Lives lived Over again

Fred suggested to Astra that they go together to see Synizn. "Just try and stop me," she said grinning at him. Fred suddenly felt pain in his head and sat on the bed.

"What's wrong?" asked Astra.

"Head hurts," answered Fred. "Strange..."

"What?"

"Feel like we've been here before, done this already..."

"Of course we haven't," said Astra, and she made Fred relax the rest of the evening. They spent the night at the inn, then set out early next morning.

About nine they came to the forest of Vale. They hoped that by noon they would reach its end and finally meet Synizn. They entered the woods and found nothing but peace and quiet. Towards midday they came to a fork in the path. One was much traveled by the looks of it, the other was less used if footprints were any indication. Considering the probable habits of a mage and supposed were-bear they turned down the less-used pathway.

Fred suggested to Astra that they go together to see Synizn. "Just try and stop me," she said grinning at him. Then her grin turned to a frown as her head exploded with pain. Fred was already sprawled on the floor in anguish.

"What's happening?" she asked.

"Nnnnnn.... don't..... nnn...aigh!..." Fred was barely able to respond.

After some tense and horrid minutes the pain subsided. They sat up. "This may sound crazy," said Fred. "But I feel like we've been here before, done this already..."

"Of course we haven't," said Astra, rubbing her temples. "That's not possible..."

They sat and wondered what could've caused them both so much pain. Astra was the first to speak again. "We might be under a mage's attack, Fred."

"Damn them all!" he cursed. "If this were Allaria it couldn't happen... we have our spellcasters under tight control. The only time, in all my life, that I've seen so much blasted magic is after killing the Southern Dragon."

There was a pause and then Astra yelled out: "That's it! Dragons! I spent weeks in those caves... in Aqualaria we know much more of Dragonkind than you. We have been hunted, you and I, by Dragons since we quested to kill the MageDragon of the Northern Caves."

"But we've seen the death of three dragons already! How many more can there be?"

Astra looked at Fred with little compassion. "Too many. Listen, at the very least our people know of another Dragon. It lives not in caves but on an island to the southwest of our territory."

"The one the guards of this city spoke of?"

"The very same. Its name is Moreau. But..."

"But what?" asked Fred.

"This does not seem a Dragon's style. I was chained, I was stripped. Others were flogged before my eyes and marched to the goddess knows where. I was fed, at times, by twisted guardsmen. We have seen nothing of this today, only felt pain and this queer feeling that we have been here before. I must be wrong."

"Well," said Fred. "You did hit on something. Since both you and I entered the Southern Caves we have had nothing but misery at the hands of dragons and miserable consequences therefrom. In my land we are taught that nothing but evil can come from serpents and reptiles and wily beasts. Yet what a fool I have been, for together with you I have taken the stuff of dragons... their riches! We must destroy these gems and jewels and throw out the gold and silver and copper as well!"

"But what of the great crystalline gem?" said Astra aghast at destroying everything (her people did not share the same beliefs and practices as those in Allaria). "The Dragon said it is our only hope of cure!"

"What good is a cure if we're dead even before we can receive it? Besides, it could've been lying to us."

And so they took out the crystal gem and, with sword hilt in hand, smashed down upon it. It shattered and a great light engulfed them!

1. when the light subsided...
2. As the sword came down...

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