“What fanatics?” Chyla asked from behind her cup.
“The Sigil use to be a well-respected authority in all of Vulthrodin. They built the library to house the Vulthrodin Chronicles and all other manner of storytelling or records of history through the lands. They built the sanctuaries for the immortal twenty and then without cause disappeared from their own stories. Only a few left to remain on the islands of Bardain have all turned to a sort of occult band with a hidden agenda.”
“They were the ones that attacked Tarna?” Chyla turned to Dominic with her question.
He nodded in response.
“Who are these Spiri then?” Chyla asked a follow up question.
“Not many know the true origins of the Spiri, but if the Furhdrae were calling you ‘Mother’, then your sister has become one of them. Their spirit leader and emissary to the Dragon Elders and the Immortal Realm. One thing I do know of the Spiri, is that only twins may become one through overpowering one of their warriors in combat. The Furhdrae chasing you have picked up her scent now that the barrier is down, realizing they have been following the wrong sister and will likely be hunting her instead.” R’nuuk looked down at his emptying cup with a curl of his lips on the side of the mouth.
“All the more reason for us not to delay, I can’t have another sister knocking on Necrolin’s door and lay about doing nothing. If you will not come with me now, then I will go alone.” Mya grabbed her bag from the floor and flipped it over her shoulder.
Dominic stood in a rush and reached for her wrist before she could pull on the door handle. Mya shot a deathly glare his way, stretching her fingers a part as little spirals of blue electrical energy engulfed her fingers. Bunching her fist tight into itself, the light from the jolts incased around her whole hand and she looked at the tall burly man holding her with an intent to kill.
“Do not stop me.” Mya’s anger sent a chill into Dominic.
“She has your same fire child; you will only do more harm if you were to go in the opposite direction now. You need to focus your anger toward where you are headed, things are more entwined than you think.” R’nuuk’s words made her relax slightly in the shoulders and she pulled her hand out of Dominic’s hold, letting the blue shock extinguish from her free hand.
Mya glared at Dominic before putting her bag back on the floor and walked over to where Kallis was sitting and sat down on the floor next to her legs with a tantrum filled huff. Kallis, not wanting to be close to her, shuffled to the side with little room as she could with the pile of books next to her.
“The seals being broken hold back more than just the Dragon Children in Low Realm and power the Chains. They have been the target of the Neightur for longer than I would like, and it seems they have found a way to shatter their connection quicker than anticipated.” R’nuuk paused and looked around the room. “There are Dragon Children that have been given their graces to mortals in High Realm, in hopes to keep a balance of power in the world. There are many of the immortals that do this, helps them keep in touch with what is happening. Mya, you and your sister know this power all too well, correct?”
Mya huffed her acknowledgement.
“Tyrolin, Child of War and Wrath has given the grace to you as a host before you were born and your sister was graced with Eirolin, Child of Healing and Vanity. Though you two are young in your connection, you will, over time, learn to speak with the Dragon Child and empower your abilities well beyond what they currently are.” R’nuuk spoke from his comfortable seat, trying not to fidget too much with his tea cup in hand.
“If Tharissa and I were so special to receive this so-called grace, then why was Gemini, my twin not also included?” Mya glared at R’nuuk. “And how do you know so much about all this?”
“There are more than the Dragons in this world that can perform a grace my dear.” R’nuuk gave her a sly look.
Silence filled the room.
“How many Dragon Children are in our world?” Chyla broke the silence with her soft curiosity.
“Five.” R’nuuk quickly answered.
“Who are the others that have been graced?” Chyla followed up.
“You have already met one of the older Children in Dampth; Erisolin, Child of Sorrow and Despair. She has been easily swayed in the grief, but it seems Latisha’s resolve is conflicting with the intention the Child carries. She has been trying to break you down for some time now hey Dominic.” R’nuuk gave a little chuckle while saying his name.
“It has been a long time, she will learn.” Dominic smirked slightly.
