by C. K. Rieke
“He needs to drink from the fountain,” Lilaci said. “Give us a hand.”
Fewn scoffed and looked around the cave and laughed as she seemed flabbergasted. “What spell has he got you under now? You know he was the one who sent us to find and take Kera, so she could be killed right? He’s the one who sent the Scaethers out after her to kill her, and you? He was the one—”
“I know, Fewn,” Lilaci said in a serious tone. “Trust me, I know. We may need him though.”
“But he’s the bad guy,” Fewn said, begging for Lilaci to listen to her.
Lilaci looked around at Kera, then the others. “I think it’s safe to say, we’ve been the bad guys too.”
Veranor let out a moan that made him sound like an old man, dying. Lilaci began to drag him forward, Roren helped. They walked right at Fewn, who stood between them and the fountain.
She reluctantly stepped aside. “Don’t say I didn’t warn you.”
Lilaci and Roren approached the fountain, waist high. She looked into the clear water as it lay motionless in the stone fixture. She looked at Veranor once more, letting the decision roll through her mind once more. Then, she grabbed his long hair, holding it tightly in between her fingers, and lifted his head and dunked it into the cool water, letting it splash out and land on the sandy tunnel floor. She pulled his head from the water and threw him to the ground. They all watched eagerly in anticipation. A moment later, he gasped, and inhaled the air deeply. His eyes shot open wide, and his breathing returned, and his cough faded. He crawled over to the tunnel wall and sat up against it.
“Amazing,” he said softly. “Absolutely amazing, this is truly a magical place.” He looked up at Lilaci, and then turned his gaze to Kera. He bowed his head. “Thank you, young lady. I am in your debt.”
Kera bowed her head slightly, and then all watched her as her attention turned to the egg.
She took a slow step towards it, and then another, and then one more. As Lilaci watched her, Kera lifted her right hand and place it on the egg. The moment she touched it, there was a stirring motion beneath the membrane. Then she lifted and put her other hand up onto it. Lilaci could then hear the heartbeat beat quickly from inside the egg.
Kera dipped her head towards the egg, as if she was going to kiss it, but then she began to move her lips.
“As you once were the greatness that soared the skies, let the old prophecies come true. Let another Age of Drakon return. Let your wings soar the skies. Let your fire purge the lands of all evil wrought by the gods. Let your fury avenge your lost breed. I will give you life, I will light the way for your vengeance, as I fulfill my destiny. As the prophecy is fulfilled, I bring forth the wrath of the dragons once again in the Arr. For once you are free and returned to the skies, from the prophecy, you will become my Serpentine Risen.”
Then, as delicately as a mother kissing her newborn, she dipped her head and let her lips fall onto the egg. Then, mere seconds later, a crack split the side of the egg, and a loud hiss echoed from inside. Lilaci, Fewn and Roren all took a step back. Burr and Veranor looked on with astonishment. Kera lifted her hands from the egg and stepped back to Roren’s side.
“It’s still alive,” she told him. “I can feel her, I can feel her spirit.”
“Her?” he asked, then he smiled. “Her.”
A loud crack sounded, and a claw ripped through one side of the egg. They all watched silently as the claws, wings and teeth tore at the eggs’ outer membrane. It snarled and hissed as it tore at its cocoon, ready to spur on the butterfly. With one final burst forth, the dragon freed itself from the egg. Its long neck tensed as it pushed with all of its might and landed on the tunnel floor beneath the egg and pedestal. It was roughly Kera’s height as it squirmed and twisted in the thin mucus that covered it. It began to roar then, a furious roar that echoed throughout the chamber.
Lilaci was herself surprised by the violence of the hatching. She watched as the dragon’s tail battered against the rocky ground, until the rock nearly began to crack from the force. The dragon had a long red streak along it arching back. Its scales were a dark gray like clouds in the night sky, although they glimmered from the golden torchlight as it thrashed. Its eyes were wide, a yellow, orange and red like a brilliant dawn. Curled horns came out of the back of its head, six of them, and its teeth were narrow and white as it roared. She’d never seen a dragon before, and it was even more menacing than she'd imagined. . . And this was only a baby.
It let out an ear-piercing roar, and as it ran down the corridor, it suddenly stopped mid-roar, and the dragon convulsed more. Thrashing wildly, it let out a gasping sound, a short of breath type sound as its wings flopped against the ground, and the dragon’s eyes shot wide. Kera had to step back from being hit by its movements. They all watched as the dragon tried to roar, but only wispy gasps left its maw.
“What—” Kera said. “What’s wrong? What’s wrong with it?”
Burr stood and walked over to her side, watching the dragon flail. He then said in a gruff voice, “It’s dying.”
“No,” she said, a look of blank shock on her face.
Lilaci watched helplessly, as tears swelled in Kera’s eyes.
“No, it can’t,” Kera said looking up at Burr. “Demetrius, help it.”
“I don’t know how,” Burr said. “I’m sorry lass. I don’t know what to do.”
