Chapter 4 - Arrival

The moment the treacherous words left her lips, zee could feel the same familiar pulse that had become so close to her, pulsing through the air. Instinctively, she broke into a run after it. Kuorega, as shocked as she, was stunned for several moments before he had enough free will to chase after her.
Shooting through the village, Zee ran as hard as she could without reaching the point where turning would leave her eating dirt. For several heart stopping moments, she was constantly reeling around the village without a general direction until she was able to map out a small area of where it could possibly be. Slowing to a jog, she felt out its presence ever so slowly, similarly to the day or so ago when she had been searching for it in the same manner.
As she ran, she past a shabby hut, that for some reason, she didn’t remember being there before. The vibrating halted as she passed it.
‘Curious’ She turned and stared at the hut for a long while, noticing broken glass everywhere and dirt and grime coating everything in sight. Tentatively, she approached the house, almost afraid it would bite her if she came too close.
Just as she was about to open the lopsided plank meant to be a door, a high pitched shriek pierced through.
Zee tumbled backwards into a heap, frightened. Gathering her nerve, she stood again, brushing herself off with composed dignity. Looking around, she checked to make sure no one had noticed, but no, all the villagers had not even hesitated in their step. Once again, she reached out, but this time she was able to make contact, pushing it open enough for her to spy on the inhabitants of the hut. Startled, Zee watched as an old hag of a woman cavorted around the room muttering strange words, encircling a shabby table where her precious egg lay on the table.
“Sataya, the village enchantress. Exiled from the main land, forced to live on Kopia forever.” Zee nearly jumped from her skin as Kuorega spoke. She turned, and he looked down on her. “Come to think of it, lately she has been going on about some prophecy approaching. Kept saying she was going to interfere with fate and test its power.”
Zee pointed at the door.
“Does that mean that egg is the prophecy?!” She gasped.
“No” He sighed. “It’s you”
“Wha – me? Wh – ” Zee blinked, stuttered and stalled. Finally, she could atleast utter how?
“It all makes sense, Sataya starts going on about a prophecy, villagers complain from all sorts of ailments that seem to occur from overreactions, like insane anger or intense sorrow and – ”
“Wait, what do emotions have to do with this?”
“You said you can feel emotions from the egg right? Well someone passing by might catch a whiff of it but unlike you, they can’t handle it and usually they pass out cold”
Zee exhaled.
“Okay, keep going”
“As I was saying, when predicting prophecies in Delëna, you watch things like the stars – an example would be last nights curiosity.” She sifted her feet in the dry dust under the cool overhang of the hut.
“How do I get the egg back then?” She gazed up at Kuorega, searching for support in his eyes. Sighing, Kuorega scratched his head, as if to dislodge an answer that might be there.
“Sataya is notorious for difficult riddles, so if you seek to retrieve that egg from her, you’ll most likely be pitted against an extremely difficult one.” Without hesitation Zee turned and scurried through the door. Surprised, Kuorega had no time to react and try to stop her, try to make her think. Realizing she may very well not succeed, he followed her in. Before entering, he thought,
‘Sataya knows very well that the egg will not hatch for her, so she must have other motives in mind.’ He tapped his chin a moment. ‘What is that woman up to?’

Zee stepped through the huts small entrance, finding bits and pieces of strange trinkets and doo-dads laying cluttered on the floor in heaps and mounds, plates of rotting meals covering every surface.
“You!” Sataya screeched at Zee and pointed a wicked finger in her face, covered by just enough skin to hide the bone. Her pale face was hollow and haggard, worn away by the ages, seemingly ancient. Her eyes were a steely gray and her hair pure white, with her skin the same obvious dark tan like her tribe, though her clothing was darker. A layer of the purest black fabric was draped across her shoulders, atop a hideous dark black dress that reached her ankles. Her gaze was piercing, like a vulture in a barren desert absent of predator and prey.
“You’re the girl who has bonded to this egg, is that true?” She shook her finger in Zee’s face. “Well if you expect me to give it back willingly, you’re wrong. You’ll have to win it back.” She sneered, pulling back her thin lips to reveal two rows of missing, crooked and infested teeth.
“How” Zee eyed the woman with growing hatred. Sataya however gathered herself up, pushing back her shoulders and planting her hands firmly on her hips. She stated that Zee would have to answer a riddle. She agreed with a silent nod.
As Sataya began to recite the riddle aloud, Kuorega shuffled through her door, standing behind Zee, hunched over because of the huts non-sufficient height. Sataya glared at the man.

