"Of course, Speltus... Come along." Speltus ran along the ground, keeping near her heel. "What are you doing? Why aren't you on my shoulder as usual?"
Glancing back at the makeshift camp, Speltus looked up at her, shrugging his scaly shoulders before flitting from the ground to his usual resting place by her neck.
"What was that all about?" Hekla asked, while kicking her way through underbrush and dead leaves.
"Lingaria makes an awful fuss when he thinks that you are treating me like a common house pet."
"Why do you care what that irritating little beast thinks?" She nearly laughed that he would be concerned with such a thing.
"Why do you care what your sisters think? You want their approval, do you not?"
That gave her pause to think, and she agreed with her guide.
"Yes, well I suppose so," she ducked to avoid hitting a low hanging branch.
"It is nearly the same, only in the realm of dragons, each of us are at different levels. We all have a particular purpose."
Hekla couldn't help herself, and a short burst of laughter emerged.
"Why would you consider that funny?"
"I don't know, the idea of dragons having an order... ranking each other. It's a bit funny, don't you think? I mean, Melifera taught us so many things, but the one thing she stressed aside from all life being valuable, was that dragons were to be respected. All of them."
"Hekla, Melifera has been around over two centuries. Many of the dragons of old have passed on, and our purpose, our ranking is what keeps the realm of dragons running smoothly. It ensures that no one rises to leadership without first having proven their worth. Palladin the great, he is the last of the ancient ones. He is the one who made this new order, and although the younger ones hate it, I must agree it is better than all dragons having the same purpose."
"I'm afraid I don't understand how beasts capable of doing magic, and all kinds of wonderful things would need such a system." Hekla had finally found branches worth tossing on the fire, and she began to gather them while they talked.
"There is much I don't understand either, Hekla. I just do what the Unseen Ones have bidden me to do, and I give respect to the great Palladin. I consider it an honor to be chosen to serve you. There is much to observe in the kingdom of man, and it is an honor to teach one who would be queen." The normal irritation she heard in his tone was gone.
"Friends with a human?" Hekla teased. "What will the other dragons say?"
Hekla turned around to head back toward camp and her leather boot promptly caught the edge of a rock causing her to trip. She fell to her knees, her armful of wood for the fire, tumbling to the ground.
"That's what you get for making fun of me." Speltus made an audible harrumph. Irritated, she jumped up, quickly retrieving her load of firewood.
"I sure hope you didn't trip me on purpose for some strange dragon revenge." She stood up stiffly, brushing off her leather armor and turning her head to give him an angry scowl.
"Why would I do such a thing? Just when we were starting to get along?" he said with an air of indifference.
"I'll never know." Hekla began to tread more carefully as she hurried back to camp, quickly tossing her wood pieces in the fire pit.
Svana had laid out their mats to sleep on, and was happily chomping away on a bit of fruit. Hekla wondered where her sister hid so much food, and she also wondered where it went. Svana never gained a pound.
"Let me get that for you," Lingaria said.
Lingaria sat next to Svana, his face emotionless, but as he lifted into the evening air, he opened his mouth wide and Hekla was surprised to see how sharp and vicious his teeth looked. He seemed to be coming straight at her, but stopped suddenly to swoop low and burst forth a ball of fire from his mouth, before he circled back around to join Svana again.
Pleased with himself, as the flames filled the pit, he curled up and promptly closed his eyes to sleep. Not wishing to talk about what the next day would bring, or to have any further discussion with her dragon, Hekla laid down on her mat and quickly found herself in the world of dreams.
13
Astrid
Irritation can be a unique feeling. You can be irritated at someone you barely know. You can be irritated at someone you've known all your life. Irritation leads down two different paths. One of hate and one of love. The question is, who is irritating you, and what path are they leading you down?
King Arnott the Wise, Second King of Telluris, 321 A.V.
Astrid traveled for the day with Cayden, finally coming to the path that Aronus had told her of.
