Relief flooded through Akira, as she tried not to blush. She felt awkward having her virginal state revealed to her newly found father. She failed once again to suppress the telltale red heat flowing up her neck and to her cheeks.
The enchantress, again, smiled benevolently before speaking. “Had your passion been fully awakened by a certain rather handsome warrior, we would have a difficult time harnessing your magical auras and rechanneling them. It partially pleases me you have no desire to be a siren, for then I would have to fight your father, and keep you in my coven of sirens.”
A frisson of alarm flickered momentarily in Akira’s eyes. She quickly exchanged a meaningful glance with her father.
Mage Morgan laughed, easing a sudden tension. “Talana, we know who would win that fight. I think you realize that perhaps Akira someday could be competition with you if she pursues using her beauty and siren capabilities. You are a stunningly beautiful, but vain friend.”
Talana frowned. “Ah, you hurt me Morgan, but I’ll forgive you, for there is a speck of truth to mitigate your suspicions, and of course, our longstanding friendship bestows forgiveness.” She turned her eyes to Akira. “The suitor threatening your virginal state is not bewitched yet. His desire of you is completely natural, but not innocent.” The enchantress smiled knowingly. “I see that question has been weighing heavily on your mind. He is a fine specimen.”
“Thank you for that reassuring revelation, Talana. It’s small consolation for embarrassing me by revealing my personal details in front of my father.” Akira’s annoyance was not missed. Akira suspected the enchantress enjoyed making her wait, enjoyed her angst.
“Never be embarrassed about a virginal state of being. It is a prized possession, Akira, that few females have a choice in sharing with a male of their choice. You have done well to preserve yourself young warrior. Now, which way do you want your river of magic, threatening to overflow its banks, to flow? Methinks your father knows you can be a powerful mage and would wish you to abandon being a warrior.”
“Talana is right in her assessment of my wishes,” said Mage Morgan, looking apologetically at his daughter, stroking his beard thoughtfully. “But you, Akira, will choose your own path, for if any man tries to choose for you, be he a father, a lover, or a friend, he would be foolish. You’ll cut him from your life and affection, perhaps even with a sword.”
Akira nodded. “I still hold much hatred in my heart towards men who will not accept women as being capable of being equals in all things but brute strength. It is tempting, I confess, to have a siren’s power over men, in that way, but then I’d be no better than them.” Akira’s face reflected her passionate statement. Her eyes changed color, icier, as her memories flashed back to the evil baron she had once believed was her father.
It was now the enchantress’ and the mage’s turn to exchange meaningful looks.
There was a pregnant silence. Suddenly the only sound was a slow rumbling that caught Akira by surprise. She jumped up, her hand going to her sword.
Talana laughed. “Sit down Akira, we are safe.”
“But the vibrations feel like an army advancing, the earth is shaking.” Akira sat down reluctantly. Her eyes sought her father’s eyes. There was no alarm in his eyes.
“’Tis the sound that happens when a male dragon and a female dragon who are mates have not seen each other for some time,” said the enchantress in an even tone. However, the enchantress’ eyes conveyed her amusement.
“You mean …” Akira looked to her father, then back to Talana. “You jest. It’s the vibration of thundering hooves coming in isn’t it. “Akira stuttered, her composure as rattled as the earth beneath her feet.” Akira felt foolish, for just earlier she had jokingly thought about the mating habits of dragons.
“No, you innocent, Sky Stalker is obviously receiving a warm welcome on the cliff above us.” The enchantress laughed in delight, enjoying the look of dismayed comprehension on Akira’s face. Mage Morgan struggled not to laugh, but he failed, and soon his guffaws, forced Akira to laugh at herself.
As the laughter died Akira blurted. “Well I hope they bump and hump away from the eggs.”
The laughter started all over again. It was a much needed release of tension. When the laughter subsided once more, all agreed the mage and his daughter needed some sleep before anymore deep and potentially disturbing meeting of minds could take place.
