by Leela Ash
Archer awoke in his bed in a cold sweat. The dimness of the underground tunnels of the former Kersh clan made it difficult for his eyes to adjust, so he stayed in a dazed dream-like trance until he was fully conscious. He growled and got quickly to his feet, throwing his covers aside and walking purposefully toward the mess hall to get a drink of water.
Ever since the rest of the dragon shifters and their Loni counterparts had returned back to Kaldernon, the once bustling tunnels had been vacant and empty. He was the last of the shifters on the planet Earth, and had chosen to stay behind with a few of his close friends. They believed that Earth, being the place they were born, was their true home. Not only that, but he had unfinished business. The Guardians, a fringe group of fundamentalist assholes, had unleashed untold horrors on the dragon shifters. They were rounded up like cattle and tortured and experimented on so that the Guardians could try to learn more about the worlds beyond. Archer was convinced there were still Guardians walking the Earth, and refused to rest until every last one of them was taken out.
“Good morning, Archer,” Thom, Archer’s best friend since childhood, greeted. Archer gave a brief nod and passed him, making his way to the barrel of water in the corner. He ladled some out into his glass and drank deeply, allowing the water to wash away the dark feelings left within him by the dream.
“Good morning Thom,” Archer replied, once he cleared his throat. “Any news today?”
“Actually, yes,” Thom said, his reptilian eyes sparkling. Thom had always looked the part of a dragon. Although he was mostly humanoid, he had sharper features and never quite escaped the round, dragon-like eyes. It was part of his charm.
“Oh? What is it?”
“Guardians were spotted digging through the ruins of their old camp. It was destroyed, but they were there. We have Tanna trailing them right now.”
“Well that’s…not good news,” Archer said thoughtfully. As leader of the shifters left on earth, it was his job to keep them safe. But if Tanna was following the Guardians, it could be a trap. Maybe they knew that the old site was under constant surveillance. But maybe not.
“I thought you would be pleased,” Thom said, crestfallen. He had devoted his life to serving Clayton, Archer’s father and leader of the Kersh clan, and his family. Without Clayton there, he was Archer’s best friend and most loyal companion. But he loved to brawl and fight more than anyone Archer knew.
“It’s true, I want all the Guardians dead where they stand,” Archer agreed with a nod. “I just worry about putting Tanna in danger.”
“Tanna can take care of himself.”
“I’m sure he can,” Archer agreed. Still, it left him with an uneasy feeling.
There was a small handful of shifters left on Earth. It was surprising how many of them were reluctant to join the flight to Kaldernon. It was something they had all been told to dream about and wish for, their return ‘home’, but once it became a possibility, there were a lot of people who had second thoughts. Archer had been able to articulate them at the last minute, before his parents allowed him to ascend with them. He was standing between them when he said, “I need to stay behind with the others.”
At first he thought his father wouldn’t let him go. But the man’s face softened and he gave a nod. Before his mother could grab him to stop him, Archer jumped away from the beam and hid in the bushes as his parents ascended. He watched the rest go up in pairs, and hurried to the spot where he knew Tanna, Thom, and a few other shifters were in hiding. He would be their leader now. It was their unspoken agreement.
“Come. We have to find Tanna and see where the Guardians are leading him,” Archer said. “It may be a trap.”
Thom nodded dutifully and they rushed from the underground caverns, determined to find their friend.
CHAPTER TWO
Alana sat up in bed, a feeling of deep desolation crushing her. She’d had the dream again with the handsome stranger from the world below. Once again, they hadn’t been able to reach each other. She knew it was just a dream, but why did it have to affect her so profoundly? She felt like it was important to reach him, the most important thing in the world really, but when it came down to actually being together it seemed impossible. There was one obstacle after another.
This time it was different, though. A huge looming darkness had come in at her and she hadn’t been able to reach him at all. Her view of the man had been blocked, and he had disappeared behind a huge silhouette of oppressive black. It felt terrifying and evil; the distinct touch of the twisted types of beings who utilized others to serve their own selfish means. There were plenty of them throughout the universe, and she was concerned that this was a kind of omen. One she had to talk about right away to the leader of Kaldernon, Lopu Mansana.
Lopu was the wisest woman that Alana could think of. Alana had been taken under Lopu’s wing early on because she had shown the potential to be both a powerful Loni and a powerful Dragon shifter. It was up to fate to decide, and Lopu wanted to make sure that whichever way it went, Alana would have the resources that she needed to become the most powerful version of herself that she could possibly be. Without Lopu’s guidance after her parents had died, Alana was sure she would have been a goner. Luckily, her teachers and mentors had sent word to the capital city of Rallah, and before she knew it, Alana was being accepted into an elite school.
But it didn’t stop there. Upon meeting Alana, Lopu, a powerful Loni oracle, had a vision telling her to keep Alana and train her well. Lopu always followed her intuition–Lonis were powerful mystics and creators; they carried shifter children and were the builders and innovators of Kaldernon. Alana and Lopu immediately formed a deep connection and Lopu claimed her as a daughter, to be trained however Alana pleased. Her passions changed from day to day, but Lopu was patient with her and always sought the best teachers for her possible. Nobody disputed Lopu’s wisdom and before she knew it, Alana was on the way to being trained as both a powerful warrior and in the fine, meticulous arts of Loni craftsmanship.
