The Keeper of Dragons: The Prince Returns

by J. A. Culican

  Eva’s voice floated through my head, “Stay alert. I have a bad feeling. Something feels off.”

  “What do you mean?” I projected.

  “They know we're coming. It feels like a trap.”

  I laughed at that, of course it was a trap. We had no idea what we would find when we arrived in India. We didn't even know who the farros had convinced to help them with this war, besides the Carnite’s. Not to mention we had no idea what they wanted with Eva and I.

  My pulse raced, tonight would cement our fate.

  Chapter Fifteen

  I was exhausted. My wings were sturdy and kept me afloat, but all I wanted was to curl up in a ball to go to asleep. As we whipped through a thick cloud, one of the Wolands in realm five turned to Eva and I. He pointed down toward the earth with his claw and made a huffing noise with his fire-breather, which signaled the other Wolands to descend. In synchronicity, we lowered slowly, and, as the clouds parted, a land of green pastures emerged beneath us. Horned beasts roamed on all fours, some were chomping on grass from the ground, and others were lying on it. As we got closer, I realized they were elk. Suddenly, one of the Wolands sent a gust of fire directly into the beating heart of an elk standing as he munched on a plant. It let out a loud cry as it jolted to its demise and all four of its legs collapsed. Alarmed, I looked to Eva, who giggled. The Wolands had caught us dinner.

  We set up a picnic along the green field, though Eva had turned her nose up at the thought of consuming raw meat. One of the guards reached for a large branch of a nearby tree, huffed a fire through it, and began to cook a piece of meat for Eva. The guards sure knew how to accommodate us.

  After dinner, we rose back into the air to finish our trip to India. Luckily, my portion of elk endowed me with enough energy to finish the journey.

  We hauled a little bit longer, until one of the five realm Wolands motioned again for us to descend down to earth. The clouds parted once more, and a few pieces of mounted land appeared. I saw small patches of green land, miniscule trees, and a charming lake. Each dragon started to land, with mine being surprisingly smooth. A faint thud was all that could be heard. Satisfied with my landing, I looked around to see that the other dragons were shifting back into their human forms. It would make our trip around the lake a bit easier.

  Jude had explained to us the importance of Mitra Lake in Sikkim. We had to walk around it in order for the Grove to appear. The farros had a magical element they wielded called tilium, it was similar to mahier, but less potent. They had used it to protect their home and shield it from humans. At the end of the trek the farros would lift the shield and allow us entrance, if they chose to.

  “How was realm two able to see the Grove? I mean we figured the farros knew they were there, but it shouldn't have been a question if they had to lift their shields to allow entrance.” Eva voiced the thought that had just fluttered through my head.

  “Our mahier is much stronger, we are able to see through their shield. We are unaware if the farro know of this, hence our nature walk now.” Jude replied.

  “Can you see them now, through their shield?” I asked.

  “No, my focus is keeping the two of you safe. Other Woland in other realms are tasked with keeping an eye on the farro’s activity.” He stated as he maneuvered over a large boulder.

  If it weren't for the battle we had flown all this way for, I would have been in awe of the scenery. We were in Northern Sikkim, the population here was very low, almost nonexistent at our exact location. We walked along the shore of a mighty lake in a valley between mountains. The mountain peaks were frozen and I could see snow scattered about. The lake was calm, but seemed to be free of any wildlife. Either they could feel the presence of dragons and fled or this was part of the allure. Boulders and rocks were scattered about the shore, which made our trip difficult as we stepped over rocks and dodged the uneven surfaces. I had to give it to the farros, they were smart, any enemy of theirs who wished to meet with them would be exhausted by the time the shield was lowered. Not to mention it gave them time to prepare. Speaking of which, I could already feel the eyes of the farros on us. They knew we were here. I wondered if we could drop their shield and catch them off guard.

  “Can our mahier lower their shield?” I asked Jude in a tentative voice, I was no soldier so strategy was not something I excelled in.

