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Literature Text
Friendly Fire
I stood, one among many women, all gathered to see the oldest remaining pair put to rest. I choked back sobs, while many other of the girls openly shed tears and cried heartfelt calls to the heavens as Paris and Parissa were taken into the necromantic field within Zorak Limn, where they would reside for all eternity along with the nearly complete two hundred which had been interred of late. They had served the dynasty through two blights, and held the moraken together over their slow decline in power, stoically struggling to preserve their dying people. And they perished, preserving their people. Deran's body had been found (after a good scouring of the area) and was also laid to rest here, and his anguished mate who had been given a very large dose of a particularly potent toxin was also helped to lie down beside him, while her struggling heart continued it's last remaining beats. I watched her pull herself to embrace him, but I had to close my eyes when she suddenly found herself unable to breathe, and she gasped once or twice, choking as her throat closed – and then everything was still. And her mate claimed her spirit to be by his side.
I looked over at Lillian, who was still in too bad a condition to do the ceremony herself. She had to stand and watch. But judging by the way she was trembling, she wouldn't remain doing the former for long.
I reached over and put my hand on her shoulder. "It's no sin to cry."
She shook her head, and sniffed, still looking at the corpses of the lord and lady of Kerakas. "There is nothing to cry for. They died with honor, dignity. Pride." She swallowed hard, a tear escaping her. "She did her duty. To the dynasty…" her voice broke and went squeaky, "…to you." And with another shake of her head, she closed her eyes, sank to her knees, and let out an anguished wail that echoed in the gully for some time, before breaking into hopeless sobs over her dead parents and brother. She'd now lost almost all of her siblings. First Keira. Now Deran. She deserved to cry.
After a while, I crossed over the boarder of the field, and I felt the same undead chill rush through my soul. I took a few more steps, before kneeling in the fertile, yet lifeless dirt, and held my hands out in front of me. "Parissa…" I whispered to the wind. "Help me, one last time." I closed my eyes, and reached out in an almost pleading manner. "What must I do now?"
I waited for some time. I felt several caresses of my soul, one of which even felt familiar. I recognized the touch of my father. Enveloping me in his coils – content to leave me among the living now that he had his own mate to accompany him in limbo. And at the same time, sheltering me. Protecting me. From the one person I had expected to feel touch me, but had not yet. He was cold, but comforting. And then, he seemed to relinquish his hold on me – and I was sorry to feel him leave me. There was something to death – the disjointed touch, the closeness. You felt – together, in ways you can never be in life.
I froze when a hand came down on my shoulder. I knew the touch well. "Mother?"
I felt, more than heard the response. "Ease, Erika, I will not harm you, my child." I couldn't see anyone before me, but I felt the hand caress my face. "I must apologize for what you have seen of me, my dear. It was not me. I was no longer sane by that time of the journal."
"What happened to you?" I whispered to the spirit, as I reached out to clutch at the arm, but only met nothing. She could touch me, but I could not touch her.
"I was not strong enough. I found the fire of Arcanoc, but I was mistaken in my destiny. I was not strong enough to wield it. It took time, for I was indeed strong, but it twisted through my mind, robbing me of my sanity. I was not destined to wield it, and it drove me slowly mad. But you, my daughter…" I could almost see her smile. "The destiny refers to you, Erika. You have the power. The ability within you to control the fire. Our magics combined are strong enough. You, and you alone, can contain it." She cupped both my cheeks, and I could feel her silent breath on my face. "Find the fire. Take it. Protect the world from the magic I have unwittingly unleashed on it."
"But – Arcano– I've never heard of it!"
"I cannot tell you more. For the path is long, and the path itself makes you strong. In struggling to find it, you earn it." She kissed me. "Forgive me, my child. Good luck, and go with my blessing…"
"Mother…" I whimpered, but she had already left. And I was left alone in a field of the dead.
I got slowly back to my feet, and turned around to realize everyone was looking at me. Well – most everyone. Some of the younger girls were less aware of everything. And some just hadn't opened their eyes yet. Lillian being one.
