Sisera's Gift 2: Sacred Blood

by Robyn Wideman

  “This is unbelievable,” Sisera shouted.

  “It seems that you know this dragon,” Isabella mindlinked.

  “This is my broodmate, Cari. I haven’t seen her in years.” Sisera explained excitedly. “She was chosen when we were young to join the fighting force so I don’t get to see her very often.”

  “You’re broodmate? You mean your sister?”

  “Yes. My sister.”

  Isabella watched with a smile on her face as the two dragons exchanged excited greetings. From the corner of her eye she saw Shayla begin to move towards her again. She turned to face the woman, again threatening her with the flaming orbs.

  “I am like you,” Shayla said, with a wide smile. “I am bonded with Caritha. I just want to help you, like Apophis helped me.”

  Isabella shot up in surprise at the mention of her objective. “We are looking for Apophis.” She blurted it out before sense came to her and she realized that she may have given too much information.

  “I thought as much.” Shayla nodded as she slid the staff into a holster on her back. She held up her hands so Isabella could see that they were empty. She began to walk closer again.

  “Did she send you? Apophis. Did Apophis send you?”

  “No.” Shayla laughed. “We were investigating that unexpected light show last night. That was quite spectacular. A tad over the top but it got the message across.”

  “How did you know it was us then?” Isabella stumbled over her words as she tried to process what she was hearing. “How did you know that I am who I am?”

  Shayla laughed. “Well, there are not too many of us around so it was an easy guess.”

  Isabella thought for a moment and extinguished the fireballs. “So how do I know you are not here to kill us? Or capture us?”

  “I suppose you don’t. Our dragons being sisters is a good sign, though.”

  Isabella looked at the two dragons who were deep in conversation, using their native tongue.

  “Did you know that? Before you met us?”

  “It surprised us, me, as much as it did you. Seems like destiny, though.”

  As she watched the two dragons it suddenly dawned on Isabella that Caritha was not wearing a saddle.

  “How do you ride her without a saddle?” she blurted out.

  Shayla shrugged. “How do you ride her with a saddle? Seems like it would be awkward and constricting.”

  “How do you stay on?”

  A look of confusion came over Shayla’s face. “Perhaps I should just show you.”

  Shayla ran towards the huge dragon at a speed that Isabella could relate to. Just before she reached the dragon, Caritha suddenly turned and jumped into the air, taking flight. Shayla jumped as the dragon took off and grabbed the dragon's neck, catapulting herself onto Cari’s back.

  Isabella and Sisera both watched, amazed at the spectacle they saw. Shayla stood up on Caritha’s back, somehow balancing herself. Suddenly Shayla jumped into the air as Caritha performed a quick barrel roll. She then landed again on the dragon’s back with ease. The performed a few more maneuvers, each more surprising than the last.

  “I’m not sure I can do that,” said Isabella, still in shock from the display she had just witnessed.

  “Cari’s always had a knack for being spectacular,” Sisera said. “I suppose we could try it if you wanted to.”

  Caritha came to a landing a few yards in front of the pair. As the dragon touched down to the ground, Shayla stepped off her back and, without pause even after a ten-foot drop, walked toward them.

  “That was unbelievable!” Isabella said. “Can you teach us to do that?”

  “Of course I can,” Shayla said. “But not here. You will come with us to our nesting ground. We’ve taken one of the small islands in the bay, north of Eurora Island.”

  Suddenly Isabella realized that Tyrath had not returned. She scanned the skies but could see no sign of the bronze-yellow.

  “Where did she go?” Isabella felt panic immediately grip her.

  “He flew off, but I have no idea where he went to,” Shayla said.

  “He left because of me,” said Caritha.

  All eyes landed on the big dragon. She shrugged. “When we were on the Isle, Tyrath and I mated.”

  “You what?” Sisera roared with laughter. “With Tyrath?”

