After a few minutes of completely, totally, and utterly freaking out, which involved me mostly rocking back and forth on the floor in a fetal position, hyperventilating, and coming close to passing out from the near-panic attack, I calmed down. Thankfully, Terra’s voice got through to me, despite how soft it was. A few dozen lungfuls of air later, and I could speak again, if slowly.
“You gonna be alright, pup?” Bart rumbled. One of his massive paws rested on my shoulder, covering it with just two fingers, and now that he was closer, I could make out more of his appearance. He stood upright, if somewhat hunched forward, his enormous arms making me think of a gorilla despite his canine looks. Eyes were a clear, sky blue. I found it somewhat… weird… that he looked like a Saint Bernard. Being in a different world, I didn’t really know what to expect, but I wasn’t expecting a triceratops-faced dragon and a Saint Bernard dog-man-thing, that’s for sure.
I gave him a nervous smile, “Yeah, just… just need some time to adjust to all this, I guess.”
He smiled back, “Well, you got questions, I can see that much. Me and Terra here-“
“Terranexine, you dunce,’” she responded, though with only a smidge of irritation and a huff.
Bart grinned, “Alright, Ms. Fancy Scales. Me and Terranexine here, we might have some answers. Not all, but some. I know it’s not exactly ideal, but it’s all we got. Whenever you’re ready, pup.”
I took a deep breath, held it for a sec, and let it out. “Okay, let’s start with where I am.”
Terra answered, “If I may, Bartholomew? Thank you. Ian, our current residence is a small mountainous region known simply as The Wall, composing the boundary between the northernmost edge of the Howling Forest, and the southernmost tip of the Eternal Winter Expanse, or E.W.E, as it is more commonly called. We are one of several regions collectively called The Wildlands, though the term is only somewhat misleading. While there are, indeed, a number of dangers spread throughout, there are also numerous varieties of-mostly-peaceful beings that make their homes within.”
I listened so closely I was pressing my face against the window that was her words, “Okay, that takes care of where I am. Next question: who, and what, lives here?”
Bart had a lopsided smile on his face. “I got this one. Well, got a pawful of folk here. Me and mine, we’re Diamond Dogs. Family actually dug out the caves and tunnels here. Besides us, there’s a pack of Griffons in-”
“Griffons?!” I interrupted, excited, “As in half-eagle, half-lion?”
Bart’s eyes widened as a smile and one of his eyebrows quirked up, “Well, some are tiger, some owl, and others all sorts in between.”
Terra politely coughed, and we turned to her, questions on our faces.
“Actually Bartholomew, a group of Griffons is known as a ‘pride,’ not a ‘pack.’”
I turned to Bart after hearing a smacking sound, and found his massive paw covering his face.
“Always the details,” he grumbled. After rubbing his eyes for a moment, he continued, “As I was saying, besides us there’s a pride-” he gave Terra a pointed look, at which she beamed the smile of a proud parent “-of Griffons out in the woods. Mostly keep to themselves but are a mite touchy. Never saw one get madder faster than the one I called a half-chicken,” he snickered at the memory.
Terra rolled her eyes as her arms came up and crossed, “Yes. It was quite hilarious as she attempted to peck your eyes out of their sockets. Do tell,-” she grinned evilly “-how long were the two of you an item, again?”
Bart actually yipped, and gave Terra an embarrassed look, almost pleading as his face flushed, “I asked you not to bring that up again.”
“I simply continued the tale. And besides, turnabout is fair play,” she giggled, giving him a playful wink. I couldn’t help but laugh at her well-timed tease.
He responded with a groan and a glare, “You want to do this?”
After I stopped laughing, Terra gave Bart a carefree smile as she gestured with a claw for him to carry on, and he gave her a stern look in return before puffing his cheeks out and continuing.
“Well, not too many more ‘round here. Erek’s family are the Centaurs over by the Falls. Just don’t get on Zaraiak’s bad side. Girl’s usually a sweetheart, but her temper’s short as wintertime grass.”
