A Kingdom of Embers and Nightmares

There weren't always dragons in the Valley.

Not until the Queen of Ikaria decided to become a conqueror and took over the lands that no human ruler had dared enter for a thousand years - Eldernell and the Wastes beyond them, also known as the Dragon Kingdom.

I was almost out of breath by the time I scaled the Weeping Cliffs and took shelter behind a burned up shrivelled bush. I scanned the horizon carefully before taking a swig from my near-empty canteen and relaxed my back against the small, blackened rocks behind me.

When she decided to be a conqueror, the Queen should have probably learned how to control the dragons first, I cursed in my mind. Angry, treasonous words, but so undeniably true.

It wasn't even a year after the Queen slaughtered King Verdarion and his line of dragon riders, when the dragons spread far and wide, unchecked and unbothered by anyone. They quickly breached the boundaries of their kingdom and started slaughtering.

The Queen finally proclaimed twenty hunting parties of ten people will be formed by expert weapon-masters and soldiers, accompanied by a single mage per group to assist them in exterminating or capturing the beasts.

I snorted at that thought - the mage designated in our group was the first to go - weak, untrained in battle and when he sighted the dragons, he instantaneously passed out. Some dragon catcher.

Five people from our company were already gone, melted on the spot or eaten alive by the time we reached the Weeping Cliffs. The rest scattered the moment we were ambushed. The vicious beasts were probably still feasting on my companions' remains far down below the cliff's edge. My throat burned from the smoke and no matter how much water, I could not stifle the smell and taste of burning flesh in my mouth.

I glanced around, my heart swelling with pain at what had become from the once lush territory, our most beloved and sacred place in all Ikaria - the Valley of the Gods, tarnished and levelled, the hills with once evergreen forests now looked like ashen skeletons, the earth resembling the diseased skin of a dying animal, a true kingdom of embers and nightmares.

Rage filled my mind at the memory of seeing the burned temples, the scarred priests and acolytes, the horrified pilgrims who were running to find shelter in Ihlara, the capital city of Ikaria. They probably wouldn’t make it - Ihlara was a week’s ride away and they had no horses.

No matter what my father said, I hated all of the dragons. My father was by all definitions a wise man, general of the armies of Ikaria and a dear friend of the late King Slavomir. He had accompanied and served the King for many years and knew much about ruling Ikaria and its diplomatic connections, even with savage kingdoms like Eldernell. He knew that killing the dragon-riders would not be advantageous in future - only the royal bloodline of King Verdarion had the skill to tame and ride the dragons and have the special bond which formed between rider and dragon, aiding in control and ruling of the beasts. However, after the slaughter of the riders, many dragons remained who were wild, untamed. It was these dragons that quickly came to Ikaria, free to do as they pleased. But they never dared entering Ihlara. The Queen ensured all the skilled mages protected the capital and destroyed all fire-breathing creatures who neared it, but the rest of the kingdom...

When the first commands came for war with Eldernell, my father expressed all of his concerns but the Queen was hell-bent on expanding her territories in the name of her son, Prince Elias, the only remaining heir of King Slavomir and my betrothed. Elias was thankfully nearing the age of ascending his throne and this madness of conquest would stop. Until then the Queen Regent embraced her role of a ruler and hoped to create an Empire and then crown her son as an emperor, not a king. Elias wanted nothing to do with his mother’s plans. As the daughter of the general, I spent all of my time in the soldiers’ barracks, training alongside Elias whose battle education was entrusted to my father. We grew up together, training, fighting, sharing good and bad days. But we never saw each other as a couple and the idea of marrying each other made us cringe.

It wasn’t common for a girl to be learning the art of fighting, however I never really considered myself to be a “lady of the court” either. I stopped attending the Queen’s gatherings and court mingling sessions around age 12 and since then preferred to learn something more useful than gossiping and scheming - like staying alive when there is a dragon facing you. My father had been furious when he first found me in the barracks, stabbing a hay dummy, my dress discarded, swapped for a pair of breeches and a tunic that I had stolen from the laundry room. After continuous arguments, he agreed to teach me and now, eight years later me and Elias were two of his best students.

A loud flapping noise made my stomach turn and I splayed myself as low to the ground as possible, shimmying further into the bush, stifling a coughing fit from inhaling dust that erupted from the dry dirt. The dragons were now finished with their meal and were flying out in search of their next prey or whatever dragons did in their spare time. I held my breath as I felt the three large bodies rise up, closer and closer to the cliff’s edge nearing my hiding spot. My heart was thundering in my chest, and I prayed to all Gods they did not hear it. At least, my armour was well fashioned, allowing me to blend with the landscape which had also saved my life in the first encounter with the dragons. Too distracted by some of the shining armours of my group, they paid no attention to me as I sprinted for the rocks, hiding in the crevices as I scaled the cliff under a serenade of screams and roaring.

