The Dragon Guard: Oceans and Pebbles

by Sarah Hite

  Kei-ata stayed behind, he knew something was wrong; Elder rarely avoided a question. “What is it? Is something wrong with her?”

  Elder sighed and nodded. “She didn’t want me to tell the council. She wants Kyeon to be the first to know, other than you.” Kei-ata waited for him to continue. “She’s not doing very well.” He looked at the shaman. There was a sadness in his eyes that had not been there before. He spoke with uncertainty, and something bridging on fear. “Her Majesty is pregnant. She’s having a good amount of trouble, and is very weak. I asked to bring Torak here, not only to meet their father, but because I knew she wouldn’t be able to keep him under control. He’s as unruly as Kyeon was at that age.”

  “She wanted me to know?” the shaman asked, growing uneasy. Elder nodded. “She wants you to make the necessary preparations just in case. Right now, she doesn’t believe she’s strong enough for this, and fears what might happen. She needs help.”

  Kei-ata nodded. “I will send word for Shaman Lieta to come down and take over for me. I should start the preparations… figure out how best to help her,” the shaman said, slowly turning away. Elder sighed. This was troubling news, and would affect many.

  Crown Prince

  Torak woke up early. he had not slept well and decided since he was already awake, he might as well get up. When Kyeon had shone him what would be his personal chambers, he had been exited at first. However, when he saw them, he was rather disappointed. After living his whole life outside, the rough stone walls of the Keep were uncomfortable. He knew instantly Akina would have a problem with them. He looked around the chamber he sat in, then stood and walked over to a shallow depression in the stone. This, he was told, would be filled with sand, and be where he slept.

  The rest of the cavern was just as barren. The stone shelves that lined the walls held nothing, except for a single dried piece of wood. The chamber itself was a decent size; it was at least seventy feet around and roughly fifty feet across. The walls of the chamber were built from layers of multi-colored stone that slanted up the walls. Fire pits had been dug out from the soft sand stone layer at the base; no sunlight shone into the chamber through the thin slits in the walls, and he began to wonder what time it was.

  He crept out of his personal chambers and went to the central cavern, a large space where everyone could gather. He saw that the fire pit Kyeon had lit was still roaring. This confused him; Kyeon had said the fire would go out on its own. Father, Father said it would go out on its own, he reminded himself. He decided that either he had not slept more than a few hours, or it was later than he thought and his father was already awake.

  He turned around when he heard something that sounded like claws scratching on wood. He followed the sound until he came to the outer chamber, where he found Lang waiting at the entrance. “Good morning,” the warrior greeted him.

  Torak acknowledged his greeting and asked about the scratching sound. Lang showed him a piece of wood that had been set into the stone on the entrance wall and explained, “When someone visits another’s den, they scratch the wood to inform those inside of their presence.” Torak noticed that the plank was covered in grooves from being scratched. He nodded, now understanding. “Your father’s in the council chambers. He asked me to lead you there when you woke.”

  “What time is it?” Torak asked.

  “Midmorning. The council decided to let you sleep as long as you needed to,” the warrior said as he began turning away. Torak said nothing else and followed the Forest dragon down the corridor. He did not really feel like talking and Lang seemed to sense this, leaving him be. When they reached a crossing Lang stopped. A hard expression dimmed his eyes as he listened to an unspoken voice. He sighed and turned to the boy. “I’m sorry Torak, there’s an emergency at the main entrance. I have to go.” He pointed down the corridor. “Just follow this corridor and take a left when it ends. That path will take you to the council chamber.”

  Torak looked down the corridor and tried to see through the mass of dragons walking about it, and looked back at Lang. The warrior noticed his hesitation and added, “Then again, why don’t you come with me.” Torak found this more agreeable and happily followed him down another corridor. They made good time to the entrance, where several dragons had gathered. As Torak looked the scene over, he saw the same little hatchling he had helped the day before. Mentally, he called to the hatching, and the little dragon ran over to him. He hid behind Torak as the young Fire dragon they had met yesterday broke through the crowd. He did not see Torak, but instead ran to one of the dragons who had been in the accident.

