Thalen was hiding in a wooden tool shed in a medium town called Flower Hill. The town was filled with hundreds of people and he was unfamiliar enough with the town that he did not know any of them he could trust or where he could better hide until he could escape. He was angry with himself for getting into this situation in the first place. Kestrin had warned him months ago when this all started. He might have listened if he was not always so irritated with Kestrin’s eccentricity. He thought Kestrin was just over doing it; exaggerating to make the situation seem bigger. This was a wake-up call for him and he was going to take it fully serious from now on. That is, if he can make it out of town alive.
Thalen had come here to Flower Hill, which no longer had flowers on the hill it was built on, to discover more about the Blackspears. Kestrin had warned that the Blackspears were a threat to the Awakening, but if that he went, he would die and all would be doomed. Typical Kestrin, he thought at the time. Now, he thought he might just die instead. Kestrin could only see the future where he died here, so he could not give Thalen any advice other than the situation could become deadly. To make it worse, there was something in this town that reduced his magic. He could feel a trickle, but not enough to transform. It would barely be enough to start a heavy breeze. He felt it more the closer he came to the keep in the center of town on the very top of the hill. That must be the reason the Blackspears were here in large numbers.
The Blackspears were a group that descended from the time when dragons still flew the skies and were a part of the world. They were the group that started the war, but through politics and societal guiding more than actually fighting. They were a secret society that should have run its course and disappeared when the dragons left the skies. Now it seemed like they had grown very strong. Before being chased into hiding, he had learned that they absolutely hated dragons and were under the assumption dragons were coming back. They said their job was to prepare for war and kill any dragon or Keeper on sight. He was in awe of how much of the history they had not lost as there had not been dragon sightings in hundreds of years and only a handful of Keepers were left. A few hours ago, when he was in a tavern talking to members, he realized how deep that hatred for anything related to dragons ran. He had just told them that dragons cannot really be that bad and maybe things could be different if they gave them a chance. Peaceful and happy. The more they leaned into their anger and the more he tried to back pedal with his word, the worse it became. He was never a smooth talker, and he knew enough of himself to know he was a bit na?ve, but he did not expect this. If he had listened to Kestrin and taken him seriously, things might have been different. He might not have been chased by men with swords, spears, and cudgels until he managed to escape and hide.
When he stepped out of the shed, thinking it was safe, he walked just beyond its wall and was seen. One of the men saw him and yelled for the others. He started running and felt like he was leading a parade. As he ran and they ran behind him, their numbers grew as more joined them. Word of him must have circulated while he was hiding. It was crazy that just expressing that dragons may not be bad had landed him here. They really hated dragons. He could feel his lungs burning as he pushed hard to outpace them, but they were clearly in shape. He was not far enough form the center of town to transform, yet, and was not sure that he could get that far. He realized that he was far enough to give himself a little help and hopefully enough distance. He called a strong wind from the side stirring up dust, which also threw some laundry at the men closest behind him he noticed from a quick glance.
It seemed to slow them momentarily, even stopping a couple as the dust and sand went into their eyes. Just as he cleared the last building at the edge of town and started to feel like enough magic had returned so he could transform he felt a sharp and excruciating pain in his side and he tumbled and rolled. This caused more pain and more of his skin started to rip as the spear he now saw in his side caught on the ground. He stayed right there on the ground in pain as the men all caught up to him and surrounded him.
“No more tricks, Keeper,” one said as he jerked the spear out of Thalen’s side. Blood was running down his side and pooling on his clothes and dripping to the ground. He was going to die, he thought. He only had one chance, but it would likely cause him a lot more pain. It might be just enough for him to get somewhere for help. Even though he felt his life draining from him, the magic was strong enough, now.
He growled as he first sent lightning out around him, knocking back the closest men and temporarily deafening many more. Following the surge of electricity, he transformed into his pale blue and grey dragon form and painfully launched into the air. As he did swords smacked his side from those still standing, as his increased size after transformation took him closer to them. As he flew off, spears rained down on him. Some did not stick, but he had two in his right wing. If he went back to human form, he would die quickly. He would have to get help. His dragon form could heal quickly compared to the human form, but the wounds were severe and would take time.
