Titus scooted up into a sitting position and leaned toward the Doctrine. “Perhaps they were. But now that Regulus has apparently joined in with his father, do you really think she would still care for him? And besides, her memory seems to have been tampered with. I’m not sure he still holds a place in her mind or even her heart.”
The Doctrine’s heart skipped a beat. “I haven’t thought about that.”
“Ha! The all-knowing phoenix, counselor of knowledge to the king, hadn’t thought of something that even I thought of? You really are daft, aren’t you?”
The Doctrine couldn’t stop himself from grinning. Titus’s smile suddenly faded, as his eyes slid over the Doctrine and up to a point somewhere above his head.
“Having a little slumber party, are we?” an icy voice asked from directly behind the Doctrine, as the cold, sharp tip of a sword pressed into his back.
◆◆◆
The Dragon’s landing was surprisingly gentle. They slid off its jet, scaly back onto the top of one of the Borealis Mountains, beneath the star pricked sky. Thin clouds glided over the white crescent moon, casting shadows upon the snowy white mountain top. Mythia shivered slightly in the cold as she stared into the Dragon’s inky black eyes.
“Thank you,” she whispered, her breath showing in the night air. She fearlessly stroked its long snout. It closed its eyes with pleasure at her touch. “You’ve awakened to protect us, haven’t you?” The Dragon slowly nodded its great head. Mythia smiled. “So that’s what the scroll meant… I understand now. I understand everything. Well, almost everything. Keep yourself hidden and safe, Dragon. For now. I’m sure we will be seeing each other again soon.” She patted it one last time, before it spread its huge wings and squatted down, bursting up into the sky.
Mythia and Ten watched in silence as the Dragon shrank farther and farther away until it was nothing but a small black dot that vanished into a wisp of thin clouds.
Ten turned to face his recruit. “Who are you?”
Mythia sighed, the moonlight glistening off her brown eyes. “I guess there’s no point in lying to you. I’m Mythia.”
“The queen.” It wasn’t a question. Ten bent down onto one knee and bowed deeply, his eyes closed.
“Apparently.” She walked over to the edge of the mountain, looking out toward the kingdom, shrouded in darkness.
Ten stood up and followed her with quiet footsteps. “What are you doing here? Why are you feigning to be someone you are not? If I were you…” He shut his mouth tight.
Mythia looked back at him. “What?”
“Never mind,” he said quickly, turning away.
“No, tell me. What would you do?”
He swallowed. “I wouldn’t be pretending to be someone I’m not. I would become something people can rally with. A beacon of hope. The Spiritus knows we need a ray of hope right now more than ever…”
Mythia frowned. “But everyone in the kingdom of Terra hates me. They think I’m the cause of all this suffering. They want to kill me, not rally with me. You saw what they were like in Draconis.” She peered again at the kingdom as pieces of memories trickled back into her mind. But like a puzzle with missing pieces, it was still heavily incomplete.
“Not everyone,” Ten answered. His eyes caught hers. He picked up her hand, tiny in his huge ones. All signs of burliness gone from his face. “I don’t hate you.”
Feeling her face burn with heat, Mythia quickly let go of his hands. “Well, that’s one person.”
“The Rejicio don’t hate you, either. And the people of the city, they only listen to what they are being told. The people of Draconis believe it was you who caused the eruption… My family… My whole family was wiped out by the lava.” Ten swallowed and looked out west, toward his city. “Can you blame them? Think about it.” Ten’s eyes slid over the kingdom. “They only know one side of the story. They only know what the king told them, that you tricked him into marriage and put a curse upon the kingdom. If you remain quiet and hidden, they’ll never know what really happened. Or who you really are.”
“You’re right,” Mythia answered slowly. “I only joined the army to learn how to fight. It was Bello and Eldrid who wanted me to relinquish my title and change my name… But then something happened. I’ve been losing my memory. I’ve forgotten so many things, forgot even who I was. It’s coming back in bits and pieces now… as though awakening the Dragon had knocked some things back into my head. But I still feel as though more is missing. Something important. I think I shall remain as Bestia for now though, at least until I can remember everything I’ve forgotten.”
