The Dragon Gods Box Set

by Resa Nelson

  The wine!

  Thinking about what a good weapon the bottle would make, Frayka made a swift reach toward where she’d left it on the ground and grasped it by the neck. She held it high, ready to strike the wild man over the head with it.

  But the wild man grunted with a hopeful sound and held an open hand toward the bottle.

  He wants it.

  Unwilling to give up her best weapon, Frayka stared at him in dismay.

  The wild man whined like a child denied his favorite treat for no good reason.

  Without her portents to guide her, Frayka became aware of a deep instinct. Placing her faith in her gut feeling, Frayka gave the bottle to the wild man.

  Delighted, he removed the cork with nimble fingers and then drained the bottle of its contents. The wild man finished with a hearty belch. He seemed to forget Frayka’s presence and hugged the empty bottle to his chest.

  Baffled and ready to reach for her dagger, Frayka decided to stay perfectly still.

  Minutes later, the wild man drifted back to sleep with a loud snore.

  Thankful that Dagby slept throughout the entire incident, Frayka crept out of the cave and made her way back up to the summit while the twilight turned to night.

  * * *

  Standing on the summit, Frayka located the sea by the way the moonlight bounced upon its waves. The frigid night air made her shiver.

  I have to find a place to keep Dagby warm and safe.

  Frayka noticed a strange way that the moon beams struck the ocean. Fixing her gaze on a spot near the shore below, a new realization struck her.

  It’s not moonlight I’m seeing. It’s a lantern.

  Concentrating, Frayka sharpened her gaze. One moment she saw only a lantern swinging back and forth in the dark. Then, as if by magic, her eyes re-focused and a new image seemed to emerge in the dark.

  A boat.

  It must be the old fisherman. He’s come back for me!

  Warmed by hope, Frayka hurried down the path, illuminated by the stars and the moon, knowing it would take a long while to get to the beach and hoping the boat would still be there by the time she arrived.

  * * *

  When she reached the end of the path, Frayka gasped with exhaustion. It took every ounce of remaining strength for her to slog her way across the beach that now felt as if it were made of quicksand. The boat had been pushed ashore, but those on board looked like shadows.

  “Hello!” Frayka shouted, hating to wake up Dagby but more concerned about getting her daughter to a safe place. “I’m here!”

  When the figures stepped into the lantern light, Frayka gaped, too surprised to move. She stared at the man who jumped onto the beach and walked toward her.

  “Madam Po had a portent that we would find you here,” TeaTree said with a grin. “And I believe you already know the owner of the boat.”

  Awakened by the commotion, Dagby cried.

  “We got word of your baby,” TeaTree said. Worry lines creased his forehead. But they quickly vanished. He led Frayka and Dagby back to the boat.

  Frayka faced even more surprise to see that the hand helping her on board belonged to Ling Lu, the young woman captured by a serpent dragon. “Ling! What are you doing here?”

  Ling raised an eyebrow. “Your Far Eastern has improved.”

  TeaTree shoved the small boat back into the water and then climbed on board.

  Dagby cried again.

  Ling’s other eyebrow shot up. “And you have a baby now?”

  Remembering their ordeal in the mountains and the men who had used the serpent dragon as a ruse to steal away young women from their village, Frayka said, “I can’t go back to your village. I have to keep my daughter safe.”

  Ling’s expression relaxed. “No reason to worry. We’re taking you to the safest place possible. A place where my mother took me after the last time I saw you. A place where no men are allowed to live.” She cast a sideways glance at TeaTree. “Except for men who are more like women than men.”

  “Taken as a compliment,” TeaTree said. “But we shouldn’t linger.”

  Frayka sat on a bench by the railing while TeaTree and Ling piloted the boat. She smiled when GranGran stood from a bench at the opposite side of the boat and teetered her way across the deck.

  “The child,” GranGran said. “May I see her?”

  “Of course.” Frayka removed the black cloth to reveal Dagby’s face.

  Irritated by the cold ocean wind, Dagby fussed.

