“It’s our only chance,” Zaviana said.
“Yes it is. For our sake, I hope they reach us in time ... and I hope we have enough.”
“When do we leave?”
He tilted his head. “Leave?”
“You said a ship has to be taken to this island to request the army returns. When do we leave?”
“I’ll send men first thing in the morning. Do not concern yourself with it.”
“It is my concern. I will accompany them. I will help bring word to your warriors.”
“Why? There is no need for you to go. You can help us here.”
“I have seen what the Dragonia Empire is capable of. I have seen the dragonriders, the dragons ... and I know what they can do. I need to see these wyverns, their abilities, so I can judge the most effective way to use them.”
Ellisar sighed. “Very well. But for now, get some rest.” Zaviana and Naveen walked out of the council room, their heads held high. An overwhelming gloom settled upon them as they thought about the Draconia Empire’s arrival. But they focused on hope. The red sun set in the west, casting a beautiful scarlet glow over the horizon.
“Would you like to watch the sunset?” Naveen asked.
“It’s been a long time since I’ve seen a sunset,” Zaviana said.
“Perhaps we can talk a little bit as well...”
“Yes, we should.”
The two of them walked together in silence. Each had burdens weighing on her shoulders as she thought about the implications of the Draconia Empire and the resistance. Neither knew what they were going to do if the resistance were to fail.
“How long were you a prisoner of the emperor?” Naveen asked.
Zaviana took a deep breath, stretched, opened her mouth, and paused to study the sunset for several long moments. “Well, you want to dive right into, don’t you?”
“Well, I don’t know much about you. I want to know more.” Naveen brushed her hand through her long black hair. “I feel a connection with you. I don’t know how to explain it, but I have this sense we’re meant to be close.”
“A sense, you say?” Zaviana asked.
“Yes, I’ve had an extra sense all my life. My mother called it a gift. My father called it a curse. She had the gift too, you know? But Father was right. When I was a little girl, she let me watch her use her extra sense. The villagers saw and called her witch.”
“I’m sorry,” Zaviana said.
“When you touched the stone, what did it feel like?”
“It feels like ... pain. An intense amount of pain surged through me. I felt the hottest fire, the coldest ice, the most electric light. It was very painful.”
“Is it still painful?”
“Sometimes.”
“Before you touched the stone, did you have any abilities at all?” Naveen asked.
Zaviana smiled. “Like you, I had an extra sense.”
Naveen’s eyes widened. “You did?”
“Yes. There are very few of us to have this extra sense, and in our world, it’s a very dangerous sense to have... Especially if someone else finds out. I did learn more about it while a prisoner of the emperor.”
“What did you learn?”
“We are rare. I’ve been able to piece together a lot of things, but you must realize that they never told me anything. I had to put the pieces together myself. I overheard small conversations here and there. I was alone for so long. All I could do was gather as much information as I could.”
“I’m sorry you had to endure that. It sounds miserable.”
“It was. As far as I could gather, dragons used to be intelligent beings. A long time ago they could communicate with the dragonriders. I’ve seen them ... the dragons. I don’t see any intelligence in them anymore. It’s like they are mindless beasts.”
“What happened?”
“The dragon stone. The stone from space. I don’t know exactly what happened, but the empire, or the emperor, saw the stone drain the life from a dragon. He was intrigued and sent men to touch the stone. They died. Their life force seeped into the stone. Somehow he found a way to touch it. But also he used it to drain the magic and intelligence from all of the dragons. Now, this is just legend, whispers I heard from the guards. I don’t know how much of this is true, but if it can be believed, the dragon stone sucks the magic, the power, and intelligence from each dragon after it’s born, and it harnesses the energy inside of the stone. The dragons become slaves to the empire. With one touch, the magic from those dragons seeps into the human who touches it. I touched it by accident, and now I can do things. I can feel the moisture in the air. I feel the different temperatures all around me, and I can change the temperatures all around. Fire is easy to make, all you have to do is get something hot enough. Ice, ice is even easier. Do you know how much water there is? I can sense it, I can feel it, I can control it. I can suck moisture out of the air. I can bring it into my embrace and release it like a waterfall. I can feel all the air around me. I can sense it. It’s like it’s a living creature that wants to be controlled.”
