susan and steve ch4
just ch4. read the others if you have not
Chapter four
Susan and Steve just arrive back at his house to find a team of dwarves there. Galatem set Steve down and Susan sets the box down as well. Steve walked over to them and found them each having his books. Most of them were being looked threw but there was a few stray pages here and there. “ Susan?"
She shakes her head and moves over. “ The high queen wants her prize. She does not care about the means." Steve picked up one of the pages. “ They have no right to tear my books up."
Susan paused. Part of the agreement was keeping his home intact. “ Master dwarf?"
She called and a dwarf came out of the shed with a pair of limb sheers on his shoulder. “ You called princess."
Susan gestures toward the group of dwarves sitting and looking at the books. “ The agreement was tidy and structured not tore up. The tomes will have their secrets but you must not damage them getting them."
The master dwarf looks at some of the pages and goes wide eyes. “ By my beard! You damaged them!"
In a flash the dwarf master gave each of his workers a good thump on the head. He then gently gathered the pages that have been made lose. “ You lot are going to go without for this atrocity."
Steve put a gentle hand on his shoulder and took the pages and put them in a discarded book. “ They can be set right later. For now we got other things to discuss." Susan translates and the dwarf becomes confused. “ Such as?"
After getting the response back he points to the shed. “ I had a lock on that. How did you get in?"
The dwarf strokes his beard more. “ A tough lock at that. Could not pick it. So I removed the brace around it. Poor steel. Was not as hard of a lock on the room with the warnings though."
Susan relayed the message knowing whatever was behind that door she knew he was going to be worried about.
When they got to the room it was completely different from the rest of the place. For starters it had light in it caused by whatever magik still ran in the house. It was left untampered with but the rest of the room was ransacked. Many things she did not know what were were laying around. Some seemed broken or crushed as others missing. She then saw the shelving. On it were figurines of other dragons. Some looked like they were from other tribes and some others were completely foreign to her. Most of them laid destroyed. Probably in fear of them in general than anything. Steve looked in shock at them. “ Were they important?"
Steve lowers his hand and takes to the only seat. “ Each one custom made. Each one I spent so long to get."
He raises his hand and puts it to his forehead. Susan stayed out of the room looking in sorry at him. “ I can have them remade?"
Steve shakes his head. “ Do not bother. There is no way they can be restored to what they were. I just have to be thankful for the ones that remain."
Steve looks at them. “ The one on the middle on the top shelf. She is the first one I got."
Susan settled on the floor. “ Oh, what is her story?"
Steve raised off his hand and gets up. Carefully he moves to them and picks up the statue. “ Her name is Tola. A mighty queen of the dragons of her time. As the story goes she had the power of foresight. With her power she saw destiny and fate. She was born a slave and quickly formed a rebellion that shook the land at it's foundation. When it was over all her enemies were dead. All her rivals destroyed."
Susan leaned forward as Steve showed her the statue. “ Throughout her rebellion and rise to power she had two allies. One was Garnagier and the other Wondlight. Garnagier was strong, brave and ambitious. Under her he ruled the south of her lands. To the north Wondlight as wise and fair. Each of them were slaves to the same master before the rebellion and have been at her side from the beginning. They were her trusted advisers and friends."
Steve puts the statue on the floor. Susan was fixated on it. “ A full thousand years she ruled without using her powers but then she saw a vision without calling on it. One she could not change. One of her death."
Susan raised up surprised. “ What happened to her?"
“ Tola saw two visions in fact. One was her death and another of a new life. The first was that someone she trusted killed her and the second was of her child yet conceived." Susan raised up surprised. “ But all know that foresight of life yet made is not possible."
Steve shakes his head. “ I do not know the truth. I tell you as I have been." Susan settles back down. “ Tola was aging and all knew her rule could not last forever. So she had come to a decision. She would be with one of her two closest friends. Garnagier was an obvious choice. His children already were all strong and was a favored war champion among the people. But Wondlight was wise and it takes more than strength to rule, and she was much closer to him than Garnagier. The spark was there but never fueled."
Steve looks around the room and smiles as he finds a picture of a gladiator stadium. “ She knew the people would not accept her just choosing Wondlight so she devised a series of tests favoring them both equally. As all thought the contest ended in a tie. It came down to a match like they use to be in when they were young."
Steve lowered the picture. “ The fight was fierce. It is said they fought for three days to a stalemate. Eventually one of them made a gamble. Which one that made it I do not know but it was Wondlight in the position of victory. Ready to deliver a deathblow when the judge makes the call."
Steve paused and picked up the statue again. “ It is said he refused or that she spared her friends life against the call of the crowd. Later it is said that she said the contest was to prove who is worthy to give life not death. That is not the point. Wondlight spared Garnagier and he attacked him from behind for it."
Steve rubs a detailed scar on the statues chest. “ Garnagier gave her this scar that day when she intervened. For the attack and for betraying the contest he was banished."
Steve sighed and leaned back on the chair. “ After that Wondlight became king. It could be said that the two of them were happy threw the years but there was turmoil growing as well. Garnagier had started a rebellion in the south with his children. It was bloody and it nearly destroyed the land. Worse the good queen Tola was losing. With all that was left was her palace and guard she gave birth in the mist of battle. The prophecy she saw all those years ago came to pass. Garnagier came and slay her while Wondlight fled with their only surviving child." Steve could see a tear leave Susan's eye. He smiled and got up and replaced the statue. He picked up the head of a broken black dragon statue before grabbing the rest of it. “ This was their son Wonder. He can be repaired."
Susan raised and was about to leave to make it so but Steve shook his and Susan settled back down. “ His story starts on the outer reaches of the lands. Where his mother's reach left alone. Where Garangier was now just reaching. It began with a raid. A raid that which killed his aged father. It ends with him beginning his journey threw life fulfilling his mothers last prophecy." Susan raised up surprised. “ That was very touching."
Steve smiled toward her. “ They are legends. I do not know if they are true or not."
Steve picked up both statues and moved back to the shelves and put them back and then went for the picture then put it back on the wall as well. “ I doubt there is anything your high queen can use in this room."