Revaramek the Resplendent - Missing Chapter M (Patreon)

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Additional Chapter M

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Revaramek guided Nyra to the front of the dais. “Korakos, come sit between your mother and I. We need you to be quiet while we talk to the people. Alright?”

“Yes, Father.” Korakos trotted alongside his parents, then settled down between them as they did the same.

“Good boy.” Once Rev was settled on his haunches, he waved at Mirelle. “She’s ready when you are.”

Mirelle raised her hands, then gestured towards the ground with them, bidding the still noisy crowd to quiet down. “My good people! People, I would beg your silence, for a moment! Our dear hero’s beloved mate wishes to introduce herself to you! And as I should remind you, while she may be a dragon, she’s never been amongst so many people, before. Please, offer her your attention, your respect, and your patience!”

A familiar voice cried out. “In other words?” Jekk stood amidst the crowd, atop one of the tavern balconies. “Everyone shut the hell up!”

The noise slowly died down, and Mirelle offered Jekk a wave. “Thank you, Councilman.” She turned towards the dragons, smiling. “Tell her to go ahead, Rev.”

Revaramek gave his mate’s neck a lick. “They’re listening, love.”

Nyra stared out across the ocean of people, her ears splayed. Her wings trembled, just a little. She took a slow, shaking breath. “Greetings, people of…” She glanced at Rev, whispering. “What was the city called again?”

“Refuge.” Revaramek pronounced the word slowly and carefully. As a name, translating it into the swamp dragon word for a sanctuary was not possible. He spoke a second time, just to help her learn the pronunciation. “Refuge.”

Nyramyn licked her muzzle, then started again. “Greetings, people of… Ref-you-guh.”

Revaramek gave her an encouraging lick on her neck, his voice quiet. “Tell me when you’d like me to translate.”

She nodded, gazing around. “I am called Nyramyn. I am Revaramek’s Water Ally, and his life mate. This is our son, Korakos.” Nyra reached out to gently stroke Korakos’s head. “You can translate, Rev.”

Rev did so, though he doubted anyone in the marsh would know what a Water Ally was. When he finished, people in the crowd called out scattered greetings of their own. He translated a few of them back for Nyra, though he imagined she could guess the context on her own. When the crowds quieted, so did Revaramek, giving Nyra space to proceed.

“I cannot fathom that anyone here, in this beautiful world, would ever understand what a Water Ally is.” Nyramyn paused, glancing down at her paws. “And so, I think, I will explain. That you might know me, as you know my beloved.”

“You read my mind,” Revaramek said.

“What?” Nyramyn looked over, eye ridges furrowed, and ears cocked at odd angles.

“Nevermind.” Revaramek nudged her with his muzzle. “I’ll translate, then you continue.”

When Revaramek was finished, Nyramyn continued. “The world where I’m from has long since been drowned in a black, poisonous tide. Water covers everything, and yet it is undrinkable. Truly fresh, clean water is a scarce, and precious commodity. In the rare places where it trickles from the stones, there is seldom enough for more than one dragon to live off of. What few dragons remain in that terrible place are often forced to fight for it.” She swallowed. “To the death.” Nyra quieted, waiting for Rev to translate before going on.

“For even should you show mercy to a vanquished foe, thirst and poison would kill them just the same. It is a kinder mercy to grand your brethren a swifter death in battle, then a lingering one in defeat.” Her frills sagged, and she looked away. “It is an accepted reality, and there is no enmity in such combat. Should you die battling for water, you are expected to forgive your killer, just as they would have forgiven you in your place.”

When Nyra fell silent again, Rev set a forepaw atop hers. There were still times from her past she’d never told him about. He wondered, and not for the first time, if Nyra had ever killed another dragon over water. As kind and joyful as she was, he could not imagine how heavily the weight of such a terrible burden would bear down upon her gentle soul. Revaramek knew that before Nyra found her cave, she’d once had another source of water taken away from her. But he did not know if she’d ever defended her cave with bloodshed, after that. For now, he simply squeezed her paw as he translated, letting her take all the time she needed. By then, silence had fallen across the crowd.

