ã€ŠKalestra&#x27;s Chosen   (*Finished*)ã€‹


 Chapter One

    She looked down for a moment at the bright red fresh leaves and how they dotted the trail of brown dead leaves. She stood in awe of the random beauty.

    ¡°Mom! I see it! The place we had the picnic when I was little.¡± A tall young man with ruddy brown hair said excitedly.

    She huffed at the exercise. Her lungs were starting to hurt and she welcomed the rest. She saw her son sit down in the fine dirt next to a huge rock on the trail. They heard the rumble of thunder and a darkness moving in near the tree line.

    ¡°It wasn''t supposed to storm today.¡± she said getting out her phone and checking the weather, ¡°Damn, no 4g here.¡±

    ¡°Let¡¯s go sit under that overhang until it passes.¡± He was already headed in the direction of the half cave.

    She hoped it would not be a hard rain. They sat and ate a snack as the rain began to fall. Gentle and trickling at first. Harder and more musical, then it came down and came into their shelter, threatening to soak them. She moved closer to the inside wall, pulling her pack with her.

    ¡°Is that¡­¡± her son stopped mid-sentence.

    ¡°What?¡± she said a bit irritable. She didn''t like being cold and the temperature had dropped noticeably.

    ¡°Purple lightning, but it isn''t touching the ground.¡± he said astonished.

    ¡°Probably just heat lightning.¡± she said without looking up.

    The wind howled and then roared. They held hands as they began to get nervous. Fog seeped in and set her skin to shivering. It grew increasingly thick and she could hear the pops of what could only be static electricity giving off a spark here and there. She realized she couldn''t feel his hand anymore.

    ¡°Xan? Xander?¡± she called. He did not answer her. She moved cautiously on her hands and knees on the ground feeling for her son. She smashed her face into a low hanging rock.

    ¡°Ouch!¡± she sat back and put her legs in front of her and held her head. She started to worry, ¡°Xan?¡±

    She decided that waiting for a Park Ranger would be safer than trying to crawl around in very little visibility. She made herself as comfortable as she could and bit back all her fear and sadness. She closed her eyes and rubbed them, shifting her weight again. She hugged her backpack close to her chest. Then she felt her skin buzz and vibrate and the last thing she heard was a very loud pop.

    She woke to bright sunlight. Shielding her eyes, she sat up slowly and looked around. She wasn''t anywhere near the overhang. It didn¡¯t even look like the same forest. The trees seemed wrong and out of place. The ground was flat for as far as she could see. She was in a forest, but no longer in the gorge. The trees all seemed willowy and swayed slowly to a tempo she could feel. The forest had a living heartbeat. Thump, thump, thump, her body slightly vibrated and the trees swayed. She heard light whispers and a slight disorienting buzz in her head. She stood and picked up her pack that was lying about a foot away. She then dusted off her jeans. She pulled out her phone and discovered the battery was dead. She put her phone back in her pocket. She then pulled out her compass, and it was spinning wildly. She swore under her breath. She shook it, but the compass would not stop spinning.

    ¡°Xan!¡± she shouted, repeating herself every few moments while she walked. Her hand itched slightly and she scratched it vigorously.

    She didn¡¯t hear any birds or animals except a few lonely calls she did not recognize. She tripped over a root but didn''t fall. She was about to call once more for her son when she realized she had been hearing a low rumble of a crowd. It had been there a while, but now it grew louder. Her hand began to itch worse and worse with every scratch, but she couldn¡¯t stop scratching. She looked down and her hand appeared to be freshly tattooed with a green leaf symbol.

    ¡°What the hell?¡± she said to herself and tried to rub it off licking her fingers and trying to scrub.

    She wondered where and when she had gotten it. It wasn''t there when she first woke up. She got into her first aid kit and tried the cortisone cream. Her hand only itched more and nothing seemed to relieve it. She rubbed it against her clothes and tried to ignore it. She was thirsty and hungry. She began to realize how miserable she was. She looked for her water bottle, but it must have fallen out of her outside pouch. The trail mix had been left behind at the overhang. She kept going toward the noise which now sounded like a lot of people yelling. Then she started hearing the clash of metal the closer she came to the noise.

    Then she heard metal grind and grunts of effort much closer to where she was. She quietly hid on the other side of a tree and waited. She soon saw two combatants. One in a full suit of armor and a gleaming jewel in the forehead of the helm and one wearing little armor except for a breastplate and metal gloves. They were fighting with swords and the man with long red hair was on the seemingly losing end. She saw the pointed ears poking from his hair. She must have stumbled upon a Larping event. She smiled to herself, relieved.

    ¡°Excuse me, I hope you all don¡¯t mind, but I got lost in the storm last night and I have to find my son. Could you help me?¡± She interrupted while stepping out from the tree.

    They both turned to her for a moment, then the Elf took the pommel of his sword and smashed the stone. She saw a tiny wisp of smoke come from it. Then the Armor fell to the ground in a pile.

    ¡°How?¡± she stuttered, ¡°That¡¯s amazing.¡±

    ¡°I am Faris, you must be the new storm traveler,¡± he said between gasps for air. Sheathing his sword, he smiled and took her hand to rest a greeting kiss upon it, then saw the fresh leaf, ¡°I see.¡±

    She looked at him baffled and took back her hand. Her head was buzzing again and she felt slightly dizzy. She shook her head and focused, ¡°Do you have a phone? My battery is dead, it will be a while before it is charged. I''m not sure I can get a signal. Have you seen a young man about twenty with brown hair and a red beard, his name is Xander?¡±

    ¡°Follow me please.¡± is all he said.

    ¡°I am so thirsty. Do you have a tavern at your event?¡± She said hopefully.

    ¡°Event?¡± He was puzzled.

    ¡°Larping.¡± She said and then was quiet. She bit her lip and habitually pulled out her phone and then returned it to her pocket. She could feel the tears of frustration trying to come, so she dug her thumbnail into her index finger as hard as she could. She was trying not to panic. She was just so worried.

    She could see a camp growing closer and in the distance a pitched battle. The source of the noise she heard. All the tents were cloth and looked like the kind at a Renfaire. He walked her past other tents to a moderate one and motioned for her to go inside. Her stomach growled and her mouth felt like cotton.

    You might be reading a stolen copy. Visit Royal Road for the authentic version.

    ¡°Please wait here,¡± Faris said and left.

    She poked her head out of the tent and looked around. A soldier came walking up and took off his helmet.

    ¡°I wouldn¡¯t go anywhere. Here,¡± he handed her a flask and she took it gratefully. She tasted the contents cautiously, it was water and she drank deeply.

    ¡°Thank you,¡± She said, ¡°Is there a port-a-potty nearby?¡±

    He looked confused.

    ¡°I have to pee,¡± she elaborated. A light went off in his head and he lead her to a hole that looked to have been hastily but deeply dug and used a lot. She choked back her disgust and pulled down her jeans and squat while the soldier looked the other way. She pulled up her pants and walked back toward the way they came. The soldier then led her back to the tent and pulled some jerky from his pouch and gave it to her. She accepted graciously and began to eat as she went back into the tent.

    It was sparsely furnished. A metal fire pit, a wooden chair and a small table. She sat in the chair and let out a big sigh. The soldier brought in a piece of a chopped log and sat on it. He smiled at her and took a deep breath.

    ¡°So, where are you from?¡± he asked making conversation, the buzzing again made her feel a bit disoriented, but less so this time than before.

    ¡°Lexington.¡± she shrugged when he looked confused, ¡°Are we anywhere close to the gorge?¡±

    He still looked at her funny. And then he looked down at his feet, ¡°No what world?¡±

    She laughed. Loud. Then recovered herself and felt bad she had made light of his role-play.

    ¡°Oh, sorry. I get it. Stay in character.¡± She smiled graciously, then she frowned, ¡°But seriously, I need to find my son, we were separated in the storm last night.¡±

    ¡°Don¡¯t fret, Lord Faris is getting everything you need.¡± The soldier kept his smile and his cool.

    ¡°This looks like a very expensive, well-done event, and I didn¡¯t pay. Is this part of it? Is this some kind of henna?¡± she asked pointing to the leaf on her hand.

    ¡°No, I¡¯m afraid that is permanent.¡± Lord Faris said stepping through the opening. The soldier excused himself and took his wood stool with him.

    ¡°What!¡± She became very angry and stood up.

    ¡°We did not do that.¡± He held up a hand to stay her. She sat down with angry tears in her eyes.

    ¡°Where is your game master? I am ready to go. I am tired of this.¡± She glared at Faris.

    ¡°I understand that you are confused and overwhelmed. I will try to alleviate this,¡± He said with all the compassion he could muster. She nodded and used her sleeve end to wipe her eyes. She sniffed and snuffled.

    ¡°You are on the outskirts of my land, Farin. You were brought here by a Kalestral storm, and given the Kalestral mark of the healer. You have been given a great honor.¡± he explained as best he could.

    She frowned and sat up and went a bit rigid. She seemed calm but then unexpectedly stood to face Lord Faris her jaw clenched.

    ¡°Look, this was all cute to begin with, but I am sick of the crap. I am looking for my son, Xander, and I need a damn phone to call my family. You can¡¯t keep me in this tent and I am going to leave to find one or the other.¡± She then moved very purposely toward the tent opening, daring those gathered to step into her way.

    She left the murmurs of Faris and the others behind her. She walked steadily through the camp toward what she hoped might be a parking lot and someone willing to let her use their cell. She noticed some movement behind her and off to the side. She was being followed.

    She moved into a well-lit area and then noticed the lights were floating and unattached to anything. She was impressed with the level of authenticity. She then waited for her stalker to move. They never approached the light. So she decided to walk straight to them. The shadow and that is the only way she could describe it leaned in and grabbed her hand, that had the mark, and her skin burned. She screamed and tried to pull away. She heard a very loud commotion around her, and someone yelled an unfamiliar word. A flash of intense light swallowed the shadow in front of her. She cradled her hand close to her.

    ¡°What the fuck!¡± She screamed, then with less intensity, ¡°Just what the fuck!¡±

    ¡°Tell Lord Faris we need to make security on the camp perimeter tighter.¡± She heard a man say in a familiar voice.

    ¡°Xan?¡± She queried of the strange shape before her, just out of the light.

    ¡°Mom!¡± he said happily and then gathered her in an enthusiastic hug.

    ¡°Owe, oh, let go, let go, you are crushing me.¡± she gasped while trying to maneuver herself from his armored embrace, ¡°You¡¯re safe!¡±

    He lifted the faceplate on his armor and she could see deep scars and a face much more mature than what he was yesterday. She had so many questions and none of them could get out. She just reached up and touched his face and stared at him.

    "Let''s get you back to my tent," he took her arm and escorted her to the tent. The soldier who had sat with her was there.

    Xan brought her in and sat her in the chair. She was in the same tent as before. This was Xan''s tent she realized. Her son gruffly told the soldier to get a healer quickly, and the man stumbled out of the tent before finding his feet and rushing off.

    "So, have you talked to Ben? Your Mamaw or Papaw?" Hin asked anxiously.

    "No." Xan drew out the lone syllable.

    "Why not?" Hin asked looking very confused.

    "What do you remember mom?" he asked cautiously. He removed his gloves and took her injured hand carefully.

    "The storm. The loud pop. Then nothing until I woke up here." Hin said confused about what this had to do with now.

    "That storm brought you here. It brought me here too," he paused and she looked at him like he was crazy, "Please, Mom, I am telling you the truth."

    "Then where are we?" She was sad and a little angry, Her words wavered.

    "The planet of Kalestra." He opened his palm and produced a small ball of light and let it float up towards the ceiling in the tent.

    The healer came into the tent and Xan kissed his mother on her head and excused himself from all the new activity. He rested in a corner and talked to the soldier who had been here with her the first time.

 Chapter Two

    Faris looked over his shoulder before disappearing in a golden whoosh of light. He slowly approached the darkened cave entrance and softly whispered,"Ea."

    A candle lit and after a pause a wall of candles caught flame and brightened. A figure was at a spinning wheel turning it in a steady rhythm. The thread was perfectly round and bright white.

    "You should not have come," said the figure letting a chuckle go.

    "I am sorry, Dear Aulder. I just have to know." Faris plead.

    "She is the one and you know it, you feel it in your scales,"The figure admonished.

    "You know I don''t have scales." He bristled

    Aulder''s skin rippled revealing very distinct scales in blue and lavender then subsiding to leave the appearance of skin. Then the figure leaned in and lifted the spool and very carefully burnt the end with a wisp of firebreath and tied it off.

    "Too much of the Elves in you." the figure studied him with a stern eye, "You cannot even see well in the dark."

    "I do not question that. I do question the Gods for sending a stubborn, out of shape old woman to do what is required." He was exasperated.

    "You sound most ungrateful child." Aulder spat, leaving sparks in the air, "you need to put her at ease. If we don''t have her help, then we risk the magic."

    Faris simply bowed and motioned the candles to go out.

    "He knows she is here too," Aulder warned.

    He once again looked over his shoulder and then stepped into a golden light with a whoosh and arrived at the camp. He strode angrily toward his own tent to find several paiges waiting. He sighed and resigned himself to reading messages being stacked on his desk in a haphazard fashion. Who knew his mirror would be this busy.

    One had an urgent mark on the outside. He picked it up and opened it first. It was a warning that they had to put up a stronger barrier around the city because some healers were attacked at an infirmary on the outskirts. The shadows were grabbing at any of the Healer''s sigils, in general. They were reaching out blindly, and he hoped this was to their advantage. They had obviously not found what they were looking for yet. He walked over to his mirror and waved his hand and spoke quietly the name Dragonis.

    The image of a very old grumpy elf appeared,"Yes?"

    "I wish to talk to your lord." Faris sighed.

    "Impossible, He is in the library and said to not be disturbed." The elf grinned at him in a disdainful manner.

    This tale has been unlawfully obtained from Royal Road. If you discover it on Amazon, kindly report it."Just tell him I need him to come to me. It is urgent, and I think he will be interested." Faris huffed and then waved his hand over the mirror again to reveal his own face. He let the top of his head rest against the mirror as he muttered to himself.

    He then made another swipe over the mirror and promptly spoke the name Leirec.

    "Yes, Lord General?" A woman with short black hair looked at him concerned.

    "I need to speak with all the other Commanders and Captains. Please prepare a meeting at the command tent." Faris said gruffly. He was far shorter with her than he intended. She waved the mirror closed and he again rest his head against the mirror.

    He turned to stare at his desk and all the messages the paiges had taken down. He sighed loudly and paced between his desk and the mirror. He decided to check on Xander and his mother more personally. He walked out the door of the tent and walked through the camp to Xander''s tent. Faris saw Xander stick his head out of the tent as he approached.

    ¡°She is sleeping. She is still," Xander paused looking concerned, ¡°unsettled.¡±

    ¡°I am sorry,¡± Lord Faris said then admitted, ¡°Your mother is not exactly how I imagined her,¡±

    "She is ever rarely how anyone imagines her,¡± Xander said grinning. Faris chuckled.

    "Now, I have had some news. Can you spare time to walk with me to the command tent?" Faris asked while mindlessly sticking his fingernail into the wood of Xander''s tent.

    "You want to walk? This must be bad." Xander looked worried.

    "It is certainly troublesome," Faris confirmed, "It''s about the shadows."

    Screaming erupted not far from them, and both Faris and Xander rushed to see what the problem was. They arrived in time to see several shadows being snuffed except one that was carrying something odd and it seemed to slip every attempt to kill it. Finally, the shadow seemed to slightly catch fire and crumble in on itself and fell to dust, and the object it was carrying hit the ground with a hard thump. A woman with fiery red hair leaned over to pick it up and let the disgust show on her face.

    "What is it, Kenna?" Faris had a lump in his throat. She merely held up the severed hand to show him, and it had the Healer''s mark, "Get it inside quickly we may still be able to save the hand."

    She nodded and went inside the tent, and Faris saw the man holding his arm and crying. He then went to assess his surroundings for weakness in the force field. When he could find none, he came back to the tent.

    Xan and Kenna both came up to greet him.

    "Who is responsible for the shield this shift? Who was feeding it when the shadows broke through?" Faris was almost yelling but managed to get his anger under control.

    "I can find out," Kenna offered.

    "No, I would prefer you guard the guest in my tent," Xander said and then added, "I will find out who was on duty."

    "I need you with me at the command tent Xan, send Hector to find out." Faris grew impatient. He stormed off and as he did he looked over his shoulder to see Xan and Kenna kissing. He picked up his pace and huffed.

 Chapter Three

    Kenna straightened her armor and moved her hand in an arching motion and a gold light pulsed and she stepped into it. She appeared at the entrance to the tent and came in to see Hector bent over a tray of tea. She thought she saw him hurriedly put something back into his vest pocket but couldn''t be sure. Probably just a tincture for relaxing. He looked at her with a slightly startled look.

    "We need you to go find out who was on shift feeding the shield Just moments ago." she said.

    "We?" Hector mocked,"You are not my master"

    Kenna took a deep breath and let out a barely audible sigh, "Lord Faris gave the order, and I am your master as Xan''s wife, don''t forget that."

    "I can''t leave, I wasn''t done with the tea. You go." Hector complained.

    Kenna frowned, "It looks done to me."

    Hector looked as if he would growl and then stormed out and a bright light could be seen reflecting on places inside the tent.

    She picked up the cups but could not smell Astera, or anything out of place.

    "Did I hear you right?" The woman sitting in the unkempt bed rolls looked at her with an assessing smile.

    "Yes," Kenna blushed. She picked up the tray and set it down on the ground in front of the woman. She sat down herself.

    Then she waved her hand in the general direction of the fire pit and it leapt to life with flames. Then she twirled her finger toward the top of the tent and a string pulled loose revealing an opening for the smoke. She handed The woman a cup, and their hands slightly brushed in the exchange.

    "You''re pregnant!" The woman looked shocked and happy then deeply confused,"How did I know that?"

    "Damned Healer''s mark," Kenna grumbled and motioned to the woman''s hand.

    "Ah," She said and smiled hugely,"I''m Hin, Xan''s Mother."

    "Oh, he did not..." She scowled a bit. She was angry at Xan.

    "No, he did not. This didn''t happen overnight." Hin said scowling a bit herself.

    "No. We were married two years ago when I made Paidus." She said blushing again.

    "He''s been here for over two years?" Hin said shocked and confused.

    "He''s been here about ten," Kenna said trying to count back in her head.

    "Ten! Where have I been for Ten years?" Hin cried out and then looked extremely sad.

    "Only the Gods of Kalestra know that," Kenna said lowly as she offered Hin a cloth to wipe her tears on.

    "Do you suppose they think I am dead?" Hin sobbed

    This story has been unlawfully obtained without the author''s consent. Report any appearances on Amazon.

    Kenna shrugged but didn''t know how to comfort her.  What the Gods had done was cruel.Hector came into the tent gaining her attention.

    "There is something going on out there," He said looking a bit confused.

    "Did you talk to the people at the shield?" she asked a bit confused herself.

    "Yes, and not one remembers a thing." he said impatiently,"You really need to come outside to see this."

    Kenna got up and stretched her hand out to Hin,"Please come with me."

    Hin smiled, wiped her tears and let herself be helped up. All three walked out into the camp and saw others running to the edge of camp on the side facing the battle. Kenna and Hector rushed into the crowd.

    "I don''t believe it." Kenna went slack-jawed as she reached the front.

    "Told you," Hector said almost absently.

    Kenna saw the waves of shadow soldiers being recalled from the battlefront. All the shadow golems were leaving too. It was an orderly retreat, not rushed in any way. It was like watching storm clouds retreat.

    "Why would they leave like this?" Kenna asked not really expecting an answer.

    "I wish I knew," Hector shrugged.

    Kenna then looked around her and realized Hin was not with her. She slightly panicked.

    "Hin?" She yelled through the crowd.

    "I can go find her," Hector volunteered.

    "No, she is my responsibility," Kenna said as she turned to exit the throng of soldiers gaping at the retreat of the enemy army.

    She walked back the way she came and found Hin sitting at a fire with a couple of other soldiers who had lost interest in the retreat. She sat nervously and smiled shyly when they tried to engage her in the conversation.

    "I am so sorry I lost you!" Kenna said as she stepped forward towards the fire.

    "Oh, no, I should have told you I don''t like crowds," Hin said as she smiled again at Kenna.

    Hector came up behind Kenna and put a hand on her arm,"I can take her back to the tent."

    "I''m going back to the tent too." Kenna was confused again," you need to report to Lord Faris about the shield personnel."

    "I do? Oh, yeah..." Hector said and then he opened a bright gold lit portal and disappeared.

    Kenna looked at Hin and kind of shrugged her shoulders, but she couldn''t shake this feeling she had about Hector. Of course, he had done nothing yet to give her enough proof to go to Faris, but she might mention something to Xan. She took Hin''s hand and walked toward the tent, and hopefully a quiet evening.

 Chapter Four

    Faris was trying to make sense of the scene before him, as were all the commanders with him. They had just been talking about a strategy to strengthen the shield and build a more permanent barrier to the shadows so that they would not have to feed it magic. Especially since so much magic would be needed to defeat the enemy army.

    "Call all the soldiers back." he yelled suddenly and everyone started to rush to get their mirrors or their pages,"I want a general retreat back to camp, now!"

    A horn blew from behind him, sounding the retreat. Faris was worried something worse than just a retreat was planned by the shadows. He desperately did not want the men and women to be exposed to it. He watched in dread until all the soldiers appeared to be leaving the field of battle in golden bursts. The wounded  were dragged as best as anyone could, and what little of the dead they had, remained on the field for the time being.

    "Collect the dead in the morning. I want no one to risk whatever that mad God has planned." Faris shouted and was about to go back into the command tent. Hector appeared in a swoosh of golden light and looked at the field before acknowledging his presence.

    "Lord Faris?" he seemed hesitant.

    "Hector. What did you find out?" Faris was momentarily hopeful.

    "Just that no one knows who was on shift and no one remembers being on shift. They were all confused a bit too," Hector said with a shrug.

    "And now with all the soldiers off the field, it will be impossible to narrow down who was where. Damn it!" he hit the table full of maps and kicked over a chest, breaking it into pieces.

    Hector moved backward out of the tent. Faris followed him out and watched him bump into Xan and turned around to face him. Faris crossed his arms and watched them.

    "I wouldn''t go in there," Hector said as He motioned for a portal. Xan stopped his hand.

    "What did you find?" Xan asked looking concerned.

    "Nothing sir, Just confused magic wielders who didn''t know who was where," Hector jerked his hand from Xan''s and once again attempted to summon a portal.

    "And my Mother and Kenna are safe?" Xan said as he once again caught Hector by the wrist.

    "Safe, I promise," Hector glared and quickly took back his hand and finally made his portal out.

    "Hector witnessed another one of my tempers," Faris said amused and tried to appear properly abashed.

    "How terribly human of you Faris," Xan tried to further lighten the mood.

    Faris let out a sharp hearty laugh,"You mean how terribly dragon of me. My forebearers were emotional, puerile beings and hardly as wise as they were made out to be."

    Xan took off his gloves and was going to enter the tent and that is when Faris noticed the mark of earth on Xan''s hand was glowing brightly and pulsing.

    "Xan, is everything alright?" Faris asked concerned.

    The story has been taken without consent; if you see it on Amazon, report the incident.

    Xan shrugged,"I have never seen my mark do anything like this."

