Sins of A Red Dragon
Part Five: No Good Deed Goes Unpunished
The keys jingled as the lock was opened. Kyo stood and drew his sword as Jalala gripped his kimono.
"Kyo, be careful!" she pleaded.
He gave her a half smile. He was confident. She wished she was. She watched in dread as the door burst open and three men fell in, the two on top wrestling the one underneath.
Jalala immediately recognized her two youngest brothers and their father. Where they rebelling? she wondered. She saw that Kalid was clad only in a robe, far from his normal afternoon attire, and a cold chill ran down her spine. The three men rolled around on the floor as they wrestled for control.
"Here!" one of them yelled, as he snagged the keys and tossed them toward Kyo. The Dragon man caught them midair.
"Hurry! Get her out of here!" Altif yelled, as he ducked a well aimed kick.
"Lock us in and free the rest." Isafal added as he managed to get his father momentarily pinned to the ground.
Kyo didn't have to be told twice. He sheathed his sword and scooped up Jalala. He worked around the struggling men. Kalid, the only one Kyo recognized, struggled even harder against his opponents. Kyo made it to the door. Jalala snagged the handle and helped pull it shut. The keys were dangling from the hand that held her legs. She stretched and managed to grab them into her hands. She got the door locked just in time as the two of them heard bodies slam into it from the other side. She was motioning Kyo to another door when the keys were lifted out of her hands.
"Here, let me take care of that." Isabo said. She was also clad in a robe and Jalala saw something shiny peeking out from under her sister's hair. She recalled Kalid's state of dress and shivered. She reached out and grabbed her sister's arm, making her turn toward them.
"Are you alright?" she asked, seeing the ringlet crown clearly now.
"Yes, I'm fine, thanks to Kyo's surprise entrance. Thank you, Kyo, you interrupted just in time."
"Oh, by the Ancients, Isabo. Was he going to..."
"I'm fine Jalala, really. It was this abominable act that turned the remaining reluctant ones of our herd against Father. He's no longer leader." Isabo saw Jalala close her eyes as if wincing at pain. "Are you alright?"
Kyo looked down at his love too with concerned eyes.
"I'm fine." Jalala said.
"Father's chambers are just upstairs to the left," she said to Kyo. "Take her there. I'll join you later. I have prisoners to set free," she said with a smile, jingling the keys.
Kyo and Jalala disappeared up the stairs despite Jalala's protesting. The first door Isabo unlocked was the one opposite of Jalala's. Kaltif came bounding up the stairs just as a very pretty and very pregnant Saida came out. He wrapped her with his loving arms and held her close as she wept.
"Where is he?" Kaltif asked Isabo.
She pointed to Jalala's cell. "Altif and Isafal are detaining him for you."
Shinjou came running up the stairs and grabbed Isabo into his arms. "He didn't harm you did he?"
"No. He didn't get any further than showing me what a sick man he has become."
"Thank the Ancients!" he exclaimed.
"You can help me set everyone free. You too Saida. My brother has business he needs to attend to," she said as she handed her brother the key to Jalala's old cell.
He clasped Isabo's hand for a minute and she gave him an encouraging smile. Then he took the key, gave Saida a quick kiss and asked her to stay with them . After watching her safely descend the stairs, he placed the key in the lock and twisted it. He entered the room and found only his brothers sitting on the cot looking a bit worse for wear.
"Where is he?" Kaltif demanded.
Both young men pointed to the gaping hole that was once a barred window.
"You threw him out the window?" Kaltif said, shocked.
"No!" Both boys insisted.
"He jumped all on his own," Altif said "and survived! I saw him limp away."
"Then he'll join up with the others I'm afraid." Kaltif said.
"What others?" Isafal asked.
"What remains of his loyal followers. They fled when the rest of the herd joined us. Fortunately there weren't many, not enough to be much of a threat." Kaltif explained.
"Then maybe they'll just leave and not bother us anymore." Altif said.
"I doubt it," Kalfla said entering the room. "You didn't see his face. He was beyond bitter. Maybe we should have killed him."
"He's our father, Kalfla. No matter how far astray he goes, part of us will remember the good times and love him. I couldn't have killed him, could any of you ?" Kaltif asked.
All three brothers shook their heads.
Kaltif walked to the window. "What's done is done. Look brothers," Kalfla waved them to the window. The valley was covered with freed Unicorns. "Now that's what this was all about."
His siblings patted his back and nodded in agreement
Isabo held the hand of her sobbing sister. Kyo scowled. He didn't like going against the wishes of his mate.
"I don't want to have my baby here," Jalala sobbed. "I'm fine. I just want to go home."
"I heard differently. Didn't the healer tell you to stay in bed until the baby arrived? He said you could die if you don't. I can't risk losing you."
