by Eric Vall
I smiled sheepishly as I nodded after being busted by my new mother.
“Hey, have you seen Ilya and Ilyushina anywhere?” My stomach rumbled at the sight of the food on the table, and I sat down next to Julia. “I’m looking for them, but they weren’t in their room.”
“Ilyushina said she wanted to pick some flowers for Valerra and the poor girl you saved from the interrogation.” Julia slid a plate in my direction before she leaned back in her chair. “Ilya went with her to make sure she didn’t get into any of the rubble.”
I loaded up the plate with cured meats and some of the bread, but steered away from the pickled vegetables in favor of the fresh ones. I’d noticed that with my enhanced senses, I was a bit sensitive to vinegar and didn’t want to have to deal with the taste after having spent the past day or so electrocuting myself.
“Did they say which gardens they were going to?” I glanced up at Julia as I worked on putting together a sandwich.
“Yes,” Julia replied as she plucked some bread from the nearby basket. “The gardens of the Lunar Palace. I told them to stay in the outer gardens because I’m worried about the stability of the walls in one of the inner courtyards.”
“What happened?” My eyes widened at those words, and my heart sped up. “Did anyone get hurt?”
This was exactly the reason why I’d been pushing myself to finish all the repairs in the city and why we’d kept most of the city off limits. I didn’t want there to be a tragedy because of the crumbling walls, and while I knew those who had grown up in Hatra knew which areas to avoid, the Asuran children didn’t know.
Just the thought of them being hurt put me on edge, and the scales on my arms rippled as a fierce anger rose up inside of me.
“Thankfully, no one was hurt,” Julia said gently as she placed a calming hand on my arm. “Leon finished examining the foundations of the palace and all the load bearing walls. There isn’t as much damage as we thought there would be, but it’s still not safe for anyone to wander in. Especially for children.”
It took a moment for the anger inside of me to calm down, but I’d lost my appetite. I just wanted to see the children with my own eyes to know they were safe and nothing bad had happened to them.
“I’ll keep that in mind.” I shoved the plate of food away from me and glanced at the pile of scrolls. “Hey, did Leon write down all of that or what?”
“He did make a written report with sketches.” Julia tapped one of the scrolls at the top of the pile and tilted her head. “There’ll be a copy ready for you with my suggestions when you come back with the children.”
I stood up from my chair, hesitated, and then grabbed my sandwich. Even if I had no appetite, I needed to try and eat something in order to keep my body functioning.
“Thanks,” I called out as I walked out of the common area. “You’re the best!”
“Damn right I am,” Julia chuckled as she returned to her book.
I almost choked on air at the highly improper reply from my mother, but instead I choked on my laughter. Maybe I should have expected that from her eventually, after all, she did grow up with Ruslan and traded with bandits for centuries.
Getting to the Lunar Palace wasn’t an issue if I set a brisk pace, and a sniff of the air let me know there wasn’t anyone to stop me on my way there. Everyone was either in the archives, training, or in the farms. There were a few others scattered throughout the city, though. They were probably Leon’s group as they identified the structures that needed the most attention.
I finished my sandwich just as I was passing through the gates to the Lunar Palace, and I sniffed the air again to figure out which garden the children were in. Their scents were, for a lack of better description, bright and clean. It was just like smelling freshly fallen snow, a crisp and pure scent untainted by the world around it.
Their scent led me to a garden full of a multitude of flowers that had grown over many of the statues and walls inside of it. There was so much lavender within the garden it looked as if someone had laid down a purple carpet of it, and the scent of it was heady and calming as I walked toward the two Asuran children.
Stalks of lavender swayed over the sleeping Ilya, and Ilyushina sat next to him as she braided together a flower crown. Their silver blue hair seemed to glow in the daylight in contrast to their azure robes. Dragons were embroidered throughout the hems of their clothing, and I wondered if that was going to be a recurring motif in everyone’s clothes now.
Ilyushina didn’t notice me until I was almost next to her, but then she shot me a shy smile as she showed me the crown of flowers she’d braided together.