  “Father! Are you alright?” the boy asked. The large Fire dragon nodded and Torak turned his attention back to Lang, who was speaking to a large white dragon with pale blue markings. This dragon, or shaman, he realized, was trying to help the other victim. She did not seem happy.

  Torak looked down at the hatchling by his side. The little dragon was very upset, but was too young to speak more than a few words. He kept looking at the shaman and the dragon she was working on. Torak came to the sudden realization that this dragon was one of his parents. As he listened to the rest of the dragons around him, he figured out what had happened. The Fire dragon had failed to alert the guard at the entrance to his approach, and had crashed into another dragon who had been leaving. He sadly discovered that the young Forest dragon he had crashed into was the hatchling’s mother, and her condition was not good.

  “It’s alright, don’t be afraid,” he told the little dragon. “Your mom’s going to okay.” The little dragon pressed himself into Torak’s leg. He needed comforted, and Torak knew that he would not be calmed down within sight of his mother. He led the child through the crowd to a small alcove in the wall. He curled up around him and continued to talk down his fears.

  The little dragon only knew a few words, but was able to tell him his name. Milen, was just beginning to calm down when Torak heard Lang say, “Okay Corren, you can go home, but we aren’t done.” He watched the Fire dragon begin to make his way through the crowd when he heard Lang again. “Torak? Where did you go?”

  Torak was about to answer him when Corren and his son walked by him. The young Fire dragon stopped and glared at him. “Well look who it is, the coward,” he sneered. Corren stopped when he heard his son and turned back to him just as Torak stood up. Milen jumped up and tried to press himself into Torak’s hind leg, clearly afraid of the boy. “Sidren, leave him,” his father ordered.

  Sidren paid no attention. “I know who you are, coward, and I know where you come from.”

  Torak smiled, “Really?”

  “Sidren,” Corren warned. Sidren still paid his father no mind. “Your name is Spineless, and you come from the clan of Pathetic, but I like Coward better. You and your family have no honor.” Torak’s eyes narrowed, but he remained silent. This seemed to anger Sidren, who continued maliciously.

  “Sidren! Enough,” his father declared.

  Sidren continued none the less. “You are gutless and should be put out of your misery. Any family you might have are just as gutless as you. You can’t be the only coward in your line. No, I bet your brothers are just as spineless as you, your sisters are probably worse. I should teach your siblings the true meaning of fear.” Torak’s eyes narrowed dangerously.

  “Sidren!” Corren yelled. Sidren glared at his father. “What?” he yelled back.

  However, it was too late. Torak growled and tackled him. He pinned Sidren to the floor just as easily as he did before. “You dare threaten my family? You know nothing about me or my sister. You have no idea who we are.” He was angry, but he restrained his anger.

  “Torak! Release him.” Torak knew that voice. He quickly released the young Fire dragon and looked at the one who had given the order. “He threatened Akina,” he said.

  Sidren climbed to his feet and looked straight into the king’s face. He yelped in surprise and back away from Torak, who stood before the king.

  “We heard about the a
ccident and thought we would see what happened, and arrived just in time to hear his threat,” Prince Seoung said. Kei-ata Lorbrein nodded and left them to join the pale shaman. A small, pale Mountain dragon stood with them. She looked confused for a moment, but smiled kindly.

  “Sire, I apologize. My son has yet to learn to control himself,” Corren said, bowing to the king. He looked from Torak to Kyeon and back again; an uneasy look passed behind his eyes.

  Kyeon nodded but said, “You can take him home in a moment. First he should know who this boy is.” He turned to Sidren, knowing how the rest of the gathered dragons would react, and told him, “When you threatened his family, you threatened me.”

  Sidren stared at the king. “What?”

  “Torak, is his name. He’s my son.” Sidren blanched. Weakly, he asked, “What?”

