Lost in her thoughts, she sat on the ground, and began carving arrows one by one in the quiet of the early afternoon. The hummingbird had flown away once she left the tent, which was well enough. She could find no comfort in its buzzing sound, and only wished for the silence of the woods while she worked. Even my bow has no magic without him, she thought sadly. Further confirmation for her fears about what lied in the castle. But it was of no help to her in the moment. If an enemy were to come along, she would have nothing to fight against him with, except sheer strength and wit.
Neither of which she trusted in the moment. Proud of the few arrows she had carved, she started searching the ground for rocks she could grind into arrowheads, but as she did so, the gentle familiar flapping of wings could be heard. Aronus!
His half-toothy smile filled the void of loneliness she had felt when he disappeared. No matter how sure she was of what she thought, she never wanted to anger him.
“I’m so sorry, Aronus. I don’t know what came over me,” she apologized. Looking down at the dark green of her leather boots, as she waited for him to scold her.
“Never be sorry for having your own thoughts. It is I, who should apologize. I must admit that while I could never fathom a reason why one of our own would do such a thing, I do agree that you may have been right about dragon magic being involved with the King. That doesn’t mean I am entirely sure it is a dragon. Though, I could be wrong, and I hope that I am.”
“It has been a long time since dragons have simply given their magic to humans, because we know it corrupts them. It turns them dark, as if their very soul cannot handle the presence of such beauty and excellence. This very thing is what makes me wonder if a dragon gave its magic to the king, and in turn, unintentionally corrupted the man. This is the only thing that makes sense to me.”
“If I may be so bold, Aronus. In all honesty, I don’t think that was the case at all. I saw the king, and how he spoke. It was as if he were arguing with himself. From the sounds of it, he argued back, though no one present heard anything but his own arguments. It was as if he were talking with something in his mind. It’s like how you and I converse sometimes, especially in battle. You tell me something, and I agree or disagree out loud. It’s like what King Armand was doing. I do not say this, to go against you, Aronus, or to insinuate a dragon being responsible, only to tell you what I have observed.”
Aronus nodded his head, his tail flicking back and forth as he hovered near her. Astrid could feel the heaviness in the air, the information being something she was sure he didn’t want to hear. Nor did she want to be the one to deliver it, but it had to be said. Astrid couldn’t ignore the signs, or it could prove disastrous for all.
“You said dragon magic turns humans dark, but what of my sister, Hekla?” The thought suddenly stormed across Astrid’s mind, and a fear overwhelmed her that she would at some point lose her little sister to such evil.
“That is an interesting question, and I assure you that there were precautions taken before we even considered doing what Speltus has done. The magic he has given her, isn’t really given, more-so than she just partakes in it. When they soul-merged, it gave her the ability to access his magic, without carrying the weight of it herself. The Unseen Ones wanted to protect her from such darkness occurring, since she is one of the chosen.”
“I suppose that should comfort me,” Astrid replied. “Only it doesn’t. What if something were to go wrong, or what if it is not enough?”
“Oh, my dear Astrid. You never stop worrying for them, do you?”
“I can’t,” she said softly. “Just as I cannot stop worrying for you. What am I to do if you leave me again?”
“Astrid, I told you before and I’ll tell you again. I will never leave, not only am I not allowed, but that is not how dragons work. Have you not seen that, forest-eyed one? Have you not seen that we are loyal to a fault?”
Astrid nodded.
“Then stop worrying so much,” he softly chided.
“I shall try. Does this mean that you believe me? Or are you still angry?” she asked, worried about her friendship with the little beast.
“Of all humans I have ever come across, you are one of the most trustworthy. So, no matter what my qualms are—the anger I felt last night… I realize you could not have come to that conclusion without deep thought. So, I am not angry, and yes, dare I say, I have some belief that what you said is true. And if it is, I just want to know why.”
“I agree,” Astrid said softly.
20
Svana
We all need help—from time to time. Often, we rush out to meet our goals, but we never stop to think—we never stop to realize that there are others around us who have not only met the same goals we have, but they are more than willing to help us reach our goals. But they won’t come out and do so unbidden. Sometimes, all you must do, is take a deep breath, slow down a little, reach out—and ask for help.
Airlyoth, The Warrior, Second Dragon Elder, Third Age of Verdil
Svana would have continued sleeping if the pain from her wounds hadn’t woken her. As her eyes fluttered open, Lingaria’s worried expression met hers.
“Lingaria!”
Svana was happy to see his plump, scaly body perched happily on her stomach, as he watched her.
“It is I.” He nodded, smiling his familiar toothy grin that made her feel so safe.
“Ummm, Svana?” Eloise’s voice interrupted her thoughts, and she looked from the woman to Lingaria quickly, wondering if she could see him.
“Svana, you’re awake. How’re you feeling?” The woman spoke very soft, her voice dripping with apprehension.
Can she see him? At that moment, Svana couldn’t tell. Eloise hadn’t looked in the direction of Lingaria, so she didn’t know for sure.
