Dragon Flight: Sisera's Gift 3 (Dragonblood Sagas Book 5)

by Robyn Wideman

  “She doesn’t seem to like my ideas of tension relief,” Oshri said, a vague look of disappointment on his face.

  “If you didn’t have so many weird and uncomfortable ideas, I would agree more often,” Frida said sharply, the smile leaving her face once again. This time, however, she recovered quickly and flashed Kai her perfect, white teeth accompanied by a short, uncomfortable laugh.

  “What else do I need to know about this bloodthirsty lunatic?” Kai asked, happy to change the subject.

  “I really don’t know too much about her since she experienced the change. I’m told she is very different than she used to be, personality wise anyway. When you arrive in Evresh, seek out an apothecary in the market named Astrid Mallor. She is our eyes and ears on the island so she will be the best source of information on the dangers of the place. She maintains some contact with Sova, when the sprix needs supplies she cannot gather herself.”

  “You should change your armor,” Oshri said, crumbs from the crusty roll he was munching on fell from his mouth and showered his beard. He did not seem to notice and continued. “You stick out like a sore thumb.”

  Kai could not help but feel slightly offended. He was proud to wear the black finely-crafted leather armor of the Daxrah.

  “I don’t see why. This armor has protected me and kept me alive when I needed it the most,” he said defensively.

  Oshri just laughed. “Fine by me. Keep your armor. What do I know?”

  “He has a point,” Frida said, a concerned look crossing her face. “It may cause you more trouble than it’s worth. The average person nowadays is fearful of the dragons’ return. The Brotherhood have been spreading false rumors to recruit more to their cause.”

  Kai felt his body tense up at the mention of the Brotherhood of the Sacred Blood.

  “All the more reason to wear it. I will gladly fight any of those rats, anytime and anywhere,” he said with resolve. “I owe them more than one.”

  Oshri opened his mouth protest but Kai held up his hand to stop him.

  “I will hear no more about this. This armor represents me and what I believe in. I should not have to hide it away because of some lowly dissidents.”

  Oshri shrugged and continued happily munching away on the crusty bun.

  “What do you know of the illusion magic the Brotherhood used as a distraction? If we are going to protect the Tower we must learn how to fight against it,” Kai said.

  Frida nodded and took a sip from her teacup before she said. “That school of magic is not as common as most. Outside of the mages of Balta, there are very few practitioners left as it is very rarely actually useful. With the right wards, illusion magic can be easily dispelled. The High Priest of the Brotherhood is very skilled in the art and he has powerful friends assisting him. He was chosen by our rival coven, for lack of a better term, as their champion in the coming war.”

  “So, war is certain, then?”

  Frida laughed. “War is always certain amongst humans. It is like walking or breathing. Humans thrive on conflict and when there is none, then they seek it out.”

  “Well, then I need to find my friends, sooner rather than later,” Kai said. “What do you suggest we do about warding the Tower against a similar attack?”

  “I’ll go back,” Oshri said. A scowl immediately crossed Frida’s face but before she could say anything Oshri continued, “Don’t worry, my dear. I will just go and help where they need it. Then, I will return to you.”

  Kai could see by the expression on her face that she was not happy with the arrangement but she slowly nodded in agreement.

  “If you are OK with it, the help would be greatly appreciated,” Kai said to Frida. “If it will make you feel any better, Jaime can accompany him back to the Tower.”

  Oshri’s face instantly lit up with a look of mischievousness.

  “That would be good. I can only keep an eye on him until he reaches Seron,” Frida said.

  Kai knew that Jaime would protest not going with him to Evresh but the Tower was more important to the big picture.

  “OK. We will leave first thing in the morning. I will find Jaime and tell him the good news,” Kai said and stood. As he left the room, he saw Oshri leap over the table again followed by an explosion of fire.

  Kai just smiled and went to find his friend.

