Fell Dragon
Greetings Readers
We are once more at the end of the week and I am so happy. I need a break after completing the monster of a book that was a constant back and forth. Hopefully, I can sign off on it as of tomorrow after the outstanding invoice is paid. Going to be a while before I want to do a gardening book again!
Anyway, I hope your week wasn't terrible, and you're ready for the next instalment of Fell Dragon! Enjoy.
Kiai was once more in search of Aidan. She had no idea how he was so adept at figuring out how to leave their living quarters or how he managed to evade being seen by others in the underground compound. She knew he was smart but how smart was open to debate. His vocabulary far outstripped her own son’s, but he was underdeveloped in controlling his emotions and rarely followed any orders given to him.
“With the exception of the language he is exactly like his mother.” She sighed to Barik as he helped her search.
“You and I both know that he is likely with his mother at this moment.” chuckled Barik.
“You seem highly bemused by this.”
“There is a soldier’s group called the Royal Guard who only get to meet their children for the first time well after the child’s first birthday. There is also some friction between the fathers and mothers of these children when they first meet. The bond isn’t just there, it takes time and work and that is what Saita and Aidan need to do now.”
“You Saith have strange ways.”
“That we do.” he chuckled. “Our Queen didn’t see her own firstborn until he was nearly two years old, and their relationship is fine. It just takes time. Give the girl space to breathe.”
“I’m going to assume there was a surrogate involved.”
“Indeed. Come, we are likely to find the boy in the hospital room.”
However, when they got to the hospital, they found neither the boy nor his mother. A doctor saw their bewilderment and simply said. “She signed out against my advice.”
“You let her go!?”
“Kiai she is an adult and now that she is quite able to breathe and walk on her own there is no reason for her to still be here. The lung will improve whether it is from that bed or walking outside. Anyway, the boy is with her, and she seemed quite adamant to take him to the forest.”
“She went outside!?”
“She said something about getting some exercise. Again, what would you have had me do to stop her?”
Kiai flew out of the room and Barik just chuckled. “Oh, I’m liking this girl more and more.”
He turned to the doctor and then asked more seriously. “She is fine to be outside?”
“As long as she avoids cold air, she shouldn’t have a problem. I also begged her to not start a fight with anything. Although the bones in her ankle have healed, it will need time to strengthen with the rehabilitation we have done.”
“Then I better stop my wife from stopping the girl from trying to bond with the boy.”
“It’s getting dark, should we be outside?” asked Aidan as he walked next to Saita.
“It’s the only time I can be outside,” said Saita as she made her way to the forest. “And I want you to meet some of my friends.”
“Friends? Are they nice?”
“Yeah.”
They were about halfway when the familiar silver and black shapes came loping out to meet her. Instead of showing any fear Aidan stood his ground and watched as two giant wolves approached them. Both reared when they were before his mother. She showed no fear as she looked straight up into their maws.
“What? The two of you couldn’t be bothered to visit me while I was in the hospital,” she demanded with a grin.
Aidan was convinced the two wolves would simply bite her head off, but she looked so calm and unafraid he knew that there was nothing to be concerned about. He felt protected and at ease, but it didn’t stop him from standing a little closer to her.
“It is not our nature to visit the dying.” laughed the silver creature.
“Even the darkness fears to take you Metal-Meat.” said the black wolf. “Earth-Digger told us you would live and not to bother you.”
The silver one seemed to notice Aidan then and he came to squat down before him, very human-like, and though he was lower now he still towered over Aidan. He raised a clawed hand and pointed at his chest.
“His fur is on fire.” He commented. “But it doesn’t smell.”
“It is hair, and it is a lovely shade of red,” said Saita with a laugh. “I brought him to meet you.”
“Fire-Fur can surely speak for himself.” said the black creature as he went to all fours and padded around them.
He stuck his nose in the back of Aidan’s neck and sniffed deeply. “So Fire-Fur, who are you to Metal-Meat?”
Aidan looked up at Saita, hoping for some kind of instruction but she only smiled gently and indicated that he should answer. He touched his bright red hair and realised that these creatures named people they meet by distinguishing features. Earth-Digger was his Aunt Kiai. Metal-Meat was clearly his mother. Fire-Fur was the name they gave him.
“I’m Aidan,” he said softly.
“I didn’t ask your name, pink thing.” said the black creature as his nose touched the back of his neck. “I asked who you are to Metal-Meat?”
Aidan once more looked up at the woman next to him and she simply nodded her head once. He grinned and said. “She’s my mother.”
The silver one rolled to his back and laughed while the black one chuckled and padded to the front of him. “He is very good at lying. I can’t even tell from his smell.”
“I’m not lying!” Aidan gripped Saita’s hand tightly and stomped his little foot.
