[Vankara Saga 03.0] War of Atonement

by SJ West

  “Still, a small advantage could have made a big difference,” I said.

  “We will adapt,” Vincent replied confidently. “And we now have a new mage on our side.”

  “I don’t know how much help I’ll be,” I confessed. “I wasn’t able to control what just happened. You had to calm me down.”

  “I simply helped you find a way to control yourself,” Vincent said. “In time, you will discover how to do it on your own.”

  What if I didn’t have the luxury of time to figure out how to do that? In the end, would my new powers turn into an advantage or become a dangerous disadvantage? Control was the key, and something I would need to learn quickly.

  CHAPTER FIVE

  Vincent tried to persuade me into going back inside the mountain, but I stoutly refused to abandon him.

  “I’ll go back in after the other dragons arrive,” I told him.

  “You are an awfully stubborn human,” Vincent grumbled as he kept me shielded from the elements within the circle of his wings. From the safety of my shelter, I examined the gash Tyr had made down Vincent’s chest.

  “What can I do to help you?” I asked, gently placing a hand next to the wound in an attempt to bring him comfort.

  “There is nothing you can do,” Vincent told me, “but Aurora might be able to aid in my recovery.”

  “Me?” Aurora asked in surprise. “How can I help?”

  “I need you to use your fire to cauterize the wound before I lose any more blood.”

  “Is there no other way?” I asked. “Perhaps something that would be less painful for you?”

  “It is the best solution,” Vincent assured me. “Afterwards, I will lie on the snow to take away some of the discomfort. Don’t worry about me, Sarah. I will be fine.”

  Aurora propelled herself off my shoulder so she could fly up to where the laceration started near Vincent’s neck. Using her fire breath, she began to mend Vincent’s wound. The smell of his burnt flesh filled the space, forcing me to cover my nose with the crook of my arm so I wouldn’t gag from the stench. It only took Aurora a few minutes to seal the injury, but it seemed like so much longer to me. Vincent didn’t make a sound while Aurora administered to him. He was far braver than I would have been under similar circumstances. Though, I suppose I had already gone through something similar back in Kamora.

  Once my little dragonling was through, Vincent removed his wings from around us and folded them up against his sides before lying down on the snow.

  He sighed in relief from the welcomed cold against his wound.

  “Thank you, Aurora,” Vincent told her. “Since your fire is so small, there should be minimal scarring. You are quite impressive, little one. You have excellent control over the intensity of your flame.”

  “I’m just glad I could help you,” Aurora said, sounding slightly surprised at her own ability to aid Vincent.

  Both Vincent and Aurora raised their heads toward the sky as if sensing something at the exact same moment.

  “Are they close?” I asked, assuming it was the imminent arrival of Gregoire and the other dragons that they were detecting.

  “Very close,” Vincent confirmed, slowly rising from the snow. “They will be here in a minute. Let me handle Gregoire’s questions. He won’t be pleased to learn that Tyr already knows about our involvement in this war.”

  “I assume we’ll have to change our strategy,” I said. “They’ll be expecting us to attack them now that we have a dragon corps of our own for air support.”

  “Yes,” Vincent agrees. “Our strategy may need to change.”

  Aurora flew up to retake her perch on my shoulder. “Turn around, Sarah, and look at your army of dragons.”

  As I turned around, images flashed through my mind trying to prepare me for what I would see, but the reality of what I witnessed that day was more beautiful than I could have ever imagined.

  At least a hundred dragons of all colors flew across the ocean towards Ledmarrow. Since each dragon was as large as a ship, the combined mass of their bodies blocked sunlight from filtering through beneath them. As they flew over the water, the wind from their wings caused unnaturally large waves to form. Even from a distance, I could feel their strength and felt overwhelmed by their presence. It was a feeling I hoped Nuala and her dragons would soon experience, causing them to cower in the battles yet to come.

  As the dragons approached the mountain range, some of them veered off and dove down to the ocean, presumably to fish and eat their fill after such a long journey. Others chose to land on top of the neighboring mountains while Gregoire and Seneca, Aurora’s father, chose to fly straight towards us.

  When the two dragons landed a few yards away, I sensed a tense ferocity in Gregoire. It was almost as if his rage was contained in a bottle, and he was simply waiting for a hammer to release it.

  “How were you injured?” Gregoire demanded of Vincent, studying his freshly sealed wound. “I could smell the stench of your burnt flesh a mile away.”

  “Tyr was here,” Vincent replied, obviously deciding blunt honesty was the best way to handle Gregoire’s inquiry. “It seems we have lost the element of surprise.”

  “How did he know we were coming?” Gregoire roared, making me fear he might cause a small avalanche with just the thunder of his voice, even though I knew the sound was only inside my head.

  “He claimed scouts warned him,” Vincent said, sounding less than convinced Tyr had told us the truth.

  “Do you believe someone told them we were coming?” Seneca asked, noticing Vincent’s undertone.

  Vincent sighed. “I don’t see how that could be possible. Sarah and I flew straight here from Kamora, and Tyr arrived soon after. Even if someone sent a message to Nuala, it couldn’t have reached her that quickly. Scouts make the most sense, yet I have a feeling that isn’t how they learned we were coming.”

