Here we are!!! Update 2 of the 5 updates of the day!!!! YAY!!!! Onwards!!!!!!!!!!
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Standing before me was the dragon I had saved from the dungeon, yelling at Bartholomew in his man form. "Bartholomew I command you to release her this instant!" The familiar man looked at me with his icy blue eyes as he offered me a smile. One of which I returned though it turned into a grimace when the blade of the knife cut a bit deeper. The dragon lost his smile as he snarled at Bartholomew in his human form.
"On what grounds, Sire?" Bartholomew asked, not letting up on the knife.
The dragon whose name I had yet to learn fisted his hands as his anger began to rise, "She is the one who saved me. Freeing me from the bonds that held me down in the dungeon. She helped me to escape without ever thinking of payment for helping me. For that I owe her a great deal." Said loud enough for all to hear as he held my eyes. Least to say they were all shocked to hear that it was me who had saved him.
I was shocked as well because I didn't know that it was the Dragon King I had saved. King Hakeem was the first to break out of his stupor. "Is that true?" He stalked up to me, his dragon warning him with a growl if he intended to harm me.
"Yes, your Majesty." Keeping my eyes down cast in respect to his position.
"Why did you save him?" His question caught me off guard.
Snapping my head up without trying to injure myself anymore on the knife I looked up so he could see the truth held in my gaze. "Because I saw someone who needed help. So I helped him. It is what I am supposed to do. Regardless of the species." I glanced over to the Dragon King smiling.
"Why have you come?" King Hakeem sharply asked.
"To serve my true King. Nothing more."
His voice took on a harsh tone as he uttered his next few words, "Yet here you are betraying your old King. How can I expect any better from the one who is going behind her sworn King's back?"
The subject causing my anger to swell, though I knew better to take it out on my King. Well hopefully soon to be King as he stood before me. "King Moddox is a tyrant. He does not look after the needs of his people as a King should. Instead he makes them suffer unnecessarily by burning their homes and property.
Declaring all the while that he is making them learn a lesson. A lesson that they must always remember that everyone below his station is meant to serve him. I couldn't live with myself if I stayed by his side and let him continue to destroy his people. He needs to be stopped!" I cried out. "We only want to serve as we are called to do. We are honor bound to serve our true King!"
"Our King?" King Hakeem asked. Did he not know that I already found my dragon?
"Yes, our King." Serina answered him as she fluttered down from the treetops where she had been hiding at my request. Growing in size until she was her true size by the time she landed before me.
It didn't register in my mind that she had expanded our mental connection so she could communicate with the others until I heard her growling at Bartholomew, snapping her teeth in warning. "I kindly ask you to release my rider, elf!" Throwing the elf part at him as if it were in insult. When he didn't cooperate with her demand she snarled at him, throwing back her head. Her amethyst eyes blazing with fury at the one who dare hurt her rider, her bondmate.
"The Dragon of Irradiance." King Hakeem gasped as he saw her violet scales change and shimmer in different colors. He pulled Serina's attention away from Bartholomew to direct it towards him.
Not wanting to be rude she stood before our King and dropped her head in respect to him and his dragon, who stared with his jaw dropped to the floor as he gazed upon her. "As you can see, your Highness. I am telling you the truth when I had said that I am a rider and your Blade, my liege." I finished.
King Hakeem still seemed optimistic at my statement. "If you are telling the truth then show me your mark. The one meant to be the King's Blade carries this mark upon their right shoulder."
"As you wish." Bartholomew allowed me to turn my back on King Hakeem but kept the knife in place. I turned my back to him and moved my collar from my right shoulder blade, careful to not show anything else. Making my mark visible to my true King.
An electric shock went through me as I felt a finger brush my shoulder blade. When his finger pulled back from stroking my skin I felt a wave of warmth pool in my belly, which I shouldn't have been feeling. Especially after what had happened with Camron. Pushing the feeling away I focused my attention back on the moment. "You are sincere. The Blade to the Crown has finally appeared. The prophecy is starting to come true."
"What prophecy? That is if I may so bold as to ask, your Majesty." I fixed my shirt, covering my mark.
"Never mind that now. I will tell you about it later." He waved off my question. He gave Bartholomew a stern look as he gave him a command, "Release her!" Bartholomew scowled as he took the knife away from my throat. I smirked at Bartholomew as he narrowed his eyes at me and his face became red.
