Emerald Wars (The Dream Traveler Book 3)

by Nicole Knight

  The vampire who had been trying to steal Violet let out a growl of frustration. Then he moved to try to assist his friend with our fight. He was too late because I found my opening. While the vampire was distracted by his friend's growl, I slid the blade of my sword across his neck, taking his head clean off. It felt much like trying to cut through Stone. My blade vibrated from the impact, almost forcing the sword from my hand. I held on tight knowing that was my only protection from the other vampire. He let out another growl when he saw me take off his friend's head. He charged in my direction with no real skill, just rage.

  He lunged for me, paying no attention to where my blade was positioned. It impaled him through his stomach. The force of his charge knocked me off my feet. I landed on my back with him speared on my sword on top of me. I could feel a black sticky substance dripping from the blade onto my hand. The smell was enough to make me gag. It smelled like rotting flesh.

  After a moment I had caught my breath and pushed him off of me. I stood up and pulled my blade from his body. I used a piece of his shirt to wipe off the blade and my hand. Then I turned around and focused my attention on Violet. She was still lying unconscious on the ground, aside from a lump on her head she seemed unharmed.

  I placed a hand on her shoulder and gently tried to nudge her awake. Her eyes opened but they were purple. She was in a vision, and there was nothing for me to do other than wait it out. I wouldn’t be able to carry her or walk very far with my ankle. I could feel it swelling up in the boot that Trin had custom designed for me.

  I sat down on the ground next to Violet, and I grabbed her hand. I instantly felt panic rise up in me. It wasn’t my panic though, it was hers. Whatever was happening in her vision was not good. I tried to run through what could possibly be happening. Was Trin or Thomas hurt? What about our families hiding out in the villages? What about her Mother back on Earth? There were too many options to worry about, and I needed to be calm when she woke up, because I had a feeling she wouldn't be.

  Suddenly Violet sat straight up, breathing heavily. I could tell it took her a moment to notice me sitting there holding her hand. When she did her eyes were large.

  “They’ve got him,” she said breathless, like she had just run miles and miles.

  “Who?” I asked, starting to feel panic that was my own.

  “My father, Kennan’s family has him. He’s being tortured,” she said. I felt the air exhale from my lungs loudly, and I had a hard time filling them again.

  “We have to help him!” she said, tears filling her eyes.

  “I agree, but what can we do from here?” I asked.

  If she had a plan, I was down for it, but I couldn’t teleport. If she could, it was something we hadn’t discovered yet, so it was out of the cards.

  “I don’t know,” she said, as her head dropped.

  “Let’s go get the help of the dragons, and then we will make our way back to the boat and launch a rescue mission from there,” I said.

  It was the only thing we could do. He wouldn’t want us to give up on his behalf when we had come so far. He would have advised Violet to do the same thing if he had the ability.

  One stray tear found its way free from her eye. It left a trail through the thin layer of dirt on Violet’s face before she wiped it away. She might not have been raised by her father, and she might pretend that didn’t bother her, but I could see that she still wanted him around. This news was very upsetting to her, because everything she had hoped for could be taken away. While there wasn’t much I could do in battle that Violet couldn’t, I could become inconspicuous. That’s something she wouldn’t ever be able to do as Queen. When it came time to exchange blows on the battlefield, I would sneak away and get her father.

  “Let’s go,” she said, putting on her brave face.

  She was so strong and she didn't even know it.

  I had honestly forgotten about my ankle with Violet’s news, but as soon as I tried to stand I crumbled. She gave me a questioning look.

  “My ankle, the vampires don't play fairly,” I told her. Then I could see it all come back to her.

  She looked around at the dead vampires lying on the ground near us, the black sticky substance still leaking from their bodies. The substance stunk up the clearing.

  “I’ll take care of this,” she said, motioning to my ankle. “Then we will get to those dragons.”