I stepped back out of the field, just to shelter myself from the magics, and met some of the stares. This was it. Time to be Queeny. It would help if I wasn't shaking so damn hard. "Paris and Parissa…" I squeaked out, before clearing my through, and wiped my eyes. "Paris and Parissa died, in their duty to the moraken. They held their ground against the Darkswarm, allowing the rest of us to make our escape. They sacrificed their lives to protect me." I had to swallow, before standing up straight. Time to be the leader they saw in me. The queen I had been raised by. The queen I had been raised to be. "Because of them, the dynasty continues. But I will not pretend we are anywhere but dire straights. But the recent decimation of the humans offers us the chance to rebuild. But we cannot do it maintaining our secrecy. It is time for the moraken to emerge from our refuge at long last. We can use the exhaustion of both human and elven forces to make ourselves known once more." I gritted my teeth. "It is time the moraken returned to Aurok Citedas. We will rise from our ashes, and take our place with the glory of the ancients, as we are meant to be. And we shall rise." I met everyone's stare, everyone who was willing to meet mine. "We have been hunted and threatened for too long. I will see that in this time of respite we have, that we are restored to our glory! And we shall take our place in this world once more." It was no epic revelation, but I could guess by the little wave of nods and murmurs that went around that it wasn't a total flop. "Twice my life has been set upon. Twice I have cheated my death. I will not see the dynasty that I have lived to upload fall while I still draw breath." And I lowered my head again, before drawing Siir Roui, which was still belted around my waist, and held it before my face. "The symbol of the dynasty. It still stands. I still stand. Will you stand with me?"
A single cheer rose up from the hundred or so women gathered, and I slid the sword back into it's sheath, and nodded to Lillian, who managed to collect herself enough to get to her feet. I still felt short next to her. Then again – I was a bit short. "I guess – I'm the lady now."
"That you are." I said, nodding to her. "Send scouts to find the city. I will have our bastion reinhabited by our people."
"Begging my queen's pardon, but I should…"
"You should come with me. We have some other work to do." I said, giving her a meaningful glare, before twirling to the crowds. "These dark times are over. We begin a new age, as the nobles of the sky!" And speaking of sky, I became a dragon (maybe bashing a couple of people over by accident) and beat my wings once, launching myself into the air, soaring back off to Kerakas, as the rest of the gathered females also took off after me. It was time. But there was one last threat I needed to address before I could safely move my people to their ancient home. We were too few to defend the city. Too few to do very much at all. It's why we cowered in Kerakas for so long. It was ideal to defend. A handful of moraken could hold it against an army. It was our final bastion. But Aurok Citdeas was as good as our capital. And it had come time to reclaim it as our own.
But first – I needed to find out about those runes. And I knew just the place to start looking…
I needed to find some old friends…
I didn't like the idea of having Lillian and Lyle in the air, but she refused to let me go alone. She was still weakened. Even I wasn't in tip top condition. But whereas I was only a bit queezy, Lillian looked like she might fall off Lyle at any moment. Even he wasn't flying perfectly straight. But I gave silent thanks when the guild town of Arcadon came into view, in the foothills of the Arcadon mountains. It was in those mountains that Draygen had taught us. I felt almost like I was coming home…
But we weren't heading for Draygen's Castle. Lillian and I (and our other halves, of course) were headed for the town. Specifically the guildhall. And much in the same way Draygen's hut was shielded, the guildhall itself was shielded from magic. At this range, still a fair few leagues away, the intense magical aura such a building would have picked up over so many years of exposure would be like a bonfire on a dark night, but I (or rather, Erik) saw nothing to suggest any building was more magical than the rest. However, I still could see which one was the hall. The building was shielded, but the grounds were not – and even at this range, I could see numerous plants and an abnormally large number of magical animals all collected around a structure that looked crudely official.
But just as I was picking out the guildhall, residents were picking out us. And it is fair to say, dragons are not loved by everyone, so two of them suddenly appearing so close to a town like this was cause for panic. And panic people did. I motioned for Lillian to come in higher than me – but she misinterpreted my frantic gestures as Erik haphazardly zipped in, between two buildings, and flapped to a stop in the middle of the courtyard. Lillian and Lyle took a far more graceful approach, and settled on one of the many guild halls' roofing tiles – which weren't fastened on particularly well, so slipped free and nearly sent Lyle descending towards a very messy and humiliating fate. It's sheer disgrace for a grown dragon to fall off a perch. Worse than a wood elf falling out of a tree. You just don't do it, the names you get called stick for years.
I unwrapped my arms from his neck while he grunted at the frightened townspeople, rushing in all directions – aside from towards us, and nodded up at Lillian. "You go find something, I'll be a while!" I called. She nodded back, and coaxed Lyle off the slippery roof, tiles crashing to the ground all around him, so he let himself slide fairly gracefully off the roof, banked into his fall, and did a quick lap of the courtyard, before flinging himself clear of the town with a beat of his strong wings. I meanwhile, slid off Erik's back, and gave him a pat. "You go hunt or something. I'll call you when I need you." I said to him, with accompanying pictures, stroking his ear.
He snuffed at me, and looked over my shoulder at the magicians guildhall across the square (which was actually circular) – more specifically at the various castes of magicians pouring out – many of the novices or apprentices, brandishing books or scrolls or rune cards of every kind. I rolled my eyes at him before turning to the amassed lot of – well - what wasn't too far flung from school children. I however knew the qualified sorcerers by sight. They were the ones wielding the most powerful spells – and tended to have the robes of their station. Many of the apprentices still wore their casual cloths.
