Arrival

t"He"s right, that doesn"t make sense," Moserre commented when I had explained what had happened only shortly ago.

t"What does that mean?"

t"My eyes glint gold, the same as my father"s. But silver...there is no logical explanation as to why your eyes would glint silver with your thirst, unless you were a strictly inbred Wraith...but you aren"t. Its baffling." He patted my shoulder. "I am so sorry that he was so hurtful to you. That was very wrong of him. I am just thankful that you are alright."

tI nodded. "Yes, I am alright.... I just...." I sighed.

t"It"s hard to take all of this in, isn"t it?"

tI smiled. "You already see through me so well," I pouted.

tHe chuckled. "It"s something that comes along with age. I am several centuries old, you know." He smiled.

t"It was a mistake to come here," I said softly. At his hurt look, I elaborated. "I like it here, I do...I just feel so out of place. I mean....my own grandfather can"t even look at me. How am I supposed to live in his kingdom? I may even want to come back, but I need some s.p.a.ce. I think that....I think that I will exile myself for a while."

t"Exile yourself?" He asked, stunned.

tI nodded. "Yes. I want for Dragon to remain here, with Kirinae. But I need some time to accept everything that has happened to me, and what that means. And I need some time to accept how those changes are going to affect me and my future. I need a break. I need to do some soul-searching, some self-reflection."

t"But Kysael," he said softly. "Prince Mafrien is still after you. If you leave the protection of these lands, I cannot help you. What if he captures you while you are gone? What if he simply....hurts....you again?" He bit his lower lip. "If this is what you wish, I cannot stop you from leaving. But I do not think it wise."

t"I"ve grown up all my life without parents, I"ve been abused and used ever since I was a child...I"ve been nothing but a weapon to them, and I was stabbed in the back in the end. I was betrayed. I have struggled to have any good come of all of this. And now, I reach a new home, only to find out that it will be the same here?" I sighed. "Do you mind too terribly if I leave now? I"ve...never had a choice, before. I was always forced to stay in Havengrove, because I knew that if I left without the King"s permission, they"d simply send an a.s.sa.s.sin out to dispatch me. This is the first time that I"ve ever been free. So, I have a letter prepared for Dragon. I would like for you to give it to him after I have left, please."

tHe rubbed the back of his head. "I guess your mind is made up and you have everything settled and ready, then."

tI nodded. "Yes." I hugged him. "I will return, Moserre. Please, look after them for me?"

tHe shrugged his shoulders, a smile on his face. "Be safe out there."

tI hugged him again. "Thank you."

tI left his chambers and followed my memory through the tunnels, making my way out of the city.

tI couldn"t even begin to express the freedom that I felt when I stepped out of the door, off of the last step that led down into the city of underground tunnels.

tI felt so warm when I stepped into the sunlight. Just me, and a pack with some necessities and my weapons. I already felt lighter, as if I were walking on clouds.

tI hated to leave Dragon and Kirinae like this, but I needed the time and s.p.a.ce to accept all of these things. I had still not truly accepted what Mafrien had done to me back in December....or Kelose"s marriage, and his leaving the city for that matter.

tI had not accepted anything in my heart since he left.

tRight after he had left, I had found out about the marriage arrangement, and then the wedding happened and we were finishing the consummation of our new marriage, then war arrived. And then I was captured, my freshly conceived baby was murdered and I was raped, and impregnated with a Darkelf"s child.

tThen, I"d had a child and that child had murdered someone and we"d been exiled from our home altogether.

t.i.t was a lot to process, and I"d had no time to process and accept it.

tI needed to reconnect with my soul after so many years of changes. And I knew that Kirinae was in good hands with Dragon. I trusted him. He had raised me, after all.

tI headed east, toward the sea. I had never gotten to see the ocean before. It felt like the right step to take.

tKelose had always loved the ocean. He had told me about it several times, when he or his family had journeyed there.

tI was startled at my own thoughts. I had not thought of Kelose in a very long time. It hurt me too much for my thoughts to dwell on him for too long.

tDragon had been struggling to heal me, to fill the void that Kelose"s betrayal and absence had left in my heart. And I had opened my heart to him and allowed him in, letting him help me.

tI thought about everything.... losing Kelose, and Kelose"s new child...had it been born yet? Was it a boy? A girl? Had the baby been born safely?

tI came to a stream, and fell to my knees, crying. At least if we had been able to have a family together, the child that we brought into the world wouldn"t have been a murderer. I couldn"t even begin to understand Zakarin"s parent"s feelings. Of course, it had to have been Kelose"s little brother...

tIf he had received the news, he more than likely hated me and never wanted to see my face again, after what my child did to his youngest sibling.

tThe thought had me doubling over in pain.

tNo matter how much I loved Dragon, I knew that my love for him would never be capable of replacing my love for Kelose. Yes, it could help to ease my pain and suffering, but it could never replace my love for him.

tMy love for Dragon could even be stronger and more powerful that what I had ever felt for Kelose, but Kelose and I had started Soul Bonding.

tWe could feel each other"s presence, each other"s physical pain. It wasn"t a bond that I held with Dragon, though the one that I held with Dragon was even more powerful simply in the dire need to serve and be served.

tThese thoughts were getting me nowhere.

tI pulled myself together, and got back on my feet, continuing on to the sea to the east.