  I nodded, and she gently grabbed my ankle. This brought me back to a moment of deja vu, as Violet calls it. Her ankle had needed to be healed by a healer after she rescued a baby in a house fire.

  I felt heat in my ankle which grew in intensity. It became a burning heat that was almost too much to take, and then it began to dull. Then I felt a burst of cold before Violet removed her hand from my ankle.

  “There, you should be able to bear weight on it now. Stretch it out, and then try standing,” she told me.

  I did as she said, rolling my ankle around to stretch it out before she helped me stand. When I put weight on my ankle it was sore, but it was tolerable.

  “Hopefully we don’t have to do any running, but if we do, it shouldn’t give out on you.”

  “Thank you,” I told her, grabbing her hand and giving her a quick kiss. She smiled back at me.

  “Anytime.”

  We began walking towards the home of the dragons again. By my calculations we shouldn’t be too far from it. They were already likely aware of our presence. The elder dragons were incredibly wise and intelligent creatures. They too had magic, and they used it to protect their homes and themselves. They were once actively hunted by those who didn’t understand them. If they agreed not to harm us, I’d like to see them be protected by Violet.

  After walking a while further I could feel the shift in magic as we crossed the boundary from Morthshadow to Hydra. It was like walking into a wet blanket, the sticky type of magic just laid on your skin. Violet shot me a look that seemed to be asking if I felt the shift. I nodded in response.

  Just ahead, on the edge of the border between Hydra and Morthshadow was a large cave that was carved out of a small mountain. Around it was a visible swirling magic. It was grey, almost to disguise itself as smoke. Now that I had discovered my magic, I could see it for what it really was.

  “Are you ready?” I asked her.

  This was going to be up to her. Her newfound ability to speak with animals would come in handy once again, and I would be the silent bystander. If it wasn’t for fighting off the vampires I would have felt useless in our journey so far. I would have to get used to this. Like Violet said before, she’s the one in the prophecy and she has to play her part. I couldn’t step in and do that for her. I respect her and magic enough to understand; I am the supporting role, and I would have to do that proudly.

  She nodded, and straightened her shoulders. She tilted her chin up, finger combed her hair, and brushed off her clothes. While she was still dirty and looked worse for wear, she looked composed and ready to walk into the dragon’s den.

  She was every bit of the badass Queen she wanted to be.

  Chapter Nineteen

  Violet

  I stared at the dragon’s den in front of me, and I felt uneasy. There was magic protecting the entrance of the cave. It looked like swirling smoke, and started a hundred yards from the entrance of the cave. The smoke moved in an intricate dance with jerky movements. It looked ominous and didn’t make me feel great about the situation I had to face. I felt even worse knowing I had wounded one of their kind, and I may have to answer to that. They could deny me the help I sought, for the magical outburst I had when I first came to the Morthlands. If that dragon’s vision had healed on its own, I would be relieved, but luck had been hit or miss for me lately, so I didn’t hold my breath for it.

  I walked ahead of Axel toward the den. It was tucked away into a small mountainside that looked very unstable. It appeared as if the cliffside would collapse at any moment, burying the dragons alive inside of their den. Maybe this was part of th
eir protection system. Who knows?

  When I got close enough to the magical smoke, I could see it almost glitter. Hydra was a land of constant twilight, and the light was reflecting off the magic. It looked like the smoke was holographic, and it was mesmerizing in its dance. It was no longer ominous, but intoxicating.

  “Violet, what’s wrong?” Axel asked, shaking me out of the trance the magic had created.

  I shook my head to clear it, and then I realised that the purpose of the smoke was to put someone in a trace, just like I had been. I could have stood out there for days and days before collapsing, just staring at the smoke, that was scary in itself.

  I pushed ahead into the smoke, with it twirling and dancing all around me. It slid over my skin like a slime, and it sent shivers up my spine. Now that I knew its purpose I kept concentrating on that, so it wouldn’t distract me again. I didn’t have time to play games with this, I had kingdoms and a father to save.

