Chapter 46 – the herbalist
"I like to be where significant events take place" was the woman's answer. "Alagaesia's doom approaches fast, creatures of the land, water and air are soon to perish and there is nothing in my power that I can do to change this"
And with this, the young, peculiar woman with the curly, bouncy hair run towards the forest.
"Where are you going?" Idel asked and made an attempt to follow her.
"I am going to explore. It's been many centuries since I last saw a new land with such… Interesting scenery and agriculture" the woman shouted, looking back while still running fast and letting out a loud, girlish laugh.
Perhaps, the Dragon Rider Masters would have followed her despite her impressive speed, if not for Maud who jumped into the forest after the herbalist without a second glance back.
Troubled with many unanswered questions, Kaya followed suit, running into the forest after Maud and the peculiar young woman. Both, however were running incredibly fast, faster even than any of the elves she had encountered and she soon lost track of them.
Be careful Kayla. She may be dangerous, Aiedail whispered and pushed her wings to get closer to land and closer to Kayla.
If she wanted to harm me or the other riders she would have already done so, Kayla said with confidence and continued running into the forest with one aim in mind. That of getting answers.
Despite her deep knowledge of Dis Atilan's forests and mountains, Kayla soon found herself lost amongst the greenery. She paused many times trying to spot a movement or a coloured piece of clothing which would indicate the woman's whereabouts but she found none.
Frustrated, Kayla kneeled on the ground, her breath coming out loud. She would have given up if not for the sound of rustling leaves near her and the hushed breaths. Kayla crawled to the nearest bush, whispering words which would grant her invisibility.
"Ramr ven" she then whispered, pulling some of the bush's branches out of her way.
In front of her stood the same peculiar woman she had encountered in the shores of Dis Atilan, facing Maud.
Only Maud did not look happy. She was holding her walking stick in both hands, her lips pressed in a tight line and her eyes in slits.
"You promised, old one. You promised" she hissed and bowed to the ground, circling the other woman.
For a second, the other woman's expression changed, portraying such sorrow and anger that Kayla felt her heart break and a fierce need to cry overtook her. Even though the woman looked to be no older than twenty years of age, for that brief moment of time, her face creased and lined like a dried apricot, her eyes pools of running water, betraying knowledge and sorrow far beyond her years. Then, all too quickly, the herbalist's expression returned to its previous state and she smiled calmly.
Kayla had been around dragon riders and elves long enough to know that appearances could often be deceiving.
"I tried" the herbalist whispered.
"If you had tried hard enough you would be the one dead right now, not him. He was just a boy. He was my son" Maud hissed once again and then spit on the ground, her eyes portraying malice, sorrow and anger.
For a moment nothing happened until the herbalist kneeled on the ground and rocked back and forth.
"They will soon come. Take your sorrow out on them" she said.
Maud nodded.
"They are the ones responsible for my son's death, I know this much. Make no mistake though; when this is over I will come back to claim back what was promised" the werecat said and Kayla felt shivers running down her spine.
With no further due Maud changed into her feline form, dropping the rags she usually wore to the forest bed, and run into the forest. The herbalist kneeled on the ground and started caressing the grass and flowers, often picking some plants, only to soon discard them.
Then she paused, studying a plant very intently. She picked it up, smelled it, caressed its leaves, opened her mouth…
"No!" Kayla screamed and jumped from the bushes, returning to a visible form.
The herbalist raised her eyebrow and looked at the girl.
"Its Dilia Vellosa" Kayla explained pointing at the plant. "Its poisonous"
"I know" the herbalist said and smiled at her pleasantly. "Now, can you tell your friends to come forth?"
Kayla raised her eyebrows at the woman, perplexed, but then she heard a noise from her left and she quickly turned around to see Laer and Adrian emerging.
"Is it true? Is it true that Alagaesia's doom approaches?" Adrian asked quickly before any of the two other riders had a chance to ask a question.
The herbalist pressed her arms over her chest. "Yes"
Kayla's mouth opened with a pop. "Why did you abandon the land then, why did you not do anything to stop the destruction..?"
The herbalist looked frustrated. "Did you not hear what I said before, child? I do not have the power. Make no mistake, though. The enemy will come here, before he goes to Alagaesia. For him to allow even a single rider to survive would be like playing with fire"
"Can we stop him?" Kayla asked this time as she played with the edges of her tunic.