  Torak joined the council, and the resemblance became clear. “We’re having an assembly to announce the return of the lost prince and princess.” Seoung decreed. “It will begin in an hour.

  An hour and a half later, Torak and Kyeon were walking back to their den. Now the whole Keep knew about the flood and the two eggs that were lost to it. The Keep also learned that the eggs had survived and hatched. Torak told them about the wolves he saved his sister from, and explained that he may have been the warrior, but she was the hunter. She was patient, and would remain invisible until a deer walked right up to her. She always managed to find them something to eat.

  When they reached the den, Kyeon turned to the young dragon next to him. “Are you alright?”

  Torak answered without looking up. “I was thinking about Akina. When the weather changed, and the leaves started to turn colors we got separated. I was afraid she would be attacked by wolves and I wouldn’t be there to help her. I don’t know how she managed to stay away from them.” He was quiet for a moment, but soon added, “I was always stronger than her. If she got hurt, it wouldn’t be good. Akina…I told Elder that I called her Akina because I thought she was pretty, like a flower, and I do, but I think I’ve come to realize that I called her flower because she’s kind of fragile. Even her steps are dainty, like she’ll break if she steps the wrong way.”

  Kyeon listened without comment. He knew what had been discussed at the council session where they had first met. Her bone structure was frail, and would easily break in an attack, or wind storm. He looked down at Torak when the boy quietly added, “When we got separated, and months passed without seeing her, I thought she might have been…I didn’t expect to see her again.”

  He could tell that his son was afraid something would happen to her; he wanted to put the boy at ease so he said, “Kei-ata has asked to come with us when we visit Sheadod. As soon as he is ready, we’ll go see Akina.” Torak looked up at him and smiled.

  Ghosts

  Flame sat down at his desk aggravated. He had just returned from another council session and was mad that he and his council could not figure out how to help the Ocean dragons. He did not want to leave his allies without aid, as they had been informed of the dralics’ ferocity. He had also been upset by a missive he had received from Lukair. The young man had unhappily told him that Ania was missing. She had gone to check the status of their boat that morning and had not returned. That was almost four weeks ago.

  He also told Flame that Pai, Shaelynn, and Alamine had gone ahead to the islands, while he and Kym remained in Sheadod. Kym had remained to arrange care for the siblings and Lukair was working with Mychal’s men to find Ania. He included a brief explanation about Akina and Torak, and also informed him of the queen’s pregnancy, and what might happen because of it.

  He looked up as someone knocked on the door. “Come.”

  Aram opened the door and approached the desk. The boy was Flame’s personal servant and messenger. He was a good natured kid, and reminded him of Lukair. This did not surprise him, since he was Lukair’s cousin. As the boy approached the desk, he pulled a piece of paper from his pocket and set the missive on the desk. “A message from Lukair, Sire.”

  “Thank you, Aram,” Flame replied, “Is Ryell still here?”

  “Yes, Sire.” Flame nodded. He knew Lord Mychal had returned to Sheadod days earlier; and since he knew Sheadod better than most, his input would be greatly appreciated. He dismissed the boy then opened the missive, read it, set it back down, and sighed. Lukair’s message was simple. Queen Alani was doing as well as expected, but she was not improving. He also suggested that someone with more experience come help Layon. Kym was fading fast and he was concerned. The only thing he said about Ania was that they were still looking. Flame stood and went to the window where he watched a group of soldiers practicing battle tactics with swords. He watched them for several minutes then turned back to his desk. He stopped in surprise as a man, wearing a long dark cloak, stood in front of his desk; a deep hood concealed his face.

  “How did you get in here?” Flame asked as he warily walked back to his desk. “And who are you?”

  The man stayed where he was. He did not appear armed but Flame was not going to be taken by surprise. The man slowly lifted his hands, reveling not weapons, but plain, ragged clothing. He looked at Flame and said, “I will tell you my name in a moment, your Majesty, but for now, will you please sit?” The man pulled a chair over to the desk and sat down as he spoke. He took off his hood, reviling greying black hair, and looked up at the younger man; he took a deep breath. “I was told to speak with you. I am supposed to tell you a story, and who I am, but for now, please call me Marcus.”

