by Leela Ash
Kala struggled to sit up, shielding her eyes from the light so that she could gradually get used to the painful sensation of keeping her eyes open. Why couldn’t she remember who she was? A tight fear was gripping her heart, but she knew it wouldn’t be helpful to drown herself in that. She would have to do her best to stay calm.
Finally, she was ready to face the strange new world and opened her eyes slowly, lowering her protective palms from her face. It was true, the leaves on the trees were green, and the trunks seemed woefully thin for some reason. Were they diseased? She couldn’t be sure.
If they were, she should probably get out of there as quickly as possible, in case whatever had infected them was contagious. Maybe it was what had caused her to lose her memory. The thought was troubling and urged her to her feet. She would have to find her way out of here one way or another. She wasn’t sure she liked the way the forest smelled. It was so different from what she expected. Did that mean she was far from home? She couldn’t be sure, but she did know that she had to get out of there and get some help.
Chapter Two
“Zaden, why must you be so foolish?” Janes growled.
Zaden sighed. Janes really took training seriously. Zaden had always considered him a nuisance when he was bored and decided to do his own thing to liven up his training. Even more baffling and frustrating to Janes, Zaden couldn’t see the point of working so hard to strengthen his human body when he was already a dragon shifter. If he ever got himself into trouble, then all he had to do was shift into his dragon form and start causing some trouble.
“I’m done for the day,” Zaden said.
“Done? I’ll tell you when you’re done! You know that Clayton wants us all as strong as possible. The Kersh clan depends on it!”
“I’m already stronger than all the other men here!” Zaden exclaimed. “Why don’t you help them and leave me alone?”
“Zaden-“
But Zaden wasn’t listening anymore. He had already turned his back on Janes and was hurrying into the woods, his blood boiling. If he stayed there any longer, then Janes would end up getting in his face and regretting it, and then Zaden would have to face Clayton, leader of the Kersh clan. It wasn’t something he was interested in doing. And besides, he had been telling the truth. Clayton himself had been training him for a long time. He’d been orphaned at a young age and the clan leader had taken a special interest in him, saying that he saw potential in the young boy when everybody else only saw a pain in the neck.
He knew Clayton would understand, but still dreaded having ‘the ‘talk; with him again. The one about discipline and team work and learning how to follow orders. Zaden just wasn’t that kind of man. He had grown up lacking authority and didn’t need it as an adult either.
He inhaled deeply, allowing the luscious scent of the forest to lift his spirits. Nothing made him feel calmer than exploring the beautiful trees surrounding the perimeters of the clan. He looked up, peering through the canopy of the trees at the world above. Kaldernon shone above him, an aurora of colors that, as far as he knew, were only visible in the world where his people had originated. Only the dragon shifters and the creative Lonis, their female counterparts on Kaldernon, were able to see the world thinly veiled between the fabric of space-time. The dragons had a home there, one where they weren’t forced to resort to hiding from the cruelty of humanity and the ever looming threat of war on Earth.
He was about to head to his favorite spot – an area near a river where he went to be alone and mull things over – when he paused. Being part dragon meant that he was able to hear and sense things in his human form that other humans might not be able to, and far into the distance he sensed movement; rustling and sniffing. Was somebody encroaching on the Kersh clan’s territory?
The clan had been forced to double their efforts to be extra careful after the evil group of founders, who called themselves ‘The Guardians’, had tried to take away Clayton’s new wife. They were always trying to come up with new ways to wipe out the dragon clan and the Lonis, who were their counterpart in the world above. Lonis, the creative, spiritual, sensitive creatures, were able to carry shifter children and sometimes even divine the future. If the founders were coming to take away the Lonis who had fallen to earth through the rip in the space-time continuum once and for all, the dragon clan would surely die out.
Zaden glanced behind himself, wondering if he should call for help. If there was a group of Guardians, it might take more than just one man to defeat them. Unfortunately, had already put a lot of distance between himself and Janes. He would just have to handle this himself.
Chapter Three
Kala had been walking for hours and still hadn’t found her way out of the strange forest. If the noxious fumes of the strange, diseased trees were any indication, she would probably die soon and may never recover her memory. The thought dissolved her into tears. She was cold and alone, and couldn’t believe what was happening to her.
Suddenly, she heard the piercing crack of a twig snapping and looked up toward the sound, her lavender eyes wide. A man, tall, serious, and topless, was sauntering toward her. His muscles rippled with the effort of his movement, and his serious, sea green eyes stayed fixed upon her as he approached. She swallowed hard when he stopped directly in front of her, his dark blonde hair falling in front of his chiseled face as he looked down at the spot where she was resting, tears still streaming from her eyes.
“What’s going on?” he asked casually, as if they had known each other for years. He was the first person that she had seen, and it made her nervous. However, something about him was comforting and familiar. Maybe he had been her friend. The thought made her heart leap with hope, but not too high.
On the other hand, she had no idea if he might have had a hand in her lost memories. Maybe they really had known each other before she had lost her memory, but they had been enemies.
