SHADOW OF THE CROWN

DRAGON GUARDIAN WARS #1

AMBER MORANT
 Text Copyright 2019 © Dragon Soul Press

ALL RIGHTS RESERVED. This book contains material protected under the international and Federal
Copyright Laws and Treaties. Any unauthorized reprint or use of this material is prohibited. No part of this
book may be reproduced or transmitted in any form or by any means, electronic or mechanical, including
photocopying, recording, or by any information storage and retrieval system without express written
permission from the author/publisher, except for the use of brief quotations in a book review.
This is a work of fiction. Names, characters, places, and incidents either are products of the author’s
imagination or are used fictitiously. Any resemblance to actual events, locales, or persons, living or dead, is
entirely coincidental.

Editing & Formatting by Dragon Soul Press

Cover Art by Atlantis Book Design
 CONTENTS

Chapter 1
Chapter 2
Chapter 3
Chapter 4
Chapter 5
Chapter 6
Chapter 7
Chapter 8
Chapter 9
Chapter 10
Chapter 11
Chapter 12
Chapter 13
Chapter 14
Chapter 15
Chapter 16
Chapter 17
Chapter 18
Chapter 19
Chapter 20
Chapter 21
Chapter 22
Chapter 23
Chapter 24
Chapter 25
Chapter 26
Chapter 27
Chapter 28
Chapter 29
Chapter 30
Chapter 31
Chapter 32
Chapter 33
About the Author
About the Publisher
 ONE

A njuu looked down at the council far below her. She was the queen's
shadow and as such, she was to remain out of sight. Everyone wanted to
kill the queen and that left the drow Assassin, Anjuu, as her only protector. Even
now, Anjuu refused to trust anyone. Her head was wrapped with a headscarf and
her face hidden behind a white mask, red whiskers painted on the cheeks. All she
had were slits for her eyes, but it was enough to see.
Within the shadows of the exposed castle rafters, Anjuu chose to be at the
ready. Her hand laid against her belt, her fingers twitching. Inside was a
multitude of daggers and knives. With just a flick of her wrist, everyone below
could be dead and there would be no one to blame.
No. She couldn't think such thoughts. If the queen caught on then she would
be dead, or worse, without a job. Anjuu had been trained all her life to be a
shadow. Leaving now was worse than death, as every shadow in Narishma
would hunt her until she could no longer run. Then continue their hunt in the
afterlife so she could never be at peace.
The queen was the only drow amongst the council, her seat at the head of the
table, drumming her fingers against the arm of the chair. Sitting on either side of
her were the three members of the council.
“Do you really expect anything different when you let magic users control
part of the government?” The cait shidhe, Azrael commented. Like many of the
cait shidhe, he was more cat-like than human or elven.
“Yet we have a cat trying to decide how we run our own government,”
Persius grumbled, and scratched his head. He looked elven, but Anjuu knew
better to assume after their first encounter years ago.
“Like you can talk, dog.” Azrael hissed.
“Skin walker, thank you.”
 Mestre, the third in the council raised a hand. She looked elven like Persius,
but Anjuu knew at any moment Mestre could change her appearance to anyone
in existence without another thought. “Can we get back to discussing business?
My potions are simmering downstairs and I’d rather not let them get ruined
because of cats and dogs fighting.”
The queen, Kalio, nodded. “We have to focus. If that war comes to our
borders, then we’ll need to fight.”
Those in the council below were oblivious to Anjuu’s thoughts, thankfully.
Instead, they were deep in discussion about a new political war in a nearby
country, thanks to a common thief and alchemist. Anjuu knew who they
referenced. A team of shadows had been dispatched overseas for the mission. If
the two did indeed survive, the shadow guild master would be welcoming them
into their guild.
The four councilmembers continued to talk about more gibberish, which no
longer interested Anjuu. The queen only required her blades, not her political
advice. Her day continued as such, with talk and no threats against anyone in the
castle. Not even so much as a sneeze came close to the queen. For shadows who
were assigned to merchants or bankers, unlike Anjuu, there was constant action.
Here, it was just too quiet.
The council broke from their meeting as the sun began to set. Each left from
a different door, followed by younger shadows next to them. Most of the
shadows would die within the fortnight, but they were easily replaceable. The
only ones not walking with a shadow were Mestre and the queen. Mestre had
already killed ten shadow children in training from her experiments and thus no
one would ever be assigned to her again.
Anjuu expertly weaved across the wooden beams to the loft. Before her
stood what looked like an impenetrable stone wall. To anyone else, it was a dead
end, but off to the side, she could see a change in coloration that was almost too
faint to detect unless you were looking for it. A small raven perched on top of a
dagger. It was the mark for all shadows to traverse undetected.
She pushed the brick in until she could hear a soft click. The remaining
bricks split apart to reveal a dark tunnel. Anjuu stepped in and pressed another
brick in to close the wall behind her. It was pitch black inside, a secret passage
untouched by light for years beyond its entrance. She blinked, adjusting her
vision to see despite the lack of light. Everything began to turn a shade of green
and she continued forth. It was a genetic trait she thanked the gods for gifting the
drow with. The tunnel twisted and turned, always going down. Just a few turns
and she would be on the same floor as the council.
Anjuu paused and pressed a loose brick on the wall. Again, a cluster of
bricks moved to reveal a hallway filled with statues of men and women holding
a lizard skull in their hands or hung above their heads. Past dragon guardians,
who had left a large impact on Narishma society, whether for good or bad
reasons, represented the balance of light and dark.
The drow had seen these statues enough over the years that the intimidation
of the figures was gone, and her eyes shifted to look for her target. The queen,
Kalio, was a distance behind, still judging by the clack of her feet. At eye level,
Anjuu could admire the queen's regality. When not on the throne, her appearance
was always accompanied by simple clothing. Today's choice was an emerald
corset with a cloak that tied into a skirt at her midriff. During more formal
occasions, she wore gowns that had pieces of armor, to protect herself if Anjuu
failed.
She envied her queen's clothing and regality. There were days she imagined
being able to stand close and feel the silk brush against her skin. The smell of
Kalio devouring her very essence. As a shadow it was forbidden. She had to
maintain her distance and never grow that close to her.
Anjuu closed the window and continued down the dark tunnels until she
reached another false wall. There was no pause in her movements as she opened
a new doorway and stepped out into a large bedroom. She blinked, adjusting
herself to the soft light in the room, the green haze dissipating from her vision.
Most of the decorations consisted of items from the drow country in the East,
Ombramoor. A small bonsai tree sat next to the windowsill, with a miniature
sand garden that reflected the one recently built in the courtyard. Next to the
desk was a small cabinet with a small piece of parchment attached inside and the
ancient drow language written on the parchment, a butsudan brought over from
their home country. Since joining the shadows, she had yet to own one for a few
years now. The queen’s was the only semblance of the drow religion. Once you
were a shadow, your old faith was gone, and the new one of death replaced it.
Anjuu shook her head, refocusing her thoughts back to the tasks at hand
before Kalio came into the room. She stepped over to the fireplace and bent
down to toss more wood in. She then reached for a small vial around her neck. A
golden liquid splashed inside that glistened in the dim light. A few drops fell
from the vial onto the wood, careful not to lose all of it. In seconds, a smoke rose
from the droplets then burst into a roaring fire.
The door behind her burst open and the queen's grumbles of the day soon
followed. "I swear to Devata's Roots if there is one more raid I will go down and
burn them all myself."
"Rebels, Your Grace?"
"Damn it all! Anjuu, you need to send those shadows of yours to kill those
rebels. I don't care how many of you die, just do it!"
Anjuu stepped forward so the queen could see her when she bowed. "Your
Grace, I cannot do that. I don't have the power or money to send any on such a
mission."
"Then why the hell are you here? They’re destroying my lands, an extension
of me, and you’re sitting here making a fire?" Kalio grabbed a dagger off the
nightstand by her bed. She slid her finger across the edge to verify it was still
sharp then she flung it at Anjuu.
Anjuu tilted her head to the side. She could hear the blade cut through the air
near her ear. Although her head had dodged the strike, it managed to slice open
the cord that held her mask and headscarf together. Her silver-gray hair tumbled
past her shoulder. Her green eyes glowed. Without her disguise, she could have
been confused for a lady of the court, but she preferred to remain anonymous
with the mask.
Anjuu bowed again, her eyes meeting the stare of the mask on the ground.
"Your Grace, it is true that my life belongs to you. But if you kill me, then why
ask for protection originally?"
"Don't be snarky, girl."
Anjuu's eyebrows raised in shock. Despite Kalio being capable of fighting,
and potentially on par with many shadows, insulting her was dangerous grounds
to cover. She didn't act on her surprise but removed the shock about her face. It
would have been easier to hide her surprise with the mask and she made a
mental note to reinforce the straps to avoid mishaps like this again.
Kalio stepped over to the fireplace, brushing Anjuu aside. She slumped over
into an armchair and yawned. The queen’s regality and anger sapped away,
leaving only an exhausted drow who had just come from taking care of multiple
small children. Anjuu could respect Kalio for that. The queen cared about her
people and bringing peace, but it was stressful when the elves still treated so
many drow as second-class citizens.
"Look, you understand my pain. I know you do. I can manage on my own.
I'll just borrow the others' shadows. Just go out and stop the raids."
Anjuu bowed again and picked up her mask and headscarf. "As you wish,
Your Grace."
Kalio lifted herself out of her chair and stepped behind a small paper wall to
undress for the evening. The curves Kalio possessed were accentuated with her
silhouette in the wall. A sensual image that would place any intruder at ease, yet
Anjuu knew against the queen's hip lay a sharp dagger for anyone's throat.
In a few moments, Kalio would be asleep and Anjuu would be left to do as
she pleased with her evening. She had an order to accomplish first and foremost.
Pleasure would have to take a rest for now. While Kalio wasn't looking, Anjuu
entered back into the tunnels, once again a shadow within the walls of the castle.
Despite the need of the warm fire in the queen's chambers, the tunnels stayed
perpetually warm. Many of the hearths in the castle aligned with the tunnels,
which made Anjuu thankful for the architect. So many homes had decades ago
updated their buildings with indoor heating, but there was no need within the
castle.
The mask and headscarf hung limp in her hand. It needed to be retired at the
shadow's Temple. It had been a long time since she had seen it. If she died
honorably as a shadow, she would be placed in a pyre with all the masks she had
retired over the years. Already this was the fifth one she had lost, making her
wonder the amount that would present itself in the end. It was an honor if you
died wearing the same one you were gifted when you became a shadow and a
surprise if you had a bed laid out of masks.
She finally pocketed the mask into her satchel and placed the headscarf back
on. She lifted the bottom until only her eyes were visible and tucked her hair
inside of it. Until there was a new mask, she had to find new ways to remain
anonymous.
The passage ended at a small hole with a rope ladder bundled next to it. "I
really do need to thank this architect. Either he was a shadow or a really good
thief." She chuckled at the thought of an entire castle created as the perfect
thieving location. If he was indeed a thief, he had since long passed away with
only the bricks of the foundation left to tell his tale.
As she climbed down the rope, the air grew cooler and the taste of smoke
filled her mouth. Despite nightfall, many worked late hours to supply the
growing army. War had erupted across the ocean and now tensions grew in
Narishma. Kalio was paranoid as is, and a war looming while rebels struck was
too close for anyone's comfort.
The rope stopped, leaving Anjuu feet above the ground. She released the
rope, feeling her stomach lurch into her throat. No matter the training, she would
never adjust to straight drops. There were enough people out there to leap off
buildings that they didn't need another suicidal drow running amuck. Still, when
it was necessary, she was willing to dive if it meant saving her life.
The area was filled with high-ranked officials walking the streets. This close
to the castle there would only be the wealthy roaming. Not even beggars could
get in, allowing nobles and merchants peace from the lower class. Even vehicles
were forbidden in the inner city to prevent anyone from polluting the air and
discomforting the wealthy. If someone did need transportation, there were small
carriages pulled by servants to get someone to different parts of the town.
 Accompanying some of them were younger shadows and apprentices.
Despite not being of the high class, shadows were treated as an extension of their
employers. It was a comfortable life but a dangerous one if an assassin found his
way in. Most of these shadows were fledglings and became pampered and lazy.
Those who worked outside the walls were far hardier but also had a shorter life.
Anjuu passed through the crowd, nodding at other shadows who passed by. A
few placed their right arms across their chests and held their fists above their
heart. A sign of respect and acknowledgment that was earned but never given
freely. Even the founder of the shadows did not get that respect unless he earned
it from his people.
"I need to find a new path out of here," she grumbled after a fifth shadow
saluted her. Most of them she had never met in her life and most just saluted her
because she worked for the queen and viewed that as worthy of respect versus
her actual skill. If her contract with the queen ever ended, they would see her as
just another member of the guild. It made her sick seeing them so weak minded
within the castle walls, and she yearned for the true shadows on the outside.
She scanned the roads for an alley that could get her out of the crowd.
Despite the castle having multiple secret paths, the streets surrounding it were
made much later. Many were stacked and turned around on themselves as more
buildings continued to be built into the city. She spotted a small alley that was
empty and stepped into it without any more attention brought onto her. Anjuu cut
around different buildings, directing herself toward the wall that separated the
higher class from lower.
Anjuu cut back into the main road that was empty, save for a few guards. The
gate was closed for the night with the guards preventing any new travelers from
coming through. Each of the guards wore an emerald green beret as a sign of the
fealty to the queen. Those that worked under other noble's wore the colors of that
family, but none were ever guards that protected the inner city. Most lived near
the homes of the noble or wore the emerald still as the noble fell under the
queen's power.
She counted five guards. Two on the ground, two above the gate, and one
pacing the wall. If she intended on getting out, she had to sneak past them all.
Even being a shadow, she didn't hold a privilege of opening the gates after dark
and would have had to wait for daylight. By then all the streets would be full
again and she would be trapped within the wave of crowds.
She stayed in the shadows of a nearby building and watched the guard's
movements, pinpointing any patterns. The times they stopped to look around.
The times they stopped to talk. The times they sneezed. All of it had to be
calculated carefully or she would misstep and have to fight off guards.
Something she dreaded having a conversation about with Kalio the next time she
entered the castle.
"Looks like an opening is there every ten minutes," she muttered to herself. It
was only thirty seconds, but there was an opening above the gate. It was a small
gap of time, but it would be just enough to not be spotted.
She pulled out a bundled rope from her hip and attached one of her daggers
to the end. The minutes ticked away until the path was open to her once more.
The dagger flew as silent as the flapping of a bat's wings. The dagger snagged
within one of the bricks high above her, granting Anjuu safe passage to climb up
undetected. She was thankful for the added protection of her headscarf to hide
away her hair or she would be a beacon to any guards down below. Even now
with her cloak flapping in the brisk air, there was no telling if her venture would
be a quiet success.
She took her first step onto the cold stone wall. Her body turning parallel
with the ground below. The gut-wrenching feeling filled her again, wishing that
the shadows had created more underground passages to avoid such heights.
Click.
One of the bricks came loose, wobbling next to Anjuu's head, threatening to
expose her existence to the guards. She prayed that the universe would find favor
in her today and keep the brick steady. Even if she attempted to reach out, there
was no telling if another brick would come loose as well. Or if the ones holding
her dagger would stay together. Her praise for architects from earlier was gone in
an instant as she heard another brick come loose. She cursed them for the poor
design of outside walls. She was used to far sturdier features within the castle
and outside of the city. If she had inspected the wall better, she would have
expected this to happen. She had to remember this the next time she decided
scaling was easier than bidding time.
She pulled herself up quicker, hearing the two loose bricks start to slide out
of the wall. She kicked another in, questioning if the building would even stay
up if she stood atop it. She looked around for another nearby building but all of
them looked just as dilapidated as the current one. Anjuu grumbled to herself
about wealthy infrastructure being shit and would have a word with whomever
oversaw it.
The drow listened in for the guard to walk past above her. His boots clanged
against the stone and then stopped as he peered out into the landscape. Anjuu
pulled one of the loose stones out, avoiding too much sound and tossed it off to
the side. The stones turning on her had slowed her process and now she needed
to create a new opening herself.
"Who's there?" The guard shouted as he bounded over to the opposite side of
the tower to find the source of the sound.
She took the opportunity and pulled herself up the rest of the way onto the
building. Straw was scattered and placed in small piles, perfect for a guard to
sneak in a nap during the night hours. Less comfy than the usually issued cots,
but any shadow and soldier was taught anything could be a bed if sleep was
yearned enough.
Her shadow extended forward, interconnecting with the guard’s shadow. She
noted his lowborn stature with how thin his body stood inside of the uniform, a
sign of troubling times when even guards were starving because of the rebels.
She turned toward the wall, ignoring the guard for now.
She heard an arrow fly past her ear and looked down to see it shattered on
the ground at the end of the wall. Anjuu cursed, realizing she miscounted as one
guard had been hidden out of sight. He was grabbing another arrow already, his
gaze never wavering from Anjuu's location.
Their eyes stayed locked together as he notched the new arrow, ready to send
it flying. The tip was engulfed with a blue light and she realized their weapons
were imbued with scholar magic. If he had a simple bow made for him in guard
duty, it was certain another would possess a pistol as well.
He readied himself to release but lost his aim as the ground beneath them
began to shake. She lost her footing and her head hit the ground. Her vision
blurred from the impact on the stone but as it came back, she was greeted by the
sound of wings beating the air and another roar. A dragon flew high above them
with a rider atop. She recognized it immediately as Azrael's dragon and blessed
his sudden appearance.
As the guard continued to focus on the dragon guardian, Anjuu leapt to
another building. This one was a bit sturdier and she bounced from there to the
wall. With one last look at the guards, she waved farewell and fell backward into
the dust-filled city below. It would be the last time in a long time she would
jump from those heights again.
 TWO

T he sun was high above Tosh's head, beating down and sapping the last bit
of energy he had until his movements were that of a crawl. There were
other scholars, some much stronger than he was, that had no sign of distress
from the heat. It was his first day out on the field after graduating from the
college, and he was now seeing why so many tried to prevent him from
continuing in his studies. It wasn't the heat or the workloads that made him
question his decision, but the overseers who glared down at them, judging his
every movement.
The overseers in the college were always hiding inside the offices filling out
paperwork or disciplining the scholars. In the quarry, their dark blue skin shined
under the sun, showing the darkness that truly resided in each of them. The drow
had taken control of Narishma only a few decades ago, yet their grip on the
country prevented any form of rebellion. Even the college of scholars, which had
been a pristine place to study and learn about magic and history was now
controlled by these people, by order of the queen. No longer were the scholars
free to study anything they desired, but rather they were forced into labor camps
or left inside the college to aid in the advancement of the drow species.
A shotgun blast startled Tosh out of his musings. "Quit standing around.
Keep digging!"
That was what they always yelled. Dig. Tosh had studied the history of
Devata and chose that as his primary study once he graduated, and they placed
him in the quarries. According to the overseers, there was something here that
had to do with Devata. For the other scholars who had been here for years, it was
just a lie at this point to make them work for free for precious metals. There had
never been any signs of ancient civilizations here, no plants that were older than
civilization. It was just rock after rock. Legalized slavery.
 Tosh grabbed a pickaxe and stepped over to Salir, one of his classmates from
the college. "Are you thinking the same thing I am?" He swung the pickaxe
down.
Salir grunted but didn't speak. If the overseers heard them talking, they
would feel the sting of an electrified baton. Grunting was one of the best
responses to minimize the full scope of language while trying to communicate
with one another.
"I heard talk from one of the overseers there was a new cave that opened on
the south side of the quarry. There’s supposed to be an expedition tomorrow at
dawn."
One of the overseers yelled out another order off in the distance, followed by
the screaming from one of the scholars. Judging by the sound, death was soon to
follow for that elf. When Tosh had first arrived, that would have scared him,
knowing someone was being murdered feet away from him, but now it was part
of life. It only took a few hours for someone to get used to the harsh realities
they were in or they would die. He took advantage of the overseer's focus being
on the other scholar to continue talking.
"We need to join that expedition crew down there. With the caves being
unexplored we can just get lost on purpose and get out of here."
His classmate's ears pricked up. "Are you seriously talking of desertion? Do
you realize what will happened if we get caught?"
Tosh didn't need to answer that. He could hear it going on now as the last
breaths escaped the elf. "I know, but it may be our only chance. If you're not
going to come, then I'll do it myself, Salir."
"No, I'll come, just stop talking. They're coming over here."
The two grew silent, attempting to focus their attention on the rocks they
were striking. One of the overseers stepped up next to them. The two scholars
could see the drow hovering behind them, waiting for them to mess up
somewhere. Once one man was dead, overseers liked to find another to target to
continue that adrenaline. Tosh prayed that the overseers would lose interest in
them quickly. He needed a break from the work, but so long as eyes were on
him, there was no such things as breaks. He would get one when they killed him
or it was the end of the day, as the first conflict with an overseer had once told
him.
It only took a few minutes before another scream erupted and brought the
attention of their personal overseer away from them. Someone had made a
mistake, and they were the ones now unlucky to find the end of a baton and
possibly a bullet to finish them off. He would most likely be the last of the day to
be executed. There was only ever two per day that suffered, or the queen would
intervene and kill the overseers for destroying her labor force. At least, that’s
what one of the senior scholars had said.
The rest of the day continued in silence as the sun slowly set behind the
mountains and the call of dragons filled the air. During the day, it was safe for
anyone to travel if they were in large enough groups, but at night, the dragons
came out to hunt. Tosh had seen the skull of one once, teeth larger than his arm
and capable of destroying flesh in an instant if the unfortunate victims hadn’t
already been burnt from their internal fires. Now he wondered if it would be
worth it to just chance dragons killing him versus what awaited him for the rest
of his life.
A horn blew in the distance, signaling it was time to call it an end of the day
before the hunts began. scholars crawled out of large holes, newly created caves,
and different corners of the quarry to line up in front of a stone tower that led
back to the living quarters. The entrance had been erected when the quarry was
first excavated and stood as a reminder that whoever walked beneath it was
owned by it. At the top of the stone entry was a replica of the queen's dragon,
when she had conquered Narishma. Once it was an honor to see a dragon
guardian, now he cursed their very existence.
Everyone was covered in scars and newly made scratches from the work and
punishments from the day. Amongst the crowd was a mixture of elderly and
younger scholars who all had opted to study Devata, not knowing the truth of
what had awaited them, like himself. The overseers had promoted the idea of
becoming a scholar and recruited at a far higher rate than the guild had ever
before performed. It was one of the first things the queen had ordered to make
her look good amongst the populace. If only they had known.
The march was silent to the nearby city. If someone even let out a whimper,
they were left for dead amongst the dragons. There was no sympathy even
amongst the scholars for someone that endangered them. The target was to reach
the safety of the city, reach the beds, and pray that no one would be killed by a
rogue beast that night. The overseers were given a large heavily protected
building that was impenetrable by most dragons and was filled with every
comfort they could ask for. scholars, however, were given dilapidated homes
with multiple holes throughout the walls and ceilings with no talk of repairs.
Tosh's wasn't any better. With being a newly graduated scholar, he had last
choice in a home here, which was an overcrowded space with straw piled into
different corners of the rooms for people to sleep in. If you were first in line to
reach the building, you got first choice on a bed that night and could steal a little
extra straw from another bed to make yours more comfortable, leaving
whomever was last the remaining straw, if not the hard-cold floor.
 Tosh welcomed his home for the last time in silence. He would be glad once
he was far from here. Before he could leave the line to step over to his house,
however, the overseers called for a halt. scholars who had been too focused on
going to sleep bumped into those in front of them. There was a murmur of
confusion as there had never been a halt to the line before and this was one of
the few times they were free to do whatever they pleased without punishment.
Tosh leaned over to see a blacksmith holding a branding iron that was still
glowing red in his hands. The overseers next to him were smiling in delight.
One of the older guards in the city, still in his armor for the day, stepped
forward. "Rules from the queen. Now that we have discovered a new path
underground, we are ordered to mark all of you as scholars belonging to the
Study of Devata. If any of you think you can use the cave to escape, you will be
mistaken. Any of you spotted outside the quarry and not accompanied by an
overseer will be killed on the spot by any citizen of Narishma." The guard
scanned the crowd, waiting for someone to try and rebuke the order. "Does
anyone have any questions?" A few scholars shuffled in discomfort at the
thought of the branding iron touching them but they stayed silent. It was either
be branded or be killed.
The overseers brought the elves back into an orderly line and had them stand
next to the blacksmith, near his smithy as he placed the iron onto their skin. Tosh
could hear the screaming of agony as each man and woman was branded for
their doom. He could see a deep red mark bubbling on their skin. From a
distance, he couldn't see what the brand was but as they grew closer, he could
see each one had the symbol of a leaf on their cheek. He gulped, his plan to
escape had become much more difficult than he had imagined it to be. If he had
a brand on his face that was so blatant, then there would be no telling how he
could be safe and free.
The queen had chosen this for them. The elves, once the only race in
Narishma, was conquered by the new queen and the drow decades ago. Despite
this, the queen never aged, and the elves were slowly taken down from positions
of power and many were enslaved in their own homes. He cursed the drows very
existence as with every step his own freedom was being stripped from him.
Tosh was next. From a distance, the blacksmith just seemed to have
glowered over each scholar, but upon seeing him so close and smelling the
burning flesh from previous elves before him, he could tell the blacksmith was
taking pleasure in every brand he made. Tosh braced himself, there was no
escaping this, just as there was no escaping the reality, he had trapped himself
within.
"Death to the drow!" he shouted before the searing pain of the brand marked
his body for death and all went dark.
 THREE

D espite how quiet Anjuu had been, the castle felt empty to Kalio. She didn't
feel that her life was in danger, but it still forced her to now carry one of
her own blades closer to her body. Unlike the other nobles who held jewel
encrusted blades used primarily for display, the queen's was a live blade that had
seen a multitude of battles in her younger years.
Once her shadow had left the castle, Kalio ceased to hold court, and refused
any of her servants to enter either. Without Anjuu, there was no guarantee
someone would try to assassinate her while she was unaware. The only ones
allowed to enter and exit were the members of her court, along with their own
personal shadows. It did not comfort her in the slightest, yet she had to concede
to this if she wished to continue her reach on the outskirts of the country.
Kalio walked through the halls, listening to the echo of her footsteps, waiting
for another pair to join her own. It was the first time this week since Anjuu had
left that Kalio had called her council to meeting. None had argued with the order,
yet Kalio saw in their faces a look of confusion on why the sudden order. Often,
she only opted when there was an act of violence on a large scale, yet Narishma
had been quiet. Kalio knew their concern but put their minds at ease that there
were no new conspiracies, at least it was what she told them but not what she
told herself.
The door to the council's chambers was larger than most of the other doors,
with a large willow tree etched into the wood. The royalty from before Kalio's
reign had opted to etch Devata into almost everything in the castle. She scowled
at the reminder that her own life was tethered to the symbol that had killed many
of her own people. The disapproval was only for a fleeting moment as she flung
open the doors and stepped forward into the room.
In the center was a small wooden table with three people standing next to
their seats. Each one looked over to Kalio, watching her every step, ready to
retaliate if she chose to reveal her blades within the room. They may have been
her people, but they knew at any moment the queen could go on a rampage.
Pride filled her heart knowing that they didn't put their own guard down even
around her. There was never room to place full trust in anyone but yourself.
Kalio stood at her seat at the head of the table and looked at each of them.
Azrael, the one from the pyramids who had only recently joined her council as
payment of good faith, Mestre, her oldest companion but also the most
dangerous, and finally Persius, who hailed from the southern snow plains and
was not fully human despite his guise. Each one held their reasons to betray her,
yet she stood now before them to discuss the most critical moments of her
country's wellbeing.
"Sit." They all obeyed and silently sat down, never moving their eyes from
their queen.
Mestre was the first to speak. "Did Anjuu die then? You are a bit more
guarded than usual." There was no sign of empathy in her voice, but pure
curiosity.
"No, I've sent her off elsewhere. This meeting is not to discuss her, it is to
discuss us."
"Us?" Azrael asked, fidgeting in his chair slightly.
The queen nodded. "Recently we had seen the attacks by the rebels. You've
seen it with your own eyes thee destruction they have done. Azrael has done
well to mitigate their attacks too close to the capital, but they are still destroying
crops from nearby farms and enslaving our people to sell to other countries."
Kalio slammed her hand onto the table to add effect and attention to herself. "I
won't allow it!"
The three jumped slightly with Kalio's action. Even Mestre, who had been
hardened from her practiced torture, slid farther back in her chair and her hair
began to turn into a ghost white at the roots. She had seen how Kalio could be
and even she had no power against her old companion.
Kalio took a deep breath, pausing to let the council calm themselves. "I
understand, Mestre, that you have heard that the ren zhe were part of this
rebellion?"
Mestre nodded, her hair going back to its dark black. "Yes, My Queen. I was
able to infiltrate one of their caravans after our last meeting. They didn't say
much, but I did find explosives. They tried to claim it was in celebration of the
new year, but for that small of a group it seemed improbable."
Kalio nodded. "Anything else?"
Mestre looked around, hoping someone else would add onto her findings
even though no one else had been with her on her missions. "That was all I could
find. You called us in while I was looking around. I had only been there for three
days before you called us back."
Kalio glared at Mestre but knew she told the truth. It would be difficult to
find much in such a short time. Even still they had one potential lead. "Fine, then
I will send you back out to look into the ren zhe more." Kalio held out her hand
to Mestre. "Come."
Mestre's eyes widened. "Your Grace, are you certain?"
Kalio didn't vocalize her answer but Mestre could see in Kalio's eyes the
look of certainty that only her queen could muster. She stood from her chair and
stepped up to Kalio. She knelt and lifted her hair to show the nape of her neck.
There was a large mark of an infinity knot, small enough to be confused for a
birthmark, but for those in the keres, it was their only sign of loyalty.
Kalio placed her outstretched hand onto the mark and took a deep breath.
She focused her will onto the mark and felt the warmth seep through her
fingertips and onto the mark. The infinity knot rose from Mestre's neck and
formed into a real knot, floating in the air above Kalio's hand. Kalio could see
Mestre shiver from the mark being ripped from her body but chose to ignore it.
Pain was the price one paid for loyalty.
Kalio grasped the knot and signaled for Mestre to stand. She handed it over,
looking Mestre in the eyes. "If you find yourself needing aide, cut the knot and I
will feel our bond break. I will come with fire and destruction on those people.
Once your mission is complete, return here. If I find you have betrayed me, this
rope will know, and it will kill you instantly."
Mestre nodded in silence. She took this as her leave and placed the rope
inside of her satchel. In an instant, her hair changed to a fiery red with electric
blue eyes and a younger appearance. From now until she returned, this would be
her persona out in the world with no connection to the queen or the kingdom.
The others sat still in their chairs, waiting for what they would be told to do
now that Mestre was gone. Kalio stayed silent, listening to Mestre walking out
of the room and toward the entrance of the castle. There would be guards at the
entrance that would try to kill Mestre, seeing someone who was not a keres
exiting the castle. There was no doubt that Mestre would manage to kill the
guards once they showed any sign of aggression toward her. She put a note in the
back of her mind that she would need to make sure her guards were replenished
with the deaths soon to come.
Kalio looked over to Azrael. "The cait shidhe in the desert haven’t made
their due payments as of late. Do you deny this?"
Azrael shook his head. "Since being sold to you, none have spoken to me. I
couldn't say."
Her eyes narrowed in distrust. It was true she had forbidden him from
communicating with his people, but to not know even of their misdeeds did not
bode well for her. "I see..." She looked over to Persius, her face returning to its
relaxed state. "What of you? The skin walkers have been quiet as of late. Are
they truly preparing for hibernation this early in the year?"
Persius nodded. "There has been word that the southern winds will be far
harsher this year than most. They're preparing their dens for the long nights, as
should I soon."
"You know perfectly well I have forbidden your slumbers. I require your
strength throughout the entire year, not just half of the year."
"By Your Grace, I do recall this statement, but I had also mentioned during
the long nights that my strength will dwindle to nothing and I will be useless
throughout the cold seasons."
Kalio slammed her hands down on the table again. "Both of you defy me
with your very being today! I have seen your eyes and I have heard your
thoughts. You all question my own sanity. Question my very authority even!"
She stood up and pulled out her sword, pointing it at Persius. The two stood up
as well, preparing their own blades for a fight with Azrael having a curved blade
at his own waist and Persius owning a naginata. "Defy me again or attempt to
use your blades against me and I will kill you instantly."
The two sat back down, knowing her threats were not empty and even
standing now was a sign of defying her rule. Persius’s face turned far paler than
it had been before. Kalio could see the fear in their eyes and relaxed just enough
to sheath her sword once more.
"You both are dismissed. Get out of my castle. If you dare to come back in
here for anything outside of my own command, I will have you killed instantly.
Do not doubt my strength or my orders. Azrael, you will see where my
shipments are and Persius, you are not permitted to slumber. Even at your
weakest state, I will find use of you." She lifted her hand in the air to indicate for
them to stand back up.
The two stood and bowed, never allowing their eyes to sever connection
between themselves and her. Once they rose back to standing, they stepped away
from the table and walked out of the room, leaving Kalio in silence. She cursed
to herself, wondering if her grasp even on the keres was dwindling, which would
lead to her demise. She shook the thought out of her head, refusing to
acknowledge any weaknesses in her command.
 FOUR

I t was quiet compared to within the castle. Far more than Anjuu had expected
it to be. The people were either still hiding behind the walls or refusing to
travel. With the rebellions, it was dangerous for anyone to go alone. Citizens had
to wait until group of soldiers passed by their village so they could join them.
She was relieved that she would be able to have time alone. Dealing with other
people was just going to be too troublesome.
Despite there being no travelers, the stable was still occupied by different
caregivers. The sale of horses and donkeys had dropped significantly during the
non-peak days. Yet the stable hands still worked tirelessly to make sure all the
animals were properly cared for. With the rebellions reaching close to the castle,
many had sold off their animals or purchased new ones in search of new havens.
Anjuu didn’t know how far she would have to travel to her next destination
so she had to find some form of transportation. If people were selling animals to
the stables, it was just as likely that she would find a vehicle of some sort here as
well that someone had disposed of so they could afford to live in the capital.
Depending on where you lived, almost all of your accommodations could be
obtained within walking distance or through public transportation.
A young boy around the age of eight walked out from the stable. He wrung
his hands, staring up at Anjuu. “Milady, do you need assistance?”
Anjuu looked down at the small boy. She could count every bone in his body
that the clothes didn’t hide. He was so innocent compared to how she had been
so many years ago. She faked a smile, hoping it provided comfort for the boy.
“Yes, I need a bike. Do you have one for sale?”
The boy’s face lit up when he saw her smile. She was glad he believed it.
“Well…um… we have one. But if you’re in a hurry to leave, it might be best to
take to train—”
 “Where is it?”
The boy turned around and pointed beyond the stable where multiple cars
and trucks sat. Most of them looked like they would fall apart as soon as she
touched them. She could only imagine if any of them worked. Whatever bike
they had for sale was probably just as distressed as the other vehicles.
“Take me over there.”
The boy nodded and led the way down to the filled lot. The two walked in
silence, with only the sound of their footsteps and the song of metal clacking
against her waste from the multitude of weapons at Anjuu’s sides. He twisted
between a few of the cars before stopping in front of a large tarp. He turned to
look back at her, verifying she was still behind him then around at the
surrounding area.
“Well?” Anjuu lifted an eyebrow, confused on why he paused for so long.
“My father said to make sure no one was watching when I showed this.”
“Then show it already,” she growled, growing impatient as the boy continued
to scan the area. She had already noted no one was around save for a singular
man back in the stables she assumed was the boy’s father.
The boy pulled the tarp away revealing a motorbike that was jet black. Near
the handles was a small screen. One of the sides had small thin green swirls
going across. Compared to the cars around them, it was fit for even the queen.
Anjuu smiled and stepped up to the bike. It was much newer than she had
believed. Her hand brushed against the metal, imagining herself riding on the
bike and hearing it purr underneath her. It was larger than the ones she had been
trained to ride before as it could fit up to two people, but that was easy enough to
get used to.
Anjuu turned to the boy. “How much?”
“My father said it is fifty drakes per month.”
She frowned. She didn’t find interest in letting someone track her with a
monthly payment. “How much total?”
The boy shrugged. “I don’t do math, milady. So, I guess about three thousand
drakes?”
Anjuu nodded her head and pulled a bank slip out of her side bag. Each slip
went up to a hundred drakes. She counted them out, smiling to herself as she saw
each of the queen’s signatures saying Anjuu was authorized to use the crown’s
money.
“Take this then, that should suffice for your father. Tell him if he needs more,
to approach the crown.”
The boy stared wide-eyed at the pieces of paper before shoving it into his
pocket. Within an instant, he disappeared and returned with a set of gloves that
matched the pattern of the motorbike. A lot of the newer bikes were operated
through gloves activating them, so it was impressive to see the boy’s father had
come across such a model while buying used vehicles. She wondered who had
previously owned the bike to sell it off so easily now and where they were in the
capital.
Anjuu pulled the gloves on and felt them shrink to merge with her hands.
They had said scholars had imbued each of the models with the ability to form to
the driver’s hands and were only removeable by the rider, but seeing it was
impressive. There was no slack on either one so even the boy’s thin fingers
couldn’t grip them. Anjuu hiked one of her legs over the bike, feeling the
balance below her and placed her hands on the handlebars. The screen lit up with
a small humanoid glowing figure form on the screen. Anjuu smiled, turned her
glasses on, and drove off around the old cars and back onto the roads. She waved
farewell to the boy, wondering if he would survive the rebellion or if they would
die in the coming battles.
The nearest village was a half day’s travel at the very least. Wherever the
rebels that she was tasked to hunt down, the villagers would have far more
information than those hiding behind stone walls. Even she had become blind to
how society had grown, only hearing what guards and select shadows passed on
to her. If she could reach it, there was a possibility she could blend in with the
people and succeed without anyone having known her existence, a true shadow
once again. The feeling was exhilarating.
Anjuu watched as the sun continued to rise into the sky, her shadow fading
underneath her motorbike. The countryside was filled with fields of grass that
slowly turned into crops. The outskirts of the fields were burnt from raiders,
leaving only a fraction of what would keep the kingdom fed. Her feelings for the
rebels had been neutral up until now, as they had not truly done harm, only
caused ruckus to the people. But now, they were starving the innocent. The same
people the rebels claimed to fight for, yet their tactics were becoming more
aggressive.
Anjuu twisted her hand, injecting the engine with more fuel. She sped down
the roads, hoping the village was still around and not burned like most of the
crops had been. If the people were still around, she needed to let the queen know
about the damages. The rebels had never resorted to burning down the food
supply before and this needed to be reported to the Crown immediately.
The first sign of buildings lined the sides of the roads. Most were burned like
the rest of the crops. Anjuu grimaced and pulled off to the building. The shadow
climbed off her bike and turned it off. She was still in her shadow uniform but if
she planned to engage with the people, she needed to dress more appropriately
for the environment.
The first piece to come off was her armor. Going into town as if she was
entering battle would immediately attract unnecessary attention. Next, she
placed a few pieces of her equipment like her ropes and headscarf into the sack
as well. She felt naked without most of it on, but an average citizen didn’t find
need of such things, and neither would she for the time being.
All that was left for Anjuu was her daggers at her side and the small belt of
knives. Most would question a woman travelling alone. A quick reveal of metal
would deter that thought from most men, including thieves on the streets.
She lifted her hood farther over her head to darken her eyes from view. If she
was going to walk without much of her disguise, she was going to at least
attempt to hide her face in some fashion. If she did get suspected of her true
intents, then at least not being fully identifiable would be perfect.
Anjuu was thankful most villages were still built close to the capital. They
held a countryside aesthetic about them, yet there were moments of affluence
within the villages due to trade with larger cities. Even some nobles had opted
for this lifestyle and had built manors that shadowed the other homes. They were
symbols of protection for a village to maintain upkeep as the nobles wished for
nice views. Those villages that had not accepted the wealthy into their sphere
lived in more dilapidated homes. Many of those who lived in the village worked
for the wealthy with the rest of the family working in some form of trade, such
as farming. To Anjuu, it was an efficient survival method versus those who lived
behind brick walls and sought only selfish gains.
Anjuu found herself in front of a small bar with a hotel above it. She parked
her bike in front of the building and walked inside. There were a few patrons
inside, eating their midafternoon meal. She pulled her cloak closer to her body,
trying to avoid as much attention to herself as possible. Few of them seemed to
notice as their focus was too much on their food, as if it were their last meal.
After the recent attack, Anjuu didn't blame them for fearing for their lives. It
could, in fact, be their last meal. Not if she could help it though.
She stepped up to the counter and looked onward, toward the barkeep. He
had pale skin and much shorter ears than she did. It was a surprise to see an elf
owning any businesses. It was also a small village and potentially made of
mostly elves versus drow. Something Anjuu needed to keep in mind with her
lack of privilege within the village. Elves were known to be disrespectful to her
race, even though the queen herself was also a drow. If any did choose to toe the
line too much, she still had her daggers to show them their true place beneath her
and her people.
"Whaddya want?" the innkeeper muttered, focusing on the singular glass he
had opted to wipe with hyper focus.
"Need to rent out a room for the night or so."
"Ain't rentin' it out."
Anjuu lifted an eyebrow in amusement. Even she could see now that the
innkeeper was trying to get her out of his building as soon as possible. She
looked out of the corner of her eye and saw the elves that were sitting at nearby
tables were all looking at her as well.
She let out a sigh. "You would think when your queen is a drow that your
constant need to look at drow as inferior would be removed. But apparently it's
so ingrained into your DNA that you all want to remain racist little twats."
"What did you call us, you fuckin' cave-walker?" One of the patrons grabbed
Anjuu's shoulder in an attempt to turn her around. She could smell the alcohol
clinging to his sweat-stained clothes. She needed to keep calm. If they
continued, Anjuu knew they would regret their decisions. She began to count to
keep calm.
1…
"I asked you a question. There ain't a queen here you ain't safe."
2…
A few other patrons got up and looked at Anjuu, as though awaiting her
response.
3…
"You don't want to answer do ya? Then go back to your precious castle. No
one wants your kind here."
4…
"Fine. Don't want to talk? Then let me use my fist to open your damn
mouth."
5…
Anjuu saw the man lift his hand and clench his fist. Her body reacted before
her mind could and grabbed his arm and he moved to punch her. He fell to the
ground within an instant. His eyes widened as she dug her fingers into his arm.
Every instinct and lesson in her body ordered her to kill him right there while he
was powerless. She only needed to break his neck and in an instant, he would be
gone, and the others would leave her alone.
6…
"Now, let’s start our conversation over. I'm here to get a room. I'm not here to
fight. I'm not here to just leave. So, since you were so nice to offer, perhaps I
should just take yours off your hands and you can stay in the shed in my stead?"
7…
The man winced and placed his free hand up in the air. "OK, I got it. No
harm done. Please just let go. I ain't going to get my hands dirty from killing a
drow anyways. Heard your diseases travel in your veins. Don't need any of that
traveling to us normal folk."
8…
Anjuu's anger was slowly dwindling away. Despite the constant insults even
when he was pinned down, Anjuu knew she needed to go back into that
emotionless state of being. "The keys." She held her free hand out to the owner.
"You heard him, I can have his room so please give me his key."
9…
Her hand that had been holding onto the drunkard loosened as she got up and
went back to the counter. She could hear him behind her scuffling back to his
table with the others close behind. The unearthly silence that now filled the
dining area bothered her, but she knew all eyes were on her and fear was shaking
through them all on if she would turn and kill them all instead of just going
away.
10…
The owner handed her the small card with the inn symbol on it. He winced
when her fingers brushed up against his own but remained silent. On the card
was the number 137, her room number. She let out a soft sigh and then looked up
at everyone.
"Thank you all for having me here despite the difficult start. Please enjoy
your evening."
The room remained in silence until Anjuu turned the corner down the hall.
The dining room now erupted in talk and celebrations again. She could hear a
few making fun of the man she had dominated, which made her smile.
Anjuu followed the signs to her room. The place was bigger than it looked
from the outside. If there were a lot of people staying here, it was likely at least
one would have knowledge of the rebels. She could simply listen in on every
room, but with how long that would take she would either get caught or waste
more time listening than searching herself.
Her room was at the end of the hall, still slightly cracked open from when the
housekeeping had decided to be absentminded when they finished cleaning. She
stepped in, welcomed by the smell of lemons and chemicals throughout the
small room. Inside was only a queen-sized bed and a writing desk. Nothing
special for such a small-town inn. Most excitement happened at the dining room,
so there was no need to have any entertainment built into the room.
It would be a long night for her, so she took her cloak off and proceeded to
arm her room. First was her window. She pulled one of the smaller knives out of
her pocket and stood it up so that anyone that opened her window would
immediately be stabbed. After double checking her traps were in place, she was
comfortable enough to lie down and contemplate everything that she had to do to
stop the rebels.
 FIVE