    He watched Xan walk into the tent and set down his gloves on the maps they had been looking over before the strange events. Then he heard the tunneling. A thick scaled worm popped up in front of Xan and its scales pulsed light in the same rhythm as his mark.

    "Why did you summon Terren?" Faris asked looking on while fingering map pieces and figures set on them.

    "I didn''t," Xan said awkwardly. Terren made an odd fluted sound and pressed his large head against Xan like a cat in happy greeting," Ah, the gods are curious and sent him to get information."

    "They seem just as confused by their lost brother as we are." Faris sighed.

    Terren dove back into the ground after his happy greeting and once again disappeared. Xan looked back down to his mark and the pulsing had stopped.

    "It''s late..." Xan was saying as Faris walked over and put both hands on his shoulders.

    "I need a drink," Faris grinned and pulled a flask from his inside pocket, "Share the Deadwatch with me?"

    "Count me out tonight, I have both a wife and a mother who probably want to talk to me, since I never told them about each other," Xan said with a small laugh. He watched him  grab his gloves and walked out of the tent and motioned his hand for a portal and was gone in a flash of golden light.

    Faris sat down. He was alone and felt it. He took a very long sip from his flask of elven elderberry wine and sighed. He didn''t want to go back to camp to a tent full of messages and people who needed to strangle him with questions. The camp would survive one night without him. Just one night.

    He quietly stood and brought the little stool outside and then went back into the tent. He gathered up and then stacked the broken chest he had kicked earlier outside to make a nice fire. He whispered quietly,"Ea" and the wood caught fire. He drank and watched the darkness take the field. He was starting to nod off. A flash of golden light lit up Faris from behind and he saw his own shadow stretched across the ground. He sighed mournfully.

    "I figured you could use a friend," A voice said from behind. Faris peered into the darkness and saw the face of a green orc with elven features.

    "Alaric, you are right," Faris grinned sadly,"As always."

    Alaric held up a bottle for him to see, and Faris was happy to see it was dwarven whiskey.

    "And as always you know just the right way to cheer me up," Faris grinned.

    Alaric laughed and unstoppered the bottle. He set down the chair he had brought and passed the bottle to Faris. Alaric started singing a song to bid farewell to the fallen on the field, and then took a big drink himself as Faris passed back the bottle. Faris joined in the song.

 Chapter Five

    Hin woke first, and she quickly got up and went to the bathroom. When she returned Both Kenna and Xander were up and moving around. She rummaged in her backpack and found her solar charger for her cell phone. She plugged it in and took it outside to charge. She left it in a fairly sunny spot. Before she could enter the tent Hector appeared behind her.

    "Would you care to go to breakfast?" He asked with a bow.

    "Stop that, and sure. I''m hungry," Hin said taking Hector''s arm while they walked, "How long have you known my son? Has he had a good life here?"

    "I have only been serving him for a year, just since he gained his knighthood." Hector paused and seemed lost for a moment, "I knew of him for about eight or nine years before. Always had his nose in a book, or training on the grounds with anyone who would."

    "He sounds driven," Hin said smiling.

    "Oh, more than most. We used to joke that he never cracked a smile or went to sleep," Hector blushed with guilt.

    "How mean. How sad." Hin said half to herself.

    "Well he smiles plenty now with Lady Kenna," Hector said, "They met at a sword competition. She won."

    Hin laughed.

    "Ah, here we are; take a seat and I will grab you some food," Hector said amiably.

    Hin sat and waited for Hector. She watched him go through the line and smiled as he brought two trays toward the table.

    "Now let me go get you some tea," Hector said as he set them down. Hin looked to her plate and was surprised to see eggs and a meat that smelled a lot like sausage. There was also bread, thick and dense. She tore it into pieces and found it was still slightly warm.

    "Here you go," Hector set down a cup of tea in front of her. She nodded her thanks. She felt a pang and realized she was missing coffee and home. She scooted the plate and tea away with a sad look on her face.

    "Something wrong?" Hector looked at her quizzically.

    "I miss home," Hin said as she picked at the bread,"Everything is a bit familiar and yet it''s just not home. I think that makes it worse."

    "Earth, right?" Hector said through mouthfuls of eggs.

    "More than that. It was a husband, and children, and grandchildren. It was peace and security. Whatever this is... I am too old for it." Hin said in a very sad voice.

    Hector listened and then pointed out,"The Gods only bring those wanting to come. So deep down in your most secret of hearts, you wished this. Otherwise, you would still be where you were."

    Hin looked at him crossly and was about to rebut when Kenna announced her presence by knocking Hin''s tea from the table. Hin gasped in shock. This seemed so unlike the woman she had met the day before. Hector scowled.

    "I am so sorry!" Kenna seemed to be sincere enough.

    "It''s fine. I will just get more." Hin said as she moved to get up.

    "No, let me, it will be an honor." Kenna said with a bow and moved off.

    "I really wish people would stop doing that." Hin sighed.

    "Doing what?" Hector asked.

    "Bowing," Hin said.

    Unauthorized use of content: if you find this story on Amazon, report the violation.

    "Get used to it. You have a son of a considerable station, It''s going to happen a lot," Hector chuckled.

    "He certainly isn''t my little boy anymore," Hin said sadly. Hector sympathetically patted her hand that was on the table. She smiled at him.

    Kenna once again announced her presence with tea. She set down a cup making a bit of show of keeping it as far from Hector as possible. Hin looked at her a bit quizzically but caught a glimpse of Hectors face that was more smoldering anger than surprise or confusion. This made her curious, but she did not give it voice.

    "Hector, Xan has need of his Paidus," Kenna said plainly.

    Hector tapped the tabletop with a knuckle, then got up from the table and glared at Kenna, "I am sure Alaric needs his too."

    After Hector stormed off Kenna became a bit more cheerful. Hin looked at Kenna and then kind of took a deep breath.

    "So, are you going to tell me what that was about?" Hin asked a bit upset.

    "I don''t have solid proof, but I swear he keeps trying to slip something into your drinks," Kenna whispered.

    "I don''t understand, you think he is trying to ...hurt me?" Hin was incredulous, "He has been nothing but supportive so far."

    "You don''t want to see it. I don''t want to see it either. He is supposed to be my husband''s trusted second, his Paidus. It''s just a feeling." Kenna relented a bit, "He is right, though, I must be off to see to Alaric."

    Hin watched her leave the tent, then turned back to her tray. She picked at it and ate very little. She cleaned up the trays left from others from the table and took them up with hers. She didn''t like things left  to burden others when she could easily do it herself.

    After returning the trays she left and returned to her son''s tent. She knew everyone was off packing up or doing whatever they do in a war camp after the last battle. She picked up her half-charged cell phone and started thumbing through the pictures, and she started crying.

    She set the phone and charger back down harshly and wiped her face, "What am I doing?"

    She noticed a shadow and looked up to its source, shielding her eyes from the sun.

    "I hope you are adjusting," Faris stood over her, looking stiff and uncomfortable.

    "Not really," Hin frowned. She saw Faris slightly frown too then draw in a breath like an inward sigh.

    "I-" Faris was about to say something when Hin interrupted him.

    "I am sorry, I don''t know what you are expecting from me," Hin said a bit more angrily than she intended to.

    "Your arrival has set things in motion, things I don''t quite understand," Faris stumbled over the words.

    "And will you tell me when you do?" Hin looked at his expression then shook her head, "yeah, I didn''t think so."

    "I should leave you now," Faris said quickly as he retreated into a port and was gone.

    Hin picked back up her phone and sighed. Instead of looking at more pictures she decided that she would walk around and take them. It seemed to be the perfect opportunity.

 Chapter Six

    Hector was just exiting the port to Xan''s tent when he felt the burning on his chest. He quickly reached inside his tunic and grabbed a black crystal and he then jerked it off from around his neck. The leather thong gave way at the weak knot at the back of his neck.  He ducked into his own tent and secured the flap.

    He held the crystal to his forehead and he heard the words spoken to him from the other crystal holder.

    "Have you put the potion in The Conduit''s drink yet?" The impatient voice whispered lowly.

    "No, I am sorry. I have tried..." Hector spat out.

    "You have failed. If you can not do this then we have to kill her," The voice said in a rather nasty tone.

    "I can''t kill her," Hector begged.

    "You are weak. You are unworthy of the position we put you in. We have fulfilled our end of the bargain, is that not so?" The voice whispered.

    "Aye, my lords," Hector sighed sadly.

    "You have a day at the most to slip her the potion. After that, we will have little choice," The voice chided.

    "It will be done," Hector said to the empty air.

    Hector retied the knot and put the crystal once again around his neck and inside his tunic. He knew his career as a Page and Squire was considered lackluster. He struggled through his education but mastered weapons easily. He took the short cut and the deal to get a more prestigious placement. A favor then for an unnamed favor in the future. He wanted his father to be proud. Now he regretted it.

    He opened his tent and walked out into the glaring sunlight. The pages and squires were standing before him waiting for their duties of the day. He grumpily shouted instructions and the boys and girls jumped into action and scattered. He was thankful for a day without wearing the heavy armor and having to go to battle.

    "Hector?" He heard Xan coming from his tent.

    "Yes, My Lord," He said

    "The pages and Squires are scheduled to Port back to the barracks today after chores. Can you please see to it they do not get lost or forget things?" Xander asked as he handed a paper to him.

    "Aye, My Lord," Hector looked at the handwritten schedule. He lamented being given busy work.

    They were all old enough to see themselves through the port. He wondered if Kenna had said anything to him. He didn''t like having to look over his shoulder so much.

    "Hector!" He jumped at the exclamation.

    "Yes, sir!" He said and then turned to see Lord Alaric. He really didn''t know how this could be any worse.

    "I hope Lord Xan has told you that you are to be responsible for all the pages and squires," Alaric said as Hector then gazed at the crowd of children behind him. Alaric tried hard not to laugh at the predicament,"Ah, that look on your face says he did not."

    Hector reached out and took the paper from Alaric with a bow, and then looked to the kids. He had no idea how he was supposed to organize an exodus at the last minute. He cleared his throat.

    The children were distracted and shifting in their shoes, but now stood at attention. He mustered his breath and said loudly,"Alright single file, hold hands, no one gets lost."

    This story originates from Royal Road. Ensure the author gets the support they deserve by reading it there.He then opened a port and the children started filing into it and were greeted on the other side by an older Squire, with a happy smiling face. He knew his whole day was going to be just this. Knights or Paidus dropping off their Pages and Squires.

    He was happy to see the lunch hour approach. He Ducked into his tent and went to his mirror. He waved his hand over it and said the name, Faris. It frosted over and then Faris appeared in the mirror.

    "Yes, Hector?" He sounded like he was finally in a good mood.

    "I am going to lunch Your Lordship. Then I will get back to my duties after," Hector said wearily.

    "I appreciate greatly what you are doing. I also wanted to talk to you and Kenna," Faris said and Hectors heart sank, "With actual combat experience I don''t see why all the Paidus that were here, can not move up to full Knighthood."

    Hector smiled and nearly laughed, "Thank you, Lord Faris!!"

    Faris grinned a little then waved the mirror off. Hector felt lighter than he ever had. Full Knight. He had made it. He walked off to the mess tent with nothing else on his mind.

    When he arrived he saw Kenna and Hin sitting at a table talking. Hin waved him over and he was in such a great mood he only slightly felt a panicked pang at the sight of Kenna. He ignored it and hovered long enough to let them know he was going through the line.

    He went through the line and not even the clink of the trays and the scraping of dishes could annoy him like it usually did. he collected his food and then a glass of water, and sat down with the women.

    "Well, don''t you look pleased, "Hin said smiling at him.

    "I just found out that Lady Kenna and I, among other Paidus, will be getting our full Knighthood," His smile stretched nearly from ear to ear.

    "That is great!" Hin cried and Kenna made a noise of joy and hugged Hector.

    "I have to go tell Xan!", Kenna said excitedly then turned to the table,"Will you be ok?"

    Hin shook her head yes and Kenna ran outside and they saw the momentary flash of the port reflect on and through the tent. He saw Hin rub her head.

    "Headache?" He asked.

    "Yes," She said as she covered her face with her hand.

    "You don''t know how to heal yourself do you?" He was a bit surprised.

    "No, I don''t," She frowned at him.

    "Use this instead in some tea with a lot of sugar. It''s Kipu and good for headaches. I can always get more later." Hector said handing over a vial.

    She readily took it and dumped it into her tea. When she went to get more sugar cubes Hector took out his other vial and put it in her tea also. He watched her come back and drink her tea, and her face screwed up and she put her hand to her throat.

    "Ouch! Bitter," she said as she took another slow sip.

    Hector laughed relieved it was not poison, "Yes, very."

    Hector finished his lunch and excused himself. He left Hin to sit and sip tea and make faces. He was relieved. Finally, he could be done with the crystal and the people who gave it to him. He would be his own Knight. Beholden to just the realm itself.

 Chapter Seven

    Aulder heard movement in the doorway and felt the presence. The candles flickered but would not light. They felt pressure in their ears, and in their lungs.

    "I honor you, one who came before." The shadow forced his speech in a hiss of air and vibration.

    Aulder''s scales flickered, then an attempt to breathe flame choked and came out ash and spark. They felt very vulnerable and angry.

    "You honor nothing," Aulder coughed.

    "I am not guilty of the desecration toward your kind!" The shadow was agitated.

    "You are an errant child." Aulder wheezed.

    "Child no longer" an odd chuckle filled the cave.

    "You are too late. The Draconi are with her." Aulder wheezed. The small cave started to feel like it had no air.

    "Your precious children have no idea what they are fighting," The same laugh filled the chamber with an intrusive vibration that shook the walls, "You think you are fighting the shadows when you should fear what''s in them."

    Aulder clutched their throat and mouth trying to breathe. Dust filled nostrils, then lungs. The shadow faded and their lungs suddenly burst with air.

    "He should have killed me," Aulder said before leaving the cave in a grand gesture of silver light.

    They landed on the outskirts of the camp, and they could vaguely sense the woman who would serve as the conduit.  They pursed their lips in thought. Aulder motioned with their right hand and as they drew it down slowly soon there was an old woman standing in Aulder''s place. Aulder picked up a stick and turned it into a cane. Chuckling they hobbled through the magical barrier and into the camp toward one particular tent.

    "Excuse me, are you allowed here?" a young soldier said looking at her curiously.

    "Lord Faris sent me to tend to the new storm traveler." Aulder smiled, "Be dear and point me to her?"

    "Ah, let me escort you then, I am headed right in that direction." The mere boy blushed as he gently took her arm.

    "Well, you must be important." Aulder giggled as his chest suddenly puffed.

    "I am Sir Xander''s squire," He said so proudly he looked to burst.

    "Then I am sure he will reward you for helping an old mother." they patted him on the arm as the young man left them at the entrance to the tent.

    Aulder walked in and started touching things and oohing and ahhing. Human  things and the need to keep creature comforts fascinated them. And this silly sentimentality. Giving meaning to such random objects.

    A stout woman in a t-shirt and jeans entered the tent. She turned and saw the old woman,"Who are you?"

    "They call me Aggie." and Aulder looked at her clothes more closely, "Tsk tsk, they haven''t even got you a proper dress."

    "I don''t want one. Why are you here?" The woman frowned.

    "Oh my," Aulder giggled.

    The woman looked disgusted and plopped down in the chair.

    "Oh, no pouting. I am here to take care of you. How about some tea?" Aulder smiled.

    Stolen from Royal Road, this story should be reported if encountered on Amazon.

    "Thank you that would be nice." She smiled and arranged herself more comfortably in the chair.

    Aulder turned their back and whispered into their hand and a delicate cup full of sweet smelling warm tea appeared. Xander came into the tent. He sighed heavily and walked calmly to the old woman. He bent down and then began to whisper.

    "We are not to use trivial magic. We need to conserve to feed the lights and shield. Please respect the order." he said gruffly and began to walk off then said over his shoulder, "I felt you use it."

    A teacup appeared in Xander''s hands also. Aulder smiled.

    "Surely you could let an old mother have her comfort and custom?" They smiled and bowed their head a little.

    "Just not so much in front of my mother, please." he huffed in resignation.

    They made a little cross with their finger on their heart and put the finger to their lips. Xander turned to his mother. Kissed her on top of her head, set down the teacup in front of her and walked out of the tent.

    Hin drank the tea and seemed to enjoy it. Once the cup was empty she set it down in front of her at the little wooden table.

    "Thank you," Hin said and yawned,"I think I will take a nap, you don''t mind?"

    Aulder shook their head as they watched Hin crawl into a pile of cloth and a makeshift bed. Aulder then produced a bowl of water and a wooden Dragon. They whispered and looked into the water and saw what Hin was dreaming. They then whispered for the tiny dragon to stand guard while they watched.

    Hin dreamed of a bell tolling. Low and steady. Hin followed the sound in her dream until she came to a stone house. She opened the door and found nothing but white-hot light pouring out. Hin shielded her eyes. Then she took a step toward the door.

    Aulder heard crying now and saw that Hin responded to it too, beyond the light. Hin moved effortlessly. Gliding to the other side of the light to a dingy city street. Looking down at the cobblestones, and up at the lights. Hin looked at a figure in an alley crying. Hin moved forward but a wall of black emptiness stood in her way. The dragon bellowed flame in a warning, and then Hin started to choke and was fighting in her sleep. Aulder jumped from the chair.

    Aulder waved their hand over the woman''s throat. They saw her panic ease. Aulder let a green healing light trail their hand and ran it over most of her body. The healers had left too much undone. Now she would start to feel better. They made sure Hin went back to sleep. The dream was the start. They knew The child had been seen, but a dream attack was highly irregular. Itzal was certainly showing just how much he had learned in exile. It was too much. Aulder clucked their tongue and thought hard about their next steps. They had to tread lightly but knew also they had no time left to coddle the woman. Itzal now knew where the child was. And Aulder knew they had to reach the child soon.

 Chapter Eight

    Elda watched the merchant closely. She studied his stand and where it looked the easiest to grab the fruit from. Something shimmery around the stand caught her eye for a moment, it looked like a sparkly woven cloth with rich colors, but then she blinked and the shimmer was gone. it didn''t seem to cover the whole stand so she decided she would take the fruit from the area she didn''t see any shimmer. As soon as the loud talkative woman approached his stall she snuck slowly around the edge and carefully removed a small fruit from a stack at the same end. She then strolled away toward the alley and her pile of blankets.

    She ate slowly. Not to savor the taste, she actually disliked the bitter fruit immensely. No, she ate slowly so that she could feel less hungry for longer.

    She pulled the cloth over her knees and noticed a new hole starting in the fabric. She would have to steal a new produce sack to turn into a dress before long.

    She saw a man doting on his little girl. She felt pangs of sorrow and her brown skin rippled with bright pink. She wished she knew where her parents were. They never came back. She was tired of hiding and missed her family. She was scared. Father had told her to run if she smelled death.

    She closed her eyes to rest. Soon she dreamed of a clearing in a forest. She was standing in the middle. She heard movement on the edges in the shadows.

    "Who is there?" she called out while trying to visually chase the figure.

    "Your destiny." The whisper caressed her and sent chills up her spine.

    "I don''t have a destiny." She stuttered.

    "We are connected. Prophesized. Call me Itzal, The First Shadow. Come to me." His words seductively hung in her mind. Her skin rippled pink continuously all over as her body slightly tingled.

    She woke suddenly, her hair standing on end all over her body as the pink ripples of color subsided. She looked around to see if anyone saw her affliction.

    She sighed in relief and quickly gathered her blankets and draped them around her like a wrapped dress. She covered her head. She walked toward the edge of the city. The gates were closed. Soldiers guarded them heavily. The war made it necessary. She looked at the walls and could not see a way over and found that they too were guarded. She saw the shimmer of the light shield the Draconi had put into place. She could feel it''s slight vibration, like a pattern, it called to her like a heartbeat. For a moment, she saw the same woven cloth in different colors, and once she blinked it was gone.  Initiates in white robes, though powerful in their own rights, stood to the side feeding the light shield. She puzzled over it just long enough, then remembered why she was really here, at the wall around the city.

    Unauthorized usage: this narrative is on Amazon without the author''s consent. Report any sightings.

    She quickly appraised her situation, between the soldiers and the Draconi wizard Initiates, she knew she was stuck inside the walls. She realized then that she knew she shouldn''t go outside the city just because of a silly dream. This time, when her skin rippled with pink, no one could see. The blanket covered it all.

    She walked back toward the stalls of the market looking for an alley that might be more welcoming than the last. Most were well lit and clean, but she needed dark and a place she could disappear in.

    It was oddly quiet. Then she noticed that no one was on the street. No people or pets. Just nothing. Then a bit of steam, or was it smoke began to flow in front of her and as it got thicker, it became the form of a man. He was smoking a pipe and the smoke seemed to flow into the bowl, in a backward sort of motion and then the man smiled and let out a large breath of smoke that wafted like a cloud.

    Elda began to wonder if she were still dreaming. She rubbed her eyes and pinched herself. The man chuckled and she could hear his silk robes rustle in movement and the clack his sandals made on the cobblestone and tile sidewalk. The smoke smelled sweet and light. Like a spring day, and Elda smiled and sniffed and she let imaginary sunlight touch her skin and it was blissfully warm. She could feel the slight breeze and was just starting to see the meadow flowers when the man touched her.

    "I was sent to get you out." The man said as Elda startled back to reality.

    She was confused for a moment, "Am I dreaming you too?"

    "No. We must hurry, you are no longer safe here."  The strange man said and he opened a portal that did not shine gold but shimmered black.

    Elda hesitated at the mouth of the portal. It was so different and dark, and hungry. She could feel cool damp air from the other side, and smelled the moss and water. She closed her eyes and forced herself through and she was alone. The forest was dark. And a crow sat on a branch above her cawing and flapping, and was it laughing? A dark brown stag then walked slowly up to her, his horns adorned in feathers and trinkets. He kneeled and the crow flew down to land on a branch of his horns. She only hesitated for a moment, then put her arms around The stag''s neck and got on. He got to his feet and slowly walked on the mossy green logs and stones that seemed to make a path through the forest.

 Chapter Nine

    He cherished the feel of air in his tattered wings. Soon the last of the dragon''s flesh would be gone, and he would not be able to fly over the wastes outside of his cave. The beauty of his skeletal dragon form was the epitome of what he ruled. The most beautiful of all the beauty that was death. He felt the buzzing in his head and upon landing took humanoid form. He then sent himself through the link. On the other end was his most trusted High Priest Lich Trune, and newly come to the form.

    "You have finished your transformation, I am well pleased," He said through the link.

    "Thank you, My Lord God Nidhuggr," Trune replied and he could feel his pride through the link.

    "So, what good news have you for me?" Nidhuggr grinned.

    "The tracking potion worked. We found the girl. She is starting to come into her powers," Trune said

    "That is good. We must act quickly and kill her before she reaches her full potential." Nidhuggr replied.

    "Yes, but there has been a problem." Trune hesitated in the link, and Nidhuggr grew frustrated.

    "Problem?" Nidhuggr bellowed through the link and he felt Trune flinch,"We have the conduit tracked and we know where the girl is through the conduit, I assume."

    "It''s the girl. We can no longer track her through the conduit. She has disappeared from the city. Someone is shielding her." Trune said.

    "WHO?" Nihduggr sent through the link with all his anger. He felt Trune retreat for just a moment then he heard him quietly through the link.

    "My Lord God, we think your brother has found a way back from exile and is interfering," Trune almost whispered,"He has also been able to recall his army from your control."