  “It was a long time ago. He was an attractive older dragon. I went through a phase. Anyway, it ended when I was chosen, by Apophis, for a mission. He did not want me to go. I had a choice. I could have refused Apophis and made Tyrath happy but I didn’t. I completed the mission and we haven’t spoken since. On the island, he would do exactly this, leave as soon as I arrived any place that he was.”

  Shayla gave Isabella a shrug. “Another thing I didn’t know.” She turned to the dragon, “We need to work on our mental connection. I don’t like all these secrets that I am finding out.”

  “Where would he have gone?” Isabella asked.

  “We can have fast look around but my suggestion is that we head to the nesting ground. Perhaps one the others have seen him,” said Shayla.

  Isabella nodded her agreement. She began to load her saddle onto Sisera’s back, realizing that she now felt ashamed to be using such a device. She hesitated but continued to strap the seat to the dragon, knowing that she would need to practice doing it. She climbed into the saddle and immediately looked to see if Shayla was watching her, but the older girl had already taken flight with her dragon.

  “Why do you care what she thinks?” Sisera asked through the mindlink.

  “I don’t know. I guess I just don’t want her to think that I am not capable because I can’t do the things that she can.” Isabella sighed.

  “Not all dragonbloods are the same, remember? I’m sure there are things that you can do that she can’t. We just don’t know yet.” Sisera tried to reassure her.

  “I know, but she’s the only other one I know. I just want to impress her.”

  “Just be yourself,” Sisera said. “You’re pleasant, charming self. Not your usual self.”

  Isabella made a mock angry face. “Let’s go.”

  With Caritha and Shayla in the lead, they flew a wide loop around the bay, searching for Tyrath but the bronze-yellow was nowhere to be found. Unsuccessful, they headed out to sea, toward the dragon’s nesting ground.

  They flew up high to limit their own visibility as they passed the large island of Eurora. The entire coast was littered with small settlements and fishing villages that would erupt into chaos if they believed that they were under attack by dragons.

  They soon approached another chain of smaller islands. These islands were mountainous and covered with jungle vegetation.

  “That is the main island there,” Shayla said, pointing to the biggest island in the distance. Caritha made pointed her nose toward the group of tall mountains in the center of the island.

  “This place is beautiful,” Isabella said as they got close enough to see the flora.

  “Look over there.” Shayla pointed toward a small lake. Two dragons, a yellow-green and a green-yellow were diving in the still water, bringing up mouthfuls of salmon.

  Isabella was awestruck by what she was witnessing. Never in her life did she think she would see anything like she was now. The island was amazing.

  They flew into the mountain range and found a wide valley with a grassy plain. In the middle of the field of green, there was a collection of large boulders, laid out in a spiral pattern. There was a group of four dragons on the far end of the field who seemed to be waiting for them. As they got closer, Isabella could see that Tyrath was one of the four.

  “We were worried about you,” Isabella said to the bronze-yellow as they landed on the soft grass.

  Tyrath looked at Caritha, then back at Isabella. “I’m sorry I have to go,” he said and quickly flew away over the west mountain.

  Isabella looked to Sisera, who was already engaging with the three remaining dragons. Two of the dragons l
ooked identical. Both were covered in brown-silver scales, with long, lean bodies and wings. They were both slightly smaller than Sisera.

  The third dragon took the honor of being the biggest dragon Isabella had ever seen away from Caritha. He was a massive white-blue, who made Isabella feel tiny.

  “Honored dragonblood.” The white-blue had a voice that resonated with authority. “I am Brendoth. Welcome to our nest.”

  Isabella’s mouth opened but no words came out. She panicked.

  “Say something,” Sisera mindlinked.

  “I can’t speak,” Isabella said. “I can’t make my mouth work. Tell him I am honored to meet him and thank him for the hospitality.”

  Sisera looked at Brendoth. “Her feeble human mind will not allow her to communicate but she has asked me to tell you that she is a pathetic creature but wants nothing more than to be your servant.”

