“Rath,” Asta said and interrupted my thoughts. “Are you okay? You’re not mad I invited Eira over, are you?”
“No.” I shook my head.
“She seems very nice,” Kas added. “Don’t be so nervous.”
“I’m not nervous,” I grumbled, but then I took a deep breath and turned to Ramir. “An amulet. We’re here for an amulet.”
“Did you lose the one I gave you?” Ramir asked, and he looked down at Blar.
“No,” Kas said. “We need one for Rath.”
“For Rath, eh?” the old man asked with a smile. “I didn’t think you were magically inclined.”
“It’s new,” I said dryly.
“Alright, then,” Ramir chuckled. “Come with me, we’ll find you a good tailfeather to use.”
“Oh, Father,” Kas spoke up, and she smiled smugly and held her hands behind her back as she lifted her chin up into the air. “There is one other thing.”
“What’s that, my dear?” the old man asked.
“I just thought you might want to know you were wrong,” the Valkyrie said.
“Wrong, eh?” he laughed. “Wrong about what exactly?”
“You told us the well in the world of fog and mist was Nidhug’s well,” Kas explained. “But we went to the well to get the water and didn’t find Nidhug. There was a giant snake guarding the water, and we had to defeat it to get to the well.”
“I see.” Ramir frowned. “I was sure that was Nidhug’s well. The two are completely separate, you say?”
“Well, no.” Kas’ face fell when she answered her father.
“The wells aren’t separate?” Ramir asked.
“Not exactly,” the Valkyrie muttered, and her eyes narrowed on her father.
“They were connected in the strangest way,” Asta rambled as she bounced excitedly in place, and it was clear the elf was completely oblivious to Kas’ growing irritation. “We jumped into the well the snake was at and came out at Nidhug’s well.”
“So, I was right.” Ramir turned and grinned at his daughter.
“No!” Kas huffed. “We got water from the snake’s well, not Nidhug’s well.”
“But the two wells are connected, correct?” Ramir asked.
Kas just glared at him and put her hand on her hip.
“If the two wells are connected, then it seems getting water from one is the same as getting water from the other.” Ramir shrugged. “So, I was right.”
“There’s no winning with you, is there,” Kas muttered.
“No, dear,” the old man chuckled and patted his daughter on the arm as he walked back toward his office.
“You see what I grew up with?” Kas asked with a gesture to her father.
“But he is correct,” Asta said, and her eyebrows furrowed together. “The wells were connected.”
“Whose side are you on here?” Kas laughed.
We all followed Ramir back to his office, and I once again found myself in front of his large wooden desk.
“Alright,” the old man said as he pulled out the bag of tail feathers we’d gotten for him. “Let’s see what we have here.”
Ramir looked through the bag, and his bony fingers pushed the ends of the feathers to the side as he searched for the perfect feather. Finally, he yanked one out with a big smile and held it out in front of him.
“Aha.” The old man grinned. “This is a good one.”
“Is there anything special you need from me?” I asked. “You said Blar’s amulet was made with him in mind, right?”
“I just need to know what kind of power you have,” he said. “Then I can tailor the amulet to harness that particular ability.”
“I can see through the eyes of dragons,” I informed him.
“Really?” The old man narrowed his eyes and cocked his head to the side. “The ability to bond with animals is very difficult to master.”
“Others have this ability?” I asked, and I leaned forward with interest.
“Not like that.” Ramir shook his head. “But there are those who seek to control animals and connect with them on a magical level. Familiars, they’re called. The animals become attached to their sorcerer and look after them. I suppose Blar is your familiar of sorts. And now Inger and Uffe, too.”
“Oh.” I blinked. “I didn’t think about that. But I can’t control the dragon whose eyes I see through, I can only control the little dragons.”
“Probably because they are small, and your power is new.” The old man nodded. “Your power will grow, though. I’m excited to see where it takes you.”