“I…do you know who I am?” she asked. He crinkled his nose and backed away. Apparently the question was off-putting.
“No, but you sound like one of those snobby humans who think their money is enough to make them famous throughout the world. What’s that about?”
He tilted his head and raised an eyebrow at her.
“No, it’s just that…I’m lost,” she said quietly. She shuddered involuntarily from the cold and Zaden raised his eyebrow in alarm.
“Oh, I’m sorry. Are you all right?”
“It’s just…”
Before she could finish, a man in a dark brown robe leapt toward them from the trees.
“What have we here!?” he said with a cackle. “Looks like exactly the person we’ve been looking for!”
“Shit,” Zaden sighed, glancing from the girl to the man, a Guardian with an evil gap-toothed smile on his face. He turned angrily to the girl. “Did you do this to lure me in here? Was this a trap?”
“Of course she didn’t,” the Guardian cackled. “We’ve been looking for the girl.”
“Why?” Zaden asked. The girl looked frightened and confused, and shrank closer to the ground, squeezing her eyes shut in fear.
“She’s a visitor here,” he said mysteriously, and raised his weapon to fire at the girl. She was hiding her face, weak and tired it seemed; too confused to understand any of what was happening. Zaden growled and lunged at the man, knocking him far back into the trees. He landed with a painful thud, but an ominous cackle rose from the foliage where he landed.
“It’s too late,” he said. “More are coming.”
Zaden unleashed a powerful roar. It silenced the man’s laughter and the girl looked up in confusion and terror.
“We have to go. Now.”
“But –“
Zaden didn’t wait for her to finish her thought. He lifted her onto his shoulders, carrying her how he had carried lambs in the settlement for special feasts, and ran with everything he had to take the girl as far away from the approaching Guardians as possible.
Chapter Four
&
nbsp; Zaden didn’t stop running until he could no longer smell or hear the Guardians. He had no idea how they had been able to sneak up on him like that. All he could guess was that he had been too distracted to realize that they were approaching. He had run far, further away than he had ever been from the Kersh clan before. Although it made him nervous, he wanted to stay composed in front of the beautiful, mysterious woman.
She had white-blonde hair, long and flowing to her waist. The effect made her look angelic and pure as snow. When she fixed her lavender colored eyes on him, he was startled by their intensity. He had only seen eyes like those once before, but he couldn’t place where he had seen them.
“Who are you?” she asked softly, shivering in the spot where he had put her down.
“My name is Zaden,” he said, lifting his chin at her as if she had tried to challenge him by questioning him. She wasn’t sure what the point of copping an attitude with her was, especially after he had saved her from the creepy man who had been after her. The man, who Zaden had mumbled was a Guardian as they were running, smelled awful and made her nauseated.
“Thank you for saving me, Zaden,” she said as formally as possible. She felt as if there was some kind of custom she should be performing, but for the life of her she couldn’t remember what it was and hoped a simple verbal form of gratitude would suffice.
“It’s nothing,” he said dismissively. He pretended not to look at her, but in reality he couldn’t help but stare at her from the corner of his eye. There was something strange about the woman. It gave him an odd feeling of nostalgia.
“I suppose you can leave now, right?” she asked hopefully. The man was intense and made her nervous. She wasn’t sure what to make of him.
“Not if the Guardians are after you. There’s a reason. Did you break out?”
“Break out?” she asked, furrowing her eyebrows in confusion, imagining her body covered in hives.
“No then,” he said thoughtfully. “Hmm…”
She suddenly realized what he might mean.
“Break out from where?” she pressed.
“Nowhere,” he said. “Nowhere you want to go or know very much about. Those guys are monsters, and if they’re after you, then there has to be a good reason.”
“I see,” Kala said. She was becoming more and more alarmed, but she wasn’t sure how much of her situation to share with this man. He was extremely difficult to talk to. There was a rough edge to him that didn’t feel particularly safe or welcoming. He was certainly arrogant. And yet he had saved her.
“Who are you anyway?” he asked finally.
“I…I know my name,” she said with a shiver. “Kala.”
“You’re cold,” he observed.
She nodded and he seemed surprised. He immediately set to work, collecting combustible branches and twigs. Within fifteen minutes, he had a roaring fire going. The warmth was like an old friend she hadn’t realized she’d missed. She hadn’t felt comfortable since the time she had woken up in the strange land and now finally she was starting to edge towards relaxing her defenses at the touch of warmth on her skin.
“Shouldn’t we get away from the trees?” she asked sleepily, curling her arms around her lean body to conserve heat.
“What for?” he asked, surprised.
“They look funny,” she said. He was about to reply, but before he could, he realized that she was curled on the ground across from him, sound asleep.
Chapter Five
The next morning, Kala woke up to the sounds and smells of food cooking. She sat up excitedly, her stomach rumbling. Zaden was hard at work over the fire, his thick golden hair tied up in a bun behind his head. He had a look of intense concentration on his face, and she couldn’t help but find it cute. He was arrogant, sure, but when he was focused on something, he put his all into it. That was admirable.
