“You’re going to need this!” she said, holding out the belt the inhabitants of Orte-Feldir had given him, which he’d offered to her to hold her dagger. “I don’t need it anymore, so it’s all yours,” she continued. “I’ll still have the knife...” The adolescent knew what she really meant—that the dagger would serve as a token of their time together. He didn’t need anything to make sure he wouldn’t forget her; everything he’d experienced with Mehrika would remain in his heart for a long time. He carefully attached the katana to the belt, slowly tying an intricate knot, but he didn’t buckle it on. The young woman took his hand, then placed something in it.
“So that you don’t forget me,” she murmured. Glaide looked at the object lying on the palm of his hand: it was a ring. It looked like it was made of silver, and around it, a traditional oriental dragon was carved. It had no wings, but had a long, snake-like body, with an elongated snout. The boy briefly wondered if such a creature existed here, too, before putting it on.
“Thank you,” he replied simply.
“Right,” Mehrika went on, “how are you going to carry the blade? You already have a sword, and it might get a bit cumbersome having two at your side.” Glaide knew her good cheer was a facade, covering the deep sadness the young woman was feeling. As was her wont, though, she fought hard to maintain control. Without giving her companion time to reply, she continued, “It would be best to wear it on your back.”
“That won’t be very practical in battle,” the young man noted. “I won’t be able to draw.”
“But you don’t really know how to use it yet anyway, right?” She replied quite sensibly. “So, you only have to be able to carry it. Take off your cape.” Glaide did as he was told with a laugh as Mehrika took the belt in her hands. She stepped behind him, carefully holding the weapon between his shoulder blades, so it wouldn’t be uncomfortable, while he grabbed the two ends of the belt, buckling it to his chest. As he finished, though, he felt the young woman rest her head against his back. With a sigh, he spoke.
“I wanted to leave quietly, to avoid all of the farewells, but I seem to have failed in that...” It was silent for a moment, then he continued, a bit ill at ease. “Mehrika, I have to ask you to do something for me. I know from what the villagers have said that you are all on good terms with the elves. If you, or any of the villagers, happen across some of them, can you ask them to join me and the rest of the Known Lands?” He felt her nod, almost imperceptibly. Glaide turned then, plunging his gaze into the eyes that met his.
“I could never forget you, and know that I will come back, when I can.” However, even as he said that, he knew that Mehrika was just as aware as he was that that was impossible, or very near to it. Without crossing paths with someone from this village, he would probably never find his way back here. “What will happen when all of this is over?” he wondered. “Perhaps I’ll be dead... and perhaps not. How will that new world be changed from what it is now? If all of the peoples come together for the final battle, I don’t think they’ll simply disappear again when it’s over...”
The future was too distant to imagine, though; for now, he only needed to write his story as it was happening. He pulled the young woman into an embrace. Then, he settled his cape back into place. The handle of the katana passed neatly under the collar of the cape before coming to an end over his right shoulder. Mehrika looked at him for a moment, her eyes misty, then she turned. Glaide was about to do the same when he heard a gentle whisper.
“If I don’t do it, I’ll regret it my whole life...” With that, she spun around, planting a gentle kiss on the young man’s lips—a kiss that brought with it a taste of her tears. “Good luck,” she whispered breathlessly. Then, without giving Glaide even a moment to recover, she dashed down the hill and rejoined her parents. The three waved to their guest, and he returned the gesture before turning away, his heart beating fast all the while.
In a few seconds, he’d reached the woods, and within minutes, the village had disappeared from sight behind him. He let out a deep sigh. The adventure was continuing, but he knew that the time he had spent there would remain in his memory, filed away next to so many others. How could he ever forget the young woman that he had saved so completely by chance? The young woman who had been mute at first, but who had then proven to be a descendant of Novak, himself... The journey they’d shared had touched the young man so deeply that, for the first time, he’d wished for an end to this story.
When all was said and done, which of them had really learned the most during their time together? Which of them had really gained the most from their meeting? He sighed once again, and as he reached behind him to touch the handle of the katana on his back, he thought to himself that he ought to feel sad, and yet, his heart was filled with joy. How could that be? But then, wasn’t it better that way? He had no regrets. Not now. And Mehrika wouldn’t want him to have any. Her strength, which had always impressed the young man so much, had lain in her capacity to accept hardship without passing judgement. In her eyes, there was no good luck or bad luck, goodness, or evil. Things happened, and all one could do was try their best to come out of it having grown. Everything she’d experienced should have taken her sanity, but she had vanquished it all, and that victory had brought her both wisdom and food for thought.
“She is and will always be a role model for me, just like my master. It’s by taking these people as an example that I’ll be able to write my story,” the adolescent told himself with a smile.
Perhaps the time would come when he would have no one to lean on, and no one to help him up. Then he would have to show that he was worthy of calling himself the friend—or perhaps more than a friend—of the people he had met.
