The Dragon Sands Box Set: Books 1 - 3

by C. K. Rieke

  Roren went on the attack, slashing wildly at it, yet he only stood half its height, so he attacked its legs— the size of tree trunks. He dodged the swings with its mighty club and evaded its other hand that swung down on him with its three fingers curled into a hard stone fist. Jumping back and forth, and ducking and stabbing, Lilaci watched the fighter-side of Roren, and witnessed the training he must have had back in the Order of Drakon, the group dedicated to Kera’s protection and rearing.

  Lilaci, while being attacked by the other two golems and their clubs, summoned the magical glow of the Sanzoral which wafted from her hands in a majestic purple smoke. As she fought and evaded the two giants she concentrated hard and brought up from the ground a flurry of sand. It hefted up into the air and began to swirl around the two, confusing them as they groaned and tried to brush it away from their faces. Lilaci took a step back and lowered her sword as she brought the swirling sand tighter onto them, enclosing the sandstorms around them, until it covered every bit of their bodies.

  She knew the sand wouldn’t hurt them, and only stunned them in confusion— so she didn’t hesitate— she ran at full sprint between the two, sword in hand and the Sanzoral firmly in her grip. Two of the Reevins lowered their staffs and pointed them out at her, the swirling sand turned to long black streaks that reached out towards her. In their haze, and as she ran towards them, the streaks had become long, thin arms with black hands with long, sharp claws, all in a dull, red glow.

  I don’t dare find out what those things would do if they reach me. I’ve got to get past them without touching them, I fear there’s a dark magic in them, possibly a poison. And the golems behind me have regrouped and I can feel their heavy steps following mine. I’ve got to make this fast.

  Summoning the light of the Sanzoral within her, she gathered a mass of sand between her and the sharp-clawed hands fast approaching, she shot it up at them, and down onto the heads of the two Reevins. It wasn’t enough to knock them to the ground, but it appeared to be enough to distract them from their dark spells. She rushed in low and stabbed one of them in the belly, her sword’s tip poking through his back, covered in fresh blood. The old Reevin’s eyes went from hollowed to horrified instantly.

  The other Reevin, his senses quickly regathered, summoned the black hands from his staff, and they shot at Lilaci. Panic settled in as she watched the hands reaching out of her, about to grab a hold of her. She didn’t have time to run, as they were too fast, so she began to gather the sand at her feet. The hands were just in front of her, only a few feet from gripping her, and the sand wasn’t going to stop them quickly enough. She feared she may have been too slow as the golems were almost within striking distance as well. As she let out a loud yell, forcing the sand up as quickly as she could, she watched an arrow whistle in from the right, sliding its way into the Reevin’s head, and the light of his eyes disappeared. Then the black hands with long, black claws with their red glow vanished.

  Where did that arrow come from? Who else is hiding among the dunes? The wizard is dead, but the golems are still after me. They can sense the sand is harmless to them. I’ll have to find another way to take them down. I’ve got to get to the other Reevin, and fast. She hefted her sword, ready for battle. Roren ran and jumped onto the back of one of them. He crawled atop its back, as it growled low and frantically reached back at him, trying to grab hold and throw him off. The other let out a mighty arc of its club at Lilaci as she ran by, she could feel the whoosh of it above her hair as she narrowly ducked under it.

  “Damned wizards!” she yelled. I’m getting sick of having to kill you. You’re only letting Kera get further away from me, that’s where you make your real mistake. I’m not afraid of death. I only care about losing her.

  The Reevin lowered his staff and she watched as the black hands shot from it, a dozen of them reaching out to touch her, their thin, bony fingers outstretched, eager to dig their claws into her soul.

  She reached behind her back and pulled out the curving black dagger tucked into her sash and let it fly. It tore through the air, flipping end over end, its metal ringing sharply. The hands reached out to grab it, but it glided through their black haze and its spinning halted as it stuck into the Reevin’s head, landing with a thuck straight between his eyes. He began to convulse, and the black hands began to shake. The golems roared out in pain behind her, as she knelt on one knee, with her arm still extended out from the throw.

