Sisera's Gift (Dragonblood Sagas Book 2)

by Robyn Wideman

  “That man you beat?”

  “Prince Ramsey,” confessed Kai.

  Isabella gave a sad smile, “I’m sorry that happened to you. I know what it’s like to have to leave one’s home. I’m not experienced in heart matters, but it sounds very painful.” Isabella paused, clearly struggling to find something appropriate to say. Her face brightened. “But I do know a little of the history of the Dragon’s Tail, they were one of the most loyal protectors of Dragonbloods

  “We still are. Princess Isabella, it would be a great honor to serve you. I realize that I look a mess, but the brigade itself is not. It’s still a collection of the best trained and most loyal men in the world. They will protect you with their lives.”

  Raven looked at Isabella. “It seems the gods smile upon us. A brigade of loyal fighters would be useful.”

  “Useful and welcome,” said Isabella in agreement. She looked at Kai, “Kai Woods of Dragon’s Tail, I accept your protection.”

  “Thank you, Princess Isabella,” Kai paused for a moment. An idea was formulating in his mind. “Before you were kidnapped, you were fleeing south, away from Prince Ramsey. However, that was before you met your dragon. Now, you should carefully consider what to do next.”

  Isabella raised her hand to stop Kai. “Right now, I am going to go visit with Sisera. I have much to learn of dragons. You and Raven can discuss that, and later you two can present to me my options.” Isabella turned, walking back to Sisera.

  As Isabella walked back to Sisera, Raven spoke. “It was only weeks ago when she was a scared child being sent south to flee a monster. Now she is like a new person.”

  Kai hadn’t known the girl before, but he understood what Raven was saying. Sometimes trauma and adversity weakened strong people, sometimes it brought out the true strength in those who didn’t know they had it. “I believe she already has the makings of a fine queen. The little one is remarkably calm after all that has happened to her. She just prettily, and effectively dismissed us.”

  Raven chuckled. “Yes, she does have the makings of a fine queen. What of this plan you are hatching?”

  “I was thinking that Isabella was fleeing because two kings made an intolerable pact. But that pact was for the hand of a princess promised to a prince. Isabella is Dragonblood. She is no longer subject to the rule of any king. By the ancient laws of Seron, Isabella now is ruler of Prozia. She can also claim rule over all of Seron.”

  Raven nodded, “That is true by the ancient laws of the land, but neither King Byrne nor King Ramsey will be willing to bend a knee to another ruler, no matter what the ancient laws say.”

  “Then we stay in the south. We are beyond the easy reach of the kingdoms of Kosal and Prozia. We can find a place in Southern Seron that is defensible.”

  Raven’s forehead creased as she thought about the idea. “Where could we go that would be defensible against the armies of Kosal?”

  “Mara. Mara would be the perfect place to live,” answered Kai. The idea had just popped into his mind, but it truly was perfect. At one time Mara had been one of the strongest kingdoms in all the land.

  “Mara was destroyed, it’s only ruins and scattered villages.”

  “Not all of it was destroyed,” said Kai. “The Tower of Kings still stands. After the dragons left this world, it was abandoned, but it is still a great stronghold, and was home to dragons. It can only be attacked from one side, and even then it would be difficult. A handful of men, with the help of a dragon, could hold off any army.”

  Kai watched Raven as she thought over his idea. He could tell she still didn’t entirely trust him, not that he blamed her, but she would have a hard time finding fault in his logic. The Tower of Kings was an ancient stone fortress hewn into the side of a mountain. It was small compared to the old castle which had been central in Mara, but it was in many ways better suited for their needs. The numbers of warriors to protect Isabella, even if he managed to get the Dragon’s Tail Brigade to leave King Ramsey, would be small at first. As people learned that a Dragonblood was alive, some would flock to them looking for her leadership. While it had been generations since dragons left the lands, the old stories of Dragonblood rulers still were told. Some of the most prosperous and safe kingdoms had been Dragonblood before the great dragon wars.

  “I can’t find fault with the idea. When Isabella comes back, we’ll tell her of your plan.” Raven agreed.

