Dragon Magic: Lyric's Curse 2 (Dragonblood Sagas Book 4)

by Robyn Wideman

  Salus smiled. “It’s good to see you as well. Much has happened while I was gone. I’m sorry for your losses.”

  “Thank you, Salus. I regret the loss of Father and Brandon, my heart aches for them every day.”

  “Your father was a good man, it might not have always seemed that way to you, but he only wanted what was best for you.”

  Shayla smiled softly. “Don’t worry Salus, before his passing, Father and I mended our differences. My experiences with the Sacred Blood left me a changed person, and about the only benefit of that experience was it opened my eyes to the world as it is. I understand why Father was so reticent to share with me the true nature of my being dragonblood. It is a gift and a responsibility that I wasn’t ready for.”

  “You can’t understand how relieved I am to hear that,” said Salus.

  “How was your trip to Droll? Did you find my brother?”

  “It was a long and challenging journey. Yes, I found him. His name is Lyric. A rather remarkable young man I must say. I think you would be proud to know him.”

  “Tell me about him,” said Shayla.

  “I would be glad to,” said Salus. “After his mother died, we arranged for him to grow up in an orphanage in Winport. We’d thought it the safest place for him to grow up. But the orphanage didn’t take good care of him. In fact, he was abused by the staff and the other children of the orphanage. It seems being a different skin color, even in a port city like Winport, is a significant disadvantage for a youngster. He ended up being crippled by the beatings and lack of proper medical attention.”

  Shayla shook her head. Sometimes Salus was such an idealist. Of course, he was looked at with distain. A foreign-born bastard would be treated the same in almost any city in the world. Being different, especially visibly different, was always difficult.

  Salus continued his story, “At an early age, Lyric fled the orphanage and had been living on the streets of Winport. Somehow, he survived the ordeal. I can only imagine the difficulties he faced living alone in a city like that. And then one day he was attacked by highborn shits and almost died. A witch rescued him and took him in.”

  “Why would a witch care about a street rat?” Shayla asked curiously.

  “The witch knew he was dragonblood. She’d been keeping tabs on him but hadn’t interfered with his life. But when his life was at risk she finally had no choice but to take him in. She had him healed and took him from Winport to Middale. I almost lost their trail because of that. It took a bit of time and coin and more than a few threats to finally track them down. I was rather surprised when I did meet him, after all the info I’d received about his childhood I expected a half-alive runt with a bitter streak a mile wide. Yet, what I found was quite the opposite. The witches, along with a few select locals that they trusted had started training him and giving the boy a proper diet, the combination of which did wonders for him physically. But it is his personality that caught me most of guard. No hatred, no malice, despite all he’d gone through, he is a kind-hearted soul.”

  “How ironic. I had everything a child could want, every advantage, and yet still turned out to be a self-absorbed and malicious wench, yet after all he went through turned into a good person. You sure he is my brother?”

  Salus gave her an appraising look. “Perhaps there is still hope for you yet. I do not see before me the same young lady who I last saw before leaving for Droll. As for Lyric, yes, without doubt he is your brother. You both share features you inherited from your father, but there is more. Once Lyric got to Middale and started training he also befriended one of the local noble children. That friendship developed and when she was forced into marriage, she arranged for a tournament instead of letting the king or her father choose for her. Lyric, due to his friendship with the girl, entered the tournament.”

  Shayla raised an eyebrow. “An open tournament, sneaky girl. I like her already. But are you sure he did it out of friendship? A rich noble girl would be quite the prize for a boy from the streets.”

  “I might’ve shared your skepticism if I had not met Celine, the young and rather beautiful niece of the witches who’d taken Lyric in. I can assure you his heart belongs to her, and the idea of winning the tournament terrified the boy. But he refused to leave Sibylle in a bind. The young man most expected to win the tournament is a known cad and is the type to beat a wife into proper submission.”

  “A love triangle? And an evil noble enemy. They should sing songs of this tale.”

