Lady Dragon, Tela Du

by Kendra E. Ardnek

  She soon found herself in the deeper hallways that led to the Heartroom. She could use some time in the peaceful atmosphere of that room, and the closeness of Alphego.

  Each day brought them closer to the battle against the Dragon and her husband, and while she and Reuben were making incredible progress with their weapons and new mental abilities, Petra still hadn’t the slightest plan for how she could kill Amber. She’d spent long hours in conversation with Klarand’s greatest strategists and had studied the three Legends that told of Amber’s previous defeats with the utmost care, but there seemed to be no answer. How could she possibly win a war against a sorceress as powerful and experienced as Amber?

  Petra didn’t find the Heartroom as empty as she had hoped it’d be. The young Doorkeeper sat huddled on the bottom step leading up the Hill, with her head laid against her knees. Well, she could have worse company.

  As strange as it had been to learn about this girl’s power to pass from one world to another and that she was not the child she seemed to be, Petra found it comforting to fall back into old habits and act as though the girl was still the same little Alyce whom she used to babysit. Laura didn’t seem to mind.

  Petra sat down on the step beside Laura and wrapped an arm around the girl’s shoulders. “Hey, Alyce, what’s wrong?”

  The girl uncurled just enough to wrap her arms around Petra in a tight hug. “The same old. I know how everything is going to turn out … but have to be so careful not to say or do the wrong thing and mess everything up. You have to make your own decisions and everything like that, you know.”

  Petra nodded. “I see your point. I … it would be rather hard.” Laura had mentioned that she knew the outcome of Petra’s battle with Amber. She knew who would win and how…

  “I was also thinking about death,” Laura added.

  “Death?” Petra repeated. “As in One shall speak the other’s death? I wish I knew what word I’m supposed to say.”

  “No, my death,” Laura explained.

  “Your death?” Petra repeated, her stomach twisting. “You’re still so young, though, and you’ve told me that you’re going to live a very, very long life.”

  “I will,” Laura admitted. “But I know that because I saw myself die. It was just a few days before I met you on Chinok’s beach for me.”

  “Oh.” Petra held Laura tighter. “That must have been difficult.”

  “I tried to run, run away from the duties of Doorkeeper to which I’d been called … but I’ve just ended up here, more tightly entangled in things than before. At least then I wasn’t the one who knew everything. Still, I’m glad I’m here with you now, Petra. You’re one of my favorite people and one of the few that I’m told that I can always trust. It may be difficult for me to be with a Reuben and Petra who don’t really know me yet, but I’m glad I’ve come to you and Reuben for my first adventure as the Doorkeeper.”

  “Just how old are you, Laura?” There were a thousand other questions that Petra wanted to ask, but she didn’t want to upset the girl by asking one she couldn’t answer. This one seemed safe.

  “I … don’t actually know.” Laura sighed heavily. “It’s sad. Here I’m barely at the start of my life and have already lost track of how much time I’ve lived through. I do know that I’ve not made it out of my teens yet as far as my physical age, at least … but I’ve gone back to babyhood three times and perhaps another time or two that I can’t remember – my memory is terrible if I’m physically less than a year old – and that doesn’t even count all the other ages I’ve been. I don’t think that I’ve seen more than fifty years, but I wouldn’t be surprised if I’ve lived close to that.”

  “Fifty years,” Petra repeated, sucking in a sharp breath. “That’s pretty old.”

  “Thirty years, at the minimum,” Laura added. “But when you compare it to how many thousands of years I will see … there are so many worlds for me to travel to, each one with so much history to explore. Really, Petra, compared to the self that we saw just a few weeks ago in the Room, I’m still so very, very young.”

  “As are we all,” Petra whispered. “Far too young to carry the fates of worlds upon our shoulders. And yet that’s what people ask us to do. What can we do but set one foot in front of the other, and carry on?”

