A Song of Askaldenfirsts and Dragons. Book one: The outlanders (Part I-IV)
Chapter 12: Yashkirran

“Get up, sleepy shit!” the elf said, kicking Yashkirran.

He opened his eyes and saw a picture before him, two arqilunians men standing in a fighting pose, preparing to cast a spell. Another arqilunian, a young woman with brown hair at the roots and sandy at the tips, with brown eyes, held a sword at Harrah’s throat, and the last arqilunian woman with red hair at the roots and orange at the tips, with blue eyes, was just holding a sword close to Yashkirran’s face. He crawled back instinctively and then stood up abruptly.

“Hey, but not so fast. But I like that you are an obedient isters!” said the girl with red hair.

“Your girl is more sensitive than you, but she didn’t have time to wake you up!” said the elf-woman who held the sword to Harrah’s throat.

“Shouldn’t we kill them right away, why do we talk with these animals?” asked the arqilunian with orange hair at the roots, and black at the tips. He had yellow-green eyes.

“Talaftael, we shouldn’t hurry, we have the whole day ahead,” said the arqilunian with red hair.

Silenta forcefully dragged its beams of light through the trees. It was early morning in the late fall and it was getting quite chilly, but Yashkirran, wielding magic from the school of damage, pain and destruction, yesterday cleared the area and made a small circle of fire before he and Harrah go to sleep. And they were able to fall asleep. The elves somehow extinguished the circle of fire, or maybe Yashkirran had just miscalculated the effect of the spell.

“You don’t have to kill us right now. I am Yashkirran Vindrick, the former king of Kaushmanashtoon, take me to your king and let him decide what to do next.”

“To our king? You mean Aelarnal Ilfelkeer DelRaddik?” Talaftael asked. “I even hate to say his name! He is not our king!”

“But you are arqilunians!” Yashkirran exclaimed.

“Oh, look how observant he is!” the girl with the red hair said.

“Silainlialis, even if he is a former Kaushmanashtoon’s king, but why do we need him now?” asked arqilunian with golden hair at the roots and white at the tips. His grey eyes were filled with displeasure.

“Jolansael, the death of the vile isters must be slow and painful,” Silainlialis said.

Suddenly Harrah hit the arqilunian in the stomach and, grabbing her hand, twisted and took her sword, and then she grabbed the girl by the throat so that she hung because the elf-woman was taller than the azdairik, but Harrah held tight and she threw the sword to Yashkirran, pulled the elf’s dagger from her belt, held it up to her throat.

Yashkirran instantly ran up and grabbed the sword.

“Let her go!” Silainlialis shouted.

“Aaa,” Harrah drawled with satisfaction, “most likely you’re lovers,” she bent down to the ear of the girl, whom she held tightly, “what is your name?”

“Ursuella,” replied the girl with brown hair and brown eyes.

Yashkirran stood beside Harrah and watched the others. The elves prepared to attack.

“You won’t have time,″ said Harrah, referring to Silainlialis, who wanted to attack, “the sword is not very effective–”

“I said let her go!” Silainlialis interrupted her.

“Silain, I love you,” Ursuella said.

“I love you too, Ursel!” Silain said, “Kras Vos Dracal!” she cast three magical orbs to Yashkirran, but he managed to jump back.

Ursuella, using the speed of the elves, slightly raised herself to her feet, sharply moved back to a tree and she hit Harrah, and azdairik woman dropped the dagger, but the Harrah managed to duck as the arqilunian’s fist swept past and struck the tree.

Jolansael threw fireballs at Yashkirran, but Talaftael was near the isters. Yashkirran avoided the fireballs, using trees and his skills and abilities gained through years of training. Suddenly, he turned sharply to Talaftael and, bending down, repulsed one attack, and from a roundabout stabbed the sword into the arqilunian’s back, then pulled out the sword and jumped aside again because a fireball flew at him.

“No!” Jolansael shouted, and he, grabbing his sword, ran to Yashkirran. Elf struck with fury and swiftness, Yashkirran had too hard to repel attacks. Isters ducked, and then, leaning on the ground with his hand, kicked the enemy, and the elf fell. Yashkirran jumped up and in a jump put the sword in front of him, and with force drove the sword straight into the ground, because the elf managed to dodge and also jumped up. Yashkirran didn’t pull out the sword but began to quickly cast a fireball spell, the elf realized that he would not have time and abruptly ran to the side. A fireball swept past him and hit Silainlialis who along with Ursuella tried to kill Harrah, but the azdairik woman was very agile. Silain’s body was blown away by a powerful blast, and it became scorched and charred.

