Realm Of Blood And Fire (Book 3)

by Dionne Lister

  The monster smiled. Gray teeth glinted in the firelight. “Come to me.” Kwaad pointed a blade-sharp claw at a short, slim woman. Her cropped blond hair framed what Leon would have called an attractive face in which was set large, dark eyes, bursting with terror. “You will do nicely. I don’t like to fly on a full stomach.”

  When the woman failed to move, the man behind her pushed. She stumbled forward. Advancing simultaneously, Kwaad grabbed her around the waist with one massive hand and drew her to him. Its free hand tore into her stomach, freeing her steaming intestines. The gormon lifted the screaming woman to his face and sucked her innards into his mouth. When Kwaad bit down, her bodily fluids mixed with his acidic saliva to drip down his chin in a foul-smelling reddish stream. A general in the front row vomited. Kwaad laughed at the sound, a string of small intestine escaping to dangle from his lips.

  The ashen crowd waited silently—the only sound the crunch and slurp as Kwaad finished his meal. When the last piece of flesh was ingested, Kwaad patted his stomach and burped.

  His multi-toned, thundering voice carried throughout the city, reaching every gormon and cowed citizen. “We fly!”

  I’ve been looking forward to this, said Leon.

  Kwaad launched, his leathery wings lifting him off the ground. As they cleared the palace and rose higher, Leon turned Kwaad’s head to look behind. Hundreds of gormons, black wings beating slow and unwieldy, followed them—a swarm that blotted out the few lights of Klendar.

  Leon spoke to himself, forgetting Tusklar and Kwaad could hear. Brother of mine, here we come. Laughing, he planned where to hang his brother’s head.

  Chapter 7

  After spending longer than Agmunsten wanted on the ship so Arie could dry off and the Talians could rest for an hour, the dragons took flight. The first hour was spent in silence. Arie kept glancing at Agmunsten, whose face alternated from scowling to worry and back again. Finally, Arie couldn’t stand the silence any longer. Why are you so angry? I didn’t mean to make them disappear. It was an accident.

  Agmunsten turned his head and stared at the boy. It’s an accident that could get you killed or your status as a student realmist revoked. One former realmist, who disappeared his wife and her sister, was imprisoned for life . . . after the authorities chopped both of his hands off.

  Arie blinked, his eyes solemn. But why?

  Making things disappear is an insult to the gods. What they created, we should not erase. Secondly, if you were up against an experienced realmist or a dragon who knows how to use a redirection shielding weave, you would have been the one to disappear, and lastly, not all realmists have the skill to work out the spell, and it is certainly never taught, so those who know it are usually of evil intent. If we allowed this spell to be performed with no consequences, we’d all be in great danger. What we have now is a kind of truce. If anyone finds out what you did, you would have to be punished.

  What’s the punishment?

  Life imprisonment or death, depending on what, or who, was sent into oblivion.

  Oh. Arie lowered his head. I promise I will never ever do that again. I really didn’t mean to. I was scared, and when I drew the power I was just saying “disappear.” I was really going for lightning, like Astra. I noticed the weave was different while it was happening, but I figured it’s because it was my original lightning.

  Don’t let it happen again. Thoughts manifest into reality when it comes to Second-Realm power. You will never make it as a fully-fledged realmist if you can’t control your thoughts. Agmunsten focused on the sky ahead.

  Do you hate me?

  The head realmist looked at Arie again, his mind-voice tired. Of course not! You’re like a son to me, Arie. When I think what could have happened…. He shook his head.

  Not wanting to let go of the dragon, Arie brushed his face on his shoulder to wipe away the tears. He felt Astra squeeze him in a hug, and it reminded him of his mom. So much had happened in the past few months that he had hardly had time to think of them, and he suddenly needed to see them, feel their arms around him. More tears rolled down his cheeks. He made no move to wipe them away, wanting to feel his sadness as something tangible. Wind rushing past tugged at the moisture, and Arie smiled when the wetness snuck past his hood and tickled his ear. The first thing he would do when the war ended was find his family.