I turned to face King Hakeem now free of the knife I gave a sigh of relief, "Thank you, your Highness." Serina snapped her teeth close to Bartholomew's face forcing him to flinch. Turning away from him she purred as she bent her head down to lick away the thin trail of blood on my neck. Smiling I stroke the scales on the tip of her nose.
Once she was satisfied that the wound had stopped bleeding she pulled back only to nudge me towards our King, tilting her head to the side. Nodding I take out my sword.
Kneeling down on one knee in front of my King and the Dragon King offering them my sword. Serina bowing once more beside me. "We will be honored to serve at your side faithfully, if you let us, Sires." I bow my head as I offered them my weapon.
Hakeem took two steps forward and placed a hand on my sword, "We are bound by fate. I accept you as my sword." King Hakeem smiled at me.
"You can't do that!" Bartholomew shouted in rage. The Dragon King and Serina snarling at Bartholomew.
King Hakeem raised an eyebrow at Bartholomew's behavior, "And why not Bartholomew? I am King am I not?"
"You are, Sire, and I mean no disrespect. But that is simply not done. She." He pointed to me, "is not fit to be your Blade. She is an outsider. The people of the kingdom will more than likely agree with me." Bartholomew crossed his arms angrily, his hands balled tight into fists.
"Then what do you suggest, Bartholomew?"
Bartholomew smirked in a smug fashion as he answered, "She needs to be tested to see if she is worthy of becoming your King's Blade." He probably thought that my being a woman meant I wouldn't be able to handle these trials.
"Very well then. That is what we shall do." King Hakeem half turned to address me "Looks as though I have one thing for you to do. In order for people to know your skill and ranking you have to participate in a series of trials. Only then will people accept and respect you. That is the only thing I can agree with Bartholomew on. I however do not agree with him that you are unworthy to become my Blade." He winked, Bartholomew gritted his teeth as our King spoke.
What did that man have against me? That's all I wanted to know. "Your wish is my command, Sire." I bowed my head as did Serina.
He clapped his hands once, "Great! Now that is settled. Come with me, Avian." He walked over to his dragon who had already shifted back into his natural form, mounting with ease.
Straightening up and sheathing my sword I hesitate, this whole time Zimra had been grazing off to the side not caring for what had been going on. "What about my horse?"
"One of my guards will see to it that she gets to the stables safe and sound." He called from on his dragon. Taking Zimra's reins I hand them to one of the men who stepped forward offering me a smile as he took them from my hands. Thanking him, I climb up onto Serina's back as she crouches lower to the ground making it easier for me to climb on.
"If you just wait a moment or two, your Majesty, I will come along with you." Bartholomew called sending a glare my way as I sat atop Serina, but smiling at our King. "I am sure you could use the extra protection." He said smugly.
I was gritting my teeth almost ready to tell him to bug off when the King beat me to it, "No, I should be fine with just Avian and Serina. Plus I also have Kenai. So you should really stay with the guards as they travel back to the Kingdom." Without waiting for Bartholomew's reply Kenai stretched out his wings taking off into the sky. Serina following close behind. Bartholomew looked absolutely furious as we fly off together.
Serina and I following close behind the Kings as be climbed over the mountain. Taking only several minutes instead of days. It felt good to be up in the air again after what seemed so long. The wind blowing my hair into a tangled mass behind me, Serina's rhythmic flapping of her wings.
The mountain we were flying over was far more massive than I had ever imagined, extending its reach far beyond my vision in both directions.
When we cleared the mountain the Kings dove into a canyon, dodging the rock towers that may have been in the way. Thundering reached my ears as we came upon a massive waterfall at the end of the canyon. Looks as if we hit a dead end. "What is it with dragon riders and waterfalls?" I mutter as Serina stalled for a second in the air, hesitating about whether to continue following the Dragon King or turn back. The Dragon King noticing her stall and let out a piercing cry encouraging her to continue following him.
Serina responded almost immediately to his cry as she hesitated no longer. Both dragons picking up speed as we approached the gigantic waterfall. Closing my eyes, I buried my head in my arms as I hunched over closer to Serina. The water of the falls pounded on my back for a second instantly soaking me but then vanished. I peeked one eye over my arms to see what had happened.
