Just a heads up, the chapters from here on it were invaluably helped edited by a friend I met on Sofurry ages ago.

***** ***** ***** ***** CHAPTER FOUR ***** ***** ***** *****
Written by Eric Fischer
Edited by Champ11 US Army ROTC

The sheets were still damp from his tears as Adric woke up. It had been about two hours since he cried himself to sleep, and now sat up in his bed coming to terms with things, in his hands where the burnt remains of his personal affects. Slowly he was going through them, as if groping for something familiar. His wallet was the first thing he looked through, and like virtually all of his affects, it was hopelessly burnt. His credit cards and ID cards were almost fully melted. The money was all burnt around the edges and crumpled as he touched it. Heaving a sigh he placed the wallet gingerly down on the polished wooden table next to the bed and noticed something.
It was the melted remains of his rather simple digital watch. Looking at the lump of half melted plastic and metal, Adrics heart quickened. For whatever reason he could not fathom the watch still functioned, reminding him once more of just how long at had been since he arrived. He turned the watch over as he tried to calm himself down. He tried for some time and failed. He tried to tell himself that worrying wouldn't do any good that he had to come to grips with what had happened. It wasn't helping things.
He slumped back in the bedding as he examined the round wooden door in front of him and wondered if he could get out. The thought of escaping however didn't seem too prudent; he still had wounds over much of his body and could barely walk. Not only that but where would he escape to if he was on some other planet? As Adric sat back down on the bed he wrapped a blanket around himself "There has got to be some answers around here." He looked at the room he was in, for the first time really noticing the size of it.

It was at least nine feet to the ceiling and probably fourteen feet across. The biggest thing he noticed was the wood. It seemed the whole room was made out of it. For one thing, all the walls, even the ceiling, seemed covered in wood panels. On either side of him, was a large wooden desk, elaborately carved. On one of the desks was a large box with a door. Next to this was an old-fashioned oil lamp that gave off a soft light. The floor was carpeted in thick fur rugs. Looking at them he decided to try his feet. Steeling himself for the pain, he slowly moved his legs toward the floor.

“Aarrrrgggg!” He grumbled as he felt his skin crack as he moved. His whole body felt as if it had been dipped in wax, and every time he moved it stretched and pained him. Still he slowly eased himself down onto the rug, the wooden floor underneath creaked as he carefully walked on it.

It took him a while to steady himself against the desk as his eyes adjusted. In front of him, built as an arch around the door, was a large bookshelf containing volumes of large colorful books. Looking at them his body reminded him of its condition, less then a minute or so was all he could stand as he sat back in the q wooden chair, the same one the dragon had first been in when he woke up. He chuckled, then wished he hadn't as his lips ached.

“It is impossible, utterly impossible. He can't really be a dragon, I'm not even on Earth, and he has to be some sort of alien.” He pondered the evolutionarily improbabilities of such a creature, but it only wound up giving him a headache.

He decided to get his mind off this by taking a look at one of the books. He slowly got up, winced and grunted aging in pain as his body told him he really should not be moving, and removed the closest books he could get at before falling back in the chair. The first thing he noticed when he opened the book was the writing. Staring at it for just a few moments made his eyes hurt. It looked like Chinese, but highly more elaborate, vast stretches of elegant characters and symbols with no two looking the same. Shaking his head and blinking his all too quickly watery eyes, he moved on to simply look for pictures.

After some time he had finished leafing though the few books he removed and struggled to return them. Adric carefully placed the book back into carved wooden bookshelf, trying to make sure its disturbance would not be noticed. He had looked through about three of them, being careful with their worn cloth covers, and was trying to piece together some of the information he had found. As he had suspected, the written was impossible to guess at, but he had found some useful pictures. In the first book there was a detailed map of what might the planet he was on, if it was it seemed much smaller then his own, at least by land mass. One large continent seemed to be on the east, while a variety of small continents, almost oversized islands, seemed to make up much of the rest of the world. Pictures of other aliens in various robes and colorful garments were abundant in most of the books. But near the end, he found something that caught his attention.

He nearly missed it at first, but when he took a second look there was no mistake. Near the end of the third book was a series of paintings of what had to be a dirigible of some sort. It wasn't so much that it held an uncanny resemblance to a blimp that bothered him, it was the fact that it looked like it had been painted several hundred years ago, and the background had it in space, or at least what he thought was space. It reminded him of the flat painting style used in medieval times just before the renaissance and was hard to make out. Of course, for all he knew, this was the way most of their art was. Lying back down in the round bed, he closed his eyes and rested.