I t was too quiet for Azrael. He had been with Kalio the least amount of time
compared to the other members of the council, but he still remembered when
the castle had been filled with servants. The languages spoken within the halls
were plentiful and provided a harsh culture shock compared to his life in the
desert. After only a few years, Kalio had gone from welcoming to no longer
letting anyone within the castle walls. Most who had been servants were now
deep in the dungeons, locked away for false accusations of treason.
"Serves them right for trusting her. Don't trust anyone, not even your family,"
he muttered to himself.
He was thankful though. He had been serving as ward to Kalio for years
now. He was the rightful heir to his own people's kingdom. Even if it was a
desolate place where everyone lived underground, it was rich with jewels and
other rare material. She couldn't just stop trusting him one day or she would lose
that entire fortune for herself and her kingdom. It was the only thing that kept
her kingdom alive and the rebels at bay. She had promised their safety and his
tutoring to become one of the best dragon guardians in all Narishma.
Yet here he stood, now going back home because the people refused to pay
their dues. He hadn't seen his family since he was a small child. Yet now he was
going to stand before them with a dragon and destroy them all. Kalio had wanted
him to send a simple warning if they wouldn't cooperate. He wanted blood.
There would be no way that his family had simply decided to stop providing
funds to the crown. They were willing to kill their only son so that way the
rebels could win. That was not family and they were not his people anymore if
they chose his death that simply. No, he was going to make sure those who
decided this would die in his stead and he would make sure hundreds of
shipments would arrive at the castle within a matter of days.
 Remembering how his people owed so much money reminded him of the
quarries. He had placed the idea of the quarries into Kalio's mind just five years
ago. It was a joke after he had heard her getting frustrated with the scholars and
their magic fighting back when she had conquered Narishma. Despite this, he
hadn't gone to look at the quarries or mines in a long time. If it was going to be
his idea, he had to see it through. There was no denying that. There he could at
least burn off some steam and get a little combative practice in before going to
his home. No one cared if a scholar or two got hurt, so long as they could go
back to work the next day. That's all that mattered; there were the numbers and
maintaining them.
The roost where his dragon was sleeping was quiet. He had managed to
convince Kalio to keep one dragon keeper within the castle to care for the beasts.
It wasn't that he didn't want to take care of his dragon, he just didn't have time
anymore with all the missions that Kalio put him on. Often, the dragon guardians
wouldn't go out unless it was for political reasons, thus left to simply shine
scales or trim claws. Now he was lucky if he even had the time to put on his own
saddle for the dragon. There weren't many dragon guardians left in the world
either, many of them executed after Kalio had conquered Narishma. It was
unspoken history, but he remembered it all too well. The day he had to kill an
innocent man, simply because Devata had chosen him to aid the people.
Azrael shook his head. There was no need to think about such things now. It
was the past, and he was still alive and chosen by Devata. Even if he killed
people, he was chosen, which meant his place in the world was the right path.
He neared the roost, feeling the warmth of the hallway increase. A benefit of
keeping the one dragon keeper. They had to maintain the heat of the roost for the
beasts inside or they would become restless and weak. Fires were scattered all
over the roost, some roaring at uncontrollable levels, but perfect for the dragons.
Even he felt comfort in it, remembering his life at home in the desert. The door
inside the roost was blocked by a large stone door. Anything else would have
melted away or burned, something the last architect had not thought of, trying to
choose aesthetics over practicality. Still, the architect did have his way even with
the stone door. Etched onto it was a figure of a woman riding atop a flying
dragon. He immediately recognized it as Kalio during her conquering days. She
rarely flew anymore, and he couldn't remember the last time she had even
stepped into the roost.
Cat, it has been some time, a gravelly voice called out from high above. He
hated the name and there were few who were allowed to call him that.
"It's only be a few days since I was in here." He didn't bother looking up. He
knew his dragon would come down eventually to stretch out his wings.
 To you it has been perhaps only a few days. For us dragons, we wait an
eternity for our guardians to return to us. Yet only you arrive for us still. Where
once you were plentiful, now it is empty.
He didn't need to respond. The dragon knew that those were amongst his
thoughts coming here. The connection of a dragon and its guardian wasn't so
simple to block, and dragons never held back their thoughts.
The dragon's claws scraped the stone walls. The roost was too small to fly
around for a proper landing. Instead, many of them climbed the walls to get
around. Within seconds, Azrael could see the sharp white claws of his dragon
gleaming over the lip of one of the caves high above. The great beast stepped
forward, standing twenty feet tall. He had dark red scales like rubies with golden
cat-like eyes that held more knowledge and wisdom than he chose to let on.
Many dragons gifted their name to their guardian as soon as they were born as a
sign of contract. Azrael's dragon still refused to give his name, preventing their
bond from completing like a true guardian.
So, how long will we be traveling today?
"Short stop in the quarries, then back home finally. Shouldn't take more than
a week at most. My family will probably try to hold a large celebration for my
return. You know the whole prodigal son thing. After that we're coming back to
report in."
The dragon snorted in retort. "You mean you're going to let them spend
money on you and then threaten them for wasting money that should be going to
the crown."
Azrael shrugged, grabbing one of the large saddles near the storeroom. It was
a lot heavier than it looked, but thankfully, after centuries of dragon guardians,
they had perfected the material to be only around fifty stones. "I don't see the
difference. They know why I will be coming, and they will proceed to try and
ignore that."
The dragon remained silent after that. The connection between them was all
they needed. Talk was left for questions that couldn't be answered through the
connection. It took about thirty minutes for Azrael to place the saddle on and
connect it. He was thankful that he had a fire dragon for a partner. Saddles were
easily placed near the base of the neck before the wings. On other dragons, the
saddle was seated toward the back, and some never grew large enough to even
fly on. He still remembered one dragon guardian he killed who had a water
dragon that only grew to the size of a large cat. Back then he regretted killing the
boy, but now spilling blood was just another task he needed to perform.
He clambered up onto the saddle, holding on with just his legs. There was no
horn to grasp so he had nothing to do with his hands. He could place them on the
scales of the beast, but that was just more tactical, and not effective in remaining
balanced on the beasts. Too often when learning to fly he had fallen off and too
often he had to get back on and learn to fly properly. Now he was able to fly just
as easily as walk.
"Let's go then. No tricks, just get out of here."
The dragon obeyed the command and began its climb up the walls. A few
times the beast had to jump from one cliff to another in order to ascend. His
stomach dropped with every leap. It was so much different than actual flight as it
was too sudden in its stops that no one could physically get used to it. The roost
continued up in this same pattern for another few minutes. If the roost had been
wider, they would have flown out instantly. There was no room to build anything
larger. The castle was the first building in the capital, leaving every other noble
to build right up against it to try and steal some glory for themselves. Unless he
got permission to destroy their foundations, there would be no way. Even Kalio
knew better than to anger the nobles who still paid their dues and were loyal to
her by destroying their homes.
They reached the top of the roost and Azrael sighed in relief. He could feel
the cool wind blowing through his fur as the clouds blew gently through the sky.
A clear day, perfect for flying. Even his dragon couldn't deny that feeling when
being cooped up inside the roost all day. Far below them were buildings that
dotted the capital. A distinct line where the wall wrapped around the upper-class
district was barely visible from where he was. What could be seen as formidable
and impossible to climb when facing it was more like a stick on the ground for
him. The sky was his road, and walls could never reach him here.
"Let's go," he commanded.
The dragon unfurled his wings, stretching them out to their full potential. He
flapped them, sending air currently underneath their bodies. Within an instant,
they were airborne. He let out a yell of excitement. This was what he lived for.
What every dragon guardian lived for; when beast and man became one with the
skies and the people below were specks of dust that held no consequence. Even
the dragon was purring in delight at being in the air again.
From high above, Azrael could see a faint speck in the distance where the
quarries began. It would only be an hour before they reached their destination
though. If no wild dragons came, that time may be faster for him. He wasn't in
the mood to fend off any wild beasts today. There had been reports that dragons
were frequenting the quarries again but, last he heard, the reports were still rare
and far between. If it never destroyed any progress or killed anyone of
importance, there was no need to send any additional protection against the
dragons.
 Azrael was right on his estimation of time. He was thankful no wild dragons
did appear. Too troublesome. As they descended, Azrael was able to see a group
of overseers crowded in the center of town, away from the scholars. He decided
he would talk to them after landing. In the meantime, his dragon was much too
large to land in the center of town and he would have to go to the outskirts near
the actual quarry. From there, his dragon was free to do whatever he wanted,
whether it was to go hunt or simply sleep some more, so long as he was close
enough when called Azrael didn't care.
The landing was rough. Uneven hollow ground from excavating versus the
soft sands of the desert or the hard-packed earth from the countryside, there was
just never a good place to land. Even his dragon refused to release his claws to
dig up the earth. He reminded himself to mention that to Kalio for the next part
of infrastructure improvements for Narishma. Better landing pads for the
dragons. Even if he was the only one to use them, if there were any future
guardians loyal to the crown, they could make use of it too.
How long? the dragon asked.
"Tomorrow morning, unless something happens." Azrael climbed down off
the dragon. He could feel the warmth of the beast's scales underneath his hands
that felt like a small flame deep within. The dragon's breath. He left the saddle
on as he had nowhere to store it immediately and wasn't going to carry it around
the entire town and quarry like an idiot all day.
Good. With that, the dragon took back off into the air, sending dust to lift off
the ground and create small clouds that floated away with the wind.
He didn't bother watching where the dragon flew off to. It wasn't his business
to think on such things. Instead, he turned his focus back on the town. After the
dragon had left, his ears couldn't pick up any sounds from the quarry. A strange
sign as they should have always been staffed during the day. If anyone knew
what was going on, it would be the overseers who he had seen earlier and now
he knew potentially why he had seen them there in the center of town and not in
the quarries.
Most of the town was filled with run down shacks and large living quarters
for the scholars. Most were near the center of the town while the outskirts of the
town contained nicer homes for the overseers to stay in. Most were halfway
homes as they returned to their families for a few months and then came back to
continue their work. For the scholars, it would be where they lived and died.
Compared to how the capital was built, it was strange to see the outer homes in
better quality, but this was to be expected. If the overseers were surrounded by
the scholars, a revolution would be simple enough out here without anyone
knowing until it was too late. At least with the current structure, the overseers
were able to live comfortably and if a scholar tried to escape from the town,
someone would spot them.
He peered inside one of the shacks and saw a few older men huddled close
together with a sewn together blanket draped around the three of them. Off to the
side were a set of beds small enough to fit a single person on. Where once
scholars had lived a life of luxury reading, writing, and studying the inner
workings of magic, they were now slaves to the crown with the sole purpose of
excavating anything of value and occasionally performing for a noble with the
few tricks they could still learn. Azrael had come across a book when he was
younger talking about how many scholars had once been powerful enough to
control the ocean currents and either prevent boats from landing ashore or sailing
faster than even a dragon could fly. It amazed him that such strong people were
now a shell of their former selves, but it was what happened when you chose to
put your nose outside of the books and fight against the queen.
He shook his head in disgust and then walked toward the center of town
where he had seen the overseers. With the town being so small and compacted
together, it took no time for him to reach the center. As you got closer to the
center of town, what was once nicer homes turned into even worse run-down
shacks that piled on top of one another, threatening to cause the bottom homes to
collapse at any moment. The only pleasing image was the center, which held a
large fountain with a statue of a willow tree in its center. Pouring from the
branches was water that completed the willow tree appearance. Devata. Next to
the fountain were the men from earlier. All of them wore the overseer uniform of
tan cargo pants along with a white t-shirt.
"Which one of you is in charge of you lot?" Azrael called out.
The overseers turned to look at Azrael. One reached down for his pistol,
ready to shoot at him as if he were an attacker of some sort. He laughed to
himself at their belief that a simple bullet could stop him. Once they all
recognized who he was, they bowed low in respect. None of them wanting to
acknowledge that they had just attempted to kill him with their ignorance and
conclusive nature.
One of them stood up and stepped forward. "None of us are in charge around
here. The boss is out, got a report in the quarry that someone was trying to start a
rebellion out here. None of our guys though. They know better. Tried any of that
and they'd get the dogs using them as a chew toy or being hung out to dry within
a matter of seconds."
Azrael's eye twitched. They weren't wrong about punishment by death for
any sign of a rebellion, but even still too much threatening and they'll up rise
anyways. He was surprised the overseers standing before him didn't even think
about that considering not long ago the drow were subjected to their own form of
slavery under the elves. "So instead of having some still working, everyone just
takes a holiday and the crown gets nothing out of it."
The one who had stepped up gulped. "Well, sir, we can't just put them all
back down there, ya know. If there is a rebellion that's just asking for some of us
to get killed."
He sighed, irritated at their lack of bravery. "If there was no actual rebellion
and all of this was just a false rumor, you'll still face death from the queen. She
doesn't take kindly to her losing money because of stupidity." Azrael noticed
movement out of the corner of his eye and turned to see a few scholars huddled
together in one of the alleys. "Let's get this over with properly. Get every living
soul out here at once. I don't care if they're shitting in the damn toilet. They
better get out here in five minutes or they will be suspected of treason and
executed on the spot." He looked back at the overseers who had yet to move and
follow the order. "Do you understand me?" He barked the last bit, causing the
three to jump and scramble to nearby buildings to command the scholars to
come outside.
One by one elves of different ages filed in front of him. Some still looked
half asleep while others he was surprised, they could even stand without keeling
over and dying. It took much longer than he had hoped, but with how
incompetent the overseers he had talked to were, it wasn't surprising. There was
no point in threatening an elf's life when it wasn't their fault to begin with.
Opposite from the line of scholars was a large group of overseers. Some of them
wearing their uniform haphazardly, an expected sight given his warning. At least
with the scholars they lived in the same clothes all day, so their uniform was
expected to be worn properly.
Azrael pulled out a small stone from his pocket and placed it against his
throat. It glowed a bright electric blue as it touched his skin and caused his voice
to boom out across the city. If anyone wasn't at the meeting, they would hear his
warning. "Listen up, all of you! There has been a report of rebellion going on
around here. As dragon guardian, it is my duty to protect all that live here. The
rebels fight against the crown. They fight against your wellbeing. If you choose
to fight alongside them, they will not care if you die. They will not care if you
starve. Here you are fed. Here we care that you live. You may be a number, but
you are a positive number, not simply a piece in a game of chess." He paused,
waiting for anyone to potentially respond. He saw a few scholars within the
group squirm, but none said anything to give themselves away.
Azrael put the stone back into his pocket and placed his left hand against his
ear. "Well if they're not going to tell me, then I'll just have to see them properly."
He pressed a small button that was against his scalp. From it appeared a monocle
that covered his eye. His vision turned a slight green as he scanned the multitude
of scholars. He could hear a faint beep, a sign of each of their heartbeats and
walked closer to the group to get a better vision of each of them. Many on closer
inspection had calm or erratic heartbeats, but none that pinpointed a sign of
treason. At least, not until he reached one scholar.
They still had the branding scar that was fresh on his cheek, a recent move
in. The monocle began to beep even louder now. Azrael smiled. "Know what my
scanner says, scholar?" The elf shook his head. "Says you got something to hide.
So, if you don't tell me now, I'll just kill you on suspect of treason. So, you better
confess."
"He's got nothing to hide!" Another scholar in the crowd shouted. This one
also had a scar on his cheek, but it was sloppily done. No doubt the man had
moved while they were branding him. "Get your paws away from him, he's just
tired is all."
Azrael looked down at the scholar and smirked. The scanner was picking up
just as strong a reaction. No, it was even stronger of a reaction from the scholar.
“You really think you're innocent?" He pulled out a short gunblade and pulled
the trigger. A black fire covered the blade but didn't burn the metal. "I guess I
could kill you both. Better to kill one person committing a crime of treason by
killing two than killing just one and not getting the right person." He pointed the
gunblade at the aggressive elf. "Want to at least state your crimes before you
die?"
"Azrael! Enough playing!" The queen's voice echoed inside of his mind. He
cursed, forgetting that she could see through his visor as well if she wanted to.
"Your job was to go home to collect my money, not kill every single one of my
servants."
"Your Majesty, they were accused of being part of the rebellion."
"And Anjuu is taking care of eradicating it at the root. Don't bother cutting
twigs who can't do anything when it's the root who will create more problems."
Azrael pulled the trigger again on his gunblade and the fires seeped away.
"As you wish, Your Majesty. I will set out again in the morning. For now, there
is too much chaos in the quarry to ignore it for the day."
"Do what you need and hurry up. I'm growing impatient with your people."
He heard a soft pop and knew she was out of his monocle finally.
Azrael scowled and turned away from the two. "Don't let me see your faces
again. Be glad the queen has spared your life today. I wouldn't have been so
kind, even if you were simply twigs on the rebellion."
The scholars didn't respond, and he was thankful for that. He didn't need his
anger to grow even more tonight after Kalio had just ordered him to halt his
threat in front of ants. If there was a bar, he was just going to stop there and
drink. His visor was off now, and he didn't plan on turning it back on for some
time and listen to her lecturing him even more. For once he would be free from
her for a week, the voice was just going to be another tether for a while.
Thankfully many of the overseers did enjoy the occasional drink, as in their
living quarters was a small sports bar. Buffalo Dragons was what it was called, a
rip-off most likely of another popular sports bar chain that he didn't know about
amongst the people. He could smell how strongly the alcohol was running, even
though it was still early morning. No one was working today, leaving no way but
to drink to relieve stress. That was one thing he at least could agree with the
overseers on.
Inside, most of the men were at high-top tables or booths, eyes staring at the
multitude of screens across the walls. A few were playing some random trivia on
the screens instead of the sports games. He scoffed at their entertainment. Until
one of them could do races in the desert like his people, he wouldn't be
impressed.
"What'll it be, Cat?" The bartender asked, leaning forward on the counter.
"Next time you call me a cat, you'll lose your tongue. Now get me a Three
Wise Men, double it."
The bartender nodded, ignoring the threat. Most likely, working in the bar
had hardened him to threats by drunks, so another person coming in wouldn't
change his demeanor so long as they paid. He watched the screen above him as
two teams kicked a small ball around the field. If he had grown up in a normal
life, perhaps that would have been interesting to him. Still, hearing how excited
everyone else was behind him made him enjoy the little bit he could understand
of the game. The high energy was enough to make even the smallest fan roar
with excitement as they kicked the ball through a net on one end of the field.
"That'll be fifty drakes," the bartender muttered, placing the large shot glass
in front of Azrael.
"Fine by me. Can I get some food too? Maybe some fries or something?"
The bartender didn't wait for Azrael to pull out the funds before leaving to tell
the kitchen the food order. He pulled out a small wallet from his pocket, careful
not to expose any weapons in case it started a fight with the other's inside the
bar. Drunkenness was just another excuse for people to become overly
aggressive. Azrael pulled a small card out of his wallet and placed it on the
counter, ready for his tab to start piling up quickly.
He waited until his food was done before taking a drink. No use doing it on
an empty stomach and ruining his day even more. Before the food even arrived,
however, he heard someone slam the front door of the bar open and everyone
grew silent. Azrael turned to see what the commotion was about and saw a man
covered in dust and dirt, hiding the man’s dark drow skin underneath. The man
walked quickly over toward Azrael, careful not to knock anyone over or get
covered in even more food. As he walked passed a few people, Azrael could
hear them address the man as chief. Most likely this was the man who had been
in the quarry all day today that led the overseers. Though what he was doing in
here looking like that was a mystery even on him.
The chief walked up to Azrael, anger in his eyes. Not anger directed toward
Azrael himself, no. It was something that irritated the man though. "The rebels,
we caught a few trying to escape. One got away though. We don't have enough
men or dogs to go chasing after him, I need you to get him for us. A free scholar
is a danger to the country and as dragon guardian, you're supposed to protect the
country."
Most would have had their tongue cut out by ordering him, but Azrael knew
if the queen heard about this it would lead to the exact same order. Besides, the
cait shidhe had to remain a protector of the realm, and this was part of that task.
Azrael let out a sigh and turned to look at his drink and freshly arrived fries. It
should have been a quiet day after his threats from earlier. Now, there were men
here who were dead, and he had to go after another one to kill them. "Who was
the one that escaped?"
"New guy. The one who talked back to you earlier according to my men."
The chief eyed the fries and the drink, hunger brewing in his eyes to consume it.
"I'm sure he shouldn't be an issue for you. Reports from his arrival state his
attunement to magic wasn't very strong to begin with."
"Whatever, just pay my tab then since you need me to do all of your dirty
work. Be glad I was here, if the queen had learned about your failures, she
wouldn't be so nice about this. Should have just killed the guy when I saw him."
He pocketed his card and grabbed the shot glass, downing the entire drink in
one gulp. It was extremely warm going down but bitter. Nothing like the sweet
wines and brandy back home. He would have to introduce that to the place when
he came back. Perhaps make some extra money through imports if he was lucky.
"You can eat the fries. I'll be back with the scholar before sunrise."
 SIX

T osh had almost died. Stupid idiot. If he had kept his mouth shut, let the
stupid cat kill his friend and escape, no one would have noticed him. He
knew his friend had ratted him out as soon as he left. There was no denying that
the guy didn't approve any more of the escape plan after almost dying from a
gunblade. Tosh continued to mutter to himself, navigating the darkness of the
cave. He hadn't been the first to enter it, as others had come with him after the
commotion earlier. Thankfully, the new cave entrance had multiple paths, so
everyone went their own way, enhancing the chance that one would escape
without being caught. Almost all of them found themselves going back out of the
cave because a route was just a large route and so they were thus caught by the
guards waiting outside.
The path continued to twist and turn until he started to hear loud music above
him. He recognized it immediately as the tunes playing from Buffalo Dragon's
bar. Most likely the dragon guardian was in there celebrating as well. He focused
his energy on one of the spots in the earth. Now that he was farther from the
quarry, he could feel some of his magic resurging through his body. It wasn't
much there, but the small spark allowed him to move the earth away so he could
see through the floorboards. The dirt and stone piled at his feet, something he
reminded himself he needed to clean up or it would just be another trail leading
to his location.
Tosh looked up through the small cracks of the floorboard and smiled. Just
inside was the dragon guardian sitting and watching the televisions. He was too
preoccupied to even think about all the damage he had caused inside of the
quarry. A self-centered man who didn't care about the people of Narishma, but
just the money and power to the crown. He was part of the catfolk that were now
servants to the crown for god's sake. He should be just as rebellious as the rest of
them, yet he was more like a house pet than the ferocious lion the books made
them out to be.
It would be perfect for him. No one could see him through the floor boards.
All he needed to do was find a way to have a plant vine grow and drop some
poisonous pods into his drink when he wasn't looking. It would drain him of the
bit of energy he had left, and that was if no one caught him. No, he decided
against it. He needed to get out of the caves as quickly as possible. If someone
did catch him, his escape would be for nothing and the assassination would just
give them more of an excuse to kill him. He had to keep going.
Tosh focused on the rubble underneath him and moved it back into place. It
was a lot harder than removing it, that was certain, and he could feel it draining
his body. If he had been successful with the plant and moved the earth back,
there would have been no way he could keep running. As it was, he already
wasn't sure how far he could go. The scholar shook his head, there was no point
questioning himself. He needed to get out. That was his only mission now.
As he continued onward, the sound of the music faded away. He was getting
farther out of town now. Judging from how far he had travelled, it was likely he
wasn’t underneath the town anymore at all. The cave path dipped down, and his
speed increased to match the small downgrade. As he reached the bottom, he
saw the cave was growing smaller in size. He couldn't tell how small it got with
how dark it was and his eyes were unable to adjust anymore. It was going to be a
slower speed from here on, but he couldn't hear anyone following him yet.
Perhaps they just hadn't taken his path yet, but he couldn't stop. Not yet. Not
when he was so far.
The ceiling of the path was now too low for Tosh to walk standing upright
and bending over just caused pain to shoot through his body. He would have to
crawl until the cave opened back up again. "Devata, please protect me. Don’t
abandon me now," he prayed. He knew it went to deaf ears. The tree had yet to
listen to a single prayer from any of the elves since the country was conquered
years ago. For all anyone knew, the queen had burned the tree down when she
came to Narishma. No one was able to get close enough as there was a wall now
guarding the path to the island Devata resided on and a coast guard that was
constantly on watch. The queen didn't want anyone near the god anymore and
ruining her reign.
The path split into two. One seemed to open wider while the other was
shrinking still. Tosh began to turn toward the opened path but stopped. Inside of
the smaller path were faint white lights illuminating the walls. Bugs? No, the
walls were too hard and compacted for anything to live down here properly.
Each of them resembled a small light that filled the other active caves in the
quarry. He wondered if it was a trap, but something inside of him beckoned him
toward it. He cursed his desire to new knowledge, but if he didn't have it then his
title as scholar would be pointless.
As he got closer to each light, it faded away. There were no signs of any
insect or lamp where the light had been. It wasn't even warm to the touch, yet he
knew there had been a light there. He continued to follow the path, determined to
see where it would lead him now. Perhaps Devata was listening finally. As he
pushed ahead, he tried to recall all he knew about the tree. Books stated the roots
of the tree pushed out into all Narishma, but no one ever found any of these roots
outside of the island. If the roots were the actual lights he was following now, it
would mean he could get to Devata and save his people. He just had to believe
the lights were his god and not a trap sent forth by the cave dwelling drow.
The cave walls began to fan out now until he could finally stand and stretch
his muscles after being so cramped. "I'll give those lights credit. They got me
here. Now let's hope it's not a trap still." There were no sounds from anyone
chasing him still which he was thankful for. If it was truly Devata sending a
saving grace his way, then he would be the biggest evangelical in Narishma after
this.
The paths continued to twist and turn with no sign of them getting smaller
again. The burn on his face started to hurt and Tosh had to stop for a minute. He
wanted to scream from the searing pain coursing through his body. With the
impending doom of being caught, all Tosh let escape was a loud hiss and grunt.
The pain would continue long past today, but he needed to push past it for now.
If he could find a higher qualified scholar, they could get the scar removed for
him, along with the pain, but for now, it was a reminder of the torment his
colleagues in the quarry were going through still.
Tosh continued down the path, following the lights every time there was a
spit in the path even if it looked more dangerous than the other side. Soon he
started to hear water flowing above him and the ground and walls began to grow
damp. He slowed his pace so he didn’t slip.
"That’s definitely a river…but not sure which one…”
When one of the lights ahead of him detached from the wall and shook
violently to remove mud off it, Tosh froze in place. "Stupid dirt, doesn't know
how to keep its grime to itself," the light grumbled.
"What the hell is that?" Tosh yelled looking for something to grab.
The light froze in place and slowly faded until Tosh could see a few inches
tall humanoid form. It didn't seem to have a solid form, instead, it was still made
of light. There were no wings attached to it either to explain its ability to hover.
Within an instant, it flew directly into Tosh's face. His vision blurred as he tried
to focus on the small creature.
"Interesting. So, you can see us? It has been a long time since a scholar has
had a close enough connection to the sprite realm that they could see us. I know
Devata told us to guide you with our light, but I thought it was just coincidence
and a bit of hubris on that damn tree's part that you were capable of following
thus far."
Another light detached from the wall and formed into a humanoid as well
and flitted up to Tosh. "You're right, but he does seem dumb. scholars are trained
to understand our existence, but he seems perplexed...maybe he is just an idiot?"
Tosh shook his head, getting rid of the shock. "I'm not an idiot! I most
certainly am a scholar, but we were told sprites didn't exist. Just that you all were
a way for us to focus our skills on elemental manipulation."
The first sprite laughed. "Don't exist? We have existed for longer than you
ever have, child. But this does explain why no scholars have actually sought us
out." The two sprites huddled close together and began to whisper. Occasionally,
they would turn to look at Tosh then return to their discussion. Finally, the two of
them turned around, arms crossed and nodding their head as if they were still
agreeing on what had just been discussed. "We will continue to travel with you.
If what you say is true, we want to see it for ourselves. Without a purpose, the
others will simply become lazy. So, you will give us purpose again."
The other spoke up then. "In exchange, we'll help you grow your skills and
get away from that pesky guardian above us right now."
"You've got yourself a deal. If you can keep me safe, then I have no problem
helping your people."
A loud roar filled the cave. Tosh knew it was coming from above ground, but
they were so close to the surface that it wouldn't be hard for the cave to
reverberate. The dragon guardian had caught up to them since his escape. There
was no way that a wild dragon coincidentally found itself above them. He was
thankful he had made the deal with the sprites now so that he could escape.
 SEVEN

A njuu laid in bed, unable to sleep. The roars of excitement echoed through
the entire place. Sometimes drunks would come upstairs, confusing her
room for their own in their drunken stupor. Luckily for them, none of them tried
to open her door. They would have been instantly skewered and she would be
left with cleaning up the mess.
She had planned to look for the rebels in the morning, but with all the noise,
she figured it was better to just go out now. She turned the light on in her room
and pulled a small bag out from under the bed that she had stuffed under earlier.
Inside was a bundle of fabric rolled tightly into a ball.
Against the edge of the bag were small vials and needles. Today would just
be reconnaissance; there wouldn't be a need for most of her poisons or weapons
today. A simple par of warping knives would suit her fine tonight. Unlike the
blades that she carried that only held one purpose, these could fold into
themselves to create either a small cross bow or hooks for helping climb where
her grappling hook would do her no good.
She dressed in her infiltration uniform and pulled a balaclava on her head
and pulled it down, so it only covered her neck. She would put it on fully once
she was outside. It was too hot in here to breath with it covering her. If she had
her mask, she would have worn that now, but this would have to do to hide her
identity.
"Okay, let's get this over with so I can go back home."
Anjuu opened the window and looked down. Only a story above the ground,
not too bad. The crisp summer air felt cool against the little exposed skin she
had. She took a deep breath and flipped over and locked the window behind her.
She placed a small row of needles that she dug from her pocket so anyone that
touched the sill might prick themselves with the needles and poison they were
covered in. Once she was positive the trap was set up properly, she began to
climb down. She grasped where there were holes within the wall and began her
descent into the darkness down below.
Within the walls, she could hear people still running around, their boisterous
chatter floating through the bricks. It helped her hide the sound of her own
movement, but if someone were to look at the building, a large black shadow
would be all too obvious. It was late at night though, so if someone did spot her,
it would most likely be someone walking out of the building and so intoxicated,
they would only have focus on getting a taxi back home. Even guards driving
past wouldn't be thinking to look at a building for a person climbing.
Someone said the word rebel on the other side of the wall. Anjuu paused on
her descent.
The first voice was deeper and gruff as if he had smoked since he first came
from the womb. "Do you really think they'll just be hiding out there? Please,
they're smarter than that. Probably got themselves holed up in some backwoods
trailer park off-grid so no one can find them."
"I mean, it's the only place that hasn't really been hit by the rebels yet. Last
time someone went in there, they said they even saw a large beast. I'm sure the
rebels have some animals, maybe even some skin walkers in there with them,"
the younger man’s voice replied.
"Well, if they are in there, I hope they finally kill the queen. Damn tired of
those cave dwellers controlling our lands."
Anjuu bristled with rage. She wanted to cut them down here and now for
their blasphemy against the queen. Instead, Anjuu took a deep breath and
continued down the wall. If there were rumors of beasts anywhere, they would
be in the nearby forest. If after the investigation she was still irritated, perhaps
she would eliminate them as well. For now, she needed to focus on her mission.

THE STILL AIR WAS EERIE. Where the large cities, such as the capital were,
constantly busy, there were almost no people out tonight. The forest in front of
her pushed away any additional sound away from it, absorbing only the calls of
the owls and wolves hidden within.
"All right, let's get his over with," Anjuu muttered and lifted her mask so that
her eyes were the only things exposed.
The outskirts of the forest had paths that traveled inward for only a few feet
before halting. Each one seemed man made. Based on the conversation from
earlier, Anjuu judged that there were many who tried to venture into the forest
and prove their bravery but quit shortly thereafter or dispersed throughout the
trees without a step, made as they were devoured by madness. If the forest was
truly mad and dangerous, then she was simply a fly in its clutches.
Sticks crunched under her feet, signaling for any animal in the vicinity that
she simply did not belong here. How long had it been since she had any
wilderness training? It was part of the common core for shadows, yet there were
few actual assassinations who were required to go into the wilderness nowadays.
As Anjuu continued to venture farther in, a fog started to fill the area. A
hinderance as she bumped into trees, navigating her way through. Within
moments, the fog was too thick to even see what little stars visible overhead
were. Wisps of air fluttered past her, greeting her in solemn silence. Her deep
breathing the only rhythm in the still trees.
Without warning, voices filled the fog.
"Stranger..."
"Enemy..."
"Death..."
Anjuu turned to look, but even with her sharper vision, the fog was just too
thick to let her see who was speaking. The voices continued their chants,
growing louder as more disembodied voices filled the grove. Anjuu felt someone
of them brush against her, and she stretched out her hand to grasp the person but
didn’t catch anything.
"Show yourselves! Damn you! In the name of the queen, I command you to
show yourselves and give yourselves in to the law!"
One voice broke out from the rest. "No, you will surrender yourself in the
name of the true king. Let the earth be your judge, shadow."
Anjuu felt the ground below her shake and then large spires of earth erupted
around her. Each one spiraled upward until they reached a peak only a few feet
above her head. She was trapped in a cage, and there was no way to escape. As
the realization came over Anjuu, the fog dispersed, revealing only a small
handful of people surrounding her, who were also accompanied by a large brown
dragon.
Her anger flared. "You dare use a dragon against me? Dragon guardians are
an extension of the throne! How dare you betray your oath?"
One of the people walked up to Anjuu's cage. She had white fur covering her
entire body and large cat-like black ears extending from the top of her head. A
cait shidhe. "I took an oath to defend the country, not a person. Perhaps you
should rethink your own oath, shadow. You are paid to kill, yet you are a lapdog
to that woman."
 The cait shidhe spit on Anjuu. The shadow wanted to kill the woman, but
with the earthen cell surrounding her, it was impossible. Anjuu took a deep
breath, noting that she still has some advantages in her situation. After calming
down, Anjuu looks out at the others surrounding her. Many of them are cait
shidhe like the one in front of her, but she did see a few elves and even drow in
the mix as well. Why a drow would want to fight against their savior baffled
Anjuu, but she kept it to herself for now.
"By order of the true king, shadow, you are sentenced to death for your
crimes against this country and abetting a war criminal. Do you have any
defense against such claims?" The cait shidhe asked.
"Yeah, I do." Anjuu looked across at the different people in the group, none
looked to be of any royal bloodline. "Who is this supposed true king and who are
you?"
The cait shidhe smiled. "Soon, you will know those answers. As for me, I am
not important. Simply a guardian protecting the country from scum such as
yourself."
"You call me scum, yet you destroyed farmlands and killed people."
"We killed people who were enslaving others. Those who needed to be
brought to their knees, just as you will be now."
The cait shidhe held her hand out, palm face down, and began to lower it.
The dragon behind her growled, and the cage started to shrink. Anjuu couldn't
tell if the cait shidhe had the abilities of a scholar or if her dragon was the one
who performed, and she controlled him with commands. The cage was now half
of its original height, leaving Anjuu on her knees, unable to move.
"Take her to the basin; the king will execute her there."
Two of the drow nodded in silence and walked over to Anjuu. "You shouldn't
have betrayed your people, shadow. Beg for mercy before the king and he may
pardon you," one of the drow whispered as he bent down toward Anjuu. He held
a small needle in his hand and pressed it against her skin.
"Like hell," Anjuu snapped back. She felt the needle push into her skin and
then the cold liquid inside flowed into her blood stream.
"Farewell then, sister." Before Anjuu could retort, her vision went dark and
she entered a dreamless sleep.

"GET UP, DOG!" The familiar cait shidhe voice rang out.
Anjuu's vision was still blurry, but she could feel a mist drift across her face.
The darkness of the trees was also replaced by greenery encompassing the
meadow. As her vision cleared, she could see a waterfall next to them that
towered at least four stories.
"I said get up!" A swift kick landed on Anjuu's side. She coughed, gasping
for air. The strength she held before was gone. Whatever they had used to put
her asleep had drained out most of her energy. The rigorous training to be able to
recover from a poison was null from the unknown toxin the injected into her
today.
The cait shidhe was standing next to a large flat stone. She was surrounded
by even more rebels than there had been earlier. Each one appeared more
menacing than those from earlier. Still, only the two drow from earlier seemed to
be the only drow within the group.
As if being pulled by ropes, Anjuu was pulled forward until she reached the
stone. She glared at the cait shidhe, wanting to throw more threats at the woman,
but her voice was inaccessible. Whatever they had used, she needed to get her
hands on it. A poison like this was too powerful to be in the hands of a rebellion.
No, it needed to be contained by the shadows. Once she found an escape, she
would make sure to bring others from the guild and steal that poison.
"Any last words, shadow?"
Anjuu could only reply in silence. Her eyes darted in every direction, but
there were no openings. Not yet at least. Despite the rebels capturing her,
Anjuu’s mind raced to every training scenario she had been taught. Every drow
knew the dangers of being in a deep forest where the potential to bleed brought
upon beasts that could destroy them. More so within their home country
Ombramoor, but even now the hunter become the hunted when blood flowed.
As soon as the invisible ropes released Anjuu, she bolted toward the cait
shidhe. The woman reached for a blade to take down Anjuu, hoping the shadow
would try and dodge. Instead, Anjuu continued her charge directly toward the
blade. She only had the one chance to get it right. An attack that would make her
bleed, but not immobilize her for long. It sliced the inside of her arm open, blood
splattering against her clothes and the cait shidhe's fur. Anjuu cringed from the
pain but was glad it made its mark just as she had planned.
"Fucking bitch, just die already!" The cait shidhe swung the knife again, this
time aiming to kill Anjuu.
"Don't worry, I will die. It's the shadow way. Tonight, you will be the one
dying." A loud howl filled the clearing, echoing off the waterfall.
"What the hell was that? You said this place was free of wolves."
Anjuu chuckled. "Oh, it is free of wolves, I'm sure. But you should know in
the wilderness the smell of a drow's blood in combat will bring—"
 "Kitsune..." the other two drow said in sync.
Another howl, this time closer. Anjuu sighed to herself in relief. There was a
slim chance of one being around. Blood of a drow was catnip to the kitsune. As
the rebels looked around themselves to find the source of the howl, Anjuu
covered her hand to stop the bleeding and dashed toward the tree line.
It only took seconds before the cait shidhe saw her escape and called for her
to chase after Anjuu. If she stayed in the trees and away from their fog, she
would be fine. For now, she needed to get out of here and report to Kalio that the
rebels were being led by a dragon guardian and someone claiming to be the true
king. Whomever that was, he needed to die. No, all of them needed to die.
She turned through another grove and saw one of the trees had a small hole
at its base. At one point, it had been an animal’s home. Most of the grass and
other plants were now overgrown. Anjuu slipped down into the burrow and
waited until she could hear the footsteps of the rebels run past her. Thankfully,
no one seemed to notice her or the burrow.
Now just wait until those idiots leave, and I can figure out how to get out of
this place myself. She sighed and laid her back against one of the walls. It was
cramped inside, but there was just enough room to let her sit up straight.
Whatever animal had dug this out had to have been the size of a small wolf to
create this place.
Anjuu closed her eyes, listening for anymore footsteps from anyone else still
in the area. Her focus was quickly interrupted by a soft whimper farther into the
burrow. She froze, recognizing the sound of the whimper. A kitsune cub. The
burrow wasn't abandoned. She had just found herself in far dangerous territory
on sheer dumb luck.
"OK, let's check it out. It may just be a baby and I can kill it quickly before
mom finds out." Anjuu crawled farther into the burrow. The walls were now
shrinking until she could barely move beyond going forward or backward. There
would be no turning to look behind her now. Within seconds, Anjuu found the
source of the crying. A small kitsune cub was hiding in the corner. His front paw
was deformed, bent at an angle that prevented it from standing up without falling
over again.
"Poor thing. Your mother should have given you mercy and let you die long
ago. Is she truly trying to keep you alive still? Let me take you out of your
misery."
Anjuu pulled out a large knife, prepared to slit the kitsune's throat and let it
die. Even if the creatures hunted down her people, there was no point in letting
one suffer. She placed the blade against the creature's neck and in one slice, the
cub was slumped against the ground, drowning in its own blood.
 "You'll thank me in the afterlife later where you can run free. Your mother on
the other hand won’t be so thankful during her current life. So, I hope you
understand, I will be borrowing you as well to survive her wrath."
The kitsune cub let out one last gurgle as it stared up at its killer with
begging eyes. Anjuu tapped her forward, letting out a small blessing for the
creature before lifting it up and wrapping the canvas around her shoulders. Her
own scent would be drowned out and the mother wouldn't be capable of finding
her.
"Just like you, child, I will also become a far more useful tool. A man wants
to try and become king, then I will make sure that we now go to war with him
and destroy any who wish to stand in our way."
 EIGHT

K alio paced the garden. Each bush held a secret from her. A whisper of
treachery, a taste of poison, a plan for her demise. Too many wanted her
dead now. She had heard the whispers already since Anjuu had left. Ten had
been sent to the dungeons to await execution, including the head chef. There
wasn't poison in her food, but his action spoke loud enough in the kitchen that
she feared he was planning the toxin.
Even now, Kalio held a vial around her neck that held an antidote for most
poisons just in case. Along as the rebellion survived, she would not be safe. She
had brought peace to the sniveling elves and brought balance to the powers the
drow now held, yet they dared to fight against her. It was inconceivable, yet here
she was, a kitten surrounded by salivating dogs waiting for her to make one
wrong step.
The queen sat on one of the older stone benches. It was surrounded by a
gravel-covered ground, with larger stones scattered about and a few Bonsai trees.
The castle may have been built in the view of elves, but her small garden was a
memory of her own rock gardens back home. The only place she could call her
haven.
Grabbing a thin wooden rake, Kalio began to push the sand in different
directions. Eventually, she had to stand to continue her design of swirls through
the earth. She had never learned the actual methods of creating a rock garden
growing up, she simply watched those who could afford them and made her own
way of managing her own.
"Ah, to be back in Ombramoor with my people. At least there, I can trust
they wouldn't kill me. I would be treated as a hero to them all," she mused to
herself on returning to her home country. It had been many years since she had
the ability to travel back home.
 She looked across, at the completed design, and smirked. "To hell with the
stress. They want to try and kill me so badly, then they can come across the
oceans to kill me."
Kalio threw the rake on the ground and walked back into the castle. Her
shoes clacked against the floor, echoing through the halls to ring her presence for
all. She listed all the items she needed to pack. Riding clothes, money, and a
sword. There was no need to pack much. She still had a home waiting for her in
Ombramoor, and they would provide for her while she was there.
"Taishi! Where the hell are you?" Kalio called out. She could hear footsteps
scurrying away in fear from around the corner. Most likely servants that were
afraid of her wrath.
After what seemed like an hour of storming through the castle halls, Kalio
was met by an older drow male. He bowed down to her, his uniform still crisp
from a fresh ironing. "My apologies, My Queen. My guards said you were
looking for me?"
"I have been looking for you all damn day! When I call for you, you come.
It's not that difficult. Perhaps you're getting too old to be captain of the guard."
The man's eyes widened. "My Queen, I did not mean any disrespect. Please
forgive me." He paused, waiting for her rebuttal but none came. "How many I be
of assistance to you?" Taishi stood up, his confidence returning to the glisten in
his eyes.
"I'm leaving."
"Wait, leaving? Your Highness, you don't mean to tell me that you no longer
wish to control the country we fought so hard for."
Kalio's eyes narrowed. He was questioning her, yet his voice almost seemed
relieved at the idea of them giving control of Narishma back to the elves. "No, I
am simply going on a trip back home. It's been far too long since I've seen my
people. It is about time I see how improvements are going there. Until then, you
are to stay here and make sure everyone still thinks I am here. Understand?"
"My Queen. I am the Captain of the Guard. Should I not go with you to keep
you safe?" He began wringing his hands together, yet his eyes never wavered
from looking at her.
"Did you conquer the country on the back of a dragon? Are you a dragon
guardian?"
"Well no, but—"
"Don't argue with me, Taishi. Do as I say and when I return, I will decide if
you deserve the title of Captain of the Guard or not."
Taishi let out a small cough, bowed once more and turned away. If there was
any doubt in him before, it was gone now. He would keep the servants and
guards busy while she was gone and make sure the entire castle ran just as it
would have without her.
Kalio walked down another hall, feeling the stone grow warmer as she
neared her destination. Few, including the servants, dared to go this way. For
generations it was accessible by only dragon guardians and their comrades, if
needed. No rooms or other halls dispersed from this lone hall and most of the
stones had yet to be updated into a more modern appearance in fear of
destroying what was left.
"Ream, time to wake up. You're flying today," Kalio called down the hall.
There was no response, but that was to be expected. The dragon hadn't seen
much excitement since Kalio had taken the throne and the people submitted to
her. That was many decades ago, yet here she needed her partner once more.
Kalio reached the door to the dragon nest. It was extremely hot inside from
the different fire pits scattered around the area. "Ream, wake up!" she yelled out.
"Finally giving up on this disgusting place? Can we go back home now?"
The dragon stepped out of one of the caves near the base of the room. His
scales were a milk white with flecks of blue throughout. Many of the scales were
scratched, and one stretched across the lizard’s face, from the tip of his horn to
his chest.
"No, we're just visiting. You need to stretch out your wings anyways. When's
the last time we flew together?"
She walked over to her dragon, stroking his pearlescent scales. A low purr
erupted from deep within his throat, tickling her hands. A heat grew within him,
warming Kalio's own body. She hadn't felt this happy for a long time. It
reminded her of her first flight, so long ago, when she first became a dragon
guardian, trained to protect the people. She had almost forgotten how happy
flying made her.
"Let's go, Ream. Before I regret leaving the castle behind."
After saddling her dragon, Kalio climbed on top of him and fastened her legs
onto the saddle. It had been too long. Why she had never opted to continue her
flights before, she couldn't even remember anymore. Once she was fastened and
Ream was comfortable with the passenger on his back, the two began their
ascent. Claws digging into the stone walls, Ream climbed to the top within a
matter of seconds.
Grey clouds from the factories filled the skies today, smelting weapons and
vehicles for the coming war. Many of them were working harder than ever to
accommodate her demands of supply and those of neighboring countries in their
own trivial fights and civil wars.
Ream unfurled his wings, wind brushing away the age that had left him tired.
The sun shining on him and Kalio riding on his back brought back memories of
their youth, when their only plans were to adventure across the countryside and
fight the occasional rogue.
The wind whipped underneath them as Ream beat his wings. Soon they were
lifted off the ground and into the sky once more. Kalio grasped onto the saddle
and leaned forward as the two flew away from the castle. The weight of the
country was washed away from her with the wind, leaving only the dragon and
his guardian in the sky now. There was no crown, only the blade at her side that
kept her grounded.
Kalio watched as cities passed by underneath and turned back into fields.
Large patches were filled with different colors of greens and others dark browns
and blacks from the fires that had destroyed them. She shuddered, praying her
return didn't bring more destroyed land. She trusted Anjuu, but there was still
only so much the drow could do with just loyalty. She needed the determination
and desire to better Narishma for herself too.
The lands turned to sand and then to vast blue oceans beyond. It would only
be a few minutes before the mountains beyond would surface and she would be
entering the territory of Ombramoor, where many of Kalio's people still dwelled.
Unlike the mountain peaks in Narishma, these were far smaller in comparison
but held multiple generations and families of drow within their caves and
underground.
Just as she had remembered, the mountains that erupted from the ocean were
engulfed in trees and small plots of farmland. Boats scattered across the coasts at
the multiple harbors, beckoning for people to enter and trade. Kalio smiled,
remembering her own childhood working at the docks and begging for scraps.
Now her people were far more adjusted and well paid due to the trade
agreements that she had put in place.
"Ream, land over in Toritotoro. You can fly after that."
The dragon let out a small grunt and dove down. Kalio's body lifted off the
saddle by a few inches, her stomach lurching from the sudden drop. The ground
grew closer and Kalio was now able to see the multitude of drow walking
through the streets. Many of them were dressed in clothes that looked older than
the wearer, with only a select few in nicer clothes standing behind stalls.
"Festival must be happening today. Ream don't land. I'll just drop here."
Again, Kalio was answered with a grunt and then he pulled himself out of the
dive. Kalio unfastened the harness holding her in place. It was a long way down,
but as a dragon guardian she was trained to land. "Okay, here goes."
Ream let out a large roar, signaling everyone to pay attention to her. Kalio
stood up on the dragons back and jumped off. The wind pulled at her riding
clothes, lowering her descent down. She laughed to herself as the adrenaline
filled her body. Her muscle memory kicked in and she tucked her body in to roll.
She pushed all the magic energy connecting herself to Ream and felt a pair of
wings attach to her back, invisible to all those around her. The wings helped
slow her down until her feet touched the soft grass underneath.
Kalio smiled and looked up at the people in the market. All of them were
staring at her. She could tell they were more impressed at the sight of a dragon
guardian in their midst than a queen, though most of them probably didn’t even
realize that last part. She wanted to keep it that way for now. At the moment, she
wouldn't worry about addressing them as their queen. There was something else
she had in mind.
"Bloody gray skin!" A man hollered, instantly capturing Kalio’s attention.
“Get your fucking hands off that food!”
Kalio turned to look over at who was shouting and saw a large burly elf
holding a stick in one hand and the arm of a small drow child in the other. The
child was already covered in bruises and dirt. Her clothes were tattered in
multiple areas from age and lack of care.
The elf hit the child, causing the girl to let out a small yelp. Kalio's face
twitched, then she marched over to the two. He went to swing the stick again but
stopped as soon as he saw Kalio walking toward them. Murmurs filled the streets
and those not involved in the confrontation stepped away, clearing a path for
Kalio to reach the elf. She could hear a few murmurings, in fear of what may
occur. They still only saw a dragon guardian in her, but that alone brought fear to
the masses.
"What are you doing to this child, elf?" Kalio snapped, pulling the girl close
to her, breaking the grip the man held.
"None of your concerns. She's a thief; better to hit her and teach her a lesson
than cut off a finger."
Kalio raised an eyebrow. "Since when did we go back to cutting limbs? I'm
sure I removed those laws from Ombramoor years ago."
The elf went pale. His eyes focused on Kalio and she could see he was
recognizing now who he was talking to. The elf fell to the ground, his face
shoved into the dirt and legs folded in underneath him, bowing at her feet. "My
Queen. I meant no disrespect. Please have mercy on me. But that child was a
thief, she tried to take an apple off my stall."
Kalio looked down at the teary-eyed child then back to the shopkeeper.
"Give the girl whatever she is wanting. I will pay her bill. Next time I see this
level of disrespect for my people, I will make sure you never do business here
again." She pulled the child close to her, patting her on top of the head. "Years
ago, I ventured out as a dragon guardian to free my people. I never want to see a
drow treated like the earth we were born from again. The next person I see will
be executed by my blade."
The small girl looked up at Kalio and wiped away her tears, replaced with a
smile now. "Thank you, Your Highness. We knew you were good, the elves tried
to say you were an evil queen. We didn't believe it though." Kalio wanted to ask
her who was trying to spread distrust and lies to her people, but the child took off
into the crowd. She let out a sigh, knowing she would get her answer for all the
problems once she got home.
The queen bopped and weaved through the crowd, aiming for a large
building near the center of town. It wasn't nearly as elegant as the noble’s houses
back in Narishma, but Kalio still saw it as a second home. The walls were made
of a smooth white stone with only a few windows in the front. Surrounding the
house was a tall metal fence and gate guarded by stone dragons that looked like
miniature Ream's preparing to attack.
A short elf opened the door to the house and jumped in surprise. "Your
Highness! We weren't expecting you today. I'm sorry the house isn't exactly
ready for accommodations right now." He started to wring his hands before
straightening his suit. "What brings you back to Ombramoor, My Queen?"
"I'm here for a short visit. The mainland is turning against me at every turn."
She paused, remembering what the child had said. "It seems there are some even
here trying to turn against me. Let's not discuss this outside. I'd prefer the safety
of my own walls, even if they are dusty."
The elf bowed. "Yes, Your Highness. Follow me inside." The elf clapped his
hands together so that they echoed through the courtyard. "Honda! Prepare lunch
for three today. The queen has surprised us with a visit."
From the window, a round face covered in flour peered out. His face grew
into a large beam. "Cousin! It's good to see you! I'm making soba today. Hope
you don't mind."
Kalio licked her lips and placed a hand on her stomach. "It has been some
time since I've had a decent meal that wasn't given an elven twist. Sidhion, we'll
discuss my reasons for being here and what I've seen over a meal. Food might
make this a bit more pleasant an experience for you anyways."
Sidhion and the queen walked inside. It was quiet, even compared to her
castle. The only ones, as far as Kalio knew, that were in the house was Sidhion
and Honda. Sidhion usually kept the house maintained at a low care outside of
her planned appointments. As she walked through the house, Kalio could tell
there was absolutely no readiness for anything. Most of the walls and banisters
inside were covered in dust.
 "We will call the maids and get the house cleaned up while we eat, Your
Highness. Please don't be upset about the mess." Again, Sidhion wrung his hands
together.
Kalio raised her hand to silence the elf. "Don't worry on it. I won’t be here
long, and it will keep me grounded and remember some fond memories."
The two walked into the dining hall and sat quietly with Kalio at the head of
the table and Sidhion to her right. Honda followed from another door that led in
from the kitchen. He pushed a cart forward with bowls of noodles piled inside of
it. They ate their dinner in silence until Kalio clapped her hands together to bring
everyone’s attention back to her. Honda just continued to smile, happy to see his
cousin back in Ombramoor. Sidhion, on the other hand, flinched with every
moment Kalio was here.
"Sidhion, I am going to ask one simple question and I want an honest
answer."
The elf slouched in his chair, looking now more like a mouse than a man.
"Yes, Your Highness?"
"I put you in charge here to bring peace between the two races. I expected
this to be handled by law enforcement and you simply monitoring them. Yet here
I see children being threatened in the streets and rarely do I see anyone in the
streets with much power or wealth who isn't elf. Are you to tell me my people
are still suffering despite my liberation?" Kalio lifted an eyebrow, waiting for
Sidhion's response, knowing it wasn't going to be a good answer. She had only
seen the one child, but it was enough for her to know it was reoccurring.
He shrunk even more now. "Well…you see…the drow just...the drow just
haven't caught up in wealth is all. I can tell people that they are no longer
servants and for elves to pay them fairly, but it is a free market. I can't exactly
demand that they do it."
Kalio pounded her fist on the table, her drink sloshing over the side. "You
will demand it! Do you think I came into power by simply asking nicely? You
damn well will force them to accept drow as employees and provide the proper
living environment for them. Those who refuse to treat the drow as people will
be sentenced to prison camps. I don't care if it causes half of the elf population in
Ombramoor to be removed. I am not trimming a few dead leaves here. I am
removing the entire root system!"
"Cousin, don't you think you're being a little harsh?"
Kalio's eyes darted over to Honda. "I shouldn't have to remind you that I was
almost sold into slavery as a child. I am being nice to these people. They deserve
to be executed on the spot." She looked back over at Sidhion and smiled. "I’m
sure you’ll remember that you’re no different than the rest the next time I visit."
 Kalio stood up and wiped her mouth with a napkin. "Now if you will excuse
me, I wish to visit the shrine to do my part as well for my people."
Sidhion and Honda both stood up and bowed toward Kalio in silence. There
was no need to argue with her anymore once she made up her mind and Honda
knew better than to continue making jokes. Perhaps later in life, when the rebels
were gone, she would invite him to Narishma to liven up the courts, but for now
he was best suited here where she still had someone to keep tabs on everyone if
something truly bad went wrong.
Kalio went upstairs. Her room was at the end of the hall, with a small
scanner attached where a door knob would have been. Before she rid
Ombramoor of the scholars inhabiting the country, she had dedicated a team to
creating a lock that only responded to her own body. Even now, the room had
been untouched for years and she knew it would be far grimier than any of the
rest of the house would ever look.
She placed her hand on the scanner and saw the signals on the screen float
across underneath her hand, recognizing the master of the house. A small ding
came from the machine as the door swung open. Dust blew up in a puff and
Kalio let out a small cough, brushing away the dirt so she wouldn't choke too
much.
"Imagine how the courts would react to seeing their queen in such a room,"
she chuckled to herself.
Kalio didn't plan on staying long. Her sole purpose for being in there was for
one specific item. She went to the dressing chest at the far end of the room.
Inside were gray and brown rags that had patches across it, like a quilt. She
grabbed a dark gray one that had an over-large hood on it and threw it over her
riding clothes. So long as she wore this, most who didn't know who she was
would simply see a poor drow walking the streets and she would be without fear
of any political schemes aimed at her.
"Time to pay a visit to the shrine."

