6. Greater Power
GREATER POWER
“ B efore bacon,” Caden began as he turned to look up at Valerius’ handsome face, “I want to see what you destroyed!”
Valerius’ full lips quirked into a smile. “Something you want before bacon? Now that is a surprise.”
Caden’s mouth opened and shut. “Okay, I’d like both at the same time, but if I must choose, I guess hellfire and destruction first.”
Chione had stopped her instructions to the Claw to review the videos of who had triggered Mei’s robots to go on a rampage. “Do not worry, Caden. I will have bacon sent to you.”
“Really?! How fancy! You don’t have to do that!” Caden laughed self-consciously.
He really should get his own bacon. Chione had more important things to do, but she was already talking to someone in the kitchen so it was a done deal.
“Not at all! I know Valerius will enjoy showing you his handiwork,” Chione said.
Iolaire’s tongue lolled out at the thought of bacon. Caden’s stomach rumbled. He’d hardly had a chance to eat before Illarion had spoiled things. At that moment, a Claw appeared with a red silk robe for Valerius. The Black Dragon King shrugged it negligently on. Caden immediately mourned the loss of that beautiful form. Valerius didn’t seem to notice Caden’s discrete ogling, but said instead, “You must be curious about this then to give up bacon immediately!”
“It is worth seeing,” Mei remarked. “As you will find out… I want to call you Iolaire but--”
“Caden. My name is Caden,” he corrected her gently.
She nodded. “Caden. As you will find, being able to use your Dragon gifts in your human form is rare. Being able to use one’s greater Dragon powers in your human form is unheard of.”
“Until now,” Esme said with a lifted eyebrow at Valerius.
“Hellfire--it is called hellfire, right?--is a greater power?” Caden asked Valerius.
“Hellfire is impressive,” Valerius answered, but it wasn’t really an answer.
More raised eyebrows from Esme. “Are you suggesting, Valerius, that hellfire is not one of your greater powers? That it is just ordinary?”
Valerius smirked. “I must have some secrets, Esme.”
“If I ever considered you an open book I will now eat those words,” Esme laughed not unkindly.
“So! Show me this destruction?” Caden pressed, bobbing up and down on his heels.
“Of course.” Valerius looked a little pleased.
Iolaire was wide-eyed in Caden’s chest, clearly excited and a little nervous to see evidence of just how powerful Valerius and Raziel were.
“I look forward to speaking to you later, Caden, Valerius. I will tell you what I find about my robots.” Mei then swept out of the room following a clanking Adama and a straight-backed Captain Simi.
“You cannot leave us now, Caden!” Tez’s lower lip wibbled. “We have just found you! And look at Illarion’s face! He is so desperate to be around you as well!”
That had a smile appearing on Tez’s own mouth for just a moment. Illarion, however, did not smile. In fact, his eyes narrowed and his expression darkened. He turned on his heel and stalked off, not saying a word.
“I guess he doesn’t want to be mates with me anymore,” Caden remarked dryly.
“What a shame,” Valerius’ tone was even drier.
Caden grinned up at him. “And here I was worried about revealing who I was to everybody. This is going great!”
Valerius embraced him and kissed the top of his head. When they broke apart--though Valerius kept one hand firmly on Caden’s lower back--Caden looked over at Tez and Esme. Tez’s hands were clasped in front of his chest and he was beaming at them with suspiciously moist eyes. Esme was smiling like a proud grandmother. Caden pinked.
“Ah, do you guys want to see the destruction, too?” Caden asked them.
To his surprise and delight, both of them nodded eagerly. Valerius led the four of them out of the castle and into the courtyard towards a set of broad, wide steps around the corner. Caden and Valerius held hands while Tez gentlemanly offered his arm to Esme. As they walked, Tez peppered Caden with questions and statements.
“You are so young!” Tez remarked. When Caden smiled uncertainly, Tez continued, “It is not a criticism. I mean how can one be criticized for one’s age? It is chosen for us and our concept of time continues it for us. It’s a conceit really. But what I meant is that I am so used to Shifters looking young, but not really being young. Do you understand? And for a Dragon Shifter to be so--so--”
“Innocent?” Valerius’ lips twitched.
“No! Fresh! That is the word I was looking for,” Tez said with a “bah” at Valerius.
“Innocent. Inexperienced. Very new. Fresh, I guess works, too,” Caden admitted.