    "The shadow army is nothing, merely a diversion. He wouldn''t have enough power to hide her from me alone. Find who is helping him and we find the girl." Nidhuggr said a bit more pleased.

    Unauthorized reproduction: this story has been taken without approval. Report sightings.

    "And the conduit?" Trune asked.

    "Send one of Death''s Hand, she is no longer needed and she still poses a threat. Tell them to possess that brainless sport and then ignite his crystal, we rid ourselves then of anything that might lead them to you, or me." Nidhuggr was feeling more confident in his plan,"And send someone to find the girl and whoever is helping her. She needs to die and soon."

    "Yes My Lord God Nidhuggr," Trune said reverently and cut the link.

    This would do nicely. They couldn''t help but use magic. Once the land was drained of it, the only ones who could stand against him would be the Dragons or Dragonborn. They were driven almost to extinction in the Necromancy war. His delicious war, that had his brother exiled instead of him.

    He took to his magnificent Dragon Lich form and felt the flesh in his wings full of rot as they would tear in the wind. He landed on the edge of the wastes and sat there. With his God spark, he searched with his mind for his Brother. He found him, or part of him in the shadows.

    "Dear Brother Itzal. Why you are hardly yourself," Nidhuggr laughed.

    "I am what you made me. Why seek me now?" Itzal paused and Nidhuggr felt Itzal''s amusement, "What''s the matter, lose something?"

    "Oh, don''t worry brother, soon I will have what I wanted." Nidhuggr let his confidence trail through the link,"I am good at waiting and hiding, which you were not."

    "That is because I do not hide in the body of my victim," Itzal said and Nidhuggr could feel his disgust and it amused him.

    "And not one who''d believe you, mortal or God, even if you did tell them." Nidhuggr laughed. He felt Itzal retreat from the link. He felt glorious.

    He took to the air again and swiftly flew to the top of his mountain where his cave was and perched. He bellowed triumphant in his joy, and the wastes trembled.

 Chapter Ten

    Elda woke from her sleep still somehow straddled on the great stag. The crow flapped his wings and she sat up. She rubbed her eyes clear of sleep and looked around her. The stag stopped and knelt so that she could get down. She slowly set her bare feet on the soft moss that carpeted the surrounding glen.

    The stag then seemed to blur for a moment then in his place was a slender athletic man wearing brown robes. He had dark brown shoulder length hair and ears that looked like a deer''s. His antlers still stretched above his head with talismans and various feathers dangling from them. The crow still sat in them too. His skin was covered in soft brown velvet fur. The stag turned man took her hand and smiled. She slowly smiled back and was not afraid just curious. She felt calm and safe.

    They walked further into the glen and she heard water from a fall. Lights danced throughout the trees in a random swirling pattern. She looked closer at the trees and they looked as though they had grown specifically to become houses for the many strange and curious people she saw coming out to see her and her companion walk by.

    "You must be very important for them to come out and look," Elda said quite in awe of her rescuer.

    "I am my queen''s consort," He shrugged, "However, it is you they come out to see."

    "Me?" Elda was stunned.

    "Yes, you, Little Hatyri," The man smiled down at her.

    "My name is Elda," she corrected him with a slight tug at his hand.

    "I know Little One. Hatyri is your title, your duty, and your destiny," He didn''t smile this time at her. Instead, he looked a little sad.

    "I don''t have a destiny," she said perturbed.

    "Men wish and dream for divine destiny, and the only one born to it denies it," his face lit up with his amusement,"You mortals are strange indeed."

    "But she is more than mere mortal, Jelen," A woman with black long hair wearing black robes with piercing blue eyes said as they reached a large tree and it''s open door.

    Elda looked at the woman closer. On the sides of her face, she realized what she thought was hair were feathers. Fine black feathers and her arms had the same feathers. The feathers climbed her throat and framed her chin and jaw. She was so in awe of this woman''s beauty she did not notice that she had let her hold on her own skin ripple slip and she looked at herself in horror and feared being sent away. She could not stop the pink from taking over her soft brown skin.

    If you discover this tale on Amazon, be aware that it has been unlawfully taken from Royal Road. Please report it.

    "Oh, look how beautiful you are Hatyri!" The woman looked at her with a smiling face that had a warm glow to it. The feathers on her head seemed to stand up just a bit.

    "You ...think I''m beautiful?" Elda hesitated.

    "Oh, child. What you will become will make the Gods themselves jealous." The woman said and then laughed.

    "Come, my Queen Ravena, it has been a long journey for us," Jelen said as he moved through the threshold of the door.

    "Of course, my dear. And The Emissary must be tired as well," Ravena said as the crow flew to the floor inside.

    He became the same man Elda saw in the city who made the portal for her to leave. He laughed joyfully and lit his pipe. He bowed graciously to the Queen. Elda ran up to Jelen, and lightly tugged his hand. He leaned over and put his face closer to hers.

    "Thank you," she whispered into his ear. He smiled widely and looked pleased.

    "Come, we will eat and then rest. There will be much to do later." Jelen said taking her hand and leading her to a great room.

    The room had a long table with large pillows strewn around it. On the table was fresh fruit and vegetables. Elda was again in awe. She was so hungry and never thought she would see so much food again. She let go of Jelen''s hand and ran toward the table trying to decide what to pick first. She picked a succulent fruit letting the juices run down her face and arm, as she bit into it, savoring the sweetness.

    "What magics does the child know? Does she know her family''s history?" Elda heard the Queen Ravena ask.

    "I do not think she knows much, they were in hiding from ''them'' for a very long time." Elda heard the man with the pipe answer.

    The way he said Them made her shiver. She remembered them and the stench they brought with them of Death. Her brown skin once again rippled pink.

    "We should discuss this elsewhere, we have upset her," Jelen said and she saw him frown, "Anything she does not know can be taught starting tomorrow."

    Jelen then ushered the others to another room from her and for the moment she was happy to once again give her attention to the fruit in her hand.

 Chapter Eleven

    Aulder quickly ducked out of the tent and looked around. There were so very few tents left. All the pages and squires had gone. A few soldiers were shuffling back and forth packing gear.  Aulder opened a port to outside Faris'' tent. Forgoing any disguise they walked into the tent without announcing themselves.

    "I found the child," Aulder said.

    "Aulder? You did?" Faris was surprised.

    "She is in your capital city, and she is in danger," Aulder said forcibly, "He found her too."

    "We need to make our last preparations then, Dragonis is waiting for us at my Estate." Faris jumped up and went to his mirror.

    "I will go back to the conduit," Aulder said as Faris waved his hand over the mirror.

    "Her name is Hin," Faris said.

    "Yes of course," Aulder said absently as they walked out of the tent to make the port back.

    As soon as they exited the port, Aulder smelled something rank. It was foul as death. They sniffed The air trying to determine where the familiar stench was coming from. They followed it to Hector''s tent. Aulder walked in and found the young man packing up his belongings. He turned quickly at the intrusion.

    "Who are you?" Hector yelled.

    "What''s around your neck, I can see the darkness in it, and smell the stench of death," Aulder spat angrily.

    Hector looked quite confused. Then he looked as if he remembered something. He took it out from his shirt and handed it over to Aulder.

    "Please, have mercy. No one came to harm," Hector pleaded.

    "Come with me child. Faris must judge this, not I," Aulder said as they walked out of the tent holding the crystal.

    Hector followed Aulder out of the tent and into the port they made. Both of them stood outside Faris'' tent. Hector bowed his head and entered the tent after Aulder. Faris turned his attention from the mirror and looked at Aulder in a questioning manner.

    "He reeked of death," Aulder spat disgusted and angry.

    "Hector? Surely not," Faris exclaimed.

    "Do you have so little dragon in you?" Aulder asked feeling very hurt.

    "Hector what have you done?" Faris asked in a very resigned tone.

    "I... I put a potion in her drink," Hector cried as he bent down and got to his knees.

    "Do you still have the container?" Faris asked in an alarmed tone.

    Hector reached into his pouch and pulled out two empty vials. He handed them over to Faris.

    Faris unstoppered the first vial and sniffed. Then handed it to Aulder.

    "Kipu," Aulder said as he sniffed again, then motioned Faris to give him the other vial. He sniffed it then made a face, "A tracer potion. This is how He knows about the girl."

    "Hector, stay here," Faris ordered and Hector nodded.

    Aulder followed Faris out of his tent. Faris turned to them, his face was pure anger and frustration.

    "What are you doing here," Faris put an emphasis on every word.

    "Itzal came to my home, he knew where I was hiding," Aulder said plainly, "your need led him to me."

    Unauthorized tale usage: if you spot this story on Amazon, report the violation.

    "What are you doing Here," Faris stared at them.

    "I decided to help you, my dear," Aulder said pleasantly and then added, "Be grateful."

    "You decided to... Help," Faris threw his hands up in the air, "Go back in my tent and keep Hector company, I need to think."

    Aulder watched him walk off then went back into the tent.

    "How did you know, how did you smell it?" Hector asked.

    "Have you never met a Dragon before, oh no, of course not," Aulder laughed at Hector''s puzzled expression.

    "You are a dragon?" Hector sounded confused.

    "No more questions or I''ll eat you," Aulder said annoyed.

    Hector scooted to the far side of the tent and wiped sweat from his forehead nervously. Aulder laughed at him. The silence that followed was uneasy. Although Aulder enjoyed the silence more than anything, they grew bored with Hector''s breathing, and the stench of death still rolled off of him from some hidden taint of the crystal.

    "Are you a necromancer?" Aulder asked

    "No, my lord," Hector said while shaking his head.

    "Then how did you come by this crystal?" Aulder was curious.

    "When I made Paidus, A man approached me promising a very prominent appointment," Hector said, "A favor for a favor later. Then he gave me the crystal and said when he needed the favor he would contact me with it."

    "And the vial?" Aulder snapped.

    "I left camp after the first contact to collect it from the place he left it." Hector gulped, "An abandoned farm not far from here."

    "And this was all you had to do?" Aulder asked feeling very skeptical.

    "I swear it, my lord." Hector sounded frightened and nervous.

    Aulder sensed something lurking. Then they looked closer they noticed the bump under the surrounding atmosphere, a wraith, come to cause death. An assassin. Aulder concentrated on the wraith, and then he felt it quietly implode at his bidding. No doubt it''s master felt it''s death. They were running out of time, and it appeared that Itzal''s return was bringing the necromancers out. This must be why he recalled his Shadow army. He planned a more subtle approach. Aulder paced the small space and watched Hector flinch when he came close. Why must everyone take so long? Aulder grew more irritable. This would never do. Aulder was about to leave the tent when Faris returned.

    "You will need to come with us to my estate. I will let you look for the child" Faris did not seem as upset as before. Aulder bowed his head in acknowledgment.

    "Hector please go collect your belongings." Faris sighed. Hector got up and ran for the entrance to the tent.

    "You aren''t going to send someone to guard him?" Aulder asked curiously.

    "Alaric is waiting by his tent," Faris said plainly.

    "Ah," Aulder smiled, "They sent a Wraith assassin, I took care of it, but they will send more."

    "Do you have somewhere to be, other than here?" Faris sounded frustrated again.

    "Of course." Aulder bowed their head slightly and then exited the tent.

    Aulder ported back to Xander''s tent and then stepped inside. Hin was still sleeping. Aulder resumed their disguise and sat down to wait.

 Chapter Twelve

    Elda woke from her nap feeling groggy but satisfied. Her belly was full. She wished her parents were here with her. She felt guilty that she didn''t wait for them longer. She stretched and yawned. She felt delighted at the gown they had given her. It was bright yellow like a flower and soft like summer. It made her brown skin glow. They allowed her to continue barefoot. The floor felt smooth and alive. She could feel the life of the tree. It was like a slight hum under her skin.

    "Good you are up," Jelen said to her as he smiled, "It was a good nap?"

    Elda nodded her head in agreement. She stood and swirled around to make the gown open like a Lily around her. She didn''t think she would ever get tired of feeling this way. Her parents would be happy she was so well cared for. She frowned again.

    "Come Little Hatyri, the others wait," Jelen said and then took her hand as she twirled up to his side.

    She held his hand tight, as he directed her through a doorway and into a room with chairs and couches. She picked a pretty red chair. She sat down and looked around her. She saw the man who took her from the city, and the queen, and Jelen. Jelen was her favorite. She felt akin to him. She could not explain the closeness she felt. It seemed natural.

    "What do you know of your History?" The Queen, Ravenna, asked her.

    Elda thought for a moment, "The Gods made Kalestra, at the center of all the universe''s crossroads, and then could not agree on how to populate it."

    She saw The queen nod in encouragement.

    "Then the dragons ripped open space and time to enter the world. Causing the first storm," Elda started reciting from memory what she had learned, "Then came storm travelers of all kinds, and bred with the dragons, making the Dragonborn and later the Draconi who rule the lands."

    "They did not teach you the Fae history?" The Queen sounded a bit upset.

    "Fae?" Elda asked scrunching her forehead.

    "We came through the same rip. We have a truce with the Dragons," The Queen said.

    "Truce?" Elda was confused.

    "Our world was torn by war. We helped each other through the rip. We were content to live far from them, and not start the old rivalries." Jelen said.

    "So you used to be at war with the dragons?" Elda was fascinated.

    "That was well over a thousand years ago and on a different world," The Queen replied.

    "Oh," Elda swung her legs back and forth trying to remember other things, "Did you fight in the Necromancy War?"

    "No, we did not," Jelen answered, "By that time we had already built our place between realms."

    "Between Realms?" Elda was not sure she understood, "Am I between realms?"

    "Yes," The Queen said as she looked at Elda amused.

    "There are 6 realms. The realm that the dragons and mortals share, The Realm of Earth, The Realm of Fire, The Realm of Water, The Realm of Air, and The Realm of the Gods of Kalestra." This time, the man with the pipe spoke. Elda squinted at him.

    Stolen from Royal Road, this story should be reported if encountered on Amazon.

    "Yes, Saido,  A Realm or Plane for every mark given to a traveler," Jelen said nodding his head but sounded annoyed, "We chose not to stay with the dragons or Gods."

    "So we are between the mortal lands and the elemental realms?" Elda wanted to be sure she understood.

    "Yes!" The Queen sounded pleased, "She will be a quick study."

    "I have to study?" Elda was worried.

    "You will have to learn many things, Little Hatyri," Jelen said warmly.

    "What kinds of things?" Elda was curious. She was beginning to like being called Hatyri. Especially by Jelen.

    "How to use all the magic in your blood and how to become a warrior," Jelen said.

    "Are you going to teach me?" Elda was hopeful.

    "When you become what you are meant to be, you may come back for me to teach." Jelen smiled at her.

    "And when is that?" Elda prodded.

    "Soon Dear One, soon." The Queen interjected. Elda frowned and swung her legs in agitation.

    "I need to take my leave," Saido said as he stood up, "King Jelen, could you show me to the mortal realm?"

    "Of course," Jelen said as he stood, and kissed Queen Ravena''s hand then turned and smiled at Elda, and she beamed her pleasure.

    They both watched as the men left the room. Elda did not want Jelen to go.

    "That feeling you have around Jelen," The queen said interrupting Elda''s thoughts, "Is blood calling to blood."

    "Blood?" Elda was confused.

    "You are a descendant of his sister," The queen responded, "She always held an unhealthy fascination for mortals."

    "I am part Fae?" Elda was interested now.

    "Yes. And Dragon," The queen smiled at her.

    "Dragon?" Elda questioned, "So I am Draconi?"

    "You are more, you are the merging of bloodlines," The queen said.

    "What am I supposed to do?" Elda was curious about her so called destiny.

    "For now, learn and grow, Little One," The Queen smiled at her.

    "And later?" Elda pushed.

    "Later, you will be Hatyri," The queen said.

    "What is a Hatyri?" Elda was nervous.

    "You will be the whisper on every God''s lips," The Queen responded eerily and Elda shivered.

 Chapter Thirteen

    "Do you have a moment?" Faris heard Xander say after softly knocking on a tent pole.

    "For you? All the time in the world, friend," Faris wearily smiled.

    "I wanted to show you something," Xander said.

    Faris watched him set a ring down that looked to be made from a piece of a worm scale.

    "Is that..." Faris said curiously.

    "Yes. And I think I made a breakthrough on making it more than just a one-use magically imbued item." Xander said looking excited.

    "That is remarkable. What use does it have?" Faris asked intrigued.

    "It opens a port. I was hoping you would help me test it. Your sensitivity to magic is far greater than my own." Xander said looking hopeful.

    "Of course," Faris was happy to help. If magic was running out, having things like this would be useful indeed.

    "Great! Oh, and one more thing," Xander said.

    "Yes?" Faris asked.

    "That woman you sent to care for my mother..." Xander said then Faris interrupted him.

    "Oh, that is no woman, That is my Progenitor. You have met your first Dragon," Faris laughed.

    "That... is incredible! I can''t wait to talk to them." Then Xander paused, "Them, is correct right? How do I address a Dragon?"

    "Well how about just using their name, Aulder," Faris grinned, "I know it takes a lot to get used to, addressing someone with no sex when our languages are centric to those things."

    "I guess it gives the Dragon language better context knowing," Xander said smiling.

    "Yes," Faris said, "I will see you and your mother at dinner. Alaric and Kenna have said they can work miracles with what is left of the rations."

    "Speaking of my Mother," Xander said after a pause, "Maybe we should tell her what is going on."

    "She would be in more danger if she knew," Faris shrugged.

    "I think if you gave her a chance she might surprise you," Xander  shrugged, "Kenna and I will not go against your orders, though, for now"

    "Appreciated and noted. We leave in the morning and will breakfast at my Estate." Faris said trying to get back to a lighter mood.

    "I can''t wait." Xander smiled and then ducked out of the tent.

    Faris fingered the ring and felt the magic swirling inside. He put it on the first finger that fit. He walked out of his tent and opened a port using the ring. it was a short distance and then he opened another port a short distance. He was impressed. Faris decided that he would test the ring and a longer distance in the morning by using it to port home. The longer the distance the more magic is used, and it would be a good way to see if it depleted the content of the ring. He ported back to his tent.

    The story has been stolen; if detected on Amazon, report the violation.

    He walked in and took the ring off and laid it next to the box containing the necromancer crystal. The box came alive as the crystal reacted to the ring, and the ring vibrated in kind. Faris picked the ring up again and moved it away from the box with the crystal. Both stopped moving. He moved it closer. The box moved again, and the ring vibrated in his hands. He made a mental note to show this to Dragonis and Xander when they got home.

    Faris sighed, and again walked out of his tent and ported to Alaric''s tent. He went in and saw Hector sitting on the ground with his head hanging low.

    "I''ve really messed this all up," Hector said looking up with a tear-streaked face and red puffy eyes. His blonde hair was scraggly and looked as though he had been pulling it.

    "I am sorry. I have stripped you of your knighthood," Faris said and Hector started sobbing again.

    Faris sighed. He felt horrible for this, but he must be made an example. The necromancer infiltration needed to be uprooted and put on notice.

    "Who promised you the appointment to be Xander''s Paidus?" Faris asked sternly.

    "I wasn''t promised Xander, exactly. He said it would just be prominent. He wore Magus robes and a scarf around his head and face." Hector said between sobs. Faris frowned.

    "When we get to my estate, I will have to send you to the jail." Faris shook his head as Hector began to wail.

    "Don''t you think you are being a bit harsh?" Faris turned to see Hin standing in the doorway of the tent.

    "No, I don''t," Faris was angry that she intruded,"What are you doing here?"

    "I came to visit Hector, and to see that he is ok," She said in a tense tone while smiling. Faris did not know what to make of that.

    "You would do that for me? After what I did?" Hector said looking shocked and relieved at the same time.

    "Of course, I would. People make mistakes," Hin said as she smiled, "I am no saint."

    "Saint?" Hector questioned.

    "I only mean..." Hin was trying to explain

    "Please follow me from the tent My Lady, you see he is unharmed," Faris interrupted and took Hin by her arm firmly and took her from the tent.

    "Thank you," She said with a clenched jaw and jerked her arm from his grasp, then she stalked off in the direction of Xander''s tent.

    Faris was relieved to watch her go. She was so intense and it made him uncomfortable. It seemed everywhere she went a storm followed. He was relieved not to be caught in it anymore. He ported back to his tent. He opened his last bottle of brandy. He sat down and instead of pouring a glass, drank from the bottle. Dinner would be long and uncomfortable.

 Chapter Fourteen

    Lyros was thumbing through the cameras doing his routine security check of the ship earlier than usual. He couldn''t explain why he just had a feeling. He had almost completed the circuit of rooms when he noticed the engine room looked a bit empty.

    "Ryino?" He said pushing the talk button down worriedly.

    He waited a minute then flipped back to the guest quarters. The lounge was empty too. He sighed heavily and locked the bridge door and started transferring controls to the bridge. The alarms went off indicating weapon fire.

    "Damn pirates," He grumbled under his breath.

    After he transferred the last of the environmental controls, he flipped the speakers wide open.

    "I have full control of the ship," Lyros announced.

    No one answered him. He paced. He didn''t like this. The alarm on the console behind him went off. Someone was trying to open the docking airlock. He made sure it hadn''t opened. No more would get on board that way. He set off his beacon to signal a ship in distress. He hoped the nearest Imorium ship might pick it up in time. This was not a well-traveled route for the peacekeepers.

    Now he could hear the weapon fire, and he heard someone punching keys on the lock.

    "You won''t get in," Lyros said as he pushed the door''s speaker button.

    He leaned over and thumbed through his cameras. One by one the views became obstructed. The cameras were being destroyed.

    "Damnation!" he spat as the someone on the other side continued to distract him by pressing keys.

    Lyros started to feel a bit dry, then his skin began tingling, and then more painfully the tingles began to move across his body and then became constant. He fought the pain and his inability to breathe so he could look at the environmental controls. They were no longer his, they had been stolen. Only he noticed they had used a password.

    "Ryino! I will kill you myself!" he yelled as he hit the floor and passed out.

    Lyros came to in one of his escape pods. He took the control panel off and began rewiring the jets, maybe he could reach the main shipping lanes in this before the fuel gave out. An alarm then went off announcing loudly that the pod had encountered a large gravitational wave. He looked out his little window and saw a black hole or rather the matter around the hole.

    Lyros sighed,"That''s it. I''m dead."

    You could be reading stolen content. Head to Royal Road for the genuine story.

    He laid his head back and started to make his last preparations. He left a message for his family inside the communal mind. He was sorry to die their biggest disappointment. Then he heard storm like noises outside the pod when he rationally knew it could not be possible. Through the window it looked like flashes of purple light, then he and the pod started snapping and popping with static energy. Then out of his window, he saw a large planet and he was moving towards it quickly.

    "Oh no, no, no, no!" He cried as he tried to rehook the propulsion jets up so they would fire and slow his decent.

    It was too late, the pod started to heat up rapidly and all the alarms were ringing in his ears. He pulled wires and tried to shut them up. He tried to get the jets to fire again but only half of them sputtered. A new part of the escape pod started to heat up, and as it did he could see it burn up faster. The planet now looked like land, lots of it, and a limitless horizon. At least, he was going to die somewhere beautiful. He wondered what had happened to the black hole. Did he fall through it? He was no longer in the Drengo system. This was not a planet he recognized. But it was beautiful, and lush.