The herbalist smiled and brushed the Dilia Velosa against her lips. Her eyes locked with Kayla's for a brief moment, before the woman appeared next to her, offering her the plant.
Kayla took in a deep, quick breath. She saw Adrian and Laer preparing to make a move, but she raised her arm in the air to reassure them she was all right, something that made the herbalist smile once again.
"What does it tell you child? What does this plant make you feel?" the herbalist asked, curiosity evident in her tone.
Kayla swallowed and touched the Dilia Vellosa carefully. Never before had she beheld the plant, and it wasn't due to lack of trying. From the very beginning she had known that this plant had been dangerous, poisonous. There was no need for her to come into close contact with it. And yet, here she was, caressing the crimson petals of the flower as if Dilia Vellosa was her lover. She dropped it to the ground in shock and returned her gaze to the woman.
The herbalist started laughing once again. "It is seducting is it not? Beautiful, dangerous and powerful. As it should be. With it you have the power to save someone's life or… end it once and for all. Magic is like that and so is the enemy. Never forget this, child. When the enemy comes do not join his cause, child, whatever he may promise you. Death is not the answer, it has never been"
"All of you" the herbalist continued, pointing at Laer and Adrian as well as all of the other riders, young and old alike, who had just arrived at the scene. "Listen to me now, and listen to me carefully. What I said before, is true. I do not have the power to save Alagaesia. But there are people here that do. If we stop the enemy then we may be able to return to Alagaesia and save the people there. There are more enemies of course, countless more, but that at least will stop the wheel from spinning, if only briefly…"
"But… I thought Eragon was going back to Alagaesia to face the danger himself" Tristan said emerging from the bushes, followed by Rikon, Maurine and Grohn.
The herbalist shook her head and looked at Kayla. "Tell them. Tell them about your dream"
Kayla bit her lip before she faced the riders. "Eragon and the rest of the riders are dead. It was during the storm last night… Shadow wyrms attacked them, lightning struck…"
"Which means that the shadow wyrms will no longer attack Alagaesia but will attack here, first, instead" the herbalist added.
"This can't be" Mirin the Master of History and Ancient Language whispered, appearing to be out of breath. "May Helzvog protect us all"
The herbalist gave him a knowing look for a second while half-smiling and then she shook her head.
"Tell us what happened, old one. Tell us what to do" Idel said.
"The day has still to pass were one will best me but I am afraid that this new enemy might be my match. I promise you though, I will not repeat my past mistakes" she said. "The barriers you placed around the island… Make them stronger. If I managed to come through them, so will they. The wild dragons in Ramirblaka. Will they help us?"
"I am afraid our current standing with the wild dragons is complicated" Octavian said and pressed his toned arms against each other, making his golden earrings ring.
"Uncomplicate it then! The enemy will attack this week. We need every help we can get and quickly. The fastest dragon should fly there and ask for their help"
Tristan stepped forth and Vertigo landed next to him, his wings encompassing his rider. "That would be us. We can set off for Ramirblaka now"
"Adrian and Mars. You will accompany Tristan and Vertigo. If anything goes amiss, do not stay. Return to us as swiftly as possible. Bringing the wild dragons to our aid is the aim but keeping all you riders safe is just as important" Octavian whispered.
The two riders and dragons nodded and without further due rode their dragons and set off.
"Splendid. Now… Which of you will accompany me to Murtagh?" the herbalist asked.
Rikon raised his eyebrows to Grohn, looking utterly lost. "Wait? What? How? How does she know everything?"
The Urgal only smiled and raised his arms in the air. "Only the Gods know how"
…
By the time they reached Eomhill the sun was atop them, half-hidden by a few remaining dark clouds from yesterday's storm. The herbalist stormed into the infirmary and rushed up the stairs to where Murtagh's room was.
As soon as she walked in, she covered her nose with two fingers.
"It stinks" she complained.
"He has been like this for days now" Idel, said. "The magic that seeps from his wounds…"
"Is as dark and complicated as the creature who wields it" the herbalist continued.
Even though the rest of the riders had been asked to leave the room, Kayla and Laer had been asked to stay.
