Sisera's Gift 2: Sacred Blood

by Robyn Wideman

  “How do you know that?”

  “I’ve been throwing things at you.”

  Isabella turned to look at the dragon in disbelief.

  “What? I was experimenting,” said the dragon earnestly. “I started with stones, then moved up to large rocks and branches. I tried a little dragon-fire but that didn’t trigger it. You’re immune anyway.”

  Isabella was speechless. She knew that Isabella was deeply concerned with her well-being, she could feel it, but that the dragon would then throw things at her to test an unknown ability while she was sleeping was baffling.

  “You’re fine. You know I wouldn’t if it would hurt you.”

  Isabella slowly nodded. That was true.

  “It is an incredible thing to see. Suddenly a little purple flame will appear to protect you. Would you like to try it?”

  Isabella thought for a moment but then realized that this is something that should be tested. She hopped up to her feet but had to bent over immediately to stop her head from spinning. She waited for the feeling to pass, then slowly stood up straight.

  Sisera chuckled. “You are a sight.”

  “Thanks.” Isabella wrinkled her nose at the dragon and took a slow walk around the space to regain her composure. “Okay, I think I’m ready.”

  Sisera laughed. “You don’t have to be ready. It was happening while you were sleeping.”

  Isabella wrinkled her nose again. “Just do it.”

  Sisera used her front claws to scoop up a medium sized rock and threw it at Isabella.

  Isabella watched as the rock hit her in the midsection. She doubled over from the pain and fell to the ground.

  “What was that?” she screamed in pain, holding her arms over the spot where the rock struck.

  Sisera flew forward with concern. “I don’t know. I’m so sorry.”

  Isabella slowly stopped writhing around and lay still, curled in a little ball. Slowly, she extended her body and rolled onto her back, arms still holding the sore spot on her abdomen.

  “That really hurt.” She moaned at the pain, but she could already feel it fading away. Within a moment, it had left her but she remained lying on her back in the dirt. She turned her head and looked at Sisera. The dragon smiled.

  “Regeneration is great, eh?” she said.

  Isabella groaned but nodded. “I don’t want to try that again, though.” She put her hand over the spot on her belly where the rock had hit and rubbed it. “I’m hungry.”

  While Isabella sat and ate, Sisera talked.

  “Venia was banned from joining the returning dragons. She was deemed too volatile to be around humans and she was to remain on the Isle. Her parents were supporters of Nelarth and the dragons who blame humans for their banishment to the so-called Dragon Isle.

  “Nelarth and his cronies were not old enough to really remember the Great Wars, where the humans rose up and fought against the dragons for supremacy of the world. They remember the hate though because it was passed down to them by their parents on the Isle. They, in turn, passed down that hate to their offspring and any dragon who would listen and believe it.

  “Humans had killed so many dragons. It was to the point of near extinction. I think that sending all the dragons to the Isle was actually a blessing, as we are now slowly rebuilding our numbers. It was easy for Nelarth to gain followers, though, because, at times, the Isle felt like a prison, even for those of us who were more than content to live there.

  “There was this feeling of discontent and some of the dragons were causing problems with the colony. No dragon would outright rebel against Apophis because she could destroy any dragon who tried. Nelarth was thought to be the leading contender as he was almost matched in power but even he would not openly oppose our leader.

  “There was a disturbing incident involving a group of younglings. It was thought that it was staged by Nelarth but the young dragons would not admit it so nothing could be proven. The younglings were sent to live in seclusion on the other side of the Isle. Venia was one of these younglings.”

  Isabella sat staring at the fire, absorbing what Sisera had told her.

  “So, you have no idea why she is here? Why she attacked us?”

  “None at all,” said Sisera. “It makes it more important that we find Apophis. If Venia is out loose on her own, then there is definitely trouble on the horizon.”

  “Are you sure we can trust this Tyrath?” Isabella asked, with a little bit of hesitation in her voice.

