part0016

Silence permeated the air as Raikidan and I followed the East path. We’d walked about an hour from what I could gauge, and I was thankful for the quiet. It gave me time to sort myself out, as I found it hard to shake Valene’s words. My hand clutched the portal Ken’ichi gave me, giving me grounding, but I was careful not to squeeze it too hard and accidentally activate it. I wanted to use up what was left of its power in one go to get us as far as possible.

Movement in the forest caught our attention. Turning, we found the Guardian approaching. Great, Maka’shi probably had it reprogramed already.

The Guardian stopped walking when it came into arm’s reach, towering over us, and held out an arm. In what could serve as its hand hovered a small flame. The being held it out to me. I summoned up my own key flame, assuming it wanted proof I wasn’t a threat, but when I held the fire out, the Guardian ignored it. It pushed the flame it carried closer to me.

I eyed the Guardian warily, and then reached out to touch the flame. I’d never seen this behavior before, and in my time spent at the village, no one had told me of it, either. My finger came in contact with the burning element and a startling pulse ran through me.

“Shaman,” came a strong ethereal voice in my mind. “I have been given a strange command. It has told me to see you as an enemy.”

“But I will not heed this new command.” My eyes widened with surprise. “I have watched you since the day you first arrived long ago. I have seen your bravery and your drive to protect these people. You’ve shown me respect when others have treated me as a mere construct, having forgotten exactly what I am. This has not changed in you as the sands of time passed. You have remained the same caring soul that I cannot forget. You are not a danger.”

It pulled away and walked back in the direction it’d come, its last words still burning in my mind.

The fact this creature could speak, in its own way, shocked me enough to be unable to respond. I didn’t know what it meant by “Ancient Soul” but I didn’t feel as though this was the time to ponder that.

Raikidan leaned over to look at me. “Are you okay?”

“It… talked to me.” I looked at him. “It’s a sentient being.”

He looked taken aback by what I said. “Uh, so does that not make it some sort of golem?”

“I don’t know…”

“What did it say to you?”

“That it won’t obey its new order to see me as a threat to the tribe.” My brow furrowed. “And that we’ll meet again and it’s looking forward to it.”

I figured it best not to mention the “Ancient Soul” part. Too many unwanted situations could come of that confusion.

Raikidan straightened up. “Well, strange as it is, that’s a good thing, right?”

I nodded. “I guess I got it to like me more than I thought.”

He looked to the sky. “We’re burning daylight. We should get moving.” Raikidan looked down at me again. “We could use that thing you called a portal. Sounded like it could move us closer to our destination somehow.”

I looked down at the glowing orb in my hands. “Technically these aren’t supposed to be used within the shaman territories, except for emergencies or special occasions. With what happened between Maka’shi and me, I’m not all that interested in obeying her, but at the rate the sun is sinking, we could use the protected nature of this forest to our advantage for a night of rest. Then in the morning we could use the portal to cut a few miles of travel off our journey.”

Raikidan frowned. “Do you not trust me to keep you safe?”

I pursed my lips. “I didn’t say that. I just figured it’d be easier on the both of us if we use the added safety of the Guardian. We don’t know the terrain we’ll end up in on the other side of the portal.”

His expression didn’t change. “I can keep us safe without it lurking around.”

I pulled back. Why is he acting so offended? It’s not like what I planned insulted his abilities or anything. “Okay, fine. We’ll use the portal now.”

Squeezing the orb in my hand, I pictured Dalatrend, a sprawling city with high walls to keep invaders out and citizens in, and then tossed it on the ground. Within seconds, the orb distorted and grew until it was several feet taller and wider than the average man. I beckoned Raikidan to follow, and then entered the mystical doorway. Inside the portal, blue, black, and white lights flashed and swirled around. The further we walked, the more disorienting the chosen path became.

When it got to the point where I thought I might get sick, a white light flashed before us, forcing me to shield my eyes. I blinked a few times once it was gone, and looked around. We stood in a meadow, the forest long gone and a brook bubbling in the distance. The eastern road still traveled the same way, still looking unmaintained. I guessed us to be still several days out from our destination. A day’s travel from the city, we’d pass a small town that would be the farthest west to have a road suitable for standard vehicles.

The portal behind us warped and then collapsed within itself, never to be used again. Raikidan stared at the now empty space and then looked around. “So, where did you bring us?”

