Dragonbound: Birthrights (Book 2)
Lirra

Their horses dashed through the rough forest, leaping over fallen trees and darting around tall walls of rock. The creatures had finally stopped their pursuit, but they were unwilling to stop the run. Torin looked over his shoulder, looking through the darkness. With each step his horse took, he could feel himself being ripped from Kiaran’s side.

He whipped his horse around, Brick shouting after him. “I can’t just leave her!” Torin roared. He dug his heals into the horse and it leapt forward, foaming at the mouth.

“She’s fine!” Brick growled, racing after him. His horse was stronger than Torin’s, pulling past him. Torin had to pull hard on the reigns as not to slam into Brick’s horse. He cursed loudly, but Brick’s voice boomed past him. “Torin! Do not undermine Kiaran!” Torin clenched his jaws, his muscles flexing and twitching in pure anger and fear. “She gave you direct orders, did she not?”

His fingers tightened on the reigns his horse on edge and stomping the earth. “I-I can’t...I have to make sure she is safe.”

“She is not your responsibility,” Brick’s voice rolled softly like thunder. Torin opened his mouth to retort, but Brick held up a large hand to shut him up. “You do as she orders, Torin. Do you not trust her?”

“With my life,” he snarled.

“Then do not stop now,” he demanded. With utter reluctance and resentment, Torin bit his lip and cooperated.

They had found a safe place to rest, not taking any time to make up a fire. They took refuge against a rock wall, protecting them from a cool wind that never seemed to stop.

Torin wrapped a blanket around himself, leaning on the rocks. His muscles were tense, as if he were still running. He could never stop running it seemed. He ran a hand over his face, stopping as it shielded his eyes. His fingers gripped on the side of his face and he breathed in heavily.

Guilt washed over him, his skin turning red and hair pointing on ends. Lianna didn’t deserve him--he was weak, pathetic. Attached to another woman and unable to turn away. She needed someone stronger, someone better.

Tears filled his eyes and he tried his hardest to fight them away. Pathetic, he was pathetic. He didn’t want to return home, to see his wife’s smile, her swollen belly, his daughter’s eyes. He couldn’t look at them, not with this guilt that swarmed within him. Lianna loved him, she respected him...He was unworthy of her. Perhaps...the reason he didn’t want to go back was his fear of failing her further.

He never thought it possible for his heart to move from his chest, but it did. It sank deep into the depths of his stomach, as if he might vomit it out.

It was a short night, but each minute seemed to irk by for hours. Torin was hardly able to sleep. The moment the sun peeked in the sky, he was already rounding up their things and getting the horses ready.

Brick slept like a statue the entire night, not moving nor making a sound. As the warm rays hit him, he shifted and sat up. Rubbing his eyes, he looked to Torin as he worked silently.

“Any better after some rest?” Brick grumbled as he stood, rolling his blankets up. Torin shook his head in response and Brick let out a long sigh. It was understandable, he hated to leave Kiaran as well, but he trusted her and she had Davin with her as well. “Listen, boy,” he began with a gentle tone, “She has survived many years on her own. I trust that she can survive another.”

“But she shouldn’t have to do it alone any longer,” he replied.

“I agree,” he hummed. “However, she has her allies, human and dragon. We must have faith in her judgment Besides, it will take weeks for us to return home. Who else would warn our families of this? Things are going to get very bad for everyone. We cannot simply ignore it all just to protect someone who doesn’t need protecting.”

Brick was right, though he wouldn’t admit it. Bowing his head he ran a hand over his horse’s flanks. “I know,” he finally muttered.

Just as they were getting the last things ready to leave, a silver blur rushed across the grass and leapt onto Torin as he knelt down. He was surprised, his eyes widening as he looked down to the little, silver dragon. His orange eyes locked onto him and he trilled happily.

“Is that Kiaran’s little dragon?” Brick asked, walking to them.

“It is,” he nodded in shock. The dragon called out with a song-like purr and leapt to the ground. “He seems...happy.”

