Fated Fortunes

by Angela Colsin

  The source was questionable, but Dalris took Jada's hand regardless, descending the stairs with no idea over what might be waiting at the bottom.

  Or who … .

  CHAPTER 40

  Jada thought she'd been excitedly nervous when they'd entered the shrine, but that was nothing compared to the flux of emotions churning in the pit of her stomach now.

  The stairs they descended were carved from marble and inlaid with golden patterns glinting in the light of the sun beneath their boots. Yet her vision was centered on the landing below, which was illuminated by an altogether different source of light.

  Moreover, the architecture was identical to the shrine's, but was actually worn, suggesting a hold had never been erected on Rinora's lair. But Jada forgot her questions over why as soon as they emerged in the vestibule below, her eyes widening as Karina exclaimed what everyone else was probably thinking.

  “Udana's Light, that's a ton of gold!”

  Jada completely agreed. Not only were the towering columns and vaulted ceilings gilded with the metal, several mounds of treasures were laid out before them, glinting under the warm glow of a large crystal fixated to the ceiling, like an ancient chandelier.

  Jada looked anywhere but down at her feet, entering the chamber with Dalris at her side as she rasped, “I don't even know what to say.”

  She felt his big hand squeezing hers in response, and stopped staring at the vestibule long enough to give him a grin, unable to believe they'd finally arrived. In fact, while staring into Dalris' azure eyes, she knew she never would've made it this far without him.

  Tears threatened to spill at the thought, and Jada tried to suppress them for long enough to tell her mate thank you.

  But as her lips parted, another voice sounded nearby, one that was surprisingly familiar—and completely unexpected.

  “Jada? Is that really you?”

  The incredulous question had her immediately spinning around to face a large archway connecting to a corridor, and standing in the entryway was …

  “P-papa?”

  Jada blinked several times, but the vision of Morwin Tavar remained, proving this wasn't some trick on her senses. Her grandfather was actually standing before her, confirming his existence with a large grin splitting his lips.

  “I wasn't sure if I'd ever be called that again, and it's wonderful to hear.”

  “Papa!” she yelled, tears streaming down her cheeks as she released Dalris' hand to run to her grandfather, grabbing him so tightly she nearly knocked him over.

  But he only laughed, returning her embrace with a tight squeeze. “Goddess, it's good to see you again!”

  At his comment, a million questions surfaced, all of them concerning how he was able to see her again at all. But Jada couldn't bring herself to immediately break their hug and ask—at least, not until Karina's comment broke through her stupor.

  “That's my grandfather?”

  She sounded confused, and Jada suddenly stood back, exclaiming, “Oh! Papa, you never met Karina.”

  “Karina?”

  “My younger sister,” Jada supplied, waving her over.

  Approaching them, the elf held out her hand to take his in greeting. “Hi, uh … Papa?”

  Chuckling, Morwin pulled his youngest granddaughter into an affectionate hug while the rest of the group joined the reunited family—and Jada wasted no time introducing the one who'd captured her heart.

  “Papa, this is my mate, Dalris Vök Dra'Kai.”

  At that, Morwin looked up with a bright grin. “Dra'Kai, is it? I'd always wondered which House you'd find your mate in.”

  Reaching out, he took Dalris' hand in a firm shake, and the draconian replied, “It's good to meet you. Though I do have to wonder how that's possible.”

  “Right,” Jada quickly agreed, putting her full attention on her grandfather. “We thought you died in a shipwreck thirty years ago, so how did you get here?”

  Sheepishly, Morwin rubbed the back of his neck and admitted, “Actually, it was somewhat unexpected, but I used the opportunity to feign my death because … ”

  He trailed when his gaze landed on Arja now standing at the back of the group, his smile fading as he stated pointedly, “Because of her.”

  Arja pursed her lips, but it was difficult to say if the expression was one of remorse, or if she was looking for a way to justify what was done.

  Either way, Morwin asked before she could say a word, “What are you doing here?”

