He shook his head. “No.”
Zaviana’s teeth clenched. She focused her power again, but she didn’t have enough energy. The blacksmith was full of energy. Her hands quivered as she sucked energy from him to use. His entire body shook. Wrinkles formed on his face.
“What are you doing to me?” he asked in a shaky voice.
“Why are you betraying her?” she repeated.
“She’s a traitor!” he yelled. “She doesn’t deserve life. The emperor won’t tolerate traitors.”
“So you work directly for the emperor?”
“I ... I ...”
Her fingernails dug so far into her palms that her hands began to bleed. She lost control of her power. The blacksmith cried out as the rest of his life source left him. He shriveled as he took his last breath, falling to the floor. She didn’t stop. His body deteriorated until all his flesh was gone. Derkas touched her shoulder. She jerked, but released her mental hold. Her hands relaxed as she spun to face the mercenary.
“Are you all right?” he asked.
She glanced to the blacksmith crumbled on the ground. He was no longer flesh. All that remained were his bones inside loose clothing. She hadn’t known she could do that. No wonder the emperor had wanted her so much. She needed to control her anger.
“Sorry. I lost control.”
“I can see that. I hope you never get that mad at me.”
She smirked. “Don’t give me a reason to.”
“So, you’re really serious about helping this resistance?”
She walked over to the desk, grabbed the parchment, held it over the candle on the desk, then dropped it back on the desk. It burned. Several other parchments on the desk caught fire. Zaviana didn’t care. She walked toward the shattered door of the cottage.
She glanced back to Derkas and smiled. “Yes. You’re not planning on getting in my way, are you?”
He shook his head.
Chapter 6
Naveen rubbed her hands against her arms. She wore thick cotton to protect her from the winter winds, but it was growing colder with each passing day. It wasn’t going to get any better as they traveled south.
They entered the next village south. Anaiah seemed to be in as much disarray as her village. Smoke rose from several burnt buildings. Villagers worked together to bring dead men and women to a graveyard. Naveen saw the bruised necks. Her eyes clenched shut. They’d had their friends and family hung as well.
She ran forward. The villagers looked at her suspiciously. Her hundred companions lingered behind her. She stood among the villagers at the cemetery where new graves were being dug.
“What happened here?” she asked.
No one responded. Only a few of the diggers glanced her way. The gloom of the event had everyone silent.
“Answer me! Did the Dragonia Empire do this to you?”
Still, no one responded.
“Listen, they came to our village too. They killed innocent people, claiming they were part of a resistance. They are trying to scare you away from joining. If you want to fight against the injustices of the Dragonia Empire ... follow me.”
“Follow you where?” a woman finally asked.
“I am going to search for the resistance,” Naveen said with confidence.
“Traitor,” a man growled.
Naveen turned to face him. “Excuse me?”
“It’s because of people like you that our friends and family are dead.”
“I had nothing to do with your family’s death. The Dragonia Empire did.”
“They killed them because of traitors like you trying to give them a false sense of hope with lies of the resistance. What makes you think they’ll be any better? Even if they do win, which they won’t, they’ll just rule the same as any other.”
“I don’t believe that.”
“Traitor,” he spat.
“Look, I am not with the resistance. My friends and family were murdered by the Dragonia Empire as well. That was when I decided that I can no longer stand by and let them do this to innocent people.”
“Get out of here with your false hope,” the man said.
Naveen scanned her surroundings. She could tell her speech wasn’t as effective as in her village. Most of the villagers were too scared or angry to join her. She sighed and turned around.
Naveen didn’t leave the village yet. She lingered, watching the people bury their loved ones. A tear fell down her face at the injustice of it all.
“Excuse me, miss?”
She glanced to her side. A young man with a brown beard and curly hair stood by her side, facing her.
“Yes?” she asked.
“Are you really searching for the resistance?”
“I am.”
“I want to join you.”
She raised an eyebrow.
He took a deep breath. “My father was the shoemaker in this village. Those dragonriders hung him because he made shoes for villagers who were suspected of being with the resistance.”
“That’s terrible.”
He nodded. “I can’t stay here. I can’t do nothing. I ... I ...” He wiped away a tear. “I want to avenge him.”
“Have you ever wielded a weapon?”
He frowned. “No.”
“You said your father was a shoemaker. Were you his apprentice?”
“Yes, miss.”
“What is your name?” she asked.
“Cederic.”
Naveen smiled at him. “We could use a shoemaker on our journey.”
He grinned. “Let me gather my supplies.”
She noticed a few others coming over to her, supplies in hand. A twinkle came to her eye as she smiled at them and welcomed them to her party. It wasn’t as many as had followed her from her village, but it was still comforting to have more allies. She made a quick head count to find another twenty, including the shoemaker, had joined her.
Once everyone was together, she made ready to leave. Someone bumped into her. Naveen spun around, seeing a young brown-skinned woman with long black hair reaching for her. She backed away. A tall man grabbed the woman, dragging her away.
“I’m sorry,” he said.
“I must tell her,” the woman demanded.
“Not now,” he whispered to her.