“Perhaps to see that we are alive and well,” Brick replied. “How is Kiaran?”

Nurra trilled again, sitting contently on the grass. “Well, I take it?” Torin asked. The dragon cocked its head and chirped. “Good,” he smiled a little, patting the small dragon’s head.

It was clutching a scrap piece of parchment in one of its talons and he took it. Quietly, he read it and told Brick what it said. "She wants us to go directly to her castle. She said Cyrin will see us home safely."

Brick nodded once, though somewhat grimly.

“Here,” Torin reached into his pocket, sitting on the ground. He pulled out something small, a token given to him years ago by his mother for luck. Holding it out, he allowed Nurra to inspect it. Tilting its head, it grasped the coin in its talons, licking at the gold.

“For luck. Tell her I expect it to be returned.” The dragon nodded, snatched it up in its teeth, and darted away, disappearing in the tall grass.

“I told you,” Brick began, “She is smart. Smart enough to ensure that we understand she is safe. We shouldn’t worry.”

But he would. Torin agreed with Brick, but he would always worry. “Yeah,” he finally grumbled as he stood. Soon, they were on their way toward Avestitia and, eventually, Rishana.

Kiaran rode her horse behind Arrimen and his son, heading toward the great city. Davin’s horse lazed beside Kiaran’s, neither of them talking much.

The boy was ten years of age, yet he was much shorter. With his stature, though, Kiaran assumed he’d grow to be rather tall and broad. Curiosity swarmed in her, but Arrimen refused to answer any questions until she found her answers in Urlanai.

As they came to a rest on the side of a well traveled road, Kiaran kept her hood pulled over her head. She had caught Ryker asking his father why she hid herself, and he whispered a response that she could not hear.

Urlanai was about a half-day’s journey ahead, its walls reaching for the red sky as the last of the sun’s rays fell beyond the small mountains in the distance.

She watched the last of the rays disappear and she let out a breath she apparently had been holding. Her fingers flexed on the hilt of her sword as it sat across her lap. The hilt and sheath were wrapped in black and gold wire with beautiful, thin sheets of red metal attached to it in small diamonds, looking like scales. Ryker looked at her weapon from where he sat, entranced by its beauty.

Her thoughts drifted back to Torin and Brick, feeling guilty for running them off. However, she knew someone had to return to Rishana with an explanation.

The thought of Cyrin’s expression once discovering this nearly made her smile. He would implode! He already didn’t like her journey with only two men, but to know that she had sent them away? It would be chaotic.

She knew she needed to contact him, but the only way was through letter. Of course, she had sent Torin and Brick his way. But she wanted to know how things were going. She had no way of discovering anything from this distance.

However, the more she had thought about it, the more she knew there was one way. With her previous day full of lazily riding a horse, she was well rested and ready for such a feat. Knowing that it would end with exhaustion, it would be best to do it just before bed.

Davin touched her elbow, grasping her attention. She looked to him and he whispered, “Are you sure about this?”

“No,” she answered simply. “But what choice do we have?”

Standing, she headed toward the trees, the men watching her curiously. “Miss Krutia...” Ryker’s voice called out, “Where are you going?”

“To the trees,” she answered. Looking back at the boy, she added, “I need to speak with a friend.” He watched her in complete confusion as she continued out of the fire light’s reach. Davin watched after her, just as confused as the others.

She weaved through a few trees, searching for the largest and oldest. Finally, she found the oldest tree, digging deep into the earth with fat roots. It wasn’t as tall as she had hoped, but it was very stout and full of years. It would do just fine.

Pulling her boots and socks off, she placed her bare feet on the cool earth, the grass comforting on her skin. Holding her hands flat to the tree’s bark, she closed her eyes, took a deep breath, and released. Her mind followed the branches into the sky and caught a ride on the wind, drifting toward Avestitia. Birds fled at her invisible presence, squirrels darting home cautiously.

She knew there was no way she could reach Vintar, it was too far. The further her mind wandered, the weaker she’d become, until--eventually--it would kill her. Her subconcience shot halfway across Avestitia, but paused at a small lake, the moon’s reflection dancing brilliantly.

