“He said it commands all Beasts,” I sputtered, trying to make conversation between Kiyne’s log splitting and my rebuilding of a tinder pile that kept collapsing every time I took a breath.
“Who said?” Kiyne asked, cutting through another log and tossing it in the pile.
“Graven,” I replied, “the black dragon.”
“He spoke to you?”
“Well...kind of.”
“What do you mean, kind of?”
“I can hear him, in my mind. Sometimes I talk aloud, and other times I just think it but, he hears me.”
“Like an Arcanon?” he paused, turning to face me.
“I guess,” I shrugged in response. “I’m not really sure.”
Kiyne grabbed a few of the large chunks of wood he’d split, bringing them over and stacking them neatly beside me. Without a word he grabs two stones, bringing them together, and hitting them off one another to create sparks.
“Arcanon are more than just Dragon riders, Alina. They can speak with their mount, communicate without talking or moving.”
He grabbed a bit of dried grass, tossing it beneath the little stack of tinder I’d made and started with the rocks again.
Slowly, smoke began to filter through the gaps in tinder, and a small flame erupted from below. Kiyne got close, blowing gently on the small bit of fire, trying to give it more air to grow. I watched him intently slowly moving back from the fire as it swelled, my eyes taking in his size, his skill. I was still surprised by his tranquility, even in the heat of battle, he would try to remain calm.
“Good timing,” Mara chimed, approaching with the newly cleaned hares, split, and ready to cook.
My stomach rumbled at the sight of them, and I’d forgotten how long it had been since my last meal.
“So, you’re an Arcanon?” she commented between bites.
“That’s what Kiyne says,” I replied, swallowing my own bite.
As the darkness crept in, the Dragons began to emerge from their hiding places in the sand, joining in our little gathering and admiring the small fire we’d created.
“Oh? And where have you been?” I commented, seeing the emerald eyes of the other dragon flicker in the firelight.
“Hunting for herself,” Graven replied. “She doesn’t have the taste for fish like I do.”
I smiled, chomping down my last few bites, my appetite satisfied with the roasted hare for the time being. I gazed through the flames, realizing how much smaller the other dragon was in comparison to Graven. Were all females that small?
“Just her kind,” Graven commented. “She’s a Fern Dragon, known to live in small forests with Fae Folk and the like. I’d say she’s rather big for her size actually.”
I took in the look from those emerald eyes again as they peered at us from the woods taking a moment to admire her silence, as well as her help. It then reminded me of the village. What had happened to everyone? Were they okay?
“We should return home,” I muttered, staring into the flames.
“We’re a long way from home, Alina,” Kiyne replied. “And it’s safer here.”
“What about our people?”
“They’re smart. They would’ve fled to the foothills for safety.”
“And what about the other Dragons?!” I had begun to grow furious, Kiyne’s calm that I’d once admired beginning to grind on my nerves.
Kiyne could sense my impatience, letting out a deep sigh and moving from his seat across the fire to sit next to me. He turned my shoulder to face him, his hands gentle against my back but, still rough and weathered in their touch.
“Let’s have a look,” he said.
I gulped; my anger being pushed down but the sensation of his hands upon me soothing my core. I bit my tongue, pushing my cloak down to give him a better look. I felt his fingers graze over my wound but, the pain was no longer there. My cheeks flushed, feeling his hands against my bare flesh, moving across me, gently, as if caressing me.
“It’ll be healed up in no time,” he whispered.
I pulled my cloak back up quickly, covering my slender form from view. I waited for Kiyne to leave but, as I turned back toward the fire, he never left. My body tensed the heat from both the fire and his body warming me into great comfort. I wanted him to move, to go back across the fire, yet I wanted him to stay.
We spent the rest of the night planning; what we would do with the gem. Where we could hide it, or possibly destroy it. We could throw it into the ocean, and let the tide carry it away. Or feed it to a starving gull, and let them fly off with it to some unknown island somewhere.
