Legend of the Touched

by JF Jenkins

  Taj nodded with a lot of enthusiasm, and his smile was so large. "He wanted to come himself, but he had to do other business. Plus he didn't think it would go over well if word got out. It's harder for him to go anywhere incognito. Nobody cares about what I do. I'm just the son."

  For a moment, Darien didn't quite understand. Elsewhere, being the son was quite possibly the most pressure-filled position. A lot was expected of a Great Lord's children. The Terran were elected though, so Taj would be allowed to take any job he wanted. He didn't have to do anything in politics if he didn't want to. Darien was a little jealous because while he had a choice, it was clear that if he hadn't done his father's will a lot would be lost. It felt right to follow the path set before him, but it wasn't one he would have chosen without the push.

  "My father passes on his condolences. He also wanted you to know that this attack, this agreement, was not one he made with the Inero. Lord Kinsley made the agreement right before he was voted out of office, leaving my father in an awkward position. Lord Lynx was terrifying. Being on his bad side wouldn't have boded well. Not without knowing what all is going on at least. So much of this happened without my father's consent," Taj added.

  "That's all nice to know, but what is he planning on doing to fix the problem?" Darien asked.

  Taj grabbed the door for the library entrance when they arrived, holding it open. He waved for Darien to go in first. "The Inero are planning to march straight up to Oceina City to finish it. They'll destroy everything in their path. We can't take away the magic already given to them for their weapons, but we won't be marching by their side. We'll be outside of the city, protecting it."

  "It's something. So Taj, you're Touched?"

  "I am."

  "You can help us by doing something else too. Right now, we're searching for the instructions to a ceremony that will, I guess you could say, unleash all of our power. By doing this, it will banish the one corrupting the Inero into doing all of this. The prophecies say it'll be a time of peace until the coming of the Great Dragon."

  "And you need my help?" Taj asked.

  "Four is one, one is four," Darien said. "You're the last one."

  The two entered the small library of the island. It was filled with ancient books that made the room smell musky. All it contained was several shelves of books, most of which Darien was afraid to touch for fear of destroying them. Chris and Jason were currently huddling over a copy of the Holy Book. Supposedly it was the original book that compiled all of the ancient texts.

  Chris glanced up at Darien, and then back down at the book. "I figured out how they combined the magics of the Terran and the Inero. Any dragon whose blood is let, his magic leaves with him. I'm not sure I want to think about how they were able to make those magical items. The dragon slayers are known to put the magic of the dragons they kill into jewelry for protective armor. It takes a lot of blood to do it." Jason's face paled a little. Chris shifted his weight and then continued. "The Touched can become like brothers, taking each other's magic, through the similar fashion as Guardians are made. Other dragons have been known to make an attempt at this process, but it's so powerful few survive. It also must be something ordained by God. They will be like one."

  "One is four, four is one," Darien whispered. "Do you think this is what he meant?"

  Jason shrugged. "Possibly. It's worth a shot, because if you're going to be fighting against my brother you're going to need a boost to combat his power. He can do things with his magic that I've never seen before."

  "Shouldn't be too hard," Darien said.

  "He's Touched too. We both are, so it might be harder than you think. He has a lot of aggressive spells in his arsenal. Once he's down, the rest of the army will fall too. They respect him and trust his judgment. He's the last real connection to my father."

  Darien looked down at the book and then at Taj. "You wanna help? This is how."

  Chapter Eighty-Nine

  The Inero

  It's not going to work, the demon said. It'd been taunting Jason ever since he arrived at the island.

  "It'll work," he whispered. It had to. It was the only way they'd be able to stop Matt. Jason didn't mind sharing his magic with Darien in order to make it happen. He trusted the Oceina Lord. The more time they spent together, the closer they became. They were close to being best friends even. Taj and Eztli were another story entirely. The Terran seemed to be a nice enough guy, but they'd just met. He believed the story about his father wanting to change the direction of the motions put forward by Lord Kinsley. Hopefully, he wouldn't abuse the power. Jason didn't want the Aero Touched to have any of his magic. Unfortunately, it was the magic Darien would need the most to help fight Matt. The wind was the weakness to the Earth.