“You’re bold to be so open with us, Caden. Most Shifters try to be cagey,” Esme remarked, but she was smiling gently at him. It wasn’t a criticism, or maybe it wasn’t a criticism about talking to them this way, but maybe not to others .
“I think if I were to describe myself as anything else, it would be hard to believe anything I said,” Caden explained.
“So not only is being a Shifter--a Dragon Shifter, no less--new to you, but the world is!” Tez looked rather stunned at the thought of it. He shook himself. “It is good that we are all here then.”
“Good?” Valerius had that dry tone again. “I thought you were here to woo him, Tez?”
Tez smiled at Valerius and waved a hand as if any such thought was foolish. “I was here to meet him above all. But now, I see that we must all work together to help him. To teach him. It is so exciting! I have always wished to have another Dragon to train!”
“Caden isn’t a pet, Tez,” Esme reminded him gently.
“Y-yes, I know.” Tez’s quick glance at Caden told Caden that he was thinking of him a little bit as a pet.
“Though Iolaire is adorable,” Esme added.
“Yes!” Tez was jubilant again.
“But not as pretty as Eldoron?” Valerius was actively suppressing a smile as he said this.
Tez shrugged. “No other Dragon is.”
“Eldoron is beautiful,” Caden said kindly.
“Oh, Eldoron is so pleased! Eldoron thinks that Iolaire and it should fly together. Gold and white! Such a pair! The people of Reach would have never seen such beauty.” Tez stretched a hand out to the sky as if he could imagine it right then and there.
“Uhm, that would be great, but you did see how hard it was for me to land last night, right? I’m still learning,” Caden reminded him. “Valerius makes sure that I don’t squash anybody or anything.”
Valerius tightened his hand around Caden’s. “And Valerius would be a part of any flying.”
Caden grinned up at him. He really only wanted to fly with Valerius anyways.
“Talking about yourself in the third person now, Valerius?” Esme teased.
“If I must to get my point across.” Valerius rubbed a thumb along the back of their linked hands .
“I don’t know if black goes so well with white and gold,” Tez sighed. “But if it must be, it must be.”
“It must,” Valerius said simply.
They’d reached the top of an impressive set of stone steps that curved downwards into the side of High Reach. There were torch holders on either side of the stairs. Caden thought that if there were lit torches it would look quite like the entrance to a medieval dungeon. But the thick metal door that lay sprawled below them, like a fallen soldier, the illusion was broken. Caden released Valerius’ hand and clattered down the steps. He knelt down and touched the metal. The hinges were wrenched off. He couldn’t imagine the force it took to cause the door to be like this.
“The robots did this?” Caden looked up at Valerius.
The Black Dragon King’s hands were slid into the robe’s pockets. He moved with his usual predatory grace. A faint smile was on his lips that was almost embarrassed.
“No, I did,” Valerius answered, stopping a step above him.
“Seriously?” Caden’s voice was hardly above a whisper as he looked back down at the door that likely weighed half a ton.
“Dragon Shifters are very strong,” Tez told him helpfully.
“I know, but…” Caden shook his head as he slowly got to his feet. “I just didn’t think… I don’t know. I guess seeing is believing.”
“And doing is even better,” Esme said. “Why don’t you try to lift it, dear?”
Caden’s eyes widened and he wiped his hands on his jeans. “Oh, I couldn’t do that! I--”
“You are a Dragon Shifter! Of course, you can!” Tez enthused.
Caden’s gaze slid to Valerius. Surely, the Black Dragon King would put an end to this silliness! He was a Dragon Shifter sure! But he was a little Dragon Shifter. And he wasn’t in his Dragon form now!
“Go ahead. Lift it,” Valerius said with a tip of his head. When Caden gave him a “you’re crazy look” he added, “One-handed.”
“What?!” Caden squawked. “You’re making this even more impossible!”
Valerius just smiled. “You can do this, Caden.”
Caden muttered, “Don’t laugh if I can’t do this. I might manage to nudge it maybe. Maybe.”
Iolaire twittered at him, blinking, and shuffling its wings happily. Caden didn’t know if Iolaire thought he could do this or was simply giving encouragement. Caden leaned over and put the fingers of his right hand underneath the door. He fully expected to have to strain to even make it wobble. So he put his all into it and the door flew upwards and then fell down again on the other side before sliding down a few more steps. Caden’s mouth opened in a gasp. Iolaire let out a triumphant coo.
“WHOA! Did you see that?” Caden whipped around to face Valerius.
The Black Dragon King was smiling. “I did.”