  5

  “This is one of those times in life where you have to be very clear about what you say,” Isabella said sternly. In just a moment, she transformed from a weeping little girl into an angry young woman, with fireballs growing in her palms.

  The young man who stood at the end of the hall between two large Knights of the Tower, Amelia’s personal guard, cowered in fear of the torrent that was stomping in his direction. He attempted to run back the way they had come but he was held, squirming in place, by the two guards.

  “You have some nerve coming here,” Isabella screamed, her normally kind and smiling face twisted in anger. The gold-purple scales that lined her face grew reddish and bright, as did the fire that filled her palms. She pulled her arm back and threatened to hurl the flaming orb.

  The boy began to cry and fell to his knees. The distinct smell of urine wafted through the air as a puddle began to form beneath him. The guards stepped back in recoil, both men professing their disgust.

  “I … I … I’m so sorry,” Makal said, sobbing, his dark messy hair began to slick back as he continually wiped the tears from his eyes with the back of his arm. “I had no idea. I swear. I had no idea.”

  The boy let himself fall forward into the wetness he had created and tucked his knees as close to his chest as he could get them. He rocked back and forth on the ground, eyes tightly shut, repeating the words, “I had no idea.”

  Isabella stopped short in her rampage toward her former suitor. She was startled by his reaction to her. She had never made anyone wet themselves before, at least, she had never seen it personally. She began to feel terrible that she could cause this reaction in someone she used to care so deeply about. Looking at his face, she thought maybe she still did care for him.

  “Take him to the lodge and get him cleaned up. They should have clothes to fit him there,” Isabella said to the guards, who hastily complied as they would never go against their Princess. She knew, though, they would not be happy about the task and would, perhaps, take out their frustrations on the boy, physically. “Please keep him in his current condition until I have decided what I would like to do with him.”

  The two knights gave a crisp salute and lifted Makal to his feet. The boy would not raise his head to look Isabella in the eyes but she really wasn’t sure she wanted him to. She did not enjoy watching the humiliation he had suffered, especially since it was at her hand. In fact, it was making her feel sick to her stomach.

  “I need to lie down,” she said to her mother, Amelia, and Adina. Without waiting for a response, Isabella turned and charged out of the hall. She walked quickly and purposefully so any who would think to stop her for any reason, would think twice. She made her way to her humble room, locking the door behind her.

  “Sisera. I need you,” she mindlinked, pleading as she paced the long but narrow space.

  “I am here,” Sisera mindlinked back.

  “Makal returned, Just showed up, right out of the blue.” Isabella said through the mindlink.

  “I know. I felt it. Did he really pee on the floor?”

  “Sisera! This is not the time!”

  “I’m sorry but you have to admit, he deserved it.”

  “We don’t know that. We don’t know if he had anything at all to do with the attacks on Mara. Makal is not his father.”

  “A bit sensitive, aren’t you? I know you still feel for him. You can’t hide it from me. Use your head. Make the right choice. Send him away. Better yet, kill him. You, we, can’t trust him.”

  Isabella screamed at the top of her lungs and fireballs began to grow in the palms of her hands. She just wanted to burn it all down. Everything,
everywhere. She lifted her arm to pitch a white-hot orb at the straw mat the monks used to sleep on.

  “Isabella.”

  The young girl just stared at the bed, ready to throw her fireball. She pictured how fast it would burn up, how fast this building would burn up. She knew her dragonfire was strong, she could reduce the whole pathetic village to ash within minutes, if she wanted to.

  “Isabella! Please, just try to stay calm. I’m almost there.”

  “Why is all of this so hard?” Isabella shouted as tears began to flow down the gold-purple dragonscale covering her cheeks. The flames extinguished, disappearing back into her palms. The girl fell to her knees and wept with her face buried in her hands.

  “Everything is going to be OK. You just need to clear your head. Go outside.”