  He fell to his side onto the soft sand with a dull thud. He dropped his staff, and the hands vanished, wafting away up into the air. The three golems began to sink back into the sand from whence they came. They fought and reached out for something to halt their descent, but they were soon buried again, as if they never were there in the first place.

  Lilaci stood back up and looked down at the three dead Reevins. “We best search them for anything we can use.”

  Roren went over and inspected the arrow protruding from the second Reevin’s head. He grabbed it by the arrow’s head and yanked it through his skull. He held it up to inspect it, and Lilaci walked over to look at it as well.

  “What do you see?” she asked.

  His eyes moved up from it, to look out in the direction it was shot at. “This is a fine arrow, its thin obsidian tip, its shaft is of Whitewood, and its fletching is of feathers of a rare bird from the south. Wherever this came from, they know how to craft fine weaponry.”

  “We’d best stay alert. Now, we’re not only being stalked by these damned wizards, but now we’re being watched from the shadows,” she said. She scanned out on the horizon, looking for any sign or trace of the origin of the arrow of Whitewood, but she found nothing— not even a footstep left in the sand.

  “Do you think they may be trying to help?”

  “If they were trying to help, why wouldn’t they come out into the light?” she asked.

  “I suppose we’ll find out eventually. In the meantime, I won’t mind a little assistance from the shadows,” he said as he began to search the bodies.

  “If they’re not on our side, they’re just another body we’ll leave behind us on the sands. For their sake, they’d better not get in our way.”

  Chapter Two

  “Come on, stop your crying. Just keep walking. If you move those little feet, I’ll get you something sweet once we get there. Argh! Come on,” Fewn said as she grabbed tightly onto the young girl’s arm. “It’s not hard, you just put one foot in front of the other.”

  “No, I’m not going any further with you. You lied to us,” the young girl said.

  Kera agonized at the mere touch of the bigger, stronger girl with the deep cut on her chin. Kera knew she had little chance of resisting the Fewn, but Kera was still brimming with anger. Fewn had ripped her away from Lilaci, leading Lilaci into a trap. She led her into a dark cave where she knew she’d be stuck in a mating nest of massive sandworms, each of them hungry to sink their fangs into her. Fewn had lied to Kera that she’d help them, but now, Kera found herself being taken back to the cities, where the gods would be waiting to take her to their castle and kill her. She wanted to believe that Lilaci was still alive out there, she wanted to believe that she was coming to rescue her.

  “Alright, I’ve had enough of this,” Fewn said. She knelt and looked into Kera’s eyes and shook her slightly. Kera’s dark hair jolted in front of her pale gray eyes, and she clenched her teeth in frustration, and her eyes grew wet from tears of rage. “You are either going to walk, or I’m going to tie you up and drag you over the sands, hot as they are rough.”

  “You wouldn’t,” Kera replied, her mouth barely moved.

  “Try me.”

  “Fine.” Kera pulled away and crossed her arms in front of her chest.

  Fewn had a furious look on her face and pulled back, standing up again, staring at the young girl. “You’re just like her, you know— stubborn as you are selfish.”

  “You left her to die.”

  “Oh, I’m sure she’s fine,” Fewn scoff
ed. “I’ve seen that girl do things . . .”

  Just then, Kera watched as Fewn’s eyes shot over to the southeast. She pulled her hood down closer to the top of her eyes. She peered hard out into the distance. Fewn looked around to see only sprawling desert all around them, with the sun beginning to fall slowly at their backs. Fewn grabbed Kera’s tan cloak by the shoulder and jerked her down hard. Kera didn’t fight it. Fewn pushed her back behind a jutting brown rock sticking out of the sand like it’d fallen from the Great Realm in the Sky. Then Fewn rushed behind the rock herself.

  “What is it, Fewn? What did you see?”

  Fewn peeked her head out slightly from the side of the rock with her hood pulled down low again. “It appears the gods aren’t patient enough to wait for you. They’re sending others out to find you and take you.”

