“Thernu Onyx.” I smiled as the Feykin looked up from her daughters to meet my gaze. “I am glad to see you are still alive and well.”
She loosed a laugh that sounded like a song. “I might not have been had you actually caught up to me that night in Monrai.”
“That was you?”
She grinned as she nodded. “I had to use a quickening spell to get away from you.”
“But you had Amorez’s dueling blades.”
“No, I had mine.” She smiled. “They work wonderfully when you have to fight, but cannot use magic less you give yourself away to an enemy.”
Kitfox finally stepped forward to join the conversation. “Were you in Vronan, too?”
“No. I was.” Said Zhealocera. “There’s a rather large but secret Dákun Daju community there and I figured I’d stop in to do some recruiting. Amorez did join me a bit later on though.”
“And which one of you broke Kkorian out of the Arctic Prison?” I asked and I grinned smugly at their surprised expressions, especially Shazza’s.
“How do you know he’s free?” Demanded the Dákun Daju queen.
“He was the white-cloaked figure I saw in Jetep.” I said. I peered around her, to the only figure in white with the hood still up. “The limp you got after breaking your ankle in Kúskú’s illusion was a slight give-away. I’m curious though; did you sneak into our camp at night and cut our riding straps for a purpose other than forcing us into Jetep to learn of Dimitri’s success?”
All eyes were on the hooded figure then. Slowly, nervously, he reached up and pulled the hood down. Kkorian flashed a wry smile as he pushed his long, blonde bangs out of his eyes. Shazza roared in rage and was upon him in a heartbeat, slamming him into the wall and pinning him there with an arm of her bow. He winced in pain, but did not fight against the angry Dákun Daju. Kitfox, Zhealocera, and Freya all rushed over to try to pull her off of him, but it was useless. She was too angry.
“How dare you show your face to me now?!” Shazza shouted, pushing the bow even harder into Kkorian’s chest. I feared she would take this too far, so I summoned energy for a spell just in case. Out of the corner of my eye, I caught Amorez and Thernu preparing to do the same.
“Shazza, please,” Kkorian coughed, “let me explain.”
“And give you another opportunity to lie?”
“I swear I will never lie to you again.”
“You’re right.” She suddenly pulled away from him. In the time it took for Kkorian to slump to the ground, she shoved off her cousin and the two Demons, knocked two arrows, and aimed at him. I could see tears chasing a trail down her cheeks as she looked down the arrows at Kkorian. I knew then that I did not need to use the spell.
“Don’t do this, Shazza.” Kkorian pleaded. “Please. Just give me a chance.”
Shazza pulled at the string of her bow even harder and she stifled a sob. “Do you have any idea what you’ve done to me, you bastard?”
Kkorian hung his head in shame. “I’m so sorry. I only entered Dimitri’s service because I was so desperate for money that I would do anything at the time. And the work he gave me sounded easy… boy was I wrong.
“Then I met you, Shazza,” and he looked her in the eye to emphasis his truth, “I don’t remember how or when, but I fell in love with you. I didn’t mean to, but I did. That’s why I tried desperately to get out of Dimitri’s service. He told me I could leave after the mission in Vronan and gave me his word he wouldn’t hurt anyone. Then he pulled that nasty trick…” Kkorian shook his head and sighed. “I want to kill him. Kill him for all the pain and misery he’s put each and every one of us through.”
Shazza was still unconvinced and she kept her arrows trained on him. However, there was a slight weakening in her strength on the string; almost as if she had hope.
“Shazza,” Zhealocera gripped her cousin firmly on the shoulder, “Kkorian has been with me almost exclusively since we broke him out of the Arctic Prison. I can tell you from experience, he is a good man and one to trust.”
“Aye, he is.” Teka said with a smile. “Good sailor, too.”
