Duty Chapter 3
#3 of Duty
Duty
Chapter 3
By: David C. Henry ("Ahndeleck")
Cellista and Motungo flew side by side in the late evening. She didn't need to be flown home, but she loved how sweet Motungo could be about it. She knew his gallantry disguised his hidden desire to spend more time with her. She didn't blame him for it since she had the same selfish wish. Her father made seeing each other more of a challenge than it needed to be. Despite her father the day had been one to remember.
It had been a perfect one for Cellista. She had finally found the chance to tell her friends about her apprenticeship to Azerzan. Their excitement for her own sake gave her the warming satisfaction of good friends. They each devised elaborate plans for when she took the head place in the covenant. If Cellista attempted the outlandish plans they had come up with, she'd go down in history as the most visionary dragoness ever.
She laughed to herself thinking about the silly things they had come up with. Motungo banked a little closer, a broad smile on his face.
"What has you laughing again?" He asked, "You've laughed nearly the whole way home."
"I still can't get over the idea of requiring all the cattle to be tied together in one herd. The whole herd, tied up in one giant ball."
"I know, just think how long it would take them to unravel it."
He grinned as the Cellista fell into another fit of laughter.
"Motungo, I should really try that one some day. The entire covenant would think I'd gone crazy."
"Just let me know when you're going to try and pull that one off, and I'll be there. I wouldn't want to miss those faces for anything."
"Me either."
They flew on as Cellista thought her announcing the proposal to the covenant. She smiled to herself as she imagined Motungo doubled over in laughter and the covenant looking at each other in bewilderment. The idea that Motungo could be there at the covenant meetings made her wonder how often he would visit her there. The thought of him watching her as she presided over the laws filled her with satisfaction.
"A wisp for your thoughts." He said.
"Oh, I was just thinking about you."
"Really? I'll give you a second one if you tell me what you were thinking."
"Maybe."
"Come on, please?"
"You being there with me at the covenant. I know its a long ways off, but the idea-"
Cellista trailed off as she let her mind wander back to the future covenant. She felt more pride in the idea of him being there to watch her. She already knew that he meant more to her than being the head of the covenant.
"You know Cellista, I've thought about that too some actually."
"What did you think? Tell me in a moment though. Let's get down there behind father's grove. I don't want to go inside yet."
They both turned around her den and landed behind the large grove of trees her father kept. Behind the grove lie a very small meadow. When they were younger, they had made sure to keep the patch free of young trees, they needed a place to play after all. Since then, it had turned into their less than secret hiding place when they needed a few last minutes before parting.
"What were you thinking?" She nuzzled up to him.
"That I love you."
"You're always thinking that, what else?"
He looked almost winded, but that wasn't exactly right. The flight couldn't have tired him, and looking at his face she noticed he seemed almost nervous. She realized something must have really been on his mind.
"Well, you're going to be busy after the Rite of Attunement, with Azerzan. We're all going to be busy of course, but you're going to be very busy-"
"Oh Motungo, you know I'll find time for us during all that. I'm sure that Azerzan would give me enough time to see you every day if we wanted. I'd love that too."
"I think so too, but I was thinking-" He took a deep breath, "Cellista, would you go with me at the next Rite of the Pair?"
An explosive rush swept through her mind, overjoyed with the words she just heard.
"Stop!"
The shout broke the thoughts, and diverted her mind completely. Then the voice registered in her mind as her father. Her heart clenched and dropped to the floor of her chest.
"Don't you say another word you egg shell trash. Not another gods damned word!"
Motungo faced the approaching behemoth, his face had turned hard and resolute.
"I can ask for her to-"
"Not without damn asking me first you won't."
Her father stormed through the brush under the last trees in his grove. His eyes burned and his nostrils flared. Cellista stepped closer to Motungo's side. She dreaded her father's approach.
"You wouldn't agree to it, and you don't have to Vardelan."
"I don't agree with it, and you can't have my daughter. The head of the covenant can't live with traitorous trash like you."
"Father, it was a mistake, he was young and didn't know what he was doing."
"He let the Boneweavers into the covenant's lands. It took us weeks to find the last of them, and because of this damned dragon's 'ignorant mistake' he killed three other dragons."
"I was never told what those statues were, you know that and so does the covenant. My father-"
"Your father doesn't matter. It is the duty of every dragon to know the Boneweavers and out defenses against them. You knew what those were and I know you knew. You purposely let them in, you murdered those dragons and gave the Boneweavers free reign in our lands. You would have them run the whole covenant over if given half the-"
"That's not true, and given half the damned chance I'd run them all out myself Vardelan. You might not know that, but I'm willing to show you right now what I can do to them."
She saw Motungo lower his head and bare his teeth threateningly. She didn't doubt his resolution, but she feared her father's prowess. He was a hunter, a trained fighter, and he would tear Motungo to pieces if this came down to a pure fight. The realization dawned and spread across her face as she watched her father stand taller and narrow his eyes.
Her father took his eyes off of Motungo and burned their gaze down at her. She had lost her bravery, she feared the fight. She feared the two dragons she loved most in the world clashing against each other. She turned her gaze to look up into Motungo's face. She didn't want him hurt, she couldn't bear it.
"Leave." her father said, his voice low and quiet. "Leave us tonight, and I don't want to see you ever near my den again."
Cellista looked to her father, then back to Motungo. Neither of them moved. Cellista pressed her wing softly to Motungo's side.
"It's alright, I'll meet with you before the Attunement, we'll talk then. Please."
She didn't want him to try to show her father up. She knew he couldn't win. He would win against anything, but not her father. He looked into her face, and she could see the determined anger burning behind his eyes. Then it softened and he nodded slowly.
He looked up at her father for a few more moments, then turned away. He left quickly. Cellista watched his shadowy form disappear over the tree tops. It was quiet in their little clearing. Her stomach knotted as she started walking towards the den.
"Cellista." Her father masked his anger, but the iron sternness in his voice remained.
She snapped her head back to him, "Father?"
"He's not the right one for you."
"How can you know that? You can't." Cellista turned from him and stomped toward the den, "You'll never know."