Shazza took a quick look at me, frowned, and – despite my protests - literally tossed me to Kitfox a few paces ahead. I was amazed that he somehow managed to maintain a dead run and arrange me in his arms at the same time. Visler was able to catch up and flew overhead, chittering up a storm as if lecturing me.
“Use heal.”At Kitfox’s gentle demand, I quickly looked myself over. I realized my ankle had been sliced wide open by the smooth obsidian that lined the riverbed. Without further delay, I uttered the spell and watched as the wound vanished without a trace. Kitfox flashed me a smile as he increased his pace to keep up with Shazza.
Instead of simply sitting back and enjoying the ride, I quickly started casting wards all along the tunnel. I even coated each one of us in multiple layers of magic. Hopefully, they would work to conceal our presence from Jormandr.
A blinding light exploded into existence in front of us. Instead of stopping, Kitfox and Shazza seemed to sprint even faster. Thera whooped and quickly took flight to lead the way. Within seconds, we were engulfed in light and the cold, dark tunnel finally gave way to a warm, sunny day.
Here, we have come to die; As we have lived, So shall we lie.
– CARVED INTO THE PILLARS IN THE TWINS’ LAIR BY ARTEMISTA AND KADJ-ARAMIL
I sighed and tried to enjoy the sunshine before it was gone for the day. Visler chirped groggily and tried to bury his head under my arm; his way of wishing my teammates would be quiet. The three of them had been quarreling for over an hour now about the desperate need for supplies. Though they had developed quite a list, they had yet to agree on how to obtain everything safely from the village just over a league up the beach.
After we had escaped the seemingly endless underground tunnels, we had found ourselves by the ocean. Shazza had taken one look at the small fishing village nestled between the ocean and the thick forest and instantly recognized the place. We were back on Katalania, several leagues due west of Nemlex. And the village before us was called Sauqe.
“That’s the problem though!” Shazza was practically shouting. I cracked an eye open to look at her as she glared at Kitfox. “We need these supplies or we won’t have a chance at finding the next dragon let alone finishing this quest.”
“It is too risky for us to go into the village to get supplies.” Kitfox replied sternly. “If Dimitri has any forces stationed there, we’ll be spotted.”
Thera dared to step between them. “I wish you two would just allow me to handle it.”
“You are just as conspicuous as me or Kitfox; if not more so with those wings of yours. What makes you think you can safely get in and out of Sauqe with everything we need?”
Thera smiled despite the hostility in the Dákun Daju’s demeanor. “We Feykin have been blending in to Hume society for centuries. All it takes is a little magic.”
All three of them looked to me to settle the debate. Kitfox’s amber eyes teemed with worry while Shazza’s sunburst orange ones betrayed nothing but frustration. Thera, on the other hand, looked confidant in the ability she could sneak in undetected. I sighed and allowed my eyes to drift shut again. Focusing my thoughts inward, I reached out to the dragons, feeling their existence within the amulet.
Do you think Thera can get everything needed for our journey safely?
Why not? Was Thedrún’s simple reply.
Atoka stifled a yawn. If you don’t think Thera is capable of doing what is needed by herself, summon Kúskú.
That would be best. After all, my illusions would allow me to walk with her unseen. I can offer extra protection and a means of rapid escape in case she is recognized.
Good point, Kúskú.
“Well? What do you think, Xy?”
I opened my eyes and got to my feet. I faced Thera as I dusted myself off. “I’m sending Kúskú in with you as back-up in case something goes wrong.”
Kitfox balked. “You’re sending a dragon into the village with her? I thought we were trying to be inconspicuous here, not alert everyone to our presence.”
“Relax. No one except Thera will be able to see him.” I brushed my fingers over the silver jewel on my amulet and called for Kúskú. Within seconds, the silver Dragon of Illusion stood amongst us. Visler squawked in alarm and hopped up on my shoulder to hiss at Kúskú. The dragon snorted in amusement and sat on his haunches to wait for Thera.