THE PATH up the mountain was long, twisting in different directions so you
could never see more than a few feet in front of you. Other drow accompanied
her up the path, while others returned the way she had come. Most held a string
of beads that they continuously rubbed together in their palms and others held a
small red envelope with written prayers on them. A few younger drow were
dressed in kimonos, as if going to a festival instead of visiting the kami of the
area.
Lining the steps were small blocks of stone stacked up to resemble houses
with the occasional statue of a monk or kitsune spirit. It sent shivers up her
spine. Kitsune were the hunters of her people, yet they were like gods still
amongst Ombramoor. The shrine above them was to appease the species and
bring blessings to them. She still thanked the beasts for her reign as queen of
Narishma, but now she needed to ask for their assistance again.
Someone tapped her on the shoulder, causing Kalio to jump. She turned
around and saw a tall, lanky monk standing behind her smiling. "Your Grace,
please, there is someone that wishes to speak with you." The monk held out his
hand to grasp hers. "Don't worry, the kitsune's blessings hide me from the others
so only you can see me. We must hurry, they speak of a hero that will be blessing
our people under your flag and the message must be given."
"Oh, praise Devata—I mean the kitsune that they continue to bless me." She
hoped her blunder didn't lead to a new curse upon her people. She had lived
amongst the elves for too long and now their god was rubbing off on her. Kalio
grasped the monk's hand and the two stepped off the stairway path into the trees.
 NINE

T he cave continued to shake as the roars grew louder. No dragon could go on

for that long without a breath. It had to be something unnatural causing the
sound. Perhaps machinery, but Tosh didn't know. Once he resurfaced, he would
be able to see, and prayed it wasn't as menacing as it sounded.
"We're almost there. Over here!" one of the sprites called out and flew over
to the walls.
Tosh stepped over, his feet sinking into the mud. "Why over here? It's a dead
end."
The sprite seemed to giggle before pressing against the wall. More sprites
followed, and they all disappeared. He could still hear them all calling for him to
follow through the wall. It was muffled, as if they were talking through a
window. Despite this, the stone wall stayed completely still and solid.
"Must just be a simple spell. OK, just take a deep breath, Tosh, and we'll get
through this. One. Two—" Before he could say three, one of the sprites popped
back through the wall and pulled him through.
What should have been his head hitting stone, instead was greeted by a
sudden cold. Water fell and surrounded his body. It rushed passed him, flinging
him sideways. He opened his eyes to see what was happening and realized he
was now inside of the river. He was being swept downstream while the sprites
drifted lazily next to him.
The strength of the water against him and the lack of air caused his chest to
squeeze. He needed to get to the surface quickly or he would die. If Devata had
truly called for him, then the tree had certainly put him in a lot of danger. His
thoughts of just going up the drow queen and killing her seemed so much
simpler in his mind and less painful.
He pushed those thoughts out of his mind and started swimming upward,
toward the surface. It took only a few seconds and he broke the surface and
gasped for air. The sprites still circled him, a few giggling to themselves. He
didn't bother with them still, he needed to get to the shore before he drowned.
The water continued to try and drag him back down, but he fought against it.
A scholars’ training was with working in the elements, but a rushing river wasn't
exactly part of the core curriculum. Still, he had enough knowledge of water
control and was able to help push himself toward the shore.
Tosh could feel the soft sand underneath his feet and could now stand up and
walk out of the river. His body felt cold against the air and he wished there was
someplace he could set up a camp and start a fire to warm his body.
"We're almost there! Just a little bit more!"
"You're kidding, right? I've been marching with you all for Devata knows
how long. We're nowhere near—" he stopped as he heard the caw of a seagull
behind him. Tosh turned around, his eyes growing wide as he realized he had
made it to the ocean. "No way, I didn't even walk long enough to get here. That
takes at least a week if we were to walk!"
"And we also stepped through a portal. So, stop trying to use dumb elf logic
and just trust us."
The sprites all flew toward the beach and circled a small area in the sand.
From the ground erupted a small boat large enough to fit perhaps two or three
people inside. It was old, with many of the pieces of wood looking rotten from
age.
"Please, tell me I'm not—"
"Getting in the boat?” the sprite that had been leading the group added. “Yep
and we will push you to Devata's island. So, don't worry about drowning again."
"Yeah, I won't worry about that, but you don't exactly tell me what else I may
expect that could kill me."
The sprite flew into Tosh's face. "Either get into the boat willingly or we will
force you in. We're tired of dealing with you complaining. Just accept that
Devata wants you to do something and just do it. "
Tosh let out a silent grumble and climbed into the boat. He felt awkward as it
still lay on the beach instead of the water. At this point, he didn’t want to
question anything from them. Too much trouble and the longer he stayed above
ground in such a place, the more easily the dragon guardian would spot him.
He continued to sit on the boat for a few more minutes without any
movement. Tosh looked around for the sprites but couldn't see anyone. "Sprite?
Anyone? Devata? Wait, did I just get left to die as a sick joke?" Tosh stood up,
ready to get out of the boat, feeling betrayed when the boat began to rock and
pull toward the water. He fell back down in his seat, holding onto the sides so he
wouldn’t fall into the water.
The boat began to go faster, every second as it went into the water and away
from the beach. He looked down to see if he could see the sprites. There was no
white glowing light below him, but he did see something moving below the
surface. At first it looked like a tail, then he saw an arm. If it wasn't so small, he
would have believed it to be some kind of alligator.
He reached down, trying to grasp for it and felt a soft jelly-like substance
where the creature should have been. "Definitely not a jellyfish. Maybe it's
covered in algae?"
The creature popped its head out of the water. Instead of the tail and legs he
had seen earlier, it looked like a large rain drop. It opened what he imagined was
a mouth to reveal rows of sharp teeth. "Don't touch me again human. Devata
asked that we don't harm you, but I'm sure he wouldn't mind a finger bitten off."
The water droplet changed shape into a small dragon and dived back into the
water to push the boat along.
Tosh laughed out loud. "Great! My boat is being dragged around by water
sprites. Who would have imagined I'd see those in my lifetime as well? Though
the books didn’t mention how blood thirsty they are. Mental note for farther
research that water sprites do not, in fact, eat seaweed, but perhaps actual
fish...and fingers."
The boat continued its fast pace across the ocean. The actual island for
Devata wasn't very far off the coast. He estimated they would be there within a
few minutes, judging by how quickly the water sprites were pulling him. His
guess was right as he saw the small island rise over the horizon and seemed to
grow as they approached.
The boat started to slow down, and Tosh looked over the side to see that
many of the sprites were departing back into the depths of the ocean. He
continued to see them all leave until there were none left, and he drifted toward
the island alone. It was strange being completely alone once again. He had been
surrounded by scholars for so long he had forgotten true silence such as this.
"Perhaps after all of this I can just go find a cabin and enjoy this kind of
silence. Might be nice."
The boat coasted up to the beach and he climbed out. Most of the plants were
overgrown. He couldn’t see from his vantage point any power lines or lights
indicating civilization. A completely untouched island by anyone in decades.
The island was sacred to all elves and yet he was the first person to step forth
onto it for over a hundred years. There were a few books in the college that had
described the island from the very last elf who had ventured here, but his
descriptions did not put the beauty to justice.
 Tosh stepped forward with caution and pushed his way through the
overgrowth. The plants were larger than those he had experienced back in
Narishma. Perhaps from the help of the magic abilities brought upon by Devata,
but he wasn’t sure. All he knew was that his own magic was being suppressed
here to the point that he couldn't feel any power compared to how he was while
on the ocean. It was as if he was drained of all magic in his body.
Despite this new lack of abilities, he continued his trek toward the center of
the island. Standing in the center of the island was a lone willow tree. The trunk
was large enough that Tosh would have needed a full-sized fire dragon to wrap
its body around it. Tosh had expected there to be sprites flying around Devata or
something magical. Instead, he felt like he was simply facing a tree that should
have been chopped down long ago. It held an old beauty about it, but the sigils
back home that gave an ethereal aura to the tree, he couldn’t feel it here.
"Child, I am still here," a voice called out, shaking the earth under Tosh's
feet.
Tosh stepped back, realizing the voice belonged to Devata. "I am sorry
Devata, I didn't mean to offend you. Please have mercy on me. You called for
me, I am here to be your body in Narishma to focus your vengeance on the
drow."
"No. Not vengeance. Child, come to me and I’ll show you what I request of
you."
Tosh stepped forward. His hands shaking as his mind raced to figure out
what Devata had in store for him. Sure, he wanted to destroy the queen, but
Devata said no vengeance. He reached his arm out to touch Devata and stepped
toward the tree, closer this time.
"Time is of the essence, child." Tosh felt his body stiffen and pulled forward.
All his movements now controlled by someone else as he felt his body step
forward faster now.
His feet lifted into the air, his knees making a sharp angle, so he was now
marching toward the tree. His hands brushed away a few of the branches and
was thankful Devata had the common courtesy to not let him run into them. He
continued marching until his hand pressed against the tree and felt control of his
body return to him.
"I'm here. Are you going to show—"
His vision went blank and pain seared through his body. He no longer felt the
ocean breeze against his skin and the smell of salt disappeared. The scent was
replaced by brimstone and he was no standing at the edge of the island at the
beach. The plants that had grown in, through a green splendor, were now ash,
dusting dried earth.
 "What's going on? What are you showing me?"
"Look!" Devata’s voice boomed from the center of the island.
Tosh's eyes turned to see what Devata was referencing but could only see
darkness. He could hear the flapping of wings and a loud roar. A dragon. From
the roar, erupted bright red and yellow flames. The fire grasped onto Devata and
wrapped around the tendrils of the tree, turning the life it had into an inferno. He
tried to run to help in any way he could to save the tree, but his body refused to
react.
The flames continued to grow in strength until he could no longer see Devata
anymore. In its place, was a large gold flower burning in the center of the island.
The roar continued to fill the air, accompanied by the sound of burning, but he
couldn't see the dragon still despite trying to look around.
Before the flames could die away and the tree collapsed, the flames formed
into a large phoenix that burst forth from the tree, lighting up the sky. Behind the
phoenix was a white dragon. Its scales had a light orange glow from the flames,
but Tosh could clearly see there was someone riding on the back of the dragon.
"The queen!" he gasped, recognizing it as a moon dragon, and knowing that
the queen was well known to have been a dragon guardian with a moon dragon
partner.
The dragon heard Tosh and turned its head toward the elf. It flew through the
phoenix, causing it to disappear in flecks of flames. The dragon landed in front
of him and let out a puff of smoke from his nostrils. From up on top, Tosh could
see the woman climb farther forward to look down at him.
She had smoother features compared to the queen and was far younger.
Despite this, she was still a drow. On her back was a pair of raven wings that
sprouted and fluttered in the air. From her chest he could see a dim light
emanating while the rest of her body was enshrouded in a darkness like rippling
water.
The woman smiled down at him before the dragon and guardian merged into
one large mass of brilliant white light. The form shrunk down until it became a
small orb floating in front of Tosh. The light pulsated, beckoning for Tosh to
reach out to it. He complied, his arms outstretched, amazed he could move. As
his hands grasped the orb, it solidified into a pearlescent egg in his arms.
"Find her," Devata's voice hissed.
With that, Tosh was launched into the air. The ground below formed back
into the greenery that had been there before, leaving no sign of destruction
anywhere. Next to Devata, he could see his own body connected to the tree, his
eyes rolled back into his head. Tosh only had a short chance to see this before the
island became a small spot in the middle of the ocean.
 He could see all Narishma before him and the countries far beyond that he
had only dreamed of one day seeing. His body lurched again and flew toward the
mountains. Despite the mountains growing closer to him, his form slipped
through like a ghost.
"Find her," the voice echoed again.
"Who? Who am I finding?" Tosh called out as he left the mountains and
could see the fields below him again.
There was no response. His body floated high above the ground and the sky
began to turn dark. Tosh looked up and saw the sun was blocked out by a large
raven. He let out a loud gasp and fell toward the ground. His breath leaving his
entire body. He still didn’t understand the message, but he had to find the egg
and he had to find who the raven drow was to save Narishma.
 TEN

A zrael continued to circle the nearby fields. He knew the elf was around
here somewhere, he just needed to know where. This should have been a
simple stop, yet here he was trying to help accomplish a mission that the guards
should have properly been prepared for. If the queen found out about this
debacle, she would have his head for this.
He reached up and brushed some of the fur around his ear until he touched
his skin underneath. There was a sharp pain as the electricity of the
communicator shot through his ear and down to his jaw. "The elf is somewhere
in the tunnels. I better see someone capture him and kill him by the time I return.
If I come back and you don't find him, I will make sure to burn all of your bodies
and claim them as the escaped elf's to the queen and then execute your entire
family too."
There was static in reply for a few seconds. "Understood, sir. We will capture
him and report in as soon as we capture him."
"Good. That little disrespecting shit deserves the worst."
The communications went silent, leaving Azrael alone with his dragon in the
skies above. He touched the communicator to turn it off, the electrical pain once
again gone. His frustration was getting the best of him now, but he had a
mission.
"No more side trips. If this is any indication of how the rest of this damn trip
will be, then I just want to get it over with." He let out a soft yawn. "At least she
hasn't demanded I report in yet. Probably left the castle in a fit of rage and forgot
about me for a short time. Thank Devata for her paranoia sometimes."
He squeezed his legs and shifted his weight on his dragon. The dragon
obeyed and turned its flight pattern to the north. The fields were dotted with
patchwork crops far below him. Despite that, he knew as he got closer to the
mountains he would be back home in the desert. It had been too long since he
had seen his family. Once he had wished to return there on good terms, now they
were simply another leader in the countries that created Narishma that refused to
listen to Kalio that he had to stop.

THE AIR GREW HEAVIER, the lack of water parched his throat. Even his
dragon was slowing down. The once green grass below had dissipated and in its
place was long reaches of sand that seemed to never end.
At the edge of his vision he could see a wall the stretched for miles to the
east and west. The guardian and dragon continued to fly up until they were close
to the wall. It towered above them, stretching for distances high above them. The
people who once had built this created it to protect them from dragons and
enemies, yet no one ever found interest in his people. No one wanted the sand
and treasures the desert brought until Kalio.
"All right, let's land here and get inside. I need to get away from this heat.
Even your fire doesn't compare to this hell."
The dragon grunted in acknowledgement and folded his wings closer to his
body as they dived toward the ground. The wind blasted past their faces, sending
sand particles into their eyes. Only a few feet above the ground and half blind,
the dragon reared back up and landed on his hind legs send a cloud of sand up
and engulfing them.
"Well, can't say we'll have a clean presentation when we get inside."
Azrael climbed off his dragon and wiped away as much sand as he could
before walking over to the wall. There were no doors or cracks showing a latch,
but he knew this was the place. It had been years, but every cait shidhe knew
how to get home.
He takes a deep breath and blows it out at a small spot in the wall, revealing
four small holes indented into the wall. It was jagged and plenty of small scrapes
surrounded it from cait shidhe not paying attention to their own hands.
He held his hand out and extended his claws. His dragon watched from
behind him, making Azrael nervous. Sure, the dragon’s own claws couldn't open
the door, but he remembered all too well the rule to never let someone else watch
you open the door. Not even a fellow cait shidhe. He ignored those old warnings,
they didn't apply to him or his dragon anyways as a dragon guardian.
He inserted his claws into the wall until he felt a soft click. His hand turned,
revealing a set of hidden gears underneath the sand covered wall. Each one
turned setting off more clicks internally. Azrael felt the lock in his own hand
release and pulled his hand out, retracting his claws.
"Welcome home," he muttered to himself.
The wall halted its clockwork march and lifted twenty feet in the air, the
sound of stone grinding against stone filled the air. It was dark beyond the wall
as the ground dropped in front of him into a long ramp into the earth. He was
thankful that his people had created the protection so many generations ago so
they could live somewhere far cooler versus the heat of the true desert.
The two walked in. Once his dragon was past the entry Azrael could hear the
bustling within the streets. Most didn't even know of his arrival. When he had
left, guards used to line the entry watching whomever came in and out. Things
were way too strange now and he would be approaching his parents on this
shortly. It was one thing to not provide the proper funds and goods to the crown,
but they had completely changed the proud culture they once held.
"Just another thing to add to the list. Once I'm done here and free of the
queen's control as her ward, I'm taking over this damn place and fixing it up."
Azrael walked through the streets, many of the buildings boarded up with
signs saying they were permanently closed. Others were open with only one
person working inside. As he continued to get farther into the city, he could see a
few more shops were open and busier than the outskirts. There was no doubt that
the shops in the center of the city would be filled to the brim with those who
could afford to spend any money.
He wouldn't bother with walking the entire way. The city was too large for
that and he was already getting tired. Instead, he stopped at one of the corners
where a pedestal stood. He tapped the top of it and a clear screen popped up
showing different prices and routes through the city.
"Hmm, only one going to the actual Assembly. Well I guess I will have to
wait then," he mumbled and tapped the screen to book a cab for the Assembly
Hall. He heard a ding from the monitor before it turned off, confirming his
selection.
He watched as cars and buses continued to drive through the streets. Each
one painted in a different advertisement for random products. Even the personal
cars had revolving signs on the side-view mirrors. Another ding came from the
pillar. Azrael looked over at it and saw a small cait shidhe hologram standing on
top. It had pitch-black, short fur and golden yellow eyes that were too large for
its own body.
"Who are you? Personal guide to let me know when my cab is here?" He
poked at the figure, waiting for a response.
The hologram looked up at Azrael with a blank stare. "Hungry? Join us at the
Fire Claw, restaurant personally liked by our own dragon guardian Azrael. Today
only, we have a special for natto and rice from the far reaches of Ombramoor
only two drakes." Once the announcement was done the hologram disappeared
back into the pillar.
"I like the place?” he asked with a chuckle. “Don't think I recall ever
authorizing a restaurant to use me. I'll try their food out later. Better pull up the
actual hype or I may be a bit offended they connected my tastes to it." The
holograms were definitely a new addition to the city, but he wasn’t sure how he
felt about it using this type of advertisement.
The cab had still not arrived yet, and after a few minutes the hologram
reappeared announcing the restaurant again. After three times of the
announcement, the cab pulled up. Inside was a cait shidhe with long, multi-
colored fur inside. He wore a newsboy hat that had small slits for his ears to still
poke out of. Azrael chuckled to himself, reminded of the older elves from
Narishma that wore similarly styled hats and how this cait shidhe looked so
much like a bearded elder elf.
Azrael climbed into the backseat behind the driver. "Can you get me to the
Assembly Hall quickly? I have an important message from the queen to her
people."
The driver let out a rough grunt. "Can get you there as quickly as I get
everyone else. No one more important than anyone. You all pay the same
Drake's ether way. Besides, not the queen's people anymore. Rules from new
chieftain."
"New chieftain? This I will have to see. What happened to the old ones?
They get removed from their seat?"
The driver shifted in his seat. "You could say that." He looked into the rear-
view mirror at Azrael. "So, what brings you out here? I'm assuming you're not
from around here."
"Oh no I am. I'm here to see my parents and sister, though I guess I may be
visiting someone else if they've been removed from their seats as chieftains."
The driver slammed on his brakes, sending Azrael onward. His face smashed
into the driver's seat, pain searing through his forehead. "What the hell was that
for‽" Azrael shouted and pushed the seat in retaliation.
"I'm sorry, sir. I didn't mean to brake so quickly. Just...are you saying you’re
the Azrael? As in the prodigal son Azrael? Has the queen finally released you
from her service?"
Azrael leaned back into his chair, buckling himself in to avoid another
accident. "No, she hasn’t released me yet. Please keep my reason for being here
to yourself. I don’t need the entire cait shidhe knowing I was here. I am simply
here to talk to whomever is in charge and then take my leave. Nothing more."
"I see...then I assume your sister hasn't told you the news of your parents. I
will let her explain it to you. Not my place to get between family squabbles."
From there, the driver continued his trip in silence. Azrael could see in the
distance a flash of red as his dragon climbed up the wall a short distance to look
for a cave then jump back down. He had told the beast to mind where he went to
avoid too much attention, now he was just as large of a billboard as all the other
signs dotting the streets.
They finally reached the Assembly Hall. There was no fence or any fancy
decorations as elves and drow held when they had government or upper-class
buildings. Instead, it was a large stone pillar that reached all the way to the top of
the cavern with windows dotting throughout. There was a long set of stairs that
twisted around the entire pillar, flattening out every few stories to a door inside
of the pillar or leading to a bridge that reached out to other buildings throughout
the city.
"Strange being back home again. Definitely not what I would call a good
homecoming either." Azrael scanned his hand across a screen next to the driver.
"You take tips?" The driver nodded. "Good, I'll leave a large one then so long as
you don't say anything to anyone. I know how you all like to chat to people
riding in your cars."
The screen buzzed and then flashed green, acknowledging the tip processed.
Azrael patted the drivers shoulder and gave as kind a smile as he could muster.
He didn't need the driver to get scared from his warning too much. If he did have
to take control of his people, then he needed to at least know they could trust
him. Distrust and fear would just lead to a revolution. Even Kalio was dealing
with that now.
He stepped out of the car and before he could even step five feet away from
it, the driver sped off. A few guards wandered around the Assembly Hall, each of
them having private conversations, unaware of the new person arriving. Each of
them was in a uniform of sleek plate armor pieces of small pauldrons,
vambraces, and greaves. The right pauldron had the symbol of red claw marks
across it, the symbol of the cait shidhe. Inside the Assembly Hall was a set of
uniforms for him just like these if he had joined the military ranks. Now he was
ward to the queen and a dragon guardian.
"Are you all idiots?" A female voice called out. Azrael looked up to see a
woman dressed in a long white dress that flowed into a pleating pattern. Around
her neck was a large gold chain with the face of a cat on it. Her fur was like his
own, a calico pattern with a small white spot in her neck.
"All of you should be stripped of your position if you can't damn well
recognize my brother coming back!" She bared her teeth at one of the nearby
guards who shrunk back in fear. The cait shidhe turned back to look at Azrael
and smiled, a purr erupted deep from within her throat. "Brother, it is good to see
you again. I take it the queen has finally released you?"
"No, I was here to talk to mom and dad. Though my driver said they're no
longer in command. Who took the position? Was it our uncle? Would make
sense that there wouldn't be any funds coming to the queen since he wasn’t
exactly the best at managing even his own family income.” Another
advertisement drifted above their heads about the restaurant again. “Though the
advertisements everywhere are definitely different."
His sister shifted her weight from one foot to another. "So, no one told you?"
"Told me what, Rahani? What's going on?"
Rahani grasped Azrael's hands and squeezed. "You'd best come with me. It's
easier to see for yourself."
She pulled Azrael toward the spire, but instead of going up the stairs, she
turned to walk around. He used to play on this path when he was a child. They
were going to the crypts where every chieftain was buried when they passed
away. He had gone down there a few times as a child to play but walking there
now gave him a sinking feeling.
They walked to the crypt in silence. The lone opening beckoning them
forward. Rahani led him down the stairs, his mind in a fog. Each burial had a
large wild cat above it. Lions, tigers, leopards, and more lined the walls. Their
mouths open, holding a large orb with an image of the chieftain beneath them as
they were remembered when alive.
The rows stopped at a large lion with an orb showing a middle-aged cait
shidhe couple. The male had black fur with a large patch of white from his neck
down body, hidden by the large chains he wore. The woman next to him, on the
other hand was a calico, like his sister and himself.
"When did it happen?"
"Just a year ago. They had fallen ill, we tried to cure them but none of our
medicine worked. When they asked for Kalio to help them, she ignored their
pleas, saying that they needed to figure it out themselves."
"I see, so they left the place of chieftain to you?" If they had truly asked for
help, he knew Kalio wouldn’t have refused, but his parents had forgotten their
only son and damned their country. At times, she may have been cruel, but at
least he knew she was just to those loyal to her.
"They did. The people didn't seem to mind. If anything, the country has
gotten better. We've become far wealthier and I brought a far better peace than
our parents did."
 "All that wealth, yet you refuse to give any of it to the queen as payment?"
Azrael bit his bottom lip and placed his hands on his parents’ orb. It felt cold, but
he didn't feel as sad as he thought he would have. It was as if he was just looking
at any of the other tombs of chieftains with the same nonchalant feelings. They
weren't his parents, not anymore.
"What did you expect me to do? Starve our people like our parents did? No, I
refuse to bow down to some woman who has never walked the sands like we
have." Rahani reached out and stroked the small orb in the lion's mouth. "If you
were here you would have understood. "Brother, take advantage of this freedom
you have and leave the queen. Join us. There's a rebellion going on and you
know they will win."
Azrael released the orb and looked at his sister in disgust. "If it weren’t for
her, I would probably be dead by now. Do you realize how idiotic you sound
trying to rebel against someone that conquered the kingdom on the back of her
dragon? Our parents gave me away to her to keep you safe, you entitled brat! If
you keep up this tantrum then she will destroy you all! I won’t protect you either
when that day comes. You talk of struggle now yet you live in luxury with gold
studded necklaces and high-tech gadgets roaming the streets as if it were
common place. Don't talk to me about struggle when you were just an infant
when we literally starved to death before she came to save us. In exchange for
two simple things, pay taxes and me as a ward."
He lifted his hand in the air, wanting to strike his sister. He shouldn't have
gotten so angry but knowing that his parents were the reason for the country’s
failure so long ago fueled him. Even now, his sister had managed to undo
everything their parents failed to do, but she had still forgotten about him until
he came back himself. If they hadn't been such poor leaders, he would still have
been here. Perhaps in his sisters’ shoes right now. Fighting the queen off from
invading their people. Now he was her servant to use with as she pleased.
His arm began to itch. An infinity knot mark left on his forearm for all the
keres to keep them in line. Any sign of disloyal thought pulled at the mark and
signaled the queen if he chose to disobey her. A reminder of his bondage to the
queen and loyalty to the throne. Azrael no longer belonged to the cait shidhe.
Even now looking at her, he didn't feel at home here. It was just another location
with people that needed to be put back in their place.
Azrael lowered his hand and sighed. "Just start paying again. I don’t want to
hear the queen complain and be stressed about this." He turned around and
walked toward the entrance, leaving his sister in silence. "Next time I get a
report that you are failing in your duties, it will be your head that gets removed
before my own. Don't forget that. If you fail, I will make sure there is someone
as chieftain here that will listen. I don't care if the cait shidhe struggle. Just do
what you're told."
 ELEVEN

I t had been almost a day before Anjuu felt comfortable returning to the town.
The rebels had long since forgotten about her, or else they had assumed that
she had fled into a different part of the forest. Even the kitsune had stopped
tracking her down now that sher scent blended with its child.
The village seemed just as quiet as before. Unlike many of the reports where
the rebels had burned villages and farmland down wherever they were, this was
untouched. This confirmed her suspicions that the city and government
supported the rebellion. To Anjuu, that made them all traitors. Something she
would need to report to the queen about later.
The outskirts of the city were quiet as everyone was either at work already or
not worried about some random drow walking around. It wasn't common, but no
one needed to think about her reason for being out here and get themselves into
more danger. She reached one of the corner stores, just as her stomach grumbled.
She had rations waiting for her back in the hotel room, but the thought of a
coffee and egg sandwich was calling her name right now.
"I'm sure the queen won’t mind me using some of her funds for a few drakes
worth of a meal."
As she approached the store, someone stepped outside. They wore an
oversized hoodie, but Anjuu could see the sign of fur and whiskers peeking out
from underneath. She sucked in some air and took a step back. Even if the cait
shidhe didn't take notice of her while focused on his own soda, this meant that
she was in far more danger than just assuming the city housed the rebels.
She ignored the plea from her stomach and bolted behind the corner store.
She would need to take every side street and alley she could find to get to her
hotel room. Most likely the rebels were told which room she was staying at and
were waiting to ambush her.
 Anjuu felt the hide of the kitsune slide off her shoulder, having forgotten it
was still there to disguise her scent. "You would have sold for some good coin or
made a good pair of gloves if it wasn't for this. Maybe a homeless fellow will
find you of more use than I can right now." She pulled the body of the dead
kitsune cub and tossed it against a wall. It would just lead more attention to her
having that throughout the city right now and she needed to get out of here
unnoticed. Anjuu had wanted to keep the pelt, but there would be time to hunt
once again when she wasn’t concerned with the rebellion.
The trip remained quiet without another sign of cait shidhe or the rebels from
the forest anywhere. Occasionally she had to stop to check a corner before
realizing it was just some elf or drow talking on their communicator about some
business venture or a friend. Anjuu was able to reach the hotel within an hour
and let out a sigh of relief when she saw no one was around. Despite this, she
still proceeded with caution.
She looked over at the front door of the hotel, seeing there were different
elves sitting at tables enjoying meals. Or waiting to be able to check into their
room. None of them seemed to have any inclination to be looking for a shadow
or a rebel, but she wasn't going to chance it anymore. Especially with one of the
rebels being a dragon guardian, who knew what to expect at this point. Better to
be safe than a dead drow.
Anjuu turned toward the wall, now able to see the handholes much clearer
than before. She looked and her to make sure no one was looking and began her
ascent up the wall. It went far faster now that she could see and was simply
trying to get into hiding versus avoiding someone seeing her. Her dark clothes in
the middle of the day would just stick out too much to try and take the climb
slowly.
She reached her window and released the lock and trap. Needles laid out
neatly so anyone that reached out for the window sill would be stabbed by at
least one pin prick and instantly fall to the poison depending on their
constitution. It was still untouched, which gave her a moment of relief. Perhaps
no one had tried to get in yet. With a quick brush of her hand, she wiped the
needles away. The pins pricked her skin, but the poison wouldn’t be enough to
hurt her. It was her own personal poison she trained to become immune too in
case it was used against her. She then pulled herself into the room and for once
in a long day felt that she could be at true peace.
The shadow walked over to the front door leading to the hall and released the
traps surrounding it as well. They would all need to be packed away before she
could change into more appropriate clothing to get to the castle and report back.
She could hear someone walking outside of her room. She laughed at how
absurdly thin the walls were for this place that no conversation seemed private
around here. If someone decided to do sex work here, they would have to block
off an entire wing to let others get some sort of peace and quiet. Her ears
twitched, wondering if they would have any news like the other men had when
she escaped.
"The news just announced the ren zhe are siding with the rebels now. This is
getting ridiculous, honestly. Next thing we know, the queen is going to call you
up and we'll have to kill our own parents because no one can seem to decide
which side they actually want to be on."
"No point in complaining yet. We retire in just two months, so I don't think
she’ll want old codgers like us running around the country. Most likely our kids
will be the ones to kill us instead."
"Yeah, you're probably right. Let's just get to our room. I want to be well
rested before we keep driving out to the beach tomorrow."
"Oh, don't worry, after I'm done, both of us will be sleeping well—"
Anjuu stopped listening, blushing a bit at hearing the two men outside
talking about their sex life so casually after talking about killing people. Sure,
she could do it because she was trained to change personas, but someone who
did it casually was an entirely different matter.
"OK, let's get dressed and out of here before I have to hear them."
She started to undress, moving a few of her blades to different positions and
adding a few extras to the hidden collection. There was no telling who she would
run into. Anjuu pulled out her outfit for the day. A pair of dark colored jeans and
a white tank top. She would put a black leather long tailed-coat on over it, but
she needed to place her guns, poisons, and other blades around her body first.
Her mind wandered to part of the men's discussion on the rebels. "Ren zhe,
hmm? My guess is as soon as I try and report back to the castle, she'll send me
back out to investigate them. Might as well get it over with now. Better to make
her wait with full news than half of the information."
Someone knocked, interrupting her thoughts. Before she could decide if they
were one of the rebels, the door flung open. Anjuu grabbed her pistol, turned,
and found herself aiming at a small elderly woman with a multitude of large
fluffed up towels, preparing for the new day of guests. Her eyes grew wide as
they drifted down to the pistol aimed at her.
"I'm…I'm sorry ma'am. I will just take my leave. Please don't hurt me."
The woman turned to leave, but Anjuu held up a hand to stop her. "No, you
will continue doing as you are now. You will pretend I'm not here in the
slightest. Do you understand?" The woman nodded her head profusely. "Good,
to you I don't even exist. You found my room empty when you got here to clean
up." The elderly woman’s body was shaking in fear. Anjuu wondered if the
woman would have a heart attack right there.
Anjuu let out a sigh as the housekeeper started working in the bathroom. She
hadn't even used it he entire time she was here, leaving the woman just feigning
actual work at this point. Anjuu let out a small yawn, feeling the energy slip
away from her lack of sleep. No. She needed to stay awake until she left this
place. Just until then.
She put the coat on and made sure all her items were packed away. The maid
was silently sitting inside of the bathroom rocking back and forth, coping with
the fact that she almost died. Anjuu laughed at herself. Not so long ago when she
was a child, she would have reacted the same way.
The drow looked out her window to make sure the area was cleared. Down
below, where she was only moments ago, now stood a cait shidhe and another
elf, both with a communicator attached to their head. She had seen them all too
often with the keres to speak with Kalio. Somehow, they had access to the
technology that Kalio had invested so much in for her followers and those
working for her, such as the quarries.
"Glad they're rebels, or I'd feel bad about this," Anjuu muttered and pulled
out two knives from her sides.
Climbing onto the windowsill, Anjuu looked down at the two rebels. Her
mind raced to calculate her jump and landing. She had one shot, or they would
notify someone else of her presence. The housekeeper was still muttering in the
bathroom to herself. Anjuu rolled her eyes before bringing her focus fully on the
two below her.
She took a deep breath. The feeling of her stomach rising into her chest was
soon to come. If there was a way to get closer to them, she would, but even now
it was impossible to climb down even slightly. It would lead to the chance that
someone would see her, or they would hear her below.
Her body leaned forward and within a second her feet no longer touched the
windowsill. Anjuu's body was falling toward the ground quickly and would land
within a second. From her muscle memory, she reached out with her blades and
curled her body up. The wind whipped past her coat, creating flapping sounds
like a flock of birds taking off. She rolled behind the men and stood up, her
movements quiet enough that it blended with the activities on the street.
Anjuu lifted her blades up and sank them into the skulls of the two men in an
instant. A grunt spilled from both before they collapsed. She tugged at the blades
before they both came loose from their skulls. Each was covered in a mixture of
red and clear liquids. A sweet scent came from the blades before she wiped them
off on the men's clothes.
 "Let's get rid of these bodies before I leave." Anjuu pulled out one of the
multitude of vials from her belt. Inside of the via was a dark brown liquid.
"Brown Recluse venom extract should be enough." She popped open the vial and
poured a little on each of their bodies.
Where the poison touched, the bodies began to burn and deteriorate within
seconds. She could smell the rot of the corpses, but most, who weren't expecting
a dead body, would just assume the hotel had a really bad smell in dumpster.
That was until someone finally decided to investigate. At that point, the bodies
would have almost no discerning parts to identify them. Anjuu corked the vial
and put it back onto her belt.
She looked over to the parking lot where her bike was and saw someone else
standing there with a communicator attached to his head as well. His back was
turned to her, thankfully. She watched as his head turned toward the direction of
the forest and then back to the streets, scanning for something. All of them were
still expecting her to come from the forest, none thinking she was already here.
So long as the housekeeper kept her mouth shut, she should be fine.
Anjuu walked over to the elf, taking care to avoid making any loud noises.
She was only feet away when she heard someone yelling behind her. She looked
around to see another elf pointing at her. He was standing next to the bodies still
dissolving on the ground. She cursed herself for not noticing the now open root
cellar just beyond and turned back to see the elf in front of her.
His eyes were wide in fear so that she could see the whites surrounding his
earthy brown irises. They wavered and turned to look at his ally behind her and
then back to her. He grabbed his gun from his side and pointed it at her. She
smiled at him and watched his hands shaking. She recognized this look from
other assassinations she had done of men who had never shot their pistols
outside of a range.
Before the elf even noticed, Anjuu dashed toward him. He pulled the trigger,
but it stopped halfway because of the safety and she could hear the soft click as
she closed the gap. He looked up at her, his fear growing wider now. Anjuu
pulled out one of her own pistols from her side and launched at the elf.
She stopped, one arm wrapped around him, the other holding the pistol
underneath his chin. "Next time you plan to use a gun, make sure you know how
to use it. Or perhaps, your friends will learn it for you since this will be the last
lesson you ever learn," she hissed into his ear.
Anjuu pulled the trigger. A loud gunshot echoed through the clearing
following by the yelling of different people in the area. Whether they were
guards, rebels, or regular citizens she couldn't tell. It was time for her to get out
of here. Blood dripped onto Anjuu's hands as she watched the elf's eyes go blank
and his muscles loosen within her grip. She dropped him on the ground, not
bothering to burn his body. It would take too much time and right now there was
someone behind her that was going to try and kill her.
The drow bolted toward her bike. The sound of other's shooting at her filled
the air. The shouting grew louder, followed by people with communicators and a
few guards wearing the white pauldrons, indicating their jurisdiction.
She let out a curse under her breath and picked up her speed. She shoved her
pistol back into the holster and focused on her bike. If she slowed down even a
bit, they would catch her now. Another shot rang through the air and she felt a
sharp pain in her shoulder. Anjuu let out a sharp hiss, trying to ignore the
burning pain through her body. They had just grazed her with the bullet, but now
wasn't the time to stop. The next wouldn't miss.
Her bike was now in reach, and she slowed down to climb onto the bike. She
didn't wait to activate her glasses to help in escaping with the navigation system
built in. Instead, she turned the bike on, hearing the loud roar of the engine
before launching. In front of her was a large patch of dirt from where the
construction company had stopped building. She took a deep breath and dove
straight into it, feeling the bumps underneath her. It only lasted a few seconds
before she turned her bike, drifting back onto the streets. The heat from her tires
burned her legs. It was enough to pull her attention from the pain in her arms
that strained to hold onto the handle bars.
Anjuu turned to look back and saw the people scrambling to figure out how
to go after her. None of them seemed to have a vehicle in the area and by the
time they got onto bikes or cars, she would be long gone. It made her smile that
she had managed to escape death once more. It was too bad she didn't have a
mask destroyed to add to her pyre to show the many deaths she had missed as a
shadow.
Feeling comfortable now, she pushed a button on the side of her glasses,
turning them on. The glass tinted a slight green before clearing back up.
"Destination, Anjuu?" A voice called out from her glasses.
A small pixie-like figure formed in front of her, just out of Anjuu's main line
of vision so she could keep driving. To humor people, scholars had built the
glasses with what they imagined the sprites would be like if they had existed and
were visible. The scholar’s magic imbued within each device so the wearer could
navigate.
"Know where the ren zhe caravan is? They should be near the mountains this
time of year, but I need exact coordinates." The spite nodded and dispersed,
leaving a small map in front of her vision with a flashing red dot near the
mountains. Her next destination.
 After a few miles of traveling with no sign of anyone following her, save for
a few other cars traveling across the countryside, Anjuu pulled over. There was
no way she could continue with the pain. It was getting to her too much. The ren
zhe would most likely stay where they're at for at least a week before moving
again.
She pulled from her pack a small first-aid kit filled with gauze and some
adhesive tape inside. Anjuu pulled her coat down off her shoulder to see the
large abrasion. It wasn't too deep despite the pain, thankful for whomever had
the bad shot. Next, she grabbed a bottle from inside of the first-aid kit. It was
unlabeled, filled with different colored pills ranging in blues, reds, and grays.
Each one she had purchased from an apothecary for different issues she would
come across. The dark blue ones were pain medications. Anjuu pulled one out
and popped it in her mouth to swallow. It would take some time before it kicked
in, but at least she could focus a lot more now.
Anjuu took a deep breath and laid down on the soft grass underneath her. She
needed to rest, even for a few minutes. Too much had happened today that she
would need to report back on. If it weren't for her own sense of sanity,
everything that had happened today probably would have turned her just as
paranoid as the queen.
She reached up toward the clouds, imagining the queen above her now.
Comforting her every woe like she had once done when they were both younger
and in far more peace than they were now. She wanted to feel Kalio’s touch once
more, but that was a wish for another time. Her mind continued to drift for what
seemed like hours as she stared up into the sky.
The clouds above Anjuu started to churn above her, changing shape. At first,
Anjuu believed it was her imagination and rubbed her eyes. Despite this, the
clouds continued to form into a solid mass. At first, she could see the wings form
and then the body, until finally she could see the large regal head of a dragon
staring down at her.
"I'm waiting for you, shadow,” the cloud said, as if commanding rather than
making a simple statement.
"Ream? Your Highness? I'm doing your bidding as quickly as I can! Please
keep waiting for me, I promise I will return!" Anjuu shouted back at the cloud.
The dragon didn't reply, instead it vanished back into the sky, resembling the
cloud it had once been. Anjuu stood back up. Whether it was a hallucination
from the pain medications or an actual message from the queen, she needed to
continue her mission now. There was no time to relax.
 TWELVE