“Thank you,” I said. I wasn’t sure what else to say in that situation, but Ramir simply nodded and set to work gathering the supplies for the amulet.
It didn’t take long for him to get everything ready, and once again I watched as he and Kas performed the spell. The large plain rock on the table soon became a dark blue stone, and Ramir attached a chain to it and handed it to me.
“This should help you harness this new ability of yours,” he told me. “And I enchanted the chain like Blar’s so it won’t come off.”
“I appreciate your help, Ramir,” I said with a smile, and I truly did. The old man was always willing to help us, and his knowledge and abilities were invaluable to our missions most often.
“Try it on!” Asta squealed, and she bounced on the balls of her feet.
I smiled and looked at the necklace in my hand. The stone was a deep blue that reminded me of Blar’s eyes, and I thought how well it matched my sword. I slipped the chain over my neck and waited for it to tighten to my neck like it had with Blar, but instead, it just settled onto my chest.
“It won’t be as short as Blar’s,” Ramir explained when he saw how perplexed I looked. “I figured you wouldn’t like it so short, but trust me, it won’t slip off, even in battle.”
“Give it a try.” Kas smiled, and her violet eyes glistened with excitement.
“Yes,” Asta pushed. “Try to see through Blar’s eyes again.”
I nodded, closed my eyes, and took a deep breath. I wasn’t sure if I was doing anything right, but all I could do was try, so I focused on Blar and his feelings. I could sense how the little lizard felt at the moment, and I tried to hone in on him, but nothing happened.
I squeezed my eyes shut harder and reached up to grab the amulet, and as soon as I had the stone in my hand, I opened my eyes to see a fire in front of me.
I wasn’t Blar, I was a different dragon, and I was relieved to find I wasn’t afraid this time. I sighed and laid down next to the fire. I felt peaceful and calm, and the heat of the flames were nice on my stomach.
I stretched my body out, but when I heard footsteps approaching quickly, I lifted my head to see where they were coming from. There was no dread as there had been with the footsteps before, and in its place was excitement. I was happy to see whoever it was.
While I waited for the person to appear, I took a quick glance around the room. I was in someone’s home. The fire next to me was in a brick fireplace, and I was on a wooden floor. There was a large sofa to my right, and a dining table just past that with five seats around it.
After a moment, a small child appeared in the entryway near the dining table. It was a little girl. She had long brown hair and a blue dress on, and in her hand was a large red apple.
“Marby!” the little girl squealed, and she ran over to me. “Mom said we could have a snack before dinner, but we have to share.”
Was I wrong? Had this dragon actually been captured?
I focused on the feelings I was experiencing as the dragon, but I couldn’t find any sense of sadness or fear. Marby, as the little girl called her, seemed completely content, and even excited about the apple.
The little girl took a bite, and then she held the apple out to me so I could take one, too. I was careful to only take a small bite, and we both chewed happily while the child rubbed my head with her small, soft hand.
Juices from the apple ran down the child’s face
, and I leaned up and licked them off gently. She giggled in response, and we each took another bite of the apple.
“Girls,” a woman’s voice called. “Dinner will be ready soon, don’t forget to wash up.”
“Come on, Marby!” the little girl said, and she dropped the apple and ran down the hallway.
I quickly ate the rest of the apple and followed the child. We came to a bathroom of sorts, but there was no fireplace to heat the water.
The little girl stepped on a small stool and turned on a faucet. Water came out, and she rubbed her hands together underneath it.
“Gotta wash up, Marby,” she scolded lightly, and I hopped up onto the counter and put my front paws in the water with hers.
I caught a glimpse of myself in the mirror. I was a small tan dragon barely bigger than the little girl. I had to be a baby, but my bright-green eyes looked happy and content.
“There you are,” the woman’s voice said again, and I turned to see her in the doorway. She had brown hair like the child, and kind eyes, and she reached down and stroked the top of my head. “Good job, Marby. I made your favorite tonight, sweet peaches.”
