Dragon School_Sworn

by Sarah K. L. Wilson

  Around the Dominar’s dais, his dragoons stood guard, the toughest and most skilled of his fighters. They wore heavy armor even here on guard duty, their battle staves planted before them with both hands clasping them, swords slung at their sides.

  The Hashutan’s assistant led us to the front and then off to the side. He gestured to the floor and walked away. Hubric signed “wait” to me, though it wasn’t needed. I saw another group of supplicants at the other side of the room awaiting their turn before the Dominar. One of them started to move back to the space in front of the dais, but his mouth opened when the Baojang contingent ignored the Hashutan’s assistant and strode right up to the spot before the Dominar without permission.

  An angry looking man with a pinched face stepped from the Dominar’s side and spoke.

  “You will be considered when your turn has come, Baojang. Until then you shall wait.”

  “I’m afraid we come here on a matter of life or death.” One of the men with a forked, oiled beard stepped around Rakturan to speak. His clothing was richly embroidered and golden ornaments hung from the brim of his wide hat. “And you will see us before this rabble.”

  Chapter Fourteen

  The crowd gasped and the Hashutan – because that must be who the pinched-faced man in brown leathers was – grew red with anger.

  “You come here as supplicants. You may make no demands of us.”

  I shifted my crutch nervously. This wasn’t going to be resolved quickly and every extra minute we took was another minute before I could return to Raolcan and Savette.

  “Supplicants?” the bearded man asked. “The Dark Prince of Baojang is no supplicant. He comes to an equal asking for a moment of consideration.”

  “There is none equal to the Dominar: Lord of Dragons, Son of the Dawn, King of the Turbulence, Battle Master of the Dominion.”

  There was something subtle about the dragoons that changed. What was it? They had been motionless, holding their weapons firmly before he spoke. They had not moved, but there was a sense now that they were poised to spring on the contingent from Baojang if that was required.

  “The Dark Prince of Baojang,” the forked bearded man began his own recitation of credentials, but I didn’t hear them all. Rakturan’s gaze met mine and he lifted his eyebrows as if to indicate that the man speaking was one of those I should be watching for him. Behind him, his bald guard whispered in his ear and Rakturan nodded.

  “Watch yourself, girl,” Hubric whispered in my ear. I stole a glance at him to see him staring ahead. When I followed his gaze, I froze in horror. The Dominar’s dark-eyes mask was looking directly at me. He had seen Rakturan’s signal!

  The Dominar stood, and everyone went silent, even the man with the forked beard. He nodded to the Havenala.

  “The Dominion received Baojang in a spirit of peace,” the Hashutan said. “The Dominar will receive your plea.”

  The Dominar sat again, but he tapped the head of his scepter against his open palm. Did he always communicate without saying a word?

  “Baojang insists that the wedding of our prince to your High Castelan take place immediately,” the forked bearded man said.

  “Have we not already promised this to you, Baron Trakten? It is why the Dominar travels so quickly to join you in the north. And yet, you are here instead. Does the prince not wish to spend time with his future bride?”

  The Baron smiled in an oily fashion. “The prince’s personal wishes are immaterial. As a representative of Baojang, he must serve her needs. And we require a greater bride price than that promised.”

  “Greater?” There was a gasp from the court and angry murmurs from those behind me. Even I knew that it was terribly insulting to demand more than the agreed price. “Our generosity is not sufficient? Have we not promised you peace? Have we not promised to concede the Straw Islands to you?”

  “Of course, Hashutan, but we also require twenty of your dragons with riders. You have plenty to spare.” He gestured to me and Hubric.

  “We are not open to renegotiations. The price is what we agreed upon.”

  The Baron frowned. “I-”

  “Or do you wish war between our great empires? Is Baojang so ready to see her streets run red with blood? Is she so full of youth and strength that she longs for us to swallow up her excess and grind their bones to dust?”

  I shivered. His threat horrified me. The Baron opened his mouth – no doubt to make things worse! – but Rakturan placed a hand on his shoulder and shoved him aside, taking a step forward.