  “They might well one day. It only gets more intriguing. Aside from her new friend Lyric, Sibylle also secretly entered the tournament and fought under a fake name.”

  “She didn’t,” said Shayla, her interest in the young noble dramatically increased.

  “Oh, but she did. And she did a wonderful job. She’d rigged the tournament as much as possible, putting herself in the opposite bracket of Lyric and she was excellent. She made it to the semi-finals where she met Talon Horne, the aforementioned dastardly noble. Talon defeated her and her secret was exposed. It came as quite a shock to the king and the other nobles in the stands, not to mention the warriors she’d already defeated.”

  Shayla laughed. “Oh, what a sight that must’ve been. I would’ve loved to have been there just to see the looks on their faces when they realized a young woman had defeated so many of their nobles and had almost won her own hand in marriage. What happened next?”

  “Sibylle’s fate rested in young Lyric’s hands. He too reached the semi-finals, but against a talented young warrior Sir Chestmire who’d already defeated Lyric once early in the tournament. To everyone’s surprise Lyric won, setting up a rather intense final match between Lyric and Talon Horne. But as fate would have it, the final was almost anti-climactic. It seems that during the night a group of dragons flew over the estate, and Lyric’s dragon bond was trigger. When he fought Talon for the championship he destroyed the man. I wouldn’t have believed it myself, but then it happened again. A dragon flew overhead once more in sight of the king and everyone else. Lyric has bonded with a dragon, and won the hand of one of Droll’s most important nobles.”

  “Really? Wow. They most certainly will be singing songs of that for decades if not longer. What happened next? Did you find out about his dragon? What did it look like?”

  “No, I watched the tournament then started to make my way home. Lyric is in good hands. He has the witches to guide him and he has already started to bond with a dragon. I felt it important to return home. I hope that one day maybe you too will also get the opportunity to bond with a dragon. I was hoping that we could work on your training, there are some gaps in your knowledge about dragons.”

  “You mean like believing a ring can control a dragon?” asked Shayla with a grin.

  Salus coughed. “Umm, yes. Exactly like that. I’m assuming your father revealed that to you?”

  Shayla nodded. “Yes. Once he realized that I could be trusted with the knowledge he shared it with me. It only took torture and near death for me to learn some humility but it eventually came.”

  “So, there is still hope for you bonding with a dragon then,” said Salus.

  “No, there is no hoping for it. It’s too late for that. It seems you haven’t heard the complete story about what happened when the Sacred Blood attacked us. I defeated them with dragon fire. Lyric wasn’t the only one to be affected by dragons flying over during the night.”

  “You’ve bonded with a dragon!” said Salus in shock.

  Shayla nodded. “Not only that, but only a few short hours ago, I met my dragon. Her name is Caritha.”

  “No!”

  “Yes. I almost soiled myself at first, and my horse felt like it was doing the same, but she is a marvelous creature and talking to her is like talking to noble from a different country. Her speech was somewhat formal and polite. A surreal experience I can assure you.”

  “Amazing,” said Salus. “You and Lyric both bonding so soon. Nothing in our histories indicated that it would happen
this fast. Dragonbloods are rare, bonding with a dragon even rarer. What color is your Caritha?”

  “She’s white with red tinted scales.”

  “Red? Are you sure?”

  “Very.”

  “Fascinating,” said Salus.

  “What do you mean?” asked Shayla. “Do the colors have significance?”

  “Yes. A dragon’s colors tell you much about it. Its primary color will tell you its size, and can be an indicator of magic. Dragons without a secondary hue or tint don’t possess magic. Those dragons are still amazing creatures but not as powerful. White dragons are among the largest of the dragon breeds, often white and black dragons are the alphas or the leaders of dragons. Red is a very powerful magic coloring, but I can’t tell you how it will change you.”

  “Well I can tell you one thing for sure. I have dragon fire magic.” Shayla waved her hand and a small flame appeared over her hand.

  “Red is fire. Yes, your gaining dragon fire magic is logical. So, that was you? I wondered how the walls of the castle were so blackened.”

