by Jordan Baker
"Yes, of course. I can tell her that," Ehlena said, not wanting to tell him that she had already spoken to Ariana, nor wanting to tell him how she had responded. "But it would be best if you told her yourself, once the book is destroyed and the shadow has been destroyed."
"Do you know where she is?" Aaron asked. "Can you hear her with your power?"
"Yes," Ehlena replied. "She is far to the north, in the land of the dragons, with Borrican of Kandara."
"She is with Borrican?" Aaron smiled. "I am glad to hear that."
"I have heard him speak fondly of you," Ehlena told him.
"He is a good friend," Aaron said. "I hope to see him again one day."
"I hope you will too," Ehlena said. "Now promise me you won't forget your friends and the people who love you."
"Of course, I won't forget," Aaron said.
"You will remember me too, even when things look dark?"
Aaron knew what she was trying to say. He smiled at her and brushed away a wisp of her hair that had fallen across her cheek, wet with the morning rain and her tears.
"I will," he told her. "I must go, Ehlena."
"I know," she said, stepping away from him. She nodded and wished she could say more to him, but she did not have the words.
Aaron smiled at her, and for barely a moment his eyes flashed with power and a strange darkness, that was somehow bright, like the sky on a cold, clear night, then he turned and walked away along the road of broken stone, into the dark gloom of the rain and mist, toward a darker sky that lay ahead. Ehlena watched him leave, and a shiver ran up her back as the rain soaked through her clothes. Cold, wet, and alone, she stood there for a while after Aaron had gone, resisting the urge to listen to the wind, to follow him, to hear his footsteps, to know where he was, and she let her tears fall freely, for she felt as though she might never see him again.
Along the road, continuing on his way north, Aaron tried not to look back at the girl he had left behind. He knew he should not worry about her, for she was a powerful goddess and could move with the wind, but he felt as though he should protect her, and he continued walking, realizing that it was exactly what he was planning to do. He would protect her and everyone else he cared about, from the dark god and the power of the shadow. With that decision firmly in his mind, he let go of his other worries and focused on what he must do.
"Thank you for that," Stroma echoed in his thoughts.
"For what?" Aaron asked.
"I would have liked to apologize to her myself, but perhaps it is better that you did it. Thank you."
"I didn't do it for you," Aaron told him. "I did it for her."
"I am grateful for that as well."
CHAPTER FOUR
"Is there some reason you have not yet left the city, Draxis?" Calexis asked as she slithered from the shadows and into the center of the cavern where the dim light of morning shone in from an opening in the ceiling above.
"The Darga move quickly across the land, mother, but I am faster still," Draxis replied, flexing his wings. "I have spoken to Berant and he tells me that you intend to stay here, in this place, while we wage war upon the elves."
"I will come if I am needed," Calexis replied, then her eyes narrowed. "It is not your place to question me."
"I do not question, I only ask," Draxis said, smiling with his razor sharp teeth. "I would have thought you would relish the chance to kill the people of the forest."
"Yes," Calexis said, hissing with pleasure at the thought. "I do find it appealing, and perhaps I will join you, but there are other things I must do first."
"I see you have been busy," Draxis commented, looking around the cavern at the scattering of eggs, all of them different shapes and sizes.
"Are you jealous that you will soon have siblings?"
"I do not waste my time on such things as jealousy," he told her. "I simply find it curious that you would create so many."
"It is the power of the dragon," she said. "Once there were many, and they ruled the skies with their wings and their fire, but now all of my children will reign over this world, a legion of warriors, with you as their commander." Calexis took a closer look at him. "You grow more powerful with every kill, Draxis. I look forward to seeing how powerful you will become when you take the lives of the elves, for there is much magic within them."
"The Darga believe they were once dragons, that they were cursed to a lesser form long ago. Those who wield the weapons of power have changed as I have, and I wonder if the magic of these blades might undo that curse. A dragon army would be a truly powerful thing to behold."
