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

by Robyn Wideman

  “There was no need to do that.”

  “No need? From the looks of it, you could have flown us or teleported us to the island and saved us all this time.” Kai was beginning to get really upset. “I would not have had to endure the ‘testing’ at the Temple.”

  “But, then what would you have learned?” Bastion sat up and stared at Kai with a scolding look. “Besides, I’m not a pack mule or a magical ferry boat. The witches decided that it was best for you to travel over land, so that’s what we did. I was instructed to show you the way and make sure you stay alive until you got there.”

  That raised too many questions for Kai and exhaustion overtook his anger. He lay back in the sand as a sign of his submission. “I have to say though, you are pretty impressive, especially for a kid,” he said.

  Bastion paused for a moment, as if to regain his composure. “Thank you,” he said finally. “I’m a prodigy.” He paused again before he continued, “You were also impressive. You’re display of courage was most … surprising.”

  Kai could not help but chuckle at the boy’s choice of words. At this point, he didn’t care enough to argue so he let the slight slide.

  “And, thank you for saving my life.”

  Kai couldn’t believe what he had just heard. He rolled over again to look at the boy who returned his gaze with a sincere expression.

  “I was in a lot of trouble there and you risked your life save me. Thank you.”

  Kai smiled. “You’re welcome,” he said.

  After a few moments rest, Kai went to gather their gear and check on his friend while Bastion dealt with the corpse of the Cracyn. Aarav was still unconscious and would remain that way until the boy returned from moving the monster’s lifeless body to a spot where it would remain hidden until he could get back to it to take a trophy.

  Bastion cast a healing spell on the man and after a few moments his eyes began to flutter open. Within the hour, he was on his feet and feeling better than he had before.

  The boat had fallen victim to the monsters thrashing after Kai had abandoned it so Bastion made an exception and used magic to transport the two men across the river just before sunset.

  Kai looked back at the river one last time before they set off. Memories of the journey flashed through his mind, filling him with a strange feeling of pride. Although he had overcome so much to get where he was, he was almost disappointed that the end was very near.

  “Not there yet,” he said to himself with a shrug. He hoisted his pack onto his back and followed his companions into the island to find Sova Zlo.

  38

  “It’s like there is a something tearing at my insides, trying to drag me toward her,” Caritha groaned while she rolled around on the grass field in agony. “I have to go to her.”

  Isabella and Sisera stood by watching the sad spectacle, feeling very helpless. Isabella wanted nothing more than to let the dragon fly off to find her bonded but Apophis would not allow it because the Western Ocean was vast. It was a great distance for even a dragon to fly, and Caritha was in no physical condition to make the journey.

  “She seems to be getting some color back,” Sisera said.

  “Her scales do look to be less translucent but its hard to tell because they are naturally white,” Isabella said. “There is definitely red showing around the edges of them though.”

  “That’s a very good sign,” the gold-purple said, whose own scales were gleaming in the sunlight, tipped with deep, rich color. The color perfectly matched the dragonscale that now covered most of Isabella’s face and a good portion of her body.

  “Adina’s medicine seems to be helping as well,” Isabella pointed out.

  Adina and Apophis had worked together on the healer’s medicines, experimenting with substitutions, and refining the recipes. Once the alpha had shared the fact that she had an encyclopedic knowledge of alchemical components and their effects, she and Adina were inseparable. The alpha and the healer would often leave for hours at a time in search of ingredients, many of which Adina had never considered for her work, and leave the bonded pair to care for Caritha.

  “Maybe she needs another dose,” Sisera said, concerned with the pale dragon’s wild behavior.

  Isabella agreed and ran off toward the shelter she had built for Caritha that now contained Adina’s workspace. Isabella had repaired the structure but Caritha would no longer use it so Adina converted the space into a crude laboratory. She grabbed a glass vessel that was filled with a dark green liquid and carried it back to where Sisera continued to watch as Caritha flailed around on the ground in front of her.

