The Last Emerald Dragon 

Chapter Three

AMALLIA'S LOVE

    Standing on top of the snowcapped mountains of Kediliron; the old wizard is looking down toward the beach.  There he watches as a group of people pick up a body and place him on the shoulders of the leader of the group.  The wizard speaks to himself.  He is used to be being alone with himself so he has grown accustomed to talking to himself.

    'Mm... Good, he has been found by the ones that are chosen to find him.  There is no turning back now; the events of the future are in motion...  Neither Alagoth nor Shather can stop this now.'  He watches as the man carries the body to the castle and into a small cabin.

    Sitting in the rafters of the loft, he watches as Zyrad makes a potion, to help Tynes heal himself.  He watches as Tynes coughs as he drinks the substance down.  The wizard stays in the rafters all the while, watching over Tynes.  All day and all night he watches as Amallia sits by the bed caring for him.

    'Mm... I never saw this; the elf girl is with him.  I wonder why that is.  I know there is something between the two, however, I did not know it was this soon.  That Emerald will never know she is here.'  The wizard moves over to the lower area.  Zyrad and Nythal are talking.

    "What do you mean events of the future are now in motion," Zyrad asked.

    "What I mean is this.  I'm not sure what is to come, but I do know that with the rescue of this man from the beach.  It has set in motion an old proficiency.  Our kingdom will come to an end.  I don't know when, and I don't know if it will happen in our lifetime. I also don't know how it will happen:  But it will come," Nythal explained.

    "So what should we do? Heal him and send him on his way, without his memories? For some reason, I like the boy.  There is something about him, I don't know: And if you haven't noticed Amallia thinks I don't know about it but she's been up there with him since I brought him here.  She hides when I go up there and she pretends that she knows nothing of him when she comes to see how he is.  But anyway, what does the actual proficiency say," Zyrad said.

    "It says.  'Found on the shores, with no memories.  The last will appear.  And in its wake the land will be raised.  Nothing will live for a thousand years.  Only the last and a few will survive the end.'  Then it talks about not the whole world just one quarter of the land will be desolate," Nythal says.

    "So you're saying that this man is the last?  Whatever that means," Zyrad asks.

    "He just maybe. However, how often does someone show up on a shore with no memories? More often than not.  This whole thing could just be a coincidence. However, it may not be, he could just be the last.  I don't know right now.  We must wait for the right time," Nythal explained.

    The old wizard sits in the rafters listening to what the queen is saying.  The only thought he could really listen to was the fact of the love between Tynes and Amallia. The whole concept of love was beyond his logic.  ."

    'Mm...  This is something that I must study further, this thing called love,' the wizard thought.

*    *    *

    The upper level of Zyrad's loft was dark, and now quiet. Amallia emerges from her hiding spot from the wooden wardrobe. She crinkles her nose from the smell of body odor and salt water. She does not know why she is there, nor why this man has a grip of her mind. Since they found him on the beach her mind has been drifting back to his face. During the last 3 miles of her run with Amlia, and Ridlian she caught herself falling behind the other two. Now she is hiding in her elders loft taking care of this man. She sees that the queen has healed his cut and bruised head and that he sleeps peacefully. However, the stale saltwater smell is still lingering within the air. She prepares a washcloth with anomic flowers to clean this sleeping man's body and remove some of the bad-smelling body odor. While she is cleaning, she sings an elvish tune.

The Seas are far and wide.

Home is where you are.

Your travels take you through Hakoeh, but your heart is at home.

Home is where you are.

Your mind is searching. For what I cannot tell.

Home is where you are.

With me can be home for you as long as you want.

Home is where you are.

    When she is finished with her song she is also finished with her cleaning. The man smells better, but there is still a salty smell in the air. She is tempted to open the window but thinks better of that idea for she feels that would leave Zyrad to conclude that someone other than himself or Clasan was in the upper level of the loft. She kisses the man on his cheek and whispers into his ear. "Home is where you are." She then turns from the sleeping man and leaves through the window, closing it as she leaps to the ground.

    Amallia exits the courtyard of the great castle. As she turns toward her dwelling place a familiar face is standing right behind her. This face has the same features as her own only the hair is a different color. Amlia’s eyes are glazed over with the look of annoyance for her sister.

    "I knew you went to see him. Ever since we found him your mind has been drifting toward this man. Don't deny it I'm your twin, and I saw your eyes. He is alive. I'll make you a deal. If we've not had any word about him in two weeks we both shall go and see how he is doing," said Amlia.

    Amallia bows her head and closes her eye in shame. After Amlia is done speaking she nods her head in agreement and they both turn to their home. During the next two weeks, Amallia's mind would always drift back to the man in Zyrad's loft. Every time Zyrad would appear for Saeyth training she would always wait to see if he would speak about the man's condition. To her dismay, he never spoke of the man, nor did she ever bring up the subject. Amlia would see her twins’ eyes and her body language, this gave her some annoyance. However, she knew once Amallia was satisfied with news of this man's wellbeing the subject would finally be over.

*    *    *

     The night is cold as the twins walk their patrols around the castle and temple of Kediliron. Amallia composes herself not to seem too, excited for the visit to the elder’s loft. They still had their four hours of patrols to complete before they are released for the day. Tonight was uneventful. After the four hours, Amallia was ready to visit Zyrad. Amlia rolls her eyes at her twin sister.

