Chapter Nine
SEEING HER REFLECTION in the mirror, she looked good in her armor, especially with her dark skin. She bounced out the door into the hallway. It didn’t take her long to arrive at the balcony sitting down at the table; she heard Oberson state, “I’ll be preparing to leave after the morning meal.”
“What’s going on that you are leaving?”
“Lazeen got word about deaths in the Kingdom of the Barvicia Forest were the Keepers of the records live.” They’re mainly Witches and Wizards who reside there. Though there are some non-magic users as well, with the deaths in two of the neighboring Kingdoms, Oberon can no longer stay. He must return to his Kingdom to ensure its safety. Ivoka patted El’s hand.
“Don’t worry. I will come back again to visit.” Oberson reassured El.
“I know you will, and I understand why you must go.” She had so enjoyed getting to know him better. He wasn’t as uptight as Ivoka. She hoped, all these killings would settle soon. Then Oberson would be able to return for another visit.
Even Ivoka was alarmed by these deaths. She was taking necessary precautions to ensure the safety of the people within her kingdom. The tension was thick this morning. Everyone was on edge.
People were bustling about the halls moving King Oberson's belongings as the guards prepared for the trip. It took all morning to get everything finalized for their departure. El was now in the small sitting room saying good-bye, she hugged him.
Oberson kissed El on the cheek, “Don’t fret my child. We will see each other again.” With that, he left the room. She stood there watched as he walked out the door. Vigdis grabbed her by the arm, dragged her down the hall into the training area. “Let’s work off some of the tension that has built up within you by sparring a bit.” Vigdis grabbed the practice weapon giving El hers as Vigdis swung at El hard.
She was raising her axes in time to block, Vigdis attack. She swung a counterattack, hoping to be faster than Vigdis, and she pulled it off. She got a hit in. “You’re getting slow old woman,” El laughed.
“Who you calling old. I am still very much in my prime.”
“Yeah, you keep telling yourself that,” El smiled.
“Keep talking trash. It won’t save you,” as Vigdis swung, hitting El in the side.
Zamian stepped out the door. He stood there as he watched Vigdis and El spar with each other. He was surprised to see how Vigdis was attacking El. He couldn’t tell if Vigdis was mad or just determined to make sure El is fully trained. He took a seat on the step, he continued to watch for another half an hour, finally thinking El had enough; he cleared his throat. He knew tensions were high due to the deaths now in two Kingdoms. News like that left people on edge, he gathered Vigdis was one of them, her way of dealing with it was through sparring, she could release the tension within her, while she trained El.
Grateful when Zamian, finally cleared his throat, letting Vigdis know it was his turn. She just hoped he wasn’t in the same foul mood. She walked over to get a drink of water. Trying to catch her breath before walking over to where he was waiting for her. She walked around him, checking out his armor, “Have you tried shifting while wearing your armor?”
Smiling, he shifted into a dragon, then back into a human.
Shocked to see his armor disappear as he shifted into a dragon then reappeared when he changed back into a man. “Hmmm,” no more naked man, she knew this was her parents doing all the way.
Laughing, he knew what she was thinking, “Lazeen helped Oberson with a spell to ensure the armor is protected during shifting, even as I continue to grow.”
“You’re not fully grown?” shocked at this news.
“No, several more years before I am even considered an adult dragon.”
“Seriously, El liked this news for it was like Zamian was a teenage dragon, as she’s a teenage mixture of spices.”
“Now, can we get on with training?”
Smiling, “Yeah, I guess.”
“I want you to continue to work with your energy blast, fire, and ice.”
“Which one you want me to start with?”
“Well, with the training coming up, let’s start with your energy blast.”
“Ok,” she raised her hand sent her energy blast at the metal man. He moved back about twenty feet. Happy with the fact that she didn’t blow it up. She saw Zamian walk over to move the metal man back into position.
“Again.” He walked over to where she was standing.