"You, the blonde one, come close" the herbalist said to Kayla who came forth, feeling slightly intimidated. "What do you feel?"
"Darkness. Emptiness" Kayla replied quickly, having felt the same emotions before when she had first been in contact with this type of dark energy.
"Ayah. I want you to be my anchor. When I delve into this madness I may not have the power or positivity to come back forth. You need to pull me back" the herbalist said.
Kayla shivered, remembering her dreams of blood and horror, and dragons…
Blood. Crunch. Bones.
"No. I am not the right person for this" Kayla said, swallowing hard and taking a few steps back.
The herbalist sighed and then locked eyes with the girl.
There are happy memories in you as well, the herbalist's voice whispered.
Indeed, Kayla's thoughts changed and soon she saw herself flying, surrounded by white fluffy clouds. She was with Aiedail and other creatures, unknown creatures, but she was happy. She then saw her mother as she held a big smile and danced around with Kayla while Tristan rolled his eyes.
How do you know so much about me? How do you know so much about everything?, Kayla asked.
The herbalist smiled. I have certain abilities that allow me to see things others don't. Quite similar to yours if I may say so. The problem is I often don't see enough.
"You, the one with the horns, come closer" the herbalist said just then but Laer bared his lips apart and stared at the woman with his two canines in plain sight, something he did not do often.
The herbalist let out a loud sigh and shook her head. "Don't be so dramatic. I only said what I saw. Now, I know you are good with herbs and potions. I want you to mix equal parts of Dilia Velosa and Hemileia vastatrix. We need to wake him up"
In two quick steps Laer had mixed the two herbs together and had started spreading them across Murtagh's wounds and inner lips. The rider suddenly let out a loud scream. Somewhere, outside, Gwen's cry echoed throughout the corridor.
"Idel, make sure family members do not enter this vicinity. If we want this done, we need to do it properly" the herbalist advised.
"Blonde girl. I need you to grab my shoulder" she repeated.
Kayla stepped forward and did as she was told. Outside, Aiedail was flying impatiently.
Murtagh let out another loud scream just as the herbalist threw some dragon bones on the floor and started singing loudly in a complicated language, one which felt even older than the ancient language. Black smoke rose quickly from the wounds and clouded the room, blocking their vision. The smoke entered Kayla's lungs and she started coughing loudly. Maintaining her hold on the herbalist's shoulder suddenly became a difficult task.
"Don't let go!" Laer advised and she nodded. Not long after, the smoke felt like it was penetrating her skin and bones and Kayla shivered, remembering the Shade's attack and how it had felt, that cold-chocking feeling…
A bright spot appeared in her mind and Kayla opened her eyes to see Aiedail moving her wings back and forth trying to blow the smoke away, which, surprisingly, was working.
The herbalist's chants continued, but black smoke was no longer rising from the rider's wounds. Murtagh was still screaming but no longer in physical pain. He shouted the word Eragon at some point and then fell back to his bed.
The herbalist uttered one more phrase and then removed her hands from Murtagh's wounds. Her hands were blackened and all too soon she collapsed onto Kayla and then to the floor. Laer made an attempt to run to her side but the herbalist rose her arm.
"No. Heal him. His injuries are simple cuts and scratches. Nothing an old traditional spell and a few herbs cannot heal"
"Are you all right?" Kayla asked, unsure of what to do next.
The herbalist nodded and swallowed. "I am all right. Although I won't be able to cast such a spell again for the next few hours"
"You need energy. Let me give you some of mine" Kayla suggested but the herbalist shook her head quickly.
"No, child. You shall need it more than I"
"Angela?" a voice asked suddenly and the herbalist turned to the other side.
The red rider was awake and he was examining his wounds in mixed feelings; surprise and awe.
"Thank you" was his reply.
…
Despite the storm the previous night, the skies were now clear apart from a few dark clouds here and there but Tristan knew they posed no great danger.
Ramirblaka came into his view and Tristan held his breath again, taking in the magnificence of the scenery and the flying peaks.
We are on a mission. Don't get distracted, Adrian advised and Tristan nodded but nevertheless Vertigo rode atop an upward rift, climbing higher into the skies and getting lost between the clouds.
Vertigo took a few turns and started spiraling upwards, the clouds following his direction, changing.
