Dragon Bow

by Angelique Anderson

  She’s here, Lingaria spoke tentatively.

  Who is? Svana asked, oblivious to everything around her. She gave a quick glance and saw no one in sight.

  Oh my, you really are beyond anything right now, aren’t you? Lingaria asked with frustration and clear concern and frustration over Svana.

  Svana shrugged her shoulders. Her eyes glazed over as she watched Jakobe’s chest for rising and falling. He barely moved. She sat on the mossy ground next to him, not caring that the ground was perpetually wet, and soaking through her boots, as well as her armor.

  Hekla, my dear, Hekla is here. Follow this path over that small hill in the road, and then turn to the left. The path will lead you behind a line of coral homes, and you’ll find a pink corral abode, the roof of it shoots straight into the sky. That’s where Hekla is. Now hurry, you don’t have much time.

  As what he said sunk in, she could barely believe her ears. Svana jumped up from the ground, heart racing, and took off down the path as he had directed her.

  “Svana, wait!” Percival yelled after her, but she was already gone, knowing that Jakobe’s life was hanging by seconds. When she reached the home that Lingaria had told her of, she knocked on the door, and continued knocking repetitively until someone answered.

  A kindly looking female answered with a scowl on her face. “Can I help you?”

  “Please, miss, I’m sorry to disturb you, but is my sister here? I need her, now!”

  “Svana?” Hekla’s nearly luminescent blue hair framed her face like a halo as she hurried toward Svana. Noting the expression on Svana’s face, she asked, “oh, dear sister, what’s wrong? What’s happened?”

  “Someone very important to me is hurt, really hurt. And I don’t think he’s going to make it. Please, Hekla, I need you more than ever,” Svana’s face was somber.

  “Who is he?” Hekla had no idea what to think, she’d never seen Svana so distraught.

  “He’s…he’s….” There were no words to describe the role that Jakobe played in Svana’s life, nothing that would do him any justice, and so she simply answered. “He’s very important to me…”

  The sisters locked eyes for a moment, and then Hekla retrieved her scepter.

  “Miralee, thank you for your hospitality. I must go. Luna, my dearest, thank you. I’m sure I’ll see you again soon. After all, Aequoris is my home now.” She winked at the little girl.

  The little girl ran up to her and wrapped her arms around Hekla’s waist. “Thank you for helping us.”

  Hekla nodded to her, and then quickly followed after Svana as she led Hekla to where Jakobe lied on the moss near the boats.

  Once they arrived at Jakobe’s fading body, and Hekla saw his pallor, she went into motion. Hekla’s orb glowed a brilliant blue as she chanted a few words under her breath. Swirls of blue magic covered Jakobe and his condition seemed to stabilize.

  “Svana, I can’t do this alone. He’s too far gone,” Hekla said.

  “What do you need?” Svana asked, her body quivering in anticipation.

  “I can’t just use magic this time. It’ll take everything left of me. I need some herbs.”

  “Wher—” Svana started.

  “I’ve only been to this Aequoran island a few times, but I’ve noticed many natural herbs growing here. The Aequorans pride themselves on their gardens.”

  Svana nodded and her tense shoulders relaxed.

  “Follow me,” Hekla said.

  Hekla ambled around the deserted homes, Svana at her tail, checking the gardens for various herbs and necessities, including picking several herself to hand to Svana. Hekla pointed out several different varieties of plants and flowers for Svana to pick, and Svana burned them to her memory.

  “Be careful pulling these and stay here. I’ll be right back,” Hekla said.

  Svana nodded her head, as Hekla hurried off. From where Svana stood, she had a clear view of Hekla taking care of Jakobe. She watched for a moment as her sister knelt on the ground next to him, grabbing her elegant scepter with both hands, holding it out in front of her like an offering, then slowly moving it back and forth over Jakobe’s body as she chanted.