  As they continued toward the horizon, the afternoon faded into evening. The sun sank behind them, turning the sky mauve before it darkened to deep blue and black. Arie tried to retreat further into his yamuk-wool jacket to escape the chill. When that didn’t work, he bowed his head, trying to get out of the wind. My nose is frozen. Are we stopping soon?

  Astra laughed. Have you already forgotten what happened last time we stopped?

  Ha, ha, no. But isn’t there a deserted island we’re aiming for?

  Warrimonious flapped and picked up speed. Yes, there is, but we’re still some hours away. I can fly a bit faster, but you’re really going to have to hold on this time. Zim, can you handle a faster pace? If we get to the island sooner, we can rest longer.

  Of course I can handle it. Let me know if your wings cramp. Both dragons chuckled, and the realmists held on as their speed increased.

  Astra?

  Yes, Arie.

  Are you getting even a little bit excited to go home? Have you still got family there?

  I suppose I am getting a bit excited, but I’m wary. You know we could get a less-than-ideal reception. And yes, I imagine some of my family would still be alive. I’m sure my parents will be torn between being happy to see me and angry that I ran away. Astra sighed.

  Why did you leave?

  I wanted adventure. We don’t have realmist academies in Zamahl. They don’t even believe in different realms. But rumors still make it through, and the things I’d heard about the land across the ocean excited me. I had three older brothers. They were allowed to serve in the army, but I wasn’t. I felt life was boring and unfair, so I left.

  Do you regret it?

  I don’t know. I suppose a bit.

  What about the rumors we hear about Zamahl where they torture people for nothing and eat their babies?

  Arie felt Astra shake as she laughed. Oh my goodness, no! The kings and governments spread the rumors because they want to keep control, and they don’t want to lose the population to migration. We live in a very primitive society in some ways. We have great scholars, but most of the people work the land or make things, like shoes, or clothes, even furniture. I found out, soon after moving here, that the men who rule Zamahl profit from their people’s labor, and they have trade agreements with a select few merchants over the sea. It’s top-secret stuff—not even your kings know. That’s something I want to address when we’re there.

  I’d be careful if I were you, Agmunsten said.

  Don’t worry—saving Talia comes first. I won’t do anything to jeopardize that.

  Long after the stars embossed the night sky with their shining forms and the moonlight reflected off the water below, Arie’s face cramped from yawning. He shook his head, forcing himself to stay awake, but only yawned again.

  Astra, sensing Arie’s struggle, yelled against the wind, “We’re almost there! Not long now.”

  Arie started and smiled. He shouted back, “Thanks! Woohoo! It feels good to yell.”

  “It does, doesn’t it!”

  Zim spoke into their minds. Okay, children. We’re almost there. I can see the outline. Only a few more minutes.

  “Yay!” Arie screamed, and he and Astra laughed.

  When they landed on the sparsely-treed island, Arie was the first to jump off in a rush to go to the bathroom. His legs, not having moved for a long time, collapsed underneath him, and he scraped his hands when he landed on the pebble-covered ground.

  “Careful. I haven’t brought you all this way to see you die from a rock to the skull.” Warrimonious’s deep voice seemed too loud in the isolated silence—the only other sound being the wash of the sma
ll waves on the nearby shore.

  Standing up, Arie dusted himself off before taking a more careful step away from the realmists. “I think I’m okay now. Be back in a minute.”

  Agmunsten called, “Don’t go too far.”

  “I won’t.”

  “How much further, Astra?” Agmunsten asked.

  “Quite a way. It’s been a long time, but it must be at least three more days, maybe four. I know it took four weeks of sailing for me to come from Zamahl. And we had the wind behind us most of the way.”

  Agmunsten wrinkled his forehead. “I can’t believe it’s not that far away. Why do we never go there?”

  “The rumors?” asked Zim.

  “Now that I think on it,” said Agmunsten, “I just never thought about it enough to insist on going. How strange.” The realmist tugged at his earlobe in thought.

