Awakening (Telindell Book 1) (27 page)

Lian looked around the group before settling on Elintae once again.  “Why have you brought us here?”

Elintae turned away.  “I brought you and Sarath together.  You will help each other grow through the journey ahead.  I sensed the fate that was soon to befall Kynlynn.”  Elintae turned to face Lian.  “You were not ready to face Roxees.  I needed you to leave Kynlynn.”  Elintae sighed.  “Now, I must tell you that Elinar and Teelia are in dire need of your assistance if they are to survive.”

Lian’s eyes widened.  “Elinar and Teelia?  Are they in trouble?”

Sarath looked to Lian.  “Your elf friends?”

Lian glanced to Sarath.  “Yes.”

Elintae slowly nodded.  “Alinshahar stands on the brink of destruction.  You must go to them.”

Lian shook his head.  “Me?  Aren’t you able to get there quicker?”

“They must see you,” she said.  “They must know what our world faces.”  Elintae turned away.  “You will not make it in time.  Alinshahar will fall, unless you listen closely.”

“I’m listening,” he said.

“Your power comes from Zaneen,” she said.  “You are its champion.  The world’s will is your own.  Journey north.  Find darkness underneath the scorching desert sun.”  Elintae turned to face the group.  Her eyes glowed brightly while her voice echoed through the heavens.  “There, bend the untamed might of Zaneen to your will!”  The glow faded from her eyes.  “Only then will you reach Alinshahar.”

Lian nodded.  Sarath looked to him, puzzled.  “More riddles?”  She then looked to Elintae.  “What if we don’t make it in time?  What if we waste too much time trying to solve this cryptic nonsense?”

Elintae smiled.  “He found you, did he not?”

Sarath gave Lian a slight smile.  “I suppose he did.”

Lian nodded at Sarath.  “I’ll do as you say,” he said to Elintae.

Elintae nodded.  “When you meet Oryn Durothill, tell him I will arrive shortly.”

Sarath glanced at Lian.  “Oryn?”

“Elinar’s father,” he said, nodding to Elintae.  “Very well, I will tell him.”

Elintae looked to Rin.  “Approach me, Anok-Rin.”

Rin lowered his head and approached her as quickly as his old body could carry him.  “Yes, my Lady Dusk, what is your command.”

Elintae placed her hand over his eyes.  “Only to see.”  A bright green light shined from her hand.

Rin gasped and dropped his cane as Elintae removed her hand.  “I… I can see.  All these years… and I can see!”

Elintae smiled.  “I am not without compassion.  You have served me well.  Now your charge is complete, and I grant you sight as your reward.  As dusk sets upon your life, live your last days happily.”

Rin drop to his knees and shouted, “Thank you.  Thank you so much!”

Elintae looked to Sarath.  “For all the evil magic can spawn, such as the enemy we face… know that it can also do wonderful acts of good.  Learn this.”  Elintae looked to the sky.  “Now, I must go.”

Ceriene nodded to Elintae.  “I bid you farewell, my Lady.”

Sarath looked around, then to Elintae.  “Wait!  Learn what?”

Elintae looked at the group just as the wind gusted once more.  In a flash, she was gone as quickly as she had come.

Sarath shook her head.  “No answer?  Not even a cryptic one?”  She sighed.  “I don’t think she likes me.”

Lian looked to the sky.  “I’ve learned she has a reason for everything she does.”

Sarath smiled toward Lian.  “At least she got one thing right.”

Ceriene approached Lian.  “Lian, if I may?”

“Yes?” he said.

“I wish you to deliver a message to General Oryn Durothill of the Elven people,” she said.

Lian nodded.  “Of course.”

“When you arrive… if he yet lives,” Ceriene said before giving a confident smile.  “Tell him that Shinrok will stand with Alinshahar in the coming battles.”

Lian smiled.  “You have my word.”

“Now,” she said.  “Rin will show you back to your quarters.”

Sarath looked to Ceriene.  “Our quarters?”

