Dragon Mirror- Ties Between the Veil
Chapter Thirty Four: The Struggle and the Surprise

In the night, Kasey sat stiffly with her back against a tree. The camp fires were off to the side, and she glared out into the darkness. She fiddled with a slim ivory tube made from the horn of a small sauropod herbivore.

Inside was a long thin needle the length of her index finger. It operated with a switch mechanism to push out the needle coated in a powerful narcotic. The needle was a part of her medical kit, used to sedate severely wounded soldiers or problematic captives.

Kasey chewed her lower lip, struggling with her internal thoughts.

She had grown up under the watchful eyes of the Protectora. Even when they had sent her twin away as a fosterling, she had remained stalwart in supporting all that they stood for. Yet now, her every motivation and decision was questioned by Ian. They had erred in sending her brother to live in Silkvetr.

She barely recognized him anymore.

Kasey bumped her head back softly on the base of the tree. She did it again in agitation and blew out an angry breath. He put everyone in danger by refusing to send direct word to the Protectora. All because of his misplaced trust in an undeserving King and the wide vulnerable eyes of a mysterious and attractive girl that was in over her head.

A soft noise caught her attention, and she turned her head to see Raina standing nervously at the edge of the foliage by the resting Sedah, who’s large eyes glowed green in the dark.

“Amazing that you have managed to escape my brother's side.” The bitterness in her own voice made her wince.

“Kasey, I did not bring the blight here.”

She jerked upright, lurching to her feet. Her hand formed a tight fist around the needle tube. “You don’t know this!” Her hissed words made Raina shrink back, but the woman came forward again. Her outstretched hands, palm up, made Kasey stare.

“Eres hermosa…” She whispered.

A moment of vertigo affected Kasey as she reached for Raina’s hands, and Sedah came to her feet, growling softly. There was an electric buzz in the air, and Raina’s head turned to look off into the Wilds. Her hair was unbound and glowed red gold in the distant fire light from the camp.

She is a threat, no matter how beautiful.

The thought came unbidden to Kasey. And she felt a pressure behind her eyes as she slipped the catch on the ivory tube, exposing the needle tip.

Quickly, before the Aya’Chyn can know.

As she took Raina’s still outstretched hands, she pressed the edge of the tip into the woman’s wrist. Raina jerked her hand in surprise, likely thinking she had been bitten by an insect.

Raina had barely turned to look down at their clasped hands when she began to drop. Kasey stepped in quickly, catching her over her shoulder.

Without taking the time to process what she was doing, Queen Cassiridara motioned her loupp’a to crouch and laid Raina into the high backed saddle. She quickly tied Raina in and vaulted onto the pillion pad that lay across her mount's spine.

“Qué hago?” She whispered to herself. Kasey squeezed her eyes shut briefly, steadying herself against Sedah. She felt an overwhelming sense that what she was doing was right.

In a few short moments, she guided her loupp’a with her hushed words and knees and stole away into the night with the Drakun Magi, aimed towards the Temp’Allah mountains.

Iyzdra slept deeply, tucked underneath Tralna Elohima’s forearm. The Elohima listened intently as Ianor spoke to two of his guardsmen softly about what would be necessary for where they planned on going. She yearned to speak with her bond mate, but could only sense that Palliza was alive from the distance between them.

“We need to head to the Callio coast and leave Charbitian lands.” Euland said as he turned over a log, his statement catching Ian off guard.

“You would go to the islands?” Ian asked in surprise.

Euland smiled blandly. “You forget that my family is from one of the major settlements in the archipelago.”

The other guardsman laughed, “We all run to what we know when there's danger, ey?”

Ian crossed his arms, thinking. He had been hesitant to let Raina go to find Kasey, but she had insisted on trying to reason with his sister.

“I don’t doubt you're right. But the King has directed me to avoid the place that I am most comfortable, and you recommend we avoid the Elohima’s home.”

Euland chuckled. “A good many of the Elohima’s direct line live in Saccine. The other two major islands as well.”

Tralna hummed, Our children fled to the seas and the archipelago to escape the prosecution of the Protectora during the Tilting. She tilted her head, cracking her serpentine neck. It is as good a destination as is available. I have not visited my relatives since adopting Jra’Shanolar.

The men looked at her in interest, and Euland smiled sadly. “I remember when we received news of the accident. The bizarre circumstances were the talk of the village for more than a moons’ phase.”

Before she could reply, the ancient Aya’Chyn sensed the unsettling vibrations and recoiled. She recognized the sensation of the entity.

She rose to her feet, her crest fanned out in alarm. Every sense in her spiraled into a deep foreboding.

We need to find the Drakun Magis.

EPILOGUE

The Weaver gazed intently at the tapestry of the Veil. They looked down at their baskets, noting the spread of a sickly gray color spreading across the various discs.

The elemental energy and substance was not faded as it had been after Panillia had stolen across the Veil. Yet the Weaver was displeased, none the less.

They tilted their head and turned away from the Veil, instead picking up a lace mandala and a slender silver hook. With practiced ease, the Weaver began to crochet another round onto the mandala.

With every new round, the pattern became more intricate and the Weaver briefly glanced at the tapestry. Studying the Veil, they seemed to be taking notes and translating what they saw into the mandala.

Reaching a point of satisfaction, the Weaver spread out the lace mandala and surveyed their work. Tapping the silver hook on their chin, the Weaver only hesitated for a moment before picking up two discs.

With a flick of their wrist, the discs spooled out into faded gray and blue threads. The threads were twilled together and crocheted into the outer edge of the mandala.

“Ratatosk.”

The Weaver did not lift their head as they spoke, but there was a flicker of movement to the side of the tapestry. They spoke again.

“Ratatosk, I need you.”

A moment passed, and a small black squirrel scampered to the feet of the Weaver. It placed its tiny feet on the basket by the Weaver’s feet and chittered expectantly.

Looking down at Ratatosk, the Weaver rolled the delicate mandala up and folded it so it fit into the palm of their hand. They held it out, and the squirrel eagerly took the item.

“Take this to Crya’Shal and lay this under the boughs of the Life Tree. Do not gossip while there.” Ratatosk scolded the Weaver, but stuffed the mandala into its cheek and scurried away.

Watching the creature go, the Weaver turned back to watch the Veil, waiting.

Knowledge is Power. But Power does not equal Wisdom to wield it…

Panillia’s Lament

I’m struggling to breathe. I’m trapped in a spiral of pain and I try to release. Like a birth of a language that sings instead of subliminal. Your existence gives me the Wind. I inhale the perfume of fantasy and whimsy and art. Parallel play ensues. I give everything to you. Yet the Horizon draws towards Us, and the precipice draws out a Line in this matrix of Souls. I am One in the euphoric unity of Joy and Saddness.

A tandem cycle of Discovery and ReBirth.

Will we meet at the Helix of Time?

Repeating our Fathers mistakes?

Ignoring the Wisdoms of our Mothers?

Empty is the smile of a Child that grimaces in Fear. Until that Fear is replaced with sugar coated Lies in the landscape of Memory.

Is there ever an Ending? If every Voice is stolen from me- will I awaken, renewed to a new Level of Entrapment? I still think of you.

And the fear of seeing you- reminding me of our time on our bed, Breathing for Eachother. It drives me forward to Escape.

But there is no Escape. Below is only Madness. Upward is Release UnEnding. But always the mistake is uttered- Inward we Fall. Yet Inward is not Below. And the view on High gives Illusions. To know All is to know One. And to know One is unfathomable.

Author's Dedication: To those that supported me… Your love and affection has kept me going.

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