Ten placed a strong hand on her shoulder. “I’ve been wondering,” he said thoughtfully, “if Bello wants us to be afraid. For without fear, there can be no war. Or control of her people.” Mythia looked at him curiously. Perhaps he was right. “In any case… your secret is safe with me, my queen.”
They walked down a steep trail to the bottom of the mountain and made their way into the Rejicio City. The cavern was dark and silent, with the occasional horse neighing out in the night. They slipped into the recruit’s training house; dark and still, everyone had gone to bed long ago. Mythia whipped up a small flame over her palm as Ten walked her to the girl’s bedroom.
“Thank you. For everything,” he whispered. The flame caused shadows to dance over his serious, brawny face. He glanced down at his thigh; the pant leg singed off. “For healing me. For getting us out of there… for everything you have done and will do for the fate of our kingdom.” He bowed down again, just a moment before standing back up. “If you need anything, anything at all. Please, do not hesitate to ask.”
Mythia grinned at Ten behind her flame as she watched him walk away and slip into his own room. She turned the handle of the door and crept inside.
Mythia jumped when she noticed Krea’s bright blue eyes glued on her from her bed. “Who were you talking to? Just now?”
“Ten,” Mythia answered. She placed her flame into one of the torches and slid into her bed.
“Who?” Krea asked, looking at her with a frown.
“Tenax, the dark bald guy who Eldrid scalded on the first day for not acting like a team.”
Krea’s round blue eyes grew wider. “Really? What in the kingdom of Terra were you doing with him? And at this hour?”
Mythia laughed. “He was catching me up on the training I had missed.”
“Wow, that must’ve been tough. He looks so mean.”
“He is not mean,” Mythia said defensively. Krea raised her eyebrows. “He’s actually quite nice once you get to know him.” Mythia rolled her eyes at Krea’s accusing look before sending a small tuft of wind to snuff out the torch.
◆◆◆
The rope dug into their wrists, cutting off circulation. Escape plans flooded Titus’s mind, but he knew they were outnumbered twelve to two and none of them would end well for either him or the Doctrine. The bounty hunters were lacking in smarts, but they were all heavily armed, and combining weapons with stupidity was a dangerous combination.
He glared at the bounty hunter who led the way down the forest path. He was the biggest, the fattest, and the meanest. Apparently, they elected their leaders based on how large and menacing of a bully they were compared to everyone else.
The Doctrine whimpered as they pulled at his rope, his hands turning purple from the lack of blood flow. Titus scowled at them. “Hey! Loosen up, would you? You’re cutting off my friend’s circulation!”
The bounty hunter named Ced, pulled his lips back into a sneer beneath his foot-long beard. “That’s the point now, isn’t it?”
Titus spat at his feet in rage. Ced grabbed a handful of rocks and threw them into Titus's face. Titus clenched his eyes and mouth shut as the rocks cut across his skin. He pulled at the ropes around his arms, a vein bulging in his neck, trying desperately to free his hands so he could land a nice hot flame at Ced’s ugly face.
The Doctrine knocked his shoulder into Titus grabbing his attenti
on and gave him a warning look beneath his eyelashes. “Not here, Titus. Let them bring us into Fenniks first,” he whispered. Sweat poured from the Doctrine’s brow despite the cold autumn air.
“If you don’t lose your hands by then.” Titus scowled.
◆◆◆
“Come in,” King Tribus called to the sound of knocking from his chambers. The outside guard pushed open the double oak doors and let in Lord Ulric. King Tribus felt slightly annoyed, as his highest ranked knight slipped inside. He was smirking, as usual, his ashy colored eyes narrowed and full of promising secrets. King Tribus sat at his private dining table, rubbing his forehead. He had not even finished his morning tea and was not yet awake enough to hear more of Ulric’s whining. “What is it, Ulric?”
Lord Ulric sat down beside the king without being asked and leaned across the table. “I have heard news, sire.”
Tribus’s ears would have perked up with anticipation at these words, but Ulric had developed a habit of beginning his conversations as though he held a delicious treat, only to end it with disappointment. Tribus did not expect to hear anything that would interest him. “Go on,” he said with a wave of his hand.