CHAPTER THREE
Akira awoke to a huge thump too close for comfort, and the sound of Mage Morgan shouting “Watch your step, Sky Stalker!’ Her eyes opened wide in alarm. Mage Morgan waved his staff wildly. Instantly the cloak of invisibility that had hidden the mage and his daughter was removed, revealing the whereabouts of the mage’s voice. Father and daughter had spent the night on the beach, wanting to be away from Talana while Akira weighed her options on how to channel her magic.
Sky Stalker stood still, one long-clawed foot held midair. “Damn invisible wizards and wart faces, I almost landed on you! How do you suppose I can avoid stepping on you if I can’t see you!” Sky Stalker sighed, setting his huge foot down. His feigned irritation dissipated quickly with a shaking of his huge head. He walked past Akira and Mage Morgan, to scratch his scales against the rocky cliff wall. The sound of his scales against rock was almost like metal on rocks. There wasn’t a perfect word Akira could use to describe the sound.
“I need a nap,” said Sky Stalker, yawning loudly. “Are you in need of my services this fair and beautiful afternoon?”
Mage Morgan looked up at his scaly friend. “I’m not surprised you would need a rest.
Sky Stalker blinked and lowered his head to the mage’s face. “You know how it is with females. Never satisfied with just one coupling, and gentle courteous dragon that I am, sensitive to the needs of the ladies, how could I not oblige such a magnificent sweet-tempered dragoness?”
Akira groaned.
“What?” said the mage and dragon in unison.
“It seems male dragons are much like most other males.” She stood, and shook the sand from her clothing. “You should be in a good mood today.”
Sky Stalker rolled his eyes at her. “You, young woman, sound, methinks, much like Areetrah. Perhaps you females should meet today. I think she may like you.” The dragon yawned again, creating a small breeze with his breath. He settled himself on the sand to sleep.
Mage Morgan sighed. “A gentleman through and through.” He winked at Sky Walker. “We don’t need to travel any distance today, but after you rest and regain your strength, if you would scout around for a cave, or some abandoned hut where Akira and I could set up camp, and do some sorcery practicing away from prying eyes, I would be much obliged.”
The dragon closed his eyes then opened one sleepily. “There is an abandoned castle not much farther up the coastline. It is rather run down, but it should please you, for it overlooks the great waters.” The dragon yawned again and closed his eye.
“Would you like a cloak of invisibility while you nap?” asked Mage Morgan, who was stretching and yawning himself.”
Sky Stalker snorted. “I suppose it couldn’t hurt.” He paused for a second. “I have no fear of you stepping on me and harming me, but the cloak will hide my presence from prying eyes. I will accept your offer. Next time you sleep on a beach unprotected in the company of dragons, with only a cloak of invisibility, you should also wave that puny stick of yours about and make a dragon-proof shell over your selves.”
“Apparently, with you stumbling about, that is a good idea,” said the mage dryly, while waving his stick in the dragon’s direction. “Puny stick? Looks are deceiving.” The mage muttered, his tone of voice more amused than annoyed.
Akira stood, fascinated, for the dragon disappeared right before her eyes. “Impressive. No wonder he nearly squashed us,” she said. Akira finished brushing sand off herself, checking her weapons and rolling up her bedroll fur.
She looked at the glistening water, and longed for a swim. The warm midday
sun caressed her skin. Her arms were bare, and slightly pinked” from the sun’s caress while she napped. Her stomach growled. “Can your stick catch us a fish? I’m hungry enough to eat a dragon.”
“I heard that, woman.” The dragon grunted behind her. “Stick to fish.”
Mage Morgan nodded. He walked to the edge of the water. “Bring your spear, daughter.”
Akira followed. She dropped her other weapons on dry sand and walked out into the water waist deep. She knew what he expected her to do. She grinned. She loved fishing, but that had been with a net with the village boys. Spearing a fish was going to be new challenge.
“Are you ready?” Mage Morgan raised his staff and pointed it towards deeper waters, mumbling, swirling his staff in the clear blue waters.