  Shayla nodded. “When I gained my powers, it was during the attacks, and at the same time when I saw Braylon killed. I was filled with rage and magic. I almost burned the whole estate down.”

  “I’m glad you didn’t. I’m too old to find a new home.”

  Shayla smiled. “I’m glad too. I can control the flames now. I haven’t had much practice with it, but the Sacred Blood keep giving me opportunities to use it.”

  “There was another attack?”

  “Yes. I was in Whiteridge. I don’t think it was the Sacred Blood themselves, but they were behind it.” Shayla thought back to the alley. The dragonfire was intense and she’d been smart to pick an ally with stone walls. She could easily have burnt half of the city if she wasn’t careful. That her attackers had died didn’t bother her, they had made their choice and suffered for it.

  “They must be trying to kill you before you can fully bond.”

  “Yes, well to bad for them. I’ve bonded and I’m going to make them pay for what they’ve done.” Shayla was done being hunted. It was time for her to become the hunter.

  “Be careful. The Sacred Blood have been around for a thousand years. They are a powerful adversary.”

  “Why do they hate dragonbloods so much?” asked Shayla.

  “Because the last thing in the world they want is for people to accept dragons. The Sacred Blood were born out of a time when dragons were the dominant species. Humans were little more than slaves. Garron and his followers were the first to successfully challenge dragons and break humans free from the rule of dragons. There was a time when the Sacred Blood were vital to the good of all mankind. However, in a thousand years the relationship between dragons and humans changed. More dragons accepted humans as equals, some even protected humans, but the Sacred Blood never changed. They have always maintained that for humans to survive dragons must die. Their belief system is all black and white with no room for compromise or change. Dragons are evil and dragonbloods are a corruption of that evil.”

  “They poison us, torture us, murder our loved ones and they call us evil? Maybe they were a good thing a thousand years ago but that time is long gone. The Sacred Blood are the evil ones now.”

  “Yes, I agree,” said Salus. “However, it is a complex relationship. During the great war, there were plenty of dragons that would’ve gladly killed or enslaved all humans again. Dragons are as diverse as humans, some are good and kind and others think of humans the way we think of ants; bugs to be squashed when they get in the way.”

  “That much of my history I do know. But it doesn’t give the Sacred Blood the right to hunt me and my family.”

  “I agree. The Sacred Blood have struck first, and if you do nothing they will surely try again. Taking the fight to them is a reasonable idea. How will you do it?”

  “I’m not sure. First, I am meeting with Caritha again tomorrow. She’s promised to tell me more of dragons. Hopefully she’ll help.”

  …

  “No.”

  “What do you mean no?” asked Shayla incredulously. She’d met with Caritha in the meadow and they’d spent the afternoon discussing the recent history of dragons, what the magical isle was like, what Caritha ate, how dragons had changed from the beginning and how humans had changed and developed over time. But when Shayla suggested Caritha help her against the Sacred Blood the answer had been surprising.

  “I understand that the Sacred Blood are the enemy, but this is an important time. Dragons have been gone for a hundred years, Apophis wants peace between man and dragon. If I were to hunt down the Sacred Blood with you, other humans might see this as an attack on all humans and not just those who attacked you. The great war could be restarted and everyone would suffer.”

  Shayla sighed. What was the point of being dragonblood if her dragon wouldn’t help her? She understood why the dragons would be leery of getting involved in a war since they’d just now returned to the world, but if the Sacred Blood were attacking Dragonbloods didn’t it reason that they would attack dragons next? “What if they attack me again? Would you help me?”

  “I think that is a question for Apophis to answer. I don’t think she’d be angry if I helped defend you in a time of need, but she knows about your temper and the rage you feel towards the Sacred Blood. If you purposely put yourself in harm’s way, or went looking for the Sacred Blood then it would be different.”

  “I won’t hide from the Sacred Blood. They started this when they poisoned my father, kidnapped and tortured me and murdered my lover.”

