She closed her eyes to concentrate. They would make it; they had to. If it took five days to reach the rest of the resistance, and another five to return, with a possible one or two-day delay in the middle … more than ten days. She didn’t know how they would make it. The empire wouldn’t wait ten days to attack would they?
Zaviana rocked back and forth, itching for something to do, some way to contribute. There had to be something. But she was stranded, stuck on a ship, one in constant motion, rocking back and forth, back and forth. She shook her head, trying to clear her thoughts. There had to be something, anything she could focus on.
Her magic.
She could focus on her magic. Zaviana closed her eyes and concentrated. The particles all around her glimmered in her head. She saw a three-dimensional representation of them all around her. There was more detail inside her head than with her own eyes. It was incredible. She’d never had so much time to concentrate, to focus on her power and the power floating all around her. Energy. Everything that surrounded her was energy. Moisture, heat, sand, dust, static, and so much more. They surrounded her. Each element radiated a different color light inside of her head. Red for heat, blue for moisture, silver for cold, tan for earth. The wood around her in the cabin was full of energy as well. She’d believed the ship to be dead, the remnants of long-ago trees, but as she reached out and separated the particles, she realized the wood absorbed energy. Heat, moisture, and anything else that could squeeze through the pores of the wood was there.
Zaviana grinned. With her mind, she could separate the particles, focusing on individual particles and pushing them to her will. She held her hand in front of her. Her eyes remained closed, but she focused on her hand. There was no darkness in her mind; it was full of colors, millions of them. She moved the particles of wind away from her hand and funneled moisture and cold, compacting it into a solid ball. Her teeth gritted, but she didn’t waver. She continued compressing the energy, until, at last, she felt the cold in her palm. Startled, she opened her eyes. Inside of her hand was a ball of solid ice the size of her palm. Her eyes widened. She’d created ice. Zaviana had intentionally created ice.
A knock on the door startled her. She flinched, and the ball of ice dropped to the floor, shattering on impact.
“Zaviana?” a voice asked.
“Come in,” Zaviana said.
Lilianya stepped inside, closing the door behind her. Her eyebrows furrowed as she glanced at the ground. “What?”
“Can I help you?” Zaviana asked.
“Is that ice on the ground?”
“Yes.”
“How’d you get ice inside of here to last?”
“It is winter,” Zaviana responded. “It’s probably snowing.”
“It is … outside.”
Zaviana shrugged.
“Did you … make ice?”
“I might have …”
Lilianya shook her head.
“Is there something I can do for you?” Zaviana asked.
“I was going to let you know we should reach the island tomorrow.”
Zaviana’s eyes lit up. “Tomorrow?”
“Yes. We’re a day ahead of schedule.”
“Good.”
“I was wondering …” Lilianya trailed off.
“What is is?” Zaviana asked.
“Could you teach me what you do? Um … magic?”
Zaviana laughed. “Magic isn’t something you can teach. At least, not that I know of. When I was young, I felt something, an extra sense that no one else had. My parents told me to keep it a secret. They told me people wouldn’t understand. Therefore, for the longest time, I didn’t practice it.”
“An extra sense? How so?” Lilianya asked.
“I knew when bad things were going to happen before they did. I knew when good things were coming. I knew which way to go to avoid danger.”
“How did you know? What did it feel like? A tingle, a shiver? A feeling deep inside your gut that if you chose one path, it would shatter your hopes and dreams? So you decided against it, and traveled a different path?”
Zaviana tilted her head. “Yes.”
“Teach me,” Lilianya pleaded.
“I—I don’t know how. And—”
“What?” Lilianya asked.
“It was only a sense, there was no power that came with it … That came later.”
“When? When did it come?” Lilianya asked.
“When I touched the dragon stone,” Zaviana said.
Lilianya raised an eyebrow. “Dragon stone?”
“Yes,” Zaviana admitted.
“Where is this dragon stone?”
