Dragons of Destiny Read online

  More than two dozen of the Talon Watch surrounded him on the vast mural, their wings displayed to their greatest span, swords leveled unflinchingly in his direction. One word from Karena and they would execute him on the spot. Perspiration cascaded down his face and the length of his spine as he worried she might actually give the order.

  When had it become so damn hot in here?

  At that moment the throne room doors burst open.

  “Who dares interrupt me while I’m in an audience--” Karena cut off her lecturing and her scowl turned to shocked disbelief in an instant. She stood bolt upright as her father, King Aequin Alunna, strode purposefully towards the podium.

  “Father! What a pleasant surprise-”

  As one, every guard in the chamber folded their wings and sheathed their swords, dropping to a knee with their right fist pressed to their bowed foreheads. Arius bowed deeply at the waist, and Karena bobbed a quick curtsy. She moved aside as her father ascended the steps, taking his place on the throne.

  Aequin Alunna was an imposing figure in his stately black silks, which were liberally laced with complex gray stitching. His long onyx hair hung to his shoulders and had only the slightest hints of white beginning to touch his temples. His severe blue-eyed stare took in Arius from boots to disheveled hair, measuring his appearance. Arius had been in the presence of Jenukai, the Dragon God himself, not to mention the Circle of Seven countless times, so he was no stranger to commanding figures. Despite his experience with worldly and vastly important leaders, he shifted his feet uneasily under that imperious gleam all the same.

  After a moment of silence, the king finally addressed Arius in a no-nonsense, baritone voice.

  “Grace favor you, young Arius, and be welcome to my halls. It is a great honor to have Gaelaria’s own First Knight and Sovereign General here in our presence. My closest advisors have informed me that you are responsible for the troubles currently plaguing my kingdom. Is this correct, General?”

  Arius sighed audibly before nodding. “Yes, your majesty. The fault lays at my feet.”

  Aequin studied him for a moment before continuing. Arius thought for just an instant he noted an amused sparkle in those penetrating blue eyes.

  “Fear not, lad. You aren’t nearly as guilty as you seem to think you are. Even as we speak, the fighting has ceased, and the peace treaty will be honored regardless of today’s little… skirmish.”

  “But father, they broke the treaty into miniscule shards by entering Raachon airspace! Do you intend to just ignore this slight against our people?”

  If Karena had been angry before, it was nothing compared to the pure venom she had just spewed at her father, yet the king didn’t even look in her direction.

  “Karena, send for someone to rouse our stately guest here,” he intoned, nodding toward Gretidor. There’s a visitor inside the palace that will be very interested to speak to him.”

  “But father…” Karena began.

  “Run along now, and quickly. We have matters of import to discuss and very little time with which to do it.”

  Without a backward glance, Karena hiked up her flowing azure gown and stormed out of the throne room. On her way past Arius, she managed her frostiest glare yet and a sniff that echoed in the silent chambers. Clearly she did not agree with her father in that Arius was even remotely guiltless when it came to the catastrophes of the day.

  “While my daughter fetches a Healer for the prince, I would be extremely grateful to hear your renditions of the events that led to the first case of open warfare among the Maji in centuries,” Aequin said. “Spare nothing in your telling, if you would be so kind.”

  Arius nodded in acquiescence, and without preamble, he launched into his side of the story. He started from the beginning with his meeting with Owenisis and how he was searching for the mad god Adimus. He divulged how he and his godfather thought that the Maji Seers were his best option in finding him. By the time he finished up with his landing on the Raachon palace green and hauling the unconscious Korii prince into the Raachon royal chambers, Karena had returned with the aforementioned Healer.

  The Healer of course was a human female; all of them were. She wore the plain scarlet dress of her guild and was grandmotherly in appearance. Her hair was pulled into a neat little white bun, and she shuffled along behind Karena seemingly without haste. Wearing a wrinkled yet warm smile, she nodded to Arius and winked. Karena kept shooting the woman irritated looks but said nothing outwardly about her obvious frustrations regarding the slow pace.

