by Bri Sailor
Descended:
Dragon’s Claws
By Bri Sailor
© 2017 B Sailor
All Rights Reserved
Prologue
The freshly fallen snow sparkled in the bright moonlight, outlining the sharp rock of the mountains against the midnight sky. Silence blanketed the peaks and valleys as the usually wild winds were eerily silent as if everything were frozen in time. A young man clad in heavy silver robes made his way up a thinly cut solitary road towards the summit of the largest peak. He was breathing hard and leaning heavily on his staff as the vapor of his breath hung in the air. His long, arduous months of traveling were finally over. The road eventually came to a dead end. The man paused a moment and searched the face of the dark rock in front of him. A small segment of smooth stone caught his eye, it bore a small ancient glyph that resembled a dragon. He smiled to himself and looked around. Even though he knew it impossible for someone to have followed him this far he still felt as if he were being followed. Satisfied that he was still alone, he turned back to the stone face. He raised a glowing hand and spoke in a low guttural voice.
“Rëvë’ äg!”
Part of the rock face shimmered and faded away to reveal a large mouth of a cave. The man quickly crossed over the threshold and the protective spell once again masked the opening as part of the mountain. Inside was extremely warm and humid. The man took off his heaviest robe and threw back his hood. In the thick blackness he could just make out a faint flickering light. He rubbed his hands together to help stimulate some warmth. With a flick of his wrist a small orb of light hovered in front of him and lit the way. He shook off the last of the cold and walked deeper into the cave. After a few minutes the tight tunnel gave way to a massive cavern that looked as if the entirety of the mountain had been hollowed out. The man flicked his wrist again and the orb of light disappeared. Large cauldrons of flames lit up the vast space. Five dragon carvings four times the size of a horse stood out in relief over a perfectly cut square opening opposite of where the man was standing. The darkness in the opening seemed to suck the very light out of the cavern. In the very center stood a large square platform made of solid bedrock. A group of ten priestly figures stood in a perfect circle on the platform. They wore pristine white robes trimmed in black silk. Their faces were covered by the large hoods of their robes. The young man made his way to them.
“Ih’öüvë rëtür’rëd, Drötkër.” Spoke a priest in a low, demonic whisper. “You’ve returned, Brother.”
The young man bowed deeply. “I have completed the task you set for me. The Seal has been corrupted. Its power harnessed to your own, High Priest.”
“Ih’öüvë dömë wëgg.” Rumbled the priest. “You’ve done well. I can feel the power being siphoned from the final source of the Vile One.”
“Ö’ür Görd wiigg dë k’gëäsëd.” Breathed a female priest.
“Her power shall be turned against her, and our Lord shall be resurrected. The Great One will bring about a new era. One that shall see us for the true powers of this realm.” Said the High Priest. “The Dragon will rise again.”
“T’kë Drägög wiigg riinë ägä’iir.” Chanted the other priests and young man in unison.
The High Priest waved his arm and a dagger appeared, floating, in the middle of the circle.
“Take the Sacrament, Drötkër. You have earned your place amongst us. As R’kiitë Kriiënt.”
Without hesitation the man reached for the dagger. He studied the curved, wickedly sharp blade. He gripped the pearl-white hilt and in one swift motion drove it through his heart. Life left his eyes and he dropped to the rock floor with a sickening thud. His silvery robes quickly turned crimson with his blood. A fierce wind blew through the cavern and blew out the flames, leaving only embers to light the chasm. The High Priest raised his arms and began chanting.
“Riinë!”
The other priests joined him. Their words echoing throughout the expanse of rock. The man’s body began to softly glow white. Slowly, a ghostly form slithered up from the body, it resembled the chanting priests. The chanting stopped. The ghost stepped down to the ground and took on a physical form. The young man was now wearing the same white robes with black trim that the rest of the priests were wearing.
“With the power of sacrifice, our newest Brother brings with him enough power to begin the ritual, to fulfill the prophecy.” Said the High Priest.
The newest initiate joined the circle. All of the priests stretched out their arms and began chanting once more.
