Chapter Five #2
Heyval wiped the crumbs off, finished the water that kept refilling, and got to her feet. She brushed at her dress and frowned. “I wish I were wearing something more...”
Azila reached out and flicked her fingers. The sundress turned into a very elegant dress suitable for a high-end shop and meeting with ladies from the club. “Better?”
Amori was shocked. “How... how did you do that?”
“The cuffs are breaking. My power leaks through. There is quite a bit of it.” Azila smiled. “It is easy to use.”
Amori blinked. “And your shoes match. Right. Come with me.”
Heyval looked behind them, and Azila was gone. She saw her again, taking a tea tray and serving two people in the receiving room.
The Vampire King of Denyar was shades of silver and gold, his skin wasn’t as pale as it should be, and it had a blush undertone. His suit was impeccable. The Queen of Suura was sitting next to him, fishing out sugar cubes and dropping them in her teacup.
With the visitors having tea, Azila backed away. “King Amori, Mage Heyval, your guests, King Ulric of Denyar, and Alora, Queen of Denyar and Suura.”
King Amori smiled and shook the hands of the two visiting royals.
Azila murmured, “I will bring more tea.”
Amori helped Heyval sit on a loveseat and sat next to her. She tried to scoot over, but there was no room.
Alora smiled. “New relationship?”
“Yes. Technically, this is the second date.” Heyval blushed.
Ulric chortled. “I remember those days. Of course, I followed her home and trapped her in my city.”
Heyval’s cheeks got hotter.
Amori rubbed her back and kissed her cheek. “Circumstances trapped her here. I am just giving her a place to hide.”
Alora nodded. “Right. Speaking of hiding, a dragon is coming.”
Amori froze. “What?”
Ulric sighed and ran a hand through his hair. “A dragon is coming. We don’t know what he wants, but he will be here shortly, and the seers keep showing him with a baby dragon, so we believe he is coming for a partner.”
Azila chuckled. “That is an interesting hypothesis.”
She poured tea for Heyval and Amori, adding sugar and milk precisely.
Alora looked at her. “What do you mean?”
“They don’t travel for their partners. Their partners are usually sacrificed to them. He is coming to retrieve a child. Dragonborn are precious and rare.”
Heyval looked at her. “Azila, you are sure of this?”
“I am.”
Alora asked softly, “Are you a thrall?”
“No, just mage-bound by dark elves and sold to this palace. I am almost through the enchantments and should be free soon.”
Catching on to what Azila was saying, Alora’s teacup rattled in its saucer. “Why don’t you tell him where you are?”
“I can’t. This isn’t the form that I can use to communicate with him. He would not know me in this shape. I have been in it too long.”
Ulric asked, “Why did you take it on?”
“I was rejected and butthurt, so I portalled across the world, and when I landed in a trap, I took on the form of a more matronly human that would not be particularly attractive to the average elf on the prowl.”
Amori asked, “Who would reject a dragonborn?”
Azila smiled. “Someone who only knew I was their contracted bride. I was too shy, too scaly, and he had a much hotter girlfriend in mind. He couldn’t be bothered to fuck a lizard daily, but he might try and then break the contract.”
Heyval was just as stunned as those with her. “Was he nuts?”
“No. Just an ogre.”
Alora cleared her throat. “Can you show us what you looked like?”
“No. I am eight years older than I was then. I have to let my magic take over, and for that, I have to finish breaking these restraints. It won’t be long, and I hope I get through them before my father arrives. He is reasonable to a point.”
Ulric asked, “And then?”
“And then, he destroys worlds, razes cities, eats populations. I am hoping to have myself together before he arrives.”
Amori said, “You know who you are?”
“I know he is my father. I know I am dragonborn, but I can’t know everything I need until I break these shackles, and they are not meant to be broken. I think I am doing well.”
Heyval had a thought. “How old do you think you are, Azila?”
“Twenty-nine-ish. I was supposed to be married with babies by now.” Azila smiled. “Now I get to leave and go back to my mother so she can try and find another match for me.”
Amori muttered, “Your mother survived birthing you?”
Azila snorted. “Of course. A proper dragon or dragonborn makes their partner strong enough to keep them alive for mating and breeding. So far, I am an only child, but they have centuries together in their futures, and I suspect I will not be alone there forever.”
Alora leaned forward and asked, “So, they only mate once every thirty years?”
Heyval took in the expression on Azila’s face. She was astonished and horrified.
“No, my parents are together every night and day when they are home together. It is obnoxious, really. I hope to disgust my own children that way one day. Not looking likely.”