  “Are you ready?” Isabella said, mentally preparing herself for what was to come.

  Sisera nodded and began to advance slowly on the flailing dragon. She waited until the right moment, when the pale dragon was on her back with her wings spread out on the grass, then leaped on top of her, pinning her down. Normally, Caritha could have easily thrown her broodmate off but in her weakened condition that feat was out of the question. As soon as Sisera had Caritha immobilized, she ran forward and attempted to pour the green liquid into dragon’s mouth.

  “This was a lot easier when she wasn’t moving,” Isabella said as she tried to grab a hold of the pale dragon’s head without spilling the medicine all over the ground. Caritha fought as best she could but Sisera, using her own head to press down on the pale dragon’s neck, holding her head in place long enough for Isabella to force open her mouth and pour in the liquid. When the vessel was emptied, Isabella quickly tossed it aside and wrapped her arms around the dragon’s mouth to force Caritha to swallow. As soon as she did, Isabella let go and ran to a safe distance away. As soon as Isabella was clear, Sisera leaped off to join her.

  Caritha continued to buck and flail with much more vigor than she had before but it was short lived and soon the dragon was calm but still babbling about finding Shayla.

  Isabella and Sisera knew that the docile demeanor would not last but it would take a significant amount of time to for her to return to her previous state. They took the opportunity to perform training exercises while still maintaining a watch on the pale dragon. They had finished training and eaten before Caritha progressed to where they had to administer another dose.

  “They should be returning soon,” Isabella said when she could sense Sisera thinking about the tardiness of the alpha and the healer. “Perhaps they found a particularly interesting assortment of fungi that needs to be harvested at precisely sundown with a blade fashioned from vraber bone.”

  The pair shared a laugh as they both found the particulars of alchemical component collection to be hilarious. Adina would often share stories of unusual ingredients and the methods used to the gather them around the campfire as a way to pass the time.

  It was well into the night before Apophis and Adina returned. Isabella was awoken by Sisera for her shift at watch and had been restoking the fire when she heard the familiar sound of wings flapping in the distance. She immediately put out the fire so she could see better in the dark and woke Sisera.

  They stood protectively by Caritha as she slept and waited for the dragon to get close enough to determine if it was a threat. The two moons were almost full and lit the night sufficiently enough that they could see at a fair distance.

  “Maybe we should go confront it,” Sisera said as she was straining to make out the dark form that was approaching high in the sky.

  “You go check it out and I will stay here with Caritha,” Isabella said. She was hesitant to leave the pale dragon undefended in case of a battle.

  Sisera quickly discovered that their fears were unfounded and that it was in fact Apophis approaching. Isabella had the fire roaring again when Sisera and the alpha dragon touched down near the camp. Adina crawled down from the white-gold’s back and gladly accepted the blanket that Isabella had ready for her.

  “As amazing as it is, flying has its downsides. I don’t think I’ve ever been so cold in all my life,” Adina said as she warmed h
erself by the blazing campfire trying to rid herself of a persistent shiver. When she spoke, she sounded as if she were stammering because she was shaking so bad.

  “You know, you could be the only nondragonblood in history to ride on the back of a dragon,” Isabella said while she prepared a pot of tea from the supplies that Adina had returned with.

  “The thought had occurred to me,” Adina said. She accepted a mug of steaming hot mint tea and took a few careful sips before she continued, “I don’t know how you do it, standing and moving around like you do.”

  “It took some practise but now it just feels natural,” Isabella said with a laugh. “Of course, it doesn’t hurt that I have much better reflexes.”

  “I wish she didn’t move around as much. She’s too heavy,” Sisera said. She was keeping watch from the edge of the camp, out of the firelight but still within earshot.

  “Oh, shut up. Nobody asked you,” Isabella said, taking false offence to the comment.

  “You are though.”