  Isabella slowed her sobbing enough to get to her feet and go to the window. She wiped her eyes with the sleeve of her tunic and stepped through the opening which let her out into a vegetable garden. She turned and leaped up onto the roof of the building with ease. There she waited until she saw the familiar silhouette of her friend flying toward her from the north. When Sisera was getting close, Isabella ran up the slope of the roof and launched herself off at the apex. Her enhanced Dragonblood abilities allowed her to jump several meters into the air which was enough for Sisera to get underneath her. Isabella landed on her back and immediately made practiced adjustments so she would not fall off as the dragon rose into the sky.

  “So much better already,” Isabella said as she loosened the tie so her long, chestnut hair could blow back. ‘Thank you, Sisera.”

  “You’re welcome. Seeing what Caritha is going through really makes me appreciate you even more.”

  “How is she holding up?” Isabella asked, a little ashamed to only be asking now.

  “She isn’t good. She doesn’t eat or sleep. She doesn’t even really move anymore. Sometimes I have to check on her to make sure she is still alive. I think it is time that we seek out Apophis.”

  “I would have thought that she would have come already. Wouldn’t she send scouts when we didn’t return south?”

  “Most certainly. There were supposed to be scouts already waiting to take the news of the battle back to her. I never saw or heard of who she was sending, though, but for all I know, they may have reported back to her already. If they have then, where is she?”

  “I don’t think we can leave now. Work on the Tower is progressing but at a slow rate. If we left our villagers may have to winter here. It would be defensible enough against a weak attack. The main problem is there will be a food shortage unless we can find someone willing to supply us on credit.”

  “You sound like a politician, you know. I can’t just let her die here. I need to help her.”

  Isabella could feel the extreme anxiety that Sisera was experiencing. It was similar to the way she felt about Raven’s disappearance but Kai was already going for help. There was no help coming for Caritha, not that they knew of. They had to do something.

  “Mother wishes to throw a celebration for the villagers and our hosts. I will ask the people then if they are comfortable with me leaving. I am determined to be a leader who listens to her people instead of bullies them,” Isabella said. “Besides, I owe it to them. They all risked their lives for me.”

  “Not all of them.”

  “The ones that are left.”

  “You don’t know that.”

  “We can’t just leave them there,” Isabella shouted.

  “Why not? We can go to Droll. Your mother and Adina can travel there easily enough. We can just leave this place behind and start over.”

  Isabella knew this had to be a jest. The dragon cared for the people just as much as she did. There was truth in her words, though. “Seron is my home. I …” Was it though? The thought made her pause. Twice now she had been forced from her home. Would it be any different somewhere else? No, she had to hold on to what was hers. If she wasn’t willing to fight for it, then what kind of a leader would she be?

  “I didn’t think you would. You know what that means though?”

  “What’s that?”

  “You are going to have to make hard decisions and live with them. If you choose to stay, it won’t be easy. We will be surrounded by possible enemies at all times. And, you’re going to have to be OK with that.”

  Isabella understood. “When did you get so serious?” she asked, giving the dragon a playful nudge with her boot.

  “The last few months have really made me realize that this world does not function the same as the Dragon Isle. Humans can be very dangerous. I see now what Apophis was warning us about for all those years. Tyrath’s death really showed me that dragons have a lot to fear.”

  Isabella thought of the great bronze-yellow who had helped her and Sisera find Apophis, the leader of the dragons. Tyrath fell in battle when the Daxrah attacked to take back the Tower of Mara from the Sacred Blood brotherhood. He had been very kind to her and did not deserve that fate.

  “We are here.”

  Sisera circled lower and lower until she came to land on a platform high up on the side of a mountain. The gold-purple had ripped out all the trees to create an easier place for Caritha to land when they first arrived. The ground was now compact and hard from Sisera’s pacing around. There was a large opening at the back of the platform where Caritha could lay out of the mountain weather.

  Isabella had not expected to see such a dramatic change in the large white-red’s appearance. Caritha had lost all color from her dragonscale which were now so white they looked translucent. The dragon lay on her side, unmoving, even when her broodmate and the Dragonblood arrived.