  Healers were revered worldwide for the stunning and invaluable gifts they bestowed upon its population. Disease had been completely eradicated and was a thing of the past. Even injuries, from the most minor of cuts to broken necks, could be fixed like they had never happened. Everything short of death was curable to these amazing women. Even more astonishing was that they took no payment from anyone that they cured. Karena took her place standing next to her father on his throne as the Healer finally reached Gretidor.

  “Oh my, what have we here?” the Healer queried in a thin, reedy voice. “Looks like a nasty bump on the head.” She clicked her tongue and tsked slightly. “No matter, I’ll make him as good as new again.”

  Arius had seen Healing done innumerable times while being a veteran of the war efforts that had gone on the last decade. That being said, he couldn’t help himself as he looked on in wonder as the soft glow of Healing surrounded her and she knelt beside Gretidor, placing his head in her gnarled hands. The glow enveloping the Healer slowly spread the length of his body, and a gentle humming sound permeated throughout the room. In seconds, Gretidor’s eyes sprung open, and the Korii prince sat up slowly with the help of the Healer.

  “You are going to need plenty of food and rest after that, young man. You had yourself a fierce concussion, but you needn’t worry about that now.” She patted him amiably on the cheek, straightened slowly and shambled towards the king even more slowly. The old Healer inclined her head slightly at Aequin, a nod befitting her station. Healers curtsied to no one, not even kings. “Will there be anything else, Majesty?”

  “That will be all, mistress Hana,” Aequin nodded back.

  As the Healer Hana shuffled her way back out of the chambers, Aequin turned his full attention to Gretidor, who was still sitting on the marble floor blinking stupidly at his surroundings.

  “On your feet, Prince Sollis. You will not lounge about here,” the Raachon king commanded in a stately voice. “You will stand next to General Jadestar and keep your mouth shut. If not, I have a cell being prepared for you this very moment. Your reputation as an acrimonious fool is well known, and that kind of behavior will not be tolerated. Do I make myself clear?”

  Gretidor regained his feet and made a mocking bow to the king, but he did as he was ordered by keeping quiet. As he approached Arius on the mural, he stuck his tongue out at him and gave him a repugnant look. Arius suppressed an urge to throttle the prince all over again.

  “Prince Gretidor, we have already heard General Jadestar’s version of events about what occurred today in your home palace. Seeing as though his retelling matches that of my eyewitness, I will not be needing you to recite any fabrications regarding the subject.”

  “Witness?” Gretidor laughed. “You mean your pathetic little network of spies? How very droll of you, Alunna. I don‘t care what any potential witness of yours has to say on the matter. The truth is that Kinless here slaughtered my father, assaulted me and then proceeded to kidnap me. Isn’t that right, Kinless? Am I not your ‘leverage?’”

  Arius opened his mouth to defend himself, but Aequin cut them both off by rising to his feet abruptly and spreading his magnificent wings.

  “Enough!” the king roared. “You were warned, Sollis. Guards, seize this arrogant idiot and place him in shackles at once!”

  Gretidor spun around looking wide eyed and panic-stricken as all the Talon Watchmen stood and converged on him.

  “Wait! You can’t do this to
me! With my father dead, I am the king of the Korii. You hear me, Alunna? I am your equal!”

  Gretidor pulled out the same dagger he had used to kill his father. Dried blood still shown on the blade as he swiped desperately at the guards. Two of the Talon Watch quickly closed in and violently disarmed the prince. One of the guards kicked his legs out from under him while the other viciously slammed Gretidor to the marble on his face, twisting his arms behind his back at a nasty angle. In an instant, the clamping of the wrist shackles shut with a resounding click. Gretidor thrashed and squealed for a moment before he was completely subdued and back on his feet.

  “Before I throw you into that cell, Prince Sollis, I think it’s time you met my witness.”