“Iim’särrätë.”
“Iim’särrätë.”
“Iim’särrätë.”
“Iim’särrätë.”
In the center of the circle appeared a round pedestal. On top of it was a tooth larger than a man’s head. Around the pedestal a strange glow emanated from the ground and creeped its way up to the tooth. With each chant the light brightened. With each chant the ground quaked in fear.
Chapter 1
Feathers floated and danced in the air as they fell like snow. Another pillow met the same fate. The princess was done with being cooped up in the palace. Lately, the white-gray marble walls of her enormous room felt like a shrinking prison. The glowing orange of the rising sun streamed warm beams of light into her quarters. White lace curtains waved in the salty breeze and the sky-blue silk sashes that hung from the bed frame danced around mahogany posts. Dark blue banners with silver threaded dragons cascaded from the high vaulted ceiling and fluttered in the breeze. Large glass doors opened to a sprawling balcony that overlooked the sparkling blue sea hundreds of feet below. The white marble of the imprisoning palace stood out like a beacon against the blue-green waters and sandy stone of the cliffs, beckoning ships to the harbor below. The magnificent building had been cut into the cliff itself, rising up like a mountain with tall towers and bright blue domes matching the sky. In the center of the palace was a rectangular open-air garden filled with brightly colored flowers and green plants. A large fountain in the middle contained a statue of a dragon carved from lapis lazuli with its wings outstretched as if it were going to take flight. A blanket of green surrounded the palace. The outer garden was a veritable lush forest of trees that towered over a hundred feet tall. Beds of fragrant flowers dotted the perfectly manicured landscape. Encircling the garden was a large protective wall that separated the palace from the rest of the city that lay before it. Lynica was already bustling with activity. The people scurried amongst the roadways and alleyways of the gray stone buildings. Dark blue and light blue banners hung from various rooftops. Surrounding the city was a massive granite wall that protected the capital from the dangers of the outside world.
The tall athletic girl paced furiously in her bedroom, her long wavy chestnut hair with a solitary white streak flying madly about her, sapphire blue eyes were burning with anger. The early spring sun streaming into the room painted a bright outline around her already tanned body, giving her an ethereal glow. She wore brown trousers and a linen tunic that showed off her arms and brown leather boots, her footsteps fell heavy and determined. A volatile mix of angst and anger rumbled in her stomach and burned in her veins.
“…always telling me what to do…” she mumbled to herself.
The pressure was building inside, all of her pent up energies coming to a head. She clenched her fists until her knuckles were white and her nails threatened to draw blood. In a fit she picked up another pillow from her lounge and threw it across the room with impressive force. The sound of it hitting the wall echoed in the large expanse of marble as its seams burst and more feathers exploded everywhere. Her eyes flashed a faint blue glow.
“‘You can’t train with your brother, Atreyis. Taryn can train because she’s strong enough, but you must
be careful, Atreyis. You were born into responsibility, Atreyis, you are a princess first and foremost.’” She wrinkled her nose as she mocked her parents’ stern reprimands. “Do this, Atreyis, not that. You have a duty to your people and your birthright.”
Her whole body felt too hot and her skin felt too tight. In a flash she ripped off her shirt and slammed it on the floor. She dropped to the cold stone floor in a huff and pulled off her boots and threw them across the room. Jumping up, she stumbled taking off her pants. Sweat was beading on her forehead and she was breathing hard.
The cool breeze stirred her hair and blew away some of the heat radiating from her body. The weather had finally started to turn warm enough to warrant a swim. Putting her hands on her hips she looked down the length of her body and stared at her feet. Her newly earned muscles were finally starting to gain definition. Even with only an undergarment wrap around her chest and underwear on she was still too hot. She stormed over to her bed and laid down on the floor and reached underneath, pulling out a long rope. Her heart thudded out of her chest as she stomped out to the balcony and readied her rope. Twenty feet above her was the lower roof of the palace. She fixed her eyes on the parapet and threw a loop of rope over it. The thick rope wrapped around the gray stone and she pulled it taut. With the rope secured she began climbing up to the roof. Ever since she was a child she had been a tremendous climber, but only recently over the last few years had she developed the strength to the point of it becoming nearly effortless. With ease she pulled herself onto the roof, stopping only a moment to look around at the waking city that spread out behind her. A scream of rage lodged itself in her throat. She let out a breath, not even realizing she was holding it. The sudden urge to allow herself to expand overcame her as she attempted to destroy the proverbial box that everyone seemed to want to compress her into; she just wanted to explode.
