A Danger in the Dark
Kayla had been late.
It wasn't her fault entirely as her mother had been in a deep sleep until the early hours of the afternoon and she did not want to wake her up.
When her mother had gotten up eventually, the dark circles had almost disappeared from under her eyes and she looked re-energised and happy. Kayla did her mother's hair, making intricate designs and put the flower necklace she had made last night on top of it. She smiled, pleased with her handiwork, and then went on to wear a blue dress that matched her eyes and let her blonde hair loose.
It had been her mother who had soon realised they had to leave, if they wanted to be at the Brasungr ceremony in time to see Tristan. They had arrived just as the four dragons connected their fire in the middle of the square and the earth shook from the vibration the creatures were making while flapping their wings.
Kayla remembered her mother's mouth as it had turned into an O. The celebrations in years before had been nothing like this, yes, still magnificent but nothing of this scale. Even though the scaly creatures terrified Kayla she had to admit that this was a celebration they would not forget for the rest of the year.
Once the names started being called, she and her mother had tried to squeeze their way into the village square but it was teeming with people and it was hard to get close to the stage. Kayla did not mind since her name would be one of the last ones to be called. However, she was curious to see her brother walk on stage, even though he as well would have a long time to wait.
It was a summer night and the heat was clinging onto her skin like a mosquito clinging onto blood and she sighed angrily at the mass of people who swam around her, the odor from their sweat reaching her nostrils.
"Kayla, come here, look at his" her mother said taking her hand and bringing her closer to a make-shift table stand.
"See your loved ones for only a silver, have magic rocks that float only for two. Come to my lovely magic den" the man behind the table stand was saying to her, her mother and the people around them.
She noticed the table stand had golden goblets filled with water and rocks that floated just a few inches above the stand. There were also intricate wooden ornaments that had shapes of weird creatures the names of which Kayla did not know.
"I want to see Nasuada, the queen of the Varden!" someone from the back shouted. The man behind the magic objects, raised both his eyebrows. He had weird black markings along his arms and legs but she could not see his face properly as he was wearing a hood.
"I am only a small magician and the person you wish to see has wards around her mind which are tougher to break than the mountains in the Spine. Please choose people that you know and don't have protection spells around them" he replied, tapping his foot on the ground.
Someone shouted something else and the man went to say some words on top of one of the goblet and then images appeared. Kayla let out a small sound.
"What about this rock that floats? How does this work?" her mother asked the man after he had finished with the water goblet and held his silvers.
"You take the rock into your hand and you say the word Risa. I have enchanted it so you don't need magic, only the word" he said and gave the rock to her mother. Kayla watched closely as her mother whispered the word and suddenly the rock flew some inches above her hand.
A bright smile formed on her mother's face and she clapped her hands like a child on its birthday.
"Kayla, look its flying! Do it as well" her mother said, excited and gave her the rock.
The rock was small and round, plain, nothing out of the ordinary but Kayla could feel something when she touched it. She held it in her hand and like her mother before her she whispered the word.
"Risa" she said but nothing happened to the rock. Her mother looked at it peculiarly.
"Why is the rock not flying?" her mother asked the man behind the table stand. He raised both his eyebrows and shook his head.
"Risa" Kayla repeated, feeling a tiny part of her brain come to life but nothing happened to the rock. She held the rock in her palm and showed it to the magician.
"I don't think it's working" she said to both the man and her mother. The man looked perplexed.
"Repeat the word. Unless I give you another rock…" he said and started searching the carefully placed rocks he had on the wooden stand.
"Risa" Kayla said, giving it one more try and concentrating so hard on the rock that she felt her temples burning.
She saw the rock wobbling on her hand and then it started flying, first a few inches and then higher and higher. Satisfaction coursed through her until she started feeling lightheaded, her feet unsteady on the ground, almost as if they had risen a few inches as well and she fell on the table stand hard, everything that was on it smashing to the ground.
"Kayla, are you okay?" her mother said, rushing to her side and gently touching her brow. Kayla nodded but then the magician came behind them and started shouting.
"You just destroyed all these objects! Do you know how long it took me to set everything up?" he bellowed and started picking the goblets and the rocks in his hands, trying to put them back in place. A small crowd of people had started gathering around them, watching the scene.
"I am sorry, we promise to help you" her mother said and went to help the man pick the objects but he pushed her back.
"No, just give me the money for the rock and go" he said, almost growling, pulling his hood up and muttering some unknown words.
Her mother nodded, taking two silvers out of her pockets and giving them to the magician while Kayla scowled.
"Mom, what are you doing? Don't give him the coins! It's his fault the rock didn't work properly" she whispered but her mother shushed her, helped her get up and then walked towards the stage.
"We still did cause some trouble for him" she explained to her daughter and smiled. "Now, show me the rock again"
Kayla hadn't realised she was still holding the rock and passed it to her mother. She expected her mother to start saying the word Risa again and making the rock fly but she didn't.
