Myths & Magic: A Science Fiction and Fantasy Collection

by Kerry Adrienne

  “Raynar? Thank you.” I turned to look back at my father who wore a grateful smile. I nodded and left to see who the other voices belonged to.

  “Hey, look who has joined the living!” Ren pulled a shirt on.

  “Hey.” I looked around but didn’t see anyone else. “I swear I saw Torin come in.”

  “Yeah, he’s upstairs getting some clothes on. Turns out he can morph too. Came back naked as a baby to a pile of shredded clothes!” Ren laughed as he grabbed an apple and took a bite. “Where’s everyone else?”

  “Most went to Yardis but Poe, Meina, and King Vintras are here.” I answered.

  Torin followed Fenick down the stairs wearing the biggest smile. He looked as if he had just come off his first thrilling rollercoaster ride. “Did you see that loop I made? It was so frickin’ amazing!” Torin finally saw me “Cross! I flew so fast. It was unbelievable!”

  The new ability pleasantly distracted Torin from his previous sour mood. Hopefully he could have a civilized chat with Jonas when he returned.

  “Welcome to the Dragon Club.” I shook his hand. “I can’t wait to see you in action. Congrats. It’s pretty amazing being up there in the sky.”

  Torin pulled up a chair. “Glad to see you up and around.” He saw the bottom of one of my red scars sticking out from under my T-shirt sleeves. He lifted it for a better look. “Wow. This looks nothing like it did a day ago. Poe has a talent.”

  “He’s pretty amazing.” I agreed

  “Hey, don’t inflate Poe’s ego.” Fenick hollered. “He’ll get all full of himself and then we’ll never hear the end of it.” He walked over and knocked king’s door and entered, greeting his mom and the king as he shut the door behind him.

  Ren chuckled. “He’s right. Torin, you decide if you’re gonna stay put or head back to Midland? You’re welcome to stay with us.” Ren had warmed up to us. Seemed we worked our way past his prickly exterior to his softer, loyal side.

  “Thanks, I appreciate that. I’ve given it some thought but haven’t decided anything. I’m waiting to hear what the king has to say; Ray and I are supposed to meet with him later. Maybe he’ll sway me.” Torin nodded toward me. “What about you Cross? You stayin’ or heading back?”

  “Like you, I need to hear what our father has to say before I decide.”

  “How about we chat with him after dinner?” He suggested.

  “Yeah, that’s a good plan.” I wondered if the others would be back before then. We spent the rest of the afternoon outside. Fenick and Ren worked with Torin on dragon skills while I watched on from the porch. They had great tips on how to transform quickly. I was anxious to try some of their suggestions, but Poe’d advised me to wait another day to allow my energy to return to normal.

  The three brothers took to the air to practice some maneuvers and flying longer distances and collected the others from Yardis. My parents approached holding hands and looking happy. Jonas nodded at me; he wore a troubled look. Kaden must have stayed behind in Yardis as he was not with the group. They stopped and greeted me before continuing in to help make supper.

  “Jonas. Can we speak a moment?” I wasn’t sure if he’d be open to my insight on his and Torin’s relationship, but I felt I had to try.

  “Sure.” He pulled up a rocking chair next to mine. “What’s up?”

  “I wanted to talk to you about Torin.”

  “Oh?” His expression looked both curious and concerned.

  “You’ve raised Torin different than Lysa and Jaron have raised me. I heard you explain why you did and I don’t want to judge you or compare us both. But now he is eighteen, and he’ll be out in the world making his own decisions. Life can be hard but no matter how hard it gets, it’s nice to feel loved and have a soft place to land at home.” Jonas sat quietly listening. “He’s met King Vintras, he knows the crown can be his if he truly wants it, but in the end, I’d bet he’d give it all up to feel truly loved by you.”

  “I do love him. I just have not openly showed it to him.” He confessed as he picked as the skin around his thumb nail.

  “I know you love him. I’m just not sure he knows that. I think it would be all right if you let the wall down and told him how you feel. I think he needs to hear that.”