Gulls screeched and circled overhead. Aching deep in her bones was the familiar longing to fly. She took a deep, cleansing breath and raced across the roof of the palace to the far corner opposite her balcony. Waiting for her, behind one of the smaller blue-tiled domes was an impossibly long rope similar to the one she had stashed in her room. She hefted the mass onto her shoulder and walked carefully to the edge of the roof. From this point she was back on the same level as her balcony that was still easily three hundred feet above the beautiful blue waters below. She looked back and checked that the rope was still anchored securely around the dome before heaving the tangled mass off the roof.
The rope stretched the entire height of the palace, stopping just above the cliff below. She began to climb down the rope. The salty sea breeze cooled off her hot skin. Her muscles burned by the time she reached the end of the rope. She dropped the final few feet down onto the small remainder of cliff ledge that the palace was perched atop. Waves crashed rhythmically upon the rocks below. The princess walked a little ways across the ledge until she reached the familiar spot. A small area devoid of rocks waited below. She backed up a few feet until she felt the cold stone of the palace behind her. Taking a deep breath, she sprinted to the edge of the cliff and dove gracefully fifty feet down into the crystal clear blue waters. The moment she broke the surface the whole world faded away and nothing remained but the gently rolling waves and the serene tranquility of solitude that enveloped her entire being. The raging fire inside was quelled for the first time in weeks. She stared up at the fluffy clouds refusing to let any thoughts in. Years seemed to go by as she floated in the warm waters. Occasionally she would get the urge and would dive deep and swim around the coral and chase fish. The underwater oasis transported her back to her childhood. A time when things were easier. A time when life was so much simpler, when everything was black and white and not a muddy, confusing mess of gray.
As she bobbed in the water a sudden melancholy washed over her and began to weigh her down. Sighing, she swam back to the rocky cliff braving the crashing waves. Using the waves to propel her she stretched to reach for the same hand-hold as she had a hundred times before and began her careful ascent up the slippery rock. When she reached the ledge she sat down and caught her breath. Every fiber of her being yearned that she could just jump off the ledge and fly away. The princess wrung the sea water out of her long brown hair. She stood up and looked at the rope. With a running start she leapt up and grabbed it. She pulled herself up and planted her feet on the stone and began walking up the side of the palace. By the time she reached the roof she collapsed in a sweaty mess, her chest heaving with every breath and all of her muscles were burning.
After a few minutes she got up and ran back across the roof to where her quarters were. She took the rope off of the parapet and dropped it to the balcony. Hanging on to the parapet she hung off of the roof. Carefully, she reached down to the small ledge below her and lowered herself to a safer distance before dropping the rest of the way to the balcony.
“Bit late for snow isn’t it?”
Atreyis nearly fell over at the sudden deep voice. Her brother towered over her, barely hiding a cockeyed grin behind a feeble attempt to appear stern. The princess arched an eyebrow as she stood. The prince looked over his shoulder at the layer of white feathers that covered almost the entirety of the floor in her quarters. Atreyis shrugged and grabbed her rope and walked past him. The prince’s sapphire blue eyes sparkled.
“You know mother and father would have your head if they knew about your ‘swimming’.”
The princess whirled around and chucked a pillow straight for his head. The prince let out a yelp and caught the downy projectile and threw it back at her. At six feet tall he had a couple of inches on his twin sister. His chestnut curls tied back with a thin leather strap. His tan skin showed off his impressive muscular frame and was highlighted by a blue tunic with gray pants and black leather boots. A silver royal sash was wrapped around his waist.
