Summer's Dragon

by Lisa Daniels

A cloud passed over Anani’s face. “I thought…”

  Summer shrugged, “To be honest, I remember next to nothing about my life before I died, I barely remember anything from after I died. I kept an eye on Chesed the whole time, but what I need to remember about that time is completely escaping me.”

  Anani gave her a look of pity before pulling her into a hug, this time with a lot more force behind it.

  A voice from outside of the window interrupted their reunion. “Hey, I thought this was only going to take a moment. Cyprian was very clear about that.”

  Anani looked down at Summer. “I have to go. Avoid the water, and get him out of here as quickly as you can. I will buy you as much time as possible, but it isn’t going to be long. As soon as he realizes that I know who Hisa was hiding, he is going to strike like a fucking Kraken. I am so sorry, but I know that I will side with him once the shock wears off.” Summer looked at him, the confusion clear on her face. Unable to say anything else, Anani kissed her forehead and slipped out of the window.

  As tempted as she was to watch her old friend, his words rang in her ears. Hisa had been hiding her from Cyprian. Shaking her head, Summer couldn’t understand why Cyprian would be after her, but it was something that made sense to Anani. She had learned to listen to Anani from the first time they had met. He had warned her against something foolish. Laughing at his caution, she had headed into a cavern near the top of a mountain in the Oltimians. A chimera had nearly killed her. He may have seemed only lightly tethered to the ground, but when Anani gave a warning, she heeded it.

  “Hisa.” She placed a hand on his bare back. “Hisa, you have to wake up.”

  The man stirred a little.

  Giving him a slight shake, Summer tried again. “Hisa. Cyprian will be here soon. Anani said so.”

  Though she felt guilty for the cruel wake-up, the words had the desired effect. Hisa sprang up, “I didn’t do it this time! I swear! I have the testimony of five ladies about–” His eyes finally met Summer’s and his face flushed. Slumping back, he sighed, “Gods, not this dream again.”

  “What are you talking about? Hisa, Anani was just here and he said we had to get moving if we want to avoid Cyprian. He made it sound like Cyprian is going to attack you.”

  Whatever sleep remained was instantly dispelled. “Like hell he will catch us. Thank gods for Anani – I always knew he was the least fickle of the lot. We have to go, now. The window will be fastest.”

  “Um, Hisa, your clothes.”

  The man frowned and looked down. “It doesn’t matter what I’m wearing – oh.” His eyes moved back up to Summer’s. “Do I want to know what you were doing?”

  “Washing you. Now move it.”

  He nodded and pulled a handful of clothing out of the wardrobe. “They’ll clean it up. We have to get out of here.” He grabbed Summer’s hand and pulled her to him, his mostly naked body pressing up against her. “Sorry, no time to dress right now. We need to move.” With that he dove out of the window with her in his arms.

  As soon as they were on the ground, he pointed in a slightly different direction than they had been going. “That way. Move as quickly as you can, I’ll catch you.” He was pulling on a shirt.

  Summer took off at the speed that she had achieved while fleeing the city. It seemed strange that she was now running from her oldest friend instead of disembodied voices. There was no time to ponder the cruelty of it, though.

  Before she knew it, the ground was swept out from under her and Hisa was holding onto her. “Keep breathing. It’s going to be alright. I swear, I’m not going to let anything happen to you this time. Not this time.”

  Summer’s eyes moved over his face as her body felt his warmth spreading through her. Suddenly she realized who he was. “I was looking for you!”

  Hisa nearly tripped as his eyes moved from the ground to Summer. “I told you that you would be disappointed.”

  “Why didn’t you say anything? You knew. I…” Her voice trailed off as her eyes searched his face for some trace of the emotion he had once expressed, some hint of the pleading he felt as she died in his arms. The only thing looking back at her was pain and regret.

  “Hisa,” she reached a hand to his face, but he turned away.

  “I killed you. Remember, I was the one who killed you. If I hadn’t been there, if I had listened to reason, you would have lived.”

  “No.” She shook her head.

