Dragon Sword

by Angelique Anderson

  Everything I have waited for is finally going to happen.

  He placed a delicate hand on her shoulder, tipping his silver-haired head again before motioning for her to journey up into Caelestis. All around the base of the pathway leading up to the sky kingdom, the crystalline eyes of the Caelestans watched with great awe.

  Astrid knew it was no small feat she had completed for them. She could feel the weight of it radiating from their wispy thin bodies as they watched her climb the stairway.

  One foot in front of the other, she could feel the air get lighter, the wind growing softer as she ascended the steps. Finally, at the top, she was greeted by Quimby, who appeared as if he had been waiting for her.

  "Have you been standing here this whole time?" she teased.

  "Not in the slightest, my dear girl. We have heralds who watch all that goes on down below. I told them to alert me to your return the moment you were in eyesight."

  "And, do I get my request fulfilled? Will I get to meet with the king?"

  "Not yet, we must once again visit with the Grand Vizier. Are you up for a meeting with his greatness, or would you prefer a rest? We have set up a guest quarters for you if you so choose." Quimby motioned in the direction of the Grand Viziers palace, his dark head of hair out of place amongst his pale haired Caelestans.

  "Do you mean for me to spend the night with a man I have never met?" She smiled wide and offered a chuckle.

  Quimby's face turned several shades of red, before she patted him on the shoulder.

  "I was kidding, Quimby. At any rate, I am not ready to rest. I must meet with the Grand Vizier at once. There are many things I wish to discuss with him." She took off in the direction of his small palace.

  "Astrid, wait. There are things you must think about before you approach him. You cannot just dart in there, pell mell." He grabbed her shoulder to stop her in her tracks.

  Bristling under his unwelcome touch, she reached to her shoulder to remove his hand, before she turned her evergreen armor clad body to face him.

  "I beg you not to do that again, please," she took a step away from him, while brushing her emerald tresses out of her face. The lack of wind here meant her arrow would land true, were she to need to use it. She contemplated her options.

  "Listen, Astrid. I am no threat to you, quite the opposite rather. I only mean to protect you. The King, he's not trusting," he whispered. "They say he kills just to kill, but he has a reason for the things he does. If you request an audience with him again, and word gets back. He may just have you killed for the simple fact he doesn't allow strangers, especially those who have stepped foot in Telluris, to enter his kingdom."

  "Trust me, Quimby, if I were able to fly, I would have flown all the way here. Unfortunately, I lack the wings of your people."

  "Well, I don't have them either in case you haven't noticed. I'm just saying, you may have slaughtered that army, but it will take more than that to gain the trust of the Grand Vizier and the King. Do you understand?"

  "Fine, yes. I understand." She turned her back to Quimby, and flipping her long hair, before sashaying her way to the Viziers palace. The wooden steps leading to his chambers were a welcome sight as she entered his home. When she reached the top step, the Grand Viziers voice welcomed her before she had the chance to knock on the great wood door that opened to his room.

  "Astrid of the Bow, you have returned. Please, no need to knock, you are welcome here."

  Astrid pushed gently at the door which gave under her weight and she stepped forward into the room.

  "Your excellency," she said. "I have come to make a request."

  Quimby stepped behind her and sighed heavily. It was as if he was already anticipating her next move. "Astrid, please don't," he leaned forward, whispering into her ear.

  Ignoring Quimby, she repeated her request from earlier. "I would like an audience with the King," she said assertively.

  "Yes, my dear. You've told me a few times now. I know you wish to speak to him about restoring peace. However, I must ask, what could you possibly say to him, that would convince him to aid you in your quest?" He rose from his throne and took several steps until his hunched over form stood directly in front of her. The Vizier's seaweed eyes met her emerald ones with searching intensity.

  "Your Excellency, I am convinced if given the opportunity, I could persuade him to stop the war he has declared on the Tellurians." She placed her hands on her hips, spreading her feet slightly apart. I will not move until he gives me what I demand, she thought.

