Dragon's Claws

by Bri Sailor

  “Here, drink.” She said softly, her voice low and gravelly. “There are herbs in it that will help with the pain.”

  Atreyis cautiously took a drink, never taking her eyes off the stranger. Gray eyes pinned the princess down with their intensity. The warm tea was a welcome relief to her still parched throat and she began to calm down and relax. The angel went back to her task of cleaning up the wounds with a careful, experienced hand.

  “Thank you.” Atreyis’ voice cracked.

  The girl simply nodded in return. She finished her task and started to leave.

  “Wait!” exclaimed the princess as she tried to sit up and promptly fell back on the bed with a yelp of pain. The girl rushed to her side and spoke in a low voice.

  “What are you doing?” She chided calmly. “You need to rest.”

  Atreyis narrowed her eyes at the girl. “I’m not a child, I am fully aware of my condition. However, I am lacking in the details as to how I got here and who you are.”

  The blonde stood up, a hint of frustration in her eyes. She was about to speak when Cora stepped into the room and answered for her.

  “You are back at the temple. You were attacked and Ky saved you.” The priestess gestured to the blonde angel. “You should be thanking her. You could have died! What were you thinking, Atreyis? I let you go with the intention that you would get some clarity and come home. Not…the king will…”

  Ky’s ears perked up at the mention of the king. The priestess’ cool exterior shattered and she hugged her friend close, tears welling up in her eyes. Atreyis winced at the sudden onslaught of pain and a wave of nausea hit her, but she pushed it down as tears filled her eyes and she returned the hug with equal fervor. The statuesque blonde watched the tearful reunion with some apprehension, crying people made her feel uncomfortable. It wasn’t that she was insensitive, she just didn’t know how to act and it tended to come off as indifferent. She was just about to leave when Cora stopped her.

  “Please, don’t go.” Cora stood up and grabbed Ky’s hands. “I’ll leave you two to talk. She needs to know what happened.”

  Cora squeezed the blonde’s hands and left the room. Ky stood awkwardly by the door. Atreyis made some room on the small bed and motioned for her to sit down.

  “So you saved me, huh?” said the princess.

  The gray-eyed girl sat down and stared at the floor. “Yes. You were severely outnumbered and had I not intervened you would be dead. I brought you here and your priestess healed you. Simple as that.”

  Atreyis looked questioningly at the warrior. She did not remember any such events, surely no one could forget someone like Ky.

  “The only thing I remember is this rather large and petulant man, I think I may have fought him…and then…well…that’s it. But I know I would definitely remember you.”

  The blonde gave her a weird look. Atreyis sat up higher in bed with a wince, she was suddenly feeling defensive.

  “How am I to know that you weren’t one of the attackers?” she asked pointedly.

  Ky snorted in offence. “If I was your attacker, then why did I bring you here? Why did I save you and not just leave you for dead? ”

  Both of the girls crossed their arms and stared each other down. The warrior’s logic did make sense though. Ky stood up to leave.

  “You’re welcome by the way.” She said over her shoulder and walked out the door.

  The princess blinked at the doorway and huffed.

  “Rude.”

  Atreyis didn’t see Ky for the rest of the day and assumed that she went back to wherever it was she came from. It was late afternoon by the time Cora came back to check on her wounds. She brought her something to eat and a large pitcher of water.

  “How are you feeling?” asked the priestess.

  “Better.” Atreyis smiled weakly. “I just wish that I hadn’t tried to be something that I, obviously, am not.”

  A pensive Cora sat on the bed.

  “That’s my fault.” She avoided eye contact. “I shouldn’t have let you go like I did. I was convinced that the Goddess wanted you to go, but to tell the truth, I wasn’t completely sure. It was poor judgment on my part. I see now how foolish and naïve I was.”

