Orergon
Orergon wasn’t sure how he felt about this. The place defied all concept of reality, but it wasn’t the impossible way space seemed to not follow the rules of the rest of the world, or how they were in the middle of the island, beneath the rock, and yet the sun appeared to be shining down on them, even though he was sure dusk had fallen outside.
The darkness inside him rose and coiled, but he pushed it back down. It recognized something in the Seer. Though she looked like a young girl, however strange the white orbs of her eyes were, the death he’d experienced surrounded her, too.
That didn’t mean they couldn’t trust her, however. He had death inside him, too, and he believed himself still trustworthy.
But more than anything else in his life, he wanted to protect Dela. He knew she’d argue that she didn’t need protecting, but he didn’t intend to let her know that was what he was doing. Mentally, he promised himself that he would stay by her side, no matter what. He’d throw himself in the face of danger and give up his life for her if it meant she was safe. Everyone was talking about the future of Xantearos, but he wasn’t sure he even cared anymore. She was all that mattered, and Orergon had never felt this way about anyone other than his wife and son. And that frightened him. He’d experienced that pain of loss before, and he wasn’t sure he was strong enough to do it again if something happened to Dela. The memory of how her lips had felt when he kissed her, and how her slender body had pressed against his, remained on his mind, haunting his thoughts. He wanted that again, but he wasn’t stupid. He saw how both Warsgra and Vehel looked at her, too. They were all in this together, and he’d never be able to take her from Warsgra and Vehel as well. Besides, the Seer had said they were all to rule together. The four of them.
Orergon took a little comfort in her words. If they were destined to rule, didn’t that mean they would all survive, including Dela? Or were the things the Seer saw subject to change?
The Seer gestured around with her petite hand. “You may sleep in the beds in another small cave over there, and you may wash beneath the waterfall, if you wish. Use this time to grow in strength and recuperate. When the time comes for you to go to Anthoinia, you may not find peace again for some time.”
Orergon remained closed-lipped, and he sensed Dela glance at him in concern. He knew he’d been quiet since the Seer had recognized the death he carried inside him. He didn’t know what he was supposed to do about it. She hadn’t given him a straight answer. But he felt as though he were carrying a disease around with him, hidden away in the core of himself, and he wasn’t sure how he was supposed to deal with it. He wasn’t used to doubting himself. He’d been a leader most of his adult life. Back on the Vast Plains, his tribe looked up to him and trusted every word he spoke. Now the Seer was talking about him leading more than just his tribe. Not only all of the Moerians, but all of Xantearos. The idea was overwhelming, and in the place he currently found himself in, he wasn’t sure he even had it in him.
“Dela,” he said, breaking his silence, “you should use the waterfall first. We’ll give you some privacy.”
She flashed her smile at him, and his chest tightened. “I know I’m filthy, but is it bad if I eat first?”
He shook his head. “You do whatever you want.”
The smile crossed her face again—one filled with a childish naughtiness that he couldn’t help smiling back to, despite the turmoil of his thoughts.
Without waiting for anyone else to protest, she went right over to the table and picked up a fruit bun, glazed with white icing and sprinkled with candied fruits on top. She lifted the bun to her mouth and opened wide to take a huge bite. She turned to the others and nodded.
“It’s really good,” she managed, her mouth filled with pastry, and laughing as she must have realized how uncouth she looked.
Warsgra stepped forward, his big shoulders barging Vehel over, who stood in his way. “Better than bugs and fruit. I could eat the lot.”
Orergon’s stomach growled. All they’d eaten for more than twenty-four hours was grubs and fruit, and while the fruit had been good, it wasn’t enough to sustain them. They’d burned a lot of energy just reaching the island, and they were running on empty.
He joined Warsgra at the table, and then Vehel fell into place, also helping himself to the display of produce. Orergon took a bite of a fruit cake, and helped himself to some candied fruits. The sugar dissolved on his tongue, and he could feel the buzz as it entered his bloodstream.
They shared the jug of lemonade, taking gulps directly from the spout.
“I’m going to take that offer of a wash now,” Dela said when she’d eaten her fill. “I won’t be long.” She picked up a piece of folded material at the end of the table to use to dry herself after she’d finished.
Orergon couldn’t help the way his gaze followed her across the floor of the cavern, the way she wove between the numerous trees and bushes, toward the pool, to where the small waterfall fell from the rock. She reached its edge and stopped to toe off her boots then pushed her leather pants from her hips. She tugged her vest top over her head, revealing her slender, smooth back. Keeping her underwear on, and with her back still to them, she stepped beneath the water. She lifted her face to the stream, letting it fall down over her naked shoulders, wetting her hair and turning it a shade darker.
Warsgra’s voice came at Orergon’s shoulder, and he jumped. “You shouldn’t be watching.”
He’d definitely been staring, mesmerized by Dela’s naked, wet skin. His face heated at being caught, and though he didn’t want to make eye contact with the Norc, knowing he’d read the guilt on his face, he glanced over. But Warsgra wasn’t looking at Orergon. No, the Norc was doing exactly what Orergon had been doing, and was staring at Dela beneath the waterfall. A quick glance over at Vehel confirmed the Elvish prince was also mesmerized by the Dragonsayer’s skin.