“You’re set on it, aren’t you?” Graven interrupted.
Everyone had nodded off but my eyes were fixated on the flames. I could still hear their screams, their cries for help. I could smell the smoke, and see the flames licking at our small village just as they had done to mine. I sat up from beside the fire, staring into the darkness, the ruby eyes glowing back at me.
“Will you take me there?”
Branches shifted as a mass rose amongst them, their leaves and twigs cracking and tumbling to the ground. I waited for the others to awaken but, they never stirred. I’d been up for hours, and who knew how long they’d stayed awake, just looking after me.
“I will take you home,” Graven answered.
Chapter Seven
Riding a Dragon wasn’t nearly as difficult as it seemed. You had to hold on tight, predict shifts in the wind, and always prepare yourself for a sudden dive but, I got the hang of it. Even without the harness, or saddle, or armour, it was still doable, and I felt rather proud of myself as we flew.
Graven took his time, being sure I held tight as we lifted off the ground and rose to the clouds. We soared through the skies, his wings beating against the wisps beneath as we moved across the starlight. It was freeing, and wild; everything I’d hoped for.
Night helped to conceal our landing but, Graven was no disruption himself. For even a majestic and massive creature such as himself, he could be nearly silent when necessary. His wings curled as we found a small clearing in the glades around my village, his claws gently grasping the cool ground beneath us.
“I’ll be right here,” he whispered.
I nodded, curling my cloak around my body and lifting the velvet black hood over my head. I kept to the tree line, making sure no Marauders or Scavengers were nearby to deter my drive. I needed to know what happened. Where did everyone go?
Small plumes still rose from smoldering piles of ash and dust. What was a quaint little village, my village, was all gone. Wiped out overnight by the greed of Men. Where a Temple stood, only a stone foundation remained. The storehouses had collapsed on one another, and even the well had dried up from villagers desperate to quench the flames.
I spotted a ball nearby, its stitching worn and its leather surface scratches from wear and tear. As I approached, I heard the creaking of burned wood and looked up to see a fallen log ahead, stained by an unknown substance. I stared for a moment, longer than I should have, glancing away only briefly to see the ball again. It couldn’t be but, my curiosity wouldn’t be satisfied if I didn’t find out.
I climbed over the rubble, careful not to disturb the hot bed of embers that still burned beneath the piles of despair. I could see a strip of cloth, a small cloak. I swallowed hard, my hand brushing against the log.
A voice rang out behind me, “I wouldn’t do that if I were you.”
It was Bryden’s voice; he took down the hood of his cloak, his face battered and bruised but, he was alive, and as well as anyone could be after surviving such a tragedy.
“I thought you were dead,” I cried out, recoiling from the heap of fallen wood and debris.
“We thought you were dead!” he retorted. “Where have you been? Mara. Kiyne. Did you all escape?”
We wandered through the remnants of our fallen home; looking through a few barrels for scraps, and anything else that survived the fire. We stopped at his stall, or rather, where it
had been. All that was left now was the stone slab he’d used as a workbench.
“I heard them coming, a few miles down. What they were after... I couldn’t find it. I told everyone to run. Take what they could carry on their backs and flee,” Bryden went on. “Those men are dangerous. Riders from the South. Born and bred from Giants they say, meant for slaying Dragons and taking down Kings.”
I remembered the armor, the heavy plating on their horses, and the way they all rode in. I hadn’t bothered to notice but, looking back now, they were much larger than most men. At least the ones around here.
“They were after something called the Heart; an oddly colored gemstone said to hold terrible power. I’d found it in some firewood we got brought in from over the mountains.”
I gulped. He did know about the stone, and what it was capable of.
“We didn’t need any trouble so I figured I’d hand it over and be rid of the thing.”
“Who told you about it?” I questioned quietly, trying to look startled.
