Dragon Kin - Resurrection

Flowers and Friends

With a salute, Sitka relieved the guard on duty at the entryway of the dungeon cavern. Before taking up the same post, he entered the room to attend the prisoners, supplying water and bread.

It was rare that the dungeon was occupied, and when it was it was usually an unruly villager that needed time to cool off and so the older guards would keep watch, often giving the rule breaker a severe talking to at the same time.

Given that the guard he relieved was another young warrior, he was curious about the prisoners. 

The cavern was dimly lit and all the cells nearest the entrance were empty. But from the furthest cell, voices could be heard.

"Do you think Uldrin will ask Cas and the kin to help find us?" a deep male voice wondered in the shadows. 

Sitka froze.

"If they do, I hope they come in great numbers," a second voice answered, "there's something strange about this village. The guards don't even seem to know why we're being held as prisoners!"

"Hmm, they did seem really uncomfortable didn't they?"

"Perhaps they've heard of Vada and are afraid of her power? With the blizzard making this place almost unreachable, they may not have heard of her passing" 

"Her passing?" Sitka mumbled without thinking. 

"It's rude to eavesdrop," one of the prisoners grumbled, "if you must listen in, at least bring us water."

Sitka squared his shoulders, shoved down his shame and approached the cell. Sitting cross legged on the ground were two identical men wearing armour not unlike his own.

"I know of Vada . . ." he began, unsure of how to challenge their idea that she was no longer alive. 

The men looked at one another, brows furrowed, before one replied "I'm sorry to bring news of her passing, she died in a battle against the Dladruzen priests."

Sitka frowned, shaking his head he replied "You are mistaken-"

"I'm afraid not." The second twin interrupted, "we witnessed her fall with our own eyes, she was run through by a blade which was poison to her kind."

"But she is here, alive!" 

Both men leapt up and were at the bars in an instant, gripping the metal so tight that their knuckles were white. "If this is a lie we will rip out your tongue, bring her to us!" one of the twins growled.

"I . . . I can't," Sitka stuttered, his eyes darting from one identical face to the other, "I have orders I must -" 

"If she finds out we're here, and you knowingly kept us hidden, she will kill you herself," the second twin assured.

Sitka began pacing. On the one hand, he had sworn an oath and had orders to follow but on the other, the men were not wrong. Something was wrong in Shinsei and it had been steadily getting worse. Everyone could see it but most were too afraid to question it. That wasn't the Shinsei he'd known growing up, that was for sure. The mountain caverns had only been used for emergencies or for worshipping the dragons, normally they lived on the mountainside, enjoying the crisp air, expansive views and freedom to roam. All of that had ended when the never ending winter came, the same time the Chief started acting strangely.    

"I will bring her here." He resolved.

_____________________________________

"It's not much further," Drak assured, as he led Vada up yet another winding stone stairway. 

The higher they went the colder it became until finally, they passed through a doorway and to Vada's amazement, out into the open air. 

Spinning slowly on the spot, Vada gaped at the towering mountain pillars that encompassed the large flat clearing she found herself standing on the edge of. The pillars were all different heights but there were at least three rows as far as she could tell.

At the base of the pillars, clusters of purple flowers has pushed through the steadily melting snow to lap up the waning light breaking through the heavy grey cloud cover.

"Winter is finally relenting it seems," Drak commented, gazing up at the sky.

"These pillars, were they crafted by the dragons?" Vada enquired, advancing towards the nearest one, "what are these flowers? I've never seen anything like them."

Drak jogged to her side, "yes, the pillars are perches. Kin would come here to train and socialise with the dragons. It was often here that partnership bonds first formed." Drak explained, surprised she knew so little, "and the flowers are native only to this mountain, they are called wingsplitter, named for the two wing-like petals."

Vada froze, her fingers lightly grazing the nearest plant. "This is how he's been making the poison necklaces," she mumbled.

"What was that, necklaces?"

"I think your king has been in league with the dladruzen much longer than you realise, unless they could gain access to these flowers without your clan knowing?"

"Though not impossible, I would sooner believe your first assumption, this is the only place the flower grows."

"Though I hate to re-negotiate our terms," Vada rounded on Drak, her gaze like steel and sharp as a blades edge, he fought the urge to take an instinctive step back. "I have a new condition for lending my power to your cause."

He frowned, Vada worried he would argue, it wasn't the best way to do business after all.

Drak took her hand in his, squeezing lightly, "anything."

"I need to take some of these flowers with me, and I may need to send for more regularly."

"As the Kin Chieftess, this place and these flowers are more yours than ours, you can take what you need from this place." Drak assured. "With that settled, shall we begin?" 

"Yes, I need to return home as soon as I can."