Zalthaena's Champions

15004 A.Z.

There weren’t always Dragons in The Valley. Before their dark scaled armour cast shadows upon the streets of the city it was full of warmth and light, and laughter echoed off the mountainsides.

The brilliant golden glow of the evening sun set the rooftops of The Valley aflame as it began its descent behind the peaks of Mt. Hervamen. Perched on the edge of our terrace, Kiern and I held our breath as we listened for the light footsteps of my mother coming up the stairs.

Her steps halted halfway up the corridor as she listened, equally as silent, for us to betray ourselves. Then, with an almost silent huff of annoyance, her steps retreated back below.

As we let our breath out, painstakingly slow so as to not reveal our hiding spot should my mother still be listening, the sun sunk behind Hervamen’s peak, sucking the golden light from The Valley. For three long breaths the streets were bathed in a blanket of black. As I exhaled the fourth through pursed lips, tiny orbs of white light blinked on along the crisscrossed streets, as if my breath had given the city life again.

“Gods, it’s so beautiful from up here,” I said, leaning forward precariously, looking over my knees to the cobbled street far below.

Our home was built into the mountainside opposite Hervamen, settled into the massive cave gauged out of Mt. Minerva’s indigo rock millennia ago by my ancestors. Minerva’s blue-toned rocks that served as the foundation and backside of our home kept the chill in the air throughout the sweltering summers, but froze us to the bone even in the mildest winters.

“It is.” Kiern’s voice was low and husky, barely audible as the first bunch of red flames shot into the darkening sky.

Yellow sparks hissed into the air; green stars, and orange flowers burst high above the city, dispersing coloured light across the entire valley. All four mountains seemed to sing praise at the fireworks, their dark sloping surfaces glowing among the rainbow bursts.

I turned to face Kiern, a wide smile plastered across my face, but he wasn’t beside me on the ledge. Craning back to look for him, I dropped a hand back to catch me before I splayed on the terrace.

Kiern had moved to the ancient stone bench, carved from the mountain herself. The dirt stained cushion was flattened from decades of bottoms sitting on it, but it still sunk slightly under his weight as he shifted under my gaze.

He didn’t meet my eyes, staring past my head at the lit up sky while he wrung his hands together in his lap. Picking at his chipped nails, he glanced out of the corner of his eye at me, quickly looking away as our eyes met.

“What’s wrong?” I jumped to my feet, taking a tentative step toward him.

Kiern choked on the words forming on his lips, opening his mouth and snapping it shut without a sound. His amber eyes darted around the terrace, landing beyond me to stare out at the city.

“I just think –” he started, cutting himself off and pinching the bridge of his nose until the skin between his fingers paled. With an aggravated huff of breath he dragged his hand over his forehead and into his black hair, tugging at the short strands with his fist. He stood abruptly, throwing his hands back as he did and striding past me to stand at the terrace’s edge.

I placed a hesitant hand on his shoulder and squeezed. “Kiern.”

He said nothing, merely stared out at The Valley, the light show reflecting in his dark irises.

“Kiern,” I repeated after a long moment. “You can tell me anything. I swear on Queen Kalvinnia’s life that –”

I was cut off by a wailing scream from the city below.

My head snapped toward The Valley again, momentarily forgetting my conversation with Kiern as I searched for the source of the cry. But we were too high, too removed from the streets to see anything but the streetlights as they blinked out, one-by-one.

Kiern’s sharp intake of breath drew my attention back to the terrace. He was looking past the city toward the peak of its northernmost mountain, Mt. Crytaeline. A perplexing look shot across his face before his eyes narrowed, and his mouth dropped open.

“Dragons,” he whispered, rage simmering in his eyes.

Grabbing my wrist, he pulled me away from the roof’s edge toward the corridor leading back into the house. My wrist ached under the pressure of his grip, and my shoulder burned at the socket from the force of being pulled at so rough and abruptly.

I tripped down the stairs behind him, unable to get my feet under me long enough to latch onto the ground before Kiern was pulling me down to the next one.

