by L J Andrews
Chapter 17
“What? I don’t see anyone up here,” Athika shuddered, clutching her thin body in the bulky coat.
Here meant a cliff. A snowy mountainside that was jagged and reminded me of an arctic glacier, were it not for the few sparse trees and gray stones jutting from the snow. Nothing in the form of human or wyvern life seemed to exist for miles, but Raffi looked up the cliff.
“I thought I sensed them, but I was so cold I wasn’t sure. They’re here,” he whispered, crouching low and climbing over a boulder-enforced ridge.
“Raffi, wait,” Athika called out, following close behind.
Mitch took a deep breath, but didn’t move. “Hey, you okay?” I whispered, gasping slightly when a rush of arctic wind assaulted my face.
Mitch’s breath trembled, and he bounced to keep warm. “Yeah. I’m just, you know, probably walking into a nest filled with warrior dragons. I’m fine.”
I laughed, my chapped lips splitting a bit against the hostile air. “You’ll be fine. Come on, let’s go. I’m freezing, I might welcome them eating me if it means I can get warm.”
Mitch scoffed and followed me up the slick rocks. I pulled myself over the edge, reaching down to help Mitch. My breath rushed from my lungs when I saw what was before us. An enormous cave loomed on the ledge. Black dark as pitch stretched as far as I could see. I hadn’t seen the cave when we’d landed, nor from the sky. The mouth seemed as though it had opened from nowhere. Raffi stood straight and attentive at the face of the enormous opening, the blanket lost at his feet. Athika had one hand on a knife on her belt, and both stood still while two men approached.
Each man was draped in furs and pelts. They held enormous spears, and their bodies seemed more fit and strong than the boulders along the mountain. One man stepped out, his face unreadable beneath the wrapped fur over his chin, but I saw he had long blond hair that was braided down his back. He paused at Raffi, studying him. Raffi stood still, but I saw the corners of his mouth fighting not to grin.
“Raffi of Soturi,” the man said respectfully after a tense pause. I’d never heard Raffi’s true name, only his human name used in Wyvern Willows.
“Hello, Leoch,” Raffi said, one of his strong hands grasping the man’s shoulders tightly. “It has been too many years.”
Leoch nodded and glanced to the other man at his side. “Tao, announce that our brother Raffi has returned to us.” Leoch glanced around for a few moments, seeming to realize Raffi hadn’t come alone. “Wait, who have you brought with you?”
“Leoch, is Thane amongst you?” Raffi asked. “I’m afraid I don’t come with happy news. Our queen, she’s been taken by lindworms.”
Leoch and Tao gasped, their jaws pulsing angrily. “We’ve lost the jade bloodline at long last?”
“She isn’t dead,” I insisted, drawing the two warriors’ eyes to me. “She was taken against her will. They want her to mate with the lindworm prince.”
“Who is this? What a strange energy he has,” Tao said, his voice heavily accented, but I understood enough.
“He is the new jade mage,” Raffi said. “This is the ruby mage, and our human thief. He’s been incredibly useful in finding you.”
Tao and Leoch hadn’t followed Raffi’s other introductions of Mitch and Athika; their eyes hadn’t left mine. The wind whipped even more, and I thought I might freeze to death.
“On second thought, Tao,” Leoch whispered, his rich brown eyes never blinking from my face. “It might be better to speak to Thane immediately.”
“He’s here,” Raffi released a long gasp and met my eye with a new excitement I hadn’t seen before.
“Come inside,” Leoch said, nodding toward the mouth of the cave. I eyed the new warrior curiously. He seemed suspicious, and I had a guess it was because Raffi had announced me as the jade mage. I wasn’t certain how the warriors would react—would I have to prove my honor to the entire fleet? I wanted to ask Raffi, but he seemed much too engrossed in following his fellow warriors inside to even notice how Leoch watched me pass.
Once we crossed into the darkness, the air warmed at least thirty degrees. Still cold, but without the harsh air that froze my nostrils together. Athika stood at my side, and Mitch practically hugged me from behind. I sensed everyone’s nerves apart from Raffi.
“So, Raffi, it seems you have a grand tale to tell,” Leoch said. “How was it the queen was lost under your watch?”
Raffi shifted uncomfortably. “I’m ashamed to say it happened. I should have been more vigilant.”