  A look of confusion came over Brendoth’s face. Shayla and Caritha had a good chuckle.

  Isabella stared at Sisera in wide-eyed horror. “That is not what I said,” she said quickly as she turned to look the white-blue in the eyes. “What I had asked her to say was that it is my honor to meet you and that I am most appreciative of your generous hospitality.”

  Brendoth looked to Sisera, who just shrugged her wings and grinned.

  “Please join me. I am very interested to hear about your experience and adventures,” Brendoth said as he led them to an open spot on the lawn where they could sit down.

  Isabella and Sisera recalled the whole tale to Brendoth, from the beginning, when they first met, up to the moment before they began telling the story. The massive dragon listened intently, patiently enduring the banter that inevitably arose between the bonded pair. When they reached the end of the story, Brendoth stood and stretched his huge wings.

  “This is definitely a matter for Apophis to handle personally. She is expected back the island in three days. Shayla will find shelter for your comfort until she arrives. I suggest that you train with Shayla and Caritha in the meantime. It is, in fact, what you came here searching for, so you may as well begin learning.”

  The following days felt like a blur to Isabella. She spent all her time with Shayla, mostly learning how to ride Sisera without a saddle. When they began the lessons, she could barely sit on the dragon’s back without falling, but after a great deal of practice and tutoring, she looked like a master by the end of the fourth day. She surfed through the air, standing on the back the gold-purple as easily as if she were standing on solid ground.

  “Throwing fireballs will take some readjustment,” Shayla said. “You’ll find it a lot easier once you develop your technique.”

  Within the hour, Isabella had made her adjustments.

  “You are an excellent student,” Shayla said after Isabella displayed her mastery of a barrel roll jump with a fire burst.

  “Thank you,” said Isabella, her cheeks beginning to glow.

  When they had finished training for the day, the two dragonbloods took a walk to sit on the beach and eat their supper.

  “You haven’t told me yet how you bonded with Caritha. Or how you came to meet these dragons. Or anything really,” Isabella said as the settled down to watch the ocean. They had found a fallen log to lean against as they ate.

  “Well, it is a long story better suited for a cold night around a warm hearth. The short version, though, is that I bonded with Caritha about two years ago, probably around the same time as you and Sisera did. Her nest was to be supposed to be in the West mountains of Partha. Apophis sent her there to watch for Nelarth or any of his consorts. As she was on her way, she happened to fly over my home in Partha.

  “I had known for a long time previous to our bonding that I was a dragonblood. I studied magic for years because of this knowledge. My home was attacked and I fought to defend it. My betrothed was killed in the battle. I was heartbroken and I prayed for death. Suddenly, though, I was filled with a power I had never felt before. It was an incredible feeling to use that power. Torrents of fire burst from me, taking revenge on those that came to harm us. It is a lot like the story you told me about defending the Tower and killing all those soldiers. Except that I killed everyone.

  Isabella looked at her in shock. “That is horrible.”

  Shayla nodded, her face sullen. “I could not control myself. My rage took over and there was nothing that I could do to stop it.”

  “So, then what happened?”

  “I left. Wandered the countryside, trying to stay away from any populated areas. I felt like a monster and I still had no idea what was happening to me. I suspected that I had bonded but there was no dragon. I could feel something different, deep down. I know now that it was the formation of our mindlink. At the time, it felt like sorrow, like there was a piece of me missing. I felt a longing like I had never felt before. She also felt the same kind of longing. It turned out that I was no just wandering aimlessly through the countryside. I was trying to find her without even knowing it. I was following the path she took to her nest. She was flying back to Apophis to consult with her about the feeling when she found me in the forest.

  “She was not discreet about her introduction. I was walking through a forested area, climbing up a mountainside when she came flying out of nowhere and landed right in front of me. I was scared, of course, and I attacked her. When the fire struck her and nothing happened, I was truly terrified. She did not attack me back, though. She talked to me, introduced herself. It was a strange experience but comforting at the same time. We talked and she brought me to Apophis.”