  After we made it to the cave entrance, I heard a loud roar come from inside. I waited for the vibrations to knock a rock loose, and for one to fall down the mountainside and squish me. When none of that happened I took another few steps forward, and then I heard the first dragon speak.

  “Ah we have visitors, who wants to eat them?” a very deep and old voice asked. The sound of its voice was so loud that the vibrations bounced around the cave.

  “Please don’t eat us, we come in peace and to ask for your assistance,” I said.

  I felt a bow was the appropriate thing to do. The largest dragon in the den seemed to be as old as time, and leaders could recognize leaders. He was no doubt the one who ruled over the dragons. He visibly carried the weight of responsibility.

  The Dragon King.

  “You can speak the tongue of dragons?” the large creature asked, his tone was shocked. I imagined that if he had eyebrows, they’d be raised.

  “I can, a gift from the Goddess herself,” I shared.

  “We haven’t come across a dragon-kissed in a thousand years,” the Dragon King said, sounding astonished. Wait, is he a thousand years old?

  “Dragon-kissed?” I asked.

  “You mean to tell me you don’t know what you are?” it asked me.

  “I do not. I have become many things since coming to these lands, a magic-worker, a Queen of a Kingdom, and then two. I’m a member of the prophecy; and my powers have grown tenfold. I am many things,” I answered.

  The dragon stared at me for a moment, as if appreciating my words.

  “The dragoned-kissed is what we call a magic worker or witch who can speak to us. They can heal us, they restore balance to our world. We have been without one for a thousand years. In that time our numbers have decreased, as our females are less likely to bear young without the magic a dragon-kissed possesses.”

  How is it that I am so many things to so many? Did Victoria have so much on her plate, and so many things to learn? I hate to compare our circumstances, but she was the only person I know of who had been in my shoes. After meeting her in the dream world, I couldn’t help but compare us.

  “Well I am honored to be dragon-kissed,” I said politely.

  I did feel the gravity of the title as the Dragon King described it, but I had a feeling I’d need more cliff-notes from Wisdom when this was all over.

  “I recognize their smells,” another dragon, a female, said from the back of the den. It was dark, musty, and smelled absolutely terrible. I could see a dead carcass not far from where I was standing, and luckily it didn’t appear to be human. If it had, it would have taken a lot more courage to remain standing in front of them. More than I had.

  The only dragon who could recognize our smells would be the one that I blinded. I could feel the vibrations on the floor of the cave as the massive dragon stepped close. It sniffed the air again. It appeared black as night in the low lighting of the cave. I had a bad feeling about this interaction.

  “It is them, they who blinded me,” the dragon hissed. It opened its mouth, and I could feel the heat from the flame it was trying to generate.

  “Wait!” I called out.

  The dragon closed its mouth, its reptile looking eyes stared at me expectantly.

  “I am sorry about that. I was new to this world and had no idea about magic. You attacked us and my magic went haywire in response. I am in control of it now. If I am in fact Dragon-Kissed like your King here says I am, I would like to heal you, even before I ask for your help,” I said in a rush, hoping to get the words out before any of the dragons got too impatient.

  The dragon hissed in response.

  “Silence Apalala,” the Dragon King said.

  She lowered her head and remained silent, but her reptile eyes never left me. She never even glanced in Axel’s direction. I knew she wouldn’t be able to see him, but she’d be able to smell where he stood. Her eyes only moved automatically to the direction of my smell.

  “We will allow the Dragon-Kissed girl to try to heal you. If she is successful, we will teach her of her other Dragon-Kissed duties. If she completes them, we will consider her plea for help.”

  I nodded my head, grateful I wasn’t being burnt to a crisp where I stood.

  “Dragon-Kissed, we play no games. If you harm my daughter, I will end your miserable existence, regardless of what and who you are,” the King warned.

  I nodded and took a step closer to the dragon.

