Fablehaven: The Complete Series, page 137
“You get teased?”
“I wish I only got teased! Mocked would be more accurate. Scorned. Berated. Shunned. Who my dad is only makes it ten times worse, although it also explains why I’m still alive.”
“Who is your dad?”
The dragon didn’t answer. He looked up at the sky. “I’ve known you for like five minutes and I’m already confessing my problems. Laying out my whole life story. Why do I always do this? It’s like, I want to get it out there at the start so I don’t get hurt later on. But I just come off as needy and pathetic. Here you are with real problems and I keep turning the conversation back to me.”
“No, it’s okay, I’m interested, I want to know.”
Raxtus pawed at the ground. “I guess I have to continue now that I’ve led you on. My dad is Celebrant the Just. He’s basically the king of dragons. The biggest, the strongest, the best. And I’m his greatest disappointment. Raxtus the fairy dragon.”
Kendra wanted to give him a hug, but realized that might prove his point. “I’m sure your dad is proud of you,” Kendra said. “I bet most of this is just in your head.”
“I wish you were right,” Raxtus replied. “It’s no delusion. Celebrant has basically disowned me. I have two brothers. Half brothers. They came from a different clutch, obviously. Each of them rules one of the other forbidden sanctuaries. I look way more like Dad than either of them do—going by shape and color, I mean. I’m the miniature version of Celebrant. He has these glossy platinum scales, a lot like mine, but harder than adamant. On him they look awesome. He’s built thicker than me, all muscle. He has like five breath weapons, and knows tons of offensive spells, but he’s no thug. His mind is keen as a razor. He has it all. Dignity. Majesty.”
“He can’t hate you just because you’re small!” Kendra asserted.
“Small is only part of it. Guess what my breath weapon does? Helps things grow! You know, makes flowers bloom. And the only magic I can do is defensive stuff like hiding, or else healing. Again, like a fairy. It doesn’t help that I look so much like my dad. I know it shames him. He hasn’t utterly disavowed me, though. Somewhere deep inside, he feels guilty that my siblings were killed, that he wasn’t there to stop the cockatrice, and that he didn’t know I had survived until years later. For that, I remain under his protection, which means that as much as other dragons shun me, none of them want to fight me. No dragon on Earth is eager to risk the wrath of Celebrant.”
“See! He loves you.”
“No. Guilt is not love. Dad has made it clear he doesn’t want me near him. And he’s right. My presence discredits him: the humiliating contrast between the most magnificent dragon in the world and his absurd jester of a son.”
Kendra could think of nothing to say. Again she resisted the urge to hug him.
“Anyhow, now you know my sorry background. The full confession. I don’t want to be feeble and useless; I’m not proud of it. I love action movies. My fondest dream is to be a hero. To be fierce and brave, to somehow prove myself a real dragon. But when the opportunity arises, I cringe. Like when the griffins took your friends. I could have charged to the rescue. Come on, they were griffins! But there were a lot of them, and I knew who must have sent them. I decided to lie low for a minute, and before I knew it, the opportunity had passed me by.”
“Who sent the griffins?” Kendra inquired eagerly.
“Thronis, the sky giant up on Stormcrag. He keeps griffins like people keep hounds. The dwarf was Zogo. The giant’s dwarf.”
“You know where Thronis lives?”
“Sure.”
“Here’s your chance for heroics!” Kendra said. “We can rescue my brother and the others!”
“You’re right, that would be valiant. Too valiant. I’d get us both killed. If I was lucky, maybe I’d invigorate some of his houseplants along the way. I’m barely half a dragon, Kendra. The rest of me is glitter and fairy dust. Even the bravest dragons stay far from Thronis. He is both giant and sorcerer. Powerful spells protect his stronghold atop Stormcrag. True, I yearn to be a hero, but I’m a coward at heart. Want an example? I followed you all morning trying to work up the courage to say hello. I only found the nerve once you started crying.”
“But you could go invisible,” Kendra suggested. “Sneak up there in the dead of night.”
“Spells,” Raxtus said. “Thronis would know. He’d slay me before I could help anyone. Look, as a friend, I’m the ideal dragon. As a hero, not so much.”
“Can you turn into a human?” Kendra wondered.
“Like an avatar? A human version of myself? Not really. I mean, I’ve tried. But it doesn’t work out well. I can’t manage to look like a person.”
“What do you look like?”
The dragon glanced away. “Maybe we should change the subject.”
“What?”
Raxtus looked back at her. “I look like a boy fairy with butterfly wings.”
Kendra did a poor job stifling her surprised laugh.
“Like a foot tall,” Raxtus went on. “You can laugh, I know how it sounds—believe me, I know—just don’t spread that one around, please. It isn’t common knowledge.”
“It just caught me off guard,” Kendra apologized.
“Caught me off guard too. For years I took consolation that one day I could escape to human form, once I learned the trick, and maybe become part of a community. No luck. I’m a freak in any form. I’m polluted by fairy magic down to the core.”