  Svana could barely see the shimmering trails of purple and blue that poured forth over his body, caressing his form from head to toe. She exhaled deeply, knowing that if her sister was working her magic, all would be well. He wouldn’t stop breathing while she was with him. Svana turned away from the scene, her attention drawn once again to the lovely gardens of the Aequorans as she hurried to pick the herbs that her sister had asked her to gather. She’d never been good at herb collecting at home in Volican, and she found that fact remained true.

  Thankfully, Hekla had already gathered the majority of what she needed, so all Svana needed to do was study the leaves and stems, and she could match them up the others that she may need. She busied herself with her task until Hekla called for her.

  “Svana! Hurry bring me what you have. I need the aquaberry stems.”

  She had no idea which herb that was, so she held her bundle tight and ran down the path toward her sister.

  “Here, I’m sorry… I don’t know which one that is.” Svana thrust the multicolored pile at her.

  “It’s this one, remember, you peel back the leaf at the base and there are tiny little berries. These berries have a healing property. I’ve yet to figure out what it is, but it helps fight infection. It works nearly as well as my magic, but the best part is, its edible.”

  Svana stayed transfixed as Hekla searched through the pile grabbing all the aquaberries. Just where the leaf met the stem, she pealed them back one by one, until she had a small handful of the little berries. The rest of the herbs, Hekla broke or crushed them with a motar and pestle, then mixed them with water from a canteen. She poured some of the colorful mush on his wounds, and then handed the rest to Svana.

  “Here, pour a little of this in his mouth, make sure he drinks it. It will help bring about healing on the inside. That’s the one place I cannot reach with my magic.”

  “I’m sorry, what? Your magic cannot heal internal injuries?” Svana was beside herself—it was magic. How did it have limitations? That was discouraging and made her feel as if there was no hope for the king.

  “Well, certain parts it can heal. but there are other parts that cannot be touched by magic.” Hekla gave her a knowing smile, and Svana pressed her further.

  “What exactly are you talking about? That doesn’t make any sense!” Svana’s face flushed red, anger seeping into every cell of her being.

  “Calm yourself, my dear sister. I meant, when it comes to the heart, it cannot heal a broken heart, or force love. That’s all I meant.” Hekla looked slightly embarrassed by the whole exchange.

  “Oh,” Svana said sheepishly. “Well, for your information, he’s not in love with me. Nor I, him,” she said defiantly.

  The truth, though, was Svana really didn’t know what she felt for him. She knew she couldn’t lose him, and she knew that she cared deeper for him than any one being in her entire life. What do I know of love, if I’ve never experience it myself?

  Hekla looked at her in disbelief as she looked from the injured man to her distraught sister. “Svana, no one would fault you for loving him. We’re supposed to do things like that, we live in the human world now.”

  Svana gritted her teeth, not wanting to talk about the situation anymore. “Please, that’s not how it is!”

  She turned her back to Hekla and wandered through the gardens again, looking for more of the aquaberry. She would take it back to the king, and hopefully it would be enough to help bring him back from whatever had happened to him. At any rate, she had to try. She opened a leather pouch she had carried at her side. It had long since stayed empty, but now she filled it with several clippings of the special plant.

  When her anger had abated, she gave the lovely water village one last glance, before she headed back to see Hekla.

  If I had been assigned the water kingdom, I would nev
er have met Jakobe, and he would never have gone through this. She sighed, feeling as if somehow every bad thing that had happened was her fault.

  Hold out hope, Svana. You’re needed here, and what happened to Jakobe could have happened to anyone. Who’s to say you wouldn’t have fallen for an Aequoran, and the same thing would have happened?

  Underwater, Lingaria? I highly doubt it.

  The heart isn’t something you can control, Svana. It wants what it wants, and your mind has no say in the matter.

  Svana scowled. She didn’t want that weakness. How can something be out of her control?

  It is not weakness, Svana. It is strength.

  “It doesn’t feel like strength,” Svana muttered.

  It doesn’t always, but trust me, Svana, when it’s all said and done, you’ll understand. It will make you stronger.

