“Eyes on your opponent, girl.” Dimitri jeered.
I snorted. “I’d hate to have to burn my eyes out for looking at you.”
Dimitri frowned but made no verbal retort. Instead, he took a few slow steps towards me before making a rapid lunge and sweeping the blades of his sword from side to side. At the last minute, I somersaulted beneath the outstretched blades. I recovered faster than he did and spun to kick him between his shoulder blades.
While he toppled to the ground, I retreated to retrieve my tessen from the wall. It broke free with a loud slurp. Water began to drain into the room from the hole. Thinking nothing of the meager amount of water, I turned to survey the room.
Kitfox and Godilai were still at each other’s throats, fighting as fiercely as expected of either race. Thera once again faced her younger sister, casting a rapid succession of spells while trying to convince her that Dimitri was the Keeper of the Shadow Dragons. I didn’t have time to find Shazza and Kkorian before Dimitri launched himself at me.
I danced out of the way, leaving Dimitri to collide head-long with the wall. An angry roar followed the hard slap, and all activity in the room halted in an instant. The wall of water wobbled, waivered, then exploded. The sea surged into the room unabated, toppling both me and Dimitri.
Kitfox forgot his opponent and braved the torrent to rush to my aid. He yanked me out of the mad rush of water and dragged me back to the safety of the other members of my team. We watched for scarcely a moment as the water filled the room before we had the sense to start evacuating.
Just as we reached the exit to the tunnel, the water shrunk back. My heart skipped a beat and I quickly turned around. The water sloshed and gelled, forming a familiar shape. With a roar, the water solidified into a dragon with deep aqua scales and ivory, hair-like spines.
“Riptide!” I exclaimed in time with her roar. I ran up to hug the dragon’s foreleg. Riptide snorted and moved her head so she was eye level with me.
“Xyleena Renoan, Keeper of the Light, you have not changed much in three hundred years.” I smiled and thumped her neck. Kitfox and Thera laughed in relief and moved to join me beside the Dragon of Water. “Though, your hair is much shorter than I remember.”
And then there were five. Helios’ voice echoed in the back of my mind. I didn’t even notice he was following the events. But where is Wildfire?
“Wildfire is here, too, right?” I looked at Riptide for the answer. She seemed to frown at me in response.
“Do you not reca—”
“She lost her memory.” Kitfox replied. The dragon stared at me for a long minute, then nodded in understanding.
“No wonder it took you so long to return.” She unfolded one of her wings and pointed to the smoldering pit of ash with her wing claw. “Therein lays Wildfire, Dragon of Fire.”
“‘Riptide the Torrent points the way; To fire beneath Dragon Bay.’“ Shazza chuckled. “Literally.”
Thera frowned and looked up at the Dragon of Water. “How do we release Wildfire?”
Before Riptide could answer, Godilai exploded from the spot Dimitri’s team had holed up in. She held her deadly blade poised for a killing stroke, but never got close enough to deal it. Riptide shoved me and the others out of the way with her wing and took the hit. With an angry hiss, the dragon’s eyes flashed white. Massive globes of water formed in the air and were instantly launched at the Dákun Daju and her teammates. They fled from the room in a ruckus as the balls of water chased them.
Riptide snorted. She glanced at her wound; a small cut in the membrane of her wing. Without a word, the dragon walked over to the smoldering pit and stood with her wing poised over it. A few moments of silence followed, and then a drop of blood hit the ashes. In a heartbeat, the grey ashes turned into a raging inferno. Riptide backed away as the blaze swirled and danced. With a roar, the ruby-scaled Dragon of Fire leapt from pit to stand beside her sister dragon.
Six have been found at last! Save six more to be amassed! I laughed at Helios’ excited rhyme and repeated it aloud for all to hear.
“You have only found six of us?” Wildfire was aghast at that revelation.
“It is a long story that not even I know all the details to.” I muttered apologetically. Both dragons stared at me as if waiting for me to go on. I sighed and prepared to tell the story again. “All I know so far is that about four years ago now, I fell from the Dragons’ Gate and woke up in the Infirmary of the Temple of Five Souls. I had no knowledge of who I was, where I was from, or what year it was.
