The guards glanced at each other. “You can proceed,” one said.
Koll climbed down, still holding Promise’s rein. “Do you enjoy being guards?” he asked.
The guards exchanged another glance.
“Yes,” the other said.
“I come from a long line of guards,” the first said. He removed his helmet and nodded at Koll. His hair was a matted down mess of curly brown strands.
“Do you both have dragons?” Koll asked.
“Not all guards have one,” the helmed knight said.
“I know. That’s why I’m asking.”
“I don’t,” the helmed knight grumbled.
“I do,” the brown-haired guard said a bit smugly. “Indin is his name. He’s a bit older. I’m his third rider.”
“Oh, wow!”
The guard grinned. “He had been my mother’s before me and my mother’s father before her. She loves the Practor family.”
“Does that happen often?” Koll asked.
“A dragon pledging his life to a particular family? No, I don’t think so.”
“Do you know how your grandfather was able to become her first rider?”
The guard shook his head. “I don’t know. Why are you asking?”
“Isn’t it clear?” the helmed knight asked. “He wants his own dragon. Don’t you, boy?”
“Yes.”
“You aren’t from around Bronze Villa,” the dragon rider guard said.
“No.”
“There aren’t any dragons here who haven’t been bonded already, I’m afraid to say. Isn’t that right, Ethon?”
The helmed guard nodded. "Yes. Don't tell me you traveled to Bronze Villa to find yourself a dragon, did you?"
“No,” Koll said. “I’m just passing through. I’m going to visit some relatives.”
A lie. Koll couldn’t exactly tell the guards where he was going. While subjects were allowed to leave the kingdom to visit one of the other realms, Keptra was not a place anyone went to alone. The guards would try to stop him, and Koll wasn’t about to let that happen.
“Very well. You can enter,” Ethon said. He readjusted his helmet.
“If you have more questions about dragons, I’ll be happy to answer them,” the other guard said.
Koll smiled and entered the town. He didn’t have any more questions, not for these guards at least. Maybe the guards in the next town would have more useful stories and information to share.
Chapter 5
After cleaning the dishes after supper in a tavern, Koll was given a hot meal and a bed. He enjoyed himself greatly as he had worked, listening to the sounds of chaos, of talking and laughter and singing. After he filled his belly, he was far too sleepy to try to locate another dragon rider. When the morning came, he opted to continue northward. In case Ivna didn’t think this would prove him brave and worthy, Koll still wanted to know how he might be able to convince another dragon to bond with him. So far, though, no one seemed capable of telling him how one could bond with a dragon.
Maybe he should’ve asked Nicai how she and Murro ended up bonding. Luck, probably. Or maybe she had just befriended the dragon. Did Ivna not want to befriend Koll? Maybe she had already decided he wasn’t the human for her and had just sent him on this quest so she could laugh at him.
No. Koll didn’t think Ivna would do something like that. She seemed like she was a good dragon. At least he hoped she was.
The more the sun crept toward the horizon, the more Koll accepted that he wanted Ivna to be his dragon. He didn’t want any other. Although she had sent him away on a quest, he had enjoyed talking to her. She had almost teased him some, like he would his friends. That had to count for something, right? Even if she didn’t accept him, Koll would still have fun on his adventure.
So long as he didn’t come across any dangerous creatures. Just because no one ventured to Keptra didn’t mean that there was nothing and no one there.
Koll reached over his shoulder to pat the sharpened stick. Of course he had brought it along with him. If he had to use it… He hoped he wouldn’t have to, or maybe he should want to. Having to defend himself in battle against… something, anything really should be enough to prove his bravery.
At Abingdon, there were far more dragons, but as far as Koll could see, each had a rider. The guards weren't as keen to talk to him, but Koll still tried anyhow. Both of them were far older than the ones from the villa, and they didn't have the patience for him and his questions. Worst of all, once Koll left Abingdon behind, he realized they hadn't answered a single question of his.