  27

  Hekla

  There are many miraculous things in this world, including magic, but what you must understand is magic isn’t a catch all for any problem. Often, all that is needed—is time. For time will heal most wounds where magic cannot.

  Palladin, The Great, Ninth Dragon Elder, Tenth Age of Verdil

  Hekla watched as Svana stormed off, heat clear in her voice and expression. Of all the sisters, Svana was definitely the most hot-headed, rushing off to an adventure without much thought or consideration. Hekla and Astrid were very different from their hot-headed sister in that manner. Everything Astrid and Hekla did was with careful consideration. Granted, with Hekla being several years younger than Astrid, her decisions may not have always been the best, and that’s why Hekla respected Astrid’s opinion so much. Hekla didn’t know why Svana got so frustrated about her own feelings. It would be better to just admit to them and move on. Though, unlike Svana and Astrid—both whom talked of marriage often while growing up, Hekla was more concerned with herself than another. She was also much younger and wanted to discover herself before she ever decided to spend time with a man.

  With Svana away pouting or smoldering with anger as she debated her own feelings, it left Hekla alone with the gruff-looking man as she applied the healing ointment she had made. After applying it to his body, she used one hand to open his mouth partially, tipping the petal into his parted lips before closing his mouth. When Jakobe didn’t swallow it, she blew softly on his face while massaging his neck, causing him to gulp the liquid down.

  “There that should help tremendously,” she whispered as she picked up her scepter again and raised it over him.

  “Envidium, Verilium, Enchantum, Ehealium.” She spoke the words and waited for the magic to caress over him. She knew it would heal all the broken parts that had been torn apart.

  Take your time, Hekla. Remember to cover all aspects. This man lied right at death’s door, nearly knocking at the realm of the Unseen Ones, Speltus warned her. You must be cautious and allow magic to just be—in this instance.

  Hekla nodded her head. So, don’t rush it?

  Precisely, dear one. You’ve already saved him. He will live because of you, but there was much damage caused to his body, and his mind. Both need time to recover properly.

  She nodded her head again. I understand.

  She repeated her chant. “Enviduium, Verilium, Enchantum, Ehealium.”

  Her words meant life, forever, and magic healing. As she spoke, the magic grew brighter and brighter, and the man’s color returned to his face.

  For a long time, he didn’t move, and she wondered if he was going to come back fully. What if I’m not even helping him? She worried, thinking only of how Svana would react to such a thing. Hekla knew that she didn’t have enough magic to save him entirely. It would have taken everything in her, and even then, she didn’t know if it would have truly brought him back. She was thankful for the aquaberry, which was found only in the water kingdom.

  The aquaberry was a type of magic, as its healing powers were unparalleled. Hekla knew it just needed time to work, and as she stared down at the man’s chiseled face, his lashes resting peacefully against his cheeks, she wondered why Svana was so afraid to admit her feelings for him. She could tell by the way Svana talked about him, but she shied away from it.

  “Svana’s fallen for you, sir. Whoever you may be—and that worries me.”

  The man started choking and he sat up. Liquid dripped out of the corners of his lips and drizzled down the side of his face.

  “Shhhhh… it’s all right. Just breathe. You’re going to be all right. I’m here to help,” she whispered, trying to calm him.

  He turned his head just slightly to look at her and blinked several times. Then his eyes rolled back, and he fell backward. Hekla tried to catch him, but he was too heavy.

  “Jakobe!” Percival and Dorian shouted at the same time, catching Svana’s attention.

  Svana turned to face them, her eyes growing wide as she came running toward them. In the next moment, all three knelt by Jakobe’s side on the damp moss covered ground.

  Jakobe was fast asleep, his breathing had evened out, and his chest rose and fell evenly.

  “He looks so much better,” Dorian remarked.

  “He does!” Percival’s voice was joyous.

  “His body has warmed up too, but we need to get him off this cold ground and somewhere dryer,” Hekla said.