I just shook my head and walked over. "Mite jumpy aren't we?"
Before I reached the gate, a somewhat familiar face pushed on through. Just – not the one I'd been expecting. "It is true…" the young girl whispered, eyeing up both me and the dragon behind me. "Mom!" she cried out, turning and running back into the guildhall. "Come see!"
I smiled. That voice. That face. Almost exactly how I remembered it. The spitting image of "Selina!"
I looked up at the second floor window from which my name was bellowed, and opened my arms. "Elwin!"
"You stay right there, girl, or I'll have your hide!" she shouted down, before disappearing back within the bowels of the room. Barely thirty seconds later she barged her way through the collection of perplexed sorcerers and apprentices, and dove into my waiting arms. I caught her, her – but staggered backwards and fell over, laughing, my armor protecting me from the worst of the impact on the cobbled stones. I gave thanks that I had not removed my helmet, or I'd have hit my head quite badly.
Finally pealing myself away from her, and wiping the tears from my eyes, I propped myself up on an elbow and smiled at her. "Damn, I've missed you."
She panted, still chuckling, before pointing up behind her head. "He's bigger than I remember."
I looked up, and Erik was having a peculiar staring contest with what appeared to be an Avis. Dragons and Avi are peas in a pod, only dragons are reptilians born for the sky, Avi are more closely related to the elephant and look even closer relatives to a cat – with wings. Every move one of them made was immediately mirrored by the other. Every bob of a head, every flap of a wing. I nodded, sighing. "He's king of a clan now. You've no idea how much pride that's filled him with."
"And you?" She snorted. "You're queen too."
I shoved her away, and shook my head. "Only in office."
"Ah, speaking of which, I don't think you came down here for a reunion." She said pointedly, rolling onto her side.
I nodded, but looked around at the gathering townspeople. We must have looked so strange, lying on the floor like this. "Ours is business best conducted away from the general populous." I said pointedly, rolling over and coming up to my feet in one smooth dexterous maneuver. She, however, was not as graceful as me, so I helped her up. "Anywhere we can talk in peace?"
"Yea, sure." She nodded, gesturing to the hall behind her. "Come on in, I'll have Evette make us some tea…"
"Some what?" I asked, hesitantly following her indoors past the small crowd of people.
"Tea. We've got sickness in the water, and it's not responding to general magical purging, so we have to boil the water with leaves until we figure out what it is. It's not bad – though I don't think it'll catch on. But it does prevent the sickness." She said, leading me up some stairs while the collection of magicians nervously went back to whatever they were doing. "Evette? Be a dear and fix us some tea please? Thanks." She said with a broad grin, leading me upstairs and on into her room, or what I assumed to be her room. I was assured it was her room when she went on in and it resembled a bedroom. And there was the bouncy little girl hovering at the window.
"Mommy, mommy, is that a raken?" she asked eagerly, before stopping suddenly when she saw me, her crest falling down far enough to touch the ground floor.
She stepped over and scooped her child up in her arms, and nuzzled the cute dear. "Ki'raken. And yes, it is a ki'raken." Appeasing her happy girl for a few short seconds, before she settled back on staring at me with a look of contempt that made me feel cold. Elwin on the other hand was all too accommodating. "Well, Perifel here's not going to say much, so I guess this is as alone as we'll get. What did you come here for?"
"Information." I said, having a seat on a chair by the desk, riddled with scrolls and parchment. "Does the name Arcanoc mean anything to you?"
Now it was her turn to have a crest fall. "As in the fire thereof?" I nodded once, leaning back against the desk. She flicked her wrist, and the shutters over the windows closed and the door sealed itself into its frame, magically. A second flick and a number of candles lit themselves. "Just where did you hear about the fire?" she asked, in that gentle but demanding tone she had.
"The ghost of my late mother told me she had found it." I said softly.
Elwin set her child down and sank onto the bed. "Well that explains a lot." She breathed out.
"I trust you've heard of it."
She shook her head. "Only in reference. I know that the fire of Arcanoc is one of the most potent magical founts in existence, and until thirty seconds ago, I didn't know it was even in existence."
"Neither do I! My mother's ramblings aren't the best for basing legends on…"
"No, but if it were real, and your mother did in fact possess the fire for a time, it would explain how she was able to lease the Darkswarm from their ancient prisons." She pointed out, before heaving a sigh. "What do you know?"
"It's associated with runes, and it's damn powerful. I reckon it's what was used to breach the gate of Centreon."
"Naraten told me about that!" she exclaimed, leaning forward. "You're not suggesting that the Darkswarm…"
I shook my head, waving my hands before me. "I slew that Gnoll. He was summoned. Which means that someone is out there, summoning Darkswarm and wielding some evidently destructive powers."