The black creature seemed momentarily confused before looking up at Saita. “You said you had no mate, no cubs, Fire-Fur is mistaking.”
“How do I explain this?” muttered Saita before she went silent for a while.
“His clothes smell like you, but he does not have the odour one would expect from a blood link.” said the black wolf who then growled at the silver one. “Get up!”
Aidan gritted his teeth released Saita’s hand and strode straight towards Black-Beast. The wolf was now on his hind legs looking down with a snarl of a grin upon his face. “Well, he has some guts that's for sure.”
“Claw!” demanded the boy.
“These are not toys, Fire-Fur,” said Black-Beast as he pointed to the boy.
Aidan raised his hand suddenly, brushing it against the sharp talons before presenting it to the large male. “Now smell.”
Just by slightly allowing the talon to scratch the back of his hand had caused a cut to appear that slowly leaked blood from it. Saita half grinned but said nothing. It was Silver-Wind whose ears perked up and then sat up with a quizzingly look on his face. “So, how do you explain this Metal-Meat?”
“No mate and no mating but here is what I have been told is my cub,” she said softly.
Black-Beast wasted no time, squatting to take the boy’s hand and taking a lick, he was after all the only one to have tasted Saita’s blood. The little boy had a slight quiver in his lower lip but he stood up bravely to the giant beast.
“Metal-Meat,” he said as he licked his lips. “Fire-Fur is most definitely your cub. The blood link to you is there.”
That was where Aidan’s fear overpowered his bravery, and he ran back to Saita. All he wanted to do was hide behind her, but she surprised him by scooping down and picking him up in her arms and just holding him.
“You’re fine,” she whispered. “These are my friends, the Vulpine. The silver one is called Silver-Wind and the big brute that tried to eat you is called Black-Beast.”
She busied herself switching him to her right hip to look at his scratched right hand. “It isn’t deep. You’ll be fine.”
“Where did they find him Metal-Meat? Is he from a litter? His blood doesn’t have the horrible tang of metal on it. Is he like you or a normal pink thing?” asked Silver-Wind as he stepped forward to get a closer look at the boy.
The thought of multiple children had never crossed her mind and she turned to Aidan to ask. “Do you have any brothers or sisters?”
The boy shook his head and simply said. “Only me, it has always been me and Edzeeker.”
“Ed..zee..ker…?” Black-Beast tried the name for himself and frowned. “That is not a name you have mentioned before Metal-Meat.”
“The reason my blood tastes like metal is because of him but I suppose one good thing came from it.” Saita set her forehead to Aidan’s and just closed her eyes for a moment before looking to Silver-Wind. “When I was attacked, he was here. Earth-Digger and Barik took him from Edzeeker.”
“Ah! Midnight-Cat, the one that nearly sunk his claws into me,” said Silver-Wind with a grin. “Good! Cubs should be with their sires. Not their creators.”
Silver-Wind stooped to nose Aidan in the chest. “Young Princeling, my promise to your mother extends to you.”
Black-Beast scratched at his muzzle. “The creature with wings, is this Edzeeker?”
“That’s him.”
“I have seen him from time to time on this planet but never with Fire-Fur.”
“My name is Aidan!” muttered the boy.
“Hush, telling them that won’t change the fact that they have named you,” said Saita without looking at him. “Edzeeker has been here before? Before me?”
“Yes. There is no name for his darkness. Now we know of it.”
“Was he around while I was unconscious?”
“Maybe one, twice?” he looked to Silver-Wind. “Twice?”
“Twice.” confirmed the silver creature.
Saita frowned but said nothing.
“We came from the forest as we saw you, but we cannot stay long,” said Black-Beast as he looked to the darkening sky. “Earth-Digger warns of your father’s people descending soon. It is best that we retire to our caves for a few weeks. The clans and tribes have made peace until you can ensure peace.”
“Me?” Saita laughed. “I can’t even get my own life straight, how am I meant to bring about peace with my father?”
“Find a way,” said Silver-Wind as he turned to head back to the forest. “I will tell Matron Ghost that you are awake and moving again.”
Black-Beast went to all four legs. “After the soldiers arrive it will be difficult to see you, but we will make use of the tunnel in emergencies.”
“Hopefully one of Kiai’s designs and not one of your own,” Saita said softly.
“We will see you soon Metal-Meat, Saita, soon.”
Then the two wolves returned to the forest and with a heavy sigh, Saita returned to the underground. She had hoped to spend some time outside now that she was able, but she had forgotten about the barracks which were being constructed for her father’s soldiers. Aidan just held onto the woman with his head buried in her neck wondering why she had done all of this. Had she wanted confirmation on his claims of him being her son? Did she not believe him? Why would she not believe him? Was it because another woman bore him? His mind was a flurry of thoughts, and it wasn’t until she put a free hand to his back and said. “You are choking me,” he realised that he was hugging her neck for all his worth.
