Dragon’s Royal Guard: Dragons Of Charok: Shifters Between Worlds

by Ripley, Meg

  2

  Archard lay back on the rocky surface of the mountain, absorbing the last bit of heat from the day before the chill of the night completely took over. He propped his head on his hands as he stared up at the sky, watching the slow whirl of the stars overheard. It was barely noticeable, the kind of thing he’d never been patient enough to watch for when he was a child, but now he easily tracked each of the stars he was so familiar with move through their nocturnal dance. “It’s almost time for Zimryr.”

  “So?” Callan asked from off to his left. “It’s not like it means anything.”

  Archard sat up, his back stiff from being in his human form for too long. He spent much of his time in his scales, but it was easier to communicate when he was among the remains of his clan and they were all walking on two legs. Nobody could lash out and slice a throat with one swipe of a claw, and their teeth and tongues were more precise when they spoke. It was the way things had been for centuries or more, and at least some of their old habits still remained. “It could mean something if we wanted it to.”

  Callan shoved his dark blonde curls back off his forehead. The firelight reflected the mischief that always lived in his eyes. “Why would we? Archard, you know as well as I do that all the old ways are dead. We should move on and find our own way to live.”

  But the mere idea made Archard’s blood boil inside him, and he felt the ripple of scales threatening a shift on his back. “So we just forget? After everything that’s happened, after everything that our people have gone through, we just decide that none of that matters anymore?” Cousin or not, Archard was tempted to challenge Callan. He deserved it many times over.

  “Look, just because you still think you have some sort of sacred duty doesn’t mean the rest of us have to be subjected to all the boring ceremonies and stuff.”

  “Excuse me, but I very much do have a sacred duty! And you would as well if you’d actually bother to follow it. Your family has been timekeepers for more generations than you can even count, but you’re never the one watching the stars or noting the shift in the sunrise and sunset.” Archard was on his knees now, furious that Callan should challenge the legacy that had been in his family for so long.

  “All right, boys!” Lucia stood up and stepped around the campfire they’d built in their midst, holding her hands out to stop her son and her nephew from arguing any further. “I don’t see much point in having the exact same argument every single year. If Archard wants to celebrate then he’s most certainly welcome to. Personally, I’d be happy to join him.”

  Callan snorted his disgust and got to his feet. “Whatever. I’m done with all of this.” He turned and stalked off down the mountain towards the woods, his form slowly shifting into a larger, more agile one as he disappeared into the shadows.

  “He’ll be fun in the morning.” This came from Kieran, who had been lounging on one elbow and watching the altercation with amusement in his dark eyes.

  “Don’t mind him. I’d hoped he would find his way in the world, but maybe it’ll just take a little more time.” Lucia settled herself onto the rock next to Archard and laid a cool hand on his shoulder, bidding him to calm down. Her long brown hair had streaks of gray in it now, her thin face a little more drawn than it used to be. “I think it’s very admirable that you still want to keep the old ways. Life has changed so much since the War of Storms.”

  “I know,” Archard sighed. Or at least, he knew what had been told to him. He’d been so young when the war between the dragons and the ogres had broken out that he didn’t remember any of it, except for the general idea that it happened. Things hadn’t looked too bleak until the wizards had decided to join forces with the ogres, and it was the spell cast by the evil Tazarre that had wiped out the vast majority of the dragons. The Great Curse had backfired, however, taking many of the ogres and wizards as well.

  “I remember what it used to be like,” Lucia said with a smile. She turned her head to look up at the mountain behind them, toward the ancient caves where their ancestors had once dwelled. “There were so many fires that they lit up the night, burning with such a pleasant warmth that even the oldest dragons felt young again. We sent our wishes for the coming years up into the flames, dispersing into the universe.”

  Archard was quiet for a moment, delving into the back of his mind for the few faint memories he had of the holiday as a child. “I’ve been spending a lot of time in the royal caves,” he finally admitted.

