Warrior

by Michelle Magly

  The gaze almost mesmerized her. The dragons were like giant bellows, living suns. They burned with the intensity she only experienced in momentary flashes, like in the encampment. If Senri tried to maintain such a state, she would die.

  Alina spoke, “I am Alina Alexandria Mura of Osota.” She stepped forward and raised her signet ring. “I am the rightful ruler of my kingdom, and I come seeking the aid of your people.”

  The dragons glanced at her. Two of them laughed, or seemed to. Senri could not tell what the guttural sounds meant.

  “Are the humans fighting with themselves again?” the one with the scar asked.

  Alina stood tall. “Another kingdom seeks to enslave ours. They are an aggressive nation, one that will not leave the dragons alone.”

  “Maybe we ally with them,” said one, his speech a little broken. Its scales lay in a diamond pattern. “Trade good trade.”

  Senri glanced to the others. Besides Alina, her friends stood back with their arms crossed. No one seemed willing to accept the fact the dragons might not eat them.

  “They will take all and leave nothing. They crave conquest, nothing else.”

  The dragons stared at her for a long while. Finally, the middle dragon with the scar spoke again. “And why should we help?”

  Alina sighed, most likely releasing a held breath. Senri had been holding hers. “We can offer you goods and services. Trade the good trade, as your friend put it.”

  “Why would you offer this now?” asked the dragon.

  Her hand rose to her signet again. “I will only speak further on the subject to your sovereign. I wish an audience with your ruler. If they will not have me, we will leave your lands.”

  The dragons glanced at one another. Senri hoped they were impressed, but interpreting what the strange expressions meant proved to be difficult. They muttered back and forth in their own tongue, then turned back to Alina. “We have watched you from afar for some time now. You came a long way. Our elders will listen.”

  Alina’s shoulders lowered. “They will?”

  The dragons nodded. The middle one spoke again. “We will escort you. These ones are not necessary.”

  “They come with me,” said Alina.

  The middle dragon flared its nostrils and Senri felt a blast of hot air sear her skin. “Very well. We leave now.”

  With one look from Alina, the Warriors moved to dismantle camp. Senri tapped Alina on the shoulder and nodded off to the side. Alina followed her to the horses. “What is it?” she asked.

  Senri shrugged and tried not to look back at the dragons. “What if this is a trap?” she said. Alina raised an eyebrow. “They could be leading us anywhere, and they relented to your demand to keep us close rather quickly.”

  “Maybe it does not bother them,” said Alina. They both pretended to fuss with the horses. “We’re not used to each other’s practices. Who knows when they last encountered humans.”

  “They know our tongue,” said Senri.

  “They teach it to certain dragons,” said Alina. “Notice how the middle one does all the talking. The one on the left spoke a little, but it wasn’t good at all, and the one on the right has not said anything that wasn’t in dragon speak. The accent is old, too, as if the variety they learned was from a century ago.”

  “You noticed all that?” asked Senri.

  Alina smirked. “Well, I am the supposed ruler of a nation.” Her smile faded as she glanced back over at the dragons. “We’ll see for how long, once we speak to the elders.”

  Senri’s chest ached at the thought, but she knew she could do nothing to ease the fear in Alina’s words. From that point on, their every move would be closely watched.

  Chapter Twenty

  AFTER WALKING AROUND THE nearest peak, an enormous structure came into view in the distance. Of course the dragons had intervened. Their city had been around the corner. As the sun rose, she got a better view of the structure. It stood like a massive fortress set into the mountainside. Homes had been carved from the mountain while large limestone blocks built up the city walls. Alina wondered why they maintained such defenses when any dragon could fly over. The answer came to her soon enough. They do not fight with their own kind.

  Limestone blocks had been laid as a path up to the main entrance. The path had seen little use, though they had to have some foot traffic on it to maintain it. Equally impressive, the front gate had great timber logs bound together with bands of iron. It took all three dragons to pull it open. When Alina saw the sheer girth of the logs, she understood why. A human would not be able to wrap their arms around one trunk. The wood showed scorching marks as if someone had tried to burn it down. The logs had resisted.

