CHAPTER 14
Killian
“Killian, be gentler with your sister. She’s still learning how to wield her sword.”
“It’s not my fault she’s a weakling.”
“Sometimes, power lies in those you least expect. Let her blossom into her own unique strengths.”
July 1429
“T
his is outrageous,” I said. “Father, how can you support this farce?”
“The Pure have decided,” Father said solemnly.
“Granting a human the power to choose? In what world is that a sign of good judgment?”
“You’ve spoken enough. Now we must leave,” Father said.
I searched for support among the crowd, but most were busy gossiping while my sister was jumping in excitement. The fool. All of them were fools.
“You know you’ll be my rider, right?” Tarra said to the human.
“I couldn’t imagine it any other way. And your father will be a great teacher,” the woman said, looking at me. Her burning deep hazel eyes surprised me. This woman had determination in droves. But there was one vital quality she lacked—foresight. She didn’t know half of what she was getting into, and it made my blood boil.
I could accept my sister being delusional. But Father? How could he let this happen? Don’t we have enough repercussions to deal with? If the villagers chose to entrust a human with their fates, we were bound for another gruesome war.
I had no choice but to prove to her and everyone that she wasn’t cut out for this. Not now, not ever. Even if the Pure confirmed her presence on our lands wasn’t random, I couldn’t waste time on some emissary of fate to repair our losses and lead us toward a better future. Truth be told, it won’t be much of a hassle to convince the human to stop this nonsense. All I had to do was show her what was at stake and the price she had to pay. I’d give it a day at most. All of us knew the truth in the back of our minds. But I couldn’t understand how blindly everyone else accepted her and even assigned her a role. A human could never be a rider. The duty was destined for Solomonari. Air-wielding, battle-trained Solomonari. What would she do on the battlefield except become fodder for crows?
If Father wanted to see our hopes burn to ashes before our very eyes, so be it. Sometimes, you had to take a step back. Let them revel in their newly discovered miracle, even when the disappointment might sting. Her little win would only give me more pleasure in the long run. Let her gloat. Victory was always mine. I’ve sacrificed too much for it to be any different.
I excused myself from the crowd and my father, as a dragon prince would do, but on the inside, the idea of being in close companionship with her repulsed me.
As I exited the hall, I took off, spreading my wings into the wind. Flying always soothed me. I soared to the top of the mountain and perched on its peak, a place where no one would dare bother me. A place where I could think.
Among the forces of nature, I felt at home. Be it at the banks of a fast-running river or the top of a mountain, nature welcomed me in any form I entered. The full moon was my companion, and only the forest sounds could lull me to sleep. Lately, nothing compared to solitude. Finally, my thoughts were my own. Most of the time, I didn’t think of anything. I simply let time pass, hour after hour, day by day, month by month.
I knew the duties entrusted to me by my father, and I would comply with rebuilding what was once the strongest Fire Legion in Europe. But I would only do it for matters of great importance. Everything else simply didn’t have meaning. Not anymore.
The next morning, my revulsion grew stronger. I couldn’t accept the idea that a human would be honored with the role of a rider, even for a day. I couldn’t let Father go through with it. I had to reason with him. The girl was too young, and everything was too rushed. But maybe Father had hidden intentions he refused to divulge. I had to find out.
Early in the morning, I took flight and headed to Moltenclaw Keep. To my surprise, I saw the human from afar. She was holding an axe, of all things. As I landed near the cave, I went to my chamber and got dressed. It didn’t take long for me to find him. He was with the foolish human, trying to teach her how to cut logs of wood. I walked slowly toward them.
“A dragon rider uses mostly upper body strength. Your legs will only work as support for your arms. The best we can do now is to strengthen your back and arm muscles,” Father said, correcting her stance. “First, you stand with your feet shoulder-width apart, with one foot slightly in front of the other. Hold the handle with both hands. One hand should grip the end of the handle while the other holds it higher up. Position your body so your shoulders are square to the target and align your swing to the middle of the log. Lift the axe over your head using your arms and shoulders, then let the axe follow through on its own. Just like that.” He raised the blade from the top while she held on to the handle. With one swift move, the axe split the first log.
“Now it’s your turn, little survivor,” Father said.
Was it me, or was he trying to impress her? Only two months had passed, and he was already moving on? Over my dead body.
“Father, I must speak to you,” I said, but my gaze stayed on the “little survivor.”
“Son, I did not expect you here. Have you come to aid in training earlier? The others are due to arrive in several weeks.”
“I must speak to you before the general gathering.” My eyes hadn’t left hers. And she didn’t shy away, showing me the same disdain I felt. “Alone.”