  Kera thought about that for a moment. She didn’t see who or what Fewn had seen, but her entire life she’d been hiding from those that sought her out at the will of the gods. She knew, and was told that the gods feared her, and what she was destined to do. Her destiny was the bring back the dragons to the lands of the Arr, for they were the only ones with the strength— and power— to fight the corrupt divine beings that ruled the deserts and cities with iron fists.

  “Stay out of sight,” Fewn whispered. “I don’t think they’ve seen us. We may need to stay here for the night.”

  “Scaethers?” Kera asked. “Is it them again?”

  Fewn looked down at Kera, a bit of remorse fell over her pale, white face, and that gave Kera the answer.

  Kera didn’t understand why Fewn wasn’t simply calling out for them, to hand her over to the group of hunters. After all, Fewn, and even Lilaci were both Scaethers before they came to capture her but ended up killing their friend who killed Kera’s family. Kera wondered if Fewn was worried about if she’d be punished for desertion, even if she handed Kera over willingly. Perhaps Fewn figured if she delivered her to the king and queen in the capital of Erodoran in the Great Oasis of Voru, she thought the gods might pardon her for being part of killing a Scaether. She could maybe blame everything on Lilaci if she wanted.

  Fewn’s eyes darted back and forth, looking at the sand at her feet. Kera assumed the same thoughts she had were running through Fewn’s mind.

  “It’s not too late Fewn,” she said. “You can still change your mind and take me back. I’ll forgive you. We can still be a family like you said you wanted before. Let’s go back. Let’s go and find Lilaci, she can help us. She can help you.”

  Fewn laughed a quick laugh. “You don’t know her like I do. She’d try to kill me the second she saw me. I can’t blame her, I’d do the same thing if she’d done that to me. I don’t think there’s any going back, Kera. I’m sorry. This is the only way.”

  “That’s not true. You’re only doing this because you think you’ll be in the favor of Dânoz and the other five gods if you take me to them. But you’re wrong, they aren’t forgiving, or kind. They’ll kill you anyways, if not for anything more than spite. I need to go back out and find Lilaci, Fewn. We need to stop them. The Arr is forever going to be like this— full of pain and countless death— until I can stop them.”

  Fewn looked at Kera curiously then. “How long do you think we’d survive out there? Really? Two people— actually one person, and one kid— against an entire desert looking for us? Don’t be so naive. It’s only a matter of time before someone comes and takes you to them. By then, I’ll be killed, and you’d end up in a place worse than the Eternal Fires.”

  “Is that why you tricked Lilaci?” Kera said spitefully. “Because it would’ve happened to her eventually . . .?”

  Fewn raised her voice. “Lilaci couldn’t protect you forever. She’s just one person.”

  “One person with the magic of the gods. She carries the Sanzoral. She’s more powerful than any one other person on the sands.”

  “If she was so powerful then how’d she get trapped so easily?”

  “Because you used me for bait!” Kera yelled at her, with her small fists balled up.

  Fewn seemed caught off guard, but then casually laid her back to the boulder behind her. “You’re a smart kid.”

  “Then why drag me around the deserts like this?” Kera asked. “Why not just take me to the other Scaethers? You want to give me up so that you can take a reward or something?”

  Fewn seemed deep in thought then. “No. I mean yes. Well, not exactly.”

  “You are the most selfish person I’ve ever met,” Kera said.

  “It's not about a bounty,” Fewn said. “I just— I don’t want anyone else to take you. They may hurt you.”

  “You are so bullheaded, you’ve hurt me and Lilaci more than anyone could ever do,” she said. “I hate you.”

  It looked like Fewn tried to hide a vague look of disappointment on her face as she closed her eyes. She laid back, trying to look casual, but it looked like she was almost trying not to cry.

  “This isn’t the way things were supposed to turn out,” Kera said. “We were supposed to stick together. You lied, that makes you a liar.”

  “I didn’t lie,” Fewn said quickly, her eyes wide open again looking at the young girl. “I just didn’t know that what I promised you, wasn’t going to be what I ended up doing— until after I already changed my mind about it.”