“What is greater than the Gods,
More evil than the orbs of Raike
The poor have it, the wealthy need it
Misers spend it, spenders save it
If you eat it, you will die?”

Slowly, Zee pieced together the pieces of the puzzle, and remembering her own life – knew the answer. Swallowing, she answered.
“Nothing.”
Sataya gawked, then began to laugh.
She laughed and laughed, cackling until Zee began to wonder if this woman would keep to her word.
“So you are a clever one aren’t you? I heard all about your interest in the Stars and our Ster Walcuna ceremony, impressive wasn’t it?” She dropped her arms from her hips and walked cautiously over to where the egg was caressing it softly. “Well anyway, you answered that riddle too easily for me to believe that you hadn’t known the answer before”
Zee was fuming.
“You’re not going to give it back?!”
“Of course not, I’ve waited too many years for you to come along so I could take little friend for my companion”
Zee grew into a rage.
“Do you really think I’m going to relinquish my companion to you? You must be out of your mind! I’m the one who could hear it calling, I’m the one who held it close even as I trekked through the jungle! I did not chase it all the way back here to go back empty handed!” Her fists clenched, Zee glared and breathed heavily at her. Kuorega clamped a bear hand down onto her shoulder.
“Sataya, give it back” Stataya sneered up at him.
“Oh dear me, Mister high and mighty is going to get me if I don’t give back the child’s little egg, I’m so scared” She looked up at him again with the arrogance of a spoiled child, teasing him just out of reach. Kuorega kept his face firm, and remained staring at the enchantresses face.
Before another word was spoken, Surprise flitted into the room and spiraled around Zees head, flying directly into Sataya’s face, scolding her.
Kuorega continued to watch Sataya’s face, and he noticed a change. As the sprixi zipped into the room, a greedy glint in her eye could be seen. That was when he knew what Sataya was after.
“Zee!” Kuorega cried, “Get her!”
Zee didn’t have time.
“Aha!” Swift like lightening, Sataya had snatched an empty jar off a shelf and stuffed Surprise into while still in mid-air. “Gotcha!” Her speed was incredible.
“Give her back” Zee said darkly. Sataya tapped her hawk-like nose thoughtfully with a fore-finger for a moment.
“No, I don’t think I shall, because you see, this is what I was really after.” She held up the jar with an angry sprixi. “I already knew I couldn’t have the egg because it had already chosen you. But I had heard a rumor that a little bat-winged lizard sprixi was floating around village, never far from the little foreigner.” A quick glance at Zee. “This sprixi here is a one of a kind, no others like it, because she is the first ever dragon sprixi.” Kuorega sighed. “You see, some sprixi’s are born sprixi’s, and some are actually something else with just a little Magic mixed in. Commonly you’ll see mouse, bird and bug sprixi, and sometimes you’ll see fish sprixi – the tasty little treats. But you’ll never find a dragon sprixi; it’s unheard of, a rarity. So that means -” Sataya licked her lips, “She’s valuable”
Zee began to turn red with anger.
“Give her back!” She screeched lunging toward her with arms outstretched, intending to rip the woman apart. Sataya still remained amused.
“O, I’m sorry, but you have outstayed your welcome. Bye now!” She flicked her finger harshly in Zee’s direction. Immediately Zee collapsed, stunned.
“Sataya! Those Magics are forbidden in this village!” Kuorega snapped, bending down and lifting the girl onto his shoulder. Sataya smiled innocently.
“Oops, my finger slipped” She laughed under her breath, turning away as Kuorega left with the girl over his shoulder and the egg in his arm.
He turned one last time to see Sataya examining the glass which held the furious little sprixi with bat-wings and lizard skin.