“Yes,” she said.  “Where you are allowed to rest after your journey.”  said Ceriene.

“Thank you,” said Lian.  “We are grateful.”

“No thanks is necessary,” she said.  “You will have horses and supplies ready for you at dawn.”

Rin tapped his cane on the ground with a large grin.  “Now, come.  I’m sure all three of you are tired.”

They followed Rin back through the city of Shinrok.  The hours passed slowly for Sarath.  She lay against Lian’s chest as he slept in the bed they had been provided.  Kane slept at their feet.  She slowly crept from the bed and walked to an outside balcony.  Her hair blew in the night desert breeze as she peered across the vast desert city.  She felt Kane brush up against her and looked down to him.  “This is too much.”  Sarath looked back across the city and crossed her arms.  “He can’t do this alone.  It’s going to get him killed.  As wonderful as he is, he’s just one man…”  A single tear escaped her eye.

She looked down to Kane, then returned to bed.  Thoughts of concern plagued her mind.  She laid her head upon Lian’s chest and listened to his comforting heartbeat before finally closing her eyes and drifting off to sleep.

Just after dawn, Lian stood next to the supply-laden horses.  Kane stood ready next to Lian.

Sarath looked at him from a few paces away.  Sarath spoke with a soft voice, “We don’t have to go.”

Lian raised his head to Sarath.  “What?”

“This… it’s too much for one person,” she said.  She looked away and closed her eyes tightly.  “We’re…”  Sarath looked back to Lian with tears welled in her eyes as she shouted, “You’re going to die!”

Lian’s eyes widened.  He took a deep breath.  “I know you’re scared.  I won’t make you come with me.”

Sarath snarled.  “It matters what happens to you! Not me!”  Sarath shook her head while she crossed her arms.  “Let’s stay!  Just you, me, and Kane! We’ll forget all this!  Let them fight their own war!”

Lian looked at Sarath in silence.  He didn’t know what to say.  Kane looked up to Lian, then to Sarath.

Sarath looked at Lian and sobbed.  “You… you’ve saved my life twice.”  Sarath shook her head, frowning.  “You had reason to kill me.  Leave me for dead if you wanted.  You are the only man, the only person to ever show me any sort of true compassion.  Maybe it’s love.  I don’t know…”  Sarath paused for a moment, then shouted, “But I can’t stand the thought of something happening to you!  Let’s not go!  Please!”

Lian’s eyes widened.  He walked to Sarath and wrapped his arms around her tightly.  Sarath cried heavily into his shoulder.

Sarath looked up to Lian with her tear-filled eyes.  “Please?” 

Lian slowly shook his head, his own eyes watery.  “I have to go.  If I don’t, they will come for me.  If I don’t stop them, nothing will stand between you and them.”

Sarath buried her head into Lian’s chest.  She looked up to him a few moments later.  “I’m coming too.”

“You don’t have to,” he said.

“Yes… yes I do,” she said while struggling to smile.  “You’re far too sheltered to do this alone.”

Lian smiled.  “Forest.”

Sarath’s tears slowly dried.  “Sheltered.”

Lian held Sarath tightly as she leaned toward him.  Lian leaned down and kissed her softly.  He pulled away.  “When this all over, can it still be you, me, and Kane?”

Sarath smiled while she wrapped her arms around Lian and squeezed him tightly.  She stretched up to his ear and whispered, “As if you ever had a choice.”

Scorching rays shined down upon the Bintol Desert.  Lian, Sarath, and Kane had traveled north just as Elintae had instructed.  Lian and Sarath’s horses walked side by side through the sand, with Kane trotting along next to them.

Sarath looked to Lian.  “Darkness underneath the scorching sun.  Maybe she could have been at least a little clearer.”

Lian shrugged.  “I guess she has her reasons.”

“What reason is that?” she said.  “To find out if we solve her riddle or bake to death in the sun?”