Nyramyn took a deep breath, and held it. She let it out slowly. “That was the life I lived, before I met Revaramek. A life where I rarely ever met another creature who could speak. Even when I did, all too often…” She lifted a forepaw, unsheathing her claws. “All too often, there were few words to be had.” Nyra retracted her claws, and her shaking paw back down. “When I found a place of my own, with enough water to survive on, I claimed it for myself, intent on defending it with my life.”

Again, she waited for Revaramek to translate for everyone. Rev had not expected her to delve into the details of her life, but he was glad she chose to do so. Anything that would help Nyra open up and feel more comfortable around the citizens of Refuge was a good thing, as far as he was concerned. He kept his paw resting atop her own, offering silent comfort and encouragement as she proceeded.

“For years, that was my life.” Nyra licked her nose, gazing around at the now somber masses of people. “Hunting my prey in the trees and in the black, poisoned waters. Gathering water from a trickle in the stone in my tiny little cave. Rejoicing and dancing to my heart’s content, when the rain dared fall clean. Defending my water from those who would take it from me.” She shuddered, swallowing. “And then I met Revaramek, in the rain.”

Revaramek’s heart trembled, deep in his chest. A chill ran through his blood, and a shiver racked him, his scales clicking. He still remembered the day so clearly. How Vakaal’s song guided him through fevered dreams. How Nyra’s laughter guided him through the pouring rain. How the sight of her looked, an angel of delirious joy in a place without hope. So wrapped in memories was he, he forgot to translate her words until she gently nipped his neck.

The dragon collected himself, blinking back the sudden bleariness in his eyes. He cleared his throat with a little growl, and spoke her tale in the common tongue. He glanced at Nyra. “May I add a little, for context?”

Nyra nodded. “Of course.”

“That was only days after I dragged Asterbury into that poisoned swamp, and trapped him there. When he realized what I’d done, he attacked me. I fought him, the best I could, but in the end…” He lifted a foreleg, clenching and unclenching his paw. Memories of broken bones a dull ache in his limbs. “He left me to die, battered, unconscious, and on the edge of death.” Revaramek set his leg back down. There were a great many more details, but now was not the time to elaborate. He simply wished for the people of Refuge to have a greater understanding of Nyra’s own story. “I awoke to pouring rain, and struggled to find shelter. For days it rained, and for days, I wandered. Until at least, I heard…laughter. Half-convinced I’d already died, I followed the sound through the storm. And then I came up on her, playing in the mud and dancing in the rain like a giddy hatchling.” Scattered laughter made its way through the crowd, and Revaramek laughed with them. He switched to the swamp dragon tongue, catching Nyra up on his additions, then nosed her. “Your turn, love.”

Nyramyn licked her nose, memories drifting across her pale golden eyes. “It was raining, that day. Fresh and clean, and harder than I could ever recall. Like an omen, a portent that something wonderful was about to enter my life. I danced, and danced, and laughed my joy to the rain-swollen skies. And then I saw him…” She turned her head, gazing at Revaramek. “Flying low, towards me. I feared he’d come for my water. He landed nearby, babbling nonsense. I thought him madness touched, at first. Yet, his posture remained submissive, and so I made a bid to speak to him, in hopes of staving off a fight. Merciful as a death in battle may be compared to the swamp’s slow, poisonous rot, I still sought to avoid bloodshed unless I had no choice.” She twisted her neck, staring back at her bandaged wound. Though healing swiftly, Binir remained insistent it stay covered, and clean. “After all, even in success, there remains a great risk.”

Revaramek nuzzled her neck, and then translated for her. When he was finished, he licked her ear. “Go on.”

“Soon, his words began to make more sense, to me. Yet, they were still jumbled, somehow both archaic and out of order.” Nyra gave a little laugh, glancing his way. “At first, I thought it a side effect of the swamp’s creeping madness, along with isolation. It was endearing, in a way. Until he told me he had come to fight for my water.” Her ears fell, and she swallowed hard. “He had not meant it, of course, but I had no way of knowing that. And so, I steeled myself for the inevitable.”

Nyramyn waited for the translation, then shook herself, her scales rustling. “He was larger than me, and swamp-mad or not, I assumed him a dangerous foe. After all, he had made it to adulthood, healthy and strong. I could only imagine how many battles for water he had already tasted victory in. So I sought the advantage, and the initiative, and I charged him, ready to blind him with my flames, and my teeth into his throat before he could do the same to me.”