Instead she looked straight ahead where some people were playing music with drums, rebecs and flutes and some of the villagers had set themselves the task of leading the dance around the square. She was surprised that even with all these events happening, the music playing, the people shouting and going about their business, she was still able to hear the calling of names.
That's why when Tristan's name was called, both her and her mother switched their full attention to the stage where the dragon eggs stood.
Kayla saw her brother jumping from a nearby rooftop and heading towards the stage with a quick pace. She could tell from his movements that he was anxious and she felt her mother's hand, grip onto hers.
"Do you think he will be picked as a dragon rider this year?" her mother asked and Kayla couldn't tell if she wanted her daughter's answer to be negative or positive.
They both watched, the air suddenly caught in their lungs. They watched as Tristan walked by the first 6 eggs and nothing happened and then they watched as Tristan seemed to pause in the last two.
Again, none of the eggs moved from their pedestal and Tristan walked of the stage in a quick pace. Kayla watched as her brother quickly parted the crowd of people and walked by them without looking back.
"Tristan!" her mother shouted but her brother did not hear and he kept going until he was lost from their sight.
Her mother still struggled to move in the vast sea of people and get closer to her son but Kayla shook her head.
"Give him some time" she said and suddenly she felt guilty for her thoughts last night. She shook her head trying to clear it, as her elbow throbbed from where she had fallen before. Her mother still looked worried but Kayla made a quick decision and pushed her towards the people who were dancing.
Kayla got a perplexed look from her as they were both drawn into the dancing cycle, with the rhythm slowly increasing and their dancing pace struggling to keep up. She didn't know how much time passed but she could tell that it was now fully dark and her mother was laughing. She almost forgot that the names were still being called so when she heard hers she was momentarily stunned.
"Kayla, daughter of Borosson, age 15 do you accept or decline?" the elf asked and Kayla left the dancing circle to stand forward.
The answer came easily to her as it had done so in the years before.
"I decline" she answered feeling a weight shift from her shoulders and she joined her mother for a few more dances. After that they strolled around the tents, gazing at some of the dragon riders, the elves and the rest of the make shift table stands, gazing for other interesting objects. She was careful, however, to stay at a safe distance this time as her mother was eyeing a particular flower that was glowing in the light.
She noticed that the calling of names had stopped and an airy silence persisted. Kayla could see the people moving but their movements were slow as if time had paused. She felt a shadow coming her way before she saw it and perplexed, she looked up.
A creature, the likes of which she had never seen before, was quickly descending towards the unaware crowd of people. She wanted to shout to them to run for cover but no voice was coming from her throat.
And as quickly as that feeling of time being paused had come, just as quickly it left.
The elves and the dragon riders were the first to notice the impending threat and they started moving fast, shouting orders to the solders just as a the creature let out a jet of dark liquid on top of some of the tents and the make-shift table stands.
People started screaming realizing what was happening and running around trying to cover themselves. The dark liquid that had fallen on the tents was smoking and some of it had fallen on one of the tradesmen who was screaming in pain.
"PROTECT THE EGGS!" the human dragon rider yelled as she stood before them with her sword raised while the figures in the dark robes had their eyes closed, their brows pulled together in concentration. The remaining dragon riders had also closed their eyes and soon Kayla saw a jet of flames. The elves went to gather the eggs but Kayla's attention shifted as she struggled to find her mother.
"MOM?!" she shouted as she looked at the place her mother had been standing at, only a few moments ago. Someone bumped into her with such force that she fell on the ground, face down. She tried to pull herself up, but a boot slammed into the back of her head. She felt dizzy, confused and when she managed to get on her knees she saw chaos.
Fires were burning all around her mixed with the dark liquid that only made the fire spread faster on the buildings and tents. A dragon was flying in the skies trying to attack the creature she had been before, but the creature took a right turn and dived towards her direction.
She would have screamed if she could but the creature was moving so fast that she didn't have the chance. Just as a gigantic, dark talon went to slice her face the Urgal Dragon Rider stood before her with a mace Kayla had not seen him carry and attacked the creature.
"Brising" be roared and fire came rushing from his palms just as a dragon descended from the skies to attack the dark creature from behind. She watched mesmerised as the two beings crashed with such force that the ground below her started shaking as if an earthquake was happening.
They were once again coming closer to her and she struggled to get on her feet and run just as the Urgal produced another set of flames.
"What are you waiting for? Run" he shouted at her angrily and run she did.
But just before she turned around to go, she saw the rider jumping on the dragon with elegance, his armor shining in the moonlight, his expression taught and serious, as he chased the creature higher into the skies.
Hope you are all enjoying the story! REVIEW, FOLLOW OR FAV, it will only take a minute and honestly your interest is what keeps me going :). thanks!