The Blue Star

By: sinaline

folder A through F › Dragonlance

Rating: Adult +

Chapters: 13

Views: 2,084

Reviews: 0

Recommended: 0

Currently Reading: 0

Category: A through F › Dragonlance

Rating: Adult +

Chapters: 13

Views: 2,084

Reviews: 0

Recommended: 0

Currently Reading: 0

Disclaimer: I do not own the book(s) that this fanfiction is written for, nor any of the characters from it. I do not make any money from the writing of this story.

Chapter Five

Chapter Five

Spring

Raistlin stretched after waking and making his bed. Thaniel had gone into the city to buy
supplies again. Not that he was likely going to find any as there seemed to be a gathering
of supplies to the square that was kept under close watch. Inhaling as he moved into a
pose called the Triangle he wondered why they were doing so.

In the months that had been the winter he had learned much about his duty as the Miiro
even without having the Blue Star in his possession. With an exhale he moved from that
pose into the cross legged sitting position for his meditation.

It was funny really, he thought as he slipped into what he had nicknamed the "Meditative
Snooze." That in becoming a bit more fit physically his mind seemed a bit sharper, more
quicker and able to focus. If all schools of magic taught this magic would definately be
far more formidible a discipline. Abyss, he even found that memorization came easier
and sometimes the memory of the spell cast actually remained for awhile after, allowing
him to re-memorize the spell before he forgot it completely.

That had greatly simplified his life.

Now, instead of using tremendous amounts of energy memorizing, he could concentrate
on learning new spells and, now, learning other pursuits in case he ran out of spells. One
such pursuit was the first time Thaniel laid the sword in his hands.

* * *

Earlier, Late Winter

Raistlin stood up from the meditation that had become part of his morning waking process in the past months and stretched to get the kinks of of his joints. Thaniel was late meeting him this morning and he had gone ahead to the library to read up on the history of Ansalon. Much of it was written in Marion's own hand and was absolutely fascinating.

Marion had been born Lady Marion Uth Malaste of Ergoth, daughter of Lord Uth Thelwaite, an Imperial Highlord who travelled to oversee various units. Her mother had been a high-born cleric of Paladine who, after serving her required years in the temple, had married Lord Uth Thelwaite. Shortly before the War of the Rose, and five years after Marion was born, Lord Uth Thelwaite had been reassigned to Tarsis. There they stayed and built the Thelwaite Manor. The aging Knight and his wife had many sons and daughters after Marion, and she lived in relative happiness as the eldest child.

However, that happiness ended with the rebellion.

Thelwaite Manor was besieged by mobs who took out their anger on the old Imperial
Ergothian representive. Lord Thelwaite, and his family had been dragged out and burned at the stake.

At that point Raistlin had to go to the privy and be violently ill, but he returned to read more.

It was here that she discovered that she had been born touched by a fragment of the
Sundered God upon being touched by the flames of the stake she had been tied to. Her
skin flared gold and, although her gown burned, she did not. She still passed out from
the heat, and the people thought her dead, but she awakened later to discover the burned
husks of her family.

At that point, she was only seventeen.

Raistlin leaned back in the chair and marvelled at the fact that she had not been driven
insane, but at least he now half understood why she felt the need to be near her home.
Even if the memories were painful it was still home.

Thaniel walked in at this point, "You read her history."

"The first part of it, I think. She kept it truncated and without her usual detail," sighed Raistlin. "But I can see why. I wouldn't want to even remember it if they did the same to me. How did she ever survive that?"

Shrugging, Thaniel answered, "She found her solace in helping others and writing down
what she saw and who she met so that none were forgotten. That is why so many of
Miiro's books are in libraries across the continent. For someone no one has remembered
meeting in person she is rather famous among scholars."

Raistlin nodded, "That I see. I keep a journal as well, but I cannot imagine mine being
picked apart by scribes and copied letter for letter, then distributed, like hers have been."

"I have something for you. Your style in battle seems suited for this weapon..." Thaniel walked to the small dojo. "While I concentrate on the styles of fighting of my homeland, I can train in others. Marion preferred that of the desert nomads, and that was her choice. I practiced with her as well."

"Have you taught other Miiro's?" asked Raistlin, crinkling his brows. "I thought you
were human?"

"Oh no, I only appear human," answered Thaniel. "And my true name is likely
unpronoucible by your kind. Even elves can't."

Raistlin took a breath and released it, and Thaniel continued, "I have only trained Marion, though I have met her predessor, and sometimes he still comes around. Once an Agent of the Miiro, always an Agent, even if not the Miiro. Someday, my friend, you will also find your successor."

"Marion's predessor would have only been from around the time of Starbirth," pointed out Raistlin. "It's been thousands of years. Abyss, for all I know you could even be a dragon..."

Thaniel stopped walking and stared at Raistlin and, at that point, Raistlin realized that he had pretty much guessed it very well. After a few moments he began walking again and Raistlin hurried to catch up. "So, what kind of a dragon are you?" he asked.