Her eyes shot over at Lilaci, “Help her. Do something save her.” Lilaci only returned a look of regret.
“Roren, please. Fewn, Veranor. Someone save her,” Kera cried, but no one responded.
“I’m sorry, Kera,” Veranor said over from the side of the cave, still leaning against the rock. “If it is meant to die, then there’s nothing we can do to save it. You— you would be the only one with the power to keep death’s fingers from grasping at her.”
Kera looked again at Lilaci, but Lilaci had no words to console her. We’ve come all this way, only to find a dying dragon. Kera must be crushed. I wish there was something I could do. I wish there was something I could say.
The dragon continued to thrash violently as it struggled for breath, its eyes stared into Kera’s briefly, and then its struggling began to slow. Its wings didn’t flap as hard, and its tail began to slowly wave back and forth. Its long neck rested against the cave floor, and then— it laid still. Its eyes looked into Kera’s one last time, and then its eyes shut.
They all stood around, speechless, saddened, and stunned. The one thing they’d worked so hard to find and bring to life, now lie motionless in death at their feet.
“No,” Kera cried, tears rolling down her cheeks. She went down to touch the dead dragon, and Burr put his hands upon her shoulders to keep her back, but she fought free and lay upon the dragon, holding it in her arms. She sobbed uncontrollably, “I was so close. Don’t die, please don’t. I need you.” She continued to sob, and Lilaci saw Fewn was tearing up watching the scene.
Lilaci then looked over to Veranor. “Commander, you’ve read the Great Serpentine Prophecies in the Book of the Unknown, correct?” He nodded. “What did they say, did they say anything about this happening?”
“No, nothing about this particularly,” he said.
“Well, what did they say?” Fewn asked.
“They say someone like Kera would come and re-raise the dragons,” he said. “There’s not much written about her.”
“Well, what specifically did they say?” Lilaci asked. “They didn’t say anything about this moment at all?”
“No,” he said. “I’m sorry. They just said that the Dragon’s Breath would arise someday to resurrect the dragons and bring about the destruction of the gods. That’s the synopsis you already knew.”
Lilaci then whispered, “The Dragon’s Breath . . .”
She then went and knelt next to Kera, putting her hand on the girl’s back as she laid, crying onto the dragon. “Kera,” she said softly.
The young girl turned and wiped the tears from her eyes. “She’s gone, Lila
ci, she’s gone.”
“Kera, I want you to do something for me.” Lilaci went and knelt on both knees by the dragon’s head. Then she put both her hands under its chin and neck and lifted it towards Kera. “I want you to try and breath into the dragon’s mouth.”
Kera gave a confused look.
“The Dragon’s Breath . . .” Roren said to himself softly.
Kera looked around, trying to understand what Lilaci was asking her to do.
“Go ahead, girl,” Burr said.
“It’s worth a try,” Fewn said.
“Breath out deeply,” Roren said.
Kera inched her way towards the dragon’s dead head being held by Lilaci, she inhaled deeply, and then she slowly pressed her lips to the dragon’s scaly mouth. She let out a long breath, blowing the air from her lungs into the mouth and throat of the beast. At first when she blew, nothing happened, but then her breath began to glow a faint white light. Soon, as she blew, her breath turned to a white wafting haze, almost like a light smoke.
“That’s the same light that was in the box of Whitewood,” Lilaci said to the others.
“By the Great Realm in the Sky,” Roren said.
Kera pulled her head back, and as she watched the last of the white wisps of smoke make their way into the dead dragon, they all waited. They all watched eagerly, but nothing appeared to happen. Lilaci looked at the head of the dragon, as not a muscle moved.
Is this it? Is this what we’ve come all this way for? Even if we were to find another egg, would this same scenario happen every time? Is this the curse of the dragons? Are they doomed to stay dead for all time? Is this—?
Then, Lilaci felt a strong muscle tense in her hands. The muscles in the dragon’s jaw and neck flexed and tightened. A strong breath of air left its nostrils, and its eyes shot open, showing the brilliance of their colors, with the sharp, black pupil staring straight into Lilaci’s.
Its wings began to move, and it struggled to get to its four feet, standing in between Kera and her.
“Lilaci,” Kera screamed in exhilaration. “You did it!”
“No, Kera, you did it.” This is it. The prophecy was right. Kera was the one. She truly is the one prophesized to save the Arr. We’ve done it. We’ve done it! Even with Fewn, her vision must have told her we needed Fewn alive because Veranor and Gorlen would use her to trap us like they did. They knew we’d go hunting after her without hesitation. There are indeed forces at play we are yet to understand.
They all watched as the dragon began to run to the exit of the cave, stretching its wings out wide. It let out a roar that echoed all the way down the tunnel. Kera began to run after it, and Lilaci, Roren and Fewn ran after her. They chased the dragon as it quickly ran back up the tunnel in the direction of the Hidden Garden. The dragon was far too fast for them to catch up to, but once they reached the mouth of the cave and exited to stand once again under the full moon and stars. They saw the silhouette of the dragons flying up into the sky surrounded by the bright, white moonlight. Lilaci put her arm around Kera, as Kera was speechless.