What are you doing? We need to speak to the wild dragons, Adrian intersected and Vertigo nodded, flying downwards.
They met Adrian and Mars just before the wild dragons appeared in the horizon. One female and five male dragons greeted them, sniffing the other dragons curiously, but not attacking.
Slowly more dragons appeared and Tristan heard Adrian taking a deep breath of air.
Whatever happens, do not move. One potentially offensive move and they will attack, Mars advised and both Vertigo and Tristan nodded.
The consciousnesses of the wild eldunari approached them and both riders opened their minds to them.
What is the purpose of your visit?, they asked.
The riders stayed silent, trying to decide amongst themselves who would speak first.
Speak riders, the Eldunari shouted again, exasperated.
It is your help we seek, in defeating the enemy. It has come to our attention that the enemy will attack soon, Adrian said.
The eldunari said nothing to this and the wild dragons moved around them in a faster speed.
This is a big thing you ask of us, riders.
Will you give us your aid?
This is no easy matter, riders. We will sleep on it and call counsel first thing tomorrow morning to decide, a serious, deep voice said.
It is growing dark, riders. I would suggest you sleep on the island tonight. Your dragons should join the wild dragons for the night. They have much to share, another eldunari consciousness spoke, one with a tone of voice, much smoother than the previous one.
The riders will think something amiss has occurred. We can't contact them and let them know otherwise, Adrian said.
Surely the riders can wait a day, the velvety smooth eldunari voice said and Adrian and Tristan nodded in agreement.
By the time they had reached Ramirblaka's headquarters, Tristan was fuming.
"I don't understand why they want us to stay and why our dragons cannot sleep with us. And what a way to phrase it! We could not have declined without insulting them" he said.
"Shush. You do not want to insult the old, wise dragons" Adrian said silently.
"No, I do not. But I have never been told I need to part from Vertigo" Tristan said and sat down on the cold, hard mattress of one of the five beds in Ramirblaka's headquarters.
Even though Ramirblaka belonged to the wild dragons, a small instalment had been built to house dragon riders in cases like this one. However, dragon riders had never slept in this building before. The building was cold, as it had never been heated before and no food supplies were present.
Having eaten nothing else than fruit, vegetables, grains and nuts over the past few months it came to Tristan as a surprise that he no longer craved meat, even though there was plenty on the island. As an elf, Adrian craved non-meat products as well, but, unfortunately, there were none to be found on the island.
Tristan laid down on the mattress and punched his side. "I am cold, hungry and tired. I am also separated from Vertigo"
Adrian walked to Tristan's bed side. "I feel the same as you but we must be patient. Our dragons will not be harmed"
Tristan nodded and tried to extend his consciousness to his dragon but the wild dragon eldunari had placed boundaries between them just for a night, for what reasons Tristan could not fathom.
Adrian started whispering some words in the ancient language and soon water had appeared in his pouch and also a handful of vegetable tubers. In just a few minutes Adrian had prepared a soup. He gave a wooden bowl to Tristan.
"Here. That will keep you full and warm for tonight" the rider promised.
Tristan nodded and started eating the soup. Despite the simple ingredients it tasted delicious.
"Thank you" Adrian said after Tristan shared his thoughts with him.
Tristan went for seconds and Adrian put his bowl on the side and started playing with a necklace on his neck.
The boy chewed a carrot and a potato loudly.
"What is this?" he asked Adrian in curiosity, pointing at the necklace.
The elf looked in the distance and removed the necklace from his neck. A single, round, golden pebble hung from the centre. Adrian smiled at the sight of it, a sad smile, and then caressed the pebble. He said a few words in the Ancient Language and with a few twists and turns from his fingers the pebble opened to reveal a drawing.
The drawing was of an elf and it was the most realistic thing Tristan had ever seen. It felt as if the elf in the drawing would jump out of the pebble at any moment now and he would start dancing. The male elf had long white hair, startling green eyes like Adrian's and his clothes screamed of his high status. He also had the most enigmatic of smiles.
"Is this your brother?" Tristan inferred but Adrian shook his head.
Remembering that elves were often a lot older than what they looked he asked his next question. "Your father?"
Adrian laughed.
"He was my partner. Only, I know not if he is still alive" the elf said.