  “Can you please lower your head?” I asked Apalala. “I would like to place my hands near your eyes to concentrate the healing energy there,” I offered in explanation.

  The dragon snorted in annoyance and then lowered her head to lay on the ground. Her eyes were open, and I could see a milky substance on them. It was like her burst of flames had burned the lens of her eyes when they had rebounded off my shield. If I could heal the scar tissue that formed, she should be able to see again. I placed my hands towards the inner corners of her eyes. She was so large my arms were extended to my full wingspan.

  I closed my eyes, and I could feel many sets of reptilian eyes on me, watching my every move. I tuned out their presence as best as I could, but their presence was connected to the energy around me, which was something I was very tuned into. It must be part of this Dragon-Kissed thing.

  I concentrated my magic into my hands, much like I did with Axel’s ankle not long ago. I pulled energy from the den, and the floor below me, and concentrated it into a healing energy. It was eager to do as I asked, it bubbled up quickly, looking for something to absorb it. I pushed it through my hands and into the skin of the dragon, willing it to heal what was damaged.

  The dragon moaned at the pain of the healing energy attacking the damaged areas of her eyes.

  “I know the pain is excruciating, but it means that the healing energy found what is wrong, and it's working to repair the damage,” I promised the dragon.

  She grunted a response, and her breath was absolutely rancid.

  I opened my eyes and her eyes were closed in pain, but I could see a golden glow between the lids. Then the golden light left her eyes and receded back into my hands before dimming out.

  I took a step backwards to give her some space. Her eyes opened and they darted around the room. Her eyes landed on me, then the King and then Axel and then another dragon.

  “How do you feel?” I asked the dragon.

  “I can see, and I think my sight is better than before,” she said.

  I had a feeling that was the closest to a compliment she would give me.

  “Well done,” the King said.

  “Thank you.”

  “For righting your wrongs, whether intentional or not, we will promise not to cause you or your friend harm. As the Dragon-Kissed you have duties to attend to. I will explain them to you. If you complete them, we will consider your request for help.”

  “But not promise to help?” I asked to clarify. While the King seemed intelligent, he spoke with loopholes in mind.

  “Not to help,” he repeated.

  O
f course not. So he wanted my help for his people without promising anything in return. This pissed me off, but I’d have to play his games if I wanted his help.

  “What exactly do I need to do?” I asked.

  “We have an ancient artifact which helps us thrive in this environment. It provides heat, protection, and fertility boosts. It was stolen from us long ago and hidden at the bottom of the swamps. We can’t retrieve it. If you can, then we will consider your request for help.”

  “What do I need to know about what I face?” I asked.

  “The swamps are murky, filled with disgusting beasts. If you survive them and get to the bottom of the swamp, you will find our calcified dragon egg. It's said to be the first egg from the first of our kind.”

  “Will the egg hurt me if I touch it?” I asked.

  He had been way too vague.

  “I don’t know. No human has ever touched it before.”

  Great, a dangerous quest within a quest, and even better, I had next to no information about this magical dragon egg, or what it would do to me if I touched it. I spared a glance back at Axel. He looked just as lost as I did.

  “Can you tell us where to find the swamp and the best way to navigate through it?”

  Minutes later we were leaving the dragon’s den with very little information. It felt like we were being set up for failure, despite my rare gift of the Dragon-Kissed. Everything about me seemed to be rare and prized, except my time and my life.

  We made it through the dense trees, and I was able to spread my fiery wings and fly Axel and I to the swamp. I could see the reflection of my wings over the murky water and it was almost as mesmerizing as the smoky magic we just left at the dragon’s den.

  “Where should we land?“ I asked Axel.

  He pointed toward our right. “I see what looks like solid ground over there,” he said.

  My eyes followed the direction he pointed and he was right. I saw a small area that was grassy and looked like it was pretty solid. I brought us down gently to the ground, dropping Axle to his feet first.