“Don’t worry, Promise. We don’t need them. We’re doing just fine on our own, aren’t we?”
Promise neighed.
Koll reached down and patted his neck. “There’s something else you don’t have to worry about. I’m going to do whatever it takes to convince Ivna to let me ride her, but I won’t ever forget you. You’ll be my horse until the very end. I promise you, Promise.”
Koll could almost swear that the horse laughed, and he joined in too.
That night, Koll had trouble sleeping. He’d lost count of the days, but the Scarlet Peaks were well within sight now. He hadn’t realized that there were trees along the bottom of some of the mountains. It won’t necessarily be easy to walk through the trees with the horse. Climbing the mountain with the horse wouldn’t be easy either, but Koll and Promise would have to manage. Koll wasn’t about to leave his horse behind. Someone might steal Promise, and besides, they were in this together.
Although he tried his best to quiet his mind, Koll still couldn’t rest. He got up, grabbed his stick, and completed a few jabs and thrusts. The moon was covered by clouds this night, and he hadn’t lit a fire. Maybe tomorrow he would. He hadn’t often so far along his journey. Not many of the animals in the Burning Havens would pose a serious threat to him, and he had no reason to fear bandits or rogues. The guards kept the land safe, not just in the towns and cities but throughout the countryside too. After all, the majority of the guards had dragons, so they could watch over the land as protectors and warriors of the realm from on high.
Hmm. Koll’s thoughts continued to churn as he practiced more with his weapon. Would he like to be a guard one day? No. If he could be anything, he would choose to be free, to do as he wished. Would he hesitate to help anyone he would see who needed aid? Of course not, but he would like to do anything and everything he wanted to.
Would that be allowed? Honestly, Koll wasn’t certain that being free would be an option for him. Both he and the dragon would need to train together. Even dragons who had previously had a rider would need some training to become acclimated to the new rider.
“What am I looking forward to the most?” Koll muttered to himself as he ducked beneath an imaginary blow and countered with a strike to a likewise imaginary opponent.
Not the weapon training, although he was looking forward to that.
Not the staff even though it meant he would be able to use magic like fire and water.
Not anything except the ability to truly be a dragon rider. He couldn’t wait to sit on a dragon’s neck or back and be able to feel the rush of the wind as he soared through the skies. It would be wonderful, just wonderful. His dad’s fear of heights was something Koll just couldn’t understand. He loved to climb trees, and once, he even jumped from one branch to another on a different tree. Lenda had dared him to, but what she didn’t know was that he had already done that for a few months beforehand.
Honestly, riding on Promise was a lot of fun, even if he was getting a little sore. Koll could only figure that riding on a dragon would be even more so. Camren had a horse of his own, and sometimes, he would let his friends ride. Koll always loved that, the chance to sit astride Chase. Koll liked to tease Camren and say that his horse should’ve been called Prancer instead. Chase didn’t like to go that fast.
Promise did, though. It almost seemed as if Promise knew and understood how important this quest was to Koll. Was it a
true quest, though? The king and queen hadn’t given it to him, but that fact did not make it any less important in Koll’s mind. Yes, this was a quest.
That settled, Koll returned to his perch laying on the roots of the tree he had tethered Promise to. His eyelids finally grew heavy, and Koll fell asleep.
The sun streaming bright rays right on him woke Koll the next morning. He rubbed Promise’s neck, and instead of climbing onto his horse’s back, Koll guided him forward.
“Tomorrow, we might reach Scarlet Peaks. Are you excited? I am. What’s that? You’re a little nervous too? I don’t blame you. I might be too.”
The horse nudged Koll. He let Promise eat some berries out of his hand before chomping down a few himself. Only a small meal to break their fast. Koll was too eager to get moving now that the first major goal of their trek was in sight.
Koll might’ve pushed Promise a little harder and faster that day. The moon was beginning to rise, but they continued on, their pace much slower now. Before the moon was directly overhead, they reached the base of the mountains.