“Somewhere between the tribe and Dalatrend.” I headed down the road. “The portal didn’t have enough energy to bring us the full length of the destination, so it brought us as far as possible without trapping us inside.”

He followed. “I didn’t think we’d be in such an exposed area.”

“I did mention this would be an unknown before you went and got offended about something I didn’t accuse you of.”

Raikidan didn’t reply to this, and I didn’t have the urge to care whether it affected him or not. We’d just have to trudge on and hope some cover would come up in the next few hours of travel.

The hours passed, and night fell before we came to a small grove. It didn’t offer optimal cover, but it rested several yards away from the main road on hilly ground, aiding in our need to stay hidden.

Raikidan gathered some tinder and lit a fire while I settled down to look over the bag Darren and Shva’sika had given me. The outside wasn’t anything too impressive, although the leather was of high quality and the stitching was well done. Opening the bag, I found it to be lined in various-colored rabbit pelts.

The bag contained a number of items, much of it wrapped up in paper. Must be the food Daren mentioned. I went about pulling some out, only to find more beneath.

I continued to pull out more, catching Raikidan’s attention. “That’s a lot of stuff you’re pulling out.”

He’s right. My brow furrowed as I found more and more items to pull out, as if it were endless. Wait a second… I looked at the exterior of the bag, then inside, then outside again as I analyzed the accessory. “She gave me a void bag.”

Raikidan tilted his head a few degrees. “A what?”

I continued to pull items out of the bag. “It’s a rare bag with an ancient magical enchantment. The enchantment allows for an absurd amount of objects to be placed into it without the exterior growing in size or bursting. The exact amount it can hold before it gets full is determined by the size of the bag used. Based on this size, I’m going to guess I could fit a few people in here if I wanted to.”

“Well if any of those Hunters show up, we can always stuff their bodies in there until we find a good place to dump them.”

I sputtered out a laugh and he grinned.

“At least the dark humor wasn’t wasted.”

He watched me take out more items after I got myself under control and then spoke again. “So, you said it’s lost magic. What about that portal?”

I rocked my head side to side as I thought about how to answer. “Sorta. Portals are a type of magic, and much of the knowledge on how to create them isn’t as widely known, but it’s a different magic than straight arcane magic like the bag. From what I’ve been told, the portal magic is a combination of arcane, spiritual, and natural. Where they have access to arcane, I couldn’t begin to tell you, since everyone knows there are only a handful of lesser arcane spells left in Lumaraeon. A major spell would be needed for something like a portal or a void bag.”

Raikidan stroked his chin. “I know what natural magic is—druids use it—and our draconic magic is similar to it, but what is spiritual magic?”

I steepled my hands as I thought about the explanation. When I was first told about it, it didn’t make much sense to me. “Well, unlike druidic magic, which is pulled from both outside and inside the body, spiritual magic is all internal. It’s the energy our spirits and souls are made of, meaning all beings have this energy. Shamans have a way of manipulating that energy and forcing it to their will. It allows them to calm other people, heal, or force their consciousness onto the spiritual plane, to name a few things.”

Raikidan held his chin and tapped a finger on his lips. “Sounds… complicated.”

I chuckled. “Trust me, it’s no cakewalk learning.”

“How does someone go about learning?”

“The spirits choose you.”

He gave a look to urge me to explain better.

“As most know, those who die go to the spiritual plane, but for a short period of time they can come back and offer guidance. They also sense the strength of an individual’s spiritual magic. If it’s strong enough, they send them vision dreams to find shamans for training.” I grunted. “Of course, their visions are cryptic as all hell, but I’m sure it’s how they get their kicks.”

Raikidan chuckled and then pulled on his vest. “What magic is used on this?”

I tilted my head and he caught onto my confusion quickly.

“Your nu-human friend said it was special made for my shifting ability. He said there’d be some sort of note to explain if there wasn’t time to inform you in person.”

I rummaged through the bag, finding two large books, one with a note tucked into it. I pulled it out to find it scrawled in elegant handwriting in Elvish script. Shva’sika… I ran my fingers over the dried ink, and the letter began to read to me, like one of the library books would.

Due to Raikidan’s shifting abilities, he will struggle to keep a wardrobe. I did some research and found a druidic spell that rectifies that issue. Whenever he shifts, the clothes will fit that form, if humanoid, and disappear into his form when not. Don’t ask me how it works; I just collected the materials required.

I’ve applied the spell to his Guard clothes and provided the materials needed for three more outfits for when you arrive in the city. I’ve also given you another gift. The books.