"One that should really know better."

That ended the conversation.

Thaniel led Raistlin down a set of stairs until they were in the room where he had been
training. Picking the thin scabbard from the rack, and respectfully bowing slightly, he
then turned and held it out to Raistlin, both hands held palm up.

Raistlin picked up the scabbard and slowly put one hand on the hilt of the sword, slowly
pulling out the sword as he did so. It was a thin, lightweight blade, razor sharp on only one side and carved with runes. The hilt was carefully wrapped in thick silk that interweaved to make a tightly woven pattern of blue and silver. The blade was curved slightly, but not to the extreme of Marion's scimitars. He held the blade up, marvelling at the workmanship and the enchantments laid upon it. "This... is no ordinary sword..."

"It has been folded and hammered out over three hundred times, that gives the steel
suppleness and the sharpness. These kinds of swords, even the unenchanted or unblessed
ones, could cut through Abanasinian swords like butter. I know, I have seen them used
in battle," answered Thaniel. "It is called a katana."

For a moment Raistlin was confused, and Thaniel clarified, "It's the type of sword it is, like a scimatar is a scimatar or a bastard sword is a bastard sword. A katana is a katana."

He nodded his understanding, "What kind of enchantment is on the sword?"

"Well, from what I have been able to figure out, it's a flame blade," answered Thaniel
with a shrug. "Other than that, I'm not overly sure on what else there is."

Raistlin nodded as he resheathed the sword. Thaniel helped him to tie the sword where it belonged on his hip and also showed where else he could wear the scabbard depending on the situation. Then they took the scabbard from him and walked, with Raistlin carrying his sword, back to his cell where he put the scabbard on a rack made for it. With a small bow he followed the monk back to the training room. This time Thaniel took out two wooden representations of the katana, and said, "These are bokken. You will learn how to use the bokken before I let you use that katana..."

Inwardly, Raistlin groaned, knowing that it would be a very long time before he ever laid hands on his sword except to clean it...

* * *

Spring

That, of course, had been months ago and Raistlin had passed from using the bokken to
using the katana. Using the katana in the katas were a challenge as, although the bokken
and the katana were of the same weight and of similiar balance, the katana sliced through
air better so Raistlin had to get used to how the sword moved.

He had also learned that while the blade was light and thin compared to his brother's
bastard sword that the katana was ten times sharper and quicker to handle. He sighed as
he finished this last kata.

Musing on things, he realized that it had been a very long time since he last had a coughing fit or some other fit to remind him of his frailty. Looking around he noticed that things still aged in his sight, so he still had the hourglass eyes. A deeper sigh exited his lungs as he sat down on the mats on the floor as Thaniel walked in. "You seem
troubled," he said.

"All of this, and except for my health, I am still cursed."

"The hourglass eyes? Yes, I would imagine that would take a long time in going away,
once whatever you must do to get rid of them is done," mused Thaniel.

Raistlin pointed out his face and hair, "And what of this?"

For a moment Thaniel looked puzzled, "You mean you don't know?"

"Don't know what?"

"You you told me that you had parted company with Marion, I had not realized what you meant... that's armor, my boy, the Armor of the Miiro, your mark of Guardianship. It's how she found you," he explained, then he shook his head. "I guess you also do not know how to dismiss it."

"I can dismiss it?!" Raistlin stood up quickly, turning to Thaniel as the dragon in man form walked around him. "How?"

"I'm not sure," said Thaniel. "I've never been asked how, nor ever considered it. My guess is that deep inside you would tell yourself that it is not required for the moment."

Again Raistlin was left feeling a bit frustrated. To have that hope dangled in front of him only to have it snatched away just as fast was beginning to fray his nerves. He gritted his teeth in frustration and felt Thaniel's hand on his shoulder. He brushed it off angrily and stalked to his cell. Once there he stared at himself harshly in the mirror. "Well, come on then," he said, sarcastically, angrily. "I'm not in danger. I don't need you. Go away."

It didn't budge.

He cursed loudly and threw himself on his bed. His breath caught and he began to cough, hacking until he saw spots in front of his eyes. He fumbled around for a bit before finding the pouch at his belt and breathing in the herbs that calmed the coughing fit. Finally, he fell asleep still in his clothes, sword in one hand, Staff of the Magius in the other.

* * *

He awoke some time later feeling a bit better. Getting up and walking over to the nightstand he splashed some water on his face, brushing the strands of auburn hair out of his eyes, grumbling as they turned grey in his sight.

Then froze in shock as he caught sight of his pale, but regular pale, flesh on his hands. He ignored the effects of the hourglass eyes as he stared at them in wonder, knowing them to be his own hands, but still not quite able to believe the sight before him. Ever so slowly he began to look up into the mirror, hoping but not quite daring to look in the mirror, afraid to see what he would see there.

When he finally opened one sky pale blue eye, then the other, he opened them wide in surprise at the sight in the mirror.

