Wucaii

Chapter Seven

Aelana lay in the field, tall grass towering over her, dew forming on her scales. Stars twinkled in the sky, and the slightest hint of pink showed on the horizon. It wasn't hard to realize why Dek liked the area. The field was surrounded by a forest, and a stream ran to her right. A hill hid the city, leaving her completely surrounded by nature. The burn of pollution and decay threatened to destroy her idyllic moment, but it could be ignored. She told herself the grass caused the itch on her skin. Soon, the wrongs done to the earth would be remedied, but until then, she attempted to enjoy it as much as possible. A sigh escaped her lips and she extended her arms out. The earth buzzed below her. She felt relaxed, at peace. Her eyes closed.

A rustling sounded, and her eyes opened. The sun had traveled over the horizon, bathing the world in a soft, yellow glow. Aelana sensed Dek was near, but she didn't move. He stepped closer. His legs were visible through the stalks of grass. He was a couple of arm-lengths away. She contemplated grabbing his leg but decided against scaring him. She sat up.

"I knew you were close," Dek said with a smile.

She raised her arms over her head and stretched. Her back popped and her muscles strained. Dek took a seat next to her. He was barefoot, wearing a sleeveless shirt and biker shorts with a backpack. He probably came out to the secluded place naked. It was the best way to be completely in touch with nature, but she didn't ask. No need to embarrass him. Being dressed was more than likely his attempt at modesty in her presence, and she appreciated that. He took his backpack off and set it in front of him. A chain hung around his neck.

"Is that your talisman?"

"It is." He grabbed the chain and pulled the pendant out of his shirt. "I tried to make it look like the original, but it's not exact."

It was, however, very close. The gold was the same; the flames that extended from the top and bottom of the eye were similar, but the eye portion was slightly off. It was narrower than hers, and the crescent-moon-shaped pupil was thinner, giving the eye an angry or evil look. Still, it would do its job. It would still retain all the power he could bestow on it and pass it to the next generation. She leaned forward.

"May I?"

He pulled the chain closer to her hand, and her fingers reached for it. The gold felt cool under her touch, and the same static electricity that came from Dek's hand shot from the surface of the eye. It didn't seem as threatening this time as it had in the bar. What made it do that? What about Dek was so electric? Maybe it would reveal itself in their conversation. She pulled her hand away and smiled.

"It's lovely."

He placed the pendant back in his shirt. "Thanks." He reached for his bag. "By the way, I brought those scrolls for you."

Aelana sat up straight and rubbed her hands together in anticipation. "Oh, yeah."

Reverently, he pulled the rolled leathers from his bag and handed them to her. She took them, feeling the warmth of the smooth leather. Holding them to her nose, she inhaled. Instantly, memories of Leld's cabin where she worked every third day bombarded her mind. The heat of the fire warmed her back, and the subtle smell of melting wax filled her nostrils. Back then, the leather still had the chemical smell of treatment oil, the tang of ink. There wasn't much left to smell at the moment but dust and age. She didn't care. The history flowed through the scrolls.

"I had to spend hours studying these things." She looked at Dek, lowering the scrolls to her lap. "I hated it at first. Then, as I got older and better at speaking to the earth, I couldn't wait for them to reveal more secrets." Her eyes glazed with the memory, and she took a deep breath. "After a while, though, they couldn't teach me anymore. I had to learn new skills by myself." Her fingers caressed the leather. "Still, it all started with these."