  “I understand,” said Caritha. “It is just that I have a responsibility to my fellow dragons. It isn’t that I condone you wanting to hunt your enemies, it is that I can’t participate.”

  “Well, can you at least train me to use my powers properly?”

  “Actually, I was going to ask you if you would accompany me to see Apophis. You really do need training. Dragon magic is too powerful for someone as volatile as you.”

  Shayla wanted to argue, to say that she could handle it. But the truth was she’d almost burned her home to the ground. If it hadn’t been for the quick thinking of the kitchen staff, she might well have. Her emotions had been volatile before she started bonding with Caritha, now it was much worse. “Where is Apophis?”

  “She is back at my lair on the coast. There are too many people in this part of Partha for two dragons to be flying around and staying for prolonged periods.”

  “Okay. But how will I get there? Should I follow you?” asked Shayla.

  “It would be better if you came with me. A horse is so slow,” said Caritha.

  “You want me to fly?” asked Shayla.

  “Don’t be silly. I would fly, and you would ride on my back.”

  “I’ve never ridden a dragon before. I don’t have a saddle that would fit you.”

  “Yes, I suppose you are lacking in dragon saddles.”

  Shayla was starting to detect that Caritha had a subtle, sarcastic side. “How does one ride a dragon?”

  Caritha leaned down so her head was almost touching the ground. “Jump on.”

  Shayla climbed onto the dragon. Caritha’s neck was almost the same width as a horse’s back and she could get a good hold on the edge of the scales along Caritha’s neck. As Caritha lifted her head, Shayla adjusted her footing. Where a horse’s back was most flat and parallel to the ground, riding Caritha’s neck was much more upright.

  “Ready?” asked Caritha.

  “As ready as I will ever be,” said Shayla nervously. I can do this, she thought to herself as the dragon spread its wings and started to gently lift off. She clenched her eyes close and gripped Caritha’s scales as tightly as she could.

  “You can open your eyes now,” said Caritha.

  Shayla shook her head. “No, it’s okay. I’m fine like this.”

  “Shayla, you aren’t going to fall. I promise.”

  Taking a deep breath, Shayla opened her
eyes. They were high in the air, hundreds of yards from the ground, and Caritha was flying in a lazy circle riding the currents and barely moving her wings. The view was amazing. She could see Oakenreach clearly and in the distance, Riversend. Cautiously, Shayla let go with one hand so she could push her hair out of her face. The wind-whipped bangs were making seeing difficult. “Go higher!” she yelled. As Caritha flew faster and higher, Shayla laughed. Flying was incredible.

  “See. I told you it would be fine,” said Caritha.

  Shayla’s face was split wide in the biggest grin to cross her face in eons. She couldn’t remember a time she felt to exhilarated and free. She rubbed Caritha’s neck. “Yes, you did. And you were so right. This is wonderful. Now take me to Oakenreach.”

  “You want to go home already?”

  “I want to go pack supplies so I can go with you to meet Apophis. I’ll gladly go to the coast with you but I’m not eating just fish.”

  “Suit yourself. Fish are delicious.”

  Shayla laughed as Caritha dove down towards the ground. Whereas her takeoff had frightened Shayla, the landing was much less intimidating. Shayla kept her eyes open the entire time as Caritha landed in the courtyard at the back of the castle.

  Hopping from Caritha, Shayla turned to the dragon. “I’ll be back soon.”

  “Take your time,” said Caritha. “I don’t mind sitting in the sun for a while.”

  Heading into the castle, Shayla went into the kitchen. The cook was organizing his stocks when she got there. “Travis, would you do me a favor?”

  The cook raised an eyebrow. He wasn’t used to Shayla asking nicely for anything. “Of course.”

  “I’m leaving right away for a trip, I’ll need supplies.”

  “Shall I have a pack horse loaded?”

  “No, I’m not taking a horse. I’ll need a backpack,” said Shayla.

  “You’re going hiking?” asked the cook.