  The scarred dragon addressed them again. “Welcome to our city. We will take you to the audience room. The elders will decide when to see you.”

  Alina nodded and stepped into the city. “Thank you.”

  Great, stone-carved manors stood on either side of the streets, cut from the very earth they stood on. They would have passed for the most austere of human homes. The large doorways and windows held no decoration. Nothing distinguished one home from another. Instead, elaborate statues of other dragons and creatures Alina had never seen decorated the center of the street. Even in the early morning light, the statues displayed a certain grandeur that the houses did not have to. “How do your stone masters carve these?” she asked, gesturing to a statue.

  The middle dragon flashed her a pointed-tooth grin and displayed his claws. “By hand,” it answered. She could just imagine the streets choked with artisans and other people. The city could be a center of trade, if they chose for it to be. I’m the first ruler of Osota to set foot in here since my failed predecessor. Pride and terror gripped her heart at the thought.

  The dragons led them away from the gate. Alina had to stop herself from watching the enormous wooden doors close shut behind them. The boom echoed in the empty streets. The statues glared down upon them as they walked past hulking figures with faces chiseled into snarls. The statues became more gruesome as they walked deeper into the heart of the city. Senri stayed close behind Alina, and more than once she felt the urge to grab the Warrior’s hand, but she did not want to show affection or favor toward any one person. The fewer weapons the dragons had against her, the better.

  They reached the cliff face of the mountainside and entered a large, carved out hall. They moved up the stairway and into the darker recesses. The farther they went in, the more Alina noticed a strange light flickering on the cavern walls that came from within the mountain. Alina peered through a crack and saw only a deep red light. The hall grew hotter and hotter as they climbed. Sweat gathered on Alina’s forehead. She turned back and glanced at the others. Everyone else appeared just as uncomfortable as her, except for Senri. They continued down the passage and into a dark, unlit room. One of the dragons exhaled flames and lit an overhanging chandelier. The metal framework held a large pile of leaves and bark shavings, which burst into flame.

  “I will speak with the elders,” said the dragon. “My fellows will stand guard outside.”

  Alina realized she did not know what proper etiquette would be when speaking with dragons. She nodded like she had seen them do. “Thank you. We appreciate your hospitality.”

  The scarred dragon snorted. “You may be here for hours yet. Do not think the elders will rush to hear from you.” Without giving her another chance to speak, the dragons walked out of the room, the one leaving the other two standing outside the entryway.

  Alina looked from face to face of her travelling companions. They had reached their destination. The Warriors stood rigid. Yahn walked the perimeter, examining the walls, the crevices, everything. Nat looked lost in thought over something and Lanan stood with her arms crossed and stared at the floor. Senri, though, stood with the same wide-eyed expression she had gained upon entering the mountain. Alina stepped forward and touched her arm. Senri did not respond.

  “Are you all right?” Alina a
sked.

  She finally blinked, the glazed look vanishing. “It’s the mountain.”

  “What about it?”

  Senri shook her head. She looked pale. “It feels...alive.” When Alina raised an eyebrow at her, she rubbed her forehead. “Of course, it’s not really alive. It’s just really, really hot. The ground isn’t ever this hot.”

  “Are we in any danger because of it?” Alina asked.

  Senri shook her head. “No, I…I have no idea. There’s just...it’s like fire, liquid fire, and it’s all below us.”

  “I believe you, don’t worry,” said Alina. “We’ll all be fine. I don’t think anything they’ve done is to harm us. I do think they’re going a long way to intimidate, however.”

  Yahn walked up to them and nodded at the doorway where the two dragons still stood guard. “We can discuss this another time, I recommend we all sit down and relax until they are ready to speak with us.” The way Yahn glared at them suggested that the idea was more of a strategic order. Alina nodded and grabbed Senri’s arm.