Revaramek flattened his ears back, his stomach twisting. How differently things might have gone, had he sought to defend himself. There was no good outcome, there. He passed on her words, and then waited for her to speak again.

“Just as I reached him…” Nyramyn stared at Revaramek, a smile creeping across her muzzle. “He flopped onto his belly, in the mud, and covered his head with his paws. And he told me that he refused to fight. That he wasn’t going to take my water. And that if I did not wish to share it, he would simply leave.” She chuckled to herself, her tail tip twitching. “That was how I met your Hero of the Marsh. Wallowing in the mud before me, because he refused to shed the blood of one merely defending her home.” Nyra smiled at him, love and adulation shining in her eyes. “I knew, in that moment, that he was a gods-damned fool.”

Revaramek burst into happy laughter, shaking his head. He spoke the next part of her tale for the crowd, and soon, they were laughing too.

From the dais, Mirelle called out. “You sure got that right, Nyra.”

Nyra laughed with everyone else when Rev explained what Mirelle said. The crowd offered up a few more playful insults. Rev bore them all as good-naturedly as they were intended translating each for Nyra. She shared their amusement, and soon enough, went on with her story.

“It did not take me long to ascertain that his kindness was genuine.” As she spoke, she stared at Rev, a little smile still spread across her muzzle. “A kindness of a sort I had not known since I was young, and leaving my parents to their water. Furthermore, he displayed a baffling lack of understanding of life in the swamp. He claimed he had come from another world, a place of clean water. I had heard of such a place, but only in half-forgotten stories, whispered to me in my youth. I was not sure whether he was a kindhearted liar, or touched in the head from swallowing too much black water.” She stopped, slowly looking around at everyone. “How could I ever have known he was telling me the truth?”

“You couldn’t.” Revaramek squeezed her paw, smiling at her, his frills raised. “You had every right to assume I was a liar, and a fool.”

“I did, and you are.” Nyra nipped at his muzzle, then gestured at the crowd with a wingtip. “Tell them, not me.”

“Of course, dear.” Revaramek bumped her nose with his, before passing her words onto the populace.

When Revaramek was finished, Nyramyn continued. “While I yet had no way of knowing the truth of his arrival, I did know that if I sent him away, he would die.” Nyramyn hung her head, her words dripping from her tongue like baleful venom. “That swamp is a place filled with cruelty. There is no place there for kindness, or naivety. It was all too simple, and all too tragic. I saw a kind heart in him, and I knew that very same compassion would get him killed. He would not find drinkable water without fighting for it. And so, I offered to share mine. In the old ways of my ancestors, I made him my Water Ally.”

Revaramek was quiet for a little while. He knew Nyra was waiting on him to translate, and yet his mind was awash in memories and emotions. He had not thought recently about the day he met her, but hearing of it from her own perspective left it fresh, and raw. Even many years later, it remained one of the greatest moments in all his life. Only the hatching of his son could compare. When he finally spoke her tale in the common tongue, it was with shaking voice and trembling jaws.

Nyramyn picked up again when he finished. “And so at last, you know why I call him my Water Ally. Such an alliance means far less here, in a world where clean water is everywhere. And yet…” She put a paw to her chest. “It shall always mean everything to me, because Revaramek means everything to me. And he shall always be my Water Ally.”

Again, Revaramek struggled with the translations, his throat tightening.

She set her paw back down, flattening back her frills. For a moment, she did not know what else to say. She glanced at the cobbled stones beneath her paws, shaking her head. “In truth, I know not why I tell you this. Revaramek wished me to introduce myself, and somehow, I find myself telling you so much more. I think, perhaps…” She swallowed. “It is because I wish you to understand me, as you understand Revaramek. To know why it will take me so long to…to adapt to your ways. To simply being around you. For if I seem shy, or frightened? If I bare my fangs and my claws? Know it is not from anger, but from anxiety. Understand that I have never known more than a handful of people, in all my life. And now I find myself surrounded by thousands of them. I assure you, I shall do my utmost to adapt to living near so many people. But until then, I urge you to offer me patience, and I shall strive to do the same for you. But please, remember. This city alone has more people than the swamp I was born in has ever had dragons.”

