Echoes by Christine Grey Page B

detect. It looked a lot like a baby dragon, except that instead of scales, there was mottled, brown, fur, and the face was wrong, more rounded. The eyes were the same, as were the wings, but the rest was just…wrong.
    ‘Do you speak’, I asked it.
    It nodded.
    ‘What is your name?’
    ‘Dibbuc’
    I wasn’t sure if it was telling me its name, or speaking in a language I didn’t know, but to be honest, I didn’t care all that much.
    ‘What is it you want?’ I asked.
    I couldn’t think of anything else to say. It was an odd little creature, but close enough to dragon-kind that I was hesitant to kill it outright. Oke would never have harmed it, and that, more than anything, made me hesitate.
    ‘Grrreat Drrragon, you isss mighty. You isss ssstrrrong. Where you isss coming frrrom?’
    There was a lot of that. Rolling of Rs and drawn out Ss. I saw no reason not to answer, but, before I could respond, Tolah spoke to me, and told me to lie. He had never spoken to me before, and yet I knew his voice like it was my own. I would as soon cut off my own wing as disobey Tolah, and so, without hesitation, I lied.
    ‘I come from Mystland.’
    ‘Myssstland? I no hearrr of drrragon frrrom therrre like you.’
    Tolah was silent, so I was on my own.
    ‘I kept to myself. I don’t see that it is any business of yours, anyway.’
    The little creature hopped forward and looked at me, and for a moment, I felt trapped in that gaze. It was as though it were looking into my very soul. I don’t know how, but he was reading me. I saw flashes of images from my past whipping through my memory, and I knew I had not called upon them. I heard, ‘Look away!’
    Tolah’s command was strong in my mind, and I could not help but obey. I blinked, and turned my back on my little intruder.
    ‘I’m tired. I wish to rest,’ I said, dismissing it from my lair.
    ‘Yesss, yesss, I go now. Grrreat drrragon. I botherrr no morrre.’
    It hopped forward a few steps, and then took wing and was gone.
    Tolah spoke but a single word after that. He said, ‘Run!’
    I left everything. I even burned the books I had taken from Oke’s home, and I never looked back.
    I wandered for years, staying in one place for only a few days before moving on again, until I came to the Breken desert. You know most of the story after that.
    “Did you ever find out more about the little creature?” Darius asked. “I don’t think I’ve ever heard of anything like it.”
    No. I never saw it again, and for that I am grateful. Tolah would never have spoken to me directly and told me to run if it weren’t dangerous. Actually, even if it were dangerous, I’m surprised Tolah would intervene. He doesn’t usually involve Himself in the day-to-day of His children. It’s a mystery, that’s for certain.
    A gentle knock sounded at the door, drawing their attention.
    “Dearra, it is Aesri. May I come in?
    Dearra rose and opened the door, allowing the beautiful Etrafarian to enter her chamber.
    “Hi, Aesri. I thought you would be downstairs with the others enjoying the stories.” Dearra pulled forward a small chair and offered it to her guest.
    “To be honest, I find it draining to be around His Majesty’s court. They stare and whisper so. Niada seems to like it. She says she finds them all fascinating. She seems especially fond of the children. I, myself, adore children, but their parents are another matter entirely.” Aesri shook her head as if perplexed, but then she smiled and looked at Dearra warmly. “I thought I could join in the custom of storytelling. I would like to tell you some more about Etrafa. Unless I am interrupting something else?”
    “No, no, of course not! We would love to hear,” Dearra said, trying to reassure Aesri. There was no way she was going to pass up this opportunity to learn more information about Etrafa.
    “Excellent,” she trilled. Is there anything specific you would be interested in knowing, Dearra? Oh, and you too, Darius. I did not