“You’re not a freak,” Kendra said firmly. “You’re the coolest looking dragon I’ve ever seen. You’re like a sports car. The only dragons I’ve seen or heard of are harsh and mean. It’s easy to be mean when you have sharp teeth and claws. It would be much harder to be likable. I’ve never even pictured a likable dragon until right now.”
“You’re very kind. You know, we dragons don’t get to air out our feelings on talk shows. We don’t have therapists. But talking to you has been helpful. Thanks for listening. Hey, you mentioned you’ve been to Fablehaven.”
“Right. I’ve been there a lot.”
“And you can talk to fairies.”
“Yes.”
“I wonder if you might have met my foster mom. Her name is Shiara.”
Kendra brightened. “Silver wings? Blue hair?”
“That’s her!”
“She’s the best fairy at Fablehaven!” Kendra gushed.
“You don’t have to lay it on quite so thick,” Raxtus said.
“No, I’m serious. Shiara stands out. She has helped me. Most fairies are flaky, but Shiara is actually reliable and smart.”
“She saved me from the cockatrice and nurtured me. It wasn’t at Fablehaven. This happened long before Fablehaven was founded. I don’t visit her as often as I should. It feels too much like embracing the sissy side of my nature. As if anyone cared! Sometimes, though, I sneak into Fablehaven at night and visit her.”
“How do you sneak into Fablehaven?”
“Same way I sneak into Wyrmroost. I may be less than half a dragon, but I have a few tricks. One is traveling from one fairy shrine to another. Anywhere the Fairy Queen has a shrine is open to me.”
Kendra felt almost too excited to ask her next question. “Could you take me home?” If she could only get back to Fablehaven, she could return with reinforcements.
“Sorry, Kendra. I don’t think I could transport a passenger. Maybe someday, with study and practice. Even if I could, the last time I tried to visit Fablehaven, the way seemed barred.”
Kendra frowned. The shrine at Fablehaven had been destroyed, so it made sense that Raxtus would not be able to use it. She should have thought of that before she asked. Still, there were other ways the dragon might be of service. “Could you take me to the Fairy Queen’s shrine here at Wyrmroost?”
“Sure. It isn’t even far. Especially flying.”
Kendra glanced at the knapsack. “You said you have healing powers. My friend is hurt.”
“Warren? A peryton gored him, right? I don’t know what it is with those antlers. They must be slightly poisonous. They make ugly wounds. Well, I could try. I mean, I’m better with plants. But why not? I could give it a shot. Can he get up here? I’m not the biggest dragon, but I doubt I could fit through the mouth of a knapsack.”
“I’ll be right back,” Kendra said. “You won’t leave?”
“I’m a coward, not impolite! Oh, did you mean would I run if trouble shows up? If I run away, I’ll take the knapsack with me. Not that I sense any danger. I’ve been paying attention. I think we’re good. So I’ll be here.”
Kendra descended the ladder. Warren was asleep. She could not see Bubda. Kneeling beside Warren, she prodded his cheek. “Hey, you awake?”
He smacked his lips and his eyelids fluttered up. “Huh? We okay?” His voice sounded thick.
“Did you take more medicine?”
“Sorry, I’m a little loopy. The pain.”
“It’s okay. That’s why you have medicine. I made friends with a dragon.”
Warren blinked. He rubbed his eyes. “Sorry. Feels like my head is stuffed with cotton. I think I misheard you.”
“No, really. A nice dragon. He was raised by fairies, and he might be able to heal you.”
“This is my most messed-up dream yet.”
“Do you think you could climb the ladder?”
“You’re serious?”
“He’s too big to fit down here. But he’s not super big. For a dragon, at least.”
Warren leaned up on one elbow. “You really think he can heal me?”
“Worth a try.”
“Unless he eats us.” Warren winced as he sat up. “You’ll need to be my crutch.”
“Can you make it up the ladder? Should we wait for the medicine to wear off?”
“This is the best time. The medicine numbs me. Up we go.”
Kendra took his hand and helped him rise. He leaned on her as he hobbled over to the ladder. Clinging to a rung, he hesitated for a moment, gathering his strength, then started up. Kendra followed.
When Kendra emerged from the knapsack, Warren was on his back on the ground, sweating and panting. Shielding his eyes with one hand, he stared at Raxtus. “That has got to be the shiniest dragon I’ve ever seen.”
“He doesn’t look very well,” Raxtus commented.
“Thanks, Doc,” Warren mumbled.
“Can you try to heal him?” Kendra asked.
“I can try.” Craning his neck forward, Raxtus stared down at Warren. Squealing softly, the dragon exhaled over the length of his body, glittery sparks twinkling silver and gold. Warren squirmed and shivered, as if taken by a sudden chill. The hair on his head began to flutter, and the stubble on his jaw sprouted and lengthened. A moment later, Warren had long, flowing hair and a heavy beard.
Grimacing, Warren patted his injured chest. Then he raked his fingers through his hair. “You’ve got to be kidding. Who is this joker?”