As Nyra trailed off, Revaramek gently stroked her foreleg. When he’d finished his translations, he returned to the swamp dragon language. “That there are, Nyra. And yet, they could all be your friends, if you let them.” He opened a wing, stretching it to point towards the statue of himself surrounded by books. “Just as they all came to call me friend.”

“Rev…” Mirelle approached the edge of the dais, her voice soft. “If Nyra doesn’t mind the interruption, now might be a good moment for us to reveal our surprise to you. I’d need to talk a moment myself, if so.”

“Mirelle has something to say, if that’s alright.” Revaramek pointed his wing tip towards the tarp-draped object near the statue. “I think she wants to show us what’s under there, before you continue.”

Nyra nodded slowly. “That’s fine. I’m not sure if I have more to say or not, anyway.”

Revaramek waved his wing. “Go ahead, Mirelle. I’ll continue to serve as interpreter.”

“Thank you.” Mirelle turned towards a group of city workers, waving them onto the dais. “Bring it forward.” Together, they picked up the mysterious object, and carried it up onto the platform, where the gathered crowds could see it. The tarp fluttered in the breeze, but did not reveal what lay beneath. Mirelle tugged at it, ensuring it was still secure, then moved to the front of the dais to address her people.

“Citizens of Refuge! Allow me a moment while our honored guest gathers herself. I have absolutely no doubt in my mind that you will all welcome and treat our newest residents with the kindness and respect they deserve! Not just because they’re family to our very own Hero of the Marsh. But because here, in Refuge, that is how we strive to treat everyone. That is part of the reason we call ourselves Refuge, is it not?” She spread her arms wide, then placed a hand over her heart. “Because we are a welcoming shelter, a home for anyone who finds their way here.”

A cheer rang out from the crowd. It spurred a few more, which in turn soon had the entire crowd applauding again. Mirelle made a show of clapping with them, a wry grin on her face. “Yes! I agree! We do deserve a round of applause.” That drew scattered laughter, before she continued. “That’s why we hold these things in the square, so everyone can hit the tavern first! It’s so much easier to please a crowd when you’re drunk as hell.”

From an upper balcony, Jekk called out. “Speak for yourself, Head Councilwoman! I’m only a little drunk!”

Mirelle laughed, shading her eyes as she looked up. “I find that hard to believe, Councilman Jekk!”

“What are they saying?” Nyra nipped at Revaramek’s scales. “You’re not interpreting!”

Revaramek grunted, waving a paw. “Mirelle’s just pandering to the crowd, and making forced banter with the old man. I’ll tell you when she gets to the interesting bits.”

“No, you’ll tell me all of it. Hurry up now, you’re falling behind!”

“Fine, fine.” Revaramek quickly translated the gist of things for Nyra.

Mirelle paced the dais as she continued. “As many of you have no doubt noticed, our newest resident dragons are not all we planned to present, today.” She swept a hand towards whatever lay hidden beneath the fluttering tarp. “For we have a surprise to present to them, as well. A welcome home gift of sorts, for the Hero of the Marsh’s beloved family.”

Revaramek lifted his frills, speaking softly to Nyra. “Apparently, they have a gift for us.” He tilted his head. “Just what the hell have you been up to, Mirelle?”

Nyramyn nudged him. “If you want her answer, you’re going to have to speak to her in her own language.”

“It was a rhetorical…” Revaramek trailed off when Nyra’s smirk made it clear she was only teasing him. “Oh, hilarious, Nyra. Anyway, whatever she’s about to show us is a surprise to me, as well.”

“Now, Mirelle said, crossing the platform Revaramek’s statue, and the mystery object beside it. “This is only quarter scale model, and the details aren’t quite right yet. But…” She stopped, and turned her attention towards the dragons, smiling. “I hope it helps your family feel welcome.” She lifted her hand, and made a signal towards the city workers nearby, raising her voice again. “May I present, The Hero’s Family!”

The workers swiftly undid cords and bindings, and finally pulled the tarp aside. Beneath it was a grand wooden carving of himself, and his family. In the sculpture, he sat with Nyra, their tails intertwined, their heads resting together. They cradled Korakos together, supporting him with one foreleg each, and gazing down at him with loving smiles. As Mirelle warned, not every detail was correct, but the resemblances were clear. The whole thing looked carved from a single piece of wood, as if they’d used the entire trunk of a tree older even than the city. As the beautiful figure was revealed, a great cheer rose from the crowd, swelling by the moment.