"Look, Cayden." She motioned for him to follow her, as she hurried down the path. From her line of sight, she could see that it was leading directly around the base of the mountain.
"I wouldn't go that way if I were you," he cautioned her, the hickory color of his eyes stopping her in her tracks.
"And just why is that?" Astrid put an indignant hand on her hip, resisting the urge to pull out her bow and let an arrow loose at his foot.
"This path will take you directly around the base of the mountain, though it is not widely traveled, the overgrowth is strong and it makes it hard to travel."
"I'm fine with that," she snapped.
Cayden gave her an appreciative look up and down, and she found her cheeks heating with his gaze.
"Is there a problem?" Astrid quipped.
"Not at all," he said with the flourish of a smile on his chiseled face. "I just didn't think you'd want to fight through a bunch of thick bramble and broken trees."
"Considering your background, do you really think it would be safer to stay on the main road? I don't want to be seen, and I know you don't want to either. So yes, I'm fine with taking this path as long as it takes us around the base of the mountain, even if it is more difficult." She furrowed her brows at him, slightly squinting her eyes.
Cayden put his hands up, palms out in mock surrender.
"All right, all right... I get it. You win. We'll go whichever way you like."
Astrid tried to avoid how much his boyish grin tugged at something inside her. When she spoke again, she didn't even look him in the eyes.
"You are the one who wanted to pair up, if you've had a change of heart, that's fine by me. We can go our separate ways."
"No, Astrid. What's the problem? That isn't what I was saying. You've surprised me is all." He stepped closer to her, grabbing her shoulder and spinning her to face him. "Ease up, milady. I mean you no ill will, I assure you. And I would very much like to journey together... no matter where that journey may take us."
"Fine, but I'm tired. I want to rest." It wasn't entirely true, but she would have done anything to cut through the intense moment that had born of her irritation, and his hand on her shoulder.
Stopping for the night had been a good idea, as she realized just how hungry and tired she really was. She watched Cayden nervously, still not sure about how much she trusted the man who she felt to be a stranger. All of it was too much, and not wanting to risk unnecessary closeness, Astrid climbed up a tree and found a large branch upon which to lie.
I've slept on worse. At least the branch provided a gentle sloping which was quite comfortable.
"What are you doing up there?" Cayden asked. "Why not sit here with me and keep warm around the fire?"
"I'm quite all right. I've never slept outside, and I don't want to encounter any insects." She shuddered visibly.
"Not a fan, eh?"
"Not in the slightest. My sisters used to catch them and drop them in my bed to scare me. I hated it." She replied, looking down at him and appreciating the gentle glow of moonlight across his unshaven face. He's quite handsome. In another life, I could imagine keeping him for myself.
"You have sisters?" he asked.
Oh, stars and moonbeams. I've said too much.
"Yes, though we've long since separated. I suppose that's what happens in life, you grow older... you go your own way." She feigned wistful sadne
ss, wanting to give the impression they had been long gone, Astrid didn't want him knowing details.
"How long have you been apart? And are they as lovely as you?" he asked.
"Are you asking me such things just to be difficult?"
"No, not in the slightest. I was just curious, and the latter about them being as lovely as you... I was teasing. Obviously, no one can be as lovely as you."
She huffed loudly, then turned her attention skyward. Irritated by Cayden’s very presence in that moment. And his sarcasm.
"So what of a husband? Do you have a beloved?" Cayden’s voice turned kind, softening with sincere curiosity.
"No, and I never will, nor is that any of your business," she said snidely, wondering what gave him the right to invade on her privacy. She was perfectly comfortable being alone, and this man, this stranger, didn't have a right to know, or ask otherwise. She hated that his questions felt intrusive, uncomfortable.
"I'm sorry, I didn't mean to invade on your privacy. I'm just curious, is all."