“Oh my, yes! Do you recall when her father refused to buy her that lovely scarf? That tree still has yet to grow back!”
Bart shivered despite the warmth of the cavern, “You’re telling me?! I was there two years ago! Never knew a gal could buck that hard.”
I made a mental note that, should I ever meet this Zaraiak, I would do my best to be the most courteous and polite gentleman she’d ever meet. That and have multiple escape routes ready at all times. While trying to figure out how to outrun a Centaur, a number of thoughts clicked together into a question.
I turned to Terra and waved to get her attention, feeling hopeful, fearful, and anxious, “Ms. Terranexine? I remember after I’d woken up, I heard you talk about Humans, like you know them. Unless I’m wrong, I’m guessing the Centaurs here look human from the waist up?”
She responded uneasily, her eyes staring at the ceiling, “Well… yes… ”
Already on the high-dive, I took a few breaths and jumped, “Then, does that mean Humans are here, too?”
Terra got a… sheepish look on her scaled face, and almost looked too scared to say anything, until Bart walked over and patted one of her foreclaws, smiling, “I think the pup’s got a right to know, Terra.”
Without even correcting him, she inhaled deeply, and for a dragon, that’s pretty darn deep. I think a lot of her anxiety ran out once she let her breath go, though. “That was greatly appreciated, Bartholomew. Ian? You have asked, and I shall do my absolute best to explain. Contrary to how I may appear, I am several thousand years old, and have born witness to many a disaster, and as many a miracle, in my lifetime. Of what I am about to speak is considered nothing more than myth, a cautionary tale mothers tell their children in order to behave. What is far, far more terrible, is that the tale is true.”
Terra’s voice took on a more serious tone, heavy with memories, as her eyes stared at me and through me, “Long ago, Humans lived alongside the other races of this land. To be fair, things were not perfect then, there were greater dangers than there are today. However, all of us, Humans included, came to realize that unless we banded together, we would fall, alone.”
Her eyes clenched shut, lips curling into a grimace as her snout dipped towards the floor, she continued, “Against horrible threats I wish not to revisit, we fought for our friends, our families, and very lives. After much hardship, and loss, came a time of relative peace. Realizing it was necessary to form a unifying foundation to protect against future threats, the leaders of each of the clans devised a system which would help minimize the animosity between the different races.
“And so, the Kings’ Wheel began to turn. The Kings’ Wheel is what determines the next king, as well as queen. Each one, king and queen, must be of a different race. Their eldest, living, and worthiest child is the next, whether they are prince or princess. Their prospective spouse must be a member of the race along the wheel, and any family, or even individual, may petition themselves before the king, queen, and heir-apparent.
“Generation after generation, and order was maintained, until…”
“Until what?”
She sighed, frustrated and relaxed, “I do not even know how it truly came to pass. I was engrossed in my studies at the time, and the outside world held little interest to me. I still recall the day Ishgrammuhd stumbled into the library, his silver scales drained of almost all color, lavender eyes darting back and forth like some form of cornered wild animal. ‘Master, what’s wrong?!’ I asked, concerned. He looked at me, but didn’t see me. ‘The Humans… they’ve started a war,’ his voice croaked, hoarse. ‘With whom?’ at which point looked past my eyes, into my soul. ‘Everyone.’
“Some now unknown force or reasoning, either from within or without the Humans, caused them to wage war against the rest of us. What they lacked in physical might or powerful magic, they compensated for with their ingenuity. Even against all the odds that rose against them, the Humans drove forward, determined to conquer, enslave, or kill what lay in their path. In the end, however, they were defeated. Even taking into account all my years, I have never again heard of such a large gathering of Mages such as the one that met that fateful night.
“After much discussion, a spell was formulated, and put into motion. For the sake of brevity, I shall not delve into the specifics of arcane engineering. Simply put, the entire Human race was banished from this world. The spell, however successful, claimed many a Mage’s life, and too many insights into the realm of magic were lost.