“That’s incredible. I wish I could touch the stone.”
“No, no you don’t. Yes, it comes with power, but there is a price. Every time I use it, this magic, I feel weaker. Depending on how much I use, sometimes I can’t walk for days. The pain is inconceivable. Every time I use magic, I feel pain. Not hit-your-finger pain, but like I am being stabbed through the guts and the blade twisted. And worst of all, like the stories that I really believe are true, I can see memories, dreams. I have dreams every night I have to use magic. Dreams of flying insects talking to dragons. For you see, in this dream I am a dragon. I’m talking to other dragons. When I wake up every morning, I have the knowledge that my voice and my intelligence has been stripped away. In the dreams I can talk to my friends; I can talk to the other dragons. But once I wake up, the intelligence is gone, ripped away by a single man, all for power. It takes me several minutes to realize it was only a dream, and that I’m not really a dragon. I wonder how much of my dream is reality for the dragons ...”
Naveen reached over and grabbed Zaviana’s hand. “You’re not alone anymore. I may not have the same power as you, but I’ll always be here when you need someone to talk to. We are in this together.”
Zaviana squeezed Naveen’s hand. “Thank you. There is one more thing I learned while in Melonia.”
“What’s that?”
“There is power in dragonscales. Not a lot ... but a little. It doesn’t work for most people.” She reached around her neck and removed a necklace. It sparkled crimson in the sunset. Zaviana handed it to Naveen. “But for those with the extra sense ... it is strong.”
Naveen looked at the necklace in her hand. She studied the dragonscale. It was half the size of her hand, and framed in thin silver. “It’s beautiful.”
“Keep it,” Zaviana said.
Naveen shook her head.
“You may need it more than me. I’m leaving tomorrow. You need to stay here and help protect everyone.”
Naveen handed it back to her. “I don’t need it.”
Zaviana’s brow furrowed. “We should get some sleep.”
Naveen nodded. She reached to her own necklace and gently rubbed it between her fingers. She smiled. “Yes, we should.”
Chapter 14
Zaviana glanced behind her one last time at the hidden city of Saefron. She’d said goodbye to Naveen first thing in the morning before daybreak. Zaviana couldn’t understand it, but she felt a connection with the woman. She wondered if it had to do with her extra sense, or something else. Zaviana was afraid to leave Saefron, afraid it wouldn’t be there when she came back. Yet, somehow, she felt with Naveen staying behind, it was under good hands.
She traveled with a force of twenty, twelve men and eight women. Zaviana was glad to see women in the resistance army. When she was a prisoner in the Dragonia Empire, all she saw were men warriors. Women were nothing but wives and slaves. Perhaps if the resistance won, women wou
ld have a proper place in society.
Zaviana lingered for a moment, then had to catch up with the rest of the resistance. They weren’t stopping to wait for her as they pushed forward to reach the bay. Time was limited. The Dragonia Empire was coming. She ran to the woman in front, the one who’d organized the trip.
“Lilianya, how far is it to the ship?”
“We will reach it at sunset.”
“Sunset?” Zaviana’s voice fell.
“We’re in the mountains, not a port city.”
“I know ... I’m just anxious. And worried.”
“All will be well.”
“How do you know?” Zaviana asked.
“Because I believe. I have faith.”
Zaviana frowned. She kept pace with Lilianya, but neither talked much of the day.
True to her word, the sun’s red glow glimmered over the western horizon when they reached the bay in the south. The tension inside of Zaviana relaxed as she saw the ship in the distance. She wanted to sprint down the mountain to the ship, but she stayed back with the rest of the party. Though she fidgeted the whole time. They’d barely made it to the mountain when she felt a shiver along her spine.
Zaviana reached her arm out, blocking Lilianya from stepping forward.