  “Believe it or not, the Great Dragons asked that I accompany your granddaughter inside.”

  Hearing this, Morwin's head snapped in Jada's direction. “Which Great Dragons?”

  “Dra'Kai and Nefilias are outside waiting to see what we find,” she explained. “But Papa, how did you fake your death?”

  “Oh, right. Sorry,” he apologized, clearing his throat before explaining. “While in Terra, I received a warning that Onoria knew where I was. The information came from Vladiss, an elven sorcerer I'd known for decades.”

  Jada had never heard that name before, or read it in Morwin's tome. “Vladiss? Is he the same mage who tried to teleport you into the Sadonian ruin?”

  “That's right, and I never mentioned him because I wanted him to remain anonymous,” Morwin explained. “You see, Vladiss had also taken an interest in researching Rinora's House, and came to Terra not simply to warn me about Onoria, but also to tell me he'd located a strange valley in Ahm'Ra that was shielding an oasis.

  “It was during that conversation that my ship was attacked by elven trackers, and Vladiss suggested I allow him to make it look as if I'd died in the wreckage so I could travel to the oasis without Onoria hunting me down.”

  Hearing this, Arja gave a confused look. “Morwin, wait. Vladiss was mistaken. I never learned your location in Terra, so if you were attacked by elven trackers there, they weren't under my orders.”

  Immediately, everyone grew silent at her claim, and Morwin's gaze narrowed uncertainly. “If not you, then the monarchy must've sent them.”

  The Archon shook her head. “I made certain the King and Queen knew nothing of your search because of the risks involved, and even if I had learned of your location, I would never send a force to Terra and risk incurring The Crucible's wrath.”

  Jada possessed limited knowledge of The Crucible, but she did know it was an organization dedicated to protecting Terran humans from exposure to the supernatural, and that few dared to cross them.

  So she didn't question the validity of Arja's statement, though she did ask, “Then who attacked? Is Vladiss here? We could ask him.”

  At her question, Morwin frowned. “He's not. While searching the oasis for this lair, we were attacked, and Vladiss was killed by mountain giants.”

  Jada frowned, feeling a genuine swell of sympathy for the sorcerer even though they'd never met. At the very least, she would've liked to thank him for helping her grandfather find this place.

  Yet she had something that might make his loss feel a little less empty, starting with, “I'm sorry, Papa, but I do have good news. Dalris and I unlocked the Sadonian ruin, and we found something you need to see.”

  As she spoke, she waved Liam over, and he settled the carrier on the floor to open and reveal the babies inside—still sawing logs.

  Seeing them, Morwin exclaimed, “Hah! You found the rookery!”

  As he reached into the carrier to lift one of the wyverns when it woke with a soft yawn, Jada shared a confused look with Dalris and asked, “You know what was in the ruin?”

  “Yes. The curator is here, and she told me about it.”

  The curator? Jada tried to process his meaning, but found herself too incredulous by the thought that an elven draconian was living in this lair to immediately respond.

  Even still, she didn't get the chance when a woman's voice asked from the corridor, “Morwin? Are you talking to someone?”

  “Nora!” he replied, standing and turning to face the archway. “Come quickly!”r />
  Completely intrigued, Jada quietly watched as an elf with bronze skin and long, golden blonde hair emerged in the vestibule. Her stomach was swollen in the late months of pregnancy, and her eyes were a vivid shade of amber.

  But most notably, the markings on her neck proved she was a draconian.

  Jada knew she was gawking, but Nora didn't notice. Instead, she covered her mouth with a loud gasp upon spying the baby wyvern Morwin held, sounding close to tears in asking, “Someone located the rookery?”

  Nodding, Morwin handed the baby to her, and Jada was touched by the way she took it in a gentle hold.

  Yet her shock at seeing a living, breathing elven draconian only redoubled when Morwin slipped his arm around Nora's back and kissed her cheek before answering.

  “My granddaughter did. Jada, this is Nora, a protector of the lair, and my mate.”