“Kiern! Kiern, stop!” I said, pulling at the hand that gripped my wrist, but he was too strong. “You’re hurting me.”

“Mama,” I called down the stairs. “Mama!”

As we approached the bottom of the stairs, the darkness of the corridor turned to a fuzzy grey with the light spilling in from the floor beyond. I breathed a sigh of relief at the appearance of light, but it was knocked out of me as Kiern slammed my back into the stone wall of the corridor, wrapping his hand around my mouth.

I narrowed my eyes at him, struggling against his grip as he pressed himself hard against me. In the minimal light I could just make out his eyes, blazing into mine, begging me to stay quiet. I stilled beneath him.

Voices flowed up the few stairs below us from the upper floor – the children’s quarters – of the house. Deep, male voices that I did not recognize.

A shudder crawled up my back, freezing my mind and body in place.

My heart was beating faster than a hummingbird’s wings. It pounded so loudly in my ears that the unknown men below would have heard it clearly had they silenced themselves for even a moment.

Thank Zalthaena they’re too busy yelling orders to each other, I thought, casting a prayer up to the goddess.

“Marcellus, check the rooms to the right,” a booming voice, much louder than the others, said. “There is a witch here; the foolish boy asked after his sister. Find her, but don’t kill her. Punix wants them all alive,” the man – their leader – continued. “Hamornious, to the left. I’ll take the roof. Then we burn this forsaken place to the ground, too.”

There were no witches here, but that didn’t matter. Not if they had my brother, and were searching for my sister, who they would surely find soon. Mara had always been the weakest hider, and if they’d found Landon... Mara didn’t stand a chance. I had to get to her before they did.

My eyes shot open, finding Kiern’s. He shook his head solemnly, his eyelids sinking low.

Alarm careened through me, filling my limbs with a new found strength amidst the fear that had leadened them. I shoved against Kiern with my entire body to knock him off balance, but he did not falter, not even half a step. The hand holding my mouth tightened, pressing my lips into my teeth until the metallic taste of blood bit my tongue.

Heavy steps grew louder as the man started up the stairs. We were just around the corner from the base; as soon as he stepped onto the fourth stair we would be in his line of sight.

We were dead.

The toe of a shiny black boot appeared on the fourth stair, the tang of iron filling the corridor.

Kiern's eyes had yet to leave mine. His lips moved silently, but it was too dark to make out what he was saying.

I shook my head once, communicating that I didn’t understand, but he was looking over his shoulder now. At the fourth step.

“Boz! I found something!”

The booted foot froze. The sound of loose rocks dragging on flat stone echoed up toward us as the man pivoted back toward his comrades, the visible toes turning with him.

“What is it?” His voice carried up the stairs, and my palms started to sweat at his close proximity.

“Not really sure!”

“Useless,” he said, and with an aggravated sigh his foot disappeared back to the level below.

I let out a slow breath, quieted further by Kiern’s hand. Relief flooding my body as their murmurs disappeared and the stairs fell back into silence. They had found something, not someone. Mara was safe.

Then my mother’s screams cleaved the world.

“No!” She screamed, her voice already hoarse. “Not my babies! Not my babies! No–”

There was a thud, and my mother went quiet. The house felt eerily silent after her cries, not even the thump of booted feet walking across the wooden floors broke through the quiet.

I shoved against Kiern again. Pushing against his chest with my own again and again, but he did not relent.

“Stop,” he said, his voice a low growl in my ear. “Stop right now, Tani.”

My eyelids quivered as I held back tears. Pressing down on the sobs threatening to tear through my chest, I went limp between him and the wall. The little strength that had been holding me together melted from my body; Kiern and the wall behind were the only things keeping me upright.

What could have been hours later, the front door slammed.

Kiern held me in place for several more minutes, listening intently for any signs of life below. When it was clear the house was now empty, he stepped back from me, keeping his hand trained on my jaws.

He lifted a finger to his lips, his eyes pleading with me to stay quiet, before freeing my mouth. Still quieting me with that finger to his lips, he pointed down the stairs with his free hand.

