Dragon Bow

by Angelique Anderson

  “Yes, of course I know that. I’m on my way to find something to help him, though to be honest, I am second guessing that decision.” She sat back on her hind end, burying her head in her hands. “What if he’s dead? What if they killed him?” She would never forgive herself if they had, whoever it was who had him. “I would never admit; I couldn’t admit it…. Not to him, and not to my sisters, but I love him.” Tears fell down her cheeks. “If he’s hurt, if he’s been killed… I will not stop until everyone who is a part of this destruction has been dealt with.”

  “You cannot react out of anger, Svana. Calm yourself before you leave here and don’t do something you regret.”

  “How dare you treat me like a child!” She leapt to her feet, withdrawing her sword.

  “What do you think? That you will use that thing against me?” His scaly head tilted quizzically, as he eyed her.

  “No, but I sure in the hell won’t stand here and do nothing.” Inside she was seething. She could barely see straight, fighting through the waves of anger that washed over her.

  “Exactly, go and find the medicine that will help the king. That is your priority. Jakobe will be all right; something tells me he can fight for himself.”

  “Then why isn’t he here, Lingaria? If he is so strong, why didn’t he stop them?” Her voice shook as she nearly screamed.

  “I don’t know, but you have to stay focused,” Lingaria pushed her.

  “Fine! You unforgivable beast!” She rushed out of the house, not looking back at her dragon guide who hadn’t moved from the ripped painting on the floor.

  “I’ll find his medicine, but after that… I’m finding him,” Svana said with resolution.

  Lingaria didn’t respond. Instead, he nodded his agreement, and flapped quietly behind her, being careful to hide himself with magic so as not to be seen by Tellurians.

  15

  Hekla

  No matter what, you can’t please everyone. But as long as you put your selfish desires aside and focus on what is good for everyone around you—and not only yourself, you will begin to realize that you have a lot more people standing behind you than against you.

  Eonnueth, The Clever, Sixth Dragon Elder, Seventh Age of Verdil

  Hekla stared at the stretching water before her, questioning her decision to return to Aequoris. A gentle breeze whipped her sapphire hair around her face. She closed her eyes, allowing the wind to be like a soothing balm against her skin. She was so tired, so worn. With Speltus’ magic coursing through her, she could feel the weariness he carried as well.

  I’m so sorry, Speltus. I never should have pushed you to do that.

  No, he said. Don’t apologize, you did well today. You were careful not to push me too far or too hard. I will be worn for a while, but you handled the gift of magic like someone who has carried it for years. You’ve come a long way from the childish woman who first started out on this journey.

  Oh, Speltus, my friend. My dear friend, she thought.

  Speltus sighed softly, and Hekla wished that she could use magic to take away the exhaustion they both felt.

  “What are you thinking about?” Jetevius’ voice gently impeded on her thoughts.

  “Just thinking how I really don’t want to go down there. That King of yours doesn’t take too kindly to me. When he hears that we deliberately disobeyed him, he’ll have my head.”

  “Quite possibly. Then again, I don’t think anyone will let him kill you without him putting his own life in danger.” The left corner of Jetevius’ mouth turned up in a slight grin.

  “What do you mean?” she pushed.

  “Hekla, the Aequorans owe you so much. You saved us! As people of the water we are, if I dare say, probably the weaker of the kingdoms. Our bodies are not suited for the air, like the Tellurians or Caelestan’s. Water gives us strength.”

  “I wish King Renault could see that,” Hekla grumbled.

  Hekla turned her focus back to the water. Jetevius put his hand on her shoulder and squeezed.

  “I think we should get going,” he urged her.

  She nodded, every instinct in her told her to turn tail and run away—to save herself while she still could. Only she knew she wouldn’t. The Aequorans were her people, and she would live or die for her actions. Hekla cared for them. Each life she had saved was more precious than the last. It was that thought that spurred her on and drove her to cast the spell that would allow her to have the magical encasing that permitted her to walk, breathe, and exist in the Aequoran world.