Heyval suddenly swayed. “Oh, hell. They caught her.”
Alora frowned. “What?”
Amori filled in, “Her sister Rage. She took on Heyval’s appearance and is trying to get the death sentence fulfilled. Heyval is a necromancer, and when she helped heal me, they considered it an abomination and sentenced her to death, but she was already gone. The warrant has remained outstanding.”
Alora blinked. “You are a necromancer?”
Heyval nodded. “Well, I was born a healer, but my mother wouldn’t take no, I don’t want to for an answer.”
Amori said, “She is Suuran, as is her sister. Suuran twins.”
Alora blinked. “Wait. You are Hekora’s daughters.”
“Well, I am one of them. She carried out the tradition of us having different fathers.” Heyval held her head. “This doesn’t feel right. They are torturing her.”
Alora nodded and grabbed her hand. “Let’s go. I am going to sort this.”
Ulric called out, but a bright wrap of energy surrounded them, and they were standing next to two young mages who were torturing Rage under the supervision of an older mage.
Alora asked, “What are you doing to my citizen?” She wrapped magic around the two young apprentices and flipped them back to stand with their master.
The mage looked at the intruders, and an alarm began sounding.
Alora smiled. “Oh, goody.”
Heyval untied her twin and healed her.
Rage nodded. “Thanks for that. I wasn’t expecting the ropes. That was when my face changed.”
Alora nodded. “Right. We are going to their council. This is fucking ridiculous.”
Heyval supported Rage and followed their queen. This sounded like it was going to be fun.
The halls echoed with Alora’s outraged footfalls, and Rage muttered, “Nice dress.”
“Thanks. It was a gift from a dragonborn.”
“Seriously? Damn. I want to meet one of those.”
“Well, if you come home with me, you can. She works for Amori. She’s the king’s assistant.”
“Nice. The ropes were draining, so it’s going to be a few minutes until I am up for a portal.”
Alora looked back. “I have this. Just stand back and stay upright.”
Heyval nodded. “Not a problem.” They were in the bowels of the university and climbing upward. Guards charged at them, but they stepped back when they got a look at Alora.
Heyval couldn’t see her queen’s face, but she guessed that it wasn’t pleased. Alora’s hands were flaring with energy, and that probably wasn’t a good thing.
When they were on the main floor, Heyval recognized the main admin building where she had filed all her loans and bursaries to get her education as a standard mage.
Alora called out, “Who put the price on Heyval’s head?” It was a roar.
The mages who were watching her understood who she was, and they scattered. It took the head of the university showing up to get someone who was willing to speak.
The headmaster stepped forward and said, “Queen Alora, you honour us.”
“Let’s cut the shit. Why is there a price on Heyval’s head?”
“Majesty, I don’t know if you know, but she is a necromancer. We do not allow necromancers within our borders.”
“Really? Do an analysis on her. Now!”
Heyval looked at the man and made sure Rage was standing on her own before she stepped forward, where he could see her clearly.
“Analyze.” He held out his hand, and the spell struck Heyval. “What?”
Heyval grinned. “I know what you are seeing. I am a born healer, trained as a necromancer, educated as a mage. I am the turducken of magic.”
Alora snorted. “Whatever. She is not a necromancer by choice, so that is what we need to be concerned with. Heyval, how many corpses have you reanimated?”
“Corpses? None. I use the healing to start the body and get it back into position while I hold the soul with necromancy. Then, I stuff the soul or souls back in the body and use necromancy to hold them together like a splint. When the body and soul are both integrated again, the binding leaves the person treated.”
The head of the university said, “What?”
“I don’t reanimate the dead. I just keep them from dying and help them heal.”
Alora asked, “What was your most recent use of those skills?”
“Um, a child had had a drowning accident, and after the lifesaving efforts had been exhausted, I caught his soul and forced it back in with a sharp strike that looked like a hit to his sternum. I wrapped it inside him, and he woke up immediately. The brace should disappear from him in about a week. I don’t work with corpses.
I never did. Not even when my mother tried to get me to wake the dog she had killed for the purpose. ”
Alora winced. “Damn. That’s cold.”
“Yeah, I always wanted a puppy.” She wrapped her arms around herself. She looked at the shocked faces of the mages who had remained in the space.
The head of the university said weakly, “Perhaps we were hasty.”
“King Amori didn’t want to press charges.”
“We thought he was in your thrall.”
“I didn’t even meet him until a few days ago, and he was looking for me as well.” She blushed. “Not for the reason you think.”
Rage chuckled. “I am sure you have heard of the club in King Amori’s city.”