Dragon Caller

Dragon Caller

Chapter One

His entire world, the place where he barely existed, was a dark void.  His efforts to break free were futile in face of the black vortex that pulled him down.  The dragon venom was in control –at least at first.  Slowly, it was being overcome.  Gradually, he was coming up out of the cold, featureless void.  His mind struggled to find itself.

The first thing he became aware of was the fire.  Or at least it was the warmth and comfort of the fire as initially there was no familiarity with the source of the warmth.  In reality, he was lying near the wide, arching fireplace where logs burned briskly at one end of the Great Hall of the Academy.  The long room with its high windows and vaulted ceiling was dark except for the fire and the low burning sconces on the walls.  The occasional crackle of the blazing logs was the only sound other than his slow, even breathing.  He soaked up the heat that radiated from the lively flames and let it fill his consciousness. 

It was some time after that responsiveness to comforting warmth he became aware of faces.  There were faces full of concern; other faces were earnest and hopeful.  It was the hopeful ones he most latched onto.  They echoed something inside himself that longed for expression.  He felt as if there was a closed door these faces opened just a crack to allow them to peer into the place where he existed.  He was glad for each face visitor.  And he began to associate a single musical note for each one –a different note on the scale for each face.

Much later, the room being dark again –day and night as yet having no meaning for him, he noticed the door to his mind, through which the faces had peered, remained a little ajar.  He tentatively peered out and gazed for some moments at one object: the large poker that hung from one end of the massive mantle.  It looked vaguely familiar and rang a special note of its own.  He looked below the poker and took in the heavy wood and leather bellows used to start the fire.  This too sounded its note that harmonized with the others.  Slowly his gaze moved from one object to another as the door opened wider.  The hearth stones before the great fireplace –“ding”; the heavy wooden benches along the wall –“ding”; the flaming scones on the wall –“ding”.  And every note that joined the swelling music was in harmony and filled out the chords.  A long, ornate oak table; three circular, tiered chandeliers; carpets, worn where a multitude of feet had trod; several doors, some open, some closed, along one long wall; high leaded glass windows on the wall opposite the doors –in the dimly lit vastness of the hall, each object that he viewed added its unique musical note.  The coat-of-arms over the main door caught his eye.  What a sweet and sustained note it supplied.  And a large tapestry that hung from ceiling to floor between two doors arrested his gaze.  He couldn’t take his eyes off it.  The intricately woven fabric was full of figures on various backgrounds, full of activity, bursting with meaning.  Familiarity tugged at his awareness just below conscious level.  This was something important to him –and yet unavailable for now.  But the music it produced in his waking mind was a wonderful, lilting melody that assumed an obbligato above the growing harmony of remembrance.

He leaned back in the chaise where he was resting against a warm sheepskin, his legs covered with a soft woolen robe.  He closed his eyes and listened to the music filling his mind, letting the rise and fall of notes, the swelling harmonies, and especially that lilting melody lull him into a comforting and hopeful sleep.

He awoke with sunlight streaming in through the high windows and became aware of a voice.  “You’re certainly looking better today,” the voice spoke sweetly. 
He gazed into clear, blue eyes that sparkled with hopefulness.  The voice and the eyes fused, partially clearing an uncertainty of recollection.  A tentative smile played on his face. 
“My, but I think you’re actually in there,” she teased as she knelt by his side.  Then quizzically, a bit hopefully, “Do you know who I am?” 
He could almost taste the word he tried to say.  His mouth moved, but no sound came out. 
“It’s Lilyann,” the engaging face said, with a little pucker of eyebrows that spoke of previous disappointments. 
“Lil-ly-ann,” he said slowly. 
Lilyann laughed delightedly, hugged him and jumped to her feet.  “Georg!” she yelled, “Hey, Andi, Reggy; I think Manny’s coming ‘round!” 
People gathered around him, faces that had begun to be familiar.  Voices blended in happy exclamations.  Manny smiled and looked at each one.

For the rest of the day, as a sense of aliveness and rightness and coherence flooded his consciousness, Manny began to ask questions of anyone who stopped to chat with him. 
“How did I get back here?” he asked Reggy.  “Why don’t I remember what happened to me –to us?” 
Reggy said simply, “We brought you back with us.  Don’t try to remember everything at once.  Just concentrate on what you see and feel now.  The Mind-master will come again tomorrow.  She’ll help you recover your mind-search.”
Lilyann was one who would stay with him and patiently answer his questions, sometimes the same question asked again, or even the third time. 
“We were prepared for his powers, but not for his tricks,” she said to his question of how the Maverick had overcome their carefully laid plans and superior numbers.  He had asked at least twice about their plan of approach to the castle and she had reassured him that the plan was sound and that he, Manny, had made the right decisions at the right time.  And again the question of how had they been overcome.
Finally she said, “Enough for today.  You will remember all when that time comes.  It doesn’t help your recovery to struggle with it now.  Rest some more.  I’ll come back in the morning.”  And she had tucked the robe around him, squeezed his shoulder affectionately and walked quietly away.

In Manny’s limited remembering he could visualize the four of them –Lilyann, Andi, Reggy, and himself--standing on a bluff, looking down at a castle below them.  The area around the castle was bare of trees –or at least live trees, as there were ancient stumps and snags that poked up through the swamps and bogs of the bottom land.  The sky was overcast, typical of early spring.  The road that led to the castle entrance was tortuous, winding from rocky island to grassy hummock, making its way across the marshy plane.  There was no other approach to the stronghold.    He remembered saying the simplest plan would be the best, less likely confused or miscarried, and more quickly adapted if something went wrong.  And then …what had they done?  What had gone wrong?

He let it go for now.  He knew he was home.  He knew who he was: Manny (registered with the Academy as Seeker-Manfred), trained and proficient in the arts of mind-control and mind-search, thoroughly tested by challenging quests, a trusted envoy of the king.  He was in his mid twenties having graduated from the Academy some five years before.  Of average height and slender build, he gave the impression of balanced muscularity: nothing oversized, everything proportioned for agility, much like a coiled spring.  His dark hair was perpetually rumpled and his light beard casually trimmed.  His quick smile was an outward expression of perpetual optimism.  Because of his likableness and experience he was often selected to represent the Academy of the Mind.  He had been recommended for the Academy Council, but had turned it down to continue what he best loved doing: attempting the most daunting challenges and tackling what others considered undoable.  He felt confident that he would get it all back, his mind-force, his strength, and his memories.  With that comforting thought he drifted off into a deep sleep.

He was standing in front of the castle.  The moss covered stones towered above him looking centuries old.  The drawbridge on which he stood was half rotted, damp and slippery.  Everything about the place spoke of age and abandonment.  But he sensed a presence that was all too familiar.  The mind-mark of Judson was indisputable.  Why had such a promising Academy graduate turned away from all that he knew of courage, honor, and trust to become a maverick, a bane?  There never seemed to be an answer to that riddle, although it had been more than 30 years since the last defector. 

In his mind’s eye Manny noted that Andi was to his right balanced on a rock at the edge of the mote.  To his far left Reggy crouched in some reeds.  Lilyann was on the other side of the castle still hopping from hummock to hummock to assume her position.
He called loudly into the castle, “Jud, don’t make this any harder on yourself.  We’re here to negotiate with you in good faith.  The Council is growing impatient with your stalling.”  He waited for a reply, but there was none.  He was on full alert, all senses keen and watching.  He knew the last attempt to reason with Judson had met with scorn and rebuff.  Judson had resisted any attempt at negotiations; mind-control maneuvers had left two Academy envoys with mind-burn, from which they had recovered with the aid of the Mind-master.  Judson, the maverick, was a formidable antagonist.  He had graduated at the highest level of training in the Academy; he had the qualifications to be recommended for a mind-master, if he had sufficient patience and self-discipline.  But his self-discipline had morphed into self-importance.  He had become cocky, obstinate, and finally secretive and suspicious of others.  Now he had barricaded himself in this old castle –all avenues of escape having been blocked.  The Council did not want him harmed as he still might respond to mind-cure.  Manny knew every moment that passed allowed Judson to marshal his defenses and look for a weak point to counter attack.  He signaled the others to project complete mind block to cover his attempt to enter the castle.

But before he could move there was a high pitched whistle from the castle and the black water on one side of the drawbridge swirled and heaved up.  A huge head on a long neck exploded out of the water and loomed over him.  He had no time to try to identify this malevolent monster or consider its capabilities.  His whole attention was concentrated on watching the beast’s eyes, trying to determine its intended action.  If he could anticipate what was coming next he might be able to counter or at least dodge the attack.  All he could do was try to confuse the monster with an unfocused mind block, staring into its eyes, holding it at bay as long as he could. 

Meanwhile Andi shot into action.  Leaving her post she bounded along the mote edge, jumping over pools of quagmire, heading toward Manny.  She took in the scene with complete understanding of how tenuous Manny’s situation was.  The monster he was locked in combat with could only be some type of water dragon.  The slender, sinuous body rising out of the swamp was covered with blackish scales festooned with rotting vegetation and slime.  There were no discernable legs.  Huge fins protruded from its upper back, probably folded wings.  The head was snake-like with hooded eyes and ugly fangs.  She could sense that the dragon was overcoming Manny’s mind-hold.  Earlier the Academy band had left their weapons cached in a shrubby thicket near the end of the drawbridge, wanting to convince Judson that they had not come to fight.  Andi bounded toward that spot.  Grabbing Manny’s sword, which he called Fortitude, she raced to the drawbridge and with a shout flung the sword in its scabbard towards Manny. 

What happened next could only have been choreographed by a sword master in demonstration.  Manny snatched the flying scabbard from the air with his left hand, drew Fortitude with his right as he feinted one way, dodged back to avoid the lightning swift strike of the dragon-serpent and dealt it a huge upward blow under the jaw.  As the dragon’s head snapped back Manny whirled in a full circle, swinging the sword horizontally to slice completely through the creature’s neck.

He stood triumphantly, breathing deeply, as the head and body of the monster sank into the bloodied, dark water.  Andi raised her arms in a victory salute and cheered.  Reggy took in the situation and turned his attention back to the occupant of the castle.  And then the unthinkable happened.  With an explosion of muck and water the head of the dragon shot up on the other side of the bridge emitting a hideous hissing sound.  The drawbridge heaved and splintered, knocking Manny to his knees. He was only able to stab at the head of the dragon-serpent as it weaved and struck at him repeatedly.  His right leg was badly bitten; another strike grazed his shoulder knocking him flat.  The dragon reared back for the fatal strike.  But Andi had not been idle.  She had nocked an arrow and half pulled her bow, looking for a clear shot.  As the dragon poised for the kill she drew back hard and winged a deadly bolt from her bow.  Target-directed by her mind-control the arrow pierced the dragon’s eye and killed it instantly.  She ran out onto the sinking bridge and dragged Manny back to the mote edge where he lay motionless on the path. 

Manny woke with a start, sweat beading his forehead.  His heart was racing and he had to concentrate hard to slow his pulse and steady his breathing.  Had this been a fevered nightmare or was memory invading his dreams before returning to consciousness?  He could only guess; but every detail of the dream was as real as if he had been there.  He couldn’t go back to sleep now.  He was too wide awake and the thought of more of the same dream did not appeal to him.  He rested and gradually relaxed as he watched the low flames flickering over glowing embers in the fireplace.  He let his gaze sweep around the darkened room --and once again found he could not pull his eyes from the large wall tapestry.  In the light of the dancing sconce flames the sweeping patterns of woven artifice played with his mind, tauntingly revealing and hiding meaning, pulling him into its mystery and magnificence.  He wanted more than ever to be able to go over to the ancient fabric craft and study it closely, searching it with his inner-eye.  But as yet he could not walk and his mind-control and inner-eye were as lost to him as his memories.  He could only accept that there was a vague but irrefutable connection between his incomplete memories and this tantalizing tapestry.

Morning activities began with Georg coming in to stir the fire and add more logs.  He bustled around Manny, looking at him occasionally to smile his crooked smile and grunt in his characteristic way.  Tempting aromas drifted in from the kitchen where the bustle and clang of pots spoke of breakfast being made.  Manny wondered when he had last eaten.  All he could remember from the day before was a recurring cup of dark, strange tasting tea, accompanied with frequent urgings to drink it all.  A hardy breakfast sounded like a great improvement over that.

Lilyann was the first of the group to come into the hall.  She was of medium build, solid but lithe. Her light brown hair was cut short and she wore a short skirt and skin tight leggings.  Walking with the grace of a cat she crossed over to where Manny lay and knelt beside him.  “Well, how was your night?” she asked brightly. 
Manny told her of the dream but did not mention his fascination with the tapestry. 
“That’s about how it happened,” Lilyann said soberly.  “We should have been able to detect that dragon under the drawbridge, but I believe Jud had it so mind-blocked it was virtually invisible to our mind-search.  I think he’s developing continuous power over those dragons.” 
“I figured there was more than one when that second snake-dragon attacked me,” Manny mused. 
“That was no second dragon,” Lilyann informed him.  “What you were fighting was an Amphisbaena.  It took us a while to pull up the image from the Mind-bank, but there was no mistaking it.  I have no idea how Jud found that one.  It’s a dragon-serpent with two heads, one on each end of its long, snake-like body.  Both heads are equally dangerous and its bite is poisonous.” 
“Is that why I’m having so much trouble with my memory?” Manny puzzled. 
“Not just your memory, you oaf!” she exclaimed.  “You came so close to dying I still get weak when I think about it.”  Tears welled in her eyes. 
Manny was again thankful for the commitment and empathy that bound the Academy group together.  He waited for her to go on. 
“When those dragons are cut in two,” she finally continued, “they have the ability to rejoin their two halves.  It was fortunate that Andi was able to shoot the second head before it could heal itself.” 
“That was quite a shot,” he said seriously. 
“Andi did everything just right,” she answered, and paused.  “But I almost blew it.  I was so intent on discovering what else Jud had in the castle that I didn’t take off to help you until after Andi had killed the thing and sounded the priority-alarm.”  She swallowed hard against the lump that rose in her throat.  “By the time I got to you, you had stopped breathing.  Andi and Reggy were doing everything they could to keep your mind-spirit in you, but they don’t have the healing-craft training that I was given.”  She said this simply without any note of pride.  “It took everything I could bring to bear –and release in you –to pull you back.  It was the longest 5 minutes of my life.” 
They sat quietly for a while.  Then Manny wondered, “What was Jud doing during this time.  He pretty well had us at his mercy.” 
“Not on your life!” she said hotly, her eyes flashing –and then realizing the unintended pun she winced.  “Andi and Reggy showered him with so much mind-power that he had to retreat.  We called for backup and Tuk, Ger, and Heidi came and helped us get you out.” 
Manny allowed his gratitude and appreciation to fill the thought space around them. 
Lilyann smiled affectionately into his eyes and said, “You would have done the same for any one of us.”  And Manny knew that was completely true.


Chapter Two

The Mind-master arrived mid-morning.  She strode in, an imposing figure –tall and dressed all in black, a flowing cape billowing behind her, held together at the neck with a silver studded leather thong.  Manny had trained often with her and knew her to be intense yet approachable.  Her self-discipline was fabled; she could focus all her mental capacity for hours on end.  And her empathic sense of the source of pain and suffering in others made her sought after as a healer.  There were some whose craft was surgery, guided by skillful mind-control; fewer still were those with the combination of compassionate empathy and mind-mastery, and none as renown as Felicia, Mind-master extraordinaire. 

After greetings and minimal pleasantries, Felicia sat in a chair opposite Manny and locked eyes with him, probing his state of mental healing.  Her presence brought immediate comfort to Manny and he relaxed while gazing steadily into her dark brown eyes.  Her mind-probe was an intimate yet discrete presence in his consciousness.  It was as if an intense light was being shined into every closet and cubbyhole of his brain.  And where the light passed doors opened that had been shut and windows became unshuttered that had been closed.  She completed the full circuit of his memory-bank and began to reactivate his inner-eye capacity.  They had been engaged this way for maybe half an hour when Felicia noticeably stiffened in her chair and intensified her probe.  Shortly she broke contact and leaned back in her chair.  Her eyes remained intently focused on Manny’s face. 
“When did you first feel the draw of the chronicle tapestry?” she questioned. 
Manny considered.  “It’s always had a special appeal to me; I suppose going back to my apprentice training in our Life-path.  It’s been a source of inspiration yet always somewhat of a mystery for me.  I can’t fully explain it.” 
“That’s not what I getting at,” Felicia countered.  “When did the runes change as you watched?” 
Now Manny recalled the strange feeling he had when staring at the tapestry the night before in the dimly lit room.  The patterns in the fabric had appeared to be swaying in the light of the flaming sconces, but he didn’t see anything really change that he could recall.  Or did he? 
“I’m not sure,” he said. 
The Mind-master considered his statement and tested it against the memory-echoes that lingered.  She appeared to be satisfied.
“It’s not often I am called on to treat someone who has been damaged by dragon venom,” she said.  “In fact, I have seen only one other case, when I was in training –and that person did not survive.  You have shown remarkable recovery ability against overwhelming odds.  The long term consequences of this unusual dragon’s venom are not known, nor are its particular side-effects.  What you can remember from your early recovery period may help us better understand the effect of the poison on your mind.  And whether this has any connection with what you may have seen in the chronicle tapestry has yet to be determined.  I will pursue this further with you at another time.”
Abruptly she got up and told Manny, “Your memory appears intact.  Your mind’s-eye will continue to heal and you should have your full faculties back by this time tomorrow.  I will consider carefully what possible aberrancy you have seen in the chronicle tapestry.”  And with that enigmatic comment she bade him continue well and strode out of the room.

The surgeon came in shortly after that.  He must have been waiting until the Mind-master finished.  Dressed in whites, that showed some stains of his work, he greeted Manny perfunctorily and began unwrapping the bandages from his leg.  It was remarkable how fast the healing was taking place.  The Amphisbaena poison had been more damaging to his mind than to the area of the bite.  The broken bone had been surgically reconstructed and fused with the aid of mind-control; the damaged muscles and other soft tissues had responded well to a similar growth stimulation maneuver.  The scar that covered most of his right thigh was already fading from yesterday’s livid red to a healthy soft pink.  The surgeon was obviously pleased and told Manny he could start bearing weight on the leg along with muscle stretching and exercises.  Manny, wasting no time, got up from the sofa-chair to test his leg.  He had no trouble with balance and noticed only a slight stiffness and deep ache.  He thanked the surgeon who touched his own forehead as a gesture of “at your service”.  Gathering up the soiled bandages the surgeon unceremoniously tossed them into the fire, turned on his heel and more or less pranced out of the room.

Later that morning, Reggy came into the Great Hall and found Manny standing in front of the chronicle tapestry.  The intricately woven fabric stretched from the floor to the top of the wall where the arching ceiling beams began.  It was ancient –many centuries old.  But in spite of its age, the colors were still vibrant and the fabric showed no sign of deterioration.  Figures, both obscure and recognizable, were intricately woven into complex, interlocking designs.  Around the border ran mysterious runes from a language long dead.  Translations were kept in the Academy records and were well known to all who studied there.  The manner of weaving and the origin of the runes were lost in antiquity.  A great mystery surrounded the tapestry, and it was greatly revered by all in the kingdom.