  Isabella turned back to Adina with an exaggerated display to emphasise her exception to the dragon’s comment. “Anyway. Are you warm enough now to explain what took you so long?” she asked.

  Adina nodded. “Well, I better let Apophis tell you the details but the short story is that we went to the coast and got what we needed. We stopped at a village so I could buy some supplies then we started home. En route, we were intercepted by Rythin who brought news about Nelarth. It was disturbing enough news that Apophis immediately changed course to make a visit to a witch that she has contact with. That was an experience that I will never forget.”

  “A witch? From the coven Apophis talked about?” The notion raised a great deal of curiosity in the dragonblood girl.

  “Sort of.” Adina laughed.

  “What does that mean?” Isabella was getting anxious. She needed to know and the suspense was killing her and Adina was not giving her straight answers.

  “Apophis told me we were going to see a witch so we flew to the east coast of Droll. It was truly amazing to look at the country from so high up,” Adina said. Her voice was beginning to steady as the warmth from the fire heated her core. She snorted a laugh as she realized what she had just said, “But, I suppose you know all about that so I don’t have to tell you.

  “We flew over the most amazing fortress. It looked as if it had been made with dragons in mind. It had no walls because it sat atop a mountain. There were huts, for watchmen I would guess, built around the edge in a circular pattern with a great building in the middle that looked like a nest. I asked Apophis about it but she was preoccupied and did not seem to hear me. As it was, I thought it best to not press the matter.”

  Isabella nodded. It was probably best given the current state of affairs but she made a mental note to ask about the fortress at another time.

  “So, close by the fortress, we landed on a wide beach that was bordered on two sides with tall cliffs. There was a big rock outcrop on the beach and that is where we landed. Apophis began to speak but I saw no one receive us. It came as a shock when the massive stone answered her back.”

  “The stone answered her back?” Sisera asked. The dragon had slowly inched her way over closer to the fire as the old healer was speaking and was now fully engrossed in Adina’s story.

  “Not only that, it moved. It was a stone dragon,” Adina said, the excitement in her voice increasing as she recalled the encounter in her mind. “Not very much, mind you, only it’s head and its wings but it was incredible to witness.”

  “What did they talk about?” Isabella asked.

  “That is a question better left for Apophis,” Adina said.

  The anxiety the girl felt was growing by the moment and she vocalized it with a frustrated groan.

  “You don’t have to wait long, child,” Apophis said from directly behind her.

  Isabella jumped from the stump on which she was sitting in surprised shock. She spun around and the white-gold alpha was standing close behind, chuckling.

  Sisera was also staggered by the stealthy arrival of Apophis. She quickly jumped back and flared out her wings with such force that when she hit the little hut that Isabella and Adina shared, it exploded into a flurry of splintered wood.

  There was a moment of stunned silence when everyone tried to comprehend what had just happened. Even the gold-purple stood in shocked stillness amidst the rubble of the former abode.

  Adina let out a low groan. “At least, it’s not raining,” she said and began to chuckle.

  Isabella was horrified at first but there was nothing of value in the hut so there was nothing lost except the time she spent building it. She then saw it the way Adina did and began to laugh as well.

  “I’m glad you all find it so amusing.” Sisera snorted but could not resist the infectious noise and soon joined in. She stepped gingerly out of the rubble even though there was nothing left to damage which sent them roiling again with renewed laughter.

  When they had finally settled down, Apophis said, “It is truly wonderful to enjoy the little things that make life great. I’m afraid our good spirits won’t last as there is a very troubled time ahead. I have been told by the witches that Nelarth has been secretly meeting with his former allies. The witches help by monitoring problematic dragons,” she said. “It was in the original bargain that they would assist us in the transition back to world. They mainly provide us with information but there are certain dragons that could pose a great threat to the balance of the world and they like to keep a watch over those dragons themselves.”

  “Like Nelarth?” Adina asked.

