"Karai!" exclaims Duke. Then he takes a good look at her.
The dark grey cloak pools at her feet. The Karai Heartfeathers that stands before them is the Karai they saw in the final battle with Dragaunus. Her ebony colored hair is unbound and flowing in a wild, wavy mane down her back, falling past her butt. Her body is supple and lithe. She wears a dark green shirt and breeches. Both are made of extremely soft matte leather. She wears boots that reach mid calf. The most startling change, though, is her face.
On the left side of her face is a bronze tattoo of a silhouette of gryphon's head reaches from mid-forehead over her left eye to her cheek. A gryphon's wing is tattooed in a similar position on the right side of her face. Her sapphire blue eyes hint at ageless knowledge. An owl perches on a leather wrapped metal gauntlet.
"Karai?" Duke is no longer so certain that this is the Karai he knew.
***
"Yes Duke?" I replied.
"What happened to you?" asked Wildwing.
"Nothing...I have always looked like this." I told him as I stroked Whuur's breast feathers. "This is Whuur...named after my first bond bird."
"Bond bird?" asked Tanya curiously.
I merely smiled. Naren had told me that while my smiles was still beautiful though it held something sad in it now. "There is so much to tell you...So much you must now learn to live on this new Earth." I said looking at Whuur.
"New earth?" asked Mallory. "We were only asleep for-"
"Five hundred years." I said softly.
"FIVE HUNDRED YEARS?!?!" they shouted agitating Whuur.
"You want to bring the drones down on us?!" I scolded fiercely. I whistled and a group of six stag-like creatures came silently out of the underbrush.
"What are they?" asked Tanya. Ever the scientist.
"Dehshli."I told her, giving Whuur a soft toss into the air. I mounted easily. "They were created by the Magic Winds."
"The what?" asked Nosedive.
I realized just how much they didn't know that was normal knowledge to me. "I will explain everything soon. Climb aboard. We have a long way to go and the Pyara and her friends will get us there quickly." They looked uncertainly at the Dehshli then clumsily mount them. It was painful just watching them mount. I'm sure it was even more painful for the Dehshli. I warned them to hold on tight and gave the signal. Pyara and her friends took off through the underbrush heading for the safest place anywhere near Anaheim...my valley home.
"Where'd these mountains come from?" called Duke.
"Dragaunus used some machine to create a barricade of mountains around Anaheim." Karai replies as Pyara leaps a small boulder. The other Dehshli go around the boulder knowing that their riders were highly inexperienced.
They ride for about another hour covering several miles in a matter of minutes. Before they slow to a walk and enter a tunnel. Karai whispers something and a ball of light appears a head of them to light their way. "This is the only way into my home."
Ten minutes later they emerge into a beautiful forested valley. "You go first class don't ya, Karai?"asks Duke, gazing out over the valley She smiles and signals to Pyara and they go flying down into the valley. The stags stop only when they reach a huge oak tree. Karai easily dismounts calling out in a language unknown to the Mighty Ducks. Two lizard humanoids come out of the tree which has been hollowed out into passages and rooms.
-Welcome home Karai.- says one telepathically.
"Thank you Tyreen. We have several guests this night...can we accommodate them?'
-I think so.- Tyreen says.
She turns to the other lizard creature and they communicate briefly. -If you will hunt for us Karai?-
Karai nods and turns to the others. "Tyreen and Malanya will take care of you...I'll be back as soon as possible." She vaults onto Pyara's back and takes the bow and quiver offered to her by Malanya. Then she, Pyara and another Dehshli vanish into the forest.
***
I returned hours later with a couple of changed animals. They had no name but Tyreen seemed to know what they were. She and Malanya took the animals and vanished as I vaulted off Pyara and let her go. Then I went in search of my friends. I found them in a conference...talking about me.
"She can't be trusted Duke...I mean how did she stay alive for 500 years? Where did she learn to hunt?" Mallory almost threw those questions at him.
I frowned. "An immortality stone that Naren created and through trial and error." Mallory and the others had the grace to blush. I sat down next to Duke. "First off I can be trusted. And if you will permit me to tell you my full story with out interruptions, I will answer any question you like when I am through." They nod and settle back to listen.
"What I told you about my past is all true. What I didn't tell you is that I was found by Naren and Alyaia when I was ten. I could never allow myself to trust them completely so, barring training and sickness, I lived on the street. The training I speak of is training in magic. The tattoo on the left side of my face means that I was gryphon trained. The other tattoo means that I am Kaylan.
" Kaylan are those that do not use their magic for personal gain. Taylan are the opposite and are generally considered dishonorable. So that should answer your questions about why I was a street rat even with my magic powers.
"Alyaia taught me to cook and about herbs and stuff. She died here on this planet about three years after I sent you to sleep.
"Whuur was my bond bird. A bond bird is a bird that chooses to share his mind and soul with you. You have no choice in the matter. He died about 10 years after Alyaia.