Reggy came across the room with a relieved grin on his face and threw a friendly arm around Manny who winced slightly –he had gotten a nasty shoulder bruise from the dragon’s glancing blow.  “Well, when do we start the wind sprints?” Reggy boomed. 
Manny just grinned as his friend and punched him affectionately in the chest. 
Reggy stood back and continued more seriously, “Boy, you sure look good.  A whole lot better –especially seeing you standing.  You didn’t look very good at all when we brought you in here.  And you were awful quiet those first two days.  Not like you at all,” he grinned again. 
Manny nodded at the tapestry.  “Reggy, has anything change about the chronicle tapestry that you’ve noticed?” 
Reggy screwed up his face.  “Not that I’ve noticed.  Although I don’t pay much attention to it anymore.  Why do you ask?” 
Manny considered.  How could he explain something to his friend when he wasn’t sure he could make any sense out of it himself?  He made a stab at it. 
“It looks different to me.  Well, not really –I don’t see anything that has changed.  It looks familiar, but not familiar at the same time.  You know what I mean?  No, I guess you wouldn’t.”  This was getting nowhere. 
Reggy watched his friend’s face and tried to be helpful.  “What’s not familiar about it, Manny?” 
Manny tried again.  “You know, the runes around the edge tell a story.  We’ve heard it since we were kids.  It’s so familiar that we don’t think about it or even notice those markings anymore.  But it looks to me, or maybe more accurately feels like, the story has changed.  I keep looking at the characters and trying to figure out what has changed.” 
Reggy tried not to look nonplussed. “I hear what you’re saying.  I’m not sure I know what you mean.”  Manny, remembering what the Mind-master had asked him, said tentatively, “Felicia asked me this morning if I had ever seen the rune-words move.” 
Reggy half reared back and held up his hands.  “Now don’t go getting squirrely on me, Manny!” 
“Yeah, that’s how I feel too.  I figured what I saw last night in the dim light in here was due to my mind being affected by that dragon poison.  But Felicia took it pretty seriously.” 
“Speaking of which,” Reggy cut in, “Felicia is talking with the Council this morning.  I heard they had called another emergency meeting to figure out what to do next about Jud.  Why they called her in and what she’s telling them, I have no clue.”  About then the bell for lunch started clanging and the two Academy friends headed for the dining hall.

That afternoon Lilyann caught up with Manny as he was exercising his leg walking in the Academy garden.  They chatted amicably for awhile about the day, his progress, and the garden.  Then she said, “I didn’t get a chance to tell you about the other dragon I saw in the castle with Jud.” 
“Really!” Manny’s raised an eyebrow. “It was unusual enough for him to control a …what did you call that dragon-snake?” 
“An Amphisbaena,” she responded. 
“Yeah, an Amphisbaena,” he let the word roll off his tongue like he was tasting its poison.  “To be able to get one of those things conditioned to lie in ambush underwater is quite a feat.  But to have a second dragon around is asking for trouble!” 
“Ordinarily, maybe,” Lilyann countered.  “This other dragon seemed pretty docile.  That was when I got the idea that Jud was using continuous mind-block on them. I don’t know how he’s doing it, but the fact that he can do it worries me.” 
“Me too,” he agreed. “So, what kind of dragon did he have in there with him?” 
“I’m not sure.  But it was big –really big.  I got the impression it was a fire-breather, and they’re pretty unpleasant.” 
“Have you told anyone else about this?” Manny wanted to know. 
“I told the Council,” she explained. “We were all debriefed after we got you stabilized and bedded down in the Hall.” 
They were both silent as they walked slowly through a birch grove; each was wondering about the Council’s daylong discussion and if any of what Lilyann was suspecting featured in their deliberations.  Eventually Lilyann said she had to get back to her duties and left him to continue his exercises.  He might have been walking slowly but his mind was racing ahead, trying to sort out the clues that gave him a nagging sense they all added up to something sinister.  And, even more, that he might be playing a significant role in this drama as it unfolded.

Chapter Three

It was the following day that Manny was called in to give his report to the Academy Council.  The Administrative Council of the Academy of the Mind was also a quasi-political entity.  Besides running the affairs of the Academy, it supplied counsel to the king.  Only the most senior and respected graduates of the Academy were recommended to the council.  Once in place, they became fixtures –often holding onto their positions long after their best days had come and gone.  The Academy itself was very old.  It had been founded centuries before by a mysterious individual who had discovered capabilities buried deep in the human psyche that could be mined for astonishing mental powers.  Succeeding generations of Academy practitioners had refined these abilities to produce the range of mind-force skills acquired by current students. 

The Council chamber was round, high ceilinged, and dominated by a huge, ornate table around which the members sat in heavy, high-backed chairs.  Shelves of books and manuscripts lined the lower walls with windows occupying the space above them.  An atmosphere of reserved formality pervaded the space, all eyes turning to Manny as he entered the chamber.

He noticed that Felicia, the Mind-master, was there, although she was not an official part of the Council.  Manny took the chair indicted for him and the usual introductions were made. After answering several inquiries as to his health and healing, he was asked to relate what he could remember about the events at the castle.  He told them in great detail everything he could remember up until the time he passed out.  Apparently the Mind-master was present to reassure the Council that all testimony was an accurate recounting of true memory.  The Council appeared satisfied when he had finished and it all seemed to agree with what the others had reported.  But he had a hard time reading Felicia’s thought-expressions.  She appeared to be more interested in how he was reacting, what his body language was revealing, or finding something significant in what was not said, more than what he was actually saying.

Finally, Festus, the Council leader, asked Felicia if she would pursue her theories with Manny.  The Mind-master rather coolly told Festus, “You might have call these ‘theories’ a couple of weeks ago, but with what Seeker-Manfred has revealed to me I would rather call them momentous clues to what’s just over the horizon for us.” 
Manny wondered that she could be so sure of what seemed to him rather vague and disconnected.  She smiled at Manny (a fairly rare event) and said, “Let’s review the chronicle tapestry story and see if you can update us on it.” 
This is going to be another test of my memory, thought Manny.  But he was game, if it would help the Council decide whatever it was they were trying to settle on.

Felicia began by describing the place on the tapestry where the story began.  “Upper left corner, reading down: earliest records of our ancestors settling the western kingdoms.  Dazbog, first recognizable name: meaning, ‘the giving god’.  Second name, Morana: meaning, ‘death’.”  She continued to recite from memory the recorded history they all knew, or at least had been exposed to in school.  Occasionally she would stop and ask Manny if this was correct.  He invariably said, “Yes,” feeling fairly comfortable that he could be reciting all this as well.  She came to the place describing the dragon wars and asked Manny to pick up the recitation from there. 
He did so without hesitation.  “Borghild led the first attempt to expel the dragons from the kingdom.  His forces were defeated by Bastet, the fire-heat dragon.”  He continued narrating the story (now visualizing the lower horizontal runes of the woven history) with Felicia watching him closely.  In his mind’s eye he reached the right lower corner of the tapestry and started up the column of runes on the right side.  “At the peak of the dragon wars Dwyn became the first of the Great Kings, and the tide changed against the dragons.”  He continued reciting the story, checking only occasionally with his mind’s eye to find his place on the border of ancient characters.  He was not just visualizing the rune border in his memory, but was able to actually see with his mind’s eye the tapestry as it hung in the Great Hall.  He got to the runes near the upper right hand corner and paused briefly.  He had double checked to make sure he had not missed a rune, and was just visualizing the next character, when he got a flashback of the tapestry as it appeared the night he came out of his poison coma.  He cleared his throat to cover his momentary hesitation and went on.  “At the end of the dragon wars began the age of the Dragon Alliance.  This was when Fearghas, who discovered and perfected our mind-power skills and founded our Academy, became known as the ‘Dragon Caller’ by discovering means of communicating telepathically with dragons.” 
The Mind-master stopped him.  “Seeker-Manfred,” she used his formal name, “I know that is how we usually read the story.  Now, please give us the current reading of that rune cluster, as you started to do before hesitating.” 
Manny closed his eyes and visualized the tapestry as he saw it in the dim light just two nights ago.  “I see it altered.  One character is changing as I watch.” 
There was instant murmuring around the circle of elders.  “What are you talking about,” one gray-head muttered.  “Nothing ‘changes’ on the tapestry.  The chronicle has gone unchanged for centuries.” 
Felicia held up one hand.  “Manny is right, and you, Elder Castor, are right.  History does not change; but the story is being played out at this very moment –and beyond.  The chronicle tapestry is a living record of our people’s story.  Runes are still being added as the story unfolds.  I’m sure your grandfathers –any of yours,” she indicated with a sweep of her hand around the circle, “have told you of seeing a new rune added to the top line of the tapestry in their lifetime.”  She regarded Manny with a slight smile.  “Tell the Council the new meaning in the story of Fearghas, the Dragon Caller.”
Manny visualized the ancient characters again and read, “…Fearghas, who discovered and perfected our mind-power skills and founded our Academy, became known as the First Dragon Caller…” 
He stared at Felicia as the meaning sank into his consciousness.  “That must mean that there has been another ‘Dragon Caller’.  One that we don’t know about.”
“Or,” Felicia said, “one that we are just discovering –who may be entering the story now, in these days.”
That generated a chorus of ridicule, incredulity, or excitement in various members of Council depending on their understanding the implications of the Mind-master’s statement.
Felicia held up a hand, and the Festus rapped his knuckles on the table for attention. 
“Let the Mind-master continue,” he shouted above the hubbub.  “We have called her to this table to help us determine what we are up against.  Let her show us evidence of what she speaks.”
Felicia continued, “We have spent most of this day debating what kind of powers Judson the Maverick has developed, and what the source or sources of his powers are.  Everything that has been advanced so far is conjectural.  Nothing concrete or testable has been presented.  I will endeavor to show that Judson, our ex-Academy graduate, now a maverick, has rediscovered the ability to communicate telepathically with the dragons of today.”
The exclamations of disbelief from the Council now held a tinge of concern, even fear.  Manny felt a niggling sense of uneasiness.  Felicia could have informed the Council of the change in the runes without his being here.  There must be another, more veiled reason for his presence.  Whatever that reason might be he felt a portent that things were about to change in a major way.                     

Chapter Four

That evening the four Academy friends who had participated in the disastrous encounter with Judson met in the Academy library.  The Great Hall at that time was no place to meet for private discussions.  Ever since the Council had adjourned the Great Hall had seen a steady stream of people gathering to peer curiously, or worrisomely, at the chronicle tapestry –especially at its upper right hand corner.  There was no mistaking the subtle change in the ancient weaving, which now proclaimed Fearghas the First Dragon Caller. 

The library was a much more intimate space than the Great Hall.  It was high ceiling and fairly large, but its walls were crowded with shelf upon shelf of books and manuscripts.  Several large tables filled the space between shelves.  There was a pleasant mustiness of old parchment in the air and a hush hung over it all reinforced by soft floor coverings and the scattered piles of books covering every surface. 

His friends were quizzing Manny about Felicia’s reasoning in declaring Judson the latest dragon caller.
“You think that’s how he got that low-life dragon to do his bidding?”  Andi was saying.
“I think Felicia’s onto something.  If Jud could telepathize to a dragon it makes sense that he could make it do something that’s usually out of character for it,” Reggy asserted.
“Well, it’s one thing to dumb down a dragon with mind control and quite another to actually talk to a dragon,” Andi countered.  “You can’t compare this to what Fearghas did.  He could not only communicate with the dragons, but he was able to learn from them.”
“And that was what made him so unique and why he became such a great leader,” added Reggy.
“That’s what has the Council so worried,” Andi said.  “And I can see why.  In the wrong hands that kind of knowledge could become pretty dangerous.”
During this interchange Lilyann was watching Manny.  He appeared to be listening but his eyes were focused somewhere else.  Finally she broke in by asking, “What do you think about this, Manny?  Does it make sense to you that Jud can talk with dragons?”
Manny came back from his private thoughts and said, “I don’t know.  Some of it fits with what we saw, and some of it doesn’t.” He paused.  “But I keep trying to reconstruct what I heard, or felt –or something—when I was fighting that Ampha-whatever dragon.”
“What do you mean?” Lilyann asked.
“I don’t know.  It was like the dragon was trying to read my thoughts.  At least that’s what it seems like now, as I think back on it.”
“That’s pretty weird, Manny,” said Reggy.  “Since when can a dragon telepathize?”
“I know it sounds bizarre.  But that’s how it felt; and maybe why I was having trouble dodging its strikes.”
“Getting knocked to your knees didn’t help,” Andi noted.
“Yeah,” Manny admitted.  “And the longer it went the better the dragon got in out-foxing my moves.”
“I think that’s attributing too much mental power to that lower order dragon,” Reggy asserted.
Lilyann cut in.  “I think you’re right.  Both of you, actually.  I’ll bet it was Jud’s mind-control of the dragon you were reading, Manny.  It might have been like a fencing duel –each dueler sensing the other’s mind and judging where to make the next attack.  Except in this case Jud was sensing through the dragon’s mind to gauge its next strike, and counter your anticipation of its move.”
“That’s assuming a lot, Lil,” Reggy said.  “Just because the dragon appeared to be defending the castle doesn’t make it a mental puppet of Jud’s.”
“Well, if you’re going to accept Felicia’s idea it makes sense.”  Lilyann shot back.
“I’m not ready to buy that revision of dogma just yet,” Reggy argued.  “Not without more proof.”
Manny was staring unfocused over his friends’ heads again.  Lilyann spoke to him with a little worry in her voice.  “Manny, are you all right?  You seem to be somewhere else tonight.”
“Sorry,” Manny mumbled.  “It’s still kind of confused in my mind.  No, not that,” he countered, sensing the thought patterns of the group.  “My memory is good.  In fact, it seems sharper than I remember it from before.”  He smiled wryly at that incongruity. “No, it’s not any problem with my factual recollection.  It’s kind of like déjà vu, I guess.  Like I knew that dragon, or knew something about its thinking.  Not then, when I was confronting it –but since I woke up, I mean.  I can’t even pronounce its name, but I feel some familiarity with it.”  He felt irritated by not being able to explain what was still unclear to himself.  He got up from the table and said, “Excuse me, friends.  I’ve got to go for a walk and try to clear my head.”  He left them sitting there staring after him and at each other.

After a while Lilyann said, “He worries me.  Sometimes he seems like himself, and then he gets that far away look and can’t explain what he’s thinking, or feeling.”
“Well, he’s come through an awful lot in the last five days,” Andi said.
“I wonder if he’s having some –you know—after effect from the dragon poison,” Reggy pondered.
“That’s a thought,” Andi agreed.
“We need to keep a better eye on him,” Lilyann suggested.  She was referring to their ability to keep track of a person’s whereabouts with their inner-eye capability.  The other two nodded agreement.  After they had left, Lilyann sat alone in the library brooding over her own thoughts.  She felt a little like she was losing a good friend, at least the one she used to know.  Manny had changed some way; but as yet she couldn’t fathom how.

Chapter Five

Manny didn’t see his friends anytime the next morning, mostly because he was kept busy.  Felicia, the Mind-master, spent time with him first.  She declared him completely recovered with all his mental capacities intact, having given him tests to determine if his mind powers were fully functional.  She began by testing several skills related to mind-search, also known as the “inner-eye”.  One of these had to do with detecting thought patterns of people in the vicinity.  By social convention this was used only with the knowledge of the subject, such as in conversation where part of the exchange was more convenient with images or feelings than words.  That is unless the intent was hostile, and then the subject person could block or reject the probe if detected.  The second test of the inner-eye was having Manny locate the whereabouts of several Academy personnel at varying distances from the Great Hall. And, thirdly, he was tested on accurately describing an object in another room –one that had been placed their without his knowledge.  The distances at which mind-search was operative varied from person to person, but typically extended up to half a mile. 

He was then tested on his ability to access the Mind-bank, the accumulated store of knowledge of generations of Academy graduates.  This was a living encyclopedia, constantly being added to by research and discoveries of Academy scholars and explorers.  Lastly, Felicia assessed his capabilities in mind-control, exerting mind-force to block thoughts or actions of others, or to gain certain mental or physical attributes.

After telling Manny he no longer needed her therapeutic intervention, she said, “Please come to the Council Hall an hour before the noon meal.  We have a special assignment for you that I think you’ll be pleased to undertake.”
Manny knew better than to question her at the time, and resigned himself to finding out what the Council had planned when they next met.
The surgeon hurried in next, gave Manny a cursory exam and declared him entirely healed.  He left Manny with a mental image of the types of exercises he should continue and disappeared out the door as quickly as he had come in.  After an hour of progressively more demanding exercises, Manny bathed and headed to the Council Hall.  By the time he got out of that meeting and over to the dining hall the rest had finished lunch and left.  He ate by himself.
 