    "Fine we'll go now, but after this, the subject is dropped. Will you calm yourself, you're acting like we're twenty-five years old again and still in herbal school. What is with you and this man? You are like a little school girl with a crush on the teacher," said Amlia

    "I don't know, for some reason he fascinates me. There is something different about him. He is not like the other humans we have ever met before," replied Amallia.

    "Whatever let's just get this over with," said Amlia.

    The twins work their way toward the courtyard of the great castle. They arrive at the front door of the elders loft. Amallia reaches to knock, but Amlia stops her and knocks instead.  After a short moment Zyrad opens, and he steps aside to allow the twins to enter quietly.  Amlia and Amallia without saying a word go and sit in their customary chairs in front of the fireplace.  The three sit quietly for a few minutes when Zyrad finally breaks the silence.

    "Well now what can I do on this day for my two trouble twins?  Is the kingdom secure or is there trouble a coming over the horizon?"  Zyrad is standing in front of the fireplace.  The soft glow of the fire is giving him the appearance of a man getting ready to read a ghost story to two of his young children.  His hands behind his back as he does often when he is concerned about something or when he is just in thought.

    Amallia looks to her elder with a slight smile on her face, her eyes beaming with the anticipation of to hear good news.  Amlia seeing the look on her sister's face and just rolls her eyes.  "We came by today to see how the stranger was doing," said Amallia.

    Zyrad also notices the look of Amallia.  He gives a slight half smile for a quick second then it disappears.  "He is doing well.  He sleeps at the moment.  His body is fit and should make a full recovery, however, his mind is another story," said Zyrad,

    "Has he told you anything yet?  Like whom he is or where he comes from?  It seems he is from a distant land.  A land that we've not been to yet, you know the lands my sister and I have been before doing scouting mission for the Saeyth," said Amlia.

    "No, not yet, I mean he has not," Zyrad then looks at the twins' points his finger at them with a general gesture.  "And I didn't press the issue as well.  He is very tired, so it will do no good right now either," he said.

    As the elder is speaking, all three hear noises in the upper level. They hear rustling, and then "LANA!" came a loud voice. A few moments later they are all startled from the large man leaping down from the loft and begins heading toward the front door. Zyrad steps in front of the door holding him back from exiting.

    "WHOA, there big man you're in no condition to be leaving yet.  You're still too weak to be going outside in the cold.  Besides you don't have any clothes," explained Zyrad.

    The strange man looks down then covers parts of his body that need to be covered.

    "Where are my clothes," asked the man.

    Zyrad, with a throwaway gesture of his hand replies.  "I had them burned. They were covered in seaweed and salt water.  They were falling off of you.  We had no idea how long you were in the sea.  They would do you no good now."  Zyrad is now standing behind the twins, his hands behind his back, again.

    The man looks around and finds a pack, next to the hearth.  He picks it up and puts his whole arm into it. He finds leather pants and slips them on quickly.  He reaches in again and pulls out a long sleeve tunic, which he rolls the sleeves up to his elbow. Lastly, he slips on a pair of soft riding boots. Once he is dressed he starts for the door again.

     "Hang on there.  Just because you're dressed doesn't mean you're leaving.  Now sit down and warm yourself in front of the fire," said. The man sits down on the floor as instructed. He wraps his arms around his knees and starts rocking back and forth.

     "Well now.  We know you remember your sister's name...  Lana is it?  But do you remember your own name," Zyrad asked.

    The man looks at the twins sitting; Zyrad leaning on the backs of the chairs, a hand on each.  "Yes... My name is Tynes and as you know my sister is called Lana," he explained.

    "Do you remember where you come from," asked Amallia.  Tynes looked puzzled at her, his only answer to her was "no."

    "How long have I been here," he asks.

    "We found you two weeks ago...  Tynes, you've been sleeping in my loft this entire time," Zyrad explained.

    "I have been out for two weeks?  Damn no wonder I feel like I need a bath.  Now where is my floating soap bar," he says as he opens his pack again.  This time, he sticks his head inside.  He then pulls his head out and retrieves a white object from out of the bag, and then pulls out a towel.

    "If you wish to bath. There is a brass washtub behind my house.  Don't worry you won't be disturbed nor spied upon.   A large wooden wall surrounds the bathing area," explained Zyrad.

    After Tynes leaves to bath Zyrad looks at the twins. "Evidently he's feeling better. I think my twins need to leave. Clasan should be home soon and I'm sure if she finds out he is awake she'll want to feed him. I'm sure you two will find out later how he is doing," said Zyrad as he escorts the sisters to the front door.

    The twins exit the courtyard and begin working their way toward home.  As they are finding a carriage they both hear wings flapping above them. They look up and see a cobalt blue dragon carrying a large buck deer in it's front talons. They both smile at the sight of Clasan. They both know when she meets Tynes, she will mother him as she does all the Saeyth.

    "Good, now we know Tynes is well, and that Clasan will nurse him back to health. You can stop worrying about him and we can go about our lives," said Amlia.

    Amallia nods her head in agreement but does not speak quickly. Amlia is able to find a carriage through the Yaihel Mountains, as she is stepping into the wagon Amlia turns to find her twin is not coming after her.

    "I'm going to stay in town for a while. I need some time alone," Amallia.

    Amlia rolls her eyes, she knew her sister was not going let this go. Without a word she climbs into the carriage, and leaves her sister at the castle courtyard. She sits back in the carriage, closes her eyes, and smiles.