“What’s the matter dear?” Lopu asked when Alana approached her after they shared breakfast together. “Something is the matter.”
“I feel a terrible evil out in the universe,” Alana said. “It’s one I can’t understand.”
“There are many evils in the universe,” Lopu said with a tolerant nod. She was the kind of woman who expected precision and detail, and this vague topic was likely to try her patience quickly.
“This one came to me in my dreams.”
“I see…”
Lopu stood and turned her back to Alana.
“What should I do?”
“Do you know where this evil resides?”
“Well…no,” Alana admitted. She had no idea if it was even real or not. She had a very active imagination, and neither of them were sure whether her Loni powers were of a clairvoyant or psychic nature or if she was just very talented in crafting because of the Loni blood in her veins.
“I know you felt it was important enough to tell me about,” Lopu said, finally turning back to Alana. “But if you don’t have any details there isn’t much I can do to help you. I will issue a warning to the people however, to keep their eyes open for anything that might seem amiss. Thank you for telling me your concerns.”
“Thank you, Lopu,” Alana said with a gracious bow. Lopu smiled warmly and nodded her head, but Alana left with knots in her stomach. She hated bothering Lopu with things that she might perceive as trivial. The woman was in charge of an entire planet, and she was impatient with trivial matters and the people who were small-minded enough to bring them to her attention.
She had done the best she was going to do, though, and Alana sighed. If only she knew what the dream meant. Why was it that she had been dreaming of the same man for so many nights? It had started when she was young, a teenager, when the people of the Kersh clan had finally made their grand return to Kaldernon. It had been incredible to see all the new faces and those who had grown and developed on
another planet.
The world had changed, and somehow, after a meeting she had attended with Clayton of the Kersh clan and Lopu, she had begun having dreams of a boy about her age. He was handsome and brave, but there was no way of knowing anything else about him. They were always struggling to come closer to one another in the dreams, but they were always separated by obstacles of every nature – water, fire, cliffs. Nothing they did brought them any closer together. And now there was danger in their strange little world. Alana didn’t know what it meant, but she knew that if nothing else, she would have to do her best to be as brave as the man in her dreams.
He had grown alongside her, each of them aging at the same pace. Every year she grew stronger and more womanly, and he grew stronger and more manly. His hair grew darker, his muscles bulked, and his eyes, if possible, seemed more and more desperate for answers. Lonelier, somehow. But they had never spoken and there was no way of knowing whether or not he was anything more than just a figure in a dream. All Lonis had powerful, strong dreams, and maybe hers meant nothing at all. Or maybe it meant everything. It was unbelievably frustrating not being able to tell which was which.
As Alana left Lopu’s quarters, she couldn’t help but feel that it was a mistake to dismiss what she had seen. There was trouble somewhere out there in the universe. And somehow, she was connected to it. How, she would never be able to know.
She brushed the thoughts away. It was time for her morning lessons. It would do her good to get some strength training out of the way. But she knew, as she did every time she had one of her dreams, that she was going to feel strange throughout the day. Especially now that she had seen the unmistakable face of evil. Still, she would have to get through it and do her best not to let it bring her down and distract her from her training.
CHAPTER THREE
Archer squinted up toward the sky and sighed. It was late afternoon already and they were making horrible time. He had half a mind to shapeshift into his dragon form but he hadn’t done that since he was a small boy. It had always been difficult for him to shapeshift, which, for some reason, had been a source of endless delight for his father Clayton. His father said that it was often the most powerful shifters that waited for the very best possible time to transform. And when they did, their power was mind-blowing.
Archer never really thought that was true in his own case, though. It seemed like a silly story to help his child feel better about being inadequate. The truth was that throughout the years, Archer secretly feared that he favored his mother’s side of the family. And who cared if he was more Loni than shifter? But the truth probably would have devastated his father, who was possibly the most masculine and impressive dragon shifter that Archer had ever seen.
Still, the man had his sensitive side, but Archer didn’t want to do anything to disappoint him. Part of the reason he had chosen to stay behind was because he knew that’s what his father would have done. It had been shocking to see the handful of shifters who wanted nothing to do with the return to Kaldernon. Everybody had a grudge against the Guardians, and Archer wanted to be the one to take them out once and for all.
“Do you still have Tanna’s scent?” Archer asked. He had gone out with most of his group–three men including Thom–and the hunt had been going on for long enough.
“No,” Thom admitted, frowning down at the ground. “We lost it a little while ago.”
“Shit.”
The four men stood in silence as Archer gathered his thoughts.
“I want you guys to go back to the Kersh settlement, okay?” Archer said.
“But Archer–“ Thom began to protest.
“Do as I say. Trust me. If this is a trap, we’re going to need some people who are still able to handle the settlement. We have a pregnant woman and a young child there already. We have to make sure that they’re safe above all else. Do you understand?”
“Yes, Archer.”