  Jonas nodded his head. “You’re right. I just hope it isn’t too late. Thanks, Raynar.” He stood and squeezed my shoulder lightly.

  “Hey Jonas, what caused the barrier spell to finally break after all this time?”

  “I’ve been asking around and making notes, and I’ve concluded from the timing of events that the spell breaking coincides with the death of the Gylos males. Malora must have gotten the spell from the Gylos years ago, using it to cloak and cut the village off from the world. Spells tied to the life force of an individual are potent and if the male Gylos all contributed to the spell, it would be enough to encapsulate the entire village as it did. Once the massacre happened, the spell broke.”

  “But the Gylos don’t like magic users, why would they team up with Malora?” I felt confused.

  “No,” He corrected. “The Yardinians under your grandfather’s rule did not like magic users. The Gylos did not marry outside of their race, but they had no issues with magic users. Malora must have convinced them to help her cloak the village and trap them away from the rest of the world.” He picked at the skin next to his thumbnail once again and squinted his eyes. “There was tension between the Gylos and Yardinians. King Valos, your grandfather, saw the Gylos as magic users and had ordered all trade to cease with them. I don’t remember much, but I remember there was hatred between the tribe and the village. I remember hearing my parents and their friends speak ill of the healing tribe. They talked as though they were evil and unworthy.”

  “And if Malora approached the Gylos with her own issues regarding the Yardinians…”

  Jonas nodded, agreeing with where my train of thought led me. “But the women and children of the Gylos tribe survived. How did the spell break if they were still alive?”

  “We can only assume that the spell was tied to the life force of the males in the tribe. Gylos women have no powers and their children do not come into their powers till they hit puberty.”

  I wondered what would happen when the Gylos youth grew into their powers. Would there be war between Poe’s family and the Gylos? Would the children who had lost their fathers try to attack Poe and his family? “But Poe is part Gylos, and he spoke about being trained in healing. He’s still alive, shouldn’t the barrier still be up and active?”

  ”But Poe wasn’t alive when the spell was cast, his life force is not tied into the barrier spell.”

  The sound of my brothers’ wings batting overhead announced their return.

  “Have you spoken with your father? About who the crown will pass to when he dies?” Jonas asked.

  “Not yet. Torin and I will speak with him after dinner.”

  He nodded. “Thanks for your input on Torin.” It was obvious to me that he loved Torin. I overheard him call Torin “son” the other day, which was more endearing than the other times he addressed him. Now he needed to help Torin understand how he felt.

  “You’re welcome. It sounds like they’re headed this way. I think I’ll head in and help with dinner. See ya.”

  Torin and Jonas spoke on the porch while the rest of us pushed the tables together and prepared the food. Then we all gathered and shared a meal together. When dinner concluded, the others cleaned up while Torin and I visited our father for our talk.

  We helped the king get settled in and exchanged small talk before the king got to the heart of the matter. “Raynar, Torin, you both are next in line to inherit this crown. I do not have long before that day comes, and I would like to know what your feelings and thoughts are about acquiring it and the responsibilities that come with it?”

  “Well, I’d be honored to take the crown and guide your people.” Torin sounded all formal as he sat up straighter.

  The king narrowed his eyes and s
tudied him a moment. “I see. Now Torin, tell me what you truly feel, not what I want to hear.” The king saw through his bullshit.

  Torin cleared his throat. “The truth is I am not sure I am the best person to wear that crown, and if I was, I’m not sure I’m ready for that responsibility. The people of Yardis don’t know me, and I don’t know them. I can’t imagine they’d loyally follow someone they’ve just met.”

  The king considered this and thanked Torin for his honesty. “Raynar, what about you?”

  “Honestly? I thought I was coming here for a week or two and then returning home to Midland where my home and friends are. The thought of wearing a crown and ruling a village never crossed my mind.”

  “And what about the riches? It’s not much but some of the items are old and one of a kind.” The king took a sip of his water.

  “I think the riches should go to help the Yardinians who want to relocate get started in their new lives,” Torin suggested.