  17

  SISERA’S GOLD AND PURPLE SCALES SEEMED the most beautiful thing in the world to Isabella. Like most inquisitive intelligent children. Isabella was full of questions. As her eyes carefully examined her new friend, she wondered if all dragons looked like Sisera. Before she put voice to her thoughts, the dragon spoke.

  “No, we are not all the same color, nor are we the same size. I’m considered a medium to small-sized dragon. White and black dragons are much bigger, while reds and blues tend to be small. However, all dragons have two colors of scales, so depending on the combination of colors, it changes more. Also, male dragons tend to have bigger horns than us females, but that isn’t always the case. I know a couple white-gold females with huge horns.”

  “You can read my thoughts?” asked Isabella. Her eyes widened with surprise. The question of colors had been on her mind, but she’d not asked Sisera out loud.

  “Sort of, it’s more like I get mental pictures of what you’re thinking. The look on your face and the images in your head made it obvious what you were thinking. As we get to know each other more, it will be easier to understand your thoughts.”

  “Will I be able to read your thoughts?” asked Isabella.

  “Perhaps. It will depend on how strong your magic is. You’re already able to sense when I am nearby, so it is possible.”

  “That would be very handy, being able to communicate without anyone knowing,” said Isabella with a smile. It would be very advantageous. “Why do you think this Kai is trust worthy?”

  “His reaction to seeing me. He had an initial feeling of shock, but then he was happy to see me. He feels connected to me, but more so towards you. Once he realized you were Dragonblood, his thoughts towards you changed. I think he is Daxrah.”

  “Daxrah?” asked Isabella. “What is that?”

  “Daxrah is a dragon word for the warriors who are loyal to the Dragonblood. Dragonbloods have always been very polarizing among humans. Many loved Dragonbloods because they helped keep the peace between our species, while others hated Dragonbloods because of the powers Dragonbloods gained, and the fact that Dragonbloods usually were allied to dragons. Some humans hate everything there is about dragons. To be fair, some dragons feel the same way about people. The Daxrah have always protected Dragonbloods. I imagine when dragons left the land, things changed, but I am sure he is one.”

  Isabella didn’t think Kai looked like someone she’d want to trust with her life, but for some reason she trusted Sisera’s opinion. “What happens now? What do dragons want?”

  “We want to live in our homes once more. Our leader, Apophis, doesn’t want war. She forbids dragons from hunting humans. Mostly we just want to be left alone.”

  “What are you going to do? Do you want to be left alone?”

  “Bonded dragons don’t think like other dragons. I want to be near you. I will put up with other humans as long as they don’t try to harm you. I will take time to go fishing, but other than that, I will be near you.”

  Isabella liked that. She felt comfortable around the dragon. It felt like Sisera was almost part of her now. “Fishing?”

  “Some dragons like game such as deer or elk, rabbit and coyote. Most of the younger dragons born on the magic isle prefer fish. It is our main food source. I prefer fish.”

  “You come from a magic isle?”

  “Yes, I was born there. Centuries ago, there was a great war between humans and dragons. The dragons during that time, during the war years, had been fractured into many small groups and even among those groups, most were individual dragons that wanted
to be alone. Humans hunted down the dragons one at time, and were killing us off. Eventually, leaders emerged and the dragons joined forces, but our numbers were devastated before that happened. Once the leaders joined the dragons into one faction they had power, but the humans had many warriors, incredible weapons and strong mages. It was going to be an epic war that would hurt everyone until one side annihilated the other. Finally, a pact was made between a powerful mage and the leader of the dragons. Dragons would leave the world to humans for a time. So the mage and the leader of the dragons found a large island far away from the rest of the world, and they hid the island with magic. No dragon could leave and no human could enter. It was this way until the last celestial event, the double eclipse. That was the end of our voluntary banishment. Now we have come back to our homes.”

  “How did you end up on Seron?” asked Isabella.

  “My mother was of this island. She died during our time on the magical island, but this was her home and now it is mine.”

  “Was your mother a bonded dragon? Did she have a human she shared her magic with?”