“The emperor has it.”
Lilianya’s eyes bulged. “So … what you’re saying is the emperor may have an army of people like you? An army of magicians?”
Zaviana shivered. “I do not know … perhaps.”
“How do we stand a chance?” Lilianya asked.
“There is always a chance. Don’t give up hope.”
“Hope … hope seems to be all we have,” Lilianya muttered.
Zaviana closed her eyes, focused her energy on all the red particles surrounding her, channeled them all onto her palm, and opened her eyes. A small ball of flame appeared in her hand. “Perhaps hope is all we need.”
17
Naveen strode into the cordwainer’s shop. Cederic stood at the counter, twirling a pair of lasting pliers in his hand. He jerked backward, dropping the tool on the counter. Naveen smiled at him.
Saefron already had a shoemaker, but the man was old, and Cederic had begun working for him. It didn’t seem like it would be long before he would make all the shoes. However, at the moment, he seemed to be bored.
“No business?” Naveen asked.
“Well, I sewed a few shoes earlier this morning. But they were just repairs. It seems most of the work is metal boots, which is a little outside of my expertise.”
Naveen’s bottom lip puffed outward. “Don’t you want to learn how to make them though?”
“Well, yeah … but Onaeron won’t let me yet. He says he wants to teach me a few techniques with leather first before I learn something new. He says it’s because he doesn’t want to confuse me since there are distinct differences between leather shoes and metal boots.”
Naveen meandered over to the counter. “Well, I don’t know if I would like metal shoes. They seem too clunky for me. Perhaps you could help me then.” She raised her eyebrows.
His eyes glowed and a smile came across his face. “Do you need new shoes?”
“I do. My current ones aren’t comfortable, and they’re beginning to fall apart.”
“How aren’t they comfortable?” he asked.
“They’re stiff. When I walk in them too long, my feet hurt.”
Cederic’s face brightened. “Well, that could be several different things. Perhaps whoever made your shoes didn’t work the leather, or they could have not padded it. Come to the back room and we’ll have a look.”
Naveen followed Cederic behind the counter and to the back room. Shoes lined the walls along the floor and on shelves.
“Sit,” Cederic said.
Naveen raised an eyebrow, then complied, finding a small bench against the wall of the room. As soon as she was seated, Cederic got down on one knee and grabbed her leg. At first, Naveen was startled. She nearly kicked him.
He smiled. “Easy.”
Cederic removed her left shoe. He inspected it carefully, running his hands along the leather and feeling it inside and out. His lips pressed together tight and he nodded.
“The craftsmanship of this shoe is lacking. Whoever made it didn’t stretch out the leather, nor beat it to loosen its stiffness.”
“You’re supposed to beat leather?”
“Only the sole. It makes it softer, a little more cushion against your foot. However, with how stiff this is, it’s obvious no such thing was done.”
Naveen nodded.
“What type of shoe would y
ou like to replace these with?”
“Whatever you have is fine.”
“We keep a few common sizes in stock, but no, I’ll make you new shoes. We want to make sure they’re comfortable, and your feet are a bit smaller than the common man’s.”
“Well, what do you suggest?”
“What are you planning on doing with them?”
“What do you mean?” Naveen asked.
“Well, I don’t imagine you’d be a seamstress or cook. I don’t know you too well, but I’d wager you want to go out and do something.”
Naveen smiled. “A simple life isn’t for me. It never has been.”
Cederic waited patiently.
“I want to practice with a sword. Maybe even a bow.”
He nodded. “Something a little more sturdy than cowhide then. We need a material that will last longer and be comfortable for your feet.”
Naveen tilted her head.
Cederic raised her foot up to look at it closely. He ran his hands along the top and bottom of her foot. She shivered. It didn’t tickle … it felt nice. He pulled out a measuring stick from his pouch and used it on her foot. Cederic measured the width, length, and thickness of each foot. All the while Naveen shivered, warmth spreading through her.