  “I know,” Lucia replied quietly. “We all know, but I think I might be the only one who understands why.”

  “Hey, give me a little credit,” Kieran argued. “I like to think I perform my duties here as best as I can. There’s just not much of a border left to guard anymore.” He looked off into the dark distance as though he longed for someone to come charging in upon their secret little spot, someone to challenge him and make him rise up to the occupation that had been in his family for time immemorial.

  Archard knew that feeling. His father and grandfather had been royal guards. It was what Archard was destined to be, but it was impossible now that there were no royals left to guard. The Queen had been killed by The Great Curse, and the King had died fighting the wizards. Even with the rulers gone, Archard still felt that innate pull inside him, demanding that he do something to fulfill his destiny. “Have you ever taken the time to read the walls inside the royal caves?”

  “Those old stories? Don’t let Callan hear you mention those. You’ll just piss him off all over again.” Kieran threw a small stick in the fire and watched it burn.

  “Go on,” Lucia encouraged.

  Archard could see the intrigue in her eyes. She understood. She kept up with her job as timekeeper, even though it didn’t really matter anymore. “As I said, I’ve been spending a lot of time in the royal caves. I’m no linguist, and I haven’t been able to understand all of it. I probably don’t even understand most of it, if I’m honest, but I can’t seem to stop trying. Even though it’s written in our own language, it doesn’t all make sense. What gets me most of all is what seems like a prophecy.”

  Kieran sat up. “You’re trampling on dangerous ground now. I haven’t ventured up to Mount Taendru, not knowing if the ogres are living at the base of it, but I hear there are still a few prophets in the world. They won’t like you butting in on their job.”

  “I’m not butting in on anything, and if they want to come on over here and look at it themselves, then they’re more than welcome. If the clans start fighting with each other, then we really are worse off than we were during the War.” Archard knew that Kieran liked to play devil’s advocate simply for argument’s sake, but he wasn’t in the mood to debate this. “Anyway, there’s this one wall that indicates a return of the Awakened One.”

  “Ah, yes. I’ve heard of this. A descendant of royalty, if I recall correctly, but who isn’t from here.” Lucia’s dark eyes were bright.

  Archard nodded enthusiastically. Day-to-day life didn’t intrigue him much, especially not compared to the potential for what else might be waiting for him out in the universe. “I don’t really know what that means. It doesn’t make a lot of sense, but I can’t help but wonder if there are other dragons out there.” He looked to the sky again, wondering where they would come from. There were so few of their own kind left on Charok, and he knew he wasn’t the only one that felt the loneliness of it. They were sociable creatures, ones who needed their duties, their clans, and their mates. With only his aunt and his cousins around him, Archard knew there was a lot he was missing.

  “I wish I had the answers for you.” Lucia stretched and leaned a little closer to the fire. “I admit the idea is compelling, but I’m afraid I also have to say it’s far-fetched. If ever there was a time when we needed someone to come and help us, it would’ve been decades ago. During the War or even right after, we could’ve used some back up. I’d like to think they’re coming, Archard, but I don’t think it’s very likely.”

  He knew she was just b
eing practical. That was how Lucia was. Archard liked to think he was practical most of the time, but he couldn’t deny the deep swirl of emotions that lived inside him. It was like the universe was tugging at him, demanding something of him, and yet he didn’t know what it was or what he should do about it. Archard hadn’t told anyone, not even Lucia, about this. It was ridiculous, a reflection of the old ways, of the ancient rhythms of the dragons on Charok, of the way things no longer were.

  He knew what he would be asking for during Zimryr.

  3

  Kaylee guided the car down the narrow country roads that led to her parents’ home, irritated by the constant cold drizzle that clung to the windshield. She still remembered the smaller home they’d occupied when she was young, but shortly after her little brother had been born, the Turners had decided to find a much bigger place out in the country. The old mansion was near her Uncle Holden’s place, which had been convenient when she wanted to spend time with her cousins or when her parents needed a babysitter. In truth, Kaylee suspected her father had chosen that particular house solely based on the massive library it held.