  Nora gave a cordial nod in greeting, and as Jada tried to process this new information, Karina grabbed her arm with an excited gasp.

  “Oh! We're going to be nieces?”

  Grinning, Morwin confirmed, “You are.”

  Unlike Karina, Jada was too dumbfounded by this discovery to immediately respond. His mate is one of Rinora's draconians? I … this is … How … ?

  As the questions passed through her head one by one, she heard herself exclaiming, “Wait a minute, you never said your mate was foretold as being a draconian!”

  “Because she wasn't,” he replied with a grin. “A shaman foresaw her as an elf. I guess he simply couldn't distinguish more clearly than that.”

  Morwin sounded amused by the turnaround, and in considering it, Jada couldn't blame him. No shaman would've expected an elven draconian to be alive in this place, and that lack of information probably confused the interpretation of his vision entirely.

  In fact, the more she thought about it, the more amused she became, until she asked cheekily, “So does that make you Morwin Tavar Vök Rinora?”

  He chuckled. “It will once she … oh, I didn't tell you yet, did I?”

  Uncertain, Jada shook her head. “Tell me what?”

  With a more serious expression, Morwin released Nora and came to stand within a few feet of everyone present, looking between each before revealing some shocking news.

  “It's Rinora. She's not dead, she's in extended hibernation.”

  CHAPTER 41

  “Rinora's not … how can that be? The other Greats would've sensed her presence.”

  Dalris didn't mean to be rude by questioning Morwin so disbelievingly, but the mere idea that Rinora was still alive was unreal to the point of absurdity.

  Even the stoic Liam looked aghast by the information.

  But Nora seemed to understand their incredulity, explaining, “I know it sounds impossible, but what happened to Rinora was … unexpected.”

  “Very,” Morwin seconded. “Even after all my research, I never would've guessed at such a fate. But you'll have to see her before you can believe anything we tell you.”

  At his suggestion, Nora waved her hand in a silent request for them to follow. So Liam grabbed the carrier, and everyone fell into place, quietly traversing the corridor beyond the vestibule.

  On the way, they passed a number of rooms where other elven draconians had stopped their daily activities in favor of staring at the strangers in surprise. Their very existence proved Onoria had been wrong all along, and Dalris found himself curious over their stunned reactions to having visitors.

  Such behavior suggested they'd spent centuries in isolation. But knowing the answers were coming, he didn't ask why they'd cut themselves off from the rest of the world, and focused instead on two warriors standing sentry at the end of the hall.

  The women opened a large set of doors at Nora's request, revealing another set of stairs leading even deeper below the surface, proving Rinora's preference for living underground was indeed a reality. Several light spheres illuminated the winding path, contained in ornate casings of gold attached to the walls, and the group soon emerged in a large chamber reminiscent of a coliseum.

  But instead of stands, there was only a single, elevated platform with rails overlooking a large pit that was fully encompassed by a magical barrier. Waves of energy could be seen rippling through the translucent shield, and lying beyond the dome at the center of the lair was a large, golden dragon.

  Rinora.

  Everyone in the group stared with slackened jaws. Peacefully stretched out upon the floor and entirely motionless, the only sign that the dragon lived was the steady rise and fall of her chest. It was questionable what type of magic had been used to keep her in such a serene hibernation for so long, but Nora proved the barrier was safe to touch by pressing her hand against it.

  “This shield was erected nearly two thousand years ago by a powerful mage who never gave us his name. He merely told us his identity was ultimately unimportant, and all that mattered was correcting a horrid oversight. We've come to call him the Savior.”

  Immediately, Jada pointed out, “That's exactly what the anonymous message said!”

  Dalris nodded, then offered Nora a brief explanation when she asked what message Jada was referring to, summarizing, “Whoever wrote it sounds like the same mage that put Rinora to sleep. But why did he do this to her?”

  Frowning, Nora looked down and whispered, “Because she was suffering.”

  As if knowing the story was painful to tell, Morwin took over the task.

