Elemental Awakening

Chapter Seventeen

Dankiyet would first need to learn how to make the tracking stones. The young shaman consulted with her grandmother what she would need to do to guide the Elementals in the creation of these stones, or if it was even possible to make stones for people with powers that were clouded to her. She knew the principal of summoning the stones that tracked the elementals, and tied them to their guide, and she knew the legend of how they were made. She was just unsure of how to create some for different powers, or for unknown powers.

The stones were tied to their Elemental because they were created by their Elementals Dankiyet would have to speak with Edger, and possibly go to the great library of Saludade. 

“Out of the question!” David said with anxiety coloring his voice.

“This isn’t a request, I’m telling you that I am going to Saludade, with Edger, Hino and Star.” Dankiyet replied as she shoved a loose fitting skirt and tunic into her bag.

“You are pregnant, and the only shaman for the tribe! Doing this yourself is unreasonable! If you leave that puts you in an unnecessary risk.” David gently took the bag from Dankiyet’s shoulder and pulled her in for a hug. “If something happened to you or my baby I would be destroyed. I wouldn’t be able to go on. I’m afraid everyone would suffer if something happened to you.”

Dankiyet sighed, nodding. “Then I should ask my grandmother to do this for me. But I think that I would be a better choice. You and the others have always been the targets of these attacks, I might be safer away from you.”

“Or you might be targeted once you are away from me because I can’t protect you. Have you even been able to use your flame since the baby has started moving?” David pointed out.

Dankiyet shook her head. “I haven’t even been able to light a cook fire.” She gently rubbed her growing belly.

“Then let’s go ask Ashfoot.” David stated and pulled Dankiyet with him to the dragon roost. 

Dankiyet and Ashfoot sat together for quite some time hashing out details on what she should be looking for and how to put together tracking stones for the others. David had come to think about the possibility of more people from his earth speculatively. He needed to concentrate on them. Wait! David rushed back to the tent and flung the flap back startling Ashfoot and Dankiyet.

“Ash, how did you lose the sight?” David asked animatedly. 

“Boy, your rudeness will not be tolerated, and you know how I lost the sight, I went looking…” The old shaman trailed off.

Dankiyet brightened as she followed the trail of thought that her partner brought up in a rush. “We just need to meditate on this! There is no reason to build all new stones when we have so many people with the sight right now!” 

Ashfoot shook her head. “There is still risk though, we need the help of the Dragon queens to protect you and David as you project in search of the others. You will need to do this together, it will make you stronger and faster in your search.”

“Just like that comic book hero.” David added “Never mind, you wouldn’t get that reference.” He quickly corrected himself knowing that they would think he was being literal if he started talking about mutants and heroes.

Dankiyet smirked knowing that he was prone to bringing up stories from the dreaming world. “Will you guide us in this Grandmother?” Dankiyet asked.

“Of course. Let me set up a reasonable place with the queens. We should be able to do this tomorrow.” Ashfoot agreed and sent the young couple on their way for the time being.

David and Dankiyet left the tent to socialize with some of their friends and family while they waited for the meeting with the Queens. Danikiyet noticed that the new members from the dock and the city were ill or injured, and all were severely malnourished. What was going on in Gold to cause this?

A little boy ran up to her and pulled on her skirt. “Momma, I’m hungry!”

David leaned down and picked him up. “Now where did you come from you little rascal?” The little boy began to tear up being held by a stranger.

“Momma!!” he started screaming and reaching for Dankiyet. 

David handed the little boy over to his partner. “He’s lighter than he should be, all bones.”

“Hmm.” Dankiyet began checking him over studiously. “We need to find his mother, she may not have been able to feed him properly because she’s starving.” Dankiyet began walking to the tents that were set aside for medical purposes. They weren’t far from where they were standing and seemed a reasonable place that the young boy escaped from.

David held the tent flap open for Dankiyet to pass through. “Excuse me!” Dankiyet announced gaining the attention of all the nurses and midwives. “Who does this little boy belong to?” 

The three nurses closest to her paled once they saw him. “Shaman! We are sorry, we have been looking for him everywhere! His mother passed this morning of plague.” a midwife stepped forward taking the boy from the pregnant shaman. “You shouldn’t be carrying him in your state shaman!”