Though she couldn’t reach Vintar, she knew Kriettor would sense her and replace her. Thus, she could transfer a word of caution to him. And he to her.

Finally, his mind brushed along hers with a warm affection and she smiled. “Kriettor,” she greeted him.

"Ta escile,” he replied with a thunderous purr.

“I have found some unsettling things...just as the runes have said,” she said. She explained her replaceings and hesitated to mention Davin. After a long pause, she added, “I’ve found a relative..a...a half brother.”

“Half brother...” he hummed. “Interesting...”

They spoke some more, on little things and intriguing things and on nothing at all. Finally, she ended, saying, “Tell Cyrin that I am safe. Ensure that he will send Torin and Brick to Rishana safely. He doesn’t need to worry, I will return as soon as I get the information that I require.”

It seemed, though, that she might not ever reach that goal. For each answer she found another question. With each step, she’d replace more and more she had to take. She wasn’t ready to return to Vintar. Not until this was solved.

“I shall tell him, ta escile,” he replied.

"And things are going well, I hope?" she asked.

"They are," he hummed. “Ah lun, ki ah hirth min...”

“In ah timnani, ki ahna hirth krinnono,” she responded. And with that, they separated.

She drifted back into her body and her eyes opened, burning. She fell backward onto her hind end, her legs quivering and her arms limp at her sides. Her breathing even seemed labored as she grew increasingly tired.

Dropping onto her back, she looked over the darkened leaves, the shadow like a thick, black veil. There was no color, pose for a set of angled, large eyes, glowing golden and green in the darkness.

Rather than feeling fear or worry, she simply watched them within the branches. There was a sense of relaxation and warmth that settled over her like a comforting touch...The sort of touch from Torin that made her flush.

The eyes blinked and drew closer. A massive claw--each talon about three feet long--reached out of the darkest shadows of the tree. It gripped the side of the tree trunk, digging into the bark as if it were flesh. Another claw did the same just on the other side as the dragon lowered itself toward her.

It was covered in tiny, round scales that shimmered bronze and gold and earthy tones beneath them. It was an elegant creature with only two slender horns atop its narrow head. Hundreds of small, pointed teeth lined the inside of its mouth as it opened slightly, a flick of purple fire lining its tongue

Kiaran watched it just as curiously as it watched her. As its first set of talons hit the ground, it slowly crept out of the massive tree. How did she not feel its presence while her mind moved through the tree? It was impossible to have missed it!

She forced herself to sit up, though it was nearly impossible to move. The dragon was rather serpent-like, thin and long. It had a massive set of light wings that stretched near twice its own length.

“Curious...You’ve touched Kriettor...” its voice hummed in Kiaran’s mind, though no sound came from its lips. It had a gentler voice than Kriettor’s, more feminine; and she spoke in Draken.

“I have,” she nodded, speaking in the dragon’s language as well.

The dragon blinked in surprise and asked, ”Who are you, little human?”

“Kiaran Krutia,” she answered. “And you?”

The dragon gingerly lowered her head to Kiaran which was near her size, and gently waited. As if her eyes were smiling, she trilled long and deep in the most relaxing rumble.

Kiaran forced her hand to lift and touched the dragon’s nose. A wave of shock pulsed through her, from her fingertips, up her arm and throughout her entire body. It felt as if her blood was tingling with static, like little bolts of lightening bouncing within her skin.

“Lirra,” she said. It meant love--something so rare and timid--just as the dragon. She was so large and powerful but held the air of gentleness and warmth. There was nothing to fear from her. Nothing at all. “You are a beautiful dragon,” she admired, her voice soft.

“Thank you,” she chuckled with a purr. ”I replace you interesting.”

“You are interesting as well,” Kiaran said. “Why are you in Trindal? I’d think you’d be in Avestitia.”

