by A. Wrighton
With Callon’s charge, Nylan sprung to action and only Alaister’s desertion of Kalyna to break apart the two men, saved any shedding of blood. Kalyna stared after the commotion, only long enough to decide she did not care to involve herself in it nor did she care to watch. She ignored the growing scuffle, instead focusing on the beautiful winged creature nestled atop her hand.
The depth of the gold color began at its legs and fanned out into a blinding light gold that crested at its wingtips and head. Its feathers sparkled in the dim firelight and had sunshine touched the feathered body, the bird was sure to shine. The bird was a female, by its telling white eyelids and talons. Her eyes were the shade of dirtied gold, deep and rich in depth. The female was already as big as some of the dogs that had been kept at the Den and with her wingspan, was about as long as Kalyna’s arms were outstretched.
Kalyna spoke to the eagle in Drakanic, soft and sweet. “What shall we call you?”
The eagle cocked its head and crooned deep within her throat.
Kalyna smiled at the bird’s attempt and stroked along its back. “Arwen,” she said giggling at the bird’s instant snuggle to the name. She indulged in petting the soft downy feathers until the scuffle grew louder.
The noises drowned out Arwen’s gentle cooing. Kalyna jerked her head up to the sight of Alaister barely being able to hold Callon and Nylan apart. Outside, Fynix and Syralli paced, sizing up each other despite the lack of any real space for Dragonic combat in the cavern. Kalyna exhaled before sending Arwen into flight. A moment later, she stood before the three men. Kalyna grabbed Nylan by the elbow and, with a swift pinch and twist, pulled him and his attention away. “Enough, Nylan! Write what you need disclosed to your High Runics and show me how to send it.”
Nylan straightened his cloak and glared back at the Rogues. None spoke. None moved until Kalyna tapped her foot. Dejected, Nylan accepted Kalyna’s lead and followed her back to the stack of scrolls.
Alaister frowned, unable to dislodge the slight nip that knocked about in his stomach. To his left, Callon muttered while adjusting his tweaked clothes. His rapiers remained clean and drawn.
Callon gestured at Nylan. “You trust him, Al?”
“Do we have a choice?”
“Look… I get the whole enemy-of-my-enemy-is-my-friend thing but… I don’t… I don’t know. What do they gain? There’s something… off.”
“I know.”
“And the way he looks at her…” Callon trailed off resurfacing quickly from his thoughts. “Don’t Darklings eat human flesh?”
“You’ve been reading one too many bedtime stories, Cal.” Alaister chuckled, though he only half-believed his own words. He forced a pleasant smile and nodded towards the deeper part of their stone refuge. “After you, Caledonian.”
“Don’t bretzing start, Al.”
Alaister grinned and started to follow but was stopped by the abrupt and cold tap on the shoulder. He had not heard him coming.
Nylan gestured towards a secluded outcropping of rocks. “Paine, a word?”
“Alaister is fine.”
“Alaister.”
Alaister nodded, following Nylan towards the dark back corner. He turned and waited for an explanation, his back only exposed to the cavern wall, but his eyes still guarding the deep flowing flaxen waves across the way. Alaister shrugged, urging Nylan to begin whatever explanation or story he had lurking on his tongue.
“She must go to the Lythgorian capital – Draskell – and be trained by the High Runics. It is the only way to control her powers – to make sure she stays true to her gentle nature and doesn’t become… something else.”
“I don’t follow.”
“Power of her magnitude can corrupt – poison its wielder. She must be taught control. You and I both know she must be protected at all costs. Our world has not seen a Full Moon Runic of her magnitude likely since Ryxia breathed life into the First Runic. She could kill herself without training or worse… she could turn.”
“Kalyna would never turn.”
“You cannot say—”
“I can.”
“If you truly trust her so much, let her decide then.” Nylan turned to wave Kalyna over but found Alaister’s grip on his wrist.
“No. She has been under our protection since she was a child and she will remain so.”
“Is that Alaister Paine speaking as a Commander or Alaister Paine speaking as a man speaking?”
Alaister’s brow knitted. “I don’t follow you, Bendran.”
“Nylan.”
