by C D Muller
I think we’ll be able to find out when we get to Alfheim. The Council or any of the higher ranked officers would definitely be able to tell us then.
Selena ran over to her pack and pulled out some paper with a fountain pen and wrote it down so she would remember.
Despite Rahim’s joking, Selena liked the idea of having a name that at least meant fire.
“Andric Liongod. I like the sound of that name. Yes! I’ll be Andric Liongod!” she exclaimed out loud.
I like that name. I think it suits your alter ego.
I pray that wasn’t sarcasm.
Not at all. I just hope that Vidar and the rest of the Council won’t see past your disguise.
I don’t think so. They don’t even know my real name.
When Rahim returned from getting food, he wrote the name down for himself to take to the black market.
“Okay, so, you will be Andric Liongod. You just turned sixteen and got your orders for the draft. The reason you have a dragon is because you saved his life and now he’s indebted to you and the two of you agreed to sign up to serve your Empire to do the right thing and to stay together.”
“This might actually work,” Selena whispered.
“Hopefully but we’ll take it one step at a time. I will be back soon.”
Rahim waved to her again and after he left, she ran downstairs and to the rear where Thor was.
The sun cast shadows across the ground as it set in the west, leaving the sky cold as stone. The large groups of traders and customers disappeared into their shops and inns for the rest of the evening, leaving the Grand Exchange completely desolate.
Selena walked over to her dragon and placed her hand on his hide. The scales were cold and hard to the touch.
It might just work. Vidar himself has never seen you in person before, just only heard of you, and I don’t think they even know that I exist.
Selena nodded.
I know that no one else can hear our thoughts, so you can refer to me how-ever you wish.
Very well then, Andric.
From his tone, she knew he wanted to keep teasing her.
This isn’t funny.
I’m sorry, I can’t help myself. In all seriousness, I really do like your new name. But if anyone asks, we are on our way to report for duty to the Air Force. That way, no one will question or report us to the Council.
Aye. When we have more time, we can do some more reading together.
That sounds delightful. Also, you could read out loud to me. It can give you more practice in using a different voice too.
Selena cleared her throat.
“Like this?” Thor smirked a little. “I’m working on it,” Selena said defensively.
You don’t have to overdo it. Try maybe Rahim’s tone? His doesn’t sound too deep compared to yours.
She cleared her throat again and attempted to match how Rahim sounded.
“How does this sound?”
That’s better. I would say just whenever you talk from now on, try to sound like him and you will be fine.
Selena leaned up against the side of Thor’s side and slid to the ground. She laid her head back and stared out at the stars that appeared through the clouds. A few more tears trickled down her cheek as she thought more about why she was there to begin with. However, Thor’s presence brought her comfort and she ended up smiling through her tears.
Thor shifted his position and curled his tail around her. Her eyes grew heavy. Before she fell asleep, she caught a glimpse of a white dove flying above her head. It turned its ice-color eyes onto her as she fell into a deep slumber.
She and Thor awoke to the welcome of the early morning.
He stretched out his front legs.
What’s the plan for today?
I need to grab something to eat but it may be best to lay low for now. I promise when we are safe, we can both go as we please.
A low rumble was heard from his chest.
Don’t be away from me for too long again. I swear by the Divines, I will track you down if you get into trouble. Remember, I can hear your thoughts if anything happens.
I know, just as long as there’s no interference like there was before. I will be back soon, I promise.
And will we be able to read together? I would like that very much.
Selena smiled.
Of course. I’ll try and find some books while I’m out too.
She waved him farewell before going inside. She ordered a small bowl of fruit with salted pork before quickly trudging back to her room to get properly dressed.
When she was greeted by a stranger in the dining area, she had to remind herself to sound like Rahim when responding. She even had to use the story she told Thor to say if she were asked about her and her dragon.
“We are on our way to Alfheim,” she said in her new voice.
“Aye, I hear ya’ll be preparing for war,” the stranger responded.
“I’m afraid so. I was recently called for the draft and will be reporting for duty by the end of this week.”
Selena had to excuse herself politely from conversation but gave a sigh of relief when she saw that he bought her story.
Rahim greeted her at the door.
“There you are, I was worried sick!”
“I’m sorry, I dozed off with Thor last night,” Selena mumbled.
“Next time, please be more careful. We’re kind of wanted fugitives right now and it’s not safe to be seen. The more we can stay out of the public eye, the better off we’ll be.
“Anyway, I found a professional forger and they agreed to do it for twenty-five gold pieces. They said the documents will be ready by tonight.”
“That’s great news,” Selena said.
“Yes, but we don’t have a lot of money left so we need to spend what we’ve got wisely. We will need to do some shopping and get some provisions for the trip.”
Selena nodded.
“I was about to head out myself. We can do the shopping together. Thor can also hunt for himself and us if need be.”