  Sisera nodded. “I am very sure. He and my mother were friends so I trust him.”

  Isabella nodded, a yawn sneaking its way onto her face.

  “Get some rest. We will leave first thing in the morning,” Sisera said.

  Isabella nodded again and lay down on the makeshift bed. Sleep came to her immediately.

  32

  Kai rode hard through the night. The road was empty but also much more dangerous in the dark. There were pot holes and rocks littering the surface of the old road as well as the fear of being attacked by wild beasts or highwaymen.

  There were times Kai had to remind himself to slow down so that he would not kill his horse. The steed was a sturdy beast, used to be ridden hard and for long distances but the animal did have his limits.

  Kai stopped rarely along the route, mainly to water his horse and relieve himself.

  As daylight broke over the horizon, he began to encounter more travelers along the road. Some shouted greetings to him as he sped past. By noon he was racing down Hover’s Run, the long, gradual slope that led to the port city of Bridgewater, the last main trading hub in the Grim Isles before the Great Crossing.

  Legend had it that many centuries ago, General Hover had his soldiers remove every tree on the slope down to the city so that when he marched on the city to lay siege to it, he would not have to break his perfect formations. Kai had always thought that it was a clever tale but doubted its truth.

  He hired a spot in a covered stable for his tired horse then went off into the city to search out the apothecaries. He got directions from a serving girl on how to get to the waterfront market but could not help but get lost.

  Bridgewater shared similar qualities with the village of Mara. It was a twisted maze of streets and alleyways, clear signs that the city grew too quickly and without any oversight. Kai felt a bit ashamed of himself that his village had turned into a similar mess.

  The port city was thought to be the oldest on Seron. It was said to be fifteen hundred years old, but Kai had a hard time believing that. It was clearly old, though. The streets were made of cobbled rock, solid and enduring. Some buildings looked ancient while others looked brand new. "Signs of progress," thought Kai.

  After losing his way for the third time, Kai found a tavern and offered a silver coin to anyone who would lead him to the market. The patrons of the bar, sat and stared in silence. Kai looked around the room, confused by the hostile reaction to his request.

  “Get out of here, dragon lover.” Someone in the bar, he couldn’t see who, shouted the words.

  Kai looked for one who called him out, but the room erupted and all the patrons took their turn to tell him to get out or to go somewhere and die. He held up his hands in surrender and quickly left the tavern.

  “What just happened there?” he asked himself as get walked quickly away.

  “Hey, dragon lover.” A voice shouted from behind him.

  “What now?” He turned to find a young man, running after him.

  “Dragon lover. I will take your money,” the man offered.

  “Name?”

  “Frej.”

  “You take me there first,” said Kai, then grabbed the boy’s arm, and stared at him in the eyes. “No tricks.”

  Frej just smiled. “No tricks, mister. I just want the loot.”

  Kai released him. “Why do you call me dragon lover?”

  Frej shrugged. “Because you are dressed as one.”

  Kai looked down at himself for a reminder was what h
e looked like. Of course, he thought. The Daxrah armor would mark him as a traitor to any who was aligned with the Ramsay’s.

  “I guess this is where they came,” Kai said.

  “Who came?” asked Frej, leading them left and right down tight streets.

  “The survivors of Kosal.”

  “Ah, yes.” Frej began to nod. “Many here. Very poor. Very dangerous.”

  Kai began to feel as if perhaps he should have worn something a little more non-descript.

  They had walked for some time, when Kai realized that they had twisted and turned so much that he lost his way again. He was now at the mercy of his guide.

  Frej stopped at a door in the middle of an alleyway and smile. He pointed toward the door.

  “This is it?” Kai asked.

  Frej nodded and held out his hand.

  Distrustful, Kai slowly opened the door just a crack and peeked through. Sure enough, on the other side of the door was a bustling marketplace. Kai chuckled and produced two silver coins. Frej’s eyes grew wide at the sight of the treasure.