Lilyann finally caught up with Manny later that afternoon in the library.  He was standing at one of the larger tables with several maps spread out, weighted at the corners with books.  Manny looked up and smiled as she approached.
“This looks interesting,” Lilyann said in greeting.
Manny stretched and rubbed the back of his neck.  “‘Interesting’ only begins to scratch the surface,” he said.
“How have you been?” Lilyann asked, with a little concern in her voice.
“Fit as a fiddle, and strong as an ox –according to the Mind-master and the surgeon,” he said lightly.
“Is that what you think?  Is that how you really feel?” she pursued.
Manny saw that she was being serious and caught the concern in her thought patterns.
“I think the Council is taking the best approach for my rehabilitation,” he said.  “They’ve given me an assignment that will definitely be a challenge.  I’m sure that’s what I need –to get my feet back under me and keep me occupied.  That way I have less time to brood on what has happened to me this past week.”
“That’s the part I’m worried about, Manny,” Lilyann said.  “I’m worried this has affected you some way.  Reggy even questioned whether you might be having some after affect from the dragon poison.” 
“The Mind-master didn’t detect anything like that, or at least she didn’t tell me if she did.  She gave me complete health clearance this morning.  The only thing she still hasn’t figured out is why I happened to be the first one to see the change in the tapestry.”
“Well, I hope the Council isn’t pushing you too quickly into an assignment you’re not ready for.”
“They were very thorough with me,” Manny reassured her.  “They made certain I was up to this assignment.  I feel ready, and I think they feel I can handle it.”
“I’d feel better if I could be a part of the project and help you, or at least keep an eye on you,” she said.
“Well, we’re working on that,” Manny said.  “There will be a number of teams.  But the Council will choose who will be on each team.”
“So, what’s the plan?  Or is it top secret?” she asked tentatively.
Manny smiled.  “Everyone will soon know all about it,” he said.  “They asked me to head up a survey and make preliminary plans.  The thought is that Jud is training the dragons to do his bidding.  Given his paranoia and megalomania, he may be trying to raise a dragon army to take over control of the realm.  King Effectus has informed the Council that he will take no chances, and if the Council doesn’t come up with a good counter plan, he’ll get up an expeditionary army force to put down the insurrection, even if it means killing Jud.”
“That would be awful,” Lilyann said.  “Not only because Jud can still be rehabilitated –and he does have a lot of potential that would benefit the Academy—but it could also launch another dragon war, and we know what a terrible time that was for our ancestors.”
They both pondered that for a while.  Dragons were much more scarce than they had been in the distant past.  They tended to live solitary existences, in remote areas.  They avoided interfering with human activities and had not caused trouble in many generations.  Any change in human-dragon relations could have potential long range implications.
“The plan,” Manny said, indicated the maps, “is to do a survey and map out the location of every dragon within several days flying range of the kingdom.”
“Every dragon!” Lilyann exclaimed.  “That would take –well, it would be just about impossible!”
“I said I needed a challenge,” Manny reminded her.  “Let me show you what I have in mind.”
He smoothed out a large map in the middle of the table and pointed out a number of red X marks scattered around the drawing. 
“These are the identified locations of various better known dragons.  I’m having the librarian round up all the records and manuscripts that have any mention of a dragon in them.  I’m hoping with a little help I can make a master map that will pinpoint the haunt of every dragon that currently exists in the known kingdoms.”
“That’ll be an impressive piece of work,” Lilyann said.  “But some of those manuscripts are centuries old.  Even considering that dragons live for centuries, how can you be sure that any given dragon is still around, or hasn’t moved to some other place?”
“That’s where the teams come in,” Manny explained.  “With eight or ten teams of two we should be able to track down and confirm every possible dragon site on the master map in less than a year.”
Lilyann considered the map with its far flung regions for a while and said, “That’s assuming that the teams can reach every location, no matter what the terrain and weather conditions are like.”  And then she added, “And return safely.”
“Granted,” Manny nodded.  “That’s why we’re sending teams of two, with close back up.  We’ll have an Academy support squadron for every three partner teams in a given area.  I’m planning to have a control center at Academy headquarters for coordination of the effort and to keep track of the teams and how they’re doing.”  After a pause he continued, “And that’s where I’d like you to serve, Lilyann, as one of the communications specialists.”
She looked thoughtful and then glanced up at Manny, a little cloud of disappointment gathering around her thought patterns.  “I was hoping I could be on a survey team, preferably with you.”
“Lil, you know I’m thinking of what is best for the success of the project –and for the safety of each team member.  I know you’d prefer to be on a team where the action is.  But your accuracy of mind-search and your empathic communication skills make you a natural selection for the post.  In other circumstances I’d want you on my team.  I like being with you.”

The latter comment was pushing the envelope for Academy personnel.  On entering the Academy every novice underwent commitment-alteration –voluntarily each initiate allowed his or her mind patterns to be compartmentalized.  All sexual feelings and attractions were sealed off in a mind-vault dedicated to deferred mind activity and thought patterns.  These were unlocked, so to speak, when the Academy graduates’ term of service was over.  Many friendships made during the years of Academy service blossomed overnight into whirlwind romances and lifelong commitments.
There were pragmatic reasons for this other than just avoiding sexual liaisons in the Academy, although the competitions, jealousies, and heart breaks –not to mention the loss of duty-focus these relationships inevitably caused—could be considered reason enough.  To their credit the founders of the Academy realized that the greatest work and accelerated advancement of mind-control could best be accomplished by a synthesis of unique male and female mental capacities.  This allowed teams made up of Academy women and Academy men to function effectively and synergistically in remote areas for long periods of time.

Lilyann smiled at Manny’s comment.  He had said the right words and they were enough to assuage her disappointment.  So she spoke with complete sincerity, “I’d be honored to serve as one of the control center group.”
Manny patted her arm and said, “Good.  I was counting on you.”
About that time the librarian came into the room pushing a two-wheeled wooden cart loaded with manuscripts, hand bound books, and scrolls.  She looked a bit harried.  “Where do you want these, Manny,” she panted.  “I don’t think you have enough room for them on that table.”
“You can just leave them in the cart if you won’t be needing it,” Manny said.
“That’ll be fine.  I won’t be needing it.  My shift is up. I’m done,” the librarian said, wiping a small hanky across her face.  “Or better said, I’m done in.”  She picked up her things and headed for the door.  “Hope you find what you want.  Let me know if I can be of more help –tomorrow,” she added, and disappeared out the door.
Manny started sorting through the books and papers setting them in rows and stacks on the floor and other surrounding tables.  Lilyann helped and the two of them made good progress.
About midnight she yawned and said, “I’ve about reached my limit, Manny.  I’ve got to make a trip to the northern outpost tomorrow as part of a recruiting team.  I’d better grab some sleep so I won’t be a drag on the others.  I’ll be gone three or four days.  Are you going to be able to handle all this by yourself?” she said sweeping her arm over the growing clutter in the center of the library.
Manny straightened up, stretched and smiled.  “I’ve got help coming tomorrow.  Felicia is bringing over two of her apprentices in the morning and we should be able to get a lot done.”
“If Felicia is training them, I’m sure they’ll work well with you,” Lilyann said encouragingly.
“Have a great trip, Lil.  I’ll see you when you get back.”
“Sure thing.  Don’t work too hard.  See you in a few days.”  Lilyann waved as she went out the library door.
It would be more than a few days between their parting in that quiet library and their seeing each other again.

Chapter Six

Manny and Andi crouched under a rock overhang watching the rain driving past them in sheets.  They had been holed up like this for 4 hours, waiting out the storm.  The little stream in the ravine below them had become a torrent of muddy water and debris.  The two Academy friends leaned back against the rock showing no signs of impatience or discomfort –they had been trained well in mind-control to forestall any restlessness or premature decisions.
Andi broke the silence.  “I hope Tuk and Heidi aren’t getting this same weather system.  They’re at high enough altitude for it to change to snow.”
“Yeah,” agreed Manny.  “I planned for them to have the easier assignment, but that doesn’t always work out like you’d hope.”
“They’ve not done too bad.  I think they make a good team.”
Manny nodded.  “The pairings are based on previous experiences, in training and in the field.  But given the grueling pace we’re keeping with this survey I’m anticipating some difficulty –not with anyone’s reliability so much as with inefficiencies in the matches.  We’ll see how the Tuk-Heidi team holds out when the going gets tougher.” 
Andi reflected that Manny seemed to get more analytical and task focused when pushed or stressed.  That wasn’t all bad, she thought, since she tended to step back and try to see the bigger picture.  To Manny she said, “I think our attributes, yours and mine, are really well matched.  As far as I can see the planning team did a super job in setting up the teams.”
“I was thinking the same thing,” Manny said.  “We’re well ahead of schedule.”
“Yeah, and most of that is because you and I have already confirmed three and now almost four sites, while everyone else has verified only one –or is still working on their first one.”
“We’ve been lucky,” Manny opined.
“I don’t think so,” Andi disagreed.  “We’ve not only found the dragon haunts on the first pass, but you seem to be able to find and document the dragons themselves even when we’ve had to hunt for them far from their dens.”
“Like I said, we’ve been lucky,” Manny insisted.
“Seriously, Manny,” Andi implored, “I might believe you if you said you had picked sites that were more familiar to you, but it’s not like you to choose the easier assignments.  And don’t give me that ‘lucky’ stuff.  You have a knack in tracking dragons that I hadn’t realized.  I’m really impressed.”
Manny was silent, although he radiated a little aura of “thanks” for the compliment.  He wasn’t ready to talk about it yet, but he clearly recognized that luck wasn’t the only factor in how quickly they had found and documented the dragons assigned to them.
They had been travelling steadily for over a week now.  Each team was assigned an area that included several dragon sites, and the region allocated to Manny and Andi was rather large and little travelled.  Yet they had not only accurately recorded a description of four dens but had also made a detailed analysis of three of the dragons and their capabilities.  The fourth dragon, whose den they had spotted the day before, was somewhere nearby.

Manny was glad for the progress of the survey.  This dragon census, as the Council called it, was an attempt to find out how the maverick Judson was recruiting dragons for his cause.  By keeping track of all known dragons they could determine the type of dragon and its capabilities Judson was relocating and so anticipate future threats.  But Manny hadn’t counted on the teams being fielded so quickly.  The Council had moved the schedule up, placing several more people on the research group going through the manuscripts, and assigning Manny to a survey team with Andi.  The urgency of the project was a direct result of another showdown at the castle Judson had commandeered.  A larger group of Academy grads had encamped near the castle to observe and contain Judson’s movements and try to develop a means to neutralize his mind-power.  They had been attacked by a large dragon who flew over the castle ramparts and tried to strafe them with fire-breath.  It was only by a concerted effort that the group was able to blind the monster with mind-control and throw it off course.  There had been only a few minor burns, quickly healed, but Judson had effectively driven away a number of accomplished Mind Academy grads. 

In response, King Effectus ordered his general to equip an expeditionary force and prepare to lay siege to the offending maverick’s castle.  Several Academy Counselors to the king had implored him to avoid direct confrontation that might result in an escalating conflict with dragons.  The king had granted the Council thirty days to neutralize Judson’s insurrection before he would take direct action.  Manny knew the Academy teams would have to keep up a tireless pace in order to outflank Judson’s next move, and avoid a military showdown that might precipitate another all out dragon war.  This, he concluded, was the driving force behind his quick string of successes in their assigned area.

Andi broke into Manny’s ponderings.  “The rain is letting up.  It’s probably washed away a lot of the tracking marks our dragon made.  What do you suggest?”
Manny nodded.  “Let’s check it out.  We may have to climb up higher to do a visual reconnaissance of the area.”
They emerged from their rocky shelter to find the ravine slopes wet and slippery.  Scrabbling to the top of the incline they came onto a rugged plateau full of scrubby trees and broken rock slabs.  Tracking small game would be near impossible in such a landscape, but a dragon leaves quite a few clues in passing through almost any terrain.  This particular dragon undoubtedly could fly, but appeared to be sticking to the ground –probably on a hunt for food.  The ravine was just about impassable to anything on foot so Manny concluded that the surrounding plateau was a more productive place to look.  The two seeker-partners zigzagged through the maze of rocks and trees –most of which were thorny—to a tall chimney-like rock that jutted up thirty to forty feet.  They climbed to the top using finger and toe holds following a vertical fissure.  From this lofty vantage point they scanned the surrounding terrain.  The afternoon sun occasionally broke through ragged clouds that scudded across a dark sky.  To the east they could see across the ravine to a low cliff maybe 2 miles away.  To the south the broken plateau stretched as far as they could see, riven by several gorges or smaller ravines.  To the west a series of parallel ridges rose up in jagged steps to form a high rampart that ran north and south for miles.  Manny and Andi had been travelling north –for the better part of a day now-- following the spoor of the elusive dragon.  So they concentrated their scouting in that direction.  They were able to visualize distant areas of interest in great detail with their inner-eye capabilities, more or less like having built-in binoculars.  Andi was the first to notice the trail of broken branches that ran behind several outcroppings of boulders to the north and disappeared into a deep ravine. 
Manny focused his mind’s eye where she indicated and said, “That’s got to be our boy’s trail.”
“Or our girl’s trail,” Andi corrected.  “From the straight line and amount of broken branches I’d say it was on the attack and probably chasing down its prey.  Let’s get down there and see if we can track to within visualizing distance.” 
Manny had a different thought.  “I think we should hide up here and let the dragon come to us.  We can almost certainly get closer to it that way.”
Andi was dubious and let her thought patterns reflect that, but didn’t argue with Manny.  They retreated to the fissure where they had come up and climbed down a few feet.
Within minutes there was a thunderous flapping of huge wings and a monstrous form hovered over the rocky lookout.  Andi and Manny had shrunk into the fissure and would have looked no more obvious than irregular rocky outcroppings.  From that vantage point they watched the massive beast descend towards the flat area above them.  A large wild boar was gripped in its talons.  The dragon landed out of sight of the Academy partners but they could hear it snorting and shifting, and finally settling down to eat its prey with great, satisfied growling sounds –occasionally muffled by the large bites it was taking.
Manny slowly and cautiously inched his way back up the fissure, followed closely by Andi.  They were able to visualize the dragon in their inner-eye, obtain approximate weight and size measurements, and confirm these with a guarded visual peek from the top of the fissure.  This particular dragon was of the Western type: four legs, wings and a heavy tail.  It may have weighed 9,000-10,000 pounds, stood 9 feet tall at the shoulders, and measured 30 feet in length from its beak-like snout to the tip of its tail.  The scales that covered almost all of its body were brownish-gray, darker on top and lighter –almost yellow—on its belly.  Its wings, when folded, draped over its back and covered much of its sides from shoulder to flank. Heavy spine-like scales ran down its back to the tip of its tale.  The hind legs were massive, the forelegs lighter but heavily muscled; all four feet were equipped with five inch long talons.  This was not a fire-breather, but might have been capable of breath-poison or breath-paralysis.  It was definitely a thrill, tinged with a bit of anxiety, to be so close to such a monster.

They climbed warily down the fissure to the talus slope at the base of the rock chimney and found a shallow cave where they could stay out of sight.  They took turns keeping track of the dragon with inner-eye checks and after about an hour it soared off to the southwest with slow, steady wing beats, growing smaller as it headed for the high ridges of the western mountains. 
“That’s number four, alright,” Manny said.  “It’s heading straight for the spot where we identified the den-cave.”
Andi was silent for a while.  Finally she asked Manny, “How did you know the dragon would bring its prey to the rock lookout to eat?”
Manny shrugged.  “Hunch, I guess.”
“Well, you’ve certainly been hitting one hundred percent on your hunches lately,” Andi grunted, glancing at Manny with a mixture of admiration and puzzlement.
He grinned and gave her a thought pattern of humorous acknowledgment.  “Let’s give control center a heads up on number four,” he said.  “We can send a report with a runner when we get back to base camp.  Then we can get a little R and R before seeing if we can help one of the other teams.”
Andi nodded a silent agreement and they began retracing their steps south toward a rendezvous point where the backup team base camp was located.

Chapter Seven

Several mornings later Manny was back at the academy where he had been called to get an update on the situation.  He had gathered data from the 9 teams that were operating in the field and had made 16 more identification Xs on his master map.  The campus was quiet but there was a sense of urgency and underlying tension.  The Council had called Felicia to meet with them to hear the report from the survey teams and to help sort out the conflicting information they had been getting on Judson’s activities.  In fact, as Manny found out on the way to the meeting, Judson’s location had changed.  It had become apparent he was no longer in the marsh castle –but no one had seen him leave or knew where he had gone.  The best guess was that he left during a recent dragon attack on an Academy team that was monitoring the castle at a distance.  The Academy grads had been able to thwart the dragon’s attack but during the skirmish they had lost track of Judson’s mind-mark.  He had apparently blocked their mind search to hide his whereabouts and had slipped out of the castle under cover of the assault.  Every attempt at tracing his escape route had met with false leads or blind ends.

The Council members did not appear to be in a very happy mood.  A third of their allotted time to capture or neutralize Judson had passed and they seemed to have less control of the situation than ever.  Felicia was inscrutable as usual, watching the proceedings and testing thought patterns without comment.  Manny gave his report in detail with as much of an upbeat presentation as he could manage. 
“How many identifications remain to be accomplished by your teams?” asked Festus, the Council head.
“Possibly 30 more,” said Manny.  “There are several sites that are debatably identified, so it may be less.”
“And it could be more,” Festus interjected.  “We have discovered three more references in the literature to older dragon lairs.  One of these alluded to stories of an emerald dragon of immense age and wisdom, with accounts dating back to the time of Fearghas.  We want you to look at that literature and help us pinpoint areas where this dragon may have been found.  We feel it is important to give higher priority to dragons with the greatest capabilities.  We want you to head up a crack team to track down these three high priority dragon sites as expeditiously as possible.”
“That certainly makes good sense,” Manny acknowledged.  “And excellent planning,” he added diplomatically.
The Council leader did not respond to Manny’s comment, but turned to Felicia and said, “Felicia, tell us, while Manny is here, what you have discovered about Judson’s location and activity.”
The Mind-master spread out a large map on the ornate Council table.  She indicated where the capital of the kingdom was located on the map and where the marsh castle stood in relationship. 
“Members of Council,” she began formally.  “We have some scattered and conflicting reports that a stranger dressed in peculiar long, dark robes passed through several small towns far to the east of the capital.”  She pointed to one side of the map.  “I have interviewed some of these eye witnesses and believe these people have been subjected to a degree of mind-alteration.  They were situated some distance from the unknown person in question and therefore did not have all their memory-echoes erased.  I was able to reconstruct enough mind-data to establish within reasonable certainty that this was Judson they saw.  If, as I presume, Judson did indeed pass that way, it would appear that he is heading towards this isolated region of the kingdom, known locally as the Deep Wilds.”  She indicated an area of the map that contained no habitation and was especially rugged and remote.  “The three dragon sites mentioned by Leader Festus are most likely in this region.  If Judson establishes a redoubt in that area he will be very hard to dislodge.  He may be able to call in several dragons that we do not have information on, making neutralization of his attempt to control the kingdom nearly impossible.”
The Council now appeared even less happy than before.
Festus turned to Manny.  “Seeker Manfred, you have shown an impressive talent for tracking and identifying the dragons in the area assigned to you.  We are giving you this new assignment recognizing the extreme urgency of the situation.  We are confident that you will be able to not only locate the dragons in the region that Felicia indicated, but also direct teams to confine the movements of these dragons by mind control or physical restraint if necessary.  And, of equal importance, also determine to what extent the legends of the emerald dragon are true or justified.  If there is any credibility to those stories we want you to investigate the prospect that this dragon still exists.”
And with those prescient words Manny was dismissed from the Council meeting.