  “We have never tried. Again we do not want the farros to know the extent of our abilities. Even if we could, our goal is to stop a war, not initiate one. We will attempt a diplomatic solution before we progress to war.”

  “But they attacked us, twice. War has already started.” I objected

  “That was not war, those were battles. We have had great wars in the past, many creatures and humans lost their lives. It is not something we want to repeat. Unfortunately creatures like the farros do not care about the wellbeing of humans or even the loss of their own kind. They only care about one thing.”

  “What’s that?”

  “Power. To be at the top of the food chain.” Jude explained.

  “Then what? I mean if they ever got there?” I asked as my voice started to shake.

  “My guess, they would fight each other until only one remained. Creatures like the farros are selfish. Yes, they'll work together, now. But once they've won, they will fight each other in order to have complete control and power over the entire kinship.” Jude expounded.

  “But nothing will be left.” I whispered.

  “That is why we have been tasked with the job as protectors. We protect all that is true from beings like the farros. So nothing like that will ever happen”

  “I'm starting to understand just how important the dragons are.” Even if the idea terrified me.

  “Ah, and you haven't even seen everything.” Jude locked eyes with me. “When you do, you must stay strong. We all need you.”

  ***

  We made it around a good portion of the lake when the ground began to shake. Everyone stopped to look around. I could see the snowcaps on the mountains start to move and slide down the mountainsides. The Wolands threw their hands up in an attempt to stop the snow with their mahier, but the snow continued as if the dragons had done nothing.

  “Shift, get into the air.” Jude commanded of realm five.

  “I can’t”

  “Something’s wrong.”

  “My mahier…”

  No matter what we tried, none of us could shift. The Wolands looked around lost. They didn't know what to do without their mahier. I grabbed Eva’s hand and started to run into the lake. We braced ourselves as we dove in. The water felt like ice, but if we remained on dry land, the avalanche would sweep us away. The Wolands noticed our escape, and followed. We swam out as far as we could, my teeth chattered and my body shivered. I watched as the snow barreled down the mountainside towards us. Right when it was about to hit the edge of the water, it disappeared.

  Suddenly, we were no longer in the water, or even in the valley. All hundred or so of us dragons seemed to have transported to a remote region. A moment ago, we were in one of the most beautiful scenic areas I had ever seen, but now, we stood in what looked to be a frozen tundra. The ice-cold temperature distressed me. I held on to Eva’s hand as realm five closed in around us, I searched for any clue as to what happened. I looked up to the sky and saw the farros peppering the sky.

  “Welcome.” Queen Tana’s voice echoed around the open space. “To Farro Grove.” Her arms went wide in welcome.

  I wasn't feeling very welcomed. I felt trapped. Scared. No one moved or replied to the Queen. Every Woland stood in attack mode; ready for the fight I was sure to come. I gripped Eva’s hand tighter, she turned in my direction, and I could see it. Scales began to cover her face, she held her finger up to her mouth for me to be quiet, then tilted her head towards the farros above us.

  “I see you found our entrance without a problem.” Tana clapped her hands. “Bravo! I’m hoping you brought my old friends with you?” She inquired as she ga
zed around the Wolands.

  Tana stopped at Eva and me with a fear induced smile that showed off her razor sharp teeth. “Ah, come here my Keeper of Dragons, I have missed you so.” With a wave of her hands Eva and I started to levitate off the ground. Jude and the other Wolands attempted to grab onto us and pull us back, but their effort was useless. The farros circled around them and released silver sparks at the realm five Wolands until they fell to the ground. Queen Tana floated over to us and examined our features with her midnight eyes. She reached out to touch the scales on Eva’s face, but Eva swatted her hand away.

  “I have to thank you two. You have kept myself and the rest of the farros quite entertained the last eight years. You have given us much time to prepare for today. It is time to officially adopt you into our tribe.”

  “Were not interested in joining you or your tribe.” Eva shouted at her.