  “Interesting idea.” Vintras said between coughs. “What do you think Raynar?”

  “I agree with Torin, use it to help those wanting to begin a life outside of this area. And maybe keep some back for those that stay behind. They have a lot of rebuilding to do.”

  “Very well. I’m surprised neither of you have interest in the crown at this time.” Our father laid back onto the pillow and closed his eyes a moment. He looked tired. “You both are very different from Larkin, who had a thirst for power. I suppose we could have the village men battle it out as some of our ancestors did.”

  “Have you considered Kaden?” I suggested. “The villagers know him and he helped us when we came to the village. He’s a Guardian and knows about fighting and survival, and he knows the land well.”

  Vintras opened his eyes and looked at me. “Kaden is an interesting suggestion. I’ll consider this.” He closed his eyes again.

  “We’ll leave you to rest,” Torin said as he stood.

  “Thank you, my sons.” Our father pulled the blanket up around his neck.

  We exited the room, and I motioned for Torin to follow me. I had questions only my mother could answer.

  “Meina, may we speak with you?” I asked.

  She nodded and led us to the front porch. “I wondered when we would get a chance to talk.”

  “I’m sorry... I’m not sure what is appropriate to call you. I mean days ago I learned my parents were really Guardians and my biological parents lived in this remote part of Canada. I want to call you ‘Mom’ but it feels strange,” I confessed as I pulled up a rocking chair.

  “Call me what feels natural to you. Meina is fine if you aren’t sure.” She assured me as she settled into her chair. “It’s strange for me too. I didn’t know either of you, or your father were still alive.”

  “Can you tell us what you remember? Torin asked.

  “Very well.” Our mother told almost the exact tale our father had shared with us, only she added that she had tried to tell Vintras to not trust her mother when he left. Tears fell from her eyes and she quickly wiped them away.

  “What happened?” Torin asked.

  “Once the babies were born, my mother laced my meal with a truth potion. I could not stop the truth from pouring out as she interrogated me. I wanted to cut my own tongue! I told her Vintras was the father of my children and I told her our plans to run away.” She messed with the hem of her shirt as she recalled the painful memories. “She trapped me in that house and cloaked it so no one would find it. But one day, she was careless and hurried off before checking that the house fully cloaked. Your father had been coming regularly, searching for a way in. That one day she was careless he slipped in before it cloaked.” She smiled at the memory. “I remember how surprised and elated I felt when he walked through my front door that day. He was this brilliant sun shining through the clouds.”

  “What then?” I tried to remember my father’s side of the story.

  “We should have just run away right then.” She sighed. My mother returned and became very angry when she saw your father holding one of you. He calmed her and explained his plan to bring me and the babies to court once he was crowned the new King of Yardis. My mother played along and told Vintras that if he brought a proper dowry we could marry. But then she tricked me into leaving the house without my babies, telling me she needed help fetching the water from the stream. She said her back was sore.” Meina walked to the edge of the porch and leaned against a support beam. “She had never transformed in front of me before nor revealed her dragon abilities to me. But I found myself high in the sky being carried further and further from my babies and my love. From up high, I could see the barrier seal Yardis off from the world and cloak them. All I could think about was my children. Who would protect them? Would they die?” She sat back down in the chair and rocked for a minute or two before continuing. “I only remember fragments of what happened next as we flew through the air. I remember feeling powerful and angry, only stronger. I remember the sound of something ripping and a pained roar. And then she fell to the hard ground below and did not move. I hurried to my mother’s side but she was already gone. I’d killed her.”

  “I’m so sorry.” I couldn’t imagine living with that tragedy on my hands. And then I remembered she’d also accidentally killed her husband, too. So much pain.

  “Why must everyone be so divided?” she continued, wringing her hands. “Vintras and I loved each other—you two are proof of that. But the people all around us had to take that love and turn it into war.” She shook her head. “I’m so sorry for what this has done to your lives. I never intended on making your lives so difficult.” She choked back a sob.

