“Who’s there?” Cassy demanded as she spun around.
“It is I, Roupert. Who are you?” he said in a firm voice as he stepped out of the thick trees.
Once his eyes met Cassy’s, he dropped to one knee. “Abigail, you have returned as promised.”
Cassy glanced at Frier then back to Roupert. “How many times do I have to say that I am not Abigail? She’s my great-grandmother. My name is Cassy,” frustration dripped from each word.
Roupert rose to his feet and looked closely at Cassy. He could see the resemblance, but there was something different in her eyes. “Yes, I can see that you are not Abigail. I am sorry for the confusion.”
“She may not be Abigail, but she has her strong spirit. Otherwise, the Blood Key would not have chosen her,” Frier said with a spark of excitement in his voice. “Look, she wears the sacred Breast Plate with the Blood Key.”
Roupert quickly looked back at Cassy and saw that she was in fact wearing the Breast Plate. “So, it is as foretold. Our champion has come to release us from the rule of the Evil Queen Alona.”
Cassy looked at Roupert, unsure if she had heard him correctly. “What do you mean by your champion has come? Are you talking about me?” She laughed nervously at the idea of her winning a battle against an Evil Queen.
Roupert gazed into Cassy’s eyes. “That is precisely what I mean. The Blood Key would not have chosen you otherwise.”
“Wow, how cool is that,” Aaron said with amazement. “I always knew that you were tough, but I never thought you would do battle with an Evil Queen. Do I get to help?”
Cassy shot Aaron an angry look. “No, you don’t get to help because I’m not going to battle anyone.”
“But you have to…”
Cassy interrupted before he could continue. “I don’t have to do anything, other than try and get us back home.”
Frier and Roupert looked at each other and shook their heads.
“What, what’s wrong? Is there going to be a problem with us going home?” Cassy suddenly felt a sickening feeling growing in her stomach.
Roupert stepped forward and held out his hand. “It is getting late. I invite you join me for the night in my cabin. The forest gets cold at night, and I’m sure you must be tired and hungry.”
Cassy looked at Roupert, unsure if she should trust him. She then looked at Aaron and realized that she had no choice.
“Okay, but only for one night. We need to figure out how to get back before they realize we’re gone,” Cassy reached out and took Aaron by the hand. “Lead the way.”
Chapter 7
The glow of the fire filling the room made Cassy and Aaron feel safe and comfortable. They had enjoyed a good meal of stew and bread, and now were sitting on straw-filled mats spread out on the floor.
Cassy and Aaron were surprised how comfortable Roupert had made the small one room hut. In the center of the room, there was a firepit, which he used for cooking and heating. Along the walls in the back of the hut were shelves filled with jars and pouches, as well as two large books. On the opposite side of the hut from where they were was a small wooden table and chairs, along with shelves for his dishes.
“Thank you for the meal and a place to sleep,” Cassy said, as she pulled the blanket around her. “I have to admit that I’ve never slept on a straw bed before.”
Roupert put the last of the bowls on the shelf then he joined them by the fire. “Really, what sort of bed do you sleep on?”
Cassy thought for a moment, “I’m not sure what it’s made of, but I know it’s not straw.” She laughed when she saw the confused looked on Roupert’s face.
Aaron sat up and looked toward the window by the door with a sad look on his face. “Why is Frier sleeping outside? Won’t he get cold out there?”
Roupert shook his head and laughed. “Frier will be just fine outside. I invited him to sleep inside once during a severe storm, but he sneezed and almost burned my hut to the ground.”
“Oh my, how horrible,” Cassy gasped.
“After that, we both agreed that it was best that he stay outside. Though, I did build him a shelter so that he could stay out of the weather. It’s made of sturdy wood and stone. He tells me that he is quite comfortable.”
Aaron yawned and rubbed his eyes. “I’m sleepy.” He rolled over on his side, facing the wall with the fire to his back and in a few moments was sound asleep.
After a few quiet minutes, Cassy wondered the best way to approach Roupert on the subject. He looked at her and could see she was struggling with her thoughts.