“Hey, kiddo.” I crouched down next to Ilyushina and patted her head. “What do you have there?”
“Flower crowns for the pretty ladies.” Ilyushina pointed at the crown she’d already finished and waved the other one in the air. “So they won’t be sad when they wake up.”
“Yeah?” I sniffed at the flowers and pretended not to know what they were. “What is that? Lavender?”
“Mhm!” Ilyushina grinned as she stood and placed a stalk of lavender in my hair. “To help them sleep better and so the monsters won’t go into their dreams.”
“You’re a good kid, you know that?” I ruffled her hair as I smiled softly. “Don’t ever change, okay?”
I was happy there didn’t seem to be any trauma from surviving the slaughter of her people and village, but I knew I needed to keep a watch out for it. Ilyushina might just be repressing her negative emotions and burying everything inside of herself so no one would be worried.
“Mmkay,” Ilyushina giggled as she handed me one of the flowers from her pile. “Ilyushina promises to stay the same.”
“Where’s your brother?” I asked as I pretended not to see Ilya asleep under the swaying stalks of lavender. “Is he here with you?”
“Ilya is sleeping over there,” Ilyushina giggled into one hand as she pointed to her brother. “Can’t you see him, silly?”
“Ah, must have missed him.” I had to bite my tongue to stop from laughing, but I couldn’t stop my smile. “Want to wake him up for me?”
Ilyushina nodded quickly as she stood up and practically bounced over to where her brother slept.
“Ilya, Ilya!” Ilyushina tugged at her brother’s hair and patted his face. “Wake up, our dragon is here to see us.”
“Ilyushina, stop it.” Ilya rubbed at his groggy eyes and blinked blearily at his sister. “I’ve told you to stop pulling on my hair like that.”
“But Ilya, you were asleep,” Ilyushina innocently replied as she pointed at me. “He asked Ilyushina to wake you up.”
Ilya tilted his head and blinked in confusion until he caught sight of me among the flowers.
“Master Evan, I mean, Lord Evan?” Ilya jumped to his feet and rushed out a bow.
“Don’t worry about that.” I waved him over so I could ruffle his hair.“You’re a lord too, but before that, you’re just a kid. Don’t worry about all that proper stuff, there’s time later for you guys to study and take classes. Just be kids and have fun, leave all the worrying to all us adults.”
“But I want to help.” Ilya frowned in confusion as he sat down on the ground next to me. “You’re a lord now, and I don’t know how to thank you or the princess.”
I had to bite back a sigh as I realized Ilya was more like me than I’d realized. He was driven by duty and honor to do the right thing. I was going to have a bit of trouble convincing him to be a kid and leave everything to the adults. If I wasn’t careful, Ilya would develop a savior complex, and he’d end up risking his life at every opportunity.
That wasn’t something I would ever allow to happen. Ilya and his sister were going to enjoy a peaceful childhood, and I would do everything I could to protect them from the cruelties of this world.
“The two of you just need to be healthy and happy.” I glanced between the two siblings to see if they understood what I was saying. “That’s the best way to thank all of us.”
/> “Really?” Ilya blinked up at me, and his gold eyes glowed as they caught the sunlight. The boy looked half convinced, but I could see a weight had been taken off his shoulders with my words.
“Yeah, it is.” I ruffled his hair as I grinned widely. “Now, I have a present for the two of you. But, you have to promise me you won’t use it unless there’s an adult supervising you, or it’s an absolute emergency. Do you promise?”
Ilyushina plopped down in front of us and nodded her head quickly. Her golden eyes glowed with curiosity as she crawled into my lap.
“We promise,” Ilya replied quickly, and his voice was full of barely contained excitement.
“What is it?” Ilyushina giggled as she tugged on my sleeve impatiently.
“Orichalum daggers.” I reached into my inner robe and pulled out the two blades I’d stashed away. “One for each of you.”
“They’re so pretty!” Ilyushina stood up the moment she saw the two daggers, and she leaned her head against my shoulder. “It’s like they’re made out of starlight.”
