AAAAAAAHHHHHHHHHHHH look at this fan art @Maattiiii made! It's so beautiful and RIMA looks ready to kill. And she told me that she was thinking about redoing it and making it better and I was like HOW DOES IT GET BETTER THAN THAT?!! I'm so blown away by @Maattiiii 's art and she was talking about making MORE!! AAAAAHHHHHH
@Maattiiii if you're reading this, I can't say it enough but thank you so much for taking the time to make this : )
Norah shut the door behind her, leaving Holland to do more, as he called it, pencil-pushing duties.
Holland's office was still on the student side of the Main Halls. The halls were unusually empty due to the evacuation, but she still passed a few instructors - most giving her the usual disdain.
Once, it might have bothered her. Now she could only imagine their reactions when they found that the girl they hated most was their only hope.
She noted the steady heartbeat in the hall she was turning into, her ice ready to be called upon. She turned, easily avoiding the tower of a human being-
"Miss Crimson."
Norah was already turning to look at him. She blinked, taking in his dark brown eyes and brown skin. He was built like most dragon riders. Strong enough for two mages. Taller than most people, but at least as tall as Holland. He looked like he knew his way around a sword but Norah was most interested in his demeanor; the calmness he radiated and certainty he held himself with.
"You're the woman from the meeting," he said swiftly, professionally.
"And you're the man with the envelope."
"Rhyker," he amended. "My name is Rhyker." His dark eyes flicked around the halls, sharp and intelligent--searching for any eavesdroppers. "You're working with a god."
"I am."
Rhyker looked back at her in a way that most people did not. With calm, respectful eyes. Like she was an equal. But she also noted the way he studied her--assessing her the way she did him.
"The council's declared war," he went on, "and Cedric's told it will be against a powerful god."
He was leading onto something and Norah did not have the patience to wait.
"Get on with it," she said.
If he was nervous, he didn't show it. "I want to help your team."
"I have quite a few people on my team. And a god," she told him impassively. "All of which are skilled fighters and knowledgeable people. What would you bring to my team?"
Rhyker didn't hesitate, which meant he was either quick-witted or he'd prepared for this. "I have over three-hundred-and-fifty-years of military experience under my belt," he began. "Mostly as a soldier. But in the last two hundred years, I left to attend the daily estate and work with my family until the Thrawlers started to attack. Then I joined again, working as an aid for Cedric and overseeing things at the front."
Norah dropped a line, seeing where he'd lead it. "You seem more like a hands-on kind of warrior."
He nodded, dark eyes stark with honesty. "I am, but Cedric needed an overseer and someone he could trust."
Trust. The words didn't settle right with Norah. Trust implied loyalty. He could be a spy, even if he didn't look like one.
"And now you want to move to another team?" she drawled. "Why?"
"I want to make a difference in this war." He clasped his hands behind him, shoulders square, and pulled back. Definitely military. "And I believe the only way to do that is with you and Vaella."
Norah hid her smirk. Her voice remained even and firm. "You've done your research."
"I did," he said, glancing around. But there wasn't a heartbeat in sight besides theirs. "And I know that you have been off the grid for quite some time. Almost a year and a half, but I've heard rumors from soldiers of a girl with black hair and 'black magic' fighting on the front."
"You mention being a soldier," she said, weaving around the question. She knew Rhyker would see it. "Which means you've been in small battles, but have you been in larger ones? Entire city battles?"
His expression turned grim. "I have, but I was lucky enough to have a great commander."
Norah cocked a brow. "Oh?"
"The city would have fallen if it wasn't for him." The shadows disappeared from his face, replaced by bright eyes and admiration. "Our communications were down, our people scattered. Most of our army had been captured and were being executed, but a small group of us had managed to escape capture. Our commander found us and made a plan. We managed to save some of our men and retook the city within five days. We would have all been dead if it weren't for him."
Interesting.
"And who was your commander?" she asked coolly. "What would be your opinion if he joined the team? Perhaps to oversee plans or to give guidance?"