  "Dear Astrid, how simple you are." He shook his aged head, turning his back to her he began to pace the soft wood flooring in front of his pale blue throne. The silence was only interrupted by the sound of his walking stick dragging across the surface in rhythmic motions as he paced back and forth. After a time, he stopped to face her. "I think I have reached a solution that will benefit both of us."

  "Indeed? Please tell me," she said, as her body relaxed.

  "You have already proven yourself to be a great warrior, as was evident by your defeat of the Tellurians. So, considering you have done this unaided, I have a proposition. I ask you become the general of our army. They could use your guidance, and our kingdom could use a warrior with your expertise."

  "I am thankful for your generous offer, but I must politely decline. I have done enough killing. I do so to fulfill your request, but I cannot make it a way of life. It is not who I am."

  The Grand Vizier nodded regally. "I understand, then please... remain here with us. Train the soldiers to be more effective and in return we welcome you to stay with us as long as you wish."

  Astrid nodded her head. "That is something I will agree to."

  "Then come along and I will introduce you to everyone. They've been awaiting your return. Quimby wasted no time in telling everyone what he had sent you to do."

  Quimby reached his hand up to grip the back of his neck nervously, a sheepish smile spread on his face.

  "Sorry, Astrid. I knew you'd be back, and I wanted everyone to be prepared to meet our heroine." He looked to the ground, too embarrassed to meet her gaze.

  "It's quite all right, Quimby. I want to be here, and if my skills can be of use, then all the better. Right?"

  Quimby nodded his unkempt dark-haired head at her.

  "Quimby, please show her to her quarters. Then I shall introduce her to the soldiers," the Vizier commanded.

  "As you wish, your greatness. I could take her to them, if you wish?"

  "Very well then," the Vizier nodded his head, then returned to his soft blue-backed throne.

  Astrid followed Quimby out of the room, down the stairs where he led her outside. All of Caelestis seemed to be waiting for her, as the palace belonging to the Grand Vizier was surrounded by tall, willowy bodied beings with pale hair and skin.

  "Caelestans, I present Astrid of the Bow. She has come to make her place among our people and offer her experience and training as a warrior."

  "What training can she offer us?" someone from the crowd yelled out, and a cacophony of voices muttered their agreement.

  "Astrid is the only one to have defeated the Tellurian army that has guarded the exit of Caelestis, and she did so without help," Quimby continued.

  "No, it's impossible," someone muttered.

  "I don't believe it," another said.

  "Prove it!" a third called out.

  The scattered responses continued, growing louder and louder until Quimby yelled out, "Silence! Quiet your mutterings and listen to me. Astrid is here to help you, and she is doing so under the decree of the Grand Vizier." His statement hushed them. "I would like the soldiers to remain, for she will be working closely with you. Let us work to make her feel welcome."

  Disappointed in the turn of events, many of the Caelestan's began to disperse, heading back to their homes. The soldiers waited quietly, holding their weapons at their sides as they awaited their next order from Quimby.

  "Astrid, care to show them what you c
an do?"

  Astrid nodded her head and retrieved her bow. Placing her fingers strategically at the string, she pulled back ready to loose an arrow into the sky. Overhead, a Carrion eater flew swiftly by, followed by three more. Even in the dark, she could see its outline. Many nights hunting with her sister had trained her to be keenly sensitive to such things. Behind her, she could hear the men snickering about her 'invisible' arrow. She let it loose, and as always the arrow materialized as she aimed. It whizzed through the air, hitting the buzzard dead center. The bird fell from the sky, landing not far from where they all stood.

  Surprised and amazed, the soldiers clapped softly. One of them, stepped out from the rest. Easily the tallest, he carried an air of superiority. With his nose in the air, he said, "Easily done, especially when you have magic. Where did you get magic?" The man's varying layers of blue armor, and sky soldier symbol illuminated as he spoke.

