Dragon's Fire

by Bri Sailor

  Descended:

  Dragon’s Fire

  By Bri Sailor

  ©2018 Bri Sailor

  Cover art by Janss Sailor

  Prologue

  Deep in a black cavern old torches suddenly sprang to new life with bright orange flames. Shadows danced on the walls. Several figures appeared out of an ethereal white smoke that filled the cavern.

  “It is them.” Hissed one.

  “I said it was them from the moment they were born.” Hissed another. “I am owed what is due me.”

  The figures argued amongst themselves. A silvery white-cloaked figure stepped into the center and raised its arms.

  “Enough!” she hissed loudly. “Ërö’ügk! She will fulfill her purpose! Did you not feel the stirrings of our Our Lord?”

  “Ihës.” Echoed the rest of the ghostly figures.

  “But they mistake the portal!” rasped another. “If they discover its true purpose…rë riigg dë dëxëätëd dih t’kë Göddën xörëdër!”

  “The Goddess shall not defeat us!” shrieked the leader. “We shall rule the realms forever!”

  “Send her watcher.”

  “Yes! There are many watching!”

  “Send one! Send one as our own!”

  “Kill her! Kill the warrior!”

  “She is the greatest threat.”

  “Yes! Kill her or turn her to us!”

  “Her killer’s heart could be of great use to us!”

  “Yes. It shall be done for the glory of our Lord.”

  The figures gathered closely together around their leader and raised their hands. A deep purple energy slowly expelled from them and swirled above. It expanded suddenly then contracted into the form of a raven. The bird flew around the cavern a moment before disappearing into the outside world.

  Chapter 1

  Her bones ached and every muscle was stiff and sore. Her entire body felt as if it had been submerged in boiling water and a lingering fire coursed through her veins. Atreyis cracked open a sapphire blue eye. The sun was shining brightly against a crystal blue sky. White downy clouds floated above. The princess lay on the dew covered grass, her chestnut brown hair a tangled mess. She tried everything to remember what had happened. Moaning, she forced herself to sit up and look around, the white strands of hair falling in her face. Everyone was laying on the ground, their limp bodies sprawled out. Before she could even think the princess was tackled by a teary-eyed Cora.

  “Atreyis! Thank the Goddess you are alright!” she sobbed softly. “I thought I had lost you all for sure.”

  The confused princess hugged the small, sandy blonde priestess back. She searched her blue-green eyes.

  “What...what happened? The last thing I remember was—Ky!”

  The princess rushed to stand up and instantly felt faint, her legs turned to mush.

  “Be careful! We still don't know what happened.” Cora grabbed her arm.

  Atreyis looked the priestess over. “Why weren't you affected?”

  Cora's eyes were downcast. “I don't know. I tried to revive each of you but to no avail. No matter what I did you remained unconscious. I feared my prayers fell on deaf ears, that my connection with the Goddess had been severed when you were attacked.”

  The princess rubbed her eyes. “It didn't feel like an attack of any sort that I have ever felt. I felt like I was being boiled alive. My very blood felt like it was on fire. Still does.”

  Before Cora could answer a loud moan erupted from Ky as she stirred, it was answered in turn by Ehren, Riker, and Taryn. Relief washed over the priestess. She ran over and enveloped the curly- haired prince in a bear hug. Tears flow freely down her cheek.

  “You're all alright! Praise Ailana!” she sobbed. “I tried and tried to wake you all. I feared that you wouldn't come back.”

  The prince’s blue eyes shimmered and he hugged the priestess tightly. “I, too, feared the worst. But we're fine. I've never experienced anything like that before.”

  “It was the witch.” Spat Riker. “It had to be her.”

  Taryn stood up on wobbly legs and brushed her long black hair out of her eyes. Every inch of her dark skin felt like it was on fire.

  “But how? She isn't anywhere near here. Surely she isn't powerful enough to do...whatever it was. Ow. I feel like I've been run over by a war wagon.”

  Ky was crouched by the dying fire. Her hood was up, hiding her bright blonde hair and warrior's braids, and she was staring into the burning embers, scowling.

  “I told you. That witch is capable of magic like I've never seen before. I don't know what she did to us, but I can tell you it isn't good.”

  “What exactly did happen? I felt like I had been thrown into a forge fire.” asked Riker as he scratched at his newly grown beard that was as fiery red as the hair on his head.

  “Any ideas, Cora?” asked Taryn.

  The priestess wiped her eyes. “I—I'm not sure. All of your eyes were glowing so bright...and the screams...it sounded as if you were...and I couldn't do anything...”

  She began to cry again and Ehren hugged her close. Atreyis sat next to Ky. The warrior's gray eyes were burning with anger and confusion. She had grabbed her sword and was looking at her reflection, checking for any signs as to what had happened.

  “What do you think it was?” Atreyis asked her.

  Ky clenched her jaw. “I don't know. Nothing good I'd imagine.”