Within three slow, deep breaths, the beating of wings came and went away, yet I still could not unclench my fingers from my sword. This was going to be tough, a lot tougher than I thought - no horse, no food, no provisions and no help from other soldiers or a mage. At this stage, it was a matter of survival, not fulfilling my duty to the Queen.

I stayed in the bush’s cover until a plan formed in my head, dictated by a sense of preservation and absolutely no desire for glory. The Queen could go hunt for dragons on her own, for all I cared. My only goal was to get out of the Valley alive and also find Callan. My chest constricted unpleasantly at the thought that something might have happened to him. Even though Elias and I were betrothed, he knew I was in love with Callan, the same way I knew he loved one of his mother’s handmaidens.

If Elias and I were one of my father’s best students, then Callan was the best. Only twenty-five years old and already in line to become Captain of the Guard, he was everything I expected a man should be - loyal, honest and brave. And he was now headed for the most dangerous area of the Valley - Emerald Bay, where our intel told us the dragons hoarded their treasure and most importantly, their eggs. His company’s mission was the most perilous out of all - to find the dragon eggs, destroy as many as possible and bring at least one to the castle. I still remember the day they gave out the missions, the calm expression of his face as he accepted the task, and the eruption of fear in my own chest. The likelihood of survival was slim.

Our conversation after the ceremony was one that still made my heart burn with regret, but Callan had been right - this was his only chance to finally prove himself worthy, the only way he would achieve glory and ensure his future in the castle.

I took a deep breath and gingerly stood up from my hiding spot. The image of his golden-brown eyes, set in a determined frown dissolved as I took in the view from the cliff - I could see the carnage that had occurred down below, nothing left but blood, random pieces of broken armour, even the horses were gone. My fingers started shaking but I took another breath and straightened my shoulders - there was no point in wallowing. I scanned the scenery and once I was certain no winged shadows were visible, I set out west for Emerald Bay.

It took a full day to reach the woods that surrounded the bay. By some miracle or the Gods’ will, there were no encounters with the winged beasts. On two occasions my heart lurched as I spotted the flying monsters with no place to hide in sight, but they had been too far out in the sky to notice my tiny figure and they simply soared in the sky, undisturbed and from afar they almost looked peaceful. I cursed myself for even thinking that - there was nothing peaceful about these monsters.

The heat had now become bearable as the sun had set and I neared the seawater, surrounded by unscorched greenery. For some reason, the dragons had left the area almost untouched. Almost, but not entirely as I knew all the caverns and caves of the bay were now filled with their gold and eggs. I stalked quietly from tree to tree, nearing the bay itself when I noticed the lights far down below me, making the bay look as if a thousand yellow diamonds were shining amid the sea. As I neared the edge of the woods, where the tree cover stopped, I realized it wasn’t diamonds, but candles and torches lighting at least thirty ships which swayed undisturbed in the water. Small boats were moving between the ships, going back and forth to the beach, hundreds of men loading the boats with… gold. Pirates. But where were Callan and his company? If they had been here, there would be no way for these pirates to have even ventured in the bay which meant Callan had either never arrived or had come, taken the eggs and gone back to the capital. Before I even began contemplating a new plan, a loud cough behind me sounded and someone had a blade to my throat.

“What have we here?” a sleazy male voice behind me muttered as panic set in my stomach. I instinctively reached for my sword at my waist, but the man was faster and already had the advantage. A loud clunk and explosion of pain in my head had me tumbling to the ground, my last conscious thought being I would die alone.

I was swaying. Without even opening my eyes, I was sure I was on a ship. The smell of brine, wet wood, unwashed floor and spilled alcohol surrounded me. I groaned quietly and managed to move my head, but blinding pain in my head made me reconsider.

“Look who’s awake” a pleasant male voice sounded somewhere above me. My eyes flew open and before I took in my surroundings, someone was hauling me to my feet. I scanned the room, if it could be called a room. No, this was the brig of a ship, and everything was indeed swaying. I closed my eyes, trying to stifle the rising nausea.