  “Marcus? The Marcus who helped Ania?”

  He nodded. “I broke a bargain when I helped them, a bargain I made a long time ago.”

  “With Vidar?”

  “No, with the dragon.”

  “You told Ania that you had never seen or met a dragon.”

  Marcus looked down and replied sadly, “I lied.”

  Flame studied him from across the desk. “Why?”

  “Our deal was that I would leave my former life, to not have contact with anyone I knew. For her benefit.”

  “Her benefit? Okay, start over, from the beginning,” Flame requested, waving his hands.

  Marcus looked up. “Fifteen years ago, when Thorin turned himself in; he knew that he would never leave, but the dragon had a plan as well. One of the older dragons he knew came to the jail on a black night. He lit an unused section of the jail on fire to distract the guards; then he grabbed Thorin and took him away, saving his life; but even though he remained alive, he died inside. The dragon who took him from the cell, took him far away, where he would be safe. He told him that the price for saving his life was that he must stay away from his friends and family. To allow them to believe he was dead, until the time was right, and then the dragon would return and bring him back to his family.”

  “And you had something to do with this…plan?” Flame asked, slightly confused.

  Marcus nodded. “I made the deal. Thorin didn’t like it, but knew it was necessary, in order to keep his daughter safe.”

  “And the dragon was going to bring him back after a certain time?”

  “When it was safe. When the Duke and the rest of his enemies were gone.”

  Flame leaned forward and interlocked his fingers on the desk. “So, let me get this straight. A dragon took Thorin without the knowledge of his friends and family, and hid him, saying they would return him when it was safe?”

  “Yes.”

  “Okay, so where is he?” Marcus did not answer. He sat in the chair, his eyes sad, hands folded in his lap. “He didn’t die, did he?”

  “No! No, he’s alive. It’s just that, well, he doesn’t know what to do. How is he supposed to explain his absents to the Dragon Guard, to his friends, to Ania! He can’t just pick up where he left off.”

  Flame sighed, he seemed so insecure, and apologetic, that the king had a fair idea of how the story ended. He looked Marcus in the eye, and asked gently, “So why did he choose to bring you back now?”

  Thor
in looked up, surprised. “I don’t know. He just said to talk to you.”

  Flame nodded and said, “Don’t worry, we’ll figure it out. Ania may be mad at first, but it won’t last long. She’ll be asking you all sorts of dragon related questions before you know it.” He paused and grew quiet, a moment later he added sadly, “As far as Ania goes, before the two of you are reintroduced, there’s something I need to tell you.” He paused and took a deep breath. “A small dragon, of a breed we had never seen before, was found outside of Ciciana. Ania and Lukair were on their way to return her and stopped in Sheadod for a boat, since her breed comes from the Isles. Ania went to check the status of the boat and disappeared. Lord Mychal and his men, as well as Lukair, are looking for her.” He then offered Thorin a place to stay for the night, and promised to talk to the Dragon Guard in the morning.

  The next morning they went out to the Guard House to speak with the members of the Pycan Dragon Guard. Thorin wore his cloak over a new set of clothes Flame had given to him the night before. When they reached the Guard House, Flame called the members of the Dragon Guard outside. “Men, there’s someone I would like to introduce you to. This is… Flame turned to motion to Thorin, but saw that he was a few feet away, watching the sky. There was a dragon approaching from the south west. He watched the dragon for a few moments, and spoke quietly. Flame and Silvrin approached him and heard him say, “Wings that beat, wings that greet, the heavens above. Soaring high, oh, how they fly, quietly, through the sky.”

  Silvrin’s eyes narrowed. Before Flame could stop him, be pulled his sword free of its sheath and raised it against Thorin. “Who are you, and where did you hear that?” he asked crossly. Seeing their captain raise his weapon, the rest of the Dragon Guard raised their swords as well. Silvrin demanded again, “Who are you?”