  “Thank you,” said Kai, dropping the coins into eager hands. As soon as he had the money, Frej ran off.

  Kai walked through the door and into the busy market. Rows of tents and vendors, all hocking their exotic wares. The sights, sounds, and smells were a shock to Kai’s system, having grown used to the close-knit community that grew around the Tower.

  Focus, he told himself. It was easy to get distracted there.

  With a little help, he found Loerel’s shop, located on an edge of the marketplace. The building was small but solid. There was a small sign hanging next to the door.

  “No wonder I couldn’t find it,” he thought to himself as he read the little plaque.

  He pushed through the door and found himself in a dim little shop, with a large counter and a few dusty shelves. The shopkeeper, a little grey-haired woman, was busy helping a big, well-dressed man, so Kai resigned to look around. He had just walked to the first row of shelves when the shopkeeper surprised him.

  A hand touched his arm and Kai jumped.

  “May I help you?” the woman asked.

  “Oh.” Kai looked around and found that the big man had left. “Yes. I am a friend of Adina.”

  The old woman nodded, suspiciously, and waited for Kai to continue.

  “I need some Panther beetle. Crushed.”

  “That lazy witch,” the old woman said and waved her hand for Kai to follow. “How much do you need?”

  “All of it,” Kai said.

  The woman laughed. “You don’t have enough money. Panther beetle doesn’t come cheap here.”

  Kai pulled out a fat pouch and threw it on the counter. The pouch opened as it hit and a handful of silver coin spilled out.

  Again, the woman laughed. “That will get you two ounces.” She went to the scales to measure the appropriate amount and poured the powder into a glass jar, sealing the lid with wax.

  Kai took the bottle and thanked the old woman, who just nodded as he turned to leave. As he pulled open the door, he turned to bid farewell to the old woman but she was already engaged in conversation with the well-dressed man. Kai furrowed his brow. Was he there the whole time? Kai asked himself.

  The man turned and looked at Kai directly in the eyes. Kai’s warrior sense went off, screaming for him to prepare for battle. Then the man smiled, nodded, and turned back to his conversation with the shopkeeper.

  Kai quickly made his way back into the marketplace. The man was just a distraction that he did not need right now.

  He had to get back to the Tower.

  He had to save Raven.

  33

  Sisera blew a burst of flame toward Isabella, who avoided the attack easily. She leaped to the side, did a handspring overtop of a fallen tree trunk, and continued running toward the dragon.

  The gold-purple beast jumped up and began to take flight but was suddenly kicked in the side by Isabella, who had run up a tree and launched herself off, in an attempt to intercept the dragon’s escape. The force from Isabella’s flying kick made Sisera move, surprising both of them.

  Isabella landed on the soft beach and held up her hand, signifying that she wanted to stop their sparring session, but she could already see that the dragon had no intention of attacking, anyway.

  “What was that?” Sisera said. “You have never had that kind of power before. It seems you are still developing.”

  Isabella grinned. “That was incredible. It was like everything was in slow motion, but at the same time, it was speeding past. I just let myself go, did not hold back at all. I knew you could take it.”

  “Hopefully, my regeneration magic doesn’t have a limit.” The dragon groaned. “I think you are feeling a lot better. We are already a day behind. We need to get back to our task.”

  “I feel ready,” Isabella said.

  By the light of the rising sun, Isabella quickly packed up her gear and loaded the saddle onto Sisera’s back. She mounted the dragon, and they flew off, headed north.

  Sisera flew low, using the mountains and forests as cover, just in case they would be attacked. It was slower but much safer. They soon passed through Prozia, headed for the northern peninsula. Isabella could pick out a few familiar landmarks. She felt a tinge of homesickness. There was a part of her that missed life in at Castle Prozia.

  They avoided settlements at all costs and made good time across the countryside. They made it to the northern mountain range by early afternoon. They stopped on a small beach with a well-protected cove for a rest.

