Without warning, the kraken erupted from the water and launched itself toward the dragon who was hovering as he waited above. Brin turned in time to shoot a gout of flames at the beast, and the kraken screamed out in pain. An arm whipped forward, encircling one of the dragon’s legs in a vice-like grip. Brin threw his head around and drove his teeth into the arm that tethered him, but the kraken refused to let go, and Brin was pulled violently down and below the waves.
“Brin!” Tabitha screamed. She ran to the rail and leaned far out over it, desperately trying to see where he was. The surface of the water bubbled like a stew pot kept too long over the flame, and then stilled.
“Where is he? Can anyone see him?” Tabitha asked. She scanned the water frantically, searching for any hint of movement.
Several Etrafarians floated upwards to get a better view. They pulled the hoods of their cloaks low so they could protect their sensitive eyes from the sun’s glare and searched the water for any sign of the dragon.
A seabird screeched, and Tabitha jumped at the noise. Where was he? Why hadn’t he come up yet? What was happening?
The surface of the water began to churn once more. Tabitha felt her brother pulling her back from the rail. She tried to resist at first, but she realized she had no idea what was making its way back to the surface, and she allowed herself to be moved to a relatively safer distance.
A blur of red flew forth from the water and shot skyward. Brin spun wildly, throwing the water from his glorious scales. His wings opened wide, and Tabitha saw there was a large, ragged tear in one of them.
“Oh, dear Rah, thank you, thank you!” Aesri said, her hand at her throat.
Brin flew lower and beat his mighty wings just enough to allow him to hover beside the ship. “I told you!” he exploded. “I told you something like this would happen, Aesri! But no, I was overreacting, you said. I was imagining the worst, you said.”
“I never thought—” Aesri began.
“Well, I did! When are you going to listen? She is never going to let it go. This will never be over until—”
“Brin!” Aesri said, stopping him. “You were right. I admit it, but we can discuss what this means later? For now, we need to fix that wing, repair the ship if need be, and get these children to Etrafa. Everything else can wait.”
“Brin, you’re hurt.” Tabitha was still shaking from their encounter with the kraken, but seeing Brin wounded and bleeding was only slightly less terrifying.
The dragon glanced at his damaged wing and made a face. “Don’t get carried away. It’s nothing major. Besides, I can’t very well land on the ship. I'd sink us all. I’ll make my way to one of the small islands hereabouts and tend to it.”
“Do you think we will be all right until your return?” Aesri asked him.
“Now you’re worried? It’s a little late for that, but yes, I think so. If I didn’t, I wouldn’t leave you. There are a limited number of sea monsters for her to corrupt to do her bidding. She probably thought one chance was all she'd need. Still, I'll hurry back. I never should have strayed so far from you in the first place.”
“She who?” Holly asked, speaking up for the first time. “Who’s sending mythical sea monsters to destroy us?”
Brin tilted his head and gave Aesri a look that would curdle fresh milk. “I’ll let your Aunt Aesri explain, since she seems to know what’s best for everyone.”
“Thank you, Brin’du Drak’Tir,” she said with a huff.
Brin stretched his wings wider, and the strong downward strokes lifted him up and away from the ship, and then still farther until he was lost from view.
Tabitha, Holly, and Brint turned and looked at Aesri expectantly.
Defeated, she said, “Come, let us go inside to dry off.”
Chapter 3
They sat around a rectangular table and waited for Aesri to speak. She was usually very calm and poised, but right now she paced before them, wringing her hands as if nervous or agitated. Every once in a while, she'd stop, face them, and open her mouth to speak, but then she'd shake her head and resume her pacing.
“Aunt Aesri,” Brint said, “it can’t be that bad. We’re not children anymore. Please, tell us.”
Aesri lowered herself onto one of the chairs and looked at the three young people before her. “I…I should have told you this before we ever left Maj. I certainly should have told your parents. Brin said there would be trouble, but I thought…well, I thought there would be more time. I never expected her to act so quickly, and I was not even sure we were right, and—”
Brint rested a steady hand on her sleeve. “Aunt Aesri, start over at the beginning. Her who?”