    His pod raced across the planet and into shadow. He was now coming in on the night side. That meant he would be well seen, and whatever populated this planet would know exactly where to find his pod. Maybe they would pity him and bury him. Or maybe if he didn''t die they might just finish the job. He waited anxiously for the pod to hit, growing annoyed at how slow time had begun to pass in his anxiety. Lyros looked away from the land and up to his glorious flame trail as he came down hard feeling jolt after jolt as the pod tumbled. He thought it would never stop and then he hit his head and was out again.

    As he came to, the wires and relays popped and ignited in tiny fires around him, drying his blue skin again. He banged his fist against a display and it flickered long enough for him to see the sixty-five percent humidity. Water! Oxygen! He could open the pod door and get out of this death trap. He flipped the switch and he heard a noise, but the door did not open. He started kicking at it and it did not budge. He felt to his side and was relieved to feel he still had his welding torch and his weapons. He turned the torch on and cut his way out of the pod.

    ''As soon as I can stand,'' he thought, ''I will get what I can and move on quickly.'' For the moment, he felt lucky just to rest and breathe.

    Lyros worked his way out of the escape pod. He gathered his equipment and put it in the pack. He checked his weapons to make sure they were still charged and pulled the small battery from the pod wreckage and placed it in the pack also. The flames were still smoldering, and then down came the rain. He felt so much better now that he was wet. His skin needed the excessive moisture to heal. He heard the fires extinguish and he saw The tops of the trees over the horizon of the crater. He climbed out and headed for the copse of trees. He thought it would be best to sit and wait. Lyros wanted to see what would come for the pod he was curious about what lived here.

 Chapter Fifteen

    Xander walked to where they agreed to meet, to all port back to Faris'' home. He could hear his mother arguing with someone. He took a deep breath and prepared himself. What was it with her rubbing everyone the wrong way?

    "Your compassion speaks well of you, but I can not do as you ask." He heard Alaric say.

    "I am unharmed, surely you can show leniency." He heard his mother pleading.

    "You don''t quite understand," Alaric sighed

    "That''s right, and I won''t until you tell me," He heard his mother become more agitated, " You all are keeping things from me. I''m just expected to follow along and do as I am told."

    "Mom, it will be ok, I promise," he said as he walked up. His mother gave him a dirty look but relented. She picked up her hiking backpack and put it on.

    Xan looked to Hector who still refused to look anyone in the eye. Hector''s head hung low. He didn''t hate Hector, he was just mostly frustrated that someone could get this close. He was angry that it involved his mother.

    "Everyone ready to go?" Faris said as he walked up. Kenna was behind Faris and Xander smiled at her. The Dragon, Aulder, brought up the rear.

    He saw his mother shoot Aulder a dirty look. She still had not forgiven the dragon for their lie. He saw Faris open the port with his ring. He was pleased that it was still holding up. Alaric stepped through holding onto to Hector. And Xander saw two guards take Hector away. He saw a man step up to the edge of the port who looked like carved onyx. With silver hair and bright silver eyes. This must be Dragonis. Finally, someone he could talk to about Dragon magic. He was fascinated. He held his mother''s hand because he saw her become nervous about entering the port. Aulder and Faris were beside them.

    "You forgot this," Kenna said as she handed a black crystal to Faris.

    Xan and everyone else paused just on the threshold of the port as Faris took the crystal in his hand that was wearing the port ring Xander had made. Suddenly there was an explosion, and Xander fell and was wet, and he heard others nearby struggling. He stood up and looked around. He was in a swamp and the trees had vine-like appendages that were reaching for him and he knocked them aside. He heard his mother yelling about the trees and water. Then he looked up and saw Faris caught in the vines and he wasn''t moving.

    "Letsoa Angaar Lekuso Katha... " Xander was chanting to slowly burn the vines when suddenly flame came from everywhere and broke his focus and singed his beard.

    "Are you crazy or stupid? I was going to slow burn the vines so we wouldn''t hurt Faris! Heal him!" Xander yelled at Aulder.

    Xander could see the badly singed clothing Faris was wearing. He could also tell from here that he wasn''t breathing. His mother bent over him. She moved his head to face the side then put her finger in his mouth to clear any debris.

    "I can''t heal the dead," Aulder looked sadly at Faris,"He has no heartbeat."

    "You killed him with your impatience!" Xander yelled again.

    "Where is his heart?" His mother yelled.

    "It''s about where ours is," Xander said after realizing what she intended,"just be gentle."

    His mother nodded then started compressions on his chest and then moved his head into position for breathing into his mouth. She was counting thrusts and breaths while Xander was counting seconds. Then Faris took a deep breath on his own.

    "Heal Him!" Xander yelled again and Aulder rushed To Faris'' side and began healing.

    His mother helped Faris into a sitting position, and he looked mostly awake. Xander allowed a breath of momentary relief but was still extremely angry with Aulder. He had almost lost his best friend.

    "We should port to the estate now," Aulder said impatiently.

    "No, Faris needs to rest and you''ve already killed the tree vines," Xander''s mother said as she pulled a small package from her pack and unfolded a foil blanket and then put her pack under Faris'' head.

    If you encounter this story on Amazon, note that it''s taken without permission from the author. Report it.

    "No, I''m fine, what happened?" Faris looked around and tried to take the blanket off.

    "Shh lay down, questions can be answered after," Hin said as Xan watched her push Faris back down and cover  him again, "I need rest too."

    "We are going to stay," Xander said and gave a very stern angry look to Aulder, "I will go get wood for a fire."

    Xander huffed off into the woods. He patted down his pockets looking for the small mirror he usually carried. He wanted to check on Kenna. He realized it must still be in the water where he fell. Even more frustrated than before he moved on. He came to a spot and asked the dryads their permission to collect the wood he would need. The trees bowed their permission and their leaves sang in the wind. He was clenching his jaw. He bent over and began picking up sticks while thinking about everything that had happened.

    Xander then noticed a blur from the corner of his eye before he was hit hard and knocked down. He could hear the dryads laughing and it made him angry. He got up and brushed off his shirt and pants. The blur came to him again then stopped and held a sword to his neck. It was a man in brown robes with brown hair and deer antlers and ears. His skin looked like brown velvet. The deer man''s sword was white polished wood and the edges looked amazingly sharp. Then he blurred away again. Xander became extremely annoyed and angrier than before. He pulled his sword.

    Xander looked closely and caught site of the blur again. Before it could get close to him he made the earth reach up and grab the brown man''s feet and root him into the ground. He then lifted his sword and ran toward the brown man intending to kill him when he began to speak.

    "You are impressive, Havadar," The brown man bowed graciously to him.

    Xander stopped, sheathed his sword, and walked the other way and began picking up sticks again.

    "I have offended you," The man said while following him.

    Xander grunted and kept walking and gathering fallen wood from the ground. He watched a  crow land on the deer man''s antler and it cawed. The two stood still and ceased following him. Xander turned back around and continued walking.

    "I am Jelen, my friend when you are ready," and Jelen walked off.

    When Xander calmed down enough he returned to his mother and the rest of the group. Standing with the others was Jelen.  ''Of course.'' He thought and took a deep breath and walked to his mother and put down the wood in front of her.

    "I would like for you to come to my city," Jelen said to Xander, "There are important things to discuss."

    "We can discuss them here," he said a bit annoyed.

    "Please Havadar," Jelen pleaded, "This needs to be handled in the most secure way."

    "Go, Xander. It sounds important and they said they can''t discuss it with me present. I have been compromised somehow," Xander''s mother said in an equally annoyed tone.

    "Faris may come too, but the dragon and your mother stay here," Jelen said.

    "I will be ok," His mother smiled.

    Xander helped Faris to his feet and they both followed Jelen for a short walk. Then Jelen seemed to visibly split the air and open a hole into another forest with dancing lights and tall trees.  They stepped through cautiously. The rift closed behind them smoothly.

    "We have the Hatyri," Jelen said,"I apologize for earlier Havadar, but you are charged with protecting a scion of my house. I had to test you."

    "The child is with you then?" Faris asked.

    "Yes," Jelen said as he motioned for them to continue walking.

    Xander was in awe of the beauty around him and was fascinated by the magic he could feel surrounding him. He had so many questions. And they all would have to wait.

 Chapter Sixteen

    "How long have they been gone?" Aulder asked sounding irritated.

    "A while. You do know you don''t have to stay," Hin felt just as irritated.

    "I can''t leave you here alone," Aulder said.

    "Sure you can. I have spent time in a forest by myself before," Hin rolled her eyes.

    "You don''t understand," Aulder let some flame go with his words.

    "Everyone keeps telling me that then refuse to alleviate the problem," Hin yelled in frustration.

    Aulder sighed in what Hin thought was a condescending manner. So she got up and walked away from the pile of wood. She needed a break from his company. She was admiring the colors of the dying sunset when something seemed to split the air and set the sky on fire. She watched it go by and then ran back to Aulder.

    "Get down in the water!" She yelled. Aulder gave her a crazy look as she jumped into the water and hugged the side of the bank.

    Then a wind like a wave flew past them knocking down trees and Aulder. Aulder then got back to their feet and shot her a dirty look.

    "Not my fault, I told you to get in the water," Hin said angrily. She climbed back out of the water and took out her foil blanket and her flint from her pack.

    Hin arranged the wood and put some of the smaller twigs under for kindling. She struck the flint a couple of times and then blew gently on the wood. The fire started, and she poked it to make it go higher. Aulder looked on, a bit sullen.

    "As soon as I dry up a bit, I want to see if we can find whatever that was," She said feeling a bit excited.

    "Fine," Aulder snapped at her. Hin felt like making a face at him but restrained herself.

    After her pants were partly dry, she started putting things away and then tried several times to cup her hands and get water to put out the fire, finally she succeeded. Then she kicked the ashes around and made sure no embers were left. She piled the remaining wood against a leaning tree. She then took out her little flashlight from her pack and offered it to Aulder.

    "I''m a dragon I see in the dark," Aulder sneered at her. Hin just shrugged and turned on the light and started forward the way the flaming object went.

    They had walked a while without seeing anything. Just more trees that had suffered from the impact. Hin was starting to get really tired now. She started thinking that maybe the actual impact crater was either farther or smaller than she thought. She took a closer look around her and saw that some of the trees still stood.

    "How are these trees still standing?" she asked aloud.

    "Those are dryad trees," Aulder said.

    "Oh," Hin didn''t really know what to do with the information, "I don''t think we are going to find anything."

    "We have come this far. If you put out that silly light I would be able to see better," Aulder huffed.

    This tale has been unlawfully lifted from Royal Road. If you spot it on Amazon, please report it.

    "Then how will I see?" Hin was aggravated. Aulder made some muffled noise and then Hin felt them put a hand on her eyes and then mutter a few words.

    "That''s how you''ll see." Aulder huffed again.

    The light she was holding hurt her eyes. She clicked it off and then watched as the world came into view. She knew it was dark, however, the world appeared crisp and she could discern details.

    "Wow," Hin was shocked at how clear her vision was in the dark, "Is this how you see all the time?"

    "No," Aulder said as they started walking again.

    Hin hurried to catch up because Aulder had accelerated the pace. Aulder stopped suddenly. She barely stopped herself and bumped Aulder from behind.

    "What we seek is near. The Dryads tell me it is just past the next rise. Something hides from us," Aulder whispered.

    Hin felt a drop on her head. Then another drop on her arm. Then it started to rain.

    "Well, it would figure," Hin said loudly.

    "Shhh! You will alert it to our presence." Aulder said in an alarmed tone.

    Aulder started moving forward again without making a single sound. Hin tried to move as stealthily but the detritus was against her.

    "I see the crater!" Hin was excited.

    She ran to the edge of the crater. She looked in and it looked like a wrecked vehicle of some sort.

    "Wow," Hin sighed at the sight.

    "Both of you put your hands in the air!" A Voice boomed from somewhere behind her.

    She felt dizzy and her head was buzzing. She put her hands up and slowly turned around. An extremely tall broad figure stepped out from behind the shadows holding a gun of some type. He was blue and kept shaking his head as though there was something wrong.

    "Are you ok?" Hin asked.

    The giant blue man motioned with the gun and yelled, "You both need to put your hands up!"

    "Aulder, please put your hands up," Hin begged.

    "Don''t worry, technology does not work after coming to Kalestra," Aulder looked confident.

    "But my phone worked," Hin was desperate. She did not want to die here.

    Then there was a strange sound and a bolt of invisible energy seemed to explode between them near their feet. Hin let out an awful noise of shock. She elbowed Aulder in a panic until they relented and put their hands in the air.

 Chapter Seventeen

    Elda was enjoying another sweet fruit when she heard crying. She walked slowly to the room she heard it from. There was a little girl laying on a bed weeping into a pillow. Elda stretched out her hand and touched her on the shoulder.

    "Why are you crying?" Elda asked.

    The girl didn''t even look up. She began to cry harder. Elda felt bad for her. She flopped onto the bed next to her.

    "I''m Elda. Who are you?" She asked, and the girl seemed to stop crying.

    "Nebiri," The girl said.

    "Why were you crying?" Elda asked.

    "Because I am ugly," Nebiri said and started crying again.

    "Ugly?" Elda was curious, how could she be ugly.

    "Yes! Leave me alone!" Nebiri cried and Elda started scooting to get off the bed, "No, wait. Stay... please?"

    "Sit up so I can see you," Elda said scooting back to where she was.

    "Promise not to tease me?" Nebiri asked between hiccups.

    "I solemny swear," Elda said seriously.

    "What''s solemy?" Nebiri said sitting up.

    "It''s what grown-ups say when they really mean it," Elda smiled at the girl.

    Elda reached over and wiped the girls tear-streaked face with the edge of her gown. She took in the girls features. On her forehead and into part of her hair it was yellow fur with brown spots like a big cat. She had pointed ears that were not quite an elf and not quite cat, except for the tuft of fur at the point. Her eyes were the brightest green with a cat slit.

    "It''s Solemnly girls, and I am so glad you have met your cousin," The Queen came into the room, "She arrived while you were sleeping."

    Elda took Nebiri''s hand because the Queen made her a little bit nervous. Nebiri squeezed her hand back. The Queen looked at them and smiled again.

    "Ah," The Queen Ravena sighed, "I will leave you two alone, if you have questions, I will be in the sitting room."

    The girls smiled at each other as the Queen left the room. Then they giggled.

    "I think you are pretty, Nebiri," Elda said feeling a bit jealous. Then Elda''s skin rippled pink.

    This tale has been unlawfully lifted from Royal Road; report any instances of this story if found elsewhere.

    "Ooh, do you have scales too?" Nebiri asked fascinated. Elda shook her head no.

    Elda could hear people come in and she heard talking and her name that Jelen calls her. Nebiri and Elda moved off the bed and stood at the edge of the doorway trying to listen in. They only caught a few words. The men were ushered to the dining room. They watched as Fruit was carried out by another of the Fae who looked hawkish and red. The girls overheard Jelen tell them where to find the other travelers. Elda and Nebiri returned to the bed. They started playing hand rhythm games and  chanted silly songs.

    "Girls, I need you both to come with me," The queen came back into the room suddenly and startled them. The girls took each other''s hands again.

    They followed the Queen into the sitting room and Elda saw two men standing there with Jelen. One was a bright redheaded pale elf with a thin build. The other was a tall broad man with reddish brown hair and a red beard. Elda clutched Nebiri''s hand tighter.

    "Here is the Hatyri," Jelen said, "Safe."

    "She is Fae then, and so young," The red headed elf sounded surprised.

    "Both girls are scions of my house," Jelen said sounding proud, "The Hatyri has yet to awaken her blood."

    "Ah," Said the red headed elf, "Sorry for my mistake."

    "You must go with them My Little One," Jelen said gently to Elda. She shook her head and refused.

    "The Longer you stay here Hatyri, the more you endanger our sanctuary," Queen Ravena said looking at her Then her face softened, "Dear one, I know this isn''t easy, and nothing will be. Your blessing is your curse and we can not help you escape it."

    Jelen bent down to her level and looked her in the eyes,"Blood calls to blood, and when you truly have need of me, I will know."

    Elda nodded. She gave Nebiri a hug and then hugged Jelen. He took her hand and then walked her to the men. He placed her hand into the bearded man''s hand. He smiled.

    "We must hurry back to the others. We have been gone long enough." The redheaded elf said.

    Jelen motioned for them to walk out of the house and back down the main road.  They walked the path out of the city and into the wood. Jelen reached out and opened another rift. Everyone stepped through. A crow came and landed on Elda''s shoulder. She reached up to pet him and he winked at her.

    "You already have a friend," The bearded man said in an amused tone. Elda smiled but kept the secret to herself. She noticed that Jelen also remained quiet.

 Chapter Eighteen

    "If they are ok, then why isn''t he using his mirror? Why haven''t they ported back?" Kenna paced nervously, "Is there any way to find them quicker?"

    "The tracking spell is harder to trace than I thought without the specific ingredients," Kenna watched Dragonis put down a book onto the table beside him, "It will take more time."

    Kenna stopped pacing and looked at him, "I need to do something!"

    "You should go to the healer in town to get checked out," Dragonis looked at her concerned.

    "I think maybe I should," Kenna agreed as she opened a port into the heart of the city.

    Kenna quickly gained her old familiarity with the city. She walked a little way to the healer''s place and noticed that it was luckily not busy. She stepped inside the small space. It smelled of poultices and flowers. She sat and waited for the healer. The healer came out from the room in the back and came to greet her. He was old and gray but still had a warm smile. She put her hands in his.

    "The baby is a bit stressed," He smiled at her, "But I don''t think either of you are the worse for wear."

    Kenna let the breath she was holding go in a sigh of relief.

    "I suggest you eat and get some rest," The healer said to her as she was leaving.

    Kenna opened the door of the clinic and almost stepped into someone else''s port. She stopped short as two men in teacher''s robes from the academy were helping a student, his face contorted in pain. She held the door open as they entered the healers place. As she closed the door she could hear him scream about his bones burning.  She could hear glass break and went in to help. The young student was thrashing and yelling about being on fire.

    "There is nothing wrong with him," The healer looked both confused and alarmed.

    Kenna moved closer to get better footing to help hold him down. The student grabbed her arm and looked at her with eyes mad with pain.

    "I walked with Gods, they betrayed me. Find my body and put it to rest!" He screamed while squeezing her arm before the healer could knock him out with a poultice.

    "What did he mean by that? Find his body?" Kenna felt numb. Her hands were shaking.

    "I have never seen anything like this," The healer sounded astonished.

    "How are you going to help him?" Kenna was concerned.

    "All I can do is keep him calm until the someone more experienced than me can come. If you will excuse me," The healer bowed to her, "I thank you for the assistance."

    Kenna bowed and looked once more to the young man asleep on the bed. She shook her head and walked back out the door. She opened a port back to Faris'' estate and stepped back onto the grounds. She was still shaken from the experience at the healers. She walked past the guards and their bowing at a fast pace. She felt bad for being so rude, but she felt she had to get back to Dragonis quickly. She was still missing Xander a lot. She walked back into the library while wiping tears from her face.

    "Have you found the spell yet?" Kenna wrung her hands as she watched Dragonis look up from a book.

    "No. I am afraid that necromancy became a forbidden art," Dragonis sighed, "We were wrong to think to make it so was going to help us."

    "So we can''t track them, and you can''t feel them, so we are stuck waiting,"Kenna frowned and started to pace again.

    This story originates from Royal Road. Ensure the author gets the support they deserve by reading it there.

    "I am sorry," Dragonis looked pensive, "So what did the healer say?"

    "Everything is ok," she told him and his face softened a bit, "I did see something strange, though."

    "Strange?" He raised his eyebrows at her. She thought they looked more like ridges than actual hair. Since they were not silver but black and they reminded her of eye ridges on the sun lizards she would catch with her sister on vacations to Seramant. She shook her head to clear it.

    "Well, the teachers from the academy brought in a young student that was screaming about being on fire and his bones burning, then begged me to find his body and put it to rest." Kenna frowned.

    "That is odd, and troublesome," He put his hand to his chin and sat down, "Did you get the youth''s name?"

    Kenna shook her head no and sat down. Her hands weren''t shaking anymore, but she couldn''t get the boy''s mad eyes out of her head.

    "He is probably still at the healer''s place," Kenna shrugged, "They were going to send for someone."

    "Show me," Dragonis said standing up.

    Kenna led him outside. There she told the guards to send someone to the healers should anyone in the missing party port home or contact them. She then opened a port to the healer''s clinic and they stepped through. They entered the clinic and the young man was still asleep on the table.

    "This is important," Dragonis looked at her intensely, "What exactly did he say?"

    "The Gods betrayed him, find his body, put it to rest," Kenna recited from memory.

    "Help me look," Dragonis said as he started pulling up the boys sleeves and moving his arms around, "It will be a red stain birthmark in the shape of a dragon or dragon''s head. Sometimes a dragon''s claw."

    "A birthmark?" Kenna said taking off the boys shoes and lifting his robe to look at his legs.

    Dragonis lifted the robe up to see his back, turning the body over on the table, and revealing the true strength of the dragon born. Kenna stepped back nervously.

    "Aha!" The exclamation made her jump.

    "What?" She bit her lip and stepped closer to the table and the boy again.

    "The mark," Dragonis pointed to a large mark on his back, right below his left shoulder blade in the shape of a dragon.

    "What does it mean?" Kenna fumbled as she tried to put the boy''s robes back to right.

    "He carries the soul of a dragon," Dragonis frowned.

    "What are you doing?" Kenna heard the healer come in from the back room looking angry and concerned.

    "I was trying to help," Kenna stammered.

    The healer then looked at Dragonis and looked shocked, then bowed suddenly and Dragonis waved for him to stop.

    "I am sorry my Lord," The healer said standing up straight, "I sent to the Crystal City College, but no one was familiar."

    "Then it is lucky I happened to be here," Dragonis smiled.

    "Of course," The healer said nervously and smiled mumbling more to himself, "Of course."

 Chapter Nineteen

    "How am I understanding you?" Lyros shook the buzzing in his head away.

    "That is a good question," The little pinkish being said while looking at the odd grumpy being that appeared to be an extremely light blue and all angles.

    "It''s an old magic, natural to this world," The surly blue being proclaimed.

    "Magic," Lyros laughed, they must think he''s stupid.

    The wind picked up and the rain blew sideways. He saw the pink one shiver and begin to lower its hands then put them back up. The grumpy one seemed unaffected.

    "You asked," The blue grumpy one snorted, and he saw a bit of flame come from its mouth.

    "I''m going to catch cold," The pink one whined.

    "What are you?" Lyros was curious.

    "I''m a person," This time the pink one sounded upset.

    "She is a human and quite fragile, I am a dragon," The grumpy one said, "And what are you?"

    "Takarien. My name is Lyros," he smiled at the grumpy one and to his surprise they smiled back. He lowered his gun.

    "Finally!" The pink one took its hands down and wrapped themselves in their own arms and shivered, "My name is Hin, and I am really cold and wet and miserable."

    "I am never going to hear the end of this, am I?" The blue-tinged grumpy one said.

    Then the grumpy one waved their hand and some kind of flash went off above Hin''s head then he saw the rain kind of hit something sheer and bounce off and around them.

    "My name is Aulder," The grumpy one said, "Takarien, hmmm. You are magnificent."

    "Are... are you flirting?" Hin asked of Aulder then Lyros watched it turn to him and look at him closely, "And are you... blushing?"

    "You take the fun out of everything," Aulder looked disgusted.

    "I can''t believe this is happening," Hin threw its hands up and sat on the wet ground.