I nodded, and followed him down the last few stairs. As we passed the fourth stair, I stared at the boot-shaped, rust coloured stain. As quickly as I’d looked at it I forced my eyes back up, pinning my gaze on the back of Kiern’s head.

Once we exited the stair corridor, however, I could not avoid the disaster the men had left in their wake.

The pale wooden floors were streaked red; the once blindingly white walls now mimicked spilled wine; the chandelier, slacking to the side and hanging by a single thread of wire now, dripped rubies of blood to the floor below; the sconces lining the walls of the corridor had been torn down, the wax from the candles mixing into the blood pooling on the floor to create a viscous river of red flowing down the stairs to the main floors.

Bile rose in my throat at the scene before us. My stomach heaved and sloshed as I turned in a circle to survey the carnage that was my home. Both hands rose to cup my mouth as I clamped down on my sobs, warm tears spilling silently down my fingers.

Kiern’s grave face swam as it met mine, nodding once and averting his gaze in condolence. Blinking away the tears, I saw that his eyes glistened with unshed tears of his own.

He pointed at me, then beyond to Mara’s room behind me; jabbing his thumb to his chest, then over his shoulder, before turning and walking into Landon’s room.

With shaky fingers, I grasped the knob of my sister’s door, turning it slowly. I bit down on my bottom lip as I prepared myself for the disaster I was walking into. For the blood that would soak her rugs and mar her freshly painted walls—her blood.

The door opened on silent hinges, as if it had known how dire the situation truly was, and I walked into the mess her room had become.

Her mattress had been ripped open down the middle, feathers still floating about the room and out the shattered windows. Every piece of her clothing had been strewn around, covering the furniture and floor. Books were thrown off the shelves; pages, shredded and crumpled, littering the floor. One of the sliding doors to her closet had been bent at the middle, the other thrown haphazardly into the closet.

Not a drop of blood in sight.

A sigh escaped through my nose at the lack of red in the room, a tiny semblance of hope swelling in my chest.

“Mara,” I said, my whisper barely audible to even my own ears. “Mara, please tell me you’re here.”

I paused, waiting for a reply, but none came.

A hand clamped around my arm and I flinched forward, a scream on my lips.

It was Kiern. Empty-handed.

He raised an eyebrow, not daring to use his voice, and I closed my eyes against new tears forming, shaking my head.

His arm came around my shoulders in embrace, and he kissed the top of my head. His breath was hot on my scalp as he said, “We’ll find them.” Another quick kiss. “But, right now, we have to get out of here.”

I nodded against his chest, and took his hand, interlacing our fingers.

As we descended the stairs to the main floor, Kiern angled his head over the railing to look below. With a sharp inhale, he halted and grabbed me by the shoulders, holding me away from the sight.

“Shut your eyes. Do it, now. And don’t open them until I tell you to.”

I started to shake my head, but the haunted look in his eyes shut down any desire to be stubborn.

“Thank you,” he breathed when I did. “Keep them shut.”

Together, we walked through the bloody mess of my home. While I couldn’t see the carnage, the metallic scent of blood coated every room we walked through. It beckoned me to open my eyes, to look at what had happened to my family, to my home. I only squeezed my eyes tighter, clamping my free hand over them for good measure.

“We’re out now, you can open your eyes.”

The streets were in chaos. Wailing and pounding feet were the only sounds in the streets now, the fireworks and blazing lights doused, drowning the city in a darkness only broken up by bonfires – no, houses being gobbled up by the tall flames. Entire streets were being engulfed and ravaged by the fires.

“This way,” Kiern called over his shoulder over the din of the city, tugging me with him towards the centre of the city.

Bodies collided into us as we ran, the blood covering those who smacked into me soaking through my thin summer dress.

I tripped over my feet as I tried to match Kiern’s speed. He was running faster than my legs could keep up with and I fell to the ground, landing not on the unforgiving cobblestone, but soft ground.