“One of the Elven from the Tower, uh, Vrayth, I think. I showed it to him but, he pushed it back in my hand and told me to get rid of it. Something about power and a terrible cost.” Bryden leaned against his table, holding his head in his hands. “He said some Mercenaries had been hunting it down for centuries. I figured if I could just hand it off... but I couldn’t find it. It wasn’t there!”
I watched the tears well up in his eyes, my heart swelling at the sight of one of the strongest men I had known, in shambles. I pulled the gem from my pocket; if I just gave it back, we could end this. No more fires. Our village could be rebuilt. We could have a home again. We’d be safe.
“I-” a loud shriek ruptured my ears, forcing me to curl my hands over them and crouch down in pain.
“Alina?” Bryden screamed, concerned at my form, but I couldn’t hear him.
“STOP!” Graven’s voice boomed.
“What!?” I shouted back.
Bryden looked around in confusion, looking around for who or what I was talking to.
A strong wind swept past us, the ash of the village swirling like a blackened sandstorm. Graven landed over the well, his wings spanning over the broken village and covering it in a blanket of shadow.
“We leave, now!”
I didn’t understand. I just wanted to hand off the gem, put everything back to the way it was. Bryden could find the Marauders again, and this would be over. I tried to run but, Graven’s tail was too quick, wrapping around me and pulling me back by my waist. I tried to toss the gem to Bryden but something forced me to pull back, returning the strange ring into my palm.
“Alina!” Bryden cried out again, giving chase through the blackness and trying desperately to find me.
“I’m sorry, Bryden!” I cried out. “I’m sorry... everyone.”
Chapter Eight
What’s wrong with you!?” I screamed. We landed back along the shores; the sun already high in the morning sky.
Kiyne and Mara had clearly been awake for some time, the fire roaring once more, and Mara working away at yet another meal. Kiyne was practicing with his sword on the shore when we landed, stopping instantly to come running over.
“Where the hell have you been?” Mara screamed, her beautiful eyes narrowed and filled with rage. “We looked everywhere! You, that Dragon, you were both nowhere to be seen!”
I was still fuming, Graven had pulled me away, “I could’ve fixed this! All of this!” I screamed back. “That Dragon!” I whirled around, but Graven had slinked away, hiding himself, just like before. He would play no part in my anger.
“We woke up and you were both gone!” Mara exclaimed.
“Bryden said all they wanted was this stupid stone!” I shouted, fighting back tears. I pulled the gem from my pocket, throwing it as far away as my injured shoulder would let me.
“You went back to the village?” Kiyne added.
“I had to! I had to know...if...if they were okay!”
Mara sighed, shoulders slumping in disappointment, “it isn’t safe. You could’ve been caught, or killed!”
“I wasn’t! I found Bryden,” my breath became ragged as I fought with my own emotions. “They took to the foothills. The other villages. Just like Kiyne said.”
“Of course, they did!” Mara shouted once more. “You’re the only one foolish enough to think otherwise!”
I stepped forward, my palm curling into a fist. I’d had enough of Mara’s harshness. Her words cut throw me like knives, over and over. How could she be so callous? So careless? As I raised my fist, I felt arms wrap around me, they were warm, strong...Kiyne’s.
“Let me go!” I said, squirming in his grasp.
“Not until you calm down,” he said in that familiar cool tone of his. I kicked and fought, but my squirming did nothing against his grip.
“You don’t even care!” I screamed at Mara. “We’re just Humans to you! Mortal filth! We’re nothing to you!”
Mara’s expression changed, her eyes falling from anger to hurt. I’d struck a nerve, and a deep one at that, and now, I could feel regret boiling in my gut.
I squirmed once more, trying to fight Kiyne off of me but he was too strong. I kicked and twisted again and again, but he persisted. He let loose for a second, grabbing my shoulders, and turning me around, pulling me into his chest, just like he’d done the night I fell into the lake. I couldn’t help it anymore, and I broke down in his arms. Tears streamed down my cheeks like raindrops, and I sobbed against him.