“You look distressed, Cassy. You seem to have a question tormenting your mind.”
“Yes, I do. I just don’t understand something. Why isn’t Frier with other dragons? What kind of curse did the Evil Queen cast on the kingdom?”
Roupert leaned back against a wood bucket and then ran his hand through his dark wavy hair. Many years had passed since he had spoken aloud of the curse, and honestly, he had hoped he would never have to speak of it again. He cleared his throat and began.
“For thousands of years the Kingdom of Walandra was ruled by the mighty Ashlym, the King of the Dragons and his lovely Queen, Privlana. King Ashlym had ruled the subjects of Walandra with both kindness and respect, and the kingdom had flourished under his rule. Over the years, each subject of the kingdom enjoyed a life of happiness and freedom from fear. Everything was perfect until she came. Alona, had pretended to be a slave running from a cruel master, and she convinced Queen Privlana to allow her to take refuge in the castle. Alona had played her part well in her game of deception. She had treated everyone with respect and kindness, even the lowest of castle servants, which pleased King Ashlym, as he believed that everyone deserved respect regardless of their station in life.”
Roupert reached behind him and pulled a piece of wood from the bucket, and tossed it into the fire. Once it began to burn, he continued.
“It was a dark day for the kingdom when Alona made her move. None in the kingdom knew that she was, in fact, an Evil Sorceress from a far off land, as she had fooled everyone with her magic. Prior to coming to Walandra, she had cast a spell on herself to conceal her true self. No one saw the evil beating within her dark heart, not even King Ashlym,” Roupert shook his head, feeling despair at how Alona had fooled everyone in the castle.
“Alona had come to Walandra to steal the powerful magic of the Dragon and make it her own. She knew the Queen was trusting and was always willing to help those in need. For that reason, she knew if she acted the victim of a cruel master, the Queen would grant her sanctuary and would protect her.” Roupert felt rage at how Alona betrayed the trust the Queen had in her.
“At first, the King was unsure if they should allow Alona to stay in the castle, but the Queen had begged him to grant her mercy, so he finally relented and granted her sanctuary. Several weeks had passed without occurrence, when one day the unthinkable happened. King Ashlym had taken his human form and was resting in the Royal Chamber when…”
“Wait a minute, what do you mean by human form?” Cassy interrupted.
Roupert looked at the surprised look on Cassy’s face and smiled. “You did not know that Dragons will change into a human form?”
Cassy looked at Roupert with a dumbfounded look on her face, “No, I’ve never heard anything like that before.”
“Well, they do. You see, Dragons are magical creatures and can do miraculous things. From the dawn of time, all Royal Families were from the lineage of the Dragon. Is it not like that in your realm?”
Cassy looked at Roupert and merely shrugged her shoulders.
“Well, in the Kingdom of Walandra, it has always been so,” Roupert grinned when he saw the look of understanding appear on Cassy’s face.
“So, does that mean that Frier is a member of the Royal Family?”
“That is a subject for a later time,” Roupert said flatly.
“So, what happened next? What happened to King Ashlym in the Royal Chamber?” Cassy asked.
Roupert hung his head as sadness filled his heart. “The King had no idea of the depth of Alona’s deceit. As he lay in the Royal Bedchamber, Alona came to him cloaked by magic in the human form of Queen Privlana. The King at not knowing of Alona’s treachery allowed her to lie in the bed next to him. You see, Alona had prepared well for her mission to kill the King. She had managed to cast a spell over the Guardian of the Dagger of Destiny, which was the only instrument created that could kill a Dragon. All that one had to do was to strike the Dragon in the heart while it was in its human form. Yet, Alona had more plans for the dead King. She had found one of the lost Blood Stones that if struck with the blood of a powerful Dragon would bestow the bearer the magical powers of the Dragon. This was Alona’s goal from the beginning. She wanted to rule Walandra by enslaving the Dragons and using their power to ensure her rein.”