Jolansael ran up to Ursuella, who in anger wanted to attack Harrah, but azdairik had fled towards Yashkirran.

“Ursel, we need to retreat. They are stronger than us. If we die, we cannot get revenge!”

Yashkirran was already casting a fireball and the arqilunians jumped back. And then they disappeared behind the trees. Harrah with a sword stood back to back with Yashkirran, and isters held his hands ready for the spell. For some time they moved on a circle, looking out for the elves.

“It seems they’ve really fled,” Harrah said. “We should have gone south, deshaar. Our country is warmer and there aren’t many forest elves.”

“I want to turn home myself, I don’t even know why I want to go north, but I sense something, I feel it.”

“Could it be a snunorf woman?” Harrah smiled.

“Ha, if I went north for the snunorf woman, I’d be a complete idiot!”

Harrah smiled again.

“Where exactly are we going?” Harrah finally asked. “Deshaar, do you have any plan? Isters and the azdairik woman in the north of Norvinoria, what a glorious theme for a ballad that is unlikely to end well,” Harrah said and smile.

“We’re almost at the border, we’ll cross over and go to Landemerstrand, and then I’ll think about it. Anyway, Harrah, you wanted to come with me by yourself.”

Suddenly they heard the flapping of wings. It was a snow-white dragon, with scales shimmering with silver, and small dark spots on its body. They tried to hide behind the trees, but the dragon noticed them and decided to land in the clearing.

“I can see you! Don’t be afraid,” the white dragon thundered. “Come closer.”

For some reason, Yashkirran went to the dragon.

“Deshaar, where are you going? Yashkirran! My king!” Harrah tried to grab him but didn’t succeed, and she had to get out too.

They got out into the clearing.

“My name is Erbalartalanjir,” the dragon said. And Yashkirran saw that the spots on his body were traces of burns and wounds. The dragon was pretty battered. “I’m looking for my mother and brothers. My mother looks almost like you, ermirians, only she has such blue-violet hair, and on her left cheek there is a scar, and she can fly. And my brothers look like me. Have you seen anyone?”

“Yes. We saw one of your brothers, a big fiery one,” Yashkirran replied, “he incinerated the capital of Eileenelia.”

“I’m sorry. But Gaaldalksirin doesn’t understand what he is doing. And I’m looking for other brothers and my mother to stop him! Have you seen anyone else?”

“So it was Gaal?!” Yashkirran asked, “Wasn’t he the one who got out of mount Lyradrilot?”

“Are you familiar with the prophecy, ermirian?” the dragon asked.

“Of course. And it turns out that I, Yashkirran Vindrick, am responsible for all disasters!” Isters spat out of irritation and anger towards himself. “The dragon awakened, other dragons appeared, Gaal flew and destroyed Iglara, returned as a fiery mad beast! And it’s all my fault! The ancestors were right when they said that power is a poison that kills the mind!”

“Your Majesty, did you really awaken that fire dragon?” Harrah was surprised.

“Yes, Harrah.”

“It doesn’t matter now,” Erbalar said, “the sooner I replace my mother and brothers, the sooner we will try to stop Gaal! If you do meet anyone of my kin, tell them that I flew to look for them northeast, to look for them near the ocean,” - with these words Erbalar wanted to take off.

“Wait, dragon!” Yashkirran shouted, “Maybe you will take us with you?”

“But my king!” Harrah objected in surprise, he gestured for her to be silent and walked closer to the dragon, who decided to stay.

“Erbalartaranjir, will you carry us to the north on your back, or the dragons don’t do that?” Yashkirran asked.

“We don’t do that,” Erbalar said in surprise, “but if you want, climb in. Remember, ermirians, you need to hold on tightly, and if you feel very cold, I’ll not help you.”

“Deshaar, are sure? We really are going to fly on a dragon?” Harrah’s huge eyes grew even larger with surprise and shock.

“I don’t remember the legends and tales about travelling on dragons, do you?” and, not giving her a time for the answer, Yashkirran continued, “Harrah, you will be the first azdairik woman who flew on a dragon! Isn’t it wouldn’t be enough for a ballad?” he came to her, took her hand and she followed him to the dragon. Erbalar bent down. Holding onto the thorns, they climbed onto the dragon’s back and found recesses in its scales, which they could firmly hold on to. Erbalar took off with Yashkirran and Harrah and they headed northeast.