Their infirmary was in the southeast corner of the forge and trade district, a gift from the king in return for their service to his troops. She began walking toward the inner gate of Lesley; she had quite a distance to go. They had promised the king to treat the soldiers during the day in the military ring during the soldiers’ trainings, in case they took minor injuries.
She and Leith took turns, every other day, between the infirmary tent in the military ring for the soldiers and their infirmary for the populace.
Before she started work in the outer ring, she just needed to make a stop at Trilindil’s market for a few items. The main market was not far from the inner gate, a small veer to the west on the main road.
She walked the streets passing many faces, some she knew from their time in the infirmary. They waved at her and gave her a smile, and she did the same in return. As she walked, she found it hard to believe that massive redwoods used to stand where these streets and buildings now were. She had heard from those who had lived before the giants’ attack that Lesley was a gorgeous citadel where the forest met the walls of the castle. The farmlands did not exist at that time; the elves had sustained themselves off the provisions of the forest. But after the giants’ attack, the city changed. The populace began to fear the unknown, and the king had to act to ease his peoples’ minds.
She wished she could have seen the forest back then, before it had been pushed back beyond the farms and the walls. They were forest elves but removed from their home.
The towns of Lithilias and Filithia still dwelled in the trees with their homes hundreds of feet in the air. Those cities were quite beautiful. She had only visited them a couple of times but enjoyed them both for their aesthetic beauty. Those two cities had wondrous architecture and a magical aura about them, old cities with great history among their branches.
Aili neared Trilindil’s market, turned down a small road, and quickly stepped into the main market of Lesley. Many people crowded the area, more so lately due to the refugees from across Verdunmull. There were rowdy dwarfs, heckling humans, and stoic stoneskins everywhere. The other races had been given approval to set up their own stalls for trade, and the market had grown quite crowded over the past weeks.
Occasionally, there was a scuffle between races or unhappy customers vying for the same item. The dwarven soldiers were tasked with keeping the peace at Trilindil’s market, and their formidably armored warriors dotted the many streets.
Trilindil’s had expanded greatly. It was named for its original and only shopkeeper, Trilindil. He was an old elf who looked not a day over thirty, with long blond hair and blue eyes, though in truth he was well over fourteen hundred years old. He was the first one to establish a trade stall after the walls were erected and the trees were cut back, selling herbs of the forest that were now far removed from the city.
Aili squeezed through the crowds, trying to navigate to the merchants that sold the items she required.
A stoneskin turned and stepped in front of her.
“Oops, sorry.” She stepped back to let the stoneskin through.
It looked down at her with no emotion as it walked by and blinked slowly before focusing on its route again.
She gave a nervous smile, then pushed through the crowd again. She heard a dwarf arguing with a merchant and glanced at them as she walked by.
“Sixty gold pieces for some wool? That’s crazy! Are you trying to take advantage of me, human?” the dwarf shouted.
“No, that is a fair price for the quantity of wool you are asking to buy,” the merchant said.
“You asked for thirty yesterday,” the dwarf said.
“Demands are rising, and supply is falling. It is only business, not personal.”
The dwarf grumbled, “I’ll show you business.” The dwarf unlatched his ax from his belt.
“Guards!” the human merchant shouted. “Guards!”
The dwarf growled but stood down.
Several dwarven soldiers ran over to the stall to prevent any quarrel.
“This isn’t over, human.” The dwarf spat and walked away.
Aili hurried away from the scene and found the stall she was looking for not too long afterward.
“Hello,” she said to the elf merchant.
“Hello, how might I help you?” the elf maiden asked her customer.
“Have you restocked your herbs?” Aili asked.
“Yes, my daughters have brought fresh herbs picked no earlier than yesterday morning. I have kept them specifically for you, Aili; you will be my first customer for the new batch. I appreciate all you have done for my little one, Vylia.”
“Thank you, Halina. You do not have to keep them just for me, if others need the herbs. I would help your daughter regardless; she is such a sweet one. I do appreciate your kind words,” Aili said.
