The Kingdom of the Rose: Rise of the Heir [Romance/Fantasy/Adventure]

Chapter 6 - Some Undiscovered Myths

      We soon got used to the tedious ritual of travelling, choosing to spar at night in hopes of trying to awaken the magic in me as well as keeping ourselves fit.Thankfully, my fever healed within a few days. By the third night we could swear there was a hint of saltiness in the air, and we proved ourselves right that very afternoon. It was a very peculiar thing to see a beach on a desert, and even more odd to find the pristine shallow waters to be filled with pearls.

       “We’d be rich!” Dan exclaimed, shaking his body in a triumphant pump of his fist. Seeing a hut nearby we chose to use the opportunity to rest, and perhaps explore the inviting cave right at the face of the cliff at the far end.

        “Hello, anybody home?” I knocked twice, as is the custom of we humans.

         The door opened to reveal a hunchbacked old man with grey hair and light blue eyes. He eyed the both of us warily, and bulged when he saw the ring on my finger. “W-welcome,” he stuttered and glanced to see if we had more company. Quilterra and Scarlet chose that exact moment to swoop down on us. His face then gave way to a crooked smile. Dan and I both exchanged glances before accepting his invitation to enter the tiny house.

          He had a spared bedroom to share, and introduced himself as Tony Buelle. We both have never heard of such a surname before, but he carried dignity and a noble manner. We took a seat by his white dinner table and unpacked some food. He waved his hands, pulling out some fresh catch. It was surprisingly cool inside; the walls were painted a very light blue, decorated with a variety of shells. The infrastructure has been standing for a while, but living here all alone… it was kind of sad.

       “Have you kids, perchance, heard of the legendary sea dragon, Fraënir?” he asked, motioning for us to start eating. We shook our heads; with the Ark Cross war raging on we hardly had any time for bedtime stories and Del Teira’s myths. “Well, that’s a pity,” Tony placed some food on our plates. Dan and I gratefully dipped our heads and eagerly took the sticks of meat. It was delicious; soft like a fish but with the squiggles of a squid or lamb. “Serpent meat,” he answered the silent question in our head.

       “So where are you guys from? There’s hardly been anyone these few years,” he said, taking a bite of his own. “Celtara. We’re looking for a talented blacksmith by the name of Seibara,” I replied with a smile, “Is there anything you’d like from us as a repayment for your hospitality?” “I only wish for one thing; I know both of you are kids yet to come of age, but you look strong enough… so can you please retrieve my late wife’s pearl from the cave?”

        We both gazed deep into his light eyes. “Sure,” Dan said, puzzled with the request. How could anything go so wrong after all the horrors we’ve been through?

        The saying ‘to never judge a book by its cover’ is very true. It was huge inside, despite the small entrance but lighted with tiny flecks of crystal embedded in the walls that reflected light from the outside. Tony told us the ancients named it the Seagreill Cave, the lair of a legendary deadly serpentine dragon named Fraënir who roamed the Meisa. It was all just folklore, but his eyes told us otherwise.

         “So… a dragon? I’m getting all psyched up with this whole adventure thing,” Dan chortled with excitement, just like a little boy with a new toy. He lighted a bark of dead wood, revealing a slow steep path down and passed me another. “It’s not too late to run back, Danny boy,” I mocked, knowing full well how he used to hate the darkness when he was a little kid. “Not ever,” he grinned back.

           For a few minutes we continued the trek down in silence, focusing on the slippery terrain. The air was damp here, the walls lined with moss. We walked past through some huge chambers, filled with nothing but bones and tiny scraps of rotten meat. “Ho, this dragon just might be real,” Dan leered lightheartedly. “Maybe it’s just some prank,” I sighed. Just when we thought the corridor would not end, it revealed a dead end. “I told you,” I raised my eyebrows. But Dan wasn’t there.

        “Come here, Rosa!”

         I retraced my steps back, annoyed at his sudden disappearance. “You know, you could’ve said something before walking off like that,” I sulked. I followed the echoes of my best friend’s voice to find a different path connected to the left edges of the wall, covered in more moss. It didn’t take me long to reach another much larger chamber and find Dan staring at a gargantuan stone dragon. “Check this baby out,” he sneered at my surprised expression.

        With its size, the dragon could barely fit the entrance to the cave or the pathways to different chambers. It was probably at least ten times Athlea without the massive expanse of wings. The dragon looked entrapped, in an unnatural pose. I walked around, and sighted a large gleaming pearl near its tail. “This is probably what Tony wants,” Dan moved closer, reaching out to the treasure. “We’ll be taking this from you, Fraënir,” I touched its jaw. Although made of stone, the sculpture was carved with such precise detail beyond human marksmanship. As if in response to the name, the figure shuddered.

        “Move back, Dan,” I warned as the ground started to crumble. Bits and pieces of the rock started to crack, revealing pristine shades of blue. I watched as the rough surface beneath my arms turned warm and alive. Slowly it started breathing, huffs of hot air blown to my face. I took a few steps back in recoil as black eyes stared into me. Realizing the infiltrators to his home, the creature roared furiously, lashing its powerful tail out. Dan flew towards the back of the room with a thud, flopping unconsciously. I was alone in this.

       Close your eyes and reach your mind out to him. Feel his raw emotions and his being within the premise. It was a male voice, so similar to my own but with a deeper voice. Fraënir started to stretch his wings, raking his claws on the hard ground. I didn’t have time to hesitate as I tried to push my consciousness away from my body, reaching out to the void of darkness. It was surprisingly noisy, a cacophony of tiny voices from the little bugs beneath and above the cave. A huge presence stood there, right in front of me, radiating strong bursts of energy. I pushed my mind closer, making contact with the being. It repelled me with a strong gust, leaving a throbbing headache amidst its wake.

        That sure was a great idea. I said to myself, hoping that same male voice would hear me. That is called the method of telepathy, in hopes of creating a peaceful negotiation. Unfortunately something has angered the spirit beast greatly, so we might have to result to some violence to try and calm him down a bit. Dodge and buy me some time to explain the workings of basic elemental magic. With not much choice, I followed his instructions, dodging his slashes and the pounding of his tail with ease. His bulk and weight made it difficult for him to move, but it was obvious that he lost some of his body control. He must have been stoned for a long time, the voice said as if reading my thoughts.

          Feel the air and direct it at the dragon with your mind. That was a puzzling idea. Unsure of what he had meant, I stood still and imagined a strong gust of wind that would push the creature to the edge of the room. The dragon used that chance to hit me in the stomach with his claws. Three bleeding marks appeared on my stomach, the air blown out of me in a whoosh. Not like that. Use your senses to feel the flow of energy in the air, he said. Please, please please… I said to myself. The air was air, unchanging. Fraënir was approaching, ready to make the final blow. I concentrated on the air before me, finally seeing shimmers of white dust flowing. Again I exerted my consciousness out towards the dots, pushing them close to form what I thought to be a strong barrier around me.

         He roared, and those dark hooded eyes moved ---