Lian looked over to Sarath.  “I don’t think she’d kill us… Not when we are her best hope of saving the world.”

Sarath smirked.  “You mean you’re her best hope.”

“You have a part to play as well, remember?” he said.

Sarath laughed.  “Oh, so you get all the epic powers, I’m the useless sidekick, and what’s Kane?”  Sarath looked down to him and smiled.  “Our mascot?”

Kane glared up at Sarath and growled, followed by a snort.

Lian smiled at Kane.  “Kane says that he is the fearless leader.  I’m the sidekick.”

Sarath thought for a moment before glaring at Lian.  “That would make me the mascot.”

Lian smirked.  “You would be the mascot.”

Sarath looked at them smugly.  “At least I’m pretty, unlike the two of you.”

Kane looked up to Sarath and shook his head.  Lian laughed at them as he looked into the distance.

Sarath grinned slightly.  “Shut up, both of you!  Now, let’s keep looking for that hole in the ground.”

Lian took note of something in the distance.  He raised an eyebrow at a seemingly black speck amidst a towering sand dune.  “Sarath, you may be on to something.”

Sarath looked to Lian, puzzled.  “What?”

Lian kicked his horse and shouted, “A hole in the ground, come on!”

Sarath quickly kicked her horse, while shouting, “What? Wait!”

The trio raced across the desert sand toward the black speck.  A large cave entrance became visible.  Lian slowed his horse and came to a stop just in front of the cave.  Sarath and Kane stopped next to him a moment later.

Sarath studied the cave.  “Not exactly a hole in the ground, but it is pretty close.”

Lian looked up, seeing the sun positioned directly above the cave.  He looked to Sarath and pointed up.  “Darkness underneath the scorching sun.”

Sarath rolled her eyes.  “Why couldn’t she say ‘Ride north, you’ll find a rather large cave’?”

“I don’t think easy is her style,” Lian said, studying the dark cave.  “I wonder what we’ll find.”

“Honestly,” she said.  “By her saying ‘untamed might…’  I’m not sure I want to know.”

Lian nodded and took a deep breath.  “I think we can agree on that.”

“This is the part where you disregard all common sense and explore the cave… right?” Sarath asked with a smirk.

Lian dismounted his horse.  “You already know me so well.”

Sarath sighed and slid from her horse.  “At least it’s not Riverwood.”

Lian looked at the area surrounding the cave.  Nothing but sand and the rock walls of the cave.  “Stay with the horses,” he told Kane.  “Sarath and I will check out the cave.”  Kane nodded his head and sat down next to the horses.

Sarath chuckled.  “So, you take the mascot with you instead of the fearless leader?”

Lian looked at her playfully.  “Well, a mascot would be useless at guarding our horses, now wouldn’t it?”

Sarath shook her head and smirked.  “Smartass.”

“You must be rubbing off on me,” he said.

Sarath walked toward the cave.  “I’m still prettier.”  She looked back to Lian.  “Coming?”

Lian followed and shouted, “Mascots lead the way!”

Darkness engulfed the two as they ventured deeper into the cave.

Sarath glanced around.  “I can’t see a thing.”

“Could be worse,” he said.

Sarath sighed.  “There’s your fucking optimism…”

“What’s wrong with seeing things for the better?” he asked.

“It might get you--” she said before being interrupted by a deep thunderous voice that echoed through the darkness.  “Who dares enter my domain?”

Sarath grabbed Lian’s hand.  “Killed!”

The cave trembled under another shout, “Answer me!”

Sarath leaned over to Lian and whispered, “I think we should leave.”

Lian shook his head.  “We can’t.”  He took a deep breath and shouted into the cave.  “We mean you no harm!”

The voice shouted, “Turn back!”

Sarath trembled and leaned into Lian, whispering, “I think we should listen.”

“Come on,” said Lian.

She pushed Lian and whispered, “I’m going to die, and it’s going to be all your fault.”