“That’s a good plan, but we shouldn’t have to worry about doing that,” Rahim said, “I’ll meet you outside when you’re ready.”
After she washed off the dirt and got dressed in fresh apparel, she met Rahim by the front of the pub.
Like the day before, the streets were crowded to where Selena felt as though she were in a maze, dodging everyone. The sun was shining brightly through the clouds that covered the heavens. Despite this, the sky remained in a gray state.
The noise was loud enough to distract her from her thoughts, which was good for her, for she was able to keep her mind off all that bothered her.
She gazed up and saw a red dragon flying overhead. The dragon was enormous. Its wings engulfed part of the sky. The dragon’s scales were dark red, shining in the sunlight. It had many horns on its head with others lined up along its back. It gazed at her for a moment with its ruby eyes and went back on course.
“I’ll go over here and get some meat. Take this and get what you think we will need,” Rahim said, handing her a few coins.
“Okay. I will meet you back at the inn in one hour,” Selena responded and the two went to do their separate shopping.
Selena looked across the road and saw two people walk by. One was a tall young woman wearing a black cowl and a dark, green skirt that went down to her leather boots with a shirt to match. On her hands were black, leather gloves that were stuffed into the pockets of her coat.
Walking beside the woman was a young boy who did not look much older than she was. His eyes were dark brown and his sandy hair was closely cropped. He wore a long sleeved dark brown shirt with black pants and boots. His sleeves were rolled up above his wrists and the laces were untied from one of his boots.
“This way,” the woman hissed to the boy and together they walked inside a small, black building that was hidden behind the clothes shop.
Selena tilted her head a little to the side like a curious child a
nd went in the same direction.
When she walked in, she choked on the smell of incense that perfumed the building. The interior walls were painted purple while the ceiling was black. A thick, velvet cloth replaced the front door. On the left side of the building was a large bookshelf that contained many different dragon and wizard figurines that were on display. On top of the bookshelf was a crystal ball with a set of tarot cards next to it. A glass counter top was lined up against the side of the wall on the right, containing different bottles of exotic potions for sale.
The woman and the boy walked up to the display where the merchandise was and requested to see two in particular. The merchant, who was a woman who looked to be a gypsy, went searching through her cupboards and started setting out random potions that were requested.
“I will be going inside for a bit,” the woman said, “you stay out here.”
He walked passed Selena and sat outside on the steps, cradling his head in his hands. Selena looked from the woman then back to the boy.
As she walked over to him, she asked: “Excuse me, but do you know what kind of potions are in there?”
The boy was startled to hear her voice. He looked up and realized that she was there.
“Most of them are used for healing or curing diseases.”
Selena looked over at the shop, remembering that Rahim mentioned it when they first arrived.
“Is this the black market?”
He blinked a couple of times.
“Yes, everyone in the Grand Exchange knows about this place.”
“Then why does everyone know about it? I figured it would be kept a secret.”
“It is known to only those here,” the boy answered, “otherwise, no one mentions a word of it outside the Grand Exchange.”
“I take it that they’re very loyal customers,” Selena responded.
“Even if they did, the shop would disappear in an instant so the Council can’t track it down anyway. What’s your name?” he asked.
“S… err… Andric. Andric Liongod at your service,” she said with a bow.
He nodded a little and smiled.
“Pleasure to meet you. My name is Myrrdin. I guess you’ve never been here in the Grand Exchange before.”
Selena nodded. Myrrdin stood up and dusted the dirt off his pants.
“I’ll show you some of the shops here.” Myrrdin pointed to a shop with cauldrons up front for sale. “You can see there’s a blacksmith over there. He’ll make you any kind of weapon out of any metal, if you have the right amount of gold. And the store next to it sells dragon hide, which is very rare.”
“That’s wonderful to know,” Selena said. “Are there any shops around here that sell books?”
Myrrdin nodded.
“Usually one of the merchants around here carries books, but you’ll have to look harder for those, since many others don’t usually read—except for the elves.”
“I also have to ask, have you ever been to Alfheim? I’m on my way there myself, after needing to restock here,” Selena said.
“I actually live there. I’m over in the Garden District in Alfheim,” he responded.
“Garden District? How many districts are there?”
“There are seven. Why are you heading to Alfheim, if you don’t mind me asking?”
“It’s official business with the Council,” she replied quickly.
“I see, were you drafted?”
“Aye.”
“I reckon you probably just became of age then. I still have another year to go before they can legally take me,” Myrrdin said with a chuckle.
“Hopefully by then, this war will be over with.”
Myrrdin looked at her once more and opened his mouth as if he were going to speak again, but a loud screech interrupted his response.
“Myrrdin! Where are you? I got what I came here for!” Myrrdin looked towards his sister and back at Selena.
“I have to go. My sister isn’t the person who likes to be kept waiting. It was nice meeting you, Andric Liongod.”