Lilyann found Manny in the library that afternoon pouring through the manuscripts the Council had given him.  “Hello, stranger,” she greeted him.
“Hi, Lil,” Manny said looking up.  He stretched and rubbed his neck.  He found it much more tiring reading these interminably long writings than spending all day climbing mountains and trekking canyons.
“Georg said I’d find you in here,” she said taking a seat next to his.  “I might have guessed the Council was going to call you back to the Academy after we found the additional manuscripts.”
“You helped to find these new references?” Manny said, showing his surprise and interest.
“You wanted me on the communication team, but the Council reassigned me to the research team here.  There were so many books and not enough skilled readers.  We actually developed a better way to mind-search whole volumes in a matter of minutes.”
“Really!” Manny said admiringly.  “And the results were accurate in so short a time?”
“Each volume was scanned visually and viewed with mind-search by at least three people in succession, and we believe that gave us an almost perfect search.  That’s how we came across the brief references to the emerald dragon.”
“I haven’t gotten to that part of the list your team left me.  So far I’ve been reviewing information about the three dragons that are thought to inhabit the Deep Wilds area,” Manny said.
“Yeah,” Lilyann said. “That’s important, especially if Jud calls them to his fortress before we can neutralize them.”  A little worry line appeared between her eyebrows. “But I think you’ll find this older reference even more unsettling.”
Manny studied her face.  She never was one to hide her feelings well.  Nor was she one to see things with less than an optimistic possibility.  He respected her judgment, and if she had a serious concern about something that had been found in the old manuscripts of the Academy, then it would be a concern to him as well.  “What is it you found, Lil?” he asked quietly.
“It’s not just what we found,” she said looking at the pile of manuscripts surrounding Manny.  “It’s what we didn’t find.”  She didn’t want to sound so mysterious so she hurried on.  “There were several brief hints about the emerald dragon, none of them with enough detail to give us a clear picture.  But in an older manuscript that is rarely used anymore we found a scrawled note in the margin referring to one of the foundation documents.  We believe the hand writing is Jud’s.  It tested positively to several mind-probes.”
“You think he was researching information about the emerald dragon?” Manny conjectured.
“Maybe.  But what is more disconcerting, the foundation document he referred to is missing from the vault.”
Manny’s eyebrows shot up.  “That’s incredible!  How could anyone get into the vault, let alone get a foundation document out of the Academy without being detected?”
“I think Jud was deceiving us long before he broke away from the Academy.  He’s been developing mind powers on the sly and was especially good at hiding his prowess.”
“Why would he make off with a foundation document?  What good could it be for him?”  Manny shook his head.  “Or was it just to rub our noses in the dirt as he left?”
“I think it’s worse than that,” Lilyann said.  “The particular foundation document he took contained the records of the time of Fearghas.  Several of the sketchy references to the emerald dragon alluded to its interactions with Fearghas.  I know, I know,” she said quickly to Manny’s incredulous look and thought patterns of disbelief.  “That would make it more than 600 years old today –if,” she added speculatively, “if—it is truly still alive.”
“Let me see if I’m following you,” Manny said.  “You think Jud stole the foundation document because it had clues about the emerald dragon.  And since the document contained records about Fearghas, you think there is a connection between Fearghas and the emerald dragon.  Maybe his ability to communicate with dragons included this particular dragon, which may –emphasis on may— yet be alive today.  Am I getting this right?”
Lilyann nodded.  “Yeah, that’s how we’re figuring it.  It appears Jud is working hard to recapture the dragon-calling gift that died with Fearghas.  We have no record that Fearghas ever revealed his methods to anyone or gave any clues as to how he developed his unique talent.  His ability to communicate with dragons has always been considered a lost art.  At least until now.  If Jud can actually find this emerald dragon and somehow decipher any clues as to how Fearghas communicated with it, he may be able to perfect the rather crude skill he’s been using on the dragons so far.  And it looks more and more like a real disaster for this present age if Judson can exploit Fearghas’ dragon communication for evil purposes.”
Manny sat rather stunned and considered the possibilities.  Judson definitely had a jump on them.  He had probably been developing his nefarious skills for some time.  Whatever he might have found out from the missing foundation document was not available to anyone else now.  They would have to depend on known information and careful strategy.  If the Academy teams could control dragon movements, that might slow Judson down, but it wouldn’t stop him in the long run.  Manny’s thoughts kept coming back to the emerald dragon.  If Judson was so interested in this ancient dragon, then it must likely play some important role in his recovering the secret to dragon communication.  And the only logical way to outflank Judson would be to get to the emerald dragon first.  He shared that with Lilyann.
“We’ve been thinking the same thing,” she said.  “But it’s good to hear you come up with the same idea.” 
“And that’s why the Council wants me to study everything known about this emerald dragon,” Manny concluded, more as a statement than a question.
“You got it, big boy!”  Lilyann said.  “And they’ve asked me to partner with you in the search.  Both here in the written records, and out there in the field.”
“That makes sense,” Manny said.  “You were in on the discovery of this emerald dragon information and you helped to uncover Judson’s theft.  That would make you a logical choice to continue the quest.”
“That’s the way I see it, too,” she said with a little smile.
Manny reflected a while and then said, “Wait a minute.  At the meeting the Council never mentioned the lost foundational document.  Did you tell them about that?”
“No.  Felicia decided to hold off on that for now.  The Council members are having enough disagreements about this whole affair without adding more fuel to the fire.  Besides, the Council-advisors to the king might leak this news to His Majesty.  And if the king found out about it he might consider the Academy incompetent and take matters into his own hands immediately.  We’ve got to keep this under wraps for now.”
“I see,” said Manny.  “So, in essence, the Academy’s reputation is on the line.  Either we prove our worth to the king or we go back to being an obscure school for worthless scholars.”
“Well, that’s a rather drastic way to put it.  But, yeah, it may come to that,” Lilyann said.
“I guess our work is cut out for us,” Manny said with a sigh.  But at the same time he felt the exhilaration of a challenge like none he had ever faced before.  This was going to be more fun than he had thought –and maybe more than a little dangerous.  But wasn’t that what made challenges so rewarding –not withstanding the risks involved?
Lilyann grinned and shook her head in exasperation as she caught the drift of his thought patterns.  “You and your love of adventure!  The last escapade you were on just about got you killed.  But, I suppose, drastic times call for drastic measures.  And you probably fit that category pretty well.”
Manny laughed good naturedly.  “And your practicality and good sense will balance our team effort quite well.  So you needn’t worry your pretty little head that I’ll go off the deep end.”
They shared a pleasant feeling of camaraderie, and then turned to the task of getting as much information out of the manuscripts as they could.  They would need all the help they could get from the old records.  The road ahead would bring more than enough to test their best skills.





Chapter Eight

Manny and Lilyann had been slogging their way up the broken shale field for almost an hour.  Each sliding step on the slope took extra effort.  They were angling upward to the base of a cliff that rose vertically four or five hundred feet above the talus.  Ancient records indicated somewhere on the face of the rock wall was a cave, possibly the lair of a dragon –or had been its lair, depending on the accuracy or age of the report.  Nothing had been visible from a distance –only a suggestive hint to their mind-search inspection.
They hadn’t spoken for some time, reserving their breath for the effort at this altitude.  But both were staying especially alert for any sign of thought presence.  There was good reason to believe that they were being tracked and followed.  They had toyed with the idea of trying to throw their follower off with a false lead, going in the opposite direction.  But more than likely it was Judson on their trail.  And it was a good bet he knew the general area of the dragon lairs in this Deep Wilds wilderness, and would not be easily deceived.  Was he following them to find a lair he had not been able to discover on his own?  Or was he following them to prevent them from completing their plan of identifying and neutralizing these dragons?  Anything more sinister was a possibility, but not something they had spent time considering.

On reaching the cliff base they stopped to catch their breath and survey the area below them.  The field of shale fragments stretched at least a half mile down to a rock strewn ledge maybe a quarter mile wide.  Below that ran a canyon that zigzagged through the treeless wilderness for 20-30 miles in each direction.  Another high rampart of vertical rock mounted up across the canyon from the Academy partners.  Beyond that rose peak after peak of volcanic granite or basalt, thrust up at sharp angles, or forming steep cones of hardened lava flows.  Several spots in the tortured landscape glowed at night from active volcanoes whose smokes smudged the horizon during the day.  The two had navigated a maze-like system of canyons for three days to reach this spot.  Their only maps had been the ancient records and some recent surveys they accessed through their Mind-bank skill.
 
Two additional top notch seeker teams had been assigned the other dragon haunts in the Deep Wilds area.  Manny and Lilyann had been given the most remote and dangerous area to search.  One of the teams had located their dragon lair fairly quickly, but the beast was nowhere to be found.  Evidence showed the lair to have been recently occupied.  It was feared that Judson had already been able to conscript the dragon to his malevolent cause.  The other team had been attacked by the dragon they were seeking before they even reached its lair.  This beast seemed resistant to mind-control and could not be blinded or easily confused.  It was only by projecting pain that the partners kept the dragon at a safe distance where it could not further injure them with its breath or attack them physically.  Even so one of the partners was incapacitated enough to require rescue and evacuation by the larger back up team.  By the time the larger team arrived the dragon had taken off and was not seen again.  The mode of attack and resistance of the dragon suggested that it was already under Judson’s mind control.
This information had been communicated to Manny and Lilyann and underlay their urgency –and suspicion that Judson was tracking them to this third and final lair.  It was obvious that Judson was familiar with this region and might know some shortcuts.  The foundational document and anything else he may have stolen from the Academy library gave him a significant advantage.  So far, however, there had been no clues found to suggest that the emerald dragon had ever been in this area.

“This is really an impressive landscape,” Manny enthuse, as they stood, back to the base of the cliff looking out over the scene.  In spite of the arduous pace they had kept up this last day, and the need for caution, he seemed to be in high spirits.
Lilyann was more circumspect.  “Impressive or oppressive, I won’t argue,” she said.  “It is definitely one place where you don’t want to make any foolish mistakes.”
Manny looked at her and grinned.  “Hey!  I’ve been behaving pretty well lately.  You haven’t seen me taking any risky chances, have you?”
“Not that you weren’t thinking of some.  What about wanting to swing across that chasm on a Dahl hair rope?  It’s only because I wouldn’t go with you that you dropped the idea.”
“It’s all relative.  I’d call it pretty risky climbing down that waterfall slick rock.”
“I’d rather trust my own fingers and toes any day than some quarter-inch thick Dahl rope.”  The sparkle in Lilyann’s eyes betrayed her mock derision of Manny’s exceptionally strong –and exceptionally rare—Dahl hair rope.  This banter was their way of relieving tension and served to keep the bond of camaraderie between them strong.
“Well, let’s start looking for that elusive lair,” Manny said. “The fact that we couldn’t locate it from below doesn’t mean it’s not here.”
“Since we know the lair is near a vertical fissure I’d suggest that’s what we look for,” Lilyann added.
“And since there are any number of vertical fissures in this cliff we can count on looking all day,” Manny said, gazing up and down the cliff face.
Lilyann ignored him.  “We’re looking for a large fissure, the size of a slot canyon.  The records indicated there are two in this area, the most likely one in this part of the cliff.”
“And since we didn’t see anything like that on our approach coming up the canyon we probably should continue along the cliff in the same direction.”
“Good reasoning, O mind-master,” Lilyann said teasingly. 
They set out along the base of the cliff hopping from one large broken rock slab to another and slip-sliding across gravelly shale fields.  They had been going like this for about half an hour when Manny stopped and stood alertly still. 
“I have a feeling we’re being watched,” he said.
They both made a sweeping mind-search of the area without turning up any ripples in the conscious stream.  There was no indication of any human thought activity in the vicinity.
“Are you sure?” Lilyann asked.  “Or is it just a case of jitters?”
“No.  Seriously.” Manny insisted.  “It’s a clear sense of presence.  With visual interest in us.”
“OK,” Lilyann said.  “Can you pinpoint the direction?”
“Across the canyon.” Manny pointed with his chin.
They scanned the other side of the chasm visually and then with mind-search.
“There!” Manny exclaimed.
“I see it,” Lilyann said before he could give any further direction.
What the two partners could now visualize in their mind image was a medium sized dragon perched on a crag jutting out from the canyon wall opposite them.  It was two legged with well muscled wings and a beak-like snout: a wyvern.  These ill tempered dragons were not as large as their four-legged cousins, but more than made up for it with agile flying and a fearsome attitude.  It was obviously staring straight in their direction.
“It’s probably been watching us for a while.  That’ll be a tough opponent if it tries to attack us,” Manny observed.
“Why would it attack us?” Lilyann puzzled.  Typically dragons did not attack or interact with humans unless directly threatened.  Then she added, “Unless it’s under Judson’s control, of course.”
“I don’t think it is,” Manny said.  “We’d have detected the thought patterns, or at least the ripples.”
“Then how did you know it was over there?” Lilyann wanted to know.
“I don’t know.  It was not a definite thought sensation; more like what I’ve been calling hunches,” Manny finished.
“That’s what Andi was telling me,” said Lilyann.  “You’ve been having some mighty accurate hunches lately.  How do you figure, Manny?”
“I said I don’t know.  It’s one of those things that doesn’t feel like me –you know, something I’m not used to.  It keeps happening ever since I recovered from that dragon bite.”  Manny looked a bit perturbed.
“I sometimes worry about you,” Lilyann said with concern in her thought pattern.
“Well, right now I’d worry more about that wyvern,” Manny broke in.  “I say we look for a place where we can take cover, or at least defend ourselves better.”

Lilyann agreed mentally and they moved along the cliff base as quickly as the terrain allowed.
Not more than 50 paces further they encountered a mound of broken rock sloping up against the cliff.  At the top of the heap rose a large vertical fissure that looked wide enough to accommodate two or three people standing abreast.
“I think we found our slot canyon,” Lilyann called to Manny who was already starting up the rock pile.
At that moment there was a distant high pitched shriek and the two partners turned to see the wyvern heading their way with rapid wing beats.
“Come on!  Get up here,” Manny yelled back.  “Let’s get inside the fissure where we can defend ourselves better.”
They scrambled up the rock pile, slipping and grabbing larger rocks to aid their progress.  Glancing back they could see the wyvern closing in on them.  It was apparent they weren’t going to get to the fissure before the dragon reached them. 
They found a relatively level spot just below the cleft opening and Manny shouted, “Let’s make our stand here!”  The two partners positioned themselves an arm’s length apart.
“Link mind coordination,” Lilyann called.  In this mode of mind-search two or more combatants could coordinate their defensive actions for greater effectiveness.
The wyvern attacked with talons extended, wings swept back to expose sharp barbs on the leading edges.  The Academy partners pitted their mind power against the brute force of the dragon by projecting disorientation.  The wyvern’s talons missed the two humans but not by much. 
“This guy’s unbelievably focused,” Manny shouted, as he and Lilyann picked themselves up and got back in position.
Now they drew their preferred travelling weapons, Manny a short sword he called “Companion”, and Lilyann two throwing knives. The second attack was even more fierce.  Dropping in a steep dive the wyvern bore down on them with a fearsome scream.  “Project pain and hit the wings!” Manny shouted as they simultaneously struck and dodged to the side.  Each felt their blades strike the leathery wings.  They avoided the razor sharp talons and wing barbs but were knocked over by the force of the attack and beating wings.  The dragon screamed in pain and fury and circled for another attack.  The partners sprang to their feet and scrambled closer to the rock opening. The next attack came with talons wide and wings folded back. 
“Go for the neck and watch out for the tail,” was their coordinated thought.  But their weapons barely nicked the tough hide of the dragon.  Lilyann was knocked several feet as a wing hit her, rolling her over the rocks.  She sprang up immediately indicating to Manny that she was alright.
As the wyvern circled higher for another attack Manny pulled the roll of Dahl hair rope from his belt and threw it to Lilyann.  “Tie this across the canyon opening about six feet high,” he shouted.  Lilyann caught the gist of his plan, grabbed the rope and clambered into the base of the wide fissure.  Manny barely dodged the dragon’s next attack without being able to strike a blow.  The beast was furious in its attacks and seemingly untiring.
“It’s tied!” Lilyann called.  “But this whole rock face is fractured and unstable.  The rock I tied it to feels almost loose.”
Manny scrambled up and into the wide cleft as the wyvern bore down on him in a fierce, plunging attack.  Manny tucked and dove under the taut rope rolling to one side as the dragon shot into the opening with its wings held high, talons extended and aiming for Manny.  There was a dreadful crack of breaking bones as the wyvern hit the stout rope and crashed onto the rock floor of the canyon, rolling towards Manny who jumped out of the way.  A grinding rumble of sliding rock crescendoed into an avalanche of tumultuous sound as one whole side of the slot canyon at the opening came loose and fell.  Manny and Lilyann simultaneously dove and rolled deeper into the fissure.  Rock dust billowed around them as smaller fragments of falling rock ricocheted off the walls and floor of the canyon.  Somehow they both escaped any direct hit from falling rock.  Climbing to their feet they stared through the settling dust cloud. A huge slab of the canyon wall had dropped into the entrance they had just come through.  Rock debris was piled high around the slab effectively blocking any way out.
“Wow!” Manny exclaimed.  “That was a dramatic ending.  It wasn’t exactly what I had in mind, but it got the job done.”
“I’m not so sure,” Lilyann said and pointed to a dark wing and tail protruding from the near edge of the rock pile.  As they watched the wing pulled in, the tail thrashed and a pile of rock debris lifted and fell away to reveal a stunned but quite alive dragon.  The beast rose up on its two powerful legs, balancing itself with its stout, barbed tail.  One wing hung crookedly at its side.  It looked around and seeing its human antagonists let out a frightful screech and lunged at them.
The Dahl rope was still entangled in the wyvern’s broken right wing.  It howled in pain as the rope became taut and yanked its wing back.  But with dogged determination it fought the rope and slowly advanced on the partners, pulling the rope out of the pile of rocks.  The slot canyon was too narrow for the Manny and Lilyann to maneuver effectively and the advantage was now definitely in favor of the dragon.  Glancing back Lilyann could see that the canyon narrowed and ended in a rock fall not more than 20 paces behind them.  As the rope pulled free of its rock entanglement the dragon charged forward.
Lilyann shouted, “Diversion on the right!” 
Manny read her intent but had no time to question her decision.  The dragon was almost on them.  He leaped toward the charging beast thrusting his sword into its gaping maw, feinting to the right and leaping back.  He could feel the hot breath of the monster as he ducked and stabbed again, blood stained drool splattering the canyon wall as the dragon’s huge jaws snapped together just inches from his arm.  But this diversion had given Lilyann an opening to dart to the dragon’s right side.  She vaulted onto the wyvern’s back taking advantage of its broken, drooping wing to land squarely astride the base of its neck.  The dragon reared, flinging its head side to side and slashing at Lilyann’s legs.  Somehow she kept her balance and stabbed at the dragon’s eye as its head swung to the right.  Her dagger struck home plunging deep into the raging beast’s eye socket.  With an earsplitting roar it threw its head up, yanking the dagger from Lilyann’s hand and knocking her back.  At that moment Manny struck.  With the dragon’s head up and its neck extended, the vulnerable throat area was exposed.  Manny thrust upward with all his strength, plunging his sword through the throat and up into the dragon’s head.  He leaped back as the dying beast thrashed in convulsive jerks.  Lilyann had fallen back against the dragon’s good wing and now with a final paroxysm the wyvern hurtled her against the canyon wall.  She hit hard and slid down to lie motionless on the canyon floor next to the lifeless dragon.