He was normal again.

Normal.

His heart skipped a beat at the sight, even if the sight was aging and he was seeing himself grow into an old man, it was better than seeing him grow into an old man with gold skin. A rare smile touched his lips as he found himself brushing back his hair and rubbing his face.

Raistlin was still very, very thin from his Test, and he still had the hourglass eyes, but they were in a set of blue eyes, not gold. Those eyes looked out from a face of pale flesh colored skin, with his long dark auburn hair. Looking at the sight in the mirror he would have never guessed he was cursed if not for the blue hourglass eyes.

But, then again, one had to look very close at his eyes to see said curse.

The smile spread as he cleaned himself up and smoothed out his clothes. He tied the
katana to his belt and took the Staff in his hands, almost whistling to himself as he did so. Then he left his cell and went in search of Thaniel. He found him in the small dining hall of the monestary. Thaniel looked up and his eyes widened, "I see you have figured out
the last step, Guardian."

"Last step?" asked Raistlin in puzzlement.

"Yes," Thaniel smiled a bit sadly. "Marion came to me with the same problem, but once she had learned all she could from me, the armor faded. I see the same with you. I have taught you everything I can teach you. You can still come back for shelter and aid, but your path now lies outside of these walls."

For a moment Raistlin was speechless, then, when he had found his voice, he asked, "When do I have to leave?"

Thaniel shrugged, "There is no rush, but, no matter what, you will feel the tug, the call, to wander the lands."

He walked over to Raistlin, laying both hands on his shoulders, "I hope your roads are not too difficult, but I can tell by the very nature of them that they will not be easy. Matheri watch over you, Guardian."

"And he you," murmured Raistlin.

* * *

A short time later after being given time to rest, clean himself up, pack and supply himself, Raistlin stood outside the doors of the monestary. He looked back once, then turned away. If he remembered correctly, Marion had said something to the Dark Elf Manaxis about the Blue Star being sold to a 'Dragon Highlord' far in the South. His path likely lay that way since it was now his responsibility to find the Blue Star and return it to where it belonged.

He walked out of Tarsis and looked over the trackless desert dunes, his camel nudging
him. He got the feeling that it wasn't going to be an easy journey. Like extreme cold,
extreme heat also had a habit of tiring him quicker than normal and the desert nomads
were not a welcoming sort to strangers.

In a rare moment of concern, he wondered what Caramon was doing...

* * *

Raistlin needn't have worried about his twin. Caramon, without having to travel with his brother, was doing something he had not had to do in quite some time, but enjoyed even while it was hard work. Even though it was Springtime in Solace, people still required firewood for the cool late spring nights.

And Flint needed wood for his forge.

So Caramon helped the other woodcutters in the forests around Solace by using his great bulk, strength and endurance by driving the wood filled wagons back into town where he there piled the wood into great piles. Then he drove the horse drawn wagons back to where the trees were being felled.

He sighed in the noontime sun, taking a sip of the water. It had been a good six months since he had last seen and sign of his brother, seven if he included the time he had been trying to track him and Marion.

It had been the longest stretch of time that he had been separated from Raistlin in his entire life, if one did not include the time that he had gone with Tasslehoff and Sturm and been kidnapped by the minotaurs. He smiled. Then it had been Raistlin with Tanis and Flint who had tracked them down. He could see the worry that had been relaxed off of Raistlin once Caramon had been found.

And now the shoe was on the other foot, as it were. Only now there was absolutely nothing that Caramon could do in the search of his brother, not even knowing where he was.

He continued his work and went to Flint's and sat down in the chair, seeing Tanis there. Undoubtably Flint had just explained to Tanis that Raistlin was missing. "Hello, Caramon, how are you holding up?"

"I'm holding," answered Caramon.

"So... where's Raistlin?"

Caramon looked from Tanis to Flint and back to Tanis again, "I don't know. I haven't seen him for seven months."

"Seven months?" Tanis looked at Caramon. "What happened?"

"He was kidnapped, then, when I caught up with the kidnapper I found out that it was willingly," said Caramon. "He's gone South, and Marion went once accompanying me here."

Tanis leaned back against the wall, "South and East... sounds like they would eventually meet anyway. She would have to cut across the deserts, and so would he... eventually. It isn't too late to go after him. Did Flint tell you of the portals we used?"

"He did," said Caramon, with a shrug. "So did Raistlin when I asked how you three got to Ogrebond in the first place."

"So? There has to be more of them," said Tanis. "Now, while he's gone willingly, perhaps he has gone after something that magic clearly may have the advantage over a sword. But I can see that you plainly want to find him and help him, and if so, I'll go with you."

Flint nodded his assent, "While against better judgement, I will go with you as well."

Caramon stood up taking each of their hands, before hugging Tanis again. "Just like old
times," he said.

rate_review View Reviews (0)

arrow_back Back to Archive folder Back to Dragonlance