  Again, the doors to the throne room slammed open. Arius turned to see this witness and gaped openly at what he saw. In adjacent single-file lines marching shoulder to shoulder together were both Trueborn and Talon Watch guardsmen. All the color had drained from Karena’s face, and Gretidor stood dumbfounded between his two watchers. All the guards who had stepped forth to apprehend Gretidor, save for the two who held him, backed away to the rear of the chambers immediately and stood at attention in formation. The unlikely procession split once they reached the mural. Trueborn on the left and Talon Watch on the right, facing each other ten feet apart with Arius and Gretidor in the middle.

  “What is this?” Gretidor screeched, again thrashing against his bonds.

  “This, Gretidor, is the future,” King Regius Sollis said as he glided into the chamber.

  Chapter 13

  “Impossible! This is… You’re dead!” Gretidor exclaimed in astonishment. He swayed dangerously on trembling knees, and it was obvious that his guards were the sole reason he had not collapsed.

  “You succeeded only in butchering my Lurk. Quite disappointing, really; it will cost me a fortune to replace it. I’m afraid it’s just another egregious failure to add to your list, Gretidor.”

  Regius Sollis was resplendent in stately forest colored robes that were amply gilded with golden lace. His close-cropped blonde hair had enough oil in it to make it shine like a noon day sun. He smiled a demented smile at Gretidor and walked right up to his son until their noses were practically touching. The Korii king stared unblinkingly into his son’s eyes with smoldering hatred. All of the color had drained from Gretidor’s face, and his lips quivered nervously. Without warning, the Korii king reared back and slammed a fist into the prince’s gut, doubling him over. Gretidor gasped, dry heaving as his captors held him up tightly in between them.

  Aequin Alunna smiled warmly, descending the steps. He embraced Regius Sollis like he was a long lost brother.

  “Be welcome to these halls of the Raachon kings. It’s time that we showed the world a united Calrisan, wouldn’t you agree?”

  “Indeed, my friend,” Sollis agreed, nodding emphatically.

  Aequin Alunna theatrically swept a hand towards the throne room doors, where the sight drew gasps from everyone in the room, including Arius. Two Talon Watch guards and two Trueborn guards hauled in a majestic throne toward the dais. The throne was elaborately worked with the Sollis Sunburst, the Korii royal coat of arms. Both kings beamed as the four guards placed it directly next to the Raachon throne.

  “This is a mockery!” Gretidor spluttered in between agonized gasps.

  “Hold your tongue, son, before I cut it out myself,” the Korii king threatened in a casual voice.

  The two Maji kings glibly climbed the steps together and took their places upon their neighboring thrones.

  “We present to you, young Jadestar, a unified Maji race,” said Aequin Alunna.

  Karena, who had been standing in a shocked silence while she took in the show her father was putting on, seemed to have finally found her voice.

  “A unified Maji race? Have you completely lost your mind, father? These people have been our sworn enemies for generations!”

  “You will understand my decision before this audience is concluded, Karena, I assure you,” was Aequin’s simple reply. He turned to Arius. “I know this all must seem overly dramatic and confusing to you, General, but I have sound reasoning for going about it this way. Rather, we have sound reasoning.” He nodded towards Regius Sollis.

  “To say I’m curious about how all of this came to fruition would be the understatement of my lifetime,” Arius replied in a calm voice that conflicted with the mounting anger that was rising inside of him.

  He knew he had been used by Gretidor and Regius, but now it was abundantly clear that he had been a pawn of a game of which he didn’t know the rules or the stakes. He folded his hands in front of him to keep from balling them into fists at his side.

  “We have known for quite some time now that you would appear in Calrisan this day seeking answers; a year, to be precise,” explained Regius. “It was my Seers who first brought me this information.

  “All that their vision told them originally was that you would be looking for something here that was vital to the war effort. I set them to finding out all they could about the premonition. Maji Seers are the elite when it comes to deciphering all variations of prophecy, as you well know. What they discovered shook me to my core. The Seers found that what you seek is directly connected to the fate of our people. Not just the Korii, but the Maji as a whole. More importantly, it was foreseen that if the Korii and the Raachon did not unite and ally ourselves with Gaelaria, our entire race would be completely extinct before the war was finished. More specifically, you, young Arius, are the key to our survival.”

