Vartan grimaced. “My queen, with all due respect, Anakari is a person with feelings, not a weapon to be pointed at our enemies.”
“I meant no harm in my question,” the queen said.
Anakari spoke directly to Queen Andrielle, “No, I understand and would ask the same, but I just don’t know my purpose. When my spirit woke within me, it was as if I went to sleep and couldn’t see or hear anything. I awoke, soaking wet, after Vartan had stopped me attacking them. I am ashamed.” She turned to Vartan. “I’m truly sorry, to all of you.”
The prince knew her pain, the shame. It wasn’t fair for her to be taking all the blame when he knew he had provoked the response.
Vartan shook his head. “No. If anything, it was my fault. I trained you like Karven trained me to unleash and control my magic. You must have some kind of protection, and the god and her memories inside you must have awakened to guard you. It makes sense.”
Karven said, “You’re quite right, Vartan, and I suspect the same. I see no reason for any us to fear Anakari or the god within her. She is one of us and deserves our understanding.”
“Anakari is under my protection, and always will be. Something struck me strange. When Losa awakened, she seemed to recognise me. I know it makes no sense, but she called me her brother,” Vartan said.
Karven cocked his head and looked to the stars. “Vartan, it makes perfect sense, if you know the history of the gods. She recognised the spirit of Mazu within you. If I recall the ancestry of the gods, Mazu is Losa’s brother.”
Anakari paled as she spoke. “So that explains my pain when I saw the shooting star. It wasn’t a shooting star at all, was it?”
Vartan understood the cost of the sacrifice, and those who would be impacted by it. “That must have been the night I met Mother Dragon and chose the element of water. You felt the sacrifice of Mazu. But as much as everything is becoming clearer now, there is still far more to you, Anakari. The Seer, Kai’En, told me that she’s the key to entering Daessar. That the key lies in the language of the ancients; in her symbols.”
Yuski nodded. “This is true, I heard it myself. Kai’En would never make a tale of such things.”
Vartan stepped into the middle of the circle and pointed to Mount Wayrin. “The entry to the realm of Daessar is somewhere in or near Mount Wayrin. I don’t know what to expect, where it is, or how to get inside there. But what I do know is that Talonsphere is actually in Daessar.”
“That cannot be! Our scrolls showed us that it is in Greenhaven. We could begin digging immediately,” Andrielle said.
“Then you’d be chasing the same illusion created to throw off those who should never find it. Kassina took that bait and found no reward. Now we know why,” Vartan said.
“So be it. Then it’s obvious that the dragons should take you to Mount Wayrin and protect you. The gods only know what horrors or traps await you there,” Helenia said.
Karven and Nymira shared a long stare, and once Nymira nodded, he spoke. “There is something you all don’t know. If you truly wish to travel to Daessar, we won’t be able to take you there. We could take you to She’Ma’Ryn, where you could travel to Mount Wayrin on foot.”
Everyone glared at the king of dragons. Vartan looked to his truth pendant, Keturah. Her animated face frowned as she answered his thoughts. Yes, he is speaking the truth.
Vartan couldn’t understand.
What is this secret the dragons are hiding? he thought.
Anakari was the first to break the silence. “Why can’t you take us there? Why won’t you protect us?”
“It is not that we do not wish to take you there or protect you. If only it were a simple dilemma. There is a history which you all need to be aware of,” Karven said, stepping toward the centre of the circle.
“This goes back to well before all of your times; to before Shindar walked our lands. It was an age of an ancient king who knew nothing about magic. Marithia had few castles back then, and even fewer settlements.”
“Who was the king?” Helenia said.
The dragon king continued. “His name was lost with time, but it is not important. There was a great drought, but all of those in the castles had plenty of food to share. There was a community who lived differently from the lives of Marithians. They were short on food and continually pillaged by rebels when their king decided to take them into his already busy castle. They had to make room, but he saved them all. The king found it strange that they would accept his shelter and protection, but refused to eat his food. They brought and grew their own, likely taking time to trust. He had no idea that he had just saved who we now call ‘the ancients’.”
“But I saw one of them. They looked like elves,” Anakari said.
Karven took a deep breath before nodding toward Andrielle. “The elves are creations of the ancients, which is why they appeared strange to the king. Elves are accepted in Marithia now. Their lands were ravaged, and the king not only saved their people, but gave them fertile land that belonged to the crown. His generosity and kindness reached their hearts and when the king’s enemies arrived with their armies, the ancients fought at his side, with magic.”
Karven focused as his eyes glowed and the grass lit up in the centre of their gathering, emitting smoke. The smoke thickened and formed figures and structures. They all watched as an epic battle played out before them. Elf-like men and women cast spells that attacked groups of enemies. They watched the castle be defended. Flashes and explosions sparked along the ground. Before too long, although the ancients suffered many casualties, none of the oppressing army remained.
“This was how magic was first used. The king knighted the leader of the ancients and told their people that they would be protected and could live amongst them forever, under the protection of the crown.”
The smoke swirled and an image of a king, with a heavy crown, knighted an ancient who bowed on one knee.