Rhyker's eyes sharpened, his nostrils flaring "I would highly recommend it. He has centuries of experience, far more than me, and having him on your team, even just to council you would be a great advantage. And he understands soldiers--he was a soldier. He knows how they think and can train them properly."
"Is he still around?"
"Yes, he was in the council meeting with you," he answered. He saw her question before she could even ask it. "I could never go up and talk to him. I'm just a warrior and to go above my chain of command... It's just too disrespectful."
"Age doesn't earn respect," Norah said, easily hiding her disdain. "It's about what they do to earn it."
Rhyker reared back like he'd been struck. "Holland's amazing," he blurted. "He's earned that respect a hundred times over. It has nothing to do with his age."
Something cold and mischievous curled her lips. "Which one?"
"Bram Holland." There was no hesitation. "He sat next to you in the council meeting."
"Is that who that was?"
Rhyker nodded more aggressively. She pretended to consider the option of adding him to the team. "Interesting. I'll see what I can do. But here's what I need for my team. I need someone experienced who can train them and oversee tasks. A second in command if you will. Of course," she added nonchalantly, "you'll be well compensated."
"How much?"
Norah gave him a number. It was higher than what she'd pay her other teammates, but he would be doing more than them and handling more responsibility.
If he was surprised or disappointed, again he didn't show it.
Norah stared at him, wondering if this was too good to be true. This man knew her background, her mixed abilities, and still he did not seem to hold that against her. Allegedly, he respected her and was willing to take orders from her.
Rhyker had come to her, but he contemplated accepting the offer.
Norah liked him even more.
"Is that something you can do?" she asked coolly, feeling victory within her grasp.
Rhyker considered a moment more and she felt like he was dragging it out to prove he was not easily swayed. "It is," he finally said.
"Good." She clasped her hands behind her, walking down the hallway. "Pack whatever you need. But know, my team and I are currently staying with some family as we wait for this attack. And whenever she returns, Vaella will find you. She'll be the final judgment on whether or not you join the team."
The warrior scanned the room, again searching for threats. "I understand."
Oh, Norah really liked him.
Mentally, she elbowed herself. A second was exactly what she needed and to run into him felt too easy. It felt planned, even if part of her didn't think it was.
Whatever, she thought. Vaella would handle it.
"It was nice to meet you Rhyker," she said, "I look forward to you and your dragon joining us."
He dipped his head. "We look forward to working with you."
She watched him go, listening to his heartbeat and footsteps disappear before calling Nevaeha. She texted the family group chat, letting her parents know about a possible person joining them at the house.
Norah flew with Galeur to a dragon stable nearby where she visited Rima. She laid against her warm scales, feeling the way her dragon breathed easily. Occasionally a leg twitched or her tail curled, much like Squirm did when he was dreaming.
Galeur was curled close to them, his snout a few feet from her foot as he stared at Norah. His eyes were almost as dark as his green scales and the dim room made him appear like a rock in the dark.
"Khalixis is the only one who can wake her," he grumbled.
Norah shifted so her back was against the side of his mouth and her boots brushing Rima's front paw. She stared at her dragon, feeling trapped in an unending fog.
"She's being moved right?" she asked.
Galeur sighed deeply. "Yes. To an underground stable where hibernating dragons slumber."
Norah assumed any other dragons that were too injured to be moved would be there as well.
"It'll be safe, right?" It was a stupid question to ask. As soon as one of those dragons died, they'd turn into Thrawlers and kill everyone from the inside out. Including Rima.
Norah made a mental note to sneak into the new stable and place runes around Rima to protect her.
Dragons chirped and stomped around.
"Norah?" Nevaeha called, voice echoing through the stables.
Galeur huffed his annoyance. Slowly, like a slumbering giant coming out of a century's sleep, he unfurled, lifting his head to see over the stall door.
Norah's phone buzzed. She replied to Nevaeha as she stood, giving her directions to the stall.
There was a shuffle of footsteps and a dragon's snort before Scylla's triangular-shaped head peered over the stall door. She whistled in greeting, glancing at Galeur before turning to the side so they could see Nevaeha sitting on her back.