Lian held Sarath’s hand as they continued farther into the cave.  Sarath took a step and let out a scream.  She slipped down a slope and jerked Lian down behind her.  The two tumbled down the steep slope before they crashed to the ground violently.  Glowing green crystals lined the cave, lighting it dimly.  Sarath stared at the center of the large area they had slid into.

Lian stared at the wall.  “What’s this light?”

Sarath pointed to the center.  “Lian…”

Lian looked to the center, his eyes widened.  A large, golden brown dragon stared at them with shimmering green eyes.  It let out a deafening roar as it stood and stretched its wings and shouted, “I warned you!  Now, you die!”

The dragon opened its mouth, and the red glow of flames could be seen inside.  Lian quickly grabbed Sarath and jumped out of the dragon’s aim.  They felt the immense heat of the dragon’s breath as they barely escaped certain death.  The dragon turned to face the two.  With ferocious speed, it lunged forward.  It raised its large claws and swiped toward them.  Lian pushed Sarath to the side and attempted to jump back.  The tip of the dragon’s claws caught his upper body.  They sliced through his shirt and left three lacerations across chest.  Lian let out a scream of pain.  Sarath quickly stood and ran toward Lian.  With a snap of the dragon’s tail, she was flung back against the cave wall.  She cried out while she tumbled to the ground.  Lian looked on in horror as the dragon turned to face Sarath.  The familiar glow of fire began to emerge from the ferocious beast’s mouth.

Lian’s eyes widened as he screamed, “No!”  He drew his sword and leapt into the air toward Sarath.  Lian’s eyes began to glow, along with the edge of the blade.  Sarath saw the flames spew from the dragon.  She closed her eyes tightly and turned her head.  Lian soared through the air in front of the flames.  Sarath heard a bass-filled sound as she looked toward the dragon.  Lian had intercepted the blast of fiery doom.  Sarath’s eyes widened as she looked upon Lian.  He was floating a few feet off the ground. The blonde strands in his hair glowed red along with the blade and his eyes.  Red lightning circulated around his body in a violent and unstable fashion.  Lian held the sword in his right hand.  His left hand was extended towards the dragon.  Flames relentlessly collided with Lian’s palm and ricocheted throughout the cavern.  Lian let out a scream.  The cave shook while Lian drove the flames back toward the dragon with his will alone.  Engulfed in flames, the dragon let out a pain-filled roar.  It collapsed and violently flopped around, trying to extinguish the flames.  Lian floated to the ground.  The dragon came to a sudden halt and lay still on the ground, the flames extinguished.

Lian sheathed his sword and turned to Sarath.  “Are you alright?”  He held out his hand to her.

Sarath took his hand while breathing heavily.  “How did you…?”

“I don’t know,” he said, pulling her up.  “I saw you in trouble… and it just happened.”

Sarath shook her head.  “Well, that’s great.  If I need a miracle, I’ll just about die.”  Sarath looked to the still dragon.  “So much for bending the power to your will.  You killed it.”

Lian sighed.  “Let’s find a way out of here.”

Sarath nodded, and the two began to look along the cave wall for a way to climb out.  A sudden and violent snort came from the dragon.  Lian squinted and turned to the dragon, gripping his sword.

The dragon stood and lowered its head towards Lian.  “I submit.”

Lian slowly loosened his grip.  He looked to Sarath, who shrugged.  Lian looked closely at the dragon.  “Submit?”

The dragon snorted and said, “It is the Dragonkin’s oldest law.  Any who can best our might, we take as master.”

Sarath thought for a second before speaking.  “Dragonkin?  How many dragons are there?”

“Thousands of years ago, our numbers could darken the entire sky.  Now, we are few,” he said.

“Could have fooled me,” she said.  “A black dragon has been terrorizing Kynlynn for the past six, almost seven years.”

“Impossible,” he said.

Lian glanced to Sarath.  “How is it impossible?”

“My black brethren have been extinct for two thousand years,” he said.  “I am the only Dragonkin north of the Kalipsin Sea.”