  "It is not magic, I use," Astrid said, hands on hips, face stern.

  "Then where did your arrow come from?" He pulled his white tresses out of his face, and his eyes were so blue they cut through her like ice.

  "It is my bow, given to me by Palladin the Great." She looked to the ground, unable to meet the intensity of his cool gaze.

  "Your bow?" the soldier gasped. "You received that from Palladin the Great? No one has seen him in centuries. You're telling me he is still alive?"

  "Indeed, he is," she said softly.

  "With Palladin the great on our side, no one could stop us," one of the soldiers called out.

  "Be our general!" another soldier yelled out.

  "Yes! Lead us! With you by our side, we can take the Tellurian's by surprise and they will never harm us again!"

  "No! I will not see any more death!" She quieted them with her abrasive yell. They were silenced for the moment until Quimby's stocky form stepped forward between the men and Astrid.

  "Astrid, soldiers... how about we stay off the topic of battle for now, and instead prepare ourselves in case it were to come to that?"

  "Yes, Quimby, that is what I am here for, but if you demand me to march on Telluris and take more lives, I cannot allow it. I will not allow it."

  "Nor would I, Astrid," Quimby said kindly. "No one expects that of you, we only ask you help us to be better. To be stronger, in case. Just in case. We do not know yet what the land king has in store, and we must protect our people."

  "That is well, but as it is night... I wish to retire for the evening. Training will begin tomorrow morning when we have the benefit of the sun overhead."

  She nodded politely to them, and turned to Quimby. "Where am I to sleep this night?"

  "The Grand Vizier has prepared a room for you, follow me."

  Astrid nodded her head and followed obediently after Quimby who led her back to the Vizier's palace. Only this time they did not ascend the stairs. She followed him down an elegant hallway passed several ornate doorways before they finally stopped at the final door and he led her inside.

  "Here is where you shall stay for the duration of your visit. I hope it is too your liking. You needn't worry about the Grand Vizier, or anyone for that matter, bothering you here." Quimby smiled wide at her, the kind of smile that reached all the way to his ears and crinkled the soft array of wrinkles around his eyes.

  "Thank you, Quimby, for your kindness. I do look forward to tomorrow with much anticipation."

  He bowed, and left the room, leaving her to flitter about the expensively lavished room with great delight. All array of birds and creatures of the air had been carved into the softwood posts that held up the impossibly high ceilings.

  The bed, like much of the furnishings she had noticed, was decorated with soft blues and whites, the posts of the bed a dark wood and the Phoenix like symbol that represented the sky kingdom and its people, was carved into each post.

  Checking the drawers of an ornate dresser made out of the light oak wood that seemed to be the building supply of choice, she found a soft gown for which to sleep in, and promptly changed into it and climbed into the oversized bed, where she drifted off into the most luxurious sleep she had ever experienced.

  44

  Svana

  You will know someone's true character by watching how they treat someone injured who has wronged them.

  King Michiel the Trusted, Third King of Caelestis, 490 A.V.

  Svana awoke abruptly with the sound of Duggary's pained groaning. She rolled on the ground to look at the man. Little beads of perspiration on his forehead caused her to reach out and touch his skin.

  "You're burning up!" she exclaimed, fearful she may be held accountable for his death if he didn't make it. "You're not going to die on me, you understand?"

  She wrung her hands and searched through their supplies hoping she could find something that would be of use to her in helping to care for him. "Where are the rags, and pots, and water reserves?"

  Svana flipped over bags and emptied sacks of items. Finding some of what she searched for, she set a pot to boil. "Gonna need hot water for that wound."

  Once the water boiled, she poured clean water into a bowl and used the most decent rags she could find to tend to his fever. She sourly noted all of their water flasks were near empty as was their water barrel.

  "Leave it up to a bunch of men to make sure they look after themselves!" Svana said, her eyes blazing fire like her hair, as she threw an empty water flask across the campsite.