“Argh, she can’t do this!” Angrily, Zee sat down in a huff, placing the egg in her lap. Apparently being stunned by Magic hadn’t fazed her at all. Still worried about her current state of mind, Kuorega made a suggestion.
“Perhaps if I might go and fetch Abel, we may all make a plan to retrieve your friend.” He handed the egg back to Zee, hugging it close.
“Why can’t you just make her give me Surprise back? You are the Chief of this village, right?” She glared stubbornly at him, wishing he had stood up for her back in the dingy hut where Sataya still had her companion.
“Just because I may be a leader, doesn’t make me a god. How would you feel if someone bossed you around everyday? I’m simply the Chief to lead in the decision making process that would only be beneficial to the tribe, or to perform ceremonies only recognized with ‘higher’ classmen.”
Zee sighed, recalling moments in the orphanage where the Mother’s tyrant rule lead to violence and hatred.
“Well, it would be more comfortable if he were here.”

A few minutes later, Kuorega returned with a still groggy eyed Abel teetering alongside him.
“Hey Zee, what’s up?” He tiredly rubbed at the sleep lingering in his eyes.
Zee looked away.
“I lost her”
“Lost who?” He took his hand away from his eyes and walked over to sit by her.
“Surprise!” She snapped. Abel’s eyes softened as he saw how it made her feel, placing the same feeling into his own heart.
“I’ll help you get her back” He smiled at her, though she remained glum.
“So, what happened anyway? Like, how’d you lose her?” Zee turned to look at Abel, then away again.
“I lost the egg when I went to the Ster Walcuna ceremony, and to get it back I was forced from Surprise.” Pouting, she crossed her arms over her chest. Abel sat next to her, staring intently for a moment.
“I know a way.”
“Really?!” She leaned over as he began to whisper it in her ear. At first her face showed excitement, but as he finished, she was in disbelief.
“It won’t work I’m telling you, I’ll do what I just thought of instead.” Abel looked up at her as she stood, with hurt in his eyes.
“Why don’t you think it will work?”
“Look, with someone as ancient as her, you can’t make her swallow her own medicine.” She turned away from him, putting the egg back into Kuorega’s arms. She walked over to the hut, not glancing back or halting in her step. Kuorega came and heaved himself down next to Abel, who drew his knees under his chin, hiding his face in his hands.
“Hey, are you all right? Look, sometimes people will hurt others because their ways of thinking is different. You two are great friends though so don’t let the little dispute get in the way.” He patted him on the back. Abel continued to hide.
“But she’s never outright denied me of what I’ve thought, we’ve just been so close you know?” He sighed. “But it’s okay, it’ll work out, somehow.” He lifted his head, resting it on his arms. Kuorega watched him, searching for any particular reason why he was so kind hearted.
A commotion stirred the air as Zee came crashing through a window, clutching the jar.
“Run!”

“Zee!” Kuorega barked angrily, “What did you do?” She continued running, straight into the jungle.
“Well, I jumped in through the back, hoping to catch her unaware” She shook her head as a reaction to what she had said, and because millions of insects began swarming around their faces. “Didn’t work” She kept running, without a hint of continuing her story, swatting away as she went.
“And?” Kuorega tryed to keep up with the girl., but was still slowed down by the egg in his arms. Zee slowed down slightly.
“And, I used Abel’s idea. I really wanted to get Surprise so I asked her a riddle. Even though she couldn’t answer it she wouldn’t give her back so I just ran grabbed Surprise on my way out the window. “ She absently scratched at several bites that had already formed on her arms and face. “So technically Abel, your plan still didn’t work.” She ran faster all of a sudden,
“Zee! Wait! There’s a--” But in a burst of speed without even hearing, she disappeared into the undergrowth. Kuorega, slid to a halt instead of pursuing, reaching out and stopping Abel with him.
“Wha--?” Snapping and cracking sounds could be heard.
“A cliff, there’s a cliff behind that bush.” Immediately after finishing he grabbed Abel’s hand and started running through the weeds, swatting at the masses of bugs. Running down a steady incline, Abel began to whimper, his salty tears only attracting more and more flying fiends.
Kuorega was suddenly very glad that he hadn’t given her the egg back right away.

