Blood Oath (Book 2 of Alfireán age)

Prologue

He nervously ran his fingers through his tawny brown hair and glanced down at his sword. "You're right, let's go."

Alf turned back in the direction of Glandledale and started to run. Glancing back over his shoulder, he watched Olivia, Drake, and the maids hover scant inches off the ground as they followed him via 'Traverse Wake.' Now certain everyone followed him, he sped up his pace; his feet pounded on the tan smooth stone as he sent his energy towards the road. Seconds later, the warp spells embedded in the ancient pavement responded to his desire to travel faster, and with a sudden boost, their speed increased. All around them, the jungle blurred into a ceaseless river of vibrant greens and bright dashes of flora and fauna.

Olivia strolled up beside Drake, and reaching out, touched the tall grass whipping past them. "So what type of training enables you to have a mouse crawl down your shirt without even batting an eye?" she asked him with a raised eyebrow.

"My father had specially designed caves full of—," the prince started his explanation, but after a few moments of listening to him talk about caves full of insects and snakes, Alf's attention drifted to the eyepatch over the boy's left eye. Drake had assured him they'd healed the wound Alf had inflicted on him earlier, but he still hadn't explained why he was wearing the eyepatch, and Alf couldn't shake the feeling that both Drake and Olivia were hiding something from him.

He listened to the prince prattle on while trying to keep his mind off the embossed piece of black leather, but he couldn't, and at last he blurted, "You still haven't told me why you're wearing that eyepatch."

The forty-year-old man stuck in a ten-year-old's body glared up at him, obviously none too pleased at being interrupted. "Strange, I could've sworn I did. In fact, I believe my exact words were, 'It adds credibility to my back story.' However, if you must know, there are also several enchantments weaved into the material that improve my sight."

"Oh come on. I'm not stupid. I know there's more to it than that," Alf said once again, coming to a halt.

Drake's raised eyebrows turned into a full on scowl of disapproval.

"Tell him the truth," Olivia said.

The prince glanced from her then back to Alf. "Fine," he said reaching up and pulling away the eyepatch.

To Alf's surprise, the wound from his earlier punch was actually healed, but as Drake's eyelid slid open, a giant, golden dragon's eye stared out at him from where the boy's piercing blue eye had once resided.

"Oh," Alf gasped. Feelings of shame over what he had done flooded through him as he stared down at the golden slit-shaped eye.

"The healers were able to mend the wound," Olivia said from off to his right, "but the damage to his eye was too severe. They had to use his DNA to regrow a new one, but because of the dragon blood in his veins, there were complications. . ."

"Drake, I'm so sorry."

"Don't be," Drake put his eyepatch back on. "I deserved it."

For the second time that day, Alf couldn't believe his ears. Had he really just said he deserved it?

"Let us keep going," the prince prodded.

Determining in his heart to make amends for his mistake someday, Alf nodded and continued down the road.

It wasn't long before the jungle began to thin out, and every now and then small earthen, dome homes could be seen off to the side of the road.

"We're almost there," Drake said as they passed one of the houses. "It would not be wise to let anyone see us floating along like this. I believe the maids and I should turn invisible while you two walk."