  “There will be no renegotiation, Dark Prince,” the Hashutan said. “Not even if you ask yourself.”

  “I do not ask for renegotiation,” the Prince said, his voice low and deadly. His usual flamboyant charm was gone, and instead, he was tense in his movements, his eyes narrowed as if he was thinking quickly. “I ask that you honor our original agreement.”

  “Which we have promised to do.” The Hashutan’s voice held a warning. He did not like the suggestion that they were not doing as promised.

  “Then you will give me High Castelan Savette Leedris as my bride?”

  There was a curse from among the Baojang men, and two of them moved to either of Rakturan’s shoulders, whispering adamantly in his ears. They were not pleased with his request. Rakturan ignored them. He maintained eye-contact with the empty eyes of the Dominar’s mask almost as if they were communicating silently with only their eyes.

  There was something that worried me about his men. His two bodyguards from before were not their normal selves. They shifted constantly, their eyes studying the courtiers on either side. Was I the only one who had noticed the other men had moved between them and Rakturan? There was at least a dozen of these others. They wore swords on their backs and their flowing saffron clothing was tied at wrists and elbows to keep it from hindering their movements. All of them but the Baron had about them the sort of resolved calm I had the day I joined Dragon School. Now, why did that worry me?

  “No one knows the whereabouts of High Castelan Leedris,” the Hashutan said, a smug smile on his lips.

  “I rather doubt that,” Prince Rakturan said loudly, turning as he spoke so that the whole room could hear him. “I saw her in this city only yesterday.”

  Gasps were followed by breakouts of chatter. Around the edges of the courtiers, I saw people scurry away, off to check their own sources for information.

  The Dominar rapped his scepter against the arm of the throne and the Hashutan threw an arm up in the air.

  “Peace!” he said. “The Dominar has spoken. He will settle these two minor matters that are before yours, Baojang, and then he will give a ruling on this matter. Wait to the side as he deliberates.”

  Rakturan bowed slightly, triumph on his face as he and his contingent moved to the side, replaced by those who had been meant to speak to the Dominar when he rudely interrupted. They were all men who escorted him. Men with face-obscuring beards. Perhaps that was why they seemed so odd to me. There wasn’t a female face in the whole group. No. That couldn’t be it. It was puzzling, and yet there was something...

  I watched them, trying to puzzle it out as the people before us presented the gift of a large metal pin – the length of my arm - to the Dominar – one from the completed construction of a new sky city. Their pride was clear, and the court applauded the gift, but I couldn’t stop thinking about Rakturan. What was he doing? Why go against both his people and the Dominar to demand Savette?

  I almost jumped out of my skin when Hubric took my arm again to guide me forward. It was our turn to kneel before the Dominar.

  Chapter Fifteen

  Are you done?

  I was only just beginning! Usually, he’d know that.

  I have a lot going on here.

  That wasn’t good. I tried to keep my breathing regular as for the first time ever, I felt nervousness through our bond. Whatever was going on had Raolcan on edge – and it took a lot to put a dragon on edge.

  I let Hubric guid
e me to our place before the dais and lead me into kneeling correctly before the Dominar. I held my crutch as I knelt, wondering if I looked like a miniature version of the dragoons holding their war staves. Hubric addressed the throne.

  “Battle Master, your sworn servant, Dragon Rider Hubric Duneshifter of the Purple presents to you a new vassal, Initiate Amel Leafbrought. By our code we have raised her up and in our knowledge. To her hand, we have given charge of one of your mighty dragons. She comes before you to plead the opportunity to pledge her loyalty and future to your Dominion.”

  I was so surprised when the Dominar spoke that I almost dropped my crutch. He hadn’t spoken to the others, but he spoke to me?

  “Give your pledge.”

  Hubric whispered under his breath and I repeated his words in the strongest voice I could muster, my fist to my heart.