Running down the slope, they thrashed threw mountains of ferns and palm saplings, clawing out of huge spider-webs clinging to their faces and ducking to avoid low hanging branches.
As the ground evened off, Zee came into sight, unconscious on the ground with bucketfuls of insects swarming around the blood coming from cuts all over her body. As Kuorega inspected her, he was grateful that she only had small bruises and scratches from the fall. He bent down and pried the jar from her hands, releasing the small sprixi from inside.
“Well, Zee should be fine in a while, the fall was not more than ten fit down. Most likely she landed on her back, and knocked the wind out of herself pretty badly.” He checked for a bump on her head.
“Umm, what’s a fit?” Abel was still getting used to random words placed into English sentences.
“It’s the same as a foot measurement.” He picked Zee up, throwing her over his shoulder. “Abel, you and Zee are going to have to leave this island today, right now. There are some boats docked only about two mels from here. OH, take this too, Zee’s heavy enough as it is” He handed Abel the egg.
“Two what from here?” He clasped his arms around it as Zee had done before.
“A mel is the equivalent of a mile” Kuorega began walking, with Abel close behind.
“Oh”

As they trudged on through the jungle, Surprise continued to flit back and forth between Zee and the trees. Every time she came back, Abel noted, another one of Zee’s cuts healed.
“Hey Kuorega, what’s Surprise doing?”
“Hmm?” He looked back and watched Surprise a moment. “Oh, some sprixi’s have a small amount of healing abilities. What she’s doing is getting the dew off the trees, and adding some of her magic to them, and placing the water over her cuts like bandages, at the same time healing them. Some believe that water has healing powers so it’s commonly used in the practice.”
“I see” Abel said. He continued to watch Surprise go back and forth, slowly making all her little bruises and cuts disappear. After a while though, she ran out of things to heal, so she sat on her back, giving a big sigh and wiping her brow with a little ‘whew’. There was a period of silence as the only sound was their footsteps through the underbrush. Abel watched the patterns on the egg swirl and dance on the surface of the egg, still amazed at the small phenomenon. Zee began to stir, blinking her eyes to clear them of the bugs, and stretching her arms. Kuorega gently placed her back on the ground, supporting her as she wobbled on her feet a moment.
“Whew! That was some fall, why didn’t you say something?!” She looked back at Kuorega.
“I did! But you didn’t listen, you just kept running then boom! Down you go!” He huffed.
“Hmph. Where are we going anyway?” She took the egg back from Abel.
“I’m not going anywhere, you two are going to the mainland.” He pulled back some ferns to reveal the beach once again. “He gave a small gasp as he ran over to the boats, only the tips of their prows peeking over the breaking waves.
“Argh! Sataya must have sent one of her apprentices to drill holes in the boats!” He carefully examined the neat round hole in the bottom of all seven of the small watercrafts. “You’ll have to hitch a ride on a water wyrm. Luckily for you I have acquaintances with a few of the local dwellers.” He whistled, high pitched chirrups piercing the air. Waiting a minute or two, a webbed frill came from under the waves, nearing the shoreline at an incredible speed.
The creature came onto the beach, a massive head, reptilian in all respects, frills lining the jaw line, and descending down its back. Large canines peeked from under the lips, razor sharp and white. The body was covered in fine, small silver fish scales, slippery and slick. The legs were well muscled, with more webbing in-between the toes armed with frightening talons. The body was long and snake like, seeing how it’s lower half was still hidden in the surf.
Abel fell back onto the beach, mouth open wide in astonishment. Zee continued to stare, awed at the beauty of the creature. She looked down at her own egg, beautiful in its own way.
“Abel, Zee, this is Hatsunia.” The wyrm bowed her head to children respectfully.
“Pleasure of acquaintance is mine” The wyrms accent was foreign and strange, it sounded of hissing, but it was an elegant and well rounded speech.
“Hatsunia, would you be willing to transport these children to capitols port? It is imminent they get off the island immediately.” Kuorega spoke as if the creature was of a higher status than him.
“Of course, I will make it my goal to be there by morning” Without any further hesitance, Kuorega threw the children, egg and all, onto her back, at the base of the neck where there were no frills. Surprise chattered angrily and flew off a safe distance behind the wyrm as it turned back into the water.
“Good-bye! May we meet again someday!” Kuorega waved from the safety of the beach. Zee turned and waved also, watching as his form slowly grew small, and the island blurred with distance. Within several minutes it was out of sight all together.

