Legend of the Touched

by JF Jenkins

  "Interesting," this young man said. He shrugged. "So be it. Let them flee and delay the inevitable." Tai got the sneaking suspicion that he was the leader of the pack which was strange to her because he seemed so young.

  They were brought to the roof where Tai saw a massive mud-brown dragon. Spikes riddled its body and tail. In fact, the tail ended in a ball of sharp points. The wings were jagged with hooks along the vertebrae. The face had an elongated snout that ended in a curve. She'd never seen something so ugly before in her life. Was this what a Fire dragon looked like? There was one other dragon similar to it in mass and size. This one was a little more "pretty" but not by much. Instead of a long snout it had a more normal-looking lizard shape to its face. The body was similar in design though. A few smaller dragons came through the door behind them. These had tall bodies, walked on two legs, and had shorter arms. Vicious and sharp claws stuck out on their hands and feet. They too had a standard lizard face with a number of nasty teeth protruding from their mouths. She looked between these small dragons and then the larger ones. The skin tone on the smaller ones was a rough, rusty red. No, these are fire dragons. Her eyes went wide at the sight of the big ones. These are another tribe.

  "We'll take them back home and Lord Inero will decide what to do next. If they cooperate, they are not to be harmed," the young man said as he pushed her into the arms of two other Inero men. She watched as the smaller dragons all began to transform back into their human shape and then line up to board the back of one of the great brown beasts. She, Katelyn and Lance were all placed into the line as well. They put a glowing blue and brown metallic band around Lance's wrists. His body shook slightly for a moment, and he groaned softly, his head drooping down. Then a similar blue band was placed on both her and Katelyn. She didn't feel pain, but there was a noticeable magical power flowing through the metal. What it did however, she didn't know.

  Tai was lifted onto the dragon and seated between two Inero. If only she could dry off faster, then she could try to communicate with Darien again. She was still soaked and the wind blowing through the buildings of downtown Oceina City caused an awful chill. A number of Inero settled onto the back, including their fearless leader. He sat towards the front, and once all of them were sitting, the great brown dragon began to take off. They reached fifty feet into the air when a water dragon appeared and blocked their path. For a moment her heart pounded as she hoped he was Darien coming to rescue them. But this dragon was much bigger than she remembered him ever being, nearly three times his size. Darien in his dragon form was small even in comparison to the brown dragon she rode.

  "Brian, no," Lance whispered from behind her.

  A loud roar came from Brian's mouth and she got to see for the first time the sharp teeth inside of the water dragon's mouth. The leader of the Inero stood, stumbling as he rose. One of his hands gripped the spike of the brown dragon, and the other raised in front of him. It began to glow red and then the same olive-green began to mix with it. A small ball began to form, and he hurled it at Brian.

  It exploded against the water dragon's body, sending Brian flying back into one of the nearby buildings, which shattered on impact. He let out a groan, but came charging at them with full force, his own blue ball of magic beginning to form. Before he hit the brown dragon however, the beast put a dark brown magical shield around them that crackled with lightning. When Brian hit it, he repelled, falling to the ground and landing on the roof of their home, crushing it in his weight. The second brown dragon rammed into Brian, knocking him into another nearby apartment building. Brian swung half of his body at the dragon, knocking it onto the street. The dragon transporting her began to fly off again, gaining more altitude and soon all she heard was the crashes and explosions of Oceina City as it was destroyed in the battle.

  Chapter Sixty

  The Oceina

  He couldn't hear Tai, and it was worrying him. Darien had been in a class when he heard a blip of a message from her. He couldn't make it out, but her tone had been urgent.

  Tai? Please answer me, what are you trying to say? He pushed with his magic, so hard that it gave him a headache. Still nothing came back but static. He scowled as he tried to take his Calculus final. I never should have left home. He put his pencil down and rubbed at his forehead. That was when he heard the explosion. It came from a distance, and could have been anything. A transformer, construction, a number of things. But that noise, along with the combination of Tai not being able to communicate with him put him on edge.