"It's food for thought." She mused, stroking her daughter's hair, who, by the way, was still giving me evils.
I nodded, trying to swallow the lump in my throat. "So – you and Naraten are still together?"
She shot me a very sardonic look. "This is not just costume jewelry." She pointed out, showing me the ornate, slightly magical bracelet adorning her left wrist.
I gasped slightly and stepped over to look at it. "He didn't – you didn't!"
She nodded, and smiled, presenting the wedding band. "Yes, I did. I remember saying, before Perifel was a year old, 'Naraten, if I'm going to raise your kid like this, I want you to marry me.' And without any complaint, or even missing a beat, he said 'Sure!' and kissed me. We were wed within the season."
"But – you must have only been 17!" I exclaimed.
She grinned. "Not even. Our honeymoon was my birthday." She said smiling, fingering the band around her wrist. "Best present I've ever received…"
I smiled, but stood up. "Cheap protection charm?"
"No, no – a mild charisma charm. Good quality though. It's why I do the shopping. Get the best prices out of the merchants." And she flashed me a magically appealing smile.
I nodded, and sat back on the chair. "I hoped a capable Sorceress like you wouldn't be taken in by cheap junk – and even more so, Naraten try to give it to you."
She was about to reply, but a thump from the other side of the door, followed by the magical dissolving of the door from it's frame interrupted her. The door swung open once more, and a very familiar face stepped in, carrying a tray with a few cups and a jug of something. "Elwin? Why'd…" but then he caught sight of me, and eyed me over. "A moraken." He said warily. "What's she doing here?"
"You'd better take a good, long, hard look at her." Elwin urged.
And as he studied me, I studied him. Sturdily built, especially odd for a magician. He looked fairly roughed over, definitely older than I remembered. And on the subject of remembering, he seemed to have, judging by the way his face brightened. "It's good to see you again…"
"You don't look any different!" I cried.
"You do!" Naraten laughed. "You're definitely…" he fumbled over a word. "…bigger – than I remembered…"
I glanced down at my curve-hugging skins, before shooting him a very cheeky look and leaning back on the desk again. "I'm taken, and so are you by the sounds of things."
He chuckled, setting the tray down on the desk. "Yes, It was rather impulsive of me. But I couldn't let such a beauty escape my bed." He mused innocently, earning a magical whack from his 'wife'. That's a notion I'll never get used to. But after a few laughs he quickly froze, and frowned at me. "Why are you here?"
"I'm after the mage that ripped open Centreon's gates, you should be familiar with it. I – recognized your handiwork there." I confessed, clasping my fingers. "I've sorely underestimated your powers."
"You were there?" he queried, before understanding dawned. "Ahh – it was you who released that blast! I thought it felt awfully familiar…" he said nodding. "Elwin tells me you are queen of your clan now."
"The clan. We're all that's left. And I have a lot on my agenda, but there's one last string I need to tie up, and that involves something my mother released on the world. I have to remedy that."
He glanced at Elwin and shifted slightly. "That mage who tore down Centreons defenses was Darkswarm…"
"No, the Darkswarm was summoned. The runes are what I'm after. The magician is at large…"
"Uh – Selina…" Elwin injected anxiously, standing up. "I know what you're doing is important, but – if you don't mind – we haven't been together for nearly four months. Can it wait an hour?"
I gave her a sympathetic glance and nodded at Naraten, who shrugged back. "Sorry, duty calls. I have to go make love to my horny wife." He said with a wry grin, before being attacked, magically and physically by an irate and embarrassed wife. I just stood to one side of the magical duel, while their child stood to the other. It was probably good preparation for the girl, watching her parents squabble. Magic begets magic. The more exposure she has, the more capable she will become.
I just laughed at them as Naraten eventually got her pinned on the bed – and I could see that look that Erik and I sometimes shared, and I knew it was time to take my leave. More prude parents might have had me take the kid as well. Me – meh. Sali'll be doing it herself eventually, it's not like it's wrong. It's just like magic. The more exposure you have, the more cap- uh – prepared you are.
I opened the door, when Naraten called to me. "Selina? Check out the library downstairs for those runes if you can remember them. We'll come join you in a while…"
I smiled. "Don't rush on my account." I coaxed gently, before shutting the door behind me, and magically sealing the door for them. Nothing too sturdy – just enough to act as a 'don't walk on in' sign.