“Good morning,” she said softly, unable to handle the voyeuristic feeling that watching him was giving her.
“Oh, good, you’re awake now.”
“Yeah, I am. What are you cooking? It smells amazing.”
“Oh, this is something that my mother used to make. I’ve always loved it, but a lot of people find it strange. My mother wasn’t from around here. But I wanted to give you something that would give you some strength. You seem to be really exhausted.”
“That’s true. Thank you.”
“You don’t have to tell me what you’ve gone through, but if you feel like talking about it you can.”
She was surprised by the offer. Most men, as far as she knew, wouldn’t have bothered to say something like that. He fixed his sea green eyes on her, and she felt a flutter in her chest. He was being serious. It wasn’t what she expected from him, but then, nothing was what it seemed anymore.
“Thanks,” she said uncomfortably. She still wasn’t sure whether or not she could trust him with the fact that she didn’t have any memories. She thought it might be better to keep that a secret. However, he had kept her safe and warm, and now was even making her something to eat. Maybe she could trust him. She sighed heavily, but he didn’t seem to notice. He was very focused on stirring whatever was in the pot that he had over the fire.
“Where did you get that pot?” she asked.
“Oh, I keep it in my bag. It’s retractable. I can fold it kind of and make it small. I’ll show you later.”
“What kind of magic is that?” she asked, legitimately stupefied.
He laughed heartily until he realized that she was being serious. The smile fell from his face and he shook his head, squinting at her as if she were a foreign species.
“You’re not serious?” he asked. “Are you Amish or something?”
“Amish?” she asked. Nothing that he was saying was making any sense to her.
“You know, the people who don’t believe in technology and fancy gadgets beyond buttons?”
She shook her head, genuinely clueless.
“What? Where are you from anyway?”
“I…” Her eyes filled with tears. She didn’t know.
“Look, I’m sorry that I made fun of you,” he said awkwardly, scratching himself on the chin. “You don’t have to cry about it, though. It was just a bad joke.”
“I don’t understand any of your jokes,” she said, her purple eyes dark with sadness and pain. “I don’t even know who I am. All I know is my name but I can’t remember anything else. I don’t know who you are, I don’t know who the men who were after me are, and I don’t know why these trees smell and look so funny. Nothing makes sense. And I’m sorry, but I don’t know what Amishes are either.”
He watched her seriously, and then chuckled.
“You mean you lost your memory then?” he asked.
She nodded. That was what was going on, whether she liked it or not. Maybe if he was still going to help her, it would be better if he knew the truth.
“That’s rough,” he said. “I’ve heard of things like that happening before, and it’s usually because of the Guardians. They really mess with your head. If they tortured you, sometimes you come out and don’t remember anything. We have a couple of people back home who have dealt with it before. Maybe you should talk to them. I bet they could help you figure out what’s going on.”
“Why would they tortured me?” she asked, furrowing her eyebrows. “I haven’t done anything wrong.”
A sad look darkened Zaden’s face, and he looked down at the ground. The Guardians had been after the dragon shifters for centuries, and their only refuge had become the underground settlement led by the Kersh clan.
“No, nobody they tortured has ever done anything wrong. They’re just terrible people. They don’t always treat people who are different with a lot of respect. In fact, they usually try to kill us or dissect us like science experiments to see what they can learn.”
“That sounds awful, why would they do that?”
But here, Zaden stopped talking. She couldn’t remember anything, and he didn’t see any point in putting fa
lse memories into her head. What if she wasn’t a dragon shifter? It would be the biggest breach of trust that he could think of to the clan to unveil their secrets about shapeshifting to somebody who wouldn’t know or understand what he was talking about. Clayton would see him as a traitor, and that was something that he could not tolerate. The man had practically raised him and allowed him special treatment after the death of his parents. He would not betray their secrets, even to this beautiful woman.
“We traveled far last night, and I’m not exactly sure where we are,” Zaden admitted, avoiding the topic. “I have never been here before. And we are going to have to get back to my clan before the Guardians find you. I don’t know what they want with you or why they have chosen you. Their reasons are theirs alone. All that you need to know is that they are evil and they will hurt you if they find you unprotected. So we’re going to have to find our way back as soon as we can.”
She nodded, and he served breakfast. They ate in silence, each of them lost in their own thoughts and worries about the future.
Chapter Six
“What do you mean you let her get away?” Richard exclaimed.
Peter looked down at the ground wincing. Richard was always so miserable when he was angry. Sometimes, he even turned on his own group. Several of them had not survived the man’s temper.
“I’m telling you, it wasn’t my fault. There was a shifter there. I don’t know who he was, but I think it was that little urchin that Clayton has been taking care of.”
Richard began to pace around the dingy, dungeon-like room where he had made the headquarters for the Guardians. It looked like a medieval torture chamber, and opened up into the deeper labyrinths of the laboratory where they had several specimens collected of both Dragon and Loni descent.