Sarath crossed her arms.  “Well something is doing a good job of flying around… like a dragon… eating people… like a dragon… and burning things… like a dragon!”

The Dragon’s green eyes narrowed.  “It is no Dragonkin.”

“We must get to Alinshahar,” said Lian.    “I was told that whatever I found here could get us there.”

The Dragon snorted.  “The capital of the Elves still stands?  Interesting.  Who told you to seek me out?”

“Elintae,” said Lian.

The Dragon let out a deep and slow laugh.  “The Lady of Death sends you into death to find your salvation.”

Sarath glared at the Dragon and spoke sternly, “That is yet to be seen.  Can you get us there?”

The Dragon nodded its head.  “Indeed I can.”

Lian smiled slightly.  “What do we call you?”

The dragon stood on its hind legs and spread its wings before it let out a deafening roar.  “I am Shinaugra, last of the Bintol Dragonkin!”

Lian nodded and looked to Sarath with a smile.  He quickly leapt atop Shinaugra’s back.  Then, he held out his hand to Sarath and pulled her up behind him. 

Sarath wrapped her hands around Lian tightly.  “Still the mascot, aren’t I?” 

Lian laughed and nodded his head.  “Still the mascot!”

Shinaugra spewed fire from his mouth.  “Now, let us go!”

Shinaugra let out a mighty roar while he spread his wings.  The colossal dragon took flight through the cave with fierce speed.  Lian clung to the dragon tightly while Sarath clung to him.  The desert light began to sparkle in the distance.  Shinaugra emerged from the cave and touched down against the desert sand.  The horses reared and stampeded across the sand, away from the dragon.  Kane snarled at the dragon.

Lian turned his head towards Kane and shouted, “Come on, we found our ride!”

Kane nodded and began running toward Shinaugra.  Shinaugra extended his large claws and gently grasped Kane.  The mighty dragon spread its wings and took flight.  The group flew across the Bintol desert toward Alinshahar with blinding speed.

Sarath tucked her head against Lian’s back and shouted, “So fast!  I can barely open my eyes!”

Lian tucked his head down and shouted, “We should reach Alinshahar in time now!”

“Flying, travel of the future!” she said.

The two burst into laughter while they crossed into the border plains of Kynlynn.  Minutes later, they were nearing Riverwood.

Sarath looked down at the farms and villages they were soaring over.  “Lian… there’s something wrong!  The people!”

Lian glanced back. “What is it?”

“The only ones I see are dead!  They have to be!” she said.

Lian shook his head.  “Elintae said Roxees was turning the people!”  Lian seen the town of Riverwood in the distance, approaching fast.  He patted Shinaugra’s back.  “Land in the field right next to that town!  We’re going to search for survivors.”

Shinaugra snorted.  “Yes, master.”

Shinaugra soared over the town and descended towards the field.  He flapped his wings strongly while he dropped Kane onto the ground.  Shinaugra landed just as Lian and Sarath jumped to the ground.

Shinaugra looked to his master.  “I will watch from the skies.”

Lian nodded as the dragon took flight once again and circled Riverwood. 

Sarath looked to Kane and smiled.  “Don’t worry, you’re still our fearless leader.”  Kane nodded and proudly held his head high.

Lian laughed.  “Wow, for once he actually agrees with you.”

“Of course he does,” she said.  “I’m always right.”  Kane shook his head at Sarath and began walking toward the town.  Sarath ran after him and shouted, “Hey!  I sided with you!”

“Come on, let’s see if we can find anybody,” said Lian.

Sarath looked back and nodded.  “The Wilted Rose!  If anybody is left in this town, they’ll be there.”

“I don’t know about that,” he said.  “You had to be the only reason anybody went there.”

Sarath turned to Lian and shouted, “Hey!”  She walked up to him and shoved him.  “Most couldn’t afford me, thank you very much!  Besides, those days are long past… Especially since I started giving you all those freebies.”  She smiled and winked at Lian.