“That was the snake lady with the nice breasts right, the Lamia?” Chyla leaned around to face Dominic for the question.
Dominic nodded and gave her a sarcastic look.
Chyla turned back to R’nuuk who was in the middle of trying to get the rest of his drink from his cup. “And the other two?”
“Closer to home than you think my dear. Mr. Wick here has the eldest Dragon Child and the longest Grace held by a mortal so far. Chronolin, Child of Time and Sloth. And you Ms. Redlash.”
Chyla gave him a curious look.
“You have the youngest Grace from a Dragon Child. Minolin, Child of Pleasure and Lust.”
“What does that mean?” Chyla couldn’t hold the question in.
“That there is more to you than meets the eye.” R’nuuk gave her a wink, making her cross her arms and scowl at him. With a laugh, he continued.
“The seals were put in our world by Necrolin himself. They lock High Realm from the other realms and help negate any Immortal from taking true form here.” His fidgeting got more intense as he carried on.
“It was done shortly after the eight of them rampaged through Low Realm, feeding on their every desire, every urge until there was little left. The Dragon Children were locked in Low Realm by the seals until they were deemed worthy enough by the Elders to work through their depravity and engage with a mortal in High Realm, supporting them and gaining influence with their parents.”
“Each Child is vying for a seat at the Elder table in some way or another, giving you all pieces of their powers, to enhance you, to spread their influence in this world. One of the reasons why you tend to enjoy yourself a lot more than most and the people around you get so, interested.” R’nuuk cocked an eye Chyla with a smirk.
Chyla blushed. “But not recently.”
“There have been texts written in ancient languages that mention some of the Dragon Children have specific influence over the other Children. Tyrolin’s drive for war and carnage, the pleasure she takes with what goes on with it, affects Minolin’s urges for physical pleasure and feeds on the lust of battle, the pleasure of the bloodshed it gives. Having the princess close by satiates that urge, but sooner or later, that barricade may not hold and who knows what will happen.”
“So, we are basically gods then?” Mya stubbornly interjected.
“No, far from it my dear.” R’nuuk changed his gaze to answer her question.
“What about the other three?” Chyla drew his attention back.
“Adepholin, Child of Feast and Gluttony. Hubrolin, Child of Joy and Pride. Fafnolin, Child of Wealth and Greed. The three middle children who have not taken to the understanding that a coexistence with the mortal realm benefits not only them, but the full Twenty. With the seals breaking, the connection to feed our soul energy to Necrolin will no longer be and Low Realm will be open to us. Once the bridge is made, all manner of beast and being will be come from or to at will. The other children will be able to take true form here and run amok.” R’nuuk moved around with his arms flailing, getting more intense with his explanation.
“So Necrolin is not trying to flood the world with the dead and take over?” Mya’s tone lightened a little.
“That would be the initial thought for most, but no. The Elder would be trying to keep the seals, to hold their ill-tempered youth, to keep the balance between all the realms. The Neightur have been trying to find the seals and figure out the magic to br
eak them, bring their fanatic drive for the three to rule like they believe they should and gain more power lost behind the seals.”
“Who are they anyway?” Dominic asked before he came to sit on the side couch.
“Five mages of old, always the same four doing the bidding of the fifth but no one has ever seen the fifth. Maybe a story for another time, one with more time. You will all need to get rest, like Dominic said, in order to get through the forest, you will need your strength.” R’nuuk turned to Mya and sat back in his seat calmly. “Mya, try to understand that your sister will be safe. Her abilities as a Spiri may exceed your own as a mage someday.”
“Not going to mention the gifts?” Dominic asked as he leaned in to his cup on the table.
“Again, for another time. Unless you want to fill them in on the trip.” R’nuuk coughed in hopes to change the subject. “There is only one room upstairs, but it should be big enough for you all. I have put out blankets and pillows.”
Silence filled the room again as everyone finished their tea.