Chapter 22
GLAIDE let his thoughts wander for a while, taking joy in the beauty of the woods around him. Suddenly, though, he remembered that he was being tracked. It wouldn’t be long before he reached the edge of the woods, and it was likely he’d be attacked there, since the time he’d spent in the village would have given his enemy plenty of time to gather and organize themselves.
“If I want to make it out, I’ll have to be cunning,” Glaide thought to himself. He took a moment to listen to the sounds around him, and slowed down a bit at the same time. He couldn’t make out anything suspicious, however. Even the birdsong continued, the creatures not the least bit bothered by his quiet steps.
He continued on his way and soon, to his surprise, he could make out the edge of the forest, just a few dozen yards ahead. Everything appeared calm, and if Glaide weren’t certain Baras was on his trail, he would have stepped out of the cover of the trees without fear. It couldn’t possibly be that the god had simply given up on finding him just because he was a bit late, however, so the young man forced himself to be calm and think rationally. Instead of moving forward, he took a moment to inspect the forest edge for a few yards to the north and to the south. The task took a few moments, but in the end, he was sure of one thing: he was alone.
That realization, rather than reassuring him, made him even more concerned. Something felt off, but he couldn’t decide what. He felt the weight of the saber on his back, and it only added to his anxiety.
“I can’t lose it. Not at any cost.” Finally, he decided to take a few moments before stepping out of the woods to make sure that the blade couldn’t be knocked out of its sheath if he moved abruptly. Keeping an ear out for danger, he set about looking for some kind of vine that he could use as rope. He soon found what he was looking for at the base of a tree: there, he found a number of creeping vines that were reasonably thick. The boy took a few and tested their strength. They were far from unbreakable, but they seemed strong enough to hold a weapon in place. He undid his cape and the belt, then carefully attached the handle and guard to the sheath. He tried to draw the weapon, and was pleased to note that his lucky find was indeed enough to hold the blade in place, while at the same time, if trouble came and he really needed to draw the weapon, a bit more force
would suffice to overcome the vines so he could draw.
Seeing the saber there in his hands, Glaide felt tempted to test it out a bit. They’d told him the weapon couldn’t be made to appear and disappear like a protector’s blade, but that it was capable of flying into the hand of its rightful user. However, he resisted, instead choosing to carefully reattach the belt and put his cape back on. Once again properly equipped, he headed back towards the edge of the forest. The place remained unchanged. He stepped closer to the edge, so that just one good step would be enough to let him clear the forest. However, he paused there for a moment, carefully observing his surroundings. There were obviously no enemy soldiers in the area, so only one other option seemed possible: there had to be archers hidden nearby. The idea was a frightening one.
“I don’t have the reflexes to avoid an arrow,” he murmured to himself. Suddenly, as he looked towards the azure blue sky, something caught his attention. For a moment, he thought he was hallucinating, but the image remained, so that in the end, he decided what he was seeing in the midst of the sky—a sky that had remained perfectly empty ever since his arrival—was a cloud... It wasn’t a stormcloud, but rather a cloud with a pure white color, and a beautiful fluffy shape.
“What on earth does that mean?” he whispered. He remembered then that Koeris had explained that Aras was the source of rain. Enough people must have regained their will to fight that this cloud had appeared, witness to their number. The sight was like a salve, and his fear evaporated before it. For the first time, he was seeing results from his actions, and he felt his courage return to him, along with a smile.
“Well, I can’t stay here forever,” he murmured, “come what may...” With that, he stepped quickly—though not at a run—into the plain that bordered the woods. His immediate goal was to put some distance between him and the forest, and he decided to head towards Ojilon. The city was several days’ walk, and even if the young man wasn’t attacked in the minutes to come, he knew that the journey ahead would be a grueling one. He’d have to constantly be on his guard, right up until the moment he reached the protective mountains that surrounded the village.
It didn’t take long for the young man to reach the critical point in his escape, where he was too far from the trees for them to offer any protection, and yet well within range of archers. “Well, what will be will be...”
However, what came then was nothing he would ever have predicted. The sun darkened suddenly, and for a moment, Glaide thought the cloud he’d seen before had passed in front of that bright heavenly body, but the shadow lasted mere seconds. He froze in place.
“No cloud could pass by that quickly,” he thought to himself. He felt his blood rise and his sword appeared in his hand as he spun around. As he went, he congratulated himself on securing the katana so well, because although he heard the sheath and blade rattle, the vines held. For a moment, the brightness of the sun in his eyes blinded him, but out of the corner of his eye, he could make out a shadow passing overhead. He turned again, trying to spot it, while also trying to keep some of his focus on the sounds around him.
Suddenly, he heard a massive thud, and the ground shook so that he nearly fell. He knew that the creature had just come to land behind him, and with a jump, he frantically took up a guard position. From the violence of the shock and the huge cloud of dust that it had kicked up, he knew the creature had to be immense. He tried to calm himself, all while keeping his gaze fixed on the debris that continued to fall. Whatever might come shooting out of that cloud, he was certain of one thing: he’d have to be prepared to be light on his feet.