“Tomorrow, we’ll have some climbing to do,” Koll murmured. “Just you and me. You’re up for it, right?”
Promise neighed.
Koll laughed. “I thought so.”
Again, he practiced with his stick some, although he rested rather than slept afterward. He was too anxious and eager to continue on.
Just before sunrise, Koll coaxed Promise onward. For the first few hours, Koll remained on horseback. Eventually, though, he realized the horse was struggling, so the two climbed the mountain side by side.
Sleeping on the mountain was next to impossible. Koll could not get comfortable, and he couldn’t shake a lingering sense of unease and worry. He was days away from leaving Burning Havens behind. The thought terrified him. This had to be an act of bravery.
Or maybe this was foolishness. What if Ivna thought Koll was half-witted for attempting such a feat? For his part, Koll thought this was a daring act. Therefore, it must require bravery.
His head was beginning to hurt from thinking too hard and worrying too much.
When they reached the peak, Koll stood for a moment. There, stretched out before him, slightly more to the east, was Keptra. Even from here, the land appeared desolate and abandoned. He was too far away to see any sign of life, of course, but that only made Keptra even more of a depressing sight.
“Don’t fret,” Koll murmured to Promise, rubbing his neck. “We’ll be all right so long as we have each other.”
Promise neighed and retreated a step or two before Koll could convince him to move forward.
“I know. We’re tired and dirty and sore. We’re almost there. We’ll just take a quick look around, find something to bring back to Ivna, and return home. How does that sound?”
Promise neighed and shook his head, once more moving backward.
Koll sighed and rubbed his forehead. He glanced around and spied a huge stone. Somehow, the boulder looked like a dragon. He shook his head. His eyes were deceiving him. Could you imagine? He wanted a dragon of his own so much that he was seeing one everywhere. Next, he would think the clouds were fashioned in the shape of one!
“Come on,” Koll begged, but when the horse would not budge, Koll sighed and removed more berries from his one of his bags. “All right. We’ll eat some and then go?”
Promise lowered his head to eat some, but Koll closed his fist and held his hand away.
“Do you promise to go after eating?” Koll asked.
Promise nudged Koll’s chest.
Koll laughed. “I guess I’ll have to take that as a yes.”
The two ate, and Promise did finally move forward. It took them two days to maneuver eastward enough on the mountains that they would touch Keptra soil as soon as they left Scarlet Peaks behind.
Promise, again, did not seem keen to move onward once they reached the base of the mountains. Koll had to lure him forward with berries. The ten-year-old couldn't blame the horse. There was something so very different about Keptra. He couldn't quite put his finger on it, but even the air here seemed different than back home, heavier. Each breath seemed to not quite fully fill his lungs. Every step he took, Koll glanced around, wary, half-expecting something to jump out and attack him.
The entire region seemed so very desolate. There were no structures standing, just piles of what might have been houses at one time. Had the entire place been burned before? Had people lived here before?
The soil itself wasn’t brown but a dark red. It almost looked as if blood had stained the earth, and Koll swallowed hard. Would a few rocks be enough to prove he had come here? He could grab some and turn right back around already.
But something propelled Koll to walk farther and farther into Keptra, for better or for worse.
Chapter 6
As Promise walked by a boulder, it crumbled. It wasn’t a boulder after all but a pile of something that had been covered by the dark reddish soil. A bit of white was visible in the mound, and Koll released his hold on Promise’s rein to examine it more closely.
Koll nudged the pile with his boot. More tumbled down, and a dust of the dark red soil flew into the air. He coughed and flicked his hand to try to dispel the cloud. After blinking a few times, he could see again.
He could see what the mound was comprised of.
He could see the pile for what it was.
Bones.
All kinds of bones in various shapes and sizes. He spied what looked like a very human skull, but some of the bones might have been from animals.
Koll staggered backward so fast that he tripped over what he hoped was a rock and landed on his rump. He crawled backward on the ground like that until he bumped into Promise. A glance over his shoulder revealed he had nudged his horse and not something else, but Koll felt no sense of relief. He grabbed one of his bags to help him launch back onto his feet.
