Many times, explanations are valued by many. However, I fear mine become redundant. Perchance this selection shall come to pass without very much of a pretext. I find that to be to the best.
Khur, Palvion, and Abvindor have retreated to the clearing in which Wyxtran died. Khur is trying to stay dry as Palvion is trying to stay wet. Abvindor, meanwhile, is exploring.
“So, the old hag’s name is Marki, right?” Khur asks as Palvion watches Abvindor in the clearing of Wyxtran. He sits beneath one of the purple leaves as the rain pelts the area.
“Yes, that’s right,” Palvion replies, keeping a close watch on Abvindor as the hatchling inspects the surrounding area.
“And the guy of the legend is Palvion, too?”
“No. He is Palvionic.”
“But the names mean the same thing, don’t they?”
“Essentially. The enclitic ‘-ic’ denotes that the person is either dead, or older than another. If there were two Khurs, one would be Khuric and the other would be simply Khur.”
“Aha. So that’s how your Hendish naming system works.”
“Hardly. That’s not even the surface of the Yrnak naming system.” He pauses and glances at Abvindor, who is playing in the leaves of the tree that had been Wyxtran. His dark eyes peer from the purple and white leaves. “Open spaces attract lightning, so it’s safer here for now. However, we’ll move on soon enough. Wouldn’t you like to explore this area for a bit longer?”
Khur sighs as both Palvion and Abvindor carry on a conversation, of which he can only hear one half, the words spoken by the Yrnak. Instead of trying to keep up with their exchanges, Khur yanks a leaf off Wyxtran's lifeless branches. The leaf is velvety soft, and keeps him occupied until Palvion and Abvindor are finished their talk.
Silence eventually prevails, and Khur sighs. "Don't forget about me," he mutters, trying still to stay dry.
Abvindor seems to explode from the fallen tree. He shakes clinging leaves off his lightning-streaked hide and looks over to Khur. He regards the little Satyr quizzically a moment or so before walking a bit off in the clearing and lying down. Soon, the hatchling begins to roll about in the wet grass.
Palvion chuckles. "He apologises. He says that he forgets so easilly that you could hear him if you wanted to-"
"Just what do you mean by 'if you wanted to?' Of course I want to!"
"Then why don't you open your mind to him. It's quite aggrivating playing the middle man between you two." Palvion smiles and begins to pack his few belongings.
"And just how am I suppo-"
*You're quite argumentative, little furry-legged man,* a youthful voice resounds through Khur's head.
"Gah!" Khur cries, and falls off the branch on which he had been perched. He teleports to a standing position on the ground just before he smacks the earth. Pointing a finger incredulously at the dragon, he exclaims, "He just talked to me!"
Abvindor continues to roll about in the grass, seemingly contented. Palvion looks at Khur and then at Abvindor. "Are you certain?" he asks, grabbing Palvionic's axe and hanging it at his hip.
"If it wasn't him, I don't know who it could have been!"
"Aha," Palvion says, mildly discrediting the Satyr's statements. "Come on. Abvindor says it's time to move on. He's bored here. He says he's sick of trees. I figure I'll show you both the plains." The Yrnak grins and begins to lead the way out of the forest.
The forest had seemed to stretch on forever when finally, to Abvindor's joy and general relief, Palvion finally led the way out of the perpetual trees. Before them spread a long, wide region, clear of all obstructions save grass. Far distant stands a mountain, half of which is missing. Abvindor lets out a slight roar of excitement, and he scampers out of the relative safety of the forest.
"Abvindor!" Palvion screams. "Wait! Lightning strikes the highest object! You could get hurt!"
Abvindor chooses to ignore his bondmate. Instead, he works his little legs as quickly as he can to get as far into the open as possible. With the opening, the rain feels cleaner, more direct, than it had before. Suddenly, heat flashes nearby, and a rumble of thunder shouts nearby. He notices that a flash of lightning has struck nearby. Instead of running in fear, however, the hatchling meanders closer to take a look at the spot where it had struck.
The ground is devoid of its thick grasses in the general area where the lightning had struck. As he examines this anomaly in the ground, Abvindor catches wind again of the terrible stench of ozone. He turns in time to see light and electricity flash again to the ground. *What is happening? What is calling the beautiful lights to the ground?* he asks himself. Suddenly, Palvion's voice breaks through the walls Abvindor had set up to keep his peace and quiet.