Akira raised her spear and looked for the slightest movement. She stood still. Suddenly a school of fish swam towards her. She looked for the biggest target. She thrust her spear. Nothing. She grinned sheepishly. She retrieved her spear and stood poised again. Morgan stirred his staff in the water again. This time the school of fish swimming towards the shore was smaller but the fish were much larger. Akira thrust her spear again, this time adjusting her aim, taking into account for the water distortion. The miss was closer. “Again,” she said. She was soaking wet. She raised her spear. The next thrust yielded a fleshy shiny fish. She laughed. “I thought perhaps I was going to have to ask you to deliver the fish magically right onto my spear!”
“What makes you think I didn’t?”
Akira’s triumphant smile dropped. “You didn’t. Did you?”
The mage laughed. “No, I called it in, you speared it. But if you missed one more time I was going to give a little more assistance.”
Akira’s smile returned. “As hungry as I am, I would have asked for more assistance if I had missed again.” She walked to the shore and swiftly gutted the fish while her father gathered some dry driftwood and set it ablaze with one tap of his still damp staff.
Bellies filled, father and daughter eyed each other up. Akira licked her fingers one last time. She walked to the water and washed her hands. When she returned to the cooking fire she sat cross-legged facing her father. She broke the silence. “A dream spoke to me.”
Mage Morgan locked his eyes with his daughter’s. “Pray tell, daughter, that which your dream revealed to you.”
“The dream revealed that I’m to be a warrior, a dragon rider, and a mage. How can that be?” Akira toyed with a braid of her long dark hair as she waited for her father’s answer. “Will it be injustice to study both arts, and not focus on one?”
Mage Morgan nodded affirmatively. “You can do it all. It isn’t impossible. As a dragon rider, wielding magic in midair, you could be a force to be reckoned with, like no other seen since the last great war, if,” he said, “if we can channel all your a’kil magic into firepower. Perhaps the time of dragons is truly returning.”
“Dragons?” A sleepy voice rumbled. Sky Stalkers body emerged partway out of the invisible shield. “You speak of my kind with an optimistic outlook my mage friend. I share your view that the return of all dragons is imminent. Am I not proof the return has begun?”
The mage nodded.
Akira was still amazed with the magic her mage father performed. To see half of a dragon was startling. As the whole body appeared seemingly out of sand Akira could not help but stare. Sky Stalker carefully sat with the mage and his daughter. As careful as he was, he still flipped up sand on Akira.
“Oops,” he said, looking apologetic. “Did I hear you say you want to be a dragon rider?”
Akira turned her blue eyes on the dragon. “A dream spoke to me. In my dream, I was a dragon rider. I was part of an army going face to face with the Dark One. I believe it is my destiny to be a dragon-riding warrior. I welcome your counsel Sky Stalker.”
Sky Stalker blinked his huge green eyes. It was almost as if he had tears forming in his eyes. He cleared his throat suspiciously. “It warms my heart that the daughter of my dear friend would wish to bond with a dragon.”
Akira looked at Skywalker with questioning eyes. The feared, dreadful dragons, in tales fabricated by village elders to frighten children, didn’t have the tender feelings of the gentle giant in front of her. She wondered if all dragons were as tenderhearted as Sky Stalker appeared to be. Obviously, the tales she had believed were fabrications. The dragon tales of crafty story tellers, needed to be mulled over in a different light. She studied the dragon’s expression. It was kind, gentle, wise, and oddly, emotional.
Mage Morgan spoke. “Dragons, like you, my independent daughter, have their own free wills. A dragon must willingly bond with you. They are not slaves to anyone. Once they bond with you, it’s for life. The only other bond, equal to the bond of a dragon and its rider, is the bond between a dragon and his, or her, mates.
Sky Stalker nodded his head solemnly. “I bonded with your father long ago. We dragons are growing in numbers once again, thanks to the protection the Order of the White Rose. There are many young dragons willing, once again, to go to war against the Dark Lord. When you have finished your business with the enchantress, I will take you to some prospects. But first I will introduce you to one of my daughters. She does not want to be an egg layer, as she calls the esteemed task of motherhood. She wishes to fight against the force that rises and threatens our existence once more.”
Akira smiled. “I think I like your daughter already. We sound like kindred spirits, for I can sympathize at being pushed into a role delegated only to females.” Akira’s expression turned serious. “She is blessed to have a father who understands that females should be entitled the same opportunities as males, that daughters deserve the same considerations as sons.”