Shazza’s strength on the bow string loosed even more. After several long moments, she finally let the string relax. Zhealocera released her grip on her cousin and moved away. Shazza put her arrows back in her quiver, never once breaking eye contact with Kkorian. Cautiously, he reached out to her as if to shake her hand in a truce. She ignored his hand. In a split second, she gripped the collar of his shirt and yanked him off the floor to her height, where she locked her lips on his. He was stunned for a moment, then wrapped his arms around her and deepened the kiss.
Kitfox looked at me, a knowing smile on his features. I smiled back and closed the distance between us. At his side, I took his hand in mine and he kissed my cheek.
“I’m glad to see that that is finally resolved.” Amorez said. She noticed my closeness to Kitfox. I could see the dislike in her eyes, but, thankfully, she chose not to say anything. Finally, she called for everyone’s attention and they gave it. “Not to put a rush on anyone, but there is a specific reason why we have all come here.”
“Yeah,” I nodded, “and he’s further in this cave of wonders, probably eavesdropping on everything like he always does.”
That earned a few smiles.
“Well, that,” Amorez nodded, “and we need to discuss a few things that lie in our future.”
“Let’s get the dragon first.” I said. “He can help sort out this whole mess and maybe provide some answers.”
◆◆◆
It was maybe one hundred meters from the entrance of the cosmic cave to the dragon’s nest; a quick walk, by most standards. However, it took much longer than needed. Everyone would frequently pause to ogle at some of the wonders moving amidst the darkness on the walls. Even I took a long moment to watch a large and colorful, spiraling dust cloud spin.
When at last we reached the giant room that served as Zenith’s nest, everyone stopped. Only Amorez and I moved deeper in. This room was exactly like the rest of the cave, but an enormous shadow occupied the room. The dancing lights reflecting off of the liquid floor made it hard to see, but I could swear the shadow was moving.
I resisted the urge to summon a light orb. Instead, I called out, “Zenith?”
The shadow moved. A wave of the strange liquid forming the floor jostled me, and I nearly fell over. Finally, a single glowing, white eye appeared in the dark. Then another. Recognition flashed in the large orbs, and the giant shadow moved closer.
“Welcome back, Xyleena Renoan.” Zenith’s voice rolled off his tongue in a deep baritone as if he were singing a song. “It is good to see you again, though you do not recall our last meeting.”
I felt heat rush to my face in embarrassment, and I was glad for the lack of light. “I am glad I get to see you again, Zenith. How have you been?”
A rumble like thunder echoed from his chest, almost as if he was purring. “Nothing has changed, yet everything is different.”
While I pondered his cryptic response, Amorez spoke, “You already are aware of the problems in the world today, are you not?”
“Indeed I am.” He answered, his tone solemn and full of sorrow. “I had truly hoped that there would never be a repeat of the events that plagued this planet nearly five centuries ago.”
“History, it seems, is doomed to repeat itself.” I muttered.
The great dragon agreed.
“We are a bit better prepared this time though.” Said Amorez.
“Oh?” I faced her. “And just how are we better prepared?”
I could see the whites of her teeth as she smiled. “This time we have an army ready in advance.”
“Really?” It was Pox who spoke.
“Demons, Feykin, Dákun Daju, and Hume have flocked to our side since Dimitri razed Bakari-Tokai.” Freya replied. “Right now, as we speak, they should be taking up position in the thickest woods around the capitol. By the time we get there, they should be ready to
start the offensive.”
“Hopefully they won’t kill each other before the battle actually begins.” Muttered Shazza.
“They won’t.” Kkorian said with a grin. “We ensured all the races would get along by selecting three generals to represent each. Those generals are in charge of keeping their blokes and sheilas in line and resolving disputes until we arrive and sort out the lot.”
“Is that what you guys were doing when you were going around to random towns in your white cloaks? Building an army?” Asked Kitfox.
“Like I said, we were recruiting.” Said Zhealocera. “And boy did we get quite a response from the Dákun Daju when I told them that their queen was fighting alongside the Dragon Keeper.”