  “Yes! It was because of me.”

  “No. I was dying before you arrived, that was what he planned all along. Chesed wanted you to lose control, he failed, and the poison took its course.”

  Hisa’s eyes searched hers, “But I–”

  “No, you didn’t. He made you believe that. Mostly you rampaged among a few houses. You caused a good bit of damage, but no fatalities. You kept your senses long enough to get somewhere far from the fight. He planted me there so that you would feel guilty. That is what he has been banking on this entire time. More than 500 years of trying to use that last move to break you.”

  Hisa slowed down. “It doesn’t matter if I was the one to deal the blow, I failed to protect you.”

  “And I failed to protect you.” Summer looked at him, a tear rolling down her face.

  Suddenly a large sheet of water doused the path in front of them. If they had continued at their speed, it would have knocked them down or more likely knocked them out.

  “Why do you always make things more difficult than they need to be?” Cyprian materialized on a bank to the right of the path.

  Hisa grinned, “Because you wouldn’t have me any other way.”

  Cyprian gave a sad smile, “No, I really wouldn’t. Hello, Summer.”

  When she looked into her friend’s eyes, all she saw was determination.

  Chapter 8

  In the Eye of the Storm

  Heath looked out of the window as he paced near it. Kerensa stepped up beside him. “Heath, you really need to sit down, you are starting to make everyone nervous.”

  “I don’t understand why I had to stay here.”

  “You didn’t have to stay,” she reminded him softly. “You insisted that you wouldn’t leave my side.”

  “But why did you have to stay?”

  “Because she’s the only one who can pass information to her father. Those were the stipulations in the agreement.” Phelan looked at his hands. “Look, now that I know what is going on, I’m not any happier than you, but we have to follow through on our engagements and trust that the others will manage theirs.”

  “But there is so much we could do to help!”

  Kerensa placed a hand on his arm. “There is much we can do here as well. Remember, in the room right over there is a newborn sorcerer. It is likely that the adversary knows that, and you had best believe he will use that to his advantage if he can. The blood of a new sorcerer or sorceress is worth more than all of the human lives in the Seven Kingdoms.”

  Heath took a deep breath. “You are right, I know, but I feel so…”

  Phelan gave him a weak smile, “Powerless? Yeah, that’s how I’ve been feeling for the last four days.”

  “I hope nothing happens here. I really do. But if something is going to happen, I wish they would just do it already. This waiting is nerve-wracking.” Heath looked toward the window.

  “With any luck–”

  Suddenly the entire castle shook. Phelan’s shoulders slumped. “Well, sure, I should have specified good luck, I suppose.”

  Kerensa moved to the door of Taja’s room. “I’ll strengthen the wards with the cards Bree left, so don’t worry about us.” Heath and Phelan nodded at her as she closed the door.

  Heading to the window, Phelan jumped first. His dragon form was barely complete when Heath followed him out of the window. Shooting a small spout of fire into the air, Phelan gave the signal for which side the enemies were arriving on. Heath’s compact form belied the enormous force of his breath as he barreled at the main core of the attackers, fre
ezing them where they stood. It was with a sneer that he sailed over them. They were prepared for fire, not ice. Their dragon weapons were frozen in place as the ones who were unaffected scattered into the caves and crevices near the castle’s entrance. The main force was gone, but there were still far too many for two dragon shifters to manage.

  Phelan signaled to the reds still inside the walls where to find the main force. Then he and Heath darted back to the castle and slipped in through separate windows. Once inside, they shifted back into their dragon forms. Too many had escaped the ice blast. It was only a matter of time before a small contingent made their way to the infant.

  Summer gave her friend a warm smile. “Hello Cyprian. I wish that this reunion could have happened in better circumstances.”

  “Me too, Summer. Me too.”

  She stepped forward, but Hisa immediately stepped in front of her. “He’s here to kill you.”

  Summer gave a little laugh, “Oh, there is no need to be dramatic. I'm sure he has questions–”

  “No,” Hisa’s voice was firm, “he is here to kill you.”