As I pushed myself up the ground gave way, and I sunk lower. I looked down, my hands scrambling for purchase on the soft ground, and screamed when I saw that I had landed on someone. Their face had been badly burned, and was unrecognizable as it caved in on itself.

Kiern was still dragging me along behind him, not noticing I had fallen until I screamed. He spun toward me so quickly I was thrown from the body, landing on the ground – the actual ground this time – on my backside.

“Tani! Get up! Get up!” His hands were freezing as he thrust them under my arms and hauled me to my feet. Taking my face in both hands he looked into my eyes, and yelled, “Are you okay?” He looked me over, his eyes dragging across me for any injuries. “You’re okay!” He said before I could answer, nodding and yanking me down a narrow alley between two hulking apartments.

“Where are we going?” The words came out garbled and hollow as I cried, saliva and snot mixing and thickening in my mouth as I gasped for breath.

Kiern didn’t answer. He only kept running.

A towering fence blocked the alley’s exit. It’s columns of wood were too thick for us to knock down, but Kiern kept barrelling toward it.

Kiern threw his hand in front of us and the fence blew apart into shards and dust, the air smelling thickly of charred wood and fresh mountain air all at once.

I stumbled, falling forward toward Kiern at the sight of the destroyed fence, and quickly grabbed onto the iron pole that had held it to the building seconds before, digging my heels into the ground. Kiern flew back into me, slamming my back into the brick wall of the building behind me.

“What the hell, Tani!” Kiern was standing again already, as if the blow into the building hadn’t affected him.

“How did you do that?” I said, pushing off the wall and onto the ground. It was unsteady under my hands as I pressed up onto all fours, shards of wood and stones biting into my bare knees.

“Do what?”

I turned my neck to glare at him, wincing as pain clawed down my back. “The fence.”

“There was no fence.” He helped me back to my feet again, running his hands across my cheeks and down my shoulders.

Stepping out of his reach, I leaned my shoulder on the wall and stared at him. “You’re keeping something from me.”

“We have to keep running.”

“After you tell me how in Juniper’s name you destroyed that fence,” I said, throwing my arm toward the gaping exit.

He stared at his feet, and kicked a larger chunk of wood back into the alley.

I opened my mouth to demand he tell me again when I remembered what the men who demolished my house had said.

“Kiern,” I stepped toward him, “how did you know those men were coming?”

“I didn’t.”

“Yes, you did. When we were on the roof you said something about—about dragons,” I said, “And then hid us on the stairs before those men even spoke. How did you know they were there?” I took another step, our chests almost flush now, and lowered my voice to a whisper. “You’re a witch.”

His eyes flashed up to mine. With a short string of curses and a clenched jaw, his eyes darted back down the way we came, ensuring we were alone before speaking. “Yes. That’s how I knew the Dragons were here, and I foolishly thought I would have time to save you and your family before they arrived at the house, but I didn’t. I didn’t save them, Tani, and I am so sorry, but please,” his voice cracked, “please let me at least save you.”

Kiern didn’t wait for me to collect myself, didn’t wait for my answer, before plowing us through the crowd forming around The Fountain.

The smell of burnt hair and carrion filled the central square. Blood ran through the divets in the cobblestone streets, and the Fountain...it spurted red into the air, painting the square into a gruesome scene of death and destruction.

Fire tore through the circle of shops lining the square, the windows of the apartments above vomiting flames and thick smoke. The two buildings on either side of the southern exit collapsed toward each other, flames spewing high into the night sky.

Billowing clouds of ash and smoke rose high above the mountains, blotting out the stars and moons, the white-capped tops of the mountains.

My lungs burned from the smoke and exertion of running across the city. Kiern coughed as he ran, our pace slowing with every stride.

Unwilling to let us die here after escaping the Dragons in the house and making it so far across the city, I pushed in front of Kiern. His weight pulled at my shoulder, and it threatened to pop out of the socket as I dragged Kiern past the Fountain and through the swarming mass of bodies filling the square.

The sparkling tip of the eastern gate had just protruded through the smoke when I jolted backward, landing atop Kiern, knocking the air from my lungs.