“Bring a bucket, will you? I don’t want her spilling her guts all over my floor” the male voice said again, and someone laughed, followed by distinctly male, heavy steps. I opened my eyes and tried to calm my breaths, taking in the setting, trying to find a way out. The darkness did not help, but I distinguished the stairs where the light was pouring in from the upper level as the only way in and out, a big hunk of a man was now heading towards me with a large, rusty bucket. I stared him down with as much disdain as I could muster given the situation, but he just smirked with yellowed teeth.

“Now, we can get to business” said the same voice and I turned my head in its direction. The brig was illuminated by a single oil lamp, but I could distinguish a tall figure, leaning against one of the wooden columns supporting the ceiling. He was dressed immaculately for a pirate, black tunic and breeches from the finest velvet, leather boots polished to perfection, two threatening daggers strapped to one of his thighs, whilst a great sword with a large golden pommel hung from his waist. He unfolded his long legs and walked towards me, and my breath caught as the light fell on his face. He was without a question one of the most striking men I had ever seen. Prince Elias was beautiful by all standards for a man, and all ladies of the court admired him. But this man was different, exotic and the expression on his near perfect face was one of absolute authority. He took one more step and stared me down, his calculating eyes taking in the sight of me from head to toe. I felt as if I was being stripped naked by these pale green eyes that sucked the air out of this room.

“Who are you?” he asked quietly, the words barely audible. This could go two ways - I could either tell him and try to negotiate my way out of this - pirates were always ready for bargains - or I could try to fight my way out, however my weapons were nowhere in sight. My eyes darted quickly to the sword hanging at his waist, within a casual reach from my hand, almost mockingly easy.

“Tsk, tsk” he sounded with his teeth. “I know what you’re thinking and it’s not going to work, beautiful, so spare me the dramatics. Who are you and what exactly were you doing in the dead of night in Emerald Bay of all places?” he put his hands in his pockets and walked back, his eyes darting towards my armour. “I’d say you’re an unusual meet - a woman, in expensive armour, with weapons in Ikaria of all places” his dark brows raised twice, and a mischievous look was exchanged with his companions that were still holding me upright. I dared a glance towards the stairs, trying to estimate if I could actually run for it if I somehow managed to kick down the two brutes that held me.

“My, my, you will not make this easy, are you?” he sighed and rolled his eyes at me “Let me put it this way - there’s nowhere to run, we’re in the middle of the Barean Sea, halfway across to Xenia. Tell me who you are so I know what cargo I’m carrying on my ship and what price it might fetch, sweetheart” My breach hitched. Xenia. They were taking me to the slave' auction in Xenia and I was in the middle of the ocean. My heart sank to my feet, but I breathed in, refusing to show fear.

“First of all, never call me sweetheart unless you want to keep your tongue.” My tone was cold, and it brought me a small degree of satisfaction to see his brows rising in surprise. “As to who I am, my name is Astoria Haleen, not a pleasure to meet you.”

“She talks.” He walked nearer, circling me like a shark. “And what a beautiful voice, am I right boys'?'' he raised his voice slightly. The brutes sniggered.” Haleen. Not one of my favourite names, I must say. If I had to judge by the quality of your armour, the value of your sword and the feisty tongue you have, you must be the General’s daughter. “He circled back around and stopped in front of me, his expression cold, all laughter gone. “You know, he is not my favourite either. No, in fact, I think I rather hate the man.” there was rage and pure undiluted hate in his eyes. “Duncan, remind me again, how many times did the brave and honourable General of Ikaria whip me after he slaughtered my crew two years ago?” I stared at him, and he stared right back.

“Twenty times, milord,” the brute to my right said quietly.

“Twenty times” the man in front of me repeated dangerously quietly. “And what happened after that?”

“He...he...Left you hanging by your wrists on the castle’s wall for two days... And burned your ship” Duncan finished, but he didn’t have to because I knew the story. I was there the day it happened, albeit so far away from the delighted crowds below the castle, sharing a terrace with Elias and the Queen when the whipping took place that there was no way I could have recognized him.

Because it was no ordinary pirate that stood before me. It was Zephyr, a notorious captain and pirate, heir of the Southern Isles. I was dead, dead, dead.

As if he heard my thoughts, Zephyr’s lips tugged in a feline smile, his tan skin going darker where the shadows hit the angles of his face.