“What are yo—”
“Something is wrong,” Zaviana said.
“Ho—”
“Shh.”
Zaviana closed her eyes. Chill bumps crawled up her bare arms. Blackness surrounded her. She saw twelve glowing red humanoid shapes inside her mind, six approaching from each side. Her eyes opened, and she unsheathed her sword.
“Danger approaches. Twelve warriors.”
Lilianya’s brows furrowed, but she didn’t speak. Instead, she grabbed a bow and nocked an arrow.
Zaviana clenched her hilt tight as she angled to her left to face her first opponent. Before she reached the warrior, an arrow pierced his chest. He staggered, leaving an opening for Zaviana. She jumped on the opportunity, flicking her sword to the left, knocking the weapon out of the man’s grasp. She raised her foot in the air, slamming it into the man’s neck. He crumpled to the ground, unconsciousness overtaking him.
Zaviana rushed to the next warrior. She shifted her weapon from side to side, each swing catching the warrior’s blade. His attack was fierce. She couldn’t work her way around it. Her foot slid on the slick snow. The warrior took advantage, pressing forward with a flurry of strikes. Zaviana couldn’t hold her ground. She slipped. Her body slammed into the ground, and her sword clattered by her side. She reached for it, but the warrior stepped on her wrist. His grin showed through his t-visor.
The warrior’s sword slashed down toward Zaviana’s face. She rolled on top of his foot, dodging the strike. Zaviana slammed her fist into the warrior’s groin. He collapsed onto the ground. She rolled away, grabbed her sword, and stood, ready to strike. Another warrior came at her, slamming his sword against hers. The vibrations hurt her wrist, and she dropped her weapon. She staggered backward as he approached her. Zaviana felt the energy all around her, in the air, in the clouds, in the sunset. She clenched her fists and funneled all the energy into her. Fire blazed from her fingertips. The warrior screamed, dropping his sword and falling to the ground.
Zaviana refocused her mind. She transformed the air at her fingertips, sucking all the heat into her body, making all the air at her fingertips freezing cold. She released the cool air. The moisture in the air collected with it, transforming into ice as it collided into the three warriors who surrounded her. Their movements slowed. Zaviana ducked, grabbed the fallen sword lying in front of her, and thrust it upward into the chest of a warrior. His sword was inches from her face, where it froze before dropping from his hands. He collapsed onto the ground.
Zaviana spun around, ready to face whoever was left. There was no one. Arrows protruded from many of the warriors, but several others were cut down by a few of the resistance warriors. Everyone remaining stared at Zaviana with wide eyes and mouths agape.
She dropped the sword and turned away. Zaviana had been able to use magic for a while, but she never did so with so many witnesses around her. She couldn’t hide who she was anymore. A hand touched her shoulder. She spun around, clenching the wrist of the woman behind her.
“Zaviana.” Lilianya cringed.
Zaviana let go. “I’m sorry. I’m so sorry.”
Lilianya rubbed her wrist. “Thank you.”
Zaviana raised an eyebrow.
“You saved us.”
“You’re not scared of me?”
Lilianya smiled. “Why should we be scared? You’re on our side.”
Zaviana breathed out, relief overcoming her. She’d been so afraid.
“Come on, we’d better hurry to the ship. If there are warriors already here guarding the bay, the rest of the empire’s forces can’t be too far away.”
Zaviana shivered.
Chapter 15
Naveen observed the beautiful sunrise glistening over the mountaintops. She loved the mountains. Before she’d only seen them at a distance from her small village. But now she was atop them. It was more beautiful than she’d ever imagined. She stood in a field, surrounded by flowers and butterflies fluttering all around her. It was peaceful. This was somewhere she could train.
Naveen wished she could have gotten to know Zaviana before she had to leave. She trusted Zaviana, she didn’t know how or why, but she trusted her. However, Zaviana was gone, and Naveen felt very alone.
