by Logan Jacobs
to sleep inside.
The next morning, I woke up with Blar snuggled up with me and
tangled in my hair like I had the first night he’d hatched.
Once the girls were up and we ate breakfast, it was time to head to the
castle. I was still nervous about what we were about to do, but knowing the
girls and Blar were with me gave me some level of confidence.
I’d been to the castle many times before, but it never failed to astonish
me with its beauty. The whole thing was white stone and gold, and the light
from the sun reflected off it and made it seem as if it shimmered at all times.
I walked up the white stairs that led to the hall of Elders with the girls
behind me and Blar at my side, and once we reached the top, a couple of
guards stopped us to inquire about our business.
“We need to see the council,” I said calmly.
“Please state your business,” the guard repeated. “We can’t just let you
in to see the council. They have many matters to attend to.”
“This is urgent, I assure you,” I replied.
“State your business,” the other guard grunted, and I could tell they
were both growing irritated with me.
“I can only speak to the council about it,” I insisted.
“Wait here,” one of the guards said with an eye roll, and he pushed
open the golden double doors that led to the great hall of Elders. He
disappeared for a moment while the other guard stared at me with impatience,
but a minute later, the other guard appeared and nodded that we could go in.
I smiled at both of them, but they just glared in return.
Blar was the first through the double doors, but I heard both Kas and
Asta take in a breath when they saw the hall. I knew Asta wouldn’t have seen
it before, but I hadn’t thought about Kas. She wasn’t a warrior, though, so
unless she had business with the council, there would be no reason for her to
go to the hall of Elders. The only reason I was so familiar with it was because
it was sometimes the place where warbands were congratulated for their
efforts, and my own warband had been on the receiving end of that praise
several times already.
As I thought about my warband, I winced and wondered if Eira had
noticed my absence, but I shoved the thought away for now.
The hall itself was bright white stone with golden pillars, and a golden
walkway led up to the thrones at the far end of the hall. There were five steps
that led up to the thrones, and five thrones sat on the platform. The largest
two were reserved for Odin and Freya when they were present, but in their
absence the council members would move to those seats, though they had
their own for when the full council was assembled.
I looked at the three council members who stared at us now, and
bowed low to them.
The first was Rinbar, an older male who had once been a great warrior.
He was Odin’s right-hand advisor, and the highest-ranking member of the
council. Long black hair flowed down to his shoulders, and he had a curly
black beard to match. His eyes were so light blue they almost looked white,
and he wore a simple gray tunic with an onyx ring on his left marriage finger.
I’d met his wife before as well, and she was always pleasant, but this was a
different kind of visit than I’d been to the hall for before.
The second council member was Preyna. She was a high-level
sorceress and had been on the council for many years. Long golden locks
hung down to her waist, her eyes were a deep brown, and she had a mouth I didn’t think I’d ever seen smile. She wore a long white dress with large
flowing sleeves, and an emerald green necklace sat between her small
breasts.
The last man was Beyer. I didn’t know much of his back story, only
that he’d been pleasant when we’d met previously, and he was the newest
member of the council, though he’d still been on the board for a couple
centuries at least. His brown hair was cut short, and a scar ran from his left
cheek bone down to his neck. He had light blue eyes, and he wore a light blue
short sleeved tunic to match.
I walked up to the steps and took a deep bow. The girls waited several
feet behind me, but Blar sat right next to my feet and stared at the council.
“Volrath,” Rinbar greeted me, but his light eyes were curious as they
regarded the strange party I’d brought with me. “The guard said this was a
matter of great importance.”
“It is,” I said as I straightened up from my bow.
“We hope you are doing well,” Preyna added, and her high-pitched
voice and pleasant wishes were a stark contrast to the stoic look on her face.
“Although you have no family, you are a decorated warrior. This meeting is
concerning.”
“I am doing well,” I assured her with a nod. “I would like to exchange pleasantries with all of you, but I am afraid now is not the time.”
“Let’s get on with it, then,” Beyer said, and he leaned forward. “What
is this urgent matter that needs tending to?”
“I think it better if I show you,” I replied, and I gestured for Kas to
come forward.
The sorceress mumbled something as the council watched curiously,
then she waved her hand in front of Blar, and there was a collective gasp
from the seats above us.
I lightly pushed Kas back toward where she stood previously, though I
gave her a small smile as I did so. I didn’t want her on the receiving end of
their response, in case it was negative, and putting her and Asta behind me
would signify to the council I accepted full responsibility for the situation.
Then I watched as the council stared at Blar, and their faces were
twisted with disbelief.
“Do my eyes deceive me?” Preyna murmured as she leaned forward
and tilted her head left and right. “It cannot be.”