T he kitsune led Kalio to a small shrine. There were no paths that surrounded
the shrine and most of it was shrouded in shrubbery. On the deck that
surrounded the shrine were small statues of kitsune, tanuki, and other creatures.
Each of them seemed to stare directly at Kalio, as if they were waiting for her to
confess to an unknown sin.
The kitsune that led her stopped. "Go inside, she’s waiting for you."
Kalio stepped forward and walked past the kitsune. She turned to thank him
one last time, but he was gone. Instead, she could see small footprints on the
ground where he had transformed back into his beast form and left back into the
wilderness. She wondered if he would return to guide her back or if she would
have to bring Ream out and burn the entire area until she could find her way out.
"The trees won't burn," an elderly woman's voice called out from the shrine.
Kalio turned around to see a short drow woman. Her skin was wrinkled with
age, but her eyes were still just as sharp as someone a quarter of her age. The
woman, like other priestesses in the shrines dotting Ombramoor, wore a red
hakama that devoured her legs. Despite the underbrush, she also wore a pair or
sandals and a thin white long-sleeved shirt.
"What do you mean they won’t burn? Wait, I didn’t even mention any
burning!" Kalio’s eyes narrowed in suspicion at the woman.
"You don't need to say anything. I've been on this earth for far too long and I
know the look one gives when they want to burn this place. Trust me, I've had
the same look a time or two when I was first trapped here."
The priestess turned around and walked through the door opening, pushing
aside the gray curtains hiding the internal portion of the building. "Please, come
in. We have much to talk about before the week is through."
Kalio followed the priestess to the shrine but stopped as she reached the
patio. Smoke was now billowing from inside and flowing out of the door.
"Priestess, what's going on?" she asked, refusing to step forward before
receiving an answer.
"Incense child. Has it genuinely been that long since you visited a true shrine
that you don't recognize this?"
Kalio took a deep breath and walked into the shrine. Inside was an empty
room, save for two pillows. One sat on a platform that rose the person sitting
there a few inches above the person who would sit on the lower pillow. Between
the two was a small tea set with two cups. Steam poured from the kettle as if
freshly brewed, but there was no indication of any magic being used to create the
heated tea.
The priestess sat on the pillow on the platform and smiled at Kalio. "Sit,
child."
Kalio instinctively obeyed the order and removed her shoes. She then sat on
the pillow left for her. Now that she was so close to the floor, she could tell it
was freshly cleaned. She tried to laugh to herself at the thought of the priestess
having attempted to clean the floors by herself. Whether it was her nerves or
more trickery from the priestess, she wasn't sure, but no sound came from her.
The priestess looked down at Kalio, then grabbed the kettle and began to
pour the drink into both tea cups. The liquid was a light green color and held an
earthy aroma. Kalio was at least thankful it was just a simple green tea and not
something supernatural, like the rest of the forest seemed to possess. During the
entire process the priestess remained in silence, her focus solely on the cups until
each one was filled halfway.
She pulled both cups toward her and drank from the one. Kalio tried to reach
for hers but the priestess looked down at Kalio and glared at her. Once the
priestess's cup was empty, she poured another cup for herself. Kalio opened her
mouth to interject, but once again no sound came from her. She bit her lip then
opened her mouth back up to yell. Still no sound.
"Don't bother. This is a time for silence. Until you can learn to find peace,
then no tea and no message." The priestess took another sip of her tea.
Kalio glared at the priestess, wishing she could say something, anything, to
the woman right now. No, the woman was here to provide her a message. She
needed to find peace within herself now. If her kingdom was going to survive the
attacks from the rebels, then her finding some sort of peace counted on it.
She took a deep breath and closed her eyes. Kalio imagined waterfalls
rushing down her body just as she had learned long ago as a child to mediate.
Every thought that flowed to her mind drifted into existence and then
disappeared once again. How long she was in this state, she couldn't say. There
had been moments growing up that her meditations had lasted an hour or two.
Before she was awoken from them.
The sound of a cup clinking in front of Kalio pulled her out of her
meditation. The priestess was still sitting on her pillow, undisturbed since Kalio
had just seen her. Despite this, the green tea was sitting in front of her, steam still
rising from the cup.
"Drink. It's time."
Kalio didn’t wait for the priestess to tell her again and grasped the cup
between both of her hands. Despite the steam, the cup was still cool to the touch.
Whatever this priestess was, Kalio knew she was not a drow. She brought the
cup to her lips and took a sip, feeling the heat flow down her throat all the way
down to her stomach. She cringed from the heat, wanting to scream out in pain
but she still couldn't release any noise. Within a few seconds the pain had
subsided. Kalio looked up at the priestess, who seemed unfazed by the heat.
Another sign the woman wasn't who she portrayed herself to be.
The priestess let out a small cough. "Mind focused, child." She put her cup
down and from a deep pocket inside of her hakama pulled out a small cloth bag.
The priestess opened it and pulled out a collection of small bird-like bones with
etchings across each of them. Kalio tried to lean in closer to see what the
etchings said but didn't need to as the priestess tossed them across the ground,
letting them land in front of the two of them.
She nodded, looking at each one individually. "I see. As I had believed." The
priestess looked up at Kalio. "You don't perhaps read the bones, do you?" Kalio
shook her head. "Thought not. This bone," she pointed to the one closest to her,
"tells me that someone close to you will betray you. However," she picked up the
bone and pointed to another, "they're currently far away and joining with your
enemies." The priestess picked up another set of bones. "This is interesting
though, as they don’t know that they are becoming your enemy and will be your
downfall."
"Who is it? Who do I need to stop?" Kalio blurted out. She put the hand up
to her mouth, surprised at the sound of her own voice.
The priestess pointed at Kalio's cup. "Drink."
Kalio shook her head and stood up. "No. I'm done with riddles. Priestess, you
will tell me who is planning to stop me, or I will kill you where you sit." She
could feel all the energy that she had brushed away swarm back into her body.
"Is it Azrael? I sent him to take care of his family and he betrayed me, didn't
he?"
The priestess looked up at Kalio and smiled. "Far worse, child. Here, let me
show you. Though your rash violence will not do you any good here."
 The smoke that had filled the room floated toward the priestess. She swayed
her hands in the air as if conducting a band while the smoke swirled in different
directions. The smoke stopped swirling and then lifted into the air to combine
into a solid white mass. Kalio looked at the form, unsure of what it was.
The form began to solidly even more to show long elven like ears and a
cloak. A smile spread across the figures face. Kalio continued to look at it, it
seemed familiar, but she couldn't figure out who it was.
"Stop the riddles, priestess. Just show me already. I'm tired of the tricks."
The priestess nodded her head and tapped the ground. The figure looked
down at the floor then back up to Kalio. It stepped forward, passed the priestess
until it was only a few feet away from the queen. The figure lifted its hand,
holding a long blade Kalio immediately recognized. She had seen her carry that
blade all too often. It was curved inward and could be used as a normal blade
without issues.
"Anjuu? No, you lie! She would never betray me."
The smoke took solid form, reflecting a pale white version of the shadow. "I
already have, Your Grace." It flipped the blade and stepped toward Kalio, the
smile growing more like a demon than a drow. "Please die now, Your Grace."
The Anjuu-smoke figure stepped closer and put her arm on Kalio's shoulders.
Kalio couldn't believe what she was witnessing. She could understand Azrael.
Even Mestre she could expect to one day betray her. Not Anjuu. Not the one
person she trusted almost as much as Ream. Her chest ached at seeing the truth
before her now.
Kalio tried to reach out to the Anjuu-Smoke person. "My beloved Anjuu.
How could you?" Before Kalio's hand could reach the figure, the Anjuu-smoke
being took its knife and stabbed it through Kalio's chest. She didn't feel the blade
go through her, instead it dissipated back into a cloud of smoke. Still the sight of
Anjuu assassinating her caused her to break down and collapse. The figure burst
into the smoke from before, leaving Kalio alone in the room again with the
priestess.
"This has to be false. The gods couldn't have forsaken me in such a way? I
saved my people, I brought them peace. How could they leave me this way?"
The priestess clinked the two cups together and stood up. “You never
listened to them. You only glimpsed what they wanted, and you took it upon
yourself to bring the same retribution as they had unto you. That wasn't what
they asked of you and now you live in the lands Devata rules over. Thus, no
longer protected by our gods."
Kalio's anger flared up now and she grasped for her gun blade at her side.
She had forgotten about it the entire time despite putting it on when she had
changed into her disguise. "Don't fucking lie to me, you filth. I am queen of
Ombramoor and Narishma. I won't bow to false gods and our gods do not dictate
whether I live or die anymore."
She aimed the gun blade at the priestess and pulled the trigger. The gunshot
echoed through the room, causing the birds outside to fly out in large groups.
The priestess still held the soft smile as she collapsed onto the ground. Kalio
expected the woman to turn into smoke or another creature of the forest. Instead,
what lie at her feet was just a frail elderly drow. She grimaced before kicking the
priestess in her rage.
"Don't ever doubt my strength. If Anjuu wants to stand against me, then so
be it. I will return and make sure she dies at my hand. My kingdom will live
beyond even my own lifetime. I won’t let a child I brought out of poverty be the
reason I fall once again. I refuse to let it happen."
 THIRTEEN

I t felt different. Judging just by the sun and the way the shadows were laid
out, Tosh had only been on that other plane of existence for a few minutes.
Despite this, his entire body felt exhausted and ready to collapse. There was no
time to sleep yet. He was given a task from Devata to find the dragons and get
the moon dragon to stop the queen.
"You should test your abilities. It's been a while since you left the quarry.
The disabling abilities are bound to have been removed completely once you
reached Devata," someone whispered into Tosh's ear.
Tosh turned around to see. It didn't sound like the voice of Devata. Instead, it
sounded more like the light sprites from earlier. "Probably, but I don't have the
energy to try. Even if I grow a small blade of grass I'll probably collapse and not
wake up until tomorrow."
The sprite giggled. "We will see. I think you have more in you than you even
know. But who am I to say, just a sprite whose sole purpose is to serve Devata?”
Tosh let out a small groan. "Why are you even following me, sprite? I
thought you all left after I got to the ocean?"
The sprite materialized in front of Tosh. It looked almost like a miniature
version of him, but more feminized. She wore no clothes, but there was nothing
on her body that required any form of modesty as she possessed no genitals or
breasts of any kind. More like a doll than an elf.
The smile across the sprite's face was thin and spread across her face in an
almost mocking manner. "Because I am interested in what Devata told you to do
and I'm tired of just waiting for orders. You seem fun and I want fun." The sprite
did a false curtsy, holding an invisible skirt. "I am Hartiel."
Tosh let out a grunt. "Fine, you can come with me. At least I'll know I have
someone to talk to. Can you choose a different person though? It's a
little...unsettling to see myself like that."
The sprite shrugged. "Fine by me. I don't like being in this form much
anyways. So next human we see that you like to look at I can choose to take that
form for you. Until then," the sprite closed its eyes tightly and the form
disappeared into the ball of light he was used to seeing with the sprites, "I'll take
my normal form. Maybe change colors when I feel like it. Who knows?
Anyways," she floated onto Tosh's shoulder. He could feel a small weight,
despite how small she was, "onward, stallion! To adventure!"
"This is going to be a long trip, I just know it. Damn Devata for creating one
of the most annoying creatures in the world."
"If it weren't for us, then you wouldn't have your abilities so easily
available." The sprite flitted in front of Tosh. "Look, if I'm going to be with you
and you're providing me entertainment, then at least I should provide you with
some sort of compensation." The sprite began to grow brighter. "Focus on me.
Instead of pulling energy from yourself, focus on me and try and grow a
sunflower."
Tosh lifted an eyebrow, unsure of the procedure. His understanding of his
magic came from his own internal energy he produced as a scholar. Taking the
energy and power from a sprite was not in any of their books. He let out a large
sigh, deciding to just listen to Hartiel for now. He was already bombarded with
so much new knowledge, what was one more piece to add to the mix?
He closed his eyes and focused on the bright light from the sprite. Her light
still shined through his eyelids. He thought about sunflowers he had seen as a
child that grew in large fields. All of them reflecting the light that symbolized
the freedom of all scholars. Yellow of the air, brown for the earth, green was the
water, and the blooming of leaves and petals were the fire. He could feel the
energy of the elements begin to pull from within him to manifest the sunflower
and refocused his mind once more on the sprite.
"That's it, take what you need. If you take too much, don't worry. It will kill
me, but I'll just come back after a while."
The newfound energy filled Tosh. It was like liquid light filling his entire
body. It poured through every vein of his being until it reached his feet and
hands. From there, the energy flowed down to the earth. He could feel the
vibrations below him as he created the seed. The seed then sprouted and could
feel it breaking out from the earth.
Tosh opened his eyes and saw, standing between him and the sprite, the
largest sunflower he had ever witnessed before. It stood at least three and a half
meters tall and the flower blossomed out by about half a meter in diameter. The
sprite was hidden behind the thick stem of the flower, but he could hear Hartiel
giggling behind it.
"See? I told you that you could use my energy to do what you need to do.
Though we may need to practice this a bit more. I simply meant for you to grow
a small sunflower, not this giant of a creature."
Hartiel flitted next to Tosh and landed back on his shoulder. This time at
least, Tosh was thankful for the sprite’s presence. Once they were done and were
rid of the queen, he was going to create a new study on how sprites could
interact with scholars.
The two walked past the flower and toward the beach. He wondered how
much he could do now that he was away from the quarry and had extra
assistance on his own magic. Tosh stopped in front of the boat that now sat on
the sandy beach. The ocean was almost too still, save for a few waves that came
crashing onto the beach. "Think the water sprites will get us back over?"
Hartiel didn't respond, instead a large wave rose from the ocean. He could
see the row of sharp teeth smiling from within the wave and immediately
recognized it as the water sprites. They flowed forward toward the boat and
surrounded it until it was drifting in a shallow amount of water. Despite the other
waves around it, the boat didn't move from its position, held tightly by the water
sprites until he got on.
This time on the boat ride, Tosh was prepared not to touch any of the false
creatures the water sprites had conjured up to move the boat. He wanted to keep
his fingers. Even Hartiel stayed close to Tosh, watching the small fish swim
around underneath the surface of the water, looking at her as if she were their
next meal.
The boat ride had been easy now that he knew what to expect, but the walk
was what he now dreaded. There were no vehicles waiting for them, and the next
city was at least a day's walk. He prayed that someone would find them and let
them hitchhike to the next city. However, the mark on his cheek might alert
someone who was aware of what it meant.
After an hour, the two reached a nearby highway. It stretched from the
northern part of Narishma almost halfway to the bottom of the country. It wasn't
a main highway by any means, but he knew there were bound to be people
traveling it once most jobs got out. He looked back up at the position of the sun.
Only an hour until then. At least he was going to head north toward the city. It
was better to start the trip than wait until someone decides to hopefully pick him
up and not turn him in to the queen for escaping.
The hour passed by quickly and he had only travelled a few miles before the
cars and trucks started filling the roads. Each one too busy to look his direction.
One had thankfully acknowledged him, only to be yelled at and called some
obscene names. At least he figured that was the case, because they had driven by
so fast it was impossible to hear what the person had said.
Another hour passed. Or had it been the entire day, Tosh wasn't sure
anymore. All he knew was that his feet hurt, his legs hurt, and his vision was
going blurry from exhaustion.
"Don't you dare give up on me now, scholar." Hartiel tugged on Tosh's
clothing and hair, but he was too weak and tired to move.
Tosh couldn't remember the last time he had slept. Had it been almost two
days since he had proper sleep? All he knew was the ground now felt more like a
bed than any he had experienced in a long time. Even the sprite couldn't wake
him now from the long-needed nap.

"HELLO? Sir? Doctor, he's still not waking up!"

"Keep giving him fluid. He will eventually find himself awake. He didn't
have any identification on him, so let's hope when he does wake up, he's not
going to cause us problems."
Tosh opened one of his eyes. There was a bright light above him. At first, he
thought it was Hartiel, but once his eyes adjusted, he realized it was a large light
hanging from the ceiling. The walls were all a polished white with a few charts
tacked onto them.
"Doctor, he's awake!" A woman called out from behind a curtain. She
emerged after that with a large tray filled with different syringes and bottles of
liquid. "I can’t believe you woke up! You've been asleep all day. So glad we saw
you on our way home."
She was an elf like him with black hair tied up into a bun. She wore a large
pair of glasses with thick lenses inside of them. The room made him feel like he
was at a doctor’s office, yet she was wearing a pair of boot-cut jeans and a black
shirt with a cat that looked naturally angry on it. If they had been in a normal
situation, he probably would have laughed at the absurdity on the shirt, but right
now he needed to know where he was.
Tosh sat up, pain welling in his arm. He looked down and saw a needle taped
onto his skin leading up to an IV bag. "Where am I?" he muttered, tugging at the
IV bag then flinching in pain.
"You're at our clinic. We found you unconscious on the highway and brought
you back here." She walked over to the IV bag and looked at it. There was only a
little bit of liquid left inside. "You seem pretty good to go now. Just try not to
overdue yourself." She pulled the small needle and tape off his arm, ignoring his
flinching from the sudden pain.
The doctor walked into the room. He had a large, bushy mustache and wore a
large white lab coat with a pair of jeans underneath. "Not until he pays."
"But doctor, all we did was an IV and let him sleep. I doubt that will really
cause much problems with our banking to just let him go. Besides, he didn't have
any money or identification on him when we picked him up."
"He has a bank stamp on his wrist, if you didn't notice. If he has that then he
can pay."
"But—"
"No buts. He's paying. I don't care if all he has in his account is a few
drakes."
The nurse shook her head and walked out of the room, followed by the
doctor. Tosh looked down at his arm. He was surprised they even thought he had
funds on him. He was a scholar trapped in the quarry for so long that the queen
had most likely taken all of his money too. His family had come from some form
of wealth that they could get the scanner on their wrist, but every scholar was on
the same level once they joined.
She returned with a small handheld scanner and reached out for his wrist.
"I'm sorry he's a bit prickly, but this town doesn't get much funds for healthcare
these days."
Tosh shrugged. "It's whatever at this point. I doubt I'll have anything in the
account anyways. They cleaned it out when I—" He stopped, not wanting to
announce his position as an escaped scholar.
She shook her head. "No, I know what you are. We're not dumb, we know
scholars were branded recently to keep them identified. I don't care about that.
My job is simply to help people." She pulled the trigger on the scanner, letting it
read the stamp for a few moments. "Oh." She gasped in shock looking at the
scanner.
"Told you I wouldn't have anything," Tosh muttered.
Hartiel flew out from Tosh's shirt. She was now in humanoid form, appearing
like the nurse next to her. She looked down at the scanner, her face reflecting
similar shock. "Tosh, you should see this."
Tosh leaned forward and looked at the small screen on the scanner. Where he
would have expected just a few drakes to show up, if any, instead it showed he
had close to a million.
He grabbed his wrist and held it back out for the nurse. "Do another scan.
That has to be wrong."
The nurse shook her head. "Not a glitch. Though that is a first for me to see
something like that. Here I will take the full payment of 200 drakes then you go
and get some of the money pulled out quickly. If you are trying to escape the
queen, then it may be best to not use your stamp more than needed."
"You're probably right." Tosh got up and threw his coat on. "Look I
appreciate what you did for me, but don't tell anyone I was here. It could get you
in trouble. Even if it's a dragon guardian that asks."
"Dragon guardian?"
Tosh didn't bother to explain. Instead he walked out of the room and down
the hall, where a radio was playing. A sign above named the direction as the exit.
He slouched to avoid any more attention and walked past the check-in counter
and then out of the building.
He let out a sigh. "Not exactly how I expected to get to this place, but it's
better than nothing." His stomach began to grumble. "Well if I have the funds
then I better grab something to eat before I head out to the mountains."
Tosh turned down the road and started walking. A few other people walked
next to him, but none of them seemed to notice him or his mark. He imagined
most didn't want to get involved with a fugitive and just feigned ignorance at his
existence. His stomach grumbled again. He needed to find a fast food restaurant
quickly. He'd grab something quick and then figure out how to head to the
mountains from here. Walking was out of the question.
The smell of fries and burgers cooking wafted through the air, pulling him
down another side street. Even Hartiel was sniffing the air. "Since when did
sprites eat food?"
Hartiel shrugged. "Since never, doesn't mean I don’t like to taste and smell
different foods."
Tosh turned another corner and found himself in front of a small fast food
restaurant. The walls were painted yellow and red with floors that looked half
washed. He shrugged, not too worried about the appearance for now. The quarry
had led him to be less picky on the appearance of anyplace. Even now, his
stomach didn't care if he was eating from a dive bar. Food was food.
He opened the door and was blasted with the smell of greasy food. People
were focused on the flashing screens around them. A few electronic kiosks stood
at the entrance with cait shidhe standing in the screens describing the menu.
Most ignored the kiosks, opting to stand in an obnoxious line for ordering.
After waiting in so many lines for branding and food, Tosh didn't want to
wait. Besides, a kiosk was at least a means to avoid as many people as he could
while here. The cait shidhe on the screen looked almost like Azrael from the
quarry. However, she was a shorter woman who had a friendly demeanor
compared to him. It made him feel uncomfortable having the golden cat eyes
staring at him, but he reminded himself it was simply a program.
"Welcome to Macolds. Please click start, and we will begin your order," the
cait shidhe announced, pointing at a large green button that said "order now" on
it.
Tosh hit the button and then scrolled through the long list of items. Double
cheeseburgers, fries, pies, shakes. The thought of all the food made his mouth
water but he had to hold himself back. Even if he did have as much as the nurse
had said he had, there was no way he could even think to eat all the food on the
menu. He would just choose something basic for now and keep his money
spending at a minimum, just in case.
He selected a triple cheeseburger with all the condiments, a large fry, and a
water. The cait shidhe popped back onto the screen, repeated his order for
confirmation. This time he noticed she was wearing the uniform of the other
employees in the restaurant. A small grilled pulled up in front of her and she
began pretending to make his meal.
"Are they going to give you an electronic version of your food too?" Hartiel
asked.
Tosh shrugged. "Probably to add to the idea of how the kiosk works. I just
want to pay though."
As if they electronic cait shidhe heard Tosh, the grill changed to a register.
"Your food is ready. Please pay here or at the register so you can get your food."
The image turned from the cait shidhe to a picture of the scanner to the left.
Underneath it was a person's arm with a scanner, a phone, and a card indicating
the type of payments the kiosk took. Tosh pulled his sleeve up to reveal his wrist
and followed the instructions. A green laser shot down, scanning the stamp on
his wrist. It let out a soft ding to confirm the payment and the words “Come to
The Counter” pulled up on the screen.
"Meal for Tosh! Your food is ready!" someone called out from the counter.
Tosh walked over, shrinking in size as others glared at him who were still
waiting in line to order. It wasn't his fault they chose to go the old route, but they
still chose to blame him for their discomfort.
The elf at the counter had a large smile that mimicked the cait shidhe from
earlier. She had a plain face that he could easily forget with small pimples
dotting her face and dull brown eyes. She handed him his bag of food and turned
back around into the kitchen. He was right on remembering her face as she
quickly blended in with the other cooks running around.
As Tosh sat down at one of the nearby tables to eat, he saw the screen on the
kiosk start to turn red. He began eating his fries, trying to now ignore the alarm
that was blaring from the kiosk. Many of the people were now looking at the
kiosk or at him. He couldn't handle the staring anymore and looked at the kiosk
to see what was wrong.
His stomach sunk. There on the screen was a photo of him before the abuse
and the branding was placed on his cheek. He was bright-eyed, and still excited
for his new position as a scholar, if he remembered that exact photo correctly.
Underneath the photo were the words “Warning: Escaped Convict” scrolling
across the screen with smaller text below it describing his crimes in detail.
Tosh let out a gulp and stood up. "So much for a peaceful meal. Guess I'm
taking it to go." He gathered the food back into the bag and crumpled it up to
make it easier to hold. The other customers inside the restaurant were now all
staring at him in fear. Some were recording him to show that he was here. He
cursed under his breath. He didn't know if guards were on their way, so he
needed to get out of there quickly.
He pushed his way through the crowd of people. Most stepped away from
him before he was even close to them, as if he was contagious. Tosh got outside
and could already see other screens displaying his face. Amongst one of the
crowds looking at his wanted sign were two guards. Both were investigating the
people in the crowd to make sure none of them were him.
Hartiel tugged at Tosh's arm and pointed at a store down the street, opposite
the crowd. From a distance, Tosh couldn't see what the sign said, as it was
written in a thin script, but behind the text was a large willow tree. The street
was deserted in front of it, with no one seeming to be interested in the shop.
"Hey, you there! Stop! Who are you?" one of the guards shouted.
Tosh didn't wait for the guard to get close and see who he was. Instead, he
bolted for the small shop. He could hear the footsteps of the guards chasing him
down. They were far more athletic than he could be. If it wasn't for his head start
and the proximity of the shop, he knew the guards would have caught up to him
in an instant.
As Tosh got closer to the shop, he could see someone looking back out at
him. He prayed the person was at least somewhat generous and let him come
inside. Tosh looked at the sign above the door 'Devata Homeotherapy." He didn't
know how Devata and homeotherapy played a part together, but hoped it was a
sign that this place was safe.
"Open the door, please! I need safety! I'm on a mission for Devata!" Tosh
yelled out, hoping the person would hear him and help him.
The face in the window disappeared. Tosh could hear the guards catching up
to him. Tosh didn't care at this point. If the person didn't open the door then he
would barge into the store and find his own way to escape.
The shop door opened, revealing a room filled with shelves and bottles. Tosh
ran through, refusing to stop until he got to the other side of the room. He didn't
stop to even look at the actual shop he was in. Tosh could no longer hear the
guards behind him; however, and so he turned around to see what had happened.
The two guards were outside the window of the shop, but both were blank
eyed as if in a trance. No one around them seemed to have noticed the chase had
ended so quickly. If anything, whenever someone looked at the store front or
guards their eyes also glazed over before they turned their heads and continued
their walk.
"The hell is going on?" Tosh snapped, his voice choppy as he gasped for air.
The shopkeeper walked around the corner. He was completely covered in a
large cloak with cowl. "You asked for help and called Devata's name in my
presence." The shopkeeper pulled down his cowl to reveal that he was an elf and
had the same mark on his cheek as Tosh did. "Since escaping, Devata gifted me
the ability to know the truth of others and to protect myself from those I do not
trust."
"Would have been nice if he had given me that gift."
The shopkeeper shrugged. "Perhaps you are given a different gift you don't
know about..." his eyes seemed to drift up to where Hartiel was floating. "Or
perhaps you were given a gift and you just haven't accepted it yet as a gift."
Hartiel puffed up and flew into the shopkeeper's face. "I wasn't given to Tosh
as a gift. I'm here on my own free will!"
The shopkeeper shrugged. "Get upset all you want, I've never seen a sprite
willingly follow someone like you and show that kind of connection to a scholar.
Even some of the heads of the college don't have as close a connection as you do
with him."
Tosh held up a hand. "Hold on, you can hear and see them? Who even are
you and why can I get into this shop and they," he pointed to the guards still
staring blankly forward, "can't even figure out what to do about this place?"
"I was a scholar like you once. I had escaped long ago when the queen had
first enslaved us. In fact, I was with the queen in her servitude when I received
my gift. Because of it, I was able to leave the castle one day and open a pseudo
shop here. Those who I can trust come in and seek refuge and even trade with
me. As for how I can see the sprite, I think it was part of being blue to see the
truth."
"Glad I'm not too crazy then if you can see him."
Hartiel floated back onto Tosh's shoulder. "Look, it's awesome that you can
find safety here. But we need to get to the dragons. Your mission from Devata
might have been to just stay in his corner and live in solitude, but that's not ours.
So, do you have a way we can get out of here without hijacking a car or walking
the entire way?"
"Of course, let me grab it real fast for you." The shopkeeper scurried out of
sight. Tosh could hear some rummaging before he returned to their corner. In his
hand was a small card with an image of a cartoonish train on it. "Take it. A ticket
for the trains. It should take you at least to the base of the mountains. Someone
gave it to me in exchange for hospice a while back. Though I don't have much
use for it now."
The shopkeeper handed the card to Tosh.
"What's the price?"
The shopkeeper shook his head. "No cost for you. You have been sent by
Devata himself. It would be wrong of me to take anything from you. Here," the
shopkeeper took off his cloak and handed it to Tosh as well. "This will be of
more use to you as well for hiding your brand." He shoved the cloak into Tosh's
hands, not waiting for him to respond. "I don't know why the gods want you on
your journey, but I do hope it is the final key in our rescue from the queen."
"Thank you..." Tosh began taking off his old coat and put the cloak on but
stopped. "I don't even know your name."
"Sivilor. Don't worry though. I doubt our path's will cross again anytime
soon. However, if you ever come across my family in Springhollow, let them
know I am safe and once we are free again, I will return to them once more."
Tosh nodded. "I promise I will tell them and anything I can provide for them
I will do my best." He finished putting the cloak on. "By the way, Sivilor, if you
do see a drow woman, maybe even a shadow that seems blessed by Devata, let
her know I am looking for her on my mission."
The two clasped hands, and for once Tosh felt that there was someone he
could trust. Even his friend in the quarry had refused to escape with him. But the
man in front of him was giving him anything he wanted without question and
would be willing to help him again if he ever came back to this city.
 FOURTEEN

A zrael curled into a ball on the large bed. He remembered climbing into the
bed as a child, terrified of the rumblings the ground created. To a five-
year-old, it was a monster devouring the entire city and the bed was the castle
that would protect him. Now it was simply an oversized mattress in an oversized
room in a tower that should belong to him.
Despite it being the middle of the night, the lights from advertisements still
lit up the entire cavern as if mid-day. His sister slept in the room across the hall
from him. After having the lights so bright, he imagined she was used to it by
now. Though not moving to the chieftain's room perplexed him still. He
remembered as a child her room was one of the smaller bedrooms on the floor
because she was the youngest. Perhaps it was just out of habit that she had
chosen to stay there, he wasn't sure.
Azrael stood up and walked over to the window. "Stupid commercialism. We
don't need it to be daylight the entire fucking night."
He could see vehicles still driving through the roads far below. It was a city
that never seemed to sleep. Even his dragon was still restless, climbing around
the outer walls. He knew his dragon was looking for a dark cave to wander into,
but the light just seemed to dive into every corner. Once they got out of here, he
was going to have to spoil the beast after the hell of no sleep they both had
suffered.
He turned to the bed, still grumbling about the lights. Thankfully the curtains
dimmed it slightly. If he did ever return here or stayed longer, he would need to
invest in light-cancelling curtains. He shook his head, there was no need for him
to think about that. He would be here for just one more night and then he would
return to the castle. After tossing and turning for another two hours, sleep finally
overtook him.
 Azrael's dreams found him back into the crypts of the past chieftains. His
vision was blurry, unable to focus on anything but his own parent's crypt. In
front of it was a man that looked like Azrael and wore a white dashiki. The cait
shidhe turned around, revealing the front of the material to have an intricate
pattern of diamonds flowing down from the collar to his father’s midriff.
"It has been some time, son."
"Dad?" Azrael reached out but pulled himself away quickly. "You're dead.
This is just a dream, I know it is."
"Perhaps, but it's also still me. I assume your sister had you sleep in my bed
and that I am already dead if you are seeing me. I had an apothecary and scholar
concoct this after you left to be with the queen." He paused, looking at his own
crypt once again. "How long has it been since you've come home? Was it
because of my death you returned?"
"No, your daughter stopped retribution's to Kalio. I was here to make sure
you…or she did."
"I see...Azrael it has been a long time since I've seen you. I had hoped by
providing you as a ward it would provide you a better future. But looking at you
now, I would say it may have been better to have had you at our side."
Azrael narrowed his eyes. "I doubt you even wanted me with you. You never
contacted me when I was her ward."
"No, I did try and reach you. She wouldn't let me. Here, it is best to show
you." His father embraced him in a large hug. Azrael tried to fight back but was
pulled away from his body and could now see visions of his parents before him.
He saw them standing in front of a mirror, begging Kalio to let them speak to
their son. Then it changed to a vision of guards from the capital dragging women
and children from their homes and destroying their property. He could see them
being placed into large vehicles and taken to an unknown location. The vision
once again changed and revealed his parents dying. The queen in the mirror held
a vial of medicine with a smile on her face while watching his parents on their
death bed. She was mocking them the entire time.
Azrael's father released him and brought him back into the crypts. "You see,
we never forgot about you and wanted you to return. So much you didn't see
while as a ward. She hid so much and lied to you too often. You were denied a
true childhood."
Azrael's arms shook and he bit his bottom lip. He tried to focus on the small
pebble at his feet. If he deterred from it, he was going to punch the wall from the
rage that now built into his body. "I need to avenge you, father. Her lies of you
denying me and wanting nothing to do with me. You selling me to her to keep
our people safe. She still treated our people so horrid, yet I didn't know any of it.
I'm sorry I was such a fool to believe her."
His father placed a hand on Azrael's shoulder, making Azrael look up at him.
"I forgave you as soon as we let you go there. It was our fault for doing it to
you." His father turned around and plucked the orb from the lion's mouth and
handed it to Azrael. "If you can forgive an old man for something so wrong, I
have a request."
Azrael looked down at the orb. It morphed from the clear orb to a large milk
white stone. Despite the dream, it felt warm to the touch and it vibrated. "What's
this?"
"The path to bringing peace for everyone. Devata had given me the vision,
but I was too sick to see the meaning behind it. Now that you are back, I do see
it. You are here to help bring the key to the one who can unlock the door." The
stone morphed back into the orb and his father swiped his hand across it. Instead
of showing his parents, the orb reflected an elf inside of it. "He is also part of the
plan now it seems."
Azrael looked closer and immediately recognized the elf from the quarry. His
anger bubbled up again but took a deep breath. "There's no way he's here to help
me. That damn elf made a fool of me already. I don't out need him ruining this
too." He took a closer look into the orb and saw Tosh was holding the stone in
his hands. "Fuck it! He's already gotten ahold of the stone and will probably just
hand it over to the damn queen or destroy it himself."
He looked back up at his father. "I promise you, I will avenge your deaths
and make sure the key is properly used to destroy the queen. But," he looked
down at the orb before looking up at his father again, "how am I supposed to use
it? I doubt just chucking a rock will work in stopping her. Maybe a concussion,
sure, but not really much else, and that's if I throw well enough."
"You will know when the time comes." His father squeezed Azrael's shoulder
before fading away.
The crypt grew bright white. Azrael tried to cover his eyes from the light, but
it went through his hands. The light seemed inescapable and soon it was
followed by the sound of someone announcing something in the background.
Catnip? No, it was some kind of wine. A catnip infused wine. But why was he
hearing this in the crypts. Azrael opened his eyes once more against the light,
this time greeted no longer by the crypts but by his parent's room once again.
"Devata damn you, father. Why couldn't you have held out for me until I got
home. Our talk was too short lived." Azrael rubbed his eyes and let a smile
escape his lips. "It was good seeing you again. I'm sorry I was such an ass."
Azrael pulled himself out of bed and threw a large robe around him to hide
the fact that he was now only wearing a pair of pajama pants and no shirt. The
robe smelled like his father's cologne, which brought another smile onto his face.
Outside of his room, Azrael could hear different servants scurrying about. Many
of them asking in a hushed whisper outside of his room.
He barged out, startling two women who were deep in conversation and
watched as they ran off, their tails flared. He ignored them and looked over to his
sister’s room. The door was still closed but he could hear cabinets opening and
closing inside.
He pushed open her door and walked in, ignoring the idea of asking
permission. Rahani quickly reminded him as large pillow smacked him across
the face. Azrael grasped the pillow with one hand and rubbed his chin with the
other. Despite the pillow being so small and soft, Rahani had thrown it hard
enough to make it hurt.
"Do you know how to knock? For Devata's sake, I could have been naked!"
"I’ve literally taken baths with you as a child. Besides, this is something I
didn't want to wait for." Azrael walked over to her bed and tossed the pillow
back onto it. "You planned to have me sleep on their bed last night, didn't you?"
"What's it to you? It was father's last wish for you to at least enjoy the room."
Azrael laughed. "Well considering he left a piece of him there to talk with
me, I'd say it was pretty important of a last wish." His face went somber. "He
spoke with me, you know? Father did. He showed me what actually happened
after I left."
The two sat on Rahani's bed. It was quiet now. Neither one reacting. The
thought of his father still haunted Azrael. He couldn't get into words the rage and
sadness of his people's fate that he had ignored so easily before.
Rahani refused to speak just yet. What she had seen of her brother before
today was almost completely gone. The wall of defense was breaking down and
the situation was too fragile for her own words to destroy what was unfolding
before her.
"I'm...sorry for what happened. She had told me everyone had forgotten and
abandoned me. I was pretty much sold like a product to the queen for everyone
here to maintain their freedom." He took a deep breath. "I'm going to the
Dragons. My father detected a new moon dragon guardian."
Rahani leaned forward so she could look Azrael in the face. "Do you even
know who the guardian is? It's not like you all have a large sign labeling you as a
guardian."
"I have a feeling I might learn who it is soon. But I need to get there before a
certain elf gets involved."
Rahani stood up and turned to face Azrael. She bit her bottom lip and raised
her hand as if to smack Azrael. "After all of that talk. After seeing our father,
you're just going to go back out there? Your people need you here. Let the drow
and elves figure out their own differences. Stay here. I can't believe you want to
even be involved with them."
Azrael looked from Rahani's hand back to her face. "Even if I were to stay
here, you really think Kalio would leave you alone? She has access to our city.
She has a moon dragon at her side. So, calm down and think logically for one
moment. If we can get her off the throne, to hell on who they replace on there as
long as the leave us alone."
She dropped her hand, acknowledging Azrael's point. "I just don't want to
lose you again. Not to her."
"I'm Azrael. One of the keres and a dragon guardian in my own right. I won’t
die so easily."
Azrael felt an electric shock behind his ear. He wondered if it was the guards,
the quarry reporting they finally captured the elf and he didn't need to worry
about it anymore. “Rahani, wait here."
He stepped out of the room, leaving his sister still standing in the room by
herself. He pressed the communicator and felt the electric shock run through his
body as it connected. "Azrael."
"Where are you?" an all too familiar voice screamed. Azrael cringed, hoping
somehow Kalio hadn't just heard everything that had transpired, and this was her
reason for calling. "You should have been back at the castle yesterday! I'm flying
back right now, and my captain of the guard informed me he hadn't see you yet."
“Yes, there were some complications and I wanted to verify that all of the
operations went smoothly on getting your next payments from the cait shidhe."
"I expect they will be providing some back pay as well?"
"Yes, Your Highness. Everything will be paid to you that you deserve in your
right."
"Excellent. Well I'm glad to hear your delay was just…" She paused. Azrael
could hear the wind blowing through the communicator and realized she was
flying on the back of her dragon right now. The idea of her being back on the
battlefield as a guardian sent shivers down his spine. "I have another mission for
you, since you're still out."
"Another mission? What about Mestre or Persius? Surely they would have
spare time to run more errands for you so I can make sure all the logistics are in
order."
"No time for that. You're currently the closest to her location."
"Her?"
"Anjuu. While I was out, I learned that she may be part of a larger
conspiracy to destroy everything we have worked hard to build. The rebels most
likely warped her mind in some way. I need you to get out there and bring her
head to me."
"She's a shadow, Your Highness. Surely it would be best to send other
shadows out to find her? They would know how to find her best and take her
down without needing a dragon guardian like me out there."
"No, I am sending orders out to them as well. But I don't trust them nearly as
much as I would like. If she betrayed me, who is say the entire guild of shadows
isn't out to destroy me as well. No, I need you right now. My keres are the only
ones I can trust enough to not betray me."
"I am glad you believe and trust in me still, Your Highness. I won' let you
down." A smile crept over Azrael as relief filled his body.
"I know you won't. I have too much of my own magic imbued into each of
you. Full betrayal will be an instant death for you or any of the keres."
"Imbued magic?" He let out a small gulp, hoping she didn't hear his
uncertainty. He shifted his weight, looking around in the hall to see if anyone
else was around to hear the conversation.
"I didn't tell you before, but I should at least inform you now that so many
are betraying me everywhere. The mark I left on your wrist," Azrael lifted his
arm and could see the black insignia of a dragon swirled around his wrist, "I told
you it was just a sign of loyalty. But every keres has one. If I feel there is any
betrayal, you will die instantaneously by my magic. Don't forget that."
"I see. Guess you never needed it for me then. Loyal to a default."
"That's why I trust you and why I feel it’s only right to tell you now. I need to
be more honest with those loyal to me if I expect them to stay honest with me."
Kalio let out a loud sigh. "It has been a long week, Azrael. I went to Ombramoor.
The things I saw there, I thought I freed them, but there's still darkness within
their communities."
"I understand the sentiment, Your Highness. Even the cait shidhe showed
signs of darkness, but I am certain they will be healing soon."
"Yes, your parents. I forgot to mention them to you before you left.
Misguided, but they were good people who knew to pay their dues. Hopefully
your sister begins following their steps with your guidance."
Azrael nodded. "I am sure she will bring the cait shidhe and you into great
power. Now, Your Highness, I must go. If you would beg my pardons. If I am to
hunt a shadow, it should be immediate before anyone suspects anything."
"True enough. Go then. I will see you back at the castle in a week's time with
her head in your hands."
The communicator sent another shock through his body and went silent. A
grimace stretched across his face. What should have been a simple coup was
now far more difficult than he had imagined. Kalio talked as if she trusted him,
but the threat wasn't from trust. No, she has suspicion in her voice, and he was
treading dangerous waters now.
Rahani cracked open the door and peaked through. "Are you all right,
brother?"
Azrael rubbed his wrist. "No, I may indeed have a bomb strapped to me.
Something I never imagined Kalio to do to me." He turned to look at Rahani wo
seemed much smaller now and more like a child than an actual chieftain.
"Though I may indeed know who I need to help become a dragon guardian. It's a
stretch, but we need to thank the queen's suspicious personality."
"Where are you going then?"
"I'm going to chase a shadow."
 FIFTEEN