  They all met in the Great Council Hall where the meetings were always held. It was strange being there without the rest of the dragon kin. Every sound echoed off of the walls, and the space seemed so much larger without the seats being filled. The four Touched dragons stood in the center of the room. Chris was off to the side, reading the Holy Book.

  "We need a fire," Chris said.

  Jason created a flame in his hand. "Okay, no problem there."

  Chris shook his head. "A fire of all the elements."

  The others exchanged glances. Darien was the next to produce his flame, a bright, beautiful blue color that accented his eyes and made them glow more vivid than usual. Then there was Etz's flame which was a blinding white. It took Taj longer than Jason would have anticipated a Touched to do it, but he created a richly colored green fire. Not the typical color for a Terran dragon.

  "In the center." Chris pointed to a pile of wood and papers on the floor.

  One by one they stepped forward and added their fire to the wood. When the last element was added, there was a gust of wind and the fire grew, spiraling up towards the ceiling like a pillar. The color of the flames was that of all the magics combined. Blue flames swirled and collided with red creating bursts of purple while the white and green weaved in and out. Beautiful and hypnotizing all at once.

  "Pray," Chris said. His voice was soft.

  Pray? Jason didn't know how to do that. "Please let this be the answer we're looking for," he murmured. That was about all he could offer. As he looked around the room, he saw mixed expressions. Darien's eyes were closed and he breathed slowly, Taj spoke but his words were lost in the roar of the fire, and Etz stared straight on with a tense jaw and furrowed brow.

  The fire began to change shape. The pillar became wider and the colors swirled up its length in harmony. At the top of the pillar, the fire began to spread out and create a canopy that reminded Jason of a tree. He couldn't take his eyes off of it. Soon the others were also looking up with similar awe on their faces. Not one of them had their mouth closed.

  "The prayer has been heard," Darien whispered. "I can feel it."

  "Same," Taj said in a quiet voice.

  A prayer that will fall on deaf ears. You're wasting your time, the demon said. Jason was positive the creature only fought against him so much because he was doing the right thing. It helped him to press onward even if sometimes he felt like the demon was right. But he couldn't give up.

  Chris produced a knife. "That's good because if it hasn't been heard, this next part could kill you all."

  Each of their palms was slit and they joined hands. The sting of the blade against his skin was nothing compared to the burning he felt when his hand grasped Darien's hand. Etz was on the other side of him and Jason noticed him wince when they touched as well. He could feel both of their magics entering into him. The water magic created a searing pain in his veins while the magic of the wind cooled and soothed it. Soon, a new magic filled him, and he wondered if it was the Terran. Whatever it was, it bridged the other two together so that the pain stopped, as did the cool flowing of the wind. In its place was a surge of new energy.

  That was when the demon began to laugh. You make this so easy for me. Now I have access to all of t
he magic of the dragons.

  "No," Jason whispered and that was when he lost control of his body and blacked out.

  Chapter Ninety

  The Inero

  "I know you're scared Kat, but making things up to try and keep me here is kind of insulting," Matt snapped. He couldn't believe the nerve of her. Accusing the holy prophet of being a fraud? What was she thinking?

  She shook her head. "I know what I saw. I know what I heard. He's manipulating you. Why would I make this up?"

  "Because you want this to end. My own wife doesn't support me? I'm so disappointed in you." And it stung. Without her encouragement, everything he did started to feel empty. If she wasn't happy with him, what was the point? He'd never failed before, and now the one time he does, it's in his marriage?

  Kat grabbed his face so tenderly, he was taken aback. He expected her to be angry. All he saw when he looked into her eyes was tears of desperation.

  "Matthias, I want this to end the right way. I'm telling you what I saw. Please reconsider your plans. Try to make an agreement in a different way."