She smiled, holding up a bag full of Norah's armor and a sword like a trophy. "Where are we going?" she asked.
"To the cabin," Norah said, taking the bag. Her back went cold without the warmth of Rima's body.
Scylla's head drooped, her wings drooping. "That's a three-hour flight against the wind."
"If Vaella were there, we could just be there," Nevaeha mumbled.
But Vaella was in Oreyad, scouting Etin's old castle which had been ironically turned into a chapel to worship a god Vaella said did not exist.
Galeur angled his head to watch Norah take the bag. "When will you be back?"
She shrugged. "A day maybe." She opened the door, glancing back at Rima and her twitching tail before leaving.
They walked out of the stall and Norah changed into new grey armor that she had patched with different plates. She left her bag in Holland's office.
"I swear," Nevaeha said as she walked into the courtyard, offering her hand as Norah scaled Scylla's grey side. "You go through an armor a week."
Norah sighed. "I know. It's frustrating."
They flew back toward the cabin in silence, landing along a wide river Norah had pointed to.
"So, uh," Nevaeha began as they trudged along the slippery rocks. "When you said we were going to stay with your parents, I thought you mean like Renora and Emre... Not, um, the Hollands."
Norah focused on the rushing white water, trying to reach out with her senses to feel the current straying into any tunnels. "I don't consider them my family."
Nevaeha bobbed her head. "I see... That sucks. But, hey! Your mom is so nice!" She grinned quickly. "And makes delicious food."
Norah couldn't help but agree.
Scylla sniffed the ground, trailing a little bit a head of them. "Why are we out here?"
Norah debated whether or not to explain it. She told them, noting the way their eyes sharpened and darted, scanning the area for tracks.
"--and he said he was like a vegan or something?" Norah finished, bouncing a shoulder.
Nevaeha frowned. "That doesn't seem right.".
"I know, but he was kinda skittish and I believed him--"
She gasped. "Oh, my gods."
"I know. I know." Norah lowered her head, feigning somberness. She peered up, her voice returning to its usual flat and cold tone. "But we're looking for him because we need an army."
Nevaeha nodded, soaking it in for a moment. Her dragon was quiet, nose to the ground. "That's kinda scary," she admitted. "But kinda badass at the same time." She snapped her fingers, eyes lighting up. "Oh! Once you have this giant army, you could be called the Queen of Monsters. That's totally badass. Dude. You have to do it."
"That is actually really good." Norah hated that she was agreeing with something from her. "I really like that."
"And you'd need to look the part-"
"Fangs and claws?" Norah mused.
Nevaeha beamed. "You'll definitely need some nails. We'll have to go dress shopping. I think we'll obviously have to do a black dress, maybe with the sides cut out and showing a bit of..."
She grabbed her boobs.
Norah rolled her eyes, lips twitching. "Stop making me like you."
"But just imagine-"
"Oh, I am," Norah said, tossing her a knowing look.
Nevaeha wet her lips." Oh, and a helmet. You need a helmet."
"Maybe, but I don't like the way my hair sticks to my face," Norah replied, eyes sweeping over the river. It lead into a mountain valley where waterfalls of every width and height poured into the water, creating a mist that hung low. The closer they got, the less Norah could head Nevaeha talking.
Scylla huffed, pointing with her nose to something along the shore. "I smell something."
"Good job," Nevaeha crooned. "A dragon that can smell."
Norah studied the rock, trying to pick out anything. But there was nothing to be seen. Scylla led them to a waterfall. The rock was littered in claw marks. Norah figured there was some kind of cavern behind the waterfall since she couldn't feel any currents leading into a tunnel.
Norah unsheathed her sword. Nevaeha followed.
"Woah, woah woah!"
Norah turned, eyes landing on a algae green creature climbing out of the river on all fours. He slipped on a wet rock, holding up a webbed hand at them. Panic and fear widened his saucer-shaped eyes. They were so dark they seemed bottomless. "That's mine! I live there! Don't destroy it."
Nevaeha pointed a thumb over to the claw marks. "Looks like someone's trying to get in."