Naveen started to go after her, but they were too fast, and she lost track of them as they disappeared into the crowd.
“Must tell me what?” Naveen whispered.
“Traitors, traitors, traitors!” the crowd chanted.
Naveen’s eyes widened. Villagers stomped toward her with pitchforks and torches. She backed away a few steps as Cederic ran to her side.
“Hang her,” someone from the crowd yelled.
“Run,” Cederic called.
Naveen turned on her heel and sprinted out of the city. The twenty newcomers joined her along with the hundred from her village.
Chapter 7
Zaviana looked around Anaiah, mouth agape and eyes wide. This was the second village in a row where the Dragonia Empire had cast judgment on innocent villagers. It was like deja vu. Bodies were dragged off the gallows and buried in the cemetery. Zaviana noticed a difference though. Whereas the last village had faces of anger or determination after the event, these faces were grim, sad, and lost. They had no hope.
Derkas walked by her side. They stopped as they watched the same scene play out before them. Dead villagers were carried to the cemetery and dropped into graves.
Zaviana turned to Derkas. “Look me in the eyes and tell me what the Dragonia Empire is doing is right.”
He turned away from her.
“Will you help me?”
“Help you do what?”
“Warn the resistance? Fight against the tyranny of the empire?”
“Whoa ... wait. Zaviana, what you’re saying is treason.”
“What I’m saying is the right thing to do.”
“No. I will not allow you to put yourself in danger.”
She raised an
eyebrow at him. A woman began speaking in the crowd. Zaviana turned around to notice the same woman from the last village. Her speech was similar, trying to convince the villagers to follow her and find the resistance. This time, however, the crowd wasn’t as well received.
Only a few people talked to her and followed her after her speech. Everyone else didn’t look impressed. Zaviana jerked away from Derkas, escaping his clutches, and she dashed over to the woman. She needed to tell her, to warn her about the empire’s plans, and to tell her where the resistance was, as soon as she learned herself.
Zaviana reached her, but was grabbed by Derkas from behind. Her grip slipped and she was pulled away. Her body tightened and she used all her strength to try and tear away from Derkas. He was too strong.
“I have to tell her,” she said.
“I’m sorry,” Derkas said to the woman as he pulled Zaviana away.
Zaviana tried to focus, tried to use the elements around her to give her power, but she couldn’t concentrate. She wasn’t good at using her magic under pressure.
He slammed her on the ground outside of the village. The dragon approached and sniffed her, trying to rub her snout against Zaviana.
“No, Chalce. Don’t coddle her!” He turned around to face Zaviana. “Don’t you understand? You’ll be the death of us by doing things like this. Openly defying the empire is signing your own death sentence. That’s exactly what that woman is doing. Watch, she won’t last long. Soon, dragonriders will catch her and make an example of her.”
“You can stop it,” Zaviana said.
“Excuse me?” Derkas asked.
“You can prevent her from being killed by the empire.”
He snarled, turning away from her.
“All you have to do is show her the way to the resistance. Even if you don’t join, you can save her, and let her fate be with the resistance.”
“Her fate with the resistance would be little better than at the hands of the empire.”
“But,” Zaviana said, “it would be better.”
Derkas didn’t say a word as he took out the cuffs and chained her to a tree. She tried to fight against him, tried to summon her magic, but could do nothing.
“You will stay with me from now on, and if we have to stay out of the villages, so be it.”
The dragon inched its nose closer to Zaviana and growled.
Zaviana hung her head in defeat.
Chapter 8
Naveen clutched her blankets tighter as she huddled around the fire. Here she was, hiding from the empire by a fire in the snow. The long winter was the worst time to try to hide. It was too bloody cold. White breath fluttered from her mouth as she rubbed her hands together. A few inches of snow had fallen the night before. At least it wasn’t full-on winter yet. It was only going to get worse the further south they traveled.
The shoemaker, Cederic, shuffled over to Naveen. He didn’t appear to be cold in the slightest. Naveen glared at him.
“Are you cold, miss?” he asked her.
“It’s Naveen. Don’t call me miss.”
“Sorry ... Naveen.”
“Yes ... I’m a bit cold. I’m not used to the south. I’m from the north. It doesn’t get as cold up there.”
“Are your feet cold?” he asked.
She smiled. “No. Thank you for the new shoes.”
He returned her smile. “So where are we headed? Where is the resistance?”
Naveen glanced around to make sure no one else was close enough to overhear. “I don’t know where the resistance is.”
His eyes bulged. “You don’t know?”
She shook her head.
“Where are we leading all these people?”
“I’m traveling village to village, trying to convince people to join the resistance. Hopefully, the resistance will have someone in one of these villages.”
“You’re putting all your faith in stumbling across someone who knows where the resistance is?”
She took a deep breath. “I don’t know what else to do. I can’t explain it, but I’ve always had this extra sense of knowing what was right. I know when something is a bad idea or a good idea. I felt an overwhelming cold deep inside when the dragonriders first arrived in my village. I told my friends about it, but no one believed me until it was too late. Now, I have an overwhelming sense of warmth deep inside as we travel south.”