***Dragon***

t"She"s gone?" I asked, hurt shock flooding my heart. She had just left? Without saying a word?

t.... Without me?

tMoserre nodded. "Yes. She said that she was exiling herself for a while, but that she would return. She wanted for me to give you this," he said, holding out a letter. "I"ll leave you to read it." And then he turned on his heel and left.

tI unfolded the letter and read it.

t"Dear Dragon,

tPlease forgive me, but I need to do this. I need some time to accept all that has happened to me in such a short amount of time. Please just know that I will be fine. I am counting on you to look after Kirinae. Please do not be angry at me, love. I need some freedom to get to know myself, and I need some time alone. I will return whenever I feel more at peace. I love you,

tSincerely,

tttKysael."

t"So, she has finally left," Kirinae"s voice was dark, and I looked to see that her eyes were void of color.... only blackness. "It looks as if she has saved him the trouble of coming into Wraith territory after her," she said with a sinister sneer.

tThe hairs on the back of my neck and arms stood on end. "What do you mean?"

t"My father was simply going to invade Lykra and take her from this place. But now, he can locate her with ease and not have to waste precious time and energy fighting Wraiths to get to her."

t"Why does he want her? What further use could he possibly have for her?"

t"To reconnect with himself the same way that she wishes to reconnect with herself," she said, before her eyes slid closed and she fell, unconscious, to the floor beneath her.

tAnger nearly overwhelmed me, and I had to force myself to calm down. I had a job to do here.... I couldn"t simply go after her.

tThen again, I also had a duty to protect and serve her.

tI was torn. She had asked me to stay and take care of Kirinae. Should I stay, and obey her wishes? .... Or should I go after her?

tLast time he took her, he let her go of his own accord. I didn"t honestly think that he would kill her. And there was little that I could do against him. I was a healing type. He was far stronger than I was.

tWhat to do, then?

tI loved Kysael, but sometimes I got so aggravated with her.

tHow could she leave now? We had finally reached safety. How could she be so completely reckless?

***Kysael***

tMy teeth sunk into a small boar that I had hunted down, and I nearly vomited. It had been quite a while since I had fed on animals. But I forced myself to stomach it. I wouldn"t always have a willing blood donor, and I didn"t want to take it by force. Animals would have to suffice.

tI wouldn"t be the kind of Wraith that took blood forcefully from people. The Wraiths often hunted in the outskirts of human and elven territories. Sometimes they hunted dwarves and barbarians, but their blood was too salty, the majority of the time.

tAfter several days, I came upon a small human village. On the map that I had, I calculated the distance and area that I had travelled and concluded that this city was named "Elusil".

tI put my concealant over my markings, and went into the city.

tAs I came upon the gate, I remembered my mother telling me that her former husband had ran off to this city.

t"Good morning, lady elf," a gate guard said. "What brings you to Elusil?"

t"I"m merely pa.s.sing through."

t"Where are you headed, if you don"t mind my asking?"

tI smiled. "I am on my way to Atlesian, the Ocean-elf city." I looked at the sky. "Can you tell me for sure if I am headed in the right direction?"

t"You certainly are, miss. You just continue to head that way," he said, pointing east toward where the sun had risen from.

t"I see, thank you. Tell me, does your town have an inn?"

t"Yes, lady elf, we have an inn," he smiled and opened the gates. "Welcome to the city of Elusil, enjoy your stay!"

tAs I stepped inside of the gate, I was surprised to see how much larger the city appeared than it had when I had first come upon it.

t"This is a good place to rest," I said quietly to myself.

tI decided to get my bow tuned up and get some more arrows when I saw an elven weapon smith working at a cart in the street. Browsing his work, he was quite skilled at the craft.

tHe had almost black hair and an older looking face, I noticed, as I approached him.

t"Excuse me, sir, could I please get my bow tuned up and a new quiver of arrows? I have a long journey ahead of me, and I could certainly use the upgrade."

tHe looked up at my face from his seated position, and his eyes looked...familiar to me. His face reminded me of someone.

tHe nodded to me and took my bow, before he studied my face. "What city are you from?"

t"I am from Havengrove city, sir," I answered. He was also an elf, so I figured he must have been there before.

t"That is my homeland," he said. "I am Garin, of the Ash clan," he said.