  “I, Amel Leafbrought, Initiate Dragon Rider of the Purple, and mistress of one of the Dominion’s great dragons, do swear fealty and full allegiance to the Dominar, Battle Master and Lord of Dragons, until death takes one of us. My dragon and I will fly your truth to any place we are sent, discharging our duties as is fitting for the Dominion Sky People of whom I am a part. And I swear this by my honor and the Truth, which is all I have to give.”

  The Dominar stood and I felt Hubric stiffen beside me. Was this not normal? He motioned for me to approach the dais. Hubric nodded to me urgently and I scrambled up on my crutch and hurried forward. The dragoons blocked my path abruptly with their war staves crossed over my path, but the Dominar raised a hand and the staves uncrossed to let me through.

  When I reached the dais the Hashutan spoke, “Approach.”

  We need you back here ... now!

  I couldn’t leave in the middle of the ceremony! Worry had my head buzzing and it made it hard to concentrate on the present. On wavering legs, I stepped up on the dais, and hobbled forward until I stood before the Dominar. His mask was even more intricate than I had thought from far away, and his form was impossible to see in his stiff clothing. He could be old or young, fair or ugly, possibly even male or female. In the shadows behind his mask, I couldn’t even see his eyes, but his words – spoken quietly- felt certain as the mountains.

  “Rare to find one rise to the Dominion Sky People from the ashes of such adversity. I welcome you to my service and pledge to rule you with justice and truth. I will command your death only if necessary and seek your prosperity as far as it may be dependant on me.”

  From his belt, he drew a knife, pricked his thumb and placed it to my forehead, just as Hubric had done. My knee shook at his touch. This was too close to the mighty for me.

  As he withdrew his thumb he whispered, “Watch the Dark Prince.”

  What did he mean? That I should watch him and learn, or that I should watch out for him? I wished I had the courage to ask, but my throat was so dry I couldn’t have uttered another word if I wanted to. He took a step back and I retreated, realizing my time was up. When I stepped off the dais, Hubric fell into step beside me.

  “I’ve never seen the like,” he whispered, but I didn’t have time to ask what he meant as Raolcan’s words broke into my mind.

  I can’t hold it back!

  A boom filled the room and the Great Hall rocked like a ship on the sea. Out the wide arched windows behind the contingent from Baojang, a blue mushroom-shaped cloud rose up from Vanika, filling the sky. A screeching sound like metal being torn apart accompanied it. My heart thundered. Savette! Had her magic finally overcome her? Raolcan?

  “That came from Ephretti’s house.” Hubric cursed, pulling me toward the side of the room through screaming courtiers and past the dragoons forming up around the Dominar.

  Raolcan, are you alright?

  There was no reply.

  Chapter Sixteen

  So many things happened at once that time seemed to slow. Hubric grabbed me by the scarf around my neck, pulling me toward the arched windows on the opposite side of the room from the blast. Courtiers rushed to the opposite side of the room, trying to see if they could determine what was happening across the city, while others rushed for the exits.

  The Dominar stood, his Hashutan throwing up a hand for silence, but no silence came. I watched Rakutan’s bodyguards group around him, but a knot of the Baojang men formed around the Baron, and then were moving in the other direction, toward the dais. Were they so intent on the Dominar hearing their plea that they were determined to ask in the middle of a crisis like this explosion?

  They seemed very sure, marching together to where the supplicants stood. The Baron moved to the head of the group and took a step forward.

  “Wait a moment, Baojang. We are concerned with the commotion outside the Castel,” the Hashutan said.

  “Part of the city is just gone!” One of the men close to the window called. “It’s just twisted metal around a huge rip in the structure!”

  “Will the structure hold?” a woman close to me wondered.

  “There are fires around the center of it,” another called.

  Hubric wasn’t stopping to speculate. Now that we were at the far edge of the room, he pulled a pair of long curved knives from under his waistband. He’d had those all along? I hadn’t even noticed them before! It seemed premature to arm yourself when there was nothing to fight.

