Thayle turned round and round as her eyes went wide with wonder. The landscape around her was lush and verdant. Tall trees towered overhead their branches stretching out impossibly far, choking out the sky that could only be seen in small gaps. Where it did gap the suns light came down in shimmering golden rays that seemed almost to dance in the air.

Beneath that canopy was another world. It was dominated by smaller trees with delicate trunks in varieties she had never known. Many of them had leaves in colors she had never seen before. Some were pink, and some were blue. Some had deep red leaves with green spines that seemed to sway in a breeze of their own. One tree had dark purple foliage with a black vein down the center. Its trunk was nearly jet black with narrow lines of white streaked through it. Another tree was much like a willow, but its branches hung down and trailed on the ground in long ropes. They were covered with tiny white flowers with golden centers.

On the floor below was a carpet of ferns, mushrooms, and flowers. The mushrooms came in as many colors as the trees. There were tall, fat red mushrooms whose caps were well above her head. Smaller green mushrooms with thick red stems reached up only as high as her waist but had enormous broad and flat caps. Then there were soft blue mushrooms with thin, delicate stems. Some of them grew as high as her knees in little clumps of three or four. They glistened as if wet and produced a strange luminous glow from under the caps. Still more mushrooms in more colors grew hidden in dark spaces. These were all of normal size, but still, they fascinated her to look at.

The whole of the ground was covered in a green carpet of moss, grass or low growing flowers. As she looked around, she realized that flowers grew everywhere. Some of them even grew in the bark of the trees, cascading down the sides of trunks like decorations. They grew around the mushrooms in rich, vibrant colors, and some of them she realized even glowed with a soft light.

Fireflies seemed to be everywhere. She could see them twinkling in the dark spaces between the trunks. They filled the air with gentle flashes that gave the whole area a magical feel. The air was filled with the sound of the wind in distant branches and the calls of birds singing in happy notes.

She discovered a path of stones that wound its way through the dense, lush, land. The stones were all different shades of grays, reds, and whites. They were polished smooth, and some of them had odd symbols carved into their surfaces.

She bent down to trace a finger over a spiral pattern and noted the stones looked ancient. Molds grew on their surface, and the land around them looked as if it might swallow them up, erasing the memory that they had ever been here.

She stood up and stepped on to the path, taking her first steps into this new world A dragonfly with rich blue wings darted passed her head and made a gentle humming sound. It was only then she realized how sweet the air smelled. Like delicate flowers on the wind, it was warm and soothing and breathing it was a delight.

She glanced around again, but the dense foliage made it impossible to see much farther than her little clearing and the tunnel of growth made around the little stone path.

She followed the trail lost in the senses of the world around her. She paused, again and again, to smell a flower, or poke at a plant whose leaves looked so green she wondered if she had ever understood what the color really looked like.

The path went down a gentle hill and before her was a pond. Vivid white stones were stacked into the water to make a sort of pier that went almost to the pond's center. They were stacked so perfectly that they made a near level surface, allowing her to step out over the water. She marveled at how blue the water was, and it reminded her of Lilly's scales. On her side of the pond, the ground sloped down and gently disappeared under the blue. She noted that the green of the low grass seemed to continue as it passed under the water. The whole of the water's edge here was clear and open except for a small willow tree with white flowers whose petals covered the ground and floated on the water.

On the other side of the pond, the shore was densely grown with Cattails and marshwort. Great green Lilly pads grew across the water's surface, and large white and blue flowers crowned them in places.

Dozens of dragonflies darted about, making a dance of colors in the air over her head.

She stepped across the smooth white stone further out into the water until she was almost to the center of the pond. She glanced down to look into it and only then realized that the waters surface never moved. It was motionless and reflected the sky above with near crystal like perfection. She knelt and leaned over the side, reaching out a hand to try and touch it with a fingertip.

“How do you like my mirror?” came a feminine voice so soothing and magical Thayle felt her heart yearn to hear it speak again.

She turned slowly to look to her right. There beside the water stood a doe. It was larger than any doe Thayle had ever seen, but not so large as to be alarming. It had soft looking fur that was dark green at the ridge of its back and faded to light green by the sides. It broke away in little spot at her belly where the fur was a creamy bright white. In a dozen places on its back grew small flowers, and a butterfly or two danced among them. Its head was held high, and its eyes were deep and black but gentle in an almost motherly way.

