“Let’s start in Shelby. I’m sure that’s where my mother would go if she had to evacuate but wanted to stay close,” Isabella said loudly, to which Shayla said with a thumbs-up.
Sisera and the other two dragons landed in a clearing behind a ridge surrounded by thick forest. The two girls leaped from their dragons and began to stretch. Isabella enjoyed the freedom of flying without a saddle but it was important to stretch before and afterward, a lesson that she had learned the hard way.
“We will be back as soon as we know anything,” Isabella mindlinked Sisera.
The two girls went into town only to learn that Isabella’s family and friends were bunkered down at one of the farms owned by the Daxrah.
“Makes sense,” said Isabella on their walk back to the clearing. “It’s far enough away from the villages that they shouldn’t be affected by the inflicted.”
“What do they grow?” asked Shayla.
“Each one’s different. Foodstuffs, hemp, hops for beer. Kai bought the farms when we first arrived. They gave us commodities to trade with, which was the important part, but, also housed those people that we couldn’t at the Tower.”
“It is quite the undertaking,” Shayla said, shaking her head, “to establish a new kingdom.”
Isabella laughed. “I guess that is what we are doing.”
The sun was just beginning to set when they flew over the mountain range and approached the farm from the north. There was minimal movement but Sisera was certain that she could smell them in the large house. As they flew closer, a group of people came out of the building and gathered in the yard. Isabella’s heart began to beat faster with excitement.
“That’s them,” she beamed.
“They look so tasty,” Tyrath said dryly.
“You’re so funny,” Sisera said, pretending to laugh.
“There’s Kai and Jaime,” Isabella said, squealing the words, “And there’s my mother. Oh, and there is Adina.”
“They look very excited to see you,” Shayla said.
“They probably figured I was dead or something.” Isabella laughed.
“You almost were.” Sisera pointed out the fact unhelpfully.
“I wonder if I should tell them about that? They may never let me leave the Tower again,” said Isabella.
Shayla laughed. “Seriously? You ride a dragon and shoot flames from your bare hands. But yet, you are worried about being grounded. You are hilarious.”
“What?” Isabella said, innocently.
“I’m sure they won’t ground you. Should we put on a little display for them? Show them some true dragonblood power?” Shayla said with a wink.
“I like that idea. Did you have something in mind?”
“We could rain dragon fire down on them and burn them alive,” Tyrath said.
“Maybe something with a little more show and a little less burning them alive,” said Shayla, shaking her head with amusement.
“I have a plan,” Isabella said, “Follow my lead.”
“She’s returned with two more dragons!” Amelia said. “She must’ve had a wonderful adventure.”
“I’m sure she will have fantastic tales to tell us around the hearth but, first, we need to get our hearth back,” Kai said. “Three dragons should aid us greatly in that cause.”
“Is she…?” Jaime said excitedly, pointing at the incoming beasts. “There’s another one. There’s another person riding the white one. But they are not riding, they are standing.”
“It seems her time away was not wasted,” Kai said, a wide smile spreading across his face. “That’s amazing.”
Kai looked around at the dozen or so people that had gathered in the yard of the farmhouse. Other than himself, Jaime, Adina, and Amelia, they were all patients from the infirmary who were still quarantined but healthy enough to move around on their own.
He saw Rosalie leaving the main storehouse, which now was home to most of the high-risk patients from the west village infirmary. He waved at her. When she waved back, he motioned toward the sky where the dragons were approaching. Rosalie looked up and jumped when she saw the dragons. Kai could hear her scream excitedly before she ran over to where he was standing.
“She’s back!” Rosalie said excitedly. She gave Kai a hug, but then quickly moved on to hug Amelia, who was crying emotionally. Rosalie looped her arm through Amelia’s and clenched the woman’s hand as they watched the dragons draw closer.
“Look at that.” One of the patients pointed.
Kai looked up to see that the two riders had leaped from their dragons and were hurling toward the ground with trails of fire behind them. The dragons looped up and around, each going in a separate direction.
“They’re putting on a show.” Kai chuckled, shaking his head slightly. “Trust Isabella.”
Just before Isabella and the other rider hit the ground, Sisera and the white-red flew underneath and caught them. As soon as the riders landed on their backs, the dragons began to climb, flying just above the crowd of people, who all erupted in cheers and applause.
“Is that girl a dragonblood as well?” Amelia asked, continually fighting the tears of joy that persistently streamed down her face.
“It seems so,” said Kai. Suddenly, a thought occurred to him, “Where is the third dragon?”
Jaime also began to scan the skies for the bronze-yellow. “There,” he said, pointing toward the tree line.
The third dragon had flown into the forest and was now flying towards the farmhouse along the ground. The other two dragons had climbed to a great height and were now flying toward the ground at a tremendous speed.
“Are they slowing down?” someone shouted.
“Run for cover.” All the patients ran for shelter in the farmhouse.
Kai stood his ground but he soon began to get nervous as the dragons did not seem to be slowing. He began to back up as the third dragon was almost upon them.
Suddenly, the bronze-yellow stretched out its wings, which caught the air and immediately stopped the dragon with such force that it seems that the beast was floating. What made Kai’s jaw drop in awe was when the last of the sun’s light reflected off its radiant scales, the dragon looked like it was bathed in fire.