    Lyros holstered his gun and looked to Aulder, who was now very obviously annoyed. He looked to Hin who was still shivering even though it was no longer getting wet. He watched them take off their pack and rifle through it pulling out a very shiny material and unfold it and wrap it around them self.

    "How did you do that thing over its head?" Lyros was trying to figure out the technology that would be able to do that.

    "Magic," Aulder shrugged.

    "No, really, what are you using to do that?" Lyros was still smiling and laughing.

    "Magic, and now you are not so interesting," Aulder said snidely. Lyros felt a bit upset at that. He wanted to be interesting to Aulder. He could feel the attraction, and wanted it to continue. He decided being quiet for just this once instead of pressing would be the best idea.

    Ensure your favorite authors get the support they deserve. Read this novel on the original website.

    Lyros heard movement coming from the broken trees. Something that smelled foul was coming toward them. He saw Aulder visibly go taught. Hin stood up and moved closer to them, the blanket making a crinkling noise. Lyros reached out and stopped the tiny pink human from moving further. The smell grew stronger and Lyros thought he would be sick. Hin seemed more upset about hearing movement than a smell. Could it not smell the foulness on the air?

    "Can you smell that?" Lyros whispered and Aulder nodded yes.

    "Smell what?" Hin asked. Lyros sighed at the confirmation of his suspicions.

    The thing approaching came into view. It was another Human by the size and looks and smelled horrible. It was wearing a white long robe and a white scarf that wrapped around its face obscuring all but its eyes.

    "I found you," The human said, as it looked directly at Hin.

    "Why are you looking for me?" Hin stepped forward despite any misgivings he or the dragon expressed.

    "You hold in reserve a power meant for the child of prophecy," The man paused and appeared a little confused, "Did no one tell you? You are the Conduit."

    Hin turned back on Aulder with a very intense look of anger. The strange human advanced and put a hand on Hin''s shoulder. they turned back around and accidentally knocked the scarf from its face and it revealed a horror of a half-fleshed face with bone and tissue showing in various states of decay. Hin looked horrified and fell back onto the ground in front of it, Lyros pulled his gun and fired several shots. To his own dismay, the being did not flinch and did not fall. It did laugh and it grated. He winced and took out his kinetic blade and advanced on the decrepit thing in front of him. Then suddenly he felt a pressure on his neck and realized the thing was trying to hurt him. When it did not get the desired effect it took its hand away. It looked at him strangely and then Lyros took his blade and cut off the thing''s head. Aulder rushed past him, and fire leapt from their mouth and doused the body in bright flames. Lyros jumped back and tried to stay away from the heat.

    Lyros then heard a loud disturbance behind him and a group of beings. Some human, and some that were other things entirely.

    "Mom!" he saw the big human shout, and the tiny pink Hin got up and ran over to it.

    Lyros decided to sit. The new group also had the thing preventing rain from falling on them. Wherever he was, he guessed magic was more real than what he was used to back home. He was used to tricks used by thieves as magic, not something useful or used by seeming noble beings. He watched the reunion in front of him, then looked over to where the foul smelling thing was, and it wasn''t there. There were scorch marks on the ground, but no ash, no body, and no bone. Chills went down his spine. What kind of planet did he fall onto? Lyros sighed and caught Alder''s attention, and then he pointed to the scorched earth.

    "It will not bother us again tonight," Aulder smiled then, "I was very impressed by your natural ability to smell the dark magic. Do You come from a place with no magic? That is an odd trait for you to have. I am intrigued."

    Lyros once again felt excited to be at the center of Aulder''s attention.

 Chapter Twenty

    "Where is he going to stay?" Kenna was worried that the newest guest would be upsetting to the squires and pages if he were kept in the dorm.

    "I will put him in my room, it is private, and I will sleep on the floor," He carried the student into the building. The manchild still slept from the poultice that was pressed against his mouth and nose.

    "So you never explained the whole ''find my body'' thing," Kenna looked at him expectantly.

    "When a dragon''s body is used for magic against its will and enough of it is used, the soul can not cross over or find peace," Dragonis sounded happy to explain, "After the necromancy war we thought we had reclaimed most of the artifacts except maybe some dragon bone knives. Nothing big enough that could leave a soul anchored, or so I thought."

    "So you missed something?" Kenna queried, "Why would there not be something like this boy happen on the record before then?"

    "There might be a more comprehensive record at the Royal Library or at the college," Dragonis conceded, "However, I do not have the time to visit until after we find your husband and the others."

    "Let''s get him settled," Kenna said as she ushered them into the living quarters on the main wing.

    They walked to where Dragonis had been sleeping the past two nights. He had gotten here before the others and had made the empty estate his own. They laid the boy down on the bed and made sure he was still breathing evenly. Then they heard a commotion in the courtyard. Kenna and Dragonis went to see what the ruckus was.

    Out of a port stepped everyone and some new visitors. Someone tall and blue. His skin seemed to be speckled with white tiny stars. He was easily the tallest and largest person here. Kenna gaped at the size of him. Then she saw two birds exit the port. One a crow that quickly flew to the petite girl''s shoulder. Another bird that seemed ill or hurt. It was running but falling over frequently and chirping in an alarming manner. She saw the blue man pick it up. He held it gently in his hands while it seemed to become disoriented and fell over limply.

    Kenna ran relieved to see Xan. They embraced and whispered their worry and love to each other''s ears alone. Then Kenna took another look around.

    "Hon, where is your mother?" Kenna started looking around.

    "She was just behind us!" Now Xan looked around, " We have to go back to look."

    "Let me, You look like you need rest." She smiled and smoothed his hair back from his face, "Who are the guests?"

    "That is the girl!" Xan excitedly whispered.

    "Really? So young," Kenna smiled sadly.

    "I am so glad you are ok," Xan said as he hugged her close.

    "Of course, I''m ok. I am so relieved to know you are," Kenna smiled and kissed him lightly all over the side of his face,"So who is the blue guy?"

    If you come across this story on Amazon, it''s taken without permission from the author. Report it.

    "I don''t know really," Xan paused and looked in his direction,"he was with Aulder and my mom. Something about crash landing here on the planet. His tech still works."

    "Odd. Lots of odd things happening lately," She turned to one of the guards present and ordered him to prepare gear for the search.

    "It''s raining there, I don''t want you and the baby to get sick," Xander said giving her a slow smile, "Here take this."

    "What is it?" Kenna asked taking the smooth cold stone like object.

    "It''s a blood stone. It will call Jelen to aid you," Xan said

    "Jelen?" Kenna was confused.

    "The King of the Fae," he tried to stay calm, "I met the King of the Fae and traveled to the Sanctuary of Sid Hayef!"

    "So the legends are true?" Kenna looked wide-eyed at her excited husband. He nodded yes happily and then gave her another hug lifting her off the ground.

    The guard came back with several others and all with packs full of gear and a tent. Kenna put on a rain jacket that was offered, it would help keep off more than the magical shields alone would.

    "Could you be a dear and open a port?" Kenna said motioned in front of her.

    "Be safe," Xan whispered and opened the port to the last place he remembered, the crash site.

    Kenna and the men put up their rain shields and walked through the port. She surveyed the site and took in the destruction. Trees down everywhere except those inhabited by Dryads.

    "Set up camp here, then I want to start search teams in a grid pattern from the camp," Kenna said loudly to be heard over the rain.

    She helped men set up the big tent that would serve as headquarters, then selected teams and sent them out with pocket mirrors.  She walked to the main mirror and moved her hand across and whispered Faris'' name.

    "All set up then?" Faris looked at her with a tired haggard face.

    "Yes My Lord, Teams have been dispatched with mirrors," Kenna said worriedly.

    "Please don''t ''My Lord'' me cousin, I am in too bad of a mood to be gracious," Faris winced as though he had a pain, "Just keep us updated and stay safe."

    Faris waved the mirror back and ended the conversation before she could reply. Kenna sighed and settled into what she hoped would not be a long wait  for news of Xander''s Mother.

    <hr />

    My apologies. I tried to post Friday night/Saturday morning from my laptop and then lost about three paragraphs to a glitch. So I decided not to risk the remaining chapter and I am posting it now that I am back from travelling and at my desktop.

 Chapter Twenty-one

    Hin heard a phone ring. It was the kind of phone ring that belonged to her old rotary phone. It made her head feel like it was splitting open.

    "Ok, ok" she mumbled and opened her eyes only to see a white sign that read ''you are here'', in deep red letters with a red arrow swooshing down. She stood and stared at it while still listening to the ringing phone. At least she thought she stood. It felt like she was standing but wobbled when she tried to walk forward.

    "Am I drunk?" she asked no one. The phone once again intruded loudly and she turned sharply and saw it sitting on a strangely tiny table reminiscent of Dr Seuss art. She reached for the phone and for a moment her fingers were feathers, her hand the tip of a wing. Then they stretched out to her familiar shape. She grasped the receiver and lifted it up and was almost joyful that the ringing had stopped.

    "Hello?" she was almost too frightened to put the receiver to her ear but did out of curiosity not expecting a reply on the other end, or maybe hoping for none.

    "Hin?" A voice rasped on the other end of the line. Chills ran down her back and she froze for a moment trying to think about what she should do next. This was not a familiar voice and it was a very frightening one. She took a deep breath in preparation.

    "Who is this?" she asked trying not to sound scared. It came out slowly like she was wary but not frightened, although she shook a little and her lips were dry.

    "Itzal" is all the voice proclaimed.

    "Who is Itzal?" Now Hin was annoyed, "Am I drunk? Did you drug me?"

    "You are dreaming," Itzal began, "and I am a god"

    "Then you can send me home?" Hin let herself hope.

    "Not in my present condition, which is why I need the girl. To bring me home." the disembodied voice explained.

    "To bring you home?" Hin was confused, "How are you not here?"

    "I was exiled for my brother''s crimes against the Dragons," Itzal sounded as though this pained him, his voice strained.

    "And these powers I supposedly hold for the girl? Did you do that?" Hin was aggravated. This was maddening.

    "No, the other gods did that. They have paid the cost for interfering on such a scale. They lose their sway with the world We created." The voice was once again wheezing.

    "Is that why technology works now?" Curiosity overtook her.

    "Yes. There will need to be a new balance for what is coming." Itzal''s voice strained.

    "What''s coming?" She could barely hear the raspy breath on the phone anymore.

    "My Brother," Itzal sounded far away now,"I have hidden you in plain sight until she is ready for what you hold. It will keep you safe."

    "Hidden me?" Hin yelled hoping maybe it would bring Itzal''s voice back,"Hello? Hello?"

    Frustrated she slammed the receiver into its cradle. She looked again to the sign that proclaimed she was here. But the room was just as barren, and off-white as before, even the table with the phone had vanished. Then off in the distance, she saw black clouds and lightning flash. A storm was rolling in and it looked horrifying. She turned from it and attempted to run, but could feel it overtake her. The rain started falling but it wasn''t raining. It was blood falling. The lightning cracked above her and she woke with a scream. Only it wasn''t really a scream, but a high pitched warbled sound.

    Reading on this site? This novel is published elsewhere. Support the author by seeking out the original.

    She tried to make a noise, any human noise but out came the same high pitched birdlike sounds. She stretched her arms out and in horror saw grey feathers and little wings. She was laying on a towel and looked up in time to see a large blue hand reach down and grab  her. She did not like how confined it felt. Like being trapped in a bear hug. She squirmed and tried to scratch with her feet, and peck with her beak. The blue man''s skin was squishy like it contained jelly. He was spongy like a jellyfish or octopus. He dropped her and shook his hand.

    "That hurts," Lyros said

    "Birds are like that," She heard Aulder say.

    She hopped around on the ground then spread her wings and flapped them the way she had seen many a bird do before. Instead of taking flight she just kind of made woosh and slap noises as she fluttered hopelessly about. She let go a frustrated scream that came out a very long high note. Which led her to warble several more notes in frustration.

    "Your bird is strange," Aulder said looking closer at her as they bent down. She wished that they would get closer so that she could peck their nose. She shook herself and suddenly felt as though something was wrong or out of place and started putting feathers to right with her beak feverishly.

    "You said it wasn''t sick," Lyros said looking at Aulder adoringly.

    "It''s not. I have no idea what''s wrong with it." Aulder rolled their eyes and got up from the bed and Put back on their tunic.

    "Leaving?" Lyros sounded disappointed.

    "Yes, well, there is still the necromancer threat. I must prepare." Aulder said leaving the room, and Hin followed them chirping angrily until Lyros picked her up again.

    "I don''t like your bird," Aulder sneered and closed the door. Hin huffed. Her feathers puffed up around her chest and neck. She shook herself to settle and had to readjust her feathers again. This was getting exhausting.

    Lyros put her down on a towel that was in a box. There were some water and some birdseed bowls in the box also. She walked from the water to the birdseed inspecting it. Then Lyros put his face down close to where she was and whispered, "I don''t care if you''re strange."

    For a moment Hin was frustrated that she couldn''t cross her arms and glare, so she settled on unfolding her wings and holding them in an odd way to mimic putting hands on hips, though the tips did not exactly bend inwards. Lyros laughed. Then he got dressed and as he walked out the door, he said, "I wonder if they found that strange little human yet."

    Hin just huffed as the door closed. Then she cried. She cried harder the more her aspirations came out as horrid raspy bird notes.

 Chapter Twenty-two

    Saido flew to the window after the girl was asleep. He perched precariously on the sill and admired the detection and alarm spell that Xander had proficiently put down. It could not be set off by himself in bird form, Xander had taken that precaution, for that he was thorough. Saido admired that too. He saw the anchor points tethered to runed scales from a worm. Very clever to use magic infused scales to feed the magic.

    He ever so lightly shook himself and became smoke. He traveled through a crack in the window that had a minuscule hole in the both the spell and the sealant holding the window frame to the wall. Once on the other side he rematerialized as his human shape and quickly opened a port.

    He stepped back into the forest that had been torn down and one by one set upon the soldiers searching and put them in a trance. Each had their own favorite happy place they would see for the duration of the spell. Finally the Lady of Fire within the tent. He approached cautiously and peeked in between the slightly open entrance. She looked like she was sleeping but he could not be sure. He stepped into the tent.

    "My Lady," Saido quickly fell to one knee. The woman looked over to him then looking more startled sat up.

    "Who are you?" She said angrily.

    "I am an emissary of ...the gods," he smiled and stood up, "I have an urgent message."

    "The gods have a message? For me?" She looked incredulously at him, "And they sent you?"

    He laughed jovially and brought out his pipe but did not light it.

    "Not everything is as it seems, My Lady of Fire," He smiled at her expression of perplexity, "The one you seek is safe, and not meant to be found ...for the moment."

    "So the gods would send us the conduit, then take her away as soon as we find the girl?" Kenna folded her arms and stared him down.

    Saido sighed a deep breath and lit his pipe. He exhaled a little smoke and watched Kenna become distracted just for the moment then saw her relax just enough.

    "The girl is not strong enough yet. There is much for her to learn," He let more smoke go and Kenna shook her head, "You must teach her the way of a warrior. My Lady of Fire."

    If you spot this narrative on Amazon, know that it has been stolen. Report the violation.

    She tried to say something to him with confusion smeared across her pretty face, and then she laid back down and slept. He put the pipe out by holding his thumb over the bowl and put the pipe in the sash at his waist. He was about to open a port when he heard rustling behind him and knew it was for his benefit otherwise his visitor would have remained silent. He turned slowly.

    "Do you not think it wise to tell them which god you herald?" Jelen smiled at him in that way he had of putting anyone at ease.

    "Right now they still believe my god to be the enemy," Saido said knowing it was obvious and not what Jelen had meant, "Yes, I know Itzal has his own agenda, one I must see filled. This is not an altruistic endeavor."

    "All these secrets are unbecoming of a god. I only keep it because of the help he has given," Jelen looked a bit sad, "You must see that Elda lives to return to Sid Hayef. I will take no other answer but yes from you Crow Brother."

    "Ah, so The Ancient One has developed a soft spot after all for a daughter of Shadow," Saido for once in his life looked most serious, "If her fate wills it, I will deliver the Hatyri to Sid Hayef."

    Jelen bowed his head in acknowledgment and then stepped into a fold between realms and was gone. Saido opened the port and went back to the estate. Quietly he shook himself into smoke and reentered Elda''s room through the same hole. He became a crow once again.  He gingerly stepped to the door on tiny feet and tapped until a servant passing by let him out.

    He flew down the hallway and landed at the door where the boy slept. These people did not put protection around him. They would if they truly knew who he was. The High Dragon Hima. The one who could reclaim his body from Death. Right now, though, he was tortured and incoherent. He would need to change that. How fortuitous the gods let this detail slip from their own grasp.

    He smiled and shook himself into smoke to enter the room. Once in, he transformed and sat in a chair as himself, lit his pipe and let it do its work to lull Hima into a deeper state of sleep. Once he was in a lucid trance the boy would be open to communication with Itzal, and the help he needed to reclaim his sanity and his body.

 Chapter Twenty-three

    "This is frustrating. We destroyed too many of the necromancy books." Dragonis sighed at the paltry group of books on the table before him.

    "I may be able to help," Xan spoke in a nervous manner.

    "Oh?" Dragonis was intrigued and hopeful.

    "I may have acquired some black market items, for purely academic purposes of course," Xan tentatively stated.

    "Indeed," Dragonis understood the trust he was being shown.

    "I can be back with most of what I have quickly," Xander offered.

    "That would be spectacular!" Dragonis was pleased and excited. He had never truly gotten a chance to study all of the necromancer texts before the Dragons and Dragonborn had come to the consensus that destroying them would be safer than their continued existence.

    He watched Xander port out and in just minutes he ported back into the library. Dragonis was a bit taken aback.

    "Forgive the rudeness of porting in like this, but I thought it would be more prudent if I didn''t allow the guards to see what I carried," Xander said looking worried.

    "Of course, I had not thought that far ahead," Dragonis apologized also.

    Xander laid them all on the table as they spilled from his arms. Dragonis  eagerly started picking up books and inspecting them. They were all handwritten grimoires. He could still feel the residual magic used to seal them from prying eyes. Broken by master mages. He picked up another book and dropped it in horror his mouth open, aghast as the book hit the floor with a loud thump. He looked closely at it laying there on the cold white floor. It gleamed of dragon skin. A book bound in his kin. This practitioner was particularly cruel and kept obvious trophies beyond the tools made from bones or the enhancement to their magic the blood of a dragon or Dragonborn made. He saw Xander look at him with concern.

    "I am sorry, I should have warned you," Xan looked as though he felt extremely sad.

    "No, I had forgotten how bad things were during the height of necromancy before the war. All of my brethren who had vanished," Dragonis shook his head hoping the memories might fall out instead of flashing before his mind''s eye, "The reincarnated suffering."

    "I am so sorry," Xander said again.

    "It is what it is. What''s passed is in the past. Or should have been," Dragonis said irritably.

    "Then we should focus on learning what we can despite the repulsiveness of the material," Xander said as he bent over and grabbed the dragon skin bound book.

    There was a tap on the door and someone opened it from the outside just enough.

    "Lady Kenna missed her check-in, so we sent guards through. They found them all asleep." Alaric peeked further into the library to see them.

    "They are ok?" Xander jumped at the news.

    Unauthorized reproduction: this story has been taken without approval. Report sightings.

    "Yes fine." Alaric quickly said.

    "They are now with a Healer in the common room," Alaric informed them.

    "If you will excuse me," Xander said to Dragonis.

    "Of course," He waved his hands in dismissal towards Xander.

    Both Alaric and Xander left the library and Dragonis was left alone with his thoughts. He looked to the offending book of dragon skin laying there. Something told him that this was the book that might hold the most useful information. The writer appeared to be extremely powerful. He willed himself to touch the book to open it. The pages looked muddled and the words seemed to move at will. He could not read it. He tried several cypher spells and grew frustrated when it did not change the behavior of the pages.

    Then he suddenly thought why not his blood. He found something to prick his finger and touched the page with the drop of blood. As soon as he did, the words righted themselves. He went to another table and grabbed paper and a pen and started to frantically transcribe what he was reading.

    The stories of this necromancer''s magical experiments both fascinated and horrified him. He read of one instance of capturing one of the fae and finding that their blood, as well as dragons blood, could enhance magical abilities when injected. However, dragon blood proved corrosive and addictive. Fae blood did not corrode the body but was still highly addictive. Fae blood instead corrupted the mind. He stopped writing and wondered how this necromancer had even found one of the fae. They all stayed inside Sid Hayef. They were mere legends now to the lay folk. This master of necromancy had experimented on countless acolytes and prisoners. Many Dragonborn had lost their life to him as well. He continued reading and writing.

    He was hoping to find the tracking potion. Instead, he found increasingly horrifying experiments. The necromancer''s lord had caught a special dragon, and brought it to him. The blood was different. It enhanced without corroding. It was not addictive. They knew of instances of this dragon''s blood imbuing those chosen with the dragon''s own frost abilities.

    "High Dragon Hima," Dragonis whispered. Why did they not find his body when they defeated Itzal he wondered. They did miss something. Something big. He continued in the book.

    They drained him of blood and his lord god inhabited the body. Something they could do with no other dragons.

    "It was because of his lineage from our old home, he was of the old dragon gods." Dragonis trembled with anger and sadness. They desecrated something extremely sacred in Hima and the old world.

    The necromancer was made High Priest. High priest to His God Death.

    "Death?" Dragonis was confused. Itzal was the God of Shadows. Two rogue gods, the implication was chilling. They really had missed something big indeed. Now he needed to let everyone know except Aulder. Aulder would destroy the books if they knew of them. Aulder might even do more to Xander. Dragonis took the books and brought them to an inner room in the library. Opened a panel on the wall, and put the books inside. Then he left trying not to make it obvious he was in a hurry.

 Chapter Twenty-four

    He lay prostrate in prayer, blocking out the pain and confusion trapping him in this place. It whirled around him like a dust devil biting and burning and screaming a name he did not know. He did not believe that the god his parents worshiped, and his ancestors had brought with them, could really hear him but he hoped in his dire hour of need that it would.

    Then the devil was made still. He looked to see a very dark figure, and it touched his head as he moved his legs under him.

    "Allah" he whispered to the figure and then bent his head again.

    "No, Itzal, and you do not owe me prayer, or awe." The figure had no discernable face.

    "You are a God?" he asked.

    "Yes, Aydahar, I am. Not your God, but a god." The figure sounded like it smiled and he shivered at the thought.

    "You carry a soul that needs you to remember" Itzal reached out and touched the devil and it flickered and became a man with a silver tint to his skin, and bright white hair. The shadow of a great dragon loomed behind him.

    "I remember the pain, the burning. I can''t do that again." Aydahar trembled in fear of feeling it.

    "Because you fight your memories of being Hima, of him." Itzal motioned towards the silver man.

    "So I am fighting myself?" He asked looking at the man before him.

    "Exactly." Itzal took his hand and placed it on Hima''s chest, "Feel the beat of his heart, the vibration of his soul, it is yours."

    "This can''t be real." He shook his head. He heard Itzal sigh. Aydahar closed his eyes and felt Hima''s heartbeat, and it beat in rhythm with his own.

    "I accept you Hima," Aydahar opened his eyes and saw Hima blur and move into him. He felt whole, without pain. He remembered everything.

    "You are with people who can help you. And you need to help them." These were the last words he heard from Itzal, "They have your descendant, the girl of prophecy."