"This place is a reminder of the abominations my stepfather and that mage before him did. This child will not come into the world here, even if I have to transform and walk home myself. You know you can't stop me."
Kyo blanched at the idea. "Okay, okay, I'll take you home but how? Even going by dragonback is dangerous."
"I'll open a portal for you," Shinjou said. "It'll be the safest way. I want you to go with them Isabo."
"Are you coming too?" Isabo asked, moving next to him. Finally, she thought, our mating night is here and Shinjou and I will finally be one.
"Not yet," Shinjou said as he embraced her.
Isabo couldn't keep the disappointment from her face. "But why?"
"My partners sent me a message. We're meeting tonight. Remember the village I told you about? We're going to reclaim it back from those demons that have been attacking Otherworld. We plan on leaving tonight. After that we will have our own piece of Demon World. A place where we can build our own tower to live in."
"There's no need to go through that risk," Kaltif said, after seeing the mixed emotions on his sister's face. "You can stay here and use this castle for your tower. We have no need for it."
"Thank you but no. I've made a commitment and, like Jalala, I too feel this castle is now cursed. By this time tomorrow we'll have a place where we can live in peace and happiness." Shinjou said.
"Please, Shinjou, don't go through with this," Isabo begged. "I have a very bad feeling about the whole thing. Why would they change their plans right now? It's almost like they are trying to keep us apart."
"That's ridiculous. They have only been helping our dreams come true." Shinjou said.
"Then allow me to come with you," Fahd said, just entering the room. "It sounds like a worthy cause, and it will ease my niece's mind."
Isabo looked up at Shinjou with desperate hope.
"Very well," he said. Isabo broke out a beautiful smile as she embraced him in relief.
"Damn..." Kyo said with concern. "Speaking of commitment... I almost forgot about the Foxes and the Thunder Demon. I'm suppose to meet them in the morning, but I don't want to leave Jalala alone."
"Don't worry," Jalala said. "I'll be fine. You shouldn't be gone that long."
"I'll be there too, just in case," Isabo added.
"I guess... I need to at least put in an appearance. The Fox Demons are already mad enough at the Unicorns. Hopefully today's events will calm their anger."
"I guess I can't talk you out of leaving then," Kaltif said. "I wish you all the best. Take care of my sisters."
Kyo nodded and carefully picked up Jalala. Shinjou kissed Isabo goodbye and then he opened the portal. The three travelers stepped through. As it closed, Shinjou sighed.
"You must want that tower real bad to delay your mating night. I won't have," Fahd said
"It's all I ever wanted until Isabo," Shinjou said. "Before I met her. I was friendless and alone. Driven from place to place. Living no better than the lowest demon. Isabo has no idea what it's like out there for me. I will not let her go through that. I will do anything, and I mean anything, to have my own tower. Now that she has showed me a better way. I will not give that up. In our own land, our own tower, we can live as we please, without rejection."
"You're forgetting that Unicorns are drifters by nature. It's actually harder for us to stay in one place. We may not travel everywhere but we do have the urge to wander over a wide area. To Isabo, being with you is more important than anything else. Are you sure you don't want to forget this whole thing?" Fahd asked.
"Yes, I'm sure. Let's get going," Shinjou said.
Jalala stirred only slightly when Kyo rose for the meeting. He really didn't want to leave her. but he had no choice. He feared the Foxes may cause trouble if he didn't. He kissed Jalala gently on the forehead and left their room. He carefully passed Isabo, asleep on the couch in the main room, as he exited the cave.
Once on the valley floor, Kyo changed and took to the air. The wind floated over his wings as he stroke the air. He loved to fly. When he was but a small thing, his mother told him all about the Ancients and how they split the world. It was them that gave dragons and other high demons the power to transform, but human form was nowhere near the thrill of being in his true form. But it did give him the chance to mate outside his species.
It was the Ancients that brought Unicorns into the world as well. It was because of them that he and Jalala could even be together as mates. He wondered of they realized that giving all demons and Unicorns human form was also giving them the ability to crossbreed. As much as he hated Kalid, he did see the defunct leader's point. His own unborn child is a miracle but it would not be a pure dragon, nor would it be a Unicorn. Would it be like Fahd's offspring? A totally new species? Kyo mused.
He carefully scanned the land below for any sign of trouble. He didn't believe for one second that Kalid would hide away peacefully. He is sure to be out there somewhere, plotting his revenge. Nevertheless, the flight was uneventful and he arrived on the ledge at the appropriate time.