tI dropped my pack. "You"re-"

t"And you are the daughter of Darah of the Cedar clan, aren"t you? Yes, I have heard of the legendary hybrid huntress who has made history by being the first female in all of the world to become a warrior, Kysael of the Cedar clan. Or the Huntsmen clan, now. I heard you married Lord Dragon. And you look quite a bit like your mother." He scoffed. "How is your mother doing?"

t"She....she is dead. She was executed, shortly after my birth."

tHe startled, and I could see the concealed pain on his face. "And my son?"

t"He is an excellent carpenter and training to be a blacksmith, strong and smart....no thanks to you."

tHe met my eyes. "You are the child that came from the Wraith Prince, aren"t you, girl? That was her payment to him, for sparing their lives."

tI felt my blood burn in my body, and my eyes stung. I knew that they glowed the eerie silver gleam with my Wraith self.

tHe watched me warily. "You are Wraith, then." He sighed, looking away. "I ran away from the group of Wraiths. I never was very courageous; I was only a wood worker for the city. I"ll admit it, I was a coward. But I heard about what happened after I left. How could I return to the wife that I had abandoned to Wraiths? How could I return to the son who had watched his father abandon them to danger, a coward of an elf, and had watched his father still leave after crying out for him? And then I had heard later that she had conceived a child.... I knew right away, that child would be a half Woodelf, half Wraith child. How could I live with seeing your face every day and being reminded of what I did that night, my mistakes?"

tI looked away. "My brother needed you."

t"As you said, he is strong and smart, no thanks to me. It seems to me that he has done fine without me."

t"It wasn"t always like that."

t"Everyone has their battles, girl. Don"t act as if you can judge me. After all, why are you away from home right now? Didn"t you run away?"

tInfuriated, I huffed and crossed my arms. "That is none of your concern."

tHe chuckled. "I"ve been around for a very long time, Kysael. Your mother was only half my age. You start picking up on things." He handed me my order. "On the house. Here."

tI took it. "Thank you."

t"It"s no problem. I make plenty of money."

t"Perhaps someday you could go and see him," I said softly.

tHe laughed. "You"ll have to take me sometime."

tI looked away. "I am not allowed back into Havengrove city."

tHe looked surprised. "Who was it that raised you, if your mother was executed after you were born?"

t"Dragon raised me."

tHe threw back his head and laughed. "And you grew up to marry him. You know, that Ka.s.siel was a relative of mine, don"t you? Or do you even know of her?"

t"Yes, I know of her."

t"It is rich that Dragon would almost marry her, and then end up raising you and marrying you. Fate is a fickle thing, it seems. I am sure that the devil is laughing."

tMy blood boiled.

t"So, if Lord Dragon is the one who raised you, what could you have possibly done to be banished from that city? I had heard that you were an irreplaceable piece for the king. What happened?"

t"My Woodelf, Wraith, Darkelf hybrid child murdered another child and we were banished."

tHe looked stunned. "So, that"s why you ran away?"

t"More or less. Just a lot of things."

tHe nodded. "Like I said.... everyone has their battles. Take care on your journey. I do not expect that we will ever meet again."

tWe shook hands, and I left to go find an inn to stay in for the night.

*

tI left early the next morning without saying goodbye to anyone, and I made my way east, heading toward the rising sun.

tAfter several more days on the road, it finally seemed as if I were getting somewhere.

tI was just pa.s.sing Arthene, a larger human city, and was coming into a mountain range when I was brought to an abrupt halt in my journey.

t"You are Kysael, are you not?"

tI turned to see the source of the voice, and I felt as if my heart had stopped in my chest.

tThere stood a wyvern, a smaller relative to the dragon. It stood around twenty feet tall, and he was probably about the same length.

tHe was black, with gray and bluish tented scales. His eyes were an icy blue color. He reminded me of a Wraith with his coloring, and I a.s.sumed that he was of the Ice breed of Wyverns. But that was simply a guess.

tHe lay on his belly. "I am not here to attack you. I am here to collect you for my master, the Darkelf Prince. I am Coal." He spoke to me in my mind, speaking without moving his lips...it was an eerie thing, hearing his voice in my head but not with my ears.

tMafrien had tamed a wyvern? You had to have immense power to be able to accomplish such a feat. Somehow, I was actually surprised, though I supposed I shouldn"t have been.

t"If I do not go with you willingly, will you take me by force?" I asked.

tHe nodded, and his ashen, black-blue scales shimmered in the sunlight. His silvery eyes narrowed. I could see his throat bulging, and a bright blue light emanated from his throat.

tSo, he is an ice wyvern, I noted. There were four types of Wyverns; Ice, Lava, Wind, and poison. There were also four types of dragons; Wind, Water, fire, and liquid metal.

tIce wyverns were the most formidable of their species, however.