  Tana chuckled, “You my dear are just like me. Beautiful. Strong. Cunning. Fearless. You belong with us. Together we can rule all.” Tana smirked at us and turned to the Woland. “You all look confused. Shall I tell you a story?”

  I searched the crowd for Jericho and Cairo, I knew they were there somewhere. It was hard to see the faces of the Woland, the sky was dark with only a few visible stars. The farros zipped around us in an excited frenzy. I began to make out the Wolands from the other side of Queen Tana but I couldn't be sure. I attempted to angle my head to get a better view, but Queen Tana broke my search.

  “Pay attention, Coley,” Tana mocked. “This is important.”

  How did she know about my mom’s nickname for me? No one but her ever called me that, and she never called me it in front of anyone. Almost like she knew I wouldn't be able to live down that embarrassment.

  “We found you when the two of you were young. We were drawn to the energy that surrounds you, we have watched you grow through the years. At first we had no idea what it meant or who you were. We spent the first few years searching for answers. Until we found it. You were the Keeper of Dragons, and we the farros were the only ones who knew. Not even the dragons or that arrogant King Rylan knew.” Tana sneered as she spoke of Rylan the King.

  “How did you know? We didn't even know.” Eva questioned.

  “Answer this my girl, when is the last time you were sick? Broke a bone? Needed stitches?” Tana just shook her head at us. “It was obvious something was special about the two of you. You fed off each other's energy. An energy that shined to us like a beacon in the sky, the day you met, we felt it.”

  “Enough. Do you honestly think we are going to let you take the Keeper of Dragons from us?” Jericho voiced from below us.

  “What do you think you can do about it, dragon? I’m sure you’ve noticed your mahier is of no good here. As I said, we have been preparing for this day for many years.” Tana snickered. “Today shall be your last.” She commanded.

  “How?” I choked out.

  “How what, my boy?” Tana mocked.

  “How did you take our mahier?” I was confused.

  “Did you think we would be unprepared to take on the mahier? Without it, dragons are nothing but human. It's ironic, really. Dragons have devoted their lives to protect humans, and other fragile creatures. But today they will meet their end, just like a human.”

  The farros started to laugh. It sounded more like a hive of angry bees preparing to strike. I looked over at Eva. We had to do something. The Wolands counted on us, we were the Keeper of Dragons after all. If we were defeated tonight, it would be the end of all dragons.

  “Oh, I almost forgot. I have a surprise for you, a little family reunion. You asked how, this may give you the answer you desire.” Queen Tana leered at us.

  She nodded to a group of farros, who took off behind a large boulder. The boulder split open, and a figure started to appear. I squinted my eyes to get an unblemished view. Immediately, I could tell this was no farro, this was much larger than a farro.

  It was Zane.

  Chapter Sixteen

  I couldn't take my eyes off him. The rest of the dragons back in Ochana were displeased with Zane, and a little worried about him, but this? Would he really betray us all? And if so, why?

  “How's it hanging, nephew of mine?” Zane chuckled as he walked closer to us. “Tana, let them down, I’d like to see my nephew’s eyes as he learns the truth.”

  “Why?” Was all I could choke out as Tana released me and I tumbled to the ground.

  “The Grove is all yours, Zane.” Tana swung her arms around, “And look, you have the full attention of the Woland guard. I’m always up for a story!” Queen Tana chimed in.

  Zane looked around at each Woland, his eyes stopped on Jericho and Cairo. “Ah look, you brought some of my closest friends, thank you Colton.” He laughed as he turned back towards me.

  “These dragons are your family, and Cole is your nephew. Why would you do this?” Eva questioned.

  “The golden dragon, it is an honor to be formally introduced.” He put his hand out to shake Eva’s

  She glared at his outstretched hand. “Like I would shake the hand of the enemy.” She sneered.

  “You were right about her Tana, I like her.” He laughed. “However, let’s get back to why we're here.” He turned back to me. “You’ve already heard the story about my big brother Jago, what you don't know is what happened after. Answer me this, Prince Colton. Have you had the honor to meet your grandparents yet?”