  The room still rocked slightly, as if the city was swaying on its long stem. I fought a queasy feeling in my belly as I watched the Baron from Baojang walk up to the dais. As soon as he reached the dragoons, they crossed their war staves in front of him just as they had crossed them before me when I approached. As if they had given some sort of signal, the rest of his people pulled back towards Rakturan. What was their game? He couldn’t harm the Dominar with the dragoons in front of him, but why escort him up there and then pull back before he even made his plea.

  The Baron looked back at Rakturan and I saw concern fill the Dark Prince’s face and then his mouth opened in horror. Before he could speak, the Baron began to shake, orange light glowing around his outline. He was a Magika? Had no one noticed that? No, wait ... Rakturan had called magical people in his kingdom diviners. He was a Diviner.

  The Baron – Diviner - seemed to swell with the orange light and then with a sudden flare of light he was hidden from sight. The boom that followed filled my ears, air rushed past, knocking me into the arch behind me. I hit my head on the stone and saw stars, pain and fear filling me. I couldn’t catch a full breath and as I fell I couldn’t tell where to put my hands to catch myself. A cloud of orange rushed outward from the explosion, filling my vision and leaving me temporarily blinded.

  Amel? Amel, can you hear me?

  Chapter Seventeen

  I hadn’t lost my crutch. The strap still held it to my arm. I pulled myself up, slowly. My head was still spinning, a pain like a spike jabbing in and out of it. Hubric leaned against the wall beside me, a gash on the side of his head was bleeding and he seemed dazed, but he hadn’t lost his feet. He coughed, adjusting his weapons.

  Was the Dominar hurt? I spun to look. He was retreating backward, his scepter held like a sword. A cluster of his dragoon guards were formed around him, but many more lay dead on the ground. There was no sign of the Baojang Baron. Whatever magic he had used had consumed him completely. Courtiers had been flung backward from the blast, and now lay, still and broken, on the mosaic floor. Screams and cries filled the room as those still alive rushed to the aid of others or fled through the main doors.

  Was the threat passed? No! The other men who had accompanied Rakturan rushed toward the Dominar, weapons drawn. Rakturan yelled in a language I did not understand as five of the men in saffron turned on him and his two bodyguards. They stabbed one of them in the neck so quickly that I thought I’d imagined it before he fell to the ground. Rakturan drew his own sword, standing back to back with the remaining bodyguard as his own men pressed the attack against him.

  Were any more of his people diviners? Would they call up enough magic to level those of u
s who had survived?

  The dragoons seemed to have the same worry. They pulled a rug aside behind the throne and opened a trapdoor. The clash of steel on steel met my ears as the charge of Baojang met the wall of the Dragoons. I wouldn’t have thought that only a dozen men could be much of a threat to the Dominar, but his dragoons had suffered the brunt of the magical attack and only a handful had lived to fight and flee.

  “Can you fight?” Hubric asked from beside me.

  I shook my head. I could barely keep up, never mind use my one good hand to fight.

  “We’ll fix that later.”

  “I can fight,” Lenora said, appearing beside me with Ephretti. They were out of breath, but Ephretti had a short sword and Lenora a long dagger.

  “We were at the back of the room,” Ephretti said. “We-”

  There was a scream from the door and I turned to see fleeing courtiers being slaughtered at the door by men in Castel livery, a Magika in the middle of them. His hands blazed with fire. Were they coming to the rescue of the Dominar? But if they were, then why kill our own people?

  “It’s the Dusk Covenant!” Ephretti said. “Where is the High Castelan of this place?”

  Hubric pointed at a heap of the dead. A grey-haired man in fine clothing lay there. What should we do?

  The Dominar disappeared through the trapdoor, with two of his men. One of his dragoons fell with a scream into the hole as the men of Baojang pressed the attack against those who remained. Another closed the door and they stood on it, buying the retreat of their brothers with their own lives.

  From the back of the room, I heard the Magika shout, “The Dark Prince! Take him alive!”