“Very well, Son.” Father handed the axe to the human fool. She placed a new log and raised the axe as if to spurn me, but instead, the axe leaned to the back and planted her on her ass. I smirked. She wasn’t just a fool––she was an incompetent fool.
“There is much work to be done,” Father said to her. “Practice the entire day and you will make it work.” With cheeks aflame, she stood up and bowed. At least, she had the courtesy to bow to her patron. Father went ahead into the castle and straight to his study. Once inside, he turned to me. “What was it you wanted to speak about?”
“It’s about the human, Father.”
“Oh, I didn’t doubt for a moment this was your main concern.” Father sat in his chair, placed his elbows on his desk, and weaved his fingers in front .
“What concerns me more is that you aren’t bothered.”
“I’ve lived long enough to not doubt the Fates.”
“And I’ve lived long enough to understand that placing a weakling in the middle of a battle can lead only to one outcome.”
“I believe she’ll prove you wrong.”
I growled. “You don’t believe. You hope. And that’s unlike you, Father. Or maybe the human messed with your head? Are you courting this woman? Has the bed gone too cold since Mother passed?”
“It is interesting that your mind led you to such a conclusion. Rest assured, there is no one like your mother. And there will never be someone like her. She was only the second to become a Mother of Dragon in our kingdom. But you mentioning it makes me rather question your interest in her. Could you be fond of the girl? She isn’t hard on the eyes: long chestnut hair, deep hazel eyes, and a shapely body. A match to your taste.” His eyes danced with curiosity.
“You insult my integrity.” A vein began pulsing in my temple.
“What integrity?” He flicked his wrist and turned to the side, avoiding my gaze. “We’ve lost everything after the last war. Now, we have only––”
“We won the war!” I punched the desk. A crack spread across the marble surface.
“But at what price? Your mother is dead, our riders are dead, and I’m broken beyond repair. For a house that has ruled the Other Realm since the day you were born twenty- two years ago, we’ve reached rock bottom. Now, without a Mother of Dragon, what do you think the other dragon houses will do? If the Triade gets involved, they’ll obliterate us. Peace is already a thing of the past.” Father stood up and walked closer. “Our salvation now relies on our alliance with the Hungarian king despite his cruel games, and His Majesty’s ascension to the Wallachian throne. An event which even the Pure couldn’t offer a date for. So, you can see how desperate we are for the Fates’ help.”
“And their help lies in the weakest of creatures?” I asked, incredulously.
“She won’t be the only one to join the Fire Legion. There will be others. The Solomonari houses will see past our mistakes and aid us in preventing another war. His Majesty and I chose you as a Legion Commander for a reason.” He placed his hands on my shoulders and then exited the study. I followed him out of the Keep.
He continued, “You’ve got the qualities of a great leader—ruthless, resilient, disciplined. With a clear vision for our house’s future, we can get back to our former glory. The remaining task is to convince the Solomonari houses. If you can turn her into a rider, the Solomonari elders will surely support us. Find ways to bolster her strengths.”
“What strengths? She lacks physical power, stamina, valor—”
“Valor isn’t just physical, my son. It burns deep within. Everything else will come once you ignite it.”
“Speaking in riddles doesn’t lighten the burden ahead, Father.”
“Have you ever wondered if maybe you are being a burden? What you lack, she has in heaps.” We walked closer to where the human girl stood. He looked at her with pride as she tried to match the axe to the log of wood until she released it and again failed.
I couldn’t believe Father would assume I lacked anything, especially in contrast to the human. “And what that might be?”
“Hope.”
Though visibly irritated, the human placed the log back in position and tried again and again, failing every time.
“Without knowing how to fight, hope won’t get you past the first frontline.”
“A man who fights without hope is a beast. He won’t care which frontline he faces. Mercenaries have plenty of those: beasts ready to trade their dignity for a pouch of gold. A man who stays loyal, ready to trade his life for the hope of a better tomorrow, is the one you want. Or better yet, who you need.”
“We’re talking about a man here. She’s a mortal woman.”
“And this is when your talent must shine, my son. If you can make a soldier out of her, you can make a winning legion with anyone.” He turned to the Keeps entrance.
“If you want me to accept a human as a rider, then why not gather strong, able men to do your bidding? Let them become riders too and I’ll approve.”
“I cannot make them official riders. They must possess the power to wield elements. But they can serve as secondaries.”
“So you’re telling me a human girl can become a rider, but human warriors can’t?”
“It is not I who makes these rules.” He walked closer. “I am but a pawn in the greater game. And so are you.”
“Never. I will never cower to the Fates’ will.” I looked at my mother’s engraved portraits on the throne, then turned and passed the woman who had turned a dire situation into hell.
I shed my clothes and took flight in an instant, already conjuring my plan––a plan that would allow me to maintain my honor while revealing to everyone the true limitations of a mortal woman.