“That’s incredible!” Kai said, as Sisera and a huge white-red dragon landed in front of the blazing beast.
The rest of the group left what shelter they had found and were slowly returning to the yard.
Amelia ran across the lawn and scooped up Isabella as soon as the girl had jumped from her dragon. She hugged her daughter with such ferocity that Kai wondered if she was squeezing the life out of her.
“I’m so glad you are safe,” Amelia managed to say as she choked back her tears.
“I missed you, Mother.” Isabella returned the affectionate embrace as frantically as she was receiving it.
Adina, Jaime, and Rosalie all received excited hugs from the young girl. When she turned to Kai, Rosalie grabbed her hand.
“He’s in rough shape. Only a special elixir is keeping him upright. Just be careful,” she said.
Isabella cocked her brow at Kai. “Bar fight?” she asked with a chuckle. She gently wrapped her arms around him and squeezed lightly.
“Ha. You’re so very funny. I’ll tell you about it later,” Kai said as he returned her embrace. “How about you? It was nice of you to show off your new skills and your new friends. Speaking of. Are you going to introduce us?”
Kai looked over at the dragons, who had become a huge spectacle for the patients. Even some of the high-risk patients were peeking out of the barn. The bronze-yellow was the second biggest creature Kai had ever seen. The white-red was the first.
“Of course,” said Isabella excitedly. She ran over to the girl who was standing next to the white-red and grabbed her by the hand, pulling her towards the group. “This is Shayla. She’s like me. A dragonblood.”
“Pleased to meet you all,” Shayla said with a slight bow. “I’m sure we will become acquainted
later on.”
Isabella waited until everyone had said hello then walked over to the white-red. “This is Shayla’s dragon, Caritha,” she said. “She is also Sisera’s sister.”
Kai watched as everyone greeted the newcomers warmly. After the excitement died down, he walked over to Isabella and took her by the arm.
“Did you know that we lost the Tower? Is that why you came here?” he asked grimly.
Isabella’s face turned sullen. “Yes,” she said. “We found Apophis. One of her messengers brought the news. We left as soon after we heard, two days ago, and traveled here directly, without rest.”
“From where?”
“South-west of Droll.”
“That’s incredible.” Kai laughed as he spoke. “That isn’t the first time today that I have said that.”
Isabella smiled. “So, what happened?”
The smile faded from Kai’s face. “Maybe we should go inside first. I’m beginning to feel a little weak.”
Isabella nodded and went to gather the others. Sisera and the other dragons flew away, headed toward the mountain range.
“Sisera is going to show them her favorite fishing grounds,” Isabella said as she took Kai’s arm to steady him as they went into the house.
Kai felt himself getting weaker by the moment. His knees buckled but thankfully Jaime was there to catch him, throwing an arm around Kai’s waist. With the help of both Jaime and Isabella, Kai finally settled himself into an overstuffed, leather chair in the family room of the farmhouse.
Kai motioned to Rosalie. “Can I have some more of that potion?” he asked. “Just a little bit more? I just need enough for a couple more hours.”
Rosalie shot a glare at Adina, who began to chuckle. “I think that you should just get some rest. We really are still just testing the substance right now. It may not be safe to ingest so much.”
Kai groaned and lay back. “We have a long night ahead. I will rest when we are back in our Tower.”
Rosalie reluctantly agreed and left the room. When she returned, Isabella was already telling tales of her adventures. Rosalie gave Kai a small vial which he immediately poured into his mouth.
“Thank you.” He groaned, eyes closed, willing the concoction to kick in. He tried to listen to Isabella’s tale but he could not concentrate and lost track of the story. However, by the time Isabella had finished, Kai was sitting up straight and alert.
“So, tell us what happened to the village and the Tower,” Isabella said.
“Is it the Order of the Sacred Blood?” Shayla asked.
“Yes, it is the Sacred Blood,” said Amelia. “They have taken the Tower, so we evacuated the village. Our people are spread across the region, where ever would take them in. Many felt the farms were too close but it was the best we could do for the infirmary. We expected them to attack while we were moving but they shut the gates and we haven’t heard from them since.”
“But, how did they take the Tower in the first place?” Isabella asked.
Kai told her the story, with Amelia, Jaime, and Rosalie helping to fill in the blank spots. Kai skipped over the part where Raven went crazy. He gave Amelia a look and she responded with one of her own that confirmed he made the right choice.
“So, let me get this straight,” Shayla said, her hands on her head, trying to understand. “The fire burned so greatly that everyone, including those from the Tower, went out to try and fight it. That is when they took the tower?”
Kai nodded.
“But, how was it that no one saw them sneak in?”
Amelia shook her head. “We don’t know. Not yet.”
“So, we’ll just fly in and take it back,” Isabella said, jumping up excitedly. She slammed her fist onto her open hand. “We would destroy them with ease.”
“That’s what worries me,” Shayla said. “The Brotherhood started the wars. They also have a history of being superior dragon hunters. They built most of the giant traps that litter the mountain ranges on Droll. That’s what this feels like. A trap.”