“With only a handful of them left, the eldest Mages set about rebuilding the King’s Wheel, with two significant changes. First being the removal of Humans from the Wheel, as well as from nearly all forms of literature, to prevent a repetition of history. Lastly, an advisory council, composed of a single representative from each people group, was instituted as a means of maintaining closer ties between the races, as well as assisting the current royal family with day-to-day responsibilities.
“Ian, Humans are nothing more than myths and stories to us today, but exceptionally few of them have good morals or happy endings. And, I am sorry, but I must ask: now that you are here, what is it you plan to do?”
My eyes had gotten wider and wider as Terra went on, to the point I was afraid they would pop out and roll across the floor, or explode like firecrackers. I sat there, staring at the ground, not knowing what to say, or even think, at that point, so I went with the truth, “I have no idea. I mean, I come from a world where the people here are the legends, and here my people are monsters. That’s… that’s a pretty dramatic, if not downright traumatic, shift. Is it even right for me to be here? What even brought me here? And why? If even the concept of Humans is held in such low esteem, would it be better if I just return to my world, if I even can? And if I can’t, can I even live here? I just… I don’t really know. I guess all I can do is try to live in this world while trying to find a way back home. My family… oh, man! My mom, dad, Jen! They’re gonna freak when they find I’m missing! How long have I been here?!”
Yeah, this is me starting to panic again. I know it seems kind of like a bad running joke, but let me tell you, being scared is not a laughing matter. Most of the time.
Bart grimaced while rubbing the back of his head, “’Bout three days-”
“THREE DAYS?! I’VE BEEN HERE FOR THREE DAYS?! JEN’S GONNA BREAK MY FRIGGIN’ LEGS IF I GET BACK! I’M GONNA END UP ON THE BACK OF EVERY MILK CARTON IN AMERICA!” I shouted, bandaged hands trying to rip out my hair. Trust me, it’s harder than you’d think.
“Okay Ian, okay, okay, okay. Calm down, deep breaths. That’s it. Deep. Breaths. Deep. Breaths. In through the nose, out through the mouth. And… again…” Interestingly enough, they say that talking to yourself is a sure sign of being mentally unstable. Yep.
To be fair, Terra and Bart had very guilty grimaces on their faces. I think they were starting to worry that my mind was beginning to crack like an egg against a hammer. No worries, though. I think I broke the hammer.
I sat with my legs crossed, hands pushed together, humming ‘It’s a Small World’ over and over, with a creepy smile on my face. What’s that? Oh, I couldn’t remember the words, but I knew the tune by heart. While on the… I think it was the fifth or twelfth verse, Terra lowered her head down to my eye level.
“Ian? Are you alright?”
Keeping the smile on, I opened my eyes and looked into hers, “Nope. I’m not fine. I’m in a world that hates my species, I have no idea how I got here or if I can even return, and I’m seriously beginning to believe that I’ve gone insane and this is nothing more than some kind of elaborate hallucination to keep together whatever scrap of sanity I may have left. If not, then I’m even more doomed. Truth is stranger than fiction, but they never tell you how much of a toll it takes on your brain.
“I am absolutely terrified. I’m doing everything I can to not go cuckoo. And I’m failing. It’s kind of hard to maintain any semblance of sanity when your entire foundation of reality has been, oh, I don’t know, COMPLETELY ANNIHILATED?!” I ended with an outside voice, then sighed, the smile disappearing.
“Sorry, sorry. Neither of you deserved that. You’ve rescued me, ensured my return to the living world, and watched over me while I was out in Lala-land. I’m grateful, I truly am. But, I’m scared. Do you know what it’s like to have no idea what you’re supposed to do? To feel hopeless? Desperate? That’s how I am now. No clue, no inkling, not even so much as a nudge of where to go or what to do. I’m sorry if I’m rambling, but talking this out appears to be helping me calm down. This is way too much to take in at once,” at which point, my stomach rumbled.
“I’m sorry to ask, but do either of you have something to eat? I’m starving.”