“Of course, but only the best herbs go to our new resident healers. You have done so much for this town since your arrival. Your voice works wonders that the other healers are unable to match,” Halina said.
“Yes, but we must respect their efforts as well. Please allow them to buy your freshest herbs as well, for me and their patients,” Aili requested with a comforting smile.
“Very well, Aili. Would you like to inspect the new herbs?” Halina asked.
“Yes, may I?”
“Of course, take your time,” Halina motioned to her to come over, a privilege only bestowed upon Aili.
“Thank you,” Aili said as she went behind the counter and began sifting through the boxes of freshly picked plants. She opened a pouch that she had brought to carry the herbs she needed to buy. She began checking off the plants on her list as she found them, placing two pints of each in the pouch.
She whispered to herself as she sifted. “Serpentbane for snake venom. Whisperwing for sleeping potions. Crevassecreep and blueshade for fever. Tolyboc for pain. . . Halina, do you have any silvershine for inflammation? Or honey for wounds?”
“Yes, I do, over here.” Halina grabbed a box beneath her stall counter. “Here is fresh honey from Avy’s bee farm south of Lesley and just three quarts left of silvershine. It is becoming harder to find lately. My daughters are having to go farther out for it, since silvershine grows slow.”
“Thank you, Halina. I will use it sparingly, when possible,” Aili said. “How much for what I have in my bag?”
Halina looked through the bag and calculated in her head. “Forty-five gold coins. I have been charging higher for silvershine, but I will give it to you for our old price.”
“Thank you.” Aili smiled and handed over the coins to pay for the herbs and honey. She glanced around as she tried to figure where to go next. Before leaving she asked Halina, “Do you know anyone selling bandage cloth or feathers?”
“Four stalls down Eriliya is selling bandage cloth. And feathers you will not find; the fletchers have been buying them up as soon as they reach the market. Their apprentices are watching the stalls closely. Sorry to tell you, Aili,” Halina said.
“Oh no, that is quite all right. The feathers were for Leith. He will be fine without them for now. I will see you later, Halina,” Aili said.
“Until next time, Aili.” Halina gave a slight bow as Aili left her stall.
Aili walked to Eriliya’s stall and asked her, “Do you have any bandage cloth?”
“Well, hello, Aili, I sure do. How much do you need?” Eriliya said as she reached back into her bags.
Aili looked at her coin pouch and pulled out what she had left. “Whatever eighteen coins will get me.”
“I will double the bandage cloth for you, Aili. I know you are spending all your coin for your patients. I will give you two bolts,” Eriliya said.
“That is kind of you, Eriliya. I appreciate the extra bandage,” Aili said with a smile.
“You need to watch out for yourself, Aili; save some coin for food.”
“Oh no! I was supposed to get Leith a pineapple,” Aili moaned.
“Take a coin back; it wil
l get you one.” Eriliya tossed her a coin.
“That is so kind of you, Eriliya. I will tell Leith you bought him the pineapple. Get him to come around here for you,” Aili said.
Eriliya blushed. “Oh, that is OK. Just being kind.”
“You do not have to hide it with me. I know you like my brother, Eriliya.” Aili smiled at her and giggled.
“Is it that obvious?” the blonde shopkeeper asked.
“Very. You always play with your hair when he accompanies me.” Aili laughed. “He is oblivious though; most of them are. I can tell him if you like.”
Eriliya panicked. “No, no! There is no need for that. I mean, only if he is interested. If not, then do not tell him. It’s all right.”
“I’ll slap him if he refuses. You are beautiful, Eriliya, and you are kind. Better than he deserves,” Aili said firmly.
“Thank you, Aili.” Eriliya thought about it and nodded. “If he is interested, I would like him to come by.”
“I will make sure he does,” Aili assured her. “I will see you next time, Eriliya.”