“Nylan…”
“You won’t always be able to protect her, Alaister. One day you won’t be here to save her. Let the High Runics teach her how to protect herself properly.”
“Vee is her teacher, no other. She is what Kalyna needs, not some High Runics she has no faith or trust in.” Alaister paced briefly, deciding on his words after he had spoken them. He had to believe in Vee. He had to believe in Kalyna. There was no way he was letting The One out of his sight. Not against his father’s orders or common sense. “No,” Alaister reaffirmed. “She stays here with us. She is our – she is my charge.”
“Then for her sake, may the Watcher and Listener let you protect her well.” Nylan exhaled slowly. “This Vee, her teacher – where is she now?”
“I’m sending a patrol to retrieve her from the Northern Creipan Swamps shortly.”
“Close to Knall?”
“Yes.” Alaister searched Nylan’s face – confused, spooked.
“Shayne!” Nylan shouted.
The taller of the Lythgorian Dragonics snapped to his leader’s side, black-brown hair falling into his face before his pale hand tucked it back. “Sir?”
“Get on the ground and get the news on Knall.”
“Aye, sir.” Shayne saluted the Lythgorian salute and disappeared as quickly as he had appeared, growing increasingly creepy the longer he remained in the company of the Rogues.
“Nylan?” Alaister asked.
“Last I had heard from our scouts was that the Council Dragonics were raking Knall for something or someone…. Violently.”
“Gavasti.”
“Shayne will let us know more soon enough.”
“Yes. Thank you.” Alaister bowed his head before saluting Nylan, who returned the bow with Lythgorian flair.
“One more thing, Alaister.”
Alaister looked back at the shadow-absorbing face.
“For her safety, you must hide her powers from plain sight—”
“We have as much as she’ll allow us to—”
“Or kill all that witness them.”
Alaister’s stoicism failed; he hesitated and bobbled with the concept. Kill any who saw Kalyna’s powers. Leave no witnesses. It was easy enough if those witnesses were enemies, combatants. If they were innocents – it would be unfathomable. Unbearable. Alaister winced. He could hear what his father would say - his solid voice rang in his ears.
“She is a rare gift. Protect her above all else.”
Unfathomable and tragically necessary.
Alaister locked eyes with Nylan. “I know.”
No sooner had the concession crossed his lips, Kalyna burst between them. She latched onto Alaister’s arm with a searing warmth that made him squirm at her touch. “Sorry,” she said smiling slightly. “It’s just that Jaxin is upset and causing a racket and refusing to let Syralli feed again and—”
“Damn Fire Dragons and their egos.”
Nylan laughed. “Agreed.” Again, Nylan saluted – still insisting on using the old Soleran Dragonic salute. “Paine.”
“Bendran,” Alaister said. He watched Nylan leave before exhaling deeply. Gently grabbing Kalyna by the elbow, he led her towards the Dragons. “Kal, walk with me. I need to speak with you.”
She fidgeted as they walked, her blue dress wrapped around her ankles and swished against his boots. Her nerves iced, despite her newly learned Fire Rune for personal warmth. She stayed close to him, her hair licking his forearms at their clo
se proximity. She was close enough to smell the rush of the ride on him and for him to smell the flowers that cleaned her hair.
“I know what you’re going to say, Alaister. I have to be careful. I can’t be using my powers to save you every time you get into troub—”
“No and yes.” Alaister stopped and met her worried gaze. “Kal, we have to be smart. If people start whispering about the appearance of a Runic…”
“Vee showed me the greater art of subtlety. I’ll be fine. You’ll be fine.”
“I doubt a firestorm was on her list of subtle,” Nylan said in passing, his smile ripe with dark mischief.
Kalyna shot Nylan a harsh look that broadened his smile until Alaister gripped her hand forcing her eyes to return to his.
“Which is why sending you to the High Runics—”
“I won’t go.”
“I know – gavasti, Kal. Let me finish.”
“Sorry….”
“I am sending for Vee. She was and will always be your teacher. Her place is with us. We never should have left without her.”
“I told you that much—”
“You were right. And, I will fix it – patience. Soon you will have the greatest of both worlds at your side and we will fulfill the Prophecy – together.”