I squealed in happiness and closed my eyes as I smiled.
When I opened them again, I was back in Ramir’s shop with the girls and the dragons around me.
“Did you see?” Kas asked quickly. “Did you see through Blar’s eyes?”
“No.” I shook my head.
“Oh.” Asta frowned. “Don’t worry, we will figure out your powers.”
“I saw through the eyes of another dragon,” I said softly.
“What?” Kas asked, and her violet eyes bored into mine. “Were they okay? Was it the same one from this morning?”
“No, it was a different one,” I replied, and a small smile came to my face. “They weren’t in danger at all.”
“That’s wonderful.” Asta smiled and clapped her hands together.
“But they weren’t exactly free, either.” My eyes narrowed as I thought.
“What do you mean?” Kas asked. “I thought you just said they weren’t in danger.”
“They weren’t.” I shook my head. “It was a little tan-colored dragon, her name was Marby.”
“How do you know her name?” Asta asked, and her eyebrows pulled together with confusion.
“A little girl called her by it,” I said. “She was in someone’s home. I think she was their pet.”
“Oh, no.” Asta frowned. “Do you think they got her from the dragon trade?”
“I don’t think so,” I assured her. “I could feel what Marby felt, and she wasn’t scared at all. She was so happy to be there, and she loved the people as if they were family.”
“People?” Ramir asked. “Do you know what realm you were in?”
“They looked like us,” I said. “But it must have been in Midgard.”
I knew there weren’t any other dragons in Asgard, and when Kas and I had visited Midgard, we’d seen the weak mortals who looked a lot like Aesir.
“That’s good, then, right?” the elf girl asked.
“If Marby was happy, I think that’s great.” Kas smiled.
“What about the dragon you saw in your dream last night, though?” Asta asked. “We have to find them.”
“We know it’s in your homeworld somewhere.” I frowned. “We just have to figure out where.”
“Father,” Kas said as she turned to the sorcerer. “Is there any way to figure out where the dragons Rath sees are located?”
“I’m afraid I don’t know.” Ramir shook his head. “This is a new power I’ve never seen before. I wouldn’t know how to try and assist with harnessing it.”
I figured that meant I was on my own with this. I knew the girls would try and help as much as they could, and the amulet seemed to amplify my power, but it didn’t give me control over it. Like everything else I’d gained in my life, I’d have to work hard to get it. This power wouldn’t be controlled easily, but I was determined to figure it out as quickly as possible.
“You figured out it was my homeworld,” Asta said. “Maybe we can figure out where. Was there anything about the dream you didn’t tell us?”
“No.” I shrugged. “I told you everything.”
“Maybe there’s a small detail we’re missing,” Kas suggested. “Start from the beginning.”
“Perhaps it will help to describe everything you realized as it happened,” Ramir added.
“I’ll try.” I nodded and closed my eyes so I could envision the dream again. “I was in a cell… Wait, okay. I opened my eyes, and it was dark and musty smelling. I could barely move because the room I was in was so small. The floor was cobblestone, and the walls were a similar stone… there was a door with a square hole and bars through it--”
“Wait,” Asta interrupted, and I opened my eyes to see her yellow eyes staring back at me. “Did you say a cobblestone floor and stone walls? I thought you said you were in a cell?”
“It was a cell.” I nodded. “But yes, it was made of stone. Why? Is that important?”
“Oh, dear.” The elf girl looked down and bit her lip.
“Does that mean something to you, Asta?” Kas asked, and she reached out and touched the elf girl’s arm.
“I know that place.” Asta looked up at me, and her yellow eyes nearly brimmed over with tears. “I’ve been there.”
“That’s great.” Kas grinned. “Where is it?”
“It’s the Elf King’s dungeon.”
Chapter 18
“The Elf King?” Kas repeated with wide violet eyes.
“I’m afraid so.” Asta nodded.