“It’s a dragon,” Rinbar said in his deep, steady voice.
“There hasn’t been a dragon in Asgard for centuries,” Beyer muttered,
and he brought his hand up to his mouth as he stared at Blar.
“I know that.” I nodded. “I found an egg after my warband’s last fight.
I thought nothing of it until I brought it home, and it hatched.”
“You hatched this egg yourself?” Preyna asked, and her brown eyes
were stern as they regarded me.
“Yes,” I said as I met their gazes directly. “I did not know what was in
it, but Blar was the result.”
“Blar?” Rinbar snorted, but it sounded like he wanted to laugh.
“His name is Blar,” I explained, and I looked down to see the little
dragon stomp his foot in agreement.
“Rather obvious name,” Preyna muttered to herself, and Blar glared at
her.
“He’s very friendly,” I assured the council. “And he listens to me when
I give him commands. I knew I couldn’t hide him forever, so I thought it time
to seek the council’s approval.”
“You say he listens to you?” Preyna asked, and her eyes narrowed with
suspicion.
“He does,” I agreed, and I turned my attention to Blar. “Go right.”
The little dragon darted to the right, then stopped and looked at me
while the eld
ers looked on in awe.
“Now left,” I instructed, and the little dragon followed the command
once more.
“Well, this certainly was worth the interruption to our day,” Beyer
mused.
“A very strange situation indeed,” Preyna said.
“What were you hoping to get from this meeting?” Rinbar asked, and
as he eyed me suspiciously, his nearly white eyes were unsettling as they
stared at me through narrowed slits.
“I’m hoping the council approves of his presence in Asgard,” I said,
and I lifted my chin slightly.
“I see,” Rinbar murmured, and he leaned back in his chair, then turned
to the others around him. “Your thoughts, council members?”
“The creature does not seem dangerous,” Preyna said slowly. “Though
I do not believe this should be public knowledge. Not yet. There are too
many things to consider first.”
“Yes, I am in agreement, Preyna,” Beyer said with a nod. “I do not
think the public should know quite yet, but I do not see a risk in the dragon’s
presence. How long has the creature been here?”
“Several days already,” I answered.
“And he has harmed no one?” Rinbar asked.
“No,” I said, and I saw Blar shake his head.
“He seems to understand us,” Preyna mused, and she eyed Blar with
intrigue.
“He does,” I agreed. “He is quite intelligent.”
“Little dragon,” Preyna said, and she leaned forward slightly. “Blar, if
I may. You like Asgard?”
Blar nodded his head.
“And you listen to this warrior?” she asked with a gesture at me.
The little lizard put both his paws on my leg and nodded at her again,
so I reached down and stroked my thumb across his cheek.
“How intriguing,” Preyna muttered, and she leaned back in her chair.
The council members exchanged a look, then, and I wasn’t quite sure
how to feel. It seemed the meeting was going well, but it was hard to tell with
the Elders. They were so stoic in their appearances that it was difficult to
know what they were thinking.
I looked back to Kas and Asta, and both of them stared forward with
wide eyes as they waited for someone to speak again.
“Could you do this again?” Rinbar asked after a moment.
“I’m sorry?” I frowned. “Could you clarify a bit more?”
“Could you hatch another egg?” the council leader explained.
“Well… I believe I could,” I said with a nod. “Though I can’t be sure.”
“And your friends back there,” Preyna said with the slightest gesture of
her fingers toward Kas and Asta. “What role do they play in this?”
“I take full responsibility for the situation,” I replied. “These women
were only aware of Blar’s presence and kept it hidden at my urging.”
“We are not punishing anyone for this,” Rinbar assured me, and I felt
an instant feeling of relief wash over me.
“Thank you,” I said with a small bow.
“We do have a task for you, though,” Preyna added.
“Elder Preyna?” I inquired, and I was confused as to what the task
could be.
“We have recently received word that a warring tribe in Jotunheim has
gotten hold of a dragon egg,” the Elder said.
I was puzzled by this news. I’d only found Blar’s egg days ago, and
now they were telling me they had knowledge of another. Were dragon eggs
so common? And how would they know about one a warring tribe had?
“We would like you to retrieve the egg for us,” Beyer instructed, and
he eyed me coolly.
“I… I understand,” I said, though now my own suspicions were rising.
“Might I be permitted to ask what the council plans to do with the egg?”
“It is necessary we get it away from our enemies first off,” Preyna said.
“Though it is unlikely, we would not want them to hatch it.”
“The castle has several dragon eggs,” Beyer went on. “Much like
scales and other artifacts, there are eggs we use for research. We would add
this one to our collection.”