  “Oh no! My mother hated humans. She killed hundreds of warriors during the wars. She swore that human flesh was the tastiest of all.”

  Isabella frowned as she imagined Sisera eating humans. The mental picture made her shudder. “You don’t hate humans.”

  “No, thankfully hatred is not a genetic trait. Many of the older dragons that survived the wars taught us younglings our history. For thousands of years, humans and dragons have co-existed, at times peacefully and sometimes as enemies. Humans are like dragons: you are all different and so are we. Just because many of your kind are ignorant and hateful doesn’t mean all are. We dragons are the same. My mother had to deal with multiple attacks on her life, so she was justified in her ‘hatred of mankind. She was hunted for centuries. I’ve never been hunted. I have no hatred for all humans like she did.”

  “I’m glad you think that way, Sisera. It would be awful if we didn’t bond because you hated humans.” Isabella was truly glad to hear that Sisera had no designs on becoming a people eater and that her new companion was open-minded towards humans. Isabella hoped all dragons were like Sisera in that regard.

  Sisera opened her maw, in what Isabella guessed was a smile. Rows of large razor sharp teeth could be seen.

  Isabella decided then and there that a dragon’s smile was a frightening sight!

  …

  When Isabella waved for Kai and Raven to join her and Sisera, Kai ground staked the horses so that they could graze while they talked with Princess Isabella and Sisera. Talking with a dragon! How many people alive today can say they’ve done that, thought Kai. At least three, but who knew how many other dragons were out there now. The Dragon’s Tail have only ever served Dragonbloods on the Isle of Seron, but other brigades existed in other lands. How many of those brigades had survived through time was a question that Kai could not answer. Nor could he answer how many Dragonblood were alive today. For centuries, those who hated dragons had hunted for the Dragonbloods, killing them when they could, despite the fact that dragons were gone from the world. Groups such as the Sacred Blood Brotherhood were so fixated on destroying all dragons, they killed anyone associated with dragons. In Seron, the Dragon Tails had many battles with the Sacred Brotherhood over the centuries. As protectors of Dragonbloods, the Dragon Tails were natural enemies of the Brotherhood. It was why people like Isabella wisely hid their true identities from the world.

  Kai admired Sisera’s beauty as he and Raven closed the distance. The dragon was basking in the sun while talking to the young princess. The colors of the dragon were astounding. A brilliant combination of gold and purple that seemed to change shades depending on the dragon’s moods. It was something worth paying attention to, as one did not want to get on the bad side of a dragon.

  “Have you come up with a plan?” asked Isabella.

  Raven looked at Kai and waved her hand, indicating that he should speak.

  “Well, Princess Isabella, my thoughts were that the best course of action would be to stay south of the mountains, but I don’t believe you should leave Seron. Your mother’s original plan had you hiding far away in Balta. However, your mother’s plan didn’t foresee you bonding with a dragon. Now that you and Sisera are bonded, you have less to fear from Prince Eric and your step-father. They are still threats, and in some ways even more dangerous now, but between Sisera, Raven, and the Dragon’s Tail you have protection. My recommendation is that we head to Mara. The ancient Tower of Kings still stand and was once the home of a Dragonblood king. The tower is an excellent location in that it is easily defensible, and the top of the tower was designed for a dragon’s benefit. Sisera would likely find the tower much to her liking.

  “Raven, you agree with this plan?” asked Isabella.

  “It’s logical. I don’t recommend returning to Prozia. Kai is right. Your stepfather will see you as a threat to his rule as king. I know you’d love to go home to your mother, but that isn’t the best option. Staying here, and at the very least checking out this Tower of Kings, is a solid plan.”

  “What about you, Sisera, have you any thoughts on the subject?” asked Isabella.

  “I like this area, and I don’t want to leave Seron. I am intrigued by this tower built for dragons.”

  Isabella smiled, “I guess that settles it. We go to Mara.”