“Cifera,” Aesri answered in a whisper.
They had all heard of Cifera. If she were active again, it didn’t bode well for any of them. The white dragon had already proven herself to be a dangerous enemy during the Great War.
Holly still looked rattled from their encounter with the kraken, and when she spoke, her voice betrayed her fear. “Why…why w-would she want to attack us? I thought it was Brin she was after, because of something his mother did.”
“Would that make it all right?” Tabitha snapped. “Brin is one of us! If she’s trying to hurt him, we need to protect him!”
“Calm down, Tabitha,” Aesri scolded. “Holly did not mean she did not care about Brin’s safety. She asks a good question: if Cifera is active again, why would she seek us out as a target? I believe she may have discovered some new information, and she now sees more than one threat.”
“Us?” Holly asked, her voice somewhat higher than usual. “Why would she think we’re a threat?”
“Not really all of you. You, Holly. We…I think she is after you.” Aesri frowned and took a deep breath.
Brint moved his hand to the hilt of his sword. “Aunt Aesri, you can’t be serious. Holly's no threat to a dragon—she wouldn’t hurt anyone or anything.”
“I know, Brint,” Aesri said, trying to soothe him, “but this is all part of a larger picture that goes back to Minxa and the Great Tree, and even before that, to the time when Auriel and Cifera were our protectors.”
“I don’t really know much about the histories,” Holly admitted with a blush. She was part Etrafarian, but she'd never seemed terribly interested in the old legends and stories of her mother’s ancestors.
Aesri raised one brow, but then nodded, as if accepting Holly’s lack of education. “The short story is this: Rah created the Great Tree. From that tree, the four different kinds of Etrafarians were born: water, wind, earth, and fire. Rah is a loving God, and He did not want His children to be alone in their beautiful garden home, so He sent two protectors, Auriel and Cifera, to watch over them. Auriel was devoted to Rah, and taught the Etrafarian children all there was to know about Him and His love. Cifera was more interested in gaining the love and loyalty of the Etrafarians for herself, and she used the lure of magic and power to secure their devotion. Eventually, something happened to push Cifera and Auriel’s relationship to the breaking point, and Cifera tried to kill Auriel. Rah sent Auriel away to keep her safe from Cifera’s wrath, and He banished Cifera from the garden. Time passed, and the Etrafarians learned to make their way without the guidance of their protectors. Then, something triggered a great change.”
“You’re talking about Brin, aren’t you?” Holly asked.
“Yes. There was an Etrafarian woman named Minxa. I have read some of her journals, and in them, she talks about a prophecy. The details are not all clear, but from what her journals tell us, part of the prophecy involved saving Brin. For whatever reason, she did not act when she had the chance, and Brin’du Drak’Tir was trapped in a sword by Hathel, the Breken. When she returned to Etrafa, the Great Tree had developed a crack, and leaves had begun to drop and turn black. Out of desperation, she confessed to her brothers and sisters what had happened in the Parsaian desert, and she told them about the prophecy. The crack in the tree stopped growing, and no more leaves fell, but the tree nev
er completely healed.
“When Brin’du Drak’Tir was freed, my brothers and sisters and I had hoped that by righting the old wrong, we might help to heal the Great Tree, but it seems just the opposite has happened. The Tree is dropping leaves once again, and the crack in the mighty trunk has begun to grow and spread. The tree is dying, and we do not know what it will mean for us.
“Brin’du Drak’Tir and I have been studying the problem since the end of the Great War. Between the two of us, we have found some more of Minxa’s journals, and a few other snippets of information from various sources. They all point to the existence of Minxa’s prophecy. We hope that if we can find it, it will shed light on Rah’s plan for our people. I cannot believe it has been completely lost. Rah would not leave us without a way to find the answers, at least, I hope He would not. That being said, we have not yet discovered where it could be hidden, or even if it was ever written down.”