Coming upon the vision of rolling hills and a castle in the far distance with Dragons of every shape and size roaming around with their riders. The sky above a shade of blue I have never seen in my lifetime. I shiver from the coldness that seeps into my skin from my soaked clothes but feel a warmth spread through me from the pure joy I feel from gazing at the place around me, chasing away the cold. We were finally where we are meant to be. King Hakeem turned to me as he glided smoothly beside us. His smile reaching his eyes, "Welcome to the Kingdom of Dragons."
A plan forms in my head as I grin at the King. A worried look enters into his eyes as he takes in my mischievous grin. "Serina take us up." Complying she shoots farther up into the sky. Moving with more natural ease than I had the first time I tried this I slipped down her wing only to be shot up into the air with an upward stroke. Twirling through the air with Serina dancing around me I laugh in pure happiness.
Looking up as my back faced the ground I come upon the worried look on King Hakeem's face as watches me twirling through the air. Making me laugh harder to the point where I nearly have tears in my eyes, which wasn't from the air currents streaming past me. Twirling back around I call out for Serina and just like last time I gracefully landed on her back in a crouching position as she glided beneath me.
King Hakeem approaching us the air after I had landed on Serina. His face was almost as white as a ghosts, "Do not do that ever again." It almost sounded as a command. If it was, that is one command I wouldn't ever follow. It was too much fun falling from the sky.
I laugh at the expression on his face, "Oh come on, your Highness. Do not try to tell me that you haven't done it before. It seems practically impossible not to have done it if you are bonded to a dragon." I continued to tease him as we flew closer to what looked like a courtyard in front of the castle.
I was surprised at myself as I never teased King Moddox. Of course he would sooner have my head then let me tease him, though King Hakeem was completely different.
We had just landed in the courtyard when someone came scurrying down what looked like a garden pathway. When the person came closer I could tell it was a female, another elf by the way her ears were naturally pointy and a bit longer than a humans. She was wearing worn clothing that was dirty, probably just having come from what I assumed were the training grounds. "King Hakeem you are back already!" Her light voice like the ringing of a bell wafted over to us as we dismounted from our dragons. "And with a new rider to boot. Who would have figured?" She eyed me with interest, the fringe of her long light brown hair hanging in her eyes as the rest of her hair was cut short framing her face nicely.
"Yes, this is former King's Blade Apprentice, Avian Ravenwood from the Kingdom of Kaaemond and her bondmate Serina. I encountered them in the forest as they were searching for me. Turns out Avian is my Blade. As well as the person who helped Kenai escape from her previous Kingdom's dungeons." King Hakeem introduced.
The woman smirked as she assessed me, "The famous Avian, the next Blade to the Kingdom of Dragons. Oh I bet Bartholomew loves that." She chuckled. She stuck a delicate hand out for me to shake, "My name is Aliwyn. I am one of the fellow Commanding Lady Knights here in the Kingdom. Nice to meet you." Her ocean blue eyes swimming with amusement, as gentle as the playful tide.
"Likewise." I nod my head as I shake her hand. She seemed as someone I could get along with easily.
"I don't mean to be too forward when I say this. But." She paused looking down into my gray eyes as she was a great deal taller than me. "I think we are going to become best friends." She looked a bit worried as though I would reject her proposal friendship.
I laughed lightening the tension crackling in the atmosphere, "I was thinking the same exact thing. After all every tall person needs a short friend." I winked, making her laugh unexpectedly.
King Hakeem sighed bringing our attention back to him, "Well now that is settled. I am sure Lady Aliwyn wouldn't object to showing you to your new room." He glanced over to her for conformation.
She wasn't paying any attention to him as she was nodding enthusiastically, "It would be my pleasure." She looped her arm through mine as though we were old friends. Serina during some point in the conversation shrunk to a miniature size and climbed up onto my shoulders.
Aliwyn began to tug on my arms to get me to move along with her. I quickly uttered, "Thank you, your Highness." Letting Lady Aliwyn drag me down the stone path way heading for the double doors that led into the castle at the end of the garden.
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The Kings have been revealed, and Avian is now in the Kingdom she belongs in. Let's keep it going, onto the 3rd update of the day.
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