“Shortly before starting this quest, I had dreams where Zahadu-Kitai appeared and warned me of things that were about to happen. I had obtained Amorez’s Dragon Diary somehow. Anyway, a few days after that, Dimitri blew up the Temple and I barely escaped with my life.” I purposely neglected to mention Ríhan’s murder, but glanced sideways at Kitfox. He quirked an eyebrow, before I turned my attention back to the dragons. “When I arrived in Thorna looking for a path to take, I didn’t even know how to fight or use magic and I didn’t know a word of Kinös Elda either. Then, slowly, with Thera’s teaching, everything started coming back.
“With each dragon I collect, a little bit of my past comes back to me in dreams or visions. And Vortex told me that Zenith of Space and Time can fill in all the gaps once I find him. But, so far, none of the dragons I have collected know where he is because he was hidden after all of you.”
The twin dragons exchanged a look. Then Wildfire moved her great wedge of a head to look me in the eye. I could feel the heat radiating off her as she spoke. “All which you have spoken of is very troubling, Xyleena. If you cannot remember your own past, I fear this quest may end your existence.”
“Just what I wanted to hear.” I muttered.
“She won’t die.” Kitfox stated fiercely. Both dragons snorted and looked at him. “With the four...” he smirked and glanced at Kkorian, who glared back. “...well, three and a half of us to protect her, she’ll succeed.”
“How can you be so confident, Demon?” Riptide inquired, stepping closer to Kitfox. His resolve never wavered, even as both dragons stared him down menacingly.
“I just am.” That response earned him a sort-of laugh from the twins. Kitfox growled. “Would it kill you dragons to put more faith in your own Keeper’s abilities? You always doubt her!”
Both dragons instantly quieted and met him with an unreadable stare. Kitfox only stared back at them, anger teeming in his amber eyes. I had never seen him so adamant about my abilities or his faith in me. Thera moved to his side a moment later, staring back at Riptide and Wildfire with a cool expression. Shazza soon followed, then Kkorian. The twins exchanged another look before turning to me.
“We like the team you’ve acquired, Young Keeper.” Wildfire nodded.
Riptide agreed. “They are equally brave and have strong hearts. They will assist you well in the future.”
“Especially the Demon.” Added Wildfire with a quick glance at Kitfox. I smiled both in relief and at the sight of Kitfox’s embarrassed blush.
“So what do we do now that we’ve run off Dimitri’s team and collected these two as planned?” Thera looked to me for the answer. I could only shrug.
“The same thing we always do, I guess.”
“Find an inn and solve the next portion of the riddle.” Kitfox replied. I nodded before turning to my two new dragons.
“Are you walking out with us?”
“Regrettably, no. We do not fit in the tunnel beyond this room.” Riptide replied.
“We shall join the others in the Eye.”
“Before you go, can you tell us what happened to the house at the end?” Shazza pointed her thumb at the tunnel.
“I thought it was obvious.” I said and pointed to Wildfire. “Her power of fire is what created the quartz walls of this tunnel. Unfortunately, Amorez’s house didn’t stand a chance once the jet of flame erupted through the only weak point in the tunnel. Just lucky for us, we anticipated such an event and
removed all the artifacts we had collected.”
The others gawked at me and I couldn’t suppress a laugh. Kitfox looked defiantly up at the dragons. “Told you so!”
“What about them?” Thera gestured towards the two pillars in the room. More accurately, the skeletons that rested at the base of each.
“Moonwhisperer and Artimista have watched over us for centuries.” Wildfire bowed her head in respects.
“They will be sad to see us leave, but happy in the knowledge we go with our Keeper.”
“They are Dákun Daju?” Shazza looked surprised, and then saddened when both dragons nodded affirmative. “You guys go. I will catch up in a little bit.”
“Are you sure?” Kkorian asked, daring to lay a hand on the small of her back. Shazza only nodded.