Manny ran to Lilyann and gently rolled her over.  The right side of her face was reddening with several cuts and deep scrapes.  He probed her mind, coaxing her back to consciousness.  He tried to gauge the extent of her injuries and kicked himself inwardly for not spending more time learning the healing crafts.  He sensed that her right arm was injured but he wasn’t sure how to proceed to make it better. 
Lilyann’s eyes began to focus and her thought patterns returned to normal.  “I guess I was out for a while,” she said vaguely, looking up at Manny.
“It’s a wonder you weren’t killed, the way you hit the wall,” Manny said with relief to see her wake up with no damage to her thought patterns.
“My arm hurts,” she said, wincing as she tried to move.
“Your arm’s been injured –pretty bad it seems, but I can’t tell where,” he said.
“I’m testing it out,” Lilyann said as she searched along her right side with her inner eye.  “My shoulder’s dislocated and I’ve fractured my collar bone,” she diagnosed.  “And I’ve got some nasty cuts and bruises on my face.  But there’s no evidence of concussion, unless I’m missing something.  You’d better watch my thought patterns for a while and make sure I’m not drifting away.”
Manny nodded and absorbed the mental image of how he should handle the situation if Lilyann became disoriented.
“Manny,” Lilyann said.  “I want you to help me put my shoulder back into place.”
“OK,” Manny said with just a bit of hesitation.
“Put your foot in my armpit,” she instructed.  “Wait. Take off your boot first.”
He did so and she continued.  “Now put your foot in my arm pit.  Take a hold of my arm and when I tell you turn it outward and lift up on it while you push with your foot.”  She focused her mind-control to neutralize the pain and relax her muscles, then said, “Now!”
Manny performed the maneuver as he had been instructed and with the mental image of what to expect.  The head of her humerus slipped back into place easily with a slight bump. 
Lilyann relaxed and said, “That feels better already.  Thanks.”
Manny acknowledged her gratitude and said wryly, “That doesn’t exactly make me a surgeon yet.”
“You’ll need to get some strips of cloth to bind my arm against my chest until I can spend some time applying mind healing to it,” she said.
“No sooner said than done,” Manny said as he pulled off his jerkin and began tearing it into broad strips.  With the mental image of how to proceed he carefully bound Lilyann’s arm against her body, and with the remaining cloth wiped some of the dried blood from her face.  She had been concentrating on her face while he was bandaging her arm.  The redness was already fading and the wounds were closed and dry.
“Feel like sitting up?” Manny asked.
“Sure,” she responded.  With his help she pushed herself against the rock wall, sitting with her knees drawn up, feeling fairly comfortable.  The pain was almost gone.
They sat there awhile resting and controlling the after-wash of their adrenaline surge.
“What a waste.”  Manny said finally, indicating the dead dragon just a few feet from them.  “It’s a crying shame to lose any of them, but to have to kill one is a tragedy.”
“It couldn’t be helped,” Lilyann assured him.  “It was either it or us.  There was no way we were going to dissuade it, divert it, or drive it away.”
“Yeah,” Manny agreed.  “But it’s so unlike them to attack with such deadly intent and without provocation.”
“There’s got to be an explanation.  We couldn’t detect any evidence of mind control, eliminating Jud as a causative factor.”  She paused.  “Maybe its den is nearby and it was just trying to defend itself.”
“That’s not typical,” Manny rejoined.  “Dragon’s rarely attack when their haunt is approached.  Now if you try to take something from their horde, that’s a different story.  But we’re not even sure this guy’s den is near here, let alone have any intention of robbing it.”
They studied the dragon’s body probing it with their inner-eye.  The wyvern was large as wyverns go, with old, rough, leathery skin.  They became aware of how ancient it was.  Their mind-sense of age was inaccurate in measuring specific years but gave a distinct impression of centuries passing.  This was an unusual dragon in many ways.
“Do you suppose this is the emerald dragon?” Lilyann asked incredulously.
“I sure hope not!” Manny responded. 
They both sat there recognizing the ambiguity of their feelings.
“If it is,” Lilyann said, “then we’ve thwarted Jud’s plan to use it to advance his control of dragons.”
“And we’ve killed an unimaginably valuable national treasure,” Manny added.
They sat silently, openly sharing their mixed feelings.  There was no way to know, to prove one way or the other, whether this was indeed the fabled emerald dragon.
“Well, this is certainly reportable,” Lilyann finally said.
“Yeah,” Manny agreed.  “But we’re going to have to get out of here, or at least somewhere higher, to make contact with the backup team,” he said getting up.
“Or wait until the team comes looking for us,” Lilyann said.
“That would only give Jud more time to consolidate his gains,” Manny said, and Lilyann readily agreed. 
Manny looked up both sides of the cleft canyon, studying the rock features.  The walls of the canyon were almost vertical, towering more than four hundred feet above them.  “It looks like there’s a sizable ledge up this side about forty feet,” he said.  “It may run out to the cliff face.”  He untangled the Dahl rope from the dragon’s wing and began to coil it up.  “I’m going to climb up there and see if I can contact our team,” he informed Lilyann.
“Not without me,” she said emphatically.  “If you’re climbing up there I’m going with you.”
Manny studied her a moment, sensing her resolve.  “Well, you certainly have a lot of spunk,” he said.  “But that’s not enough to get you up forty feet of vertical rock.”
“With your help I can do it,” she said.
He caught the image she had in mind.  “Well, if you’re game, I’m game.  But this won’t be any cake walk,” he concluded.
Tucking his rope into his belt he began the climb.  Searching with his mind’s eye he found the finger and toe holds he needed and with mind control he willed the strength and balance to cling to the rock face as he inched up to the overhead ledge.  He pulled himself over the edge and looked around.
“This is wider than it appeared from below,” he called down to Lilyann.  The ledge was almost eight feet wide where he sat, narrowing as it ran along the canyon wall deeper into the mountain one way and out toward the main cliff face the other way.  “That wyvern may have used this as his lair,” he added.
“Get me up there,” Lilyann called back.  “Throw me down your rope.”
Manny uncoiled his rope, tied one end to himself and dropped the other down the canyon wall to Lilyann.  She wrapped the rope around her waist and both thighs, creating a sitting harness of sorts.
“OK!” she shouted. 
With her good arm guiding the rope she placed one foot into a toe hold and let Manny pull her up a couple feet.  She kept her injured arm, now tightly bound to her body, away from the rock.  The partners coordinated their efforts with mind-search, alternately pulling, getting new toe holds (and occasionally one finger hold), and slowly inching Lilyann up the canyon wall.  Finally Manny pulled Lilyann over the edge and they both sprawled on the ledge panting and laughing.  They sat for a while catching their breath, Manny coiling up his Dahl rope.
Lilyann looked around.  “This ledge goes back into the mountain as far as the fissure goes,” she said.  “We ought to explore it after we signal our backup team.”
“Good idea,” Manny agreed.  And then he paused and stiffened.  “Wait.  I think we’ve got trouble.”
Instantly Lilyann sensed it also.
Around the bend from the outer cliff, walking carefully along the ledge, strode Judson towards them.

Chapter Nine

Manny jumped to his feet, mind on full alert.  Lilyann stayed squatting on her heals.  Both regarded Judson with cautious attention.  He stopped 10 paces from them, standing with arms akimbo, scorn written all over his face.  Judson was tall, with angular –almost square— features.  In the right circumstances one could regard him as quite handsome.  Now his visage was dark, eyes narrowed, and mouth drawn back in a sneer.
“So, you beat me here,” he spat out vehemently.  “The vaunted pair from our decrepit Academy!”  He glared at them with virulent thought patterns swirling around him.  “Is that all the better you can do?  Resort to your antiquated weapons and violent disposition?  You know you killed the only hope this decadent age has for righting itself?”  His eyes narrowed as he took in their recognition he was referring to the emerald dragon.  “And worse,” he practically shouted, “you didn’t even know what you were doing!”
Judson walked menacingly toward the partners.  Manny held his ground, ready to protect Lilyann.
“Jud, give up this madness,” Lilyann started to say.
“Shut up!” Judson commanded and Lilyann felt her throat constrict as Jud’s mind-force jammed her muscle control.
Manny immediately responded with a protective mind-block, attempting to neutralize Judson’s hold on Lilyann’s mind.
“Don’t meddle with me!” Judson growled and threw off Manny’s mind-block with ease.
Manny was startled by the quick overpowering of his mind force.  Judson had developed some mind power maneuvers that were not in the book.  But Manny was also one of the best trained in the Academy of the Mind and he would use everything at his command to prevent Judson from intimidating them or possibly harming them.
“Jud, think about what you’re doing, and who you’ll be going up against,” Manny pleaded.
“I can handle the likes of you,” Judson shot back at Manny.  “And that pompous king and his minions are no match for my dragons.”
“This will lead to another dragon war,” Manny continued.  “It’ll tear the kingdom apart and further devastate what dragon population is left.”
“I’ll take care of the kingdom,” Judson snorted.  “And the dragons will do just fine under my leadership.”
“You’re not leading the dragons,” Lilyann choked out.  “You’re brainwashing them to do your..”  She gagged as Judson glared at her and increased his mind hold.  But Lilyann fought back with amazing mind resistance for the situation she was in.  Manny jumped in with all the mind force he could muster and the two of them felt Judson’s mind control waver and weaken.  Lilyann took a gasping breath, as they both concentrated their resistance against Judson’s mind force. 
“Don’t think you can control me,” Judson sneered, and Lilyann suddenly cried out in pain as he switched his mind force to her injured arm, making the muscles go into spasms. 
“Stop hurting her!” Manny yelled at him, and involuntarily reached for his sword.
“Hah!  So you want to get physical with me?” Judson roared.  “You two have caused me enough trouble for one life time!  Let’s see about taking care of that!”  He wrenched Lilyann’s muscles hard and she dropped to the rock floor, clutching her arm and moaning.  Now all Judson’s attention was directed on Manny.  He felt his arm muscles tighten, his hand becoming locked on the hilt of his sword.  He couldn’t move.  Even with all the mind force he was capable of he couldn’t break Judson’s hold.  Lilyann was hurting too bad to help.
“So much for the vaunted Academy grads,” Judson sneered, walking towards Manny.  He walked slowly and carefully, obviously concentrating on keeping his mind hold on Manny.
“Let’s exact just retribution,” Judson said through clenched teeth.  “Let’s see how you feel getting the same treatment you gave that dragon down there.”  He reached for Manny’s coiled rope and pulled it from his belt.  Jud backed over to where Lilyann lay, keeping his gaze and focus on Manny who struggled to break free.  He knelt and tied the rope around her feet, binding them together.  Bringing the other end back to Manny he tied it around his waist.  Manny tried every maneuver he had ever been trained in or had ever used but was unable to break through Judson’s mind control.
Stepping back, Judson regarded the two trussed Academy partners with loathing.  “I suspected you found out about the emerald dragon.  But it was pure bad luck you got here before I did.  Bad luck for the dragon, obviously.  And bad luck for you now.  I would have given that dragon all the attention and care it could possibly need.  And it would have served me gladly.”  He paused to control his rage, and then spat out, “But you have wrecked what took me years to prepare for.  And you will now pay for your folly and your miserable meddling!”
Judson’s eyes blazed with hatred.  “Walk!” he commanded.
Manny felt his leg muscles tighten and start to move.  He fought back furiously, desperately.  He took a shuffling step toward the edge of the rock ledge.  Then another.  With frantic effort he willed his legs not to move, and he stopped.  Judson gave Lilyann’s arm muscles a twist and she cried out.  Manny’s emotional reaction weakened his mind-control and he took another small step.  He was now just three paces from the edge, with forty feet of sheer drop to the rocks below.  He knew if he went over the edge his weight would pull Lilyann over with him.  His adrenaline was surging.  He could feel it in his racing heart.  This was not good.  He had to overcome his fear and focus on what mind force he still controlled.
“Relax. Reflect.”  The words formed in his mind.  It was as if someone else were speaking to him, not his own thoughts.
“WALK!” Judson roared.
And Manny felt his leg muscles tighten and begin to move.
“Relax,” the voice in his mind spoke again.  “Relax.”  The thought tone was gentle, persuasive.
He forced down his rising fear and let his mind find a quiet center.  His legs moved a step closer to the edge.          
“Reflect,” the unidentifiable voice intoned.  “Reflect.”
Manny had no sense what this meant.  It didn’t relate to any mind practice he knew.  But in his relaxed state he began to get an image –a concept—that became a thought, then a mind force.  And abruptly he knew what to do. 
“JUMP!” Judson screamed.  Manny was standing at the very edge of the precipice.
But it was Judson who made a little hop.  Bewilderment flashed across his face.  He glared at Manny who was feeling like he was watching this whole scene from somewhere else.  He hardly felt a part of it.
“Jump, you miserable cur!” Judson yelled again.  And once more it was Judson who hopped closer to the edge.  Now he was noticeably disturbed.  “What are you doing?” he screeched at Manny.
Hate flashed in Judson’s eyes.  He furiously hurled thought pain at Manny.  Instantly Judson dropped to the rocky ledge holding his head and crying out.  He rolled perilously close to the edge.  Getting on his hands and knees, his eyes watering in pain, he crawled away from the precipice and sat holding his head, staring uncomprehendingly at Manny.
Manny backed away from the deadly drop off and walked over to Lilyann.  Kneeling, he untied the rope from her feet and gently lifted her into a sitting position, leaning her back on his chest.  He soothed her thoughts and gradually her muscles relaxed and the pain in her arm abated.
Judson slowly got up.  “I don’t know what you did,” he said huskily.  “But you’re not going to interfere with my plans.  Not now or ever!”  He was backing away from them along the ledge.  “Don’t think you’re going to leave this place.  Don’t even try!  I have a dragon that’s waiting outside.  He’s going to stay there on guard.  Don’t challenge him.  He’s a heavy weight.”  And with that Judson turned and fled carefully along the ledge and disappeared around the corner toward the main cliff face.

Chapter Ten

“What happened?” Lilyann asked.  She had been only partially aware because of the pain. 
“Jud’s gone,” Manny said quietly.  “He won’t hurt you any more.”
“Did he go berserk because we really did kill the emerald dragon?” she asked.
“That’s what he thinks,” he said.  “Whether it is or not, that’s what he thinks.  And I suppose he has some good reason to think so.  He’s got the best information on it.”
“Then why did he stop tormenting us and leave so suddenly?” she said.
“I’m not sure,” Manny responded, still not sure what he had witnessed really occurred.  “It looked like whatever Jud tried to make me do happened to him.  I don’t think he had any idea what was happening either.  He looked totally flummoxed.”
“How did you do it, Manny?” Lilyann asked.  “You must have done something.”
Manny thought about the sequence of events.  “It just came to me.  It was like someone was projecting words into my mind.”
“What words?” Lilyann wanted to know.
“Just two words.  ‘Relax –and Reflect’,” Manny murmured.
“That’s strange,” she said.  “But, you know, that makes sense.  I’ll bet that’s exactly what happened.  Anything Jud threw at you was reflected back on him.”
“Yeah,” Manny agreed.  “It does look that way.”
“But, Manny,” Lilyann leaned away from him, looking him in the eye.  “You must have some idea how you were able to do that.  It’s totally new –unheard of.  It’s an amazing new kind of mind-control.”
“I know,” Manny mumble.  “I mean, I know what you’re thinking.  But I don’t know how I got the idea.  It’s not like anything we’ve been trained in.  I know what to do to make it happen.  But I don’t know where the idea came from.”
“Manny,” Lilyann said, “it’s another of those strange things that’s been happening to you since you recovered from that dragon bite.  Do you suppose it has any connection?”
“Maybe,” Manny responded.  “I can’t think of any better explanation.”  Then he looked quizzically at Lilyann.  “You think that’s funny?” he said with a raised eyebrow.
“No,” Lilyann said, looking at him blankly.  “Why would I think it’s funny?”
“You didn’t laugh mentally just now?” Manny said, probing her for truth patterns.  “No, I guess not.  But I distinctly picked up laughter thought ripples.”  He began to look around.  “There’s someone else here, Lil,” he said now going into alert mode.
“Manny.”  Now Lilyann was becoming more than a little concerned.  “Don’t let the stress we’ve been going through get to you now.  Why don’t you sit down and try to relax again.”
Manny looked intently at Lilyann.  “Don’t you sense it?” he asked, surprised.  “No, I can see you don’t.”
Lilyann just gazed at him with a little pucker between her eyebrows.
“Well, it’s something else I don’t understand,” he said.  “There are just too many things that are happening that I don’t understand.  But I’m not cracking up.  Whoever gave me the mental coordinates for that reflect maneuver is around here.  I can sense a conscious presence pretty clearly now.”
“OK, Manny,” Lilyann said quietly.  “I believe you.  But I want you to know that I don’t sense anything.”

Manny was standing now.  He began walking slowly along the ledge deeper into the mountain cleft.  Lilyann got up carefully and joined him.  They had been assigned this mission as a team and she would make sure they functioned as one.  The ledge narrowed although the opposite wall of the canyon was still at least twenty feet away.  They rounded a corner and looked into a small, high ceilinged cave extending back into the solid rock.  They could see the narrow ledge continuing beyond the cave, and ending abruptly where it ran into a jumble of boulders that completely filled the slot canyon.
“This has to be the lair of that wyvern,” Manny said looking around the cave.
Lilyann walked around the area looking at the signs of previous habitation.  “It has everything you’d expect,” she said.  “Pile of chewed bones.  Sandy sleeping depression.  But, it doesn’t seem right.  Everything we know about wyverns tells us they choose dens high on cliffs overlooking valleys or canyons.  They prefer places where they can see great distances to watch for prey and interlopers.”
“Yeah,” Manny agreed.  “That’s the usual lair location.  But we’ve already determined that this wyvern wasn’t usual.  Not in age or behavior.  There must be some reason for it to have chosen this place.”
“Well, if it were the emerald dragon and wanted to stay hidden and inaccessible this would certainly be the place to do that,” she observed.
Manny projected agreement, but he was standing very still, testing the thought space around them and listening to Lilyann with only half his attention.  “There’s got to be more to it than that,” he said.  “You’d think from its actions it was protecting something valuable.  I don’t see anything of value in here.”
Lilyann said something but Manny missed it.  He was focused on a thought pattern that projected a sense of welcome and invitation.  There was something very appealing and yet overwhelming in its meaning.  He walked across the cave and started following the narrowing ledge toward the end of the slot canyon.
“Where are you going?” Lilyann called after Manny.  “Hey, wait up for me.”
She caught up to Manny.  “Tell me what you’re doing, Manny.  I’m having trouble reading your intent.”
“There’s something really strange here,” Manny said as he continued walking.  “I’m getting a sense of invitation, but it’s not like what we usually give.  The thought pattern is more like joining or becoming a part rather than visiting or communicating.”
“Manny, I don’t know what you’re talking about.  But whatever it is, let me help you sort it out.  Just let me know what you’re sensing.  OK?”
“OK,” Manny responded.  Then he stopped and turned to face Lilyann.  “I’m sorry, Lil.  I didn’t mean to cut you out.  I know you don’t sense what I do, and that’s OK.  And you’re right.  We need to do this together, as partners.  I’ll try to give you a thought echo of what I’m sensing.”
“Thanks, Manny,” Lilyann said.  And her thought patterns reaffirmed her words.
Lilyann concentrated on Manny’s thought space and slowly she began to get a sense of the conscious presence that Manny had mentioned.  Her eyes opened wider and she held her breath for a moment. “That’s amazing,” she finally said.  “It’s so welcoming –almost tempting.”
“Uh-huh,” Manny agreed.  “But there’s a component that is a little unnerving.  It almost feels condescending.”
“I suppose so,” she said.  “But I don’t get any negative feeling from it.  Either way, it doesn’t feel familiar in the usual sense.  At least not what we’ve been trained in.  Do you think it could be someone from a distant kingdom –a foreigner?”
“I don’t know,” he said, turning and continuing more slowly toward the boulder pile at the end of the canyon.  “But I want to find out.  I get a vague feeling that this is important.  Really important.”
Lilyann fell in behind Manny.  As the ledge narrowed, the two of them walked closer to the canyon wall still rising some three hundred feet above them.  The stack of boulders ahead of them completely filled the cleft canyon.  They could see, towering over the canyon, a high mountain rampart from which the boulders had broken off and tumbled into this defile to fill it.
They had almost reached the jumble of boulders before they saw the opening under an enormous slab of rock, hidden from view by the angle of the overhanging rock and the constant shadow in the narrow, deep chasm.  The ledge ran into the opening and formed the floor of a dark tunnel.
“I guess this is what we’re looking for.” Manny nodded toward the opening.
“Yeah.  The thought patterns you’re getting seem to be stronger here,” Lilyann conceded.
Manny searched the passage with his inner eye and found no obvious threats.  “I’m going in,” he announced and stepped into the dark opening.
“I’m right behind you,” Lilyann said.  “Use mind-link so we can do this in sync.”
The passage floor was level and the sloping slab rock overhead was high enough where it rested against the vertical wall of the canyon that the two could walk upright.  The space was just large enough to have accommodated the wyvern.  They both reflected on that as they crept deeper into the darkening tunnel, wondering if a dragon that preferred flying would have ever ventured in here.
The alien thought patterns shifted to what could best be described as expectant waiting.
Suddenly there was a flurry of wings and Manny and Lilyann ducked as a horde of bats swirled around them, the furry little bodies brushing their heads as the colony headed for the opening.  It was now almost totally dark in the passageway.  The two Academy partners used their inner eye sense and touch to move ahead.
Thirty paces farther the vertical wall abruptly sloped away and they could sense that they were in a large overhung cave.  There was a trickling sound from the back of the space and they could make out a narrow groove running across the rock floor, carved by a small stream.
“Welcome, O Seeker-Manfred.”  The thought words rumbled in Manny’s mind. 
He searched quickly with his mind’s eye for the presence of anyone in the cave.  Lilyann sensed an echo of the projection but could only make out a feeling of welcome, and did not understand the words or the address to Manny.  Both she and Manny simultaneously detected a large creature at the back of the cave.  It appeared to be resting on a bed of sand and leaning against the rock wall.  Gradually the full image of the beast formed in their minds.  This was an enormous dragon of the eastern type.  The head was at least six feet long from its flared nostrils to the spiky frill around its neck.  Snake-like tentacles hung from its upper lip, and its eyes were deep set and hooded.  Sinuous horns protruded back from the base of the head.  The dragon appeared quite alert, lying in a semi-crouched position on four heavily muscled limbs.  Each huge foot had five talon bearing toes –making this an Oriental dragon.  The tail of the gigantic beast lay in an “S” curve across the back of the cave.  It ended in a fan-shaped flare –indicating that this was a female of the species.  The dragon was covered with fine, indistinct scales, if any at all –and they appeared to glow from within with a deep green luminescence. 