He looked at Esme and Tez. “You saw that, too, right? That was so cool!”
Both Dragon Shifters smiled encouragingly at him. Tez clapped.
“So fresh, you see! Everything is new again!” Tez stated. “It makes me feel like anything is possible once more! It makes me remember the gift that being a Shifter is.”
Caden caught sight of Valerius’ face out of the corner of his eye. There was a sudden understanding expression on the Black Dragon King’s face. He felt the same as Tez, and Caden was pretty sure that he felt some of Tez’s excitement at Caden experiencing this whole new world. There was a clattering sound as the door shifted and slid down a few more steps, all but blocking their path.
“Uhm…” Caden began. “Should I try to move that?”
“You’ve had enough fun with that door for today. Let me.” Valerius leaned over and with one hand lifted the door up and handed it to Esme. “Would you put that up above us, Esme?”
“Of course,” Esme answered.
She took the door with the same ease and lightly tossed it back up onto the courtyard. It landed with a clatter. Caden couldn’t help the gasp of awe he let out.
“Okay, I’m sorry, but that was so incredibly cool!” Caden laughed.
Esme curtseyed and let out a delighted, young girl’s giggle. The four of them shared a look then. There was a connection here. For the first time, Caden didn’t feel completely singular. The connection he had begun to have with Valerius grew even as he felt new connections--not as strong, but still there--with Esme and Tez.
“I’m really glad to have met you,” Caden suddenly said.
“Yes, dear, I am too,” Esme told him as she nodded.
“Most certainly! If, for nothing else, to see Illarion so humiliated!” Tez slapped his thigh with childish glee.
“I second that,” Valerius murmured even as he caressed Caden’s cheek with the back of one hand.
Caden’s gaze slid to the other two Dragon Shifters to see what they thought of this open display of affection. He had started it by running to Valerius and revealing himself, not caring about his secret or anything else, but after smelling that bitter, metal fire and feeling the earth tremble… he’d have done anything to make sure Valerius was okay. A knowing, fond look was on Esme’s face. Tez just seemed fascinated as if he were watching a bear playing the ukulele.
“So are we going to see the results of hellfire?” Caden asked even as his cheeks burned.
After witnessing what was possible with the door, Caden really wanted to see the destruction. Valerius linked their nearest hands together and led them down the stairs.
“Esme, I thought only you could use magic when you weren’t in Dragon form,” Caden said over his shoulder.
“Magic?” Esme let out a laugh. “Oh, well, I suppose our powers are that. But no, every Dragon can use some of their powers in human form.”
“But which ones and how many are kept secret from everyone!” Tez explained.
“Oh? But why--oh, my God,” Caden breathed the last as they stepped through the doorway and entered the dungeon.
The floor was covered in gleaming metal. It was no longer liquid anymore, but a solid two-inch thick layer over three-quarters of the stone floor. There were unrecognizable chunks of parts of the robots that hadn’t completely turned to slag.
“All those robots… oh, man, Mei must be pissed,” Caden laughed softly.
“More upset that someone got past her precious firewall protecting her control of them,” Valerius answered.
Tez whistled as he and Esme spread out to survey the wreckage.
“You are formidable, Valerius,” Tez remarked approvingly. “I mean I knew that, but still… seeing is believing. I am like Caden in my shock and admiration.”
“Illarion should see this.” Esme was tapping her chin and looking over the carnage with an almost cold approval.
“Why?” Caden asked.
“You heard him, Caden. He thinks he could win in a battle between Valerius and himself. This would show him how foolish such a belief is,” she answered.
Caden felt as much as saw Valerius tense and his eyes narrow. His temper and the violence that he controlled so well were suddenly right beneath the surface. A tissue-thin layer of civilization was hiding the Black Dragon King beneath. Caden’s breath caught and he looked at Valerius. The moment Valerius saw the fear in his face, the violence bled out of him and he cupped Caden’s cheek.
“I won’t let Illarion even try to attack you. I’ll make it so he can never shift again!” Caden’s hands fisted at his sides.
Iolaire let out a trill of agreement.
“So fierce.” Valerius smiled at him fondly. “But I think that a confrontation between Illarion and myself is inevitable. Illarion must put his hand in the fire and be burned before he realizes he can be harmed.”
“You shouldn’t do that!” Caden cried.
“What? Why?” Valerius looked between them.
Esme sighed and tilted her head towards Tez. “Caden.”