Both children smiled at the sight of the beautifully made blades in my hands. I was pleased to see even though they oohed and aahed over the weapons, they didn’t touch them. That eased some of the doubts I had over giving such young children daggers, but then again, they’d lived harsher lives than most children back on Earth.
I knew I could trust them with these.
Ilyushina sighed into my shoulder as she tucked her hands behind her back. It was clear she wanted to touch the shiny metal, but she was going to wait as patiently as she could until I gave her permission.
“Natalya made these?” Ilya leaned in closely to trace the designs on the blades with his eyes. “They look like her work.”
I was impressed Ilya was able to identify her work so quickly, but then again, he’d grown up in the same village with her. He’d probably seen more of her work than I had so far.
“Yeah, she did.” I nodded as I handed Ilya one of the daggers. “They’re made from the holy metal your people have protected for ages. It’s only right the two of you have one to protect you. I don’t expect anything to get inside of the city and hurt you, but I don’t want to take any risks where you are concerned.”
“Our Lord Father told us about the orichalum,” Ilya said, and he handled the dagger with reverence as he stared at it. “He said it was just for us to protect, that we were never to use it.”
“Yeah, and that’s why I’m giving it to the two of you,” I replied as I let Ilyushina hold onto the other dagger. “I never want either of you to have to use it. I’m just hoping the power in this holy metal will protect the two of you long enough so I can get to where you guys are.”
Ilyushina tied the dagger onto the sash at her waist, and I nodded in approval.
“You will always save us?” Ilyushina asked as she held tightly to the fabric of her skirt and fidgeted.
“Of course,” I promised as I pressed my forehead against hers. “No matter what, wherever the two of you are, I will always come and save you.”
“Ilyushina wants to always stay with her dragon.” The Asura wrapped her arms as far around me as she could and buried her face in my chest. “Can she?”
“We can stay?” Ilya asked as he shuffled closer to me and blinked back tears from his golden eyes. “Even if we’re weak?”
“This isn’t a question of being weak or strong.” I didn’t hesitate as I pulled Ilya into the hug I shared with Ilyushina. “You both are kids, and kids aren’t meant to worry about these kinds of things. You’re supposed to be happy and laughing, just having fun and running through the gardens. Playing pranks on all of us and sneaking away sweets from the cooks in the kitchen. Leave all the worrying to me.”
“Ilyushina doesn’t want to lose her family again,” the young girl whispered against me softly, and her small body trembled in my arms. “She’s scared of that. Really scared.”
“I see,” I murmured. I’d been so worried about Ilya’s solemnity that I hadn’t thought of how Ilyushina would feel. Since she was always so cheerful and happy, I’d thought she hadn’t been as traumatized by the slaughter as I feared she’d been. I’d obviously been a bit too hopeful about how fast children recovered.
“No one is going to disappear anymore,” I said softly as I held the two Asuran children in my arms. “I promise you.”
You’re really going to promise such an impossible thing to these children?
Asher’s voice loomed in my mind, but I ignored him. I had to if I wanted to keep my dreams for the future and stay on the right path. I wasn’t going to let doubt cripple me. My promise to Ilyushina wasn’t going to be broken by anyone or anything.
We stayed like that for a while, and Ilyushina sniffled sporadically against my chest as Ilya remained quiet.
“Want to come to the infirmary with me?” I asked as I looked down at the two children in my arms, and a thrum of contentment went through me.
“The infirmary?” Ilyushina tilted her head and blinked up at me with confusion in her golden eyes. “Why? Ilyushina isn’t sick.”
“Well, didn’t you want to bring those flowers to the pretty ladies?” I nodded toward the flower crowns and the piles of lavender. “The snake girl is in the infirmary, and the other dragon is in Alyona’s room. We can stop by the infirmary first.”
Those words chased away the melancholy inside of the small Asuran girl, and her molten gold eyes lit up with excitement. Her brother also giggled behind his hands as he snuggled closer to me.