  And that was exactly where she found him. Julian sat near the fire, his feet propped up on an ottoman with a book spread open on his lap. He’d fallen asleep, and his head tipped back against the chair as he snored softly.

  Kaylee smiled at him. He spent more time sleeping in the library than his own bed, since he was always studying well into the night. As excited as she was about the trip she’d just returned from, she didn’t want to wake him. Instead, she tiptoed forward and gently laid the photographs on her father’s lap before turning back to the door.

  “You didn’t think you could sneak up on the old man, did you?”

  Kaylee laughed as she turned toward the fire once again. Her father smiled at her, his green eyes bright against his olive skin. His hair was beginning to show his age around the temples, but he wore it well. “I’m home!”

  “I can see that!” Julian set his book aside but kept the pictures in his hand as he got to his feet and wrapped his daughter in a hug. “And it looks as though you’ve been busy.”

  “Not as busy as I would’ve liked. The Great Zimbabwe was a beautiful place, and Dr. Morrick got to show me around a little, but my reception was a little less welcoming when it came to Dr. Atwood.”

  Julian’s excited smile faded. “You can’t let people like him get to you.”

  “I know, and I really try not to. But it’s difficult when I know there are people like him out there. Atwood probably tells everyone who’ll listen just what he thinks about me. He’s going to damage my reputation before I even get a chance to build one.”

  Her father’s arm tightened around her shoulders. “Trust me, my dear. You’ve already built yourself a reputation, and it’s only a good one. Atwood just doesn’t understand your natural gift, and it’s best that he doesn’t.”

  “I wish I understood it,” she mumbled.

  “You’re using it to help people; what’s more to understand than that?” He flipped through the pictures, an approving look on his face. “Fascinating. And I assume you have them translated already.”

  “Of course.” Kaylee reached in her back pocket and handed him a piece of paper. “It gave me some interesting things to think about.”

  “Such as?”

  Heavy footsteps indicated they weren’t alone, and a brawny young man soon came striding into the room. “I thought I heard you come in!” He crossed the room in only a few steps and whisked Kaylee off her feet in a bear hug.

  “Stop it, Jake! Put me down!” Kaylee squealed as her little brother swung her in the air. “You’re going to make me throw up!”

  “That’s the goal, isn’t it?” Jake set her on her feet easily. Born of a silver egg, Jake had been a weak and sickly baby. Their parents had worried that he wouldn’t make it, or that he would have health issues for the rest of his life. Fortunately, he’d managed to outgrow his childhood illness and had turned into a startlingly strong young man. “Remember when I used to hold you by your feet every time you threatened to tell on me?”

  “How could I forget?” Kaylee chided with a smile.

  Julian just shook his head in amusement, used to the antics of his children.

  Jake grew a little more serious, his dark brow creasing. “Did I hear you say you’re having problems with someone? Cause you know I’m more than happy to crack some skulls.”

  Kaylee sighed and laid a staying hand on her brother’s bulky arm. He might have been her junior by a couple years, but Jake had always been very protective of her. In high school, most boys who were interested in her were immediately turned off when they saw Jake lurking in the wings, pounding his fist into his palm. It was sweet, but she didn’t mind getting a little distance from him once she’d started college. “It’s not necessary, and it wouldn’t be a fair fight anyway. I can handle this.”

  “If you’re sure,” he replied dubiously. “You don’t even have to say I’m your brother. Just say I’m your bodyguard or something.”

  “I swear, you were born looking for trouble.” Kaylee’s mother, Naomi, floated into the room. It was easy to see the resemblance between mother and son with her catlike blue eyes and dark hair, even if her build was a much slighter one. “Kaylee, I’m so glad you’re back home! I heard there are some nasty snow storms coming in, and I was afraid your flight would get caught up in them.”