“Thank you for trusting me, Xyleena-sortim.” She smiled and handed me a roll of parchment. “It’s the copy of the Riddle of Twelve I told you about. While I’m off shopping, why don’t you see if you can figure out the next clue?”
I nodded. “I’ll see what I can do.”
“Best hurry, Thera.” Kúskú said gently. “Night draws nigh; it won’t be safe.”
The Feykin wasted no time coating herself with her spell. We all watched in amazement as her onyx wings vanished without a trace and her silver hair turned brown. Her violet eyes shifted to green and her Feykin tunic and pants became a simple dress. Once the transformation was complete, she turned a smile on Shazza. The Dákun Daju grumbled as she held the list of necessary supplies out.
“Just,” Shazza barked as Thera gripped the list, “promise you will be careful.”
Thera nodded and Shazza slowly relinquished the list. The Feykin looked up to meet Kúskú’s gaze. His eyes flashed white for the briefest of seconds and then he waited. After a moment, he nodded and the duo began their trek towards Sauqe.
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I glanced at Shazza over the edge of the parchment as she passed in front of me again. If she didn’t stop pacing soon, she would wear a permanent path into the beach. I shook my head and looked over my shoulder-perched homunculus at Kitfox. He had taken to sitting in a spot beside me, but I could tell he was too tense to relax. His amber eyes barely blinked as he stared at Sauqe, looking for any sign that Thera was returning.
Truth be told, I was just as worried about Thera as Shazza and Kitfox. Instead of letting my fears eat at me, I focused my energies into the puzzle before me. Without out its distraction, I would have summoned my dragons and stormed the village in a mad rush to find the Feykin back when the first lanterns were lit to fend off the night.
Ignoring the festering worry of my comrades and the light snores of Visler, I started writing again. Thanks to Thera’s notes at the bottom of the page combined with my previous knowledge of the translation, I had been able to convert most of the riddle from the Ancient Runes. I had only twelve lines left now.
I chose to read the Kinös Elda aloud slowly in hopes of distracting Shazza and Kitfox. “Symbilla et Illa-Arnaxu sornipé; Ten Sutétim isila con strujaz ni ponet.”
Shazza froze mid-stride.
Kitfox’s gaze finally broke away from the village only to settle on me. “What did you just say?”
“‘Symbilla the Life-Bringer dreams; On Southern isle with golden streams.’” I smiled.
“Uh… ‘Southern isle?’” Kitfox quirked an eyebrow. “There are only about twenty or thirty of those.”
“Are you counting the Southern Stretch or just islands in the south?” Shazza crossed her arms as she muttered.
“Okay. Forty, then.”
“No.” I said quietly as I read the poem over to myself again. “I think ‘Southern isle’ is referring to an island that is actually a part of the Southern Stretch. Look at the capitalization of the runes.”
Kitfox shot me a peeved look. “I can’t read Kinös Elda in any form, Xy.”
Shazza snorted. “The entirety of the Southern Stretch is made up of freezing cold islands of ice that will be plagued by winter storms this time of year. How are we supposed to find a dragon in that?”
“I need a map.” I muttered.
“It’s a good thing I grabbed one then, isn’t it?”
I smiled at Thera’s voice and looked sidelong, over my shoulder, to see her walking up the beach. Her hair and eyes had been restored to their natural colors and her wings were once again visible. Several bags hung from her arms as she carried box
es of varying size. Several more floated in the air behind her, suspended by a spell. Kúskú was a step behind her, leaden with even more supplies. Kitfox was on his feet in a second, running to help relieve Thera of her burden. Once everything had been dropped on the beach, I told Thera the clue while I searched for the map she spoke of.
“Symbilla of Life is our ninth dragon, huh?” Thera said thoughtfully as she dug through a bag. A moment later, she produced the map she had procured. I thanked her as I unrolled it on the sand and pinned the corners with stones.
“I think you’re forgetting that that map isn’t the one from Dragon Diary. It won’t be bewitched to show you the places that we can’t see.” Shazza said as she started sorting the supplies.
“I’m not looking for something you can’t see.” I muttered as I studied the Southern Stretch depicted on the map.