  Kai couldn’t help but be impressed by his new leader. The princess had made sure to include all three of them in the conversation, asking each their opinion before making a decision. Isabella was young, but she was no fool. While staying in Seron was the most logical decision, it was one that held lots of dangers. Isabella, and now all of them, had many enemies. Some, like Prince Eric and King Byrne, they knew of. Others like the mysterious warriors who ambushed them were still to be revealed. Kai was sure they had not heard the last of whomever was behind that attack.

  “We’ll head to Shelby first. Raven will take you there tonight. Sisera you don’t mind staying out of sight for a day, do you?”

  “I’ll stay close enough to sense Isabella, but I’ll keep out of human sight,” promised Sisera.

  “You’re not coming to Shelby?” asked Isabella of Kai.

  “I’ll meet you in Shelby late tomorrow morning. First, I am going to have a conversation with whoever is doing the tracking for Prince Ramsey. It’s likely he’s using Dragon’s Tail for his scouts.”

  Isabella frowned, “That sounds risky.”

  “It is,” said Kai. He didn’t want to admit how dangerous it really was, but it was something that needed to be done, and the sooner the better. “However, if I can speak to members of the Dragon’s Tail, we will have allies sooner than later, and we will need more men. Two warriors and a dragon are probably not enough to defeat an army.”

  “If you like, I can locate Prince Eric and his men for you,” volunteered Sisera. “It’s cloudy enough I can fly without being seen.”

  “That would be perfect,” said Kai. “Then you can lead Isabella and Raven to Shelby without them being seen by anyone.”

  “Okay, I’ll go now. Start heading south and I’ll meet you shortly,” said Sisera as she stretched out and flapped her wings. She pushed off the ground with her powerful legs and soared into the sky.

  Kai was amazed such a large beast could move so gracefully. He watched as Sisera climbed almost effortlessly into the clouds and disappeared from sight. “An amazing creature,” Kai said softly.

  “She’s very smart,” said Isabella. “And she’s very powerful. Her flames are very dangerous.”

  Kai knew from the legends that dragon fire was incredibly hot and could melt metal. Isabella was not exaggerating in the least when she said that Sisera’s flames were dangerous.

  “Fire is a skill, one that you will have to learn, Isabella,” said Raven. “We’ll have to find a mage or a witch to guide you in learning magic. The subject is not one that I have knowledge of.”

  Isabella lo
oked at Kai as if he might be able to help in her magic training.

  “I have no knowledge in the subject either. I’m a ranger. I can track, hunt, fight, and plan battle strategy for you, but I’ll be useless when it comes to the subject of magic. When we get to Shelby, we’ll talk to Britt at the Winking Pig. If I recall properly, he knows a witch that occasionally travels to Shelby. I may have even met her before, but I would’ve been drunk at the time and don’t remember.” Kai felt shame in admitting that many of his memories were fogged in a cloud of alcohol. It was something that would change in the future.

  “Come, Isabella let’s get you back on your horse. It’s time to get moving again,” said Raven.

  While Raven assisted Isabella, Kai reloaded the pack horse. The animal was in good shape. The packs were well balanced. Kai cinched the packs tight and gave the animal a rub on the nose. It was time to get moving again. They took off in a southerly direction at a slow pace. Until Sisera came back they had no idea how close Prince Ramsey and his men were. It was likely that Prince Ramsey’s scouts hadn’t found their tracks, especially after Kai had wiped the mountain path down, so there was no rush, and there was no point going fast when they had a pair of eyes in the sky that would soon tell them exactly where they could safely travel without being seen.

  …

  They had only gone a couple of miles when Sisera returned.

  “They’re still on the mountain path. They’re searching for your tracks but are not having any luck,” reported Sisera.

  Kai felt satisfaction that his efforts had been successful. It was good to know that not all of his skills had been diminished after years of being the town drunk. If nothing else, his abilities as a hunter and tracker were still worthy of the name Dragon’s Tail.

  “Which way should we go?” asked Raven.

  “Southwest through the forest and then follow the next valley south,” said Kai. “That should take you to Shelby. Sisera can guide you. You should make it to Shelby before dark. I’ll meet you tomorrow in the morning.”