"A terror, it would be," Calexis agreed, then her voice grew quiet, like she was talking to herself. "The dragons of old were fearsome creatures, terrible with their fire, but I have gained their power and the flames will not harm me so easily."
Draxis was not sure what Calexis meant, and her eyes seemed far away, as though remembering something from the distant past, but he noticed a flicker of hesitation in her eyes when she spoke of the dragons and the power of their fire. She now had the power of the god, the same power Cerric had used to kill a dragon with his bare hands, but there still remained a hint of fear, subtle yet noticeable to Draxis' heightened senses. He was irritated that she did not seem particularly interested in the conquest of Elvanar, for he was eager to demonstrate his prowess on the battlefield, but he decided that it was not as urgent as he had thought. He would kill many and he would become more powerful. That was all that mattered, though it was curious that she was afraid of dragon fire, and he set that knowledge aside, in case it might someday be useful.
"Under my command, your army will become the most powerful that this world has ever known," Draxis said.
"That would please me well," Calexis said, and her expression turned dark. "When you have conquered the elves, make sure there is nothing left of their accursed forest, not one leaf or blade of grass. Turn it to ash and poison the ground so it will never grow again."
"As you command," Draxis said, a little surprised at her malevolence. "I will take my leave."
"Yes, Draxis," Calexis said, almost ignoring him as she moved away in an odd direction, distracted, as though she could hear a sound and was trying to figure out where it was coming from. Draxis nodded, realizing that she was no longer even aware of him, and he began making his way out of the cavern.
Calexis felt the distant reverberations slowly moving toward her and the power of the shadow grew excited, hungering for that which was no longer hidden, that which the god had coveted for many years. The anxious feeling of impatience aroused her and she almost purred with pleasure at the thought of finally grasping that for which she had waited impatiently. So focused was she on her prize that she did not notice the scorn in Draxis' eyes when he left.
*****
In his dragon form, Borrican emerged from the darkness of the cavern with a growl, his mood matching the dark grey storm clouds that covered the sky. He was frustrated by his latest experience with the elder dragons, so much so that he did not even bother to hide his displeasure, letting his anger flow around him. So what if the dragons knew of his irritation, and so what it the elders took offense at his irreverence. It made no difference to him what the elder dragons thought, and so many of the other dragons already wanted to fight him anyway, eager to prove themselves more powerful than the dragon of the Akandra, so it mattered little if they took his anger as a challenge.
While he had no interest in such rivalries, from the large plateau outside the cavern, Borrican could see several dragons circling the sky in the distance, waiting for the opportunity to challenge him. He had no qualms about obliging them, even though it just added to his annoyance, for he had more important things on his mind, like reclaiming Kandara and fighting the power of this dark god, who was wreaking havoc across the land. Unfortunately the dragons were consumed by their petty rivalries and the elders did not seem to want to get involved in the problems of the world, which meant that he and Ariana were pret
ty much on their own. Borrican was just about to leap into the air to bring her the news when Vale's mother, Vana appeared behind him, her great dragon form stepping out into the dull light of the stormy day.
"Borrican," she said. "Wait a moment, if you will."
"What is it, Vana? Have the elders reconsidered?"
"No," she said. "But they won't stop you from honoring your oath, and they won't prevent any dragons who might choose to help you."
"That isn't much use," Borrican growled. "I would uphold my duty to Kandara regardless of what the elders said, and as for the other dragons, without the support of the elders, I doubt any of them would come to my aid. Most of them are more than willing to challenge me, to try to prove their strength, but when it comes down to it, they see me as a threat and care little for the world beyond the burning wastes."
"Do you know why it is that we dragons inhabit these lands, Borrican?"
"No, I do not," Borrican replied. "It is certainly not for the scenery. This is a desolate place, devoid of life."