Fraeyn stood before her, a wide grin spread across his face, eyebrows stretched as far as they could go toward his hairline. He was ready. Naveen had seen a little bit of what Fraeyn could do. She knew he had the extra sense, the ability she had. It was hard to explain. She knew things, things that she should not know. Things that no one else knew. She comprehended things. She could sense things before they occured. She knew which way danger was, and what to do when it approached. Fraeyn was similar—he had an extra sense, an extra ability. Together, they would train, they would learn how to access these abilities. She reached her hand up and touched her necklace. It was hidden beneath her leather armor. But she felt power. Her mother had given her the necklace many years ago. A gift. A gift with a caution. Naveen always wondered if it were the necklace or her that held the extra sense. Her mother had it. But her mother had cautioned her against using it, against letting other people know what she could do. She still remembered the day when her mother and father were hung. Faded memories became flesh and life, terror as she remembered the horrible events of that day.
“Are we ready?” Fraeyn asked.
Naveen nodded. “Yes.”
Naveen focused. She closed her eyes and stretched out with her senses. Like her sight, her extra sense, her telepathy sense as she came to regard it, could feel things, it knew things that surrounded her area. It felt like everything in the air was connected, particles in the air all around her. Better than her eyesight, it could detect every particle of dust around her. She stretched her arm in front of her body and commanded the particles to move.
“Arrg.”
Naveen opened her eyes. Fraeyn sat on his bottom in the grass in front of her. He looked up at her, his head tilted, his facial expression twisted. “What did you do?”
“I redirected the energy around me.”
“You pushed me down with wind. How did you do that? How did you control the wind?”
“I did what?” Naveen asked.
“I watched you. You held your hand in front of you, and a swirl of purple dust, or wind, circled around your hand. Then it sprang forth and shoved into my chest. Now I’m sitting on the ground.”
“Incredible.”
“How did you do it?” Fraeyn asked.
“I closed my eyes, and I directed my senses. It’s like I could feel a bunch of particles all around me. I can’t see them with my naked eye, but I can feel them. Thousands of them, all around me. I concentrated on them and redirected them to my hand. Then I released all
the particles I collected.”
“I don’t know if I can do that,” Fraeyn said.
“Try.”
Fraeyn closed his eyes. He held both of his hands stretched in front of him. One hand wrapped around his opposite wrist. His hand shook, trembled, but his focus was tight. Naveen saw the air all around him move, shift. She watched in utter fascination as it all collected in front of his hand. However, instead of looking like wind, it glowed an orange-red. Naveen opened her mouth to say something, but it was too late. Flames covered his hands. He released the energy. Flames rushed at her. Naveen tried to dodge, but they were too fast. The flames collided with her face and she crumpled to the ground, rolling to try and put herself out.
“Oh no, are you all right? What happened?” he asked.
Naveen brushed off her cloak as she stood. Her eyes were wide, her mind spinning. She looked down at her half-burnt clothes. Thankfully, she wasn’t burned.
“You didn’t create wind ... you created fire.”
“I ... what?” he asked.
He clutched at the neck of his tunic with wide eyes.
“What do you have under your tunic?”
“I made fire?”
“Fraeyn ... answer me.”
“What?” he asked.
“What are you clutching?”
He looked down at his hand. His hand released the cloth as he stumbled forward.
“Oh, it’s nothing. Are you all right?”
“Do you have a dragonscale necklace?” she asked.
His eyes bulged. “How do you know?”
Naveen reached under her cloak and brought out the necklace her mother gave her. It shimmered a deep purple in the sunlight. The scale was small, no larger than a copper dragon coin. Every time she touched it, she felt like it gave her power, but she’d never believed it was true.
Fraeyn started at her necklace with his mouth open. He reached under his tunic and grabbed a necklace. It glinted red in the sunlight.
Naveen stepped closer to him and each of them gently picked up the other’s necklace to inspect.
“Do you think these are real dragonscales?” Fraeyn asked.
Dragonia: Revenge of the Dragons (Dragonia Empire Book 2) Page 6
