The Journey, Chapt 16 = previous chapter
Chapter 17; Ritual
“Come with me Tara, please.” Said the Priest after regaining his composure. “Quickly now!” He offered Tara a hand to help her to her feet and then guided her to the stairway. They walked through the chapel and out in the cold. Tara pulls her cloak around her as they walk through the town into the town. Father Connely is close to her side.
Claira saw Tara as she was coming out of the Doctors surgery wearing a makeshift sling. “YOU BITCH!” She screamed. Father Connely flashed a disapproving look at Claira, who flushed a deep shade of red and immediately apologised.
There was a faint undecipherable whisper that seemed to come from the purple scale, Tara glanced at her cloak. The scale is hidden in a secret inside pocket.
“Everything ok Tara?” Tara nodded her head softly at Father Connely. Who then opened the door to the town hall. He asked a passerby to go and find Tara’s mother quickly.
“Come into this room, and sit down, make yourself comfortable, your mother will be here shortly.” Tara was ushered into a room and left there. Doing as she was told she sat in the chair and glanced around the room. She heard another whisper. Digging into the inside pocket of her cloak she pulled out the shiny purple scale, and looked it over, turning it every which way.
‘You sure did show that bully didn’t you!’
Tara heard the voice in head loud and clear. “Who’s that? Where are you?”
‘You are holding me… in your hand.’ Tara looked at the scale wide-eyed. Not sure how to react.
‘Your name is Tarasque, allow me to introduce myself, my name is Zeindaryys the Swift.’
“Y-your the dragon of old.” There was a small growl of approval in her mind. “But how? How are you talking?”
‘The magic of dragons is unpredictable, and not always understood.’
There was a knock on the door. Tara quickly hid the scale just as her mother walked into the room quietly closing the door behind her. Running across the room to give her a hug.
“Why am I here mother? What’s happening?”
“Oh, my daughter, a big change is happening, we don’t have much time. Undress quickly, you need to bathe.”
“Mother, what is happening?” Tara asked again, refusing to move.
“The Aging Ritual Tara, you’ve been nominated. Now come on quickly!”
Tara undressed, knowing this was serious, that it could change everything for her and her family. She climbed into the copper bath, and allowed her mother to clean her, washing her with a lavender scented lotion. Moments later there was another knock on the door, Tara’s mother answered it, opening the door slightly as some clear white robes were handed to her.
Tara put her arms in the arm as her mother slipped on the soft white cotton robes, her ginger hair was tidied up, and put into fishtail braids.
“It is important that you do exactly as you are told my love, ok?” Tara nodded as her mother cupped her face in her hands. Another knock on the door, Father Connely’s could be heard outside. “It’s time.”
Tara and her mother walked out, to see the main room now full of the townsfolk. In the middle was a pedestal with a blue velvet cushion and a large white oval shaped object that seemed to emanate something unexplainable. Tara looked up at her mother and whispered, “Is that what I think it is?” A confirming voice in her mind told her it was.
Her mother pushed her forward. The close she got to the white oval shape the more it appeared to wriggle.
‘Hatch for the girl, you need her as much as she needs you.’
‘Zeindaryys the Swift, I, your daughter hears you!’
“Place your hands either side, go ahead it’s ok.” Said the old town elder. Tara did as she was told, gingerly placed her hands on either side of the object. Before she’d even touched a bright white searing glow burst forth, her left hand flinched in pain but she couldn’t move it, a moving black paint-like silhouette rolled over her body before settling just above her left wrist, a coiled dragon mark. As she moved her arm the dragon mark shimmered. As the bright white light dissipated there before her was an opal white coloured dragon.
‘My name Tarasque is Elqiana.’
Chapter 17; Ritual
“Come with me Tara, please.” Said the Priest after regaining his composure. “Quickly now!” He offered Tara a hand to help her to her feet and then guided her to the stairway. They walked through the chapel and out in the cold. Tara pulls her cloak around her as they walk through the town into the town. Father Connely is close to her side.
Claira saw Tara as she was coming out of the Doctors surgery wearing a makeshift sling. “YOU BITCH!” She screamed. Father Connely flashed a disapproving look at Claira, who flushed a deep shade of red and immediately apologised.
There was a faint undecipherable whisper that seemed to come from the purple scale, Tara glanced at her cloak. The scale is hidden in a secret inside pocket.
“Everything ok Tara?” Tara nodded her head softly at Father Connely. Who then opened the door to the town hall. He asked a passerby to go and find Tara’s mother quickly.
“Come into this room, and sit down, make yourself comfortable, your mother will be here shortly.” Tara was ushered into a room and left there. Doing as she was told she sat in the chair and glanced around the room. She heard another whisper. Digging into the inside pocket of her cloak she pulled out the shiny purple scale, and looked it over, turning it every which way.
‘You sure did show that bully didn’t you!’
Tara heard the voice in head loud and clear. “Who’s that? Where are you?”
‘You are holding me… in your hand.’ Tara looked at the scale wide-eyed. Not sure how to react.
‘Your name is Tarasque, allow me to introduce myself, my name is Zeindaryys the Swift.’
“Y-your the dragon of old.” There was a small growl of approval in her mind. “But how? How are you talking?”
‘The magic of dragons is unpredictable, and not always understood.’
There was a knock on the door. Tara quickly hid the scale just as her mother walked into the room quietly closing the door behind her. Running across the room to give her a hug.
“Why am I here mother? What’s happening?”
“Oh, my daughter, a big change is happening, we don’t have much time. Undress quickly, you need to bathe.”
“Mother, what is happening?” Tara asked again, refusing to move.
“The Aging Ritual Tara, you’ve been nominated. Now come on quickly!”
Tara undressed, knowing this was serious, that it could change everything for her and her family. She climbed into the copper bath, and allowed her mother to clean her, washing her with a lavender scented lotion. Moments later there was another knock on the door, Tara’s mother answered it, opening the door slightly as some clear white robes were handed to her.
Tara put her arms in the arm as her mother slipped on the soft white cotton robes, her ginger hair was tidied up, and put into fishtail braids.
“It is important that you do exactly as you are told my love, ok?” Tara nodded as her mother cupped her face in her hands. Another knock on the door, Father Connely’s could be heard outside. “It’s time.”
Tara and her mother walked out, to see the main room now full of the townsfolk. In the middle was a pedestal with a blue velvet cushion and a large white oval shaped object that seemed to emanate something unexplainable. Tara looked up at her mother and whispered, “Is that what I think it is?” A confirming voice in her mind told her it was.
Her mother pushed her forward. The close she got to the white oval shape the more it appeared to wriggle.
‘Hatch for the girl, you need her as much as she needs you.’
‘Zeindaryys the Swift, I, your daughter hears you!’
“Place your hands either side, go ahead it’s ok.” Said the old town elder. Tara did as she was told, gingerly placed her hands on either side of the object. Before she’d even touched a bright white searing glow burst forth, her left hand flinched in pain but she couldn’t move it, a moving black paint-like silhouette rolled over her body before settling just above her left wrist, a coiled dragon mark. As she moved her arm the dragon mark shimmered. As the bright white light dissipated there before her was an opal white coloured dragon.
‘My name Tarasque is Elqiana.’
but then I understand she was to be hurried for the ceremony. One special woman she is.