“The Feykin were a little more reluctant.” Admitted Thernu. “It is our nature to avoid the world outside our homeland. In the end, Amorez, Teka, and I managed to persuade a large number to join our fight.”
“It is the same story with the Demons.” Added Freya. “That was until the Schaakold-Vond’l and Zön-Rígaia Guilds vowed to help the Tahda’varett. After that, it was almost easy to gather Demons.”
“Wow. All the races of Ithnez will be fighting together.” I could hear the smile in Pox’s voice.
I frowned. “Not every race.” I said with a sigh. “The Wakari are still undecided, but I seriously doubt they would come to our aid.”
Amorez was stunned to say the least. “You actually asked them to help?”
I shrugged. “Why not? This is as much their world as it is ours. Why shouldn’t they fight for it?”
“Xyleena makes a good argument, Amorez.” Said Zenith.
“Don’t get me wrong,” Amorez looked from the dragon to me as she spoke. “I am glad to hear you asked for their help. A bit surprised, maybe, given the fact that they haven’t bothered to help us before. But you are right, my daughter.”
Everyone was quite for a long moment after that. Then Teka sighed and took a few steps forward. “Not to rush everyone, but shouldn’t we move this along? We do have an army to return to, and preferably before Dimitri takes notice of it and decides to attack.”
I nodded in agreement, then turned to the dragon. “Before we leave, you’ll have to enter the Dragon’s Eye, right?”
“That is correct.”
“Then, do you mind if I summon a light to see you? I would like to remember what you look like. Plus, I’m sure my friends would like to see you for the first time.”
Zenith seemed amused by the request. “Of course you and your friends may see me, Xyleena.”
I held my breath as I summoned an orb of light in my hand. I forced it upwards, almost to the ceiling of the room and the Dragon of the Heavens was revealed to all. His scales were a pearled, royal blue and deep purple. Magenta and silver highlighted the tips of each, almost as if a painter had brushed the colors on. The scales along his chest and stomach were a lighter blue, matching the long, flowing spines on his back. The membranes of his great, bat-like wings were a purple so dark it looked black. Silver veins ran through them, giving the impression of marbling.
And he was enormous! Standing at about thirty meters high at the shoulder, Zenith dwarfed the other Dragons of Light, maybe even Hyperion. Everyone – save Amorez, Freya, and Thernu – gawked at the sheer size and beauty of the regal dragon, and he seemed to smile at our adoration.
“I will see you again soon, young ones.” He said.
With that, he faded into wisps of countless colors and sparkling stars. His essence circled the room before gathering around me in a tight spiral. As he did so, the celestial scenes on the walls and ceiling faded away, leaving only cold, black stone. At long last, the wisps converged and Zenith was within the Amulet. The last empty jewel flashed with life, and a great warming sensation ran the length of my spine. I heard a single, resonating heartbeat in the back of my mind as all the dragons welcomed Zenith into their midst.
The Twelve were whole once again.
It was a strange feeling; having all twelve dragons together after so many centuries. Their joy at being reunited bubbled in the back of my mind. It was overwhelming and contagious, and I couldn’t fight the smile their good mood wrought. I don’t know how long I stood there, unable to focus on anything except the dragons’ jubilance. When at last my attention returned to the room, I realized Amorez had been talking.
“… and when we get to the camp, we’ll have a meeting with the generals so we can develop a plan to take back Bakari-Tokai.”
Several heads nodded in agreement.
“I’m confused.” Admitted Kitfox. “How are we going to get to the camp if the Feykin there are hiding its location? Not to mention, we don’t have enough saddles to ride a-dragonback all the way there.”
“There is a simple solution to that.” Said Thernu. “I can warp us there.”
“Warp?”
“It is quite a bit like teleporting,” Thera explained, “but instead of moving just the caster to a different location a few leagues away, warp can move several people over far greater distances. The main problem with warp spells is the fact that they drain copious amounts of energy and have been known to kill the caster.”
“Not to mention: the more people you warp, the less likely it is to succeed. With eleven of us needing to warp, it would require three or four trips to do it safely.” Pox finished.