“Ilyushina almost forgot!” the young girl exclaimed as she scrambled out of my arms and nearly ended up face first in the lavender.
“Don’t worry about that,” I laughed and tweaked her nose. “You ended up remembering, didn’t you?”
“Because you asked.” The little girl pouted as she crossed her arms over her chest. “Ilyushina would have forgot until it was night. And then Ilyushina would have to wait until tomorrow, and then what if she forgot again?”
“I’m sure you wouldn’t have,” I reassured her as I let go of her brother so I could stand up. “And if you didn’t remember, Ilya would have reminded you. Isn’t that right?”
Next to me, Ilya nodded solemnly as he latched onto my hand.
I couldn’t get over how adorable they both were, and while I’d always had a soft spot for children, being a dragon seemed to make it just that much stronger.
In reality, I was feeling everything so much stronger than when I was only a normal human guy back on Earth. I could feel every sway of the flowers around me and the way the wind rose in the air above us in languid sweeps. I was so deeply aware of the world in a way I never could have imagined if I’d never put on the dragon mask back in my aunt’s antique store.
Ilyushina tugged on my free hand, and I looked down at the little Asuran girl. It was obvious to me what she wanted, so I leaned down for her to clamber up onto my arm while she carried the gifts for the two injured women.
“Let’s go!” Ilyushina called out from her place on my hip.
I grinned as we set out for the infirmary and wondered just how the snake girl was doing. Julia had told me the girl would be having daily baths in order to heal her mental wounds, and while I doubted Ilyushina’s flowers would have any effect, they would be a welcome sight to wake up to.
Just as we were about to reach the infirmary, though, a suffocating power buffeted the city. It was like an invisible tidal wave had come out of nowhere and slammed into my chest with the force of a freight train.
The two children with me whined desperately, and I struggled to remain upright, but I was forced gasping to my knees. I held on tightly to the two children and kept them pressed to my chest. My senses were in overdrive trying to find the obvious threat. I’d never felt so much pure power, not even when the Dark Lady of the Nine Heavens was summoned by Alyona.
That had been an actual goddess, so what kind of entity did this overwhelming power belong to?
I despera
tely looked around me, but I only saw my people gasping on the ground. Even the warriors from the Blue Tree Guild were overwhelmed to the point that they could barely rise to their knees.
Then I looked up, and my jaw fell slack.
The overwhelming power came from a white haired man on a small cloud high above the city.
Stay down! You can’t fight him! He can wipe you from existence with a single sigh, he isn’t someone you can challenge.
Asher’s scream echoed through my mind as I tried to gather my power around me, but it kept dissipating. If this was someone Asher feared, then they had to be an enemy, and I needed to protect my people.
“Who is that?” I managed to growl out from underneath the rolling waves of power. “Is he from the Green Glass Sect? Your master?”
No. He is the king and founder of Rahma, Rodion. He is the Seat of the White Jade Sect.
My eyes widened in shock as the king’s cold gaze settled on me. Why was he here? Wasn’t he supposed to be guarding the Breach? Why did he come instead of a representative from the White Jade Sect?
Suddenly, a whirl of purity rose up in the distance, and I could tell it was Alyona. She was running toward us from the archives, and I felt how she gained speed with every step she took. Somehow, this power wasn’t affecting her like it did us, and I wondered if it had to do with her immortal body and her power.
I almost wanted to scream at her to leave, for her to run away from this suffocating presence, but the king’s cold gaze kept me silent, and I realized something about the power that had forced me to my knees.
Even though his power was overwhelming to the point that I questioned my existence, there was no malice in his power, not even a hint of displeasure.
It was like a force of nature, without judgement or bias. His power simply was.
Instead of fear, awe filled me, and I vowed to myself that one day, I would stand equal to him.
And then surpass him.
Chapter 13
I felt Alyona’s purity swirl around me, and its effect counteracted the floating man’s powers. I was able to stand, and I saw the rest of my people on the street also came to their feet as Alyona’s power affected them, too.