    Aydahar shook himself awake and took the poultice from his face. He sat up and looked around. He thought he saw smoke going under his door. He shook his head and looked again. There was nothing there. His muscles were sore but nothing was seriously wrong. He got up and stumbled to the bathroom. He ran water over his face. He barely remembered the fit that had been responsible for him being taken to the healer. He took a towel and dried his face. His olive skin and dark hair reflected back at him in the mirror. He motioned his hand across it and whispered ''Jani''.

    "Ayda!" His mother said happily.

    "Anam!" he said equally as happy then his dad appeared,"Ake!"

    "We are so glad to see you are ok," His mother smiled and he smiled in return.

    "I am fine. I am not at the college anymore. It''s hard to explain," Aydahar grimaced. His parents did not believe in reincarnation. He could think of no way he could make them see that he was a reincarnated Dragon soul.

    "Will you be returning to school?" His father asked.

    "I don''t know yet," He could tell that his father was angry with him. Then he heard a soft knock at the door.

    "Ake, Anam I have to go," he said to them, "I love you both."

    Aydahar waved the mirror and saw once again his own reflection. He exited the bathroom and walked up to the door to open it. Before he could it creaked open just enough for a black sharply chiseled face with silver eyes to peer through.

    "Good, you seem to have regained your senses." The man looked relieved. He entered the room and shut the door behind him.

    Help support creative writers by finding and reading their stories on the original site.

    "I have," He answered. His memories of knowing this onyx man began to surface, "Dragonis?"

    "Yes! Hima?" Dragonis tentatively asked.

    "Yes and no," He shook his head not sure how to explain, "I am still Aydahar. Hima and his memories are now a part of me."

    "You have integrated then?" Dragonis looked at him in a curious manner.

    "For lack of a better word, yes," Ayda said

    "So these memories, can you recall all of them, even the unpleasant ones?" Dragonis looked at him in an appraising manner.

    "There is still a lot I have not tried. Is there a particular memory?" Ayda was wondering exactly what Dragonis was after.

    "Do you remember the god of death?" Dragonis asked.

    "That is a very good question," Aydahar said, "Yes, for the most part. Though he did not present himself as a god at first."

    "How did he capture you?" Dragonis was intensely curious. It showed in every muscle as he sat on the bed and leaned forward. Aydahar sat in the chair across from the bed.

    "My daughter had gone missing, as you probably remember, he claimed he could take me to her,"Aydahar was suddenly sad, "Did anyone ever find her?"

    "Yes, after she had her child, she fought with us in the war. Her rage was truly a beautiful sight," Dragonis seemed wistful for a moment, "After the war she retired to the north in the mountains."

    "I am grateful for the news my friend," Aydahar felt his heart and shoulders grow lighter with the knowledge.

    "So, it was this god of death that possesses your body and not Itzal?" Dragonis looked hopeful for a confirmation.

    "Itzal? No. He helped make me whole in this body. The god of death, he took a different name. A dragon''s name," Aydahar felt disgusted at all the profane things this god had done, "Nidhuggr."

    "The earth dragon god?" Dragonis looked impressed. Aydahar nodded his silent affirmation.

    "Could we do a location spell to find your body?" Dragonis was looking eager to start something.

    "We can but he could easily move on after that, he would feel it too," Aydahar gathered his breath and his mind, "I think we need to help the girl ready herself for her battles ahead first."

    "I must inform the others, with exception to Aulder," Dragonis stood up.

    "Aulder? Couldn''t they help us, though?" Aydahar was curious about this development.

    "There are circumstances that would prevent me from petitioning them for help," Dragonis said as he left the room, closing the door.

    Aydahar resettled on the bed. He began a meditation that Hima ...he would do quite often to balance his body and soul. He was a bit shocked to be able to feel just the tiniest connection with his long-lost dragon body. He concentrated on that sliver of feeling, and it began to burn. The magic used to inhabit his body vibrated at an opposite frequency to his own. The feeling was a most violent jarring of a magic collision. He felt a pain in his head and he clutched it and stumbled to the bathroom. He ran water over his face again to clear his mind. He looked into the mirror and saw  very silver strands of hair threading its way through the black on his head. it wasn''t a lot, but it was noticeable. He sighed. He had forgotten to ask where he could get some dinner. As if on cue his stomach growled loudly. He decided that he would head into the hallway and ask the first servant for directions.

    <hr />

    Sorry about posting late again. Had severe allergy pop up. Still recovering. Thank you for your understanding, and I hope you enjoy.

 Chapter Twenty-five

    Nidhuggr felt a tug. Not a physical one but a magical one. It grew stronger and he could feel the soul reaching towards his body. Straining and vibrating and searching for every last string of connection it could find and selfishly holding them close. Then the mind shattering pain. He clutched his head. When the pain subsided he raised his head again and felt something wrong with his face. He went to his large mirror and took a look. To his horror, there was a line of flesh Coming down from the top of his skull to the top of his nasal aperture. It was silver and hideously alive somehow. He scratched at it and peeled it away causing more pain. The flesh regrew. He wanted to tear it off again in frustration but knew it would accomplish nothing.

    He paced the floor remembering how the intrusion felt. He played it over and over in his head obsessively. There had to be a way to turn this to his advantage. He refused to believe that the dragon he killed hundreds of years ago could so easily reclaim his vessel.  He stopped pacing and focused on the stillness. His stillness. Then he felt it. A string of the soul. He carefully tugged it not with the magic in the dragon body but with his god spark. He slowly traveled the string leading back to a boy. Not barely sixteen. Human, and looked to be part of a group that stayed mostly ethnically pure. That meant his ancestors were brought en masse and stayed to themselves.

    He hovered unseen above the boy. He was walking in a hallway of what he could only guess was a stately manor. He remained loosely tethered to the boy. He was passing many doorways and behind one of them, he could feel a very familiar and distinct tone. He saw the boy pause by the door and shake his head. Could he feel the tone too? He realized it was Trune''s tracking potion beacon. The conduit was here. That could only mean that he had stumbled onto a way to spy into the very heart of those tasked to bring the prophecy to fruition. Yes, he thought, this is very good indeed. He followed along until the boy entered a dining hall. Nidhuggr let himself fall back into his body.

    He paced and picked at the skin trying to think of ways of blocking him from finding him again by following the magic in the bones he inhabited. He opened a link to Trune.

    "Yes, MY Lord Nidhugger?" Trune was pleased to feel his need through the link.

    "I need to stop Hima from reclaiming my body." Nidhuggr got straight to the point. He was aggravated and even if he was afraid to admit it, scared.

    "I will have to start experimenting again, it may draw some ...unfavorable attention," Trune was most pleased by the development, and was not afraid to let Nidhugger know. The link wavered because Nidhuggr himself was unsure. Then he cautiously weighed his options. More attention on his followers that could potentially lead to him being discovered by dragons and humans, or Hima taking his body back through the magic the soul and body contained in each, also leading to his discovery by the Kalestral Gods themselves and banishment. He sighed and knew that Trune was already aware of his decision.

    Stolen from its rightful author, this tale is not meant to be on Amazon; report any sightings.

    "Do what you must," The god was resigned and committed to the path, and the consequence. Trune''s excitement was heavy and palpable before the link was severed.

    Nidhuggr felt momentarily defeated. It wasn''t really the experiments themselves that gave him pause but the attention the missing Dragons or Dragonborn would cause after all this time. Especially since there were so few of them. The Dragons would certainly be more wary about one disappearance than they were 900 years ago. He also knew Trune, and one would become a dozen. He sighed deeply. He walked to the entrance of his cave home and took dragon form.

    The scales on his face distracted him for a moment. They were also a bright metallic silver. Shinier than the flesh in human form. It made him feel off balance and wrong. He scratched at it with huge claws but dragon scale was tough and he remembered how the flesh felt when it grew back and did not want to revisit that feeling again. He took to the air and gracefully circled the mountain he called home. He could never give up this power he had found in physical flight. Knowing that he bent the wind to his will. The wings itched as the rotting flesh pulled against the wind shear.

    He flew over every inch of the wasteland he ruled. The desolation could not become complete unless the girl died. If she did not die, then she posed a deeper threat than just bringing the magic back to Kalestra. He could feel the threat she posed. Like a cold shade laid across his heart. He flew to the edge of the wastes and landed at a small grotto. The water would be high enough that no living thing would be able to hold their breath to get to the dry part. Except maybe another God or Dragon, if they knew. Still in dragon form, he slipped into the water and swam the watery distance to the air pocket and firm rock. He shook like a dog to get water off his bones and rotting skin.

    The two small figures chained to a wall by a long chain and ankle cuff scurried from the mass amounts of water. He caught the male under his foot and tapped a claw on his chest. The man shivered and trembled. This made Nidhuggr extremely happy.  His bone dragon face imitated a snarling smile.

    "Your daughter still lives for now," Niduggr said in a low growl and he heard the woman sigh in relief. He roughly picked up the man and threw him in her direction. He hit the wall and didn''t move but he still lived. The woman screamed and sobbed, and Nidhuggr was quite happy again.

    "I found her, and soon you all die" Nidhuggr laughed a bit, then lay down on his haunches and played with his toys, enjoying the terror they felt with every scratch he made on their flesh.

 Chapter Twenty-six

    She smacked the healers hands away. She was extremely frustrated that she and her soldiers could be subdued so easily. They were all fresh from war and still, they were vulnerable. And she was responsible. She once again pushed the healer away and stood up.

    "Please My Lady, you need to sit," The healer, a small woman pleaded with her.

    "See to my unit first, I am fine," Kenna practically growled at the poor woman.

    "Kenna, my love, she means well, and you should let her examine you," Kenna turned to see Xander walk into the room. She rushed over to him and put her arms around him.

    "I failed," Were the only words she spoke, she bit back a sob. Her chin rested on his shoulder.

    "Shh," he whispered as he stroked her hair. This made her more frustrated not less. He should be mad that she couldn''t find his mother. She pulled away from him.

    "I felt helpless," She couldn''t look him in the eyes. Not because he judged her, but because she knew she would find concern there, "You need to summon Terren and ask the gods what they did with your mother."

    "Why?" Xander looked a bit confused at her assertions.

    "He said he was a messenger from the gods, and that your mother was safe but hidden," She tried not to show how angry she got thinking about the man who took out everyone with some spell she had never seen before. She did not realize how vulnerable she and her soldiers were. She was scared.

    "Ok, ok," Xan took her hand and they walked to the garden. He concentrated quietly and she then felt the earth rumble a little, then Terren popped up in front of them and fluted an excited greeting at them both. Then promptly headbutted them like a cat looking for cuddles.

    Kenna and Xan both rubbed and scratched his scales in affectionate greeting. Then Xan seemed to get far away, and she knew he was in the link talking to Terren. She watched for a moment. Then he seemed to regain his awareness.

    "So?" She crossed her arms and waited.

    "He will try to find out, but says they might not be willing to talk," Xander sighed.

    "This just doesn''t make sense," Kenna paced, "Why take her away the moment we find the child?"

    "I know, the gods have a strange way of helping us out," Xan laughed, Then he became serious again, "I am sure Mom is ok. She used to take us camping all the time. We can go back to look tomorrow. No one failed."

    Kenna hardly felt placated but gave him a tiny smile. He smiled back. They both turned as they saw Dragonis come out of the door to the garden looking very upset. He did not say a thing until he got to them and as he did he whispered so that no one else could hear.

    "I have found, and confirmed some very troubling things," Dragonis looked around, "Things we can not discuss with Aulder."

    "Why?" Xander whispered also

    "Because when we were deciding to burn the nec... uh the books, they were the loudest for doing so, and the years have only made them more bitter," Dragonis quietly explained.

    "So, they would have a problem with my collection," Xander seemed to choose the last word carefully, and also looked over his shoulder. Dragonis nodded.

    "Prophecy or no, they would probably have you hanged," Dragonis commented worriedly, "We should really go somewhere more private."

    Dragonis looked around the garden again and then swiftly walked back into the building. Xander gave her a peck on the cheek. She hesitated.

    "Are you coming?" Xander asked more concerned now.

    "I will get Faris, He will at least need to know," Kenna said and returned the peck on the cheek with one of her own.

    They walked into the building and she watched Xan walk down the hall toward the library. She went the opposite way to where Faris would be in his personal study. She reached the door and rapped on it quickly. She did her best to summon a confident face for when he opened the door. Only he didn''t. Aulder did, and it made her hesitate and she felt awkward, which she knew she looked.

    "I, I am sorry to disturb you but Xan wanted to see Faris if he were free," Kenna hated herself for the hesitation in her voice.

    If you stumble upon this tale on Amazon, it''s taken without the author''s consent. Report it.

    "We are busy," Aulder said and as they were about to close the door in her face she saw Faris lean over his desk to look through the open door and wave to her.

    "I will be along in a short while, where will he be?" Faris asked.

    "The library," She answered then hurried off down the corridor the other way.

    She walked into the library and went to the back room. There she found Xan and Dragonis.

    "He will be along, but Aulder was with him," Kenna sighed and then looked at their stack of books on the table.

    She walked closer and then stood next to Xan.

    "Thank you, dear," he smiled.

    "I''m not staying. I am going to lay down," she said as she kissed Xan on the cheek and then walked out of the library.

    She strode through the corridor and into the room she shared with Xan. She put on her sword belt and grabbed a dagger for her boot. Then she practiced her fire magic. When she was satisfied she walked outside and opened a portal back to the broken forest. She walked a small way to where her tent had stood. She looked for clues. Anything to tell her who had so much power that they could take everyone unaware. As she got closer to the crater and the wreckage she heard voices. She took a few more steps forward cautiously then felt a blade lightly pushed into her back. She held her hands up and turned around to find a Queen''s guard. He must have felt her port in.

    "You''re a long way from home," Kenna quipped but could see this guard had no sense of humor.

    "What business do you have here?" the guard asked

    "I came looking for someone," She said cautiously.

    "Would that someone be a storm traveler?" Another voice said from behind her.

    "A... No, actually my mother in law," Kenna was on edge now. She looked in the direction of the voice and panicked. It was the Queen''s nephew. She scrambled to her knee.

    "So you didn''t know about the storm traveler?" He stared down at her hard with a stony gaze. She swallowed and still had a lump in her throat.

    "My Liege," She said dutifully, "I didn''t know the Crown was so interested in storm travelers outside of Crystal City?"

    "Normally we would not be, but we heard from a little bird this one was special," He seemed to look right through her, "Do you know where they are?"

    "We found the wreckage, there might have been a traveler. I''m not sure," She said quickly.

    "So you knew about the traveler?" he clarified sternly.

    "Yes, My liege," she said quietly.

    "Then may I accompany you back to..." he trailed off

    "Feren, My Liege" She answered.

    "Feren," he said with a smile, "Ah, the little city state of equality. While we are being honest, the Grand Duke Faris does not always bend to the Queen, does he?"

    "My Liege?" She questioned with the only words she dared say from here on out.

    "Faris certainly wouldn''t be keeping secrets from the Queen, would he?" The man sneered.

    "No, My Liege," She said softly while trying to think of a way out of this, "We are not usually required to report new Storm Travelers."

    "Well, help her up so she can open us a portal," he motioned to the guard impatiently while dodging the statement. Kenna fidgeted nervously. Then she closed her eyes to envision a destination and opened the portal. She led them through to her old home and her mother''s private estate.

    "Where are we?" The man questioned irritably.

    "It has been a while since an emissary of the Crown has visited. You could not deny the Countess her chance to entertain you?" Kenna smiled sweetly as servants bustled out of the door and ushered the unannounced guests into the small palace. Then she very quickly walked to a private corner and pulled out a tiny portable mirror.

 Chapter Twenty-seven

    Faris stomped down the hallway towards the library to meet Dragonis and Xander with something disagreeable on his mind. Aulder was upsetting the balance and he was going to be blamed. This was not going to go over well. None of this was. He walked into the library and saw Dragonis and Xander bent over books that were not his.

    "What''s this?" He motioned his hands toward the books.

    "My collection," Xander said slowly, "We can not let Aulder know."

    "Ah," Faris said understanding full well the kind of collection Xander had brought, "A little warning next time friend? I didn''t know you were a collector."

    "I wanted to be prepared," Xander smiled.

    "It seems the more we head into this the less we can prepare," Faris sighed, "So, what have you both found?"

    "The grimoire of the Necromancer God''s High Preist," Dragonis said as Xander held the dragon skin bound book aloft for Faris to see.

    "I am not touching that abomination," Faris said with his face contorted in disgust. Xander put the book back down abruptly and then looked as though he didn''t know what to do with his hands for a moment.

    "I assume you did?" Faris looked at Dragonis. He nodded while looking a bit sick.

    "I have found that Itzal is not the god the necromancers follow." Dragonis started off, "They follow and worship The god of Death, and call him Nidhuggr. I have confirmed this with Hima."

    "The High Dragon? You found him?" Faris was excited. He knew the remaining dragons and dragonborn had lost contact with him a long time ago. Hima''s daughter had become extremely reclusive and did not search him out.

    "His soul is in the boy from the college who suffered a breakdown. He confirmed the most troubling part. The God of Death now inhabits his body, which is how he has gone undetected by the Gods. Itzal was merely a distraction," Dragonis said leaning on the table then he sat down and looked at his hands now resting in his lap.

    "How..." Faris didn''t understand how a god could inhabit a body that wasn''t his.

    "Because Hima''s magic was in both his soul and his body. Hima was a descendant of the Old Gods from Paeran, the world the dragons came from," Dragonis acted as though this all left a bad taste in his mouth. Faris could not agree more.

    "So, we are losing magic native to this world, we lost the conduit, the necromancers are making a comeback and follow a god wearing a dragon suit. This is fantastic," Faris sighed but knew he couldn''t keep the other bad news from his friends. Politics were going to be interesting from here on out, "To top it all off, Aulder is breaking the accord, and means to clutch."

    "Clutch? As in more than one child?" Dragonis was alarmed.

    "They mean to give birth to their own personal army against the necromancers. Aulder mated with the newest storm traveler." Faris saw the fear and fascination mingle on Dragonis'' face. The accord was to keep the balance of power between dragons and their children by promising no more to be born to tip the balance to any dragon''s favor.

    The story has been taken without consent; if you see it on Amazon, report the incident."The Queen will not be happy," Dragonis hissed through a stressed and clenched jaw.

    "It will not be just the Queen we will need to worry about," Faris sighed. The remaining dragons would be angry as well. They might even invoke a council.

    "Would the people follow us if we seceded from the Crystal City''s rule?" Xander asked.

    "Who knows. It isn''t like the Queen sent help to handle the Shadow invasion," Faris was still bitter over the lack of resources from the crown, "I doubt seceding successfully will settle any grudges, but only serve to make them bigger. It seems for the moment I will have to keep secrets. Lots of them."

    "And this also means we have no idea what Itzal is wanting from all of this, and what role he is currently playing," Xander pointed out, "It might benefit us to court him. It could not hurt to have a God on our side that takes a more, ah, active role?"

    "And risk the wrath of the other Gods?" Dragonis was shocked, "While they do not demand worship, they do have a dignity we should not dare insult."

    "Remember they did banish Itzal on behalf of the Dragons and their children," Faris agreed.

    "I just thought that he would be a boon," Xander said offering a rationalization.

    "I know," Faris said appreciating Xanders passion and resolve to think outside the current convention.

    There was a slight tone that sounded in the room. Xander pulled out his new compact mirror and rubbed his thumb across the surface. He saw in the mirror Kenna and her expression was extremely troubled.

    "Xan, I need help, we have a problem," Kenna said with a voice that sounded close to breaking out of her whisper.

    "Where are you?" Xander was worried.

    "At my mom''s. And so is The Queen''s nephew. Heir Apparent Prince Ban," Kenna sounded stressed, "He was snooping around the place we found the storm traveler. Was very interested in finding him. My mother can not keep him distracted from coming to see Faris for longer than a day or two. This isn''t good"

    "Oh, you have no idea," Xander nearly laughed at the absurdity of the situation.

    "Kenna, Keep him there as long as you can, I will arrange a great banquet, and sweep some things under the rug. What do we do with Elda?" Faris suddenly worried for her safety as well.

    "Put her with the other pages. She will be learning and look no different than the other children," Kenna said.

    "Stroke of genius cousin! Give my regards to Aunt Gemma," He said calmly.

    "Of course," Kenna paused, "I still couldn''t find Hin. Any news from Terren?"

    "No, but that is normal. It takes a while," Xan sighed. He clenched his teeth in worry.

    "I have to go, I love you, be careful," and then her image was gone. The men were left looking at one another and Faris was wondering how exactly they were going to keep this from going any further sideways that it already had.

 Author note.

    So very sorry for neglecting this.

    I have had a lot of health problems come up that were very sudden, and I am going to be in and out with surgeries. I will be back after I recover, as for now, other things need more of my attention. I really do appreciate all the views and comments. Thank you. =)

 Map of Meskendir, Kalestra

<hr />

    This tale has been unlawfully lifted without the author''s consent. Report any appearances on Amazon.Hopefully, this link isn''t broken. I hope you enjoy. =)

    Try number 2. lol.

    Hoping the next surgery is the last. =)

    Been very tired.

 Glossary

    Ada- Dragonborn and Queen of the realm.

    Aggie- A disguise Aulder uses to look like an old woman to infiltrate the military camp.

    Ake- Kazakh for Dad.

    Alaric- Part Draconi elf and part Orc. Minor noble and a Knight of the realm. Is related to Kenna and Faris through marriage.

    Anam- Kazakh for Mom.

    Artifice/Artificing- The act of imbuing or infusing an artifact with magical power or a magical purpose.

    Artificer- The mage who has learned the craft of Artificing.

    Astera- A flower that is ground and used as an herbal remedy usually in tea for anxiety or stress.

    Aulder- One of the youngest dragons to come through the rift made by the dragons and the fae to escape the war in Paeran.

    Aurel- Aulder''s older sibling and Parent of Dragonis. Died in the Necromancy War.

    Aydahar- (Ayda) A young Kazakh boy who was attending the college for Herbalism. Carries the reincarnated soul of the High Dragon Hima.

    Ban- Draconi Elf Prince and the Heir Apparent of his Aunt Queen Ada.

    Black Crystal- A crystal that has been charged with necromatic energy and used for communication by/ necromancers because it can not be as easily traced as a mirror communication spell can be.

    Communal (group) Mind- The Takarien (Lyros) race shares a link with family and other members of their extended family or friends that let them deposit a wealth of information that can later be reproduced or traded for a sum of money or political power and favors. This also lets them leave a type of note to communicate with each other through the link.

    Conduit- Hin, a storm traveler, who is used as a vessel to store magical power meant for the child of the prophecy (Elda).

    Countess Gemma- Kenna''s mother and noble that oversees the baronies and their freeholders. Her daughter Kenna will inherit the title and duty someday.

    Daughter of Shadow- Another title that belongs to Elda.

    Dead Watch- A tradition started in the Necromancy Wars where soldiers after the battle would keep watch over their fallen comrades to make sure they would not be raised from the dead.

    Death''s Hand- Assassins who are in spirit (wraith) form and hunt down targets while possessing another person or sometimes plants to carry out the deed. They answer only to the High Priest Trune and the God Nidhuggr.  Only dragons and dragonborn can sense them naturally and easily destroy them. Others can be trained to sense them but it is a very narrow and delicate specialization.

    Delphina- Jelen''s sister and Elda''s ancestor. Has fallen in love and raised many children over the years, was captured by necromancers during the war and fought in the war beside the dwarves who now give her safe harbor in their main city. Her appearance is markedly that of a peahen which is her natural animal form.