T he campgrounds were run down. Mostly, there were old, patched-up trailers
and caravans that had seen better days. Anjuu could see squirrels and other
small animals scurrying through the bushes and inside of the dilapidated
caravans.
"Should only be a little farther before I reach the campgrounds now." Anjuu
looked down at the map and noticed the point was only a mile away. Soon, she
would be seeing hunters and non-ren zhe walking around. There were too many
who simply followed the ren zhe to try and make some money or live “off grid”
that she sometimes wondered if the actual ren zhe race existed anymore or were
just a myth.
The highway Anjuu had taken for most of the trip had ended miles ago. Now,
she was left with a road that had more hole and gravel than it did actual
pavement. If she had been speeding like she was before, she might have ended
up in the grass again. Her bike was good, but it wasn't built for off-roading.
She drove down the road for another half mile before reaching a large
parking lot. There were few vehicles, but all of them showed signs that they had
been running within the last few days. She looked around, expecting to see some
people wandering around, but there was no one. Anjuu frowned and looked at
the signs that surrounded the lot. Each one had a hand-written note on them. "No
vehicles allowed near the ren zhe. Leave all technology here and be one with
nature."
Anjuu scoffed at the idea of that. There was a lot of fake people now living
with the ren zhe that wanted to worship every bit of dirt on the ground versus the
proud warriors the ren zhe were known to be. She had only met a few before,
during her training, but a true ren zhe warrior was not one you could deny was
intimidating.
 She turned off her bike and inspected her bags to make sure each of them
was properly sealed. Anything of value she placed in one of the multitude of
pockets she had. She left a few of her weapons behind. Just in case something
was to happen again, she would at least know she had protection for herself
when she returned. There was no way what happened with the rebels would
occur with the ren zhe.
After inspecting that all her weapons and items were properly hidden, Anjuu
walked toward the area the map had pointed out to her. Her assumptions on
finding non-ren zhe on the outskirts were correct. She emerged into a new
clearing and saw rows of tents filling the area. It was a rainbow of tarps
welcoming anyone to come deeper into the maze.
Music filled the air. From rock to some sort of trance-like music. Each tent
seemed to have its own genre to connect with nature as they would try and
claim. As Anjuu walked past a few tents, she could see many of them were
wearing tattered clothes that hadn't seen a wash for a long time. Even her own
clothing, which was covered in dust now shined against the disgusting nature of
the others.
"Not like I was expecting to blend in with this bunch of dirt kissers anyway,"
Anjuu mumbled to herself.
She continued to walk through the tents, looking for the epicenter. She
wandered through more paths until she saw a tent rising above all others.
Attached to the poles were tusks from an exotic beast and paintings of different
animals on the canvas. It was a stark contrast to those who followed the ren zhe.
"A warrior tribe will always continue to be a warrior tribe."
The tent wasn't guarded, allowing people to walk in and out with ease. It
bothered her. Something she was going to have to address with them before the
day was through. For now, she needed confirmation that they were allies to the
queen or not. Judging by the lax behavior of those around the tent, they most
likely were not a part of the rebellion. There would have been word by now to
them from the rebels of her existence and a high alert for her coming.
Anjuu opened the tent flap and was bombarded by a musky smell. Clouds of
incense filled the area. She could see multiple people standing around, talking
with one another. Each of them carried a different weapon from whips to short
swords. Occasionally, in the group she saw what looked like a gun blade, but
very few had much more modern weapons than that.
Unlike those outside, who were the palest elves she had ever met, the ren zhe
had a dark natural tan. She felt more at home amongst them than any of the other
races as her dark blue skin didn't clash nearly as much. She noticed some had
tattoos with some of the more elderly having more intricate patterns and the
younger ren zhe either had a small tattoo or none at all. She remembered all too
fondly from meeting the ren zhe before that each tattoo symbolized a moment of
victory in battle. A benefit for her on who she could easily challenge without a
struggle.
"What are you doing in our camp?" a voice boomed over the din of people.
The crowd separated, eyes now on Anjuu before darting up to the back of the
room. A middle-aged man covered in tattoos that reached beyond his arms and
covered a portion of his face, curling inside of themselves. He dressed in a dark
blue armor with the symbol of a white dragon on his left pauldron.
Anjuu kneeled, heightening her other senses in case anyone tried to get close
to her while her guard was down. "I was sent here by the queen to verify rumors
of rebels placed within your camps. There were some who even stated you were
allies now with the rebels to dethrone the queen and replace her with someone
the people have been calling the true king of Narishma." She paused for a
moment. "Kuman of the ren zhe, do you plead guilty to these accusations?"
The kuman let out a growl. "We are the ren zhe, your politics have nothing to
do with us. We were here before the land was named Narishma, and we will be
here long after your people have gone."
"Yet you don't deny your connection to the rebels." Anjuu stood up, now eye
level with the man across the tent.
One of the ren zhe pushed forward, his hand on his short sword. Anjuu could
see the man's right arm was covered in tattoos while the other was still blank, he
had at least seen a few battles. "You fucking whore. How dare you challenge our
kuman? I will kill you on the spot."
The kuman raised a hand, silencing the ren zhe. "She has the right to
challenge us. Although we do not interfere with your politics, you also do not
interfere with ours. That has always been the way. The rebels have stayed within
our camps at one time. When we learned of their usurp, they were removed from
the camps. That is the answer you are seeking?"
Anjuu nodded. "It is. Though I do have another request."
The kuman leaned forward. "You are not in the position to make requests,
drow." He pointed to the ren zhe that had interrupted and beckoned him forward.
"When you stand amongst us, our laws hold in place. You may fight one of us
for your request."
"Then it is done." Anjuu put her right leg behind her and curled her hands
into fists. The crowd all separated to form a large circle around them. She could
see out of the corner of her eye some of them gripping onto their weapons. If she
even faltered from the middle of the circle, they would kill her instantly. It was
not going to be a fair one-on-one fight.
 The ren zhe removed his top, revealing more tattoos crossing chest, mixed in
with scars from previous battles. She had to admit he was admirable for that. If
she had any interest in men, she would have enjoyed the view. Anjuu was
amused, wondering if he had hoped it would give him an advantage.
"This will only take a moment and then you will be running back home
crying."
"The same could be said for you, ren zhe. Don't underestimate a shadow
under direct service to the queen."
A drum banged from far behind the crowd and the fight began. Anjuu
watched as the ren zhe paced, keeping a speed for the two to circle in the ring.
She watched his footsteps as they twisted around themselves, preventing her
from predicting if he would continue his current dance or change directions.
They continued their spinning dance for a few more minutes before the
jeering from the crowd grew to a loud din. In reaction to this, the ren zhe
changed from his sideways pace to charging directly at Anjuu. His lifted his arm,
swinging with full force at her.
"Need to make things harder than that," Anjuu called.
She grabbed his arm as he flew forward, turning his direction to float next to
her. He flew past her and as his head came close, Anjuu lifted her arm up, letting
her bicep strike him in his throat. A loud gasp escaped the ren zhe as he fell to
the floor on his back.
The hissing overpowered the cheers now. Anjuu saw as rocks were being
thrown at her and the ren zhe in the circle, but couldn’t determine from where.
Judging by how many looked around each time a rock was thrown signified that
none of them approved of the interference. They may attack her if she got close
to them, but actual interference was looked down upon.
Anjuu climbed onto the ren zhe. Her hand attempted to wrap around his thick
neck, holding pressure just enough so he struggled to breathe. His arms reach for
her waist and bucked up, lifting her above his head and flipping her off him.
Anjuu's back slammed onto the ground and she gasped for breath as it all
escaped her lungs.
The ren zhe turned over and climbed on top of Anjuu. His eyes were now
wild with rage. His chest heaved as he struggled to catch his own breath. "You
will die tonight, shadow." He put his hand behind his back and pulled a small
knife out from behind him. He held it to Anjuu's throat, a sharp pain telling her
that a small movement would kill her.
"Figured ren zhe would cheat," Anjuu whispered. She reached down at her
side to feel for one of her own throwing knives. "Though you should know," she
found the knife and pulled it out slowly, "I am a shadow, and we don't follow
many rules either." She swiped at the ren zhe's leg and stabbed into his thigh.
"You stupid bitch!" The ren zhe shouted and fell over in pain. The other ren
zhe closed in on the circle. A few reached for their weapons who hadn't before,
ready to kill her on the spot.
"Never trust a shadow without checking all of her pockets." Anjuu rolled
over so she was on her knees. She still gasped for air from falling on her back
earlier. If he hadn't chosen to use weapons, she might have still struggled to win.
Her expertise was in weaponry and stealth, hand to hand was not nearly as
strong. Something she needed to keep in mind to train more on for the upcoming
days.
"She cheated! Kuman! She should be put to death for her treachery!" One of
the ren zhe in the crowd called out. Many of the others yelled in agreement.
Anjuu looked up at the kuman and then at the ren zhe man still on the ground
in pain from the stab wound. He had his own knife clutched in his hands,
something the crowd liked to ignore right now.
The kuman raised his hands to silence his people. "This fight was not given
the rules of no weapons. The two agreed to their own fight and dance. We can
alter the rules of our fights as ren zhe, and he chose to use a weapon in the fight
where he could have won if he had chosen to behave like a true ren zhe." He
lowered his hands back into his lap. "As dictated, we have to honor listening to
the shadows..."
"Fuck that!" The ren zhe that Anjuu had been fighting stood back up and
pulled the knife out of his leg. He gripped onto it and charged at Anjuu. "I refuse
to let you live for that! Fucking bitch!"
Anjuu stood up, preparing to dodge. He was a lot slower now, but his
adrenaline would push him through to an attack that would hit if she
underestimated him. Before he got close to her, a hand grabbed onto Anjuu from
behind so she couldn’t evade the attack. She grabbed ahold of the stranger's hand
and tried to flip him over her shoulder. There were too many ren zhe around her
to fight them all off.
Before she could successfully flip the person, her body was flipped
backward, and she could see a tall lean man covered in tattoos. Anjuu's head hit
the ground, causing a large cloud of smoke to puff up. The dust blinded her, pain
searing in her eyes. She tried to wipe them but rubbing was making it worse
now. Tears welled up, clearing some of the particles but not enough to see
anymore.
"Dishonor is death," the voice of the kuman growled in front of Anjuu. She
reached for her knife but stopped when she heard a loud crack and gasps from
around her. "shadow, stand up." Anjuu rose to her feet, her eyes still sealed shut.
"You had a request did you not?"
The kuman let out a loud grunt. Anjuu tried to rub he eyes again to see so she
could voice her demand to them. Someone walked up behind her and poured ice
cold water on top of her. Anjuu let out a loud yelp from the freezing temperature.
The ren zhe laughed around her with a few mocking the unholy yelp she had
released.
Now that she was drenched, Anjuu wiped away the remaining dust. The ren
zhe that she had just fought moments ago was now laying on the ground. His
head was twisted backward, eyes bulging. She imagined it was the man who had
pushed her aside and was now standing next to the deceased.
He was much taller than she had realized, towering above most of the other
men. He reminded Anjuu of the man she had met that taught the shadows about
the ren zhe. That man had softer eyes and a smile that tricked you into falling
into a trap of destruction. The man standing before her now had eyes that pierced
into her very soul.
"Your request?" the man asked raising an eyebrow.
Anjuu jumped, recognizing the voice as the kuman's. She looked over to the
throne, but he wasn't there. She turned back to the ren zhe with the kuman's
voice and coughed. "You will kneel before our queen and swear loyalty to her.
By doing so, we will continue to grant you your use of the land and freedom in
exchange for your strength to fight the rebels."
He laughed. "That's your request? To give you our blades to fight in your
battles in exchange to continue our lives?" His face turned straight again, his
eyes narrowing. "What if we refuse."
"Then I will be granted permission to execute each ren zhe in existence. I
held back my fights against your chosen. You should know the true strength of a
shadow, especially one dedicated to serving the queen."
"I do, yet you seem to forget our own power."
The tall ren zhe’s skin began to bubble. His eyes widened and his skin
melted into large sags across his body. The tattoos crossing his body grew and
changed form. Within seconds, the man had returned to his form as the kuman.
"We can take the form of any of our ancestors that we so choose. Even the ones
who were also dragon guardians and shadows long ago. Could you truly defeat
an arm of that prowess?"
Anjuu looked around and saw none of the other ren zhe seemed fazed by her
threat. She dropped her head and secured her weapons back into the sheaths.
"You are right, I couldn't defeat you all if you took those forms. But it doesn’t
change the fact that I would still kill a few of you before falling. Just listen to my
request at least. Those rebels want to destroy the throne Kalio conquered. Did
she not give you extra land to roam on? Did she not help prevent prejudice done
on your people? Your refusal truly shows how prideful of a people you are if you
refuse to acknowledge who granted your freedom back then for nothing in
return."
The kuman walked up to Anjuu, his eyes piercing into her very being as he
looked from her to his people. He stood there in silence, then lifted a single
finger. "One week. Grant us one week and we will provide you an answer. I must
summon the remote tribes to discuss this offer."
Anjuu nodded and held out her hand. "Then it is a deal. I will stay here in the
meantime. If the answer is no, I will report it to the queen immediately."
The kuman grasped Anjuu's forearm and squeezed. "We shall see if we can
come to a mutual agreement in working with your queen. We may be proud, but
we are not ignorant of the blessings she has granted us."
Cheering erupted through the tent and the music began once again. The
kuman smiled and turned back to his throne. "Tonight, let us not dwell on such
matters and celebrate a future for both of us."
The night continued with music and drinking from the ren zhe and those who
followed the ren zhe around. Anjuu, on the other hand, stayed in a far corner
watching the movements of those around her. She had caused one of their people
to die, so there was no denying some may feel resentment for her actions. Even
if the kuman now sided with her temporarily, others may not be so welcoming.
Many of the ren zhe were trickling out of the tent, returning to their own
beds. Others who stayed leaned against large objects or swayed from one foot to
the other. She chuckled at the absurdity of these people considered great
warriors. She may be allowed to live with them, but she still was considered an
enemy. Yet all stood there too drunk to acknowledge their own feet.
Out of all the ren zhe, only one outside of the kuman still seemed stoic and
examining her with care. She could see the swirls of tattoos covering most of his
face and continued across both arms and one of his legs. He seemed young
despite the tattoos. A perfect specimen for recruitment as a shadow if she had
ever seen one.
Their eyes met, hers green and his golden chestnut, and for a moment a cold
shiver surged through Anjuu's body. He acknowledged what she was and wasn't
going to let his guard down. The two looked away from each other, examining
the rest of the room once more.
After a few minutes of ignoring each other, the ren zhe guard walked over to
Anjuu. His shorts were of a rough blue dyed cloth and his shirt was a white
sleeve-torn that looked like it should have been replaced long ago. Despite the
destroyed appearance, he stood with confidence and surprisingly no strong odors
of a lack of basic hygiene.
"The kuman would like me to show you to your bed."
"Fine, I will go. I need some sleep before all the others start showing up
anyways. Devata knows I won't get any when people know I am here." She
stood up and still had to lean her head back to see the ren zhe's face. He towered
over her by at least a foot. Something that would be impossible for most against
a drow.
"So, what might your name be? Or are you all so hivemind now that only the
kuman can be called anything but ren zhe?"
"Pom." He turned around and started walking off. "If we are to serve your
queen, perhaps you should stop looking at us as if we were insects. No ren zhe
will follow someone who would rather step on them and eradicate them than
treat them as equals."
Anjuu shrugged. "Nothing different than how we were treated and still are
treated. You should still be thankful we gave you room to live free. The queen
was generous."
"If that is how you think. Perhaps you should stop living in her shadow and
be a proper shadow and learn how other people see the world."
"Or perhaps people should just be quiet and learn to be respectful of those
who saved them before someone decides you've had enough battles and should
retire back to the earth."
Pom let out a laugh. "You shadows. Always think you're unstoppable. It will
be a shame if the leaders choose to kill you. Won't change the view of the others,
but at least will prove something to you those last few seconds before you die."
"Let's just hope it won’t lead to death of anyone. So far the kuman seems to
be willing to side with me."
"I doubt it. The kuman always behaves that way when he is planning to kill
the person."
"So, don't sleep. Got it."
They exited the tent and walked around to the back. There were a few fires
still lit with people sitting around them. Most were smoking from oversized
pipes, purple smoke rising into the air. The smell was pungent, making Anjuu
thankful Pom continued their route farther back.
They stopped finally in front of a tiny tent. It was more of a pop-up tent than
anything the others had around her. "Cozy." She stepped up to the tent and
squatted down to look inside for any wild animals then turned back around. "So,
Pom, which side are you on for his war?"
He let out a wry smile before turning around and walking away. "Tomorrow,
you'll see." He continued past the others still sitting and smoking until he
disappeared into the darkness of the night.
Anjuu shrugged and climbed into the pop-up tent. She managed to stretch
her legs out inside and keep some of her equipment to her side. There was a
small covered area in front of the tent with a grass bottom like a sort of patio. It
gave her an extra space for someone who wanted to walk in and slow them down
so she could prepare for an attack.
The sounds of those around the fires were muffled and Anjuu was able to lay
back and drift into a light sleep. It was much needed, and she would enjoy this
quiet until she received the response from the kuman in the coming week. The
answer Pom had given her intrigued her, but it wasn’t worth it to focus on that
for now.
As the night continued on, Anjuu could hear someone's muffled footsteps
grow near to her tent. However, it quickly walked away without any disturbance.
"The kuman is dead! Ren zhe, to arms!" a voice screamed out.
Anjuu rubbed her eyes, focused on the light streaming through the cracks of
the tent. She climbed through the patio and out of the tent. Multiple people stood
there. Some held weapons at the ready, prepared to attack her while others stood
farther back in fear.
"If you think I did it you should just get out of here.” She rubbed her eyes,
frustration building up at those surrounding her. “Damn it all I just slept like you
all wanted me to." Anjuu grumbled, her eyes still adjusting to the early morning
light.
Pom stepped forward from the crowd. In his hands was a bundle of cloth that
was stained red. "Of course, you didn't. But it was in your name." Pom tossed
the bundle of cloth to Anjuu's feet. As it rolled forward, it unfurled, revealing the
tattooed face of the kuman. His eyes were closed, now in a deep eternal slumber.
"shadows should know who they are and remember they should kill before their
enemy wants to kill them."
Anjuu's mouth twitched, realizing she was now in trouble. The kuman was
dead, and there was no ground she could play with to gain the allegiance of the
ren zhe. "I take it this is your response and you want me out of here?"
One of the nearby ren zhe coughed and shook his head. His voice was soft. A
boy who hadn't seen more than one battle in his life. "Pom is now the kuman. We
fight with you, shadow." He stepped forward and took a knee, his face down
toward the ground. The other ren zhe followed suit, bowing before Anjuu.
Pom still stood in the sea of ren zhe, the same smile from last night stretched
across his face. "You asked which side I was on. Don't disappoint us or that will
be you as well," he said, pointing at the head of the last kuman still on the
ground.
 "Too true, Pom. Too true. You're definitely not an enemy I want to cross."
Anjuu stepped over the head and walked up to the ren zhe. She rested a hand on
his shoulder. "I'm glad I have you as an ally. Thank you."
Pom nodded his head then looked at the crowd. "Ren zhe, tonight we feast to
celebrate our new alliance. Those who challenge my choice, I suggest you leave
the camp now or I will kill you."
Anjuu could see the fear increase with a few of the ren zhe before they all
stood up and turned around to complete the tasks of preparing for the feast. A
few ren zhe held back with a few from the camp of followers. Each of them was
whispering to one another. Anjuu wondered if they were amongst those who
disagreed with Pom's choice of loyalty.
One of the people in the group was wearing a large cloak that fell over his
face so no one could see it clearly. Anjuu could see what looked like a mask on
his face and wondered if he was a shadow sent out here on a mission. It was rare
when on a mission shadows would overlap, so the fact that this happened wasn't
bound to be a coincidence.
"Pom?" Anjuu asked, her eyes still focused on the shadow. He grunted in
response. "Besides the kuman, did you set forth someone else to be killed?"
"No, most likely they're here for someone out in the outskirts."
"Must be new, being out in the open and so obvious." Anjuu turned back to
her tent and climbed back in. "I want to speak with you later in the main tent. I'd
like to take a nap. Get a good deep sleep in." She made sure her voice travelled.
The faces of the other ren zhe looked over at her tent before turning back around.
Anjuu frowned, wondering what they were truly planning.
Anjuu collected her knives still scattered on the inside of the tent and shoved
them into her pockets. Outside of her tent, she could hear footsteps inch closer.
She let out a soft snort, pretending to be asleep and listened again to see if there
was any additional movement. The footsteps grew closer now. Anjuu could see
through the small cracks that it was the cloaked shadow that had walked over to
her tent.
"Told them this would be too easy. Good money for a simple kill."
The shadow pulled out his own dagger and slid it through the holes to open
an entry for him. Anjuu smiled and pulled out her pistol. She sat back, holding
the pistol in front of her, both eyes open, watching the shadow fumble with the
fabric of the tent. One second was all she needed.
The shadow pulled open he tattered fabric and peered in. His mask was
pulled up and she could see the face of a young man. He didn't look a day over
twenty, just graduated as a shadow and most likely a first mission for him. There
was no time to hesitate on the matter and Anjuu pulled the trigger. In an instant
the shadow fell backward. He was dead before he hit the ground.
Anjuu clambered out of the tent and looked at the shadow's body. The bullet
had hit him directly in the eye, instantly killing the boy. She walked over to him
and kneeled. Anjuu placed a fist on her chest, sending prayers to the gods to
bring the boy to safety. His pale skin indicated he was an elf, and she hoped
Devata would have enough space in her roots to take on another shadow to
protect in the afterlife.
"Sleep well. They will burn your mask soon."
Anjuu closed the one eye that was still uninjured, so he appeared asleep and
adjusted his mouth into a more peaceful stance. Why he had targeted her for a
mission, she wasn't sure on. He was too young to have taken on such a mission.
Even the guild masters would have refused him unless he chose to take off
without permission. Too often she had seen a shadow too proud get killed on a
mission they thought they could handle. He was just one of thousands that were
foolish enough to believe it.
"Let's see what this mark was for my head and from whom..." Anjuu
muttered and patted the shadow's pockets, looking for any notes of the mission.
She found it inside of an internal pocket on his cloak. It was a folded piece of
paper with multiple scribbles sprawled across it. If the shadow had been on a
true mission, he would have been in possession of a stone from the guild.
"So, I'm worth five million drakes. Someone must really want me dead. No
way is it the rebels. Even all together they couldn't afford that. Unless there is an
aristocrat that sided with the rebels." Anjuu folded the paper and shoved it into a
pouch on her side. "Best not go to the guild for a while until the mark is
removed."
There wasn't any ren zhe nearby, putting Anjuu at ease. Whomever the
shadow had been talking with earlier had opted to not stay with their new friend.
She would have to let Pom know there were still ren zhe willing to kill her. If he
was truly loyal, he would make sure to find and kill the ren zhe. For now, she
would need to dispose of the shadow's body until the guild found it and burned
him.
 SIXTEEN

"D ivine branches! Now on sale! Be blessed by Devata today for only one
hundred drakes!"
“Dragon's tooth amulets for sale! Buy your tooth before venturing to the
dragons and keep yourself protected. Far stronger than Devata's blessing could
provide!”
Tosh scoffed at the multitude of stalls lining the streets. Though the idea of a
tooth of a dragon keeping him safe did intrigue him. The money in his account
tempted him to just splurge and get it just in case. Yet the fact that the systems
had screamed at him before didn't bode well. Who knew what would happen at a
smaller stand, or if they would just ignore it and take his money anyways?
Unlike the other cities this town was much smaller and had far less guards in
it. Dragonpaw wasn't exactly a resort but more of a place adventurer's and
guardians came to in order to face the dragons.
"Ridiculous. No way could a tooth protect me. If that's the case, I'll just give
them a big smile and hope for the best," he muttered, talking himself out of
buying any trinkets.
Tosh turned another corner, glad that the street fair was now behind him and
he was nearing the pass to get to the dragons. A few people were walking the
streets, with most focused on getting either back to the street fair or to their
homes. Most here were elves too, which made his travels less inconspicuous. If
he had been a drow or a cait shidhe everyone would look at him with suspicion.
A large sign loomed overhead. It read “Dragon's Pass.”
"Not exactly the most original of names to be giving this place." He stifled a
laugh and continued forward. He was on the right road. He had only read about
the town in books about the adventures of different dragon guardians, so his
knowledge was limited on what to expect. It could simply be a small path that he
could walk leisurely through until he reached a cave belonging to a dragon, or it
was a steep climb into unknown territory.
"You there! Sir!" a voice boomed out behind Tosh.
He let out a small yelp and turned around. He was faced with two guards
dressed in a great armor and an imprint of a white dragon on the side of it. He
didn't recognize the mark and what allegiance they held. Instead, he tried to
hunch over a bit more and hoped they didn't recognize him as an escaped
scholar.
"How—" his voice squeaked so he tried to cough and deepen his voice.
"How can I help you gentlemen?"
The taller guard smiled. Most of his face was covered in the visor and the
armor made his body androgynous. It wasn’t until Tosh heard the guard's voice
that he realized the taller one was a woman. "I'm glad we caught you. We didn't
recognize you in the reports of new dragon guardians, nor do you live around
here."
Tosh shifted his weight. "No, I'm not. But I was curious about the dragons."
The shorter one, a male, added his smile to the mixture. "Not exactly
prepared then, are you? Look, if you're trying to get some bucket-list going,
cool. But we have to warn you for liability reasons that you'll probably die if you
go near a dragon."
"I'll probably die if I don't," Tosh muttered.
"Did you say something?" The woman guard asked. She smacked the side of
her visor. "Sorry, stuff is on the fritz. Queen doesn't exactly give us the highest
tech out here." She smacked it again, harder and let out a sigh. "There we go. So,
did you say something, sir?"
"No, nothing. Just," he paused, looking at both of them in shock at how
nonchalant they were, "thank you for the warning. I don't have much back home
to go to. So, I guess if I die, it won’t be too much trouble for many."
The man nodded. "I've seen your kind before. Look, just because you don't
think there is a reason to live doesn't mean you have to go off and kill yourself.
If you need some comfort, we can feed you and help you get back on your feet.
There's so little communication with the capital though, so it may not be as high
quality as many of your elves are used to."
"Thanks, I appreciate it. Perhaps if I make it down again, I will remember
that."
The two guards nodded their heads in agreement and turned back around
toward the street fair. Tosh let out a large sigh of relief. If they had noticed or
received a message about him during that discussion he would have died in an
instant. For now, he just had to hope countryside guards were going to be just as
welcoming when he came back, unaware of what was occurring outside of their
home.
The gate to welcome those onto the Dragon's Pass was smaller than he had
expected. Most of it was made of an old stone with carvings of dragons covering
the stone. All of it was painted white as an attempt to preserve the quality of the
art. He recognized the skill from when he was at the college. With how much
care was placed into the preservation, he wondered if there was a scholar living
in the area still away from the hands of Kalio.
His hand brushed against the painted stone, feeling how smooth it all was.
Each dragon symbolized one that had partnered with a guardian through history.
Each time a new dragon guardian was born it was the head scholar's job to carve
out the new face on the stone and have it painted back over to preserve the
carving.
"Looks like we will be adding a new carving soon. Devata help me if I live
to see that day."
He looked up at the sky, it was already past noon and the sun was falling to
the west and would set within the next few hours. If he was lucky, he'd find
himself at one of the caves before nightfall. If not, then there would be a long
climb awaiting him with the sprite.
At the thought of Hartiel, the small sprite appeared. It now took on the form
of one of the guards. Large smile and all. "I'm shocked they were so dumb. How
this town is so safe is beyond me." Hartiel landed on top of Tosh's head and
leaned backward. "So, this is where we get the dragon egg?"
Tosh ignored the question and stepped forward, past the entrance and now
onto the Dragon's Path. "Where have you been hiding, Hartiel? I've literally been
traveling by myself this entire time."
"I've been here, just sleeping. Am I not allowed a good sleep?"
"Sprites sleep?" Tosh was answered with a sharp pull of his hair. "I'll
remember that next time you ask me a question that sounds dumb."
Tosh walked up the path while Hartiel flicked his hair. He was thankful there
was no one choosing the walk on the Dragon's Path. guardians used to be
abundant through the land and new guardians risked their lives to come here.
Now he stepped where they once walked with the most annoying creature in
existence sitting on his head.
The path continued in ease. As the sounds of the street fair faded, the calls of
the beasts above filled the air. What had been oversized boulders were now
towering walls. Tosh moved with little issues, minding the rocks underneath his
feet. Only a few more steps and he could rest. He had to just keep telling himself
this. The time at the quarry at least helped him feel more relaxed amongst the
stone.
"If you just used your magic, we could lift ourselves up there or are least
make some steps," Hartiel said.
"And risk letting dragons know we're here? No thanks. There’s a reason
scholars don't get chosen as guardians very often. We were never built for hard
labor and relied on our magic. At least not until today."
Hartiel floated down in front of Tosh's face. The sprite was still in the form
of the guard from earlier. "So, you're telling me we are here, and you don't even
know exactly what you're doing?"
"No, I know what I'm doing. Devata showed me. Just because no scholars
have made it this far, doesn't mean I'm clueless. Look, just trust me and we won't
die."
"Fine, we've gotten through worse things. A little rock-climbing won’t be so
—"
Their argument halted as the path stopped. Facing them was a cliff face
dotted with caves far above them. In a few spots, Tosh could tell there were
ledges he could stand on, but they were also likely to be hiding more caves with
dragons inside. The scholar gulped, regretting the fact that he said he wouldn't
use his abilities to create an easier path up. The thought of a dragon hearing the
earth shifting was far more terrifying though than a vertical climb.
"Good luck, Tosh. I'll just take a break for now. If you need my energy, let
me know." Hartiel dived into Tosh's pocket and grew silent. The light the sprite
emanated quickly diminished until even Tosh couldn't tell the sprite was there
anymore.
He took a deep breath and grasped onto the cliff side. Whoever had gone this
way before had the good idea of creating small ledges on the wall he could grasp
onto. The feeling of so many other people making the same journey sent shivers
down Tosh's spine, but he needed to focus. He lodged his foot into one of the
lower ledges and lifted himself off the ground.
"No turning back now. Just one step at a time and we'll be there," he
muttered to himself, reaching for the next ledge to pull himself up farther.
The climb continued slowly up the cliff. Occasionally, he could hear the roar
of a dragon nearby and see a few leaving to enter the caves. None of them
seemed to be moon dragons, but he did notice a lot of them were air and fire
dragons that were active in the area. He imagined finding a water dragon nest
farther into the mountains near a hot spring of some sorts and the earth dragons
were more internal. The only reason most guardians had fire and air dragon
partners was simple enough to see. He held high respect for those willing to go
farther in to get a dragon that couldn't fly or grow larger than a dog.
 A few more steps. He looked up at the sky. It was getting dark now. The
bright blues were now changing to shades of pink as the sun dropped over the
horizon. The high walls of the mountain ridges made it darker. Most of the
shadows stretched into beasts that waited to strike their owners.
"Now would be a great time to wake up and shine a light out here," Tosh
muttered.
In response, he felt Hartiel move around in his pocket. "If I gave you light
then the dragons would see it. Didn't you say you wanted to get there in secret?
Just pretend you are a guardian, and this is your destiny."
"It is my destiny to get the damn egg, but that doesn't mean I have to suffer
in the darkness."
Hartiel let out a sigh and readjusted in Tosh's pocket. "Fine, but if a dragon
decides they are hungry and find a billboard advertising that their next meal is
being delivered to them, it's not my fault." A small light flitted out of his pocket.
At first, he thought it was Hartiel, but quickly realized it was a small ball of light
the sprite had summoned.
Tosh looked back up the cliff, now able to see the small ledges above him.
There were only a few left before he would get to a ledge he could stand on. He
lifted himself back up and climbed, the small light guiding him to safety.
Once he reached the ledge and lifted himself up, he slumped against one of
the nearby walls. Next to him was an opening to a cave. The entrance emitted
warm air and he wondered if it was because a dragon was currently inside
sleeping or not. He sat there for a while, catching his breath and watched the
stars high above him begin to twinkle in the darkened sky.
A roar filled the air and Tosh looked up to see a smaller dragon flying into a
cave just above his head. Its scales shined bright in the twilight sky as a moon
close to the mountains. The dragon dove into the cave, no longer visible to him.
He recognized the dragon from the visions Devata had shown him before and
smiled, realizing how easy this would be.
Tosh rubbed his hands on his pants and took a deep breath in, preparing to
climb the cliff side again. Higher above he could see more dragons flying into
their caves to finish their night. The idea of seeing all of them converging while
in the safety of the city below made him wish there was a way he could just find
a life that was quiet. If they did bring the scholars back into freedom, this town
was on his list of places he may move.
Another dragon landed on one of the cliff sides. Its claws dug into the stone
wall and clambered downward. The sound of the claws grating into the stone
sent shivers down Tosh's spine. The beast was only a few feet away from him,
capable of seeing him if the dragon turned its head in his directions. Sweat
beaded down his forehead as Tosh watched the red scaled dragon continue its
climb below him and into a tiny cave that barely fit the dragon.
Tosh let out a sigh and turned to the cliff side and began his ascent to the
moon dragon's cave. Unlike the small ledges that he had used to climb the
previous wall, Tosh could feel what seemed like a root system. "Thank you
Devata for an obvious sign of being on the right track," he mumbled, pulling
himself farther up. As he pulled himself past the ledges the roots inside were
nonexistent, yet he knew he had felt them each time he grabbed farther up.
It only took half an hour of straight climbing to reach the next ledge. The
cave was dark, leaving no room for Tosh to accurately see where the moon
dragon was. He sucked in a deep breath and stepped forward into the cave.
Unlike the tunnels in the quarry, the temperature rose exponentially as he
traversed deeper into the one before him. He could hear the deep breathing of the
dragon within, but the sound reverberated from the walls too much to tell where
it was coming from.
"Hartiel, I could really use more light than this," Tosh hissed.
"Fine, I want to get a good eye on this dragon anyways." Hartiel climbed out
of Tosh's pocket and flew up near his shoulder. His white light illuminated the
walls of the cave that were covered in stains of blood.
"Think it was guardians that didn't make it?"
A loud roar came from behind them. Tosh turned around and could see a red
fire dragon standing at the entrance of the cave. Judging by how slim the
creature was, Tosh imagined it was the same dragon he had thought didn't see
him.
"If we don't hide, then we will be part of that mess too, Tosh."
Tosh nodded his head and looked around. There wasn't much in terms of
places to hide. His eyes scanned every inch of the cave quickly until they rested
on a large boulder. He beamed in excitement as an idea passed through his mind.
“Hartiel, I need your energy right now!"
"Fine just get us out of here before that beast gets us."
The dragon's eyes rested on Tosh and blinked. He stepped toward Tosh, his
tongue flicking in and out, tasting the air for its next prey.
"Okay, here goes!" Tosh stepped back toward the boulder and focused on
Hartiel. He could feel the energy of the sprite, but also that of the dragon in front
of him. Another, more clustered energy, was behind them. He imagined it was
the moon dragon and her potential eggs. He pulled his mind back into focus,
pulling the energy from just Hartiel.
"Hurry up, I don't imagine that dragon wants to wait for you," Hartiel hissed.
"Don't rush me," Tosh grumbled. He could feel the energy flow into his own
body from Hartiel's. He only needed a little bit and soon he could feel the earth
underneath him rumble. Walls formed around himself and Hartiel until they were
in cased in a shallow boulder.
"So, we're an egg? And how do you propose we get out of here and get the
egg?"
Tosh put a finger to his lips a hushed Hartiel. "We're not a target anymore.
Which means that fire dragon will want something to tame his hunger, even if
it's more carnal than what he originally asked for."
Hartiel didn’t need to ask what Tosh meant. He could hear the dragons
outside both letting out a loud roar, acknowledging the existence of the other
inside the small cave. Their roars turned to screeches and then even that faded
away as the two pushed one another out of the cave into the open air. Despite
sharing caves so close to one another, Tosh knew well enough that the creatures
were territorial over their own small chunks of land just as any elf.
Tosh waited a few more minutes, verifying the fight wasn't going to end
quickly. The sound of the roars and screeching had long since disappeared. Tosh
still had energy left over from when he had pulled from Hartiel and concentrated
on pushing the earth back into the ground or crumbling dust. Returning the stone
back to its original form was far less taxing than forming the safety egg around
the two of them.
"Not doubting you again, that's for sure," Hartiel mumbled. He flew farther
into the cave, his light a large beacon for Tosh to follow.
It was only a few feet before he reached mounds of tattered fabric, sticks,
and bones from multiple animals and a few other more sentient species lying
around. The sight sent chills down his spine, wondering if some of the bones
belonged to guardians who had failed to capture an egg for themselves or if he
would be joining them soon as well.
Many of the nests scattered in the cave were empty except one off to left of
the center of the clusters. There were a few eggs inside of the nest ranging in
colors like red and blues. He was looking for only one specific egg. Hartiel
lowered himself so Tosh could better see each egg.
"We're looking for a moon dragon egg?" Hartiel asked, still scanning.
"There should be one. I mean it's a nest from a moon dragon. It shouldn't be
that hard to find something so simple. It's a white egg. I swear if Devata
misled…" Tosh paused, and double checked each egg. Not even one was the
milky white that he was expecting to find. "Fuck, that damn tree has shit
directions if this was where it told me to go."
Hartiel flew toward Tosh and smacked him. It didn't hurt, but the attack did
surprise him. "Don't you dare speak ill of Devata. I'm sure this egg is here. We
just need to look in another nest." Hartiel flew off to the others, hovering for
seconds before shooting off to another. "Here! I found the egg!" Hartiel was at
the end of the cluster, floating above a tiny nest that looked almost abandoned.
Tosh stepped around the nest he was at, avoiding any objects under him that
would crunch with a misstep. After a few minutes of maneuvering, he reached
Hartiel. The nest was smaller than the others with barely any cloth or items
filling it. The egg inside was white with small gray spots across the shell.
"I can't believe you found the egg," Tosh gasped and reached out to grasp it.
He expected the warmth of any other egg out there that was incubating still but
was instead welcomed by a cold exterior. "It's...dead..." He picked up the cold
egg and lifted it up above his head. If this was to be the end of his life, then he
would smash the egg as his last action.
Hartiel flew up to the egg and placed his hand on it. "Tosh, I don't think it's
dead. Not yet at least." His glow focused on his hand and lit up the egg. "As I
thought, it's faint, but it's alive. Look," Hartiel pointed with his other hand at a
small mass inside the egg. Seconds passed and then a small pumping motion
began before going into a frozen state.
Tosh brought the egg back down and held it close to him. "Did the mother
just give up the child?"
"Well moon dragons aren't very viable in the wild. Most don't live past
adolescence, so it was probably abandoned to die.” Another screech from
outside of the cave echoed toward them. "If we don't get out of here, then we
will be dead too."
Tosh tucked the egg under his arm and looked around for a way to escape.
The light from Hartiel bounced off each wall creating false exits. He turned
around once more and saw it. It was thin, but he could see Hartiel's light
bouncing farther into a path that he could just barely get through.
He clambered over the nests, now knowing they were all empty. The claws
grating against stone grew louder now. His ears perked up, noticing another
sound mixed in with the roars of the dragon. Metal clanging together and the
sound of a man outside as well. If his ears weren't deceiving him, it had to be a
guardian climbing in and not the dragon from before.
The scholar didn't wait for his theory to be proven and scurried into the small
crack. "Hartiel, get in my pocket now before they see us," he hissed, pushing
himself farther into the small pathway.
As Hartiel dove into Tosh's pocket, the scholar could hear footsteps near the
front of the cave. They were then followed by a beam from a flashlight. As the
footsteps got closer, Tosh could just barely see the figure. Behind him was a red
dragon and the person was a cait shidhe.
 The cait shidhe kicked one of the rocks across the cave and let out a loud
curse. "There's no fucking moon dragon in here. I thought you said you knew an
egg was in here?"
The dragon behind the cait shidhe let out a small grunt in response.
"That scholar must have gotten here before us." He let out a loud scream, his
voice echoing through the entire cave.
Tosh didn't need to tell Hartiel anything. It was Azrael out there now. If
Devata had sent him to collect the egg, then it meant Kalio was also onto this
mission and had sent the dragon guardian after him. He forced himself into the
crack in the wall, egg in hand, ready to find the dragon guardian that would
rescue them all.
 SEVENTEEN

I t was quiet. Her endeavors in Ombramoor were now behind Kalio and she
was back on her throne. Everything had run smoothly while she was gone.
Most of the capital had seen Kalio’s dragon, Ream, return, but there were no
celebrations. If the rebels had been nonexistent, she would welcome a party with
her people. Perhaps later she would discuss this with the bank of Narishma if it
was in budget. Even a simple parade would be nice.
She hadn't received any reports back from Azrael since she returned and
Anjuu had yet to show her face either. She had to sell some of her own jewels to
pay for the entire guild to kill Anjuu and thus far, even they failed to produce
any results.
"At this rate I might have to get her myself." She let out a deep sigh and
leaned back into her throne. Once, the throne felt cold and unwelcoming with the
swords attached across the back. Now it was her only safety outside of her room.
So long as she sat here, the people had to acknowledge that she was their queen.
Her rest was interrupted with a soft snort from behind her. Kalio turned
around to see what it is and furrowed her brow. Lying in the corner was an
oversized wolf sleeping. Persius. She’d recognize that northern dire wolf a mile
away.
Kalio stood up and stormed over to the wolf. 'What are you doing here?" The
wolf raised its head and blinked in confusion. "Don't give me that shit." Kalio
took a step back and focused her energy into a swift kick in the dire wolf's
stomach.
The wolf curled into a tight ball and let out a soft whimper. "You don't have
to be so mean to get your point across," the dire wolf grumbled. The wolf stood
up on all fours. Its pelt detached from the creature’s body to reveal underneath a
man with only the fur pelt to keep him somewhat decent. "I told you it's close to
hibernation time."
"Don't give me that shit. I don't need you sleeping in my throne room." She
grasped onto the skin walker's pelt and pulled him up. "I have a mission for you,
and I don't need you to sleep through it." Persius let out a soft yawn. Kalio grew
more frustrated and shook him until he was fully awake. "Do you understand
me, dog?"
"Yes, I understand you...My Queen. What do you need from me today?"
Kalio pointed to the door behind them. "Get out of the capital, head north
and collect your tribes. There's going to be a war brewing soon and if I am to
entrust you, then I need an army from you."
Persius shifted his weight. "I mean I can try and form an army, but you're
asking some big sleeping giants a hell of a favor."
Kalio opened her mouth to respond but was interrupted immediately by
someone barging in behind them. She tossed Persius aside and turned around to
see Mestre still trying to catch her breath with guards standing behind her, their
hands on their pistols in case she did anything.
Unlike Mestre's usually calm demeanor, she was holding a dagger in one
hand and a bottle of a dark blue liquid that was dripping on the floor in the other.
Kalio kept this in mind once Mestre left to have someone clean up the floors.
She hadn't seen Mestre since the last meeting and wondered what invention the
ren zhe had come up with today. Perhaps it was only a demand for a new test
subject, but the wide smile stretching across her face made the woman look more
like a frog that had devoured a fly than someone who needed a new supply of
anything.
Mestre bowed down, the top half of her body parallel with the ground. "Your
Grace, I bring good news."
Kalio raised an eyebrow. "And that would be?"
She held up the bottle. "A poison that shadows can't defend themselves
against." Before Kalio could ask for more details, Mestre shoved her dagger into
her belt and pulled out another large bottle filled with a dark red liquid. "You
don't want to know how many shadows I had to drain before I could get this
right."
Kalio's mouth twitched. "I am sure the banks could estimate how many times
we had to pay the guild for your experiments."
Mestre ignored Kalio's comment and sat in the middle of the floor. She
crossed her legs and placed the two bottles in front of her. The ren zhe then
pulled out a small pipette from a pocket and pulled some of the blue liquid into
it. "It only needs a drop, but the results are amazing."
Kalio stepped forward and kneeled in front of Mestre. If the poison was as
potent as Mestre said it was, then she wanted to see this for herself. It would be
perfect to use against Anjuu and any others who chose to side with the rebels.
Mestre hovered the pipette above the dark red liquid and Kalio realized it was
blood that filled the bottle. Mestre was slow and precise. Only a small droplet
from the pipette fell into the blood-filled bottle.
They sat facing each other in silence. The blood wasn't reacting to the poison
at all despite Mestre's announcement. Kalio put her hand on the ground to push
herself up but stopped as soon as she heard a hissing sound. She looked down at
the bottle and the blood inside of it was boiling. After just a few seconds, the
blood evaporated, leaving only a thin filament across the glass.
"Destroys all of the blood inside of the body. Not even a shadow can
withstand this poison."
"Ingenious," Kalio said, still staring at the bottle. "With this we can stop
Anjuu and the entire rebellion." Mestre picked up both bottles and corked them
before putting them back into bag. "How much can you make?"
"As much as you need, Your Grace."
"Empty the smaller wine cellar. Use it. I want every shelf filled with this."
Kalio looked up at the guards who were standing by the door. Both were peaking
every few moments to get a view at what Mestre was presenting. "At change of
guard you will assist her on emptying the cellar. If any drop of wine is spilled,
you will be the next test subjects for the poison."
Both guards straightened out and stood still, neither turning to look back
around. They would remain there for the next few hours until the relief came to
change positions. In the meantime, she needed to make sure to save a bottle of
the poison for them. It was one thing for her keres to know about the poison, it
was another to have guards know about it and potentially share it with others.
She had been in their shoes when she was a guardian. Everyone talked once
alcohol was involved. She would have use of them for labor and then afterward
disposed of like the rest of the vermin in her cells.
Kalio turned back and walked up to her throne. Each step weighed heavily
on her, her mind returning when she was younger and had conquered Narishma.
It felt like a short time ago, but here she was in full control and bringing
prosperity to her people. An act no other drow had accomplished in their history
and she did it in one lifespan. There were some negotiations and some who she
had to remove from power, but otherwise her rule was just, and the fortune of the
kingdom was growing in prosperity. Even the scholars who had wasted so many
Drakes while studying away in their colleges were being used in field work that
benefitted all.
In the corner of her eye, Kalio could see Persius walking toward the front
door. If he had been in wolf form, she would imagine his tail was between his
legs as he escaped the throne room to do what she had said after seeing the
poison for himself. If anyone could see the power it possesses, there would be
perfect loyalty from all her people. Poison was the way of the drow, and Mestre
had simply unlocked its full potential. He continued inching forward until he got
halfway into the throne room, their eyes met and Persius burst into a run toward
the door. He ran past Mestre and stopped at the door as someone blocked the
entryway.
They turned in front of the throne room. He was dressed in a long black
cloak that moved like smoke in the air. The only solid portion of his body was
the white mask on his face. So like Anjuu's yet decorated with one large red
streak separating the mask in half. Behind the shadow were two more holding
onto a person that had a hood over her face and arms tied behind her. The
shadow pushed Persius to the side, who gladly escaped the throne room.
Mestre looked back at what Kalio was seeing and smiled.
"No, Mestre. These are not new test subjects for you. Now do as I told you as
well."
The ren zhe turned to look over at Kalio and bowed with a muttered “Your
Grace” before walking out as well. Her eyes darted between the three shadows,
but she didn't attempt anything with them. Kalio was thankful Mestre didn't say
anything regarding the poison. She didn't know what these shadows were here
for, and them knowing there was officially a poison that worked on them needed
to remain a secret.
"So," she leaned forward to get a better view of the three shadows and to see
who their captive was, "what do I owe the pleasure of an unannounced
audience?"
"We bring news." The shadow in front turned his head to the side and
nodded. The two shadows behind him tossed the captive forward so they were
now kneeling next to the leader of the group. Now that the captive was closer,
Kalio could detect a feminine figure underneath the rags, but it was someone
younger and not nearly as fully developed of a woman.
"And?"
The leader pulled the hood off the captive revealing a cait shidhe. "Your
orders were to keep an eye on Azrael. Your assumptions were correct." The cait
shidhe refused to look up. Her fur was matted with blood and mud, but Kalio
could see the distinct resemblance to the previous chieftains of the cait shidhe.
"She has evidence to prove Azrael plans to betray you and join the rebellion."
Kalio stiffened. She had assumed he might after his failure to report and how
long he stayed with his people. She had trusted him and was betrayed. "Give me
this proof then, girl."
The cait shidhe spit on the ground in front of her. "I won't tell you anything."
"Oh?" Kalio leaned back into her throne. The cold of the steel and stone
underneath her welcomed her back into the reality she knew all too well. "Fine,
dispose of her. I'll just kill Azrael. Whether he is innocent or not. I have little use
for him anymore if this is indeed his sister. Execute the entire chieftain line and
before they can put someone else in power, I will just destroy all of them." The
cait shidhe's eyes widened. Exactly what Kalio was looking for. "You, shadow.
You have it right? The one that brings out fears? The hallucinogenic needles?"
The shadow nodded and revealed a small bottle filled with tiny needles dipped
inside of a brown liquid. "Good, use it."
"With pleasure," the shadow said. He popped open the bottle and pulled one
of the needles out. In a quick movement that even Kalio almost didn't see, the
needle was struck into the cait shidhe's neck.
"Now, let's continue this conversation. I'm thinking I fly on the back of
Ream. I still have access to your home, so I won’t need to force my way in. Then
I can simply go inside and burn the entire city down. If I miss them, well you
don't exactly have the best ventilation down there so it will be a simple plan of
smoking them out until every single cait shidhe falls."
Kalio waited for the impact of the hallucinogen to take effect. The poison
would take Kalio's words and warp them into a reality the chieftain would see in
front of her, helpless on doing anything. Added with the fact that in the actual
world the cait shidhe was tied up made the vision far more terrifying. She had
experienced this exact fear once before when she was younger and knew the
horrors and pain it could put across someone.
She let the hallucination continue for multiple minutes. In the cait shidhe's
mind it would seem like hours. Perfect for what she needed out of the woman in
front of her. Kalio raised her hand, indicating the hallucinations were enough.
The shadow complied and pulled the needle out and replaced it with an antidote
that pulled the cait shidhe out of the hallucination trap.
"So, now that you've seen what I will do. If you talk, all I will do is eliminate
your brother. Sound reasonable, no?"
The cait shidhe slumped over. Her eyes were dull and filled with tears. "You
can't do this. We have a treaty. You promised my parents."
"And you broke that treaty when you stopped paying and your brother
betrayed me. Now talk. Where is he?"
"The mountains.” She let out a deep breath. “Near the Dragon's Pass."
"Was he meeting a shadow there?"
"I don't know. He just said there was a way he could stop you if he got there
in time. There was mention of a scholar. That's all I know."
"Good, we will send for someone to kill him. Until then, you should
remember your people's sacrifice they made for your survival. I won't kill them,
but your people will be a rare breed indeed come the start of Winter and no one
to send supplies to them."
The cait shidhe put one foot onto the ground, trying to stand up. "You can't
do that! You promised you wouldn't kill them."
Kalio smiled. "Oh, I did promise I wouldn't destroy them by fire. I didn't
promise that I would cut all supplies just as you cut your payments to me." She
turned to look at the shadow. "Take her to the cells below. My guards will show
you the way."
The shadow nodded and pulled the cait shidhe up. She pulled her shoulder
away but was grabbed by the other two who held a firmer grip than he did. She
attempted to squirm but to no avail. Instead she retaliated by screaming at the
top of her lungs.
"Damn you, drow. We should have killed you when we had the chance. All
of your people deserve to be chattel to the elves!" She continued to scream more
obscenities at Kalio as the shadows pulled her out of the throne room. All Kalio
could do was smile as she watched them move her with ease despite her rash
threats.
"Oh Azrael, you couldn't have just been a good boy and done what you were
told. You truly are stupid."
 EIGHTEEN