Thayle froze as she looked at the ancient image of her Goddess the Green doe of Ulustrah. Her heart began to race, and her hands shook as she tried to come to a knee on the path of white rocks.

The animal walked forward with a grace that seemed almost to be a dance. More like she flowed, her black hooves stepping out on to the water and walking across it without so much as a ripple on the water's surface.

Thayle lowered her head, unable to watch as the Goddess approached her.

“My daughter Thayle, you make my heart so proud of the things you have done.” The musical voice sang. “I am grateful you are finally here. I have waited a long time to let you see me.”

Thayle choked on her first words but struggled to get them out. “My goddess, I am not worthy of your image.”

“Child, you have been worthy of more than this for a long time now. I wanted to come to you, but I dare not act so directly. For the time has not yet come when we divines can enter the world again. Now let your heart be still, you are welcome here. Ask what you came to ask me so I can give you the answer you need.”

“My Goddess, I have accepted my punishment. I know what I did was wrong, but I only did it to save those I loved. I would willingly bear this burden, but now it stumbles a great man whose heart is good and strong. I cannot bear to see him so harmed by it.”

“You speak of the man Gersius, the one you are growing to love. Yes, his heart is great. He is like fifty faithful men, but with that strength of heart also comes the power of anger. When his heart is turned against you, he is like a high stone wall, unyielding and unbreaking. Armies could crash on it and not a stone would fall.

“Please my Goddess. I only did what I did to save them. I never meant to harm you, but what I did is harming him. I want to teach him of you, and your love, but his heart won't allow it. He sees this mark, and burns with anger.”

“Gentle daughter, his heart isn’t mine to take. His heart belongs to his new Goddess.”

Thayle suddenly felt very confused, and she looked up into the face of the doe who now stood right before her, standing on the water like it was smooth stone. Her impossibly deep eyes studied her with such a look of compassion and kindness.

“His new Goddess?” Thayle asked.

“His heart belongs to the one called Azurastra, and he has already begun to draw on her power.

Thayle was still confused.

“But Lilly is just a dragon?”

“I have always loved that name. When he called her Lilly, I smiled for them. I will use her common name for your sake. Your Lilly is indeed a dragon, but dragons are different than you are, and they all share a portion of the divine. It is why Balisha is the queen of dragons, not the Goddess of them.”

“Are you saying Lilly is a divine?” Thayle asked.

“She has the divine spark. It is why dragons never seem to age. It is why they can absorb the magic from the world around them. Gersius loves her deeply, and through her, he will come to know the Goddess behind her. There is a great secret here that I cannot tell you to do so would change you forever. It is why Lilly can gift those who love her with a portion of her power, much like I can gift you with mine.”

Thayle felt a sudden pain in her heart and looked down. “But I can use her power too,” she said solemnly.

“My daughter, I know you can. This is because you love her strongly and she loves you just as strongly. The love you share opens the door to use the gifts she has.”

“But I am your servant. How can I have two masters?”

“Most precious Daughter of Ulustrah, I prepared the soil of your heart for years for this. I have tended your garden and blessed its soil. I know you love me daughter and that you would never abandon me. You were made for this purpose, and I have prepared you to love her.”

Thayle looked back up at her with tears wetting her eyes.

“You did?”

The deer danced its head over her and stomped a foot. “I am a goddess who appreciates love. Do I not encourage it in all who follow me? Could I stand by and do nothing as a man and a dragon broke a great curse, and a love like no other was born?” She dipped her head down and looked directly at Thayle. “When I saw the path that was before them and I knew the disaster that waited for them, I chose my most beautiful daughter, the one whose heart was ready to love, to rescue them. I sent her to them to shepherd them when the pain came. I put it in your heart to never give up on them and filled you with a desire to see them reunited. I gave this task to my champion, and she has done all I hoped and more. You, my daughter, have saved them, and you have saved my fallen sister.”

Thayle saw her face reflected in the bottomless pools of black that were the Goddesses eyes. “I don't understand, what sister?”

“The Goddess Balisha and I are like sisters. She wished to spread love to the hearts of her dragons. She wanted them to learn from mankind and grow to understand what it meant to love and be loved. In time some dragons called me Goddess, just as there were men who called her Goddess. I helped her with her gift of the human form. It was necessary for the dragons to be able to enter human lands and learn from them.”