  Atreyis looked around at everyone. She lowered her voice. “I don't feel any different. Just sore. What about you?”

  “Same.” grunted the warrior as she lowered her sword.

  Ehren stood up. “What if this was some sort of residual from when Lusha attempted to open the Seal.”

  Cora shook her head. “I'm not so sure. The magic used to create the Seal is very old. If there were to be any effects from her tampering with it, it would have happened the moment she attempted to break it. This was different.”

  “So was it really her?” asked Taryn.

  They looked at each other for answers but knew that no one had a clue.

  Ky stood up and kicked dirt into the fire pit. “Doesn't matter. We survived whatever it was. Lusha is still on the move which means we need to as well. If this was her, I have a feeling that it's only the beginning.”

  Cora couldn’t shake this feeling that it was something different. “I don’t think this was Lusha. The magic felt…old…very old.”

  Riker’s eyes grew wide. “You don’t think the Seal actually broke?”

  Taryn looked at Cora. “Is it even possible?”

  Cora rubbed her eyes. “Yes, it’s possible that she actually broke the Seal. The only problem is that I would be able to feel it.”

  “What do you mean?” asked Ehren.

  “Before we left I created a small spell that would warn me if Lusha or her ilk made another attempt. Think of it as a trip wire for dark magic. I can still feel that it is intact. Hence, why I believe it isn’t her.” Said Cora.

  “So what was it?” asked Atreyis.

  The priestess shrugged. “Something old. Something ancient. Something very powerful.”

  Ky interrupted the silence. “Whatever it was just means we need to keep moving, dammit. Let’s go.”

  They worked quickly to pack up their bedrolls and blankets. In no time they were back on track. Toran had been right in keeping their numbers small, it made it much easier to move around. Lusha’s spies would have a harder time trying to keep track of the group as they searched for the remaining crystal shards. Three of the pieces remained, the first was already in Cora’s possession in the form of the necklace of the High Priestess. According to Nya, the Keeper of the Seal, the rest were to be found within the Xaemox, Quinmor, and Khenná kingdoms.

  The lush forest
s and meadows of the Aznurro kingdom had given way to tall wild grasses, sparse trees, and flat plains. The wind was warm and dry and they could see for miles around. Ky was uneasy in this open territory. There was no coverage to be found anywhere. The hairs on the back of her neck and arms stood on end, every muscle was constantly coiled. When she previously crossed these lands over a month ago there was nothing to fear, but now it felt like her every movement was being watched. As night fell, the warrior had instructed that no one was to start a fire. They all slept closer together as a form of protection. Ehren had sided with the warrior, as well as Taryn, they too felt overexposed with the lack of natural defenses. The only benefit with the change of terrain was that they were able to move much faster than they were in the forest. In no time they would be at the capital of the Quinmor kingdom, Thaemo. Cora had suggested that they start there since it was the closest, she hoped to meet with the priests to find out what they knew of the crystals, but Ky had her reservations. She knew exactly what would be waiting for them there, or anywhere outside the Aznurro kingdom for that matter.

  The open skies had allowed for perfect star gazing conditions. Atreyis lay one night a short distance from a very small fire that the warrior had allowed for cooking game. The princess stared up at the bright twinkling lights and a calm washed over her. It was interesting, over the last couple of weeks she could practically feel the warrior’s tension. It was odd as well, since neither of them had had any nightmares recently. As she stared up at the vastness above she let a grin slip as she heard footsteps coming near. With a full belly, the warrior preferred the quiet to the hushed conversations around the fire. She laid down next to the princess, a small wall of grass separated them. They laid in comfortable silence.

  “Do you think the gods actually live up there?” the princess whispered. She looked through the blades of grass at the warrior.

  Ky put her hands behind her head and thought about it. “I’m not sure. I prefer to not even think about them. They have never done anything for me.”

  Atreyis frowned. “But you’re Descended. That’s a gift from the gods. And your mother is still alive. I think that counts for something.”

  Ky snorted. “She’s alive, yes, but she never came for me. Even when she found out I was alive. All those years. Alone. All those prayers of a child that fell on deaf ears.”

  The princess rolled over onto her side and propped up on her elbow. “You told me that your grandmother died when you were young. What happened then? How did you go from orphan to…well, this.”

  Ky closed her eyes. “I don’t really want to talk about it.”

  Atreyis threw a pebble at her. “Tell me. I’ve been dying to hear the rest of the story. Look, you owe me, you had already started the story back home. You can’t leave me hanging. Seriously, what happened?”

  The warrior brushed off the pebble and sighed. “Fine. When I was about four my home was attacked. Lusha, of course. She had been looking for my mother. I’m not entirely sure how we made it out but my grandmother was able to get us out before we were killed. We lived on the border between the Khenná and Quinmor kingdoms, completely isolated. Somehow we made it to Óhn. My grandmother was able to find work as a healer using her knowledge of herbs and medicine.”