  A deafening silence filled the chamber at the king’s announcement. The unsettling quiet stretched on for a moment before it was broken by a cackle of mad laughter from Gretidor.

  “Don’t believe him, Kinless. He is a treacherous dog. This is some ploy, mark my words.”

  Arius pointedly ignored him, instead asking, “At what point did you present your findings to King Alunna?”

  “Actually, it was I who approached him,” stated Aequin matter-of-factly. “It turns out that my Seers foresaw the exact same thing, albeit a few months earlier than did Sollis‘ bunch. It shames me to admit that because of the distrust that has spawned between ourselves all these years, I sat on the information contemplating whether or not to even tell my counterpart. In the end, though, too much was at stake, and I sent emissaries to him that began the eventual bargaining to marry our two peoples once again.”

  “And I am happy that he did,” Regius said, nodding sagely. “I am not so certain that I would have been as humble as Aequin was and been able to take the necessary leap of faith it took on his part to send those liaisons. I’m not so arrogant that I can’t admit that we are overly proud as a race. Prejudice is not an easy thing to disregard at the best of times.”

  Arius whistled slightly. Everything that Vontes had told him earlier at the Emperor‘s Gail had just become crystal clear in his mind.

  “This explains a lot, actually,” he said. “For one, all the paranoia and unease being spread throughout both northern and southern Calrisan must have been perpetuated by you two. Take the murders of Peria Alunna and Romil Varso, for instance. They were two of the most prominent figures among all the Maji, regardless of faction. If they were dispatched by some, ‘unknown entity,’ then no one would feel safe. If I’m not off-base, you were waiting for my arrival to make all of this public. That’s why you sent Gretidor to bring me to you earlier, Sollis. It was supposed to look like he kidnapped me. Regius would have saved me, gaining my trust. Not only that, but your plan was to pin the assassinations on Gretidor, and you would use that as your catalyst for uniting the factions against a common enemy. Gretidor would of course be disinherited and arrested, probably publicly executed as well. Furthermore, it makes even more sense because King Regius is a widower, and Karena is in need of a powerful suitor. That would give Calrisan the opportunity to have a united bloodline for the first time in centuries.”

  Aequin Alunna rose an admonitory eyebrow, and while
Regius Sollis smirked openly, it was Aequin that spoke first. “It seems you are extraordinarily perceptive, General Jadestar.”

  Gretidor snorted in derision, but his father cut him off sharply.

  “You have an appointment with the gallows shortly, son, otherwise I would have you cut down here and now. In the meantime, yes, Jadestar is correct. You will be the synergist that unites a nation. Doesn‘t it just reek of irony, Gretidor? All those years that I deemed you ineffectual in every sense of the word, and you will serve a purpose after all. In fact, you will serve the most important purpose in the history of our species. I hope that you feel proud in your role as our pariah.” Regius Sollis laughed uproariously, like it was the grandest joke in all of the world. He wiped his eyes as his mirth subsided. “Guards! Take my son to his cell and out of my sight.”

  Gretidor, for once, said nothing, and he didn’t put up an ounce of resistance as he was escorted from the hall. Arius stared after him with disdain, but the fallen prince refused to meet Arius’ eye. Instead he glowered pure detestation at his father until the doors shut on him.

  Now that the prince was gone, both kings turned their full attention to Arius, who studied them in turn. He couldn’t really blame them for the measures that they had gone to in order to accomplish something as monumental as bringing their people together. His anger died down considerably as he contemplated the scope of having these mighty warriors fighting alongside his army.

  “We are willing to swear unyielding fealty to you and the Gaelarian Alliance this very instant, General Jadestar,” Aequin Alunna stated, standing. “The Korii, Raachon, and Aernilles will fly at your side when Dantron begins its invasion of your homeland. Our every resource is at your disposal; this we pledge to you.”

  Regius Sollis stood also, and both bowed as one, stating in unison, “Calrisan is yours.”

  “If that’s the case, I am going to need to see your Seers at once,” Arius replied solemnly.