“I am glad to see you two have kept up on your studies.” Thernu said, taking a few steps forward until she was between me and Amorez. “However, the Masters you have been studying under have not properly taught you about energy catalysts.”
“Energy catalysts?” I spoke up at last. “Like the ones needed to create the dragons?”
“Not quite.” Thernu said, reaching into a petite pouch on her belt. A moment later, she pulled a small, purple bead out and showed it to everyone. “This is my own energy and the energy of life forms all around me. I compressed into a glass bead to store it for use when needed. They are easy to make, though there is an art to it.”
“So… with that,” Shazza pointed to the bead in Thernu’s hand as she spoke, “you can cast spells more powerful than you traditionally could on your own?”
“Correct.” Thernu smiled.
“Thernu has some of those beads so loaded up with energy that she can level the entire range of the Eyes of the Ages with a single spell.” Freya said with a laugh. The rest of us – save Amorez – gawked at the older Feykin in complete shock.
Thernu merely shrugged it all off. “Just one of the benefits of being a well-learned Necromancer.”
“How does it work?” asked Thera.
“Like this.” Thernu uttered something in Kinös Elda that I didn’t catch and threw the bead on the ground. The bead shattered with a resounding crack and a brilliant, blue light exploded into existence. The light swirled around and formed a pillar that extended several meters into the air. At the spot where the bead shattered, a strange glyph appeared on the floor.
“See you on the other side.” Amorez grinned and waved as she stepped onto the glyph. A split-second later she was engulfed in light and was no more. Freya did not hesitate to follow behind the former Keeper, but the rest of us were more than hesitant.
“How did you create a single point of warping?” Thera sounded completely at awe.
Pox, too, was astounded. “I was always told that it was impossible to warp people without physical contact with the caster.”
“It is quite a lengthy explanation that I do not have time to speak of at the moment.” Thernu replied. “The warp portal only lasts a few minutes, so please hurry and step on the glyph.”
My teammates were still hesitant about the portal. As a result, I decided to go first in hopes that they would follow me. With a calming breath, I crossed the short distance to the glowing portal. Just before stepping on the glyph, I looked at each of my teammates and smiled. Finally, I touched the glyph with my toe.
The cave fell away like a dream.
The Path of Gods was
a mystery to us. We knew that only priests and monks could walk the Path to the world beyond. Many who made the trip vanished forever, while the scant few who returned spoke of heaven in the form of a crystalline city. Where had the Path come from? Why had it been hidden on the isle of Arcadia? Did the Dákun Daju know about it? So many questions, and only a handful of answers.
– FROM “A PRIVATE LOG” BY AN UNKNOWN PRIEST
I barely managed a count to three when the world suddenly burst back into existence. After a moment to regain my balance from the dizzying ride, I took a few steps forward and looked around.
Several conifer trees loomed all around me. They grew so close together that I could not even see the sky through their thick foliage. The forest floor was littered with pine needles, old leaves, and several boulders. Countless tents in various colors filled in what little space was left between the trees. Several paths had been cleared for easy walking.
Amorez and Freya were nearby, talking to a group of Feykin who looked like they had been guarding the area from intruders. When they realized I had arrived, they turned their attention to me and welcomed me to the camp. Within minutes, my entire team plus Zhealocera, Teka, and Thernu were once again in our midst.
“Come; let me introduce you all to one of the generals of the Feykin forces.” Amorez draped an arm around my shoulders as she led all of us closer to a trio within the group. My gaze immediately fell on the regal woman who stood between two gruff, male Feykin. She was young and tall with dark skin and a fierce, willow green gaze. Her swan-like wings were spread wide, making her look larger and fiercer than those around her. The golden armor protecting the edges of her wings matched the ornate breastplate and bracers she wore with long, pale green skirts. A fancy spear on a golden and green staff that was longer than I was tall was draped over one shoulder.
Culmination Page 30