Moments passed before Mya sighed and stood, grabbed her backpack and exited up the stairs. Chyla watched her disappear step by step.
“Guess I’ll go too then.” Chyla placed her cup on a small empty spot on the table in front of her and stood. “Night.”
Kallis and Dominic watched as she disappeared up the stairs. Without a word, Dominic finally stood quietly with his cup and followed her.
Silence was welcomed into the room again, leaving Kallis alone with R’nuuk.
“Thank you.” Kallis quietly spoke as she stare at her cup on the table.
“No sense raising more questions.” R’nuuk sat calmly looking at her.
“I will have to tell them at some point Darling, the Iceclaws may give it away if I am not careful.” Kallis crossed her legs, making some of the buckles click against each other.
“You may need to protect yourself from the princess if it comes to it. The longer you are around her the quicker Tyrolin will start to realize.” R’nuuk took a sip from his empty cup and glared down at it after realizing it was still empty.
“Xen mentioned that he was having trouble with Sliver who is hiding out in Stone Giant Forest. If Xen knows, I doubt he will stay there long.” Kallis flicked at one of her buckles near her knee.
“Easier said than done, even for you my dear. Best let him be until you are ready, Xen will be safer once he is back in his keep and I have a feeling that the four of them will see you soon.”
“The fourth is still to reveal himself.” Kallis leaned forward as she spoke.
“He won’t stay in the shadow for long, they must be close to their goal.” R’nuuk nervously ground his teeth together.
“Is there enough time?” The look on Kallis’ face made R’nuuk worried.
Silence.
“That, I do not know.”
• • •
Gemini, Marthiel, and Mara were thrown to the ground by another burst from the Dragoon Spirit. It was trying everything it could to get to them up in the cave. All three had wedged themselves into the Third Watch cave that was much smaller than then the other Gemini had been in and managed to collapse a portion of the entrance before Ko-Rin’s spirit reached them.
“Where is that damn Narx?” Marthiel cried out.
“There has to be another way to kill it.” Gemini looked at both the other Spiri, hoping for an answer.
“This doesn’t typically happen, the armour is usually taken up by someone.” Mara said trying to hold herself up with the butt end of her scythe.
Screeching and attempts at a direct air wave from the Dragoon Spirit raged on outside the crumbled opening as it desperately tried to get itself through the openings in the stone. The odd burst rippled through the openings between boulders, catching the three Spiri and putting them off balance or knocking them over with the full blast being broken up.
“Where does this cave go?” Gemini asked, looking over her shoulder into the darkness behind them.
“I’m not sure, I have never actually been in this one.” Mara craned her neck around to consider the darkening tunnel behind them. “Likely just spit us out on the other side of the mesa near Dire.”
“Good enough for me, we need to distance ourselves before it figures out how to get through. I doubt the little Satyr will find us anytime soon. He looked a little busy down at the village.” Gemini stood and brushed off her back side.
“Let’s find some light and get moving.” Marthiel stood and kicked around at the edges of the cave while trying to keep her balance from the outside threat.
Shuffling around, the three armoured women searched for anything worthy of a torch and shortly ended with nothing as a prize. A portion of the entry shuffled and could be heard falling away from the pile, snapping their attention to the assailant who still raged on the other side. With a concerned look at each other, the three pushed into the darkness.
“These caves are usually littered with supplies, where is everything?” Mara verbalized her internal thought.
“Many of these caves were emptied long ago once we started to run out of supplies in the village.” Marthiel answered through the black.
Being far enough from the entry to the cave, there was no light to illuminate their way, no formations outlined in the dark. Gemini held her hand up in front of her face in hopes to see something but could only feel that her hand was there, it was as if her eyes were closed.
“Things are getting tighter up here, be careful.” Mara mentioned the obvious as she led them through the tunnel.