Holly was shaking her head. “What has any of that got to do with me?”
“I am not sure, Holly. We suspect there is some connection between Minxa and you. Your mother, Carly, is likely a descendant of Minxa, which explains her power over all four elements. Etrafarians believe that if they take the road not meant for them, Rah will eventually provide another chance to choose correctly. We believe He wants only the best for us, and to that end, He gives us choices, and eventually things come full circle. I thought that Carly had been sent by Rah to make Minxa’s choice to abandon Brin right, but now it seems there is more to it, and it may be you, and not your mother, who is the key. It is all speculation, based on fractured information.
"The problem is, I shared all I knew with the council. I felt I had to tell them what I had discovered. Now, I think that was a mistake. Not all of my brothers and sisters feel the same as I. They distrust outsiders, and they have strong prejudices against Etrafarians who are not of pure blood—namely, you.
“And there is something else. Do you remember Dibbuc?” Aesri asked them.
Tabitha grimaced. “The small dragon-like creature that is Cifera's servant?”
“Yes, exactly, Tabitha. He has been seen at least twice on Etrafa. I fear he may have made contact with one or more Etrafarians. My speculation that Holly may play a part in the prophecy has surely made its way back to Cifera. Today’s attack on our ship by the kraken seems to indicate she has that information, and she is taking it very seriously.”
“Well, what are you going to do about it?” Brint stood up so quickly that his chair toppled backwards, but he ignored it, and paced the confines of the small room.
“I am going to get the three of you to Etrafa with as much haste as possible,” Aesri said.
“And then what?” Brint asked. His voice was controlled, but he gripped the hilt of his sword so tightly that his knuckles had turned white. “According to you, Cifera already has her spy there. What makes you think that Holly—that we—will be any safer when we get there? Your people don’t even like her. That’s what you said, isn’t it? Well?”
“Brint,” Tabitha said. “You know Aunt Aesri would protect any one of us with her life. I’m sure she means to do all that she can to figure this out.”
Aesri moved to Brint’s side, covered his sword hand with hers, and Tabby saw him relax his grip. “I understand you are upset. I am upset as well, but I did not start this. Being angry with me is not going to help. We need to work together. And as far as Etrafarians not liking Holly, that is only partially true. Besides, it is not her they do not like, so much as the idea of her, and it is by no means all Etrafarians who feel that way. Ideas are changing, but we need to be patient.”
Brint released his hold on the sword, took her hand, and gave it a gentle squeeze.
“Aunt Aesri,” Holly whispered. “I’m frightened. I don’t know anything about a prophecy, but I think there's been a mistake. It can’t mean me. I don’t even have very much magic. I can’t float, and my water magic has never been anywhere near what you could call impressive. It must be talking about my mother; she's the powerful one.”
“Don’t be afraid, Holly,” Brint said. He released Aesri’s hand and moved to offer Holly comfort. He knelt before her and smiled. “Would I let anything happen to you? Can you imagine what your father would do to me if I didn’t take care of his little girl?” Brint shuddered dramatically and gave her a wink.
Holly smiled a little. “Thanks, Brint.”
“There’s still something that I don’t understand,” Tabby said. “Why did you ask Brint and I to come along? I mean, with your suspicions, it made sense for you to bring Holly, but why us?”
Aesri looked out the window of the cabin. “Oh, my! Where has the day gone? I had no idea it was getting so late! We should go topside to make sure no assistance is needed. Who knows what damage that thing did to the ship. I am sorry, Tabitha, there is so much to see to, and I think you all have the important highlights at this point. Please excuse me.”
Tabitha narrowed her eyes and watched Aesri glide from the cabin. She was obviously hiding something. Tabby had spent enough time with Brin to recognize when someone was evading a question they didn’t want to answer. She also knew that Aesri was a lot like that stubborn dragon, and it would do her little good to force the issue. She would need to be patient and wait for Aesri to speak. She hated being patient.