The Seer’s young voice came from behind them. Orergon jumped with guilt for the second time in a matter of minutes.
“You each have a piece of her heart,” the girl said. “The sooner you accept that, the easier it will be for everyone. That is how it’s destined to be. Fighting between yourselves over her will only weaken you all. You need to set examples to your people to show how you can be united together.”
“We’re not fighting,” Vehel said.
Warsgra snorted. “Speak for yourself.”
Orergon made his tone firm. “It’s not for us to decide. Dela is her own person. She’s not an object for us to fight over.”
They all wanted her; there was no getting away from that. But what did she think of all of them? The Seer had said they were all destined to rule together. One woman, three men. Was that how it was going to be with them? Could it even work?
There was movement at the waterfall as Dela finished and stepped out. She used the cloth she’d taken from the table to wrap around her slender frame, and then tipped her head back and wrung the water out of her long hair. Then she rubbed her skin dry and stepped back into her clothes. Orergon missed the sight of her naked skin instantly, and the memory of the night they’d shared, the kisses, the press of her body against his, filled his mind. He’d pushed her away, frightened he would be bad for her, that he would do her more harm than good, and yet this Seer said they were destined. What would have happened if he hadn’t pushed her away? Would she have allowed him to do more, even with the others lying beside them? Had he missed his opportunity? He hoped not. He wanted to get a second chance.
Dela looked refreshed as she walked back over to them, but Orergon didn’t miss the smudges beneath her eyes or the way her feet dragged. She was exhausted, as were they all.
“Your turn,” she said to them when she got close enough. If she’d noticed them watching her, she didn’t mention it. She turned to the Seer. “You said there were beds for us to sleep?”
“Yes, just through there.” She pointed to an archway which led onto another, smaller cave, one hidden from the light
of the sun—or whatever the warm illumination was that came from above. “Get some rest, and then I will begin training with the Elvish prince.”
Chapter 18
Dela
Dela left the others to take their turns to wash off under the waterfall. Her skin and hair felt better now. The salt from the ocean had left her skin tight, and adrenaline had left her with a pungent stink of fear she was happy to rinse away. But despite being clean and having a full belly, her entire body was heavy with exhaustion, and her eyes stung.
The smaller cave was lined with mattresses and bedding. Previous nights had been spent curled up on the hard ground, and even with Warsgra’s chest as a pillow, it had been hard to get comfortable. This place was luxurious by comparison, and she groaned with pleasure as she threw herself down.
She didn’t think she’d be able to sleep without Orergon, Warsgra, and Vehel around her. They were washing themselves clean before sleeping, too. But with a stomach full of food, and properly clean for the first time since the pool, she wasn’t able to fight the drag of her eyelids.
She was flying again.
The wind tore through her hair, pushing her lips back from her teeth, and making it hard to breathe. But she didn’t care. Exhilarated joy rushed through her as she snatched a lungful of air and laughed with glee.
She knew what this meant now. Though she was experiencing the ecstasy of flying, her body was exactly where she’d lain down and closed her eyes. Through her dreams, she was able to connect with the dragon again, but the dreams weren’t enough. When she’d been awake and standing on the precipice, looking down over Drusgra and the dragon, she’d held the Dragonstone in her palm and been able to see into the dragon’s mind. That was something she needed to perfect if she was ever going to become strong enough to rule.
The idea of her ruling was crazy. She was a no one. Just a girl. What did she know of ruling an empire? Yet this was what needed to happen. She understood each of the races in a way no one else did, through her bond with their leaders. She knew there was a way for them all to work together, to live side by side, in peace. And if it took a dragon to do that, then she had to learn how to bond with the mythical creature, too.
The Dragonsayers were the leaders of old. They, too, had fought each other, but now there was only her. And by example, she would show the other humans, and the Moerians, and the Norcs, and the Elvish that they could live side by side and be happy.
Dela lowered her head—which, in her dream, was also the dragon’s head—to watch the land pass by below. They flew at a dizzying speed, and at first it was impossible to place what she was seeing.
Lower, she mentally told the dragon, and, too her delight, he dipped down, reducing their altitude. To the west, she spotted the never-ending peaks of the mountains of the Great Dividing Range. Directly beneath them were lush, green pastures. The dragon had brought her here to show her something, she felt sure. Something important. He was looking for that something now, and through his eyes as he soared across the skies, never getting low enough to be spotted from the ground, she saw everything he was seeing.
Did this mean she was forgiven for what had happened back at Drusga? Was there a chance he’d missed her company as well? Or were the events of the south concerning the dragon, too? Even though he’d been hiding away in Drusga, once upon a time dragons had shared a connection with the human world. Perhaps he, too, didn’t want the inhabitants of Xantearos slaughtering each other.
Dela didn’t know, and she didn’t want to push her bond for fear of forcing him away again. The Seer told her she still needed to win his confidence, and getting the dragon egg would help to achieve that. She couldn’t expect the dragon to give his allegiances over to her so willingly, especially not without getting something in return.