Cassy found herself transfixed, as Roupert told the tale of how the Evil Queen Alona took control of the Kingdom and she wondered what her part would be in freeing them from her rule.
“So, what happened next?” Cassy said with her eyes wide with fear.
Roupert cleared his throat then continued with his story.
~~~
“As King Ashlym lay on his back asleep, Alona lifted the knife and plunged it deep into his heart. Then as she pulled it from his heart, she heard a scream come from the doorway. It was Queen Privlana, with a look of horror on her face. Realizing she must act quickly, Alona jumped up from the bed while holding the bloodied knife in her hand.
“What have you done?” Queen Privlana cried out.
“I have killed the King and taken his blood.” Alona then reached into her pocket and pulled out the Blood Stone. “With his blood I cast a spell over the house of Dragons. You, Queen Privlana will forever be my slave and the remainder of your family will die. With your magical power and that of the King’s blood, I will rule over the Kingdom of Walandra for all time,” Alona laughed as she raised the dagger above her head.”
~~~
Cassy sat up. “No way, no way can she win. It’s wrong,” she whispered, so as not to awaken Aaron.
Roupert looked at Cassy, feeling amused by her excitement. “Sit, my young friend, and I will continue with the tale.”
Cassy knew there was no sense in pushing him, so she lay back down on her mat without saying another word.
“Okay, let me see where I was,” Roupert rubbed his chin then continued with his tale.
~~~
Alona held the dagger above her head and was about to strike the Blood Stone when Queen Privlana transformed into her Dragon form.
Standing nearly twenty feet tall with smoke puffing from her nostrils, she looked down at Alona and spoke in a firm voice, “I cast a spell that you are forever denied power over the Blood Stone. It and its great power will be gone from this realm until brought back by a Champion. I also cast a spell over my Dragon family, transforming them into stone, thus protecting them from death by your hand,” Privlana’s tone was dark and menacing.
“You may rule this kingdom, but one day a brave soul will come and through great sacrifice will return my husband’s blood to me. For you see, the Blood Stone is now a key, which will reverse your curse upon this kingdom. You may possess dark powers, but they will not extend beyond the borders of this realm.”
Alona looked at the Queen and laughed, “Your spell has no power over me. With the King’s blood, I will be the greatest power in our realm.” With a smile of pure evil on her face, Alona swung the dagger downward. It pierced the Blood Stone with the tip of the dagger forcing a droplet of King Ashlym’s blood inside of the stone, trapping its power. Alona looked at the Queen and laughed a wicked laugh until the Blood Stone began to vibrate in her hand.
“What is happening?” Alona cried out, as the Blood Stone grew hot and began to burn her skin.
“I told you that you would never possess the power of the King’s blood,” Queen Privlana betrayed her amusement at seeing the look of horror on Alona’s face.
The stone began to glow brighter than the sun as a loud ear-piercing hum filled the room.
“Make it stop. I command you!” Alona demanded.
Queen Privlana laughed, “There is no power in this realm that can stop this. The power of the King’s blood is out of your reach forever.”
Alona could no longer hold the stone as the heat grew in intensity.
Queen Privlana stood proudly and said, “Goodbye, my love; until we meet again.”
With those words, the Blood Stone transformed into a ball of white flames and disappeared.
Chapter 8
Cassy sat quietly and watched the flames flickering in the fire. While she enjoyed the tale of how the Blood Key came to be, she wondered why it had chosen her. She reached up and touched the stone attached to the breastplate and felt the soft vibration again.
“Roupert, why can’t I take this off?” She tugged on one of the straps going over her shoulders.
“I’m not sure, but I assume that it has to do with the spell cast by Queen Privlana. The stone has chosen you, and from what I understand, it will not only break the spell cast by the Evil Queen Alona, but it will also protect the one chosen to fight against her.”
Cassy looked over at Aaron and was glad that he was still asleep. “He’s had a long day.”
“As have we all. Let us rest, for tomorrow you will begin your quest,” Roupert saw the worried look appear on Cassy’s face and prayed that she would come to no harm once she battled Queen Alona.