Suddenly, he heard the main door at the entrance open as something came inside. Adric craned his neck back, being careful not to strain his bandages, to see what had entered. Peering down a hall from the bed, he caught a glimpse of the alien in an adjacent room.
Darnethlil stopped; he just stood for a while in the doorway before entering. At that time, Adric was the last thing on his mind. He slammed the brightly painted door behind him as he hurled the sack of Imperial low yield rifles next to a wall. Adric cringed suddenly, he didn't know why it seemed so upset, but he knew he didn't want to get in its way. As Darnethlil marched down the hall, his wings waved in anger. Passing his room where the injured creature was he let a raptoric hiss.]

---“The fool! The young and reckless fool! He knew how dangerous it was to ignite an object from that distance! And he knew that all of us, no matter how gifted we are, must properly meditate before attempting any sort of mental ability.” Darnethlil stopped. When he had left the scene of the battle, he had felt more depressed than angry over the needless death. However on his trip back home, he constantly dwelled on how reckless Mekal had acted. He knew how pointless it was to dwell on the past, but he had gotten upset all the same. He breathed deeply and tried to meditate, hoping to get a hold on his rage. Yet he couldn't focus or concentrate enough to calm himself and this just added to his frustration. Realizing his anger was getting the better of him, and that he would have to curtail it immediately he decided to go to his Tear room.--

Opening the door, Darnethlil looked at the flight of stairs leading down. Mad as he was, he simply jumped the short fifteen feet down to the bottom. Once down he lit candles to add some light as he looked about his Tear room. His father had often joined him here after a Clan dispute or to settle a family argument. For Darnethlil, and all other Trathalans, it was the one place where they could fully vent their anger.

The room was large, the ceiling almost twice Darnethlils height. Several colorful banners hung from the wall, inscribed with the names of the past Lonti Clan leaders. He looked in front of him were he had written his name and hung it next to the others. Feeling once more upset at how pointless his title was during these dark times.

Near by, to one side of him stood a trio of cloth Qwintoni statues. He appreciated their life like appearance and grinned in anticipation. Although as much as he wanted to relieve his anger he knew he had to stop and at least pray first. Taking a handful of mixed salts from his pocket, he threw it around himself before recanting one of his favorite prayers from the Hashñaya. With formalities out of the way now, he could get down to business.

Letting lose with an ear splitting cry he began with a flip as his foot smashed into the first and closest of the models. The weight of his body crushed it into the floor where he proceeded to brutality Eviscerate it's fabric insides. Bits of cloth, leather and hide where cast wide as he shrieked. Extending the talons on his hands to their full length, he slashed at the second, quickly decapitating the head before reaching down into the neck and ripping out the faux organs he had so carefully made from bits of fabric. Leaving the first two in heaps of rubble, he charged and leaped at the third, using his wings to slow his decent, clasped his feet around the dummies neck. Digging his talons in deep he pulled it to the ground with him before using his tail to impale the cloth Qwintoni through the heart. Landing next to the now mortally wounded statue Darnethlil drew himself up and smiled. Breathing heavily, he heaped the remnants of the three cloth statues into a corner as he thanked Crie for his newfound calmness. Coolly walking up the stairs, he meditated, successfully this time and with great ease.

Adric however was not so relaxed. As soon as the alien had walked out of sight, a cry, like some hideous monster, made his hair stand on end. The tearing and slashing sounds of what, he did not want to find out, made him cringe even more. Yet just moments later, that same creature walked into the room with the most placid and calm expression Adric had ever seen.

Darnethlil sensed that his patient had been terribly frightened by the cries and violent exercise in the Tear room and to his horror realized how terrified he must of made the injured creature, he extended his hand and handed it a translator. Carefully taking the ring, Adric attached it to his forehead.

He blinked as he was hit with a slight moment of disorientation. When his head cleared, he once again heard the thoughts of the alien in his mind.

“I ask your humble forgiveness for my recent actions. I had failed to consider how you might respond to how I relieve my anger.” Adric wasn't to concerned with that, just so long as it wasn't taken out on him. He sat up as it continued to speak in a quiet, placid tone.