Tristan raised his eyebrows, uncomfortably. "Partner? As in comrade?"
Adrian had a sad smile on his face as he shook his head again. "No. Partner. As in lover"
Tristan's mouth popped open. "But he is … He is a male elf"
"So?" Adrian asked and Tristan shook his head.
In Arhan village, only once had he seen two men together. It had been night time and they were walking the streets of Arhan in silence, hands locked together, heads against each shoulder. Tristan had looked at them, unsure of what to think and then someone had shouted something and guards had appeared. He remembered the guards' faces looking deadly serious when they told the two men to leave the village at once, otherwise serious action would have to be taken against them.
Never again had he seen two men together. Once, he had seen certain glances being exchanged by two boys during a village fair but nothing more than that. Because it was such a rare occasion, Tristan had never thought much about it.
Until now.
"It is not natural for men to be together" he whispered and Adrian looked at him in surprise and disappointment.
"This is the first time I have told a human of this. I should have known humans would not understand" the elf said and threw his wooden bowl to the side. Without further due he went to walk outside but Tristan rose from his bed.
"Adrian, wait! I did not mean to insult you!" he said and the elf looked at him with two eyebrows raised.
"You did not. It is your race that insults me. The beliefs of your race are skewed…" Adrian started.
"Explain to me, then. Explain to me, how and why" Tristan insisted.
Adrian stared at Tristan intently. "I am afraid I cannot. How can one explain love? And attraction? Surely you must be attracted to someone, or must have been attracted to someone at some point. You must know how this works"
"Yes. But …" Tristan began again only to be interrupted by Adrian.
"We, elves, are not attracted to appearances. We are attracted to souls. That's why when we love, our love is fiercer and stronger than any love humans, dwarves or Urgals can experience. Love sometimes is mistaken for fascination, attraction, excitement but it is none of those. Love stands in a category all by itself and needs none of those above feelings to go along with it. Love is a deep admiration and understanding that goes beyond mere days, weeks or years but can span centuries. Tell me, human. Have you experienced love of this degree?"
Tristan opened his mouth to reply with a yes but then closed it again. What he had with Gwen… Was that love?
"How can I know if I have experienced it?" Tristan wondered.
Adrian hmphed. "If you had, you wouldn't be asking me this. Love is a feeling shared by two. That's why one cannot love someone else without this love being returned. Most often than not, its excitement and fascination. Only that both of these tend to fade overtime. Like opening a gift for the first time. After owning this gift for longer than a year, however, it ceases to amaze you"
Tristan nodded. "I apologise again if I insulted you. You appear to know more about love than most humans do. However, I disagree with love having to be shared by two. Sometimes, love can only be one-sided"
"No. It is only when both parties share mutual feelings that they can truly open themselves to one another. Otherwise you only know one side of it"
Tristan said nothing to this for a few seconds, unsure whether he agreed with this statement or not. "You are lucky to have experienced such feelings. You must miss your partner much"
Adrian pressed his lips together, looked at Tristan and then bit his lower lip. "I worry for him. I am afraid he may be dead. But we are no longer together. As soon as Mars hatched for me we both knew that it would be impossible to stay together"
The rider said nothing to this. It was the first time that he had seen Adrian open up and he was afraid to insult him. Despite his first impression of Adrian, the elf appeared … wiser and not an arrogant, spoilt brat as he had initially thought.
Tristan lay on his bed and covered himself with the thick blanket. Adrian did the same on one of the other beds that was placed in Ramirblaka's headquarters.
"Have you ever been attracted to female elves?" Tristan asked Adrian curiously.
"Not so far. But that may be simply due to me not finding a female match suitable enough" Adrian said and with that he rolled to the other side of his bed, something that Tristan took as a sign that this conversation was over.
…
Murtagh was no longer in grave danger but he did not look strong enough to walk or rise from his bed. Gwen was the first to enter his chamber.
"Father" she screamed and rushed to his side.
Gwen spoke quickly, tears spilling from her amber eyes.
Not wanting to disturb this family moment, Kayla and Laer helped the herbalist out of Murtagh's chamber.
"Thank you, Angela" Murtagh repeated once again and the woman nodded, walking forth slowly.
Rikon, Grohn and Maurine were waiting for them on the door.
