at the same time. Pale, almost wooden-like furniture stood against the wall, and one wall was covered in purple and blue plants of different hues, while another had paintings of islands, forests, and blue skies.

The center of the room was dominated by a set of large white stone couches, and two dragons, one large enough to make Jake feel like a child, the other twice his size, lay across them. The entire scene reminded him of images he'd seen from ancient Rome. Both were largely blue-scaled, though each with different tints and darker and lighter ridges, making them easily distinguishable even without their size.

"Jake, Emma. Thank you for coming here," Lady Talia said as she rose and moved through the room toward Jake.

She moved with regal, calm motions, her head slightly raised, and everything she did make Jake think about some foreign queen.

"Let me introduce you to Libuxeria the Wise, the fourth ruler of Lauruna, now using the time she is awake to help me in running the intelligence side of the nation," Lady Talia said as she pointed at the massive dragon.

Jake wasn't sure if he should bow and finally just opted for lowering his head slightly. He was glad his icy mana was keeping him calm because a single look at Emma showed she was staring open-mouthed at Libuxeria.

"Jake, of the Frost Dragons. You are the first I have seen, as the last of your kind was said to have gone extinct during Aeggeana's rule."

Libuxeria's voice was deep and mellow, yet still highly feminine, and as she spoke, Jake saw all of the tiny mana lits that drifted through the air rush to her as if drawn by the mere sound of her voice. Knowing he had to say something, he smiled slightly.

"Thank you, Libuxeria the Wise. I hadn't thought I'd ever see any form of civilization again after leaving Earth, but your beautiful city warms my heart."

Jake thought he did pretty well, though calling Libuxeria by her title somehow made him slightly uncomfortable. He'd never liked titles like that, not even in games, as it felt too crinchy. Still, as he watched the pale blue eyes inspect him, the spark of intelligence in them told him the title was probably not unwarranted. He noticed that Lady Lamia had taken a few steps back, seeming content to let him talk with Libuxeria.

"Earth… I had not heard this word in over a hundred years until little Emma came," Libuxeria said as she leaned forward.

Jake let what she said wash over him, the cold mana keeping him calm.

Earth? She had heard about it before Emma told her? How can that be?

His mind spun around roughly, finally recalling something he'd not thought about for a long time. The broadcast that had jolted him from his quiet life had mentioned a soldier that had gone here before. With how old Libuxeria was, could she be talking about him?

"So, is it true then? All that she told us?" Libuxeria asked.

Jake shrugged. "I don't know what she told you, but if you mean that we are not from this world, but from one called Earth and were drawn here months ago? Then yes, she is right."

"So that is why a Frost Dragon has graced our city," Libuxeria said softly. "It makes sense that one was drawn from another world." Although she said it, the way her eyes scanned him made him realize it was more a question than a remark.

Jake shook his head. "I wasn't a dragon when I first came here," he said calmly. "Just a Kobold."

As he spoke, Jake took a peek at Emma, who was still staring at Libuxeria. Had she told them that they weren't Kobolds, to begin with? How would they react to that?

"So… what she told us about you being something called Human? Not a Kobold, was that true too?" Libuxeria asked quietly, almost as if she was reading his mind.

Jake's mind rushed along rapidly, but he knew there was no denying it. Saying Emma had been lying would probably create more problems.

"It is true," he said softly. "We were changed as we came here."

"I see," Libuxeria said. Neither she nor Lady Talia seemed troubled.

"If you don't mind me asking. You said you had heard about Earth before Emma awoke here?" Jake said calmly.

"Ask, young one. It is how we learn," Libuxeria said, inspecting him calmly. "I know very little of Earth, no more than remnants of legends of times so long ago that as old as I am, even I know little of it. But… Lauruna spoke of it on occasion during the short moments she was awake."

Right, that dragon Emma told me about, that's sleeping below the city somewhere, Jake thought.

"Lauruna is different from us?" he asked, curious.

Libuxeria laughed, a sound soft and warm that made Jake feel comfortable.

"Yes and no. I would love to hear about your world, Earth, and how it was. If you could humor this old dragon, I will, in turn, tell you the history of Lauruna."

Jake nodded. "I would like that."

"Then please, make yourself comfortable," Libuxeria said. "Talia, come, sit, and listen."

Lady Talia nodded as she returned to her previous position while Jake and Emma sat down on the opposite bench. Although it was hard, the smooth and curved surface perfectly allowed Jake to drape his long body across it. He sighed as he thought back to some of the shows he'd seen on the National Geographic channel. He didn't know the details but decided that barely mattered.