  Torin walked over and wrapped her in a hug. “It’s okay, Mom. So much of what happened was out of your control.”

  She patted his arm that he had coiled around her. “Thank you, Torin.” He released his grip and returned to his chair.

  “There were so many emotions. I remember feeling out of control, blind with rage, and sick with guilt. I walked all day, naked and alone. Finally, by nightfall, I found the uncloaked hut. I expected to hear screaming babies as I approached but there was only silence. You were nowhere to be found. I searched everywhere until exhaustion took over me. In the morning, I awoke to Ivan covering me with his tunic.”

  “Who’s Ivan?” I wondered.

  “Sorry, Ivan was your brothers’ father. He brought me to this place and let me stay as long as I needed to in one of the rooms.” She looked down at her hands. “He was a kind man who cared only about helping others.” He opened this healing outpost and trade shop to all. He also was a carpenter who crafted some of the best furniture. He made these chairs and all the furniture in the shop.”

  “This area is not very populated, business must have been spotty.” I only knew of the Gylos and Yardinians and wondered if other tribes existed near the shop.

  “It was, at times, but I helped bring back goods, like cakes, fruits, and linens, from towns further south. He charged a high price for those rare items and that’s how he stayed in business. Most that show up at this outpost are from local tribes or hunters and trappers passing through. Anyway, I left after a day and returned to my empty house. But being there alone, with two empty cribs—it was too much. I fell into a deep sadness. Ivan came to check on me and insisted I come stay with him until the sadness passed or I found my babies.” She smiled. “He was a good man to me and a good father to the boys.” She rocked slowly in the chair as she stared out into the darkening sky. “The Gylos learned about our relationship and our boys. They held a trial and found your father guilty of breaking their law. They exiled him.”

  “That’s a pretty steep price for love,” Torin chimed in.

  “Yeah, it’s not like he murdered someone or stole something. His only crime was loving someone outside of his tribe. And yet, they rejected him.” It seemed ridiculous to me.

  Our mother explained, “Marrying outside the tribe broke their religious law. It could have been
a worse punishment, but instead they chose to let him be if he left the tribe.”

  “So why did they attack him years later?” Torin scratched at the stubble growing on his chin. “I mean he had his family here and a life of his own, why come at him?”

  “To make an example of him. When the man on the council learned his son was set to marry a commoner, he did what he could to scare his child away from that decision. But in the end, they both died along with many others, including my Ivan. I had no idea Ivan had come to my side to fight with me. When I transformed to human form, I saw him laying at my feet in a pool of blood. His eyes, were void of life. The weapon that had delivered the fatal blow…” She looked at her own hands that trembled. “He died by my own hands. A deep claw mark had shredded his heart. I’d killed the man I loved and the father of my children.” She cried hard. I came over to hug her, Torin joined us.

  “Shh.” I soothed her. “You wanted to protect your children, as all mothers should. You had no idea what they would do. Had it been one man approaching to talk, that would be a different story, but an army of men approaching means war.” I reasoned with her. “I’m so sorry that Ivan died in that battle.”

  “He probably wanted to keep you safe and got too close,” Torin added as he patted her back.

  We eventually calmed her and she stood. “Thank you both for listening and understanding. I did not raise you, but the people in there did a fine job of teaching you kindness.” She nodded toward the shop. “Well, we’d better get in.” We headed up to our room to retire for the night.

  The next day Poe deemed me well enough to travel home. King Vintras asked Kaden to prepare to be the new king and lead the people of Yardis when he passed on from this life. Kaden accepted the honor. Torin and Jonas stayed back to help with the rebuilding and relocating of villagers. King Vintras told them their presence bought him peace of mind, knowing his people were cared for and that Kaden had time to learn the strengths and weaknesses of the village.

  Kaden demoted all the surviving king’s guards to positions of hard labor and rebuilding of the village. He wanted them to have time to think about what is important and consider their consequences of blindly following orders of a tyrannical imposter. He assigned the Guardians to protection duties, as they had once before when my parents had lived in Yardis.