“You’re basing all of this off your sense? You’re leading all of us south, into the heart of winter.” Cederic exhaled, a white cloud of breath flooding from his mouth. “What if you’re wrong?”
Naveen rubbed her hands together. “That is my biggest fear. So far, my sense has never been wrong. But my fear is ... what if I’ve just imagined this extra sense ... what if it’s all in my head? What if I’m wrong this time?”
Cederic gulped. “I’m sure everything will be all right.”
“Don’t say anything, all right?” Naveen asked. “I still have the feeling we’re going the right way. Let’s make it to the next village first before we decide the future of our path.”
He nodded.
Tobias walked over to them. He was a chef who had joined them from the last village. His hands were bare and held two carving knives, which he slid together.
“The people are getting hungry. I’m getting antsy. We need to find food to cook.”
Naveen glanced around the white-covered terrain. She was afraid of that. They hadn’t brought enough food for the journey. And since winter had begun, it wouldn’t be easy to find animals to hunt.
“It’s hard to find food in the winter. Just find me some squirrels and I can create a stew.”
“Squirrels?”
“Yeah ... tree rats.”
Her face scrunched up. “Rats?”
“Or go see if you can find something larger. Just find something. People are starting to get hungry. Hungry people question motives. If you don’t want problems on this journey, you need to keep everyone’s belly full.”
Another man stepped next to the chef. He didn’t look to be from her village, so Naveen assumed he was from the last one. A bow was strapped across his shoulder and a quiver of arrows hung on his back.
“I’m a hunter and a tracker. I could search for food.”
Naveen nodded. “I’ll come with you. I don’t think any of us should travel alone. What is your name?”
“All right. My name is Lesharo.”
“Lesharo. Perhaps you could teach me some of your tracking skills.”
He smiled at her. “I would be happy to.”
She turned to Cederic. “Please keep an eye on everyone here, and help them if you can.”
“Yes, milady.”
Naveen and Lesharo grabbed a few weapons from their packs and strode out of the camp. She wasn’t a skilled tracker, but she had hunted before and wasn’t completely clueless. However, it also had a lot to do with her extra sense. She might not notice the tracks or the scents, but when she focused on her goal, an internal tugging led her. Naveen felt the dagger at her belt and the loaded crossbow on her back.
“Do you really think the resistance has a chance?” the hunter asked.
Naveen turned her head to glance at him. They were well away from their camp now. Even though he was the tracker, she found herself leading him.
“Yes. I do. I heard that they won a battle in the southwest.”
He frowned. “I heard the same thing. But that can’t be true, can it?”
Her eyebrows rose. “I don’t see how it can’t. This didn’t happen that long ago, and right after, the empire is sending out dragonriders to all the villages to scare them into not joining the resistance. Why would they do that if they won that battle?”
His nose scrunched back and forth. “Hmm ... you’re right.”
Naveen stopped. She gestured to Lesharo to be silent. He paused, looking at her quizzically, but complied. She closed her eyes and reached out with her extra sense. A grin split her face. She saw an elk in her mind.
“This way,” she whispered.
“What is it?”
She put her finger over her mouth and gestured him to follow. He raised his eyebrows but continued to follow her lead. They slid through a patch of trees to a field of head-tall grass. Naveen crept closer, brushing the tall grass out of the way. An elk stood less than a hundred feet away. It leaned down eating grass.
Lesharo’s face furrowed as he considered Naveen. She pointed to his bow. He shook his head and nocked an arrow. Judging the distance and slight breeze, he took aim and loosed. The arrow struck the elk in the chest, and it shrieked before galloping off. Lesharo stood, ready to track the animal as it bled.
The elk dashed away into the woods. Lesharo and Naveen followed. Naveen could sense which way the animal went, but she let the huntsman lead. He followed swiftly, until they could no longer see the elk, then he inspected the trail. From stomped grass to broken sticks and droplets of fresh blood, he followed a narrow path in the direction the elk took.
Naveen followed him for a while, then she abruptly stopped. Her vision went black and she felt dizzy. She shivered, fear consuming her. Something wasn’t right.
“Lesharo!” she called.
The hunter stopped, turned around, and saw her distress. He paused for an instant before rushing back to her.
“Are you all right?” he asked.
“Something is wrong,” she said.
He held out his hand to her, as if to help her stand.
“Not with me,” she said. “There is danger ahead.”
He tilted his head. “How do you know?”
“I can sense it.”
His brows furrowed.
“It’s hard to explain. I’ve always been able to sense things. That’s how I found the elk. It’s how I know something is wrong ahead of us.”
“Well, if there’s danger this close to our camp, shouldn’t we find out what it is?” he asked.
Naveen gulped. “Yes.”
He motioned for her to follow him. He stepped forward cautiously, tiptoeing with each step. Naveen followed him close behind. They crept deeper into the forest until Lesharo abruptly stopped. Naveen leaned around him to see what he saw.
Dragonia: Revenge of the Dragons (Dragonia Empire Book 2) Page 3