"That is exactly the reason," Vana said, ignoring the scorn in his voice. "We are creatures of fire and we eat and destroy many of the things that live and grow in the world. Here, in this place, among the flows, there is nothing for us to destroy and we do not hunger. The molten earth sustains us, and the rocky ground does not complain at the scrape of our claws. That is why we came to these lands, long ago. It was our choice, but it was also a banishment of sorts."
"I have visions from the wisdom I learned from Ariana, of dragons soaring over other lands," Borrican told her. "I thought they were merely the memories of Kandara, since my line has long been among the other lands."
"Dragons once lived in all the world," Vana said. "And, unfortunately, we made many enemies, not intentionally in most cases, but simply because of what we are."
"Is this why the elders refuse to honor my request for aid? Is it out of fear?" Borrican asked, his words an obvious challenge.
"Not fear so much as respect, or perhaps disinterest," Vana told him. "We dragons harbor no ill will toward the other creatures of this world, though we may be feared and even hated by some, but there was a time, long ago, when our kind fell into dishonor, and for that we chose to leave the world, and live in this place, where the blood of the world flows freely that we may feast upon it in peace. Were we to return to the other lands, things would be far less peaceful, and there would be much strife in the world, simply from dragons being dragons."
"I see," Borrican said, considering what she had told him. "I supposed the animals of the forest would not take kindly to being eaten, and I would imagine there might be a few accidental fires started among the trees and the grasslands."
"Yes," Vana said with a toothy smile. "Those sorts of things were always concerns, especially with our young, and those who cannot be bonded."
Borrican imagined the kind of destruction he would have caused if he had fallen prey to the madness in a populated place like the crown city of Kandara or anywhere the countryside might be dry with grass and trees. It made sense that the dragons would choose to live in a place where they could do no harm, but he was curious about the other reason they had left the world.
"Who are the enemies of dragonkind?" he asked.
"Now?" Vana thought for a moment. "It is difficult to say, for generations have passed since we last soared the skies over every land, but there was a time, long ago, when almost all the creatures of the world were against us, and we were hunted."
"I have some knowledge of this from the wisdom of my line, but I am unclear on the reasons," Borrican said, focusing his thoughts so he would not be heard by the other dragons. Much of what Vana, Vale, and even Ariana now, called wisdom, the memories passed down through the dragon lines, seemed to be far more clear to them than it was for him, though he understood that such memories are passed to wyverns, who then share that knowledge with drakes when they bond them, though the few drakes he had met seemed fairly knowledgeable, which was something of a point of pride among them. What knowledge he had gained from Ariana, who had carried the gift of that wisdom, was like peering into a murky pond and trying to see through mud, but he did not want to admit such a thing openly. Vana noticed the narrowing of his thoughts and his words, but she chose not to comment on it and proceeded to explain.
"It was caused by the foolish actions of a few, and the dishonor brought upon us by one of the dragon lines. Among the longer lived races, those dark times may not be forgotten."
"What was the dishonor?" Borrican asked.
"An entire line of dragons fell to madness, with the death of their queen," she said.
"That is the story of how the Darga came to be," Borrican said, remembering something of the tale, which he had learned when the lizard army came to attack Kandara.
"Pathetic creatures that they are, it was a mercy to let them live, though, considering what you have told us about how they are now aligned with the dark army that has overrun the human lands, perhaps sparing them was a mistake."
"Then they would have been killed, otherwise," Borrican said.
"That is the usual way when the madness claims dragons," Vana replied. "The elders of that time sought a different solution since not every dragon of the line was entirely responsible."
"But why did the female dragons of other houses not bond with them?" Borrican asked. "Surely that would have stopped the madness."
"Some did," Vana told him. "This was a long time ago, Borrican, when the houses of dragons were spread across the world, and the bonding was somewhat different back then, similar to the way that noble houses are among other peoples. The way we are now, with our lines intermingled and our lines mostly a matter of wisdom, is part of the price we dragons paid to save so many from death."