"Earth was a beautiful planet," he began. "With blue seas that spanned over half of its surface and continents. There was only a single intelligent race, for as far as we knew, on it. Humans-"

As he spoke, he noticed that even Emma seemed to hang from his lips, and he hesitated on a few occasions. Should he speak about the horrible things humans had done? In the end, he mentioned a few but decided to keep the details.

He didn't know when, but as he spoke, he began talking about his own life, about his family and Jake, and as he did for the first time since becoming a Dragon, he felt twinges of emotions. If he hadn't been holding his cold mana tightly, he wondered if he would have been crying as he spoke about things he hadn't in what felt like ages.

"Then I woke up," Jake said slowly, staring at his clawed hands. "And I had changed… become a Kobold."

He fell quiet as he felt the icy calm in his mind shiver for a few moments. Then his deluge of feelings faded, and he sighed, looking up.

Libuxeria and Lady Talia were looking at him quietly, and he couldn't read anything from either.

A soft sniffle made him look to the side, and he saw Emma wipe her dragon snout.

"I don't remember much of that," she whispered. "Only… bits and pieces."

Jake forced a grin as he looked at her. "Don't worry. I'll tell you more when we have time. I'm sure you will remember things as you grow older."

Emma sniffed, and he saw she didn't believe him, which made two of them. He just hoped it made her feel a little bit better.

"Thank you for sharing this with us, young one. I would like to ask you a few more things about what happened after you came here," Libuxeria said. "Do you need some time… or do you want to hear about Lauruna?"

"I am fine," Jake said, and as he did, he realized it was true. At the same time, he wondered how he would feel later, at night and in his bed, without the ice calming him.

Trouble for later, he decided.

"Good. Then let me tell you a story. Emma has heard parts of this, but some of what I am going to tell you isn't commonly known, and I would ask you to keep it like this," Libuxeria said.

Jake nodded while Emma mumbled a sniffled agreement.

Libuxeria put her head on the side of the stone bench, nearly covering the entire top.

She has to be close to five times my size, Jake thought.

"Long ago, there was a great war amongst the Goblins, the Fiends, and the Dragons. As much as I want to say we were the good guys, our history book states it was the dragons that started it. Details have been lost over the millennia, but we know that some dragons and kobolds didn't agree with the war and fled. They dove into the depths of the sea, and as they traveled further, they began to sense something. All those with blue scales, no matter how few, became aware of a mysterious pull… this urge to go somewhere. With no other place to go, they decided to follow it, and after a long time, the first of our ancestors found an enormous, beautiful reef so deep, so far from the surface that light couldn't even reach it."

Libuxeria sighed as she looked down, seemingly trying to stare through the solid floor.

"They found her deep below the reef. Enormous and beautiful. A wondrous thing. A Dragon more beautiful than any they had seen. At first, they thought she was dead, but when one of them touched her, they instantly knew: she was far from dead. She just slept. Unsure of what to do but drawn to her, they remained and built what would become the center of our empire over and around her. For centuries, little changed as our people slowly grew in numbers again, defending ourselves from the many dangers of the deep sea and hiding away from the outside world."

Libuxeria looked up, staring straight at Jake, and for a fleeting moment, blinds seemed to pull from her eyes, and he saw gleaming energy and desire for knowledge mixed with a love of life that caused him to stagger.

"She woke!" Libuxeria whispered. "More mana lits than anyone ever saw were said to have pulled to her like she was the center of a whirlpool, and as she opened her eyes, she greeted those around her. As stunned as they were, she showed barely any surprise, and as they calmed, they began asking her questions."

"The first three questions," Emma whispered.

Libuxeria smiled at her, while Jake saw Lady Talia frown.

"Yes… and no…" she said, smiling at Emma. "The first three are those that were recorded in the books, but there are likely to have been hundreds, thousands of questions."

"Who are you? Why are you here, and why are we called to you," Lady Talia said as she looked at Jake. "They lack… some imagination, I know."

Jake just nodded, agreeing with her but actually curious about the answer of all three. Ever since he'd sensed the longing, the pull, he'd wanted to know what it was about. He didn't mind if it was corny… he just wanted the answer.

"And what did she say?" he asked.

Libuxeria looked at Emma, who seemed slightly startled, before nodding.

"I am Lauruna, last of the first bulwark against the Hound," she said.

Jake frowned. "The Hound?"

Libuxeria shrugged. "Nobody knows much about that. There are legends and rumors, but nothing concrete."

Jake nodded, turning back to Emma.

"Right… her second answer was: I am waiting for those that come after, to guide them, to teach them, to stop them from making the same mistake," Emma said.

Jake cocked his head, staring at Libuxeria, who nodded but said nothing.

"You are called to me because you are of my blood, my life. Because you are the future," Emma said, smiling at Libuxeria, who nodded at her.

"Good, young one."