“All right. I believe I have all the measurements I need. I’ll have you a new pair of shoes in two days.”
“Is that it?”
Cederic nodded, his eyes fixating on a spot on the ground. A touch of sadness touched his eyes. Naveen didn’t want to go, at least, not without him. She enjoyed his company.
“Can you use a sword?” she asked.
“A sword?” he asked.
She nodded.
“I’ve never tried.”
“Would you like to?” she asked.
He raised an eyebrow. “When?”
“Now.” She smiled.
Naveen held the door open for him. His face lit up as he beamed at her, meeting her gaze.
“I’d love to.”
Naveen swung her sword forward in a downward arc. Cederic caught it with his own weapon, then slid it down and stepped backward. Naveen had to reposition herself to block his incoming strike. Sweat trickled down her forehead. She’d watched many sparring matches, and she thought she had a general concept of how to wield a sword, but it was harder than she’d imagined. Naveen didn’t know if she and Cederic were doing it right, but nonetheless, it was a taxing workout.
They circled each other, silent as they could be, practicing in the meadow outside of Saefron. They didn’t want an audience, especially with how bad they each imagined themselves being with a sword.
Cederic rushed at her, three swift slashes with his weapon: right, left, right. Naveen caught the first two, but the third—she slipped. His blade angled down to her hilt and spun the weapon out of her grasp. It tumbled to the ground, as did she after it. Cederic brought his sword down toward her, but she rolled to the side, slamming her feet into his legs. He crumpled to the ground, dropping his weapon. She reached over, grabbed her short sword, climbed on top of him, and held the weapon in front of his throat. A face-splitting grin came across her face.
“Perhaps I’m decent with a sword after all.”
Cederic’s eyes were wide. He watched her carefully, inspecting, hungry. Naveen dropped the sword to her side. She tried to get up, but her foot slipped on the grass. Her head collided with his chest. She put one hand on the grass and the other on his hard, muscled chest. What was Cederic doing with such defined muscles? She looked up to his face. It was inches from hers, and he was breathing heavily. Naveen shivered. She licked her lips, studied the cool frost coming from his breath, and got to her feet. She turned away from him, not trusting herself to look at him just yet.
“I told you I’m no good with a sword.” He brushed the dirt off of his.
Naveen turned around, a grin on her face, warmth spreading across her cheeks. “I think you are better than you believe.”
He raised an eyebrow. “Is that so?”
She nodded. “Would you like to practice again tomorrow?”
He nodded. “I would.”
“I’ll meet you here at sunset,” Naveen said.
18
A knock at the door awoke Zaviana. She slid off her uncomfortable cot to rest her feet on the unsteady ground. The knock persisted. She yawned, staggered toward the door, and opened it.
Lilianya stood there, a wide grin across her face. “We’re here.”
Zaviana yawned. “We’ve arrived to the island?”
Lilianya nodded. “We’re about to be pushed in.”
Zaviana’s brow furrowed. “Pushed?”
“Yes. You may want to find a sea—”
The entire room shifted, thrown forward at an incredible speed. Lilianya crashed into Zaviana. They tumbled to the ground, Lilianya landing on top of Zaviana. Lilianya’s orange hair fell over Zaviana’s face, and she nearly choked on it. She spit it out of her mouth and inhaled a deep breath. Roses and strawberries entered her nostrils. Were the scents from Lilianya’s hair? It was a wonderful sensation. Lilianya rolled off of Zaviana so both of the women lay on their backs.
The ship’s momentum was too strong for either of them to get up, so instead, they looked at each other, helpless. Zaviana noticed how blue Lilianya’s eyes were, like shimmers of lake waters. The woman was quite beautiful, for a pale woman.
The ship’s movement abruptly stopped, jerking both of the women. Zaviana groaned.
“Is it over?”
“It should be,” Lilianya replied.
“What was that?”
“They arrived before I suspected.”