“The forests and mountains here are wondrously silent,” she answered coolly. She put a respectable distance between herself and Kiaran, eyeing her cautiously. “Humans do not venture far into the wilderness here. And my silence is not interrupted by other dragons.”

“I am surprised though...with your name, I’d assume that you’d want to be around others,” Kiaran replied. “Why have you gone into seclusion?”

“The same reason you have,” she answered easily. “Even if you love easily, you must be cautious, no? Be wary of where your heart lies, for it is a vulnerable thing.”

It was true. Kiaran was reluctant to put her heart anywhere in fear of its death. It was already so rare to expose it, and if someone broke it, her heart might easily disappear forever.

“Our names are similar,” Lirra purred. “Yours is of pure love, one that a parent has for her child.” Lirra, however, meant more of an intimate love. One of passion. “It is unusual...I’ve never met a human with a dragon’s name.”

“Kriettor named me,” she replied.

“And with reason,” Lirra’s voice had a soft accent, one of which was rather alluring. She lied in the shadows, tucking her front feet beneath her leathery chest. Her eyes watched Kiaran, unblinking and fixed like raw gold.

“I have another question,” Kiaran said.

“Yes?”

“Other than Kriettor, you are the only other dragon I’ve met to communicate with words. The other dragons seem to communicate through...emotion,” she paused. “Why do you speak but the others do not?”

She seemed to chuckle as she replied, “You have uvara sor: fire eyes. You can see our script. Surely, Kriettor is not the only one to leave written messages in the stone. Another speaking dragon should not be a surprise.”

“Well, I suppose not,” she said, embarrassed.

“I am impressed with you, Kiaran,” she adjusted her wings for better comfort. Kiaran grew weak, near ready to fall over. She wanted to ask what was so impressive, but couldn’t ask anything further. “Sleep, escile, for you need it. It was a long journey your subconscious had just taken.”

Falling to her back, her hair bunched up at the base of her neck. Her eyes grew hot, their lids falling heavy. Finally, rather than fighting it, she fell asleep.

Davin sat at the dying campfire, unable to fall asleep. All he could do was think about his last few nights in solitude, the runaway king appearing like a poor traveler. Hell, he was a poor traveler. One night, he could remember a bit more clearly than the others, and it left him unhappy. He played that night in his mind over and over again.

After everything was packed, he strapped on his belt and sword, fastened his shield to his pack, and headed out. There were still a few people in the tavern, most of them drinking rather heavily. It seemed in this area of the city, the people who lived there were often drinking themselves into oblivion. Something seemed to trouble them to the point that they no longer wanted to be sober. Davin understood that feeling.

He moved outside and pulled on the straps of his pack, moving forward. His scarred shoulder tingled a bit, most of the scar tissue numb against the strap. The streets looked eerie in the night, the roads swallowed by darkness and silence. The few bars he’d walk by muffled the men’s voices within, a few even playing some music. A frown pulled at the corners of his lips as he thought about the nights he and his brother used to sit in Cotton Pub.

Torin was still new to the army, and had never been to battle. Davin, however, had been to two large battles and several missions specifically for Murdock at Alana’s side. He had killed and he had seen a large amount of carnage and death. He and Torin and a few others would go to the pub often, drink, sing, and pretend that their lives were what they had hoped for. But Davin would wake the next morning, feeling beaten and ashamed. Things were not what he wanted, and they were worse than he’d admit at the time.

Shrugging his pack, he trudged onward. In the shadows just ahead was an old man, shuffling back and forth along the road. His skinny hands were curled into fists as he pounded them ahead of himself, as if scolding someone. He scowled and grumbled and cursed, his voice hushed and his eyes bulging like a madman.

Davin eyed the man as he neared to pass. He was short and skinny, his head bald but a long, scraggly beard grew down past his chest. The man looked angry and terrified as he argued with nothing and no one.

Davin’s chest burned as he forced himself to look forward and walk faster. “Curses be to you,” the man grumbled. Although it wasn’t aimed to Davin, he couldn’t help but feel targeted. He rushed on, only to catch the last of a sentence, saying, “...didn’t say it, only, only thought it...Didn’t do it...only...only thought it...”