Kalyna paused, emotionless. A smirk crept onto her face, widening into a smile that Alaister could not help but share.
PHOENIX RISING
“When the time comes – and come it will –
we will stand as one, united by one banner…”
LEOSAN CAVERN
SOUTHERN SOLERAN MOUNTAINS, SOLASTI
Nylan beckoned Kalyna with a smile and gesture of his hand. With his long, curved broadsword drawn, Nylan looked more kingly than the Rogues, who favored either shorter broadswords or the rapiers that Callon donned. Kalyna cocked her head to fully admire the length of metallic blade. It glimmered a freakish sort of black and silver in the growing moonlight.
“Now there is this one Rune. It uses vines to disable a sword.”
“I know of one… Perhaps, it is the same? What kind of vines?”
“Orangish red with flowers that emit this gas—”
Kalyna smiled and before Nylan could continue, the ground beneath him erupted with fast-growing vines. The vines budded and flowered with orange and red speckled blooms that spread a small vapor cloud with the opening of their petals. Nylan held his breath and struggled to rip his sword free. It was only when he failed and the panic ensued that he realized Kalyna had also ensnared him with the vines. Now, he too was bonded to the earthen ground. The vines grew faster than what Lythgorian Runics were capable of and the blooms were bigger, thicker, and more full. The gas was potent. Deadly.
Nylan choked on his held air and gasped Kalyna’s name, but her green-cloaked eyes did not waiver. “Kaly!”
She blinked and blew a blast of fresh air over Nylan. Her fists unclenched. The churning vines froze and then snapped, dropping the sword to the ground. “Like that?” she asked shakily.
Nylan stared at her blankly but nodded. “There’s another Rune that is used to attack that is made out of wind. It’s a sheet of air that knocks your breath from you… even works on the Dragons.”
“Ready?”
Nylan wiped off the sticky residue the vines left behind on his pants. Where the vines had met the cured leather, thorns had rubbed at the overly thick hide. Thorns. That was new. Exhaling, Nylan thumbed his hilt until his firm grip returned. He nodded, slowly. “Yes.”
“Okay....”
“Now concentrate. It’s a wall of air. Just a—”
The sheet of wind blasted Nylan back thirty feet into the cavern wall and sent his massive broadsword spiraling into the air. Alaister watched the blade approach and he quickly shoved Lanthar, who stood at his side, down. The sword narrowly missed them and clattered into the wall behind them harmlessly.
Alaister looked back to find Kalyna’s vacant black eyes parting a wall of air and chasing Nylan down as he ran for cover. “Kal!” he yelled.
The rush and roar of wind ceased. The wall of air dissipated. Alaister pointed to the still broadsword. Kalyna flushed when she saw the horrified look on Lanthar’s face as he slowly rose from his hunched position.
“I am so sorry, Lan.”
Lanthar waved off her apology.
“Can you do both ice and fire at the same time?” Nylan asked.
“Better question is, can you dodge it?”
“Yes…”
“Let’s see if you’re right then.” Kalyna smiled, her eyes an inhumane mix of ruby and sky.
Kalyna whipped back to face Nylan. She swirled waves of icefire at him, hair swirling behind her in tousled waves. The icefire bolts whipped past her face swirling faster and faster into a cyclonic pattern. The icefire funnel grew twice the size of Nylan before thickening. Kalyna laughed as she wove the bolts wove tighter and spun the amassing cyclone towards a quickly tiring Nylan.
“Alaister – a word?”
Pulling his gaze from the scene, Alaister met Lanthar’s eyes. The celadon eyes were dark. Troubled. Alaister nodded.
“Outside?” Lanthar added.
Alaister’s brow scrunched, but he did not hesitate to follow Lanthar’s wishes. The two men stepped outside the cavern and nestled inside their cloaks to fend off the snow-laced air that nipped at their exposed bodies.
“I have some concerns… about the Runic.”
“You know her name,” Alaister said suspiciously. “What is bothering you, Brother?”
“Perhaps, methods aside, the Council was right about Runics wielding too much power?”