“You helped her with her plan for the dragons?”

“Yes, my daughter. Could I turn my back on spreading the knowledge of love to such noble creatures?”

“But Solesta?”

“Solesta was a part of all we did. She and Balisha were one in mind and body when it came to the plan. She saw the benefits as well, and she too wanted to understand this love. But when she saw the men worshiping Balisha, and dragons worshiping me, she grew jealous.”

Thayle watched as the Goddess lifted her head away and sighed.

“I loved Solesta as a sister at first, but she hardened her own heart against me, and I withdrew from her.”

Thayle just looked up into the great, does eyes, and shook her head. She had no idea what to think of this story, and she let go and went back to her task.

“I want to help Gersius. I want to temper his heart and open it to you. How do I help him with his anger?”

“Gersius is angry with me over you, my daughter. He doesn't understand the mark I gave you and the role it will play in the future. I am proud of you, my daughter. For your mark is a symbol of sacrifice. You sacrificed for love, and you earned a mark. It says you transgressed against me but were so loved you were easily forgiven. If you look on it the right way, it is truly a triumph.”

“He will never see it that way. He knows the divine nature too well. He is angry that I acted in love to save them, and you punished me. I am sorry but can you please remove the mark!” Thayle pleaded with her hands pressed together.

“My daughter, I cannot. For a divine to maintain order, they must create laws. Laws they themselves cannot break unless they want to risk undoing their work. I created a law so I could forgive those I loved if they ever harmed me. I would mark them and then they could go on in love. But if I were to try and break my own law, I could upset my order, and bring great harm to the world. It is forbidden for Gods and Goddesses to directly intervene in the world except in cases of dire need, or when another divine has breached the order themselves.”

“What will I tell Gersius?” Thayle asked, dropping her head in defeat.

“Tell me, child, why have you not shared his love?” the doe asked.

The sudden change of topic shook Thayle. She glanced away as she chewed on a lip and with closed eyes, she explained.

“I do not wish to be silent. My heart is so dedicated to you. I can't bear the thought of leaving your temple and becoming a mother. I know to raise children is a great honor, but I don't want to be denied a place in your order.”

The doe nodded and leaned down its face inches from hers.

“I never intended for you to leave my love or be silent. I never intended that for any woman,” Ulustrah said. “I only intended for you to put your family first. But my daughters have lost many of my ways over time.”

Thayle looked up with a shocked look. “You didn’t mean for us to be silent?”

The Goddess raised her head. “The nature of this world changed when the dragons went to war. The one who is above us made new laws. She forbade us to interfere with the world directly. I can speak to you only in suggestions and visions. I can no longer tell you plainly what it is I want. If I could have, I would have corrected my servants. This is not how I wish it to be. No woman is to be denied her desire to sing in my temples, mother or not. No woman must give up her rank unless she wishes to. Though I do expect her to serve her family first, she may still serve me. I know of your fears, and why you hold back. This is why we lured you here to this place. Here I can finally speak to you and set your hearts at ease.”

“Who is we?” Thayle asked.

“I do not work alone in this task. Astikar and I are cooperating. We each chose a champion to fulfill our task. You were mine.”

“And Gersius was his,” Thayle said.

The doe made a gentle laugh that was almost a song in itself.

“No child, Gersius was needed. He is a gift, a great sacrifice to ensure we do not fail a second time, but he is not the champion that was chosen. There is another, and you will find this champion will set your heart at ease. Remember when the time comes, kneel and let this champion take its proper place.”

“I would never betray Gersius,” Thayle said.

“I know you won't. I would never ask you to betray him or the dragon Lilly. You will understand when the time comes. When the prophecy is made bare, you will know the truth. It was written the daughter of the silver moon will cast down the book, and break the barrier that has kept them apart. All will know that she is the one.”

Thayle felt her head swimming as the knowledge became overwhelming.

“I am proud of the sacrifice you intend to make for them. I picked you partly because I know your heart. You fear to have children. Yet you have vowed to have them out of your love, and children you will have. But it must be understood you made this vow believing you would have to sacrifice your service to me. This is a great and noble sacrifice, and you are worthy of a reward. You do not yet love him as you love her, but your heart is close, and every day you open to him more and more. I believe I have something to offer you, a gift from me to all of you that may soften his heart for me.”