“I don’t much like the looks of this place,” Koll muttered. “Do you?”
Promise reared onto his hind legs, and Koll scrambled backward to get out of the way. The horse had never done that before.
“I… I guess I’ll bring back…” Koll gulped. He didn’t want to touch the bones, but bringing back one would mean they could leave immediately. Yes, it would have to make do.
He inched back toward the mound. No, he wasn’t about to grab the skull. This small bone. Yes. Maybe it had been the lower part of an arm. It wasn’t very long at all, but it was clearly a bone, and that was all that mattered.
“Come on, Promise. Let’s go.”
Koll started to return to his horse’s side, but Promise was prancing. Whenever Chase pranced, he seemed so light and airy, so happy and giddy. Promise, though, seemed agitated and frightened.
“I’m sorry, Promise. I didn’t think this place would be quite so scary for you. We can go now.”
Promise neighed and bolted back toward the mountain.
“Hey, wait up!” Koll cried.
Before he could take off after his horse, another pile shifted. The dark red soil fell to the ground, revealing not bones but pale pink skin. Muddy dark lines marred the skin. War paint.
Koll’s gaze lifted higher, and he took in a moss loin cloth, more war paint in lines on a massive belly and wide chest, broad shoulders, a hunched back…
Earrings in both ears, a bone piercing through the nose, terribly sharp teeth alongside huge tusks, small beady eyes, a thick unibrow, no hair on the head…
An ogre.
Koll gulped. He had never seen an ogre before except in a few drawings in books, but there was no mistaking the grotesque being for anything else. The ogre had a huge knot above one eye that protruded farther than his massive nose. His arms were long, so long that his fingers extended beyond his knees. One hand curled around a large club.
The ogre let out a roar. Spittle flew everywhere, and Koll dropped the bone he was holding.
Without warning, the ogre lowered his head and raced toward Koll. The ten-year-o
ld barely had time to sidestep the foe, but as he did so, the hours of his training kicked in, and Koll cleanly removed his sharpened stick from his back. By the stars was he glad he had the foresight to bring it along.
The ogre took one look at the stick and roared with animalistic laughter. He swung his massive club, and Koll ducked.
A mistake.
The club didn’t hit Koll at least, but it connected with his stick, shattering it. Wooden shards flew everywhere.
Koll staggered backward. The ogre swung again, and Koll had to jump back to avoid the blow. The next swing caused Koll to fall down. His hands fell on bones, and he grabbed two. He scrambled to his feet and held the bones out to form an “X.” One of the bones was smaller and shorter than the first one he had seized, but the second was long enough that Koll figured it had to be thigh bone.
The ogre slammed his club against the bones. The smaller one broke apart, but the femur took the impact. Thankfully, that bone was in Koll’s dominant hand, and he stabbed the bone toward the ogre’s gut.
Stabbed. The bone didn’t have a sharp, jagged edge like his stick had. He couldn’t use his training for this.
The ogre jerked back somewhat, awkward on his feet. He swung again, the club coming up a bit higher than before. This time, ducking proved to be sufficient enough that the club whooshed above Koll’s head.
With a wild yell, Koll dashed forward. He held the bone out like it was a spear or a battering ram and shoved it hard against the ogre’s stomach.
The ogre laughed. He towered above Koll, at least two feet taller than him. The ogre looked down at Koll and reached down with his free hand. To what? Pick Koll up? Koll didn’t think so.
He smacked the ogre’s hand with the femur and then jabbed upward. The end of the bone hit against the bottom of the ogre’s mouth. His jaw snapped shut, his head jerking upward.
That infuriated the ogre. The roar he released hurt Koll’s ears, and he retreated a few steps. Not quickly enough, however, and the ogre reached down behind Koll to yank him up by grabbing the back collar of his shirt.
Dragons and Mages: A Limited Edition Anthology Page 155