| Earlier, elsewhere, by a bit....
Out in daylight there is an unlikely group.
"My name is Malachi Dronocis...and you have nothing to fear from me,"
she says in a soft, gentle voice.
"And I am Princess Astra Thessamer of Aqualaria and this is my.....comrade
Lord Frederigo D'Honaire," Astra says, truly glad to see the crimson dragoness,
recognizing her from story description. "And we are in need of your aid.
In desperate need of your aid, kind dragoness!"
Meanwhile Thelma was looking at Fred (who's face and name doesn't even
cause the slightest trace of recognition in them) and Astra bemusedly.
Here was this huge dragon (or dragoness as they called it), and they were
just chatting with it, polite as you please. They had been fast asleep
in bed in Count Yorga's cottage. Then there had been that unearthly sound,
and they had had the alarming experience of watching themselves seem to
fade away. Now they both found herself here, wherever "here" might be.
To make matters worse, since they owned no nightclothes, both stood naked.
Though they were neither the nervous nor the prudish types, they were rather
put off by everything. But that said, instead of screaming as many might
have done, Sigourney said: "Would somebody mind telling me where on earth
I am and what is going on here?"
"Count Yorga?" Louise says, running over to the bewildered count, "Are
you okay? Shouldn't....?"
"I don't know why I'm still alive," the Count whispers, amazed. "This
shouldn't be possible."
Yet it was happening. He was standing in broad daylight and not burning
(it was rather pleasant, actually, he thought absently). His heart was
beating heavily in his chest (something that was impossible for vampires....since
the undead don't have heartbeats). And....his fangs had gone AWOL and been
replaced by more ordinary dentistry. And for the love of God, he was starving
(vice being thirsty)!
The count then blinks, noticing one more oddity in this situation.
"Where's Thelma?" Count Yorga blinks.
Well, after it's established that they are indeed safe from Malachi
(the Malachi that Yorga had met on several occasions had indeed been friendly....and
Yorga mistakenly thinks that this Malahci is the same one he's met)
and some clothing is provided for Louise and Sigourney.(spare clothing
from Fred's and Astra's pack and magically altered by Malachi to fit them),
they get down to the business of what to do next. They agree that the highest
priorities were to find Thelma (who was nowhere in sight) and to take care
of Fred's problem (who would, according to Malachi, be transformed completely
soon if nothing was done).
"While I am rather particular to the dragon form I can understand why
Fred here doesn't wish to become one," Malachi sighs while examining Fred
magically, "You were born human and I understand why one would wish to
stay the species one was born...."
She and the others then hear a pop, and a literally black skinned (and
naked) woman tumbles out of nowhere. She was profoundly pregnant, and appeared
to be on her last legs! A amber jewel tumbled out of her hands (where it
glowed with a wavering.....weak and pulsing throb).
The other gather around, and find that the newcomer is unconscious and
if one discounts hair and skin color, that this newcomer is a twin of Astra.
"Now.....for the....second part.....of the wish," the dragon's gem sighs,
bringing startled look from the others down at the amber jewel.
The Crystallic didn't care. It remembered the last few moments before
this, it's last.....
Meanwhile, Tarin had decided that the time had come to let his captive
come round, and enters into the cell that she is being held in...and stops
dead in his tracks!
"What in the name of the Gods?!" he gasps, looking down at the bulge
that he'd seen her lost after miscarrying her whelps that is now mysteriously
BACK.
He KNEW that the misborn had come out (he'd deposited their small
corpses in a rubbish bin....decomposing bodies were so unsightly).
What this mean....wasn't exactly clear right at this second to the
ambitious dwarf....but it made the guy nervous.
Whatever the dwarf is about to do next is put on hold when the Crystallic
he's carrying (doesn't trust the others for he worries about what they'll
think about him with a magical item) does something incredible. Something
that it's never done in it's entire existence.
Back during it's early years of existence, a bit after it's creation,
it had long and quiet (and fond) discussions with it's creator. But never
did it feel pain. Never did it scream in agony! The agony flashes outward
in a wave and is absorbed in most part by Tarin (who swoons and faints
at the shock of the pain). It also washes out and touches the two other
beings who'd ingested part of it. For them, it's a mere pang of hurt, nothing
more. However, it's enough to awaken one (who'd had what could only be
termed a vision from her goddess). Astra awakens in a fevered state and,
not questioning, rises and grabs the Crystallic. She disappears into the
dark tunnels....and by the inspiration of those not totally....sane.....the
dwarves who come running to find out what the source of the noise cannot
find her!
"Malachi....must find Malachi," Astra whispers over and over to herself.
It didn't make much sense at all. Malachi was dead. She'd seen her
die. But orders by her goddess were orders. And better yet, the dead dragon
held the key to her (and the sin that grew in her belly) redemption.
She wasn't going to let a little fact like death stand in her way
like that stop her!
She soon finds a chimney that seems to lead out. Now, any sane person
would know that such a route (for one in her condition) should be impossible.
But she manages it (only getting stuck once or twice). She breaks out into
the daylight and runs...and runs....and runs.... Knowing that, somehow,
in this direction lay her salvation!
But unfortunately, after a minute or so the miracle called adrenaline
(and madness) that had made it possible for this Astra to move about after
all the muscle wastage of being comatose was over. She falls to the ground,
spent.
Crying, she makes a wish to the heavens that she could go on, and is
somewhat surprised (but not overly) to find the Crystallic speaking with
her.
The magical artifact was dying and knew it, and at the last wished to
be able to speak with someone....to share it's final moment. Due to part
of itself being teleported away suddenly (and the Crystallic being unable
to stop the departure of Fred back in Allaria to Terra Prime), the Crystallic
had been mortally wounded.
The artifact and the amazon warrior talked, and the amazon shared a
few heart felt wishes (not all of them) with the artifact. The artifact,
finding that it still had the ability, granted them the best it could.
Since the Crystallic was dying (and a bit delirious) , found a certain
freedom allowed it that it otherwise could not have. Thus, without any
dodging...bending....or slighting, the Crystallic grants the last few wishes
it could to it's best of it's ability.
Two wishes the Crystallic found it could easily grant since they were
so near each other. Thus the Crystallic doesn't need to bring Malachi to
them when the Crystallic teleports Astra to Lord Frederigo D'Honaire (albeit,
unbeknownst to her, an analog of the person).
The last set was going to be a bit tough....since the Crystallic was
fading now, but......
The dark skinned Astra's form glows brightly and then the glow fades.
What is left is now a splitting image of the Astra that came with Fred
here.....and the sleeping forms of three small (but fully grown) infants!
Two are boys and the remaining infant is a girl, and all capture the hearts
of all those who look at the sleeping angels.
-
 "But who
is....who are they?" Malachi whispers, after shifting to human form.
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