  I thought about the question, my grandparents had never been mentioned, I just assumed they had passed. “No, I didn't know they were still alive.” I replied.

  “Oh they are most definitely alive, banished from Ochana for the death of their son.” Spittle flew from his mouth as he sneered out those words. “And of course, being the dutiful son that Rylan was, agreed to this punishment as his first ever ruling as King.” Zane stressed the words to drive his point home.

  “Liar!” Cairo shouted. “How could you?”

  Jericho placed his hand on Cairo’s shoulder to calm him down while his eyes never left Zane. He said nothing. A look I didn't understand passed between them. Jericho stood tall and lifted his chin. His eyes shifted to mine and nodded his head, it happened so fast I wondered if I had imagined it.

  “Revenge or jealousy? Which is the real reason you betrayed your race?” Eva asked.

  Zane shook his head at her, “Don't you see? I’m justified in my actions. The dragons turned their back on their own race. Scared creatures that they are.”

  “Which we gladly used to our advantage.” Queen Tana interjected. “Zane here has been helping us gain control of your mahier for years, the Keeper of Dragons couldn't have come at a better time, for we control your mahier, which means we control you!” She proclaimed with a sneer.

  “Actually, I control the mahier.” Zane clarified. “See the farros gave me the use of their tilium and together with how potent my own mahier is, I was able to manipulate your mahier any way I wanted.” Zane declared.

  “Now that you have it, what's your plan?” Eva questioned.

  “Lucky for you, you haven't been around long enough to form any true friendships.” Tana replied with venom.

  “First, another story.” Zane interrupted. “This one is my favorite. It's a new story just for the farros. Gather around.” He gestured with his hands for the farro to join him. The other fallen fairies scampered around Zane as they squeaked out high-pitched snickers.

  “Make it quick Zane, I am getting antsy!” Tana requested.

  “Of course.” He looked over to her and smirked. “Jago and I were very close before his death. I often accompanied him on his rounds, as a way to understand the Wolands, for I was trained a Leslo.”

  “That experience has aided us on our journey.” Tana added.

  “I agree.” He cleared his voice. “I was with him during his final round. We were circling Ochana, checking the perimeter.”

  “What?” Tana interrupted.

  Zane put up his hands to stop her fr
om questioning him. “We saw something stuck on the ice, we thought it was an animal of sorts. As we flew closer, we noticed it was a boat, but humans hardly came that far north, and when they did it was because something was wrong. Being a protector, Jago flew over to the boat, hoping he could save the humans aboard. He took off ahead of me, and by the time I got to him, it was too late.” Zane looked to the ground, his pain was evident.

  “I don't understand.” I whispered. None of this made sense.

  “Zane looked up and pierced me with a look. “He was attacked. The boat wasn't full of humans like he thought. It was a trick. The boat was full of farros.” Zane looked to Tana with an odd expression on his face.

  “That’s ridiculous. You lie?” Tana shouted.

  “Jago was the strongest warrior of all the Wolands. Did you honestly think an attack with just the use of your tilium would leave him for dead so quick?” He shouted back. “He told me what happened, made me promise him that I would find the farros, and end them.” He sneered.

  Zane bent back and shifted into his dragon. Instantly, fire flew from his mouth and his mammoth claws thumped along the ground, right where the farros had gathered. They scuttled around in madness; some fluttered off the ground, others dashed toward the mountains. I felt my mahier creep back through my fingertips. I turned to the Wolands; their mahiers were returning too. Eva grabbed my hand and squeezed. I looked over in time to see her scales shelter her skin. I looked around in fear; the farros and Wolands were in a fight to the death. Eva’s squeeze of my hand reminded me that she was still with me, and it was time to fight.

  “We can end this. It’s why we're here.” Eva whispered for my ears only.

  “How? Look around, we’re standing in the middle of a war.”

  “Grab my other hand and hold on tight. Focus all your energy on the farros.”

  “Why? What will that do?” I questioned.