“I know I suck at secrets!” Caden cried. “But I know we can share this with Tez. I feel it. Iolaire feels it.”
“Tell Tez what?” Now Tez was speaking in the third person.
Iolaire was cocking its head as it cooed--not in the same way as it did at Raziel--at Tez. Tez’s eyes grew huge and he put a hand on the center of his chest.
“Iolaire! I can--I can see it! It is cooing at me and Eldoron!” Tez now was weeping with joy. “Oh, Eldoron and I are now complete!”
Valerius looked at Caden. “Iolaire is… is cooing at them?”
Caden grinned and put a hand on Valerius’ arm. “Not the way Iolaire does to you and Raziel.”
And then Caden blushed so hard that his cheeks felt they were on fire. He might have just revealed more than he should. Despite him having seen how the separation between Iolaire and Raziel was breaking down, he didn’t think Valerius knew. He wasn’t sure why. Maybe it was because Valerius was too close to see it, that things had been the same for so very long.
“I see.” It was Valerius’ turn to blush. He lowered his head and wouldn’t quite meet Esme and Tez’s eyes.
“Esme, tell them about the Faith and war,” Caden urged her.
With a deep breath, Esme nodded and pressed the tips of her fingers together beneath her chin before telling Tez and Valerius everything they had learned from Illarion and her own investigation into Serai.
Caden turned to Tez. “Have there been any violent activities by the Faith in your territory, Tez?”
Tez’s forehead furrowed, but then shook his head. “The Faith is not strong in my territory. You see, my territory is filled with many native peoples who were forced to accept Christianity. What they did was to incorporate their already existing beliefs and Christianity. When Shifters were revealed to be real, they just… well, incorporated some more. Christianity just got a larger pantheon, but nothing truly changed.”
Esme crossed her arms over her chest. “I suppose you were lucky in a way, Tez. Belief in religion in my territory was all but gone. It still remained in a sort of historical almost secular way, but after Shifters were revealed to be real… It was like a tidal wave drowned everyone in shock. Their minds--so used to believing there was nothing more than what they could experience with their five senses--suddenly were shown to be completely unreliable. The Faith has taken off there. Sometimes… sometimes it worries me.”
“Even though you have used it to control your territory at times?” Tez pointed out.
Esme waved a hand through the air. “I know that you think of yourself as a Dragon of the people, Tez, but you must understand that I am not you and my people are not yours.”
Tez bowed to her. “You are right. Forgive me, Esme. I just remember how the powerful ruled the peasants through religion in the past. It… grates.”
“Of course, it does! You were controlled in the past. Not the controller. Now you seek to give people choice and the illusion, if nothing else, that they are in control of their destiny,” Esme said. “But if the Faith truly is seeking to sow discord among us then not even your territory with your faithful little workers will not be safe for long.”
“We can’t have a war! That would be crazy! So many people would die!” Caden looked at what Valerius had done with hellfire. “So many people would die.”
Valerius grasped his chin and forced Caden to look at him. “Do not be afraid, Caden.”
Caden caught hold of Valerius’ wrist. “How can I not be? They’re going to use me and Iolaire as proof that their crazy plan is the right one! Plant a bomb and get the ninth Dragon Shifter! What are a few lives compared to that?”
Caden’s words caused a hush to fall over all of them. He knew he was right. Iolaire was making low, sad sounds. It, too, feared that violence was coming, a tidal wave of it, and that it would touch all of them, and more.
“How do we stop this?” Tez lifted his hands into the air in helplessness.
“How do we stop what?” A bright voice came from the doorway.
All of them turned to see a golden-skinned woman who stood over six-feet. Her arms and midriff were bare. She wore a top of what looked like folded green banana leaves and a multi-layered skirt that came to her knees. Her feet were bare and she held what looked like a hoverboard in her right hand. Long black hair that hung in loose waves down to her waist framed an expressive, pretty face.
“Kaila!” Esme proclaimed and immediately enfolded the newcomer in an embrace.
“Esme, my dear sister! My fellow water goddess, how I have missed you!” Kaila proclaimed.
They bussed each other’s cheeks before breaking off and looking at one another with evident fondness. Kaila caught sight of Caden over Esme’s shoulders and her bright blue eyes fixed on Caden. She walked slowly towards him, a look of almost awe on her handsome features. She lightly took his hands in hers.
“Ninth Dragon Shifter,” she murmured. “I am Kaila, the Turquoise Dragon, and Queen of the Seas.”