She repeated the steps as before again; the metal man went backward.
“Ok, let’s see how you do against a moving target. Zamian shifted into his dragon form.
Seeing that he shifted, she was nervous; she wasn’t exactly sure how to defend herself against a dragon attack. She was also going to have to focus on her control, so she didn’t kill Zamian.
“Are you sure about this?”
“The only way you are going to learn is to do it.”
“At what cost?”
“You won’t hurt me. I am tougher than I look, plus I have faith in you, El.”
“Ok, let’s do this, but you can’t say I didn’t warn you.” Her stomach is rolling like a roller coaster from her nerves. When blue flame came flying in her direction, she raised her hand and released her ice magic to cool the fire. Acting quickly, she ended up sending more power than she should have; there was now ice hanging from Zamian’s nose. She busted out, laughing at the sight of his face, for it looked funny. She heard Vigdis laughing in the background. Thinking better of it afterward, considering she didn’t know how strong magically he was in his dragon form.
“Well done, now again.” Zamian sent ice flying at her.
She countered it with her blue flame. She shivered from the wetness of the water, which splashed all over her, now soaked from head to toe. She was wringing out her hair, not paying attention, when an energy blast struck her; “Augh!” she landed on the ground about a good thirty feet. Sitting up, “Ouch!”
“Are you ok?”
“Yeah, just a little sore.”
“You need to stay focused. Now you can see what a little bit of magic can do, imagine what a whole lot of magic can do if you’re not prepared.
“True.” She knew he was right. She had to be more focused no matter what, of course, that wasn’t going to be easy. She needs to learn how to incorporate being prepared into the everyday activity of her life. It needs to become second nature to her; this way, she can be prepared for anything. Well, at least magical. Getting off the ground, “Let’s do it again.”
“Are you sure you’re ready?”
“No, but I need to learn.”
“I agree, ok.” He sent his ice magic in her direction.
Better prepared this time, she countered with her blue flame. This time she didn’t get wet, for she released her magic early enough.
“Much better, now, let’s continue.” This time he released his red fire magic.
Quickly, she put her hands up, released her ice magic. Before he could do anything else, she sent her fire magic following her ice magic. She hoped to catch him off guard. Seeing him struggle to counteract her attack gave her a bit of gratification. She smiled.
“Smart thinking. That was slick of you.”
“Yeah, well, I tried to catch you off guard?” She smirked.
“Yes, you did.” He smiled. When she figures out what she is doing; she will be hell on wheels in a battle. “Are you up to do another round?”
“Sure, why not.”
He shook his head, readying himself before he sent ice in her direction.
She saw the ice flying toward her. She sent her red fire, then switched over and threw her ice following. She knew right away when she released her magic, sending more power than a trickle. “Sorry!”
As the fireball melted his ice, he barely saw the ice flying at him. He released his red fire just in the nick of time. Though he was now totally soaked, “I think that’s enough for today.” He shook the water f
rom his body before he transformed back into his human form. “You did good today; I will have to up your training tomorrow.” He chuckled as he walked for the door.
She felt more confident than before the lesson. She still had a long way to go, and she needed to get much faster with her responses while being able to maintain control over the amount of magic she released.
Zamian thought to himself; El did rather well for her first one on one battle. She still wasn’t anywhere near where he wanted her to be, especially before they started to train with the guards. He had to work with her on her control. He was self-healing, so yeah, she might hurt him, but he’d heal from her magic. However, the guards wouldn’t be. They can’t afford to have dead guards everywhere, then no one would want to train with her, plus Vigdis would be madder than a bull.
He walked into his room he was sore, going into the bathing area he was glad to see a hot bath waiting for him. He stripped and climbed into the tub. Leaning against the back, he let the heat seep into his body. His wounds will heal before the night was over since they were minor. He just had to wait it out. In the meantime, he was going to enjoy the warmth of the water. About a half-hour later, the water had turned chilly. He climbed out of the tub, dried off, dressing comfortably, he wanted to relax going over to the windowsill.