"It is strange that dragons would agree to such things," Borrican said.
"We dragons may be difficult in our temperament, but are not without our mercies, young Akandra," Vana said.
"Do you think the elders will reconsider? Will they offer any kind of aid with the troubles of the world?"
"I do not know, but I will continue to debate with them," she said. "The elders do love to debate."
"It is all they are good for, it seems," Borrican commented, with more than a hint of bitterness in his voice.
"They are elders," Vana said with a tired smile. "They have lived a long time and they will take their time in deciding what will be done."
"And if they take too long, it will be too late," Borrican said, the fire of his anger flashing in his eyes. "Two kingdoms have fallen to darkness, and the land of the elves is next. How long before this dark god turns his gaze upon this land?"
"If such a thing were to happen, we will deal with it," Vana told him. "We dragons do not fear the gods, even a dark god."
"And that foolishness may mean the death of us all," Borrican growled, his temper getting the better of him, and he leapt into the air and flew away.
He glanced back at Vana, regretting his words, but she had already turned and was heading back into the cavern, likely to continue her arguments with the elders. Borrican felt badly for subjecting her to his anger and frustration, but he could not help feeling put out by the elders. Hopefully they would not wait forever to take an interest in the affairs of the world.
*****
Borrican managed to overcome the dragons who tried to fight him, without being delayed overly long, but he sensed something strange from Ariana, a kind of tension that put him on edge. He pushed himself as fast as he could through the rocky cliffs and made his way to the hidden canyon to find Ariana standing outside Vale's cavern, surrounded by the four drakes, with Storm perched on the rocks above her, apparently not fulfilling his duty to guard her safety. Borrican let out a loud bellow and the drakes turned their heads, backing away from Ariana as he landed between them.
"What is the meaning of this?" Borrican growled.
"We wish to challenge the queen," said the one named Kaz, then he turned to
Ariana. "You must fight if you want us to be vassals."
"That's right," Raz chimed in. "We help because Storm asked, but we are bored standing here, and I am getting hungry." His lip curled menacingly baring his fangs.
"I don't know what has gotten into them," Ariana said.
"They are drakes," Storm said. "They are unclaimed and unbonded. You must claim them. Make them your vassals and promise to bond them if you wish for them to behave."
"I don't want to bond anymore dragons," Ariana told him, clearly exasperated.
"Yes, that is very disappointing," Storm said, thought it was obvious that he was thinking more about himself than the four drakes.
"We have waited enough," Kiva said. "It is time to fight."
"No one will be fighting here," Borrican growled.
"We will fight," Crag growled, just as ferociously.
"Then you will fight me," Borrican responded, stepping forward toward the four drakes.
A loud roar emanated from the cavern and Vale stepped out from the shadows.
"I will deal with these childish drakes," she said, her dragon eyes squinting menacingly as she lumbered past Ariana and Borrican.
"Yes," hissed Kiva, excitedly. "We will fight Vale."
"No, you will fight me," Borrican insisted.
"Borrican," Ariana said, her voice echoing loudly in his thoughts, and by her tone, it was clear that he was to stay out of things.
"Thank you, Borrican, but I will fight these hatchlings," Vale said, then she glared at the drakes. "Who would like to try first?"
"I will fight you," Crag said, with a vicious looking grin.
Borrican and Ariana moved out of the way and Borrican caught a thought from Ariana, softer than the last one, assuring him that everything would be fine with Vale, and that he should follower her into the cavern, while the dragons fought. He changed forms and fell in beside Ariana, glancing over his shoulder as the fighting began. Crag leapt at Vale, and with almost blinding speed, Vale charged right at him, catching him before he could strike and she snapped her jaws around his neck, then spun around and slammed him to the rocky ground. Reddish black dragon blood spattered the ground where Vale's fangs had punctured the leathery skin and armor on his neck. Vale released him and stared at him as he lay on the ground for a moment, coughing puffs of smoke.
