Dragon Mirror- Ties Between the Veil
32: Fire Light, Gangam, and Mother Zeequi

Travel was painstaking and slow for Jrash, but Ramoth stayed by his side in support. They had had to backtrack away and around the feasting flock to replace a side trail behind the ridge they had plummeted from.

They had to stop frequently, even with the sling Jrash had made from stripping his over shirt. His packs were wedged under the dead okapi, and neither he nor Ramoth were up for fighting the microraptor flock.

“How… far…..” He had to pause, gasping, holding onto the ruff of her neck. “How far…was this man?”

They live north east of Silkvetr between the Iylland Fork.

He stopped walking immediately. “You said… you said this man was not far!”

Ramoth was jerked to a stop by his hold on her fur and she slewed a jaundiced eye up at him.

They will meet us well before we reach their home. Keep walking.

He did not keep walking, and became irate. “How? How is someone supposed to meet us if they don’t know we are coming?!” His voice raised and nearly broke.

Her wingtip snapped out to thump him on his thigh. She bared her teeth and stepped forward steadily, forcing him to choose between being unbalanced, letting go, or continuing to follow.

“Answer me!” Jrash jerked on his Aya’Daroul’s ruff and her head whipped around to nip at him.

He smacked her muzzle away from him and wrenched his wounded shoulder. “Aaaahhggrrr!”

Jerking away from his Will, he took two stumbling steps from her, holding his shoulder. “To the deepest fissure of the Callio Sea!”

Only if you guide me. Her voice in his head was droll. Child of the Holder of Bond’s, I need you to trust me and grow with me as you told me that day on the floor of Elohima’s cabin.

Staring at her, he had half a mind to trudge off in the opposite direction. But his gaze softened as he recognized true concern radiating from his Aya’Daroul.

“Fine. Let us hope this person replaces us soon.”

They will.

They bedded down that night into the hollow of a boulder, Jrash struggling with starting a fire, before resting back in frustration.

“This would be easier if I could just light it like Raina does.” He felt Ramoth’s immediate interest at the mention of the Drakun Magi.

What does she do?

Jrash frowned slightly, staring at the small wood pile. “She uses her Will, I guess.”

His Aya’Daroul sat back on her haunches, which looked strange to him, until he realized that her back legs had long fingered toes on each foot. He shuddered for a moment.

It should not be hard to do, I am willing to help if it will keep you warm. Her head tilted to the side, with one two tipped ear flicking back and then forward.

He smiled with affection for the strange creature. “I’ll give it a go.” He leaned forward, trying to alleviate the pain radiating from his shoulder and down his side.

Honestly, he had no idea what his Grandmother or Raina did to utilize their Will. Yet he had watched both of them over several months, training Raina how to impose her Will on the things around her.

Staring at the dry kindling, he tried thinking at it as he spoke with Ramoth. Light. Ignite. Fire.

I hear you, but how am I supposed to do that?

He blurted a laugh. “I didn’t mean you, I was… I was telling it to light on fire?” Ramoths red eyes blinked slowly at him in the progressing twilight.

I am bonded to an idiot.

Baring his teeth in a mock smile, he ignored her. He took a moment, thinking about the issue. And suddenly he remembered the first time he heard his grandmother admonishing Raina. It had been sunny and from the context, this had been a repeat scolding.

“You cannot just wantonly project your thoughts and Will on the surrounding area. You can’t just daydream and risk manifesting your Will without your consciousness guiding the process. I’ve told this to you before!” The older woman threw her silver and black braid over her shoulder in frustration.

“You could kill some innocent bystander or cause irreparable damage to the land.”

Refocusing on the woodpile, he imagined flames licking up the sides of the kindling. He felt a small resistance, before flames erupted. He jerked back and Ramoth hissed, mantling her wings in surprise.

I felt that. That was strange.

“You could heal yourself in the same way.”

Both Jrash and his Aya’Daroul went on alert, he pulling his belt knife and her dropping down to crouch on all fours. A man in dun colored clothing was at the edge of the wood. Ramoth was tense, but almost immediately she relaxed.

Gangam, Zeequi, I require aid.

I gathered as much when you contacted me for the first time in over a decade. A massive lupine figure materialized from behind the man. Jrash sucked in a breath, seeing a distinct similarity between the beast and his Will.