“I’m fine, what happened?” she asked, not missing a beat—still wondering if Lingaria was visible to Eloise. What am I going to do if she can?
“I told you m’dear, the blood loss was too great.” The woman cleared the hair out of her face, tucking it behind her ear.
“Well, thank you for saving me,” Svana offered, smiling her gratitude.
“I wish I could take all the credit, but I’m afraid this little dragon is the one who saved you,” Eloise’s voice raised slightly, curiosity getting the best of her. Svana could tell the woman was holding back from saying what she truly wanted to say, she didn’t feel comfortable telling the woman just yet.
Oh my gosh! She knows! Inside Svana was freaking out, but she had to stay calm.
“Lingaria, you revealed yourself to her?” Svana asked. Eyebrows raised in surprise; face paled from knowing that someone else knew the truth about him. She wondered if it would cost her anything, not that Eloise and Percival seemed like the kind of people that would cause the little, scaly beast any harm.
“Not on purpose, of course. You know how I am about that type of thing.” His teeth gleamed in the light of day, and Eloise gasped slightly, standing to her feet.
“You two know each other?” Eloise asked.
“Indeed, quite well…” Svana added.
Eloise looked from the dragon to Svana, then back to the dragon again.
“Umm, if you’ll excuse me for the moment. I’m going to grab you something to eat. You’ve been out for a whole day. You need to get your strength back.” The kind woman didn’t wait for Svana to answer as she hurried from the room, shutting the door behind her. When her footsteps silenced, Svana turned to Lingaria.
“What do you mean, not on purpose?” Her voice increasing in pitch. What was going to happen now that they knew she had a dragon? What if the wrong people found out?
“I mean, there are two different forms of magic needed for what I had to do, one was to protect myself and the other was to save you. If I had decided not to save you just to keep my identity hidden, then you would have died. I chose what was most important.” His eyebrows were furrowed in irritation.
“And I am truly grateful, I
just worry now for your safety, that’s all,” Svana said. “I don’t think that my friends would harm you, but there are people who have it out for me. If they discover I carry a dragon with me, you could be in extreme danger.”
“Well, you needn’t worry for me, Eloise and Percival are as good as they come,” Lingaria comforted her. His tail flicked around him, then settled comfortably along his body, the tip twitching gently.
“I know that,” Svana said, “It’s not them I’m worried about. It’s everyone else.”
“I can fight for myself,” he said.
Svana could tell that he was agitated she had even suggested for a second that he couldn’t hold his own if someone came after him.
“I know, Lingaria. That isn’t what I meant. You know I just worry about you; I consider you my friend, and if something were to happen to you—I would be crushed.”
Lingaria didn’t get a chance to respond because Eloise walked in at that moment, setting a tray with freshly made Barinella stew and hot tea on the nightstand next to the mat.
“Here, dear. I’m sure you’re starved. Why don’t you eat?” the kind woman urged her.
“Thank you, Eloise. As much as I would like to eat, I’m afraid I have something more pressing in mind.”
“Jakobe?” the woman asked.
“Yes.”
Eloise looked to the ground.
“I was afraid of that.”
“You wanted me to rest, and now that I’ve had rest, I want to go look for him.”
The woman shifted nervously on her feet, looking to the door frame. “Well, I did say for you to rest and get your strength back. Your wounds are many, but you’ve been healing quite nicely. I assume that has something to do with him?” Eloise nodded to Lingaria.
“Indeed, it does, ma’am.”
“May I ask questions now?” Eloise looked from Svana to the dragon, and then back again.
“Yes,” Lingaria said.
“So, you said you know each other quite well?” Eloise asked, wringing her hands nervously, though Svana assumed it was from eagerness.
Choose your words carefully, though I completely trust her, the less she knows the better. Lingaria warned Svana, before she started talking again.
“Well, let’s just say we’re good friends. He was given to me by Palladin ‘The Great,’ with hope that the two of us could help restore the kingdom and prevent the war that has been brewing for years. Only, I clearly failed at that venture, and now it will only be a matter of time, before we will be in full on war, and there will be nothing that anyone can do,” Svana felt the heavy load of it all as she rambled all the words out quickly, nearly letting her words run together. She took a deep breath and realized how very tired she was. Everything seemed like an endless cycle, and she wished it was all over.
Percival ambled in as she was talking, his eyes going wide. Eloise caught his attention and they exchanged glances.
“Can the dragon help you find Jakobe?” Eloise asked.
“Indeed, I can,” Lingaria answered.
“You can?” Svana’s face expressed her shock at the confession. “So, does that mean you will?”
“I would be more than happy to help you find Jakobe. The only issue, my dear head strong Svana, is that you constantly rush off without thinking. You didn’t stop and ask. If you haven’t learned by now that even though Dragons can do many things, they don’t often don’t—unless it is specifically asked of them.”
“I see,” Svana said, her anger rising to the surface. So, what was his excuse for not offering to help find Jakobe to begin with. She could have been seriously hurt, or gotten lost, or Jakobe could already be dead. She was furious!