T he city was still quiet when Tosh finally reached the basin of the mountain.
The small hole in the cave had thankful gotten wider and reached an area of
the mountains that held few dragons, if any. Even Hartiel was impressed by their
luck of dodging being caught by Azrael. Now he had to hope that the dragon
guardian hadn't tipped the town off to his arrest.
Most of the people in the city were home by now asleep. The street fair had
long since ended, leaving a trail of trash scattered across the ground and left-over
pamphlets that others tossed to the side. He picked one up that mentioned a bar
that was open for an after party to the public.
"I would say we deserve a drink, don't you?" Tosh asked, opening his pocket
to see Hartiel sleeping inside of it.
The sprite looked up and made a soft grunting noise. "Go for it. Just don't let
people know you have a dragon egg."
"Don't worry. I won’t."
Based on the image in the corner showing an anthropomorphized female
dragon, he assumed the bar was going to have far more than just drinks involved.
He had the funds, and it was his right to have some fun after all of what
happened. If no one detected him, he would be fine. At least, it was what he
convinced himself of for now.
He walked around the streets toward a building that was brightly lit up. It
was only a block away from where the street fair was, a surprising fact despite
them being in the middle of the city. He at least expected to find some cabs that
would drive him to the outskirts or a more adult area of the city.
It was loud inside, even the dragons couldn't compare to the cacophony that
was brought upon him from inside the bar. Many elves were walking outside,
unable to stand straight as they made their way to cars to pick them up so they
could get home. He was thankful at least they were smart enough to do that. All
too often he had heard of someone deciding that their intoxication could still
handle a car. Then again, there were guards inside too, judging by the open
window. One of the guards looked like the one from before, the distinct smile
still etched into his memory.
"Well, if everyone's here then I might as well be too."
He took a deep breath and walked in, bombarded with cheers all over the
room. Women in tight-fitted clothing were walking around with trays covered in
filled glasses and empty glass alike, navigating the maze of people. One of the
women had a darker skin tone compared to many elves he had seen. Her sun-
kissed skin glistened in the lights from above. He imagined she was possibly part
drow somewhere down the line and felt a confusion as he admired her hourglass
figure. The drows were the reason for his predicament currently, yet here he
stood, wishing he could take the woman out of the bar now and ravish her.
"Don't let her beat you!" a voice rang louder above everyone else and broke
Tosh from his musings.
Although there were crowds everywhere, the biggest one was near the wall
closest to him. Muscular men surrounded a small table. Some of them were
rubbing their wrists, shame spreading across their face. Whatever was
happening, Tosh wanted to see. Blending in with a crowd was only so good if
you knew what everyone else was doing. If you were lost, people knew you
didn’t belong, and he needed to belong.
Jeering erupted from the table followed by cries of frustration. Two men
stood up on chairs, taking money and dispersing money out to others from the
unknown betting.
"Who's the next challenger?" a female voice boomed from the center. The
crowd separated and seated at the table Tosh could now see a drow woman
sitting cross legged on one of the chairs. Her elbow lay on the table, her hand
outstretched. They were arm wrestling and somehow, despite how small the
woman was, she was winning.
Tosh felt a twinge in the back of his mind like he had seen the woman before.
She resembled the queen, but so did so many other drow if you were just looking
for the eyes that curled up on the outsides, dark skin, and white hair. No, there
was something else about her. He continued to stare at her until someone
bumped into him from behind, jostling the egg nestled in his bag. Tosh then
realized how he recognized the drow. She looked like the woman he had seen in
his vision. The one that had been riding on the moon dragon. She had to be the
one Devata had sent him to find. He just needed proof that she was Devata’s
chosen.
 Another man stepped up to the table and sat across from her. "You'll wipe the
smile off your face."
"Don't worry, I'm sure I will when I break your tiny wrist." The drow
whipped her long white hair out of her face. The two clasped hands and a small
bell rang for them to begin. Tosh watched as the man strained to maintain his
strength with the wrestling. If someone had asked Tosh to place bets when he
had seen the two, he would have imagined the drow's arm would snap in half as
soon as they began. Instead, the drow was winning and her arm was folding his
own over. "Sure you don't want to keep your wrist safe?" The man only replied
with a grunt. "Fine, suit yourself." In an instant, her arm pushed his down and
landed on the table with a loud thud. The crowd cheered again with many
laughing at the challenger.
He stepped forward, reaching for his bag so he could present her the egg. It
was now or never. If he started drinking, then the drow may leave and he would
lose his chance at finding her again. Devata was counting on him. No, the entire
country of Narishma was counting on him.
"Don't take another step," another woman hissed. Tosh jumped and turned to
see another drow towering above him. Her golden eyes reflected an evil that he
knew meant she was ready to kill him right there. He wanted to see what the rest
of the woman looked like, but her entire face was covered with a balaclava. If
she knew the other drow was a shadow, it was all too simple to realize that who
he was talking to one as well.
"If you're planning on pulling that egg out, then I suggest you rethink what
you are wanting to do." She pulled out a small slip of paper. "She's a shadow
trained to kill anyone on the spot, and I have no doubts that if she sees you with
an egg, she won't need a contract to remove you. Now," the drow pointed to a
small table on the opposite side of the room. "How about you come with me and
we can chat before either of us get killed tonight."
"Why are you trying to save me? Who are you? Tosh asked, leaning forward
so he could still talk with her without anyone hearing them.
"Anjuu. A former shadow. Someone's placed a target on me and I plan to find
out who it is."
"And your purpose with me?"
"You're a scholar. And you have a dragon egg. So, either you're babysitting it
or Devata sent you to collect it for someone." Anjuu slumped into her chair at
the table. "I highly doubt what Devata wanted was for that shadow to have it."
She pulled the balaclava down to reveal a surly face covered in fresh cuts and
bruises from a recent fight. "I want to hire you for a research project that I'm sure
you can solve. I need to know who is hiring them to kill me."
 "I can't do that unless I have a—"
"A contract stone? Don't worry. She has one. She's been following me for the
last few days now. A lot more skilled than the one who had scribbled me down
on a piece of paper. She knows what she is doing, but she's arrogant. Simple
enough to get rid of her but I need the stone to be deciphered."
Anjuu held her hand up, waving for one of the waitresses. "Two drinks.
Make them virgins."
Tosh held his hand up. "Actually, I would like—"
"Make them virgins," Anjuu growled. The waitress looked at Tosh and then
back to Anjuu, who was still glaring. Her fist laying on top of the table. The
waitress didn't try and ask again and took off.
"Can I at least request the type of virgin drink I get?"
"You get what you get." She looked over the shadow at the other table.
"Don't throw a fit."
Tosh followed Anjuu's gaze and saw the arm wrestlers were finally done
with their challenges and most had dispersed to different parts of the room to
enjoy a drink that didn't involve hurting themselves. The shadow, on the other
hand, seemed to be unfazed by the constant use of her arm and just sat silently at
her table, sipping on a dark liquid. He imagined it was a beer but based on
Anjuu’s reaction to alcohol he wondered if instead it was just a soda that she
pretended was alcoholic.
Tosh and the shadow locked eyes for a moment before the shadow turned
away again, her eyes focused on her drink. "You sure she is out to kill you? She
looks like she is enjoying herself here."
"Trust me, if it wasn't for my position, I probably could have been made a
master in the guild. She's been following me since I left the ren zhe."
The waitress returned, dropping off two clear sodas with a piece of cotton
candy stuck inside of it. "Two Shirley temples."
Anjuu nodded and held her arm out so the waitress could scan her wrist and
take the payment.
"Thanks, you didn't have to pay for me."
"I'm doing it because I need you here to figure out the damn stone." Anjuu
pushed the cotton candy inside the glass and watched it dissolve. Tosh followed
suit and they enjoyed their drink in silence, both watching the shadow in case
she made any movements.
Another round of the virgin Shirley temples came over and still the shadow
seemed to be sipping at her own drink. Those who's wrists were hurting from
wrestling had long since left, leaving half of the bar still filled but far less loud
than it had been before. Now that there were spots empty, Tosh could see on the
other side of the bar a woman dressed in a bikini, dancing around on a small
stage that was elevated a few feet above the men. He could feel the music
pounding through his body but couldn’t hear it over the few conversations that
were still going on. He continued to watch as the woman bent down and slid
across a pole. He was mesmerized by her movements, his mind replacing the
woman on stage with the half drow he had seen earlier.
Anjuu flicked his hand, bringing his attention back to the table. "What was
that for?"
Anjuu didn't answer. Instead, she lifted her balaclava back up and pointed
over to the shadow. She was no longer sitting at her table but walking over to
them. Tosh could see a thin blade sticking out from the woman's sleeve. He
gulped, realizing what trouble he had escaped with Azrael was now bigger with
his involvement with the assassin guild. A large crowd bustled out of the bar,
separating the drow across the room from himself and Anjuu. Before the crowd
finished walking out, Anjuu grabbed ahold of his collar and pulled him up.
"Come on, let's go."
"But I thought you were trying to kill her?"
"Shut up, do you want others to hear you? God, now I know why scholars
are in the quarry now. You all are so idiotic."
They followed the crowd out of the bar before she pulled him around the
building and through a small alley. The only thing back there was an oversized
dumpster that smelled like it had never been properly cleaned. In the center was
a mask on the ground. It was pure white with small slits where the eyes should
be. Across the cheeks were three thin lines on each side, resembling whiskers.
Anjuu picked it up and tied the strings together so it hid her face. The eerie
animalistic nature of the mask sent shiver down Tosh's spine.
"I see you've brought me a gift from the master's?" Anjuu said aloud.
Tosh looked around to see who Anjuu was talking to. At first, he couldn't see
anyone until the shadow from earlier slipped out from behind the dumpster. She
also worse a white animalistic mask, hers had a circle in the center of the eyes. "I
didn't feel it right to kill you without your final death mask."
"It is appreciated. Now, you can either return to the guild and say you failed
your mission, or I can kill you."
The shadow pulled out the knife that was hidden in her sleeve, so it was now
extended in her hand. The same blade she had flashed at them earlier. "I tell
them I fail, I die anyways. I'd rather kill you and bring glory back to our guild."
The two paced in a circle, both on opposite sides staring down one another.
Tosh stepped back. If this fight did occur in front of him, he didn't want to be
involved. Anjuu pulled out her own dagger from a compartment in her sleeve as
well. Tosh gulped, wondering how many weapons both had hidden on them. If
Anjuu died, it was obvious he would be killed and if he ran there may be others
waiting to kill him in her stead. There was no going back and Hartiel was fast
asleep inside of his pocket, unaware of the situation happening.
Anjuu took the first move and dived toward the shadow. She was flipped
over the shadow's shoulder and crashed against the wall. She rebounded. Their
blade connected letting out a soft clink as metal hit metal. Their strikes
continued at a rapid rate. Tosh couldn't follow where one hit ended and another
counter began. Both moved in a fluid motion, like a dance. Just one misstep and
the performance would be over for one of them. The shadow spun to the right
and pushed Anjuu forward. Her blade made impact on Anjuu's shoulder but
deflected against something hard.
"I still have plenty of gear to protect me. Do you?" Anjuu laughed as she fell
to the ground from the impact. She spun her leg in a quarter circle. Tosh could
see something silver shoot from Anjuu's boot before it sliced open the shadow's
leg.
The shadow let out a loud cry of pain and fell to the ground. "Don't
underestimate me next time. You didn't deserve to become a shadow." She pulled
out a short sword and held it against the shadow's neck. Tosh couldn't see the
shadow's face but could hear a soft sobbing from underneath the mask. He
imagined she was begging for her life, but there was no reason he would save
her. Before his mind could really process anything though, Anjuu sliced the short
sword across the shadows neck, ending the drow's life.
Blood splattered across the ground, coating Anjuu's boots and the short
sword she held in her hand. Tosh tried to look away but couldn’t. He had never
seen anyone murdered before—in cold blood—and by someone he had just
promised to help. Not just murdered in cold blood, but by the person he was no
promised to help. Anjuu bent down and rummaged inside of the shadow's pants
pocket. She pulled out a small grey stone with a symbol on it. Tosh recognized it
as one of the runes from an older language before Narishma had formed. In the
past, it was a simple run for death, but now it held so much more meaning for a
shadow with an assassination contract. She tossed it over to Tosh and kicked the
limp body off to the side.
"We should get out of here, that body is going to start to smell soon and I
don't want to deal with the cleanup.
Tosh remained silent, looking down at the stone. It was cold despite being
inside of the dead woman's pocket. All he would need would be some earth-
based magic and he could pull the message out without any problems. Anjuu
didn't stand still, however, and walked past Tosh and onto the main streets. She
slid her short sword into a sheath behind her back and turned down the corner. "I
have a room rented a few blocks away. We can go there and you can decipher the
message. After that. Do whatever it is you need to do. Just don't do anything
dumb. I don't need you handing a dragon egg over to them anytime soon."
Tosh didn't respond. His mind was still focused on the stone in his hands. He
wondered if Devata was mistaken and the woman in his vision wasn't the one to
possess the egg. He remembered the drow that looked like the queen in many
aspects and there were the raven wings. The assassin from before didn’t have
them, but it was possible they just meant a member of the shadows. Tosh looked
over at Anjuu in front of him and wondered if she was the one chosen but shook
his head. He needed to know for certain and Devata hadn’t given him any more
clues. Whomever it was for, he needed to figure it out. There was no way it
would be the drow in front of him. She was filled with too much chaos and
already she had shown she didn't care for the scholars in the quarry. After he was
done with the stone and could leave Anjuu, he would need to find one of
Devata's root systems and try to communicate with the tree. There had to be
something he was missing.
They turned another block and arrived at a building that looked older than
most of the other's in the area. Almost all the windows were boarded up. The
ones that weren't had large holes. Despite this, Tosh could see light inside of the
rooms with people walking around inside. "This is where you're staying?"
"It's cozy, but cheap. My access to the queen's bank has been revoked so I've
been forced to use my own money in the meantime. The master of coin told me
that it's probably a glitch and he should have my access by the end of the week."
She waved her hand in the air. "That's none of your concern. You're just here to
do what I asked you to do and leave."
Tosh gulped and looked up at the large run-down building. He imagined
there had been far more murders the building had seen than even the ex-shadow
in front of him. She claimed to work for the queen, but he had no idea if this was
true or something she just added to make him fear her more. It wasn't necessary.
He had seen what she was capable of. He just needed to get this message for her,
and he could return to his own mission and leave her to do whatever someone
that worked for the queen did in their spare time.
There were no elevators inside, only a long set of stairs that curled itself on
the outside of the building to grant access to different floors. Tosh was thankful
Anjuu was only on the third floor. It was getting too late at night and his
adrenaline from earlier was finally wear off. He could feel the pain in his joints
from the climb and the fear from seeing someone die in front of him seeped into
his bones. Inside her room was a small bed with a moth-eaten sheet and a desk
with a few papers on them. Attached to the wall was a photo of the queen. She
seemed softer in the photo compared to everything he had ever seen of her inside
the college and quarry. If that was his first vision of the queen, he would have
imagined her as someone with a kind heart and gentle to speak with, instead he
knew the truth behind the false exterior.
"So?" Anjuu closed the door behind them and sat on the floor cross legged.
"Get to pulling the message out. I'd like to sleep eventually tonight."
Tosh sat across from Anjuu and nodded. "Here goes."
He focused on the stone in his palm. He could feel the energy inside of it
pulsating. It was different than Hartiel's energy as it didn't possess the light
energy that the sprite held but something more ethereal. He couldn't quiet touch
it, but it felt like smoke and water all at the same time. Tosh tugged more at the
energy inside the stone, the exhaustion over coming him. He had to fight it off.
Just one more pull and the stone would reveal its message.
"Kalio!" Anjuu gasped.
Tosh opened his eyes and saw, standing atop the stone, was a small, distorted
hologram of the queen.
The Queen stared in front of her, ignoring the Anjuu and Tosh. He quickly
realized it was a recording of some sort. "Anjuu is now an enemy of Narishma. I
do not want her returned alive to me. Kill her on sight. She has betrayed the
crown. Anyone who kills her with gain rank within my castle. Do it efficiently
and quickly, and you will live a life of luxury for yourself and your
grandchildren."
Anjuu continued to stare at the rotating hologram of the queen as it repeated
the mission of her assassination. Her eyes welled up with tears, but she wiped
them before they fell to her cheeks. After the second repeat of the message, Tosh
disconnected himself from the stone and handed it back to Anjuu. "I'm sorry. I'm
sure that's not the message you wanted to receive. You're not...planning on
killing me for this are you?"
Anjuu shook her head. "No, not your fault. There must be a reason behind
this. Someone lying to her. I didn't betray her. There has to be something else to
this." She grasped the stone and stood up. "I need to get some air. You can stay
the night here. It will be safer than walking the streets right now."
 NINETEEN

I t was cold outside. The sharp chill of the air against her skin made her regret
walking outside now. The stone in her hand sent too many questions in her
mind to stay near someone she barely knew. If the stone was right, the queen
believed she had betrayed the crown. The sound of bickering from the room
below her broke her thoughts. Simple arguments of the couple still living in a
dump like this place. She laughed, wishing her life and complications were as
simple as her next bed. She could fight off all the shadows as much as she could,
but if such a mission was given by the queen, not even the masters would refuse
to take on the offer. She had to seek help elsewhere.
Anjuu walked back inside and saw the scholar curled up in a corner. She
could see a faint light inside of his pocket but shrugged it off, thinking it was just
some left over magic the scholar was still using. Kalio had told her the scholars
were a strange group that controlled the elements through contracts with sprites.
However, they never fought in the war against her nor for her, instead choosing
to hide inside of the college where they continued to be soft. She had made many
of them “field researchers.” This one had been one of them as she saw the scar
on his cheek from when he was branded.
"Must have hurt, living a life of luxury, and now being stuck out here.
Wonder what your purpose really is?" She brushed a piece of his hair out of his
face. "Well, I won't bring you anymore trouble. You'll find who you need to take
that egg too I'm sure and do what you need to do." She stood back up and
gathered the scraps of paper off the desk and the photo of Kalio off the wall. "I
promised to keep you safe. And that's exactly what I'll do."
She opened the door back up to the outside and stepped out. If she stayed in
the room, other shadows would start to see him with her, and he would be added
as a target. Anything to get her to bring herself down they would take. She put
her glasses on, seeing the different contacts scrolling across the side. "The ren
zhe have no form of technology I can use to call them right now. They've moved
since I left them too. No doubt in some random place in Narishma now
travelling around like they always do."
Her eyes shifted across the screen to reveal a large map with different points,
indicating who was known allies to the crown. There was a small point where
the cait shidhe lived that was questionable but too far away to reach in one day.
Her eyes finally rested on a small town just south of the Dragon's Pass. It didn't
have a specific label of ally or enemy, but it was known to not have been
attacked by the rebels yet. For just dumb luck or another hangout for the rebels
she wasn't sure. For now, as the queen's target, she was on their side.
A loud roar from above pulled Anjuu’s attention away from her map and she
shut the program down to look up. High above, blocking out so many of the stars
was what appeared to be a red dragon. Anjuu laughed to herself. The last time
she had seen Azrael on his dragon, he had helped her in leaving the capital. Now
he was above her and an omen of her demise.
"Looks like the queen may have sent the keres out to look for me too. No
matter, I'm leaving now," she muttered and clambered down the steps to the
ground.
Her bike was covered in mud from the long trip it had taken. She wiped the
handles and sat down. Once the chaos subsided, her bike would need a good
cleaning and tuning up.
The roads were quiet for the most part, only seeing one or two cars driving
the opposite direction. She opened her map back up on her glasses. The town she
was targeting was less than an hour away. If she stayed on the roads and didn’t
bring any attention to herself, she hoped Azrael wouldn't notice her and he
would simply fly off elsewhere.

THE SMALL TOWN was a lot less than Anjuu had expected. Only one main
street ran through the entire town and she drove through it and past the city
within seconds. Anjuu had to turn back around and realized most of the side
streets were dead ends or led to a few streets that also had no exits back onto the
main roads.
"No way the rebels chose this place," she mumbled, looking for any of the
buildings having the phrase of tavern or inn to stay the night at. "Guess I'll be
sleeping outside again."
 She pulled her bike over to a small restaurant's parking lot and shut
everything down. For now, she would just stay next to the building and sleep
until the sun rose and the town woke up. Even if there were any rebels, her body
was exhausted and there was no way she could withstand another fight.
What she hadn't presented to the scholar earlier was that the fight had almost
cost her life. A misstep that could have killed her just barely missed and hit
armor plates scattered across her body. If the shadow had been more careful, it
would have meant death for her. Even now, her heart still pounded from the fact
that she almost died.
The cold stone wall helped her muscles relax. She focused on meditations to
fall asleep. A waterfall that flowed across her body released all of the hidden
tension within her. Any thought that came to her mind washed away with the
metaphysical water. Before her relaxing shower reached her feet, Anjuu fell into
a dreamless sleep.

"WHAT DO YOU THINK IT MEANS?"

"Shut up, they told us to just watch her. Not wake her up."
Anjuu stirred from her sleep and snapped her eyes open. The sun was already
past the horizon and had reached a late morning position. She looked over and
saw two children sitting crossed legged and staring at her. Both appeared to be
only teenagers, but something about their face seemed off. Anjuu grabbed for
her knives and froze as she realized all her weapons were missing.
"Did you really think we would let you keep your weapons?” the boy asked,
his smile stretching across his face. "A shadow knows better than to let their
enemy wake up with weapons attached."
The girl interrupted him and leaned forward so she was facing the boy.
"Shush, you're not a shadow, so stop acting like one."
"I could have if—"
"No, you're broken, stop acting like you are something more."
The boy grunted and crossed his arms. Both wore a black shirt with
camouflage pattern pants. Even being different genders, the two were almost
identical outside of the more feminine features and long hair of the one.
"Look, we're here. She's here. The Queen has declared her an enemy. That's
all that matters, and she can't kill us."
Anjuu let out a laugh at the last statement. "If you think a shadow needs
weapons to kill, then you didn't study our guild much." She stood up and
stretched out her muscles. The cold had felt amazing when she fell asleep, now
her body was regretting it quickly. "Look, this is all fun and games. But I need
my weapons back now if you don't mind."
The twins stood up and the boy shrugged his shoulders. "No can do. Our
leader took your weapons with her while you were sleeping." He paused, seeing
the anger building in Anjuu’s face from simple amusement to rage. "If you want,
we can take you to her."
"That would be best. I have people I'm here to meet." Anjuu cracked her
neck and stared down at the two teenagers. Both seemed oblivious to the actual
dangers they were in, simply following orders from whomever their leader was.
It reminded her of herself following Kalio's orders blindly and now on the wrong
side of the war without having done anything beyond what she was told to do.
The twins grasped each other's hands and directed Anjuu over to one of the
side streets. They turned a corner onto a short cul-de-sac with just three houses
that looked almost identical in the box-like structure so many modern architects
liked to build.
"Nice place."
The twins didn't respond. Instead, they walked up to the front door and
knocked seven times, paused, then knocked again four times. The girl looked
back at Anjuu then whispered something into her brother's ear that Anjuu
couldn't hear. The boy nodded and she took off around the back of the house and
out of sight, leaving the teenage boy and her outside.
The door cracked open and Anjuu could see a small sliver of a figure
standing behind the door. Smoke willowed out from above and below the person,
before disappearing into the air. She could see the eyes of the person were
golden with slit-like pupils. A cait shidhe. They looked back at Anjuu then down
at the boy. Not a sound escaped the cait shidhe, but their eyes seemed to still
communicate with the boy.
"You can trust her. I scanned her for all her weapons. The only way we could
make her any cleaner is if she got naked."
"Definitely don't want that," Anjuu mumbled to herself. This response got
the attention of the cait shidhe back onto her.
"You don't remember me, do you shadow?"
Anjuu shrugged. "Can't say I recognize many people by just an eye."
The door swung open and in front of Anjuu stood the cait shidhe that she had
met from before that led the small rebellion group. Unlike before, her fur was
gone, but in a few small patches and on the revealed skin were multiple fresh
scars. Her clothes, however, were much cleaner and more professional in attire.
She wore a pair of black dress slacks and a blue tunic that reached halfway down
her thighs. Despite this, Anjuu remembered well enough that this wasn't going to
be a welcome party anymore.
"So, the smoke is from the dragon inside?"
The cait shidhe nodded. "It is. And you have left your guild and the queen
hunts you down?"
"She does. Word travels fast then in the underground I see."
"When our lives depend on knowing what the queen's doing, we find ears
everywhere." The boy scurried around the cait shidhe to get inside and then she
turned around as well to go inside. "I can't say we are allies, but the enemy of my
enemy is my friend for now. Let us discuss your predicament."
Anjuu nodded. She was going into hostile territory. She had gotten a decent
sleep, albeit her muscles were still stiff, and she hadn't eaten anything yet, but
there was more energy in her now than compared to last night. If anyone did
attack her, she would be ready. For now, they were on common grounds and they
had already heard about her predicament before even she knew about it.
Whomever was truly part of the rebellion, the information they were able to
gather was far greater than what even the shadows could muster on their own.
She walked inside of the home and was immediately bombarded with the smell
of dragon incense burning throughout the house.
"Nice place you have."
"We've been saving for it. We own most of the town now. But that's why you
came here, I'm sure. Once we heard you were being hunted down and saw you
were here, it was only natural to realize you were planning to switch sides."
"I'm not switching sides. I’m here to form a treaty for my own safekeeping."
"Treaty, betrayal. What difference does it make? You're here now, and I'm all
ears."
The cait shidhe led Anjuu through a hallway and into a large library. In the
center were an assortment of chairs. Some of them had multiple chips out of the
legs revealing a lighter interior of the wood and the fabric piled until it was
fuzzier than a sheep. The cait shidhe took that chair, her claws extended and
scratching at was left of the light blue fabric. Anjuu joined her and sat across in a
larger rocking chair made of a solid cherry wood.
"Business, shadow. Last time we talked you almost killed us and now you sit
here with me. Indeed, you are a shadow of the crown compared to when we last
saw you. Have you seen the evils she has committed yet? Or are you simply here
for your own self-indulgences?" Her ears twitch, her eyes never wavering from
Anjuu.
"I'm here because of the target on my back. Nothing more. I don't know what
atrocities you're saying she has committed, but from where I'm standing, you're
the ones who have destroyed the land, not her."
A low growl emitted from deep within the cait shidhe. "You're blind as well
as incompetent. You want to see the atrocities, then I'll show you them instead."
The cait shidhe pulled a small remote from inside of the chair's cushion and
pushed a button on it. Anjuu looked over to her left and watched as a screen
came down from the ceiling. "Clips from across the country while you’ve been
tucked away safely in your castle."
A video started and Anjuu watched as it showcased the scholars in the
quarry, some falling over never to get back up. It then switched to a scene
showing two small elven children forced onto the ground by a drow guard.
Underneath the image was a description from the news source that they were
being arrested for being outside after curfew. The video switched again to a
family forced out of their home with a sign that listed no elves allowed in the
community anymore. This continued for a few more scenes of different elves
being mistreated. The video stopped and the screen rose back up into the ceiling.
"You know, one of the people in the rebellion you killed last time we met, he
had a son maybe ten years old at the time. Want to know what happened to him
when Kalio took the throne? He was executed on the spot for simply bumping
into a drow. Nothing with malice, a simple accident. So, tell me, does that seem
like a righteous Queen to you?"
"She can't control every guard in her command, I'm sure the guard was
reprimanded for—"
"That guard was one of your captains and was given a promotion. The only
one who can give that promotion is the queen herself. Even the cait shidhe lived
as a proud race until she took over. Our chieftains died, and many infants
perished from an illness that we sought the queen out for help. She denied us,
saying we were not her importance. She had taken the chieftain's eldest son from
us already and abandoned us to fend for ourselves and pay her in taxes." The cait
shidhe took a deep breath. "So, tell me again that she is fair. Tell me she isn't
committing mass genocide of our people, removing our knowledge from us, and
making her people blessed in riches."
"The elves deserve to suffer. They enslaved the drow."
"Did the ten-year-old child enslave you? Did he hold a gun to your head and
demand you work? How is he responsible for this? How is majority of the
people who lived here responsible for suffering of people in Ombramoor?"
Anjuu sat in silence. She had killed plenty of elves in her time as a shadow
under contract and never felt any sympathy for them. She never even learned the
reason for killing the elf. Now hearing some of the tales from the cait shidhe, she
wondered if those she had killed were elves who had also just been innocent and
never did anything wrong. There was the noble family of elves that she had
assassinated because they were planning to poison Kalio, but other than that
there was no motive outside of the fact that they were elves. She shook her head,
refocusing back onto her training and forgetting about all her past kills. She was
a shadow for a reason, regret for a kill wasn't what she needed to focus on.
"Do you see now why we fight against her? This isn't just an issue of us not
liking drow. Hell, there were many races here who wanted the enslavement of
your people to end. But you wouldn't have known that. You're probably born and
raised learning about how evil all elves were and shown how much they hated
you growing up. Never even thinking that an elf may hate you because if they
did anything wrong near you, they would have died."
"That's not true! I lived in a poor end of town—"
"Yes, I've heard the story. You were poor, there was no privilege. Yet here
you are now, coming from the castle of the queen without much effort. She
chose a drow to protect her above all others." The cait shidhe stood up and
walked over to Anjuu. "So, I ask you again, shadow of the crown. Do you still
serve her, or do you serve the people and fight for equality? If it's a contract you
need then we'll pay it. But I'd much rather someone who has left the guild not be
paid for services and join us willingly. You are paying us in retribution for what
you did to us in the woods."
"Says the one who wanted to kill me there." Anjuu stood up. Unlike next to
many elves, cait shidhe stood as tall as drow at times and they were both eye
level to one another. They stood there in silence, each one waiting for the other
to respond with aggression. Anjuu broke the silence. "I will fight with you, but I
will not kill the queen. She is still there with good intentions. There won't be any
true king nonsense if I side with you. I have the entire ren zhe tribes behind me
and will use them to stop you if you choose to kill Kalio."
The cait shidhe smirked and held out her hand. "Then we have a deal,
shadow. My name is Massika, leader of the rebels."
Anjuu grasped Massika's hand and shook. "Anjuu."
"Looks like we have a temporary deal. Now if your Queen shows any signs
that she is as unstable as rumors make her out to be, we won’t stop from bringing
her down. But for now, we will see if we can get something going in this war
now. Also," Massika let out a large smile, "there was no true king. We just did
that to mess with your mind. Most people not in the rebellion think there is some
ulterior motive to usurp the crown, but it's talk. We just want to remove the
crown."
 TWENTY

T he night was growing cold. Azrael's search in the caves had pulled up
nothing and he couldn't find a single moon dragon in sight. The scholar had
found a way out of the mountains he didn't know about and he had lost the trail
hours ago. He could return to the castle empty handed and say he couldn't track
down Anjuu. Then he could just assassinate the queen without worrying about
helping a new dragon guardian. It would be almost too simple. His profession
wasn't in assassinations, and with all the guards and Mestre still at the castle,
who knew what kind of trap he would land in. No, he needed Anjuu to become a
dragon guardian. It was what his father asked of him, and what Kalio knew was
happening. He just needed the idiot scholar to hand over the egg.
The small town in front of the Dragon's Pass had since grown silent as many
went back into their houses. The only activity he could pinpoint from the height
he was flying at was a small bike flying from the center of the town and onto the
highway. Azrael couldn't see clearly in the dark but judging by the white hair he
could only imagine it was a drow.
"Let's head down into the city, I need to get a better view. Whatever that
drow was fleeing from, I don't think it's good news." Azrael squeezed his legs to
signal for his dragon to dive. The air whipped through his fur and within
seconds, Azrael would be able to jump down. Outside in the fields, landing was
much easier. Now he had to account for buildings his dragon would run into
during the dive.
The dragon pulled back, close enough to the ground now so that Azrael
could jump from it without hurting himself. Far in the distance, he could hear the
drow still driving away on their bike. Once his dragon confirmed he had landed
safely, it took back off into the skies. For now, he was going to search on foot
again and hope the scholar hadn't left the city just yet.
 Azrael walked down the street, looking into the darker corners of alleys for
any movement. For the first two blocks he didn't see anything until he reached a
bar. Lights flashed with tape surrounding it. No one seemed to be crying out and
most of the guards were calm. He tilted his head, curious what was going on.
Perhaps his luck was changing, and the scholar had run into the wrong person
and pissed them off. As Azrael got closer to the scene, he noted that more people
were behind the building. He looked up to see it was a bar with an
anthropomorphized sexualized dragon. He shuddered at the sight and turned his
gaze back at the crime scene. It would make sense that the scholar would piss a
drunkard off and get himself hurt.
One of the guards walked out of the crime scene, lifting the yellow tape, and
let out a loud sigh. "Damn shame we're dealing with this right now."
Azrael's ears perked up and looked over at the guard. "What happened back
there?"
"Woman was killed. drow. She had a mask on, so I imagine it was some kind
of shadow or whatever they are."
"A shadow?"
The guard nodded. "Seems that way. No one else died, so whoever did was
probably their target too."
Azrael leaned forward over the yellow tape. "Think I can go look? Make sure
this doesn't need dragon guardian assistance?"
The guard shrugged. "If I had the permission, I'd say go for it. But we were
told no one is allowed back there until the guild comes to get the body. Everyone
else will be pouring out of there soon enough, so I'd say just leave this to us and
go do whatever the hell you guardians do nowadays."
Azrael frowned at the guard. He was just doing his job and he did remember
hearing that shadows liked to take their own back for proper burials, but it still
made him worried if it was Anjuu or not. "Do you at least have a name for the
shadow? Was it the queen's personal guard?"
The guard shook his head. "No, wasn't her. We did hear she was in the area
and when we heard a shadow was murdered by the bar, we thought it was her."
"So Anjuu was here and if she fled the city then either she killed the shadow
or that scholar is a lot more powerful now than before." He looked around, half
expecting the scholar to be standing around waiting to strike. He shook his head,
realizing how dumb that sounded. He needed to leave and find the scholar. He
still had the dragon egg, and if the stories of how strong a scholar could get
when not being contained by the quarries were true, then trouble was brewing.
"Question," Azrael said, looking back at the guard. "Did you happen to see
an elf and the other shadow leave? Do you know where they went?"
 The guard looked up in the sky and back down to the crowd of other guards
mingled on the other side of the taped-off area. "Hey, where did they say they
saw the shadow and elf guy go again?"
"The worn-down apartments. You know, the ones the whores like to rent
out?" A few of the other guards snickered.
"Where's this apartment?"
The guard next to Azrael pointed behind them. "Few blocks that way. You
won't miss it. Biggest building over there."
Azrael nodded and left the guards alone. Most useless people ever. If they
were able to get Kalio off the throne he would make sure to replace the guards or
retrain them at least. He followed the street and just as the guard had described,
it was one of the biggest buildings that looked like it could crumble at any
moment. All he needed to do was find out which room had the scholar in it. Just
outside was a small set of stairs that lined the wall. He grumbled, even if it took
all night, he was going to find the elf and destroy him.
He walked up the first flight of stairs and peered inside the room. Inside was
just a younger couple sleeping in their bed together. "Not this one," he grumbled
and went up to the second floor. Once again, the scholar wasn't inside, but this
one was empty. Again, he climbed and stopped. Just inside the window he could
see a bag with the sheen of a moon dragon egg peeking out. He looked around
the curtain and saw the scholar fast asleep inside. He had no blood on him, but
the elf had enough time between then and now to clean himself off and get to
sleep in what was presumed to be a haven.
Azrael cracked his knuckles and neck and took a deep breath. He focused his
strength onto his back leg and then kicked the door open. The scholar bolted
upright, his eyes wide in fear. Azrael smiled. This was what he loved about
being a keres for so long, seeing the fear in his enemies’ eyes before they learned
their fates.
"What? You!" The scholar stammered.
"Took me long enough to find you."
The scholar pushed himself against the wall. All too perfect for Azrael now.
The cait shidhe grasped Tosh's collar and lifted him up off the ground. "You're an
idiot for helping the queen. Killing shadows and stealing a moon dragon egg that
rightfully belongs to the next dragon guardian." He cocked his hand back then
swung at the scholar. His fist made impact, feeling the elf's nose break under his
fist. "That was for your disrespect at the quarry. And this," Azrael dropped Tosh
to the ground and grasped onto the scholar’s arm, twisting it until he heard a
snap, "is for stealing a dragon egg."
Tosh let out a groan. "What in Devata's name are you talking about? I'm not
killing people…"
Azrael kicked Tosh in the face. "Shut it. I don't want to hear another sound
from your mouth. Be glad I'm being generous tonight and don't want those idiot
guards dealing with another death." Azrael grabbed the egg and dropped it into a
small satchel attached to his back. "If you're smart, you'll go back to the quarry
and know your place."
Tosh was unconscious, blood dripping from the corner of his mouth and
nose. Azrael smiled at what he was able to accomplish tonight. Now all he
needed to do was get to Anjuu, present her the egg, and hope he could defeat
Kalio before his people died.
 TWENTY-ONE

I f there was such a thing as a good day, today just wasn't it. Tosh's head still
hurt when he finally came too. Though which was worse, the pain in his
head, or the pain searing in his arm, he couldn’t tell. The pain was blinding
enough as it was. The attack from Azrael combined with the near-death
experience from the shadow was too much for him. And the egg was gone.
Tosh sat up. "Shit!" He pulled himself up, looking around, hoping to find
something that would be good news. Instead, all he found was a small rock
where the egg had once been. He reached for the rock but froze as the pain in his
arm shot through his entire body. "Damn it all! Stupid keres. What the hell was
he even on about?"
Hartiel flew out of Tosh's pocket. "I tried to help, but the cait shidhe was too
fast. Doubt you even saw me before he knocked you out.
Tosh hissed as he adjusted his weight. "Doesn't matter now. He's long gone,
and I can get back to trying to live a normal life."
"Well you obviously can't just sit here and do nothing. Devata tasked you
with getting the egg—"
"And I got it. Not my fault Azrael got it from me. Seems he knows who to
take it to anyways."
"That's not the point! You were given a task and you need to complete it."
Tosh turned around and sat on the bed. "Look, even if I tried to go after the
egg, he's a dragon guardian. I can't go around fighting him, you saw how he
overpowered me." He cringed at the pain searing in his arm. "I can barely
manage to survive in this room with a broken arm and face. How do you expect
me to survive out there like this?"
Hartiel landed on Tosh's arm. Despite this, the scholar felt no extra pain from
the sprite's weight. Instead the pain began to dissipate. It still hurt, but it wasn't
blinding anymore. "I can't heal it, so we'll need to get you to a doctor. Here,"
Hartiel flew out of the room and was gone for a few minutes. He finally returned
holding a small rock in his hand. "We'll use this in the meantime."
The sprite placed the rock on Tosh's bicep and muttered a spell under his
breath. The stone warped into a thin stone that wrapped around Tosh's arm and
tightened. Tosh cringed from the pain, but soon after felt relief.
"That should hold until we find someone to mend it or give you some
medicine." Hartiel let out a small laugh." Seems like we keep getting hurt way
too often nowadays. You sure you're the best choice to be working for Devata? I
mean at this rate, you're going to bed dead before winter comes."
"Don't remind me."
Tosh stood up and stepped out of the room. The afternoon air was stagnant
with no sign of the Anjuu or Azrael having even been near him last night. There
wasn't a street fair going on today, instead most seemed to scurry from the cars
to different buildings to go to work leaving Tosh the freedom to wander and find
a clinic without many eyes on him.
In the distance he could see the bar where he had met Anjuu the night before
and shuddered at the thought of the other shadow's body still laying in the back
alley. He would have to see if they were still there and if so, perhaps have a
guard come and get the body to a morgue. At least with it being the next day, no
one could see him as suspicious and with a broken arm, there was no way they
could believe a broken scholar like him could destroy a shadow.
"Hartiel, how far can you fly anyways? I thought you were attached to me?"
Hartiel shrugged. "I mean I'm not attached to you. I'm just here following
you."
"True, but you don't exactly leave my side either unless you go to sleep in
my pocket."
Tosh made his way down the stairs, worried that he would injure himself
more. Hartiel sat silently on his shoulder as he made the descent. No one seemed
to be in any of the rooms that they passed by, but it was possible they were all at
work as well. Thankfully, the walk back to the bar was a lot quicker than when
he had walked with Anjuu last night. She had made sure no one followed them,
and now he was free to roam again without an assassination hovering over his
head.
"Let's see if anyone has collected the shadow," Tosh muttered and took a
deep breath. He looked around the street to see if anyone was watching him
before stepping into the alley. Hartiel was the first to turn the corner and stopped
midair. “Don’t tell me she's still there."
Hartiel shook his head. "No, but are you sure this was the right bar alley?"
 Tosh looked over at Hartiel, confused about the question. There was no
doubt this was the bar with the awkward sexualized dragon in front of it. He
turned the corner and looked at where the body was. He was expecting to see it,
or even spots where the blood had dried up. Instead, there was nothing. Not any
blood or marks from a fight having occurred last night. It was as if the shadow
had never existed.
He turned around and walked out of the alley. "Well, I'm done helping for the
day. I'm going to the doctor, getting my medicine, and we're leaving. I'll hide on
Devata's island until this entire decade of chaos stops. Too much excitement for
me. Wanted to kill the queen but fuck it, this is my last day."
 TWENTY-TWO

"G et the hell out of my way you fucking lowlifes! Do you even know who I
am?" A yowl erupted from outside, a voice Anjuu hadn’t heard since leaving the
castle.
Anjuu peered out of the window. She had been living with the rebels,
listening to their stories of injustice from the queen for the last few weeks.
Hearing someone outside intrigued her.
Outside she could see a cait shidhe being held down on the ground by a few
of the older rebels. She couldn't see who he was, but as soon as she saw the
entire scene, she immediately recognized him. Behind the pile of bodies was a
large red dragon. Its head swayed back and forth, unable to decide if it wanted to
eat all of them and chance hurting his guardian or simply stomp its feet until
someone released the cait shidhe.
Anjuu didn't bother running to the door at the other end of the house. Instead,
she pulled open the window and jumped through. "Kalio sent you to kill me,
didn't she?"
Azrael looked up at Anjuu, a smile crossing his face. But it was friendlier
than she had expected it to be. "I can't believe I actually tracked down the
legendary queen's shadow." He pushed up against the elven rebels and then
quickly got onto his feet and sidestepped everyone. "No, then the queen is most
likely after me soon too. I'm here for my own personal reasons."
Anjuu pulled out one of her small knives from a side pocket and launched
toward the cait shidhe. Her hands wrapped around his collar. "Don't fucking lie
to me, keres. You followed me to kill me. You think I'm an idiot?" She pushed
the knife against Azrael's neck.
"Shadow, do you know him?" a voice called behind Anjuu. Massika.
"He's a keres, one of the queen's puppets. Don't you recognize him? You
were the one to complain that she took him from your people."
Anjuu heard a small gasp and Massika stepped closer. "I heard he had
escaped the queen's hands and his sister was captured by the queen. I didn't
know—"
"My sister? What are you talking about? What's going on!"
"Anjuu, put your knife down. He's not our enemy."
The drow’s grip tightened, refusing to listen the Massika. "How do you
know? Look at his skin by his ear, he still has her mark. For all we know, she
could be tracking and listening to our conversation right now."
"I know because his sister was captured and given to the queen for
interrogation.” Massika looked directly at Azrael. “He betrayed Kalio. Though
how I'm not sure."
Anjuu turned to look at Massika, and then at Azrael. “Well? What do you
have to say?"
Azrael gulped, pulling his neck away from the blade. "I was sent by my
father. Well the spirit of my father. He told me what happened to my people and
sent me to find you and present a dragon egg." His eyes darted down to a side
satchel.
Anjuu looked down at it and saw a large white stone sitting inside of it. She
pulled her knife away from Azrael's neck and let go of his collar. "Pull it out."
Azrael didn't wait for a second command and grabbed the egg. "I caught a
scholar trying to take off with it. I don't know what he was doing."
"He was looking for the dragon guardian."
"So, you did see him. He had killed another shadow so I thought he would go
after you since he was so against the queen."
"I killed the shadow. You must not know him well if you think he was that
strong to kill one of us." She thought about the scholar, wondering what may
have happened between them. "What did you do to Tosh?"
"Broke his arm and made sure he wouldn't get up any time soon. Look, if he
was giving this to the next dragon guardian, he obviously wasn't giving it to
you."
"And why would it go to me? I'm a shadow and a drow, Devata couldn't give
two shits about me." She laughed at the idea of anyone wanting her to be a
dragon guardian. It made a little sense since Tosh had tried to give the egg to the
shadow when she had met him, but it was just a coincidence and ignorance.
Azrael pushed the egg onto Anjuu. "Take it, see for yourself. My only
mission was to take the egg to you safely."
Anjuu grasped the egg against her body. It felt cold to the touch. She couldn't
feel any heartbeat inside of the shell and wondered if it had died. She lifted the
egg up to the light to see if she could see the dragon inside of the egg through the
shell. The shell was too thick though, so she couldn't see anything inside.
"It's dead. Looks like it wasn't just Tosh who failed on whatever mission you
—"
A jolt of electricity surged through Anjuu, sending her to her knees. The
electricity turned to a burning sensation that started from her fingertips and
flowed through her veins throughout her body. Her vision closed in until all she
could see was the blades of grass near her hands. The burning was beyond what
Anjuu could take and her body collapsed, the frozen egg lying next to her body.
Anjuu was no longer in the small town with the rebels or Azrael. She was
now standing on a small island with Devata at the center. A least, Anjuu believed
it was Devata. The entire body of the tree had burned, leaving a dark husk in its
place. There were no plants or any life anywhere, even underneath Anjuu was
dried dirt that puffed into clouds of smoke with any slight movement.
A loud dragon roar pulled Anjuu's attention behind her. Near the bank were
too pearlescent white dragons fighting each other. One was half the size of the
other, but both much larger than the average dragons. Their claws scraped
against one another, screeches filling the air with follow-up attacks.
In front of the dragons was a ring of fire still burning from what was left of
the life on the island. She could just barely see two figures standing inside of the
ring. Anjuu felt her body pulled forward. She stepped forward and squinted,
realizing she recognized one of the figures. It was her Queen Kalio fighting
against another figure that was still shadowed from the fire. Anjuu looked back
up at the dragons and realized the larger dragon was Ream.
A voice echoed in Anjuu's mind that she recognized as the queen's voice.
"Burn them all. Burn all of them to the ground! Everyone will die by my hand!"
Kalio sliced her sword across the other person in the fire's body. It dissipated
into smoke and drifted away leaving the person's moon dragon behind. The
queen turned around and waved her arm, blowing the ring of fire away. She
walked closer to Anjuu, her eyes were a pale white that bore into Anjuu.
"Your Highness! I'm innocent! Why have you betrayed me?" Anjuu
attempted to step backward but her feet were stuck to the ground. She looked
down and saw roots and vines wrapped around her feet and legs.
Kalio continued to walk onward, her hand tightened on the blade in her hand.
"You betrayed your people. You sleep in bed with rebels." Anjuu opened her
mouth but no rebuttal came out. Kalio was now in front of her. In one motion,
Kalio thrust her sword into Anjuu's body. Anjuu looked down at her stomach
where the blade stood. There was no pain, but she could feel the pressure where
the sword was.
 "Burn with the rest of them," Kalio hissed. The fire surrounded Anjuu and
Kalio stepped back so Anjuu's vision was filled only with the flames roaring
around her.
Anjuu let out loud scream, the fire was melting away her skin and she
couldn't take it anymore. "Devata! Spirits! Anyone! Stop this madness!"
The fire ceased. The light of the day flooded back into Anjuu's vision. She
found herself on the ground, curled into a ball with the egg still in her arms. The
stone no longer felt cold, but instead she could feel warmth emanating from
inside of it. It pulsated in her hands with a slow heartbeat. She smiled to herself,
realizing that the vision somehow gave life back to the egg.
Azrael kneeled beside Anjuu. She could see the claws on his feet extend out
and retract in anticipation. Behind him, his tail swished back and forth. "Are you
OK? One minute you were about to smash the egg and the next you fell on the
floor convulsing before going still. What happened?"
He held his hand out and helped Anjuu sit up. She was still dizzy from the
vision and put a hand on her head and one on the ground to steady herself. "I'm
not sure what happened. I think I saw the queen destroying Devata. She was
fighting someone there though."
Massika sat down next to Anjuu. "If she was fighting someone and if Azrael
is being honest, then I'd imagine she was fighting you. They say when a guardian
gets their egg, they receive a vision from Devata of what they are meant to do."
Anjuu squeezed the egg close to her body. Its heat was welcoming and
reminded her of her own mother and sister when she was younger. "Then we
should prepare for a fight. She's not going to go down, and this county will be
engulfed by fire soon."
 TWENTY-THREE