“Ramoth Ellia Rai, did you bond a charbit?” Jrash scowled at the racial slur. Then raised his eyebrow at the familiar tone. He noted his Aya’Daroul lowering herself to the ground in a supplicating position.

Gangam, he is hurt and we do not know how to heal.

A hacking sound from the lupine Zeequi made Jrash jump and grimace at the pain in his shoulder and arm. Trust the wayward changeling to come running back to mother when she is in need.

The man placed a calming hand on Zeequi’s shoulder, and Jrash realized it stood almost as tall as Tralna. The black fur was mottled in the firelight and blended with the surroundings as the twilight finally faded into night. Large red eyes glared balefully in the firelight.

Gangam looked down kindly at Ramoth. “Little one, your mother missed you.” Zeequi raised one side of her muzzle in a snarl.

“Wait, mother?” Ramoth turned slightly, imploring him to save her with her wide eyes.

I assume the wretch did not tell you she abandoned her family when she was but a pup, disgusted with her mother turning her back on her proud Daroul heritage to bond a man in need.

Ramoth crawled on her belly, delicately spreading her wings to trail the ground in supplication. Her mother brought her head up, muzzle pointing to the sky. Gangam smiled in bemusement, slapping his partner's flank.

“Forgive her, Zeequi. She was full of self righteousness and the desire for exploration!” The larger creature snorted, bringing her head back down to glare at the man.

I will consider. The red eyes bore down on their smaller daughter. I see that she has chosen to experience the Bond on her own terms. The head finally dipped down and nose touched nose as Ramoth trembled.

Mama, heal him?

Jrash watched as the older creature rolled her eyes. You must heal each other. It will be painful.

He shifted uncomfortably, thinking that he was already in a great amount of pain. The man stepped forward to crouch next to him.

“May I inspect your wound? Tell me about it?” Jrash nodded and filled him in on the occurrences that led to his incapacitation.

Meanwhile, the two Daroul seemed to be privately communicating, with the older Zeequi inspecting the younger’s wings and growth. She nosed and licked and fussed at Ramoth, and the smaller Daroul accepted it all.

“You can heal yourself, but I can assist by pushing your shoulder back into alignment.” Jrash turned his head back to stare up at the older man.

Gangam had one of the darkest complexions he had ever seen, and his beard and hair was jet black streaked with gray. The hair on his head was twisted into locs that fell just below his shoulders and were capped with gold clasps that looked like seashells.

Jrash couldn’t tell what color his eyes were, but he caught glints of red the same shade as his companion Zeequi.

“Do it.” The man nodded and felt his back for a moment, steadied him with his arms, and jerked his shoulder back down and into place.

He lost consciousness.

When he woke, it was still dark.

But the fire was banked and a large reptile was spitted over the coals. He was propped up against the boulder and his arm was wrapped tightly to his body. Ramoth was surprisingly laying on her back with her mother pinning her down and grooming her.

Gangam squatted by the fire and glanced over at him when he heard his groan of pain.

“Be still, you’ll be sore and I’m fairly certain you fractured that arm.”

“Thank you.”

Gangam looked at him curiously, and shifted to sit back across from him.

“You can heal that fracture quickly.”

Jrash felt a moment of confusion before it clicked. “You mean I can heal myself with my Will?”

“And much more, but those things might be out of your reach.” He bristled for a moment, but acquiesced when he realized the man was being frank with him.

“Can you tell me…” He glanced over at Zeequi who was still thoroughly grooming her wayward daughter by force. His Aya’Daroul stared at him with a chagrined expression in her eyes.

“How I bonded a Daroul? I assume your bonding was not on purpose, Jra’Shanolar.”

Momentarily, he was frightened at hearing his name. But he shook his head and laughed helplessly. “I accidentally bonded her when I picked her up from the claws of Tralna, my grandmother's Aya’Chyn.”

The older man choked back a laugh.

Jrash raised his eyebrows. “She was not amused.”

“I imagine not, Ramoth has always been a headstrong individual.”

He smiled with fondness tempered by anxiety. “Tell me about it.”

Gangam twisted his lips in a lopsided grin, stroking his beard, and then scratching under his chin, pulling the fingers down.

“I’ll have to, for you to understand how I bonded Zeequi.” Jrash scooted forward, showing his eagerness.

The story is a good one, and starts with this little demon. Gangam flashed a toothy smile as Ramoth’s tail lashed in agitation.

“So it is.”