“I realize you are from another world and that my customs and way of life shall no doubt appear strange to you. Never the less, I feel it is my duty to heal and make you feel welcome. For as long as you stay here my home shall be yours” Adric had to sit and think about how he was being treated by the alien, eh dragon, thing... It had saved his life, put up with his questions and tolerated his 'apparent' rudeness. And after all this, the dragon like creature still continued to make Adric feel at home. Adric thought about this until something more important entered his thoughts. He remembered he hadn't eaten in almost three days.

Darnethlil was trying to make sense of what the creature was thinking. He could feel that it was confused, but couldn't understand why. The next thought he felt through the translator was more clearly understood. Hunger. Realizing as diligent as he had been healing it, he had completely forgot to feed his patient!

“I am terribly sorry for neglecting to keep you fed. I shall remedy my mistake immediately.” With that Darnethlil left Adric and headed to his kitchen. It suddenly occurred to him that he had no idea what it ate, or if the food he normally consumed might be poison to it. Darnethlil decided he didn't have much of choice, since he wasn't about to simply let it starve. After first fixing himself a meal, he prepared a small amount of meat, with two spiced bread rolls before walking back to the his patient.

Adric smelled the food from down the hall and sat up in the round bed. As the alien walked back into the room, Adrics mouth watered at the savory smells. Placing one plate next to Adric and the other on a near by table for himself, Darnethlil gestured once more in apology with his wings before waiting for his guest to begin eating.

Adric meanwhile studied the food that had been placed in front of him. On one side was sweet smelling bread that looked like a rolled up pancake. To the other side was a well-cut slab of meat. Figuring the bread was meant for desert, he went to the meat when he noticed a lack of both forks and knives.

Darnethlil, who was still waiting for his guest to eat, couldn't fathom as to why it simply stared at the meal he had placed in front of it. He knew it wouldn't be proper for him to start eating first, but by now, Darnethlil thought it didn't matter that much. Throwing protocol out the window, and letting his stomach get the better of him, Darnethlil grabbed his meal and began tearing into it.

Adric, who was just about to ask what he was supposed to eat with, got his answer. He stared as he saw the dragon begin savagely devouring its meal. The delicate looking fingers seemed to turn into talons in the blink of an eye as they slashed at the meat before immense teeth sliced it into small chunks.

Darnethlil quickly realized he was being stared at and turned to look at Adric. Seeing his wide-open mouth, he realized why it couldn't eat. The creature's teeth, in comparison to his own, were terribly small. He wondered how its race could survive with such primitive eating tools. Soon he caught himself, quite to his own surprise, staring rudely back at it. Before he could stop or give it a second thought, he found himself asking.

“Are all your teeth that small?”

Adric was a bit surprised at the question. He hadn't thought something as unimportant as teeth would interest the dragon. Darnethlil looked back from the meal, that word again “Dragon” He had been called it ever since the creature awoke, and thus far he could only interpret it as 'monster'. He sighed and ruffled his wings.

“My self name is 'Darnethlil' off-worlder. Perhaps it is something I should have learned to you upon your awakenment, but your awakening was ill planned and I regret not having the time needed to properly communicate with you.” Adric paused at this, after all his time here he finally knew its name. It was odd, all the times he had heard it 'speak' it always came out as hisses and screeches. Yet his name, his words, came to his mind so easily.

“I called 'Adric' I live world of dirt” Adric responded, or at least tried to. The 'translator' being far from ideal on his end, he sighed as he realized he must have been sounding like a child to the dragon, or 'Darnethlil'. Darnethlil simply chuckled, or what passed for a chuckle from his mouth.

“You need not overly concern yourself with your thoughts, I can, mostly understand your mind. But your planet does seem to have a curious name.” Adric glared back. His brain thought out again “Earth” but all that was understood was “dirt” he paused, realizing how literally the translator seemed to take things, Earth DID mean 'dirt'. He tried “Terra” next, but it seemed to have the same result, finally he looked back up.

“Gaea” he thought, and it seemed to come across. Darnethlil nodded “Gaea, world mother, a good name. You may know my world as “Trathala” Adric nodded, though he was still annoyed, unlike Darnethlil, he seemed to receive no clues or meanings on words. 'Trathala' might mean dirt as well for all he knew. Darnethlil seemed to chuckle once more and quickly interjected.