The torment of the Dragoon Spirit faded behind them and finally ceased, leaving them alone in the black. Sounds of their armour clicking under foot and weapons knocking into the tightening walls as they moved. Small outcroppings and crevices caught their wings in the depths which did not last long until a soft blue light could be seen expanding from a portion of the tunnel ahead.
“I have seen this before.” Gemini said a little louder in the excitement of seeing light. “There will be a chamber further up.”
Their pace quickened slightly even though Marthiel was supporting herself against the wall and limping herself along. With each step, the light got deeper, taking over the black with its warming glow. The tunnel curved slightly, constantly blocking their line of sight from the origin of the light.
“Have you been here before?” Mara’s called back as her pace sped up and put a bit of ground between her and the other two.
“It was the same when I first entered the valley near the grove of flowers.” Gemini answered.
Soft blue light engulfed them from the heart as they breached the small circular chamber. It was the same as the last one Gemini had been in, but the light was brighter and pulsed faster within the cage of roots. Gemini smiled to herself at the welcoming feeling the heart brought.
“Odd that this would be here.” Mara cocked her head in curiosity as she stare at the heart.
“What do you mean?” Marthiel asked.
“These are used as gateways by the residents of the Undergrowth. Allows them to see for a distance in any direction from the heart and can be used as a gateway to pass between locations.” Mara couldn’t keep her eyes off the pulsing heart.
“So, you can teleport with them?” Marthiel stepped closer to the center of the room out of curiosity.
“If you know how to you use them, yes.” Mara reached out to touch the roots cage.
“Do you know how to use it?” Gemini stepped beside her to draw her attention as she asked her question.
“If you asked me before I became a Spiri I could help. Unfortunately, that power has long since changed.” Mara sighed to herself.
“These hearts are all over Tulcarna, mostly in Traveler’s Trees.” Gemini said watching the pulsing blue.
“There are more than just in Tulcarna; all over Vulthrodin. The Narx and other watchers from the Undergrowth need them to support the Twenty and get from place to place under dire need. They do n
ot use them very much because it comes with a toll.” Mara withdrew her hand at looked at the other two with a concerned glare.
“What kind of a toll?” Marthiel questioned.
“Every use takes some of your life essence, shortening your existence. Even with a strong magical will, the toll will be taken.” Mara stepped back from the blue heart and look down the tunnel they came from. “We should keep moving, the Dragoon Spirit will still be trying to get through.”
Gemini and Marthiel took rank in behind Mara as she stepped around them towards the other entry to the chamber. With each hobbled step into the joining tunnel, the blue light faded in front of them until the ebony of the journey swallowed them once again. It was like the heart was mad at them for leaving and stole their vision.
“So, Spiri can’t use the hearts?” Gemini questioned in the dark.
“Your armour feeds too much on your energy for you to draw enough magic together to open a portal; it would tear you a part shortly after you started the conjuring it. Even the strongest mage, if became a Spiri, would not be able to.” Mara’s tone was more light hearted then before the heart. “One of the penances for taking on the strength of the Spiri armour.”
“I hear something.” Marthiel cut off Mara’s light chuckle with her words.
The three Spiri stopped in their tracks to listen to the dull humming. Sounds of running water with a clicking of what sounded like steel on steel could be faintly heard through the void.
“An underground stream may…” Mara was cut off again, this time by the sounds of an ignition behind them.
Eruption of blue fire filled the tunnel behind them illuminated everything as if it were midday. Seams of the rock formations around them grew in character and insects scattered with the larger rodent like creatures past their feet.
“Run!” Gemini turned to scream the order and pulled Marthiel along with her. Marthiel struggled with her leg but kept up, fighting through the pain.
The ever-growing fire behind them lit their path and slowly gained as they half sprinted through the tunnel. Making their way with the new found light, the sounds of the stream grew exponentially until it overpowered the roar of the flames behind them. Gemini looked over her shoulder to see the blue spiral through the tunnel from ceiling to flooring and filling in just back from the leading inferno.
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