The Three Realms

Chapter 1- The Kidnapping

Tiredly, the girl told him as she made her way to the infirmary, and then stopped as Aurelio put an iron-like hand around her bicep. "What are you doing?" She asked as the Captain practically dragged her to an audience chamber. When they arrived, Fraya saw that all the King's Guards, and the Watchmen were all assembled, as well as the dragons. "What's going on?" Fraya wondered. A guard leaned over and whispered to her roughly, "The King's missing. We are almost positive that he was in that bodybag the fugitive was carrying." Fraya blanched. The man she was chasing had the King? And she'd lost him? No. No, it couldn't be!

"How'd he get hold of the King in the first place?" She whispered angrily as Aurelio steered her to an empty seat. "To answer your question, soldier," Aurelio boomed, "the fugitive was one of two personal guests of the King. He arrived three days ago with his compaion, who Balthasar burnt to a crisp, and went to an immediate private meeting with the King. We have no idea who the visitors were or where they came from, although we can only assume that they are part of a rogue tribe living in the Endless Forest, wanting to bring power upon their lands by bringing a magical entity."

Fraya shook her head, "No, I chased him out of the forest! And why would the King let some nobody in to a secret meeting?" The men around her nodded in agreement, and Fraya felt a flicker of confidence, "Well," she stated. "Once you get any news, you'll let me know, right? For now, I'm going to get my ankle fixed." With that, she limped out of the room, hoping that no one would call her back. Luckily, she escaped.

The next morning, Fraya found a note at her door, saying that she was to report to the throne room immediately. Aurelio had decided to put together a search party to go look for the King, as well as to appoint a Council in his place, to run things while he was gone. Fraya harumphed and got dressed quickly. 

"That was awfully fast," she commented to Balthasar, as the two of them headed to the throne room. "The King's been gone for less than 24 hours, and Aurelio has already decided to replace him." Her long fire colored braid flicked around her head in annoyance, and Balthasar rumbled in agreement. "Doesn't have a whole lot of faith in his search party then, does he?" Fraya chuckled, and they entered the throne room.

Aurelio had decided to send a party of 30 men and dragons who were bound to each other, including Fraya and Balthasar. He had also put togeter a Council, without anyone else's support, of two separate dragons, humans, and dwarves, the three different species in the realm of Octiura. Fraya could tell that not everyone was happy with this arrangement, but no one could oppose the Captain, and they all figured that with all 6 representatives, things would go smoothly, and everything would be fine.

The search party left that evening, with Fraya leading the way on Balthasar in the sky, and a small ground team bringing supplies behind them. Fraya led the party to the place she'd lost the kidnapper, and Octiura's best trackers leapt off their dragons and began to look for traces. Soon, they had a substantial lead, with a lot of grass broken and flattened in a large ovular shape as if something heavy and long was being dragged. "And, since I kind of doubt that there is a huge snake slithering around that's over a hundred feet long, I'm pretty sure this is what we were looking for." Fraya muttered to herself. She heard someone chuckle softly and whipped her head around, locking her startling lavender eyes on the young lieutenant who laughed at her comment. "Sir?" She asked. He shrugged, but took that as an invitation to talk. Fraya sighed and humored him. After all, why not?

"My name is Lieuenant Brooks," he said. "You realise that you're the only woman on the force- have you ever wondered why? Or do you know?" Fraya looked down at the dragons she was riding and raised her eyebrow at him, "Claryn I am called." The dragon rumbled. Fraya smiled slightly, this one was a beast of few words, and she could respect that. "I know," she said abruptly, in response to Brooks. Completely ignoring his second question, Fraya urged Balthasar to move forward, "C'mon, let's go. We must be geting close to something. That guy dragged the King a long way." 

Balthasar shuddered, "I hope he moves back toward the forest, or at least water. This plain is a dead zone. I can feel barely any magic here. It won't be able to sustain us dragons for long." Fraya wrinkled her brow in worry and wished with all her heart that they could just get where they were going and find the King so they could all go home. 

Two days later, a scout came rushing back to find the leader of their group, Devin, who was sitting around a small campfire with Fraya, Lieutenant Brooks, and a couple other men. "Sirs and milady!" He gasped. Fraya scowled. She was NOT a lady. "I've come across what looks like an enormous settlement sprawling in the middle of the grasslands, about a day away. The tracks disappear about 300 kilometers from here." Devin nodded and told the scout to get himself some dinner. The exhausted man nodded briefly and trudged away. "Men," he said, nodding slightly at Fraya, "We'll be moving on at first light. Alert your squads." With that, he stood and entered his tent, wanting to contact Aurelio and let him know of the developement.

That night, Fraya couldn't sleep. She kept having nightmares of fire, and Octiura in ruins. Eventually, she gave up and got dressed. When the girl pushed aside her tent flap, the sun was not yet up, so she had to walk slowly with her hands out in front of her until her eyes adjusted, which they always did. Fraya made her way to the edge of the encampment and sat herself down against a tree with a sigh. 

Who were these people living in the middle of a dead zone? She'd never heard of anyone who could survive completely without magic, and what did they want with the King of Ocitura? There were no other substantial civilizations, only rogue tribes who refused the hospitality of her home. Why would the King's confidant betray him? Fraya knew her leader was much to smart to let himself be captured. Could the fugitive have used a sleeping potion? They were increadibly rare, but he may have gotten hold of one... 

The rising sun interrupted her thoughts, for which she was grateful. Sometimes Fraya wondered if her brain could take all the thoughts running through her head, or if it would just explode from the strain. She wouldn't be surprised. Fraya sighed again and stood up stiffly, not sure how long she'd been sitting there. She then made her way over to Balthasar, who had slept next to her tent. Her heart sank as she saw her friend. Dull, simply a shadow of his former glory. Balthasar saw her looking and huffed smoke into her face, making Fraya cough. Then he stood, and she mounted. "Are you hungry, Zar? We've time for hunting." Fraya's dragon compaion shook his head, "Let's just get this overwith. Hopefully it will be a peaceful encounter."

Fraya eyed the hill that sheltered the settlement, the settlement that sheltered the man with their King, and as Octiura's troops were gathered, their armor clinking, she doubted that this venture would be a peaceful one.