Jake frowned as he thought about the answers. They sounded like some old myth or fairytale, but did that mean it couldn't be true? He was sitting opposite a giant dragon while he himself was a dragon and could magic… he wouldn't have thought that possible only a year or two ago.

"So, you said there were more questions?" he asked. He could think of a few himself, but he wanted to hear what Libuxeria had to say.

"Many, but Lauruna didn't answer much. She was awake for a few days before falling back to sleep. Her final message was to help and cherish all that found their way here. She woke again, hundreds of years later, talking with the leader of the city, and many times more over the last almost thirty-two hundred years."

"Wait… did anybody ask how old she was?" Jake asked, eyes wide. "Are dragons immortal?"

Lady Talia laughed softly while Libuxeria shook her head. "No, and no," she said. "But from what we have learned since she has to be almost five thousand years old."

Jake frowned, shaking his head. "Why?"

"Because dragons begin sleeping longer at roughly fifteen hundred years old," Libuxeria said as she sighed wearily. "Though some start earlier than others."

Jake heard the sadness in her voice.

"You…?"

Libuxeria nodded. "Yes, young one. It is why I had to hand over my duties to Ga'ulinder."

Jake frowned as he saw her face lose all emotions again, and a quick look at Lady Talia showed she was as unreadable as ever. Wondering what that was about and if this Ga'ulinder was still around if Libuxeria was, Jake thought about what he had heard.

"So… could I see her?" he finally asked.

Emma perked up, and he saw her look at Libuxeria with wide eyes.

"Generally, nobody is allowed there anymore," Libuxeria said slowly. "For reasons, I will let Lady Talia share with you. However, in this case, I think we need to make an exception."

"Can I come?" Emma cried, almost jumping up and down.

Libuxeria hesitated, staring at her for a moment, then sadly shook her head, causing Emma to slump down.

"I am sorry, little one, but you are not yet powerful enough. Long ago, one of my predecessors created a powerful spell around Lauruna's resting place. Also, those of the old leaders that still live guard the only entrance. The pressure of both would be too much for you," Libuxeria said.

"That's not fair," Emma said, sounding more annoyed than sad now.

"Then become stronger," Lady Talia said as she leaned forward, staring at Emma. "You have shown great promise, and if you can learn to control the mana lits to cast spells, you will be a formidable warrior with time."

Emma's eyes widened as she perked up.

Cast spells? Is that what I've been doing? Jake thought.

"Now then. It is about time that I return, as I grow weary and need to sleep again," Libuxeria said. "I will take our Frost Dragon, Talia. Come find me when you gain more information about what we spoke about before. What Jake told us might explain a great deal."

So they don't share everything, Jake thought as he wondered what they had been talking about before.

Libuxeria rose, and as she did, the room seemed to shrink as Jake stared up at her. As she leaned down, the edge of her chin loomed above his head, and he couldn't help but gasp.

"How big can we become?" he whispered.

Libuxeria laughed softly as she nudged him aside. It felt like he was being pushed by a bus.

"We grow as we age, and as long as you age, you grow. Not all grow equally fast, however, and legend says that our ancestors were larger than we are. Who knows, you might become larger than me in a few hundred years!"

What the hell would I eat if that happened? Jake thought as he thought about the hunger he had felt.

Lady Talia moved to Emma, prodding her up. "Let's go, Emma. I will return you and will have Jake brought to you when he is done."

Emma looked up, and Jake saw a sudden fear and worry in her eyes. He took a few steps forward, putting his head close to hear.

"Don't worry. I'm not going anywhere," he said.

"Who's worrying," Emma muttered before rubbing her head along the side of his and turning around. "Don't be too long."

"I'll try," Jake said, wondering if he would have any say in the matter.

–

"Thanks for not telling on me," Salvo roared as he flew in front of Mason.

"Don't worry about it," Mason shouted back, looking at the city below him.

Man… I wish I could show Jake this, he thought as he stared at a building that seemed as big as a skyscraper on its side.

After a few minutes, he lost sight of the city as he flew through the caverns again.

"So, did the queen tell you anything?" Salvo shouted, poking his head through his legs and flying without looking while somehow still dodging around a massive stalagmite.

"She said I need to go to the Firebreathers Outpost and have a chat with some guy called Clankrin," Mason roared back.

Salvo's eyes widened, and he quickly turned, dodging around a corner before slowing down and flying upside down above Mason.

"Did you annoy her or something? Having to talk with Clankrin on your first day… that's rough."

Mason shrugged, and after a few moments, Salva seemed to realize he wasn't going to answer that, and he just grunted before flying ahead again.

Yeah… imagine if you knew she wanted me to do more than chat with him, Mason thought as he thought back to the conversation with Sandra.

At Least it should be hot down there, he thought as he followed after Salvo.