Greetings Fellow Readers
I hope your week is off to a great start. In my country, we're currently experiencing many rolling blackouts, which makes writing and updating very difficult. This also influences my job as I can only get so much power out of my laptop before it dies. Much to my annoyance.
As of now, because I am so good at time management, I haven't been affected too negatively. I hope that it remains so.
Today is another split halfway through a chapter, as I didn't want the update too long. I hope you all enjoy it! Remember, that we are ramping up toward the end of Book 3. I hope you all continue to enjoy!
Larden had brought Saita several stacks of papers the night before the festivities were to begin and he said. “What would you like to do at the Games?”
“I thought I would fight in some kind of round robin.” She said as she paged through the papers before her.
“That’s the final two days of the Games. Before then there are all sorts of competitions. There’s the Generals versus the Commander hunt, wrestling, capture the flag, competitions of strength, hell we even have a foot race if you are so inclined. Mostly speed not endurance. I hear your endurance would put most hardened soldiers to shame.”
“I’m happy to just fist fight in the last two days.”
“You heard then that your family is here?”
“Hmm.” She mumbled.
“Look, these are always fun. Dad liked them a lot.” Larden pulled two sheets loose. “They are riddles and scenario challenges. They are normally reserved for the separation of General and Captain, but Saasha has made all events open to whoever wants to compete. You do not have to be in the open. This is my personal favourite.”
“Capture the flag?”
“Mertz and I need to take Siar’s flag and she needs to try and take ours. It is all about the ability to command under stress.” He pulled another sheet loose and shrugged. “Urgh, then there is this.”
“What is this?”
“A common knowledge quiz. Mostly based on Saith history. I have so much knowledge about the Royal Guard past that I have no space in my head to remember anything else.” He crumbled up the paper and tossed it aside.
They spent an hour going through the competitions and eventually decided on the strength and riddles competitions. Larden helped her fill in her details and took the sheets back. “Great. Would have liked to have you join us on capture the flag but there is always next year.”
“How are they?” asked Saita suddenly.
“Doran is very angry and all he wants to do is find out where I live so that he can come to see you. The King barely holds him back, but you can tell that he also wishes to see you.”
“And Myla?”
“Sad."
Larden slapped his forehead and swore. “Damn it! She wanted me to give you something. Where did I put it?”
He jumped up and ran to his room where he emerged a few minutes later with an envelope in his hand. “She says that Karesh no longer speaks but he wanted you to have this.”
Saita took the envelope and saw Karesh’s handwriting on it. Her name was written on one side. She didn’t have the heart to open it. All she remembered were the harsh words he had used on her.
“Thank you.” She mumbled and shoved the letter into her jacket pocket.
Larden was wise enough to not query what she had done. Instead, he added another shocking piece of information for her. “Remember I told you about my brother Jethron being a Dekai?”
“He is here.” She shivered. “Their energy is remarkably similar.”
“I’d appreciate it if you do not attack him, especially tonight.”
“Tonight?”
“He is coming for dinner. He hasn’t seen Sash and Truhan in some time. Even Bahn will be joining us. He would also very much like to meet you.”
Saita stiffened in her chair and grimaced at the idea. “I will do my best to behave.”
“Glad to hear. You’ll like him. He’s funny as hell and well, besides my mom he is the only one I get to talk about Dad with.”
Saita heard the hurt in the General’s voice and forced a smile on her face. “I only promise to try to be on my best behaviour. If I feel I cannot deal with the situation…”
“We will find you on the roof.” Larden took up her papers. “The messenger will be here soon so I can give these in. You’ll see. You’ll enjoy the Games. I compete every year and pretty soon so will you, I mean if you want to. Once invited you are always welcome to come back.”
She knew that that remark had a double meaning, but she smiled. It was nice to feel this wanted again.
“Talking of dinner tonight, would you like me to invite Bolx?”
The request startled her, but she tried to downplay her emotions. Larden caught on too quickly and chuckled. “You think I didn’t notice the fact that the two of you have taken a midnight stroll every day for the last two weeks?”
“No, I…just…uhm…” she stammered.