Aili left her stall and began walking back through the market. Without feathers, there would be no reason to buy Leith cloth for his new pillow, not that she had the money currently. But she made sure to stop by a human’s stall for a pineapple, courtesy of Eriliya. She stuffed the pineapple into her bag and left the market, squeezing back through the tight crowds.
When she reached the main road again, she turned north and headed toward the outer ring to begin her work with the soldiers. Sometimes they would get hurt during training or catch an illness due to the increasing population in such crowded quarters.
She traveled up the road and through the inner gateway. She curved to the west through training soldiers and found her healer’s tent provided by the army. It was a small tent but enough for three beds and a small corner for her supplies.
She was about to take out her pestle and mortar when she heard a terrifying roar pierce the air. She hesitated as she listened to the deafening cry. The metal clanking from sparring and soldiers walking stopped, and all she could hear was that roar.
She slowly stood up and walked out of her tent. She looked around and saw everyone staring into the sky, searching for the roar’s source.
The roar sounded again, causing her skin to crawl as the noise pierced the air.
Deep wingbeats rose on the air, and she looked up with the others. She saw a massive dragon fly overhead. It had three sets of extremely wide wings that flapped in unison. The dragon had three heads on thick necks and two spiked tails.
Aili’s eyes widened, and her heart skipped a beat.
“Alexi is here! Inform the king!” a general shouted near one of the tents. “Clear the road!”
Aili ran toward the outer gate. She had heard of the Shadow Guardian from the Kalnor Vale but had never seen her. She was a warrior of legend and great renown. Aili wanted to see the rare sight of the Kalnorian with her own eyes.
An echoing roar of three dragon heads in unison radiated through the air.
Aili raced to the outer gate’s threshold just in time to see the massive three-headed dragon land between the forest and the farms along the main road. Farmers fled to their homes, and no one stayed in the fields.
The three sets of wings beat as the dragon settled on firm ground, and its three heads surveyed the area for any dangers, fiercely baring their teeth with saliva dripping from their sharp tips. The two spiked tails beat the dirt in a show of might and territoriality.
Aili whispered under her breath, “What is that?”
A nearby soldier said, “That is a Terrorgor. The only type of dragon to ever be tamed. The Kalnorians are blood-bonded to their den.”
“A Terrorgor?” She was shocked. “It has three heads . . .”
“Yeah, the feeling is in the name, lass. The two heads on either side breathe fire. The one in the middle spits an acidic saliva that is oil based. Coats the area, burning and corroding flesh, quite flammable and hard to remove. They are the most destructive dragon that we know of,” the knight said. “They are also the only dragon with three sets of wings that span the entire area from tip of tail to nose of their heads.”
“It is on our side, right?” Aili became worried.
“Yes, lass. Grateful we should be that Alexi wants a peaceful alliance between the Kalnor Vale and Harmaalinna. Our arrows and our ballistae cannot pierce its hide; its scales are armor grade and ten times as thick as any other dragon breed that we know of. There is no way for our kingdom to bring down a Terrorgor,” the knight said.
Aili watched in awe as the dragon slammed its spiked tails one last time in a display of dominance before resting its two spinal sets of wings against its back and using its scapular set of wings to stand on, bearing its anterior weight.
The dragon lowered its middle neck to the ground and allowed a rider in black armor to step down. The dragon rider began walking toward the gate of Lesley.
“Why is she walking from so far away?” Aili asked.
“The king will not allow the Terrorgor inside the gates. The citizens are frightened of it,” the knight said. “The king has requested Alexi to land at the edge of the clearing.”
Aili eyed the knight. “Does she come here often?”
“No.”
Aili watched the uniquely armored rider as she neared. “She is not wearing the Shadow Guardian uniform.”
“She refused the uniform, but the king still granted her the title of Shadow Guardian. Kalnorians only wear their molten, dragon-scale armor that is further magic-imbued by Kalnorian forge masters. It is the most formidable armor in all Verdunmull, made from Terrorgor scales and formed in the magical forges of the Kalnor Vale,” the knight said. “They say she is quite beautiful underneath that armor, but I do not believe there is anyone alive with the courage to court that vale maiden.”