Freshening up in the bathing area, she had a smile on her face she thought she did rather well today. She got Zamian slightly off guard with her quickness. She knew she had a lot more to learn, but none the less she was going to relish in this victory. Brushing her hair for it was going in every direction of the four winds. She decided to pull it back with a pin. It would work for now, but it wouldn’t do in battle. Having worked up an appetite, she heads out the door. As she came down the hall, she saw Zamian come around the corner. Thinking to herself, this would be good practice. She sent an energy blast at him. She hadn’t expected him to be so fast, he swung around without hesitating counteracted her magic with ice. He then quickly sent a blue flame at her. She barely saw it in time to respond, sending ice to cool the fire. She felt good since she was able to react so quickly but wasn’t feeling the confidence like before. She was nowhere near, ready for an actual battle. She feared if she had to go into battle tomorrow, she would have a quick death.
Zamian smiled; he saw the shock on El’s face as she quickly countered his magic. She was getting better; however, she still had a long way to go to survive a battle. He wondered how many more times; she will try to catch him off guard. He was an expert at it because that was how Lazeen had taught him. That gave him an idea; he continued down the hall headed for the balcony.
El saw Zamian smile, which grew into a broad grin as he walked down the hall, she wondered what was he thinking, better yet what was he planning? As she continued down the hallway, she looked around every corner expecting him to attack at any moment. She was surprised to see him seated at the table when she arrived at the balcony. He was deep in conversation with Lazeen; they both stopped talking as she walked by to take her seat. She wondered what they were discussing that they didn’t want her to hear.
Ivoka looked over at her, “How was your day, dear?”
“Good, I had an intense workout with Vigdis. Then I had a face to face magical battle with Zamian.”
“Sounds like you’ve had quite the day.”
“Yeah, I’m starting to feel the effects.”
“I have to say you have grown since you have arrived.” She has surpassed all of Ivoka’s expectations. She couldn’t have been prouder of El. Though she felt better about all the train she was getting, she still worried about her safety and what the future would hold for this young lady. Especially if she was part of the prophecy, for that would mean she would be in constant danger. She wanted to give her all the encouragement she could to help her any way possible. She feared dark times were coming; she would need to be brave. “You are doing wonderfully dear, don’t doubt yourself in the least bit, the more you practice, the better you will become; I have faith in you.”
El was shocked, at the compliment that Ivoka had given her, she usually just nodded her head; went on about her business. She wondered if she should be scared by this show of affection. She looked down at the table at Zamian. He was still talking with Lazeen. They seemed to be getting along well. He was laughing at something Lazeen had said. She never realized how beautiful of a smile he had, man he looked good. Just then, as if he knew she was looking at him, he turned and looked directly at her; she averted her eyes quickly, praying to the stars above he hadn’t seen her. Feeling a bit foolish for looking at the man to start with, why was she so attracted to him, it plagued her.
Zamian smiled. He had seen El turn her head, and was pleased; she had been looking at him. He also liked the fact that she tried to get him in the hall. She was starting to relax around him; he had to admit he liked it.
Vigdis was late getting to the table this evening, she had just shown up sitting down next to El, she smiled, “I see you came down without me?”
“Yes, I was fine! I made a sneak attack in the hall at Zamian. However, he blocked and countered with another element right behind his block. I stopped it right before it hit me.”
Wide-eyed, Vigdis wasn’t as thrilled with this line of training, though she knew that she had to learn it, she had to prepare by being on guard all the time; this was essential for her survival. If she’s caught off guard, it could mean her life not just in battle, but the rest of her life.
She likes Vigdis. She was one of the few who knew her secret, not having to pretend to be someone else, she could be herself. Though the woman was older than her by a good forty-years, she didn’t care.