  I can't do this right now. Darien stood up and left, not bothering to take the hall pass. He was out the door before anyone could say a word to him about it. Walking down the hall, and to the stairs, he kept trying to get a hold of his wife. Is everything okay? I heard something loud. Please tell me you're fine. He waited and there was still no reply. I'm coming home.

  He rushed through the hallways towards the parking lot. Nothing could keep him from her, though Alex tried. As Darien passed by him, Alex grabbed him by the shoulder, twisting his body rough so they were now facing each other.

  "What?" Darien exploded.

  Alex raised an eyebrow. "Where's the fire?"

  With a growl, Darien pulled away from him using his natural dragon strength to do so. "I have to go." Alex wouldn't let up however and kept pace with him as he tried to walk away. Darien almost punched him, but decided to ignore him instead. Maybe if he did that, the guy would just go away.

  "Is she in trouble?" Alex asked.

  "I don't know," he mumbled. And that was the part that bothered him the most. He didn't know. He shoved the doors to the outside open and whipped out his car keys. Why was Alex still following him? Does he think he's coming along? He rolled his eyes, all set to tell the guy off when he saw one of his brothers flying towards the school out in the distance. The dragon staggered as it made its way closer, and from that alone Darien could tell he was hurt. The creature was closing in on them and losing altitude quickly.

  "Brace yourself," Darien said and planted his feet firmly into the ground, holding on to the car for support. Alex frowned, took one glance over his shoulder, and with wide eyes did the same just as the dragon crashed into the ground around fifty feet away. His brother's massive body continued to plow forward, dragging up dirt and grass from the school yard for another thirty feet before halting with a loud groan. It took him a minute, but Darien recognized Brian under all of that dirt. What frightened and worried him the most was all of the blood covering his brother's great snake-like body. He could see it pouring out of deep gashes all along Brian's sides. A piece of what appeared to be glass, a large one at that, protruded from his forehead.

  "Brian," Darien whispered and rushed to his brother's side.

  "The Inero came...with Terran. They attacked home," Brian wheezed in the dragon tongue. "I...tried to stop them...big fight. They took Lance and Katelyn and...." He stopped to take a deep breath and closed his large blue eyes.

  "Tai, please tell me she's okay."

  "They have her too."

  Darien cursed quietly in the dragon tongue and ran a hand through his hair. He couldn't think clearly. They have her. They have my family. Ethan. His eyes went wide. "The others? The kids?"

  "Everyone else is...is...safe. The children...they went...Sanctuary."

  A soft sigh of relief escaped his lips. "Let me help you." He reached out and put his hands on his brother's thick, blue scales now covered in sticky red blood which made them a glossy dark purple. The smell churned Darien's stomach, and so did the warmth of the liquid in comparison to how cold Brian's body was beginning to feel. His brother was dying. There had to be magic inside of Darien that could help. He was Touched. Didn't that mean he was capable of great things?

  "I tried...to stop..."

  "Don't speak," Darien whispered. "Concentrate on transforming. It'll help with healing the wounds faster and with the pain."

  "I stopped feeling pain a while ago."

  "Please do it anyway." Wide eye
d, Darien stared up at the glass in his brother's head. How deep was it? He conjured up whatever magic he could think of that might help his brother. If Brian would only transform, then Darien could use his abilities to hide the shift. No one was around to see except.... He glanced over his shoulder, remembering Alex was there. The young man's eyes were wide, his jaw hung open, and he slowly shook his head as if in disbelief.

  Brian closed his eyes and took in a long breath, sucking the air away from Darien which caused him to shiver. Then Brian exhaled slowly. "I can't. I'm too tired. I just want to sleep."

  "If you sleep, you'll die. Please." Darien couldn't lose another member of his family. Despite their differences, Brian was still his brother. Darien still loved him.

  Another groan left his brother's mouth. "Send me off...in the fire...like you did father...do not leave me here... I'm sorry I couldn't..."

  Tears filled Darien's eyes and he shook his head. "You have done incredible things. I will make sure to care for you tonight, and your family. I'll bring everyone back. Rest and be with Father, and God."