  “I wouldn't have to if you would have done it when you found her. I hoped that was what you did at first when Leonides told us about the encounter, but that hope quickly faded as I felt you moving quickly in the opposite direction.”

  “Gods damn it,” Hisa balled up his fists, “it’s always something.”

  “Strategies aren’t your strong point. Someday you will learn that.”

  “Oxshit, you are still alive because I outplayed you.”

  “Outplayed me. Noely appeared, that had nothing to do with you.”

  “Oh, really. So the fact that you stumbled into the kingdom where she was, at a cave where she was hiding herself, that was pure coincidence. Yes, you just happened to encounter the one person who could save you when you were at your closest to finally succeeding in your asinine, near decades-long suicide attempt.”

  “You aren’t old enough to understand the decisions I make.”

  “Are you sure about that, Cyprian? How old am I? Do you even know?”

  Suddenly Cyprian went silent. He had always believed what Hisa had said about his origins and his age. Now faced with that fact, he wasn’t sure that he could believe it. Instead, Cyprian gave his friend a cold smile. “I have always mistakenly believed what you told me.”

  “And I have already been honest about it.”

  “I don’t know if I can believe you anymore.”

  “It is unfortunate because I know that I can no longer trust you anymore.”

  “Please, Hisa, you know you have to listen.” All eyes moved to one of the trees nearby. Anani looked down on his friend. “You know that the dead cannot come back. This will have a ripple effect that could destroy everything.”

  Hisa gave a mirthless laugh, “Ah yes, and so you turn on me, too. Of course you do because you will believe the old words of the long dead instead of exploring the possibilities.”

  “Hisa, you know we are your friends, but her being here could literally end the world.” Anani jumped down to the ground and strode forward. “I may not hate it quite as much as you, but believe me, this is not something that I want to do either.”

  “Then don’t.” Hisa took a step back, his arm out to keep Summer from moving forward.

  Cyprian looked past Hisa and directly at Summer. “What was his reaction when he noticed you?”

  “I was delirious when I first encountered him, so I can’t rightly say.” Hisa’s hand stretched back to her and grabbed her hand. Summer looked down, her emotions mixed. He was thanking her for not mentioning what he had said while she slept.

  But even you recognized the danger in my existence. You just couldn’t go through with it, not when you believed that you had already done it once.

  As if he could read her mind, Hisa’s face turned in profile. “No, it’s not true.”

  “Don’t listen to him,” Cyprian’s voice rang out into the open air. “It has to be done because your existence risks the lives of everyone else.”

  Summer looked up at her old friend. “That’s not true.”

  Cyprian and Anani exchanged looks at her words. Hisa spun around and pulled her close. “I won’t let them hurt you. I swear.” He felt her tense and he knew that she was watching her friends shift for the first time. “That’s why we talk about dragons.”

  She held onto him. “You, too?”

  He nodded before releasing her. “But you won’t find any like me up here. All of my kind stay well below the surface.”

  “I know.” She gave him a smile. He reached out as the two dragons began to move, his hand brushing against her cheek.

  “I still love you.”

  She pressed her hand against his. “I still love you, too.”

  His dark eyes began to shift and change as he turned around. At first his form was small and compact. Cyprian was sleek and struck first, slipping under Hisa’s front legs. Anani was large and grey, like a storm cloud about to release a fury. His eyes flashed and of the two, his was the more impressive form.

  By comparison, Hisa was still small as he tried to kick Cyprian away. The water dragon had drenched his legs, creating a large mud puddle. Summer moved back and stopped when a pair of hands grabbed her shoulders from behind. “I don't know if what they say is true, but we can’t let you go until we know the truth.” Summer turned her head slightly to the right and saw a man she did not know. Now that she was aware of the existence of dragon shifters, she could tell this was another one.

  Giving him a faint smile, she turned her attention to the two dragons fighting Hisa. To her surprise, Hisa was still growing. The shift for the other two had been rapid. By comparison, Hisa’s seemed to be layered.