“Then what are you looking for?”
“A memory.”
“Great idea.” Kúskú laughed. “She is trying to invoke a memory by staring at the map.”
I zoned the four of them out as Kúskú continued to explain. When I felt I had memorized every detail of the Southern Stretch depicted before me, I let my eyes close. I breathed slowly as I pictured the map in my mind. When I had the image firmly in my head, I ran my fingers over every line, tracing every inch of each island both mentally and physically.
A hand suddenly grasped mine, jarring me from the mental vision I had built. I opened my eyes to see Kitfox staring at me in complete surprise. He slowly lowered his gaze to my fingers. I looked down with him. He had pinned my hand over a blank spot on the map just south of Súkatam and my finger was still pointing to it.
“Unbelievable.” Shazza chuckled.
“Nicely done.” Thera quickly marked the spot with a circle of magic.
I looked at the faces of my teammates and smiled. “Symbilla, here we come!”
‘Why dragons?’, you may find yourself asking. The answer is simple. Look upon Khatahn-Rhii, for He was the inspiration. Diamond-hard scale armor, razor sharp fangs and talons, tail spades, elemental powers, flight, and immortality. Each dragon is an undefeatable army in and of themselves, and they can take down huge garrisons without breaking a sweat. ‘Why dragons?’ indeed.
– FROM “THE DIARY OF AGASEI” BY AGASEI DÉDOS
The next morning, we woke before the suns. Kitfox and Shazza packed the gear on Atoka and Wildfire while Thera and I disguised our presence with several layers of magic. I only hoped it was enough to keep us safe.
Once everything was packed up and ready to go, we mounted the two dragons in pairs and took off. We flew straight south from Sauqe for three days before we reached the southernmost tip of Katalania. There, we rested before setting out over the open ocean and facing the bitter cold that awaited us the moment we passed over the Southern Stretch.
As the small town of Hinaa flew by below us, it felt like we had entered another world. Everything was stark white and lifeless. The never-ending cold, made worse by flying into frost biting winds, seeped deep into bones. Despite the roaring fire and multiple cold wards, we shivered non-stop when we stopped to rest that night. Even the dragons and Visler were uncomfortable.
The temperature plummeted even lower the next day when we awoke to a dark gray sky. As we started the flight eastward, Atoka announced Atlidmé had risen into the world; winter was official. That left me feeling colder than I ever felt before. I sought solace and warmth in Kitfox’s loving embrace as he rode behind me in Atoka’s saddle.
Two more days passed in frigid misery before I spotted our destination. Symbilla’s island was a vision of white engulfed in fog borne from the warmer ocean. As the dragons circled in for a landing, the air grew just warm enough to finally bring an end to our constant shivering and clattering teeth. Visler squealed in delight and freed himself from the hood of my coat to fly circles with the dragons.
Atoka and Wildfire managed to find a clearing between the heavy trees big enough to land in. Kitfox laughed as he jumped down from his spot astride the Dragon of Winter. As he helped me down, I asked him what he found so amusing. “It’s Atoka’s Glacial Island all over again.”
Atoka snorted and dragged her claws over the ground. “Not quite.”
Kitfox and I looked at each other before peering over the dragon’s cerulean foot. Her scratch marks had peeled back several years of ice and snow, revealing a terrain never to seen anywhere else in the world; Pure gold.
“Oh!” Kitfox fell to his knees and kissed the aurulent ground before stuffing his pockets with every stone and leaf ingot he could find. Visler hovered over him, chittering excitedly.
“What is he up to?” Shazza called as she and Thera dismounted from Wildfire.
“Only what you would expect from a thief.” Wildfire laughed before belching fire onto ground.
“Opportunist.” Kitfox corrected. He flashed Shazza and Thera the gold nuggets he was now collecting from the spot cleared by Wildfire. They looked at me to as if telling me I should do something to stop them.
I shook my head in amusement. Deciding that taking some gold from the island wouldn’t hurt anything, I watched Kitfox for a moment more. Finally, I closed my eyes and devoted my attention to locating Symbilla.