  Brian let out another breath that sounded almost like a sigh, as though he had been waiting for Darien's permission to pass. "Thank you. Sanctuary..."

  "I remember the way," Darien said. He pressed his forehead against his hands that still touched his brother's skin. The tears spilled down his cheeks as he felt Brian's body exhale one last time, and then never draw another breath in. Darien bit back the tears with enough force that he drew blood from his lip. Now was not the time to cry. There'd be time for that later. He had to get home, and he had to get to Sanctuary.

  Standing, he stared down at his bloodstained hands and then at his brother's now dead body. He'd promised to care for it properly. Hopefully, he could return later in the night to do so and fulfill his word. A dragon body the size of Brian would not be easy to move. He had always been the largest of the entire tribe as far as Darien knew.

  As much as he wanted to transform on the spot and fly to Inero in a rage to collect his wife, he knew it was a stupid idea on multiple levels. The only solace he had was that if the Inero had wanted to kill them all, they wouldn't have waited to do so. They certainly hadn't with his father. No, there was another plan. Darien had time to come up with one of his own.

  He walked past Alex and got into his car without a word. There was a lot to do.

  Chapter Sixty-One

  The Oceina

  The only home he'd ever known was nothing more than a heap of rubble. The roof was smashed in, and a side of the building had been blasted away. Several buildings around it were in similar condition. He didn't want to think about the needless loss of life that had happened in the fight between Brian and the other tribes. The damage extended down the street as far as he could see. None of the skyscrapers had toppled over, though some of their windows had blown out on the lower floors. Rescue workers were everywhere trying to put out fires and help those who were injured. He swallowed, taking the whole scene in.

  Sanctuary, he had to focus on getting there. Then he could get his plan and the backup he'd need to go and save his family, to save Tai. When his father had built their home long before Darien had been born, he put an enchantment on it. Or rather, Darien's grandfather had placed it on the building, creating a gate between their home and Sanctuary where his grandfather lived. It was a place of refuge, and the castle where the first Great Oceina Lord once reigned. No one besides his grandfather knew where it actually was. It's location long forgotten over all of the years. All Darien had to do was find the magical portal.

  He made his way to the front door, stepping around a huge chunk of fallen concrete to do so. The once grand lobby was covered in dust from the rubble, the chandelier was on the floor completely shattered, and there was a large hole in the ceiling. There had been a portal on this main floor in a coat closet. All of them were well hidden. Orion had once told him there were a hundred of them, so they would be prepared for anything. The story went his grandfather Lucca had sacrificed all of his magic to create them.

  All Darien had to do was stand on the portal and focus. The only thing he didn't know was if he'd be able to come back to the city. It was a risk he was going to have to take. He walked into the closet, found the glowing sigil of the water dragon still intact on the far wall, and pressed his hand to it. Eyes closed, he focused on going to Sanctuary, a place he'd never been before. He felt his body disperse into water molecules and in a flash of blue light he stood in the corner of a large, stone entryway.

  "Darien?" Tony asked from nearby. His voice echoed in the room. When Darien turned around, he saw his brother sitting on a grand stone staircase.

  "Yeah, it's me." He walked over slowly.

  "Leena is a mess. We lost Brian, didn't we?" Tony choked on his words.

  Darien nodded slowly, taking a moment to hide his face in his hands.

  "Lance, Katelyn, Tai?" Tony asked.

  "Captured."

  "You're bleeding."

  Darien shook his head, still not showing his face. "It's not mine."

  Tony was quiet for a moment. "What are we going to do?"

  "We aren't going to do anything. I'm going after them. You need to stay here."

  Tony's jaw tightened and his usually bright blue eyes were filled with a new kind of fire Darien had never seen before. This was not his gentle, peace-loving brother in front of him anymore.

  Tony slammed a clenched fist onto the stone stair where he sat. "I can't sit back and do nothing. You're going to need help."

  "I am, but what about your boys? They've already lost their mom, what if something happened to you too? Besides, I need you to do something else for me." Darien did his best to not raise his voice to his brother. Tony was usually slow to anger and quick to understand. Moments like this where he became irrationally upset were rare. Hopefully by distracting him with another task, he'd be able to get his brother to calm down but also feel useful.