  GranGran sat next to Frayka and touched Dagby’s face. “A fine child. A mortal child.”

  “Of course, she’s mortal,” Frayka said. “What else would she be?”

  GranGran peered closely at Dagby. “We were told stories that you bore a dragon child.”

  The offending words sparked a raging fire inside Frayka. “A dragon child? Who told you that?”

  “The empress. She had hopes of finding you and your child before we could.” GranGran glanced at Frayka. “She most likely still does.”

  Frayka’s anger grew. “A dragon child? That’s an insult to my husband! And an insult to me. How did she think I managed to have a dragon child with a mortal husband?”

  GranGran’s tone was nonchalant. “She said you took on a dragon god as your new husband.”

  “Wendill?” Frayka shouted.

  “Oh, good. So, you’ve met him.” GranGran blew lightly at Dagby’s face. The baby looked startled at first and then giggled.

  “Yes, I met him, but he is not my new husband.” Forgetting her anger, Frayka looked all around. “Did you find Njall? Is he here?”

  “My portents decided it was more critical to find you first. We’d hoped to find you sooner, but the empress kept me confined while TeaTree searched the entire Wulong Province for you and your husband.”

  Terror ran like ice water down the back of Frayka’s throat. “Do you know if he’s alive?”

  “We don’t know.” Now GranGran looked directly at Frayka and held her gaze. “But we will find out.”

  CHAPTER 30

  Frayka awoke with a start at sunrise, disoriented and confused until she remembered she’d found safety. Lying on the boat deck, she felt panic when she saw Dagby nowhere in sight. Bolting upright, she shouted the girl’s name.

  TeaTree’s boots clomped on the floorboards as he walked from behind Frayka to face her. “She’s here.” He held the sleeping baby in one arm.

  Rising to her feet, Frayka stared at the sight of the island they approached. With no other land in sight, the island looked small and isolated from civilization. Most of it was made up of low-lying land, but a cone-shaped mountain dominated one end. When Frayka looked closer, she saw molten fire running in threads down the mountain side. Steam climbed from where it fell into the ocean. “What is this place?”

  “Seahorse Island.” TeaTree pointed at the fiery mountain with his free hand. “And that is where you’ll find the Gate of Fire.”

  * * *

  If Frayka hadn’t been in such a rush, she would have been in awe of a community comprised solely of women.

  After the boat docked near the mountain-side of the island, Frayka barely glanced at the beauty of their houses and the grace of their fields and gardens. Only later would she notice the art in every aspect of their lives.

  Instead, she strapped Dagby to her chest and headed toward the fiery mountain.

  “You risk losing everything,” GranGran said, hurrying to match Frayka’s stride. “The dragon goddess of fire is unlike any of the others. Her temperament is challenging. She is difficult.”

  “I believe people have said the same about me,” Frayka said, undeterred. Reaching the edge of the village, she continued onto a sandy path leading through a field of gravel toward the base of the mountain.

  “I cannot go with you,” GranGran said.

  Frayka pulled up short and turned to face her great-grandmother. “Why not?”

  “The goddess of fire has no use for me. My presence would hinder
you.” GranGran held out her arms. “But I can care for Dagby while you’re gone.”

  Frayka mulled over the information.

  Better to go alone and have the best possible outcome.

  “Fine,” Frayka said. “But Dagby comes with me.”

  “The goddess you seek goes by the name of Fiera.” Before Frayka could walk away, GranGran placed a firm grip on Frayka’s arm. “Come back a few steps.”

  GranGran’s touch made Frayka feel her great-grandmother’s request held importance, so she obeyed.

  Releasing Frayka’s arm, GranGran pointed up at the mountain. “You can see it better from where we now stand.”

  At first Frayka saw nothing but a mountain made of rock and the thin streams of fire bubbling at its peak before winding down toward its ocean side, now out of view. But then she realized one stream appeared to run uphill.

  A closer look made Frayka understand she saw a gate made of gleaming gold that acted as a mirror. “The Gate of Fire.”

  “The path leads directly toward it,” GranGran said. “Stay on the path, and you’ll be fine.”