  “Either way,” Gregoire said, folding his wings in and sitting down, “they know we’re here. It takes an advantage away from us that we could have used to retake Iron City.”

  “Yes,” Vincent agreed. “It certainly does. We may need to rethink our approach in regaining control there.”

  “I have a suggestion,” Seneca said, sitting beside Gregoire. “I think we need to do something they don’t expect us to.”

  “Which is?” I asked.

  “Take control of the Fae side of the island,” Seneca proposed. “They will expect us to try to retake Iron City, which means that is where they will gather the majority of their forces. Odds are we will only be met by a minimal amount of resistance on the Fae side.”

  “But how does doing that give us an advantage?” I asked.

  “For one, it will enrage Nuala,” Seneca explained. “She will no doubt send troops and dragons back to her lands to push us out of her city. When she does that, it will weaken her forces in Iron City, but our forces will remain strong if we keep them all together. Once we defeat the troops she sends, we can then proceed to Iron City and take out the remainder of her army to win back your country.”

  “Won’t she know that’s exactly what we’re doing though?” I asked. “Tyr will know for sure.”

  “It will be the perfect time to draw Tyr out,” Gregoire replied. “If he knows I’m on the Fae side of the island, he’ll come to deal with me himself.”

  “I don’t like the idea of using you as bait,” I admitted.

  “You need to realize something, Sarah,” Gregoire said to me. “This is war, and if we are going to win this war, you have to be willing to use everything at your disposal. We are not going to be playing a friendly game of chess with Nuala and her army. Lives will be wagered and lost. Death will surround this island of yours for a very long time to come, even after the war is over. Sacrifices will have to be made, but in the end, we have to believe they were not made in vain. Life is precious, but so is freedom. If I had been stronger and taken care of my brother when I had the chance, your people would not be in the position they are
now. I promise you that I will do everything I can to make right what was a bad decision on my part.”

  “You did what you thought was fair at the time,” I said, not wanting Gregoire to feel as though he should take all the blame for his brother’s actions. “None of us can fault you for that.”

  “Except myself,” Gregoire replied.

  “I believe Seneca’s plan is a good one,” Vincent said. “Nuala won’t expect us to do it.”

  “We’ll need to discuss it with Fallon and the others after they arrive,” I said. “Troops will have to be moved, and I’m not sure how long that will take.”

  “Considering the speed of your airship,” Seneca said, “they should arrive by nightfall. Vincent, have you had a chance to scout out a place for us to rest in these mountains?”

  “Yes,” Vincent said, standing to his feet. “We found a valley large and warm enough for the others to make camp in.”

  “Then let’s get everyone settled,” Gregoire said, also rising to his feet.

  “Would the two of you like to meet some of the other dragons who volunteered to come with us?” Seneca asked Aurora and me. “I would be happy to introduce you to them.”

  “Oh, could we, Sarah?” Aurora asked, her little heart bursting with excitement at the possibility.

  “I would love to,” I told her, “but I’m feeling a bit tired from all the excitement. Would you mind going with your father without me this time? You can tell me all about them when you return.”

  “Are you sure?” Aurora asked, not sounding convinced that she should leave me alone.

  “Yes. I’m sure. I just need some time to rest.”

  “If you need me, I will know and come to you right away,” Aurora assured me, rubbing her head against my cheek before fluttering off my shoulder to fly to her father’s back. “I will be back soon, Sarah.”

  “Take your time,” I told her, not wanting her to rush on my account.

  I watched them all fly away before returning to the interior of the mountain. Since Vincent didn’t mention my newfound abilities to Gregoire and Seneca, I had to assume he was giving me time to come to terms with them first. I didn’t truly want to be alone so I sought out someone who would understand what I was going through and possibly even help me make sense of it all. As soon as I entered the chamber where Trill’s body lay, his spirit materialized.

  “Are you aware of what just happened to me?” I asked him.

  “I dare say everyone within a hundred mile radius of these mountains felt your powers awaken, Sarah,” Trill said, sounding amused I felt the need to ask such a question.

  “How have I had magic inside me all these years and not known it?” I asked. “And what else can I do?”

  “I have no way of knowing the extent of your powers,” Trill told me. “And you will need to ask Dracen why you’ve never experienced your true strength before now.”

  “When I was Kira, did I know that I had these abilities?”

  “No.”

  “Why didn’t I have them as her?”

  “You did. You simply weren’t aware you had them at the time.”

  “I don’t understand. Why did Dracen hide Kira’s potential from her?”

  “Only he can answer your questions,” Trill said. “But as Vincent no doubt told you, Dracen has lived with his powers for a very long time. They have been more of a burden than a blessing to him. Perhaps he thought he was doing you a favor by shielding you from your own gifts.”

  “I feel like I’ve just become a danger to everyone around me,” I confessed. “I don’t even know what I’m capable of. What if I think the wrong thing at the wrong time and turn someone into a toad?”

  Trill chuckles. “That would be quite amusing, if I‘m being honest. But from what you have experienced thus far, I feel sure your powers will be on par with your father’s.”