“The ancients were a proud race and opted to live outside the king’s walls, building their own civilisation on his fertile lands. As with any civilisation, there were dark souls among them. The ancients had many secrets.”
The smoke formed a group of elongated eggs, housed in an ornate straw bed.
“They studied the highest levels of magic, and used rituals to create dragon eggs. By combining the spirits of many animals, and through their creation of our own god, Mother Dragon, our eggs were formed.”
“The ancients could create a god?” Anakari said.
“They had discovered a way; one which required immense sacrifice and aligning of the stars. Dragons were supposed to have been born to live with the ancients, as a force of good, as protectors. But the eggs were stolen by ancients who hungered for control.”
Small wispy figures snatched the eggs and were shown sneaking out of the building, slicing the guards’ throats.
“Nobody knows where they disappeared to for many years, but everyone knew when they returned. The faction of ancients was cruel to dragons, subjecting them to unspeakable tortures of minds and body. They ordered the dragons to collect treasure and guard it fiercely. A war broke out as the ancients who had aligned with the king fought back against their own creations.”
The smoke darkened as it shifted to show flying dragons destroying homes and burning families alive. Vartan cringed at seeing creatures of his blood committing such shameful atrocities.
“The dragons had no idea that the ancients were their creators. They only knew that their masters had convinced them that their enemies were to be destroyed and hated. The war was being lost, when a dragon attacked the knighted leader of the ancients.”
A smoky dragon circled an ancient adorned with armour. He used his shield to defend against the flames and retreated through the castle. The dragon followed him, smashing through walls until they entered a hall. The knight pointed his sword toward a statue of mother dragon with eggs held in her grasp. The dragon reeled back and lowered its head, but only moments later, it turned and fled in the
other direction.
“The unborn dragon eggs made the dragon see that they were being misled, and they turned against their cruel false masters, viciously destroying every last one of them for their lies and treachery. It came at a heavy cost of dragons’ lives.”
Vartan recognised the dragon.
No, it couldn’t have been, could it? he thought.
The dragon was a smaller version of Karven. Vartan looked to the others, whose faces had also paled, before continuing to watch the events unfold.
Karven spoke each word as if they were weights on his lips. “After our vengeance was enacted, we fled to Trahoterra in shame, unworthy of living among the ancients until we repented for our actions. This was the beginning of our believed extinction and how we changed over the many years.”
The smoke shifted into the island of Trahoterra, and moved closer to reveal a dragon perched on one of its talon-like peaks.
“We watched the world of Marithia be torn apart. The King felt that he had been betrayed and as a result, exiled anyone with magic. His queen argued with him tirelessly, saying that there should not be segregation and that they were punishing the innocent. She was determined to prove that magic was a force for good and publicly dethroned herself to join the ancients.”
The smoke burst open and formed a castle, hills, and large congregations of ancients heading toward what appeared to be Mount Wayrin.
“The queen lived comfortably in their community, and even managed to convince them to once again rise and protect the lands, in the event of a war of magic. Many humans travelled there to gather knowledge of these new powers. Some humans hungered to attain powers they hadn’t been born with. They discovered that to be a useless ambition.”
The smoke again shifted to a laden treasure room.
“There was a legendary magical stone. It was fiercely guarded by the ancients. Once the faction of humans that hungered for power had learned of its location, it was only a matter of time.”
Figures of men burst into the room; one holding an ancient guard with a knife to his neck.
“The queen’s heart had changed. She fell in love with an ancient master of magic. The stone was used by the king to cast devastating spells on his enemies. The ancients had no choice but to declare war on the king and succeeded in retrieving the stone, but not without a great cost. The king murdered the queen as she clutched the stone in her bare hands.”
The smoke changed to show the king skewering his wife through her heart. She fell onto her stomach before her body was blown upward in a storm erupting from the stone.
“The king was unaware of a dark curse within the stone. When the stone came into contact with innocent blood, it unleashed a spell which engulfed Marithia. A great plague came over the lands and most Marithians were killed by a devastating disease. This was the time when Shindar was sent by the gods as a force of good, to restore faith.”
Vartan couldn’t believe what he was hearing.
Shindar, the feared lord of the underworld, had been sent for a good purpose?
He scrunched his eyebrows as he blurted his words. “Shindar was once a force for good?”
“Yes, but that is a story for another day. Long after these events, and once Shindar had become the demon of the underworld, the first war with Shindar erupted and we returned once more to defend the realm, alongside the ancients. We won the war, barely, as most of you already know. But our debt can never be repaid. The ancients have an understanding with us. We will not cross into their realm, and they will never again be our masters. We were granted true freedom.”
Karven ended his spell and, as if his shoulders were weighted down, he backed away from the circle. “I cannot break that agreement.”
Everyone was silent, staring into thin air. After a moment, Vartan looked to the dragon king. He had a new understanding of the dragons, but he was also one of them. Their freedom was also his, and he wasn’t about to fear anyone taking that away from them.
“This is indeed troubling history, but it’s all in the past. Things have changed. Look what we have achieved through unity. They must understand that. After all, they did build Talonsphere with the dragons, did they not?” Vartan said.