  "They deserve to die. Especially after what they did to my father!"

  She closed her eyes, and tears spilled down her cheeks. Slowly, she kissed his lips so softly he could barely feel them. "I love you, so much."

  He stared into her dark eyes and kissed her forehead. "Then understand why I need to do this." Her body shuddered in his arms as she started to cry harder. Leaving her in such a state wasn't easy, but he pulled away so he could do so.

  "I think they've done something to your brother," she choked out.

  Matt's fists clenched at his sides. "Didn't I tell you to not mention him again? Why are you trying to hurt me so much?"

  "It's just what I heard," she said and her face turned away from him. Her eyes stared at the floor and her lips began to tremble. Then her voice appeared in his mind. I wish you'd believe me, trust me more than a child you barely know. When have I ever lied to you before?

  He couldn't think of a time when she had. Kat always tried her best to be up front and honest, he knew that. What she was saying didn't make sense though. But maybe it explained what Jason did. If whoever was hurting his brother caused him to turn, then maybe there was some hope.

  "I have to take the city. It's the only way. I'll be careful, and I'll come home again. I promise." He gave her one last kiss, unsure of whom to believe. Why would a holy prophet of God lie about a divine war? But why would his wife?

  Chapter Ninety-One

  The Oceina

  "We need to go to the cave with the crystals." Jason's whisper had been strained. Soon after his brown eyes glossed over to black, and he was lost to them once again—replaced by the demon. Chris held the young man in place as he tried to lash out at all of them. It'd been happening off and on. Every few minutes Jason would quiet down and relax, and then the next moment he started spasming and spitting. What Jason's words meant, Darien didn't know. Jason regained control over the demon one more time to give more direct coordinates.

  Taj frowned. "I'm not sure I understand what's going on."

  "He's possessed. Duh," Etz said with a roll of his eyes. "What I want to know is whose bright idea it was to include him in the transfer of power because now he has my magic. A possessed dragon is bad enough. Touched is even worse. Touched and hyped up on all of the elements? Do I need to spell this out?"

  "We needed his magic too," Darien said softly. Etz was right though, and he should have taken that into consideration and not been so blinded by his personal quest. "Time to go to this cave."

  "And do what?" Jason snarled at them, his voice barely human and recognizable. "You don't know what you're doing. All of you are children, worthless, stupid. If you want to win this, I can give you the power. I just need to be—"

  Etz shot a gust of wind at Jason's head and smirked as it rendered the man unconscious. Darien put his head in his hands.

  "It got him to shut up." Shrugging innocently, Etz went to help Chris with Jason's now limp body. "I will take him to this island. You have some unfinished business back home right? Besides, you said this guy has a twin?" Darien nodded, and Etz continued. "Yeah, might want to think of a backup plan then."

  Darien returned to Sanctuary alone. Lance greeted him at the door.

  "The Inero have moved across the border," he said.

  Taking in a deep breath, Darien closed his eyes. He'd been expecting the attack to happen quickly after Lynx's death. Hopefully with the new magic inside of him, he could fight for his people.

  "How much time until they get to the city?" Darien knew that was going to be the ultimate goal. It was the most powerful point in the Oceina nation. So long as the Inero were going on foot, it would take more time. If they were traveling by car or flying, it would only be a few hours.

  Lance leaned against the wall and gazed up at the ceiling. "They're taking their good sweet time. In fact, he's openly called you out to come and fight him in the farmland right before the entrance to the city. Winner takes all. Cute, huh? And traditional, challenging you to a duel."

  Darien grunted a little. "And when is this supposed to be happening?"

  "Tomorrow night."

  "At sundown?" He couldn't help but roll his eyes at the cliché.

  "Nine."

  With a slight nod, Darien started up the stairs so he could hopefully get some rest. "I guess I'll be there."