  “Dracen told me once that his powers leaned more towards the destructive side,” I said. “Is that what you’re telling me?”

  “Dracen has never truly liked being a sorcerer. He fears what he’s truly capable of because he believes he has the ability to destroy the world.”

  “Does he?” I asked worriedly.

  “Most certainly,” Trill replied without hesitation. “But his fear of performing such a despicable act will prevent him from ever doing it.”

  “And what about me?” I asked. “Do you think I have the capacity to destroy the world too?”

  “Undoubtedly,” Trill said, “but you are much like your father and won’t allow that to happen.”

  “How can you say that with so much conviction?” I asked, taking a seat on the cold stone floor because my legs had suddenly become very weak. “I don’t even feel that sure about myself.”

  “The little girl I knew as Kira was a child filled with love and laughter,” Trill said, his voice warm with memories. “Deep down, you’re still the girl I once knew. I don’t know what your life has been like since you left us, but I do know no matter what physical form you take your heart will never change.”

  “Has Dracen always kept so many secrets?”

  “Only when he deems it necessary. He does what he believes to be right. In the end, that is all any of us can do. We follow what our hearts tell us to do and hope we’ve made the right decision for those we love and for ourselves. So, when you see him next, try to be understanding of his actions. He only did what he thought was the right thing to do at the time.”

  “If he wants us to have a relationship, he has to stop keeping secrets from me.”

  “Then tell him that,” Trill encouraged. “He will listen to what you have to say. Dracen isn’t an unreasonable man.”

  Involuntarily, I began to yawn.

  “Perhaps you should go get some sleep,” Trill suggested gently. “You obviously need some rest.”

  “I haven’t slept very well the past few nights,” I acknowledged.

  “Then go find somewhere softer than this floor to slumber. Once Dracen arrives, I’m sure he will be able to lay some of your worries to rest. Now that you know about your powers, he will teach you how to use them. After you learn control, I believe you won’t fear them as much.”

  I stood from the floor, dusting off my leather outfit.

  “Thank you for talking with me,” I told Trill. “I can see why I came down here so much as a child. You’re a very good listener.”

  “Anytime you need me, I will be here,” Trill said, bowing his head before disappearing.

  I walked out of Trill’s chamber and made sure to close the door behind me. I then made my way back up the tunnel to find a place to take a short nap. I decided against going back to Kira’s bedroom. Even though I didn’t have many memories of her time here, I still felt uncomfortable trespassing on things that once belonged to my former self.

  I found my way back to the living quarters where I first saw Dracen when we came to Ledmarrow on our quest to discover the source of the plagues. I lay down on the white settee and used one of the pillows to cushion my head. In a matter of seconds, I was fast asleep.

  I awoke to someone softly calling out my name and squeezing one of my hands.

  “Emma,” I heard Fallon say. “We’re here.”

  When I opened my eyes and saw Fallon kneeling in front of me, I instinctively smiled.

  “I’m so glad you’re here,” I told him, tightening my grip on his hand like he was my own personal lifeline. “So much has happened.”

  Fallon lowered his head and kissed me lightly on a cheek. “How are you feeling?”

  “As well as can be expected, I suppose. I thought the time alone would help me sort things out, but my life seems determined to only get more complicated.”

  My words instantly brought a worried frown to Fallon’s face.

  “Complicated in a bad way?” he asked.

  “I guess it depends on how you look at it,” I told him, sitting up on the settee.

  “You’re not proposing to Emma already are you, Fallon?” I
heard Inara say as she strolled into the room with Dracen and Able following close behind her. “Should we have stayed outside for a little while longer?”

  “I am not proposing, Inara,” Fallon said in exasperation, rising to his feet as the others made their way over to us. “And I certainly wouldn’t do it knowing you were within earshot.”

  Inara plopped down beside me on the settee and gave me a hug.

  “How are you feeling? Any morning sickness? Are you having any problems?” she asked worriedly.

  “Just a little tired is all,” I told her, looking away from her to Dracen. “I’ve had some excitement since we arrived.”

  “Well, we saw the dragons,” Inara said. “Is there more to tell?”

  “Yes,” I answered, realizing that I couldn’t say everything I needed to while Inara and Able were in the room. “Nuala’s dragons know that Gregoire and the others are here.”

  “How could they have figured that out?” Dracen questioned.

  “Tyr said—”

  “Tyr came here himself?” Dracen asked in surprise.

  “Yes. He came with two other dragons. They tortured Vincent.”

  “Is Vincent all right?” Inara asked with true concern.

  “Yes, he’s fine. Aurora was able to seal his wound. Though, I’m sure he’ll end up with a scar.”

  “Did they leave when Gregoire and the others arrived?” Dracen asked.

  “No. They left before that. There was an unexpected tremor in the mountains,” I said, looking meaningfully at Dracen. “That’s what made them leave.”

  “A tremor?” Inara questioned, perplexed by such a notion. “Is there an active volcano around here that I don’t know about?”

  “Anything is possible I suppose,” I answered, not taking my eyes off Dracen.

  “Yes,” he finally said. I could tell by the concerned look in his eyes that he understood what I was really hinting at, “anything is certainly possible.”