Manny and Lilyann were awestruck by the image and presence of this venerable dragon.  Their simultaneous thought, “This is the emerald dragon!” was met by an echoing sense of pleasure and acknowledgment.
“Yes, I am Chi’-Lung, or what you humans have called the Emerald Dragon.  Again, I extend a long-awaited welcome to you, O Seeker-Manfred.”
“How do you know my name?” Manny asked, still dumbfounded and struggling to pull together everything he’d read about the emerald dragon.
“I have expected your coming for centuries.  Your name is in your own memory bank and accessible to me along with all I anticipated of your character and courage.  You are the fulfillment of what has been decreed since first I made contact with the human mind.”
During this exchange Lilyann was gaining some sense of what Manny was experiencing but did not detect any thought words from the dragon.  She could hear Manny talking but with no answering conversation she began to worry anew about Manny’s sanity. 
“Manny,” she said with distinct concern in her thought patterns.  “Who are you talking to?”
“It will be uncomfortable for Seeker-Lilyann to be left out of our conversations,” the deep thought projection rumbled in Manny’s mind.  “Perhaps you should explain to her the essence of our exchange.  I have always been completely deaf to physical sound but can detect your thoughts.  However please extend my apologies as I will be unable to convey to her any answers to questions or response to comments she has.  You, O Dragon Caller, are the only one capable of receiving my thought projections.”
Manny was too stunned to say anything for a moment.  But he became aware of Lilyann tugging at his sleeve and the near panic in her thought patterns. 
“Lil, Lil,” he said soothingly.  “This is more than I can take in right now, and yet I have to explain it to you.  I want you to be a part of this discovery.  But you’re going to have to let me take this one little step at a time.”
Lilyann relaxed a little.  “What discovery?  You mean this dragon?”
“Lil,” Manny said, “I can hear words from the dragon in my mind.  It’s clear verbal telepathy like we’ve always dreamed we could develop at the Academy.  It’s so amazing.  This dragon knows our names from probing our memory banks.  It –she, really—has been expecting me.  And,” he faltered, “and she called me ‘Dragon Caller’.”  He finished with a sense of bewilderment and wonder.
“Manny!  Could it be?” Lilyann whispered.  “Is this for real?”
“As real as life,” Manny responded.
“I am enjoying your repartee,” the dragon words formed in Manny’s mind.  “You two have the innocence of children and the courage and life experience of ones much older and wiser than you.  I have been waiting for the opportunity –the very destiny-chance—to impart wisdom that you will need to face the dire challenges that lie ahead for this age.”
“Thank you, sir –or ma’am.” How do you address a dragon? he thought.
“Make yourselves comfortable,” the thought projection continued.  “I have much to impart to you.  And  we need not be in a hurry.  I am used to the passage of much time, whereas you are accustomed to quick decisions and action.  In this place where your world has never impinged we can speak without fear of interruption or challenge.  It will be in the rhythm of my time that we will make our exchange.  Please, be comfortable.”
“She wants us to be comfortable,” Manny explained to Lilyann.  “Let’s find a place to sit down.  She wants to ‘impart’—I guess, tell me something.  It may take time.”
“Alright,” Lilyann said.  “I don’t sense anything wrong or any threat here.”
They searched around with their inner eye for a level spot.  The floor was quite rough and sloped upward to where the dragon couched on a fairly large and flat sandy area.  Manny walked towards the dragon searching for a place in the sand where they could sit.  Lilyann followed a few steps behind, still unsure of what Manny was doing and still more than a little unnerved by the proximity of the huge beast.  Manny found a depression in the rock full of sand and dropped into a comfortable, cross legged sitting position, just ten paces from Chi’-Lung.  Lilyann crept up to Manny and sat close to him on the opposite side from the dragon.
“Lil,” Manny whispered. Then realizing that the dragon was deaf and could read his mind anyway, spoke aloud, “The emerald dragon’s name is Chi’-Lung.  She’s deaf and so can’t hear anything we say but can sense our thoughts.  You don’t receive her thought words so apparently I’m the only one she can communicate with telepathically.”  He paused, and then continued, “I know it sounds crazy, but that’s what’s happening.”
“I believe you, Manny,” Lilyann said leaning against him.  “I get a clear sense of safety in here.  It’s really uncanny.  Here we are, sitting comfortably, just a pebble toss from the largest dragon I’ve ever encountered.  And I feel safer than any time since we left the Academy.”
“I know what you mean,” he said.  “Not only is she projecting welcome, but safety as well.”
They sat for a while resting and listening to the gentle, long rumble that was the dragon’s breathing.
“But it puzzles me,” Lilyann said, “how a dragon her size got in here.  That passageway we came through could barely admit a wyvern, let alone an Oriental dragon like her.”
“I will help you understand my situation so that you can better grasp the information I must pass on,” the alien thought pattern formed in Manny’s mind.  “As Seeker-Lilyann is not capable of receiving my thought words you, O Seeker-Manfred, must convey my response to her.”
Manny explained this to Lilyann and then the dragon continued.
“This cave has been my home for over one thousand years. In the early years I came and went as I pleased.  This has been a good place for me.  It allowed me to escape the devastation of the dragon wars and gave me the needed detachment to consider the basis and roots of that deadly conflict.  It was from that consideration that a chance encounter with the warrior Fearghas led to our historic collaboration. But I will return to that later.  Now, to answer the question that Seeker-Lilyann posed: an unfortunate rock slide from the mountain filled the canyon and buried this cave.  I have been confined to this place since then.  It is only through the attention of a long lineage of faithful wyverns that I continue to exist and breathe.”
Manny passed this on to Lilyann.
“Did she say she talked –or thought, or whatever she does—with Fearghas?” Lilly asked incredulously.
“Yeah,” Manny said.  “I know you’re thinking how long ago that was.  But she said she was around during the dragon wars, and that was well over a thousand years ago.  This gal is really old.  Ancient.”
“Wow!” was all Lilyann could say.  Then she added, “What did she say about the wyverns?”
Chi’-Lung immediately responded. “It was the life-time undertaking of a line of wyverns –one of which you have encountered-- to bring me food at regular occasions.  Water is here, I warm this space in winter with my breath, I have room to stretch –what more do I need?  I am free to pursue my thoughts and develop new imaginings and visions.”
“I am sorry about the wyvern that we were forced to kill.  It attacked us with such ferocity that we could only defend ourselves with deadly force,” Seekerman said honestly.
“I hold no ill will for your actions.  If anything, that faithful wyvern’s main fault was being an over-achiever.  I will, nonetheless, miss his regular visits.  He has well attended my needs for several centuries.”
When Manny passed this on to Lilyann she said, “What will the emerald dragon do now?  Who will bring her food and look after her?”
“I appreciate your concern,” the dragon communicated to Manny.  “There will be another.  I only eat three or four times a year when I’m awake, and I may sleep for decades at a time.  I can wait until you find a new recruit for me.  Now, let me go on with my story.”
Manny gave Lilyann this message and Chi’-Lung continued.
“The dragon wars wasted the lives of many humans and dragons for centuries.  As time passed it became apparent that the age of dragons was ending as humans rose in power and intellect.  Slowly the dragons were being annihilated.  Since most dragons only breed and produce young once or twice a century they were being slaughtered at a rate that would eventually eradicate them.  There were humans that preyed on the dragons.  There were mercenaries, who sought out and killed dragons for the money.  There were opportunists who wanted to control and manipulate dragons for profit, or to have them spy on other dragons.  Yet there were those who realized the potential of dragon-human cooperation.  Fearghas was one of these.”
Chi’-Lung paused and Manny caught Lilyann up on the story.  He turned his attention back to the great dragon and his attitude was one of openness and eagerness. 
Chi’-Lung recognized this and continued.  “You, O Seeker-Manfred, are of the same mold as Fearghas. You bear the mind set of one who sees with the eyes of others and understands with the heart how others feel.  You do not differentiate by outward appearances, but see the goodness or potential in others where most see only difference and foreignness. That is why your time has come.  You have arrived here in this place partially by your selfless act of choosing the most difficult task for yourself and partially by the coincidence of timing –and all because of the malevolence that is gathering in the work of Maverick-Judson.  Yes, I am fully aware of him and his evil work,” the dragon responded to Manny’s surprise at the mention of Judson.
Manny related all of this to Lilyann who was as impressed as Manny at what the dragon knew of the outside world.
In response, Chi’-Lung transmitted to Manny, “We dragons do communicate among ourselves.  Yes, we are solitary creatures who prefer to live private lives, but we do exchange news, especially when it affects our existence.  Maverick-Judson is of the mold of those opportunists of the dragon wars.  He has learned the dark secret of dragon enslavement.  This aberration was stamped out by Fearghas as he built the first Alliance between dragons and humans.  But it has always been possible to reconstruct the mind force that makes it operative, and I am afraid that Maverick-Judson was able to rediscover that power with the information contained in your foundation documents.”
As Manny relayed this information to Lilyann they both began to see how the events of the previous months fit this new understanding of Judson’s capabilities and substantiated what the emerald dragon was telling them.
“We’ve got to get this information back to the Academy,” Lilyann said urgently.  “Felicia and the Council need to know this to better counter Jud’s plot to take over the kingdom.”
“There is much to learn of this situation before you can stand against Maverick-Judson’s power,” the dragon thought rumbled.  “You have already used one such counter measure quite effectively.  That was what confirmed to me that you were the one I was awaiting.”
“You mean the mind force instruction of ‘reflect’.  It came from you, right?” Manny asked, and then added, “Well, I guess I knew that.  It only makes sense.  Especially since I now know your telepathic abilities.” 
“Manny, that explains what happened out there,” Lilyann said.  “The emerald dragon knew what Jud was doing and gave you a defense against his mind power.  I hope she has lots more mind maneuvers we can use against Jud.”
The dragon thought interrupted.  “The aggressive enthusiasm of Seeker-Lilyann had best be tempered by the understanding that mind force is meant to build up, improve, repair, and heal.  It was never intended to be used to control, overpower, subvert, or destroy.  What you have developed in your Academy is an elementary form of beneficial mind control and mind power.  However, its unrefined state made it inevitable that some deviant intellect would subvert its power to nefarious ends.  And so we are seeing those consequences in the rampage of Maverick-Judson.”
Manny relayed this to Lilyann the best he could.  They were both taken aback by the reference to their Academy training as “elementary”.  It was obvious that Chi-Lung had helped Manny use a new form of mind power.  But to call the long tradition and continual refinement of the Academy’s training merely “elementary” was unsettling and felt a bit condescending to them.
“Do not take offense at my description of your Academy,” the dragon rumbled in Manny’s mind.  “It has always been a source of great joy and fulfillment to me.  For you see, it was out of our collaboration that Fearghas instituted the Academy of the Mind.”
“You mean you helped Fearghas develop mind force training?” Manny gasped.  And he quickly relayed to Lilyann what the dragon had told him.
Chi’-Lung sighed with a long, reverberating rumble, and the temperature in the confined space rose perceptibly.  “Where do you suppose Fearghas got the ideas and mental maneuvers that underlie mind power?” Chi’-Lung quizzed Manny.  “He did not just pick them out of thin air.”
“No, of course not.  I’m sorry,” Manny recanted.  “I didn’t mean to disregard your very valuable input into the process.”
“No offense taken,” Chi’-Lung assured Manny.  “Fearghas was at an early stage of mental prowess
--much as you are, only you are a great deal further along in a relative sense.  He had the foundation for mind control from all his predecessors who dealt with dragons for centuries during the dragon wars.  He was eager to learn and had an open mind, as you do, O Seeker-Manfred.  And one other thing.  It is not a prerequisite to rapid advancement in mind control, mind you, but it doesn’t hurt either –Fearghas recovered from a near fatal poisonous dragon bite.”
Manny told Lilyann this bit of news and they both wondered at the parallel occurrences in the lives of Fearghas and Manny –not the least of which was this rare encounter with the emerald dragon.
“You’re telling me,” Manny posed to the dragon, “that Fearghas learned what he knew of mind force maneuvers from you?”
“Just as you already have, my dear Seeker-Manfred,” Chi’-Lung responded. 
Manny recalled again how the instructions for the “Reflect” maneuver had come to him without his request or even knowing what to ask for. 
“I am deeply grateful for what you did, Chi’-Lung.  May I call you by that name?” Manny asked humbly.
The responding thunderous rumble would have been terrifying if not for the amused thought patterns that accompanied it.  Could dragons laugh? Manny and Lilyann wondered.
“It would please me to be called by my given name.  I have not enjoyed myself so much for many centuries,” the great dragon intoned.
With Manny’s help Lilyann had been able to keep up with most of this conversation, and her excitement and adrenalin kick had kept her intently focused on the situation.  But now she became aware of fatigue and a growing ache in her injured arm.  She adjusted her position in the sand and decided to shift her focus to try to heal the damage to her shoulder and collar bone.
“May I aid Seeker-Lilyann in repairing the damage to her arm?” Chi’-Lung asked.
Manny put this question to Lilyann and she consented.  Immediately she felt an enveloping sense of warmth, and a cradling comfort.  She leaned back against Manny and succumbed to the healing aura that filled the space around them.  Manny took in the multiple layers of thought energy that surrounded them, both with empathetic understanding of Lilyann’s relief from pain and with a rather clinical scrutiny of what the dragon was doing.
“It is good that you are observing closely, O Seeker-Manfred.  I will instruct you as I aid Seeker-Lilyann.”  Manny gained a sequence of mental steps with clear images of the results.  These he committed to permanent memory and locked them in his mind bank.
“How do you feel,” Manny asked Lilyann.
“Much better.  Thank Chi’-Lung for me.  Well, I guess she knows, doesn’t she?” Lilyann murmured as she drifted off into a light sleep.
“She will be completely healed when she awakes,” the dragon informed Manny.