“He’s so underfed that he weighs nothing.” David commented. “Does he have any other family? He looks like a Gold child, did his father come in with him and his mother?” 

One of the nurses shook her head. “No master Fire, his mother and him were alone, they came in this morning and she died before she was even able to give us the boy's name, he has been stubborn and hasn’t told us.”

“He doesn’t look that old to me, he may not know his real name yet.” Dankiyet said, stroking the little boy's hair as he fell asleep in the midwife’s arms. “For now call him Jon, it’s a common Gold name in the lower classes.”

“Jon Gold sounds perfect for him.” The nurse smiled and patted his leg. “We talked, and I plan on adopting him. My husband and I haven’t been able to have any more children after my twins were born.” The midwife passed the sleeping boy to the waiting nurse.

“I Imagine that there will be a lot of children needing fostering and adopting soon, unfortunately.” Dankiyet sighed. “Have there been any new patients since my last visit?” 

“Non Shaman. The last man that you healed has left already too.” a nurse supplied. 

Dankiyet nodded and left the tent with David. “Let’s go see what your sister and Talon are doing.” David suggested. She nodded and began heading toward the warrior house tents. David noticed that the tents in this part of the camp were larger and lined in regular rows instead of neat little blocks like with the families’ tents. “Did Lamasuli tell you why they changed the layout on this side of the camp?” He asked his beloved.

“Mother said that they were reorganizing the warrior house. All the youths that are old enough to handle a spear have been sent for early training.” Dankiyet said with a serious face. David could tell that she did not agree with the decision. 

“Why? Do we expect them to fight?” David asked angry that he hadn’t been told about this.

Telepinue walked up interrupting the Elemental and the Shaman “No we don’t want them to fight, but there are so many orphans coming from Gold and from the recent attacks that they had nowhere else to put these children that are near adulthood. So each youth is assigned to a warrior. It keeps them out of trouble, and they feel like they are taking their lives back.”

David nodded greeting the captain “Tai-yueh-ta-ti, Captain.”

Dankiyet casually saluted Telepinue with a nod and fingertip to her forehead. “How goes the integration?” 

“As Sui likes to say ‘we are having our growing pains’, but the dragons and the young riders seem to enjoy these new tactics that we have been practicing. The draglets are flying with their riders and some are strong enough to take a second rider.” The captain beamed with pride.

David was taken aback with the news and impressed with this new step in integrating the clans. “Wow that is astounding! You have created an Airforce.”  

Telepinue laughed deeply “Airforce! I love that name! We shall now be the Airforce house!” 

David smiled, keeping his knowledge to himself. He just thought that if there could be an airforce in the iron age this would be the way to do it. Hell with enough people in the Gold City they may even create a ministry of defense if they accepted the clan in. He hoped the combined council would be able to make headway with the senate soon. Or they would be out of options soon.

Changing the subject David asked “Do you know where Lamasuli or Talon are?”

“They are speaking with Tangden in the last tent in this row. He brought a royal looking woman with him today.” Telepinue said as she continued on her way with her daily tasks.

“He must have brought Exquisite with him.” Dankiyet muttered as they followed the path down to the first tent in the row. David nodded in agreement. Of course they would come as he was thinking about the senate.

David pulled the tent flap back revealing his sister and brother in law with the senator and tax man. “Fancy seeing you here today.” David quipped as he was followed in by Dankiyet.

“David! I was looking for you earlier!” Tangden blurted out.

“Oh yeah? Why?”

“To tell you we are coming to the camp.” Tangden gestured to his surroundings. 

Dankiyet smiled “We’ve been here for almost four candles.”

“So what brings you here?” David asked. Immediately the four sitting frowned. 

Lamisuli opened up the conversation with. “The senate has voted unanimously to bar entry to the clan. They are giving our council members today to vacate the city and baring the gates.” 

Dankiyet frowned. “Why has this decision come to pass? What could have changed? Exquisite you said that we almost had half the vote.”

The regal woman lowered her head before explaining. “Last night three senators died. They were talking with other members in their offices when they suddenly collapsed. When their clerks went to their aid the senators’ ears began bleeding and beetles crawled out of them.” Dankiyet gasped with the news but Exquisite continued. “This morning every single clerk was found dead with the same symptoms.”

David turned to Tangden “Your sister!”