“What gift?” Thayle asked.

A red chain links you to him. You have let him bind you out of your love for them both. But your heart and their hearts desire more, your binding in unequal and not shared. I will help you overcome that.”

“You can help our binding?” Thayle asked.

“I can my most treasured of daughters. I will unite you to them equally, each bound to the other in a trinity of love. In doing so, you too will share in your Lilly's gifts fully. You will also share your gift to them in full. In time they will see what you have given them.”

“You're going to bind us all equally?” Thayle asked.

The doe nodded. “In truth, you could have done this yourself. You do not understand the nature of the binding magic. The world has forgotten what is written on the rings of law. You could be bound to them both already if you had understood.”

“But the law says I can only be bound to one master?” Thayle said.

“Yes, but your Gersius and Lilly are bound to each other. Their hearts and soul are one. They are only one master. You needed only to have them both bind you at once, and add to the binding magic the phrase, 'and to her, we bind ourselves.' Ulustrah tapped a foot again as if enjoying this moment of awakening for Thayle. “I will fix your bind myself, but when the time comes for your love to grow, remember what I have told you.”

“Why are you doing this? aren’t you worried about me loving Lilly too strongly?”

“My daughter, answer me honestly. If I were to give you such a desire of your heart, to encourage you to love them with all you had to offer them, and bless you as you did it. Would you love me more or less?”

Thayle trembled and dared to reach a hand as if to touch the great doe. “I would love you more than I ever had before, and I would never stop loving you.”

“This my daughter is why you are worthy of this gift, and the one yet to come.”

Thayle shook as tears fell from her eyes, the drops landed in the pool, and finally, the water stirred.

“You have gifted my mirror with tears of love. Truly you are my most precious daughter, do not let your heart be saddened when you have to choose between your love again in the future. Remember my daughter. I will forgive you.”

Thayle suddenly felt movement, the stone she knelt on began to sink into the waters blue embrace.

“My Goddess?” Thayle said startled.

“It is time for you to go my daughter, and it is time for you to realize your gift. Take heed for what you are about to feel will fill you with happiness.”

Thayle felt panic as the stone slipped beneath the surface of the water and she began to follow it, slipping into the blue and passing into the beyond.

For a long moment, everything was black, and then she saw them. They were just auras at first. One glowed brightly like a star in the night sky. The other glowed slightly less but still shown brighter than most. Their light broke away in small clumps and drifted to one another. Around them, a great red chain of twisting energy circled, where It passed between them it crossed, and a golden light radiated out.

She became aware of a second red line that ran from the dimmer aura to her. It was the simple single line of the binding that showed she belonged to him. But as she watched the line twisted and stretched, it broke into two and suddenly enveloped her wrapping around her forming a loop. It broke away from him and stretched out, reaching for the golden light. In a flash, it joined the light, and she felt a flood of sensation.

Lilly suddenly looked up from where she and Gersius had been standing as they waited patiently. “Gersius!” she said in a loud shocked voice. “I can feel Thayle!”

He focused on what he could feel and realized he felt a wave of pressure followed by absolute joy. At first, he thought it was Lilly, but he realized that he too could feel her again, only now she was every bit as strong as Lilly was.

“I can feel her too. It is as if she is a part of me?”

It was only then that they heard the soft crying and both turned around to see Thayle weeping on the floor.

“Thayle!” Lilly yelled as she ran to the woman, carefully putting a hand to her back as she began to cry herself. “I can feel you Thayle! I can feel you like you're bound to me!”

Gersius knelt beside Thayle a look of surprise on his face. “I can feel you like I can feel Lilly like I was bound to you.”

Thayle smiled up at them both weakly. “You are bound to me, and I am too you, both of you.”

“What are you talking about?” Gersius asked, unsure of what she meant.

“Ulustrah, did it, she wanted to bless me and make you forgive her for the mark, she altered our bind so that we are all three bound together, she called it a trinity of love.”

Lilly lowered her head down to just a few inches from Thayle's face. “You mean I am bound to you?” she asked, stunned.

Thayle put a finger to Lilly’s lips. “You are mine now Little dragon.”

“Can you prove it?” Lilly asked. “Command me to do something.”

“As if you need a command to do what Thayle tells you,” Gersius said jokingly. “You would do anything she asked command or not.”