  “She has been like this for days now. She won’t move let alone eat,” Sisera said as she ran a clawed hand down the pale dragon’s face.

  Caritha’s eyes were open but they just stared straight ahead looking at nothing.

  Isabella’s heart broke. Was this what it was like to lose your bonded? No wonder Sisera was not her usual jovial self. Isabella put her arms around pale dragon’s neck and squeezed but Caritha remained still.

  “We need Apophis,” Isabella said and began to cry.

  Although it was a hard time, just being with the dragons helped Isabella feel more relaxed. She spent the rest of the day trying to offer comfort to Caritha while she discussed her situation with Sisera.

  The sun soon disappeared behind a large mountain to the west of the cave which signaled Isabella that it was time to return to the monastery. There was still a few hours before nightfall but the girl had responsibilities that she could not avoid. When she took back the role of leader from her mother, she gave up any excuse she could have for missing out on her duties. Sisera flew her back and promptly returned to the cave.

  Isabella took her time as she made her way toward the main building in the complex. The entire yard had been converted into a tent city to house the displaced villagers. It all looked orderly but who knew what was happening inside those tents. A plan to destroy the mine or poison the well could be planned in one of the tents and she was powerless to stop it from happening.

  Maybe Sisera is right. Maybe we should start over, she thought to herself as she approached the main temple.

  Isabella pulled open the door and much to her surprise, sitting in the hallway, waiting to speak with the First Monk, was Makal. She stopped short, at first unsure of what to do next.

  Makal saw her enter the hall and shifted nervously in his seat, then after a moment’s thought, he stood and approached her.

  “Isabella, please, just let me explain,” he said. He brought his hands together in front like he was about to pray, then dropped to his knees at her feet.

  Isabella was unsure how to react to his display of submission and began to back away nervously. She looked into the boy’s deep brown eyes and remembered how many fun times they shared together. Was it genuine when he slid a daisy behind her ear and kissed her on the cheek the day they snuck away for a walk i
n the forest? Were the sweet things he said about her dragonscale all fake just so he could get near enough to hurt her? She could feel rage building inside of her and the longer she stared at him the more she wanted to strike him down.

  “Isabella! No!”

  The voice of Adina tore through her mind and made her realize what she was doing. Isabella did not realize that she had ignited fireballs and was standing ready to strike down the kneeling boy with dragonfire. On his knees before her, Makal looked as if he had already accepted his fate and was leaning back, eyes closed, waiting for the blast.

  “What am I doing?” She gasped and lunged forward, wrapping her arms around the boy, who yelped in surprise.

  At first, Makal was frozen with fear but after a few moments he decided the gesture was sincere and nervously reciprocated the embrace. He looked to Adina for an explanation but she just shrugged.

  “I’m so mad right now,” Isabella whispered into his ear as she pulled him close in a tight embrace. “I don’t know if I can believe anything you tell me now.”

  “I didn’t know my father was that kind of a man, I swear. I had nothing to do with what he did,” Makal said with whispered desperation.

  “Meaningless,” she said, tightening her hold on him. “I told you, I can’t believe you.”

  “Then, what is this?”

  “I refuse to believe the connection we made was all lies. I have feelings for you and I know you have feelings for me. Right now, I don’t need to believe what you say,” Isabella said while maintaining her grip on him. “Right now, I need a hug.”

  6

  “I honestly would have thought the other side of the world would look very different from home,” Santaal Kader said as he perched one thick leather boot on a stone pony wall that separated him from a sheer drop off the side of a cliff.

  High on a mountain plateau, the impressive view from the temple grounds stretched out for miles in three directions. The fourth and most northern side of the wide flat shelf was blocked by the mountain itself as it stretched up for a few more miles. Lush forest covered all the eye could see but Tarak suspected, because of the craftsmanship of the temple, there was civilized life nearby, hidden away under the thick green canopy.