  Warrimonious divested himself of the packs, found a large boulder and sat. Rummaging through one of the bags, he found a leg of lamb and set to devouring it. The others joined him, salt-filled mist hanging in the still night.

  Zim turned to his dragon companion. “There’s one more island I know of en route. It’s at least twelve hours away, but then we have maybe two days of nonstop flying before we come to some scattered islands a day from Zamahl. I followed this route when I visited last time.”

  “Did anyone see you?” Warrimonious took a swig from a bottle that looked ridiculously small in his large hand.

  Zim turned to the head realmist. “Not that I know of. I flew at night, plus I wasn’t game to spend too long there and didn’t want to start any wars. You know, they think dragons are spies for the other kingdoms. Agmunsten, how do you think Arie will do if we have to fly two days without stopping?”

  He took a large breath and looked at his protégé. “That’s a good question. So far his inability to suffer discomfort has almost gotten us killed.”

  “What do you suggest? Leaving me here?” Arie stood quickly and put his hands on his hips. “Because that would be abandonment. You can’t do that!”

  “We won’t leave you here,” said Zim.

  Arie’s mouth dropped open. “You’re going to leave me on the next island . . . by myself? But I’m just a kid.”

  “Now you’re a kid. You usually can’t wait to tell me how grown-up you are,” said Agmunsten. “What do you propose? We really won’t have anywhere to land, in all probability. And a deserted island will be far safer than hundreds of feet in the air when you can’t stay awake. I should have thought about this before.” Agmunsten rubbed his forehead. “Plus, if it all goes wrong and we don’t return, you can send a message to Arcese.”

  “I don’t like the idea.” Astra stood and put her arm around Arie. “The gormons can track our symbols in the Second Realm. It would be just like them to wait until Arie is isolated and kidnap him to use against us later. It’s not worth the risk.”

  “Square one,” said Zim. Everyone looked at everyone else, waiting for someone to make the final decision. Astra squeezed Arie tighter, but it wasn’t enough to remove the despondency from his face.

  “Grrrr. All right then. You’ve left me with no choice. I never wanted to do this, but….” Agmunsten threw his hands in the air then stomped over the pebbles and rocks, stopping thirty feet away.

  Arie’s palms started sweating, and he looked to the dragons for an explanation, but they shrugged. As far as any of them could tell, the head realmist stood still. After a few minutes, he returned. “It’s done. I hope you’re happy.”

  Zim flared his nostrils. “What are you going on about, old man? If you’re going to complain, you could at least be less mysterious.”

  “You’ll see.” Agmunsten sat on a flat rock and folded his arms.

  The others waited for a few minutes, and when nothing happened, it was decided they would get some sleep.

  When Arie lay down, dawn wasn’t far away, so he tied a spare shirt around his head to cover his eyes. In his dream, he sat in his mom’s home with his family, who gathered for dinner around the table his great-grandfather had built. Arie reached for the baked potatoes, to get some more, when his mother, who sat opposite him, opened her mouth and shrieked. The piercing sound, a mid-range pitch, shook the table. Arie clapped his hands to his ears, but the vibration wormed its way into his head. He tried to shout above the noise. “Mom. Stop it! Please.”

  Someone shook him. He woke to the grinding and clatter of stones—footsteps running away over the pebbly ground. The eardrum-shattering noise hadn’t stopped. He scrambled to his feet while frantically untying the shirt from around his head. Freeing his eyes, he turned toward the noise and saw the realmists and dragons near the shore, staring out to sea. There was tension in their stance—except for Agmunsten, whose shoulders looked relaxed, his hands dangling by his sides. Arie opened a corridor to the Second Realm. Before he had completed it, a mammoth, gray sea creature jumped from the water, forty feet from the shore. It was in the air long enough for Arie to see the occasional black splotch on its skin and the white, straight horn protruding from its colossal head. Mid-arc, it turned and looked at him—he was sure he didn’t imagine it—before it cut through the waves and dove. The screaming stopped. “What in the Third Realm?” he whispered, moving closer to his companions.