Kai nodded. “I agree but what choice do we have? Run? Find some other hole for them to take from us? If we don’t protect what is ours now, then we will be forced to live like nomads forever.”
“One good thing, is they are expecting only one dragon, not three,” Isabella said, with a smirk. “Plus, they have two bonded dragonbloods to deal with. I would say the odds are in our favor.”
Jaime leaned over and whispered to Kai, “Was she always this aggressive?”
Kai just shrugged. “It was good, though,” he thought to himself. “The Sacred Blood won’t know what hit them.”
The group spent the next few hours formulating a plan to combat their mysterious enemy. Shayla had a lot of obscure information about the Brotherhood that Kai found helpful.
Once they had developed a reasonable strategy, Kai was beginning to feel the effects of the potion wear off. His head began to feel heavy and he had troubles keeping his eyes open.
“Get lots of rest, Kai,” Isabella said as she carried him into his bed. “We’re going to get our home back soon.”
46
“The waiting is becoming unbearable.” Omar slammed down his cup and pushed himself away from the table.
Tarak watched him silently, staring at him like a petulant child.
“There is nothing else we can do right now. Besides, this was part of your plan. We must be patient,” Santaal said calmly, although Tarak could tell his brother was becoming agitated with their leader.
Omar began to pace the Tower’s dining hall, mumbling incoherently to himself, occasionally slamming a fist into his open palm. The other members of the Order’s upper echelon watched him in silence, nervous to draw the man’s attention and his wrath.
Tarak met his brother’s eyes, but all Santaal could offer him was a shrug. It took all the willpower Tarak had to not accost the man and put an end to the adolescent behavior. He clutched the arm of his chair to help resist his own urges as he could feel his own patience waning.
It had been three weeks since they took the Tower and they had been waiting for the inevitable retaliation ever since. Omar and Santaal had immediately seen to the construction of the machines that now stood fully assembled in the yard. The other Brothers kept a vigilant watch on the walls and throughout the village. Tarak had not expected the previous occupants to wait so long to make their move.
Thankfully, there was an ample store of preserved food in the storerooms, as well as fresh vegetables from the garden, but more importantly, the impressive growing house. It was a pleasant surprise for Tarak when he was first shown the warehouse that had been converted into an indoor growing facility. He was fascinated by the magics at work in the place as well as the strange apparatus that hung from the ceiling. He claimed the building as his own and forbade anyone from entering, as was his right as the High Priest so that he could study the fascinating new technologies without interruption. He spent many hours poring over building plans, testing the different magics in play, and, cultivating the rare, and not so rare, plants that grew within.
“It was an unparalleled collection of powerful spell ingredients.” He had told the council when questioned as to what right he had to claim it for the Faith. They could only agree with his claim so it became Tarak’s sanctuary while they waited for their enemies to attack, as he knew they eventually would.
He had hopes that he could capture the one named ‘Adina’ alive so that he could question her about the apparatus. There was much about it that he could not understand.
Tarak noticed that Omar had stopped pacing and was staring directly at him as if waiting for an answer.
“Well?” Omar shouted. “Answer me, Priest.”
“I wasn’t listening,” Tarak said in a low steady tone, maintaining steady eye contact. He was the only one of the group who would dare to disrespect Omar Hussein openly and to his face. Tarak knew that Omar would shout until he was red in the face but he would never engage in combat be
cause he knew that Tarak would best him many times over.
“Enough of your insolence, Priest. This is all your fault. It was your showboating that caused this whole mess.” Omar’s face was turning a dark shade of reddish-purple. “What do you have to say for yourself?”
“I’m sorry.” Tarak sat up in his chair, gripping the ends of the arms tightly. His stare became even more intense. “Explain to me why you think this is my fault.”
“If your little show hadn’t been so intense, they wouldn’t be so scared to try and take the Tower back,” Omar shouted, slamming his hand on the table.
Tarak slowly nodded, processing the implications of what he was being accused of. He looked around the table, at each of his Brothers faces. He could see that they were having trouble deciding if they were more scared of Omar or of Tarak. He knew the answer.
“This is not the time,” Tarak thought to himself. He repeated the thought over and over in his mind until he felt his hands unclench naturally and he could relax. He sat back in his chair and without breaking eye contact with his leader, Tarak said, “You very well may be correct. My apologies to the council for my overzealous actions. Perhaps we need to entice them to attack?”
Omar’s chest puffed slightly. “What do you suggest?” he asked, a victorious smirk beginning to cross his face.
“Perhaps I should lift the shroud so they can observe us. That way they will be able to see that they outnumber us greatly thus giving them the courage to engage,” Tarak said steadily.
Omar’s brow furrowed slightly for just a short moment but it was enough of an indication that Tarak was on the right course.
“Yes. I believe that would be our best course of action. It would take me just a few moments to dismantle the spell. Just say the word and it will be done.” Tarak grinned as Omar became visibly uncomfortable. Tarak knew that an important part of the plan was to hide their presence and their numbers.
“Maintain the spell. We will wait them out,” Omar said through gritted teeth.
Sisera's Gift 2: Sacred Blood Page 30