“Do not worry; you are safe as long as you wear the sacred Breast Plate with the Blood Key.”
“I hope you’re right. I sure don’t like the idea of fighting an evil Queen, who has magical powers,” Cassy groaned.
“You have nothing to fear, as you learn that you have powers of your own,” Roupert said then he lay down on his mat and pulled his blanket up around his neck.
Cassy relaxed and closed her eyes. She was not sure if she could win a battle against the Evil Queen. As she lay there, Roupert’s words played out again in her mind. You will learn that you have powers of your own. “What did he mean by that?” she whispered.
Cassy awoke to the smell of frying bacon filling the room. She sat up and stretched then looked over at the table where Aaron was eating a thick slice of bread.
“Good morning, sleepy-head,” Aaron grinned as he shoved the remainder of the bread in his mouth.
Cassy stood and walked over to the table then sat on one of the wooden chairs. “Good morning, what smells so good?”
“I decided to cook up some salted meat for your brother. He seems to have quite a healthy appetite,” Roupert smiled as he flipped the meat in the large skillet. “Would you like a cup of hot root tea?”
“Sure, I’ve always liked tea,” Cassy held up the empty cup sitting on the table, allowing Roupert to fill it with the hot beverage.
“It tastes best with a little Valen sap,” he pointed to the small pot on the table.
“Sap? You put tree sap in your tea?” Cassy scrunched her nose.
Roupert looked at the expression on Cassy’s face and chuckled. “We use the sap from Valen tree to sweeten our drinks and food. It is magnificent; try it and you will see.”
“Thanks.” Cassy reached for the small pot and removed the lid. She stuck the tip of her finger in the amber substance and placed it on her tongue.
The expression of pleasure on Cassy’s face let Roupert know that she liked it. “See, I told you it was good.”
“Where’s Frier this morning?” Aaron asked as he reached for another piece of bread.
“He’s probably down at the river. He enjoys catching fresh fanish for his breakfast.”
“Fanish, what’s that?” Aaron asked.
“You do not have creatures that live in the waters of your realm? Very strange” Roupert shook his head.
“Oh, you mean fish? Yeah, we have fish in our realm,” Aaron laughed. “I’m glad I don’t have to eat
fish for breakfast.”
Roupert picked up the wooden fork to put the crisp fried meat on the platter in front of Cassy and Aaron. “Eat well, for we have a long journey ahead of us.”
Cassy reached out and took a piece of the meat. She brought it up to her mouth then she took a small bite. “Hey, this tastes like bacon.”
Roupert looked at Cassy. “Bacon; is that what you call it where you come from? What a strange name.”
Aaron grabbed a piece and shoved it in his mouth. “Yeah, but it doesn’t matter what it’s called. It tastes great,” he grinned as he chewed on the delicious treat.
Once they had finished eating, they cleaned the dishes and straightened their bedding. Next, they packed food for their trip, consisting of dried meat, dried berries, and a bag full of different types of nuts and seeds.
“Is this going to be enough food for all of us?” Aaron asked.
“Yes, this will only be used should we not have time to hunt,” Roupert said as he tucked the pouches of food inside his leather pack.
“Hunt, we get to hunt? Cool, I’ve never hunted before.” Aaron jumped to his feet with a new sense of excitement surging through him.
Roupert looked at Aaron, unsure if he had heard him correctly. “You have never hunted before, but how do you get your meat?”
“My mom gets it from the store, or she orders it from the restaurant like when we have pizza.” Aaron glanced over at Roupert wondering why he would ask such a silly question.
“So, your father does not hunt for your meat? How strange, I have never heard of such a thing. We do not have things called stores where we get our food. We either grow our food or gather it from the woods.”
Cassy looked at Roupert and shook her head. “Well, I guess you don’t have fast food restaurants either?”
The expression on his face answered her question, and she could not help but laugh.
The Dragons Blood Key: Legend of the Dragon's Blood Key - Book 1 Page 4