W inter hadn't reached the rest of Narishma but the farther north he
travelled, Persius could feel the crisp cold air touch his bones. He
missed the warmth of the capital and all the wealth available to him. Down there,
he was able to live the life of a pet and relax all day to his heart’s content. Now
he was returning home and hoped they would still welcome him as the prodigal
son he was.
He pulled his fur closer to him, wondering if it would be best to just
transform into his beast now. It would be warmer. Faster even. But he held onto
his naginata so transforming would cost him dearly. If he was going to return, he
needed to show his people he could face the cold without falling prey to his
carnal desires and reveal himself as a true warrior of the skin walkers. Even now,
he was cursing their methods of traversing the earth with only their fur and a
small cloth to cover their extremities. It would make sense in the heat of the
desert where the cait shidhe lived, but in the northern tundra it was too much.
"Thank god I'm here to just collect you lot and return back. Maybe convince
some to just stay down there so I don't have to walk through this—" He sneezes.
"Cold."
The path to the first village would be just a little farther ahead. Not everyone
lived in the center of the snow, and some thankfully liked it a little warmer than
others. Persius lifted his head and sniffed the air. A faint smell of other skin
walkers wafted to his nose. They were close and some were hunting. If he didn't
make it to the village soon, the hunting party would find him. He wasn't sure
what was worse, dealing with the cold, or the embarrassment of being dragged
home by a hunting party. He trudged along, waiting to see the small farms and
huts just around the corner. Welcomed back with a warm soup and bed to call
home.
 A howl filled the air and Persius picked up his speed. He refused to be caught
by them. His walk soon turned into a light jog and then a sprint as the howling
grew louder. He could see it now, just beyond a group of trees was a small hut.
The first of many. He got closer and now could see claw marks covering the
cloth exterior. The roofs were thatched with a small hole in the center where
smoke could escape. On the door was a paw print. He recognized it as a bear
skin walker and wondered which family it was. He had seen only one bear
family when he had last been with the village, and this wasn't their home.
Another house built just like the previous one came into view. This one had a
rabbit's paw print on the door. It amazed him there were so many tribes now
within the village. Peace amongst the tribes had brought them together into
larger villages than even he had remembered. Something he would need to thank
Kalio for when he returned.
"Persius?" an older woman's voice called out.
The skin walker turned and saw next to one of the huts was an elderly
woman. She had a fox's pelt draped from her head and she wore a thin piece of
fabric that covered both her breasts and waist. He could see every mark of age
and battle she had endured for her entire life. In her hand was a small jug filled
with water she shook in her hands. "I can't believe it's you. Oh, I need to tell the
chieftain. He'll be so—"
"Grandma, wait." Persius’s smile reached farther than he could imagine. The
same woman who had raised him was standing before him now in her age of
wisdom, but who was still giddy like a small child. He held his arms stretched
out. "Can I have a hug before we see him?"
His grandmother smiled and walked up to Persius. He legs were thin and
looked like the bones inside would break at any moment. She stepped into his
embraced arms and dropped the jug. "Oh, Persius. It is so good to see you
again."
Unlike Persius’s own body, his grandmothers emitted a warmth that he
fondly remembered from his own childhood. Her rich earthy smell reminded him
of his own days hunting alongside her when her body could handle the exertion.
"Grandma, it's good to see you too. Though I'm not here to retire like you have."
His grandmother laughed. "Retire? Oh, I haven't retired. Just don't hunt like
the rest of them. I'm better suited to teaching others to fight nowadays. Much
easier to teach others how to use a staff than chase a deer through the woods."
She pulled away to see Persius better. "So, what brings you back? Has the queen
decided she doesn't need your counsel anymore?"
"Don't think she really ever needed it. No," his smile drifted away, "she sent
me here as a messenger. War is coming."
 "What do you mean, boy?" A gruff voice barked behind Persius.
He turned around to see a man at least a foot taller than him with a large wolf
pelt wrapped around his shoulders. Like Persius and his grandmother, he was
also dressed in just a small cloth covering his genitals. If it wasn't for the fact
that Persius could feel the heat permeating off the man, he would have assumed
the muscles covering his entire body kept him warm in the cold weather. His
green eyes bore into Persius, his one eyebrow lifted and waiting for an answer.
"The queen. There is war brewing down south and she's asking—no she's
telling," Persius puffed his chest out trying to look as tough as the man standing
before him now, "all the skin walkers to go south for the war."
"She realizes we are about to go into hibernation, correct?"
"She doesn't care. I can survive a later start to my sleep, or are you saying
you've become too soft to handle staying up late?"
Persius hit a nerve with the last remark. He felt his grandmother's hand on
his shoulder squeeze him gently. The twitch in the man's eye only meant two
things. Either there would be a fight breaking out or the man would cave and let
him see the chief. They stared at each other for what seemed like an eon before
the larger man caved and stepped back.
"Whatever, if you're so adamant on bringing us into a war then you can bring
it up to the chief. Don't expect many to want to leave their quiet lives. Most of us
actually enjoy it compared to our old lives."
"I don't doubt many have grown soft." He turned around and held his
grandmother's hand, squeezing it gently. "It was good to see you. Perhaps later
we can talk some more?"
His grandmother smiled. "We can talk after you show me you still have the
skill to wield that naginata of yours." Despite her age, Persius knew she would
still give him a challenge on the sparing match.
The muscular skin walker led Persius through the village until they reached
one of the largest huts. The leather and shredded fabric coated the hut like the
others, but it seemed newer and fresh compared to the others, which were
battered from the weather and scars. On the door of the hut was a family paw
print of a large wolf. He recognized it all too well from growing up. The same
paw print he had been told would one day be his own. A paw that he followed
profusely as a cub growing up.
A voice broke through Persius’s nostalgia. "Brother!"
The door of the hut swung open, revealing a man surrounded by multiple
women. Many of them didn't have any cloth around their breasts, with a few
only wearing their animal pelts. The man in the center wore a wolf pelt that
wrapped around his waist to hide himself. If it wasn't for the friendly smile and
thinner stature, Persius would have thought he was looking in a mirror.
"Caius, I'm glad to see you're still ah... enjoying the company of women."
Caius laughed. "Oh, don't mind them. We were just doing a lot of
celebrating."
"Celebration must have been a year long," the muscular skin walker
muttered.
"Brutus, you're free to go. Leave my brother and I to talk. It's been too long."
He paused then held his hand out. "No, actually, Brutus. Send word to everyone
in the village and hunting parties when they return. If my brother is here, then
everyone must know and hear what he has to say. Bring the people to my home
when the moon reaches the high sky."
Brutus nodded and walked off without another word. Persius looked at the
muscular skin walker leaving, then turned back to his brother. "He seems like a
friendly sort."
"You'll get used to him. He's honestly just a teddy bear when you get to know
him." Caius turned to one of the women surrounding him and kissed her on the
cheek. "Girls, I have to talk with my brother so get your stuff and take off until
the meeting. We'll have fun later, OK?"
A few of the women let out a small giggle then took off inside the building
into a side room. Persius sniffed the air, something seemed off about the group
of women Caius was with, but he would leave it alone for now. Most likely his
nose was off after being gone for so long.
Caius stepped aside and held his hand up to welcome Persius into the hut.
"Let's talk then, shall we? I still have some bread and ale left over if you want to
eat."
Persius wanted to deny it and say he wasn’t hungry, but the thought of food
made his stomach growl in delight. "Fine, I'll eat. But I still need to talk."
"We'll talk over a meal."
The two walked side by side into the hut. If it looked large on the outside, it
most certainly was enormous on the inside. Persius had been a lot younger when
he had left the village and knew the chief's home was the biggest place in order
to host celebrations with the people and hold meetings, but it looked to have
expanded since the last time he had been back. There was only one side room
where the chief and his family would sleep, but now there were multiple other
side rooms with unknown purposes to him.
"The village has grown I see."
"Ever since Kalio took over the crown we haven't been nearly as hunted
down as much as we once were. Few battles are fought to gain land. It's peaceful
for once." Caius looked over at Persius. "I take it since you're here that peace
isn't exactly standing anymore." He sat down at the head of the table in the
center of the room. It was long enough to fit at least thirty people if they weren’t
the size of Brutus. "Come. Sit. Eat. Let's talk."
Persius sat down to Caius’s right and looked at the bread in front of him. It
wasn't like what you would find at the capital, where the bread was far flakier
and more filled with air pockets. Instead, it was a multi-grained bread filled with
seeds and nuts. Far more filling and lasted longer. The ale was stronger as well,
fermenting where others couldn't find it unless they smelled out the fruits
ripening underground.
Persius grabbed a piece of the bread and poured himself a cup of the ale.
"You're right. War is coming."
"Yet we haven't faced a battle for almost a generation. Many of these
children couldn't fight anything beyond a rabbit and you expect us to fight?"
"I expect that skin walkers know where loyalties are and fight regardless."
"And who is this invisible enemy now? Are we going to fight the gods?"
Persius took a bite of the bread and crunched down on the seeds. "Rebels.
They've infiltrated the shadows and are planning to overthrow the crown soon.
So, if you like this peace of yours, I expect everyone to beast up."
"And the hibernation? Most are already asleep if not preparing for the long
sleep."
"Wake them up. I had to walk up here without hibernating yet, I'm sure the
rest can do it too."
"And the children?"
Persius felt a small lump in his throat and gulped. Growing up as a child he
had been trained to fight, but this generation wasn’t ready. They needed
protection and training still. He couldn’t face himself if he saw an innocent child
die when they couldn’t defend themselves.
"Grandma is here, isn't she? I don't see why the elderly can't stay behind to
keep the children safe until they are of age to join the pack."
A knock interrupted their conversation. Caius stood up, excusing himself
from the table and shoving the last bite of the bread into his mouth. He walked
over to the door and opened it to see a crowd of people surrounding the door. A
few were standing on top of one another to try and get closer.
"I said nightfall."
"And we didn't listen. If we're going to war, we want a voice now, not forced
into a decision."
Persius grunted and turned around. "Whatever. Bunch of animals anyways."
"Says the guy who has elves pretending to be skin walkers in his brothel,"
one of the younger skin walkers said and slapped Caius on the back before
walking in.
It was a group of at least ten skin walkers of differing ages. Most of them
Persius didn't recognize and guessed they were from a nearby village that joined
theirs while he was away. Judging on the dirt on their skin and the sweat staining
their pelts, they were amongst the hunting party.
They all sat down at the table and poured themselves a cup of ale. Each of
them looked down at Persius, waiting for him to speak again.
Caius broke the conversation. "We're being summoned for war. Our treaty
with the queen was of loyalty to her and to destroy any enemies that she required
from us." He paused, letting the hunting party digest what he had said so far.
"My brother says there is a rebellion brewing that could bring Kalio down and
would make us lose our way of life as we have known it."
"Why does she need us? She has an army at her side. Just send them out to
kill all the rebels off?" Caius opened his mouth then closed it, looking to Persius
for an answer.
"To kill a rebellion, you don't take a sledgehammer to it. You take a knife.
And what knife is sharper than a beasts’ claws?"
The hunting party laughed. He could see now that many of them had razor-
sharp teeth. A tradition for many to give themselves more of a beast-like
appearance even in their common form. A few didn't have jagged teeth, but
instead had markings of branches, or what he assumed might even be antlers, to
represent their beast.
"So, we're just going to march down to the countryside and kill every person
we think might be a rebel?" The younger one asked above the laughter. "Do you
realize we were hunted down because they used to believe we would kill their
children at night or snatch away their women from their homes to mate with
them? And you're asking us to show them that it's the truth now? "
"I'm not asking. The queen demands it. If we must kill an infant in its crib to
make the rebels show themselves, then we will." Persius clenched his hands
underneath the table. He needed to contain his beast for a bit longer. "We are
going to war with the people. After that, you can go back into your soft lives if
you want. But I refuse to acknowledge that the proud skin walkers who put fear
in the hearts of all Narishma now sit here and hunt rabbits all day and balk at the
idea of war. Were we not a people who desired the taste of blood in battle?"
The hunting party grew quiet and looked at one another before looking back
at Caius. They knew Persius had a point in his argument. Before peace came to
them, battle was what each one craved every day. It was what kept them going.
Battles between beasts, villages, elves. Anyone was a target for battle. Since the
time of peace, only those too old to fight or too tired seemed to remember the
enjoyment of those days.
Caius broke the tension again. That was something Persius at least enjoyed
about his brother and why he was the chief of the village. "Persius, if we go back
to that lifestyle our people will dwindle in numbers. Babies fresh from the tit
will perish because they couldn't eat. That was what we escaped when we were
able to live in peace. What you are asking for costs much more than just spilled
blood from warriors."
"Then let it be done. Children should only be born of strong families
anyways. You let a weak child survive with a weak family and the entire pack
loses its strength."
The young hunter let out a low growl. "So, you really don't care about us.
We're just fodder for you. You probably can't fight anymore and that's why she
sent you here to be a good puppy and get her a free army, is that it?"
He stood up from the table. Within seconds, the skin walker transformed into
a large wolf. His fur was a dark black with specks of white on his chest. Caius
went to stand to stop the hunter from fighting but Caius put his hand on his
brother's shoulder.
"You want to fight? Fine, I'll give you what you want and show you that you
all have grown soft."
Persius stood up and felt his bones cracking inside of his body. The pelt
wrapped around his shoulders grew and crawled around his body replacing his
skin with the beast’s fur. The pain of the transformation lasted only a second
before he was now standing on his paws. Compared to the wolf standing in front
of him, Persius was twice the other's size. A dire wolf.
He could feel the beast within him take over but pushed it back. The taste of
flesh was still fresh within the beast’s mind. How long it had been since he had
woken up and enjoyed a fight that led to bloodshed? No, he had to stop it. He
would take down the small wolf pup and get them to listen to him finally. They
were all soft from living in peace, yet so was he. There was no denying living in
a castle came with some benefits, but this wasn’t the time to let them see.
Persius bounded on top of the wolf and tumbled across the ground. Claws
interlocking together. He opened his mouth and bit down on the wolf pup’s
shoulder. At the same time, Persius could feel the pup bite down on his arm. He
had the advantage though. As soon as he had solid ground under him again,
Persius lifted the wolf pup then slammed him back into the ground.
A soft yelp escaped the pup’s mouth and he backed away. His tail was now
between his legs. Persius panted, it had been a long time since he had fought as a
wolf and far longer since it was with someone also in their beast form. Despite
this, he had to pull all the strength he had to present himself as the dire wolf he
was and brother to the chief, deserving to be listened to.
Caius stood up and clapped. “Well done, Persius. Destroying the ignorance
of one of our younger members of the hunting party. Not much of a fight, but I'm
sure we can see that unlike us, Persius still plans to fight and bring his people to
how they were before."
The rest of the hunting party nodded, no longer arguing. Persius felt his
bones fall back into new positions and transformed back into his human form.
Sweat beaded down his chest. The exhilaration from fighting as a beast warmed
his own body, remembering how he had once been able to survive so many years
ago here in the cold.
Caius looked over to Persius. "So where will the pack go?"
 TWENTY-FOUR

P ain seared through Anjuu's muscles. Unlike so many elves and drow she
had encountered, the cait shidhe held far more endurance in battle. Even
now Azrael seemed unfazed by the punches and kicks she sent at him. Instead,
he would retaliate with his own attacks in smooth succession.
"How long until you think she will find you?" Anjuu asked between strikes.
"Not long. Dragons are hard to hide and I'm sure she has a tracker on me. I
wasn't exactly the most honest of those loyal to her. Then again," he grunted as
he blocked another of Anjuu's punches before spinning around behind her, "you
were loyal to the point that I'm surprised she thought you would betray her."
"But I didn’t betray her. I am still loyal to her."
"As I said, loyal to a fault. Even when you are standing amongst rebels."
Anjuu lifted her hands to signal for a break. "Only to get what the queen
actually took the crown to happen. She still wants equality for people, and for all
we know, she may not be able to see everything for how it is. I know I didn’t,
and I was with her at all times."
Azrael walked over to a black backpack and pulled out two tattered brown
towels. Courtesy of the rebellion as Azrael had put it. He tossed one over to
Anjuu and they both wiped the sweat off their bodies. "If you really think she
cares about the people, then there's going to need to be a sign slapped in your
face for you to get that Kalio just isn't a good person."
"Doubt you could find that proof without muddling it with the fact that she
can’t see the full truth just yet. I'll show her though."
"And your vision from Devata?"
"I'm sure I saw it wrong. Do you really think she would burn all of Narishma
to the ground just to get rid of the rebellion?"
A roar in the distance pulled Anjuu and Azrael's attention away from their
conversation. It had been only two weeks since Azrael had joined the rebels and
Anjuu could recognize Azrael's dragon roar and what each one meant. This one
was higher pitched, something she had never heard from him before.
"What's going on?"
"Not sure, but he never screams like that unless he needs help. Come on."
They both ran into the woods behind the house. Azrael's dragon spent most
of its time in there sleeping or hunting large prey. There was almost nothing out
in the forest that was dangerous for a dragon unless another had found its way
into the forest without detection.
The forest grew quiet. Anjuu could no longer hear the dragon and Azrael
stood sniffing the air, his ears turning in different directions to listen for the
telltale roars. It was faint, but Anjuu could hear a small rustling in one of the
nearby bushes.
She lifted her hand up to get Azrael's attention then dropped it to her lips to
let him know to be silent. She pulled one of her knives out from her belt and
watched the leaves rustle around the area. There was no way it was the wind, but
it was possible it was just an innocent animal hiding from the dragon as well.
She wouldn't take any chances on giving away their location with the squawks of
a dying animal.
Anjuu held the knife between two of her fingers, then flung it forward. It
lands with a thud behind the bush. No sound escaping from a creature behind it.
The leaves stopped moving. The drow let out a sigh of relief and she realized the
movement was most likely just an animal she had managed to scare off.
The knife slid across the dirt toward Anjuu again like someone had slid it
back. She stepped aside and noticed the handle seemed off. There was a sheen
on it. Anjuu looked back over to the bushes, still no movement, but she knew
something, or someone was there.
Anjuu ignored the knife on the ground and walked up to the bush. She
pushed away some of the branches but saw nothing. The only thing left was a
pair of small footprints that didn't wander off anywhere. They simply stopped
with a small indent where the person's knees had been laying and that was it.
Even the foot prints that led to the bush were too perfect for someone to walk
backward on without standing back up and revealing themselves.
"Who threw that back?" Anjuu asked, still looking around for a sign of a
person escaping. Even a trap of some sort. She swung her arm out where the
footprints stopped but didn't feel anything solid. They weren't invisible.
"Not sure who did it, but I imagine it might be some magic to make this
thing slide across the ground like that." Azrael bent down to look at the knife
still laying on the ground. Anjuu turned around, about to warn Azrael not to
touch the knife just yet. Before she could say anything, he picked it up. She let
out a sigh when nothing happened. "Not sure why they would do that. Not like
sliding a knife can be any form of—ouch!” He dropped the blade back onto the
ground.
Anjuu bolted over to Azrael. He hadn't touched the blade, but something
scratched his skin. She could see the blood spotting and covering his fur. Anjuu
looked down at the knife still and realized why it had a sheen to it. She had seen
it a few times with other shadows. There was a small needle that was shoved into
the wood of the handle. At one angle she couldn’t see the needle, but just
moving it a little to the left exposed the needle.
"Azrael, I need you to stay calm, but I need you to tell me exactly what
symptoms you're feeling. That needle might have a poison in it." Anjuu pulled
the small needle out of the handle and shoved it into her pocket. She would need
to remember it was there or deal with someone else getting hurt. She could
examine it later to see if it was another assassination attempt from a shadow or
not.
"What are you talking about? Symptoms? I feel—" Foam began to form and
spill out of his mouth. His eyes rolled back into his head and his body shook
violently.
Anjuu grasped Azrael's body to try and stop the convulsions. She pulled him
down to the ground, examining his body as quickly as she could. There was a
fever. His veins didn't seem to pop out. His heart was racing. She recognized the
poison, but the cure wasn't nearby. If she was back in the city, she could get
ahold of the cure. Horseradish. If she was near a drow family, most would
certainly have some available in their homes. If not the horseradish, then they’d
undoubtedly have a container of wasabi, which would have done the trick. But if
she left, there was no telling who the assassin was and if they would come back
to finish the job. Thankfully the poison wouldn't kill him unless he choked on
the foam spewing from his mouth.
"Interesting reaction,” Mestre said as she stepped from between the bushes.
This is the first time I've tested this on a cait shidhe. Glad to know it behaves the
same as other races."
There were bugs crawling over her hands. Mestre smiled, giving her a frog-
like appearance. Anjuu had only seen Mestre from above all these years working
with Kalio and knew what she was capable of. Now seeing the woman in front
of her, it sent shivers down her spine. A being so cruel to use anyone and
everyone as experiments. Even the drow refused to be so inhumane.
"What do you want?"
Mestre's face warped and her skin turned a dark gray until Anjuu was now
facing a mirror image of herself. "Oh, whatever shall I do? I'm such an innocent
shadow. I have no power. But if I give Mestre this gift then he could live for a bit
longer." The Anjuu-disguised Mestre began to mock cry. "If only I just gave
myself up to the queen. Gave her my head. But Mestre won’t take me to her. So,
I guess I will just have to give Azrael away so I can at least save him since I am
so helpless."
Anjuu looked down at Azrael. Despite the retorts that Mestre had said, she
had one point, Azrael could live if Mestre provided the antidote. "Cure him first,
then we'll talk."
Mestre transformed herself back into her old appearance. "Hand him over
first. I don't intend on killing him yet. Not my place. I already have the ultimate
poison to kill anyone in the country. Either you give him to me now so he lives
or let him die here and now."
His body continued to twitch and convulse but had gone weaker as his
muscles began to fail. It was only a matter of time before he would choke on the
foam, or his muscle died, and he would become immobilized from the neck
down.
"How do we know you won’t just use that supposed poison on him?"
"His sister." Anjuu's head perked up. "We have his sister and I'd rather watch
them both die a slow death. Watch them die slowly from one of my poisons.
Unable to help one another." She held up a small vial. "Or whatever the queen
has in store for him. But right now, I think her focus is on killing you before him.
He betrayed her trust just as much, so a plaything for torture is more up his life.
Better that than icing in the middle of the woods because you couldn't feed him
wasabi, no?"
Anjuu closed her eyes. She embraced Azrael and whispered a small prayer.
"Spirits of Ombramoor. Devata. Someone please keep him safe. I promise,
Azrael, I will find you. I will kill her and get your sister and you free from there.
I will avenge you. Just be safe."
Anjuu laid Azrael down on the ground. "Give him the antidote then you can
have him. Promise me you won’t kill him."
Mestre held her hand up and crossed her heart. "I am the queen of poisons,
not lies. Kalio wouldn't have chosen me if I was known to deceive people.
Unlike you and this one here. Shame you both couldn't keep up your end of the
bargain. You'll just die like the rest of the rebels." Mestre knelt next to Azrael
and poured the liquid into the cait shidhe's mouth. "That should do it."
Anjuu watched as the foam dissipated and the twitches became more
sporadic and less violent. She was thankful to see she cured him. For once, she
was glad Mestre was around. Though what came next, she wasn't as thankful for.
 "You know you could always fight me and get your precious cat to safety."
Mestre smiled, mocking Anjuu. Mestre placed a hand on her cheek as if
remembering something. "You know, it probably wouldn't be a good idea to fight
me though. After all," she put her fingers up to her mouth and let out a loud
whistle, "I have a dragon of my own now."
A roar filled the air and Anjuu immediately recognized it as Azrael's dragon.
The beast launched into the sky just yards beyond them. He had been so still and
silent that neither of them had realized the dragon was there. Anjuu thought the
dragon would help her and protect its guardian but realized something was
wrong. It's eyes that glowed with an internal fire were now a milk white and she
could see a green goo drooling out of its mouth.
"Special concoction I built for dragons. Will do great on the market to make
guardians obsolete. Handy, no? Rid ourselves of shadows and guardians. A
perfect world where Kalio can control everyone without interference."
Mestre let out another whistle and lifted Azrael off the ground and tossed
him over her shoulders. “You see, shadow, when you have the power of a dragon
at your back, it's a gift, and I'm sure you don't want to kill your friend’s beast.
Don't worry, we’ll make sure he goes back in his cave where he belongs. Maybe
even become a play thing for Ream."
The dragon dropped its hind foot down so Mestre could step onto it and
wrapped her arm around the beast's leg. It took off into the air and launched
forward. Within seconds she was out of sight and Anjuu was left alone to decide
what to do next.
Her body felt numb. She had given Azrael to the enemy after he had escaped
and came to her to help stop Kalio. Now she had given him back to them on a
silver platter and he had no idea. Anjuu bit her bottom lip, holding back the tears
that welled up in her eyes. Everything she had seen, every misdeed the queen
had done. Every lie that she was told. Betrayal had hurt when she was the new
assassination target, but now things were going too far.
I will save you, Azrael. I'll make sure the egg hatches and I will burn that
entire castle to save everyone from her.
The walk back was silent. She grabbed the backpack and towels that were
left by Azrael. She could still smell him on his towel and held it close to her.
Kalio would see the wrong in her ways on letting a woman like Mestre exist. She
had killed so many for the guild, but she did it to bring peace to Narishma and
Ombramoor. Mestre just tortured and killed for her own demented pleasure. A
ren zhe that had no concept of tribalism and a love for poison, a creature not
suited to exist.
The bag felt heavier than Anjuu had imagined and looked inside. Underneath
the extra clothes and towels was the moon dragon egg Azrael had brought with
him. Another reminder of her own failure and new mission. She shoved the
towels around it so the egg wouldn't move and slung the bag onto her back.
After a few minutes of walking, Massika appeared around one of the trees.
Her fur was still wet from a bath. Her eyes grew wide as soon as she realized
Anjuu was by herself and carrying Azrael's bag.
"What happened? You were just out training in the fields." Massika's eyes
narrowed. "Did he betray us? He didn't hurt you, did he?"
Anjuu shook her head. "No, I betrayed him. We need to get the rebellion
together. We will collect everyone and storm the castle. I don't give a damn
about the queen or any of them anymore. I will kill every soldier inside of that
castle and we will get Azrael and his sister out of there by the fortnight."
 TWENTY-FIVE

"T"You
hat should do it." Tosh cringed as pain shot through his arm again.
know, if you just went to a medic, we wouldn't need to do this, right?"
Hartiel asked, tugging at the vines now wrapped around Tosh's arm.
"No, this will suffice. Gives me some more support on my arm and if
someone tries to break it again then they will have to get through a lot of vines
first. Not to mention," he picked up a rock and chucked it, "my strength is a little
better now too."
He pulled his sleeves back down to hide the vines. Each one twisted and
curled, constantly moving to allow him full mobility of his arm. It was like a
snake strangling its next meal to devour it whole. It took a lot of energy out of
him to maintain the constant pressure from the vines, but it was well worth it to
avoid any attention to himself.
He pulled out a small ticket in his pocket. It was for the capital, but the train
would drive near Devata first before going south. He would just get off earlier
than the ticket advised. He looked down at the name on the ticket: Giles
Goranus. He felt bad for the kid, but Tosh had to take advantage of the kid. He
had been looking at some spider web and Hartiel took off with the ticket before
the kid noticed.
The train hadn't pulled up into the station yet, leaving Tosh alone at a bench
waiting. If he got on the train before the kid showed his face, he would be safe.
Just in case, Tosh pulled his hood up over his face and sat quietly on the bench.
At least another hour before the train arrived.
Hartiel sat next to Tosh on the bench. He was now in the form of the boy
they had stolen from. "You know, we could have just bought a ticket."
"And chance someone else coming after us? No thanks, rather be off the grid
for a while."
 "And once you get to Devata, then what?" Hartiel turned back into a solid
light and flew in front of Tosh's face. "We just going to sit there and wait until
Kalio dies of old age?"
"I don't know yet, Hartiel. Look I'm sure Devata wants me to do something
else and I'll probably be forced to do it. But for now, I just want to get to the
island and relax without someone trying to kill me around every corner."
Tosh and Hartiel grew silent. They’d had this argument so many times within
the past few days there was no hope of either side winning. Tosh could hear the
different cars driving beyond the station gate. There was only a thin wall that just
blocked the view of those who would be boarding the train to see the streets
beyond. It stretched out a few yards in both directions so at least a dozen or more
people could stand in the gate. "I do wonder what happened to that egg, though.
Think Azrael figured out who to give it to or did he just bring it back to Kalio?"
Hartiel didn't get a chance to answer. A loud engine noise filled the air
alongside a song filled with yelling and heavy guitar sounds mixed in. The wall
blocked his view of who had pulled up, but he could tell it was some sort of
motorcycle that had stopped in the parking lot, judging by the sound it made.
Tosh tensed up, wondering who the new person was. It was possible it was
someone looking for him and had caught on to his trail. Or he was simply going
to be joined by someone else waiting for the train. He prayed it was the latter
and could just ignore the existence of the newcomer.
The engine cut off. He could hear the footsteps from the rider get closer now.
He waited and watched the entrance, pulling the hood farther down in case they
could see his mark on his cheek. He didn’t need more attention. Hartiel, in
response, also flew into Tosh's pocket so no one could see him either.
The person that had parked outside stepped into the station and looked
around. Tosh immediately recognized the drow. Even with the white mask that
hid her features, he knew it as Anjuu. The drow looked around then sat down on
the opposite side of the station, ignoring Tosh completely. His mouth twitched,
wondering what she was doing back here after leaving him to almost die the last
time.
"So, this is how you react after abandoning me, is it?" He called across the
station, not wanting to get up. The shadow jumped in her seat and turned to look
over at Tosh. She still didn't talk. "You really have some nerve, you know? I
mean, I get it you got depressed when the queen wanted you dead but damn you
had some bad timing there."
The shadow lifted her mask enough so Tosh could see her mouth underneath.
"You're the scholar?"
"Figures you don’t even recognize me. Has it been that long that you can't
remember a guy you saved and then put right back into the line of danger?"
The drow smiled. "It has been some time. Glad I found you." She stood up
and pulled a pistol out from her side. "They said finding you would be good
money. More money if you're alive, but I think they'll understand if you're
missing a limb."
Tosh stood up and took a step back. "You're not Anjuu are you?"
"Quick to learn. Good, maybe you will give me a challenge."
The shadow pulled the mask back down and Tosh realized the mask had
different markings from Anjuu's. They were close, but this shadow's markings
were far longer. He cursed under his breath, now hoping Devata had ignored his
last request and someone would show up.
The shadow pulled out a small threading needle coated in a clear liquid. She
took another step forward. Tosh wanted to run, but there was no way he could
escape from a trained assassin. It was either die where he stood and hope
someone got there to help him before it happened or die while running. Neither
sounded appealing.
Tosh closed his eyes, preparing for the worst. Before the shadow stepped
closer, a crash was heard outside of the station. The shadow turned her head and
Tosh took the opportunity to focus his energy on Hartiel’s. Together, they
commanded the wind to rotate around them. He focused on the air around him,
creating a small dense pocket. It rotated faster in front of him. As the ball grew
more dense and bigger, he could feel the energy inside of him grow weaker. He
couldn't pull any more energy from Hartiel and the vines were growing weak on
supporting his arm.
He blasted the air bubble forward, at the shadow. She hadn't noticed it during
her inspection of anyone outside bothering her motorcycle and was pushed back
against the wall. The shadow let out a soft groan and went silent. Tosh fell to the
ground and stared at the shadow, waiting for her to move once more. He held his
breath for what felt like an eon, but she never moved.
"Figures I would find my bike out here." A voice grumbled outside the
station. There was another thud followed by some loud cursing. "Whatever. Now
to find this piece of shit who decided it would be a good idea to steal my bike."
The person walked up the steps into the station and Tosh let out a small gasp.
There was no denying this time that it was Anjuu. Her tousled white hair and
look of constant annoyance was all too familiar. She had her mask attached to
her belt. Anjuu looked over at the shadow knocked unconscious on the ground
and grumbled something under her breath before turning to look at Tosh. She
reached back for a small backpack behind her then stopped.
"Whatever, she'll wake up eventually. Lower rank preferring to play in
disguises. You're Tosh, right?" Tosh nodded. "Good, then I don't need to chase
you down."
"No, I'm not going with you. I'm going back to—"
Anjuu walked over to Tosh and grabbed his shoulder, ignoring his protests.
"You're a scholar. You hate Kalio as much as the next person and I'm building an
army." She squeezed his arm. "So, you'll come with me today or I'm sure another
shadow will just come knock you down before you get wherever you think you
were going."
Tosh cringed from the pain, realizing there was no hope in arguing. His arms
were still sore from using his magic, and eventually the vines would give out if
he wasn't careful, He let out a small sigh. "Fine, whatever. Devata probably
dragged you here anyways so I doubt I can get back to him any time soon." He
looked behind Anjuu at the shadow on the ground. "You sure it's safe to let her
free like that?"
Anjuu shrugged. "By the time we get out of here, she won't be able to track
us with how hard you hit her. That kind of embarrassment either makes us want
to hunt you down more or choose a less complex target. Judging by the fact that
she disguised herself as me to get close to you, I'd say her tricks ran out and it
will be the latter."
The two walked out of the station and toward the motorbike still flat on the
ground. She grabbed the helmet off the ground and examined it, wiping dirt from
the visor. "At least she wore a helmet. That's something I can say about her.
Here," she shoved the helmet into Tosh's hands. "You can wear it."
Tosh put the helmet on and once Anjuu had pulled the bike back up and
found herself comfortable, he climbed up behind her. He wrapped his arms
around her waist. Her body felt warm close against his own. He could feel a few
of her weapons underneath his arms and the curve of her body she hid
underneath it all. He froze, realizing this was the closest he had ever been to a
woman in a long time and it was one that could kill him before he realized what
happened.
"Sorry, don't mean to be too close," Tosh muttered. He could hear Hartiel
giggling in his pocket, but kept his mouth shut.
Anjuu let out a small grunt and started the bike. He could feel it rumble
underneath him and in an instant, they were driving down the road. He no longer
regretted holding onto her body so tightly and was thankful she even gave him
the helmet. After a few miles on the highway, Tosh felt comfortable sitting
behind Anjuu and adjusted himself. Anjuu did the same, pushing the backpack
between herself and Tosh.
The bag was slightly open, and he could see the milk white stone that he had
spent so much time getting before. He leaned toward it and could feel a warmth
emanating from it. A smile reached his face, realizing how dumb he was before.
The person who needed the egg was the one who had saved him, and he was too
dumb not to see it.
***
It took the rest of the day to reach a large city. Judging from the multitude of
signs they drove past, he assumed it was called Ravenport. He could smell the
ocean in the distance and realized they had gone to an actual port town. Anjuu
didn't stop for a while, speeding through the multiple streets until she reached
downtown. The buildings towered over them like mountains and Tosh watched
as she swerved between cars and down side streets. Eventually she slowed down
and stopped in front of one of the smaller buildings.
"Higher end, should attract less attention." Anjuu turned the bike off and put
her glasses away, blinking to allow her eyes to adjust back to normal vision.
"You have money, right?"
"Err..." He wanted to say he did, but with someplace as nice as this, he
doubted they wouldn't notify everyone as soon as he tried to pay.
Anjuu waved her hand in the air. "No matter, I should still have enough.
Queen doesn't exactly have access to my private bank account, and I happened to
have taken off with some of the countries funds before she closed me off." She
smirked and walked up to the hotel.
They both walked into the large lobby. Off to the side was a small restaurant
where a few people were sitting down, preparing for an early dinner. Tosh leaned
from one foot to the other as Anjuu walked up to the front desk to check in. She
was talking low with the person at the desk and then held her arm out to be
scanned. The clerk handed a small card to Anjuu and smiled.
"Enjoy your stay and your honeymoon."
Tosh's ears perked up and looked between the clerk and Anjuu.
"Honeymoon? We're not on a—"
Anjuu wrapped her arm around Tosh and smiled. "Oh, hush honey.” Her
voice went a tone higher, with a sing-song accent to it. “I know it's looked down
on, but you don't have to deny it here. She is pretty progressive. Let's relax for
once and enjoy the night." Anjuu stepped behind Tosh and rested her head on his
shoulder. "After all, didn't you say you wanted beautiful babies with me just on
our way over here?"
The clerk blushed and walked away from the desk, pretending she hadn't
heard Anjuu. Tosh tried to argue again, but felt a sharp object stabbing him in the
back. Anjuu handed him the key and pushed him to the hallway. He looked at
the card and read the number 158. His eyes scanned the doors for the room
number.
"You need to watch what you say, scholar. Only reason I got this room for a
discount is because of that lie." The sharp object no longer was held up against
Tosh's back and he could see Anjuu slide a small knife into her belt. "As long as
we are here, you are my husband and we are here celebrating our wedding."
They stopped at their room and Tosh scanned the card in the small slot where
the door knob should have been. The door unlocked and they both walked
inside. "Because it's believable with this large mark on my face showing I'm a
scholar."
"Or you're just an elf who likes to live dangerously and marries a femme
fatale drow woman. People are lot more idiotic than you think." She fell into the
single bed and let out a sigh. "It's been a while since I've enjoyed a bed this nice.
Might take a shower too."
Tosh sat down at the desk, his eyes drifting over to the bag next to Anjuu that
still held the egg. "So, Azrael found you?"
Anjuu looked over at the bag then back to Tosh. "He did. I heard about what
happened. Looks like it wasn't as bad as he made it sound. Though I guess if I
wasn't dumb and ran away, you probably wouldn't be in this mess now."
"Yeah..." Tosh's voice trailed away as he looked up at the ceiling. "I should
have known it would be you, but it didn't seem obvious. I mean you didn't seem
attracted to the egg at all, so I figured you weren't the one."
"Well here I am. Not exactly what you would call a guardian since it hasn't
hatched." She paused and looked over at the door. Tosh strained his ears and
heard someone walk up and stop outside their door. "Oh god!" Anjuu shrieked,
making Tosh jump. "Harder!" Anjuu started to let out loud gasps. She repeated
this a few times and bounced on the bed before the footsteps began again and
walked away from their door.
Anjuu let out a small cough. "Apologies." She laid down on the bed. "That
should keep them away unless they're perverts."
"At least warn me next time, will you?" He shifted in his chair. "Is that a skill
you shadows had to learn. To you know..."
"Fake it? That's just a skill anyone that understands sex will pick up." She
laid down on the bed. "Look, I'm sorry, I guess. But with this war now coming I
need someone that knows more about scholars than I do. So why not do more
than get an egg and fight?"
 TWENTY-SIX

K alio's desk was engulfed in papers and small black stones. She had played
most of the stone's messages half a dozen times. Different cities in her
kingdom reporting that they were loyal to her and others reporting of another
shadow dying because of Anjuu. One message mentioned Anjuu had joined the
rebels.
She shoved her face into her hands. There had been a small sliver of hope
that the visions and messages had been wrong, but now Anjuu had been gone for
too long and every report pulled more evidence that Anjuu had betrayed her. The
one drow that Kalio felt she could trust above all others, who had killed family
and friend alike, was now the enemy of her throne.
It had grown quiet as of late, with only the sound of shadows and guards
alike that were now subjected to Mestre's studies. She gave up all pretenses of
keeping the experiments away from the castle. If it meant creating more of the
poison, then so be it. She’d make sure every traitor died.
The sound of pecking at Kalio's windowsill pulled her out of her despair. It
was a large crow with another stone in its mouth. Kalio got up from her desk and
walked across her office to the window. She pulled it open, feeling the cool
breeze brush across her face. The first winter air was coming and she would
need to prepare her kingdom for the cold. If the rebels continued their onslaught
though, everyone would die out before winter came.
Kalio looked down at the crow. "So what bad news do you have for me
today?"
The crow titled its head and dropped the stone inside the room. Before Kalio
could respond, the Crow spread out its wings, let out a cry, and flew back off
into the air.
The stone was smaller than the other messages. She took it over to the desk
and flipped it in her hands. "So, who wants to tell me the world is burning
today?"
She activated the stone to reveal one of the male shadows that had brought
Rahani to the castle. "My Queen. We bring news from the farmlands to the east.
Many of them have been burned to the ground, leaving no trace of anyone alive.
Even the earth was scorched by dragon fire." A hiss from someone out of view
pulled the shadows attention for a moment. "Oh, yes, and we also received
reports to the north. Wild animals have been invading small villages and killing
people."
He was pushed off to the side, revealing a female shadow wearing a pure
white mask with only the slits and no markings. "My Queen, they're saying it's
dire animals stalking the wilderness."
Kalio grumbled and placed her hand over the stone to shut off the message.
"Idiot. Send him on a mission to destroy the rebels and instead he acts like a wild
beast. Unless..." her mind drifted, wondering if these attacks weren't random.
The rebellion had grown the last few years, it was only plausible that smaller
towns were no longer loyal to her. When she had the poison stock completed,
she would remember those towns and infuse the water with a few drops of the
poison. Or she would just fly and burn them all.
"I need to get ready. If the rebellion has grown to fill cities, they'll infest the
noble houses soon too."
Kalio stepped over to one of the book cases lining the wall. Unlike the
others, it had different weapons adorning it. At eye level was one specific
weapon. A gunblade with a dragon etched into the blade. The hilt was wrapped
in a small thin rope that held a small coin underneath.
She brushed her hand against the rope. It was the same coin that she had
made the first time she was in Narishma. Kalio smiled and pulled the gunblade
off the shelf. The blade was dull now, but she could find a blacksmith to sharpen
it soon enough. For now, she could feel like she was in control while holding her
gunblade.
Kalio walked out of her office, toward the opposite end of the castle. Most of
the rooms were quiet inside, an empty shell compared to how it once was. She
missed the times she could trust people to not betray her and they filled the
castle with ceremonies and parties almost daily to celebrate Narishma and
Ombramoor.
She reached the opposite end of the castle and wrinkled her nose. The smell
of body odor wafted up to her from between the cracks of the door. Kalio
regretted letting the guards live inside of the castle, but it was the best way to
keep them close by if they had no family to go back to.
 Kalio opened the door, blasted with the bad odor. Multiple men were walking
around half dressed or only wearing a towel wrapped around their waists. A few
of them looked over at Kalio coming in, but most chose to ignore her entrance.
She had instilled a fear in them enough that they knew behaving against their
soldier discipline would lead to a life in the cells below.
An older man still dressed in half of his armor and a shirt and pants walked
up to Anjuu. He saluted her and Kalio returned the gesture so he could return to
a relaxed posture.
"My Queen. It is unexpected for you to be in here."
"I don't exactly want to be, especially with how foul it is here. I needed to
speak with you." Kalio turned around and stepped out of the room. "Not in
here."
The general walked out of the living quarters and stroked his fingers across
his thick mustache. "Another mission I take it?"
"No." She looked out the window, her eyes scanning the streets below. "How
many men do you have in your battalion."
"At least a few thousand."
"Not enough. We need to recruit more men and women. How much reserve
do we have on recruitment bonuses?"
"Sadly, all we have left is enough for the soldier’s monthly pay. I don't think
—"
"I didn't ask you to think, general. Starting tomorrow, any able-bodied man
or woman will be sent a call to arms. We are going to war and anyone that
chooses to disobey me will be executed."
The general took a step toward Kalio. "My Queen, we need those people to
maintain the peace by providing services in other ways. Farmers, blacksmiths,
business owners."
"If they are life essential, fine. If not, I don't care if you must burn their
homes down to get them to enlist. Burn the entire city down if you must. I want
my army ready to fight the rebellion and maintain order." She straightened her
back and looked at her general. "Do you understand me?"
He jumped and fidgeted for a second before saluting Kalio. "As you wish,
My Queen. We will double our numbers immediately."
 TWENTY-SEVEN

P ain surged through Azrael's head, waking him up. He remembered training
with Anjuu, then pain through his entire body, and it went dark after that.
Azrael opened his eyes. The room was dark except for a small wood-burning
stove next to him. His body was cold, and the fire did nothing to help him. Even
his fur, which could keep him safe even in the winter, was useless right now. The
cold reached down to his bones and held tight.
He felt for his surroundings. He was sitting and his hands and legs were tied
by rope. Azrael tapped a toe and heard a soft thud, meaning it was some sort of
tile underneath him. He didn't recognize the room from the little information he
had, but he was glad he at least could comprehend his own predicament.
"Good, you're awake," a voice said from the darkness.
Azrael's eyes widened. He recognized that voice. Mestre. "What am I doing
here? Where am I? Mestre, get me out of this!"
"Don't bother. No one can hear you down here." She stepped toward Azrael
so he could see her sharp features under the light of the fire. She walked behind
Azrael and pulled out a knife. "You've lost a lot of blood." He felt a tug on his
arms and then they were free to move again. Mestre walked around in front of
him and cut the ropes binding his legs together.
Mestre stood back up and turned the knife and held it out for Azrael. "Take
it."
Azrael looked up into Mestre's face. He recognized her mocking smile every
time she proved him wrong in front of the queen. He went to lift his hand to grab
the knife, but his arm couldn't move.
"What did you do to me?"
Mestre shrugged. "I just removed some of your blood. Boiled it away
technically."
 "Boiled it?"
Mestre turned around and snapped her fingers. A dim light filled the room. It
looked more like a hospital than a prison. He knew better. All her experiments
were done near the dungeon cells, so she had free bodies to use as she pleased.
This was just a renovation she came up with.
"Like it? First time you've been down here." She placed the knife onto a
small table and picked up different tools, examining them, and then putting it
back down. "Missed my time in the hospital. Too bad they're in the business of
saving lives. Much more into death myself. It's why the shadows still exist."
Mestre picked up a large needle, nodded, and walked back over to Azrael.
"You can kill me if you want. Anjuu already has possession of a dragon.
She'll become a guardian and put a stop to all of this injustice."
"Injustice you call it? Last I heard, you didn't give a shit about anyone but
yourself? Did the almighty Azrael go soft?"
"I didn't get soft. If you weren't so insane you would see what you are doing
to these people!"
"I know what I'm doing. That's what makes me sane. Did you know what
you were doing?"
Mestre held the needle up to Azrael's neck and punctured his skin. He could
feel a cold liquid surging through his veins. His energy was completely removed
and just talking to Mestre took everything out of him, let alone trying to pull
away from her.
He sent out a silent prayer to Devata. If Anjuu could hatch the egg and
become a guardian quickly, there was hope of him surviving. As he sat here,
there was no telling how long Mestre would play with him until she grew bored
and killed him.
Mestre pulled out the needle. "There. That should be enough for now.
Shadows created an interesting poison. Did you know? It lets the receiver see
images of fear while they sit immobile. Now then, let me turn off the lights and
see how you react to my own version of this."
She walked to the wood burning stove and closed the front so only a small
light of the wood peaked through. She clapped her hands, and the lights turned
off, leaving Azrael in almost complete darkness.
A giggle echoed through the room. Childlike. Nothing like Mestre's own
laughter. Azrael's eyes darted around, trying to see who was making the noise.
Another laugh followed by the smell of blazing fires. If he was closer to the
stove, he would have believed he was in the stove itself. Small footsteps echoed
around him and then the blast of heat hit his face.
Flames burst around him. He was no longer in the room. The ground was
like ink swirling underneath him and near the fires were small demonic beings;
standing only a foot tall with ears that pointed up another five inches. He could
see their beady eyes staring at him and a smile that spread across their oversized
face filled with rows of razor-sharp teeth.
The demonic beings laughed again and the four of them picked up a small
trident. They inched closer to him, skipping from one foot to the other as if their
entire movement were a dance. As they stepped farther from the flames, Azrael
could see the thin fur coating their bodies red as blood. Whether it was their
natural color or blood coating them, he couldn't say.
Azrael let out a scream and felt it echo around the room. No one could hear
him, he remembered that much from Mestre's speech. But just a small glimpse of
hope stayed inside him. Hope that Anjuu could somehow still hear him.
The demons were all now in front of him. The one directly in front of Azrael
let out a loud laugh that sent chills down Azrael's spine. The miniature demon
shoved it's trident into Azrael's leg. As soon as he pulled it out, the second
demon rammed his trident into Azrael’s other leg. Azrael screamed in pain. They
would bleed him to death at the rate they were stabbing him. After a few rounds,
one of them climbed onto his lap and found more places to shove it's trident into
him.
Azrael lost vision, blinded from the constant pain. It went on for hours. He
never died, his wounds, he realized, quickly healed back up once the trident was
pulled out. A never-ending cycle of new stab wounds and recovery. Despite this,
the pain still lingered within him. The stabbing finally stopped, and Azrael hung
his head down, beginning to feel his body regain its strength from determination.
Not enough to escape, but at least he could move his fingers, toes, and head. The
world went blank.
Water poured over his head jolting, Azrael back awake. The water continued,
preventing him from breathing. It flowed into his mouth as he attempted to find
pockets of air. It flowed into his lungs, drowning him in his seat. Before he
blacked out, he heard a laugh from the distance and the water stopped. He
recognized it as Mestre but couldn't see her. He turned his head in different
directions, but she was nowhere.
The flames that had surrounded him were now replaced by a cait shidhe
kneeling on the ground. A small light shined on her and Azrael could see her
perfectly. Rahani. Her fur was coated in blood and all she wore were tattered
rags covered in grime. Her hands and legs were shaved, and he could see
markings of cuffs having constrained her.
Mestre's voice echoed through the darkness. "You think you're so strong,
Azrael. If you had just been a good little cat, this kitten would still be alive."
 Azrael heard a gunshot from behind him and then his sister fell backward.
He could see a small spot on her stomach grow red and, in an instant, it spilled
out of her. He tried to turn away, but her image dissipated and left him back in
the darkness.
"Don't worry, boy. She's not dead yet. I'll make sure you get to see the live
performance. Now, let's pay a visit to my little friends again, shall we?"
The fires blasted up, closer this time, and the small demons walked out from
the fires. There were more of them now and there was nothing he could do to
stop them. Nothing he could do to prepare for the hell. The rebels needed to
hurry.
 TWENTY-EIGHT

