Part 11 – The Kiseren Tear

Kerrin watched as Telaan walked quickly in the opposite direction. He was taking Nanda home. His hold on her never loosening. He was carrying the most precious thing in the world to him, and Kerrin felt and understood every ounce of his pain.

“He looks so lost,” Lessa said as she took Kerrin’s hand. He could feel her pain radiating through him. If Telaan had lost his greatest love, Lessa had also lost her greatest friend.

“He needs time; he needs to do this on his own, my love.”

She looked at him, her violet eyes questioning. “Will he ever be able to heal?”

“No, little one, he’ll never heal, but he will go on in time. I know Telaan. He loved her greatly, that is true, but he’s also blaming himself for allowing her join us and his inability to save her.”

“But that was her choice, he tried to stop her. As to not being able to save her, no one could have saved her once Pele pulled the blade. There were three of you, no one succeeded.” Her voice became soft and quiet. “Her death was in the hands of kader and nothing could have saved her then.”

“It will take him much time to realize that. This is a journey he must take on his own,” Adrostos said, and Kerrin looked at him. His sky-blue eyes were filled with pain.

“I’m so sorry, Adrostos. This has been a very painful journey for you from the beginning, and yet you’ve said so little.”

Adrostos’ smile was barely discernable, but Kerrin was sure he saw it. “We all suffer pain, and we all lose loved ones. There is not one of us who has not experienced that pain. Even you, Lessa, although you were feeling the pain without understanding it, but you felt the pain, just the same for having lost Kerrin when your father took away your memory of him.”

“Yes, I did. I felt as though a part of me was dead, but I didn’t understand why.”

“We must move on. Once we clear the dead zone beyond Kumara, we will be able to teleport to my home in the Chandra Valley. We will approach Kiseren during the evening-time. The only way to break Eris’ bond is to return the tear to its creator. The power contained within will be returned to him, and Ghalt will become nothing more than an ancient vampire.”

Kerrin regarded Xavier as they moved farther south; the barren lands were beginning to appear endless. The man had been unusually silent. “Xavier?”

“It’s nothing, Vampire. I’ve just realized there’s something I must do once I see you all safely delivered to Chandra Valley. That’s where we’ll part company. Once you’re safe within Adrostos’ home, I’ll be moving on. I have unfinished business that must be seen to, and now is the appropriate time.”

They walked on in silence, the events of earlier weighing heavy on them all. Suddenly, the barren land opened on to a stream lush with green and trees and the feeling of heat and oppression suddenly lifted.

“We have reached the end of the dead zone. I can pass the directions on, but it will be faster if I take us all.” Adrostos said.

He held out his arms and everyone took hold.

II

Lessa was impressed. The cave they’d just entered looked more like a room at an inn occupied by well to do humans, not a legendary dragon.

“Why the furnishings?” she asked no one in particular. Their number had become three with Xavier leaving them as soon as he was rested. He hadn’t even waited until evening-time when Kerrin could say goodbye. The men had spoken just before dawn-time, but what they spoke about, she didn’t know and Kerrin hadn’t felt inclined to tell her.

“I like to live in luxury,” A deep, rich voice said as an incredibly handsome man came around a corner in the cave.

Adrostos bowed, “Good evening-time Kiseren.”

“Good evening-time, my good Elf. Have you brought it?”

Adrostos held out the casque and the key. The man took them both.

“You are the dragon Kiseren?” Lessa asked. She knew of dragons, though she’d never known one. She knew they had the ability to shape-shift into human form.

“Yes, Spirit-Touched, I am,” he answered setting the casque on a nearby table and opening it. “Ah, yes, finally.”

He closed the lid and looked at Adrostos. “And Eris, is she dead?”

“No, Kiseren, I am afraid I was not able to achieve that part of our bargain.”

“No, I hadn’t thought you would. No matter, this is enough. I only mentioned the death of Eris as an added bonus to myself.” He moved back into the room and held out his arms. “Please make yourselves comfortable, is there anything I can get for you? Wine perhaps? Although, you Vampire, I’m afraid I have no blood.”

“No, thank you, Kiseren, for your most kind offer,” Adrostos answered for them all. “We have a long journey ahead of us as we must past the dead zone within the next two turnings.”

“Ah, yes, you must complete your task. Now that I am once again whole and can regain my true form with the return of this part of myself, I thank you. Ghalt is now obtainable for you. May the Spirits aid you in your journey, and should you ever have chance to make good my desire to see Eris killed, please let me know, I will once again be in your debt.”

“Now that you can once again gain your true form,” Lessa said, “can’t you avenge Eris yourself?”

“No, my Spirit-Touched one, I cannot. She is of the Shadow and I am a white dragon. Her darkness will consume and burn me should I get too near.”

“Then how did she get your tear in the first place?” Kerrin asked.

“Ah, that is a tale for another time, my Vampire, but suffice it to say, she tricked me. That was many Times of Change past and I was but a young dragon.”

“But if you can only now return to your dragon form, does that mean you’ve been a man for many Times of Change?” Lessa asked.

“Yes, I have indeed been a man almost as long as I was in dragon form. Once again, you have my gratitude.”

“Do you mind one more question, Kiseren?” Kerrin asked.

“Not at all, although, dawn-time is arriving soon, and you must be gone.”

“I understand. If you have been in human form, then who is the Dragon of Kiseren that it is believed terrorizes the Elven world?”

Kiseren laughed. “That would be my cold hearted brother, Liseren. He is a blue dragon, but over time, our names merged as one, and I have become the perpetrator of his deeds.”

“Perhaps now that you can become a white dragon again, you can correct that belief,” Lessa said as she held out her hand to the dragon.

“Perhaps. May the Spirits travel with you.”

He turned, picked up both casque and key and disappeared back around the wall.

“We must return to my home, we can begin our journey north next evening-time,” Adrostos said as he turned to leave the cave.

Epilogue