Struggling to raise myself up onto my elbows, I saw the small body that Kiern had tripped on – the body of a child.

I reached for them, the thought of leaving them here to die unbearable. My fingertips grazed the back of their shirt just as someone else collected the small body into their arms, crushing my fingers with heavy boots as they shoved their way past where Kiern and I were still sprawled on the ground.

Swallowing my scream, I scrambled to my feet, taking care with my sore, swelling fingers.

“Come on,” I grunted as I tried to pull Kiern back to his feet with my remaining good hand. “Kiern!”

When he stilled hadn’t stood, hadn’t moved or spoken, I finally looked at him – really looked at him. And saw the bone-sword protruding straight through his neck, the elegantly carved handle already slick with his blood.

The rest of the night was lost to me. I remember screaming for Kiern, and being dragged off his lifeless body before I blacked out. My cousin, Miranha, saved my life when he carried me from the city merely one hour before Mt. Hervamen exploded, blocking all passageways to and from The Valley.

I never found my brother and sister, nor my parents. Miranha and I were alone.

15010 A.Z.

My feet pounded on the make-shift wooden stage, echoing the rhythm that played from the band hidden behind the silky purple curtain. The crowd swelled with cheers and shouts of exultation, chanting Zalthaena’s name in tune with the music.

Rik’s hands were slick with sweat in mine, and we were slipping in each other’s grip with every twist and turn of our bodies. My fingers slid out of his palm, the tips hanging on for dear life as I started falling back toward the crowd. Rik’s eyes flashed, and with a grin he released my hands completely.

I flew back, lifting my arms above my head and landing onto the outstretched hands of the crowd. They carried me above their heads, hands groping my back and sides. One person latched onto my hair, tugging hard as the undulating bodies swept me away and their firm grip disappeared.

The crowd threw me back onto the stage, and Rik caught me under the arms just before I kissed the creaking planks with my face. He beamed down at me as he dragged me back to my feet, his teeth shining in the light of the lanterns.

Cheers exploded from behind me at his blinding smile, but he only had eyes for me.

He dragged his hands down my arms to grab my hands, pulling them high above my head, and spinning me around and around.

I shut my eyes against the dizzying world, revelling in the feelings of freedom and flight as I twirled. The hem of my dress flew high, cooling me down with the breeze it created.

I stop spinning abruptly as Rik’s hand latched onto my waist and he dipped me toward the stage. The crowd erupted in cheers and whooping as Rik’s lips met mine, their volume rising as Rik lifted me to my feet once again without releasing my mouth.

My hands rested on his shoulders, and his arms tightened around my waist as he lifted me from the ground and spun us as one.

Flowers soared through the night sky toward us as Rik let me drop back to my feet, and we faced the crowd. Smiling at our applause, we bowed deeply.

Rik swept a small red rose into his hand and tucked it behind my ear as we straightened, his smile impossibly wide as the crowd screamed for more.

Turning from me to again face the mass of screaming festival goers, Rik yelled, “Thank you, thank you!” He took my hand and bowed once more, kissing the back of my palm before letting it drop to my side.

“Thank you!” We chanted together, waving to the throng of excited people at our feet, and kissing the hands that flapped at the edge of the stage.

“The Festival of Zalthaena has always held a special place in my heart,” I said as they quieted. “Thank you for allowing us to perform for you all, for being absolutely amazing to dance in front of.” Placing my hands over my heart, I called toward the heavens, “Thank you, Zalthaena, for the beautiful world you have gifted us, and the protection you lay upon us all. Our hearts are forever with you.”

The music started up again, a chorus of strings and drums dancing over the uproar of the crowd. Rik and I bounded off the stage hand-in-hand as the curtain slid open to reveal the band beyond.

Once in our temporary lodgings, I dropped hard onto the couch, sinking into the deep set cushions.

“What a crowd, Tani!” Rik said, lifting my feet from the floor and placing them gently onto the adjacent table. He stuffed a thin, circular pillow beneath them and threw himself onto the cushion beside me.