  Without warning, the animal emerged again, leaping higher, turning in mid-air before landing on its back, sending a giant gush of water skyward. Astra looked at Agmunsten. “What is it?”

  “It’s Kaphos—my creatura.”

  Astra gasped. “But I thought you didn’t have one. Not to mention I thought they were extinct.”

  “I do. I just didn’t want to call on her. Welpids are private creatures, and we had an agreement when we bonded. She really only agreed to bond with me so she wouldn’t end up with a realmist who might expect her to turn up every five minutes.”

  “But why did you bond her?” Arie asked.

  “I had a dream when I was a child. I always knew I had to. It looks as if this might be why.” Agmunsten looked at Arie. “She can swim so that the top of her body is out of the water. You can hold onto her spike. If you get tired, she’ll let you float for a while to rest. It will take you longer to get anywhere, but it’s an option. You can fly with us to the next island and beyond. When you get tired, Warrimonious can fly low and let you jump off and catch a ride with Kaphos. It means we’ll have to wait for you when we reach Zamahl, because she’s not as fast as the dragons.”

  “Wow.” Arie smiled. “Are you sure she doesn’t mind?”

  “You can ask her yourself.”

  Arie looked out to sea. Kaphos had swum closer, her head above the water. Her dark eyes looked at Arie. He walked to the edge of the water and returned her gaze.

  Hello, Arie. Her mind-voice was calm, reminding him of when his mom had sung lullabies, not at all like the scream earlier. Agmunsten has told me all about you. It seems flying long distances doesn’t agree with you. Did he detect a hint of mirth?

  I guess it doesn’t. Flying is good when I can have bathroom and food breaks. He smiled. Are you sure you don’t mind taking me?

  I do what I must. I do prefer solitude, but the fate of Talia is more important than my preferences. Don’t worry, little Talian. I will enjoy your company, as it is for but a short time.

  Thank you.

  “Okay, now that that’s settled,” said Agmunsten, “it’s time for breakfast, bathroom, and off we go.”

  When they flew again, Arie intermittently looked down, checking for Kaphos. She swam underwater for the most part, rising every now and then to breathe. The boy smiled, relieved he wouldn’t be left behind. Now he just had to hang on for a few more hours. To keep his mind occupied, and awake, he tried to imagine what Zamahl would look like. But then he remembered he could just ask.

  Hey, Astra, what’s Zamahl like?

  Very different from what you’re used to. Our farms and villages are similar to what you would find in Veresia or Brenland, but our cities are full o
f color. We paint our buildings red, blue, orange, white, and green, or build them out of colored marble, and we have many buildings that are four or five stories tall, with one home on each level. There is the most amazing range of flowers, and everyone has potted blooms hanging from their balconies or in their gardens. We also have many people living close to each other. I imagine it’s even more crowded than when I left all those years ago.

  Sounds interesting. I can’t wait to see.

  Well, reserve your judgment until we see who is in charge. We could be walking into incredible danger.

  Will you visit your parents?

  Astra considered the question. Would they still be alive? Would they be happy to see her, or angry? Would they inform the authorities? She sighed. There were many times she almost returned for missing them, but she knew realmistry was her calling, and she couldn’t change who she was or what she was destined to do. The night she left, she had made her choice, and even though she had cried countless times, she knew the decision to leave Zamahl was the right one.

  I don’t know, Arie. It depends on a lot of things. But I do hope so. Astra crossed her toes, like it would make a difference.

  By early evening, Zim noticed dark clouds on the horizon. A storm approached from the west, and they were flying to meet it. Spindly forks of electricity flashed out from the roiling mass. Zim spoke to the other realmists. We’ll be in that within fifteen minutes. We’re the only things out here, so we’re sure to be hit. We’ll need to shield. Agmunsten can shield us, and Astra, can you please shield Warrimonious?