  * * *

  Frayka spent the morning hiking up toward the Gate of Fire. Although the gate reflected streams of molten fire, none came close enough to the path to cause any concern. Frayka stood in front of the Gate of Fire, admiring its fine craftsmanship. The polished gold looked warm and inviting. Its narrow sides looked strong, and dancing gold dragons with red gemstones for eyes decorated the top of the gate. Taking a deep breath, she walked through.

  After her experiences with dragon gods so far, the way the landscape changed on the opposite side of the gate failed to surprise Frayka. She now stood on a white marble plaza in front of a palace made of gold. Frayka walked into the middle of the plaza and shouted, “Fiera!”

  Wind howled across the empty plaza. Frayka saw no signs of life. Once more, she shouted, “Fiera!”

  Wisps of white fog bled from the marble plaza and swirled together until they formed the shape of a woman. Her alabaster skin gleamed and her long black hair curled like smoke. She wore a long flame-colored gown that swirled around her legs. Orange, red, and yellow sparkling gems encrusted the gown's bodice and high standing collar. With a disinterested yawn, she stepped toward Frayka. “Who are you and why is it so important to disturb my rest?”

  “Frayka. And this is my baby Dagby.” Frayka turned one hip toward the dragon goddess to give her a clear view of the child. “And I disturbed your rest because I need your help with the Northlander gods.”

  Fiera stared at Frayka in disbelief and then scoffed. “The Northlander gods? Who cares about them?”

  “They will kill me and my child and all surviving Northlanders if I don’t convince all the dragon gods of the Far East to make peace with them.”

  Fiera waved an uncaring hand toward the village below. “Go back to your baking and your gardening. None of this matters to me.”

  Frayka marched up to the goddess’s face and stood nose to nose with her. “I will not let any harm come to my child or my people!”

  The air between them became as solid as a clear glass window, and frost streaked that space. “If you fail to respect me the way your people failed to respect their own gods, you will meet a similar fate.”

  Crying in frustration, Dagby waved her fists and banged one against the frozen air.

  It shattered into fragments and fell to the ground. As soon as the fragments hit the marble plaza, they evaporated.

  Fiera stared first at the evaporating fragments and then at Frayka in disbelief. “No mortal should be able to do that. The child has your blood, and your blood made it possible. What do you have inside you?”

  Surprised by the question, Frayka didn’t know how to answer.

  “Inside you!” Fiera insisted. “How have you tampered with what belongs to the gods?”

  Memories rushed back to Frayka. “Everything happened by accident. I drank from the well at the temple of Limru, but I didn’t know the water belonged to the dragon gods.”

  Fiera became impatient. “I don’t care about that. It doesn’t concern me. What else?”

  “I saw someone kill a serpent dragon. I was hungry, and I ate part of it.”

  Becoming more frustrated by the moment, Frayka said, “Serpent dragons have nothing to do with me. They belong to Wendill’s realm.”

  Wendill.

  “The water and the serpent dragon didn’t mix well,” Frayka said. “Wendill helped me. He took me to his blacksmith.”

  Fiera pointed at Frayka’s chest. “Gold. He had his blacksmith strengthen your heart with gold.”

  Terrified by the accusing look in Fiera’s eyes, Frayka said, “Yes.”

  Fiera stomped her foot against the ground. “Sneaky! He uses my own gold against me!”

  Believing she had an opportunity to explain herself, Frayka forged ahead. “Wendill has agreed to help me. Kikita, too.”

  Fiera’s anger cooled. “Help you. How?”

  Frayka stumbled on her words. “I don’t know yet. The Northlander gods told me I have to figure out a way to make peace, and I haven’t done it yet.”

  Fiera’s eyes narrowed. “That’s not true. You have.”

  Taken aback, Frayka said, “No. I don’t know how to make things right.”