The men began to move reluctantly back toward the underground tunnels. Archer stopped Thom and pulled him aside privately.
“Don’t worry,” he told his friend. “I’m going to come back with Tanna. We’ll be back before you know we’re even gone. It will probably even be more peaceful there without the two of us arguing over Lapus.”
Thom grinned.
“You’re both such sore losers. I’m about ready to pitch that game,” he said. “We’ll keep the board ready for you guys.”
Archer nodded, grinning at his friend, and watched until Thom was out of sight.
When his men were gone, Archer sighed under his breath. Where could Tanna have gone? That man better have had a plan. There were no signs of struggle while they had followed Tanna’s scent away from the site where the Guardian’s ruins had been, which seemed like a good sign. Still, he didn’t like the idea of his impulsive friend out there alone, ready to take on a group he wasn’t ready for. It made him feel sick to his stomach, and also angry. Tanna had ignored direct orders thinking that he could take care of something big himself. He was always overestimating himself and going out to pull macho stunts to impress the few women in the camp. But in a way Archer admired him and really hoped that Tanna was okay.
As Archer roamed the dense forest alone, his icy blue eyes caught a glimpse of the city’s skyline in the distance. He shivered at the thought of having to go there to find Tanna, but it seemed the most logical place to look. It was the hub of human civilization; the very thing the Guardians claimed that they wanted to uphold. There were Guardians left and right there, and if he had to wager a guess, he would say that Tanna’s scent probably disappeared when Tanna was forced into a vehicle and driven into the city.
Archer groaned. That meant it was going to be harder than he thought to get his friend back. But there was nothing he could do about that. He would just do what it took to help him survive, and if he failed, he would have yet another vendetta against the evil group that seemed bound and determined to destroy everything that he and the other dragon shifters from Kaldernon held dear. He would make them pay.
CHAPTER FOUR
You’re not alone.
Archer cringed at the powerful, melodic sound of the beautiful woman’s voice. This time they were separated by a wall of water. Fish and creatures that Archer had never seen before were swimming in between then.
Don’t act like you’re alone.
The words brought hot tears springing to Archer’s eyes, despite the fact that it was a dream.
He couldn’t help it. One of the hardest things about being the leader of the Kersh clan now was how few people there were. His childhood had been full of happy, loving people. Hundreds, maybe even thousands, of shifters had roamed through the underground tunnels, each of them knowing him by name. He had been surrounded by extended family and people who may as well have been his aunts and uncles, cousins more than friends. And now, his life was desolate. He had made it through puberty without his parents, without any of the people he had taken for granted. Not just to make his father proud. But because he knew his people needed a leader. And the Guardians needed to die.
Archer looked through the water and into the flashing, magnetic eyes of the beautiful woman across from him. Today they looked more green than blue, sparkling with life and emotion. Her hand was so close, and he rose his own to bring it as close to hers as possible. He hadn’t realized how difficult it had been for him lately. He tried hard not to think about how much he missed his family, his friends and loved ones, but being alone in the forest looking for Tanna had brought the feelings to the surface. And for some reason, the beautiful woman seemed to know this. And she was offering him her sympathy.
“Who are you?” he tried to call out to her. But the roar of a wave drowned the question out. They were never able to speak to one another during these dreams. Only convey basic messages. He had seen her in his dreams since he was very young, when his parents had gone on to Kaldernon and left him behind. He thought it was a coping mechanism his brain had created so he wouldn’t feel so
alone, but now he wasn’t so sure. Either she was real or he was crazy. And he wanted to believe that she was real. Still, the fact was that it was just a dream.
Suddenly, from the roaring waves emerged the same terrifying black figure that had haunted Archer’s dream the night before. This time he was still able to see the woman’s reaction to it. Her dazzling eyes grew round with fear and confusion, but she didn’t withdraw the hand that she held out to Archer. Instead, she pointed to the beast with her other hand and spoke quiet words despite its ferocious roar.
This is our struggle.
This is our destiny.
The words were like smoke; there but not there. Ethereal but immense. The weight seemed suddenly to crush him, and he thought he wouldn’t be able to bear it for a moment longer. That is, until she smiled at him. When he received the smile, Archer unexpectedly felt as light as air and somehow at peace with the unknown forces at work in the universe. Somehow, he knew they were there and felt guided and protected by them. Even though this beast signified real danger, the gorgeous woman’s defiant smile to him signified hope.
***
Alana woke from the dream, her heart racing in terror. Although she had seen the man in her dreams again, the beast was there again too. There was nothing she wouldn’t give to have the best Loni oracles examine the dream in depth, but she knew that she had bothered Lopu about it enough that her orders were final. Unless there was some serious cause for concern with physical proof or involving Lopu’s most trusted Loni advisers, there wouldn’t be an investigation this time.
That was all right. It felt too personal to discuss the dream aloud to anybody. She had seen this boy grow into a man with her, and the last thing she needed was Lopu teasing her about boys. And besides, it would be even more embarrassing to feel as if she was simply hallucinating the best imaginary boyfriend. A literal man of her dreams. It was just humiliating, especially the thought of having to tell anybody about it.