  “Rinora's House had no idea what was happening at the time, but their warriors started sending reports stating that Rinora appeared to be engaged with some force they couldn't explain. Soon afterward, she started behaving violently, attacking her own draconians, and … ”

  Pausing, Morwin looked out at the dragon before revealing a startling truth.

  “She's the one who decimated Ahm'Ra, turning nearly everything to dust and stone except the oasis above us.”

  Everyone stared with wide eyes, and several moments passed in silence. Rinora's breath had the ability to petrify, turning any creature it touched to stone, but to destroy an entire continent?

  Dalris shook his head, asking, “How? Even if she could turn everything to stone, such an act should've killed her.”

  “It very nearly did,” Morwin confirmed. “Her draconians described the event by saying it was as if some unimaginable power had been wielded through her, enhancing her natural abilities. But she was mindless, and it wasn't until after most of her House had been destroyed that this Savior appeared, gathered the survivors together, and brought them here where he explained things.”

  Intrigued, Dalris inquired, “What did he say?”

  To Jada, Morwin asked, “I'm assuming you know my theories about the Battle for Divinity tying into this, correct?”

  At her nod, he confirmed, “I was right. Apparently, Rinora had been possessed by The Guardian, who then used her as a tool to destroy everything in its path. This forced her own draconians to stop her, and though they didn't truly succeed, they did do enough damage to drive The Guardian away, perhaps to seek another host.”

  Returning his gaze to the hibernating dragon, Dalris gritted his teeth, unable to imagine what it must've been like to fight one's own patron. Such was a fate no draconian should have to face, a fact even the elves present seemed to realize because they looked aghast.

  During their silent reflection, Nora mentioned dolefully, “There were so few of us left that nothing could be done to help her, and even if we could, Rinora's possession left her injured beyond our means to heal. The Savior told us that The Guardian wasn't meant to influence living beings in such a way, and channeling its power through her caused injuries so severe that it would take her many centuries to recover. So the best he could do was sustain her with magic until that day came.”

  Gazing into the pit, she concluded, “We've watched Rinora improve over the years, and after our failure at protecting her, my House vowed never to leave her side until she awakens. Thankfully, the oasis is well p
rotected by the creatures roaming the mountains, allowing her to slumber peacefully while she mends without anyone finding us and attempting to cause her harm.”

  That explained why these draconians had isolated themselves, and it was good to hear Rinora would return to life soon and hopefully be no worse for the wear. Dalris could also sympathize with their plight, knowing his own House would dedicate themselves to Dra'Kai's recovery in much the same manner.

  Yet his considerations were soon distracted when the Archon turned and took several steps toward the stairwell with a downcast gaze.

  Such posture suggested the religious leader was feeling an extreme amount of guilt, as did her tone in uttering, “We've been wrong about so much, and I … ”

  Trailing, she looked back at Morwin and asked, “Are we really so arrogant?”

  Morwin pursed his lips, but didn't answer at first. Instead, he separated himself from his mate and walked over, settling a hand on Arja's shoulder with his reply.

  “Not even Rinora's House knew what was going on, and to outside eyes, it would've certainly seemed as if they'd attacked their patron out of malice, or even because they'd gone insane. So perhaps it doesn't truly matter, as long as steps are taken to correct the mistakes made.”

  Arja looked down again, and though she seemed remorseful, she also sounded determined in stating, “I can't sweep aside the clergy's accountability, and I won't. But you're right, steps need to be taken, and I'll see to it that they are, no matter how difficult.”

  “Sometimes all we can do is try,” Morwin pointed out. “Besides, when the world learns what really happened here, it will close the divide between Onoria and Draconia.”

  Realistically, Menlor asked, “After so many centuries of prejudice? That won't disappear overnight.”

  “No, but we have to start somewhere,” Arja countered, “and this is it.”

  With that said, she turned to Dalris and Jada, formally announcing, “I'll advise the monarchy to send envoys to each House of Draconia so they can discuss these matters. I'd also like to ask your House to do the same.”