  Now Fiera crept close, staring into Frayka’s eyes with suspicion. Suddenly, her mood lightened and she stepped back. “I see. You actually do know how things will happen. You just don’t know that you know.” Fiera giggled. “Oh, I like it. It’s such an obvious solution. And it’s devious and wickedly funny.” Leaning forward, Fiera gave an awkward pat to the top of Dagby’s head. Looking at Frayka, she said, “Alright. Count me in. If for no other reason that you’ll infuriate the god of water. That will be hilarious.”

  As if having dismissed Frayka, Fiera marched toward the palace made of gold.

  “Wait!” Frayka shouted. “What do I do?”

  Again, Fiera pointed at the village below. “Go home. And don’t come back until you have the god of water on your side.” Fiera giggled as if she’d told the funniest jest ever made.

  Then she vaporized into white fog and seeped back into the marble plaza where Frayka stood, speechless and mystified.

  * * *

  Frayka took her time descending the mountain after passing through the Gate of Fire to enter the mortal realm again. She relished the time alone with Dagby, concerned that winning over the final dragon god sounded difficult at best, impossible at worst. She imagined she would soon face her most exhausting and challenging days to date.

  Halfway down the mountain, she paused to rest on a stone ledge near the path and held a napping Dagby.

  I have three of the four dragon gods willing to help me. And Fiera says I already have the solution to make peace between the Northlander gods and the dragon gods. If that’s true, this ordeal may be over soon. Then we can go home to the Land of Ice.

  More than any other time in her life, Frayka felt homesick. She missed her father and the lovely home he’d built for her. She missed the rugged land and the black sand beaches and the majestic waterfalls. She even missed her silly sisters and her disapproving mother. As difficult as they could make her life, she could always count on her family when she needed them.

  Most of all, she missed Njall.

  Your daughter needs you, Njall. She can’t grow up without you.

  And I’m tired of fighting without you by my side.

  If you’re still alive, I will find you—after I do what I must to keep the Northlanders alive. Wherever you are and whatever has happened to you, don’t give up.

  Staring down, Frayka caught a glimpse of one of the winding streams of liquid fire that poured into the ocean. From here, through the veil of sizzling steam, Frayka thought she saw the fire turn to gold.

  She placed her free hand against her ribcage, feeling the smooth surface of gold just beneath her skin, wondering how much longer it would protect the fire she felt inside her heart.
>
  Gate of Water

  by Resa Nelson

  Gate of Water

  Copyright © 2017 by Resa Nelson

  ALL RIGHTS RESERVED.

  Cover Art © 2017 by Eric Wilder

  Second Edition December 2018

  This book is a work of fiction. Names, characters, places and incidents are the invention of the author, and any resemblance to any actual persons, living or dead, event, or locale is entirely coincidental.

  ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS

  Many thanks to fellow authors Carla Johnson and Tom Sweeney, who read this novel before publication and gave me excellent feedback. I also very much appreciate the wonderful help and feedback I received from fellow author Alison Chan.

  Also, thanks to Sydney Lee for reaching out and sharing her thoughts about race and female characters in fiction. Thank you, Sydney, for our conversations and for your thoughts about this novel. If not for the inspiration from our conversations, this series wouldn’t exist.

  CHAPTER 1

  All I need is one more dragon god to help me, and my problems will be solved.

  Frayka knew her success would appease the leader of the Northlander gods who had tasked her with convincing the dragon gods of the Far East to make amends for their past transgressions. If she failed, the Northlander gods would kill all Northlanders, including Frayka and her baby, Dagby.

  Fierce determination surged inside Frayka.

  I’ll let no one hurt Dagby. I will do whatever it takes to protect her.

  “Maybe you won’t need the god of water,” TeaTree said. The Midlander merchant stood out in the Far East because of his pale skin and tall stature. And yet he’d spent so much of his life trading in this part of the world that he spoke the Far Eastern language as fluently as a native. “The gods of air, earth, and fire have all agreed to help you. They’re willing to make peace with the Northlander gods. Maybe that’s enough.”

  “It won’t do,” GranGran said. She stood with a straight back and kept her walking cane tucked under one arm, a sure sign that she had done her daily morning exercises to work the stiffness and kinks out of her aged body.