  For a minute, Tony didn't say anything. "Fine, you're right. But Ashley was there today. She led them to our door, I'm sure of it. Our connection isn't strong anymore, but I should have been paying more attention. I missed it. I could have warned everyone, or something. She needs to pay for this."

  "She will, but I can't risk losing you too, and neither can your sons."

  "She tried to hurt the eggs in the nursery. Lance's took a good swipe, but Asher seems to think he'll be okay. The damage was minimal, thank God."

  "So all of the eggs are—."

  "Fine, yeah. There are incubators here. None of the children were hurt beyond the one. Arthur is on his way. He also received a message from the Inero, but it was a lot less violent."

  Darien lifted his head up and looked at his brother. "Good, I'll need his advice and his connections to get the others back. Until then, there's a lot that needs to be done. First though, I want to see my son."

  Chapter Sixty-Two

  The Oceina

  They landed on the roof of a mighty castle just as the sun was setting. The land of Inero looked desolate and empty. It gave Tai shivers. All she could see as they flew was nothing but desert for miles. The leader grabbed Tai and dragged her away from Katelyn and Lance. If they could at least stick together, she'd feel stronger, but that must have been the point in splitting them up. While the other two had a swarm of guards watching them, Tai only had the one. He pulled her into the castle and led her through its cool stone walls. It was dark inside, and the decor suggested the owner of the castle only wanted to display power. There was no homey feel to it. The apartment back home lacked the homey touch, but there was at least an attempt at making it feel welcoming. There had been a few pictures hung on the walls, and artwork, plants even. Here the only decoration she saw was a tapestry or a portrait of a man in a strong pose of some kind.

  The young man stopped in front of a large oak door and knocked, hard. It opened, revealing a young woman close to Tai's age. She may have been a couple of years older. Her dark eyes were surrounded
by puffy flesh, clear signs she had been crying. She tried to hide it by pushing her dark, curly hair, in front of her face.

  "Who's there?" A male voice called out from inside.

  "Matthias," the woman said. "He has a guest."

  "Oh, good he's returned with—" The man came into view. He looked to be in his late forties, early fifties with chin-length, black, greasy hair streaked gray. His dark eyes landed on Tai, narrowed, and then looked her body up and down. "Who is this? I thought you would be bringing me the Great Lord."

  "He wasn't there," the young man who had captured her said and he lowered his eyes. "This is his wife."

  "Even better." The older man licked his lips. "Come in dear and sit. Welcome to my home. I am Lynx, Lord of the Inero. This is my bride Navi, and my other wife Lenora will be along shortly."

  Two wives? Tai crinkled her nose in disgust. Looking at the woman he introduced as Navi, she couldn't help but wonder why they had even married to begin with. He was so much older than her. Was it forced? Or was something else in it for her? Tai did not want to sit anywhere in his home and be comfortable. The way he watched her sent shivers down her spine because she was almost certain he was starting to lust for her. Darien had told her it smelled like cinnamon. She was picking up on something awfully like it from the man.

  "He invited you to sit." The young man gave her a sharp nudge in the back.

  She took a step forward and searched for a chair that was far away. The only thing she could find was the couch. She took a seat on the floor where she stood.

  Lynx laughed. "I suppose that's acceptable. And appropriate. You already have respect for your soon to be new Lord. But, please, come, right here." He patted the couch beside him.

  The one called Matthias pulled on her arms to get her to stand again, and practically pushed her to the couch. Lynx caught her, his hands groping her waist more than she would have preferred, and forced her to sit on the couch practically on his lap. Tai's eyes widened, and she tried to not let him know how afraid she was. The woman called Navi came over as well and did sit on the man's lap. She wrapped her arms around his neck and he looked at her with a smile. Tai was surprised by the affection he held in his gaze. Navi did not return it, but she faked it well enough. Tai almost believed the woman cared for him too by the way she gently stroked the stubble on his chin. But there was a tightness in her jaw and a slight fire in her eyes.