I stood, one among many women, all gathered to see the oldest remaining pair put to rest. I choked back sobs, while many other of the girls openly shed tears and cried heartfelt calls to the heavens as Paris and Parissa were taken into the necromantic field within Zorak Limn, where they would reside for all eternity along with the nearly complete two hundred which had been interred of late. They had served the dynasty through two blights, and held the moraken together over their slow decline in power, stoically struggling to preserve their dying people. And they perished, preserving their people. Deran's body had been found (after a good scouring of the area) and was also laid to rest here, and his anguished mate who had been given a very large dose of a particularly potent toxin was also helped to lie down beside him, while her struggling heart continued it's last remaining beats. I watched her pull herself to embrace him, but I had to close my eyes when she suddenly found herself unable to breathe, and she gasped once or twice, choking as her throat closed – and then everything was still. And her mate claimed her spirit to be by his side.
I looked over at Lillian, who was still in too bad a condition to do the ceremony herself. She had to stand and watch. But judging by the way she was trembling, she wouldn't remain doing the former for long.
I reached over and put my hand on her shoulder. "It's no sin to cry."
She shook her head, and sniffed, still looking at the corpses of the lord and lady of Kerakas. "There is nothing to cry for. They died with honor, dignity. Pride." She swallowed hard, a tear escaping her. "She did her duty. To the dynasty…" her voice broke and went squeaky, "…to you." And with another shake of her head, she closed her eyes, sank to her knees, and let out an anguished wail that echoed in the gully for some time, before breaking into hopeless sobs over her dead parents and brother. She'd now lost almost all of her siblings. First Keira. Now Deran. She deserved to cry.
After a while, I crossed over the boarder of the field, and I felt the same undead chill rush through my soul. I took a few more steps, before kneeling in the fertile, yet lifeless dirt, and held my hands out in front of me. "Parissa…" I whispered to the wind. "Help me, one last time." I closed my eyes, and reached out in an almost pleading manner. "What must I do now?"
I waited for some time. I felt several caresses of my soul, one of which even felt familiar. I recognized the touch of my father. Enveloping me in his coils – content to leave me among the living now that he had his own mate to accompany him in limbo. And at the same time, sheltering me. Protecting me. From the one person I had expected to feel touch me, but had not yet. He was cold, but comforting. And then, he seemed to relinquish his hold on me – and I was sorry to feel him leave me. There was something to death – the disjointed touch, the closeness. You felt – together, in ways you can never be in life.
I froze when a hand came down on my shoulder. I knew the touch well. "Mother?"
I felt, more than heard the response. "Ease, Erika, I will not harm you, my child." I couldn't see anyone before me, but I felt the hand caress my face. "I must apologize for what you have seen of me, my dear. It was not me. I was no longer sane by that time of the journal."
"What happened to you?" I whispered to the spirit, as I reached out to clutch at the arm, but only met nothing. She could touch me, but I could not touch her.
"I was not strong enough. I found the fire of Arcanoc, but I was mistaken in my destiny. I was not strong enough to wield it. It took time, for I was indeed strong, but it twisted through my mind, robbing me of my sanity. I was not destined to wield it, and it drove me slowly mad. But you, my daughter…" I could almost see her smile. "The destiny refers to you, Erika. You have the power. The ability within you to control the fire. Our magics combined are strong enough. You, and you alone, can contain it." She cupped both my cheeks, and I could feel her silent breath on my face. "Find the fire. Take it. Protect the world from the magic I have unwittingly unleashed on it."
"But – Arcano– I've never heard of it!"
"I cannot tell you more. For the path is long, and the path itself makes you strong. In struggling to find it, you earn it." She kissed me. "Forgive me, my child. Good luck, and go with my blessing…"
"Mother…" I whimpered, but she had already left. And I was left alone in a field of the dead.
I got slowly back to my feet, and turned around to realize everyone was looking at me. Well – most everyone. Some of the younger girls were less aware of everything. And some just hadn't opened their eyes yet. Lillian being one.
I stepped back out of the field, just to shelter myself from the magics, and met some of the stares. This was it. Time to be Queeny. It would help if I wasn't shaking so damn hard. "Paris and Parissa…" I squeaked out, before clearing my through, and wiped my eyes. "Paris and Parissa died, in their duty to the moraken. They held their ground against the Darkswarm, allowing the rest of us to make our escape. They sacrificed their lives to protect me." I had to swallow, before standing up straight. Time to be the leader they saw in me. The queen I had been raised by. The queen I had been raised to be. "Because of them, the dynasty continues. But I will not pretend we are anywhere but dire straights. But the recent decimation of the humans offers us the chance to rebuild. But we cannot do it maintaining our secrecy. It is time for the moraken to emerge from our refuge at long last. We can use the exhaustion of both human and elven forces to make ourselves known once more." I gritted my teeth. "It is time the moraken returned to Aurok Citedas. We will rise from our ashes, and take our place with the glory of the ancients, as we are meant to be. And we shall rise." I met everyone's stare, everyone who was willing to meet mine. "We have been hunted and threatened for too long. I will see that in this time of respite we have, that we are restored to our glory! And we shall take our place in this world once more." It was no epic revelation, but I could guess by the little wave of nods and murmurs that went around that it wasn't a total flop. "Twice my life has been set upon. Twice I have cheated my death. I will not see the dynasty that I have lived to upload fall while I still draw breath." And I lowered my head again, before drawing Siir Roui, which was still belted around my waist, and held it before my face. "The symbol of the dynasty. It still stands. I still stand. Will you stand with me?"