The great dragon blinked his eyes saying, “You too are blessed.”
Mage Morgan looked uncomfortable with praise. He stood. “Well then we had best start your mage training, again.” His voice was brusque.
Akira rose as well. “Yes, this time it will be different. I have no fear of becoming a mage. My old fear of magic will no longer be hindering our efforts.”
Sky Stalker thumped his tail. Akira looked at him in surprise. Mage Morgan saw her confusion.
“Dragons wag and thump their tails when happy and excited. You have much to learn, daughter,” said Mage Morgan dryly. The mage gave the dragon a wink.
“Yes, Akira,’ Sky Stalker thumped his tail again, sending sand everywhere. “I’m so excited you are a mage! For if my daughter, fates be willing, bonds with you, she will have greater status than most dragons with riders! It is an honor to carry a mage!” Sky Stalker almost purred.
Akira suddenly felt a need to caution against too much enthusiasm. “But I’m not a powerful mage yet, Sky Stalker … it is an unfulfilled, recently acquired desire. I am just recently awakened to my inherited gifts. I might be a mediocre mage. Don’t thump your tail too hard yet. And, your daughter may not like me.”
“Oh, I highly doubt I am wrong, listening to you is like listening to her. Of this I’d be willing to bet the purest crystal. You are in good teaching hands, daughter of Morgan, your father’s hand! You are blessed to have such a sire! You come from good mage stock, and with the assistance of Talana you will be awesome, just awesome. I’m so delighted, so delighted!” Sky Stalker turned, spraying more sand of course, and after a few strong bounds he took flight. He circled his friends on the beach, flying surprisingly low, shouting, “I’m off to share this wonderful news with Areetrah!”
Akira dusted the sand off her clothes again. Getting a dragon excited in sand was messy. She picked up her weapons and dusted the sand out of her hair. It was too warm to wear her helmet, but if Sky Stalker looked like he was going to land in sand, anywhere near, she would put the helmet on. She wondered if Areetrah was near sand. She hoped not. For such a noble looking beast, Sky Stalker was a tad clumsy on ground. The sky was his element. Sand was not.
CHAPTER FOUR
Morgan and Akira returned to
the entrance of the enchantress’ dwelling place deep inside the cliffs. The jewel-like eyes of the statues followed their approach. Akira took care not to touch the statues this time. Grey, stone weathered lips spoke in unison. “Stop. You aren’t expected at this moment. We will announce your arrival.”
“Wait in safety,” said the statue on the left.
“Or proceed in peril,” said the statue on the right.
Akira gave her father a questioning look. The voice of the statue on the right was almost encouraging. “Was that a warning or a dare?”
Morgan raised a bushy eyebrow and said, “Seems like someone is bored, for it did sound suspiciously like a dare.”
The statue on the right sighed, as if disappointed. “Bored stiff,” it said.
“Well if you hadn’t convinced me to leave our post we wouldn’t be in this fix,” said the statue on the left to the statue on the right.
“Oh, rub it in. In this fix. In this fix. Get over it,” said the other statue. “The only time we are unfixed is when we have intruders. Sport spoiler.”
“Rocks for brains!”
“Whiner!”
“Stupid as stone!”
A horn sounding through the passage, echoing off walls interrupted the name calling exchange between the statues. Another horn answered. Echoes danced with each other through the tunnel. “You may proceed,” said the statues in suddenly subdued harmonic unison.
Akira was disappointed when the bickering between the statues halted. It was rather amusing. Her expression made her father smile.
“Let us proceed before we are cemented to this spot by the entertainment,” said Mage Morgan.”
Akira grinned when both statues groaned. She followed her father into the tunnel, eyes searching for what perils the statue hinted at. Again, she took note of the sweet scent that seemed to be strongest nearest the tunnel walls. The rock walls were shiny with what looked like a dew like substance. Akira touched the walls and brought her dampened fingers to her face. The walls of the tunnels were the source of the perfume like scent. A feeling of well-being flooded her.
Akira Rides Page 5