Thayle gave him a smirk and turned back to Lilly. “Lilly, I command you to tell me you love me.”

Lilly felt it, the compulsion the pressure. She felt her mouth moving of its own accord as she suddenly blurted out, “I love you, Thayle.”

Lilly recoiled in shock. “Gersius it’s true! I felt the compulsion! I really am bound to her.”

Gersius looked at Thayle with a mixture of delight and shock. “Your… Your Goddess did this?”

“She did, she was hoping this would soften your heart to her a little,” Thayle said.

“She has given you to me?”

“And to Lilly, we are all equally bound,” Thayle replied. “She also taught me how we could have done it ourselves. We could have all been bound together from the beginning.” Thayle smiled and looked at him. “I hope this helps you with your anger. She wants you to forgive her.”

“What can I say, I do forgive her. I still want the mark off your face, but I cannot hold my anger for her anymore. She has blessed us greatly. I would follow her if she allowed it.”

Thayle smiled, never before had she heard happier words.

“No Gersius, she told me your heart already belongs to another, and you have a different path to walk.” She felt sadness to have to say it, how much love could such a dedicated man bring to the world, but Ulustrah was clear, his heart belonged to Lilly.

Thayle struggled to her feet and looked at Lilly. “She told me I have her permission to love you as I love her. She said she would bless my love for you both.”

“Your Goddess is kinder than Astikar,” Gersius said.

Thayle gave him a shake of her head. “Your God set all this in motion. Your God has enabled all this happiness to come about. He had a plan to bring you a reward. Your heart was ready to suffer any pain in his service. But you were not prepared for Lilly to have to suffer with you. Always remember, even when your heart fell away from him, he stuck by you. He never left your side even when your anger burned greatly against him. He delivered you here and blessed you with your freedom even though I am sure he would rather have you back. Ulustrah told me they were working together. They sent me to help you two find your way.”

Gersius nodded. “There is truth to your words, but I cannot bring myself to love him like I once did.”

“I think all of that was part of the plan, Gersius. There is something these Gods are all trying to do, something they are trying to get done that they haven't told us yet, and you are important to it.”

Gersius nodded and looked lost in thought. “I supposed then there is only one thing left to do,” he said, turning to look at Lilly.

“Please Gersius,” Lilly said, backing away from him. “I do not want to meet this Goddess.”

Thayle felt the most amazing rush of fear and tension flooding her from over the binding link, and she practically staggered in its wake.

“Lilly, your feelings are so strong!” Thayle said, feeling them for the first time. “You're terrified.”

“Of course, I am! I don't want to answer to these divines. I am a dragon. I do as I please and don't have to justify what I do!”

“Lilly, think about what we have just learned. Astikar planned this. He wanted us here for your sake. Thayles Goddess blessed her with the bind and told her that she was free to love you unconditionally. These two divines have been working to bring about this moment. You are what it was all about. You have to go through that light.”

“What if she tells me I can't love you anymore?” Lilly said, looking sad. “Or what if she tells me I have to leave, or that I can't go to Calathen, or something even more terrible?”

Gersius walked over to stand before her and looked up. “We are here for you, Lilly. You must find the courage to walk through that light and talk to the Goddess. Thayle and I both love you. We will be here when you get back, and we will hold you until you feel strong again.”

“Please be strong, Lill., Ulustrah said you needed to do this, she said it was important,” Thayle added.

Lilly looked to Gersius and then Thayle and nodded her head. “I will go, but I am not sure how. I don’t know any prayers to Balisha.”

“Just stand in her archway and call out her name loudly,” Gersius suggested.

Lilly trembled as she walked to the statue of the woman holding the dragons and humans. She stood in the arch and with a loud, but trembling voice called out. “Balisha!””

Only the hum could be heard still rising and falling in perfect waves.

Lilly turned and slowly walked toward the light. She dreaded it and what was beyond it. All of her fears clawed at her heart, and she tried to think of any reason not to go. She wanted to beg them to get on her back and ride away from this place. She saw their faces as she approached the light, Gersius nodded, and Thayle clasped her hands. She could feel the hope in their hearts for what she was about to do. She closed her eyes and walked into the light, and nothing happened.

“It didn’t work?” she said as she opened her eyes to discover she was all alone.