“You did it,” Roren said to Kera. “A dragon roams the sky for the first time in over one thousand years.”
They all watched in silence as the dragon ripped through the air like nothing they had ever seen before. A few minutes later Burr and Veranor exited the cave.
“How do you fare?” Lilaci asked Burr.
“Fine, just fine,” he said, his skin completely free of the boils and his blood purged of poison.
“That fountain,” Veranor said. “That’s one of the most valuable treasures in all of the sands. Wars could be fought over its mere existence.”
“Well, it’s gone now,” Burr said, staring up at the dragon flying through the sky.
“Gone?” Veranor said in shock. “What do you mean, gone?”
Burr responded, his eyes still fixed on the dragon. “The moment the dragon hatched from the egg, the fountain drained itself. It must’ve been the thing keeping it alive all this time.”
Veranor didn’t say anything more, but Lilaci knew he was upset by that news.
“So,” Fewn said to Kera. “What now? What’s next?”
“I don’t know,” Kera said. Then she looked around at her friends. “But thank you for all you’ve done so far. Even you Commander Veranor. We’d all be dead if it wasn’t for your bravery.” He bowed again to her.
“You want to know what’s next?” he said to Fewn. “This is only the beginning.”
“The beginning of what?” Kera asked.
“Why—” he said. “The war.”
“War?” Kera said softly, trying to grasp the meaning of the word in their lives.
“A war you’re done with,” Lilaci interjected. “You’re going to stay out of it. You’ve done your part.”
“The Second Serpentine Wars,” Burr said. “They’ve finally come. Now, the Knights of the Whiteblade can return. Now that a dragon roams the sky once again, the playing field is leveling.”
As they all stood under the starlit sky, in the light of the bright, full moon, in the center of the splendor of the Hidden Garden, Lilaci asked Kera, “What are you going to name her?”
“Name her?” Kera asked.
“Your dragon. What’s her name?”
Kera thought for a long moment, then said. “Her name is Herradax, the first of the Serpentine Risen.”
“Herradax?” Fewn said. “I like it.”
“Fly, Herradax,” Lilaci said. “Let the world know once again, that there is strength back in the lands of the Arr. Let the gods know that retribution is coming. Let them know there is a new power, a new force in the skies, and it wants revenge.”
The End
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Author’s Notes
Well, if you made it this far with me, thank you and I hope you enjoy Lilaci and Kera’s journey. It hasn’t been an easy one for either of them.
The Arr turned out to be a pretty bitter place, as I tried to show in the first chapter of the first book, where Lilaci’s family is killed. I guess I was always inspired by ‘real’ fantasy stories that had honest evil in some men and women. It’s not all bad guys versus good guys all the time, and people have the potential for great evil.
Gods think their way is right, and with their power comes a responsibility to rule, and on the sands, that’s a pretty harsh rule. Killing the dragons and summoning all of the fresh running water to three vast cities that they could control and all.
This book took me on a journey of sorts as well, with the way I’m beginning to write faster, I have to plot much more than I did before when I first started my writing journey. My ultimate goal being to entertain enough people, and gather enough people who enjoy my stories to help me grow as a writer and do this as my occupation. That may be years away still, but that’s alright. I’m a patient man, although my wife may say otherwise…
Getting this book written in the two months it took to write, and releasing it quickly after Assassin Born was a sort of experiment, to see if the Great Amazon in The Sky would help to promote the books more because Amazon loves when people put out tons of books constantly.
While I’m writing the third book in the series, I’m trying to get the cover done so I can show you all a glimpse of what’s to come..
Anyways, I hope you enjoyed this book, and if you did, a review goes a long way. Or reach out to me through my reader’s group or on my new Facebook group. (I’m really trying to make an effort outside of just the writing and publishing.) I’ll let you know how it goes.
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Until next time, Cheers!
C.K.
About the Author
C.K. Rieke’s love of fantasy and storytelling began early, with his deep adoration of The Lord of the Rings and The Dark Elf Trilogy. Over the past decade and a half, he's published fiction novels, co-published and illustrated comic books, and managed to work the old full-time job.
Born in Kansas in 1982, Chris Rieke (Pronounced ‘Ricky’) now lives in Lawrence with his wife Rachel, and their 2-5 dogs, depending on the year, this year it’s 3. When he's not writing and revising upcoming work, he can be found: reading, creating digital art, making websites, running, watching BMX videos, drinking coffee or wine, spending way too much time on his phone, and going to the dog park.
C.K. is currently working on The Dragon Sands series which chronicles the life of Lilaci of the Arr. He also wrote The Path of Zaan trilogy which follows Zaan Talabard on his journey in the land of Essill.
To get a free copy of the prequel short, Father of Zaan, go to CKRieke.com and sign-up to join the Reader's Group.
www.CKRieke.com