“It means 'gift of the holy one' to us in our most ancient tongue, and we are his people.” Adric nodded, though he seemed a bit uncomfortable, he wasn't exactly a religious person, but didn't pay it too much mind. He finally had a chance to simply talk, to learn. Yes he was on another planet, and yes he seemed to be having dinner with a dragon. But he had for the most part accepted these absurdities so far, and now he wanted to know more.

With the ice broken as it were, the two began to relax and discuss one another's worlds. Darnethlil making jabs and criticism about the violence, politics and a great many other things of Adrics world, and Adric, realizing he seemed to be in a pre electric, pre industrial revolution, civilization that prided itself on fierce religious obedience and a fanatical pacifism.

By then, Darnethlil had found a knife for his guest to finish his meal for which Adric thanked him. After cleaning up, the Trathalan let out a low sigh and eased back into a chair. Draping his wings around himself, he listened to the tales of the far away world Adric had come from. Although he did not mention it, he found it surprisingly similar to his world's own dark, and ancient past. After a time Adric seemed less and less interested in his world, asking more of the world he was now at. Darnethlil seemed to hesitate now, almost reluctant in discussing things further. Yet Adric pressed, perhaps a bit too earnestly, and it was then that Adric first found out about the war.


“ Your arrival upon my world is at a poor time I am afraid young Adric, we seem to be in the middle of a great war between aggressors from off world.” Adric looked up, he felt himself run cold, landing on an alien planet was one thing, landing in the middle of an alien war was quite another.

“Your world attacked, not from your people, from another world? In space vessels?” Darnethlil leaned back and gave his wings a short flap in confirmation. He had wondered how best to let his visitor know of his dire situation. Though he wanted the alien to simple rest and heal himself, free of worry, insulating him from the world outside was foolhardy.


“You should know that it would seem the space we live in is, crowded. Five races have come down from the stars to us. Over thirty of our 'years' ago, three races came to us, the called themselves 'The Alliance' They were brutish, arrogant and overbearing, they saw us as primitive and arrived to 'enlighten' our people.” Adric listened, holding his tongue, if these were extra solar racers, that had mastered planetary travel, well wouldn't it make the Trathalans', primitive? He thought he caught a glance from Darnethlil before he continued.


“ We did not wish their presence upon our world, and at that, they did respect us. We sent a small family with them, 'ambassadors' they called it, as a sign of faith. After that, they spread out into the rocks beyond our world and left us in peace.” Adric listened, caught on his every word, well, every 'thought' as it were. The throbbing ache in his body from the burns faded for the first time in ages as he became focused on the unwinding story.


“After such a long time we grew relaxed, word was exchanged with the aliens but once a solar year, and we thought little of them, until the others arrived. I remember many of us noticed a new star growing in the sky, it was dim, but grew brighter over the course of many days. I know now that this was a ship, a great rock they somehow used to journey here from their own world far awhile. When they came, there was no attempt to talk, no attempt to understand or speak of our wishes. They came as conquers; landing in our cities from the sky.” Darnethlil paused as he leaned back, his wings slumping around himself. Adric could see the pain in his eyes, he wasn't sure if it was the device he wore or something else, but he could sense an immense overwhelming sense of both sadness, and rage and what would come next.


“How great numbers did aliens kill? How wide destruction of cities?” Adric asked, trying to understand just how desperate the situation around him was. Darnethlil looked at him, eyes at his eyes.


“There seemed no reason to it, no logic. Great lights fell form the sky, devastating the largest settlements of our people. One by one each of our leaders went to them and begged them to stop. I think it was the only time they bothered to listen to us. Of course, not all gave in Adric, and this is perhaps what you should know most of all. My Father, for he was leader before me, resisted, he stood against the invaders, and was killed because of it. And it is his cause, that I have taken up.” Darnethlil said, standing at last from the table, finished with saying anything else, anger creeping into him, which he did not wish to meet with so soon.


Adric's mind still boggled at the situation as he watched the dragon leave. His head was filled with question and wonder, all he could think about was the other races. If they had come to this world, surely both powers must have means of space travel, could it, just possible be he might have a way home? He shock his head, such timid hopes he couldn't let consume him.


Any chance to reach the people who might have access to a 'starship' was blocked by the simple fact that a far more unpleasant group occupied the world he was on, which he guessed would not be sympathetic to his plight.