“Sorry,” Raxtus said. “It didn’t take.”
“Oh, it took,” Warren complained, sitting up. His beard reached halfway down his chest. His thick hair hung past his shoulders. “It just didn’t cure anything. On the bright side, I think I popped open some scabs.”
“Thanks for trying,” Kendra said.
Raxtus hung his head.
“Hey, don’t look down,” Warren said. “I appreciate the effort. I do feel a little more lucid. And my breath tastes slightly mintier.” He scooted toward the knapsack.
“I rarely work with humans,” Raxtus apologized.
“He’s going to carry us to the fairy shrine,” Kendra said.
Warren turned and placed a foot on the ladder. “Now, that would be a huge favor. Sorry to be a bear. Excruciating agony makes me cranky. Kendra, you know where to find me.” Grunting and wincing, he disappeared into the bag.
“Humiliating,” Raxtus muttered.
“You warned us it might not work,” Kendra said.
“Did you notice how he wasn’t scared of me? At all?”
“I told him you were nice. Besides, he’s on pain medication.”
“I’m about as intimidating as a puppy. Wearing diapers. With a pacifier in its mouth. Well, one thing I can do right is fly.”
“How do we do this? Should I get on your back?”
“No. I’m too spiny and sharp. You’d need a saddle. Not that any dragon worth a nickel would wear a saddle. They would die of shame. But shame is where I live. I own the whole neighborhood. I’d wear a saddle if we had one. But we don’t. So I’ll have to carry you. Would you feel safer inside the knapsack?”
“Would I be safer?”
“I won’t drop you, if that’s what you’re implying. You can trust me on that.”
“Okay,” Kendra said, shouldering the knapsack. “Take me flying.”
Chapter 23
Shrine
Raxtus really was quite adept at flying. He gripped Kendra snugly around the torso with a single foreclaw and ripped through the air with dizzying maneuverability. Because of the way he held her, Kendra was free to spread her arms and legs and pretend she was flying all alone. The speed, the cold wind in her face, the exhilaration of swift turns and sudden dives, all combined to fill Kendra with surprising joy. Soon she was laughing.
“I could set us down,” Raxtus said, “but it seems like you’re having fun.”
“I am!”
“Flying is one of my great escapes. How’s your stomach holding up? Want to try something fancy?”
Kendra had never been a daredevil. But she felt so secure in Raxtus’s grasp, and he flew with such smooth competence, that she found herself saying, “Go for it.”
First Raxtus swooped into a huge loop. The sky became the ground and the ground became the sky, and then everything was right again. After verifying that Kendra was still enjoying herself, he climbed high, then plunged in a corkscrewing dive, spiraling through space at tremendous velocity. To the spirals he added more loops and lightning turns, tracing pretzels in the sky. Kendra lost all sense of up and down as everything blurred into a wild rush of motion.
When Raxtus landed and set Kendra on her feet, she held her hands out to balance herself, took a wobbling step, and fell sideways. The dragon caught her and laid her down. The ground seemed to tilt and spin.
“Are you sure you’re all right?” Raxtus asked.
“I’m great,” she said. “I loved it. But you’ve ruined roller coasters for me. They’ll never impress me again! Aren’t you dizzy?”
“Flying only clears my head. It never leaves me dizzy or sick.”
She did feel a little queasy. But not horribly. Now that she was on solid ground, the motion sickness was fading. Kendra looked around. She was crouched on a high shoulder of rock, one of the mounting folds of land that led up to Stormcrag. The steady hiss of rushing water reached her ears. Crawling to the nearest edge, she peered down at the top of a lofty waterfall divided into two halves by a mossy outcrop. She liked the peculiar perspective, above and somewhat in front of the falls, similar to the last view a person might have as he plunged off the brink. The water plummeted white and misty to a pool far below.
“Careful,” Raxtus said. “I’m fast, but not that fast.”
“I won’t fall. I’m not woozy anymore.” Kendra backed away from the edge. “Where’s the shrine?”
“Just up the slope from here a ways. I figured you would want a minute to make sure you still felt good about treading there. I’ll walk with you.”
Kendra scrambled over the jagged terrain, using her hands to steady herself. As they worked their way around an upthrust formation of dark gray stone, a wide ledge came into view ahead. A trickle of water flowed off the ledge and across the rocks to join the stream before it plunged over Split Veil Falls.
A dozen golden owls with human faces perched on the ledge, all gazing unblinkingly at Kendra. “Astrids,” Kendra said.
“All twelve,” Raxtus affirmed.
“Are there twelve total?” Kendra asked.
“Twelve who hang around here,” Raxtus said. “There are ninety-six in the world. Can you hear them?”
Straining, she heard only the whisper of the falls. “No.”
“Listen with your mind,” Raxtus suggested.
Kendra recalled how the Fairy Queen had spoken to her with thoughts and feelings instead of audible words. She tried to open her mind to the astrids.