Both of these books are connected to the Library. One book is blank for writing in, if you ever wish to add to the collection. The other is an access book, allowing you to obtain any information you need from the Library, including the spell I used.

I hope you cherish this book. It’s been in my family for generations and was given to us by the Library in thanks for protecting the entrance before the village had been constructed around it.

I hope these will help you in some way. I will see you again in time, and remember, no matter what Maka’shi says, you will always be my sister and I will be there for you when you need me.

I smiled and continued to touch the ink. “She put some sort of druid spell on the clothes. It won’t rip when you shift, though what happens to them when you take a non-humanoid form, is an unknown beyond ‘they go away.’”

He nodded. “We’ll find out soon enough.” He focused on the small food packages. “What do we have to eat?”

“Good question.” With the amount of food given, we’d be set for weeks. Or could potentially feed an army. I opened a few bundles to find mostly meat, both dried and fresh cut, but there were a number of premade meals. “We have a bit of everything, take your pick.”

He took a bundle of raw meat and a soup, still hot. I also chose a bundle of raw meat and a premade meal of chicken, potatoes, and greens, also still warm.

Raikidan inspected the hot strew. “How is this possible?”

I bit into some chicken. “Druid spell. It preserves food for a month before dissipating. Shamans use it as they agree with the minimal-waste ideologies of druids. Works great for long journeys.”

He nodded, accepting the explanation, and went to eating. Silence fell between us as we consumed our meals. That is, until I tore into the raw meat and consumed it. “You ate like that the other day. We dragons eat like that, but I thought with the way you humans live, that you cooked all your food.”

I finished chewing before answering. “Well, you’d be right for the average person. Most people who eat raw meat would get sick, but I’m one of those strange ones who can eat it raw or cooked.”

“Interesting.” He tore into his own cut of meat. “Since we’re talking, can you tell me more about this place we’re going to?”

I pursed my lips. “I can try. It’s one of the largest cities on this side of Lumaraeon, surrounded by two walls, an inner and an outer. Houses and businesses of all shapes and sizes are crammed inside the inner wall, while the outer wall is used for agriculture.”

I ripped into my food. “The city itself is split into four quadrants, which in turn are split into three sectors each. All invisible lines of course, but it’s rather easy to tell where those lines are since each quadrant shows the wealth of those who live there. Located in the center of Quadrant One is the temple dedicated to those who wish to publicly show worship to their gods, and in Quadrant Two is an empty area that allows for large social gatherings, like music concerts and festivals. In the center of the city is a small forest with a park for people to use as recreation. Behind it all is a giant, heavily guarded wall that encloses the ‘castle’ Zarda lives in.”

Raikidan chewed his meal as he processed the information and then changed the topic a bit. “This Zarda we’re after. Tell me more about him, besides being a ‘tyrant.’”

“He looks young, no older than thirty-five or so, although he’s much older than that. No one knows his true age, but he’s far outlived the nu-human life expectancy… somehow. He’s tall, has black hair, and is clean-shaven, most of the time. He’s of course nu-human and basically demon spawn. He cares only for power, and doesn’t care who tries to get in his way; he’ll destroy them one way or another.”

“How did someone like that gain so much power?”

“He took it. He took the life of our previous leader, and then took his place. But he had his fingers tangled in the mess long before.”

“Strange question, but was anyone you know born while the previous leader ruled?”

I nodded, wording myself carefully so as not to give too many secrets away, but still show some honesty to this dragon. “A couple—all experiments who’ve also outlived the average nu-human life expectancy.”

He looked up at the sky. “Interesting…”

Silence fell between us again until I finished my meal and cleaned up. “I’ll take first watch.”

Raikidan peered into the darkness beyond the low campfire light. “I can do that. You get some sleep.”

“I’m going to have to take a watch at some point tonight. You need sleep as well.”

He shrugged. “I’ll be fine. I’ve gone without sleep before.”

I didn’t feel like arguing with him, so I let him do his thing. Still, that didn’t mean I trusted him not to fall asleep during his long watch. I found a small outcropping in the hill to slip under and curl up, using my cloak to help hide me. With as thin a material as it was, I felt uncomfortable with it covering me, but I sucked it up. It was safer this way. Making sure I had a dagger in an accessible area to defend myself if needed, I let the crickets sing me to sleep, knowing full well I’d wake up periodically to check our surroundings and take watch if the time came.