"Y"Why
ou can't just walk into the castle!" Tosh snapped.
not?" Anjuu took a deep drink of her beer. "I know every single
pathway through the castle that even Kalio doesn't know about. Just slip on in
and slice her throat while she's asleep."
"No, I mean then what will you do? You think the guards won't suspect you?
You're strong, but you're not an entire army strong." He looked around at the
other patrons and dropped his voice. "You're a wanted woman. There are bound
to be shadows walking around here and, in the castle, now."
"None of them know the tunnels. I was the only shadow permitted to explore
the castle."
"You're a dragon guardian now. You can't just go around assassinating
people."
"I'm also a shadow. Being a guardian comes second."
"And you're a drow. Once the queen is gone, I'm sure the elves will just put
your people back to how they were before. That's what I would have done too if
—"
"If I hadn't shown you we weren't as big of assholes as you thought?"
"No, you're still an asshole. Devata trusts you, and I must trust you too.
Besides, I've lived in the quarries enough that I don't need to shove the drow
back into that life." He rubbed his hand against the scar on his face. It didn't hurt
anymore, but when he smiled he could feel his skin pulling at the edges.
"Look, all I know is I need to get to Azrael and I'll probably have to kill the
queen while I'm there. It'll be easier and far less bloodshed."
"I guess, I just don't think this will be a good idea." Tosh looked around the
room. During their argument, many had grown quiet near them. A few were now
staring at them, not even bothering to hide the fact that they were interested in
the conversation. Tosh had been able to muffle their talk with some wind magic
around them, but he was sure people were noticing the noise blocker.
Tosh held his hand up a few inches from the table, pulling the noise blocking
wind wall down. "How long are we staying here?"
"A day or so. I want to relax before things get too exciting."
Their conversation went still as both focused on the glasses in front of them.
Tosh had been taking his time, only halfway done with his first drink while
Anjuu had finished four glasses and she still didn't seem affected by the alcohol.
She had explained earlier that shadows build immunity for multiple poisons and
as an aftereffect they became more tolerant with alcohol too.
"And what about the ren zhe and other rebels?"
"They're on their way." Anjuu lifted her bag that still held the moon dragon
egg and the towels inside of it and placed it onto the table. Tosh could see there
were now small cracks that even Anjuu had noted earlier in their drive finally.
"Still not out. How long does it take to hatch?" She opened the bag and placed
her hand on top of the egg. "It's grown warmer since the last time. Almost like
it's on fire inside."
Hartiel fluttered onto the table and walked up to the egg. It was weird,
knowing that Anjuu couldn't see the sprite at all. "He will hatch soon. Just a little
more time and we will see what kind of beast we're messing with."
"How do you know it's a he?"
Anjuu lifted an eyebrow. "Who are you talking to? No one mentioned
anything about the egg being a he. Wait, are you talking to that imaginary friend
of yours again?"
Hartiel laughed at the confusion. "I just know. I might be more attuned to
light energy, but I'm still close to fire enough that I can feel the dragon is a boy."
"Can you please stop calling Hartiel my imaginary friend? She exists, but
you're not a scholar so you can't see her." Tosh focused back onto his drink and
sipped.
"Whatever suits you. If Devata really chose guardians, they would let us see
sprites too if we're expected to protect everyone..."
Anjuu's rant drifted off as a small group of men walked toward them. The
largest of them had a tattoo reaching across his face like claw marks. The others
were just as intimidating for Tosh, but he just chose to focus even more on his
beer and ignore their existence.
"You a guardian?" The large one asked, placing his hand on the table.
"If I am?" Anjuu smirked. Tosh wasn't ready to fight anyone right now, but
from his few days of experience with the drow, he knew she didn't seem to back
away from a fight if she knew she would win.
 The larger man pointed at the bag. "What's inside there?"
"None of your concern. Now, if you don't mind, we would like to be left
alone again. Or do I need to teach you all to mind your own business?"
One of the smaller men smiled and walked over to Tosh. "I bet the little guy
here would be willing to talk. Seems like you're a squealer anyways." The man
shoved his finger onto Tosh's scar, causing the scholar to let out a hiss of pain.
Hartiel flew over to Tosh, but Tosh knew there was nothing the sprite could do
right now. Wind magic to create a barrier was one thing but doing anything
offensive in a crowd would cause too much chaos.
"So, elf boy. Show us what's in the bag and maybe we'll leave you alone.
Don't need anyone pretending to be guardians around these parts. The queen
wouldn't be fond of hearing that."
"The queen can kiss my ass!" Tosh hissed through gritted teeth.
The men laughed. "Definitely a tough guy. But how long can you pull that
act. drow, I'm sure you've done enough to test his limits on pain. So, you gonna
show us or let him suffer?"
Tosh could see Anjuu's fists clenched and then released. She left out a large
sigh and stood up, her hand on the bag. "It's a dragon." She pulled open the bag
so the men surrounding them could see. "Though that's not the dangerous aspect
of the situation you've placed yourselves in. You've threatened a shadow and her
ally tonight."
Anjuu closed the bag and zipped it up before placing it on her back. She
pulled one of her knives out and balanced it from one hand to another. "I'll have
to remember to teach everyone proper manners when I become a full-fledged
guardian."
The man holding Tosh let go and fell to his knees. Tosh rubbed his cheek and
turned around, expecting to see him begging for his life. Instead, he was bowing
on one knee. Others around him were also following suit. He then looked at the
large man that had started the threats and even he was on one knee, his right fist
crossed over his hearts.
"Thank you for proving you are the guardian we have been looking for."
Anjuu held the knife toward the leader of the group. "What the hell are you
on about? You just tried to kill him and now you act like I'm your savior?" Anjuu
kicked his leg. "Get the fuck up. I'm not dealing with bullshit like this today."
The man stood up, but he kept his hand across his chest. The others still
kneeled on the ground. Word spread outward and others in the bar kneeled in
unison. Tosh noticed a few slip out the front door. He wondered if those people
would be spreading the word to the queen or others in the city that a new dragon
guardian was around.
 "Start talking, what is with this kneeling bullshit?"
"Devata had sent a message to us in the form of the queen. She warned the
rebels had a new dragon guardian that would be trying to kill her. We didn't
believe it, but seeing you here now, there's no way you aren't real."
"And you didn't join the rebellion before you heard of me?"
The leader shook his head. "We couldn't afford to join the rebellion. Imagine
living so close to the capital and threatening the queen without power behind us.
I might be strong, but I'm not a soldier."
"So, coward then. All of you were just waiting for me to come along and
fight for you while you benefit from her defeat? Did you also stay behind when
she conquered the country and refuse to fight to save Narishma then too?"
The leader swayed from one foot to the other. "You can't exactly expect us to
fight? What did you do?"
"My family celebrated when she conquered. We were treated like slaves
before her. I..." Anjuu paused. "I served as the queens personal shadow."
The room grew silent as everyone contemplated the revelation Anjuu had
announced to all of them. Tosh could hear the soft sound of a television near the
bar counter. There were no sports airing, but he could hear someone talking
quickly. He turned around to see on the screen the words “Queen Recruits
Soldiers for War” and his eyes grew wide.
"Hey! Someone turn that up!" Tosh barked out. An employee that had been
cleaning one of the tables jumped up and grabbed the remote from her apron and
turned the volume up.
It was a drow on the screen dressed in a black pantsuit with a red undershirt
reading the news. Her face seemed calm, but Tosh knew the story was anything
but bad news. "…Scale increase in the military is expected to begin within the
week. No word on how the queen plans to pay for this, but it can be assumed
that if you are of adult age, male or female, you may be drafted."
The news anchor paused and looked off to her left at something off screen.
"We just received notice that Queen Kalio has chosen to speak to her people on
camera. Please stand by as we switch our cameras to the throne room."
The screen went blank and then switched to a long static pause. The volume
was turned down, so they weren't blasted by the annoyance of white noise. It
continued like this for only a minute before the screen became clear again and
Tosh could see the queen sitting on her throne. She wore black pants underneath
greaves designed into the form of boots. Her shirt was a dark grey with a red
under lining that at midriff wrapped behind her like a cloak. She smiled at
everyone, but Tosh could see in her eyes that there was a wish of death for those
around her.
 "My people, as you have known, there is a war brewing. The skin walkers
have moved from their dwellings in the North to attack people, the ren zhe have
chosen to side with the rebellion, and the cait shidhe have stopped providing
taxes as part of our kingdom. I fought hard to protect you all. Our men have
fought tirelessly every day to keep us all safe in our beds at night. I brought
freedom to these lands, and yet they've repaid me in betrayal."
She stood up, her hand on the hilt of her sword. "I will continue to fight, I
promise you that. But I need the arms of Narishma to reach beyond and into
what I cannot do alone. I am a dragon guardian, sworn to protect the people of
this country. A moon dragon gifted to me by Devata. I ask you to join our army,
destroy those who choose to rebel, and bring Narishma into the golden age it is
destined to fulfill!" Kalio pulled her sword out and held it above her head.
"You will be fed by the people, for the people will serve with you. You will
live with the people, for the housing will be by the people. My people, you are
my army and together we will bring Narishma and Ombramoor into true
prosperity by the blessings of Devata themselves!"
A loud roar of cheers and clapping erupted behind the camera as Kalio sat
back into her throne. She laid the gunblade on her lap and nodded at the camera.
It shut off and returned to the static. The television was muted, and the room was
left in silence. Tosh turned to Anjuu, who was still staring up at the screen.
The larger man who had started the attention on Anjuu was the first to speak
up. "That settles it. We either join the queen’s draft or follow you now. I don't
know about the rest, but at this point there is no excuse to stay neutral."
Jeers filled the air, shaking the building. Tosh looked around at the people.
Not even one was leaving the bar. He smiled to himself. He had felt alone the
entire time since he had escaped the quarry. Now he was surrounded by different
people who agreed with him on bringing the queen down.
Tosh walked over to Anjuu, a smile stretching across his face. She was still
staring up at the screen and almost didn't notice him until he was standing in
front of her. Her eyes drifted from the blank screen down to Tosh. He could see
tears welling up in her eyes and his heart sunk. All the excitement made him
forget that she held a connection with the queen still.
Tosh held his arms out and embraced Anjuu. Her body shivered, but he held
her close. If the people were going to follow a shadow that was now a dragon
guardian she needed to be strong. She wouldn’t show her weakness to the
other’s, so he would take her upstairs later so she could speak in private with
him.
Tosh could feel a soft lump near his side and looked down to see that Anjuu
was holding the bag underneath her one arm. It was moving and smacking his
leg. Anjuu's arm was still, yet something was active inside. He pulled Anjuu
away from him and nodded down at the bag.
"Looks like it's time."
Anjuu opened the bag and handed Tosh the towels. He felt something sharp
cut his hand. Anjuu let out a soft gasp and froze. Tosh leaned forward and looked
in. Inside of the bag where the egg had been was now a small pale lizard. Its
wings were coated with a clear gel. The egg shell was shattered with much of it
scorched or turned into dust. The beast’s claws were sharp and outstretched.
"Congratulations, dragon guardian."
 TWENTY-NINE

T he celebration of her dragon's birth lasted throughout the night. No one

wanted to leave the bar that night, leaving Anjuu to go upstairs to get away
from the crowds. Tosh had already fallen asleep, his body sprawled out on the
sofa. His mouth was agape and letting out the loudest snore Anjuu had ever
heard.
The dragon let out a small squeak and nudged Anjuu's arm. She stroked his
head, feeling the soft scales under her fingers. Unlike her knowledge of Azrael
and Kalio's dragon, he was still soft. The beast was only the size of a small cat,
yet less deadly than even a mouse.
"Let's get some rest. Tomorrow we'll figure out what to feed you." Anjuu
walked into the side bedroom. The bed was large enough to fit multiple people in
it without anyone touching still. It made her miss Kalio and the castle. Just
months ago she had complained about the other shadows being soft, and here she
was thankful to experience some of the comforts of her old home.
Tosh let out another loud snore and Anjuu turned around to look at him. A
small light flickered above Tosh's face in the shape of an orb. It tapped him on
the nose then flew down to land on his chest. Anjuu placed the dragon down on
the bed, making sure it was comfortable and warm. Whatever the light was, she
didn't trust it. If it was the sprite that he had talked to earlier, then it was even
more concerning that she could now see it. A dragon being born shouldn't have
given her such sight.
She walked over to Tosh, making sure he stayed asleep. If he jumped up, the
light may disappear. She got a few feet away from Tosh and bent over. The light
shifted on Tosh's chest and then solidified into a humanoid shape. Anjuu's eyes
narrowed, realizing the creature looked exactly like her. It was strange seeing
herself in a tiny form and made of more light than flesh.
 "What are you?"
The figure put its hands on its hips and stared up at Anjuu with a similar
ferocity that she gave her own enemies. "I could ask the same thing. You're not a
scholar. You shouldn't be able to see—" She paused and hunched over, holding
its stomach. "No, it can't be." The creature was now ignoring Anjuu and flew
over the window. It looked up and let out a small gasp. "No, this can't be. We
can't be this close to the end."
"What the hell are you talking about?" Anjuu asked and stepped over to the
window and looked up into the sky. Her eyes grew wide as she saw, despite the
darkened sky, Ream flying above them. He was heading West at a rapid speed.
Within an instant, he was out of her vision and looked more like a star floating in
the sky before blinking out.
The creature hunched over again and let out a sharp cry. "Devata! They're in
danger. The fire is going to destroy them."
"Tosh!" Anjuu yelled out. She didn’t know what was happening, but she
knew it warranted waking Tosh now.
Tosh jumped up, drool still sliding down from the corner of his mouth. He
wiped his face with his sleeve and blinked, adjusting his vision. "Whasser goin’
on?" His eyes drifted from Anjuu over to the creature and his body went rigid.
"Hartiel! What's going on?" He scrambled forward and knelt in front of the
creature.
"The queen. Devata's vision. The flames are coming." Hartiel let out a loud
yell in pain.
"Tosh, what's going on? What is that thing?" Anjuu looked back out at the
sky, trying to see Ream once more. Hoping to see Azrael’s dragon too, just so
she knew he was safe somehow.
"I don't know. I've never heard of anyone besides myself being able to see
the sprites. Devata must be in danger if they are giving you the vision right
now." He reached out for Hartiel but pulled back quickly. His fingertips were
bright red now and Anjuu could see smoke coming from them. "She's burning
hot. What's happening?"
"Ream. We saw Ream flying West, toward Devata. Tosh, can you summon
some water?"
Tosh nodded and closed his eyes. He held his hands in a circle and stayed
silent. Slow trickling of water filled his hands growing exponentially. He opened
his eyes as it reached the size of his fist and held it out to Hartiel. It was inches
away from her body before it evaporated into steam. Tosh shook his head.
"Something is happening, and I don't think I can stop it." He reached out for
Hartiel. He didn't pull his hands away, but Anjuu knew they were being burned
with the heat Hartiel was emanating. "I'm not going to let you die. Not like this."
Hartiel's screams grew louder and were accompanied by even more screams.
Anjuu looked around to find the screams. Nothing like Hartiel was near her. As
she turned around to look back at Tosh and Hartiel, she found herself back on the
island with Devata. Hundreds of sprites made of light, water, and other elements
were laying on the ground screaming in agony. Ream was flying high above,
circling the island.
"Damn this tree, and damn these people to hell. If they won't follow me
because of you, then you'll just burn with them." Anjuu recognized the voice as
Kalio's. It was higher pitched than normal and faster. She had gone insane. The
video she had just watched on the news was simply a facade and this was the
true Kalio now above her. "Ream, burn it to the ground!"
The moon dragon hovered over the island and looked down at Devata. Many
of the sprites were crawling toward the tree, all begging for the pain to stop.
Begging for mercy.
"Kalio! My Queen! Stop, please stop this madness!" Her voice fell on deaf
ears as it was drowned out by the screams of the dying.
Ream opened his mouth and deep within his throat, she could see sparks
crackling. The beast let out a low rumble and sent a ball of flames soaring down
toward the ground. The tree caught fire and burst into a large bonfire. Ream let
out another fireball on the plants surrounding Devata until everything was
engulfed in flames. Anjuu looked at all the sprites. As soon as Devata had caught
fire, each of them bursts into flames as well. She knew Hartiel was bursting into
flames as well and there was nothing that could be done.
Anjuu could hear Kalio laughing on the back of Ream before turning the
dragon away from the island and flying back to the mainland, just as everything
turned to ash. The only thing left standing was the tree, burning a bright orange.
She could just barely make out its shape.
Anjuu was trapped on the island with the flames nearing her. She was
surrounded. The heat burned her body and she felt the sweat drip between her
breasts and down to the small of her back. If Devata had brought her here to save
them, it was too late and now she was trapped on the island. There was no way
to get off. No boats. Nothing. Tosh was still on the mainland, up in the hotel
room. None knowing where she had been transported to.
A bird song erupted above the crackling of flames. It echoed across the
island. Anjuu tried to find where the bird was, but she couldn't see anything. The
song grew louder and Anjuu realized it was coming from Devata's direction. She
looked at the tree and saw the flames were moving, spreading out
perpendicularly to the ground and shifting into a set of wings. Anjuu thought
they may have been a fire dragon bursting from the flames, but she could
distinctively see the flames were forming into feathers. The birdsong erupted
again, and the wings flapped, bursting above the tree. Hovering now above the
ground was a large bird. Its feathers were made of flames and its eyes were pitch
black. The phoenix looked down at Anjuu and opened its beak, releasing another
call.
The bird looks up into the sky and flies toward the mainland. Anjuu could
still see Kalio and Ream in the distance. The phoenix had made them both pause
and turn around. The bird caught up to them and engulfed the dragon and it’s
guardian in its flames. The dragon plummeted toward the water but caught a
draft and flew back toward the island.
Ream reached the island and Kalio jumped down, leaving the dragon and
phoenix high above to fight. Her clothes were singed, but her skin had no scars
from the fire that had engulfed her moments ago. Ream sliced his claws at the
beast, but they went through the bird without any damage.
Kalio was now just feet from where Anjuu stood. She was also looking up at
the fight, her brow furrowed. She hadn't seen Anjuu at all.
Anjuu held a hand up to Kalio's cheek and felt it go through the queen's
body. "So, I'm not really here at all." She let out a soft sigh, seeing the madness
that had long been hidden deep inside of Kalio now controlling her. Her
beautiful lips and toned body that Anjuu had longed for so many times began to
rot before her.
"I wish I could do something more. You've done too much wrong, My
Queen. I'm sorry, this is farewell."
Anjuu leaned forward, kissing Kalio soft on the lips. Her body went through
Kalio's and she fell forward, losing balance. She refused to turn around. To look
at the truth of what was happening. Since childhood, Kalio had raised her and
brought her out of the slums. Now Anjuu would repay her savior by executing
her.
"Filthy trash. Just die already," Kalio muttered. Anjuu cringed, wondering if
somehow Kalio could now see her and was throwing the insults at her.
No, it wasn't her. She could hear Kalio walking away and pulling out her
gunblade. The Queen stopped and pulled the trigger, releasing a single bullet.
The shot echoed around and the phoenix above them let out a shrill cry. Anjuu
looked back and saw something on the ground that Kalio couldn't see from her
angle.
The phoenix fell toward the ground. One last song crawling from deep
within it. Ream lowered himself to the ash-covered ground to let Kalio climb
back up. The dragon was covered in burn marks from the fight. A dragon could
not die from fire, yet the phoenix had harmed him. Kalio took one last look
behind her, her eyes piercing through Anjuu despite not seeing her. The Queen
smiled then seated herself on Ream.
Anjuu blinked away the tears welling up in her eyes, realizing Devata was
now dead and Kalio was at an advantage. The vision melted away and she was
back in the hotel room.
Tosh was still kneeling on the ground. In his hands was a small pile of ashes
that Anjuu could only assume was Hartiel. His hands were red and blistered.
"Devata is no more. Kalio burned the entire island down."
Tosh continued to look down at the ashes. He closed his eyes and closed his
hands. Anjuu thought he was simply praying, but when his hands opened back
up, the ashes had hardened into a solid yellow crystal. "We should tell them
downstairs. They deserve to know."
Anjuu listened as the people continued to celebrate. She shook her head.
"Let's keep it between us for now. We will let them know tomorrow when they
all wake up. For now, we'll let them enjoy their evening. Kalio's evil will just
grow, but that doesn't mean we will let her darkness reach them yet."
 THIRTY

P ersius bit into the guard’s chest and gnawed into his flesh. It was delicious,
and as the blood flowed down his throat, he wondered why he had stayed
away from it for so long. His men had succumbed to the taste of it days ago, yet
he had held back for frivolous reasons that he couldn’t remember anymore.
Before their newest attack, the guard had mentioned something about a
celebration at the bar downtown. Once he was done with his meal, he would
investigate the party. They hadn't seen many rebels in the other towns as they
traveled toward the capital, but any celebrations were suspicious in his eyes at
this point. Ravencroft was no exception. Persius shoved his muzzle back into the
guard's flesh and ripped one of the ribs off him. The bone grinding against his
teeth held the true beast at bay for now. That would be released soon enough. For
now, he needed some control of his wolf form still.
"Persius, we traveled ahead to see what the guard said was true?"
"And?" Persius licked his lips of the blood.
"You'll want to see this."
Persius looked down at the body. Someone else in the clan would clean up
the mess, but he wanted to keep eating. He shook his head, clearing his mind.
There was no time to think about food. If there was a lead on destroying the
rebellion, then that was more important than a fresh meal he could get later. If it
wasn't the rebels, then he would just kill one of those who weren't the party as
retribution.
They walked the streets. If they had been in their human forms, they would
have looked like a large gang invading the city. For now, it was a group of
viscous animals that had wandered from the wilderness to look in the trash for
some scraps to eat. Those that saw them quickly fled into homes and the ones
who weren't smart enough to hide were food for those that straggled behind.
 The bar the guard had mentioned earlier was an understatement. In front of
them was one of the higher-class hotels in the city. A small spot for a valet
parking during the day and statues of dragons protecting the entrance. Inside, he
could just barely see a bar where people were inside. They were certainly
celebrating, but from outside, he couldn't tell what was happening.
"I'm going in. Where's the bear?" Persius growled.
A smaller bear than Brutus stepped forward. Attached to him were bags
filled with medical supplies and clothes. "The others are keeping watch."
"Good." Persius felt his bones cracking and the fur covering his body shrink
away. The skin pulled away from his flesh until it landed next to him as a small
pelt. The cold air sent a shiver down his spine so he tossed the pelt over his
shoulder. He cracked his neck and stood up, looking across the horde of animals.
Persius walked over to one of the bags and opened it up. Inside was a set of
jeans and a dark blue polo. He pulled them out and tossed them on. It was
uncomfortable wearing clothes after so long being in beast form or naked in
human form. Something he needed to get used to once he returned to the castle.
Caius stepped over to Persius and nudged his head against Persius’s hip. "Be
safe in there, brother."
"Don't worry. I will go in. Blend myself with the crowd to see what is going
on and when I give the signal, you will burn the entire building down. I want to
make sure they are not friends of the queen. If they are, then we will make sure
they go to the castle to be branded and drafted into the military."
"And if they refuse to enlist?"
"Same as the others." Persius tied his pelt around his waist and then
straightened his collar. "Everyone will get to enjoy a well-deserved feast."
Persius walked into the hotel. It was far louder than he had imagined, the
bass of the music pounding through his entire body. Most of the people in the
party were men with the occasional woman. One such lady was laying on the
table, her shirt half pulled off and shot glasses lining her body that two others
were drinking from.
One of the larger men in the center was the loudest and Persius focused his
attention on him. "…Queen won't see us coming. Moon dragon by our side and a
scholar! She can shove that draft up her blue cunt for all I care."
Persius froze, he could feel the beast inside wanting to come out now and
bite down on the man's throat. It was one to rebel against the crown, but his
vulgarity for her was too much for him. He pushed the beast down. They
mentioned a moon dragon, but according to his knowledge, there were no others
beside Ream.
Another shorter man chimed in, his glass raised above his head. "I can't
believe the shadow became a dragon guardian. I mean Devata chooses people
they feel will help the country, but this is the first shadow I've heard of being
chosen. Could you imagine being someone who lives by killing others for
money being given a dragon?"
"Shut up. Do you want to put a damper on the party? She already said she
will kill the queen. That's all we need to know." The larger man lifted his drink
and raised his voice so it would echo across the room. "To Anjuu! May she bring
Narishma back into our hands!" The others in the room lifted their glasses,
whether empty or not and shouted back Anjuu's name.
Persius smiled and held his own empty glass into the air to join the
celebration. Under his breath, he whispered Kalio. None of those in the
celebration would realize he was there and had disappeared into the crowd again,
back to his pack waiting outside.
On one of the tables he walked past was a small pack of matches with
another dragon surrounded by a moon. A symbol the queen had authorized to be
used by her allies in the country to show their support. He laughed at the irony
that this one was with rebels. Persius picked up the box of matches and shoved it
into his pocket.
Outside, his pack was sitting with patience that could never have been
attempted outside of today. They were sitting and waiting for a signal. All taught
to wait for their next meal. A few had turned into their human forms, naked in
the cool air. They had not tamed their beasts enough to be patient. At least they
acknowledged it. Anyone who stepped out of line would have ruined the
surprise.
Caius, still in his own wolf form, stepped forward. "Friend or foe?"
Persius pulled the matchbook out. "Tonight, we feast!" Roars filled the air.
Persius broke off one of the matches and struck it. He watched as the flame
danced on the small stick in his hand.
He stepped inside of the hotel again and lowered the match to the carpet. It
caught fire within seconds and he followed it with a few more matches. The
party was still active and none of them noticed him reentering.
The small flames grew and created larger fire. Persius lifted his hand and
motioned for the clan to come inside. Each of them stepped forward.
The bear walked past Persius, intent on being the first to feast but Persius
laid a hand on the bear to make him stop. "One more thing before you have fun.
I have another purpose for you."
Screams filled the air as Caius jumped onto the back of one of the rebels and
opened his throat. People climbed over one another to get out through the back
door. They were turned back around when a large lion stepped in from their
escape route. The main entrance was blocked by the flames and more skin
walkers were consistently coming through the different windows. Chaos filled
the hotel as the people ran away to avoid the skin walkers and the fire.
Once everyone had come in and almost half of the rebels were on the ground
dead, Persius pulled a small black orb out of the bear's bag. "This should smoke
out any who are hiding."
Persius had learned one thing while he traveled through Narishma. Magical
weapons were aplenty in rebel camps. It was cold to the touch, but it had been
created by a scholar attuned to fire magic.
He turned the top half of the orb and saw the number three flash across. His
eyes scanned for the most open area in the hotel then he threw the orb out into
the crowd. It burst into black flames and spread out in multiple meters in all
directions.
Persius watched as the flames spread onto the ceiling and throughout the
room. Those who weren't actively killing a rebel ran outside to avoid the flames
while the others finished their kills. Screams of the remaining survivors grew
louder. The sprinklers and fire alarms turned on, but the water did nothing to
stop the flames.
He looked over to the hall where the rooms led to. Amidst the smoke he
could see a mother holding a small toddler. His heart pained, realizing he was
killing a child, but he shook his head. Anyone in here was a supporter of the
rebels. There was no way he could keep children safe while his own needed
protection. The child would just have to die.
An untouched window crashed and some of the survivors of the attacked
rushed outside, followed by skin walkers. Persius took that as his own order to
leave. The building would collapse soon. He turned around and stepped out of
the building. He took a deep breath in.
In front of him were survivors with guns, knives, and other items from inside
the bar that were now being used as weapons.
Persius cracked his knuckles and transformed back into a wolf. He would
join the fight now and clear out those who thought they could fight. Before he
joined though, he felt a sharp pain on his shoulder blade. Persius turned to look
and saw a knife in his shoulder.
"Don't even think about moving, wolf." Anjuu had managed to escape and
she was standing next to her stone-faced scholar.
Persius lunged at Anjuu, baring his teeth. His head rammed into her chest,
sending her backward. He felt the blade in his shoulder twist and cringed. It was
just enough time for Anjuu and she pushed her arm between the two of them.
He didn't wait for her to push him off and bit down. He could taste her blood
as he punctured her skin. It tasted far sweeter than an elf's blood. There was no
wonder many of the creatures in Ombramoor grew ravage at the smell of drow
blood. Persius wanted more and chomped down harder.
Arms reach around his body and feels himself being lifted off the ground and
onto his back. He turned around and saw the scholar, now out of breath next to
him. He ignored the elf and turned back to Anjuu, who was now standing and
holding onto a short sword.
Another scream from above. An infant. "Please! Someone save my baby! I
don't want him to die!"
Persius felt someone grab his scruff and saw Anjuu's shoes. He squirmed
from her hands. She pulled the knife from his shoulder out, twisting it the entire
time.
"You're going to die tonight with the rest of the rebels,” Persius growled, his
jaw snapping in the air.
The mother above let out another scream for help. Only he seemed to notice
the cries for help. He cursed the lot of them. They acted like they were so good
and calling Kalio and skin walkers evil, yet all they cared about was fighting and
not saving their people at all.
Persius turned around and snapped at Anjuu. She let go of him and he
launched toward the building. His eyes met with the mother's and instinctively
she released her child. Whether she held onto her child or let him stay with her,
the baby could die. At least by releasing him, there was a small chance of
survival. The flames engulfed the mother, and she was no more.
The child fell to the ground and Persius picked up his speed. He needed to
make it to the child. He ignored the pain in his shoulder and launched himself
up. He let the pain of transformation take over and held his hands out. The small
baby fell into his hands and Persius rolled naked onto the ground.
The baby squirmed in his arms, making it harder to hold onto him. "Shut up,
your mom's dead."
Persius turned to look over at Anjuu and the scholar, who were now
surrounded by his clan. His eyes scanned the scene. When they had been inside,
it seemed like victory was going to be theirs. Now in the open, so many of his
clan were falling. More of the rebels were coming out of nearby buildings,
alerted to the attack. He hadn’t expected as much resistance. They would need to
regroup or face being surrounded by the enemy.
"We're leaving!" he shouted across the fight. Whoever heard him would
escape, those who didn't would keep fighting until they died.
Brutus charged forward from the crowd, the first to hear the command. There
were scars covering his body from people trying to attack him, but Brutus
seemed to ignore it.
"Let's get out of here, Brutus. I don't have the energy to transform."
"And the child?" Brutus turned around, watching for anyone who wanted to
attack them.
"Coming with us. He'll be useful to the clan."
Persius climbed on top of the bear and gripped him with his legs. He let out a
loud whistle to signal for the others to retreat. He needed to tell Kalio that Anjuu
was nearby and her followers were growing. If he died here, there would be no
one to warn her.
“Persius, the child won’t be one of us. It’s an elf.”
Persius shook his head. “That’s for me to decide, not you.”
Brutus took off through the crowd, pushing elves and skin walkers alike to
the ground. A small group of the clan ran behind them. The hotel would burn
down soon enough, killing those still trapped inside. The fight didn't destroy the
entire rebellion, but the message was clear. Kalio would destroy anyone who
interfered with her kingdom and anyone who wasn't an ally was immediately the
enemy.
 THIRTY-ONE

T he sun rose the next day filled with blood. The smell of smoke and ash still
clung to her clothes. Many were still carrying bodies out of the smoking
building. There was no telling how many had died during the surprise attack.
Tosh had carried the baby dragon in a bag while Anjuu had gone into the fight
and thankfully neither of them were hurt.
Dozens of bodies were laid out on the street, families crowding the street to
try and identify a loved one and police guiding crowds away that didn't belong
here. If Kalio wanted the support of the people, those on the force would need to
hide the truth. She knew too well that the news would say the fire was an
accident from a bar brawl that went too far and hide the attacks from Kalio's
keres.
The larger man from the night before who introduced himself now as Falor
walked up to Anjuu. He was covered in wounds across his body and had opted to
have them wrapped by the emergency units but refused a visit to the hospital.
"We're doing this? Kicking the queen off her throne?"
Anjuu nodded. "We will. Who knows how much she is pushing for. I'll need
the ren zhe with us during the invasion. We're going to be fighting an entire army
and I can't get through that city on my own when they're on such high alert now."
"You can get them. We're leaving immediately. Gather within the capital and
await your command. There aren't many of us, but I'm sure the queen will take
us in as refugees. From there, we can attack from within."
"Just be safe, Falor. I don't need you all dying." Anjuu clasped Falor's hand
and squeezed. "This won't be easy, but I will keep fighting for you. We'll meet
you in the next few days. Be safe."
Falor squeezed her hand back. She cringed under his strength but held her
ground. Anjuu knew this would be the last time she saw the people of
Ravencroft. Even if they survived the battle, the world was too huge and the
people too cruel. Once Kalio was taken down, she would need to remember his
name at the very least and send something to him and his family for all he had
done last night.
Falor released Anjuu's hand and walked over to a large pickup truck. A few
people were already sitting in there. Others stayed behind, looking for lost ones
that died in the fire or who were too scared to leave Ravencroft to fight after
what they had seen last night. War was not for everyone.
A small squeak pulled Anjuu’s attention away from the crowd. Inside of the
bag still attached to Tosh's back was the moon dragon peaking his head out. She
smiled and walked over to the dragon. It let out another squeak and puff of
smoke.
"No fireballs for you for a while. Wonder how big you need to be for that or
how long it will take." Anjuu lifted the moon dragon out of the back. Unlike last
night, when his scales were still soft, they had hardened, and the tips of each
scale was sharp enough to slice someone. She would have to avoid petting the
dragon backward or face severe gashes in her hands.
Tosh shrugged the bag off and handed it to Anjuu. "Best to have the dragon's
bed with you. Don't want to separate yourself too much more."
"Thanks." She pulled the back pack onto her one shoulder while holding the
dragon in the other. "Are you going to be all right, Tosh? We need to find where
the ren zhe are but after last night—"
"I'll be fine. Please don't bring them up to me." He shoved a hand into the
pocket that Anjuu knew he kept the gemstone. "I'll come with you. There isn't
much left for me elsewhere and if I die, then it's how I go. Besides, if I stay with
you at least we have access to my money without fear of dying by some guard."
A drow in the crowd examining the bodies perked his head up and looked
over at Anjuu. He had a large mustache that hid his mouth, and his body was
round enough that if he sat, he would resemble more of an oversized balloon
than a drow. The man hobbled over to Anjuu. "You're looking for the ren zhe?
Here, for helping last night." The man pulled out a piece of paper and shoved it
into Anjuu's free hand. His eyes darted over to the dragon for a moment before
returning to Anjuu. "Might not be much to go by, but my brother left this a few
nights ago saying he was going to join them." He took in a deep breath and
exhaled. "At least, that's what he said he was going to do until they called me.
He was in the fights last night. No way was he in a drunk brawl. I know him
better than anyone. Sure, some smoking here and there, but alcohol was off
limits for him."
Anjuu looked at the paper and saw that it was a letter with directions to
campgrounds nearby. "Thank you. This will help greatly."
The man nodded and twitched his nose. "At least he didn't die in vain. Just..."
He wiped a tear from his eye. "Avenge my brother for me. I'm too old to fight
anymore. Ask me twenty years ago and I would have gladly led the cavalry." He
pulled something else out of his pocket and held it out for Tosh. "You'll want this
too."
Tosh grabbed what looked like a small key in the man's hand. "What's this
for?"
"I doubt the queen will let escaped scholars roam around so easily soon.
You'll want a place to stay when that happens. It's a bunker just outside the
capital. Steel door looks like it leads directly into the ground. You won’t miss it."
"We'll remember this. Thank you again." Anjuu looked over and saw some
of the guards looking in their direction. "If you've been able to identify your
brother you should leave. I think some of the police might start realizing
something's wrong. I don't need you in danger."
The drow nods and turns back around to wave at the police. "I'm ready to
identify my brother. Can we call the coroner?" He walked over to the line of
dead men who hadn't been burnt.
"We should go too, if the ren zhe are nearby then we can get to the castle and
stop this once and for all." Anjuu looked down at the letter. It mentioned a
campground she knew was on the way to the capital. She crumpled the paper
and handed it to her dragon. "Do you eat this stuff?"
The dragon sniffed the ball of paper then snapped at it, ripping a piece off.
He quickly spit it back out with a puff of smoke.
Anjuu laughed. "OK, I take it you aren't a goat. We'll get you something to
eat then and head out."
Anjuu and Tosh walked the opposite direction of the guards monitoring the
crime scene. She just needed to find a convenience store and buy some
prepackaged lunch meat. It should suffice for now until she learned of better
options for the dragon. He already had rows of sharp teeth, so the fear of him not
eating meat wasn’t a worry.

ANJUU DROVE the motorcycle down the city streets. The moon dragon was
snuggled deep within the backpack. He had devoured three packs of lunch meat
before getting full. She could only imagine how much he would eat full grown
and she worried if she’d be able to afford that. Tosh was sitting behind her,
unable to cling as tight as he wanted with the dragon now on Anjuu’s back. If he
would just get used to it, the driving would be much smoother, and they would
be able to go faster.
Up ahead, she could see a traffic jam. Anjuu slowed the bike down to half
the speed limit and lowered her glasses. The scanner sped through different
traffic reports until it stopped on the most recent article.
"New shuttles from the capital? What the hell is this talking about?" She
turned back to look over her shoulder. "Tosh, you see this?"
"What are they shuttling them to? The training camps for the new army she's
building?"
Anjuu pulled up to the traffic jam and turned off her bike. Large buses and
cattle trucks filled the lanes. Anjuu could hear cries of small children inside
along with adults all asking for help.
"That's not an army recruitment." She stepped off her bike and walked
toward the front of the cattle truck. She could see people filling the back. Not a
single drow mixed in with the group. "Hey," she banged on the driver's door,
"what's going on? Where are they going?"
The driver peered down. He was an older drow and dressed like many of the
other personal royal guards. "Queen's orders. She wants to resettle any of those
who lost their homes from the rebellion. That's all I know and I'm getting paid."
"Just resettling elves?"
"Queen wants to make sure drow are well cared for in the capital."
"Where are you taking them?"
The driver looked up into the sky. "Last I heard, we were heading to the
northwest. Some small town called Silverwilde."
Anjuu took in a sharp breath. She recognized that name all too well. Kalio
had mentioned a prison she was building called Silverwilde. The people inside
the trucks knew what was happening yet the drows all driving the elves were
oblivious. She clenched her hands. She wanted to kill every one of them but had
to hold herself back. She needed to reach the capital. Once she stopped Kalio,
there would be time to save all of them. For now, she had to keep a low profile.
"Is this the only ones you are taking?"
Again, the drow shrugged. "I just listen to orders. Told to drive the truck here
then come back. Look, I can't keep talking about this. It's need-to-know
information. Come back when you enlist in the queen's army. You look like you
could be strong enough to survive the training."
Anjuu smiled. "You have no idea." She tapped on the man's door. "Thanks
for letting me know. Heading to the capital soon, so it's good to know what's
going on before I get there."
 Anjuu walked back to the bike and climbed on. "Tosh, we're skipping the ren
zhe for now. We're going to the capital first and then you will return to the
campground in my stead."
A loud roar filled the air overhead. Anjuu looked up and saw Ream flying
above them. He circled the convoy a few times before flying back to the capital.
Anjuu wondered if Kalio was on his back or if he had gone on his own. She
shrugged it off, even if Kalio was there, there was no way the queen could tell it
was her on the streets with the convoy.
"Are you sure? I've never driven a bike before."
"Good, then you'll have motivation to learn quickly." Anjuu climbed back off
so Tosh could slide forward.
They started out slow, driving through the crowded street. Eventually, Tosh
had ahold of the bike and they were back to the speed limit toward the capital.
Anjuu noted the sign pointing to the campgrounds and made sure Tosh
remembered it. They would reach the capital in under an hour. The moon dragon
was sleeping inside of the bag. He was too small to take with her inside of the
capital. Much safer going with Tosh at this point.
She wished the elves back in the convoy well. As a drow, it was hard to say
she felt sorry for all of them. She knew so many still looked down on the drow
and treated them like second-class citizens. Most likely they were the ones Kalio
had chosen as the first to be resettled into the prison. Though the children were
innocent and shouldn’t be punished like this.
The wall surrounding the capital grew larger. It had been far too long since
she had seen it. The last time she left, she knew she wouldn't return for some
time. But none of it was supposed to be like this. She had wanted to just return to
the castle, climb into the queen’s room, and wake up the next day as if none of
this had happened. If the queen had simply trusted her and she had stopped the
rebellion sooner.
Anjuu shook her head. She couldn't think like that. After all, she had learned
what the queen had done, it was highly likely everything transpiring now would
still have happened. Unlike today, she would have still been standing next to
Kalio and watching the elves be taken to the prison. Everything that the queen
said she would have taken as truth. Now Anjuu saw the picture perfectly and
how the darkness had engulfed Kalio's heart. She wasn't the queen that Anjuu
had grown up to believe in anymore.
Tosh slowed the bike down until they reached the wall. He stopped the bike
and looked up at the wall. “When I was growing up, I wanted to come here to
see the capital. This wasn't how I expected to do it."
"Good thing you're not going in." Anjuu slid her bag off her back and handed
it to Tosh. "Take good care of him. I'll be back, but it's not safe for either of you
here. Stay with the ren zhe, tell them I sent you and for Pom to meet me here."
Tosh nodded, throwing the bag on his back. The moon dragon let out a small
snort and a puff of smoke drifted out of the bag. "You should at least give your
dragon a name before you leave."
"You're right. " She looked into the bag at the moon dragon still sleeping.
How long would he keep sleeping, she wasn't sure. "Ryoto. It's a name drow
would give to the guardians that visited them through history. Perhaps that will
be blessing enough that will give him strength to survive until I come back."
"I'll keep him safe."
Anjuu and Tosh clasped hands and stood in silence for a moment before
Anjuu released him and walked toward the capital. Tosh turned the bike back on
and drove off down the road. Anjuu felt a twinge in her heart as she watched
them leave. She wondered if she would ever see them again. She was a dragon
guardian, but her dragon couldn't fight. Perhaps Devata had farther plans, but
now it just seemed the dragon was a symbol for the people to follow.
She pulled the mask off her belt and looked down at it. The last mask she
would ever wear as a shadow. To infiltrate and kill the queen would be just as
deadly as leaving the guild. She put it on, feeling the comfort the mask always
brought her, hiding her appearance from the outside world. Anjuu's heart grew
cold and her focus now remained on her target: Kalio.
 THIRTY-TWO

T he orders were sent only moments after she had made her announcement on
the news for the world to see. Many were more than willing to join the
army, including some elves. There were others who were not so willing and had
fought against the draft. Their names were quickly recorded and within days
they were shoved onto trucks and shipped to Silverwilde.
Kalio looked out the window of her study. She wondered how many were
already shipped out and how many were left. She had made sure Silverwilde was
large enough to fit an entire city and maintain its own food by the prisoners, so
she never had to send any resources to them. Yet the amount of reports that
flooded in of new deportees seemed endless.
Ream had returned from another scouting mission on his own. If Anjuu had
intended on coming to the capital, she would never have taken a direct route and
shown her face. She knew the drow all too well, she would have gotten a new
mask and found a way to sneak in. Even now, Kalio had many of the known
entrances into the castle heavily guarded for this exact purpose.
A loud boom came from farther in the city. The explosion garnered all of her
attention. She searched around but couldn’t see any sign of it. She walked over
to her bookshelf and grabbed a small monocular. She brought it back to the
window and looked outside. They were still small but Kalio could distinctively
tell it was some of her guards fighting a shadow.
She watched the shadow's movements and weapons. Knives and pistols
galore. Kalio lowered the monocular, her body shaking in rage. Despite all the
guards, Anjuu had still managed to get in.
"Idiots, all of them! If they can't stop a shadow, then I'll do it myself."
Kalio stormed through the halls and down to Ream. The dragon was still
grooming its scales when she walked in. "If she wants a fight, then she'll get one.
Ream!" The dragon picked its head up. "Get ready, we're going to burn this
entire city down tonight."

KALIO TOOK A DEEP BREATH. She had hoped Anjuu would have died long
ago. She had raised the drow since childhood. She was like a younger sister and
yet she was like all the others who betrayed her. All the people close to her, she
should have expected Anjuu to understand the plight of the drow and refuse to
let the elves gain control.
Ream flew above the streets but stayed low enough until they reached where
Anjuu was. The drow had managed to steal one of the guard’s rifles and was
shooting elemental bullets at the remaining guards who chose to stand and fight.
Kalio touched her throat. She had a scholar implant a new mark on her neck
recently. A vibration filled her throat and Kalio opened her mouth, her voice
boomed over the city. "Anjuu, I know it's you. If you're here to kill me, then face
me like a true shadow."
The guards who were still standing in the fight took off running as soon as
they heard Kalio's voice. She scoffed at them. Cowards. Anjuu, on the other
hand, was now looking up at her with full attention.
"Ream, land near her. I want to see her face when we burn her alive."
The dragon nodded and folded its wings, so they dove down. Ream's claws
dug into the roof of one of the buildings and let out a loud roar. Unlike the
people still on the streets, Anjuu didn't move. Her mask hid her true emotions,
but Kalio knew all too well the shadow's face was as emotionless as always. It
was the girl’s armor she held onto even when she was told to kill her family so
long ago.
Anjuu aimed the rifle at Kalio and pulled the trigger. It was a fire bullet,
which struck Ream and bounced off his scales. "Did you really expect such a
weak weapon to kill a dragon? Maybe you did lose your skill as a shadow. No
matter." Kalio leaned forward and smiled. "Ream, burn her. Burn them all."
The dragon obeyed and took in a deep breath. He released a large fireball at
the shadow. Kalio watched the fire surround Anjuu and smiled to herself. In just
one attack the shadow was finally dead. All the work and money she had put into
paying for someone else to kill Anjuu and she did it on her own in one breath.
The fire subsided and Kalio looked to find Anjuu still standing. She
narrowed her eyes. It was the real Anjuu, yet the dragon’s fire did nothing.
"It can't be. No one can withstand the fire of a dragon unless..." A smile
drifted across Kalio's face. "Of course. Devata got to you before we killed them.
You were chosen to be the dragon guardian and you got the egg to hatch. Too
bad you didn't bring them here to fight for you. At least a battle with dragons
would have been far more entertaining."
Anjuu held her rifle up again. Ream didn't wait for any commands this time,
instead he lifted his front paw and swung at the shadow. Anjuu was sent flying
into a nearby wall. Kalio nodded in approval and patted Ream on his back.
"Easy enough. Should have done this long ago." Kalio looked over at Anjuu,
her mask was half off her face as her body was slumped over. Even as high
ranking as Anjuu was, there was no way a shadow could survive the impact
against the wall as she did.
Ream took back off into the air and Kalio placed her hand on her throat to
amplify her body. "People of Narishma. Your savior, the dragon guardian Anjuu,
is no more. Don't place your hearts with usurpers like her. Starting today, if you
speak against the drow or attempt to disobey my orders, you will be immediately
executed. All soldiers on ground, burn down every household that wishes to defy
my orders. Devata is gone and my word is law."
 THIRTY-THREE

I t had already been a year since Kalio had executed almost all the elves in the
capital. Yet here Karin was, walking the streets to try and find scraps. Most
of the outer buildings were still dilapidated, unused by anyone other than rats
nowadays and the occasional hunter trying to hide from the law.
A voice broke out in Karin's ear. "Karin, you need to focus. If you can't find
any weapons tonight the coliseum will collapse on itself."
"I hear you. We'll find something out here. No way the place has been
completely clear."
Karin paused. Something had caught her eye. In one of the alleys was a small
mask. It had slits where the eyes would be and red paint that had faded from age.
She turned it around but didn't see a name of who it might belong too.
"You guys seeing this?"
"Yea, might have belonged to a shadow. They used to run around a lot in the
capital before the attack."
"Would have been nice to see them in action. Heard they were professional
assassins."
"Probably still are, but they're so small that only those who know about them
can communicate with them."
Karin put the mask on top of her head and continued her search in the alley.
She saw someone bundled in a blanket and stepped softly toward them. "Wonder
if the mask belongs to them?" She asked herself.
The person fell over as Karin reached them. She let out a small gasp,
realizing it was a drow. Attached to the drow's body were a multitude of
weapons. Each one looked deadlier than the last. Karin put her hand next to the
drow's nose. No breath.
"Rest in peace. Should have taken the easy life with the queen. You could
have lived in luxury," Karin mumbled and grabbed a few of the blades off the
dead drow's body.
The drow snapped back up and grabbed Karin's arm. Her eyes pierced
through Karin, looking at the mask she was wearing and back down to the elf.
"I'm going to kill you." The drow fell back over. Karin held her hand back to the
drow, this time feeling a small breath.
"What the hell was that?"
"How should I know? I think she's connected with the mask though."
"Don't worry about the weapons then. Just take the drow with you. We'll
meet you at the usual spot."
Karin grumbled under her breath and lifted the drow up. "A lot lighter than
you look. When's the last time you ate?" She adjusted the drow. "All I'm saying
is if you die on me, I will make sure to bring you back to life so I can kill you
again. We're chancing a lot that you're good for the coliseum."
Karin stepped out of the alley and back into the main streets. She could see a
few eyes peering out from windows of other hunters. As their eyes met they hid
back into their rooms, out of sight. She let out a sigh, she used to be like them
until the coliseum recruited her.
"Please hurry this way, ladies and gentlemen. This isn't the best
neighborhood to stay long in," a guard from a nearby crowd yelled out.
Karin dove into an alley and watched multiple guards leading a concession
of drow with bags in their hands. Most of them looked just as thin as the one she
was carrying. She wondered what happened to them. They all appeared to be
immigrants granted permission by the queen to move to Narishma. At least,
that's what she heard on the news. There was no telling the truth though.
"You better be worth the effort, damn it." Karin waited until the street was
clear again and took off in a fast walk. "I swear if they don’t give me something
good, I'll make sure all of them go to Silverwilde.”
 ABOUT THE AUTHOR

Amber Morant is an author and full time mother living in the Dayton, Ohio area. She has published multiple
books in the dungeonpunk and fantasy genre. Exploring worlds outside of our own and collecting swords
from different parts of the world has become part of who she is.
From the time she was in fourth grade trying to write the next “great Harry Potter” book in 2001 to now,
Amber has been writing non-stop and finding magic in her everyday life. Outside of writing, Amber spends
her time reading, playing video games, and chasing dragons.

Learn more at http://ambermorant.com/

 ABOUT THE PUBLISHER

Visit our website to learn more about how to submit your manuscript for publication.

www.dragonsoulpress.com