“Why did you do that?” he demanded as he released her.
She looked at him in confusion. “Is showing off your first child not something a mother does to her friends?”
“You were showing me off?”
“What did you think I was doing?”
“I don’t know, trying to find a way to see if I was really yours?”
Saita continued to walk a while before she said softly. “I’m making a choice.”
“A choice?”
“I choose for you to be my son, my cub. How you were born, why you were born, none of that is important. You are the only creature in the universe that shares my blood. You are my son, and I will learn to say it with pride one day but for now, baby steps. Let’s just get to know each other again, okay?”
“Okay.” he hugged her neck again.
When they reached the entrance of the tunnel, they found Kiai looking somewhat furious while Barik just grinned. Saita squatted to allow Aidan to walk the rest of the way by himself. She could see that Kiai wanted to give her a piece of her mind, but she needed to ask something first.
“Barik, could you take Aidan for about an hour?” she asked as the boy entered the lit room.
“I was about to get dinner made. Come on boy! Let’s go make something to eat.” Barik took up the boy’s hand.
“But…”
“I’ll be round later,” said Saita. “We can talk some more, okay?”
“Okay.” he grinned and left with Barik.
Saita closed the door and made sure it was locked before sitting down heavily, trying to build the courage to ask the burning question.
“How long have you been communicating with Edzeeker?” she half whispered.
She knew she had hit the jackpot when Kiai suddenly lost all the colour from her face and sat down suddenly. She was too tired to even feel her normal anger so all she could ask was. “Why?”
“Because of him.” Kiai pointed toward where her husband and Saita’s son had gone.
“Explain to me why Kiai? Why would you…?”
“When you were found Edzeeker didn’t know as it was kept under wraps until your identity could be established.” Kiai couldn't’ look her in the face. “He returned one day to find the lab crawling with Lizards and nothing else. He has been searching for you ever since.”
“That doesn’t explain anything. Why would you side with him when you know what I went through?”
“You don’t understand. He came to me as soon as your name was publicly released and told me about Aidan and his purpose for him…”
“That he was made to replace me if I died.”
“Yes, but not on the operating table. He didn’t doubt for a second that you wouldn’t make it through the procedures. He doubted your survival afterwards.” Kiai looked at the table. “He wanted me to keep tabs on you and let him know if you were doing well or not.”
“And you did!? After finding out the truth?” she hissed at her cousin.
“He had Aidan, what did you want me to do?”
“How were you sure of him being my son?”
“I knew.” Kiai tapped her chest. “I knew. His eyes were like the one you lost. His cheeks are yours too. His jawline is like his father’s and that’s when we started putting two and two together.”
“Who is we?”
“Astec already knows about Aidan,” whispered Kiai. “He acted surprised for your mother, but he already knew. He disappeared for months before coming back with no memory, but that memory has started returning and well, he confirmed what Edzeeker had told me.”
“Was all of this a trap to get me back to Edzeeker?”
“No! God no! You were never meant to find out, but we needed to get Aidan away from him. He made it very clear that if you did not follow the script your son would take your place.”
“In doing what?”
“Do you really have no memory of the last six months?”
“Do all of you people think I am lying about this? I have nothing that I can recall.” Saita shouted in frustration. “What does Edzeeker have planned!?”
“That he never shared with me but if what he did to you would be done to the boy...I already couldn’t forgive myself for what happened to you, I was not going to let it repeat.”
“He tortured me, Kiai! Cut into me, ripped my body apart and tore my mind asunder! And you casually had conversations with him! You should have told me!”
“Oh, and what would you have done?” snapped Kiai. “He tried to talk to you, and you ended up staked to the ground like an insect. That is on you.”
“I can’t forgive him, and I can’t forgive you!” Saita stormed to her feet and slammed her fists on the table.
“I will take your anger because I know it is coming from a place of great darkness, but I want you to remember that I saved your son from your fate. So be angry, hate me if you must but be grateful that no one else needs to suffer as you have.” Kiai rose to her feet as well.
Saita stormed from the room, and Kiai sank back into a chair with her head in her hands. “I did the right thing...didn’t I?”
The road to hell is paved with good intentions. Poor Kiai just doesn't seem to be able to get through to her cousin. Where does this leave Saita now? WHo can she trust? Well, as of next week we get to meet some more Saith. Looking forward to that.
For those of you just joining us, please note that this is the follow on book from Fell Dragon. Follow this link to read it
Fell Dragon Book 1
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
And the newest one:
Royal Guard
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Haven't read the other parts yet? Follow these handy links:
Part 21>>You are Here>>Part 23