The intimidating figure strode down the road with a strong stride, evenly paced without rushing. Confidence and an unyielding presence exuded from the armored individual.
“She’s taller than I thought,” Aili said.
“Aye, six foot and nine inches. Quite a tall maiden,” the soldier said.
“You know a lot about Alexi.” She eyed the soldier.
“Everyone knows Alexi. She is a force to be reckoned with. Strongest mortal in Verdunmull,” the soldier said as he watched Alexi approach.
“Stronger than her dragon?” Aili asked.
“Aye, the Kalnorians tamed them, remember.” He glanced at Aili. “It serves her.”
Aili was surprised. “How are they so strong?”
“Kalnorian magical abilities are renowned. From birth, magic flows through their veins. They do not learn from tomes or scripts. They mold the magic in their beings to bend to their will. Kalnorians have the ability of any magic they wish; they simply have to think it and then master it,” the soldier said. “Kalnorians are also the only people in the world to have blood-bonding magic. It’s a birthright, not obtainable by others. They can bond with creatures of any species, tying their souls together. When one gets in trouble, the other can be called to the distressed one’s aid.”
“Like summoning magic?” Aili asked.
“No. Not at all. It is deeper and more pure, hard to explain but nothing like summoning. Blood-bonding is willful by both parties in an equal exchange. Summoning is ripping a being from another plain of existence into this plain, unwilfully,” the soldier said.
Alexi neared, and Aili could see the molten, dragon-scaled armor in greater detail now. Alexi’s armor was deep black with slight diagonal ridging. Her helm had a horn tightly carved into either side with slight points extending behind. Short knots protruded around the crown of her helmet, much like hardened armor scales atop a dragon’s head. Slender eye holes and several stylized ventilation slits covered the front of her helmet.
Alexi’s armor was thick and formidable. She had sleek, strong pauldrons. Her gauntlets had sharp-tipped knuckle joints,
stylized like dragon spines. Her legs were adorned with jagged, vertical edging along the distal slopes of her greaves and cuisses that were sharp enough to slice flesh without effort.
As Alexi passed Aili, she noticed that the intimidating warrior held an unusual object in her right hand. It looked like it was made of the same material as her armor. She held on to a handle that wrapped around her gauntlet and had a flat, one-foot-diameter surface, like a tiny shield.
On Alexi’s back was fastened a magenta-bladed sword. The structure of the blade seemed gemlike, glistening deeply in the sunlight.
As Alexi walked, the foreign warrior kept her hidden gaze frontward. Her helmet did not turn, and she did not seem to take any notice of the people around her or steering clear of her.
One last detail that Aili noticed was a heavy leather pouch being dragged in Alexi’s left hand. The bottom of the leather bag was stained dark, and a black liquid oozed out the bottom of the bag, coating the ground as it slid on the stone-and-dirt pathway.
Aili was in awe, transfixed by the enthralling figure as the warrior marched toward the center of Lesley.
The generals and soldiers of the elven army did not approach Alexi; they kept their distance and allowed her to travel toward the castle unhindered.
◆◆◆
The king’s throne room was packed. Baskla was in attendance, with two of his subordinate generals: Lyvnevar, the general of the cavalry who had come north from the southlands, and Nilver, the general of the battlements, charged with the archers, ballistae, and castle defenses. Their armor was formidable like Baskla’s. There were also five lieutenants in the chairs farthest from the king.
Saalkain was in attendance, in the chair farthest from Baskla but up front near the king. He was shifted sideways to face Zael. His clothing was green with small spots of black. He was still stewing from his last encounter with Baskla.
Treasach and Gavina were sitting opposite the three senior generals. Their posture was rigid, and their expressions were serious.
The mayor of Mor, Soren, sat next to them with Bayne, his newly promoted war general, his new insignia forged into his pauldrons.
The First Seal Page 8