A searing hot wind snapped out of the cavern and around the two men, pushing Kalyna’s laughter out with it. Alaister looked away from Lanthar’s blond frame. His eyes settled on the mountains and growing winter storm. He did not know how to respond. Lanthar came from an old line of traditional Alerians, but he had never thought that had much influence on his thinking – until now.
“I know it sounds crazy Alaister, but she is a Soul Runic. That girl can drain your life.”
“You know that girl, Lanthar.”
“Yes but life….”
“You realize that what you are implying goes directly against our Order’s Code? That everything we fight for – everything you have bled for – is dissolved by your notion that maybe the Council was right?”
“I just… It’s all I’ve known. Forgive my prudence in being a bit leery of it all. I mean, look at her! She barely has control most of the time. You cannot deny that. How many times have you had to call her name before she’s stopped – because I know from training her that it is always more than once and always one short of too many…”
Lanthar set to pacing, the words falling from his tongue as his hands wrung each other white. “If the men were to see her use, I wonder what you’d say then? What’d they’d say about her? I cannot be alone, Alaister. I cannot be alone in being fearful of that kind of power. That kind of power – the last Soleran Runic and the only Soul Runic in generations – you have to wonder about its abilities and drive. That is an Udlastian gift to bear and control.”
“Exactly.” Alaister’s face clouded. “And, it has a name, Lanthar.”
Alaister glanced back inside at Kalyna. She now dueled Callon while Nylan took a much needed break. Callon, cocky as ever, coaxed Kalyna to try harder – to play rough. He watched the two banter, ducking and weaving. It stunned how equally agile and reactive they both were. Kalyna spun away from a hurled dagger and recoiled before returning the attack with a thermal blast wave. The air knocked Callon down and the heat scalded. Callon covered his face with his arms. He shouted for her to stop.
Not once, but twice.
After Callon’s second plea, Kalyna snapped back to her normal stance and rushed to help Callon to his feet.
Lanthar exhaled and rested a hand on Alaister’s shoulder. “I am not suggesting we rid ourselves of Kalyna. I am merely asking if it is wise to
continue to let her explore these Runes. Not every Runic in history has used their powers for good.”
“She’s not every Runic.”
“I—”
Something inside Alaister snapped. “You best pray that you’re wrong. Pray that the Council is wrong on all accounts. And you best pray Lanthar, Commander of the Third Dredth of the Rogue Dragonics, that she is what we need her to be – or else everything we have fought and bled for is lost.”
Lanthar lowered his head at the bite in Alaister’s voice.
“I understand that where you came from, what the Council told you was considered absolute truth. That if it was written by the Council, it was the word of the Watcher and Listener. But the Prophecy will hold true. So for all our sakes, pray that you are wrong.”
“Aye, sir.”
“And collect your thoughts before you imply you do not believe in our Code again. You are better than that, Lanthar. So much better.” Alaister turned, a whirl of winter wind in his cloak. His boot steps echoed for a few moments before they too were gone.
Lanthar exhaled. Only Alaister Paine could make him feel like that. Only Alaister knew how to stir the heat in his cheeks and the liquids in his stomach. Alaister had understood why he asked but still seethed. Lanthar resented the negativity and the blatant closed-mindedness. It was truly a stubborn familial trait. Lanthar could not be as assured as Alaister was on the matter. The “what ifs” plagued him. He had to be concerned; him more than any other.
Lanthar rubbed his hands together for warmth and peered off the cliff’s edge. His eyes scanned the canyon’s sides and found that the Dragons were amiably playing with each other and their food.
Normal antics. Normal Beasts.
Everything was as normal as it could be.
Lanthar exhaled a nervous scoff and cracked his neck. With a final glance to the sky before retreating into the cavern, a soft prayer escaped his lips. “Watcher and Listener please – save us all.”
“Commander – Commanders!”
DeLorne, the lead scout approached Callon, Alaister, and Kalyna at full speed. He hunched over to catch his breath before saluting smartly. Weary, DeLorne looked blankly and apologetically at Kalyna until she flushed and laughed nervously. She quickly excused herself, despite her surging of curiosity.