a new day

[cellio]

May 25 (Wednesday)

As I prepared to go to sleep last night I found myself thinking of Agondre the Elder. He was a majestic and courageous being, and the pain he endured for the last five-hundred years must have been excrutiating. To see one's life and land fade and be unable to do anything about it... the enormity of it really hit me. And to know, but keep secret, that the end is not healing but death and rebirth... while I know that it had to happen, and I rejoice in Agondre the Younger, I know that a great denizen of the world has passed.

This was on my mind when I fell asleep, so it shouldn't be surprising that I dreamed of Agondre the Elder. In the dream I saw a now-healed, happy dragon flying through the air. When rooted to the land, of course, Agondre never flew anywhere. But this one sang in my mind and sent peaceful and soothing thoughts, and I came to understand that this really was for the best.

Then I felt a second presence, full of the energy and excitement of youth, and in my dream the land below sprang up green and healthy. I don't know if Agondre the Younger is a reincarnation or a descendant, but it doesn't seem to matter. Either way, the young dragon is the land now, just as the older one was.

When I woke up I found that I was curled up next to Agondre, and that he had draped a paw over my shoulders. I also felt that I was just surging with magical ability, thanks to him. It was not yet dawn, and Agondre nudged me gently in the direction of the door. I went out through the sanctum to the palace courtyard and joined Liandra in watching an absolutely glorious sunrise.

May 25, later

The ghosts in the sanctum are gone. They were gone when we emerged, but I somehow had a feeling that Charlos was still of this world. Today we wanted to go to Oakhame, where we would find out.

First, though, we felt that someone needed to speak to the armies encamped around the city. When we walked out the countryside was silent -- no sounds of battle, no shouting, nothing. As we continued to walk down the road soldiers started to appear, mingled from all three armies, and they bowed down to us. Clearly word had gotten out, well beyond our friends in the army. Everyone seemed to be there, and they all laid down their arms in front of us.

We siezed the oppportunity. Thinking that this was our best chance to make an impression, and feeling enhanced aptitude coursing through my dragon blood, I called for the generals of the three armies. They stepped forward and I said that we were at peace now; the war was over. There was some cheering from the ranks at this, and no one spoke to challenge.

Turok said that there are still monsters in Cardior, though there will be no new ones. We need to clean them up, and begin restoring the city's structure so its people can return. Before long we had a large group of volunteers, and the generals told some of the others that they could go home now. We asked a fairly sizable contingent to stay at the city for a little while just in case there is trouble, but it is one contingent now much more than it is three.

While the generals were organizing their men for their new jobs, we slipped away and strode through the trees to Oakhame. Everyone, of course, knew that something had happened; the whole land felt the change. So they had eagerly awaited our arrival, and everyone gathered around as we told the story in detail. Seamus was determined to get every detail, and I suspected there would be a dozen new songs by nightfall.

I asked about Charlos and Garrett, and we went to the waterfall. Charlos was still there but had faded quite a bit; it seemed an act of pure will that let him remain. He told us that as the sky turned black Garrett cried out "someone killed Agondre and it wasn't me!", and then he turned to dust and was gone. Having delivered that message, Charlos told us that his purpose here is done; I thanked him for the noble sacrifices he had made that allowed us all to save Agondre, and I told him he would not be forgotten. He bowed to us and we wished him a peaceful rest, and then he faded from this world.

Seamus was not the only bard there, and I saw that many had taken out parchment on which to record every word. I told them how we had met Charlos and all he had done for us; they knew much of this already, I assume, but they hadn't heard it from us and it's important to get these things down.

Liandra performed a healing ritual over the waterfall, similar to the ones she did for the pool, to banish any last traces of Garrett's influence. She said that in the coming weeks she's going to travel the countryside blessing the fields, which I think is a wonderful idea.

There was singing, drinking, and story-telling late into the night in Oakhame. Liandra, Viggo, Kyle, and Elys' stayed the night, but Turok and I slipped out to return to Cardior. It is too soon for Agondre to be unguarded. Tomorrow we will reset the geas trap in the chapel leading to the sanctum and I will feel better.