  “Nelarth can cloak himself from prying magical eyes so their magic is useless. However, they can watch those who were closest to Nelarth and that’s where our good fortune lies. The witches noticed a few dragons acting strangely, like they were talking and interacting with something or someone but there was nothing to be seen. After it happened a few times, they went to see for themselves and sure enough, their dragon was in conversation with a vicious looking black-gold. Nelarth.”

  “It was him for sure?” Isabella asked.

  “Yes,” Sisera said. “He’s the only one.”

  “Are the dragons still going to do the sweep?” Isabella said.

  “Oh yes,” Apophis said, “This news merely adds urgency to the situation. He is planning something but, who knows what. Nelarth has yet to find a way to make himself invisible to the naked eye so that will be the only way to find him.”

  “I hope I never have to meet him,” Isabella said with a disgusted look.

  “I hope that too,” Sisera said quietly.

  “My hope is that I can prevent anything from happening by confronting him now and, with any luck, disrupt his plans,” Apophis said. “I must leave the island so it is not safe here for you. The witches have offered a haven for Caritha where she will be safe. I know it is not ideal because she wants to go west and not to the east, but for the time being that is how it has to be. I will fly with you there and once you are settled I will continue. I would like you all to remain with her, if you are willing.”

  Adina answered instantly. “Of course.”

  “What she said,” Isabella said with a chuckle.

  “I’m not sure that we are going to have to worry about Caritha,” Sisera said, her voice filled with anxiety. “She’s gone.”

  Everyone was suddenly in a panic. The dragons flew off to search the skies. Isabella remained behind with Adina so the older woman wasn’t alone. There was not much she could do to help at nighttime anyway. She kept herself busy cleaning up the pieces of the destroyed hut while she maintained contact with Sisera.

  “It’s too dark still. We can’t see anything.”

  Isabella felt sick to her stomach. She was not very good at feeling helpless and now it was also coupled with an intense feeling of guilt. Caritha was her responsibility and she let her leave. The dragon was not strong enough yet to make the trip across the great ocean. She was gone now and
it was all Isabella’s fault.

  “It is not your fault alone. I am just as responsible.”

  “I suppose if this experience has taught us anything its that we are no longer individuals. We are forever tied to one another no matter what. I believe it would be safe to say that we are both responsible,” Isabella said.

  “Agreed. Apophis says we must give up hope. There is nothing to be gained by chasing her to certain death so we are on the way back.”

  The sky began to brighten just a couple hours later so Apophis and Sisera set out again, this time to do a search of the surrounding islands, just in case Caritha did not head west. When they returned unsuccessful, shortly after sundown, Apophis decided that they had to give up the search.

  “She was a good friend and I will miss her dearly,” Apophis said mournfully. “But, she is her own dragon and if she chooses to fly off into danger, then so be it. We did the best we could but some things just cannot be prevented. And so, we must move on.”

  The alpha’s words felt like a punch in the gut. Isabella wanted to scream and cry but she did neither. Instead, she took a deep breath and tried to steady her trembling voice to ask, “What will we do?”

  “Go east to the witches. It will be a safe place that will offer more of an advantage against whatever Nelarth has planned. We will leave at first light,” the alpha said.

  Suddenly Adina stood and took a few steps toward the middle of the great grass field. She stood and pointed at the rock outcropping that stood in the middle.

  Isabella, Sisera, and Apophis all turned to see what the old healer was pointing at.

  The dragonblood girl gasped.

  The rock outcropping was glowing blue.

  39

  Tarak was thankful that the portal that Zellox created was not like the one he had previously suffered through. The warlord’s magic was much more controlled than the raw energy that threw him across the world.

  Zellox’s portal set them down on top of a rock formation but Tarak could not make out the surround area because of the bright blue light that still surrounded the huddled group. He could see that, wherever they were, it was nighttime. When the top of the magical sphere opened, Tarak began to blink his eyes rapidly to avoid night-blindness as much as possible.