  Ignoring the pain, the princess hugged the distraught girl tightly, burying her face in her sandy hair. “No you weren’t. You were just obeying your instincts. Maybe this was supposed to happen, maybe it wasn’t. What matters is that I’m fine now and that you don’t beat yourself up over it. You weren’t the one who stupidly ran headlong into a dozen swords.”

  They broke their hug but Cora held onto the princess’ hands. Blue-green eyes studied sapphire blue eyes. “You should know that your brother was very upset with me for letting you go, and you for leaving. I tried to stop him from going after you, but instead he left for the palace immediately. But the moment that you returned I sent a messenger saying that you were back and that you are alright.”

  Atreyis just sat wide-eyed and staring. She had totally forgot about her brother and her parents. Her mind was reeling. Her father would send the entire army after her if he knew what had happened. There was also a distinct probability that she would be locked away and never be allowed a moment’s peace away from the ever-watchful eyes of her personal bodyguards.

  “Atreyis?” Cora was worried that her friend hadn’t responded for some time.

  The princess finally blinked. “I need to leave. Now. I need to get back before I somehow make things worse.”

  She tried to get up but Cora wouldn’t let her.

  “No! You need to rest. I told you I already sent word that you are fine. Out of respect, I left out the part about the attack, but you will have to tell them eventually. You can’t hide those wounds for forever. Now, please sit back and rest. I may have expedited the healing process but too much movement this soon could cause your stitches to burst.”

  The princess threw herself back on the bed. “Fine. I will stay. It’s not like I have much of a choice it seems.”

  Cora smiled and stood to leave.

  “Wait!” exclaimed the princess. “Who was that Ky person? Is she still here?”

  Cora scrunched her face in thought. “I’m not exactly sure who she is, to be honest I never really stopped to ask. She brought you here and said that you had been attacked and I was inclined to believe her. At the time she was covered in blood and you were unconscious and bleeding. The only thing that mattered at that moment was taking care of you. But yes, she is still here.”

  Atreyis nodded. “Do you think she would speak with me again? We didn’t exactly start off on the right foot and I would like to know more about what happened…and who she is.”

  The priestess was cautious. “Maybe I should speak with her first. For now I think it would be best for you to rest. There will be time to talk later.”

  Atreyis reluctantly conceded. With all her aches and pains she knew she wasn’t going to get anywhere. “Fine. But if she tries to leave, stop her. I want to know every detail.”

  “Yes. Yes. We shall find out soon.” Cora nodded and left her to rest. The princess lay awake for a while trying to remember what happened. Pieces were coming back but she still wasn’t sure. Before long she was deep asleep and dreaming that she had wings and was flying through the clouds.

  It was sunset when she awoke. The wounds on her stomach and thigh weren’t hurting too bad now. Daring to stand, she cautiously stood up gripping the bedpost for support. Her thigh burned and she could feel all of her stitches pulling and tugging. Sucking in a painful breath, she gingerly took a step forward, her leg threatening to give out. But she was determined to get back on her feet she pushed through the pain. She put on the temple robes and barefoot and limping, wandered outside into the garden.

  Sweet fragrances and brilliant colors greeted her as she entered the temple’s floral sanctuary. It was a veritable rainbow of tulips and roses and lilies and more. A small mountain spring followed along a snaking stone path to the center of the garde
n. It ended in a small pond surrounded by blossoming trees and large green weeping willows. At the water’s edge sat the large pagoda that was used by the priests for meditation.

  The princess stopped. There was someone meditating there already, someone with blue silk robes and long blonde hair that flowed to their waist. It was Ky. Atreyis quickened her pace. She tried her best to sneak up on the girl.

  “I see you are feeling better.” Ky said softly.

  Her eyes were still closed. The princess had easily given herself away with her unsteady gait. Atreyis narrowed her eyes and climbed the last few steps into the pagoda. She fluffed up one of the large overstuffed pillows and carefully lowered herself.

  “So—” she started.

  “Shh.” Ky hushed her and resumed her meditation.