tInstead of being vicious like poison, or unstable like Wind, or hot tempered like lava, Ice wyverns were completely different.

tThere were calm, cool, collected, and smart.

tThey were far more dangerous than the other wyverns. It was even more impressive to me that Mafrien had managed to tame an ice wyvern.

tI held up my hands in surrender. "I will go with you willingly."

tHe swallowed the ice back down, and leaned down his long neck to lie on the ground, showing me that there was a saddle on the base of his neck, at his shoulders.

tI hesitated, and he scoffed, as if he had better things to do.

t"Please do not take all day, girl. If you do not hurry, I will take you by force, but I would much prefer to be on civil terms. Especially since I helped that Dragon Hunter to free you."

tI startled. "What?"

t"I freed you from the cage. He summoned me."

tI was stunned. "I saw you," I whispered. "But I....I didn"t know what had happened." I was flattered. Dragon hated his Dragon Hunting powers, and it was shocking to me that he had been so desperate to save me that he"d done such a thing.

t"So, will this be civil, or not?" He asked, growing impatient.

tI sighed, looking back to the east. "I guess I won"t be able to see the ocean, afterall," I said mournfully.

tHe c.o.c.ked his head like a dog. "That"s where you were headed?"

tI nodded. "I"ve never seen the ocean before. I was hoping to get to."

tHe huffed, and I could swear that he rolled his eyes. Finally, he groaned. "If you will hurry up and get in the saddle, without a struggle, I will fly you to the ocean to see it." At my incredulous look, he sighed. "Be grateful. I do not show such kindness to anyone else. But you are the first one to stand at my feet and not be afraid of me and quaking with fear. I can see why you would intrigue the Darkelf prince."

tI did my best to hurry into the saddle that sat at the base of his neck just between his wings, climbing up his hind leg and then grabbing onto the spikes that protruded from his spine and pulling my way up toward the saddle....but I slipped, an undignified squeak flying from my lips as I struggled to hold onto his side.

t"I am usually so much more coordinated. Too bad in this moment that I am so blasted short," I grumbled, irritated. "And your scales are much smoother than I had antic.i.p.ated. My boots are made for easily gripped surfaces."

tHe shocked me by reaching his head around and lifting me up with his snout, helping me onto his back fully so that I could crawl my way into the saddle. I got seated quickly and was filled with a rush as his large, thick wings came to life, lifting us in to the sky quickly.

tI gripped onto his neck for dear life, and he chuckled at me. "You are such a childish thing. We are only flying. No one has ever gripped onto me the way that you do."

t"How old are you?" I asked, making random conversation to soothe myself.

t"I am seven hundred and forty-seven," he replied. "And how old are you?"

t"I just turned twenty," I said.

tHis flight pattern wavered a bit, startling me. He righted himself quickly. "What?" He shook his head. "I"d had no idea that the Prince had chosen a mere child," he said darkly. His tone sounded outright disgusted. "You aren"t even a portion of his age."

tI sighed.

tAfter a few more hours, we came upon a great sound. I looked up, and saw endless miles of water.

tWaves crashed onto the sh.o.r.e, and I was overwhelmed with peace and happiness.

tI smiled brightly. "Wow! It"s so beautiful! I had heard of what it looked like, but I never could have imagined it accurately in my mind." I paused a moment. "Coal, if I were to leap off of you, would you catch me?" I asked, giggling.

tBefore he could answer, I jumped. I did a flip mid-air, smiling and laughing as I free fell toward the ocean"s waves.

tThe fall was short lived as Coal flew to be beneath me, and I grabbed onto the reigns and pulled myself back into the saddle, laughing.

t"That was amazing!" I cried, laughing heartily. "Can you fly even higher and let me do that again? I didn"t get enough free fall time before!"

t"You are fearless, young one."

tI laughed. "I try to be," I admitted. "But that isn"t always true. I was afraid of you at first. And I was afraid of Mafrien. I"ve been afraid of a lot of things. I just like to think of myself as better than that fear."

t"I suppose that makes sense," he said.

t"So please, can we go higher? I want to have some fun before we go!"

t"You are one special girl," he chuckled deeply, and began soaring higher into the sky.

*

tAfter we"d had our fun, he began flying south.... toward Barrenwilds.

tI tried to remain calm, but fear grew in my mind. I didn"t want to go to this man willingly. Every fiber in my being wanted to fight this. But it was either I go willingly, or I be taken by force.

tAnd I could only pray that by being compliant, I"d have an easier time than last time.

tOne could only hope, right?

tOne thing was clear; Soon, I would be in the hands of Mafrien, once again.

tWhat would he say, now that I had given birth to his daughter?

tWould he… would he want me to bring her to him?

tWould he force another baby into my body, against my will?

tSpeculation filled my mind, and I struggled to keep my composure.