“Nice meeting you, too.”
Selena waved him farewell.
He smiled and walked off. His sister impatiently waited outside the illegal shop. Before they walked away, Myrrdin’s sister glanced over at Selena, a stare that gave her a chill down her spine. She heard the sound of snakes hissing nearby, but there were none in sight. The two of them walked off in the other direction.
Chapter 11:
She returned with a basket full of different vegetables that were sold cheaply and found that Rahim had already beaten her back. Unfortunately, even though she found a merchant who sold books, she did not have enough strength to carry both.
She sat near the shed while Thor gobbled up his breakfast. His lips were the color of red from the blood, with pieces of meat stuck to his face and other parts of his hide. Her stomach became a little uneasy when she watched him eat; his massive jaws crunching down the rabbit with blood dripping from his maw.
When he finished, he sneezed and a couple of small sparks flew out of his nostrils. Selena was startled at first, hoping that he would be able to breathe fire.
Do you know when you’ll be able to breathe fire?
Thor thought about it for a moment, but shook his head.
No. Perhaps we can learn about that once we get the books from the bookseller?
Selena nodded, thinking that it might be safe for him to go with her. After all, she was already assumed to be part of the Air Force.
Whenever you’re ready to come, we’ll go but we need to keep our heads low. Everyone here so far already believes our disguise. I have some leftover change to get one.
Even if there is trouble, I won’t hesitate to protect you. I don’t care what happens after.
That’s reckless thinking.
Again, I don’t care.
Together, they traveled to the merchant to find some books to learn more about dragons and even one about the customs of Armageddon.
She rode on his back as Thor walked through the crowd. His talons clacked against the pavement with every step that he took. Although he was careful not to bump into anyone, others would walk into him constantly, complaining to Selena to keep her dragon under control. She was slightly irritated by this, but held her tongue.
As they traveled towards the row of shops, she hopped off his back and walked beside him.
She approached one of them with a huge display of different kinds of merchandise. The merchant’s shop was not as small as the others. It was connected to a larger building made of pine-wood standing firmly behind it. A small rooftop extended from the building to cover the shop, casting shadows across the ground.
Selena saw a crystal ball sitting on the counter top on a beautifully woven piece of cloth that consisted of blues, purples, and yellows. The cloth itself appeared to resemble the night sky dotted with yellow stars that trailed across the heavens. Bottles of potions sat near a few books that lay open for display. Below the counter were glass cases with more, and pieces of jewelry that were locked away.
Selena and Thor examined the books that were in the glass cases below. She knelt to get a closer look while the merchant there was sharpening one of the daggers that he had for sale.
How many books do you think we’ll need? Thor asked her, pressing his nose against them.
I’m not sure. But I do want to find one that will talk more about the different dragon breeds. Most of the others that I had before did not have much information.
Maybe we’ll be able to see if there’s anything about me?
That’s what I’m hoping for.
Selena stood up and looked at the one titled, The Draconian Guide and skimmed through the pages to see the different illustrations that beautifully portrayed dragons of all different kinds.
Thor, I found another book that we could look through.
Selena put the other book back in its place and reached for the one next to it that was thick. Printed as the title was History of Ar
mageddon. She picked it up and skimmed through it.
Here is another one that I think I’d been meaning to find a while ago about our history and customs. Thor?
Someone’s coming, he said in a low growl. Selena looked around the corner of the shop and saw that Thor had rushed out and was standing in the middle of the street. He bared his fangs and fanned out his wings at two imposing men. She gasped when she saw that they looked like they were possibly from the Order.
I guess that these books will have to do for the time being.
Selena held on tightly to the books as the merchant noticed this and began to swear. She quickly dropped money down on the stand and ran away quickly.
“Sorry!” she called back.
We need to get out of here before they see us!
Thor’s small throaty rumble grew to a loud growl. He turned around and pushed Selena with his snout to run and hide behind one of the nearby buildings before the mysterious men saw either of them.
“Shh!” Selena pressed her finger to her lips.
The two cultists walked past their hiding place.
“We need to find her before it’s too late,” the first said coldly.
“Our Master already noted her presence somewhere here in the Grand Exchange. She must have escaped before we started the fire.”
“He needs her blood. Oh the things that he will do to her. Do you think he will gut her like a pig?”
“Her screams would be such sweet music.”
“Let’s keep looking, brother.”
They walked by and disappeared into the crowd. Selena trembled where she hid.
Who are they? I’ve never seen them before!
They are from the Obsidian Order. What did they mean by fire?
Thor growled from his corner.
I have a very bad feeling about this. Why would the Lich need your blood?
I don’t know, but that could explain why I was captured to begin with, if he needs it for some reason. Silver mentioned it before too but he couldn’t fully explain why. He said before that he would try to tell me more if he could. And… Thor…
Her words escaped her when she came to the terrible realization of what they meant.