The river monster's eyes flicked between them. There wasn't any coldness or cruelty in his gaze, but plenty of wariness. His gills flared wide as if he couldn't quite breathe. "Angry Shadow Lady," he said slowly.
"River monster," Norah replied.
"Beast," he corrected carefully. He was rigid straight, knees bent like he were waiting to leap back into the water. "I don't eat human meat."
"We're not here to hurt you," Norah said, sheathing her sword. Nevaeha didn't do the same. "I have a lot of territory and I want to make it a safe place for monsters and beasts alike to live peacefully together."
He grimaced, thin lips curling behind his sharp teeth. "Have you seen--" he gestured to the claw marks "--that? And that monster is like at the bottom of the river. He's not even close to here and you want to put them together?y"
"Any monster who chooses violence in that territory dies," Norah amended. "And I've seen that some creatures don't want any violence, they just want to keep to themselves. And my land has that kind of room."
The creature glared. "And you thought of me? Why? Because I was running? Let me tell you, Angry Lady, I am not a pushover, okay? That guy was just really big and so was the other one you killed."
"I turned his skin into armor," Norah said.
The river beast ran a flicked tongue across his teeth. "What if I say no?"
"Nothing will happen," she promised. "We'll leave and my offer will still stand."
He remained unconvinced. "Has anyone else accepted this?"
"You're the first," she told him. "And I came to you not because you're weak, but because you seem like the kind of beast that doesn't want violence. You seem good, for a beast."
The river monster blinked, curling his webbed fingers into fists.
"They're a really nice river." Nevaeha sheathed her sword, her shoulders square, but her chin was dipped slightly. "I mean, there's a lot of them, but one specifically that's really deep and has crazy whitewater rapids. It's wide and has plenty of wildlife around it."
"And if I joined?" he wondered. "What would I have to do?"
"Spread the word, is all," Norah said, water spray hitting her face. "And to anyone that comes ask if they want to fight Thrawlers. Even if they're not interested in joining the territory, the more monsters, and beasts fighting Etin, the better chance we have of winning this war."
The river monster still seemed hesitant. His dark eyes drifted to the waterfall howling behind her, then to Scylla standing tall at her rider's side. He considered them thoughtfully before his gills flared sharply.
He met Norah's gaze, the fins along the bag of his head lowering to his shiny head. "I always thought you worked alone."
Norah shrugged. "I changed."
The river monster kicked a rock into the river. "I'll move into your territory," he muttered. "But fighting the dead isn't my thing." He eyed her side-long trying to gauge a reaction she would not show. "They're on land and my skin doesn't like seawater."
"That's fine," Norah said coolly. "
Nevaeha stepped closer to Norah's left, her eyes bright with hope. "Do you know where the territory is?"
He waved her off, scoffing. It sounded like he was choking. "I know my territories, human. I made sure to stay well away from there."
"Do you need help getting there?" Norah asked, tapping the side of her neck. "I don't know of any rivers that lead there from here."
He thought a moment. "I can manage on my own, Shadow Lady."
Norah grinned, all teeth and razors. She bowed, arm flared. "My apologies, River Monster."
His gills flared, eyes darkening. "Beast."
The corner of her lips curled like a talon. "Beast."
He narrowed his eyes at her. But he wouldn't attack, not when it took the snap of her fingers to kill him.
Norah straightened, following Nevaeha up onto Scylla's back. When they were in the air, Scylla asked, "Do we find this other monster or go home?"
Home. To Khalier.
Bitterness twisted deep in Norah's stomach. She stared into the setting sky, her hair whipping back, her lips tight.
Nevaeha replied, "maybe we go see the other monster? See if he's willing to join."
Norah considered it. Considered Nevaeha. She wasn't sure what had happened to her. Maybe her death had changed something in Nevaeha. Whatever had happened, it was unnerving how much Norah was liking it.
The wind blasted against Norah's face so hard it stung. But the memories of late-night flights with Rima stung harder. She sucked in a long, ragged breath, pushing the memories back, somewhere deep and dark where she did not feel them.
"Let's find the monster," she said.
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