  When her scepter created the bubble around her, she stepped into the sea. The water wrapping itself around her like an icy hand. Once she was deep enough, she dove under and began swimming toward the city. Jetevius caught up to Hekla, matching her stroke for stroke. He quickly surpassed her as his webbed hands and feet allowed him speed she could never obtain.

  “Hey, wait,” Hekla yelled out, kicking her feet quickly to catch up. He paused, turning his head to watch her as she got closer.

  “You’re going to have to get quicker, land-walker, if you hope to make it down here.”

  “I’ll probably be dead after today, so I don’t see why it matters,” she retorted.

  “Come now, you don’t know that.”

  “Yes, I do,” she said sternly, then her eyes grew wide as she saw something over Jetevius’ shoulder, and she began swimming toward the city at lightning speed.

  “Hey, now you need to wait for me!” Jetevius yelled after her.

  She didn’t slow down; she couldn’t slow down. It was coming for her. She knew it. Its tentacles would wrap around her body, and her throat. It would kill her. She had to get away.

  Hekla glanced over her shoulder and saw Jetevius catching up. But behind him, the beast was still there, and worse yet—it looked like it was swimming toward her. Her eyes bulged and body trembled.

  “What’s wrong? Slow down!” he yelled.

  “Not until I get away from whatever that thing is!”

  Hekla pointed her finger wildly.

  Jetevius turned his attention to behind him where he saw a swarm of jellyfish floating lazily. Their fluorescent tentacles dangled peacefully as they hovered in the water.

  Jetevius broke into a wide grin, before he began laughing hysterically. “Calm down! It’s just Jellyfish.” His eyes sparkled with laughter, and he threw his head backward, his gills flaring happily.

  “It’s not funny! That’s the most terrifying thing I’ve ever seen!”

  “Hekla, it’s been a long time since someone made me laugh like that. Come along, as long as you don’t touch their tentacles, you’ll be fine.”

  “I don’t care, I just want to get as far away from them as possible.”

  He matched strokes with her, and soon they were descending to the ground, their feet alighting on the cobbled pathway leading through Aequoris.

  “Listen, just hold your head up, Hekla. Let’s get through this as quickly as possible. If we make it out alive, there’s someone you need to meet.”

  “Oh?” She stopped walking, turning to face him, and tilting her head slightly. “Who might that be?”

  “Let’s get through this first, and then we can go from there,” he tried to cajole her.

  “Fine, whatever you say.” She followed blindly after him, knowing that they were headed to the innermost part of the coral castle to visit the throne room of the King again. As they walked the sea floor, Aequorans of all ages emerged from their pastel homes. Some had faces that radiated kindness, others came up to her directly, tears on their faces, throwing their arms around her.

  A particularly lovely woman, with pale green skin, and lovely white hair billowing out behind her, clung so tightly to Hekla, she could barely move. When the woman released her, she looked Hekla deeply in the eyes. “My husband told me that he died up there, and that you used magic to bring him back. I don’t know how to ever repay you.”

  “It’s fine, I was just doing my duty…” Hekla managed to stammer out. />
  “No,” another Aequoran interrupted. “Nothing you did on that battlefield was your duty. You made a choice. Just as we all did. Just as the King did. We could have lost a great many of our people today, but because of you, we didn’t.”

  “He’s right,” the pale woman said, motioning toward the Aequoran man who had approached and given his opinion.

  A small crowd of Aequoran men and woman gathered around her, each of their sea-foam green faces ranged in shades. Their brilliant white hair, tinged green from years of being under water, clung to their shoulders. At their mid-sections, the sad eyes of little children appeared, clinging to their parents.

  “She did save a great deal of us out there on that battlefield,” Jetevius yelled out to them. “Though many died, there were many more who were saved because of her. I think we owe her, don’t you?”

  “Yae!” Everyone yelled their agreement, smiles and tears spread across the group of people.