“So what is it this time?” he asked.
The princess rolled her eyes. “The same as it always is.”
Ehren threw his hands up in the air. “Oh, come on, Atreyis. It’s not that bad. Mother and father are just looking out for you. All they ask is that you are present for the banquet. For Goddess’ sake they are trying to help you find someone that is worthy of marrying you. I still don’t understand what happened between you and Gerald. Three years together and even planning the wedding. You two seemed so in love.”
Atreyis chewed her lip and crossed her arms. She had refused to talk to anyone about what had happened between the two of them. “That’s exactly right. We ‘seemed’ in love. We were I won’t deny that…but…I don’t want to talk about it. He broke my heart. That’s all. And I would appreciate it if everyone would just leave me alone. I wish mother and father would just quit.”
The prince grabbed his sister’s shoulders and looked her square in the eyes. “Look, I know that you haven’t seen eye to eye with them as of late, but you could at least try and be grateful for their efforts?”
The girl was incredulous. “Efforts? What efforts?”
The prince gripped her shoulders harder. “Have they not let you alone? Have they not let you train with the guards and have your fun? Our people need to know that you are capable of being a leader. That you can rule. That you are strong. What better way to show your judgment than by choosing someone that will stand by your side and that will help lead our people?”
“I am strong! I am capable! They just refuse to see that it’s not what I want!” she shrugged him off.
He threw up his hands. “They just want what’s best for you.”
Atreyis shook her head, she could feel the tears stinging her eyes. “What’s best for me? What’s best for me? All I ever hear is ‘Atreyis, do this, not that.’ ‘Atreyis, be here, but don’t go there.’ ‘Atreyis, you have responsibilities.’ It’s like they think I don’t have a brain and I’m not capable of making my own decisions.”
“Are you serious?” Ehren couldn’t believe her absurd rambling. “You do realize that you actual
ly have duties that you were born into. That you must fulfill in order to help lead your people. You don’t just get to walk away from that because ‘it’s not what you want’. We don’t get that luxury.”
The lone white streak of hair fell in her eyes. She angrily tried to blow it out of the way and forced the tears to stop. “I know, I know. I want to make a difference, really, but just not the way that they want me to. It’s just that…pushing me like they do, parading me around the court…maybe I don’t want to rule. Ever consider that? Did anyone ever stop to think that maybe I want to do something more than just sit at your right hand and help you run things? I don’t like having my life decided for me! You don’t understand, Ehren. Ever since we were children you’ve had such grandiose visions of leading our people.”
“I wouldn’t say that.” Ehren defended.
Atreyis threw the rope under her bed and dropped to her lounge, exasperated, and held her head in her hands, rubbing her temples.
“Goddess, Ehren, sometimes you can be so obtuse. You can’t tell me that you don’t believe that it is your destiny to end this war. You’ve declared it on more than one occasion.”
Her heart was racing and she felt the ever-familiar sense of doom. Her chest tightened and it felt hard to breathe.
Ehren sighed and sat down, gently putting an arm around her. “In my defense, the last time I made such a claim, that I can remember, was quite a few years ago. Adolescent fantasies.”
Atreyis just grunted in response. Ehren didn’t know what to do. Unlike his parents, he had seen the trends in his sister’s life and figured sooner or later problems would arise. He had diligently prayed to the Goddess that Atreyis would get some sense and grow up, but to no avail. To add to it all, over the last couple of months his sister had grown more despondent and reclusive. She smiled less and less and would hole up in her chambers, reading tales of mighty warriors and distant lands. Her two best friends weren’t around as much as they used to be, which didn’t help. Taryn was being trained alongside her mother to become the future captain of the palace guard. And Cora was now the High Priestess at the Temple of the Dragons that lay at the edge of the kingdom. He was his sister’s only companion anymore and he began to fear for her well-being. Anymore it was like he didn’t even recognize her. Suddenly, Atreyis jumped up nearly knocking him over.