Astrid could sense a tone of defeat in his voice, but she felt no pity. Already the tawny-haired man had put her more on edge than she would have thought possible in such a short amount of time. She wished to put their conversation to bed, but he just kept talking.
"Honestly, I don't feel the need for companionship. I'm quite content the way things are," she said meaningfully, before flicking her forest green hair from her face. One thing was for sure, as soon as Cayden fell asleep, she would steal off into the night. She could not trust her heart, or her mind, with the presence of someone who forced his way into her life, wanting to know things she did not wish to share.
"Well, that's a pity. I've been alone a while now, Lady Astrid, and I can assure you... it is not for the faint of heart. Perhaps one day you will feel differently." He tipped his head up at her, smiling so angelically, she wondered if he was the one using magic.
"I'm not sure where you get off telling me how I will feel, or what I should feel. I can guarantee you that I am quite happy with things as they are. You would do well to remember that, and keep your opinions and your questions to yourself from here on out." Her voice was dripping agitation, and as handsome as she thought him to be, there was no way she was telling this nosy man anything else about herself.
"That wall you keep around you is going to have come down some time. I understand you not wanting to let a perfect stranger in, but you can't go through life like that." He maintained his sincere tone, and as hard as she fought it, she could feel herself warming to him.
Invasive, annoying, and a stranger... just what exactly are you warming to? Aronus interrupted her thoughts.
Sod off, she told him, closing her eyes and feigning sleep. She laid as still as she could until she could hear Cayden snoring softly. Then she climbed down the tree in the dark of night, pausing momentarily to consider her options. The events of the day had made her tired, more tired than she thought possible, but that would have to wait. Giving his strong form one more appreciative glance, she took off running through the woods toward the Great Mountain.
I will rest when I am far away from him, she thought to herself.
"That is if I let you!" Aronus said with agitation, as he unpeeled himself from her bow and flew swiftly beside her as she ran. "You are not to team up with strangers! Honestly, it's as if you don't have an ounce of common sense in you. Now, he knows you have sisters! What if he was there to kill you, and everything he said was a lie? What if at this very moment, he awakes and finds you gone and is coming after you?"
"Really, Aronus? You can read minds. Is that what he planned? Give it a rest." Tears stung her eyes as she thought about the life of solitude that lay ahead for her. She didn't have her sisters; she couldn't allow herself to fall in love, and for now, she couldn't even get along with her dragon guide. What kind of queen could she possibly be?
"One who doesn't get herself killed. Let's start there," he growled at her.
Astrid ignored him, running faster.
14
Svana
Magic is an ability held by the dragons. Once or twice, it has been passed to men. But more often than not, it corrupts them. It isn't the magic itself, but either the craving of power, or the inability to comprehend how to use it.
King Everett the Honest, Second King of Caelestis, 327 A.V.
Svana watched Hekla sleep. Soon, they would part, and Svana was already missing her sister. Their journeys would be long and hard, and Svana wasn't looking forward to traveling it alone.
"You won't be alone," Lingaria said.
Svana smiled. "I know."
Cool water dripping on Hekla's face startled her awake, and as she tried to wake, Svana's beautiful hazel eyes met hers, twinkling mischievously.
"I've found a small brook thanks to Lingaria. We can fill our water pouches," Svana said.
Using her hand to wipe the water off, Hekla sat up, eyebrows scrunched, frowning. She felt like her eyeballs were spinning in her head.
"Why so grim little sister?" Svana inquired, jumping back, in case Hekla decided to come after her.
Hekla ignored her question, rubbing her face. The day was overcast, but still welcoming. The skies were a faded shade of blue. She used her fingers to brush through her wild blue locks, managing to tame it enough into a braid that hung over her right shoulder.
"Not fond of mornings, I take it," Speltus chimed in. In his talons he held something small and furry and was chomping away at it, blood dripping from his mouth onto the ground. Hekla's stomach did an uncomfortable flip. She turned her head away, retching as she did so.