A single cheer rose up from the hundred or so women gathered, and I slid the sword back into it's sheath, and nodded to Lillian, who managed to collect herself enough to get to her feet. I still felt short next to her. Then again – I was a bit short. "I guess – I'm the lady now."
"That you are." I said, nodding to her. "Send scouts to find the city. I will have our bastion reinhabited by our people."
"Begging my queen's pardon, but I should…"
"You should come with me. We have some other work to do." I said, giving her a meaningful glare, before twirling to the crowds. "These dark times are over. We begin a new age, as the nobles of the sky!" And speaking of sky, I became a dragon (maybe bashing a couple of people over by accident) and beat my wings once, launching myself into the air, soaring back off to Kerakas, as the rest of the gathered females also took off after me. It was time. But there was one last threat I needed to address before I could safely move my people to their ancient home. We were too few to defend the city. Too few to do very much at all. It's why we cowered in Kerakas for so long. It was ideal to defend. A handful of moraken could hold it against an army. It was our final bastion. But Aurok Citdeas was as good as our capital. And it had come time to reclaim it as our own.
But first – I needed to find out about those runes. And I knew just the place to start looking…
I needed to find some old friends…
I didn't like the idea of having Lillian and Lyle in the air, but she refused to let me go alone. She was still weakened. Even I wasn't in tip top condition. But whereas I was only a bit queezy, Lillian looked like she might fall off Lyle at any moment. Even he wasn't flying perfectly straight. But I gave silent thanks when the guild town of Arcadon came into view, in the foothills of the Arcadon mountains. It was in those mountains that Draygen had taught us. I felt almost like I was coming home…
But we weren't heading for Draygen's Castle. Lillian and I (and our other halves, of course) were headed for the town. Specifically the guildhall. And much in the same way Draygen's hut was shielded, the guildhall itself was shielded from magic. At this range, still a fair few leagues away, the intense magical aura such a building would have picked up over so many years of exposure would be like a bonfire on a dark night, but I (or rather, Erik) saw nothing to suggest any building was more magical than the rest. However, I still could see which one was the hall. The building was shielded, but the grounds were not – and even at this range, I could see numerous plants and an abnormally large number of magical animals all collected around a structure that looked crudely official.
But just as I was picking out the guildhall, residents were picking out us. And it is fair to say, dragons are not loved by everyone, so two of them suddenly appearing so close to a town like this was cause for panic. And panic people did. I motioned for Lillian to come in higher than me – but she misinterpreted my frantic gestures as Erik haphazardly zipped in, between two buildings, and flapped to a stop in the middle of the courtyard. Lillian and Lyle took a far more graceful approach, and settled on one of the many guild halls' roofing tiles – which weren't fastened on particularly well, so slipped free and nearly sent Lyle descending towards a very messy and humiliating fate. It's sheer disgrace for a grown dragon to fall off a perch. Worse than a wood elf falling out of a tree. You just don't do it, the names you get called stick for years.
I unwrapped my arms from his neck while he grunted at the frightened townspeople, rushing in all directions – aside from towards us, and nodded up at Lillian. "You go find something, I'll be a while!" I called. She nodded back, and coaxed Lyle off the slippery roof, tiles crashing to the ground all around him, so he let himself slide fairly gracefully off the roof, banked into his fall, and did a quick lap of the courtyard, before flinging himself clear of the town with a beat of his strong wings. I meanwhile, slid off Erik's back, and gave him a pat. "You go hunt or something. I'll call you when I need you." I said to him, with accompanying pictures, stroking his ear.
He snuffed at me, and looked over my shoulder at the magicians guildhall across the square (which was actually circular) – more specifically at the various castes of magicians pouring out – many of the novices or apprentices, brandishing books or scrolls or rune cards of every kind. I rolled my eyes at him before turning to the amassed lot of – well - what wasn't too far flung from school children. I however knew the qualified sorcerers by sight. They were the ones wielding the most powerful spells – and tended to have the robes of their station. Many of the apprentices still wore their casual cloths.
I just shook my head and walked over. "Mite jumpy aren't we?"
Before I reached the gate, a somewhat familiar face pushed on through. Just – not the one I'd been expecting. "It is true…" the young girl whispered, eyeing up both me and the dragon behind me. "Mom!" she cried out, turning and running back into the guildhall. "Come see!"