“Raffi,” I began. “This wasn’t your fault at all. I was the last one with Jade, so if anyone is going to blame themselves, let it be me.”
Leoch stepped closer, his eyes studying my face at a surprisingly close distance. I tried to back away but found my back pressed against a stone wall. “You say you are the jade mage?”
“Look, I know everyone thinks the bloodline ended, but—”
“I never said the bloodline ended,” Leoch muttered, catching us all by surprise. “I’m just wondering how you know you’re the jade mage?”
“Well the armor on his arms might prove that,” Athika snapped.
Leoch narrowed his eyes, seeming to search for something deeper that just holding my gaze. “Show me,” he whispered.
Raffi nodded his approval. Reluctantly, I tugged my coat off my shoulders—the air bit hard against my shirt. With a curious glance at Leoch, I rolled up my sleeves. Leoch grabbed my arm, studying the marks with hungry fascination. “I can hardly believe what I’m seeing.”
“He also has the queen’s personal seal on his back,” Raffi said, as though it would impress Leoch.
“You mean it?” Leoch gasped. “May I see?” he said with his focus returning to me.
I tugged my arm away from the warrior, unsure why he seemed so calm, almost thrilled I was there. Most people were suspicious, unkind even. But Leoch seemed ready to pull me into a tight hug. “Can you take Raffi’s word for it? It’s pretty cold.”
I didn’t hear Leoch’s response because a shrill cry echoed along the walls of the cave.
“You!”
We all whipped around in time for a plump woman, wrapped in thick woolen scarves and a long robe, to rush at us in the dark. Her eyes were probably blue in most light, but in her mad dash to reach us they were a sort of ghostly gray. I hardly had time to see the knife in her hand before she was lunging for Mitch. Quickly, I stepped in front of my friend before the mad woman stabbed him in the heart. Athika stepped in front of me and pulsed a barrier of energy between us. To my surprise, the woman fought back with the raising of her palm. I felt the scorch from her blast along the back of my neck.
“Yaba,” Leoch bellowed. “Stop this, now!”
“These are the ones, Leoch, the ones who attacked me. Who tried to read the correspondence!”
Understanding hit me across the face. I glanced at Athika, who only snarled toward the older mage. “Is this the courier?”
“Yes,” Athika snapped. “Yaba, you always were one to overreact.”
“You and your thief should be hung up by your hair for what you did. Athika, it has been years, but I knew your mother, and she taught you never to reach your hand in a courier’s pack,” Yaba grumbled, her cheeks flapping a bit from age.
Yaba lunged once more toward Mitch, but I stopped her. She glanced me up and down, staring at my face curiously almost as if she recognized me from somewhere.
“Why would you steal a correspondence?” Leoch snapped, looking to Raffi.
“We were looking for the High Priestess,” I answered for everyone.
Silence settled in Yaba, who immediately looked to Leoch. The warrior swallowed and stepped toward me, his voice low and menacing. “Why were you looking for the High Priestess?”
I averted my eyes until I found the strength to speak. “Because we need help defeating King Nag. He’s found most of the royals and is after all the stones. We had to know if she…if she had joined with her hu
sband.”
“Husband?” Leoch questioned looking to Raffi for a short moment. “You mean, the dark High Priest.”
“Yes,” I said. “It’s possible she’s joined with him and—”
“I will stop that line of talk immediately.” A powerful voice boomed into the mouth of the cave. Leoch turned and lowered his head in respect. Raffi’s eyes widened, and for half a breath he seemed frozen in place before he too, lowered his gaze. Mitch tapped my arm, and slowly I turned around. Tao was back, but he wasn’t alone. A man was standing just ahead of the warrior. His broad shoulders were wrapped in gray fur, and every inch of his body was strong and wracked with muscle. His hair was long enough to tie behind his neck, but not nearly the length of Leoch’s. I noticed a menacing scar along his neck when he turned his head and scanned the group. His eyes were piercing blue and his hair was a sandy color, sort of like mine. “Anyone who accuses the High Priestess of joining with that fiend will swiftly meet their end. Now, who spoke against her?”