  “Snow coming?” Julian looked hopefully out the window. “That sounds perfect! Good weather for studying by the fire.”

  “As if you don’t do that all the time, anyway,” his wife reminded him with a loving smile. “Kaylee, what did you find on this expedition?”

  Her parents had been so supportive of her interest in archeology, and it made her appreciate them all the more. She knew there was still something out there, something she needed to find, but at least when she was tired of searching, she had a comfortable little spot in the world. “Something that really got me thinking, actually. This tablet is different from all the other ones they found beneath the Great Zimbabwe. It speaks of a shaman that lived among them, a man who came from another world and knew more than they could possibly imagine. He served them for a very long time, what sounds like it was far longer than a normal lifespan for these people, and they believed he had mystical powers.”

  “Interesting…” Julian rubbed his jawline as he looked over the photos, scrunching his eyes at the foreign words. “I’m certainly glad you can read it, considering it’s nothing more than chicken scratch to me. What language is it?”

  “I really don’t know,” Kaylee admitted. When it came to translating, it hadn’t ever mattered what language it was. She could simply read it, and while her gift let her in on secret knowledge that the rest of the world wasn’t privy to, this facet of it was a bit frustrating. “I’ll have to spend a little time with it to make sure I have a decent translation matrix to give to Dr. Morrick, but I thought it might really help you with your work.”

  Julian looked at her curiously, as did her brother and mother. “You know I appreciate any ancient artifacts, but I don’t see how this particular one is relevant.”

  Kaylee took a deep breath, hoping that saying the words out loud wouldn’t make them seem silly. They’d made perfect sense inside her head as she’d thought about it on the plane and on the drive back home, but she had yet to determine if her theory was a sound one.

  Julian and Naomi had both come from the planet Charok, a place that, at one point, had been populated with dragons. Her father had regaled her with the tales of the craggy red mountains, the deep quiet forests, and the more primitive yet satisfying way of life they’d lived while there. When war and an evil spell had threatened their way of life, it had only been due to the help of a kindly and compassionate wizard that a handful of dragons had escaped to Earth. Julian had been one of them, along with Kaylee when she was just an egg. Naomi had joined him later. Though Julian and the other dragons had adapted to lif
e on Earth fairly well, Julian had never stopped looking for a way to go back to Charok and see if any dragons remained.

  “Okay, bear with me here. The account on this tablet isn’t an unusual one. There are stories from all over the world of people who have uncanny powers or who seem to come from somewhere else. Most of the time, we don’t have any real explanation for this. Some say they’re aliens of some sort, and I’ve seen scientists claim that these powerful people were born with some sort of defect that allowed them to access more of their brains than typical humans. I don’t have any real answers, either, but it made me think: What if Varhan came to Earth as well?”

  The mention of the rogue wizard who had sent Julian to Earth made her father pause for a moment, but then he shook his head. “I don’t think it would be possible. He was able to send us, but I don’t see how he could’ve been able to send himself. The spell was very precise, and I think he would need someone to perform it on him. I can tell you there weren’t any other wizards on Charok like him, and nobody else would’ve been sympathetic to his cause.”

  “Besides that, Varhan said he was sending us here because we were destined to be here,” Naomi added. “He never mentioned that he had a calling on Earth as well.”

  “Maybe not,” Kaylee admitted, some of the hope draining from her heart. “But I don’t think it’s entirely outside the realm of possibility. If it were, then you would’ve stopped looking for a way back there yourself. And what does it hurt if we look for him?”

  Julian nodded slowly, a smile spreading across his face once again. “I suppose that’s true. I wouldn’t mind seeing my old friend again, and I’d love for him to meet you kids. I think he’d be thrilled to see that we fulfilled our destiny here.”

  Jake looked doubtful. “Wouldn’t he have let you know he was here?”

  Kaylee shrugged. “Maybe, but this is a big planet full of people. We haven’t exactly charged out into the world and announced ourselves as dragons. How would he know where to find us?”