I smiled. That voice. That face. Almost exactly how I remembered it. The spitting image of "Selina!"
I looked up at the second floor window from which my name was bellowed, and opened my arms. "Elwin!"
"You stay right there, girl, or I'll have your hide!" she shouted down, before disappearing back within the bowels of the room. Barely thirty seconds later she barged her way through the collection of perplexed sorcerers and apprentices, and dove into my waiting arms. I caught her, her – but staggered backwards and fell over, laughing, my armor protecting me from the worst of the impact on the cobbled stones. I gave thanks that I had not removed my helmet, or I'd have hit my head quite badly.
Finally pealing myself away from her, and wiping the tears from my eyes, I propped myself up on an elbow and smiled at her. "Damn, I've missed you."
She panted, still chuckling, before pointing up behind her head. "He's bigger than I remember."
I looked up, and Erik was having a peculiar staring contest with what appeared to be an Avis. Dragons and Avi are peas in a pod, only dragons are reptilians born for the sky, Avi are more closely related to the elephant and look even closer relatives to a cat – with wings. Every move one of them made was immediately mirrored by the other. Every bob of a head, every flap of a wing. I nodded, sighing. "He's king of a clan now. You've no idea how much pride that's filled him with."
"And you?" She snorted. "You're queen too."
I shoved her away, and shook my head. "Only in office."
"Ah, speaking of which, I don't think you came down here for a reunion." She said pointedly, rolling onto her side.
I nodded, but looked around at the gathering townspeople. We must have looked so strange, lying on the floor like this. "Ours is business best conducted away from the general populous." I said pointedly, rolling over and coming up to my feet in one smooth dexterous maneuver. She, however, was not as graceful as me, so I helped her up. "Anywhere we can talk in peace?"
"Yea, sure." She nodded, gesturing to the hall behind her. "Come on in, I'll have Evette make us some tea…"
"Some what?" I asked, hesitantly following her indoors past the small crowd of people.
"Tea. We've got sickness in the water, and it's not responding to general magical purging, so we have to boil the water with leaves until we figure out what it is. It's not bad – though I don't think it'll catch on. But it does prevent the sickness." She said, leading me up some stairs while the collection of magicians nervously went back to whatever they were doing. "Evette? Be a dear and fix us some tea please? Thanks." She said with a broad grin, leading me upstairs and on into her room, or what I assumed to be her room. I was assured it was her room when she went on in and it resembled a bedroom. And there was the bouncy little girl hovering at the window.
"Mommy, mommy, is that a raken?" she asked eagerly, before stopping suddenly when she saw me, her crest falling down far enough to touch the ground floor.
She stepped over and scooped her child up in her arms, and nuzzled the cute dear. "Ki'raken. And yes, it is a ki'raken." Appeasing her happy girl for a few short seconds, before she settled back on staring at me with a look of contempt that made me feel cold. Elwin on the other hand was all too accommodating. "Well, Perifel here's not going to say much, so I guess this is as alone as we'll get. What did you come here for?"
"Information." I said, having a seat on a chair by the desk, riddled with scrolls and parchment. "Does the name Arcanoc mean anything to you?"
Now it was her turn to have a crest fall. "As in the fire thereof?" I nodded once, leaning back against the desk. She flicked her wrist, and the shutters over the windows closed and the door sealed itself into its frame, magically. A second flick and a number of candles lit themselves. "Just where did you hear about the fire?" she asked, in that gentle but demanding tone she had.
"The ghost of my late mother told me she had found it." I said softly.
Elwin set her child down and sank onto the bed. "Well that explains a lot." She breathed out.
"I trust you've heard of it."
She shook her head. "Only in reference. I know that the fire of Arcanoc is one of the most potent magical founts in existence, and until thirty seconds ago, I didn't know it was even in existence."
"Neither do I! My mother's ramblings aren't the best for basing legends on…"
"No, but if it were real, and your mother did in fact possess the fire for a time, it would explain how she was able to lease the Darkswarm from their ancient prisons." She pointed out, before heaving a sigh. "What do you know?"
"It's associated with runes, and it's damn powerful. I reckon it's what was used to breach the gate of Centreon."
"Naraten told me about that!" she exclaimed, leaning forward. "You're not suggesting that the Darkswarm…"
I shook my head, waving my hands before me. "I slew that Gnoll. He was summoned. Which means that someone is out there, summoning Darkswarm and wielding some evidently destructive powers."
"It's food for thought." She mused, stroking her daughter's hair, who, by the way, was still giving me evils.
I nodded, trying to swallow the lump in my throat. "So – you and Naraten are still together?"
She shot me a very sardonic look. "This is not just costume jewelry." She pointed out, showing me the ornate, slightly magical bracelet adorning her left wrist.
I gasped slightly and stepped over to look at it. "He didn't – you didn't!"