“A messenger arrived just now from Draconis. He had been traveling all night to spread his news.”
King Tribus stretched his neck from side to side. “And what is it he had to say?”
“The great dragon statue has disappeared.”
The king paused. This he did not expect. Not now, not yet. He pushed his chair from the table and stood slowly up. Blackness engulfed his emerald eyes. “What?”
Clearly Ulric had not anticipated such a reaction. He stood up to level with his king. “Uh, it appears someone had stolen the statue. Or destroyed it somehow. It had disappeared after a brief invasion of two intruders. There are rumors sire, that the queen was amongst the two.”
King Tribus ran a hand through his tousled black hair around his crown, lined with thin, silver triangles. “That’s impossible… it’s too soon. How could she know?”
Lord Ulric raised an eyebrow. “Know what, sire?”
“How could she know about the dragon?” The king’s eyes were nothing but black now. Ulric had noticed this happening occasionally, a phenomenon he could not explain. If only their counsel of knowledge, the Doctrine, had remained loyal, he would have been able to provide some clarity.
“What about the dragon?” Ulric asked carefully. But he had a feeling the king was speaking more to himself than to him.
“Ulric,” the king said suddenly. His pupils shrank back just enough to reveal the bright green outline of his irises. “Heighten the security around Fenniks and Monoceros with bounty hunters and guards. Anyone dispensable.” Tribus turned around to face a small statue of a green dragon, sitting on top of a side table. He lifted his strong hand to gently stroke the smooth porcelain with his fingertips.
“Yes, sire, right away,” Lord Ulric frowned, but gave a deep bow and immediately left the room, shutting the doors behind him.
The king’s fingers glided across the dragon’s head, caressing its bumpy scales. “So, the dragon has awakened.” A sneer spread across his face. “The end is near, my queen.” He lifted the tiny statue and brought it to his lips. “The end is near.”
12. THE GIFTS OF THE REJICIO
The next morning was wet and the darkness from the previous evening appeared to not want to be lifted. Rain fell in hurdles upon the saddened earth, the recruits shivering in their silver chainmail and black tunics that matched the colors of the day. Eldrid stood facing them, his face sterner than any of them had seen it.
“There’s been a change,” he announced solemnly, his deep voice echoing through the mountains that surrounded them. “Our training must change course; something has come up within the kingdom.” The recruits glanced nervously at each other, Mythia catching eyes with Ten who shared her same expression. Was it something they did? “Bello wants us to accelerate the training exponentially. So rather than slowly building up our muscle for the sword, I am going to have you all strengthen and practice your magic which, in the end, will be your most powerful weapon. Whatever gifts have awakened, you need not fear to use them here. We must learn to trust ourselves and each other with the powers the Spiritus has so graciously gifted us.” He raised his arms out wide and opened his palms, his fingers spread. A shiver ran through his body, smoke emitting from the tips of his fingers. The rain falling made it appear like he was creating fog, illuminated in the morning dusk.
Then the smoke thickened and filled the air. The recruits nearest him doubled over in coughing fits.
“You see,” Eldrid said from within the thick smoke. “The gift of fire has more uses than just burning our enemies to a crisp. If you release it slowly enough, you will learn how to only let out the smoke, which can be used as a great tool of defense to block the enemies vision and stop them in their tracks.” He waved his hand until the smoke dissipated. “I want you all to practice evolving your own gifts. Use them slowly, carefully. Concentrate. Focus. Plunge deep within yourself and let loose the true core of the gifts you’ve been blessed with.” He stared at each of them in turn. When his eyes landed on Mythia, they locked in on her. She looked back at him, wondering if Bello told him she no longer knew who she was. Wondering if Bello knew she now remembered.
Eldrid finally released his hold on Mythia’s stare and raised his palm again. A steady flame floated in front of it. “As many of you have probably figured out by now, we direct our powers with our hands. But there are ways to direct them without.” He snapped his palm shut, but the flame remained still, floating in midair. It glided carefully around him in a circle. A collective gasp collaborated around the recruits. “Focus. Dive deep. You have it in you.” The flame dispensed with a puff of smoke. He smiled. “Find partners to help you expand your creativity. You may begin.”