“Are you sure?” Ramir asked.
“I’m sure,” the elf girl sighed. “I was there before, I know what it looks like.”
“What does that mean?” I asked. “Why were you there?”
“I was caught stealing.” Asta bit her lip. “It was only some bread to eat, but it was from a cart headed to the King’s palace. They threw me into the dungeon for a month.”
“A month?” Kas gasped, and her violet eyes grew even wider.
Asta hung her head and nodded.
“Oh, Asta,” I said, and I pulled the beautiful elf girl into my arms. “I’m so sorry you went through that.”
“It’s awful there,” she breathed into my chest. “We have to get the dragon out. The Elf King and his men are vicious and cruel.”
I couldn’t even imagine what Asta had gone through when she was in that dungeon, but all I wanted to do was shove my sword through the man who had put her there. I knew she’d been down on her luck when I met her, but I never realized how bad it was. She’d stolen bread just to eat something, and that thought saddened me terribly. I never wanted her to have to do that ever again, I never wanted her to go hungry or feel the need to steal to survive. I would take care of her, always.
I wouldn’t push her and ask what they’d done to her, I’d just take her word about their cruelness and allow her to tell me about it if she chose to of her own accord.
“We’ll get them out,” I said before I pressed a kiss into the elf girl’s hair.
“You may want to think carefully about your plan.” Ramir frowned.
“What do you mean?” I asked as I looked up at the sorcerer.
“The Elf King and Odin are allies.” Kas bit her lip.
“Right,” I sighed.
If we attacked the Elf King outright, it could cause a war between our two realms, and I was sure Odin wouldn’t be happy to lose an ally. We couldn’t attack the Elf King without putting all of Asgard at risk of retaliation.
Ramir was right, we’d have to carefully consider what we were going to do about this. As much as I wanted to free the dragons, it wouldn’t help anything if we caused a war between the two realms. That would only put us behind where we needed to be, and it would let the Elf King and all of the dragon traders in Asta’s realm know we were onto them. If they knew we were out to stop the dragon trade, they could try to hide the drag
ons they had, or get rid of them somehow, maybe sell them to someone in another realm.
I let out a breath and pursed my lips. Things had just gotten a lot more complicated.
After that realization, we were all a bit downtrodden, so we headed back home to try and figure out our plan.
The sun shone as we walked, which cheered me up some, and I reminded myself it wasn’t long ago that Blar had hatched and this all began. I knew I was going to free the dragons, but I had to do it right. This entire situation was still new to me, but the girls and I had managed to accomplish a lot in the short time we’d known about the problem. It wouldn’t be long until we put an end to the entire dragon slave trade, I just had to keep pushing until we got there.
We arrived back at home in the early afternoon, and I picked a couple apples for everyone before we all took a seat in the grass.
“I’m going to look through the spell book and see if I can find anything to help us,” Kas said as she reached into her satchel.
“Good idea,” I told the strawberry-blonde.
“I can assist with looking for spells,” Asta offered.
“Okay,” Kas agreed. “I think it would also be good if we created a map of your homeworld, too, and I could use your help with that.”
“What can I do?” I asked.
“Continue working on controlling your ability.” Kas smiled at me. “Honestly, I think that’s the best thing you can do right now,”
“Alright.” I nodded. “I’ll keep trying.”
“There is one other thing you could do,” Asta said, and she bit her lip.
“What is it?” I asked curiously.
“Eira is still coming over tonight, and we promised her you’d make dinner,” the elf girl reminded me.
I’d nearly forgotten the warband leader would be over to eat with us that evening. I’d experienced life as an entirely different creature since that happened, and there was still a lot to consider as far as what our plan was going to be to free the dragon the Elf King had locked up in his dungeon.
Still, it had been a while since the girls and I had relaxed, and I always found it easier to think if I wasn’t so stressed about the situation. Eira’s visit would be a welcome relief.
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