  “That is exactly what makes you a liar,” Kera said in frustration. “You are so crazy.”

  “Don’t call me that,” Fewn said through her clenched teeth. Her brow furrowed, and she had a wicked glare in her eyes.

  “What? A liar? Or crazy?” Kera said.

  “I’m not crazy.”

  “Crazy. Crazy. Crazy. You’re crazy!”

  “You’re a brat!” Fewn said defensively.

  “Crazy! Crazy! Crazy!”

  “Brat! Brat! Brat!”

  “You’re crazy!” Kera continued. “Crazy! Crazy! Crazy!”

  Fewn continued calling her a ‘brat!” as they two both tried to yell over each other.

  Kera then out of exhaustion, gave a quick laugh, but was embarrassed she did so, as she appeared that she wanted to stay mad. Fewn looked at her and a small smirk appeared at the corner of her mouth, and she gave a quick laugh.

  “This isn’t funny,” Kera said.

  “Then why are you laughing?”

  “You are more of a child than I am,” Kera said. “If I were bigger, you’d be in trouble.”

  “Too bad you’re not.”

  “I almost want to just walk out there and hand myself over to those Scaethers, so I don’t have to see you anymore. Then there’d be no chance the gods would forgive you for your treason.”

  “You wouldn’t dare,” Fewn said, tensing up, ready to stop Kera from walking out from behind the rock.

  “Try me.”

  “Brat.”

  “Crazy.”

  They sat there the rest of the day, drinking what little water Fewn had been carrying with her in her watersack. Ever couple hours she’d peer around the side of the rock, looking for any other signs of the group of Scaethers searching for them. They spoke little the rest of the day, and as the sun began to slip away under the hills of unending sands, the desert cooled, and Kera fell asleep quickly. Fewn looked over to see Kera begin to shiver underneath her thin, canvas blanket. She untied the string at her chest and lifted her own cloak off her shoulders and back and laid it over Kera as she slept next to her.

  Chapter Three

  “Why are we walking back north?” Kera asked Fewn under the midday sun. She had her tan hood drifting just over her eyes, her thin canvas shoes burned from the heat, and she had rashes between her toes from sand. She was used to the unpleasantness of the desert life— it was all she’d ever known. She looked up at Fewn to her right side as she took longer strides, with her longer legs. Fewn didn’t respond.

  Kera was still angry with her, for Fewn had betrayed her, more so than anyone in her few years. All those that raised her were gone. The Order of Drak
on had reared her and protected her. They constantly walked the sands, covering their tracks, making low-burning fires at night that were shielded from sight from far off. They were experts at spotting hidden water sources and finding food for them, and her. They told her the prophecy of her fate. She was to resurrect the dragons of the Arr, long dead or taken from the desert by a man named Riverend hundreds of years prior. They didn’t know specifically how she’d bring them back, and so Kera didn’t understand how she was to do this. She guessed that she needed to go to the lands to the west and bring back the dragons from there. But now, with Fewn taking her to the gods before she could fulfill her part of the prophecy, she had little hope that anything could save her then. She walked on sullenly.

  “Are you thirsty?” Fewn asked after several minutes.

  Kera sniffled and shook her head.

  “Here,” Fewn handed the watersack over to Kera, who took it, uncorked the top, and dumped its contents onto the dry sand.

  “Hey!” Fewn reached out to the other side of Kera, grabbing the watersack, with just a few drops of water remaining in it. “What are you thinking? Damn— Now we’ve got to find more. Why did you do that?”

  Kera sniffled again and wiped away the snot running down from her nose. “What does it matter?”

  “You want to die out here?” Fewn asked, shaking Kera’s shoulder.

  “I don’t want to die there,” she sniffled again. Then wiped a tear from her eye.

  Fewn didn’t respond immediately. Then she turned and said in a softer voice, “You don’t know they’re going to do that.”

  Kera shot over at Fewn in anger. “What do think they’re going to do? Make me one of their High Knights? What else are they going to do to me? I don’t want to die. But if I have to, I’d rather do it out here.”