  The princess huffed. Who did this girl think she is? Ky remained completely still, her rhythmic breathing slow and deep. Atreyis leaned forward and waved an arm in front of her face. Nothing. She gave up and decided that it wouldn’t hurt to just try and relax, maybe try to empty her mind as well. After a few minutes of unsuccessful attempts she gave up. Her mind wouldn’t stop trying to remember what happened in the forest. The restless brunette looked the blonde over. Her skin was tanned and her hair almost bleached white from the sun. She had an air of strength about her. There was more to this girl than meets the eye the princess figured. Wandering sapphire blue eyes were suddenly met with patient gray ones. Atreyis’ face turned a deep shade of red; she had been caught and from the look on her face, Ky was thoroughly entertained.

  “So what do you want to know? That’s obviously what you interrupted me for isn’t it?” she said smugly.

  Atreyis shot her a look of indignation. “For your information I had no idea you were even out here. For all I knew you could have left.”

  Blue and gray stared at each other. Atreyis shivered, the hairs raising on her arms and neck.

  “What do you want to know?” Ky asked again.

  The princess straightened her back. “Who are you?”

  “My name is Ky—”

  “Yes, yes, that’s already been established. Where are you from? What happened that night?”

  Ky rolled her eyes and sighed. She had spent the better part of her time meditating trying to formulate a new plan. This was her chance.

  “I’m from the Khenná kingdom. Formerly of, actually. And as to what happened that night—”

  “Whoa!” Atreyis held up her hands. “Khenná? How come you are all the way out here? What are you doing here? Are you a spy? You were one of the attack—”

  The thoroughly spooked princess moved to stand. Ky grabbed her by the robe and pulled her back down.

  “Calm down! I’m not a spy. I’m of no threat to you. And no, once again, I was not one of your attackers. How many times do I have to tell you that? If you would just let me finish.” Her patience was growing thin.

  Atreyis hesitated. The Khenná were the mortal enemies of the Aznurro. All her life she had been taught to fear them and despise them. But then again, Ky seemed genuine, and after all, she did want to hear what she had to say. The princess sighed loudly and obliged the girl.

  “Thank you.” Ky straightened herself. “I am out here because I am on the run if you must know. The Black Army has a bounty on my head. It might sound crazy, but I figured the closer I was to my former enemy the safer I would be.”

  The princess arched an eyebrow and blew the rogue section of white hair out of her face. “Why are you running?”

  Ky leveled a look at her. “I will tell you on one condition. Please let me tell the whole story, then you can run away if you like.”

  Atreyis nodded cautiously.

  “I used to be a soldier of the Black Army and had been since I was fifteen. I thought that my years spent in service meant I had a certain amount of trust with the officers. But I was wrong. I was recently part of a mission that was discovered by the enemy, well, your army I should say. We were ambushed and nearly half of our forces were slaughtered. There were talks of treason in the ranks. Somehow my name was thrown into the mix. But I tell you here and now that I had no such dealings. However, shortly after my name came up, the king himself ordered my head. So I did the only thing I could think of, I ran. Or, rather, tried to. They caught me before I could make it outside the capital and I was immediately thrown in prison. I’ll spare your innocent mind the gory details of my escape, but suffice it to say that I made it out. And I haven’t stopped running since.”

  The princess’ eyes bugged out of her head and her jaw dropped, there was no way she was telling the truth. It was just too spectacular to believe.

  “Wait. A soldier? But you don’t even look—”

  Ky grinned impishly. “I get that a lot. Only twenty and yet such a career record.”

  Atreyis was speechless. She just sat and stared. There was no way that this girl was as old as she was.

  Ky sighed. “Anyways…that’s when I met you. I want to atone for my past misdeeds. I was on my way to try and seek an audience with the king when I heard your fight. I ran towards the screaming and saw you fighting a man nearly twice your size.”

  The princess shivered as images replayed in her mind.