“It’s no worse than what Danna and I did when I was a kid. It’s sweet that he keeps you company. The house is big enough, you can invite him in to use one of the spare bedrooms so that he doesn’t need to walk back to the castle.”
“You’re not going to tease me about him?
“Hell no! My wife will cut my tail off if I dare.” Larden then grinned. “So? Am I inviting him? Jethron has to come from the castle anyway so he may as well bring Bolx with him.”
Saita just shrugged and said. “It is your family, not mine.”
“Well, the boy will be pleased to hear that.” Said Danna as she come into the kitchen with two large bags of what seemed to be ingredients. “And you, Mister, stop inviting people. This is not the Royal kitchen, and I oversee cooking. I can only cook so much with no help.”
“I can help.” Said Saita quickly.
“Thank you dear. Shall I make you a plate this time?”
“Maybe a little.” She said softly.
“Right then. Larden, you have three guest rooms to clear. Bahn said he will be staying the night and I am not making Jethron or Bolx walk back in the dark. Go on. Off with you. And if you find Truhan tell him that he is yet to clean the gutters. Rain is coming and I don’t want blocked gutters making a mess.”
Jethron had only to lay his eyes on Bolx to know that this was not the son that had been born here. His energy was fractured, and his emotions were completely unstable. He had no idea how the man was keeping himself sane much less functioning with the stress of what had happened and what was going to happen. They barely spoke more than a hello before they were driven to the Royal Guard manor. As they got closer and closer Jethron could see how the man started to brighten.
“She may not react well to you.” Warned Bolx as he started to squirm in his seat. “But don’t think too badly of her. She is a really, really nice person and…”
“You like her.”
Bolx could only half grin and said. “Yeah, and looks like the feelings may becoming mutual.”
Jethron closed his eyes for a second to sense the girl they were approaching. She was indeed a beacon and her power glowed around her like a sharp white light. He could picture the marks on her skin clearly. They were growing as her body tried to balance her need to use the energy versus storing it. Then there was pain. A lot of pain. The machine was hiding most of it but secreting natural painkillers which were released in such short bursts that her body was unable to break it up before it got to its intended location.
He pitied her. She was dying and the machine was preventing her from knowing it. There wasn’t going to be a happy ending for her in this story. He opened his eyes and looked at the grinning Saith whose tail was bouncing on his lap repetitively out of nervousness.
This boy isn’t going to get what he wants from this world. When she dies, and she will die, he will be left with nothing in a world that isn’t his.
“Bolx.” Said Jethron trying to get his attention.
“Yes Lord Jethron.”
Jethron waved the title away and said. “I would like to sit and talk to you about your time after this evening. Then we need to discuss Edzeeker at length. Before the Games.”
“Saasha warned me that you want to set a trap for him.” Bolx sighed. “Likely he will make a big appearance during the Games to capture Saita again. I will not let him take her.”
“Neither will I but once we have him, I am not so sure how much I can wring from him. I need to know about your time to see what I can deduce about what he has been up to the last few decades.”
“It is hard to talk about.”
“I realise but it will make everything more smooth. Especially since I think I may be able to help Saita with her memory.”
“Do you think that she wants to remember what was done to her?”
Jethron looked at the heavy-set man and smiled a little. “You are exactly like your mother; do you know that?”
Startle Bolx could only shake his head. “That is the first time anyone has said I am like my mother.”
“You have your father’s looks, but your essence is very much your mother. Had things been different for your father the four of you would have had a very different upbringing.” Jethron chuckled then fell silent. “She may not want to know about her past, you are right, but it will haunt her until she can come to terms with it.”
“My Saita, she was different from this one. She was always so sure. Ready for anything, had backup plans. But this Saita, she’s terrified of doing anything. She hasn’t had a chance to set down any form of roots and learned to become attached. She misses her family, and I will never be enough for her while she misses them.”
Jethron nodded his head as the vehicle stopped. “Then pray that we can reunite them after this.”
As soon as he stepped from the vehicle Larden greeted him with a bone-crushing embrace. “Come visit more!”
“I have sorely missed you, Brother.” He replied with his own strength. “How is the family?”