*What do you want, Palvion?* Abvindor's voice asks, laying to rest many of the prince's fears. *I'm preoccupied at the moment.*
"He heard me, Khur!" Palvion exclaims, rejoicing. "He heard my words, and he's answered back!"
*What can I do for you?* Abvindor asks, his tone mildly more pressing.
"Do you know what's going on? You're bringing more lightning than is normal for this area! The ground seems to be completely perforated around where you stand!"
Abvindor's voice sounds troubled. *It is?*
"Take a look around, you crazy dragon!" Khur interjects; evidently, he could hear Abvindor's voice, too.
*Fascinating.*
"That's all you can say?" Khur demands.
*What's causing it?*
"Lightning is attracted to the tallest object in a stretch of land. It keeps trying to connect to the ground through you, but evidently, you have a supreme natural ability to deflect lightning strikes. In any event, it comes near you, and then it seems to bend and flash off at an angle," Palvion supplies.
*Really?* Abvindor sounds a bit excited to Palvion.
"Yes, really. Come back here so the ground stays whole, won't you?"
*But the rain is -*
"You and your rain! You crazy dragon! Don't you know you're risking your life?" Khur wants to know.
*If you'd rather, I can risk your life,* Abvindor snarls, but he begins to walk back to where Palvion and Khur are standing. *Arrogant little furball,* he adds. Judging by Khur's lack of reaction, Palvion decides that only he was meant to hear that comment. He laughs, and waits for Abvindor to return.
The trio had rested in the woods outside the fields for the night. Abvindor had only slept after Palvion promised to take him to the top of the hill the next day. Now, with the dawn and a fresh bout of rain, Palvion awakens to find Abvindor nowhere in sight.
"Abvindor!" he calls, searching around the woods and straining his own lightning-streaked eyes for any sign of the dragon on the plain. He gets none. "'Vindor!" he screams over the rain. "Where are you?"
"What's all the racket about?" Khur wants to know, materializing on Palvion's shoulder and rubbing the sleep out of his eyes. "You shout loudly enough to wake the dead."
"Dead? What if ... What if Abvindor's dead? What if lightning got him?"
"Don't be ridiculous. Abvindor's fine."
"How can you be so sure?" Panic is begining to creep into Palvion's voice.
"He's right over there. That Marki broad has him."
Palvion turns to his right to see that, indeed, Abvindor is perfectly fine, if a bit disgruntled. *Tell her to let go of me! She's deaf to me!* Abvindor demands.
"Marki, let go of Abvindor, please," Palvion says, surprised at how calm he sounds all of a sudden.
"No, I don't think I will. 'Vindor and I have been getting along quite well."
*The Gates we have!* Abvindor snarls and begins again to claw at the old woman. She holds him far away from her and laughs.
"I couldn't've said it much better myself," Khur admits.
"What do you want, Marki. I destroyed your Stones."
"Wrong, my dear prince. You destroyed only two of my stones. There are five. I think I'll keep Abvindor here until you decide to cooperate with me."
"I won't touch your Stones until you release Abvindor. Let him go, and I'll do what you want."
*Palvion! No! If you agree to this, the whole of Jahiya will go crashing down to the sea! You can't let that happen!* Abvindor protests.
"I have no choice, little one. If she hurts you, I don't know what I'd do. It may not be morally correct, but it is what I have to do. Sometimes a prince has to do what must be done, despite his own feelings on the point."
"Well spoken!" Khur concedes.
Abvindor looks away. *You're being weak.*
"Put him down, Marki."
The old woman smiles and releases Abvindor, who falls to the ground with an ungainly thud. "Naturally."
"Are you okay?" Palvion asks, approaching the little dragon.
*Traitor!* Abvindor cries. *How can you abandon your heart and feelings?*
"I would be abandoning more if I were to let you go. I'm sorry if you don't agree with my choice, little one, but I don't think I would have been able to forgive myself if she hurt you."
*She hurt me less than you did!*
"Forgive me. Please." Palvion bows his head to the dragon, forbidding him to see his face.
Abvindor sighs. *Ask the witch what Stone she wants gone first.*
"The Vulcarune, if you would," Marki replys calmly enough. Evidently, she could hear Abvindor the whole time.
Background by Ender Design.