She nodded, and smiled, presenting the wedding band. "Yes, I did. I remember saying, before Perifel was a year old, 'Naraten, if I'm going to raise your kid like this, I want you to marry me.' And without any complaint, or even missing a beat, he said 'Sure!' and kissed me. We were wed within the season."
"But – you must have only been 17!" I exclaimed.
She grinned. "Not even. Our honeymoon was my birthday." She said smiling, fingering the band around her wrist. "Best present I've ever received…"
I smiled, but stood up. "Cheap protection charm?"
"No, no – a mild charisma charm. Good quality though. It's why I do the shopping. Get the best prices out of the merchants." And she flashed me a magically appealing smile.
I nodded, and sat back on the chair. "I hoped a capable Sorceress like you wouldn't be taken in by cheap junk – and even more so, Naraten try to give it to you."
She was about to reply, but a thump from the other side of the door, followed by the magical dissolving of the door from it's frame interrupted her. The door swung open once more, and a very familiar face stepped in, carrying a tray with a few cups and a jug of something. "Elwin? Why'd…" but then he caught sight of me, and eyed me over. "A moraken." He said warily. "What's she doing here?"
"You'd better take a good, long, hard look at her." Elwin urged.
And as he studied me, I studied him. Sturdily built, especially odd for a magician. He looked fairly roughed over, definitely older than I remembered. And on the subject of remembering, he seemed to have, judging by the way his face brightened. "It's good to see you again…"
"You don't look any different!" I cried.
"You do!" Naraten laughed. "You're definitely…" he fumbled over a word. "…bigger – than I remembered…"
I glanced down at my curve-hugging skins, before shooting him a very cheeky look and leaning back on the desk again. "I'm taken, and so are you by the sounds of things."
He chuckled, setting the tray down on the desk. "Yes, It was rather impulsive of me. But I couldn't let such a beauty escape my bed." He mused innocently, earning a magical whack from his 'wife'. That's a notion I'll never get used to. But after a few laughs he quickly froze, and frowned at me. "Why are you here?"
"I'm after the mage that ripped open Centreon's gates, you should be familiar with it. I – recognized your handiwork there." I confessed, clasping my fingers. "I've sorely underestimated your powers."
"You were there?" he queried, before understanding dawned. "Ahh – it was you who released that blast! I thought it felt awfully familiar…" he said nodding. "Elwin tells me you are queen of your clan now."
"The clan. We're all that's left. And I have a lot on my agenda, but there's one last string I need to tie up, and that involves something my mother released on the world. I have to remedy that."
He glanced at Elwin and shifted slightly. "That mage who tore down Centreons defenses was Darkswarm…"
"No, the Darkswarm was summoned. The runes are what I'm after. The magician is at large…"
"Uh – Selina…" Elwin injected anxiously, standing up. "I know what you're doing is important, but – if you don't mind – we haven't been together for nearly four months. Can it wait an hour?"
I gave her a sympathetic glance and nodded at Naraten, who shrugged back. "Sorry, duty calls. I have to go make love to my horny wife." He said with a wry grin, before being attacked, magically and physically by an irate and embarrassed wife. I just stood to one side of the magical duel, while their child stood to the other. It was probably good preparation for the girl, watching her parents squabble. Magic begets magic. The more exposure she has, the more capable she will become.
I just laughed at them as Naraten eventually got her pinned on the bed – and I could see that look that Erik and I sometimes shared, and I knew it was time to take my leave. More prude parents might have had me take the kid as well. Me – meh. Sali'll be doing it herself eventually, it's not like it's wrong. It's just like magic. The more exposure you have, the more cap- uh – prepared you are.
I opened the door, when Naraten called to me. "Selina? Check out the library downstairs for those runes if you can remember them. We'll come join you in a while…"
I smiled. "Don't rush on my account." I coaxed gently, before shutting the door behind me, and magically sealing the door for them. Nothing too sturdy – just enough to act as a 'don't walk on in' sign.
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And yet Erika begins her quest to seek it out. Is she brave, or stupid? Destiny, or suicide? Only time will tell...
...and time is running thin.
Chapter 1 is ---> From the Ashes
Chapter 4 is ---> Tunnels
Chapter 6 is ---> Checkout
Book #1, Dynasty of Dragons, can be found here: Chapter one: Lessons
Theme music: The One .
And yet Erika begins her quest to seek it out. Is she brave, or stupid? Destiny, or suicide? Only time will tell...
...and time is running thin.
Chapter 1 is ---> From the Ashes
Chapter 4 is ---> Tunnels
Chapter 6 is ---> Checkout
Book #1, Dynasty of Dragons, can be found here: Chapter one: Lessons
Theme music: The One .
© 2011 - 2024 Lostkavi
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brilliant... This is getting addictive