Nyramyn gasped, her frills shooting up. “That…that’s us.”

“Yes,” Revaramek said, a warm rush of joy swelling his heart. “It is. Look how happy we-”

“Who’s that?” Korakos tilted his head, pointing at the wooden dragons.

“Us, Korakos.” Revaramek stroked his son’s head, smiling. “That’s us.”

“They…” Nyra’s voice trembled. She worked her jaws for a moment, but no sound came out. Nyramyn swallowed, forcing words across her tongue. “Rev, that’s us.”

“I know, Nyra.” Revaramek turned his head to gently nuzzle her. “It’s beautiful, isn’t it?”

Nyra’s eyes darted from the carving of her family, to the statue of Revaramek, then to Mirelle, and then the crowd. “They…they made that for us?” Slowly, she turned her head back to the sculpture of their family. “They…they actually…” She gulped again. “They want us here?”

“They want us to feel welcome, Nyra.” Revaramek placed his paw atop hers, giving it a little squeeze. “They want you to know you’re welcome.”

Mirelle returned to the front of platform, grinning at the dragons. “Well, what do you think?” She tilted her head towards the wooden carving. “It’s not as big as your statue, yet. But it will be. And like I said, this is really just a mock up. The real thing’s gonna be stone, just like the other. But I thought this way, Nyra could see it as part of her visit. And, if you want, when the final statue is done, you can put this one outside your house.”

“I think…” Revaramek gazed at the loving depiction of his family. A lump swiftly formed in his throat. Seeing himself commemorated as a hero would never fail to move him. But seeing the family of a dragon celebrated and welcomed by a city that once sought to shoot his kind down was something else altogether. When he finally spoke, his voice was but a hoarse whisper. “I think it’s beautiful, Mirelle.”

“I’m glad, Rev.” Mirelle came to the edge of the dais, hugging Revaramek’s head. She stroked his scales a few moments before releasing him, and turning towards Nyra. “What about her? I hope she likes it. I can’t quite tell if she’s happy, or upset.” Her smile slowly twisted into a scowl. “I hope she’s not angry about her depiction. I know the details aren’t all right, but they will be for the real thing, I promise. This was the best the sculptors could do on short notice, and without real up close access to her, and Korakos.”

Revaramek patted Nyra’s paw. “I think she’s a little taken aback, is all. She’s rather at a loss for words-”

“I need to talk to the people again.” Nyra pushed herself up to all fours, turning towards the crowd. “Right now.”

Revaramek blinked, staring at her. “Or not.” He picked Korakos up, and set him down on the dais, near Mirelle’s feet. “Here, son. Stand here with Mirelle while your mother talks.”

Korakos ran in a circle around Mirelle’s legs a few times. “I wanna see the wooden us!”

“In a minute, Korakos.” He snatched the hatchling’s tail, holding it firm. “Don’t trip up Mirelle. You behave for her, understand?”

“Yes, Father.” Korakos heaved a sigh, hanging his head. “I never get to go see the wooden us.”

“Revaramek!” Nyra lashed her tail, impatience in her voice. “I need to say something, before the moment passes!”

“Coming, Nyra.” Revaramek released Korakos’ tail, glancing at Mirelle before turning away. “Quiet them down for her, will you?”

Mirelle raised her hands. “Good people! Our guest wishes to address you once more!”

From a high balcony, a gruff voice once more called out. “Everyone shut the hell up again!”

Revaramek bowed his head in gratitude. “Thank you, Jekk.” He moved up alongside his mate, nuzzling her neck. “Go ahead, love.”

“When first I gazed upon this?” Nyra thrust a wing tip towards the statue of Revaramek and the books. “I saw joy in it. I saw that your city cares for my beloved Revaramek, just as I do. That in his absence you had welcomed him into your hearts. And upon his return, you had welcomed him into your homes.” She turned her head, tears shimmering in her eyes as she smiled at Revaramek. “Just as I once welcomed him into mine, when I first made him my Water Ally.”

Revaramek stared back at her. The stubborn lump in his throat only grew larger. He struggled to swallow it down, his voice hoarse and shuddering as he translated for her.