  “At least you have Reuben to help you,” Laura pointed out. “I must journey through my life alone. Even though I have friends, they don’t travel with me. They live their nice, normal lives. Well, most of them normal. Normal compared to mine.” She frowned and shook her head. “I … I asked Lucy to come with me – and she could have, and she’s the only person in all the worlds who could have – but she’s not like me. She doesn’t have my drive to wander, and for that I envy her. Besides, she hates doors.”

  “Lucy?”

  Laura stiffened and shook her head. “I’m really not supposed to talk about her. She chose to live a normal life, so she must also live a life of ignominy.”

  “Is she someone close to you?”

  “How are you and Reuben coming with your training?” asked Laura, deliberately pulling out of Petra’s hold and taking a few steps away, arms hugged to her chest.

  “It hasn’t been as difficult as I had feared, but neither has it been as easy as Reuben expected,” Petra answered, shrugging. “So, pretty well.”

  Laura managed a grin. “You know,” she glanced around the room, “this place is connected to two of Amber’s previous defeats. Not only will this be the place where I banish her and Granite in the Legend of Through the Mountain, but this is also normally the only place in Rizkaland where you can see water and fire flowing together as one, a substance which was the weapon that the Fire Prince and Water Princess used against Silver, five hundred years later.”

  “Silver?”

  “My name for Amber,” Laura explained, glancing down. “I’m supposed to be practicing saying it, so that when, later…” She shook her head. “It’s my name for Amber.”

  “But how am I to kill her?” asked Petra, frowning. “My powers are purely mental, and I am new to my weapon, which is a mere stick.”

  Laura’s response to that was an actual glare. “Your staff is far more than a mere stick, Petra.”

  Petra shrugged. “The question remains: how am I to win?”

  “I wish I could tell you,” said Laura, turning away. “There are so many things I wish I could tell you.”

  They both lapsed into silence. Petra couldn’t think of anything that wouldn’t be awkward. Laura … well, she seemed to have run out of conversation material that didn’t involve revealing great secrets that might ruin everything.

  The poor girl. As much as Petra dreaded her own future, she certainly didn’t envy Laura’s life.

  Hurry, Petra, I’m dying!

  Petra winced as Reuben’s thought shattered her mental block. As with the door between their rooms, it seemed that she couldn’t actually lock him out of her mind. While Reuben would usually respect a block, he was also very excitable, so she was slowly growing used to having him barge in at odd hours. Still, she’d be the last to deny that she found it comforting to be able to go to him whenever she wanted.

  She sighed and closed her eyes, as she gently removed the rest of the block. I’m sure that you can’t be that badly hurt. King Brent wouldn’t critically wound his country’s hope, even if you did tell him to not hold back. He isn’t stupid.

  She felt an echo of frustration from Reuben. You’re heartless.

  She rolled her eyes. And you’re ridiculous. I’ll be there in a minute. Don’t die without me. I need you for the battle.

  She stood and turned to Laura. “Reuben has finished with his fight and is now demanding my company. Would you like to come with me?”

  “Oh? Sure!” The girl spun around, scampered over, and grabbed Petra’s hand. “I’m done feeling sorry for myself. For right now, anyway.”

  “Self-pity never solved anyone’s problems,” Petra said as they left the Heartroom.
/>   “Oh, I know, but sometimes it can be just so difficult to focus on helping others instead of on your own problems, don’t you agree?”

  “Yes … I suppose it can be,” Petra admitted, grinning down at the girl.

  Then Petra closed her eyes to focus on finding Reuben. She sometimes wished that they’d also been given the harandas’ power of teleportation, as well as telepathy. However, because of her mental connection with Reuben, it didn’t take long for her to find him in the infirmary, getting bandaged up. She stopped short a few feet away from him and folded her arms over her chest. “What happened to you? You look like you just lost a war.”

  “King Brent used a combination of strength and strategy,” said Reuben, wincing as a nurse helped him sit up. “Mostly went for my arms and legs, but he got my ribs once. He says he could have hit harder…”

  “Poor baby.” Petra shook her head as she took a step towards him. “I suppose you want me to feel sorry for you, yes? Kiss your boo boos?”