  She turned her attention toward the men's tents to see if Jasper or Gill had been awoken by the racket she was making. "Figures they would sleep right through that. They'd probably sleep through an entire army attacking us," she muttered.

  Svana leaned her head into Branwin's tent, which smelled strongly of sour mead. She dry heaved in her mouth and backed out quickly. "Well, he's going to be no help today, that's for sure. I'll probably have to care for him myself."

  Alone with her worries, Svana continued to tend to Duggary, cleaning his wound and tending to his fever. When his eyes fluttered open, briefly, she forced him to drink down some water before covering him with another blanket.

  "Assuming you don't get any worse, I'll make us all some stew." Duggary only groaned in pain and turned over. She added the rest of the water from the barrel to the boiling pot. Feeling fortunate the day before had given them such bounty, she began cutting an assortment of vegetables and herbs to throw into the pot. She tossed in a bit of bull meat she had kept for herself and covered it with a heavy lid. Finished with preparing the meal, she pulled her sword from its scabbard and sat on the ground to clean the remnants of blood that remained on the blade, until the men awoke.

  Lingaria sat near Duggary while she worked, keeping his eyes on the man in case Duggary took a turn for the worse.

  "You're in an oddly silent mood today, Lingaria. I don't think I've seen you like this before," Svana said.

  "I just think it's odd you're tending to these brigands, when you could be off on your own right."

  "You're actually encouraging me to leave?"

  Lingaria cast a long glance at Duggary and then turned his little scaly head toward the tents where the sleeping men lay. "Yes, I suppose I am. I don't think joining with them is going to help you."

  "Lingaria, I've no doubt you're right, but I can't leave them. I'm going to need all the help I can get. You said yourself, allies. I need allies."

  He nodded his head. "I did indeed say that, but I am beginning to regret that, if these are the type of allies you plan on having." A sudden grunting and groaning, alerted them both to someone waking. Lingaria disappeared into thin air.

  Branwin crawled head first out of his tent groaning in agony and she had to laugh softly at his displeasure.

  "You did it to yourself, you know," she said, a smile playing on her lips.

  He looked up at her, shielding his eyes from the sun. "Must you talk, this early in the day?"

  She laughed at his response. "Don't be angry at me for your poor choices."

&nbs
p; He grabbed his water flask, and took a long swill, then with an agitated glance back at her, he reentered his tent and all was silent again.

  "Only a real man wouldn't be able to hold his alcohol," she said, raising her voice in the hopes Gill or Jasper would finally wake up.

  "Did you say a real man?" Gill stepped out into the sun, fastening his armor, and then bent to lace up his boots.

  Svana bit her lip to keep from saying something that would offend the man.

  "Something of the sort," she answered.

  "What can I do for you, milady?" Gill raised an eyebrow at her, the corner of his mouth turned up slightly.

  "You're in a jolly mood today. What changed from yesterday?"

  "I don't know, it must be the sight of a beautiful woman making a meal..." he trailed off.

  "You'd better not finish that sentence. I've no interest in being your little woman, or caring for the lot of you. She scrunched her eyebrows in and put her hand on her hips. Where was her cursed little dragon, she was about to skewer this guy with her sword.

  You'll do no such thing, Lingaria said with a warning into her mind.

  She didn't respond back to him.

  "So, you say you can answer my call for a real man, eh?"

  Gill nodded, a large smile stretching wide across his normally angry face.

  "Great, we need provisions. As soon as possible. I need to care for Duggary, and I can't do that without water. Clean water."

  "We had a whole barrel," he protested.

  "You had a whole barrel. A few days on the road, the five of us? It's a wonder it lasted this long. Can you please find us more water, we need to get back on the road before nightfall."

  "Why're you in such a hurry?" Gill waggled his eyebrows at her in false concern.

  "You want to return to the king, or don't you? You want him to come after us?" she said indignantly.

  "Not in the slightest."