  Chapter Ninety-Two

  The Oceina

  "What do you mean something is wrong and he's not coming home?" Gwen asked Navi. Tai watched the two women talk. She didn't know what to think of them. They seemed nice, and not all too different from the girls she'd met at school. But they were obviously close, and Tai did not want to intrude on that bond. So she watched.

  Navi put an arm around Gwen hugging her like a sister. "Chris said you'd understand. They brought him to Shanrea. And that Jason needed to stay away from you. That's all he'll tell me."

  With a shake of her head, tears began to fall slowly down Gwen's cheeks. "I can't believe this. He shouldn't have left."

  Tai put a hand on Gwen's arm gently and noticed Darien walk by. Darien and Tai made eye contact momentarily, and she took it as a good time to excuse herself. She left the room quietly, whispering a farewell. When she noticed Darien was waiting outside of the doorway for her, she couldn't help but smile.

  He moved his arm around her waist and pulled her in close to his chest. "I was looking for you."

  "I'm glad you came back to me. Lance told us what's going to happen." She bit her lip, unsure of how to bring up the, hopefully, final battle. If he loses... She couldn't continue the thought.

  Darien tugged at her to walk with him. "Then it saves me the trouble of filling you in. When I get back, I..." He swallowed and gazed into her eyes. "I want to get married."

  Her eyes narrowed slightly and she tilted her head to the side. "We're already married."

  "I know. What I mean is we haven't had a traditional romance. We didn't date. I didn't have to court you too much. I want to give you a real wedding ceremony that's beautiful and happy. Not a confusing ritual where you're terrified. Where we can say our vows to each other, not to some religious figure." He kissed her forehead. "And I will be all yours."

  Tai let out a quiet laugh then kissed his lips. "When you get home then, we can start planning something amazing."

  "So is that a yes?"

  She nodded. "Of course it is."

  "I'm sorry I've been so—"

  She silenced him with another kiss. "No more apologies. You have a job you were born to do, and when it's done, we'll have all sorts of time together. I only wish I could be more useful. We all hate staying here and waiting."

  Slowly, one of his hands stroked her hair. "You do a lot. You give me a reason to make it back."

  Chapter Ninety-Three

  The Inero

  The Inero Royal Guard spent the entire day progressing up the road that connected Oceina City to the Inero bo
rder. Matt set fire to a number of forests and buildings on the way though he made sure to not kill any civilians. After all, he didn't want to destroy his future subjects. If he could take the city, being the new Inero Lord was in the bag. He'd be the youngest Lord since the first dragon. The Oceina resisted his advances, at first. Once they saw how weak their magic was against the Inero, the water dragons backed away, practically giving him the countryside on a silver platter. The Oceina may have been larger in size, but the Inero were faster. The few water dragons killed had been easy to slaughter. When the other Oceina saw how fast their kin were brought down, they stopped advancing and delivered Matt's message to their leader.

  Nine o'clock was fast approaching, and Matt was waiting in a harvested field of grain. Oceina was much colder than home. Frost was already gathering on the ground. Soon it would snow. Matt lit a fire while he waited. Would the Oceina Lord come and fight for his people? Matt certainly hoped so. He'd love another go at the man.

  About three minutes 'til nine, Matt saw the outline of a young man in the distance. "Right on time," Matt whispered, smirking. The young man walked towards him, his fists clenched and covered in blue fire.

  "I accept your challenge. Winner takes all, on the honor of our fathers and kin?" Darien, the Oceina Lord said.

  "Something like that." Matt casually created a red fire in his hands.

  "Just us, no side help."

  "Of course."

  "I wanted to make sure you understood. Not like your kin scare me much. I just believe in fighting fair," Darien said.

  "I believe in doing what's necessary. But I'm also a man of my word." With a flick of his wrist, Matt changed the color of his fire from red to olive-green. He loved the feeling of summoning the Terran magic. It sent an amazing surge of power through his entire body. He then hurled the fire at the Oceina Lord, tingling with anticipation to see the man fall. The water dragon crossed his arms in front of him to shield himself from the attack.