//------------------------------// // 35. Pawns // Story: Time to Shine // by Easysnuggler //------------------------------// Finally, they came here. Once they were all through the gate, the alicorns sprang their trap. The alicorns drained Equis of its magic, relinquishing all power and departing to the astral plane. All the creatures of Equis gave up their magic as well. With no magic to feast upon, the overlords turned on each other and in a hideous fight slew one another till only few remained. As the last powerful magical beings, they too were sucked into the powerful thaumic drain. —Pena “On the Origins of Ponies*(*and Others) and Magic” 35. Pawns Scorcher was unhappy. Doriz had accompanied him to try and wake Smolder again, but nothing the kobold or dragon had done had worked. She was still not waking up. Barrels of rainwater had not worked. A full orchestra of kobolds pounding on drums had not worked. Drawing dragon blood with a lance had not worked. Through it all Doriz had been almost silent. “Well, I'm out of ideas.” He looked at Doriz. “You’re Rizi’s mom, aren’t you?” Doriz winced. “Probably Lord Scorcher, but eggs are communal.” “I doubt that very much. You smell the same. You have the same horns, the same eyes. You came running when you heard she might be in trouble. Kobolds might be lousy parents by dragon standards, but Doriz you….” She looked at the dragon lord. Looked him right in his slate-colored eyes. She hung on his words. All kobolds did. But the dragon lord. The leader of all dragons. He was staring at her. Passing judgement on her. She held her breath. “You did okay, Rizi turned out just fine.” She looked away. She wanted to change the subject to anything other than… her child. Her probable child. She wanted to shake. She needed a distraction. Otherwise she might start crying and she didn’t know if she could even explain why. She loved Rizi so much. Did she even know? She decided to take a chance and voice her thoughts. “Doriz thinks Smolder unable to wake up.” Scorcher looked at Doriz, trying to understand her. It seemed obvious. That that was the core issue they were trying to resolve. Of course, she couldn’t wake up! What was Doriz thinking? The kobold licked her lips then looked back up at Scorcher. “Doriz thinks maybe magic spell reason, yes?” Oh. Well, that made more sense. “Go on…” “Smolder powers the shield with her magic…” Doriz said. “… something else is keeping the dragons asleep.” “I thought you had to speak in sevens.” “Unless ordered by dragon masters, we are.” “Does ‘Go on’ count as an order?” “Yes, Dragon Lord Scorcher it does, yes.” Scorcher considered this. Then nodded. “So, if it is a spell, how would we break it?” he asked. Doriz rolled her eyes at him. It was so obvious to her. Finally, she said “Probably traditional way of course Dragon Lord”. He continued to look at her blankly. “True Love’s Kiss, cures all Dragon Lord.” Doriz looked up at Scorcher. Scorcher looked at Doriz. He leaned over and kissed Smolder. Nothing happened. “I’m not in love with Smolder”, Scorch said. “I don’t know why I thought that would do anything.” “Who is her true love Lord Scorcher?” “I have no idea, but let's find out.” They went to ask other dragons, but a quick survey of the dragons and dragon lore regarding Dragon Lord Smolder turned up nothing useful. The dragon lord did learn where Rizi got her quick scampering from. Doriz was surprisingly light on her feet. Sitting back on his council chair, Scorcher sighed heavily and said “So maybe she loved one of her classmates... who are all dead by now or at the very least inaccessible or missing, or maybe Spike. Also missing. How uniquely unhelpful.” “Doriz, can you please ask the kobolds to ask their inner dragons? I know that sounds… strange or maybe crazy.” Doriz looked at the dragon lord and nodded, taking her leave. — Kobolds might be lousy parents by dragon standards, but Doriz…. She turned once and looked at the dragon lord. You did okay, Rizi turned out just fine. Doriz shuddered. Dragons were awful parents. They let their children raise themselves. The juveniles banded together. But young could be so cruel. They abandoned their young for years, decades, even centuries at a time. Sometimes hatchlings didn’t know who their parents were, and even if they did sometimes the parents took little interest. The better ones did, but it was the exception not the rule. Had she really raised Rizi like a dragon? The tribe was supposed to all parent the young together. But she knew that wasn’t truly the truth. Kobolds doted on relatives and near relatives. She had certainly kept an eye on Rizi from afar. Guided her. Pointed out when she was making mistakes. Watched her progress. Hidden her pride. Concealed her feelings because it was what a kobold was supposed to do. Even though she was her only egg. Her only child. Doriz had never taken another lover after West. West and his pretty spines and kind eyes. West and his restless and brave spirit. West had been so kind and attentive. So thoughtful. So skilled. Rizi was the same. Doriz wondered if West had lived if Rizi’s life would have been different. Probably. Doriz went to go see the All-Watcher, but dragged her feet the entire walk, while she thought about her own life. Serving dragons. Putting them first. Putting the tribe first. Putting her job first. The tribe needed a strong leader. Doriz thought she was a decent Prioress. Her fortunes and readings had been very accurate. She had no doubt that she had been right about Rizi. But she hadn’t predicted the blood moon. She hadn’t predicted Rizi getting hurt. She had failed Rizi as Prioress. She hadn’t hugged her or kissed her goodbye. She’d just watched her leave. Now Rizi was dying, or dead. Doriz remembered the night West died. He had defended Dust, his dragon from a Roc. Dust would been devoured. Ashes, Dust’s mother had arrived in the nick of time. Ashes had smashed that Roc. Too late to save West. Doriz had arrived just in time to watch West die. She remembered Dust hugging and kissing Ashes. Telling her she loved her. Telling her she meant the world to her. She even remembered Dust and Ashes had honored West and thanked him. They had buried him themselves. They had told Doriz they were sorry for her loss. They had treated her as family. Rizi had been two. She was just starting to talk. Doriz hadn’t even spoken to Rizi about West dying. Hadn’t told her she loved her. Hadn’t hugged her. She’d been a kobold. Saying things in seven words. Obeying dragons. Being a kobold. Doriz was done.