I focused everything towards the inner pull of the four remaining dragons hidden throughout the world. Finding the closest one nearby, I turned in the direction it was leading and opened my eyes. Visler landed on my shoulder as I began the trek towards the Dragon of Life. Thera and Shazza quietly followed suit with Wildfire hot on their heels. Ignoring his protests about needing a little more gold, Atoka picked Kitfox up with her tail and bounded over the snow after us.
◆◆◆
We must have plodded through the snow for an hour before I called for a short break. While I rested weary limbs and dumped snow from my boots, Wildfire and Atoka kept Kitfox and Visler entertained. Both dragons removed huge piles of snow so the Fox Demon could gather more gold nuggets. Shazza and Thera watched them, occasionally poking fun.
Echoes of spectral laughter rang out through the forest like a bell. Our activities ceased in an instant and we all looked at each other in disbelief. Forgetting his desire for gold, Kitfox stood to his full height. His amber eyes observed our surroundings while his ears swiveled this way and that, trying to find the source of the laughter.
Visler hissed venomously before diving for my shoulder. I watched as his eyes danced over the surrounding forest as if he was following something.
Kitfox growled in frustration. “Whatever it is, it keeps moving. I can’t pinpoint it.”
“The echoes aren’t helping.” Muttered Shazza crossly.
“Is it Symbilla?”
My dragons and I all agreed that it was indeed not the Dragon of Life.
I stood and brushed the snow off before facing the surrounding woods. “Whoever you are, you are welcome to come and join us.”
More spectral laughter was the only response.
“Please, show yourself. We promise no harm will come to you for appearing before us.”
Frigid wind burst from the trees and whirled around us before culminating on a single point a few meters away. A beautiful woman materialized from the frosty air. Her skin was pale periwinkle and covered in skimpy lace formed from silver and ice. Beneath a silver crown, her ankle-length, white hair danced about her as if it had a life of its own. Fierce, crystal blue eyes stared at us.
“I don’t believe it.” Atoka was aghast. “She is a frost nymph.”
“You have to be kidding.” Thera whispered. “Why would a Daughter of Atlidmé be here?”
“Let’s find out.” I dared to take a few steps towards the nymph, watching closely for any signs of hostility while Visler coward in my coat hood. The nymph’s crystalline gaze followed my every move. “My name is Xyleena. It is a pleasure to meet you.”
The nymph did not move.
“Try Kinös Elda.” Offered Shazza.
I repeated myself in the
Ancient Language. The nymph continued to stare coldly at me. “Any other suggestions?”
“Yeah; how about we get away from her so we can find Symbilla?” The nymph’s gaze settled on Kitfox as he spoke. She slowly raised her arm until it was parallel with the ground. Her clawed index finger uncurled from her fist as she pointed at him. He growled in response as his hands instinctively found their way to the blade rings on his belt.
The spectral laugh from before echoed around us and the nymph vanished in a whirlwind of snow and ice. Kitfox did not relax his guard until everything was silent once again.
“What was that about?” Everyone looked at me for an answer.
“I can’t say for sure.” I reached into my hood to soothe Visler while I considered a few things. “Some of the readings in the Temple say frost nymphs precede Atlidmé during his task of collecting souls to ferry to Havel.” I caught the look of worry shared between Atoka and Wildfire. “The thing is, nymphs only appear over dying bodies and are supposed to be invisible to all who are still firmly in the living world. I have no idea why this one would appear before us and point at a perfectly healthy, living Demon.”
“That’s reassuring.” Kitfox muttered.
Thera laid a gentle hand on his shoulder. “Are you sure you’re feeling okay?”
“Why wouldn’t I be?” He shrugged. “Aside from being a little cold, I feel fine.”
“Maybe she was pointing at you because you’re stealing from the island.” Said Shazza. Kitfox pouted.
“We’ll discuss it later.” I said, shooting a look at my dragons. They nodded ever so slightly. “Right now, I want to find Symbilla and get out of here.”
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Culmination Page 18