Their speed was incredible, as white foam trailed out from behind, Hatsunia’s frilled tail propelled them along, cutting through the water like air. For a while there was silence, but before an hour was up, the egg began chirping. Nonstop, it kept on chittering and squeaking like no there was no tomorrow. It seemed that it soothed the large wyrm.
“It makes happiness to hear a dragon chick before emergence” The wyrm seemed to grin, as more of the pearl white teeth were showing. As Zee relaxed, listening to the dragon chick and feeling the water glide around her legs, Abel appeared to be seasick. He tried invain to keep his feet out of the water, curling up behind Zee, making hideous noises and changing color every few minutes.
“Hey Zee, I think I’m gonna-” However before finishing, Abel did. Hanging over the uncomfortable wyrm, he released his hold on breakfast into the water.
For many hours it seemed they did nothing but sit and listen to the chick inside the egg. It made all sorts of noises that ranged from high pitched screeches to super low purring. And it seemed their stomachs were making a chorus of noises too.
As they watched the Star sink below the horizon, Zee thought she was going to die of hunger. The more than substantial breakfast of some kind of meat and bread had kept her stomach quiet for some time, but now she was running on empty. It seemed the same way for Abel.
Unfortunately, as their stomachs grew louder, so did the egg. Even Hatsunia joined in, humming as she stroked through the water. Then Zee gave a little shout.
“Eep! It’s hatching! Oh my gosh, it’s going to hatch right now! I’ve only had it for a day! Eep!” The experience was nothing like she could ever have imagined. She lost all awareness of her surroundings, she could feel through the dragon the struggle against the stable wall of the egg, felt the crack as she threw herself at it. She was overwhelmed with her emotions, she knew she would never be alone again, now there was something else taking a little corner in mind, making its nest there, and she knew it was her dragon. But at the same time she felt her own mind open up more, exposing itself to the world. And that was all in the one instant, the particle of a second, the moment before the dragon emerged from her haven in the egg.

The little dragonet was awkward and ungainly. While Zee tried to keep her from falling into the water, the dragonet was determined to get out of her arms, clawing at her in an attempt to get away. Biting her lip and holding on, Zee waited until she was sure she had stopped moving before releasing her hold, and placing the dragonet in front of her for a good look.
The dragonet was a light green all over her body, deepening in color down her legs, coming to a near black by her little silver talons. But she was spiky all over, under her jaw, down her back, behind her legs and the tip of her tail, which was thrashing dangerously close to Abel’s head. Her wings resembled arms protruding from her back complete with thumb, though the fingers were stretched to great lengths. The skin was stretched between the three fingers and another finger that seemed to come from her ‘elbow’, even more was stretched between the upper and lower arm, and even a little was stretched from the thumb to the side of the first finger. Though the wings were still too big handle spread out, so they were kept close at her side. Inspecting the little dragon, Zee tickled and played with her, stretching out her wings to feel the smooth leathery feel, and lifting her clawed feet in mock fight.
As Zee and her little dragonet frolicked a bit, Abel sat quietly behind watching and admiring. Unfortunately though, as soon as he was able to get comfortable, he began to be seasick again. Recalling the same feeling from when Zee had hurt him, he had to ask her what she did with Sataya.
“Hey Zee, what did you do to make her so angry anyways?” He still had his head hanging over the wyrms side.
“I asked her a riddle, and when she was mad that she couldn’t answer, she threw a fit and I hightailed it” She shrugged.
“What riddle?”
“Lets see, it goes like this:
Fallen in the snow, is easily seen
Fallen in the sand, you cannot find
The more you take
The more you leave behind”
Zee giggled.
“You should have seen her face when I told her the answers was ‘footsteps’ ”
Abel managed to crack a smile before his sickness came back to him.

As the dragonet sat in Zee’s lap, she cried and cried, screeching towards the stars. The sound was enough to even drive off Surprise, who had come close enough to sit on Abel’s shoulder for a time.
“Abel! I can’t make her stop! And I’m hungry!” Zee whined out loud, directing it at Abel.
“I know Zee, but the little dragon is hungry too I bet, because so am I!” As Abel and Zee kept shouting at each other about hungry they were, the little dragonet finally stopped abruptly, and fell asleep. Awed, Zee and Abel watched, hoping with all their hearts she really was asleep.
“Hey Zee” Abel whispered.
“Yeah?” She whispered back.
“What are you going to name her?”
She thought a moment.
“I don’t know yet. Any ideas?” Abel shook his head in response. While watching the moons and stars, Abel and Zee thought, both of a good name for the dragonet, and of how much food they could gorge once they arrived at the capitol.

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