    Draconi- descendants of the Dragonborn. Some descendants have very diluted dragon blood and diminished dragon legacy magic.

    Dragon- There are many types of dragons in Kalestra. The ones that settled in Meskendir in dragon form resemble the standard European Dragon and are genderless and sexless until it comes time to procreate. Their children are born with a sex. They have come to favor the humanoid form because it helps them hide better from enemies. Their offspring will always be of mixed race because their inherent magic prevented them from pure reproduction. The Dragons that settled in Sebehla are of the elemental type and closely resemble the Dragons of Asia. They have a sex but have declined to have offspring like the majority of the Fae did.  There are occasional other Dragons that are transported from other places, like earth.

    Dragon Accord- A written Treaty agreement among the Meskendir Dragons that no further Dragonborn would be born so that the power balance could be kept, with no one family being more powerful than the next except for the Royal Dragon and their heirs.

    Dragonborn- Half-dragon and half of another Race. They can not take a dragon form, and are born with a sex.

    Dragonis- Aulder''s nephew and Faris'' distant cousin. He is of the original Dragonborn and over a thousand years old. He declined rule of Feren, instead, he is a respected academic in the field of magic and is the curator of the Royal Library in Crystal City.

    Dragonsight- An ability that only those of dragon blood can inherit. It gives a dragon the ability to see all of the magic around them, and whether it is in use or dormant.

    Dryad- A tree spirit native to Kalestra and is counted as a lesser fey or fairy.

    Elaa- A race of humanoid lizard-like people that were devoted as servants of the High Dragon Hima.

    Elda- She is the child of prophecy destined to bring mana magic back to Kalestra and holds a hidden purpose within her.

    Fae- A powerful group of magical and mystical people Who mostly chose self-exile in the new world for their own safety and have an unwillingness to dilute their Fae blood. By treaty, no Dragon or Dragonborn may enter the sanctuary city of Sid Hayef. To most mortals, they are considered myth and stories told by grandparents.

    Faris- A Draconi Elf That inherited rule of Feren. Has worked hard to make sure that all the people in his land are given equal opportunities under his law. He goes against the ideals of the Crown and other Nobles to do so, by including what they consider lesser races as citizens of his land and given all the rights of that citizenship. He gives free education and combat training to all his citizens, also giving any of them a chance to earn the minor noble title of Knight.

    Feren- A large city-state that sits on the border of the wastes and the rest of Meskendir. It''s economy and population have been steadily growing because of the immigration of undesirable races seeking equality and a better life.

    Fey- considered a lesser fairy from the Fae, they are usually native to Kalestra

    Game Master- A person in charge of a Larping event and is responsible for story and plot.

    God Gifted- A term used to describe those that are given an elemental mark or the healing mark. Though it is rare, even native-born Kalestrans can be gifted with a mark. The only exception is that the dragons, dragonborn,  draconi, or Fae can not be God Gifted.

    Gods of Kalestra- A pantheon of Gods made up of native and foreign gods and deities brought together to monitor and keep balance through their collective power over the Kalestral Storms and the Elemental Planes. They do not force worship or take individual credit for any act.

    God Spark- The essence of a God, demigod, or deity that gives them limited power and control over Kalestra.

    Green Leaf- A Symbol of the Kalestral plane of the Gods and represents the power to heal.

    Hatyri- Elda''s Fae title as the child of the prophecy.

    Havadar- Xander''s Fae title for his role in the prophecy.

    Healer- A person who has been God Gifted with the Mark of the Healer.

    Hector- Xander''s Paidus and the second person Hin met on Kalestra.

    High Dragon Hima- A dragon descended from the Old gods of Paeran and has a different kind of legacy magic from the other Dragons of Meskendir. Was also born a male even though he is the same race as the Meskendir Dragons.

    Hin- A Storm Traveler from earth being used as a conduit of power for the child of the prophecy and mother to Xander.

    Itzal- a rogue God who willfully fell to Kalestra and is the God of Shadows. He no longer is part of the Council of Gods.  Was banished to a Void by the Pantheon for unnatural crimes against the Dragons of Meskendir.

    Jelen- King of the Fae. His animal form is a great brown Stag. His sister Delphina is Elda''s Ancestor.

    Jotunn- An ancient Frost Giant Dragon brought by a storm still in his egg and hatched with the first generation of Dragonborn.

    Enjoying this book? Seek out the original to ensure the author gets credit.

    Kalestral Storm- A storm controlled by the gods of Kalestra that bring travelers from other worlds that will help contribute to the world''s balance of power or magic.

    Kenna- Xander''s wife, and Faris'' cousin. She is the future Countess of Feren. She is part elf and part human and is god gifted with the Mark of fire. She is also a Knight of Feren.

    Kipu- A plant grown readily and in large quantities for its pain relieving qualities.

    Knight/Knighthood- Traditionally the training, education and title held for those Draconi Noble males who would inherit no lands or other titles of their own. In Feren however, Faris opened this up to anyone who was a citizen, regardless of nobility.

    Kouri- A sheath normally of colored scales that the dragonborn, some draconi, and dragons in humanoid form can call to armor themselves in and forms around them like a second skin.

    Larp/Larping- A Live Action Role Playing event.

    Lich- An animated skeletal corpse held together by rituals binding the mage''s Mana and Soul to his bones.

    Lich Trune- Was a Draconi Elf that now serves as the High Priest to the god of Death and has taken Lich form. When it comes to magic he is highly experimental and uses all of his resources.

    Legacy Magic (Blood Legacy)- Magic that is carried in the blood and is race specific. It exists and works independently of the natural and native magic of Kalestra.

    Leiric-  She was Faris'' lead commander of his army at the battle of Codger''s Crossing.

    Lyros- A storm traveler from across the universe. He is a Takerien From the planet Sagadaa. Unlike storm travelers prior to him, his advanced technology was not rendered useless. His people revere knowledge and have a group mind where the collective family knowledge is stored and shared. No matter how far away they are from each other they are able to access it.

    Magic Weave- A traditional form of magic on Kalestra using the natural native magic and weaving it into threads to use in a spell.

    Mark of Air- A god gifted mark that connects a person to the Plane of Air, and the ability to use all the magical abilities of that element.

    Mark of Earth- A god gifted mark that connects a person to the Plane of Earth, and the ability to use all the magical abilities of that element.

    Mark of Fire- A god gifted mark that connects a person to the Plane of Fire, and the ability to use all the magical abilities of that element.

    Mark of Healing- A god gifted mark that connects a person to the Plane of Gods, and the ability to use all the healing magical abilities. Does not grant the marked with any godlike powers.

    Mark of Water- A god gifted mark that connects a person to the Plane of Water, and the ability to use all the magical abilities of that element.

    Marta- Elda''s Father and current prisoner of Niduggr

    Meskindir- Name of the country founded by the Dragons after coming through the portal.

    Mirror Spell- Basic magic that allows the user to use any mirror as a communication device.

    Nebiri- Elda''s distant cousin and a daughter of the Puma Hunting Clan that lives in the wilds outside of Feren. She is part Fae and had a rare encounter that awakened her Fae blood. She was brought to Sid Hayef for her safety.

    Necromancer- A mage that practices necromancy and other necromatic arts.

    Necromatic Arts- The magical art of corruption using spells, potions, or imbuing objects with dark magic.

    Necromancy- The magical art of raising and commanding the dead.

    Necromancy War- A war fought between Meskindir and Necromancers who poisoned the land, with Dragon kind taking the most casualties.

    Nidhuggr- The name the god of death took for himself after the Norse dragon who gnawed at the roots of the tree of life.

    Paeran- A war-torn world that the dragons and Fae escaped by working together to open a portal to Kalestra, and creating the first Kalestral storm.

    Paidus- A Knight''s second in combat and the last rank before becoming a Knight. They are also in charge of everything under the knight including servants, squires, and paiges.

    Paige- The starting rank and grade in school. Everyone in Feren serves as one and receives their education as one. They then go on to their chosen  skill or trade (college) if they do not choose to become a Paidus.

    Panka- Elda''s mother and a prisoner of Nidhuggr.

    Portal Spell (port)-Basic magic that allows the user to bend two points closer to each other and can only be used to go places the spell user has seen before and can visualize.

    Ravenna- Queen of the Fae, married to Jelen, and resembles a raven in human form, and takes the form of a raven.

    Rusvanna- High Dragon Hima''s daughter. Was captured during the Necromancy War and fought against the necromancers. Went into hiding directly after the war.

    Ryino- Lyros'' mechanical engineer and betrays him to the pirates.

    Saido- Itzal''s high priest and emissary. Part god he carries the magic of dreams and sleep and has the ability to become a crow and transform others.

    Sebehla- Country inhabited by Elemental dragons that chose not to mix with the mortals, are friendly but reclusive, are born with a sex.

    Shadow- A being made entirely of shadow that serves as spy and messenger. Can be easily killed with light or fire. Answers to Itzal but were manipulated by his brother Nidhuggr to serve him.

    Shadow Golem- Large constructs made of stone or metal that is bound to a shadow soul.

    Shadow Knight- A construct of a shadow soul bound to a suit of armor.

    Sid Hayef- The hidden sanctuary city of the Fae that exists between the planes of Kalestra.

    Squire- Mid-rank and grade in school. Usually, after this the student will begin to specialize in their studies and decide to go on to college, mage school, begin a trade skill internship, or become a Paidus.

    Storm Traveler- A being brought from somewhere else by a Kalestral Storm.

    Takarien- A large water born humanoid race that breathes through their skin. They share a group mind with those of their family and extended family where the breadth of their collective knowledge is stored. The race values knowledge above all, as a means to power and lucrative networking.

    Terren- A worm companion that mainly dwells on the Plane of Earth, and is a companion and protector of Xander. Also, serves as a messenger of the gods. Linked telepathically to Xander. Also, sheds scales that can be used in magic or for armor.

    Wastes- A land south of Meskendir that was badly and irreversibly affected by the necromancy war and the necromatic arts. Was also the site of the largest battle in the necromancy war.

    Xander (Xan) The son of Hin and husband of Kenna. He serves the prophecy as Elda''s protector and mentor.

    Zvarra- An Elaa and High Dragon Hima''s most valued guard. She serves his daughter faithfully while also acting as leader of the Freehold they run below the mountain retreat.

    <hr />

    Just something my partner and I came up with and thought it might help. I do have new chapters! I will start posting again.  =)  (Surgery went amazingly well.)

 Chapter Twenty-eight

    Silence. Her eyes were closed and she lay on something hard. It was eerie as if time stood still. She moved her hand and felt the hard wood floor made slick with varnish. Then her hand came up to her face and touched the wetness that was making her itch. She opened her eyes and saw nothing. It was a strange kind of nothing. Like the lack of light. It wasn''t darkness either. Her blood was trickling out of her nose. She could feel the minute flow like a heartbeat.  She knew where her hand should be, and that it had her blood on it. Then all her senses came rushing back like a wave. She screamed out in pain.

    ¡°Are you alright?¡± A tall young man was leaning over her. His face was bare, and he looked concerned. She nodded just a little, but her head hurt badly when she moved it. Something was throbbing, but she could not tell exactly where in her body it originated.

    She sat up slowly and the blood that had pooled in the dimple of her cheek ran quickly down onto her uniform. Her uniform was the yellow and purple of Feren. The coat of arms hung on the wall of the school interspersed with portraits of teachers and Feren family. She moved slowly to the corner of the room with the young man''s help. He gave her a cloth to hold to her nose. He returned to the other children her age and continued the lesson. They were learning how to punch and she must have punched the stuffed mannequin too hard. It came back and hit her and knocked her down. She just didn''t know what had happened to her afterwards. She longed to find Saido and ask him but knew her fellow paiges would be watching her closely. Saido was only ever close by when she slept, napping on her bed post still wearing his crow disguise.

    "May I go?" Elda asked plainly wishing not to be in the class at the moment. The young Squire nodded his permission, and she got up and left the gymnasium and the class behind her.

    The hallway was white and plain. Every once in a while, there would be a wooden door, but they all had classes behind them. It seems that just in Faris'' short 400 years of life he had established equal and free schooling for the whole populace. Which also meant that the whole entire city and freeholds of Feren were trained for combat, even if they were a bit rusty. She knew of one noble girl in the class she shared who was treated no differently than the other students in the classes at least. However, the freeholder children were always ready to play servant to the girl to be part of her group.

    There were others more like Elda who seemed to have an air of purpose, but also kept themselves apart from any group. They also excelled at their chosen combat studies if not the whole curriculum. Elda sighed out loud. She had yet to find her calling in combat. And the children made fun of her scaleless Kouri. Her cousin Nabiri had at least thought it pretty. She pouted for a moment because she was not in Sid Hayef with her cousin and Jelen. She passed a group of slightly older children who whispered to each other and pointed to her. They did not laugh at her, but held strangely cunning grins, like she imagined a cat would just before pouncing on its unsuspecting prey. She made her own spine tingle.

    Did you know this text is from a different site? Read the official version to support the creator.

    She reached the door to her dorm. All those beds stuck together with nothing but a table and chest. It seemed so bare and gloomy. She walked down her aisle and saw two girls ahead digging through a footlocker. Then Elda realized it was her footlocker.

    "Hey!" She yelled loudly and ran toward them.

    One of the girls looked up terrified to be caught and ran, the other girl, however, stood with a jeer on her face. She held up the yellow dress Elda received at Sid Hayef. When Elda went to grab it back the girl acted like she would rip it, and Elda froze.

    "Please, give it back," Elda was close to tears but grit her teeth against them.

    "Dana has decided no one but her should have silk this fine," The girl did not smile.

    "I don''t care about her or your group. I don''t bother you. Why are you doing this?" Elda could only look at her dress in the girl''s hands.

    "Dana says there is room for only one noble here, and she is it." The girl gathered the dress closer to her.

    "But, I''m not noble. My parents were poor," Elda was getting frustrated now.

    "We know you traveled with the Arch Duke, and Lady Kenna herself brought you down to the dorms. Your dress is the finest silk we have ever seen, so you''re lying." The girl cocked an eyebrow, "Besides we all know you are Draconi."

    The girl ripped a small hole in a seam, then threw it down on the floor. Elda grabbed it up quickly.

    "No! Jelen gave me this!" Elda cried as she gathered the dress to her like a mother would a hurt child.

    "Jelen?" The girl snorted, then laughed, "So you talk to fairies?"

    "Jelen is my family, and yes I talked to fairies." Elda was angry now.

    "Oh, so you''re some fairy princess then." The girl still mocked her and then quickly started toward the exit. She cackled delightedly, "Dana is going to love this!"

    Elda just put her face into the dress and cried. Soon she got up and laid in her bed. Saido came to sit on her bedpost and looked concerned. She just pet him and then put her head down and slept.

    Saido''s caws woke her gently from sleep, but she realized he was quite alarmed by the way he danced from foot to foot.  A large group of children all roughly Elda''s age surrounded her on her bed. Elda rippled pink and was startled enough to sit up and draw her legs into herself. As she sat up the children took her blanket and rolled her forcibly into it.

 Chapter Twenty-nine

    Elda tried to kick and thrash but the children had a strong hold. She screamed over and over terrified.

    "Shhh," Someone hissed in her ear. She didn''t know how but she knew it was Squire Jasper. Why would a Squire be helping them do this to her?

    She screamed louder.

    "She is going to wake the whole dorm, and then it will be ruined," Someone pouted. Was it Dana? She wasn''t so sure.

    Elda could hear Saido cawing above her. It gave her little comfort that he would not change to save her. She began trying to kick and thrash again while screaming. in between her screams she heard hushed whispers and laughter along with Saido''s cawing.

    She could feel the air grow cooler. They were outside now, heading downhill. She could feel them pick up speed. Then she felt them start to swing her. This was even more terrifying. She started crying hysterically and hugged the dress that was still in her hands. Then she felt as though she were falling but upward, and then very quickly down, the next thing she knew she hit something hard and started feeling wet. She clawed desperately at the wet blanket and it came off and drifted down beneath her.

    She fought her first instinct to inhale. She kicked up toward the surface and heard children laughing and cheering. They came closer into the lake looking happy, this confused Elda. Then Something grabbed Elda''s foot and jerked her under suddenly. She fought to the surface again to take a breath and heard Squire Jasper yell about something going wrong, then she was under again. The plants acted possessed and reached for every part of her.

    She was being dragged and held down and she spent her last breath screaming into the water, then all went still. Like the first time, she didn''t see anything but knew where everything was. She forced water aside and it did not move easily. She could feel the molecules bursting under her effort. She broke her bonds and climbed upward and felt a hand grab hers and pull her up to sit on the top of the water.

    "Why didn''t you change to save me!" She screamed at Saido. He remained silent. Elda sobbed, "I was so scared."

    She felt arms wrap around her. They felt warm and familiar. She was safe.

    "Jelen?" She whispered.

    "I''m here, I am always here," he said.

    "She is coming into her powers earlier than we thought," She heard Saido speak solemnly.

    "And I was told she would be kept safe," She felt the vibration in Jelen''s chest as he spoke sharply.

    "It was a prank. An initiation. I overheard the older children, she was safe until the wraith came," Saido spoke quickly.

    "I wasn''t safe," Elda cried then sobbed again snuggling closer to Jelen.

    "My brave Hatyri, I need you to calm down," Jelen whispered into Elda''s ear. She wiped her face. He set her down on the water again.

    Support the creativity of authors by visiting Royal Road for this novel and more.

    "We don''t need her to calm down, only she can undo what she has done, and it is tied to her emotions," Saido''s voice raised just a bit.

    "What did I do?" Elda was curious now.

    "You have stopped time," Saido explained.

    "Me?" Elda couldn''t believe it, "Then why are you and Jelen not stopped?"

    "Because Saido is part god, as you are, and I can walk through dimensions, stopped time is hardly different for the Fae." Jelen''s voice was warm, and she could imagine the smile on his face.

    "Part god?" Elda felt as though she were starting to go crazy.

    "You hold within you all of the blood legacies," Jelen offered this as an explanation. Elda had no idea what this really meant.

    "She doesn''t understand. She needs to be hardened." Saido spoke quickly.

    "She is not a weapon to be honed, she is a scared child," Jelen  spoke more forcefully than before.

    "Is she not?" Saido sounded angry now, "Let me remind you. In Elvish, she is Jesoth, The Blade. In Dragon, she is Eskidir, The Hunter. To the Orc she is Meson, The Slayer. To the Fae..."

    "Don''t," Jelen raised his voice.

    "Hatyri, ..." Saido made a strange noise.

    "I said do not." Jelen had hold of Saido''s throat.

    Elda gasped. Jelen let go. Saido remained silent.

    "It is time for us to go. You must be the one to kill the wraith. The one who sent it to kill you must know you are able to hurt him now," Saido''s voice was gravelly.

    "What do I do?" Elda was again frightened.

    "Get angry. Crawl back into your water hole and attack the plants that attacked you," Saido sounded as though a cough was caught in his throat.

    "I will come whenever you call, little one," Jelen''s warm voice soothed her as she climbed into the still frozen water.

    Elda found the plants and could feel the wraith and the disturbance where it displaced the magic field.  Then she thought about being dragged under water. She became angry. She crouched over the plant and the wraith inside it. She felt hot with the resentment she held for her life turning upside down. All the times her family was hunted down, all the narrow escapes until they came to Feren. She began to glow. Heat radiated from her.  And then a wave of pure light exploded from her destroying the wraith and the lake she was in. All her senses came flooding back to her and she screamed in pain, falling over into a ball. Everyone close by had been knocked down from the force of her explosion. She heard frantic shouting and yelling as she felt the strong throbbing pain again and passed out.

 Chapter Thirty

    This is a dream. It''s all just a really bad dream. She opened her eyes and saw the piles of bird seed and the water bowl. She sighed, which came out a kind of musical note. Even that made her inwardly groan. She stretched her wings. Something caught the corner of her eye. It was movement. Wriggly spastic movement. A worm. A stupid wriggly earthworm. Something deep within her stirred and craved. Quicker than she could think, her body moved and snatched up the worm still wriggling all the way into her stomach. She wretched, it was still moving. She wretched again and gagged and made all kinds of inhuman horrible noises.

    "Oh, god! Make it stop moving!" she tried to scream, only chirps and strangled notes came out. She wretched again. She somehow maneuvered herself over the edge of the box. She put out her arms and saw only wings and then she was on the floor flapping and squawking.

    Soon she was crying in her own way when a crow landed beside her.

    "You!" She shouted but still only twitters came out of her throat.

    The crow laughed. She cocked her head at him. She lunged finding feather and muscle with her beak. A fog came up from nowhere and encircled her and the crow. Then she was looking at her own hands. Then she promptly puked.

    "My apologies," Saido smiled.

    Hin tried to curse him but her throat made a hoarse-sounding cry, not words.

    "This was necessary at the time," Saido said as he brushed dried blood off of his clothing, she could no longer see a corresponding wound.

    "No it wasn''t! Everything about you is a lie," She moved to get a towel and clean up her mess, "A real bathroom! This beats shitting in a box!"

    Saido heard water, lots of it.

    "Are you ok? Are you... bathing?" he asked incredulously.

    "Fuck off," came her reply from behind the now locked door.

    "What is going on in here?" Lyros said as he opened his door to come in.

    Saido turned and directed fog around him and Lyros fell asleep in a pile on the floor.

    "Great." Saido muttered as he shook his head, then became a crow again and flew away.

    Hin came out and found Lyros. There was no way that she could move him. So she shrugged and went back into the bathroom. She was wearing a robe she had found on the hook. Having a shower felt like a luxury to her. She used a wet wash clothe to clean up her vomit. Then she opened the door to the hall. She took a cursory look then went into the bathroom and gathered her dirty clothes and shoved them into her backpack. She tried not to think about where these things were while she was a bird. She slung her backpack onto her back picked up her shoes and opened the door and ventured out into the hallway.

    She caught the first person she came across.

    "Excuse me, do you know where I can find Xander or Kenna?" Hin asked.

    "They are at their estate getting ready for the Banquet," a young man carrying what looked like linen napkins told her.

    "Huh, and Faris?" She asked before he could walk off.

    "My Lord is with Prince Ban in the study." He said, "I would not disturb him. Maybe you would like to see Lord Dragonis in the Library?"

    "Lord Dragonis?" The name sounded familiar.

    "Yes, I can show you there, then I really must get to the dining hall," He sounded a bit flustered.

    "Of course, please lead on," Hin gestured him in front of her and walked behind him hurriedly.

    If you find this story on Amazon, be aware that it has been stolen. Please report the infringement.

    The young man led her to a door and gently knocked on it.

    "Come," A voice from inside said.

    "My Lord Dragonis, this woman requires and audience," He said and bowed himself back out the door and quickly closed it.

    "How can I help you? I''m sorry I didn''t catch your name," Dragonis said in a jovial tone.

    "Hin, my name is Hin," She said a bit flustered because she was unprepared for how fierce Dragonis appeared to be with skin as black as an inkstone and lizard-like features mixed with elven ones.

    "Hin? Wait, I know that name. I was trying to find a way to track you, to find you. This is marvelous!" Dragonis exclaimed, "But how did you get here?"

    "I was always here, I was a bird. The crow turned me into a bird. Oh, things are getting fuzzy, but it was the crow," Hin shook her head, "Oh, I am so fucking tired of all this magic."

    "Excuse me?" Dragonis looked a bit shocked, "My Lady?"

    "Don''t call me that," Hin snapped.

    "Call you what?" Dragonis was confused.

    "My Lady" Hin gave a disgusted look as it left her lips.