Over the next several hours, while Lilyann slept, Manny and Chi’-Lung exchanged information, questions, and mental exercises.  It was a give and take of equals –intense scrutiny with respect, humor, and appreciation.  Manny had never felt so alive, so invigorated, and so challenged.  He was a sponge with endless capacity to absorb and process.  The dragon also seemed more animated.  She couldn’t help herself from exhaling smoke and her breath heated up the cave until Manny was sweating and had to remove his tunic.  (Chi’-Lung apologized for the excess heat and controlled her breathing after that.)  Her fine scaled skin glowed a brighter green, intense enough to dimly reveal the cave features in the emerald-green luminescence.  The two sentient creatures, human and dragon, joyfully intermingled their intellects, collaborating and discovering long dormant capabilities.   
Finally, they broke their intense concentration and relaxed.  Manny felt exhausted, yet contented with a deep sense of fulfillment.  The great dragon closed her eyes and rumbled deep in her throat.  Was she purring or humming a tune? Manny wondered.  Whichever it was, there was a pervasive sense of contentment that filled the space around her.
Manny resumed contact first.  With Lilyann asleep he continued communicating telepathically rather than speak aloud.  “Where did you get all your wisdom, Chi’-Lung?” he asked.
“I come from a long line of Chi’-Lung dragons that arose in the Middle Kingdom thousands of years ago,” the dragon responded. “Deafness has been an inherited trait of the Chi’-Lung lineage for most of that time.  In order to communicate we developed the capacity to telepathize. It was rather crude at first, but over the millennia the skill has been perfected to a high degree.  I’m afraid in my long confinement I have let it get rusty.”
“Not at all,” Manny differed.  “You have been both eloquent and erudite.  I doubt I have ever had so stimulating a conversation.”
“You are very kind.  It has been so long since I enjoyed such an engaging intellectual session.”
“Haven’t you had anyone to talk to since Fearghas? Manny asked.
“No humans until you chanced on me,” Chi’-Lung responded.
Many considered this a while, then asked, “Why didn’t Fearghas give you credit for your contribution to the discovery of mind control?  He didn’t leave us any information on how he developed the concepts; only basic steps in training that would give a qualified person elementary skills.  The Academy of the Mind that he founded has carried on his work without the benefit any writings or even a diary.  He just disappeared off the records without mention –no state funeral or anything.”
“That is the tragedy that I have had to live with,” sighed Chi’-Lung.  “Fearghas and I had long sessions of wonderful communication.  He was an eager learner and I had had no intellectual equal in centuries.”  She paused and then went on sadly, “We Chi’-Lung have always been the intellectuals of the dragon world.  We do not fight even when attacked. At the end of the dragon wars I was the only one left who carried the treasure of Chi’-Lung wisdom.  That is why I cherished the interchange with Fearghas.  I wanted to impart to him –to all humans, in essence—the wisdom that would cease to exist with my demise.” 
She paused for a moment. “We were making good progress, meeting when we could.  You understand that this was during the final throws of the war.  There were many who would have been horrified to know the great warrior Fearghas was consorting with a dragon.  He had to make it appear that these were his ideas.  His great contribution for the benefit of mankind and his charismatic leadership propelled him to power and he was able to draft the historic Alliance Agreements that ended the human-dragon wars.  During the early years we met infrequently and in secret.  As he gained more respect and power he was able to get away more often for what he called his mind quests.  He would allow no one to accompany him.  And we would meet, usually here in this cave.  But there were spies, those that wanted to remove him from power –even to do away with him.  Someone must have seen him come here.  They engineered the rock slide that killed him as he approached this cave from the canyon below. They concocted a story that included treachery and his name was remembered only by those who still believed in what he had started.  But the rock slide grew much larger than the assassins anticipated as it completely buried this cave and not only cut short Fearghas’ life, but cut off any chance for me to communicate with others –until now.”
“But the wyvern,” Manny said.  “Didn’t you have conversations with him?”
“No,” the dragon sighed, with a little puff of stale smoke.  “Wyverns are of limited intellect.  They are inordinately duty focused, and very reliable.  And they can be rather over-protective, as you found out.  But,” –another little curl of smoke—“they are not given to much social exchange.  One of the few wyverns to survive the wars was good enough to dig out a small passageway to bring me food.  But he and his descendents never stayed around to converse.”
“Is that true of other dragons as well,” Manny wanted to know.
“To a greater or lesser degree.  I could (or should I say ‘I used to’?) communicate with most dragons I met. We Chi’-Lung had instructed all dragons in telepathic communication.  Some have greater understanding than others, but there can be exchange. We all have a high degree of curiosity and honesty.  And dragons learn quickly.  Unfortunately, we can be easily persuaded.  And that is part of our vulnerability.  We can be reasoned with and encouraged; or cajoled, dissuaded, and confounded.  In essence, we can be deceived and manipulated.”
This produced a long, sad sigh that soon made Manny’s eyes burn and made him cough.
Chi’-Lung quickly controlled herself and went on.  “Once we have made a commitment –given our word—we can never go back on it.  It would be easier for a dragon to stop breathing than break trust, no matter to whom that commitment is made.  And that is the weakness that Maverick-Judson is exploiting.  That is how he can virtually enslave a dragon.”
“But how can he do that if he doesn’t have the ability to communicate telepathically?” Manny wanted to know.
“Even though I can understand Lilyann she can not receive my thought communication.  Other dragons have normal hearing and can understand humans, but likewise cannot communicate to them –and so it is with Maverick-Judson.  He has been able to acquire the knowledge of dragon relations and social mores, and has developed the skill of dragon persuasion –while perverting all directives for human-dragon interactions. That is how he can enslave vulnerable dragons to do his bidding.”
Manny reflected on this distressing state of affairs.  Abruptly he got to his knees and cried out, “How can he be stopped before he destroys the last of the dragons with his greed and self serving?  You’ve got to help me –help us all—stop him before it’s too late?” 
His sudden movement woke Lilyann up, and she yawned and stretched languorously.  Suddenly she realized she was moving her right arm.  Tearing off the restraining bandages, she raised her arm over her head and announced, “Manny!  Look at how I can move my arm.  It feels great!”
They both gazed at the great, glowing dragon who regarded them with contented, half closed eyes.
“I’d get up and hug you,” Lilyann told Chi’-Lung, “if I thought that were allowed.”
“No need to do that,” the dragon whispered in Manny’s mind.  “I am more than repaid to sense your well being and gratitude.”                    
Manny spent some time relating to Lilyann all he had learned from Chi’-Lung.  They both felt the same urgency and concern.                                        
“Chi’-Lung,” Manny spoke up again, “how shall we deal with this situation?  I need to know what to do from the dragon’s point of view.”
“That is wise,” Chi’-Lung responded.  “It is you who can best decide what needs to be done from the human side –while I will gladly instruct you in the art of dragon strategy.  But first,” the great emerald dragon intoned, “we must pause to refresh ourselves –this matter is of the utmost importance and will take some time.”

Chapter Eleven

Six days after taking leave of the emerald dragon Manny and Lilyann stood with Felicia, the Mind-master, and several members of the Council.  Their vantage point gave them a sweeping view of the narrow valley below that separated them from a crumbling fortress perched on a high cliff directly across.  The valley floor was covered with tents and campfires, small clusters of hobbled horses, squadrons of armored infantry drilling, and several large instruments of battlement attack.  The king’s banner floated over a central large, ornate tent.  Above the imposing encampment two dragons watched from opposite ends of the ancient stronghold.  A third dragon of immense size stood before the arched entrance to the fortification, the doors of which had long ago fallen off, or been carted away for firewood.

Felicia was speaking.  “I had hoped that it would never come to this,” she said sadly.  “It has been more than six hundred years since the full war machine that man is capable of has been brought to bear against the forces of the dragon kingdom.”
“It’s not too late, Felicia,” Manny said.  “The emerald dragon believes Academy adherents can still turn aside the tide of dragon control and disarm Judson.  All we have to do is persuade the king that this can work.”
“It’s our only realistic hope of averting a dragon slaughter that could end in their extinction,” Lilyann argued.
“Granted.  Granted.” Felicia said holding up her hand –and smiling at the two fervent partners.  “All we have to do is persuade a reluctant, strong-headed king that a thousand year old dragon that no one, except you two, has seen in six hundred years –that this almost mythical dragon can quickly engineer a complete turnaround in a disastrous affair that is cascading out of control.  That’s what you’re proposing, am I correct?”
“Yes!” they both answered simultaneously.  Then Manny added, “In essence, that’s what we’re proposing.”
Felicia shook her head.  “I wish we all had your sense of certainty and optimism.”  She looked at the Council members huddled around them.  They were exhibiting various signs of nervousness, dejection, and irritability.  And no wonder.  They had been humiliated in front of the king when some of the king’s military advisors had called them cowards and dragon lovers.  The reputation of the Academy hadn’t sunk so low in centuries, and the fear and hatred of dragons had not risen so high since the great dragon wars.  The king had ordered the Academy teams out of the area and commanded the generals to lay siege to the old fortress.  Any dragon that got in the way was to be killed.
“I know that both of you are convinced that this will work,” Felicia went on.  “And I know with certainty that you, Manny, have expanded your mind control regions enormously.  I am completely impressed with the new maneuvers that you have demonstrated.  And I am without doubt that you have both been in communication with and received valuable instruction from the emerald dragon.  That you can communicate telepathically with other dragons we have not yet verified, but I believe you when you say you can do this.  The information you claim the emerald dragon told you about Fearghas and the early days of the Academy is credible, but not yet analyzed historically.  All this will be done in due time.  Right now we must act swiftly and with as much shrewdness and wisdom as we are capable of.”  She addressed the Council members.  “If any of you have a recommendation or suggestion, I’d suggest that you speak up now.”
Several of the Councilmen spoke at once, “We should throw our support to the king and be seen as responsible citizens,” one said, while another said, “We should convene an emergency meeting of the Council,” and another, “We should stay out of this and wash our hands of this whole ugly affair.”
“Gentlemen, gentlemen,” Felicia admonished.  “I expected reasonable responses to what Seeker-Manfred and Seeker-Lilyann propose be done.  We have come up with no realistic alternative to their plan.  Unless you can suggest something better, we had better give them our authorization to proceed.”
She looked around at the Council members who one by one nodded agreement or shrugged.
“It looks like you at least have our tacit approval,” Felicia said to Manny and Lilyann.  “I, for one, am committed to do whatever is necessary to achieve our objective.”
“That’s great, Felicia,” Manny said.
“We knew we could count on you,” Lilyann added.
“Here’s what I would suggest,” Manny went on.  “Felicia, you have always been highly regarded by the king.  And you have only an indirect association with the Academy.  Maybe the king would give you an audience and hear you out even at this late date.”
“I believe that would be possible,” Felicia agreed.  “If I engage the king with plausible arguments and hold his attention with my wiles, maybe I can buy you enough time to put the emerald dragon’s strategy into action.”
“It’s worth a try,” Manny said.  “I have complete faith that what Chi’-Lung said could be done, will happen as she predicted.  I just hope we can get close enough to the fortress before one side or the other does something rash.”
“I’m with you all the way, Manny,” Lilyann said.  “We don’t have any time to rehearse this.  But we’ve done things together as a team long enough to have confidence we can make it work.”

The meeting with King Effectus went well –or at least well enough to allow Manny’s plan to be put into action.  Felicia had convinced the king that Manny and Lilyann had learned secret’s from the emerald dragon that would neutralize Judson’s hold on the dragons.  The king wanted to flex his military muscles, but he also knew that a protracted battle against the dragons could wreck his kingdom’s economy and sap his treasury.  His ambivalent vacillation between heroic struggle and greed was won by greed –at least for the time being.  He would give the best Academy team led by Manny and Lilyann one last chance to prove their mettle.

So it was that early the next morning the battle ready troops, lined up on the valley floor below the fortress ramparts, parted their ranks to allow Manny, Lilyann, Andi, Reggy, Tuk, and Heidi through.
The Academy grads had spent several hours during the night planning their operation.  Now as they started up the steep valley side they fanned out, Andi and Reggy circling to the right and Tuk and Heidi circling left.  Manny and Lilyann kept straight along the road leading up to the first of the earthen ramparts surrounding the fortress.  What had once been a road was now a deeply rutted erosion channel that could quickly turn into a stream during torrential rains.  The partners kept to one side of the gully, climbing the grade while staying out of sight of the dragons above.  Manny, exploring ahead with his mind’s eye, could tell that the dragons were on full alert and watching the road and the troop formation in the valley.  He probed the thought patterns of the central dragon guarding the gate and could detect fear, anger, and a decided degree of futility.  But there was no thought of escape or half-hearted effort.  This big fellow would fight to the death if necessary. 
Manny recalled the dragon Judson had left to prevent their leaving the canyon where they discovered Chi’-Lung.  That dragon was a rather dull and uncommitted individual compared to the oversized creature they now faced.  The dragon put on watch at the canyon was easily persuaded to set aside his commitment to Judson in favor of the indisputable requirement that Chi’-Lung had instructed Manny to use.  The formidable dragon that now blocked the entrance ahead was considerably larger and a lot more intelligent.  He’d be no pushover for Manny’s newly learned strategy.

When they reached the first rampart Manny and Lilyann crouched at the edge of the opening where the road penetrated the old earthen works.  They were now no more than 50 paces from the broken gates of the fortress and the dragon that would test their preparedness. 
Manny cast a thought message to the dragon.  “O greatest of the dragons of Judson’s fortress, we come to have audience with you.”
“Where are you?” an impossibly deep rumbling thought came back to Manny.  “Who are you and to what dragon clan do you belong?”
“We will remain hidden until we know your intentions,” Manny returned.  “We are humans, members of the Academy of the Mind.  We have no collusion with the king or his forces arrayed against you in the valley.  We come to offer you a way to avoid a costly war and possibly your death and the death of many dragons.”
“I do not see you.  Show yourself,” the dragon challenged.
“I will reveal myself to you if I have your word that you will not attack or attempt to harm me or my partners in any way,” Manny returned.
There was a long pause as the dragon considered this.  Manny could discern that he was balancing this commitment against the one (or several) he had been persuaded to make to Judson. 
Finally the dragon projected the thought, “I will not harm you unless you make a move against this fortress or any occupants of it.”
“Agreed,” Manny returned the thought.  And he immediately stepped out into the open and stood facing a fifteen foot tall, fearsome dragon only fifty paces away.  This fellow was of the largest order of Western dragons, thick of body, heavily armored with blood red scales, with a hideous, crocodile-like head and jaws, and huge bat-like wings.  A greenish tinted smoke curled from his nostrils, betraying his tension.
The great beast regarded Manny intently and then projected, “Indeed you are human.  How then are you able to communicate with me?”
Manny let the amazing incongruity sink in a moment and then thought projected, “I am the second Dragon Caller, after the order of Fearghas of old.”
The effect of this announcement was immediate and very gratifying to see for both Manny and Lilyann, who had now stepped out of concealment.  There was an immediate relaxing of thought tension and the imposing dragon stepped back a pace.  “How can this be?  There has been no heritage legend to inform us of your coming.”
“It is the doing of Chi’-Lung the emerald dragon.  It is her wish that all dragons be informed that this is so.  Chi’-Lung, the last of the wisest dragons, has been entombed alive for six hundred years.  She has declared to me that I am the successor of Fearghas.  I have been given the task of bringing about a second Alliance for the benefit of all dragons and humans.”
“The emerald dragons are remembered in our legends as the founders of our thought speech.  That you, O human, can communicate in our manner validates your claim.  We know of Fearghas and remember him as the Dragon-Man.  It is an honor to be addressed by his successor.” 
“It would be an honor for me to know your name, O great dragon,” Manny thought, using dragon diplomacy.
“Tlaloc,” the dragon intoned, “You may call me Tlaloc.”
“Tlaloc,” Manny thought projected, “I am aware of your moral dilemma.  You have made inviolate commitments to Judson.  For his part this Judson has broken his commitments and moral obligations to the Academy of the Mind that Fearghas founded.  We who carry on the true traditions and values of the Academy stand in opposition to Judson.  We would honor all agreements and relations with dragons and never try to exploit those relationships.”
“And what do you propose, O second Dragon-Man?  Is it not apparent that the armed might of humans is arrayed against us?  How does that benefit the order of dragons?”
“It is fear, O Tlaloc,” Manny responded.  “It is human’s fear of dragons and dragon’s distrust of humans that Judson has maliciously used for his own purposes.  His purpose is self serving.  He wants to control all things human and dragon, making himself a ruler who answers to no one, neither dragon nor human.”
“Is this not a failing of all humans?  Given the opportunity has there not always been self serving humans who have exploited their own kind as well as other creatures and the very land itself?” the dragon wanted to know.
“Granted there have been some,” Manny acknowledged.  “But what you say is no more true of most humans than it is to say that all dragons are virtuous.” 
“Your point is taken,” the dragon capitulated.
“My point, O Tlaloc, is that Judson has brought this approaching calamity to a head without consideration of the consequences to humans or dragons.  And he has conscripted you and your fellow dragons to do his bidding in ways that do not benefit your order,” Manny finished.
“I have been convinced otherwise, but I am willing to hear your argument,” Tlaloc rumbled.
Manny drew from the history that Chi’-Lung had given him.  “The downfall of the greatest dragon civilization came about because of the Dragon Wars.  Instead of cooperation and accommodation both humans and dragons resorted to protracted warfare, to the detriment of both species.  It produced the dark ages for the humans and has led to the inexorable decline of all dragon orders.  Is this not so?” Manny challenged the dragon.
“It is so for those who have given up all hope,” the dragon countered.  “We who follow Leader-Judson believe this course can be reversed.  We can become strong again under the orders of Leader-Judson.”
Manny could sense that Judson had indoctrinated these dragons to a significant degree.  They would not be easily persuaded to abandon the doctrine Judson had drilled into them.  Time was of the essence now.  They had not seen Judson yet and Lilyann was trying to get a fix on him.  If their presence was detected before the dragons could be neutralized the situation would be hard to control.
It was time to pull out his trump ace, Manny thought.  Chi’-Lung had revealed to him the central tenant of all dragons that would supersede any other directive a dragon could be given.
“Then let it be said, O Tlaloc,” Manny declared, “I call upon the most cherished of all dragon tenants that must be complied with to the exclusion of all previous commitments:  ‘Fyrstr Bjoda’ –the foremost command, the inviolate edict!”
The effect on the obstinate dragon was immediate.  On recognition of the ancient thought words the formidable beast sank to his knees and put his great head down between his heavily clawed front feet.
“I renounce all commitments that violate the Fyrstr Bjoda.  I will uphold all directives that sustain the Fyrstr Bjoda.”  The dragon thought was clearly sincere.
“I commend you, O Tlaloc,” Manny reassured the now docile beast.  “You are being true to all the highest values of dragon heritage.  What I have told you is the true council of Chi’-Lung the Wise.  Following the orders of Maverick-Judson will lead to untold harm to dragons primarily and also to humans.  You must renounce all commitments to Judson.  You will be free of all obligations when we have apprehended Judson, and you will be at liberty to return to your former life.”
“Let it be so, O second Dragon-Man.  I am at your command.” 
Lilyann had been observing the interaction between Manny and Tlaloc.  She couldn’t perceive the words but could deduce what was going on by the dragon’s reactions.  She knew she shouldn’t be surprised by the dramatic effects the ancient words had on the dragon.  Chi’-Lung had explained that invoking this code would immediately render all dragons compliant to directives that upheld dragon culture.  But the visual impact of seeing the fearsome, red beast docilely lying down caught her off guard.  She recalled that Chi’-Lung had told them that this “foremost command” was decreed during the dragon wars and sworn to in perpetuity by all dragons, committing all their successors to abide by it for all time.  The edict stated that all endeavors and commitments that did not benefit or advance dragon culture must give way to those commitments that promoted the dragon way of life.  It was recognized that this edict was the unifying factor for all independent and scattered dragons, resulting in the Great Dragon War becoming a virtual stalemate between humans and dragons.  Over time it was less and less called on, but was still an essential part of the cultural DNA of dragons.
Abruptly Lilyann caught a familiar mind-mark. “I’ve located Judson.  He’s coming this way!” she called to Manny.
Manny quickly instructed the compliant dragon, “O Tlaloc, it is my wish that you instruct your fellow dragons who guard this front wall of the necessity of invoking the Fyrstr Bjoda.  I trust your leadership to convince them of the obligation to observe this tenant.”
Both Lilyann and Manny made a dash toward the now unguarded gateway with the shared thought image of getting through the opening before Judson could physically block it to keep them out.
At that moment Judson appeared on the ancient wall above them.  He saw the partners sprinting toward the gateway and shrilly commanded the dragon below to stop them.  The dragon did not move a muscle but lay quietly, apparently communicating with the other two dragons on the front wall.  Judson screamed at the two partners running towards him, “What did you do to my dragon?  Don’t come any closer.  I warn you!”
Judson knew better than to try any mind force maneuvers.  He had learned the hard way that these could backfire on him with Manny around.  But he had other plans up his sleeve.  Stepping back he got behind a huge, wooden barrel and began rolling it toward the front of the wall over the gateway.  As it neared the edge he reached behind him and grabbed a lighted torch, pulled a large cork from the end of the barrel and inserted the handle of the torch into the hole.  Throwing himself against the barrel he pushed it toward the edge.
“Get back!” Manny ordered the dragon as he and Lilyann sprinted hard for the opening that the dragon almost completely filled. 
Judson grunted with effort as the huge barrel caught on an edge rock of the wall.  Then with brute force and a final bellow of rage he sent the deadly cask careering down to the entranceway below.
Tlaloc moved with amazing agility for a beast his size and jumped back just as Manny and Lilyann dove into the opening, rolling to a stop where the great clawed feet had rested seconds before.
The heavy, wooden barrel hit the ground right behind the diving partners, splintering with a tremendous crash and splashing its oily contents over the surrounding area.  The torch fire caught in the oil immediately and the entire front of the entranceway burst into flames.  Manny and Lilyann continued rolling through the arch, putting out any burning oil that had hit them.  The dragon had backed up into the inner courtyard and was looking around for any other approaching threats.
“Do you not see how this Maverick-Judson has no concern for the lives of humans or dragons?”  Manny projected to Tlaloc.
“It is clear, O Dragon-Man.  He does not keep his word, and he is devious,” the great dragon responded.
“Have the two dragons on the wall been committed to keep the Frystr Bjoda?” Manny asked.
“It has been so ordered and they are compliant,” returned Tlaloc.
“Then you must help us find all dragons in this compound and convince them of the same,” Manny projected, and quickly added,  “There are four more of my companions searching the area around the fortress to convince all dragons outside to come to this place for further instruction.”
“I will do as you direct me,” Tlaloc observed.  He stretched his neck high and looked around.  “I do not see the devious Judson.  He has gone into hiding.”
By this time the oil fire had built up into a huge, conflagration in front of the fortress with black smoke billowing into the sky.  The shadows of the two Academy partners produced by the blaze stretched across the courtyard and danced on the inner refuge wall alongside the much bigger shadow of the dragon.  Their shadows shrank and bobbed as Manny and Lilyann ran toward massive wooden doors in the refuge wall. 
“Break down these doors so that we may inform the dragons within of the Fyrstr Bjoda,” Manny commanded Tlaloc.
The great, red dragon raised an impressive front leg and pushed against the thick, oak doors, tearing them off their hinges.
At that moment there came from the front wall a gruesome thud, followed by a wailing shriek as the large black dragon on the south end of the wall fell back into the courtyard.  The heavy shaft of a field crossbow arrow protruded from her side.
“What is the meaning of this?” bellowed Tlaloc.
“It is the work of Judson,” Manny argued.  “The fire he intended for us,” (indicating the two humans and the dragon), “has inflamed the hearts of the soldiers.  Without knowing the cause of the fire they have wounded your friend thinking that the battle has begun.”
Thinking quickly, Manny shouted instructions.  “Tlaloc, go inside the refuge and instruct all dragons within of the vital need to observe Fyrstr Bjoda.  Lilyann, attend the wounded dragon and see if you can ease her suffering.”  He was about to command the other black dragon on the north end of the wall to come down, but it had already descended to the courtyard on huge, black wings.  It came toward them, black smoke bursting in nervous jets from its nostrils.
Manny walked towards the great, black beast with both hands held in front of him, palms forward.  “O courageous, black dragon.  You have not abandoned your post or committed any dishonor.  You have been true to the Frystr Bjoda and can now help to preserve the honor and perpetuity of the great dragon order.”
The dragon sat back on its haunches and settled down, the smoke wispping away to nothing.
Manny continued.  “It would be to your credit to aid me getting out the gate to call off the approaching army.”  He indicated the fire still burning at the entrance.  “Use your great breath to blow away the fire,” he commanded the dragon.
Without hesitation the immense beast lumbered to the gateway and produced a large blast of smoky breath that blew flames, oil and a good bit of dirt and debris away from the opening.
Manny thanked the dragon who bowed slightly.  After instructing the black dragon to join Tlaloc in the inner refuge, Manny dashed through the smoldering entrance way and ran down the blackened roadway toward the noise of approaching soldiers.

