Light Chasers (The World of Lasniniar Book 0)

by Jacquelyn Smith

  — Chapter Ten —

  History in the Making

  Iadrawyn was frozen in place. The slitted, blue eyes of the dragon were looking directly at her. She could feel Valanandir trembling beside her. The eyes narrowed.

  “Are you drakhalu?” The voice was powerful, but feminine. It spoke in the Elven Tongue.

  Iadrawyn tried not to flinch at the sight of the dragon’s sharp teeth as it spoke. It took her a few moments to digest the creature’s words. She hadn’t expected it to engage them in conversation. Although to her, the elves and drakhalu were clearly different creatures, she realized that to the dragon, they probably did look similar.

  Should she lie? If the dragon was a creature of darkness and believed them to be allies, it might let them live. But Iadrawyn’s instincts told her this dragon was not to be trifled with. She also doubted she could tell such a repulsive falsehood without giving them away.

  “No,” Iadrawyn forced herself to reply, what seemed like long moments later. “I am a Wood Elf, and he is a Sea Elf.”

  “Indeed. Come closer so I may see you better.” The dragon sat completely still, waiting.

  Iadrawyn squared her shoulders and took a step forward, pulling Valanandir with her. If getting eaten alive was her destiny, so be it. It wasn’t as if they could run from such a creature, and there was nowhere to hide. Valanandir stumbled after her without protest.

  The dragon’s deep, blue eyes narrowed, considering the two figures standing before it. Iadrawyn waited without comment. She had to admit, the dragon was a beautiful creature. Her body was lean, her wedge-shaped head balanced on the end of a long, graceful neck. A ridge of blue spines matching her eyes went from the back of her head, all the way to the tip of her twitching tail. Wickedly sharp, silver talons dug into the soft earth, and the light danced on her iridescent scales.

  “What are your names and why are you here?” The dragon broke Iadrawyn’s trance.

  Iadrawyn looked at Valanandir, but he was in no condition to answer. “I am Iadrawyn of the Wood Elves, and this is Valanandir of Arindaria. We heard that the strange lights in the sky originated in this area. We wanted to discover where they came from.”

  A long pause followed.

  “Why are your eyes bound like that?” the dragon asked. “If you are truly elven children, remove those blindfolds and show me you do not have the eyes of drakhalu.”

  Iadrawyn had forgotten their eyes were covered. They must look a strange sight. She reached behind her head and untied the strip of cloth that protected her vision. It took a few moments for her eyes to adjust to the brightness. She blinked away tears, but the light did not hurt as she had thought it would.

  Beside her, Valanandir remained frozen in place. She gave him a nudge, but he didn’t move. Iadrawyn removed his blindfold for him. His flinch as it fell from his eyes was his only acknowledgement. His pupils were mere pinpricks.

  Iadrawyn nearly jumped out of her skin when the dragon’s face suddenly appeared directly in front of her. The creature regarded them closely.

  “I am not the first dragon he has seen.” She watched Valanandir with interest.

  “N-no.” Iadrawyn was shaken by the close proximity of such sharp teeth. “He and his companions were attacked at sea by dragons. He was the only survivor.”

  “Nargaz.” The dragon pulled back with a hiss.

  Valanandir seemed to come back to life with a violent shudder, nodding.

  “I am sorry you and your people suffered such a fate. Nargaz and his kind are a despicable lot. I am Malarin. I have come from my home in the Hamad Balas for the same reason you have.”

  “Do you feel that pulling sensation?” The words tumbled from Iadrawyn’s mouth before she could stop herself. Now that they had met someone who seemed rational about what was going on, she had to know.

  “Yes, but that was not all that guided me here. In the hours before the world changed, I was wandering the skies as I am fond of doing when I cannot sleep. I saw that wretch, Lystari, far in the distance. She flew here. There was a flash of light, and then I saw her launch back into the sky, engulfed in flame. A ball of silver light followed her. She flew higher and higher, until she was completely consumed. I believe she has become that orb of light that shines so brightly before vanishing in the west. The silver orb can still be seen when the darkness returns, along with other flecks of light, which were once her scales, I think. It was a mystery to behold…” Malarin trailed off, lost in thought.

  Iadrawyn gathered the courage to ask another question. “Who is Lystari?”

  Malarin shook her head. “Who is Lystari? How can you not know?” She huffed a great cloud of steam in agitation, causing Valanandir to jump. “Well, I suppose the story is more important to dragons, and you elves have kept to yourselves these long years. You see, not all dragons serve Nargaz and the darkness. There are some, like myself, who live to the north and keep to our own code. We came from the spirits of light when the world was made, while the others evolved from spirits of darkness.

  “Lystari was one of us before she met Nargaz. He seduced her and turned her toward the darkness. Then again, she always was a sly, greedy creature, so perhaps it wasn’t much of a challenge. She became his mate and joined the other dragons in the foul lands to the south. She lived and fought beside him as his queen before she spontaneously combusted. I say good riddance. She was a traitor to our kind.”

  “If you saw all this when it happened, why haven’t you investigated until now?” Valanandir surprised Iadrawyn by speaking.

  “So you have a voice after all? It’s a valid question, I suppose. To be honest, it shook me to see what happened to Lystari. She was a selfish fiend, but she wasn’t stupid. Whatever she did to trigger her demise, she was clearly drawn by that same pulling sensation we’re feeling. I didn’t want to repeat her mistake and suffer the same fate. At first, I decided to leave it alone, but I’ve never been able to resist a riddle or challenge. I’m somewhat of an adventurer among my kind. After a few days of trying to avoid it, I finally decided to give in and see what I could find. What do the elves make of these events?”

  Iadrawyn hesitated, not wanting to cast undue suspicion on Valanandir.

  Valanandir stepped forward. “They think I am the cause.”

  “You? Why?”

  “I had the misfortune of being shipwrecked on the shores of the Wood Elves a few days before the lights appeared.”

  Malarin swiveled her head back toward Iadrawyn. “Are your people always so paranoid?”

  Iadrawyn felt her cheeks flush. “All the elven tribes have become insular over the years with little contact between them. A drakhal emissary visited, claiming the other tribes were conspiring against us just before I found Valanandir on the beach.”

  “A drakhal. Your people allowed a drakhal within their borders and gave him an audience.” Malarin’s voice was flat.

  “He was very convincing. I believe he used his powers to mesmerize my people into believing his words.” Iadrawyn felt compelled to defend her tribe, despite her disagreement with them.

  “Whatever he did, it didn’t work on you. What is wrong with the rest of your tribe? Can they not think for themselves?”

  “I—I am an outsider among my people, and these are troubled times…” Iadrawyn’s excuses sounded weak, even to her own ears.

  Malarin shook her head with a hiss. “I suppose none of that matters right now. We might have to deal with it after, if your people are determined enough to pursue you here though.”

  “After?” Valanandir frowned. “After what?”

  “After we investigate the cause of all the strange happenings, of course.”

  “So you’ve decided to trust us?” Iadrawyn asked.

  “You have answered me truthfully. We dragons can sense when someone lies to us. There is still more I would like to discuss, but that tingling sensation is becoming intolerable. I am willing to wait until after we have discovered what has happened here.” Malarin ga
ve a small shudder in response to the unseen power. “Shall we?”

  Iadrawyn exchanged glances with Valanandir. She felt as though this were the moment she had been waiting for her entire life. She also felt strangely reassured to have him by her side. He gave a small nod to her unvoiced question. She took a deep breath.

  “Let’s go.”