She refocused her attention on the passing land below. Then she spotted something. Small dots of people walked in a procession. Their features or what they wore weren’t discernible from this distance, but if she was correct in thinking they were on the Eastern coast, it meant they were human. Something else clicked into place in her mind. She knew this area. This was the same way they’d traveled to reach the Southern Pass.
Go west, she urged the dragon, and together they banked to the right, changing direction.
There it was—the opening maw of the Southern Pass. She remembered their approach with the rest of the Chosen, and a wave of sadness caught her breath and her heart stuttered. Those had been the last few days she’d had with Layla Whatley. Dela wished she’d known back then that their time together would be so short. She would have told Layla how much her friend had meant to her, and how Layla had made her childhood complete. She’d been such a strength to Dela and her parents after her brother left. If Dela ever made it back to Anthoinia, she’d go and visit Layla’s parents and tell them exactly what had happened. Maybe it would be hard to hear, but it had been the not knowing that had tortured Dela and her parents for so long when it had come to Ridley’s death.
The dragon flew toward the Southern Pass. Yes, that was definitely where the line of people was heading, and now she was able to make out the uniform they wore. So, this was the army King Crowmere had put together to send to fight the Elvish and the other races, too. They would hit the Norcs first, but that was only if they made it through the Southern Pass. The Long White Cloud was a rare event, and it was highly unlikely it still lurked somewhere along the Southern Pass, but there would be other dangers. Then the army would hit the Norcs, and the first fighting would begin.
It would still be days before they reached the other side, however. She still had time, but it was running out. She didn’t want anyone else to die in the Southern Pass, either, but at least if they hit trouble, it might slow them down and buy her more time to bring this thing to an end.
Days? Did she really think she could bring this to an end in a matter of days? Wars could last for years. The reason the Treaty had been signed had been to bring the First Great War to an end, as there had been no sign of it stopping otherwise.
But no one had a dragon back then …
Dela woke, unsure of where she was.
One moment she’d been flying with the dragon, and the next she was back in a cave, the soft sound of men’s snoring surrounding her. She sat up and looked toward the entrance. There was light outside. Did that mean it was morning? Or had the sun never gone down? This place didn’t seem to abide by the physical laws of the outside world.
Still, she felt rested, and not only that, a spark of hope had lit in her heart. The human army was on the move, heading to the Southern Pass, but the dragon had accepted her again. He’d even responded to her. It hadn’t been like when she’d been awake, and she’d felt as though she was seeing right into the creature’s mind, but through her dreams she’d been able to see the world through his eyes again, and move as he did. But it wouldn’t be enough, not in the long run. She couldn’t take herself off for a nap every time she needed to connect with the dragon. She needed him to get used to her being around him, and people needed to see that he was accepting of her. Without that, she had no power.
She slipped her hand into her pocket, checking that the piece of Dragonstone she’d found was still there. Her fingertips met with smooth, warm stone, and she exhaled a sigh of relief. Her brother’s ring was still at the hollow of her throat, and she reached up to touch that, too. Her thoughts wandered to her brother. Had Ridley known what he was? Did he have any idea that she shared the same dreams? Why hadn’t they spoken of them over the years? She deeply regretted that now. It hadn’t seemed like anything important at the time, which was why she’d never mentioned it to him. They’d only been dreams in her childlike mind, and she had no idea they were anything special.
Careful not to disturb the others, she got to her feet and crept out into the main part of the cavern.
Someone was standing right in front of her, and she stifled a scream of surprise. Even with the tranquil surroundings—or perhaps more so because
of them—it was creepy to find the Seer just standing there. Her blank, white eyes still seemed to see her, even though Dela knew such a thing was impossible. That she took the form of a child was also unnerving. Why did she do that? Did she think that would be the least threatening thing for them, or was this simply how she’d looked when she became a Seer?
“I’ve been waiting for you to wake,” the Seer said in her sweet, childish voice.
“Don’t you sleep yourself?” Dela asked.
“I have no need for sleep.”
Despite her night of dreaming, she felt more rested than she had in a long time. “I dreamed of the dragon,” she said, unsure if she should be telling the Seer, but figuring she probably knew anyway.
“Yes, that’s good. It means he’s not completely broken his connection with you.”
Worry filled her. “He can do that?”
“I believe so, yes.”
Anxiously, Dela reached up to her throat for her brother’s ring. “I wouldn’t want to do anything to break that connection.” If it was broken, they’d be left with nothing.
“I’m sure you won’t.”
“And you still believe the only way of increasing our bond is by traveling to Anthoinia and finding the remaining dragon egg?”
“Yes, I do. As you saw, the armies are no longer in Anthoinia.”
So the Seer had seen Dela’s dreams, too.
“What does that mean?”
“The city has only the most skeleton crew of men protecting it. Castle Tearos has even fewer men. King Crowmere believes none of the other races will make it through the Southern Pass, not with his army passing through it in the other direction. He’s relying on the Great Dividing Range to keep Anthoinia safe.”
Dela could see where her train of thought was going. “So you think that will make it easier for us to break into the castle and retrieve the dragon egg?”
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