  “Did Apophis teach you all this stuff you know about being bonded?” Isabella asked as she bit into a large red apple.

  “No, actually. I was the one who taught her. My father was a dragonblood and he spent his whole life collecting whatever information he could find. He was murdered for that information so I figured that I should make good use of it to honor him. He wanted nothing more than to see a dragon, let alone bond with one.”

  “Who murdered him?”

  “A gang of thugs that call themselves the Order of the Sacred Blood.”

  Isabella sat up when she heard the name.

  “They are the ones who attacked the Tower during our celebration. They were looking for me.”

  Shayla sat up and leaned in. “Are you sure?” she asked. “It was the Sacred Blood?”

  “Yes. I am positive that was the name they used. I missed the whole thing, actually. I was with a boy.” Isabella could not help but add in that fact. She smiled at the thought of Makal.

  “They have a debt with me that must be paid,” said Shayla, suddenly serious.

  “What do they owe you?”

  “Blood.”

  Isabella stared at Shayla, who had a crazy look in her eyes. “So, anyway. They are the big reason that I am here. We believe that they will attack soon and we need to be prepared to repel that attack. I have been feeling a little bit emotional lately and acting a bit out of sorts. They said that I can’t be relied on. Maybe they are right. I just don’t see the point sometimes. Why work so hard to protect something that will probably be gone tomorrow?”

  The look in Shayla’s eyes softened until she finally blinked and turned to look at Isabella.

  “Your friends and family will always be there. That is the point. You must do it to help them. It is not the Tower that you are protecting. It is their lives that you are protecting.”

  “I know,” Isabella said, looking down.

  “Tell you what,” Shayla said, perking up. “When you go back, I will go with you. To help.”

  “You would do that?” Isabella asked, hopeful.

  “Definitely. Also, I’m sure Caritha would like to spend more time with Sisera as well,” Shayla said. “Speaking of. Here she comes.”

  Isabella followed Shayla’s pointed arm to see the white-red approaching rapidly. The white-red landed on the soft sand in front of the two young women.

  “Go to the field now,” Caritha
said. “She’s back.”

  38

  Kai’s return trip from the port city of Bridgewater was as almost as quick as his trip there. After leaving the city, though, he immediately had to endure the long, tedious climb up Hover’s Run. The effort and time he saved coming down the tremendous slope was repaid two-fold when going up.

  After a short breather at the crest of the miles long hill, he continued his journey home. He made great time, rarely stopping to rest. He had no problem riding at night as he had Adina’s Box to light the way.

  Finally, he saw the rolling hills in the distance, a sign that he would soon be home. He passed through the village of Mirefield, alive with activity. Kai did not realize how much this village had grown alongside their own village. When he came through the first time, it was late at night. Seems that some of the settlers decided they preferred living in Mirefield to living in Mara.

  Can’t blame them for that, I guess, Kai thought. Not as if we have things properly under control.

  As Kai approached the village of Mara, he stopped at the top of a hill to look down at the valley and the home that he and his people had built. The fortress looked foreboding with the dozens of torches lighting up the outside, bathing the stone walls with a reddish glow. The sprawling village below looked gnarled and wicked. He had never seen it from a distance like this. It was not a fancy palace by any stretch of the imagination.

  The guards recognized him as he rode up to the main gate of the village.

  “Ayo, Kai,” the burly guardsman shouted, waving.

  Kai returned the gesture but did not stop. He made his way directly to the infirmary, letting his horse wander loose through the courtyard. He rushed through the door to find the room completely empty. He quickly rushed through each of the smaller side rooms but found nothing.

  Leaving the infirmary, he ran to the main entrance where there were two guards posted.

  He yelled at the two men. “Raven.Where’s Raven?”