"Holding Gwen out of the room required all three of us. And even then, Gwen was not using any magic. If she had, I don't think it would have been possible to hold her off" Grohn said to Laer but Rikon stepped forward, looking excited.
"Wait, you are Angela? The Angela? The dwarves have written books about your feats!" Rikon said.
The woman raised an eyebrow and half smiled. "Have they now? I always thought Dwarves were the race that liked me the least"
"Well to be honest they were Elvish books translated into the Dwarwish language but… Is it true that you were Tenga's apprentice?" Rikon continued as the riders walked out of Eomhill.
Angela held onto Kayla's shoulders tighter and let out a loud breath. "It appears like the elves have been busy writing tales"
"So you weren't Tenga's apprentice?" Rikon continued as the herbalist sat on the ground, outside of Eomhill.
Aiedail was there and she quickly went to stand next to Kayla, lifting her wings a few inches from the ground. Don't use dark magic again.
Its not as if I had a choice, Kayla intersected.
Angela pushed the girl's arm away from her and stared intently at Rikon.
"Yes I was Tenga's apprentice, may a thousand rats claw at his bellybutton until he dies" she said and spat on the ground.
Rikon moved a few steps back. "Why do you hate him so much? From what I have heard he is a wise man"
Angela laughed. "Man he is not and wise he may be but to whoever else it may concern other than himself"
She paused for a few seconds, rose from the ground, took a deep breath and then continued. "Tenga always liked his little puzzles. I was such a puzzle as well for a while, adored and spoilt, educated to perfection, until one day, I was not. Tenga is wise and sees things no other man can, but more often than not fails to see what is right in front of him. That's why I hate him"
So taken Kayla had been by Angela's story that she hadn't realised they had reached the outskirts of Glieonard.
"It is growing late riders and I require much needed rest. We shall resume tomorrow. I shall need every ounce of strength you can spare so we can make the boundaries ten times stronger. Mayhap that will keep the enemy at bay, if only for a little while" Angela concluded, looking at the dark sky.
She walked to the nearest tower and entered inside in a few quick steps.
"Right. That was interesting" Grohn said and with a wave he, Rikon and Maurine said goodbye to the riders.
Kayla walked silently back to the human dorm with Laer on her side and Onyx and Aiedail in the skies.
"Who is she, Laer?" Kayla couldn't help but ask.
She saw Laer hesitating and she stood in front of him. "Do not lie to me. Back at the shores of Dis Atilan, she told you her true name, did she not?"
Laer hmphed. "What is it to you? What difference will it make?"
Kayla pressed her lips together. "I feel a connection to her"
Laer smiled. "As do I"
"Why?" Kayla continued.
"Mayhap she will soon tell you"
Kayla smiled in turn. "Why does everything have to be a mystery with you?"
"Mysteries make life interesting, don't you think?"
"Like Tenga's little puzzles?" Kayla inferred.
"Exactly" Laer answered and stepped inside the human dorm.
He extended his arm to Kayla and she took it. She was back inside the dorm but Laer's hand was still on her arm. She did not shake it off.
"We are alone" she whispered, suddenly realising the full weight of what this meant.
"Alone, other than our dragons" Laer continued and smiled.
Then he stopped, his expression serious once again, his irises widening and turning golden, his lips apart. In one single movement of his, he brought Kayla close to his chest and then stopped, moving his arm alongside her back in slow movements.
Kayla let out a small breath in surprise. When had her feelings for Laer changed? When had they become something other than friends? Why was she not resisting this urge as she usually did?
The enemy approaches, my mother is in danger as are all the people, the riders and dragons in Alagaesia, and all I can think about is him.
When does the water become more alive and runs faster and more dangerously? During a bright sunny day or when a storm is dwelling?, Aidail asked calmly.
You do not disapprove?, Kayla wondered.
Why should I? Unless he attempts to hurt you I have no reason to think otherwise.
"Wait" Kayla whispered and tried to push Laer's hands away from her back.
Laer stopped as soon as she said those words and raised his hands in the air, as if in surprise.
"Strange. I have not faced rejection before" he looked at Kayla with fascination and Onyx let out a loud growl that made the hairs on Kayla's arms rise.
"How many have you tried to seduce?"
"None. They all come to me" he said and smiled, his goat horns visible amongst the river of straight black hair.