“They did. They were also the ones who wrote the Talonsphere prophecy. But it has been such a long time and I do not know what welcome to expect or if they have forgiven us.”
“Have you not done enough for their forgiveness? I don’t see the ancients here, defending Marithia. I see us. Without the dragons to assist, Marithia would have already fallen.” Vartan said.
The prince looked around to see that the group was in agreement, nodding toward the dragon king.
Karven breathed deep before speaking. “I suppose there is only one way to find out. They are already reaching out to us and it is time that we try to overcome our differences, ancient or not. I will take Vartan with me to Mount Wayrin, and will protect him with my life. What will be will be. Who will come with us?”
“He’s not going anywhere without me,” Anakari said, stepping forward and crossing her arms.
“I’m a born demon hunter,” Yuski said. “I will protect all of you.”
Vartan smiled at the women. “You bravely continue to lay down your lives for me, and for all of Marithia. I commend you.”
Dryden stepped forward. “Count me in! I was born for battle.”
Vartan brought a fist to his opposing shoulder. “Live by the sword. Die by the sword.”
Dryden pursed his lips and mirrored his gesture. “And a clean death we deserve.”
Helenia was about to step forward, and Vartan’s throat tightened when he thought of her being hurt. They had been trying already, and only the gods knew if she was already with child. He raised a hand for her to stop.
“My love. You are needed here. We need to rule our lands and our Queen cannot be in two cities at once.”
Andrielle smiled at him and mouthed ‘thank you’.
Finn stepped forward. “I will come with you. After all, you need more dragons to ride.”
Vartan clenched his jaw, looking each of them in the eyes. “To Mount Wayrin it is. We leave tomorrow, so you had best prepare yourselves for the journey. I thank you all for your loyalty. I will never forget it or take any of you for granted.”
Vartan searched their faces and thought he saw nervousness beneath their surfaces, but his heart thumped.
What is it I should fear?
Chapter 6 : Bloodships
“Time is the only commodity with which even the poorest are born. Our hourglasses have limits, but nobody knows when the sand will stop running.
When you are immortal or live the life of a dragon, then what is the value of time?
If you have been tortured by it, would you still treasure time or use it to feed your hunger?”
(Shindar - Lord of the Underworld)
The horizon wavered in the morning heat. Caressing winds warmed the west end of the island of Grenlees, and the many palm trees swayed as if they danced a ritual.
Raehar watched the world return to vibrancy once again.
Ocean waves crashed into the island, and a spray of whitewash burst into the mouth of a gigantic skull, the opening to a cavern. Further crashes echoed deep within the island’s belly. The skull’s hollow eye sockets dripped from condensation. Nobody that Raehar knew of would ever venture inside it, and this suited him beautifully. He could go there to get away from it all and never worry about being disturbed.
The seas are tranquil when we’re not in battle, he thought.
Raehar first swam into the mouth of the cave when he lost at the island’s popular card game, Wild Kings. He soon discovered that there was nothing to be afraid of. He was sure that the cave must have been dug out by pirate captains in order to frighten anyone who anchored near its shallow shores. As far as he knew, it was an effective measure, even if he had never seen anyone foolish enough to try.
Raehar lay on his back with his arms crossed behind his head. Hi
s leather boots were bound tight and rested on the moist rocky socket. He had experienced a growth spurt and was tall for a young man of his age, but his clothes were now too small for him, clinging to his body.
“I s’pose I better make me way back,” he said, watching a seagull staring at him from the other eye socket.
Another wave crashed into the cavern walls and he enjoyed the cool spray on his tanned skin. He stood and took a longing glance at the endless sight of sparkling waters. He stretched out, rubbing his cramped muscles. He had been here far longer than he should have. His captain awaited him. Raehar turned back to the cave’s darkness, and in his best impersonation, howled like a wolf. The howl echoed back.
He laughed, always enjoying this game. Sometimes, he would think he heard a growl or footsteps from within. With an active imagination, it’s hard to know what his mind created, or what was real.
A girl’s voice called out from above. “So, anything worth seeing out there? Or are you just wasting time, lazing about.”
Raehar knew he should have left a while ago, but did his best to appear surprised. He grinned as he placed his hands on his hips. “Adela, how’d ye know I’d be here?”
“Where else would you be? I know you too well. If you’re not on deck, you’re usually near the water. I sometimes wonder why you weren’t born in the sea. After all, you often act like your head’s full of water.”
He leapt to the right, and sprung off the rocky eye socket’s wall. He misjudged the distance and his hands landed hard on a flat section of rock, on the skull’s head. He struggled to pull his body weight by his arms alone. Swinging his right leg around, he caught Adela’s hand as she hoisted him up.
“Good think he came when he did!” Raehar said.
He panted as he looked her over and wiped water from his brow. She was always a thin girl, but had an air of cheekiness about her that gave her a larger than life presence.
“You’re getting tired in your old age, Raehar! Even I could beat you down right now, and then I could tell the whole island that you got beat by a girl!” she said, running toward a thick line of trees.
Legends of Marithia: Book 3 - Talonsphere Page 6