The tax man shook his head. “No, Yasigi was here.” He cleared his throat. “She met someone in the camp that she has taken a liking to. I did not approve until today. Her tryst may have saved her life.”

David sighed in relief, then sobered, every single clerk murdered by Locksear was a huge loss of life, and a serious blow to their cause. The senators now would only see them as harbingers of death. “This is terrible for everything. We will need to come up with a plan, we need to be in a defensible area.”

Dankiyet rubbed her temple. “When you two go back tonight, will you ask Sui to bring our bags? We only have the two.” Tangden nodded. “We will stay here tonight, Ashfoot has training for us to do in the morning.” Lamasuli raised an eyebrow, she knew her sister’s training was complete, this was a mission.

David turned to Exquisite. “I need you to send you little birds into the slums, and tell everyone, that if they don’t want to be locked in the city walls, that the camp will welcome them.”

“Thank you master Fire.” the senator rose followed by the tax man. “I wish you good luck and safe travels.”

“Thank you.” Dankiyet said, knowing that Exquisite would be trapped in the city with the rest of the senators. Tonight she and David would be preparing for their search tomorrow. 

…

David and Dankiyet walked down the path to the queens camp at the outskirts of the main body. The older dragons kept to the edge of the tents as they needed room for take off and landings since they didn’t have a clif edge to fall into the wind. The queens were lazing in a sand pit with wings splayed out to either sides of their long muscular bodies soaking up sunlight. David thought to himself that the dinosaurs must have looked like that, sunning themselves like crocodiles.  

Ashfoot was standing in the middle of the sand pit circled by the great relaxing queens. “Come, come, sit here the queens will be with you on your journey.” 

“Grandmother, are we to let our souls travel?” Dankiyet asked. David looked at her quizicaly. 

“Yes, and they are going to be with you keeping the beast from following you. The queens half live at this level, that is why they are queens.” The old shaman answered. 

Dankiyet looked at her partner. “You will probably need to reach into your fire for this one, your sight is tied to that. When you do, relax into it and step out of your body, it’s going to feel like you are stepping out of a pool of water while wearing a heavy wool coat. The longer you are out of the pool the easier it gets.” David nodded and settled into the sand.

David, the controller and vessel of the element of fire. He closed his eyes and reached into his element grabbing hold of his emerald flame. The color of his soul. Just like when he first woke up in the abysmal plain he let the fire take control. Dankiyet watched as it swirled around him, crystalizing a perfect ring around him in his crossed legged position. Suddenly the fire stopped moving, perfectly still like a piece of glass the flame encapsulated David. 

Dankiyet knew it was time for her to join him. The new shaman sat across from her husband and closed her eyes. She took in a deep breath, as she exhaled she let her soul step out of her body. She looked around at the environment. Knowing that not everything would be the same. This way of exploring was similar to going into a new world for her. She saw shadows darting around her, and light didn’t seem to work the same way in this form.

Her husband’s soul form approached her, but he was as he never appeared before. He stood taller, his body carried more muscle, his eyes were strikingly green as his fire, not their normal hazel, and his brown hair was tinged with the green at the tips. Dankiyet appraised herself wondering if she looked any different. The first thing she noticed was that her round pregnant belly was flat now. She ran her hands over her body missing the feeling of her child with her. 

“He can’t come with us, my love.” David said holding her hand “And yes you do look different. Just as beautiful as you always are, but brighter, like a precious stone carved into a statue.”

His words warmed her, but wait. “You said he.”

David smiled, then walked to her body that was still seated in the sand. “Just stand here and listen. You can hear his voice.” Dankiyet waited with her head tilted, but was unexpectedly interrupted. 

A woman that was clothed in perfect glittering white robes strode toward the couple. “Dankiyet, I am Yeasus.” The woman gestured to the still form of one of the now golden scaled dragon queens. “That is the form that you know me best, and my rider Savannah will be joining us.” Suddenly Savanah materialized dressed the same as Yeasus. The rider’s skin was glowing and she seemed taller than the last time that Dankiyet and David saw her. 

“You may be confused at our appearances, this is what our souls look like, your’s are quite different as well I might say.” Savannah sounded surprised.

“We should go now, we don’t know how long it will take to pinpoint the others.” Yeasus said, then began walking east, not bothering to avoid obstacles, merely phasing through them. Dankiyet and David followed the Dragon and her rider. “It would be much easier if they were to tap…” Suddenly a bright flash burst in the sky far into the east.