  Atreyis smile lopsidedly. “Anything like that tea that you made me?”

  “Actually, yes.” Ky said matter-of-factly. “I helped her out in the shop, but I would sometimes slip out and watch the guards and soldiers train at the barracks. I was pretending to be one of them when one of the younger soldiers actually saw me and pulled me aside and taught me how to properly wield a sword. Well, he wasn’t a soldier, yet, but he was still training. That was the first time I met Vex. He was only about fourteen years old. Not long after my grandmother discovered where I had been slipping off to she told me that she would allow it as long as it kept me out of trouble. I couldn’t believe it. It’s actually kind of funny, though. As hard as she initially tried to keep me away, no matter what she tried she couldn’t keep a sword out of my hand, be it wood or steel.”

  “That I am not surprised about in the least.” Atreyis half-laughed.

  “Anyways.” The warrior turned melancholy. “One day I returned from my lessons and found my grandmother asleep in bed. It had been a perfectly normal day. She tended to the shop for a few hours and then let me go have my fun. I tried to wake her for supper but she wouldn’t wake up. Her skin was like ice and she wasn’t breathing. I knew something was wrong. I ran to get a neighbor that she had trusted. The way he reacted as soon as he saw her, I knew that my deepest fear had been realized. So I ran. I took my sword and I ran to the barracks to find Vex. I stayed with him for about a week before returning home. I gathered what money we had saved, packed my clothes and my little sword that Vex had made for me, and left. Though I would visit him often over the years.”

  Atreyis parted the grass and looked into the warrior’s sad gray eyes. “Ky…I’m so sorry.”

  The warrior cleared her throat and looked up at the sky. “Don’t be. It’s in the past. After I left I wandered around the city and ventured outside of it from time to time. Friends of my grandmother had let me stay with them, but I would never stay for very long. When I was eleven I discovered my knack for fighting. Another street rat like myself had taken upon himself to whip me into shape and join his little gang of pickpockets. I didn’t like the way he was running things and got into a fight with him. I should mention that he was about sixteen and fairly large. A rather unsavory fellow had seen the fight. He congratulated me on my victory and then offered me a job. He would set up fights for me and if I won I would get paid handsomely.”

  Atreyis’ jaw dropped. “You can’t be serious.”

  Ky arched an eyebrow and looked over at the princess. “Would I really lie about that?”

  The princess conceded and let the warrior finish.

  “I fought for almost five years with a near pristine record. I had made enough money to build my own home outside of the city and live quietly. One day I had the largest and most advertised fight of my life with an opponent who was undefeated from a nearby village. I had gained a reputation that had spread amongst those that bid on the fights and that reputation had spread into the ranks of the soldiers. So that night I fought with everything I had.”

  “And you won?” interrupted Atreyis excitedly.

  “No.” replied the warrior. “Not in the least. The only reason he didn’t kill me was because a soldier intervened. Lo and behold little Vex had grown up and was now a Lieutenant. He was impressed by my ‘raw talent’ and promptly placed me in training. And the rest…well…”

  Atreyis was quite out of character and completely silent. The warrior rolled over and propped herself up on her elbow.

  “Your turn, princess.”

  The brunette tried to gather her thoughts. “My turn? There really isn’t anything to tell. Before meeting you my life was pretty boring. That’s it.”

  Ky popped a stalk of grass in her mouth. “Nope. You’re not getting out of it that easily.”

  Atreyis cleared her throat. “Alright. I almost died when I was born.”

  “Everyone knows that.” Interrupted the warrior.

  “Fine.” Sighed the princess. “But because of that I was told all my life that I was weaker and that I was something fragile. Ehren was born first, so naturally he gets to rule, but I have been groomed all my life to rule by his side and act as an advisor. I had all the proper tutelage one could ever want, but it wasn’t enough. I had always longed to be able to go on the adventures that he and Taryn were allowed to go on in their training. To appease me, mostly because I refused to stop, my parents allowed for me to train somewhat. And it had worked for a while. But things changed when I turned eighteen. I met Gerald. He was the son of a diplomat from a city far north of the capital.”

  Ky’s ears perked up. “Oh?”

  Atreyis turned red. “Yes. You could say that it was a whirlwind romance. We were insepar
able, star-crossed lovers.” She chuckled half-heartedly and then frowned. “We were set to be married this summer actually.”

  “What happened?” asked Ky with genuine interest. “Did I happened to meet him in my brief stay above ground at the palace? Or perhaps in my lodging underneath?”

  There was a sadness in the princess’ eyes. “No. He left almost two months before you showed up. I broke it off. A few other things compounded my frustrations with life, and then I met you and here we are. I’m finally getting the adventure I had always longed for, it just happened differently than I expected.”

  The two stared at each other for a moment.

  “So why did you break it off if you were so in love?” asked the warrior.