“Think we got some leftover fish. Be right back,” Bart chimed in, bounding down a tunnel to his right. While we waited for Bart to return, Terra wouldn’t stop staring at me, as if trying to figure out if I would taste better than the fish.
“Um, Ms. Terranexine?”
“Yes, Ian?”
“You’re kinda… weirding me out.”
“How so?”
“You’re staring.”
“Oh, dear. I am?”
“Yeah."
"... "
"Still doing it.”
“Oh! Excuse me, I beg your pardon! It was not my intention to unnerve you, Ian. You are simply…more than curious, if I might be so bold. Though I have had few dealings with Humans, you are the most unusual. By far.”
I rolled my eyes, “Nice to know I’m considered an oddity.”
Terra blushed with an embarrassed grin, “That was… inappropriately phrased. What I meant is that you are a welcome change from what Humans are considered to be, and what a number of them were. After hearing the stories for so long, I’ve begun to forget that the monsters they are often portrayed as were, at one point, thinking, feeling beings. I am terribly sorry we could not have met under more amiable circumstances, though I am relieved you did not encounter a different kind of Dragon.”
“Why’s that?”
“Most likely, they would have eaten you on the spot.”
“Oh. Wait, different kind of Dragon? Does that mean there are more types? What are they?”
She smiled at my enthusiasm, “Contrary to appearances, there are only four varieties of Dragon. In alignment with the traditional elements, there are Fire, Earth, Water, and Air Dragons, though Fire Dragons compose the majority of our race. Although a Dragon’s outward appearance may grant an indication as to its type, the surest way to determine is their breath.”
I raised an eyebrow, smirking, “So I just need to smell their breath to find out?”
She groaned and rolled her eyes, “I do wish I could find one individual who would not make that observation. I find it to be in poor taste. As I was saying, their breath. Most obvious are the fire-breathers, and Water Dragons are capable of expunging a torrent of water, much like a firehose. Air Dragons can unleash winds that knock their targets away, similar to the winds in a hurricane or tornado. Earth Dragons, of which I am one, can release a thunderous, if not deafening, roar, capable of causing a mild earthquake.
“As I said before, there can be certain indications, such as gills and fins for a Water Dragon or massive wings for an Air Dragon, but these may appear on an Earth or Fire Dragon just as easily. A Dragon’s breath, as well as his or her appearance, are determined by the parents. An offspring of a Water and Fire coupling, for example, might have blue scales and fin-like spines or ears, while having Fire breath. Another from the same pairing may be red and have wings, but have Water breath.”
I leaned forward as I listened, engrossed in her explanation. After she finished, I frowned while looking at the floor. Eventually, I asked, “Ms. Terranexine?”
She graced me with a warm smile, “Ian, you may dispense with the honorifics. Simply addressing me as Terranexine is acceptable. Now then, your question? ”
I returned her smile, my eyes watering, just a little, “Thank you, Terranexine. I was wondering, before the Humans changed, did they get along with Dragons? My world’s mythology usually painted them as powerful, dangerous beasts, though there were also stories of them being protectors, teachers, and allies. If I came from the world the Humans here were banished to, I’d like to know the truth.”
Terra stared at the ceiling as she stroked her chin with a claw for a bit, then looked back to me, playfulness tugging her lips into a smile, “Both descriptions are accurate of our relations with Humans. We are powerful allies and dangerous teachers.”
I laughed hard, my eyes disappearing behind my smile, and Terra continued after I had rubbed the tears from my eyes, “Though the greatest Human-Dragon accomplishment was the formation of the Dragon Knights.”
My jaw dropped as I said excitedly, “You mean Humans rode on the backs of Dragons and fought against evildoers?!”
Terra frowned at me, either displeased at the thought, or that I’d even suggested it. I hung my head, realizing I’d goofed. Badly.
But her voice was calm, though in a tone like a teacher correcting a student, “No. Not exactly, at any rate. Dragons and Humans worked together to battle dangerous enemies, and to protect the people. For nearly a hundred years, they fought side by side, even after The Change was discovered.”