Davin nearly cringed at the thought, looking toward the trees. He hoped Kiaran would return soon.

Kiaran awoke, the light a warm green on her face from the branches above her. She cringed as she sat up, massaging the sides of her head firmly with her fingers. The side of her shirt was still crusted with blood, reminding her of the flesh wound that was easily healed by that young boy. As she blinked away the tiredness that still gripped her, she could see Nurra curled up beside her in the grass.

He peeked an eye open at her and purred a greeting and she greeted him back in Draken. Then, she asked, “Did you replace them?” There was a clear yes reverberating from his trill and she smiled.

Good. They were safe. He scooted a coin toward her, a simple, gold piece which had a picture of a lion on one side and an eagle on the other. Touching Nurra’s nose, she understood it was Torin’s and that they were safe.

Her attention, then turned to the massive tree ahead of her. She thought of Lirra--almost believing it to be a dream, though she knew better.

Her muscles were tight as she stretched them before considering to stand. Finally, she got to her feet and groaned as she stretched further. It was a long distance her mind had traveled, and though she hadn’t taken a step, her body felt it had run that entire distance. The wind drifted past, carrying a soft scent of cooking meat, making her stomach twist in hunger.

“Why did you sleep in the woods?” Davin’s voice reached her as he walked up from behind. She faced him, still unused to having him around. “You look dead.”

“I feel it,” she smiled slightly. “I will show you sometime.”

“Show me what?” he asked. His head tilted slightly, almost like a confused dog.

“What I was doing. But...I am hungry,” she gestured toward the camp, adding, “Let’s go eat.” She headed toward the camp, picking leaves and twigs from her hair and clothing. Nurra raced after her, prancing with a proud demeanor as if he were a large and powerful creature.

Reaching the camp, she found Ryker cooking a rabbit and Arrimen stitching up a cloak made with dark green fabric lined with gray fur. His eyes lifted to Kiaran and he said, “You slept in the forest?”

She shrugged and took a seat beside the boy, Davin sitting at her other. Ryker looked to Kiaran, his eyes an extraordinary color. Around the pupils were bright blue, fading into tea-like shades of brown and green. His skin was somewhat tanned, his hair a sandy color and just as wild as the dessert. Quickly, he shot his gaze back to the fire, turning the rabbit over.

Without looking from his work, Arrimen said, “This is where we part for now.” Kiaran faced him and he continued, “I will meet you in Urlanai in a few days.”

“Will you know where to replace me?”

“I’ve found you already,” he said, “I doubt I could lose you.”

That unsettled her. If this man could replace her, who was to say that someone else couldn’t? She frowned a bit, looking back to the cooking rabbit.

“Thank you for your help,” she finally said, directing it more toward Ryker than his father. He hesitantly looked to her and she said, “That power with the white light is more than impressive.”

“Thank you,” he said, pride swelling him, though he tried to conceal it.

After they ate, Kiaran and Davin packed their things. Kiaran pondered on Lirra, replaceing the dragon rather mysterious. Was it possible she was another great dragon, one more closely related to Kriettor than the others?

She buckled the saddle and things onto her horse. Its body was black and silver, its tail as white as the moon. Arrimen neared her from behind, grasping the green cloak he had finished.

Her eyes drifted to him as she continued to work the buckles of the saddle. “The weather will be making some drastic changes in the near future,” he explained, handing her the cloak. “This will prove to be more than just a warm piece of cloth.”

Taking it, she was surprised by its silky feel which was much heavier than it looked. “Thank you,” she replied, looking over the perfect stitches. “Did you only just make this?”

“No,” he chuckled. “It was just a simple cloak, but I’ve added to it just recently.”

“Well, it is beautiful,” she admired.

He nodded with a smile and said, “I wish you luck, my sister.”

Sister. It was incredibly odd. She hesitantly nodded and thanked him once more. Soon enough, she mounted her horse and headed toward the city in the distance.