Chapter 4
“I see it! I see it!” Holly was leaning far out over the bow of the ship, trying to get a better look. Brint was positioned slightly behind her, grabbing hold of the fabric of her shirt, just in case her enthusiasm took her over the side.
“I can’t see anything,” Brint said. He maintained his grip on her, shifted a little to the side, and squinted his eyes against the glare of the sun.
“It’s right there!” Holly insisted. It’s so colorful! I thought it would be all green, but look at all those colors!”
“Where?” Brint let go of Holly’s shirt and joined her at the rail.
“In Cyrus’s name, Brint! There! Have you ever seen such a sight? I can see the Great Tree. It’s massive!”
Brint shook his head. “I don’t see anything at all.”
Aesri glided forward and stood beside them. “I am sorry, Brint. Here, let me help.” She motioned for him to come closer to her, and he stepped back from the rail and lowered his head to hers. She swept his hair away from his ear, and whispered a word to him. He didn’t recognize the word—the sound was complex, and he didn’t think he could repeat it, even if he tried. He tipped his head and looked at her closely, waiting for something else to happen. She smiled, took hold of his shoulders, and turned him back toward the island.
He could see it! The shore was closer than he would have imagined, and they were steadily drawing nearer the docks where several other Etrafarian ships gently rocked and swayed. The trees were awash with color. There were many he recognized, but others were completely unknown. There was one with blue leaves, shaped like giant spearheads, almost as long as he was tall. At least, that was his best guess—they were still too far away for him to be certain. Some trees had pink blossoms so thick they drowned the green of their leaves out almost entirely, so that Brint was only aware of the green when a breeze stirred them. There were even some that appeared to change color as he looked at them. First they'd be a rusty orange, then shift to sunset red, and then to a deep maroon before turning back to rusty orange again. But what drew his attention most was the towering mass of green. Its trunk lifted it skyward, and even though it must have been at least two miles inland, it was clearly visible. It was a very ordinary green color, but surrounded as it was by all the different colored trees, it stood out in its breathtaking splendor. Even from this distance, Brint could see areas on the tree that appeared to be cast in shadow, and he suspected those were the spots where the tree had withered and died. It made him sad to think the ancient tree was coming to the end of its life. Even without the possible threat to the Etrafarians, it would be a great loss.
There was a scre
am of panic, and Brint’s heart leapt to his throat. Aesri's laughter floated around him at almost the exact same moment. Mixed with the scream, the laughter seemed wholly out of place. A quick search of the deck showed him what had happened: Holly had finally leaned too far out and slipped over the railing, just as he'd feared. He looked down at her, as she'd only fallen a few feet, to see she was cradled by a long root which was holding her almost the way one would hold an infant. Brint knew the root had not been there before, and he couldn’t understand how it had appeared in just the right spot to save her from tumbling to the water below where she would almost certainly have been crushed beneath the weight of the ship.
“Go raibh maith agat, cara crann. Is féidir leat a chur léi ar ais anois,” Aesri said in a lilting voice.
Brint was unsure how, but it seemed Aesri was speaking to the tree, for the roots arched and bent until Holly was level with the railing, and she was being lifted up and over the side, and set gently back onto the deck. Holly’s face was a comic mask of astonishment, but before she could do more than cling to Brint’s arm for support, the roots retreated and wound themselves back into the railing until they were, once more, benign and inert.
“What in the name of…What was that, Aunt Aesri?” Tabitha asked from behind them. She hadn’t been there to see Holly go over the side, but she had not missed the ending.
“It was the tree, of course. You have seen our ships, many, many times. Even you could not have failed to notice they are alive,” Aesri said, a hint of mischief in her voice.
“Well, yes, but, Aunt Aesri! It moved!” Tabitha said.
“Of course it moved,” Aesri said. She pulled the cowl of her cloak forward a bit to better shield her eyes. “How else could it have caught Holly?”
Prophecy (The Destiny Series Book 4) Page 3