“As you wish.” I whispered. Riptide and Wildfire faded into their respective elements. Fire swirled around me, blasting me with hot air. Water chased it, instantly washing me in a cooling sensation. Both elements joined the Dragon Eye Amulet simultaneously and two new jewels flashed with life.
The Dragons’ Gate. That was what I called the doorway that kept the Shadow Dragons from returning to our dimension. Beyond it… a world incomparable to our own, discovered by mistake during my venture into Havel. I would hope never to see the Gate open again.
– FROM “THE DIARY OF AMOREZ” BY AMOREZ RENOAN
I recalled the team to the remnants of the house after verifying Dimitri had retreated from the area. While we waited for Shazza to surface, I studied the stones in the fireplace. Long ago, the tapestry I saw in “Zamora’s” office at the Temple graced the surface. I remember it hiding something though. One of the rocks was fake and removable. And behind that rock was a treasure long forgotten. If only I could remember which stone...
“You okay?” I glanced back at Kitfox as he approached. I nodded and returned my attention to the fireplace. I heard him sigh before he moved to stand beside me. I knew he yearned to say more, but he didn’t. Instead he just stood still, content with being so close.
With a click of my tongue, I stepped right up to the fireplace and tapped one of the larger rocks. I smiled at the hollow sound it produced and quickly removed it like I had hundreds of times before. I turned the rock over in my hands and freed the metal box from the compartment. I tossed the rock aside; it had served its purpose.
The box was slightly rusted and dented, but otherwise undamaged. A complex locking mechanism on the front prevented the lid from opening prematurely. With a simple spell, I unlocked it and slid the lid open.
“Now this is old.” I laughed. I gently removed a strange, metal cylinder from the box and looked it over. It was about the length of my hand and as wide as two of my fingers. It had been made of an unknown metal that gleamed in the light of the setting suns, but it weight about the same as a leaf of parchment. No marks were on its surface, making it appear as just a simple metal dowel. “Good. Not a scratch.”
“What is it?” Asked Kitfox. Thera, Kkorian, and the kids soon joined us.
“In all honesty, I have no idea. I’ve never known.” I looked up at all of them as I answered. “My father, Djurdak, removed it from the Rare Books Room of the Grand Palace Library before it was leveled by Agasei in the first battle. No one then knew what it was either, but they all knew it came from Earth.”
“Earth?!” Everyone chorused. I chuckled as they all surged forward to get a closer look.
“Father said it was brought to this planet by the children of Noralani Ithnez, the First.” I went on, holding the cylinder for them all to see. “Though the Ithnezes descended from the man ultimately responsible for saving the Hume race, and were, therefore, greatly respected, they did not want to rule the planet that bared their name. But they stressed the importance that this cylinder never be lost or destroyed.”
“But no one knows what it is?” I shook my head at Jox’s inquiry. The boy looked flabbergasted at the answer. “Why keep it then?”
“How long has it been here?” Kitfox looked back at the fireplace with its removed false stone.
I shrugged. “I don’t remember how long ago my parents hid it here. I do remember sneaking out of my room when they were sleeping to try time after time to figure out what it was, but I never could. And the fire that destroyed the house happened long after Father died.”
“And you just now remembered the bloody thing was here?”
“Obviously, Kkorian.” Shazza stated matter-of-factly as she pulled herself out of the crater. She glanced at the cylinder and clicked her tongue as she adjusted her sleeves. I caught a glimpse of crimson running her arm before it was covered. I held her gaze. “So, what are the plans for tonight? Or has everyone been too enthralled with that thing to think that far ahead?”
“Mister Kkorian said you guys needed a place to rest tonight.” Mellyn said merrily. “Mommy owns the best inn in town! Want to stay there?”
Shazza finally looked away from me to smile at the young girl. “That sounds perfect. Can you lead the way?”
With a vigorous nod, Mellyn grabbed Kkorian’s hand and led the way back to Nemlex. Kitfox, Shazza, and I lingered a few moments. I took the time to safely pack the cylinder away in my hip sack.
“Has your bloodletting done anything to ease them?” Kitfox muttered, rubbing his nose. I looked from him to Shazza, whose face was a stoic mask. “They’ve been dead for centuries and you don’t even know them.”