Athika took a step in front of me, shielding me from his sights, but I felt strangely at ease in the presence of the warrior. His eyes stopped on Raffi and he cocked his head slightly. “Raffi, why have you come? Where is Dash? Where is the queen?”
“Thane,” Raffi breathed out in reverence. “We’ve come seeking the help of all warriors. Our people are threatened.”
So, this was Thane. I kept peeking around Athika, anxious to get a closer look. I could see why he would be considered the head warrior. He emitted honor and valor. His jaw was strong, and he seemed as though he would cower to no one.
“Thane,” Leoch said softly, directing Thane’s attention to where Athika stood in front of me. “The words against the High Priestess were not said in malice—more in ignorance. There is a mage here who…who is uncertain whom to trust as they search for help.”
Thane’s eyes followed Leoch’s pointed finger. Athika stiffened, but I nudged her out of the way.
“Teagan,” Mitch whispered.
“It’s okay, Mitch. I’ll be okay,” I replied, stepping out to face the great Thane.
He straightened his shoulders, his eyes slowly taking in my face with caution, until it all changed. His reaction was not exactly what I was expecting. Thane took a step backward and sort of awkwardly clutched his chest. He looked to Leoch, whose eyes said a hundred things I didn’t understand, and when he spoke, his voice was gruff like he’d been screaming for hours. “It’s not possible.”
“He is the jade mage, Thane,” Leoch whispered gently. “I saw the marks myself.”
“Thane, I give my assurances Teagan is on our side. He has stood against the dark High Priest and walked away victorious. He does not serve the lindworms,” Raffi said quickly, sensing Thane’s shift in emotion.
“Teagan?” Thane rasped, before his eyes bolted toward Raffi. “He stood against Bron?”
“I know it’s hard for everyone to believe, I didn’t know any of this existed either…” I began, but the more I spoke, the further Thane backed away.
“Forgive me,” Thane gasped with a swift look at Leoch. “I just…I’ll return soon.”
The pressure from his shift knocked me, Mitch, and Athika over. Thane was enormous—larger than Raffi. His wings were earthy, like red clay in the rain. His eyes were still vibrant blue like a summer sky, and when he darted from the cave, the earth shook in trembling waves. We sat in silence for a few moments until Leoch bent down and helped me to my feet.
“What’s wrong?” I asked. “Did we do something to upset him?”
Leoch shook his head, smiling sheepishly. “No. Thane battled with the dark High Priest and was close with the High Priestess. We’ve been here many years waiting for some sign things might change. I think we all were beginning to lose hope. It’s just surprising to see the bloodline restored. Come, meet everyone. Thane will return.”
“When?” Raffi asked desperately, glancing out the mouth of the cave.
Leoch shrugged. “I don’t know. That’s the first time Thane has changed forms in nearly seventeen years.”
I was stunned. Seventeen years and then suddenly he took to the sky. I glanced once more over my shoulder at the open cave, searching the skies for the great warrior, but he was gone. I wanted him to return, although I sensed he wasn’t entirely pleased we’d come. Thane had answers, and he clearly felt strongly that the High Priestess wasn’t on the side of Bron. If she was my mother, it was the first time someone might be able to give me clear answers, and I’d just scared him away.
Inside the warriors’ cave, it was like a bustling city. Not all wyvern warriors were men. I counted endless females who seemed just as fierce, even if most warriors remained in their wyvern forms. Raffi shifted and joined in some of the groups. I watched dragons breathe fire, snort, and puff smoke in greetings. I expected Raffi wouldn’t shift back for a time.
Yaba followed close behind Leoch, casting an occasional scowl at Mitch and Athika, though I seemed to have won the crass woman over. The old mage would always finish her scowl with a grandmotherly grin at me before facing forward once more.
“How long have you lived here?” I asked, taking in the massive cave. Torches lined the walls, casting dancing shadows over the tops of huts and sleeping crevices large enough to house two full grown wyverns.
“Oh, seventeen years last I checked the months,” Leoch said. Tao whispered something in his ear, and Leoch nodded before Tao rushed away.
“So, your leader stopped shifting when you came?” I pressed. Leoch only nodded.
“Teagan, look,” Athika said, pointing to the countless ledges above our heads. “Mage.”
She was right. People peered over the edge, and I was engulfed in powerful energy. Each surge unique, like a fingerprint. Some seemed attached to water or air. Others had fiery souls that reminded me more of the warriors.