Nyramyn continued the moment he finished. “To welcome a dragon into your midst, I could only imagine how hard he must have worked to earn not only your affection, but your trust. In the swamp, trust is dangerous. To trust the wrong person at the wrong time, can be your death. And for humans, and dragons, real trust is harder still to find. Before I came here, the only humans I have ever met, tried to kill me.” She slowly lifted a wing, exposing her bandage-covered wound. “They gave me this, and…forced me to slay them, to protect my son.” Nyra blinked back tears, forcing herself onwards. “And yet, ever since I reached this place? Revaramek has asked me to trust you. To believe, however impossible it seemed, that you would welcome me, as you welcomed him. And I thought him a fool.” She took a shaking breath, then glanced at Revaramek. “Go on.”

Revaramek stretched his neck, giving her nose a tender lick. By now, it was all he could do to fight back his own tears. As he interpreted, each new sentence required its own valiant battle against the rising flood of emotions. He already knew the things Nyra said, but actually hearing her put it to words was a heavier burden to bear.

“But I see now,” Nyra said, as soon as Revaramek quieted. “That Revaramek was right. That I should trust you, because you are welcoming me. You are trusting me. Trusting me to walk your streets. To stand among you. To speak to you, as if we friends. As if…” She slowly turned her head, staring at the sculpture of the three of them. “As if we were family. You see, I…have only ever spoken at length like this to…” She lifted a forepaw, opening it. “A handful of people, in all my life. And here I am, speaking to all of you, gazing upon this…incredible gift. Simply because you wish to welcome me into your home. It pains me to think, that I have only ever welcomed one person into myhome.” She set her paw back down, turning her eyes back to Revaramek. “A great leap of faith, to trust a stranger in need. A leap that proved itself time and again to be the greatest decision I’ve ever made.”

A few tears spilled down Revaramek’s snout. He struggled to speak her words, pausing several times to swallow or clear his throat. When he was finished, he stretched his wing, draping it lovingly across Nyra’s back. “Go on, Love.”

“Now I find myself, standing before you, secretly terrified by the presence of so many humans, yet humbled by the trust you offer, and the great kindness you show. And…” She fought for words, opening and closing her maw. A tear ran down her pale green scales. “When I saw your gift, a grave sorrow took me, for a moment. It saddened me that your city created something beautiful for my family, and yet I had nothing to offer in return.”

Revaramek nuzzled her ear. “Nyra, you don’t have to-”

“But I do have something to offer!” Nyra gestured at the crowd, hissing. “Rev, tell them. Quickly!”

Revaramek flattened his ears, unsure where she was going with this now. But he did as she asked, swiftly summing up her words.

“I have no material goods for you, no hoard of treasures with which to share. But I have something far more meaningful…” She lifted a paw, placing it across her heart. “At least, to me.” Nyra set her paw back down, strength filling her voice, lifting it to the highest balconies. “I have the old ways, and the old alliances, in which I have always put my faith.” Nyramyn stepped forward, spreading out her wings. “You have taken my beloved into your home, and into your hearts. You share with him your land, your shelter, your food, and…” She paused a beat. “And your water.”

Revaramek sucked in a breath. She wouldn’t…

“And thus, would I do the same with you. I will protect you as I would my own family. I will share with you my shelter, my food, and I will share with you, my water.” Nyramyn took a slow, shaky breath. “Though it hardly need be shared, in this wondrous place, the deeper meaning remains the same. Through trust, and water, we are bonded. And so again, I tell you my name.” She lifted her head, her voice strong, brassy, and proud. “I am called Nyramyn! And I would ask you all to be my Water Allies.”

She would.

Nyramyn splayed her front legs, dipping her chest down to the cobblestone in the deepest bow a dragon could manage. She dropped her head, resting her muzzle against the ground. She remained bowed while Rev translated for her. His interpretation took great effort, and it was all he could do to keep himself from breaking down. There was nothing more meaningful that Nyra could possibly have offered these people. And yet, he doubted any of them truly understood that.

But this wasn’t really about the city, after all. It was about Nyra.

And by the time he finished speaking, and Nyra rose again, Revaramek knew.

For perhaps the first time in all her hard-fought life…

Nyramyn felt welcome.