"They were my only friends and took care of me for most of my life when I couldn't take care of myself. Usually when I was hurt or sick.
"Anyways, I completed my training when I was about sixteen. And continued my usual life. Naren sensed that something would happen that would take me on a great journey so he created my stone...which I later put into a barrette." I turned my head so they could see the barrette that holds some of my hair away from my face. Then I looked back at them.
"The week before the final battle I received word from Naren in the guise of a dream. He alerted me as to what would happen. I couldn't tell you because you wouldn't have allowed me to put you to sleep. You would have kept fighting and you would have died in that battle and taken myself Naren and Whuur along with you.
"I put you to sleep setting the spell so that when it was time to take the Saurians down once and for all you would awaken. Naren brought Alyaia through to help me protect you guys. Naren was Taylan but very trustworthy as her gryphon died.
"We cast numerous spells to protect the rink then according to Dragaunus we vanished. he began his conquest of the earth." Karai looks down and says softly, "Humans had no chance. He managed to take over the planet in three months. Then came the Magic Winds. They were caused by all the magic that Wraith used with his damned crystal. Two races were created. The Alyisha and Dehshli. You have met both races today. It also required that Naren and I travel and put the magic lines of this planet back in order.
For five hundred years the Saurians have ruled over this planet while I was learning and waiting. Earth is almost dead. The Saurians have used up nearly all of it's resources. It can be rejuvenated, at great cost, but the Saurians must first be taken care of. "
"And what has changed about the Saurians?" Asks Wildwing.
"Well Dragaunus died of old age as did all the Saurians you knew...Now their descendants are in control. They have complete control of all three races except for those I managed to bring here to my home and give sanctuary. But too many remain in the control of the Saurian Lord." she says standing up. "Excuse me. Tyreen requests my presence." She leaves, not noticing Duke watching her.
"She's not the same." He comments. "She's hard and cold."
"What do you expect? She's had a hard few centuries." says Grin.
"Hard to believe isn't it?" says Tanya. "That she's survived over five hundred years while we have been sleeping."
"Yeah." Nosedive's voice is thoughtful. " Everyone we knew is dead. Phil, Mookie, Slash...They are all dead...The only link to the past we have now is ourselves and Karai."
"Wow...that was an unusually thoughtful comment from you `Dive." says Wildwing.
***
I could not hear Dive's reply but they all laughed at it. I wished I could be down there with them, laughing and rejoicing in being with them...but too many things had been set into motion. Things that I needed to prepare for. Naren came up behind me as silently as only a gryphon could which is three times as quiet as the most silent non-magical being. I knew he was there...after several lifetimes with him I could sense his presence.
"It's not fair...I've worked so hard all of these centuries...Why can't I be allowed to relax with my friends for at least one night?"
He came up close behind me and wrapped me in his wings comfortingly. "If I could fledgling, I would allow you this night of peace...I would give you as many nights as you wanted, but this is a gift that you may not have until the Saurians are destroyed...not banished...but destroyed...Then you may rest...it is your power which will bring the downfall of the Saurians...just as your ancestors stood beside Drake DuCaine."
"If my power comes from my ancestors why does nobody care or even mention them?"
"Because they did not want to be recognized as heroes. They knew who they were and that was enough for them. But you will not be known for helping to save the world while Wildwing and the others are praised as heroes...but those who are there and whom you have helped over the past centuries, will remember that your magic brought the destruction of the Saurians and saved this world. They are the ones who matter."
I couldn't help but smile...Naren was right...I didn't need to be recognized like DuCaine...I knew who I was and that is all I needed.
The next week we sat down and made plans. We set the date for the final destruction for a week from today. What will happen is this: Malanya's friends and the Dehshli will provide distraction. We, with the aid of Naren and mine magic, will sneak in and confront the new Saurians. My magic will boost the power of their weapons.
***
Duke finds Karai looking out over her valley, lost in thought. "Tomorrow we face the Saurians in the battle of the century." She says not looking at him. Years in the forest had sharpened her hearing to the point where not even Duke's stealth was beyond her hearing.
He starts the n says, "Yeah. Scared?" He walks up next to her.
"Terrified. You?"
"Nah. I mean this is just another battle with lots and lots of pressure riding on it. Why should I be nervous?" The sarcasm in his voice makes Karai smile.
"Something besides the Saurians will end tomorrow." She says her smile fading. "I can feel it."
"What?"
"I don't know...I just know that something will end." Duke wraps his arms around her, intending to kiss her but she pulls away. "Tomorrow is going to be a long day. We need our rest."
"Things changed between us?"
She looks at him. The look in her now ancient blue eyes gives him his answer. He sighs. "I have changed too much in these past five centuries, Duke. You don't even know who you were going to kiss." She turns and with a silence none can match, disappears into the darkness.
"Tomorrow maybe the end of something...but I sure know what tonight was the end of." He says ruefully before following her back to the tree shelter.