“Now, I would enjoy immensely sending word to your father that I sold you into slavery to some ungodly lord from let’s say, the Death Isles” another smile in my direction as he paced back and put his ring-adorned hands behind his head. “But why stop there?” He turned and considered me for a minute. I could feel my knees start shaking but I refused to look away from his face. “Hmm…” he drawled “What would bring me more satisfaction - selling you, or having you serve me as a slave…?” he feigned contemplation, his finger playing with his long dark hair. “Or maybe I should spare myself the dilemma and just send you in pieces to your father.” There was utter silence in the brig, except for the small splash of waves against the ship that kept swaying.

“Do you know what your father would have done to me if it wasn’t for Prince Bayle’s rescue? Regardless of the fact that I was the son of a king. No, your petty little kingdom never cared for abiding civility and leaving heirs alive. Gods above, Bayle knows it now” Zephyr was pacing back and forth, as if lost in his own thoughts. I never saw the rescue, but I heard the tales of how Prince Bayle swept down with his dark-scaled dragon and saved his friend Zephyr from certain death, and it could have been this particular day that the Queen marked Eldernell and their royal family for extermination. This act of defiance against her and her justice. I never knew why Zephyr was tortured this day - both Elias and I were told there was an enemy of the kingdom that was caught, and he would be punished publicly. It never occurred to me to ask my father or the Queen.

“What were you doing in the Bay?” he inquired again, and I swallowed hard but held my chin high.

“I was part of a company sent to kill or capture dragons, whichever came first. The beasts have been terrorizing the whole country for a year now and the Queen sent us to deal with the problem. I was in the Bay looking for my... For another hunting party because mine was slaughtered the day before.” he stared at me for a second before he burst out laughing, the sound deep and rumbling, echoing across the brig.

“You? Hunting dragons?” he repeated his eyes twinkling with amusement “A woman, not just any woman but the General’s daughter, Prince Elias’ betrothed, on a hunting party for dragons? This sounds more ridiculous by the minute. How did this come about, if I may ask?”

“I ran away from home. I... swapped my place with someone who was supposed to be in my company. I bribed him and came in his stead and well... The rest is history.”

“Why?”

“Because...” I didn’t know why. Because I hated the dragons? Because I wanted to prove that I could fight just as well if not better than most? Because Callan had decided to go and not think twice about leaving me? Because I hoped I would save him? I cleared my throat, aware of Zephyr’s burning stare across the room. What was the point in lying?

“Because the man I love was sent to Emerald Bay to destroy the eggs. And I wanted to be with him, even if it meant we died together, fighting these monsters.” A silence followed, and I did not dare look at his face for fear I would see the mockery there, for being a stupid, naïve woman in love.

“I don’t know what is more surprising - that the daughter of my enemy has more balls than him, that she just confessed to loving another man other than her betrothed dear Prince which by the way is treason, or that you claim you fight so well, you think you can actually kill a dragon.” There was some mockery in his tone, but it wasn’t for my actions, it was directed at my fighting skills and arrogance. Heat crept up my cheeks and I tightened my fists.

“I can fight. Better than most men, if I dare say so myself. I’ve been trained with swords, daggers, bow and arrows, spear and axe. I bet I could beat you without even breaking a sweat.” a small smirk tugged my lips. Zephyr considered me for a second and a small, delighted smile broke across his face.

“Interesting. Care to bet your life on it?” he stood up and his sword glinted in the light. “Tomorrow morning, we will fight in front of my crew. If I win, I send you back in pieces to your father. If you win, you get to keep your precious life and I’ll swiftly deposit you at the nearest port.” My heart slammed against my chest but there was this reckless, wild sensation that overtook me. I was sure I could beat him; in fact, I could probably kill him.

“Deal” I spat out and his smile was instantaneous and there was something feral about it.

“Wonderful. See you at dawn” with that he headed for the stairs and disappeared.

The sunrise came faster than anticipated. I was shaken abruptly as I was sleeping fitfully in the dingy brig cell. They handed me a piece of bread and some water and hauled me up the stairs of the ship. We passed a few levels, filled with men about their business, cargo in boxes and a whole floor of the ship that was filled with gold. And eggs. What were they going to do with the eggs? Did Callan manage to get any before these idiots took them? My thoughts rushed through my head but before I knew it, blinding light seared my eyes. Blinking the tears from my eyes, I looked around to find myself on the deck, surrounded by what looked to be a small army, Zephyr’s crew. A tight circle was drawn with chalk on the floorboards and Zephyr was waiting in the centre, a wide smile on his face. He was even more breath-taking in the daylight - tall, broad shouldered, his dark curls shining where the sunlight hit it. He was dressed not for a fight, but for what seemed to be a leisurely walk in the warm weather - a white cotton shirt in stark contrast with his tan olive skin, and breeches made of dark blue material that swayed in the wind, wrapping tightly around his calves. He had two swords in his hands, one of which I recognized the sword my father had gifted me on my sixteenth birthday.