  “I’m starving,” Sisera said. “I haven’t eaten in days.”

  “Go fishing,” said Isabella, as she removed her saddle.

  “I just don’t think that I should leave you right now.”

  Isabella laughed. “I will be fine. I can take care of myself. Remember?”

  Sisera was still hesitant.

  “Who killed a griffin?” asked Isabella. “Besides, I got that magical flamey thing, right?”

  “I swear it is real,” Sisera stamped her foot. “Why would I lie about that?”

  “I’m not saying you are lying. What I am saying is that you’re crazy.” Isabella laughed.

  “You are infuriating,” Sisera said. “Be careful.”

  Isabella watched as the dragon flew off toward the open water. She lay out a blanket and performed a stretching routine, she used to loosen her muscles. She found that riding on a dragon was hard on the body.

  Sisera returned to find Isabella sprawled out on the blanket, nearly asleep.

  “How were you going to protect yourself while you were sleeping?” Sisera scolded.

  “The purple flame,” Isabella said, straight-faced, then gave Sisera a toothy smile

  Sisera grumbled and lay down. “I just need a minute,” said the dragon, as she rolled onto her back. She began making a choking noise.

  Isabella watched the scene, unsure of what was happening.

  “Um, can I help you?” she asked nervously.

  Sisera flipped back over and got to her feet.

  “Got it. Fin stuck in my throat,” she said with a shrug.

  Isabella laughed and loaded the gear back up.

  They crossed the mountain and found the northernmost tip of the peninsula but still could find no sign of Tyrath.

  “We need to find shelter,” said Isabella.

  Sisera agreed and found an empty cave near the ocean. They watched the sun go down over the bay.

  “That is really beautiful,” Isabella said.

  Sisera nodded. They sat in silence, watching the sun disappear behind the horizon, in a blaze of reds, oranges, and yellows.

  34

  “Lights. I see lights.”

  The shouts came from the crow’s nest.

  Tarak looked up to find the direction the man was pointing. He found the twinkling jewels on the horizon.

  “Thank the gods,” Santaal said. “This journey has been too much. Never, in all our travels, h
ave I seen fog like this.”

  The ship turned toward the bright orbs in the distance but the going was slow because the navigators could not see anything in front of the bow. The captain had decided that the sails would be too dangerous so the ship was moving on the strength of the backs of soldiers and crew.

  Tarak watched as the lights grew slowly closer. He cast a spell of silence that encompassed the whole ship. He held the spell in place with the power of his magical bracers. It was most likely completely unnecessary to silence the ship as they had a legitimate reason for coming to the port city of Bridgewater. The element of surprise is a commodity too easily given away by most. Tarak was not one of those people.

  “We are entering the harbor. Be sure that we don’t crash into another ship,” the captain shouted. “This place can get a little crazy.”

  “This is unbelievable!” Santaal said. “We should be able to see dozens of ships right now. Instead, there is nothing except for this damned cloud.”

  “Patience, Santaal.” Tarak’s voice was a low rumble. “We will be fine.”

  Santaal glared at his brother. Tarak returned the icy stare which caused Santaal to turn and watch the horizon once again.

  It was not often that Tarak would allow himself to be seen undisguised unless it was his goal to be intimidating. It was his habit that while on campaign he would remain fully outfitted and armored until the job was complete. Many found this to be intimidating, so he began to cast spells of appearance and hold them with his bracers. He could make himself look like anything but it took a lot of energy so he kept the illusions simple. Instead of a cloaked and armored warrior, face hidden by a sculpted leather mask, people would see a handsome man, dressed in the latest fashions. Or, perhaps, a dirty pauper, begging for alms. He had a good bank, in his mind, of different appearances that he could use at any given time. This, however, was a time to be intimidating.

  The ship crawled slowly through the harbor until they came to a fork with one canal going to the left and one going to the right. At the fork, they were met by a small vessel with bright lamps hung at the bow and the stern.