“Who arrived?”
“The wyverns.”
“Wyverns?”
Lilianya smiled. “Let’s just say some of our wyverns have very strong breath.”
Zaviana stood, brushed off her tunic, and helped Lilianya to her feet.
“Are you ready to meet them?”
“The wyverns?”
“Yes … and the rest of the resistance.”
Zaviana smiled. “I’m ready.”
Lilianya led Zaviana out of the cabin and to the top of the ship. The ramp had already been lowered off the ship, and several of the men on board began unloading the crates of food. Zaviana followed Lilianya to the edge of the ship, then paused.
Wyverns circled the skies in front of her. Not dozens of them, but hundreds, maybe even thousands. Zaviana’s jaw dropped.
Lilianya turned around. She watched Zaviana’s expression and smiled. “Incredible, aren’t they?”
“How many are there?”
“We don’t know. Thousands probably. We have over seven hundred trained wyvernriders right now. But we have no idea how many there are.” She turned to watch the sky. “We see hundreds of them in the skies that we haven’t met yet.”
Zaviana’s mouth was wide open. She flinched, then closed her mouth. Her hand pushed through her long hair, pushing it behind her ear.
“Come, you need to meet the rest of the resistance. If things are as dire as you say, we need to let them know.”
Zaviana nodded. She followed Lilianya off the ramp and to a line of waiting men. A shiver ran down her spine as her feet touched the solid ground. She paused, closed her eyes, and reached out with her senses. She could see the wyverns in her mind, and they resembled the same colors she’d seen with her eyes. They radiated power. Energy flowed inside of them, much like the energy inside of her, the energy she could sense all around her. They had power. She reached her hand to touch her necklace absentmindedly before she opened her eyes and caught up to Lilianya.
A man approached them.
“Hello, I am Tynaer, captain of the resistance’s army. And you are?”
“Zaviana.”
“The ship captain here tells me you were sent here to tell us some ill news.”
“Yes. The resistance is in danger.”
The captain looked around, glancing at the wyverns in the sky and
the hundreds who had riders on their backs. He turned back to face her.
“Not here. Saefron is in danger. There is—”
He held up his hand to silence her. “Hold off on your explanation. Let me call an emergency council meeting and you can explain it to all of us.”
She nodded.
“You must be hungry after traveling this far. Would you care for anything to eat?”
“Please … but not fish.”
He laughed. “You must be tired of fish after the ship.”
Tynaer led Zaviana into the city, most of which was still being built. She watched with interest as men and women alike helped each other with wood and stone to erect buildings. Men and women gathered in a small field, where they practiced archery and swordsmanship. Wyvernriders flew in the sky practicing aerial combat, including the wyverns using elemental powers from fire to ice, and even warriors practicing sword fighting in the air. Zaviana had a hard time looking away. There were thousands of people here. This island made Saefron look like a ghost town. Why were there still so many people in Saefron, when this island was clearly the safest place? She decided she would ask that question at the meeting.
They went into a large hexagonal stone building. Inside was full of weapons. Most of them looked new, and there were hundreds of them. Zaviana gaped as she looked at the walls. As far as she knew, the wyverns were a new discovery. How had they amassed so many weapons already?
Tynaer held open a door and Zaviana nodded to him as she stepped inside a large room dominated by a huge wooden table. Lilianya followed behind her. The table was already filled with several people. She found a seat.
A few more minutes went by as people continued to file in to fill eleven of the twelve chairs. They all waited in mostly silence, with some of the councilmen whispering to each other. A few were wondering what the meeting was about, while others were discussing local happenings.
A man stumbled into the room backwards, a plate in his hand and a scroll between his teeth. He wavered as he tried to find his balance. His complexion was dark and there was something very familiar about him, but Zaviana couldn’t see his face. He turned around, set the scroll on the table, and held out a plate with a steaming steak on top of it.
Dragonia- Dragonia Empire series Box Set Page 26