“Excuse me and goodnight,” standing “Don’t fret Vigdis I am going straight to my room stay and eat,” as she walked off the balcony. She headed up the hall when out of the corner of her eye, she saw ice flying straight at her. She quickly put up her hands, sending out a blue flame, now soaked again, but before she could even shake off the water, she got hit with an energy blast that knocked her into the wall. Hitting the wall hard, it had come from the opposite direction; she had seen it was Zamian who sent the ice, but who had sent the energy blast? Then the realization struck her, Lazeen, they were teaming up on her, great.
“You ok?”
“Yeah, I am fine.”
“You need to always be on guard.”
“So, I see. You two teamed up on me.”
“You never know how many magic users could be around. You must stay alert at all times.”
“Yes, a lesson I am learning quickly,” she stood. As if she wasn’t sore enough already, now she’s bruised to the bone.
“Go rest and have a good night,” he chuckled as he went down the hall.
“Same to you.” She called after him.
Arriving at her room, grateful, seeing Elva had prepared her a bath. She was so looking forward to soaking in the warmth of the tub, hoping desperately; it would help with the pain. Stripping out of her clothes, she stepped into the tub. Sitting down to leaned back against the side of the tub. Elva put something in the water, smelling it, she knew right away it was Lavender Oil. As Elva left the room, she yelled, “Thank you!”
It wasn’t long before El had relaxed. She must have drifted off to sleep, for she awoke to the water being ice cold. Climbing out of the tub, in search of a warm towel. She dries herself off before wrapping, the towel around her tucking in the edge. She went to walk out of the bathing area. When she saw something in the shadow of her room. Thinking it was Zamian trying to catch her off guard, she sent an energy blast before he could send something her way. Hearing a scream, she knew immediately it wasn’t Zamian. She ran for the door; unfortunately, she didn’t make it; tackled to the floor. She was struggling under the weight of the person, who was a male, not to mention huge. As far as she could tell he was human, but there was something strange about his behavior, he was acting weird, he was also doing a lot of moaning; she figured it was pain from the energy blast
. She had to struggle with all her might to get her hands free. She reminded herself to use a very, very tiny bit of her magic. She didn’t want to burn up her room. She sent her flame at the man. He screamed in agony; she kept her blue fire on the man until the man rolled off her, trying to escape. She stood while keeping her fire on the man.
The door to her bedroom flew open, Vigdis ran in with several guards behind her. She looked at El, then to the figure on the floor. Seeing it was a man screaming so loud, he could wake the dead. Vigdis yelled at El, “Stop! We need him alive!”
El barely heard Vigdis, but then it sank in what Vigdis was saying. She stopped, realizing she was still in a towel, feeling slightly embarrassed to the fact she was half-naked in front of all these people. She went over to her wardrobe, grabbed some clothes, dashed back into the bathing area, closing the door. A couple of minutes later, she returned fully dressed. They had the man tied up; he still laid on the floor in pain. She didn’t care that he was in pain; he shouldn’t have been in her room.
Vigdis walked over to El, “You ok?”
“Yeah, this is going to be my life from now on, attacked all the time?”
“Sorry, but probably, your training today paid off; you were on your guard. However, your training isn’t going to get easier; if anything, we will intensify your training, trouble as you can see, can come from anywhere, plus anybody.”
She was tired, but she knew there was no way she was going to get any sleep right now. Ivoka would want a full report of this incident, nor did she feel safe in her room anymore. That man had robbed her of the one place; she felt safest. They all headed down the hallway into the Great Hall; news had spread like wildfire. Ivoka was already sitting in her usual chair, plus Lazeen and Zamian sat there as well.
She was taking her seat as Vigdis brought the man to stand before the Queen. He’s burnt from head to toe, and she could see the flesh peeling from his body, the stench was overwhelming, it was a smell she wouldn’t ever forget. She was in no rush to ever smell burnt flesh again. Glad she had a strong stomach; otherwise, she’d be hurling forth everywhere.
Dragon Fusion Page 16