  “Let’s go sit down,” she said.

  Alina guided Senri and the others to a far wall and into a sitting position. They sat with the backs against the wall. Alina watched the others find similar positions to relax in. The room held no chairs or benches. By human standards, it qualified as a holding cell. Alina sighed and rolled her neck, trying to work out the stiffness from the impromptu trek. She hoped the elders would see them early.

  With a start, she realized they had also left all their horses and supplies at the front gate. She hoped the gate guards had corralled the animals. Do dragons eat horse? Her nerves wore thin. Alina closed her eyes. She had to clear her thoughts, to meditate or something. She drew in a deep breath and tried to still her mind like Mala had taught her. She could find calm if her thoughts calmed, first. She did not sit in a dimly lit room, imprisoned by dragons. She was home, relaxing. Or nowhere at all. In darkness. Her body fell through it, away from all the problems, away from the dragons, from Senri, from everything.

  She was elsewhere, standing on a mountaintop. The ground shook. It rumbled like thunder. The dragon stood taller than any others she had seen, its scales like shields. It stared down at all of them, then collapsed onto all fours and took in a deep breath. It opened its mouth wide. Alina saw the burning at the back of the throat, and then it exhaled flames upon them consuming everything. Alina raised her arms to protect herself. The heat rolled over her in waves, and when she breathed in the ash tasted heavy on her tongue. She exhaled, pushing against the rolling heat waves. There were words in the fire-tongue, whispering to her. The ashes choked Alina’s throat, or she would have talked back to the whispers.

  “Hey!”

  Alina’s eyes flew open as she felt the hand shaking her shoulder. The ground and wall of the cavern floor came back. The feeling returned to her limbs. She gasped and blinked. Senri looked down at her, worry etched into her frown.

  “Senri,” Alina said.

  “Don’t scare me like that. I thought you were having a fit.”

  “I…what happened?” Alina sat up against the cavern wall. Her skin felt cold.

  Senri sat down but continued to look her over. Her fingers went to Alina’s hands and gripped them tightly. “You fell asleep, you slept for a long while without any problems, then you just started breathing all heavy and your eyes flew open. I thought you had woke up from a nightmare, but when I tried talking to you, you ignored me.”

  Alina shook her head. She thought back to what she had seen—the dragon, the flames. “Did anything happen? While I was asleep, did we hear from the dragons?”

  Senri furrowed her brow. “No. It’s been dead quiet. Why? Did you…” She looked around the room before leaning down close to Alina. “Did you see something?”

  So she had noticed. Alina glanced around the room, hoping to find something to might divert the conversation. She did not want to tell Senri what she saw, especially since they were essentially prisoners in the heart of the dragon city anyways.

  “Alina.” Senri’s hand cupped her cheek. “Tell me.”

  Alina covered Senri’s hand with her own. She wanted to kiss the palm, but feared it might be a step too far. If she broke down then, she might never recover. “I saw a dragon breath fire.”

  Senri nodded, her eyes still locked on her. “At anyone in particular?”

  Of course Senri would not settle for the short answer. “Um...us?” Alina said, unsure of how to phrase her vision. “No one died, if that makes it more confusing.”

  The hand left her cheek and Senri slouched onto the ground in front of her. “Right. Perfect.”

  “Senri.” Alina leaned forward and captured her hand again. “It could mean nothing. It could have been a nightmare.”

  The torchlight had dimmed significantly since their arrival. Only a faint glow flickered from the overhead bonfire. When Alina asked how long she had slept, Senri shrugged and told her it had been a few hours. The answer did not bode well for their situation.

  Finally, Alina heard the scraping footsteps of someone approaching the room. She stood and brushed herself off. The others did so as well. Alina could hear the dragons muttering to one another in their own guttural language. The speaker entered the room. It spotted Alina and waited for her to approach. “Has a decision been reached, then?”

  “You will speak to the elders,” said the dragon. “Talk with respect, and keep your...subjects in line.”