  “Um … that’d be nice?”

  She rolled her eyes. Train harder. I’ll be using your injuries against you next time we duel.

  “We don’t know when we’ll face that final war,” Reuben pointed out. “How will I possibly survive a fight against Granite if you two insist on crippling me?”

  “Train harder.”

  “You are heartless,” Reuben repeated. He slid carefully down from the table now that all of his poultices and bandages were in place. “I bet you and Amber will make quite the pair. Instead of fighting each other, you’ll sit down and discuss the best ways to make everyone else miserable.”

  She killed my sister, may I remind you? I’m not going to sit down to talk to her amicably under any circumstances.

  “True.”

  “I’ll make you a deal, then,” said Petra. “If you’ll train harder and fight smarter, then I’ll stop injuring you.”

  And when does the kiss factor in?

  Tonight!

  But tonight is still a long time away, and I’m in pain now.

  Petra rolled her eyes but placed a quick kiss on his cheek as she slid her hand into his. “We need to go attend to our studies right now. I’m sure you’ll manage.”

  She glanced down at the grinning Laura as they left the room, and shook her head. “We amuse you, do we?”

  “Oh, of course,” said Laura, nodding. “When you have no hope of ever finding such love yourself, you have to take amusement when you see it in others.”

  Reuben frowned. “So you mean…”

  “I’ve told you mine is a lonely life,” said Laura. “No need to worry about me. Not everyone is called to marriage. How would a husband and kids factor into a life such as mine? No, it’s really much better this way.”

  “I suppose it would be rather awkward with the way that you frequently change your own age,” said Petra.

  “Especially considering how long I’ll live and how I don’t like to stay in any one place for very long,” Laura added.

  Petra bristled as Karyn appeared around the corner ahead. Petra hadn’t liked the woman when they’d first met two weeks before, and her opinion hadn’t changed much since. She hoped that the woman’s business was elsewhere, but Karyn walked straight towards them, placed a fist over her heart, and dipped her watermelon-colored head.

  “I must ask what sort of fearsome battle you’ve just come from, Reuben,” she said, as she straightened.

  “Nothing he won’t heal from,” said Petra, leaning into Reuben. “King Brent gave him an object lesson today that he won’t soon forget.”

  “Ah,” said Karyn, tilting her head to the side. “But I do question the wisdom of giving him such severe injuries so soon before the battle that shall decide Rizkaland’s fate.”

  “We have no idea when the battle actually will take place,” Petra pointed out. “To be honest, neither of us are ready to fight her, so we’d be doomed whether he’s whole in body or not. At least he now understands the consequences. Or at least he should.”

  “You know, where I come from, people possess a bit of healing talent,” said Karyn. “Mine is especially powerful.”

  “Really?” said Petra, tilting her head skeptically. “What is this, now? The sixth weird power your people have? Teleportation, incredible aim, speed, strength, invisibility and now healing? Why don’t you fight the Dragon?”

  “Because I am not the Tela Du.” Karyn’s eyes darkened as she took a step forward. “Look, Petra, I know you don’t trust me – you make no effort to hide that fact – but my offer is for his benefit. He is injured, and that may impair his strength. He has learned his lesson, and you yourself said that it’s one that he won’t soon forget. This is an offer I’m only making this once, let me assure you.”

  “Shouldn’t you save your power for injuries from actual battles?” asked Petra. Karyn had mentioned once that she could only use so much of her powers in a given day before they exhausted her.

  “Shouldn’t you?” Karyn turned to Reuben with an annoying grin. “Your woman would deny you the healing that I offer, why don’t you make your own decisions? As I told Petra, this is an offer that I shall only make once.” She held up a finger. “While you are still learning, that is. Should you be injured in an actual battle, it would be quite a different story.”

  “I’m sure it would be,” Petra retorted.

  “It’s all right, Petra,” said Laura, sliding her hand into Petra’s free hand. “Karyn’s offer is genuine. She’s trying to help you. Please let her this time.”

  I still don’t trust her, Petra thought to Reuben.