"Really, Speltus? Do you have to do that right here?" She grimaced and crawled to her feet.
"Umm, I made you eggs," Svana tried to distract her.
"I don't want any eggs," Hekla started to say but the smell of them reached her nose, and she realized how ravenous she was. The small bit of fruit they had consumed before bed had done nothing to stave off her hunger. "Actually, eggs sound amazing." On a larger rock near the fire, a metal plate held the remnants of the food and Hekla hurriedly ran to it, scraping it into her mouth. "Do I dare ask where you obtained such a thing?"
Svana looked troubled and shook her head.
"Well, we need to eat just as much as creatures need to live. We need our strength." Having a warm meal in her stomach improved her mood, and she hurried about rolling up her mat. Grabbing her scepter, she looked from the fire pit to Svana.
"Should we cover that?"
"Ah, a learning moment. I imagine this will come in quite handy for you," Speltus hovered in the air in front of her. "Stay very still, Hekla." His body matched her hair, but in that moment, flames rose above him into the sky directly where they both were. "Those will not burn you, just remain still." Hekla dared not even flinch. The flame turned to a thick fog, and it poured over Hekla's head like a bucket of water being spilled out.
Afraid of what was happening, but too terrified to move, she watched the thick fog turn from fire red, to snow white as it encased her entire body. There were no sensations, except for the feel of a cool wind washing over her and she didn't dare breathe. After a moment, the fog and fire and colors disappeared, but there was something warm and buzzing in the back of her mind. It was a feeling that coursed through her blood all the way to her toes.
"You may move," Speltus said softly.
Hekla noted that his eyes were drooping slightly. "What just happened to me?" She did a complete turn, but there was no harm to her or the ground around her.
"Hekla, I have given you a part of me. A part that no human has ever been given from a dragon. The ability to do magic. You may notice a warm humming in your brain and body. That is your senses coming alive. From this day forward, as long as you wear my aura, you will be able to siphon my magic. So let's start with a simple spell shall we?"
Hekla could not bring herself to move, or breathe. Her brain not processing the words he said.
"It'll make more sense if
you just try it, all right?" Speltus said.
Hekla nodded.
"Now, hold your scepter in front of you directly at the fire."
She did as he told her, holding her scepter as steady as possible.
"Now repeat after me, 'Restoratum Unum'" he spoke distinctly, tail flicking from side to side.
"Very well, 'Restoratum Unum,'" she said, and at that very moment, a small ray of light shot forth from her staff toward the small fire pit. Dirt and leaves swirled up in a circular motion, and then settled comfortably on the ground. The fire pit disappeared. "Hey, what happened?"
"That little spell will come in handy for covering your tracks or repairing damage to something as long as magic is not involved." Speltus flew over the area, giving it a quick glance, and after he was satisfied, he returned to her.
"What if I say the wrong spell?" Hekla withdrew the staff, suddenly afraid of what it could do.
"You needn't be afraid of the staff, it doesn't do the magic. It's merely a way for you to channel it from me to the task at hand. If I disappear, your ability to do magic disappears. However in such a case, you simply say 'Rescindum Enchantum'."
"Then why the colored orb at the top?" She suddenly wondered, now thinking that it was for show.
"That is where I will rest when we reach the kingdoms of man. I cannot disappear like Aronus, or become one with the sword like Lingaria. Last night, when you thought I was gone, I had simply returned to the orb for safety."
"But you've hidden yourself on my shoulder," Hekla said.
"Camouflaged my dear, nothing more. Even so, I can only do that for a short time. Now, are you ready to learn another spell?"
She nodded her head vigorously.
"All right, so last night Lingaria lit the fire for you with a fireball. Should you ever need such a thing when battling an enemy, you only need to say 'Pyrem Orbium.'"
Hekla nodded her head. "Pyrem Orbium," she repeated. "Like that?"
Dragon Sword Page 9