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He realized after a few moments that in his befuddled pain he was flying to a Temple of the Dragon. He had not done that in so many years, but it was that natural gut reaction. He hoped this one was one of the few that still had a Keeper.
Jaq was in the main room of the temple reading a book written on the diplomatic occurrences between humans and dragons. The book was written hundreds of years ago, but he thought it might still hold bits of information that could help, and also gave him material to teach if they managed to ever start rebuilding. It was insightful, but also a very dry read. He hoped it would be worth it, but he was trying to keep his anxiety down. Cerna had been gone a while and he had hopes that was a good thing, but there was also the chance it could be bad. He hoped she was alive and safe. For the time between now and when she returned, every small noise he heard sparked hopes it was her returning.
Today, there were few little noises, but a very loud crash from the main entry way made him jump and sent the book flying out of his hands. He recovered quickly and ran to the front. The large wooden doors that covered the large main entrance were slightly ajar and swinging a little in and out like they had been slammed open and they were settling back in to their closed position from their own weight. The large wooden beam that was the securing bar was broken and on the ground. He walked to the doors and peeked out without touching them. If he thought the noise shocked him, what he saw made the book tossing shock seem like nothing at all.
On the other side of the door was a dragon. As he opened the door he noticed it was a Storm dragon covered in blood and had spears hanging from his wings. A large huff of air, like a giant sigh came from the dragon. “Hello, Keeper.” The dragon said weakly.
Jaq thought quickly and said, “I am going to get a saw for the spears and some salve and bandages for the wounds. I’ll be right back.”
“Just pull them through. I am too damaged to take the time to cut them. I am so glad you are here.” Jaq nodded and ran in to gather the supplies. He was boiling over with excitement but deep inside he worried. There was finally a dragon at the Temple of the Dragon but if he could not get him patched up soon, there might not be for long. He was thankful for all of those old books he had been reading. He knew what to use to patch the dragon up in the best way for him to heal and he knew where those salves were. Before long he was back at the dragon whose eyes were barely open now.
Jaq began by pulling the spears the rest of the way through the dragon’s wings and began applying the salves and the special bandages that stuck to the dragon’s skin when it came into contact with the salve. He spent over an hour treating the dragon’s wounds. “I have done as best as I can. If I read correctly, you should be feeling a little better by tomorrow and flying in a few days but those wounds are bad and are going to require you to sleep. I read that dragon’s heal fast, but more severe wounds require you to sleep deep for your magic healing. Can I get you anything?”
Tiredly, Thalen told him, “There are probably Blackspears on their way here. I barely made it this far but they seem to know a lot of history and they will come looking here for me so they can finish the job. I am sorry to bring danger to you.” His eyes were barely open now.
“I’ll move you to safety. I am sorry if I make your pain worse while I do so, but I’d rather be ready to fight them without worrying they would get to you so easily out here in the open.” With that statement, Jaq accessed his Keeper of Might abilities. To the side of the dragon he grew to almost twice his height and his musculature expanded to many times the size of normal. His arms were the size of ancient trees. He slid his hands under the dragon, rolling him slightly to get under him and lifted the dragon over his head. He kicked the broken security bar out of the way of the doors and nudged them open with his foot and carried the large dragon inside. He took him to the main chamber and set him lightly on a giant stone table that was made for dragons to rest on while in the chamber.
By now, the dragon was asleep. Jaq looked over his wounds once more to make sure he did not undo any bandaging while moving him and then shrank back down to normal size. He went out to the front and grabbed a couple rocks and put them on the inside of the doors to hold them shut. He would have to find a large piece of timber later to make a new securing bar. He then went outside the Keeper size door and ascended the steps to the lookout point further up the mountain that contained the temple cave system. He pulled out his sight glass and looked around. The dragon was not wrong. There were about a dozen riders on horseback coming. They were probably only twenty minutes away.
He walked down and stood out front of the temple to wait on them.