The Thunder Demon was quite happy to return home. He was only there to repay a debt. The Foxes, on the other hand, were none too happy with the change of events. Their leader still thirsted for revenge and the rest of his clan were ready to join him. The fact that the Unicorn Leader who had ordered the Fox Leader's "abuse" was now cast out only gave Tekel a target. But seeking that target that would ignite a chain of events that Kyo could not have foreseen. Tekel had witnessed the Unicorn's weakness. That memory held the key that would lead to the fall out between Unicorns and Dragons, as well as the near extinction of both species.
Oblivious to the chain of events he was setting in motion, Kyo's only goal was to return to his mate. As the Dragon took to wing, the Fox clan glared after him. Tekel no longer felt any loyalty toward Dragonkind. He would go after Kalid and finish him off himself. He will test his theory about the golden lasso and he had confirmed it as fact, he would sell the information to the highest bidder and wash his hands of it. He sent his clan out far and wide. It wouldn't be long before they found his prey.
Isabo woke with at start. She heard a scream of pain. She scrambled out of bed, ran to her sister's bedroom and found it empty. She ran toward the cave entrance grabbing a robe on the way.
"JALALA... WHERE ARE YOU?!" Isabo yelled.
"Isabo... Help me..." a weak voice responded.
Isabo saw the source of the cry and gasped. Jalala was sitting in the water with a rapidly increasing pool of red forming around her. She sped to her sister's side. From the look of the blood pouring out of her sister it could already be too late. She touched Jalala's arm and it was as cold as ice.
"My baby," she cried, "Save my baby!" Jalala pointed to a red blob that was bouncing on the water surface as it floated toward the center of the lake. Isabo dove in after it and caught up with object in seconds. She grabbed at the bloody placenta and felt the weight inside. The baby never emerged from her birth sack. With desperate fingers Isabo tore at the slippery membrane. A human baby would have been dead by now. In seconds this baby would be too. The sack finally tore and a small little girl was exposed. The baby was already blue and still. Isabo grabbed up the little girl, broke off the umbilical cord, and held the tiny infant to her chest, She poured her healing power into the baby and felt the little girl's heart start beating, but she still wasn't breathing. Isabo place her mouth over the baby girl's nose and mouth. With shallow small puffs she worked on coaxing the little girl back to life. As she worked her way through the water back to Jalala, the baby's father flew in overhead.
Kyo was sailing in at a comfortable speed until the smell of blood reached him. Cold chills ran down his spine as he beat his wings faster. When he came to the clearing, he saw his worse nightmare unfolding. He didn't even notice Isabo struggling to save his daughter. All he could see was Jalala laying in the bloody water.
He landed and ran to her. He started to lift her out of the water but Jalala screamed in so much pain he knelt in the water instead and held her in his lap. He was losing her and there was nothing he could do. He buried his face in her hair to hide his tears.
"Jalala, I'm so sorry. I never should have left you." Where is Isabo? he thought.
"My fault," Jalala said weakly, putting her arms around his neck. "I snuck out. I thought I would be okay. I'm sorry, Kyo."
She lifted her head and looked out, searching. "Where's my baby? Isabo?"
Just at that moment a baby started crying. They both focused in on the source and saw Isabo wading toward them. She was wrapping a little pink baby with a crown of dark hair in her robe.
"It's a beautiful little girl." Isabo managed to said.
"Takara. Her name is Takara. Can I see her?" Jalala asked.
Isabo placed the little girl in her dying mother's arms. Takara immediately stopped crying and looked up at her mother with dark purple eyes. Her forehead and cheeks bore unusual markings, blue triangles with holes in the middle was the best way to describe them.
"She is beautiful," Jalala said. She put her daughter to her breast. "Drink, Takara. Drink and live for me."
Takara's little fingers curled around her mother's thumb and held tight as she nursed.
Isabo heard that and couldn't stand watching them. She ran out of the water to the nearest tree where she collapsed, crying. If she had only known sooner she might have been able to save her sister and her niece, not just her niece. She was suppose to be there for them.
Kyo again buried his head in his love's hair.
"Kyo..." Jalala could feel his body shaking in grief. She was feeling light headed and knew she didn't have much more time left. "I know you won't be able to care for Takara alone, but promise me you'll be part of her life." She felt him nod in her hair. "And promise me you won't spend your life alone." He started to protest. "Please Kyo. It'll be okay. You have so much love to give. Forever is too long to live alone." He didn't respond. "Promise me!" she insisted. He reluctantly nodded his head and agreed. Jalala used the remaining of her strength to place her baby on to the shore. Takara laid there quietly but she still held tight to her mother's thumb and now grabbed another finger, refusing to let her mother go. Jalala looked up at Kyo. "I love you, Kyo, I always will."
"I love you too, forever." Kyo said as he kissed her. She returned the kiss for a minute and then went limp. "No... Oh please no..." he said as he wept, hugging her body and rocking in grief. His daughter laid beside him vocally expressing her tears loud enough to be heard for miles.