“Good morning. I believe we owe my crew some early entertainment. I’m afraid I don’t have a spear or an axe in hand right now, I assume a sword will do?” His smile was nothing if not cocky. I sauntered over to him and snatched the sword from his hand. Sleeping on the hard wooden floor had left me feeling like a bag of stiff bones but it did not matter, I was ready for this.

“Ready when you are” I crooned and without warning he lunged. There was no hesitation in his moves, as our swords met, once, twice. He was graceful, and knew how to fight, almost as good as Callan. But I was faster and smaller.

I jabbed, and twisted, and my body sang with the dance of our swords. I had been born for this. The sun was beating mercilessly on us, and I could feel my heated blood thrumming in my veins, my heartbeat in my ears. My sword was an extension to my arm, unwavering and precise.

He knew his ship well as he cornered me towards one end of the crowd, and my leg gave out, slipping on the polished wood, making me lose my balance. He counted on this and dove, beating my sword out of my hand as I sprawled on the floor. His triumphant face was all I saw as he lunged to bring the final blow. My breath left me as I twisted to my knees and swung my leg under his, a loud thump the only indication that I had succeeded. Before he knew it, I kicked his sword from his hand and straddled him to the ground, my fist heading for his jaw. He grabbed both my wrists and a loud pained gasp escaped his lips, shock and confusion in his eyes as he immediately let go and he rolled over on the floor away from me, coming to his feet. I got up quickly, guard still up, my eyes following him as he stared at me in disbelief and then his palms. The skin was blood-red where he had grabbed my wrists, as if someone had melted it off. Everyone was silent, gaping. His breathing was uneven, and he stared at me with suspicion.

“What the...” he started but his words failed. He looked me over intently for a few seconds “How... how old are you?”

“What?” My shock at his question was on par with the shock from seeing his singed palms.

“How old are you?” he repeated, and he gestured towards someone in the crew. A boy immediately brought some sort of cloth and Zephyr hissed as his palms were bandaged.

“I’m... I’m twenty.”

“You came from Ihlara all the way to Emerald Bay unscathed. How?” I didn't know what he meant. “The dragons can smell people from 20 miles if not more. You should not be alive”.

“I… was hiding…” I managed to utter, but he just observed me quietly for a good five minutes. “Do you know what King Verdarion looked like?”

“No, of course not. No one in our kingdom knows. Well, except for the Queen and my father.” I had no idea what was happening, but I heard someone from the gaping crew gasp.

“Right. How convenient.” he smirked “King Verdarion and all his bloodline are very striking people, with their red hair and golden eyes.” His eyes followed my unbound auburn braid and then stopped at my amber-coloured eyes. “Moreover, his whole family shares something they call liquid fire.” His eyes darted to my wrists. “Bayle told me that is what connects them with dragons - their blood, it is liquid fire. And when emotions ran high, especially anger, they were always incredibly careful not to touch people. Because they could burn other people.” My breath was uneven, and I wasn’t sure where he was going with this.

“Don’t you mean “they were”. They are all dead” I corrected, my tongue dry.

“Another little-known fact about them is that the royal family had a special ability to do slivane na dushi. It literally means soul sharing, with their dragons. The family could choose to share their dragon’s body, when their own was destroyed. Verdarion and five of his sons are very much alive, only slightly bigger and more fire-breathing now.” I gaped for a second as the news sunk in.

“What...this is insane. This makes no sense at all”

“You went through the Valley unscathed. Because the dragons could not sense you - you share their blood.” He paced forward and I stepped back.

“I don’t share blood... This has never happened before.” my hands were shaking so I clenched my fists.

“That’s because you’ve never been in such close range to dragons. Or dragon eggs.” He indicated the levels below.” They recognize you and you them, your blood has… stirred.”

“How is this possible?” I was going to cry; I was going to cry, or my head would explode.

“Not many people know that King Verdarion had a daughter twenty years ago. Two years after her birth, she was kidnapped from her own nursery. Stolen, or killed they never learned. And the only hope for King Verdarion to bring back his human body is if his own blood speaks the words. Given his whole kin is now in animal form, you can see where the problem lies. But I feel we could fix this… together” his eyes were wide, and his head tilted in acknowledgement. “You’re Princess Daciana of Eldernell, the lost daughter of King Verdarion”.