  “Yes, of course. Look, even his wounds have started to heal some.” Percival pointed to the open wounds that were visibly healing before their eyes.

  “Is he going to be all right?” Svanna asked, her eyes still tinged with worry.

  “Yes, of course. He’ll be just fine, but he needs time to fully heal. Time is the one thing magic cannot give,” Hekla answered.

  Svanna nodded. “I understand.”

  “Men, I am Svana’s sister, Hekla. I was wondering, are you capable of moving him farther up on land where it’s dry?”

  The men nodded.

  “Excellent,” she said. “Then, I need you to do something else for me.”

  “Anything,” Percival said.

  “Please gather food and water for him, for when he wakes, he’s going to be starving. He’s going to need to eat to regain his strength.”

  “Yes, we can do that.” The men began walking away, but Svana grabbed Percival’s arm.

  “Percival, Dorian—thank you for doing everything you could to get him here. You don’t know what it means to me.”

  Percival gave her a quick hug. “Believe me, I do understand. If anything happened to Eloise… I would be a disaster.”

  “Jakobe is a good man, and an even better friend. To lose him… would be to lose someone great indeed,” Dorian added, then tipping his head, his hand on his hilt, he strode away, Percival following after.

  “Are those your friends?” Hekla asked.

  “The gray-haired one is. He and his wife treated me like family from the first time I met them. Over the past several days, I have gone to them many times. Dorian, I don’t know him well, but he helped us rescue Jakobe, and therefore that makes him a friend to me.”

  Hekla nodded, smiling. “I’d say that him rescuing someone important to you definitely makes him a friend.”

  Hekla tried to stand but lost her balance and fell onto her bottom. Everything around her began to spin and she closed her eyes, placing both her hands on the ground. Only with her eyes closed, it became worse.

  “Are you all right, sister?”

  “Yes, I just need a moment to regain my strength.” Hekla adjusted herself to sit on the ground, little beads of perspiration forming on her forehead. She pulled her knees into her chest, wrapping her arms around them, and leaning forward.

  “Does using magic always tire you like this?” Svana asked.

  “Certain magic does, as it requires the life force of those who would use it. When I bring people back from the edge of death, it takes from Speltus and I tremendously. However, the levitation spell takes only from him. I nearly killed him the first time I used it,” she said, her cheeks burning red as she l
ooked at the ground.

  Svana sat next to Hekla on the ground, stretching her arm around Hekla’s shoulder.

  “Thank you for what you did for him. Are you sure he’ll be all right?”

  “Yes, my sister. You mustn’t worry so.” Hekla turned her head to the side to smile at her red-haired sister.

  “I can’t help it,” Svana admitted.

  “I know, sister, really… he just needs time to heal.”

  Svanna nodded, looking to the ground in dismay—the worry on her face only increasing with each passing moment.

  “Now, tell me about him,” Hekla pushed, smiling wide.

  Her eyes danced with the excitement of possibilities.

  Svana laughed. “You were always a bit nosy; you know that.”

  “And that bothers you?” Hekla beamed.

  “No, I don’t suppose it does.”

  Svana blushed as she shared the story of how she met Jakobe. She confessed how many times she had left Jakobe at the Tellurian village to travel, or visit the castle, and how many times she had gone back to see him.

  “I think I love him, Hekla,” Svana admitted. “Only how would I know? I’ve only ever known how much I loved you and Astrid—and Melifera. And of course, our father, even our mother—who I don’t even remember.”

  “And if you do love him?” Hekla asked.

  “Then things just got complicated,” Svana muttered.

  28

  Astrid

  A true leader is not someone who forces themselves into power, but someone who is so loved that they are awarded their power and position.

  Voadria, The Life Giver, First Dragon Elder, Second Age of Verdil

  Tired and beaten from the fight, Astrid felt her strength depleted. She had not expected other Caelestans to jump in and fight, but they had—and now they paid the price for their bravery. Many of them were injured with cuts and fresh blood on their armor and faces. And not all the blood was their own.