  And I’m staying out of it while you’re arguing.

  You do that. Even though he was of Petra’s opinion, he had a habit of playing both sides of the argument, and she didn’t need him doing that right now.

  “Are you finally coming to my defense, Doorkeeper?” asked Karyn, tilting her head sharply towards the girl. “I thought we were greater friends than this.”

  “Perhaps we will be someday, but I don’t know you, yet,” Laura muttered, leaning into Petra, nearly hiding behind her.

  “You don’t…” Karyn pinched her lips together and shook her head. “Laura, I thought Adnama talked with you about this.”

  “I know, but the fact remains: I don’t know Karyn … excuse me, before I reveal your secrets.” Laura let go of Petra’s hand and ran away.

  “Secrets?” Petra repeated, raising an eyebrow and putting her hand on her hip. “What sort of secrets?”

  “None dangerous unless spoken,” said Karyn, staring after Laura. She gave a long sigh. “After you win your battle against Amber, perhaps I’ll be able to reveal them. I do wish I could tell you now, I really do. Now, we were discussing Reuben’s injuries and not my secrets.”

  Petra just stared at Karyn. “Maybe others can accept that answer, but I can’t. I need more than just cryptic answers.”

  Karyn spun to face Petra, her fists clenching, her expression almost pained. “Oh, Petra … you … you’re just the way your sister always described you. Always thinking that you know better than everyone else. The Queen of Eliue business has gone to your head. Some days I really wonder if you’ll make a better queen than Amber does – but then I remember that at least you don’t turn into a dragon and kill people for fun.”

  “My sister told you a lot about me?” Petra asked, trying to ignore the sting of the accusation. “She must have missed me a lot.”

  “Oh, quite the opposite,” said Karyn, her voice lower, menacing. “Petra, if Sarah had missed you, she would have returned home. But she didn’t. Your sister could have protested her husband forgetting her – she knew full-well that the power would reach your own world. But she didn’t. Why? Because she wanted to hurt you. Wanted to punish you for ignoring her in favor of a made-up, imaginary sister.”

  Petra tightened her hold on Reuben’s hand as she fought to retain control of her emotions. “Ashna and Adnama say that she was quite incoherent right before her death. How do
you know her thoughts about being forgotten?”

  “Oh, Petra, quibble over the details if you want, but the truth remains. Your sister hated you. And you have no one to blame but yourself. There she was, your identical twin sister, but she wasn’t good enough for you. You and Reuben had to invent imaginary siblings and press them upon your family as though they actually existed.”

  “We didn’t invent them,” said Petra. “I don’t know why no one else could remember our siblings, but I’m quite confident that Reuben and I did not make them up.”

  “You still refuse to use common sense!” Karyn cried. “You two are the only ones with memories of ‘Sylvia’ and ‘Richard.’ There is no proof whatsoever that they might have existed. Why have you always been so adamant about them when they did not exist? You made them up.”

  “This conversation is over,” said Petra, stiffly, letting go of Reuben’s hand. “Heal him, if you’re itching to use your special powers – but I don’t want to discuss Sarah with you ever again. I cared about her more than you know, and I will not have you sullying my memories of her.”

  “You know I’m right.”

  “The conversation is over.”

  “Oh, I fear for Rizkaland if this is how you’ll abuse your powers.”

  Petra turned and walked away.

  Chapter 2

  It was impossible to keep track of time in this dungeon. All Summer knew was that they’d been down there far too long. Fifteen minutes had been far too long, to be honest, and that had long since expired.

  “I knew she wasn’t to be trusted!” she declared, spinning around to face Tyler’s cell, which was next to hers. Sure, they’d already had this conversation a hundred times, but frankly, there wasn’t much else to talk about, and she was tired of pacing.

  “What’s done is done,” said Tyler. “Frankly, I don’t think we really had a choice.”

  “No,” Summer agreed. “That Alyce of Petra’s practically bullied us up those stairs, and we didn’t get a chance to escape before Amber showed her true colors.”