“You need to apologize,” he whispered, the heat of his breath a comfort against my hair. “Once you’ve both calmed down.”
I took a deep breath, wiping my tears with the sleeve of my cloak as Kiyne’s grasp loosened. I looked up, seeing his deep brown eyes staring back at me.
“Good?” He smiled.
“Y-yeah,” I stammered.
He let go of me, hesitating just a moment before he turned to the fire, picking up another log and tossing it on like nothing had happened. I couldn’t deny I liked the moment, his arms around me. I felt safe with him, warm, and comforted, kind of like being at home. He cared about me, for me, and all I ever did was burden him.
Mara had wandered off into the forest. I knew she needed the time to cool off. I did too. I’d talk to her when she re-emerged and I’d collected myself. After all, chasing down an Elf in a Forest was like trying to find a needle in a haystack. If she didn’t want to be found, we’d only end up lost while searching for her.
“Can you use a bow?” Kiyne called from the shore. He'd begun kicking over some rocks, looking for crabs and other creatures for a meal. It had become obvious that he didn’t like leaving all the hunting to Mara, and with her out of the picture, we were kind of on our own.
“Nope!” I replied, piling more wood by the fire.
“A sword?” He asked.
“Nope.”
“Anything?”
I paused to think, looking down at the hatchet beside our little woodpile, “I’ve used this before!” I plucked the hatchet from its place embedded in a log and raised it into the air.
“Good enough,” he laughed.
He took his stance, standing a few feet from me as we listened to wave after wave crash against the rocks. He held out his sword, poised and ready to fight.
“Watch your footwork,” he said, slowly beginning to pace around me.
I watched him move, matching his every step with my own, feet lacing over one another and being careful of the ground below. He said practicing on the sand was best, it would allow me to quickly get used to shifting landscapes and uneven ground.
“But always watch your opponent,” he added. He moved to me; his sword pointed right at me.
I looked bewildered, dashing to the side and barely escaping his attack.
“Good,” he said, “but a little delayed.”
We’d been practicing for a few hours, and even I had to willingly remove a few layers just to stop sweating. The sun beat down
on us relentlessly, giving no shade behind an open sky, and offering no relief with a breeze. I’d managed to dodge, slide, and defend but I wasn’t much for attack. Every time I went to chop, or slice, with the little axe, Kiyne would trip me, grab my hand, or toss me aside.
He had turned away for a second, looking at something on the shore. I took the moment to attack, he wouldn’t expect me to take him on without his command. I had the advantage here, and I had to use it.
I lunged forward, keeping my feet close to the ground to remain quiet. I raised my axe, ready to strike down but once again, he turned, just in the nick of time, to kick out my legs from beneath me.
I hit the ground, hard, the wind knocked from my back as sand was kicked up around me. I let a breath escape my lips, dropping the axe from my hand.
“Alina!” Kiyne yelled, dropping down to help me.
I grinned, pushing him over with my legs until I was sitting on top of him. His trust was his downfall, and I’d used it to push him off balance which, I may add, was a lot easier than I had originally expected. I picked up my axe, now pointed it at his throat, a clever grin creeping across my face.
He held up his hands in surrender, a surprised look on his face, “you win!” he said with a laugh.
I smiled, victorious in my little move, “swear it,” I commanded.
“I swear,” he laughed again. He let down his hands, placing them against my thighs as I straddled him.
I could see the red begin to flush his cheeks, my own beginning to heat in response. I glanced down at him, realizing our positioning seemed more than a little awkward. I scrambled off, turning toward the water and hoping a breeze would pick up to clear the embarrassment from me.
Kiyne took a moment longer before getting up from the sand, dusting himself off and sheathing the sword on his back.
“Uh,” he stammered, rubbing the back of his head. “We’ll try again tomorrow.”
I’d never seen him so flustered or stuck for words. I turned, barely pulling my face away from the horizon, “y-yeah,” I responded, just as awkwardly. “T-thanks.”
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