Mythia automatically made her way toward Ten, but he hunched over and avoided her gaze. She stood for a moment, feeling slightly hurt, until Krea and Zane bounded right up to her, blocking him from her view.
“Hey Best,” Zane threw his arm around Mythia, grinning behind his freckles. Krea looked carefully between the two of them, her smile faltering. “Let’s play with fire, shall we?” He raised his hands and let out a stream of white-hot flames. Mythia watched as they rose higher and higher into the dark sky, like white hot spears. They shot straight through the rain, the drops sizzling where they touched, and lit up the sky in streaks of amber.
Krea threw up her hands and snapped her fingers, sending out sparks that floated around Zane’s long, thin flames in spirals, all the way to the clouds.
Mythia bit her lip and stretched out her arms. She had never seen anyone use their gifts so creatively, so freely, as the Rejicio. She mustered up all that she could and stretched her palms wide open, closing her eyes. A ball of fire bounced from each of her hands and flew up to meet the rest, bursting into streams of sparks. Krea clapped and cheered at the dance of fire.
Eldrid stepped in. “Beautiful. Pretty useless in battle, but beautiful none the less.” He winked at them. Their flames quickly diminished as they lost focus. “Now try playing with a different element. I know you have it in you.” He glanced meaningfully at Mythia.
Mythia wondered how much of her gifts he knew about. She peeked over at Ten, wondering if he told anyone about the full capacity of her powers, despite having promised to keep it a secret. For some reason he wasn’t practicing his magic, he sulked around and watched the other recruits train.
Zane shrugged. “Fire’s the only elemental gift I possess. What about you two?”
Krea bit her lip in concentration. She swirled her hands around, hovering open palms over the wet earth. The ground beneath them vibrated slightly before a chunk of earth burst up and floated around them, spinning in circles, until it seemed to lose heart and plop back to the ground. Mythia smiled up at Krea, her brown hair drenched in the rain.
Raindrops fell down Zane’s orange eye
lashes, illuminating his brown eyes. “And you?” He looked closely at Mythia, placing a hand on her wet hair and and tucking a loose strand that was stuck to her face behind her ear. “Do you have any secret gifts we don’t know about?” She felt her senses heighten from his touch, as his words sent a shiver down her spine.
The rain surrounding the three paused suddenly, standing still around them in a sphere of glass. A smile spread slowly across Mythia’s lips. A stream of smoke escaped her fingertips, encircling the frozen raindrops to create a barrier of smoke and ice between them and the rest of the recruits. The earth beneath them shuddered and began to lift, raising the three of them higher and higher. Krea gasped and grabbed on to Zane, who’s eyes lit up and mouth hung open as he watched Mythia work her magic.
The ground beneath them separated from the mountain top in a sphere, the slice of earth floating higher and higher. They were flying within a swirl of fog and rain, as the rain began to dance and shimmer in silver circles, spinning endlessly around them. Like dazzling diamonds flying, crisscrossing in a magical orb of reflective beauty. The three of them completely absorbed by elemental magic. Zane’s eyes caught Mythia’s and sank deeply into them. Mythia swallowed, her focus quickly becoming difficult, heart pounding. Zane lifted his free hand and held onto Mythia’s as the earth slowly lowered down and the dancing wall of shimmering rain and fog released itself around them, revealing the rest of the recruits watching in awe, Eldrid standing tall with his arms crossed, a pleased smile on his face.
The recruits cheered loudly, and clamored over to the three, slapping Mythia on the back. Krea’s smiling face fell instantly as her eyes landed upon Zane and Mythia’s intertwining hands. Mythia quickly let go, flushing furiously, as the rest of the recruits jumped on them, hugging them, cheering for them. Everyone impressed by her display of power. Only Ten stood back, watching from a distance with dark eyes.
Eldrid leaned in closely to Mythia’s ear and whispered quietly enough for only her to hear. “Now that’s what I’m talking about.” She looked up into his eyes to see them full of pride.
Mythia: and the Awakened Beast Page 15