“Hmm,” I hummed, eyes closed as I lolled my head to rest on his shoulder.

His hand rested on my bare knee, drawing little stars with his fingertips. “Don’t fall asleep, darling.”

“Hmm?”

“You need to bathe,” he mumbled into my hair, “after all that dancing.”

“Mhm.” I stretched an arm across his chest and burrowed my face into his neck. He smelled sweet under the thin glaze of sweat coating his skin.

“You cannot sleep in this dress either.”

I groaned and scowled as I sat up. “Then help me take it off,” I said, gathering up my hair and draping it over one shoulder to make the laces accessible.

Just as Rik’s fingers lightly dragged across my shoulder blade, the door slammed open and Miranha stalked inside. He took one look at us on the couch and scowled.

Rik quickly slumped back into the couch with his hands in his lap, his cheeks staining pink already.

“So nice of you to pop by, Miranha.” I smiled tightly. “We were just talking about how nice it is that you always knock before coming inside because you’re so damn respectful of our privacy.”

Miranha rapped his fist on the table. “Anyone home? Yes? Great. Pleased to see you, too, cousin. Have you done something new to your hair? It looks absolutely horrific.” He grabbed my arm, and shoved a crumbled up piece of parchment into my hand. “Here, a gift.”

“What is this?” I asked, eyeing him as I smoothed it out on my thighs.

“Read it.”

I rolled my eyes, and read it.

“What’s it say?” Rik asked, leaning over my shoulder to see it. I handed it to him, and sighed.

“Well?” Miranha asked, crossing his arms over his chest.

“Well, what? What do you want me to say?”

“I don’t know,” he sneered, “maybe that this is insane, or that we should do something!”

“What can we do, Miranha?”

“Something! Anything!”

“Like what? If the Queen wants to blow up The Valley then we should let her. The Dragons are the only things still alive there now, and if this information is correct, if they’ve found a way to travel out of The Valley—” I choked on the words, tears stinging my eyes, “then they should burn.”

Rik started to protest, but I cut him off. “They came in and butchered us, Rik. They pillaged the city, murdered my family and friends. They hunted us down like animals and burned The Valley to the ground.” Tears started to streak down my face. “The Dragons took everything from me. I want to see them destroyed.”

“I know,” Rik said, caressing my face. I leaned into his touch, closing my eyes. “But I don’t understand who the Dragons are. From everything you’ve both told me, I assume these aren’t the winged, fire-breathing beasts from the stories. What are they? Can we even defeat them?”

“No,” I said at the same time that Miranha said, “Yes.”

“They had surprise on their side last time! That is the only reason they were able to massacre us. It had nothing to do with them being stronger fighters, they took The Valley solely because we were not prepared, Tani.”

“And you think they haven’t been preparing for retaliation this whole time?”

“Of course they have,” Miranha said, “but for an army. Not an ambush from the inside.”

I stood up so quickly the room spun around me. “No,” I said, putting as much finality into my tone as I could muster, and heading from the room.

Miranha caught my arm. “They’re alive.”

“I know,” I whispered, my eyes shuddering as I tried not to cry. “I can still feel them.”

“Then please,” he squeezed my arm, “help me save them.”

His face swam across my vision, and I gently pulled out of his grasp to wipe the tears that had escaped down my cheeks.

“An ambush from the inside?” Miranha nodded fervently. “And you’re sure we won’t die?”

Miranha shrugged. “Mostly sure.”

“Okay,” I started saying, but before I had a chance to finish Miranha crushed me in a tight embrace.

When he let me go, I sank back onto the couch, Rik’s arm snaking around my shoulders. He kissed my temple, lips lingering there, comforting me.

“When do we leave?” Rik asked Miranha.

“Day after tomorrow,” he replied, voice muffled by the ice box as he scoured for something to eat. “Tomorrow we plan and pack supplies. We leave the following dawn.”

“Dawn?” I groaned. “Why can’t we leave at noon when I’m already awake? Dawn is too early!”