"All?" Kayla asked again but Laer said nothing in response only smiled once again and slowly, torturously slowly, brought his hands onto her shoulders, raising them to her chin and bringing her face closer to his.
They were only a breath away.
"We cannot do this" Kayla whispered, trying to resist the urge that burned deep inside of her.
"Why?" Laer asked and paused once again, smiling, bringing his lips closer to her only to quickly move away.
Kayla let out a loud struggled breath, feeling caught, like prey falling directly onto the spider's wed.
"Because there are other things, more important things we have to do" she whispered, knowing immediately that this was the weakest excuse she could have ever come up with.
"No" Laer said, a single word and smiled once again, his nose running down her neck while Kayla let out another struggled breath. "I can see it in your own eyes. You want more than what you let on. Your heart is beating faster than a rabbit's. You want this. Tell me what you want"
Air rushed through her lungs and escaped her half open lips. "I shall tell you. Only if you tell me what you are. Only if you tell me where you come from. Only if you tell me where your loyalties lie and why we are the same"
Laer paused and looked into her eyes again. "My mother named me Laerkarnadir. It is elvish and urgal. It means the song of a man's revenge. Family, justice, love. These are the values guiding my blade. This truth is written in blood and the shadows are where I strike"
His goat horns started changing, almost becoming longer, his eyes glowing golden, his black hair shining darker and with one swift move of his, he spun her around and pressed her against the wall.
A loud cracking noise echoed through the human dorm and Onyx appeared next to them, taking down with him half of the building. The dragon's eyes shone with malice and protection and his paw pushed Kayla back, throwing her to the other side of the wall.
Kayla fell down, injuring her left shoulder in the process, but not before Aiedail came standing in front of her. She growled loudly at the black dragon, her mouth open ready to set everything ablaze if need be.
Onyx was ecstatic, he was moving fast, growling loudly breaking everything in front of him, his teeth snapping only to open his lips moments later.
Kayla took her dagger out.
"No" Laer said raising his arm in the air and trying to calm Onyx down. He rode the beast and Onyx walked out of the human dorm fast, destroying another half of the building with this.
With no further due the dragon took to the air.
Kayla stared after them, still feeling the burning remnants of a warm feeling in her chest.
What just happened?
….
It was the first rays of sun that awoke Tristan. Without further due he went to get Adrian but the elf was already outside, waiting for him.
They both run to the edge of the cliff were the wild dragon meeting was to take place. Vertigo and Mars were waiting for them.
"Vertigo!" Tristan bellowed and held his dragon muzzle close to his chest. However, his dragon was silent.
What happened?, Adrian inferred.
I am afraid the wild dragons have voted against joining us, Mars said.
Why?, Tristan asked, his mouth popping open.
They say it will be dangerous. They say the riders have stolen enough wild dragons as it is and they no longer wish to sacrifice more, Mars added.
What is the meaning of this?, Tristan asked angrily.
The wild dragons faced him with obvious irritation.
Our decision on this is solid. However, if you do wish to request sanctuary we shall grant it to you. Only to you two and the purple dragoness, though. You were of wild noble blood, the eldunari said.
I have heard enough, Tristan said and climbed atop Vertigo's back.
We shall head back to Dis Atilan. Thank you for granting us stay in Ramirblaka for the night and hearing our plead. We need to make preparations for battle, Adrian said.
Fair well, Vertigo son of Klithea and Vron, brother to Aiedail and Mars, brother of Biford. And remember, whatever happens you are always welcome here, the wild dragon eldunari said.
Vertigo rose to the skies once again and was followed by Mars. They started flying fast, hoping to return to Dis Atilan before midday.
Dis Atilan soon became visible in the horizon but it was immediately evident that something was amiss.
"The barriers have been breached" Tristan whispered and Adrian nodded, pointing at two dragons and one shadow wyrm attacking one of the borders.
"The war is here"
….
A/N: Sorry for the long wait, I had to submit a very important piece of work last week. But now, its done and I can write more chapters. Its already been more than a year since I started this story and I promise that I intend to finish it soon, hopefully in the next 4 chapters or so. Thank you to everyone who reviewed the last chapter and who prompted me to write some more: BEST OC MAKER, Howtobook101 and DogLover.