  “What the hell is happening?” The man holding her shoulders seemed to be stunned. “Since when has he been able to get so large?”

  “He has always had the ability; the problem is that he needs the power to draw from. The larger he is, the more power he has, which means–” Suddenly Chesed’s plan materialized. “That is exactly what he wants. You have to stop them!”

  Summer tried to pull away from the man. He pulled her back, saying, “Bree, you need to take her. Hisa has been hiding even more than we thought.” Summer felt the man let go, but before she could bolt, a small globe surrounded her.

  Bree stepped up beside her. “Don’t worry, I’m not going to kill you. I have a vested interest in this all being proven wrong. The lore on a successful resurrection is not as cut and dried as they are trying to make it.”

  Summer looked at the sorceress. The redhead looked grim, an expression that looked far more natural on her. “How do you know that?”

  Bree turned and gave her a dim smile. “As Hisa mentioned, I'm a sorceress. I’ve read far more on the subject than anyone here. And…” she hesitated, “I once brought someone back. He was fully himself, not some monster that would cause the end of the world.”

  “What happened?”

  “He begged me to let him go. He said that he had served his purpose and it hurt him to remain.”

  Summer nodded, “Yes, people who are ready to go should not be brought back.”

  “Yeah, so I learned the hard way.” Bree bit her lip and turned her eyes back to the scene in front of them. “I take it you weren’t ready.”

  “Not at all. Chesed has been trying to use Hisa since the day he was born. He has been fighting it ever since.”

  Bree hesitated, “I know that it is considered rude, but I have never been able to tell what kind of dragon he is.”

  “He’s a dark dragon. Incredibly rare and usually they loathe the sun, for obvious reasons. The lesser gods, demons, and monsters don’t have much use for them as dark dragons cannot be brought to the surface. Hisa was always weird, and that made him far more tempting than the others of his kind.”

  “Good gods!” Bree’s eyes widened. “Just how big can he get?”

  Summer turned and saw a colossal dragon
, one so large it was unaffected by the mud. Three dragons were weaving around his legs, narrowly dodging the blasts of breath he launched at them.

  Anani flitted in front of him for a second, but it was enough. Hisa roared and released a blast of pure darkness. It struck Anani’s body, causing him to fly backward. Seeing his chance, Hisa continued to breathe on him. A small figure emerged from the woods, shouting at the scene as it unfolded. Cyprian was moving around Hisa’s legs. Quickly kicking out, Hisa took the water dragon by surprise, sending him flying over the small bank. Nor did he let up on his breath. The small figure was waving her arms and casting some sort of spell, but as fast as her barrier surrounded Anani, Hisa destroyed it.

  The third dragon shifted back into human form. He had been the biggest of the three, but he was only about half the size of Hisa.

  He was waving his arms up, trying to get Hisa’s attention. “Hisa! You are killing him! Hisa!”

  Shifting back into his dragon form, the man breathed a stunning green fire that knocked Hisa off balance. The dragon roared and stomped its front feet. Hisa turned on the dragon, roaring as he chased it. Another woman rushed out from the forest. Anani had shifted back into human form, and he looked ill, his light skin now like a marble slab with the darkness moving under it. The new woman was working to get Anani away from the fighting, but her attention kept getting diverted to the fight between the two dragons.

  As Hisa cornered the green dragon, two new dragons swooped into the fight.

  “Oh gods, what are they doing here? Annora! Annora!” Bree’s attention fell away from Summer as she began to look for her friend.

  Summer’s eyes went up to two dragons now attacking Hisa. To her surprise, they weren’t red. “Why are they called reds?” Suddenly a burst of fire broke from the one moving toward Hisa’s head.

  Hisa roared and breathed darkness, clipping the edge of the dragon’s wing. The dragon fell from the sky, and from nowhere Summer saw a woman run out toward the dragon. It quickly shifted and together, Elian and Annora charged Hisa.

  “Hisa! Hisa!” Her voice was lost amidst the fury on the field in front of her.