“I see.” I nodded, though I wasn’t totally sure they were telling me the
whole truth.
“You will join your warband on their quest to defeat this tribe,” Rinbar
instructed. “And you will find the egg and bring it back here to us.
Understood?”
“Yes, Elder,” I said with a small bow.
“Your… friends will be permitted to accompany you as well,” Preyna
said in her monotone voice. “You may find their powers to be of some use to
you.”
“Thank you,” I replied as I tried to keep my face stoic. Of course,
Preyna has been able to tell my two women were also magical.
“We will provide you with a stipend for the mission,” Rinbar said, and
he gestured with his hand, then suddenly a young male came out from behind
the thrones and handed me a coin purse that felt heavy in my hands. “I
presume you will need armor and gear for yourself and your companions.”
“Oh,” I said, surprised at the generosity. “Thank you, Elder.”
“That will be all,” Beyer dismissed me with a wave of his hand. “We
thank you for bringing this to our attention, young warrior, and we wish you
well with your task.”
“I will not fail you,” I vowed, and I placed my hand over my heart to
show my devotion.
I nodded to Blar, then, and we turned around to head back outside. I
glanced back, though, to see the council members still staring at the little
dragon, which made me slightly uneasy.
Kas quickly enchanted Blar once more before we stepped outside, and
then we hurried past the guards, down the steps, and onto the city streets. It
was only then I felt I could take a full breath.
“That went better than expected,” Kas chuckled.
“It did,” I agreed, but my eyes narrowed in thought. “It was strange,
though.”
“I thought so as well,” the sorceress replied, “but I was happier they
were okay with Blar than anything.”
“That is good,” I allowed, “but I found it odd they have some stockpile
of eggs in the castle. Why have none of them hatched?”
“I think maybe you are the only one who can hatch them,” Kas mused,
and a small smile spread across her face. “I told you that you were magical, but you still don’t believe me.”
“Maybe I am,” I said with a shrug, and I turned to Asta. “What did you
think?”
“You are very magical and powerful,” Asta said as she stared into my
eyes. “I am eager to help you learn more—”
“Thanks,” I chuckled, “but I was asking more about the council.”
“I found this council of yours to be quite strange,” the elf responded,
and she pursed her lips together into a tight line. “I wonder if they have
another purpose in sending you to find this egg.”
“What do you mean?” Kas asked.
“I think she’s right,” I said. “They could easily have sent someone else
to get it, someone who was already aware of its presence, but once they knew
I had hatched Blar, they decided to send me.”
“They did ask if you would be able to hatch another egg,�
�� Asta added.
“That’s true,” Kas said, and her eyebrows pinched together. “But they
said the egg was just for research. They didn’t ask you to hatch it.”
“No,” I muttered. “They didn’t.”
“And if they have a bunch of eggs already, then they must not be able
to hatch them,” Kas guessed. “So, what other purpose could they have with
them if not for research?”
“What are they learning from the eggs?” I mused.
“That’s a good question,” Kas said. “I was wondering that as well.”
“If they are studying the eggs, then how have they not figured out how
to hatch them by now?” Asta inquired.
“Maybe their attempts to hatch them aren’t working,” Kas said with a
shrug.
“Asta,” I said, “there are dragons in your home world. What do you
know about their hatching?”
“Nothing.” The elf girl shook her head. “It is a very private process for
the dragons. The only thing I know is if abandoned, the eggs will not hatch.”
“Ever?” Kas asked.
“Not that I am aware of,” Asta said. “But there are creatures that would
eat them, so I cannot say for sure.”
“They seemed concerned the other tribe had the egg,” I said. “If
nobody has figured out how to hatch them, then why is it such a threat?”
“I do not think I fully trust this council of yours,” Asta said suddenly,
and she looked me in the eyes. “But I do not know them like you do. This is
your home world, so I will trust your judgement.”
“The council has never let us down before,” Kas commented, but she
chewed on her lower lip as she said this.
“Thank you, Asta,” I told the beautiful white-haired elf, then we all
went quiet as we made our way back to my house.
I glanced down at Blar as we walked, and the little dragon looked back
up at me. He couldn’t speak, but I could sense he was slightly uneasy as well.
Kas seemed to trust the council completely, and she’d lived in Asgard her
whole life, so why wouldn’t she? The council had never had a scandal,
there’d never been talk of them being unfair, but she’d also never dealt with
them when it came to such a personal matter. This was a new experience for
both of us, and we didn’t exactly have any basis to go off of.
Asta was skeptical, though, and so I was. I wasn’t sure I could trust the
council. There hadn’t been dragons in Asgard in centuries, yet they seemed to