“Fantastic! Bahn should be home in the next hour. Sash is going to be late as usual. Truhan is a little upset that you didn’t bring Amara with you. You know, we really should have a chat about the complications of adopted cousins marrying. The two of them really haven’t bothered in looking for other partners.”
“All I hear about potential suitors is Truhan from the girl. Next time I see my wife we will discuss it with the children. You can come to the planet and…” he paused when he felt the surge of venom hit him from the house. “That would be Saita then.”
“She is scared.” Whispered Larden. “Don’t take offence.”
The brothers released and Jethron stood in such a way that he was sure that the girl could see all of him. He did not look similar to Edzeeker, but they were similar enough that someone who had been through so much trauma would easily mistake them for one another.
“Like I was saying. I think the children need to tell us what they want. I have nothing against the union per se but there may be some Dekai that are not too happy with it. They still view us as brothers of the spirit and there may be some concern of similar spirits wedding one another.”
“It’s not like they can produce viable offspring, so I really do not see the problem but then again, they are not my people, and you need to placate them. Not too sure how Mother will feel with her grandson that close to your brother.”
“That is a different kind of trauma I am not here to deal with.” Jethron look at the entrance to the house that suddenly showed the scarred face of Saita. “Good Lord, what happened to her face.”
“That’s a little uncalled for.” Chuckled Larden as he indicated that Saita should come forward. “She is a fighter, you know. We do rack up the scars eventually.”
Saita hesitated for a second before stepping from the house. She didn’t look at Jethron as she came forward holding her one arm nervously. The venom had drained from her. She must have seen the differences now and was ashamed of how she had felt.
“This is my brother Jethron.” Said Larden. “Believe it or not but I used to be taller.”
“Are you still on about that?” demanded Jethron with a laugh.
Saita only nodded her head but said nothing. Jethron smiled at her sadly, there was so much hidden from her, so much hurt so much pain, but there was a little happiness hidden deep inside.
“I have heard a lot about you.” He said in human, a dialect he had taken straight from her head, one she was comfortable with. “I am sorry about my rude comment earlier. I was led to believe that you were a princess of the Humans.”
“Not for some time.” She said.
“Well, as scars go, they are impressive, and if there is anything I know about Silens’ blood it is that they love scars.”
He could practically feel Bolx blushing in the vehicle as he stepped from it.
“Thanks, I think.”
The Dekai put a hand forward, and Saita’s left hand dug into her right upper arm, her memory of having Dekai nails dig into her upper arm playing in her head. Jethron immediately pulled his arm back and bowed instead. “My apologies. I should have been more mindful of what you went through. Seeing me must be hard on you.”
“Hmm.” She shrugged.
“Could we take a walk, Saita?” asked Jethron suddenly.
He saw Saita pale and the muscles in her jaw bulge as she bit down on her teeth hard. Larden was right, she was terrified, but she didn’t want to show it. She was trying to face her fear and failing.
She is too scared to go anywhere with you. She barely trusts the Saith, and she sure as hell has no trust in you.
“Excuse me a second, Brother.” Jethron raised his arm once more to tap it in the centre of the girl’s head. “I will be back in a minute.”
Two points here. Jethron has a mental aid (think of him as a guiding spirit) by the name of Sedeath. As Sedeath can only communicate psychically, his conversation is always in italics.
The second point, this is the first time that Saita has seen a Dekai since Edzeeker, so she's understandably scared witless. In order to speak to her, Jethron is trying to pull her into a mental room, but will she allow him? I guess you'll all have to wait until Friday to see what happens.
For those of you just joining us, please note that this the third book in the Fell Dragon series. Follow this link to read the two earlier books:
Fell Dragon Book 1
Fell Dragon Book 2
Start of Book 3 here
As the series continues, it will combine with another book series I wrote. To avoid confusion about what is happening, introductory chapters will be introduced separately so that you don't have to be lost. However, these chapters will contain spoilers. You can find these chapters here:
Races Explained
Banishment
Royal Guard
Saasha’s Direct Family
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Part 30>>You are Here>>Part 32