    "Ah, well yes, merely a courtesy I assure you," Dragonis shook his head.

    "I can take care of this Dragonis, I will see you at the banquet? Please don''t forget," she heard a familiar voice say. She turned to see a very pained look on the face of Faris standing in the open doorway.

    "I didn''t miss you either," Hin said looking at him and rolling her eyes.

    "Well, now that that''s out of the way, Xander will be glad to know you are safe," Faris sighed, "Would you like a room and some clothes?"

    "Yes, please," Hin said as Faris ushered her out into the hallway and past rushing people.

    "We were worried about you. Kenna made several trips out to the crater to find you," Faris mentioned lightly.

    "She is a remarkable woman," Hin smiled.

    "You know, speaking of remarkable, I never thanked you for saving my life," Faris said almost happily.

    "You don''t have to," Hin said, "But I am still flattered."

    "What did you do exactly?" Faris asked

    "CPR. You have indoor plumbing but you don''t know how to resuscitate a person?" Hin returned with a question of her own.

    "I... are these things mutual?" Faris stumbled.

    "No." Hin said simply as she continued walking. Faris fell quiet trying to puzzle the conversation over.

    They came to an unassuming door much like the rest of them. Faris opened it and led Hin inside. The bedroom was far more spacious than the one Lyros had. The color red was everywhere deep and rich. Gold accents were embroidered on bedclothes and accenting the drapes.

    "Oh, this is beautiful, thank you." Hin was genuinely impressed with the room.

    "I will send our seamstress down, She should have extras to tide you over," He made a slight bow and exited the room.

 Chapter Thirty-one

"Exploded," he said after another pause spent gulping for air.

    "We are going to Sid Hayef. Jelen will meet us in the forest to take us. Of course, Elda is coming with us for the time being." Xan said, "But they won''t take mother, she is still tracked."

 Chapter Thirty-two

"I was sent by Faris, he said you would hire me," Hin said almost in a whisper.If you spot this story on Amazon, know that it has been stolen. Report the violation.

 Chapter Thirty-four

    We arrived to find the subjects in poor shape, starving and dirty. We will wash and then feed them to get their strength up for the sample harvest. The first tests should be for a connectivity to their daughter. If it weren''t for their daughter they would be of noninterest, since they are not extraordinary on their own. Only their offspring has shown a talent beyondmeasure. The search is still on for any of those who prove to be of Hima''s line as well. My lord God continues to deteriorate and refuses to abandon the body that sickens him.

 Chapter Thirty-four

    We arrived to find the subjects in poor shape, starving and dirty. We will wash and then feed them to get their strength up for the sample harvest. The first tests should be for a connectivity to their daughter. If it weren''t for their daughter they would be of noninterest, since they are not extraordinary on their own. Only their offspring has shown a talent beyondmeasure. The search is still on for any of those who prove to be of Hima''s line as well. My lord God continues to deteriorate and refuses to abandon the body that sickens him.

 Chapter Forty-three

    It was dark and Hin could see little. The air was clammy and warm. The humidity made her skin crawl in the wrong direction and she felt sick. The smell was like a breath from another''s mouth. Not off-putting but definitely not without odor. Where was this? Her footing was uneven and she stumbled. She reached out and grabbed a rock. Wet rock. A stalagmite sharp like teeth. She felt beside the ''tooth'' to make sure there were not more. Relieved she let out a large breath of air. Not quite a sigh.

 Chapter Forty-six

"Thank you, Cousin Aulder for your gracious hospitality," Ada curtsied to them and turned around to claim a bedroom.If you spot this story on Amazon, know that it has been stolen. Report the violation.

 Chapter Fifty-six

    Xander woke to the sound of screams. He listened and determined that they were coming from the same floor. They were female, so he assumed it was Naseem being tortured. He looked down to his arm and found it bandaged. It was hard to move it. The pain felt like his nerves were on fire. He tried to peek beneath the bandage but decided it might be better to leave it alone for now. He staggered to his feet, holding on tentatively to the wall of his cell. Through the small slit window, he could see the guards outside his cell. Upon seeing he was awake, the guards brought a pitcher of water. They ordered him to move away from the door and put it inside, then quickly closed and locked his door again.

    He was impressed with the change in his treatment by the guards. He felt weakened by the wounds he could not heal. But the water was a welcome change. Cooling as it went down. The earthen pitcher felt smooth and cool in his hands. He splashed his face with water also. He heard the screams again and felt frustrated that he couldn''t do a thing about another''s pain. He hoped that Naseem was able to keep her magic empathy secret from Trune. He hated to think how he would test that ability in her.

    He thought about his own torture and when he thought about the dragon blood he felt the most unnerving craving for it. He remembered what the book, written by Trune himself, said about its addictive qualities. He shivered. The need hit him suddenly and left him gnashing his teeth and flexing his hands. He paced the cell. The guards paid him no attention. He took the opportunity to relieve himself in a small dented pot in the corner.

    He continued pacing his cell and listening to the screams. He wondered if Trune was just being cruel or trying to learn something. The screaming stopped abruptly, and now he was concerned if Naseem still lived. He tested the door, but it was sturdier than he hoped. It was time he considered escaping. He knew Trune would soon tire and take the power from the remaining healers despite his cooperation. The healers posed a threat to Necromancers.

    He felt a wave a nourishing, welcoming magical wave. Mana. It streamed in as though forced from its source. It floated all around him, like snowflakes or dandelion fluff only he could see. He waved his fingers and it gathered to his touch. Magic he could use despite the collar. It was everywhere. It surrounded him, stuck to him, danced in his sight and tickled his face and ears. The guards did not seem to even notice it. Though he could see it lightly stick to them too. If he could feel it and see it, then he knew Trune could too. He would have to move fast.

    He whispered to the mana and it reacted to his use and the guards were gently put to sleep. He unlocked his door and quietly made for the main room. He moved his fingers and gathered the mana to him and whispered again and they gathered and sped off towards another passage. He followed them quickly and found Naseem and Marta in cells beside each other. He quickly unlocked the doors. Marta helped Naseem to her feet. They came back into the main room. It smelled of fresh blood. And Xander''s craving came back. He walked to where there was a small cabinet. He unlocked it with a word and grabbed the prepared darts, then saw a vial of blood, and it whispered to him. He touched it and it was ice cold. He grabbed it too. He stuck himself with a dart of dragon''s blood, he relished feeding the relentless niggling in his head and body.

    Then he gathered more mana to himself. Then he gathered what strength he had and power exploded from him, knocking off his and all of the collars from the prisoners. He could hear the pandemonium from the lower areas. He quickly healed Naseem and they ran to help the prisoners before they were slaughtered for retaliation. The magic reacted faster, almost as though it read his mind. And before he knew it the guards and lower mages were defeated. They ran outside blinking at the sunlight. Where was Trune? Where was Nidhuggr?

    Desert. They were surrounded by it. They were in the wastes. They would have to cross it. The Orc prisoners began to sing. It was low and throaty. And before his eyes grass and vines started to grow. The Elves bent and touched the grass and it spread out before him like a trail of life. When the vines ripened they had flowers that were heavy with sweet nectar, and everyone took a flower and drank deeply. They walked on. The part fae took animal forms and scouted and protected the group.

    They did not stop but made progress across the wastes slowly and steadily. Xander did not pay attention to how many nights or days they walked, the magic and nectar keeping them energized as they went. They approached the end of the wastes and they saw an encampment, in the midst of them, were trees grown to contain a living space. They ran to safety and rejoiced in the welcome of the Fae. Gathered in a war camp, with shadow warriors patrolling the outside and tents for the Orc and Elves. The fierce warriors of the Kazakh were practicing with their Cockatrice.The war camp welcomed and rejoiced in the return of their lost people.

    Kenna grabbed hold of Xander so tight he thought he would not ever breathe again. He smiled and hugged her tight. Kissing the top of her head.

    It was then he could hear the call that floated inside the Mana. It was Elda''s voice stirring whoever could hear to action. It drew them all here. Hope. It was intoxicating.

    This story has been unlawfully obtained without the author''s consent. Report any appearances on Amazon.

 Chapter Thirty-eight

    Hin had been scrubbing the tiles in the back hallway for what felt like hours. Her knees and back felt as though they would fuse in this position. She made a mocking face as she remembered the Steward telling her it must be by hand, no mops, because the Prince said so. Like the Prince would ever walk this hall, she felt like screaming. The Prince had started making himself at home. Instead of appointing a regent more and more advisers had been showing up. She heard footsteps in the hallway, and fought her instinct to look back or look up. She continued to scrub. The footfalls fell in a confident rhythm. Hin held her breath and scrubbed faster. She saw the edge of a white robe pass then stop and come back. It stood right in front of her. She looked up with a question on her face.

    "You''re new aren''t you?" The man asked sharply. Hin nodded, he reached down and touched the top of her head, "There is something about you, it pings. Odd."

    Hin just stared at him with the same questioning look of stupidity and innocence. The man sighed and strode off. Hin let the breath she was holding go. As soon as she was done She limped off to her quarters for her bed. She could hear all of the whispers and knew something big had happened. She slowly walked past a larger group of workers and heard the news about Faris being captured and taken somewhere.

    "Shit, shit, shit." she said as she sat on her bed.

    "Shhh," Naseem said as she rolled over in her own bed.

    "Sorry," Hin said absently.

    Hin was close to panicking. She took a breath, then another. She then settled and wondered if anyone else knew. No one could reach Xander. They didn''t allow the use of anything that would give away their city''s location. But what about the others. She hadn''t even talked to Alaric yet. She laid down in the bed and fell asleep with all her clothes still on.

    "Hin," a whisper woke her. She turned to see Naseem dressed in black and staring her in her face. She sat up quickly.

    "What?" Hin was confused.

    "Come with me," Naseem said and then walked out of the door. Hin jumped up and followed her quietly.

    They walked through hallway after hallway. Hin was thoroughly lost. She wondered what time it was, the whole place was so still. They reached a door that looked older than the rest, and it had a large ancient lock. Naseem bent down and started to pick it with little silver tools. Hin was fascinated. She had always wanted to learn this skill. Naseem finally turned the lock and the door opened stiffly with a loud groan. Naseem froze and looked down the hallway either direction. Then she went into the darkness on the other side of the door. Hin shrugged and followed. Hin could hear dripping water and it gave her shivers.Unauthorized use of content: if you find this story on Amazon, report the violation.

    "Where are we, exactly?" Hin tried to whisper but it came out a hoarse statement.

    "Shhh," Naseem looked at her crossly.

    Hin heard movement ahead and someone groan. Naseem put a tube to her mouth stuck something in the end and blew hard, then she quickly reloaded, but then lowered it and replaced the tube and the small object separately in a pouch. Naseem then moved forward and caught the guard just as she was about to slump over, then softly put her on the floor. Hin was in awe.

    "I was afraid of this, oh, Faris," Naseem''s voice was soft and full of regret. She quickly took a key from the guard and deftly opened the cell door.

    Hin took a couple of steps but stopped. She watched transfixed as Naseem checked Faris'' well-being gently and then kissed him passionately.

    "There you are," Naseem said as Faris weakly returned the kiss, and she smiled, "Please come here,"

    Hin then went to their side, and knelt on sore knees. She grimaced.

    "You need to heal him, he is weak. Too weak, and they left him no water." Naseem looked around frowning.

    "I don''t know how." Hin said feeling helpless.

    "Just touch him and clear your head, his body will tell you what he needs." Naseem moved Hin''s hand onto Faris'' hand.

    Hin closed her eyes and felt the same spark that she felt when she had touched Kenna, and just knew about the baby. She held on to that feeling, and information came rushing to her, too much, it was a scramble and didn''t make sense.

    "Too much," Hin whispered.

    "Stay with it, concentrate on one thing," Naseem said in a steady tone.

    Hin grimaced as she tried to chase down just one thing to understand. She could suddenly feel the bruising on his face and his broken fingers. She could feel everything now, and it hurt. All the pain seemed to be competing for attention, and it started to overwhelm her. Naseem laid a hand on her shoulder.

    "Just think about putting things right, they will tell you what right is if you listen," Naseem whispered to Hin.

    Hin pushed through the pain and tried to listen again, and then she could see a slight green light ahead of her then around her. It was warm and welcoming, and Hin caressed it and it playfully rushed to all the places she could feel in Faris.

    "Good, now draw back slowly, not too fast." Naseem said encouraging her on.

    Hin slowly made her way back, she wondered if back was her own body, did she really do what she thought she did? How did Naseem know how to do that? Who was Naseem? Who was Naseem to Faris? They were obviously fond of each other if not more.

    Naseem Kissed Faris on his forehead and then laid him down to rest. She stood and helped Hin to her feet, and then led her out of the cell and locked it. She put the key back on the guard. Put her finger to her lips and walked back to the large ancient door. She moved it closed again. She fiddled with the lock until it clicked. Then she took Hin by the hand and led her through the maze of hallways to their room.

    "I know you have questions, they will have to wait." Naseem said as she stripped and went into the shared bathroom and closed the door. Hin sat on her bed exhausted and confused.

 Chapter Fifty-Seven

The author''s narrative has been misappropriated; report any instances of this story on Amazon.

 Chapter Fifty-eight.

This novel''s true home is a different platform. Support the author by finding it there.

 Epilogue

    Ban sat in the dark listening to the drips of water and then felt a drop on him. He sighed and scooted over. He put his head back. He could not sleep. He was restless and held a deep regret. He had turned his country into a nightmare and lost any power he had. He took the trinket he had stolen out of his pocket. Anto had decided that the old woman''s things were inconsequential. He was curious about the flat thing that glowed in the dark. He touched things on the surface and noises played, and others dinged at him. Things were in a language he didn''t read. It was new to Kalestra. He was annoyed it wasn''t in the common tongue of Dragon.

    Something came open and he pressed on the small images. They filled up the space of the whole device and when he touched it again they moved. He found he could view the images in succession. Then one began moving like he was watching the people through a small window. People were in a place with food and beverages. They were happy and waving or laughing. Then the thing beeped at him again and went dark. He could not make it light up again. He sighed mournfully.

    He was forgotten. No food or Water, not even a guard. Just a collar that prevented his using magic and a couple of pots. One pot he had under a drip to collect what water leaked into his cell. The other would soon be too full to do anything with. No one would even know to rescue him. He had no honor guard with elite training like his Aunt did. Just as well, they didn''t seem to be able to protect her from the necromancers. He surprisingly did not mourn her loss like he thought he might. Even though she had adopted and raised him as her heir after his parents had died.

    No, what he mourned now was what he lost after the coup. He trusted the wrong people. He wanted power so badly he made a mistake. And now he wasn''t worth torture or food. He was forgotten. He let that sink in. He didn''t feel like crying. He wasn''t even that angry. He just laughed. He heard it echo, and reverberate through the little dungeon.

    Love this novel? Read it on Royal Road to ensure the author gets credit.

    <center>

    ****************

    </center>

    <div>

    Elda hovered on the other side of the tent. She knew if she walked in they would mob her in their quest to find her favor. They were all now arguing loudly with each other. Elda took a deep breath and was about to enter when a slender hand caught her shoulder. She looked up. Delphina looked down at her with a steady but not unfriendly gaze.

    "Let them sort it out. We have a much more important thing to do." She said and smiled.

    Delphina tore open a portal to the In-between and took Elda''s hand. Brecka sang a sweet hello to Elda. Elda followed them through and let the rift swallow them up.

 Chapter Forty-three

    It was dark and Hin could see little. The air was clammy and warm. The humidity made her skin crawl in the wrong direction and she felt sick. The smell was like a breath from another''s mouth. Not off-putting but definitely not without odor. Where was this? Her footing was uneven and she stumbled. She reached out and grabbed a rock. Wet rock. A stalagmite sharp like teeth. She felt beside the ''tooth'' to make sure there were not more. Relieved she let out a large breath of air. Not quite a sigh.

 Chapter Forty-six

"Thank you, Cousin Aulder for your gracious hospitality," Ada curtsied to them and turned around to claim a bedroom.This tale has been unlawfully lifted without the author''s consent. Report any appearances on Amazon.

 Chapter Fifty-six

    Xander woke to the sound of screams. He listened and determined that they were coming from the same floor. They were female, so he assumed it was Naseem being tortured. He looked down to his arm and found it bandaged. It was hard to move it. The pain felt like his nerves were on fire. He tried to peek beneath the bandage but decided it might be better to leave it alone for now. He staggered to his feet, holding on tentatively to the wall of his cell. Through the small slit window, he could see the guards outside his cell. Upon seeing he was awake, the guards brought a pitcher of water. They ordered him to move away from the door and put it inside, then quickly closed and locked his door again.

    He was impressed with the change in his treatment by the guards. He felt weakened by the wounds he could not heal. But the water was a welcome change. Cooling as it went down. The earthen pitcher felt smooth and cool in his hands. He splashed his face with water also. He heard the screams again and felt frustrated that he couldn''t do a thing about another''s pain. He hoped that Naseem was able to keep her magic empathy secret from Trune. He hated to think how he would test that ability in her.

    He thought about his own torture and when he thought about the dragon blood he felt the most unnerving craving for it. He remembered what the book, written by Trune himself, said about its addictive qualities. He shivered. The need hit him suddenly and left him gnashing his teeth and flexing his hands. He paced the cell. The guards paid him no attention. He took the opportunity to relieve himself in a small dented pot in the corner.

    He continued pacing his cell and listening to the screams. He wondered if Trune was just being cruel or trying to learn something. The screaming stopped abruptly, and now he was concerned if Naseem still lived. He tested the door, but it was sturdier than he hoped. It was time he considered escaping. He knew Trune would soon tire and take the power from the remaining healers despite his cooperation. The healers posed a threat to Necromancers.

    He felt a wave a nourishing, welcoming magical wave. Mana. It streamed in as though forced from its source. It floated all around him, like snowflakes or dandelion fluff only he could see. He waved his fingers and it gathered to his touch. Magic he could use despite the collar. It was everywhere. It surrounded him, stuck to him, danced in his sight and tickled his face and ears. The guards did not seem to even notice it. Though he could see it lightly stick to them too. If he could feel it and see it, then he knew Trune could too. He would have to move fast.

    He whispered to the mana and it reacted to his use and the guards were gently put to sleep. He unlocked his door and quietly made for the main room. He moved his fingers and gathered the mana to him and whispered again and they gathered and sped off towards another passage. He followed them quickly and found Naseem and Marta in cells beside each other. He quickly unlocked the doors. Marta helped Naseem to her feet. They came back into the main room. It smelled of fresh blood. And Xander''s craving came back. He walked to where there was a small cabinet. He unlocked it with a word and grabbed the prepared darts, then saw a vial of blood, and it whispered to him. He touched it and it was ice cold. He grabbed it too. He stuck himself with a dart of dragon''s blood, he relished feeding the relentless niggling in his head and body.

    Then he gathered more mana to himself. Then he gathered what strength he had and power exploded from him, knocking off his and all of the collars from the prisoners. He could hear the pandemonium from the lower areas. He quickly healed Naseem and they ran to help the prisoners before they were slaughtered for retaliation. The magic reacted faster, almost as though it read his mind. And before he knew it the guards and lower mages were defeated. They ran outside blinking at the sunlight. Where was Trune? Where was Nidhuggr?

    Desert. They were surrounded by it. They were in the wastes. They would have to cross it. The Orc prisoners began to sing. It was low and throaty. And before his eyes grass and vines started to grow. The Elves bent and touched the grass and it spread out before him like a trail of life. When the vines ripened they had flowers that were heavy with sweet nectar, and everyone took a flower and drank deeply. They walked on. The part fae took animal forms and scouted and protected the group.

    They did not stop but made progress across the wastes slowly and steadily. Xander did not pay attention to how many nights or days they walked, the magic and nectar keeping them energized as they went. They approached the end of the wastes and they saw an encampment, in the midst of them, were trees grown to contain a living space. They ran to safety and rejoiced in the welcome of the Fae. Gathered in a war camp, with shadow warriors patrolling the outside and tents for the Orc and Elves. The fierce warriors of the Kazakh were practicing with their Cockatrice.The war camp welcomed and rejoiced in the return of their lost people.

    Kenna grabbed hold of Xander so tight he thought he would not ever breathe again. He smiled and hugged her tight. Kissing the top of her head.

    It was then he could hear the call that floated inside the Mana. It was Elda''s voice stirring whoever could hear to action. It drew them all here. Hope. It was intoxicating.

    Ensure your favorite authors get the support they deserve. Read this novel on Royal Road.

 Hiatus

    I am deeply sorry to stop work on the story. I have hit a personal rough patch and I am going through some deeply personal stuff. As soon as I get everything sorted and settled, I promise I will get right back to this. Until then I have marked this as On Hiatus until the foreseeable future. I wish everyone who checked this out well and I hope that when I do start to write again that you all will feel like rejoining me. I hope that when the stress and worry is over that I can come back and deliver a story that will, at the least, entertain you for a little while. Thank you for your patience as I navigate a truly difficult emotional period in my life.Unauthorized usage: this narrative is on Amazon without the author''s consent. Report any sightings.

 Chapter Fifty-Seven

This story has been unlawfully obtained without the author''s consent. Report any appearances on Amazon.

 Chapter Fifty-eight.

The tale has been taken without authorization; if you see it on Amazon, report the incident.

 Epilogue

    Ban sat in the dark listening to the drips of water and then felt a drop on him. He sighed and scooted over. He put his head back. He could not sleep. He was restless and held a deep regret. He had turned his country into a nightmare and lost any power he had. He took the trinket he had stolen out of his pocket. Anto had decided that the old woman''s things were inconsequential. He was curious about the flat thing that glowed in the dark. He touched things on the surface and noises played, and others dinged at him. Things were in a language he didn''t read. It was new to Kalestra. He was annoyed it wasn''t in the common tongue of Dragon.

    Something came open and he pressed on the small images. They filled up the space of the whole device and when he touched it again they moved. He found he could view the images in succession. Then one began moving like he was watching the people through a small window. People were in a place with food and beverages. They were happy and waving or laughing. Then the thing beeped at him again and went dark. He could not make it light up again. He sighed mournfully.

    He was forgotten. No food or Water, not even a guard. Just a collar that prevented his using magic and a couple of pots. One pot he had under a drip to collect what water leaked into his cell. The other would soon be too full to do anything with. No one would even know to rescue him. He had no honor guard with elite training like his Aunt did. Just as well, they didn''t seem to be able to protect her from the necromancers. He surprisingly did not mourn her loss like he thought he might. Even though she had adopted and raised him as her heir after his parents had died.

    No, what he mourned now was what he lost after the coup. He trusted the wrong people. He wanted power so badly he made a mistake. And now he wasn''t worth torture or food. He was forgotten. He let that sink in. He didn''t feel like crying. He wasn''t even that angry. He just laughed. He heard it echo, and reverberate through the little dungeon.

    Stolen from its rightful author, this tale is not meant to be on Amazon; report any sightings.

    <center>

    ****************

    </center>

    <div>

    Elda hovered on the other side of the tent. She knew if she walked in they would mob her in their quest to find her favor. They were all now arguing loudly with each other. Elda took a deep breath and was about to enter when a slender hand caught her shoulder. She looked up. Delphina looked down at her with a steady but not unfriendly gaze.

    "Let them sort it out. We have a much more important thing to do." She said and smiled.

    Delphina tore open a portal to the In-between and took Elda''s hand. Brecka sang a sweet hello to Elda. Elda followed them through and let the rift swallow them up.