His focus disappeared along with the settling dust, however. Glaide froze, and his blade fell from his hand. His eyes widened in surprise, and his jaw dropped. Finally, his hands fell to his side, and he stood there, unmoving.
“I remembered you as a much more eloquent figure than this,” rumbled a voice that the boy would have recognized from among thousands. It was enough to instantly bring back his good cheer.
“Ay... Ayrokkan...” stammered Glaide. Before him, in all his majesty, stood the dragon with scarlet scales that he’d met several months before. His yellow eyes, which still held that same piercing stare, combined with his long snout—holding a jaw filled with imposing, sharp fangs—gave off an air of both aggression and deep wisdom. Seeing the spikes lining the creature's spine reminded Glaide of the journey he had spent on the legendary creature’s back.
“Ayrokkan,” the young man repeated, unable to believe his eyes.
“Did you not believe we would see one another again? We had an agreement. Do you not remember?” Glaide wanted to run towards the creature and throw himself against his side, but he restrained himself. He so badly wanted to talk with him, and fly with him, and he so badly needed the wisdom of this creature. Instead, he gave his reply calmly as he collected his weapon from the ground.
“Of course I remember. Some of the dragons, whose position you represent, are ready to lend their aid to humanity in this fight. However, you refuse to damage the peace that reigns over your people without good reason. And I’m meant to be that reason. You told me that you and your kind would observe me, to see if I was worthy of your power. My job in all of this was to simply live my life, not necessarily trying to prove anything, and you would form your opinion based on what you saw me do, and the decisions you saw me make.”
Ayrokkan fixed the boy in his penetrating stare.
“I see that your memory is intact. Those are, in fact, the terms of our contract. Today, I stand before you because, as promised, I am to share our decision with you.”
“I thought it would take longer, somehow...”
“Time is something we lack, and regardless of how much or how little time has passed, our decision is made. We will not change our minds.” The man and the dragon looked at each other in absolute silence for a moment. Despite himself, Glaide felt his breathing and heart rate begin to speed up. Over the past several months, he had often wondered what the dragons thought of him, but he hadn’t spent any time seriously considering the advantages such an alliance would have—if it happened at all—or what he’d have lost if it didn’t. Above all, he’d simply considered the creature before him a friend—a thought which brought a small smile to his face.
And then, he began to tremble—shaking from excitement—because the dragon before him was now moving. The young man felt like his heart was going to beat out of his chest as waves of powerful emotion swept over him: gratitude, pride, and joy, because Ayrokkan was now bowing before him. He’d folded back his wings and dipped his head until it nearly touched the ground. From that position, and without looking at the boy in front of him, his deep and resonating voice echoed around them.
“The dragons are at your command.”
Chapter 23
GLAIDE felt his legs turn to jelly. The whole situation was incredible, and he couldn’t possibly take it all in. He could only look in amazement at the scene before him: a dragon, one of the oldest, most powerful, and wisest creatures in this world was bowing before him. The young man had to say something; he had to release the hurricane brewing in his soul.
“Get up, my friend! Ayrokkan, it’s been so long!” As the creature executed the order, Glaide ran towards him, taking refuge against the scaly body of his friend. He was shaking, and had to fight to hold back his tears of joy. The dragon almost seemed to smile, as he wrapped his wigs around the young man protectively.
“Glaide,” he began in a soft voice. “We have watched you unceasingly since we last parted ways. We were there as you trained with the man you call master, and as you journeyed at his side. We heard all that you learned from the monks, and we watched as you accompanied that young woman home. As I told you when we first met, not all dragons share my opinion, but those that follow me, and I myself, have chosen to be on your side in what is to come. We have taken the first step, though nothing prevents other dragons from joining Baras, should they so desire. However, we’d rather not c
reate unnecessary hostility towards others of our kind...”
“I understand, Ayrokkan,” Glaide replied, pulling back from the dragon a bit. “I don’t want to cause a rift among you, so I will only call on you when it is absolutely necessary.” The dragon nodded slowly before continuing the conversation.
“However, we are allies, and that is what comes first in our eyes. If one day you decide it is necessary for us to stand against others of our kind, we will follow you. Our pact will follow these terms: from this day forward, the dragons who have chosen me as their leader, and I myself, am at your service, until which time Baras is defeated or has won.” Now it was Glaide’s turn to nod.
“Thank you,” he said quietly. “Thank you for your confidence in me.” Deep in his core, he wondered if he really deserved that honor and, worse, the responsibility that accompanied it, and which was so great. If he wanted to, he could have any village in the Known Lands reduced to cinders. He doubted whether even Shinozuka could survive an assault from a group of dragons.
“Will I have the wisdom to know how to make use of that power?” he wondered to himself. “They’ve decided to set aside their free will and let me decide their destiny, but am I worthy of that?” Ayrokkan, as if he could read the boy’s thoughts, seemed to decide that worrying would do no good, because he changed the subject just then.
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