“Mage have been with the warriors just as long,” Yaba muttered.
“Why?” Athika pressed. “Why would you leave the High Priestess?”
Leoch ushered us to a space near the bottom of the cave. It was a pit surrounded by large stones, with encircling logs and boulders. “Here, sit. We will get you warmed up.”
In a few seconds, a white warrior dragon with red eyes came by. “Naveen, fire?” Leoch asked quickly.
White Naveen snorted a cloud of smoke, but moved toward the pit and breathed a fierce stream of blue flames until a remarkable blue-green fire roared to life.
“Don’t be so anxious to help next time,” Leoch scoffed when Naveen briskly flew to the top of the cavern. “So, you asked a question? I’m sorry, I forgot what you asked,” Leoch said to Athika.
“I asked Yaba why the mage would leave the High Priestess.”
“Ah, well I think I’ll let Thane explain what he will about the mage and the High Priestess,” Leoch said. “But I am interested in a few things, Teagan. I’m curious what you know of your lineage.”
I sighed, feeling weary explaining myself to every new person I met. “I don’t know anything. I went to Wyvern Willows because I broke the law. I was raised by a human.”
“So, you remember nothing of childhood?”
“Not really. I sort of thought Thane might be willing to answer a few questions. He knows the High Priestess.”
Leoch nodded but didn’t respond. He only looked up and shot to his feet. “Welcome back,” he said quickly. I whipped my head around and held my breath as Thane approached, a man once again. His eyes found me in the dim light, and he was followed closely by Raffi, who also returned to his human form. “I was just getting to know our guests a little more,” Leoch finished proudly.
Thane nodded and took Leoch’s place across from me. His eyes pierced mine through the flames. We stared at each other for a long pause. Thane seemed like he could be maybe fifteen years older than me, but I knew he was probably centuries my senior. Clearing his throat, he offered a brief smile and tried to relax his shoulders. “Forgive my quick departure. Your arrival comes a
s a bit of a…shock,” Thane explained.
I nodded. The fire had chased away the final bits of cold and was now drawing small beads of sweat along my forehead. I tugged my sleeves up once more, unintentionally revealing the jade marks. I thought I heard Thane gasp, but when I looked at him he was watching the fire.
“We are grateful to find you,” Athika began. “We need the warriors to reunite and fight for the elementals. But we also need the mage. It’s clear you know the High Priestess. We need to find where they’ve been hiding.”
Thane peeled his eyes from the flames, studied Athika for a time, and nodded. “I recognize you,” he said gently.
Athika nodded. “And I, you. I know you fought bravely when Nag killed the jade king. Of course, I was much younger then.”
“We all were,” Thane said, his eyes falling back to me. “Your name…is Teagan?” I nodded. Thane swallowed with notable effort. “I know the High Priestess. Her name is Gaia, and she never betrayed anyone. She remains loyal to the royals and to the mage people to this day.”
I leaned forward so the fire nearly burned my face. A crushing weight seemed to lift from my shoulders. Even though no one had told me she was certainly my mother, I believed it to be true. The idea that she was loyal to Jade and her bloodline brought a rush of relief. “You know where to find her?”
Thane sighed and leaned back against the wall, his eyes taking on a heartbreaking dull. “No,” he said plainly. “Gaia and the rest of the mage are lost to us. I thought I sensed her not long ago—but I can see, I must have sensed you, Teagan. The jade bloodline is not easy for me to miss.”
“Wait, how are most of the mages lost to you?” Athika interrupted. I wanted him to speak more about his knowledge of the jade bloodline, but Thane was already shifting directions.
Thane sighed and met her eye. “We once were all together, waiting and watching for the time when the war would begin again. Then we were discovered—by the dark High Priest. He fought for Gaia, wanting to claim her as his once more. There was a battle, it’s where I earned this cursed mark,” Thane said, trailing a finger along the scar on his neck. “Eventually, Gaia and most of the mage were shielded from us. Some of her people were blocked from her as well and joined us here in our exile. We couldn’t find them. Bron locked her away, so only he knows where she might be. I am ashamed to say I thought we might never find them. I am not one to lose hope, but after so long—well, I won’t doubt again.”