Meanwhile, Lilyann had hurried to the side of the wounded dragon.  The great beast was still alive but suffering dreadfully.  Lilyann soothed it with mind power, willing the relaxation of taut muscles, and blocking the pain pathways that she could identify.  The deeply imbedded shaft of the large arrow had to be pulled out in order to staunch the internal bleeding.  The field piece crossbow was a large weapon mounted on wheels and drawn by four or six men or two horses.  A strong windlass was used to draw back the compound bow and a six foot long heavy arrow was shot with variable accuracy.  It had been a most unfortunate twist of fate that the arrow had hit its mark.  The only positive thing, Lilyann thought now, was that the wound was not instantly fatal.  There was still a chance that the dragon could be saved –if she could extract the shaft and stem the bleeding.
She spoke to the dragon carefully.  “O unfortunately wounded dragon.  I will strive to heal you.  I have special training in the healing crafts and I can ease your suffering and put you on the road to recovery.  But you must cooperate with me and allow me to do this thing that I must do.  I ask you, do you trust me?”
Lilyann watched the dragon closely.  The great eyes opened, the nostrils flared, but no smoke came out.  Slowly the dragon put her head down and closed her eyes again.  Lilyann took this to signal consent.  She went to the dragon’s side and grasped the heavy arrow.  Placing her foot against the dragon’s side she pulled.  The arrow did not budge.  She wrapped her arm around the shaft grasping it firmly with both hands and tugged mightily.  Nothing moved.  The dragon lay amazingly quiet, breathing in shallow, painful breaths, but with no outcry or struggle.
Lilyann stepped back and studied the situation.  It was apparent that she would not be able to pull out the arrow by herself.  Manny was occupied down the hill trying to convince the first squad leader to call off his troops.  She had to act quickly if she was going to save this first casualty of a potential battle.
Glancing around she spotted a heavy windlass mounted on the wall above, used to haul armaments and defensive gear to the top of the fortress wall.  Near the bottom of the main wall was a wide ledge used for holding equipment that might be needed above.  She climbed quickly to the ledge as it was only about eight feet high.  From there she was able to climb the inside of the fortress wall and grasp the rope hanging from the windlass arm.  She brought it down to the dragon and tied it securely to the arrow shaft.  Mounting the wall again she turned the handle on the winch, using the ratchet to prevent back slipping.  The arrow started to move, but the moaning dragon tried getting to her feet and was dragged against the base of the wall.  The dragon collapsed onto her side with the arrow protruding directly upward.  Now the pull of the winch was better angled to pull the arrow straight out.  Lilyann cranked hard and the arrow came out cleanly.

Clambering back down Lilyann found that to get to the wound in the dragon’s side she had to kneel on the lower ledge –and even then could barely reach it.  Quickly grasping the rope of the windlass she untied it from the arrow and fastened it around her waist so that by leaning out over the dragon she could tend her injury.  She was applying pressure to the wound with her bunched up jacket when she became aware of a familiar and unwanted mind-mark.  Glancing over her shoulder she saw Judson striding resolutely towards her.  His face was a mask of controlled rage.  His thought patterns were black and deadly.
“Go away, Jud!  Leave me alone,” Lilyann ordered him. 
Judson tried to throttle her with mind power but only choked and coughed himself.  So, he thought, she knows how to do this reflecting thing also.
“Can’t you see I’m trying to save this unfortunate dragon?” Lilyann shot back at him.
“Attack her!  Kill her!” Judson bellowed at the dragon.  The poor, confused dragon struggled to get to her feet, smoke jetting from her nostrils.
“Be on guard, brave dragon,” Lilyann called to the dragon who was bumping against her in the struggle to rise.  “Remember your vow to the foremost command.  Fyrstr Bjoda.  Fyrstr Bjoda.”
The dragon immediately settled back down, resting with her legs under her.   
Judson roared with rage, “What are you doing to my dragons?  How have you bewitched them, you wretched witch?”  His hand went to his belt and he drew an ugly dagger.  “You have interfered with my plans once too often –you and your pompous partner!”  His voice went cold.  “He is not here to save you now, is he?  Too bad that I can’t take care of him at the same time.  But you will do fine.  I will have my revenge for your constant meddling.”
He walked toward Lilyann, dagger held at his side.  She could not move, tied as she was and hanging out over the dragon with her knees on the crumbling ledge.
In desperation, but with a distinct image in her mind, she called out to the dragon crouching just below her, “Assist me, O brave dragon.  Without my help you will surely die.  This Judson would take my life and yours at the same time.  That does not serve the foremost command, the Fyrstr Bjoda.”
With a great roar of determination laced with pain the formidable beast rose to her feet and, fixing Judson with a baleful glare, swung her heavy tail at him.  Judson was almost on top of Lilyann, arm raised with the dagger over his head, when the dragon’s heavy tail crashed against the ledge just below his feet.  The ancient wall crumbled around him and Judson was swept off his feet, tumbling with stone blocks and wall debris down to the courtyard floor, landing in a heap next to the staggering dragon.  The swooning beast collapsed, pinning Judson, half covered with dirt and rocks, against what remained of the lower wall. Lilyann was left swinging from the windlass rope above the two unconscious forms          –dragon and human.

A short while later, Manny came running through the gateway into the courtyard, accompanied by a squad of foot soldiers with the sound of many more outside.  He stopped short when he saw Lilyann, dangling from the windlass, but with her outstretched foot pressing a blood soaked wad of clothing against the prostrate dragon’s wound. 
Lilyann grinned at him and said nonchalantly, “Where there’s a will there’s a way.”
“How did you ever get trussed up like that?” Manny asked with a dumbfounded look on his face.
“It’s a long story,” Lilyann explained.  “But, for starters, you may want to look over here between this dragon and the wall.  I think you’ll find the culprit for most of our troubles –and, uh,” she said sheepishly, trying to keep from spinning around, “and this somewhat compromising situation.”
Manny hurried over to where Lilyann indicated and stepping around the recumbent dragon, who seemed to be resting rather comfortably now, looked down at a pair of legs sticking out of the pile of rocks alongside the sprawling beast.
“Is that who I think it is?” Manny questioned Lilyann.
“It’s Jud, alright,” Lilyann assured him.  “I don’t know what shape he’s in, but you might get some help to move our big patient over a little so you can get Jud out.”
Soldiers had begun to gather around this dramatic setting by now, staying a respectful distance away from the dragon.  But as the fearsome looking beast made no move against Manny, who was standing practically on top of her, they started edging in closer.
“Can she tolerate being moved?” Manny asked Lilyann, looking up at her.
“I would say so,” Lilyann responded.  “You can ask her if she can take it, and reassure her that the wound is starting to heal.”
“O brave and stalwart dragon,” Manny though projected to the dragon as he gazed down at her great head just inches from his leg.  “You have prevailed over the forces of wrong-doing and shown what great valor and courage dragons are capable of.  May we move you a little to one side so that we may arrest and make stand trial this one who has threatened to bring dishonor to the whole dragon kingdom?”
The large eyes opened.  They were amazingly clear and alert looking as they gazed intently at him.
“Are you the second Dragon-Man, as Tlaloc claimed?” the thought came back to him.
“This is what Tlaloc, the great red dragon, called me.  Chi’-Lung, the Wise, called me the successor to Fearghas.  I am that one.  To whom do I have the honor of this exchange?” Manny used his best dragon diplomacy. 
“I am Tanith, of Kyllikki,” the black dragon responded.  “You may move me carefully.  I am still in much pain.  But the human-who-heals is making me feel stronger, and I trust her skill to help me recover.”
“Your healer’s name is Seeker-Lilyann.  She is indeed skilled in the healing craft.  And she is as daring and courageous as you are, O Tanith of Kyllikki.”  Manny thought projected this looking up at Lilyann with admiration and gratitude.
“Well?” Lilyann questioned, looking down at Manny.
“We both think you’re the greatest,” Manny said truthfully.
Lilyann laughed, which spun her part way around.  “How about getting some of those muscular guys to help you move our brave dragon and dig Jud out of that trash pile,” she said as she slowly twisted back.  “And then if you can get me down from here, I’d appreciate it.  I’m beginning to get tired of swinging.”





Chapter Twelve

Felicia was about as lively and talkative as anyone had seen her.  She was pointing to the top of the chronicle tapestry in the Great Hall and explaining the recent additions to the rune narrative as several Academy students were taking notes or asking questions.
“The compound rune that appeared yesterday documents the origins of the second Alliance,” she was saying.  “It is noteworthy that the document establishing this agreement has only just been drafted by the Council –and yet to be ratified by the coalition of dragons.  But it appears that the chronicle tapestry, in its mystical nature, has already predicted that it will be ratified.  We are living in historic times,” she enthused.
Across the Great Hall, around a long table near the fireplace, a crowd of Academy grads had gathered and were talking animatedly.  Heidi, Reggy, Tuk, Andi, Lilyann, and Manny were seated at one end of the table.
“I don’t know what you found on your side,” Reggy was saying to Tuk and Heidi, “but trying to persuade two dragons at the same time was worse than trying to talk your way out of a mugging.”  He was referring to what the two teams were doing on both sides of the fortress while Manny and Lilyann were entering the redoubt. 
“Tell me about it,” Tuk laughed.  “But at least your dragons could overhear what was going on inside the refuge where that big red dragon was informing the others about the foremost command.  On our side,” he went on dramatically, “they came charging in when the black dragon took a direct hit from the field crossbow.  They figured the battle had started and they were all fired up.”
“I’ll say they were ‘fired up’,” Heidi put in.  “I thought we were going to be barbecued before we could even get them to hear us shouting ‘Fyrstr Bjoda’          !”
“I was so petrified I almost forgot the words,” Tuk confessed.
“I’m still just kind of flabbergasted at how those two words can affect the dragons so completely,” Andi mused.
“Yeah,” Reggy agreed.  “Pretty powerful stuff, if you ask me.”
“Hey, Lilyann!” someone shouted from further down the table.  “You’ve got to teach me how to do that ‘Reflect’ maneuver.  It’d be mighty handy right now to get these people down here to lay off me.”  Laughter rippled down the table.
“I hear that Jud was mighty put out when he discovered you also knew that maneuver,” Tuk chuckled, looking at Lilyann.
“Not as ‘put out’ as he was after the dragon knocked him off the wall!” Reggy laughed.
“I don’t think I’ve ever seen anyone quite as beat up as Jud looked,” Heidi said, shaking her head.
“Yeah,” Reggy agreed.  “He’ll be a long time recovering from that.”
“Well, that’ll give Felicia extra time to work on restoring his mind balance,” Andi observed.
“You think she can do it?” Tuk wanted to know.  “I mean, besides repairing his mind capacity, do you think she can clean up his mean streak?”
Everyone laughed.
“Seriously,” Tuk persisted.  “Is that a possibility?  Can a Mind-master repair a person’s moral character?”
There was a lively discussion on that conundrum for a while.

Evidence of these high spirits had filled the Academy grounds and buildings almost all that day.  In fact, the whole capital city –and for that matter, the whole kingdom—had been celebrating since word came back of the defeat of Judson and his deluded dragon horde.  The king had declared a holiday and his castle and the surrounding city were being decorated for the festivities.  Special guests had been invited to a grand feast in the king’s banquet hall.  These included, among the usual nobility and court hangers-on, Felicia and Manny.  Overnight Manny had become a national hero and a sought after celebrity.  Albeit none of this was having a noticeable affect on Manny, who would much prefer being out pursuing a quest or just roaming some remote countryside –when he wasn’t at the Academy enjoying his friends. 

“I hope you have a great time tonight at the king’s ball,” Lilyann said aside to Manny.
“Not that I’m looking forward to it,” he replied with a sigh.
“Well, you certainly deserve having some recognition for being the linchpin of this whole affair,” she said seriously.  “I know you don’t feel comfortable in these formal situations, but the people ought to have a chance to express their gratitude –and their adulation, for that matter,” she finished.
“That’s the part I can do without,” Manny grimaced.
“Well, Manny, you are the second Dragon-Caller,” she pointed out.  “That’s a momentous thing for the Academy and the kingdom.”
“Yeah.  Well, I’d rather be here enjoying the Academy festivities tonight rather than sitting next to the king and having to behave.”  He smiled ruefully and added, “With Felicia sitting on the other side keeping an eye on me.”
“We’ll miss you tonight,” Lilyann said.
“It’s probably just as well. That way I won’t be staying up all night celebrating with all of you party people,” Manny laughed.  He added, more seriously, “I need to get some sleep so I can get an early start in the morning.”
Lilyann nodded, putting on a little smile.  She had been unable to talk Manny out of leaving so soon to deliver the draft of the Alliance Agreement to the Dragon Coalition.  Furthermore, she knew the real reason he was eager to be the envoy to the dragons was to spend more time with Chi’-Lung.  This was right, she had convinced herself, and would result in more revelations for the Academy of the Mind, and would build deeper bonds with the best in the dragon world.  Sharing her partner with others, human or dragon, was something she would always have to live with. 
She smiled bravely with a real desire to cheer Manny on.  Their partnership had grown decidedly deeper as a result of the harrowing and climactic events of the last several days.  They shared some secrets that would always have special meaning to them alone.  And yet there were things she sensed in Manny that she would never be able to access or fully understand.  His smile was warm and his eyes held a special sparkle when looking at her.  But there was a portion of his mind-mark that didn’t register with her as it used to.  She admired and felt close to this “Dragon-Man”—as the dragons called him; at least to the persona represented by the “Man” part of the name.  But the “Dragon” part felt forever beyond her reach.  She struggled with the ambiguity of her feelings.  She was deeply proud of him for what he had accomplished and how the kingdom now regarded him; but she also resented what destiny had done to their relationship.  She usually felt big enough to accept this and assured herself that she was truly fortunate to have shared the experiences that had culminated so grandly. But it was hard to maintain that unselfish outlook tonight.
Manny took her hand and gazed knowingly into her eyes.  “I know how you feel, and I wish there was a way to do this without making you feel left out.”  The thought patterns surrounding him were a mixture of frustration and longing.  It was obvious that he had not chosen this road and was feeling the weight of destiny on him.  And there was the distinct sense of the adventurous boy in him who would much prefer being able to explore the world and enjoy his friends.
“Manny,” Lilyann said with all the sincerity she could muster, “I want you to know how proud I am of you.  I want you to do this knowing I will always consider you my partner.  There is so much at stake that is bigger than you and me.  And I hope you will go where you have to and do what is destined for you to do with all the energy and joy and genuine greatness I know you are capable of.”
“Thank you, Lil,” Manny said earnestly.  “I will always value your support and consider you my special partner.”  He paused and then said, “Well, I better go get into my best meet-the-king outfit.”
He stood and smiled at her warmly. “And in case I don’t see you before I leave in the morning, I’ll see you just as soon as I get back.”
Lilyann gave him her cheeriest smile and said, “Give it your best mind shot, big boy!” in the customary Academy send off.
A cheer went up from the Academy grads around the table as Manny started across the room. 
Several called after him, “Give my best his majesty!” and “Don’t let him talk you into anything too outlandish!”
Lilyann joined in the cheers along with the rest of their friends.
Manny waved to them good naturedly as he reached the door.
Someone called out, “Hey, Manny! Find out some good mind maneuvers for us when you see the emerald dragon!”
“That I’ll do,” Manny called back.  “And I’ll bet Chi’-Lung will have some new secrets for me just as spectacular as the one that brought Judson down.”
This time it was Lilyann who had the premonition, and she knew that Manny was right in more ways than he guessed.  Suddenly she felt compelled to look over at the chronicle tapestry –and she caught her breath.  There, as she watched, a new rune cluster was coming into being.  At the top of the ancient tapestry, next to the recent additions, Manny’s name was appearing –the second Dragon-Caller.