“Easy, child. I see your thoughts; this is one of those things that you must learn. You cannot assume that everyone will do as you expect—you must learn to ask. It is one of the most important lessons in life to learn.” Lingaria lifted one taloned paw and stretched his claw out, then set it back down and did the same with the opposite foot. Then he yawned.
“So,” Percival pushed, “you think that you can lead us to Jakobe?”
“Yes,” he said, stretching out his wings, then retracting them. “I know that I can.”
“Well, I want to help,” Percival stated.
“Thank you, Percival, but I could never ask that of you. This is my burden to bear alone.” Svana sat upright, readjusting her armor, before slipping her boots on. “It’s only right that I go after him.”
“Jakobe was our friend as well as yours,” Eloise chimed in. “I think we should all search for him. It’s only right.”
“Yes,” Percival searched Svana’s face. “It will do well for all of us to go. We don’t know what has happened to him, or if we will have to fight to get him back. Only, I never imagined that I would see a dragon. Never in all my days. I thought they were a myth.”
“As did I,” Svana laughed.
“Well, I hope we have enough food!” the aged man joked.
“So, do I, I’m famished,” Svana joked.
“Well, Svana knows I have a very particular appetite, and it doesn’t involve humans or human food.”
“Thank goodness for that,” Eloise’s soft voice chimed in.
21
Hekla
When a kingdom is broken, it isn’t the people who broke it, but the king. Sometimes, the king can correct his mistakes—other times, he cannot. The question lies with the kingdom’s people—where does their loyalty lie? With the king, or with the kingdom? And are they willing to do whatever it takes to restore their kingdom, even if it means bringing down the king?
Civeress, The Champion, Third Dragon Elder, Fourth Age of Verdil
“Why are you so sure it would break him?” Hekla asked Ecthelion. “Do you not think that he can be restored?”
Ecthelion stood from the table, pacing back and forth again.
“No, I don’t think it’s possible. The man I knew before—the man who was elected king, his kindness was unsurpassed. He was quite the opposite of who he is now. That man, Renault, who was my friend… I would have trusted him with anything, including my life.”
“It would break him, because the king that reigns now, is not Renault. It’s a version of him maybe, but it’s not him. Not the man that was my confidant, who I often walked with. Who was with me when my son passed, and helped me to get through that? We were like family, and when he invited me to be an Elder on the Aequoran council, I was more than happy to be a part of it.”
“I believed in the man he was, and the vision that he had for Aequoris.”
“I’m so sorry,” Hekla said.
“Nothing to be sorry for, child,” he said kindly as he stopped pacing. He picked up the empty oyster tray and went back to gather more seaweed crackers and tea. When he set it down on the table, he picked up the medal he had brought to them earlier.
Hekla had not examined it, but for a moment she saw the Aequoran symbol on it, and though she didn’t know its significance, the way he held it so tightly in his hand, she could only guess of its importance. As he walked away from them, he held the medal up, staring at it for a long time before he spoke again.
“My days on the council were some of the greatest I’ve ever known.” He closed his eyes as if remembering. “I can’t describe the feeling of what it’s like to bring a criminal to justice. Or to discuss the importance of trades among the kingdoms. There was a time when all the leaders took great pride in discussing the future of Verdil.
“We would decide what was needed most and bring those needs to Renault. Renault would meet with the other kings from time to time, and they would mutually decide on how to work together for the betterment of Verdil. After those meetings he would come to me and tell me all that had been planned and discussed.”
“It was a very exciting time. Change meant better. Only those days are long gone. Anyway, after he had the Queen murdered, the meetings stopped, and the Elders were dismissed for a time. As I said, I left… I just coul
dn’t be there.”
“Tell me more about how he started taking extra taxes? Why did he do that?” Hekla asked.
“Honestly, I don’t know. He’s the king, he could have everything he wanted. It wasn’t enough. He wanted the majority of supplies and food. Then, the jewels. He took all the kingdom’s riches and kept them for himself. So, any hope we had of becoming better—it ended there. I didn’t mention that before.” Ecthelion sighed heavily. “Something else I didn’t mention, is the fact that he sent a secret raid to Caelestis, to have their jewels stolen as well.”
“Was he successful?” Hekla asked, mortified at how greed had overcome Renault in every sense of the word.
“Rumors say he was partially successful, though the truth was, most of the soldiers who went on that mission, died. That small defeat didn’t stop him, he sent many many soldiers out to sea to scour the depths for treasures and gold.”
“That explains something,” she interrupted.
“What’s that?” Ecthelion asked.
“After I was taken prisoner, and escaped, I took off through the castle. There was a room full of treasure. I hid there to prevent being caught. I… I’ve never seen that amount of riches in my entire life.”
Ecthelion shook his head, speechless at what she had said.
“Any idea what he has planned for that?” Jetevius asked.
“No idea, as far as I can tell it’s just to have more riches than Caelestis and Telluris.”
“There has to be more to him than that. No one kills their wife, and then just turns greedy for no reason. There has to be more to it than this,” Hekla tried to reason with them.
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