  “Then we must keep her safe from the king,” Jetevius said. “No matter what happens to me.”

  “No, Jetevius. I will not allow you to sacrifice yourself on my behalf. It isn’t right,” she said. In that moment a loud fanfare sounded, and soldiers came marching closer. On their backs they carried the weight of a large coral throne elegantly carved and encrusted with jewels and gold. The Aequoran King sat atop it, his head held high, as his soldiers approached them.

  “Oh no!” Hekla cried out. “Go back to your homes! He’ll kill you if he thinks you’re on my side!”

  “I’d like to see him try!” One of the men yelled, and they one-by-one formed a blockade between her and the King’s approaching throne.

  The moment grew more intense, as the King got closer. The scowl on his face was all Hekla needed to know of his intentions toward her.

  “Move out of the way!” he ordered everyone.

  Everyone stood their ground.

  Again, he yelled, “I said, move out of the way!”

  “No! You’ll not harm this woman! She saved us, she brought us back. If not for her, we would have lost much more than we did.”

  “Yes! We owe her!”

  “You’ll not harm a hair on her head!”

  The Aequoran’s were becoming restless, shifting slightly as they prepared to fight against the king if need be. Some had drawn weapons, and Hekla wondered what she had done to gain their trust.

  “I would be dead if not for her!” A tall green man stepped forward, his gills flared wildly, and Hekla could sense the anger rolling off him. He turned to look at her, and she recognized the scar on his face. He had been nearly gutted through on the field. He was one of the few that had been so close to death that she wasn’t sure if she was going to be able to bring him back.

  “I don’t care!” the King yelled. “I gave an order, now follow it or die!”

  “Then you’ll have to kill all of us,” Jetevius shouted, wedging himself between Hekla and the king.

  “AY!” Came a loud cry from those who stood between her and the king.

  “You fools! You will stand up to me, your King? You would protect the life of an Earth-walker above that of the man who guides you, and of whose very existence you rely on to continue the way of life we maintain?”

  “What life?” someone asked.

  They began to riot, breaking the wall they had formed.

  “You took all that was good from us!” yelled another Aequoran.

  Their yells grew louder and louder, and the soldiers who carried the king’s throne hurriedly turned around for fear of being attacked, carrying the king away.

  “Coward!” one of the women in the crowd yelled.

  “No! I refuse to fight my own people for the kingdom that I possess!” the King yelled back at them.

  “We’ll see how long that lasts—if you harm her,” Jetevius yelled out.

  “Here, here!” Yells of approval rang out.

  Hekla could hardly believe her ears, or her eyes. The kingdom of Aequoris was rioting against their king. They were sticking up for her, though she had done nothing to deserve it.

  You’ve done much. You were very brave. You managed to save their lives, while protecting ours. Trust them, they are your people, now.

  Hekla nodded her head quietly, and as the King left, the people let out happy cheers.

  “If the King hurts you, we’ll go after him,” one of the Aequoran’s nearby Hekla promised. “You are one of us now.”

  “I can’t thank you enough,” Hekla said, gratitude evident in her voice.

  “Hekla, the time has come for you to know more. I promised if we lived, I would take you to someone…”

  “Jetevius, why the secrecy? Why not just tell me the truth?” she pushed, her eyes blazing.

  “The truth is, Hekla, I don’t know much except that the King used to be a good man. He used to be good, until everything changed, and while I know some things, the person I will bring you to, knows the King better than any of us.” Jetevius stared after the King, waiting until he had disappeared completely, before he grabbed Hekla’s arm through the bubble, and pulled her gently along.

  He took to the watery depths above them, and they kicked and swam their way away from Aequoris, going farther and deeper into the abyss of the water. The sun peeked through the waters over them, until they reached the floating cities. There, Jetevius dove down and motioned for Hekla to follow him. They swam into darkness, and just when the blackness had been all encompassing, the faintest hint of light could be seen.

  “Where are we going?” Hekla asked.