  Alina felt like correcting the dragon toward its treatment of her friends, but she did not want to stall any further. Instead, she looked back at the others and nodded. “Are you ready?”

  The Warriors all approached her. We’ll either have what we came for or be dead. One way or the other, the whole ordeal would be over soon. The thought comforted Alina.

  Alina stayed close to their guide as they exited the corridor and returned to the dimly lit stairs. She noticed Senri’s hand gripped the pommel of her sword. She knew the others would assume aggressive stances as well. She did not know how to calm them. Too late for second guesses.

  The dragon led them to a set of guarded iron doors. It conversed with the guards. The language sounded more like rumbles and hisses, almost like a storm...or a furnace. They opened the doors. Alina flinched as sunlight flooded the hall. They were ushered out onto a large opening, a stone basin atop the mountain. Where are the elders? They walked out into the middle of the basin. Craggy rock formations surrounded the edges of the flat plain.

  The rock formations moved. They unfurled wings, sending gusts of wind at Alina. The dragons uncoiled themselves from the stone surface and shook out their heads, chunks of rock falling away. Arms and legs appeared as they stood tall. Scales shifted and shuttered and embers glowed softly underneath, within the very creatures themselves. Alina stumbled back only to be caught by Senri. These molten, living rock formations were the dragon elders.

  “Human.” One of them spoke. It stepped forward, claws digging into the rocky surface. “Why do you stray so far from your kingdom?”

  Alina gulped. Do I bow? Do I challenge the dragon’s authority? Do I defer to its wisdom? How am I supposed to address it? Her political training failed her, only good for her realm of humans and ordinary squabbles. To be standing in front of a dragon elder and conversing with it felt so unreal. “I…” Somehow, she did not think the creature would like small talk or flattery. “I come to ask for help.”

  The dragon huffed. “A human is asking us for help.” She could not be sure, but the tone sounded condescending. “It must be war, then. Or worse, annihilation.”

  Alina swallowed. She wanted to step back, to be able to breathe in air that would not catch in her throat and burn her lungs. Instead, she spoke again. “You do not need to lend troops. All I ask for is trade. We need the precious ores in your regions to better equip our—”

  “Don’t want to ally with the dragons, then?” The voice boomed as the elder took a lurching step forward. “No, why would
a human anyways? We are too fearsome for you. Too…” The dragon tilted its head and stared at her through one burning eye. “Vicious.”

  Alina held her ground. “The fear-mongering among my people is a terrible reminder of the past. Time has skewed the record of what happened between our people. I wish to repair the damage done between our kingdoms.” She waited for a response from the dragon. It looked to its peers.

  “It is true,” said the dragon. “Our lands have suffered from isolation. Your ancestor would not give us the respect deserved. He came to subjugate us, the lesser folk, forged from fire and ash rather than by some deity’s hand. Even our own language was too dirty for him to sully his lips with.”

  Alina latched onto that statement. She could apologize. Clearly, the dragons had a different idea about how things transpired between them and her predecessor.

  “I’m different,” she said, though the statement hardly counted as convincing. “I want to build understanding between our people again. To do otherwise will only hurt us. We cannot ignore one another with aggressors encroaching on our lands, and it was unwise of my people to ignore yours during their time of hardship.”

  The dragon glared down at her. It drew in a breath, as if its lungs were billows to a furnace. “And what threatens you humans? What force drives you to our homeland?”

  Alina bit her lip. She did not know if she should make the armies of Shedol appear to be a mutual threat or claim ownership of the problems. The dragons could respond poorly to any situation. Even so, it appeared to be baiting her, so the dragons could already know about Shedol in the first place. “The kingdom Shedol plans to invade our shores. We lack the materials and forces to stand against them. If we fall, they will spread to our borders and to your mountains.”

  The dragon huffed and looked away. Alina thought she heard a deep rumbling, a growl perhaps. “And why would these humans breach our walls when others have failed?”