“Were you going to say tap into their powers?” David asked with a smirk on his face. Yeasus huffed blowing smoke out of her nostrils. Could Dragons breath fire in this form?

“Then let's do it this way!” Yeasus raised her arms over her head then swung her upper body in some elaborate dance like move, suddenly the world spun around the group with her wide circular movement. Suddenly they were standing in a swamp. Looking at a tall man with long black hair. The only clothing he had on was leather pants with fringe down the side of his legs. His face had mud or paint spread on it, and his arms were decorated the same way. 

Unexpectedly the man turned and looked directly at the group. Could he see them? He wasn’t supposed to be able to see them; they had left their bodies in Gold. the man stood placing his hand over his heart and bowed to the group. “Dream walkers welcome”

The dragon queen flinched. Had she never seen this before? Either way she recovered quickly enough. “Thank you for the welcome. My name is Yeasus, this is my rider Savannah, the shaman of the Cactus Paw tribe, and the Fire Elemental David.” As she introduced the others they each bowed. 

“I am Running Buck. What are you doing in the water wood?” He introduced and asked. 

“I supposed we are looking for you and others like you.” David answered, then asked. “How can you see us?”

“I am dream walking. Are you not as well?” the man answered.

“We call this a soul journey.” Dankiyet answered. “You are from the Dreaming world correct?”

“These people that have taken me in call it that yes. The pale men call my home Virginia.” Running Buck answered pointing at David. 

Yeasus looked confused, and Savannah looked bored. The dragon queen asked. “Pale men? I don’t think that I have heard anyone call the Fire Elemental that before.” Dankiyet laughed, David scowled. 

Running Buck kept his blank expression but answered. “Men came to my land in boats, they built large walls with wood and stone, then began farming and hunting. The boats left, but the men stayed and began trading with us. At first everything was fine, we cohabitated, but more boats came. More men, warriors, they pushed us out of our home, and their walls grew. All of those men had his skin.”

David was shocked. Wendy was right, the timeline that each of us game from was very mixed up. “I’m so very sorry to hear about that, Running Buck. That happened four hundred years before I was born.” The man was unsettled. He didn’t know how to handle that information. 

Dankiyet spoke. “Do you know of anyone else that has come from the Dreaming world? Not just Virginia, but anywhere in the world?”

“Yes I do. There are four of us.” He answered then began to dissolve. 

“Wait! No, don't go!” David screamed, running forward and pushing his hands into the vapor that was now Running Buck. David fell to his knees in the very spot that the man had been previously standing. Dankiyet placed her hands on David’s shoulders with a feeling of enui in her stomach. “What are we going to do now? We don’t know where he is.”

“We just keep looking,” Dankiyet suggested. 

Savannah sighed then said. “Just when I was thinking that this was too easy.” David looked over at the rider.

“None of this is easy. What would make you think that this was ever easy?” The elemental bit out between clenched teeth. 

“Don’t you think that seeing that blast of power in the sky right as My queen was explaining that it would be great if one of them were tapping into their power. We don’t release power when we soul walk. He was looking for us first!” Savannah exclaimed.

“We fell into a trap.” Yeasus flatly stated.

“I was wondering how long it would take you to notice.” A girl, about fifteen years old dropped out of a tree landing on the balls of her feet. She had cornrows in her hair, and a glowing dark brown complexion. “Running Buck and I like to see how much of a threat the projections are. You four are different. We’ve never seen someone from Earth project like us.” the girl said pointing a stick at David. 

David stood up willing his fire to come to him. In his astral form instead of the fire engulfing him, he simply turned into the fire. This frightened the girl and she fell back against a tree trunk. David bent forward looking the girl in the eye. “Where are you?”

“Meet us at the bridge.” Another man appeared as though he was throwing off an invisibility cloak, followed by a woman. The man was medium height with dark skin and a shaved head. The woman had long curly black hair with a caramel skin tone. All three of them were dressed to blend into the trees, making David and Dankiyet’s traditional desert camouflage stand out in the forest. “As soon as you can, we will be there in five months, during the eclipse.” suddenly all three of them dissolved into vapor. 

The four that were left standing in the woods looked at one another not quite believing what happened.