  Jetevius reached back and grabbed her hand.

  “Hold my hand, there are sharks here and other matters of sea life. The light there in the distance—that’s the man you need to see.”

  Hekla’s heartbeat increased. Sharks? That meant a large angry fish with sharp teeth. Though, at least it wasn’t a jellyfish. As soon as she began thinking of jellyfish, she shivered. Why me? she asked herself.

  Because your destiny is here, Hekla, Speltus said.

  She gripped Jetevius’s webbed hand tighter, as they went deeper down. The illumination of a coral home grew brighter.

  “Why does he live way out here?” Hekla asked.

  “Out of fear for his safety. He was the king’s most trusted advisor for a very long time. When they had a falling out, the king threatened to kill him. We all knew—word spread throughout Aequoris.”

  “I don’t understand the king’s temperament at all. He kills without reason, and he threatens anyone who tries to help.”

  Jetevius shrugged his shoulders, as they came to a landing on the sea floor. He let go of her and knocked on the light wood door. When it opened, the man standing inside wore proud wrinkles around his eyes. His skin’s hue as green as the forest, and his eyes like the ocean waters. His pale white hair hung to his shoulders, streaked with browns, and greens.

  “Jetevius, good friend! It has been too long!”

  “Ecthelion, how’ve you been?”

  The two men half-embraced.

  Ignoring Jetevius’ question, the man named Ecthelion turned his attention to Hekla. His brow furrowed, and his nose wrinkled as he studied her. “A land-walker? How’d you sneak her past King Renault?”

  “Oh, the King knows she’s here,” Jetevius answered.

  “Interesting. A land-walker though, Jetevius? I never would have thought you the type.”

  Jetevius’s nose wrinkled. “Trust me, it’s not that way. We’re friends. I’ve come here because we need to know what you know.”

  Jetevius looked to the ground, apologetic.

  “What do you mean, you need to know what I know?” Ecthelion looked taken aback.

  “I know you have information about the King, and I just want to know what you know.” Hekla said, pressuring him to tell her more.

  “Well, she’s more than a pretty face.” Ecthelion smiled. “So, who are you and why should I tell you anything?”

  “She’s the one who saved us, and I think she
’s the one who can restore Aequoris. She fought side by side with us in battle a few days ago, and she used magic to save many of our people from death.”

  “You don’t say?” He nodded his head approvingly. “Well, I suppose I can tell you what I know. The king, King Renault… he used to be a very good man. We were best friends then, but one day it all changed. He grew more distant, withdrawing farther and farther away until I didn’t even know who he was anymore.”

  Jetevius pale face lost all color, and Hekla knew it was the first time he was hearing the information for himself.

  “Continue,” she begged.

  “One day, he was my best friend, and a wise king who protected our kingdom and wanted us to prosper and the next, he began to change. It was so little at first, that I didn’t notice until it was too late, and then…” The man could barely speak anymore. His words had gone softer and softer, and he looked away from them. His attention on the wall opposite of them.

  “Then what,” Jetevius urged.

  “Then everything spiraled out of control…” Ecthelion turned back around to face them. His eyes met theirs, sorrow filling them. “Everything changed the day he killed his wife.”

  16

  Astrid

  It seems clear that no one can handle power. Men crave it. Women desire it. No Tellurian, Aequoran, or Caelestan is safe with the presence of magic. It is for this reason that is has been stripped from them and returned to the Dragon Realm—where it will remain eternally.

  Reidlesiul, The Bravest, Seventh Dragon Elder, Eighth Age of Verdil

  Astrid wasn’t sure how long she had been asleep, but her sore muscles told her it had been long enough. The ground was hard, and cold. Day had come and gone, and it was night again. She sat up, rubbing her eyes, trying to adjust to the darkness. Astrid noticed she lay in her tent, but she didn’t remember putting it together the night before. Exhaustion wore on her.

  “Well, hello sleepy head, it’s about time you woke up. So much for our deep conversation,” Aronus teased her.