“It is none of your concern, Demon.” With that, Shazza walked off. Kitfox merely watched her go.
“It is her way.” I said plainly. He looked back at me, his expression one of mixed feelings. Choosing to avoid speaking about it further, I shrugged and strode passed him. He caught up to me moments later. Together, the two of us followed the rest of the team back to Nemlex.
~~~~ * ~~~~
Though Mellyn’s mother, Shawdra, had offered us room and board free of charge, Shazza insisted on some form of payment. After things had been worked out between the innkeeper and the Dákun Daju Queen, each of us were shown rooms. The five of us agreed to rest and clean up before meeting in the downstairs tavern for dinner.
In my own privacy, I trimmed my sable hair up to shoulder length again before sinking into a hot bath to relax. Several long minutes passed before my mind began to wander, inevitably finding its way to Kitfox.
I frowned as an image of his amber eyes flashed in my mind. I felt incredibly guilty for giving him the cold shoulder, but it was necessary. With as much as I had grown to care for him, I feared losing him would be the end of me. I could not afford to be so weak when the balance of power was shifting more and more away from the Light.
You are right to worry for his safety, Hatchling. Vortex’s gentle statement echoed in my mind. Some of the other dragons began to filter into the back of my mind. But for your own happiness, please, move on from that which haunts you so.
I growled at that. I can’t just forget about Ríhan! We’ve been through so much that I’d feel like I’d be betraying him if I moved on to Kitfox so soon after... after....
Ríhan is dead, Xyleena. Riptide spoke her two-bits. You need to get over it.
“No!” I shouted and burst out of the tub in a fury. The dragons continued to harangue me about moving on until I forced them from my mind. I barely dried myself off when there was a loud knocking at the door. “Yeah, who is it?” I demanded rather sharply.
“Thera.” It was as simple of a response as I’d expect from the Feykin. I sighed and donned a robe before answering the door. Thera simply quirked a silver eyebrow at me.
“I couldn’t get the dragons to leave me alone.” I explained as I opened the door wider for her to enter. She made a face at my answer and strode passed me.
“What could they be accosting you about that gets you so worked up that you turn bleary-eyed and red-faced?”
“Please don’t tell anyone else?”
Thera turned to look directly in my eyes. “Eo rité res meo ligto.” As sh
e spoke, she touched her hand to her heart and bowed slightly. I nodded in acceptance of Thera’s promise and moved to sit on the bed a few steps behind her.
I’m not sure what compelled me to confide everything in Thera. She just stood there, listening attentively, as I divulged everything to her. I spoke of my feelings about losing Ríhan and my unwillingness to let him go. Then shifted into my issues regarding Kitfox and how much I found myself wanting to be with him, but being afraid to, lest I lose him like I did Ríhan.
“...And I have no idea what to do about any of it. I feel guilty for pushing Kitfox away and feel like I’m betraying Ríhan for having Kitfox so near.” I blinked to clear the tears that welled in my eyes. “What should I do?”
The young Feykin sighed and finally moved to sit beside me. “I do not know how Humes handle a situation like this. We Feykin accept the death of our friends and family, satisfied in the knowledge that they will be reborn one day.
“Xy, as a Priestess of the Five Souls, you are intimately knowledgeable about the workings of the Gods and Havel. By all accounts, you should be able to say farewell to Ríhan, and not feel guilty about moving on. Yes, you loved him and he loved you enough to die saving you.
“Now you have another man in your life, which you do care deeply for, willing to fight to the death for you. I can see where your uncertainties about a relationship with him rise.
“The only advice I can offer is this: Tell Kitfox everything. He needs to know the reasons why you need your space for the time being. He will support you all the same.”
I was quiet as I mulled everything Thera said over in my head. She patted my shoulder and, with a smile, got up to leave. I watched her go; stopping her would have been an attempt made in vain. I sighed when I felt cool, liquid presence of Riptide brush against my mind.
Rather insightful, your Feykin friend. Have her words given you a respite from your worries?
I scoffed as I got to my feet. She gave me something more to consider. That is all.
Culmination Page 4