  “I found it rather intriguing to see someone such as yourself wielding a sword in that manner, so I stayed hidden. I was impressed that you held your own for so long. But what really caught my eye is when yours began to glow, and so brightly I might add. That is something rare to see outside of a military setting…or a royal court.”

  The princess turned red and her heart began pounding in her ears. She didn’t know this girl enough for her to know that she was a princess.

  “Naturally, being military myself, there was no way I was going to leave at this point. You killed your opponent with ease. But then you passed out. That’s when I intervened and killed the remaining men, and then brought you here.”

  “Umm…I…uh…wow…”

  The princess ran her hands through her hair.

  “I’m not sure how to process all of this. All that you have done, all that you have been through…the forest…it’s a little overwhelming.”

  She stood up awkwardly. “I need a minute.”

  She briskly limped back through the garden and into the temple leaving Ky behind. The Black Army? If she were recognized as royalty would Ky use her for ransom? Or would she use her for some other nefarious plot? She was the enemy after all, wasn’t she? Atreyis needed to find Cora. The main chamber of the temple was devoid of anyone, the entire place was fairly empty as well as the priestess’ room. The princess eventually made her way to the temple archives, where rows and rows of books and scrolls lined the walls. A fine dust floated in the air and the setting sun filtered in through the large windows. The small priestess was sitting at a table with a large scroll spread out in front of her and was studying it intently. She didn’t even see the princess come in. Her brow was furrowed and her eyes were a mix of fear and concern.

  #

  Cora had left the princess to get some rest. She had intended to speak with Ky but something was nagging in the back of her mind, telling her to go to the temple archives. The archives were a massive library of historical and other ancient texts. Large bookcases and shelves housed hundreds of scrolls and books. The scent of dust, leather, and old paper hung in the musty air. Bright sunlight streamed through the large windows. Cora took a deep breath, she loved coming here. As she walked through the rows of bookcases she traced her fingers over the worn spines of the books and the fragile paper of the scrolls. She waited for something to stand out, something to grab her interest. After a few minutes she found herself in the doorway leading to a small room that had no windows. The books and scrolls here were housed individually in glass cases. They were far fewer in number compared to the rest of the library, twelve in total. A chill went down her spine. These tomes were of a more sinister nature. They contained prophecies, spells, and rituals of the now eradicated White Priesthood.
They were the most sinister collection of priests that the world had ever known. They swore an alliance to the White Dragon and attempted to release the Ever Dark on the realm of men a hundred times over. Over hundreds of years each of the kingdoms had sought out every last sect and faction and exterminated them once and for all.

  A particular book caught the priestess’ eye. It was covered in black alligator skin reminiscent of dragon skin. It sat quietly in its own case off to the side. Cora slowly walked towards it another shiver ran down her spine as the book gave off an evil energy. With a shaky hand she opened the case and retrieved the book. She shook herself in an attempt to ward off the foreboding sense surrounding the book and found an empty table and sat down. She took a deep breath and opened to the first page. The ugly runes of the Äxörg, or Ever Dark, it assaulted her eyes. The language of the demons; even after years of training and learning the language it never failed to still give her the chills and repulse her. She cleared her throat and began reading. Most of the contents were incantations or spells of necromancy and demonology. Towards the end she stopped dead in her tracks. The writing was much older than the rest of the book. She grabbed a piece of parchment and pen and began translating what she could.

  “Dear Goddess…” she mumbled under her breath as she stared at what was written before her. It was a highly detailed ritual for harnessing the soul or power of a demon and using it to prolong one’s life force. She continued through the pages. It seemed that there was something else about creating an actual lifeform from pure spirit energy. Her eyes widened in horror.

  “I hope that the messenger you sent keeps my father at bay.” Atreyis broke the silence.

  Cora jumped at the sudden intrusion.

  “Dear Goddess!” she clasped a hand over her heart, it felt like it was going to thump right out of her chest. “Don’t ever do that!”

  The princess arched an eyebrow. “Sorry? What are you reading?”