***
I gathered sticks for the fire, glancing to the setting sun with a soft smile to the welcomed night.
“What does it feel like being the last Dy’Monian?” Corbin was resting by a tree, his pack beside him, and his eyes on me. Karson was hunting. It was strange he left me alone with his brother … maybe it was another lesson.
La’Kera wasn’t sure if Corbin was being funny.
I shrugged, “It’s no different from being a Ryder I guess. Just that everyone reminds us that we’re the last ones.” I smiled, taking in Corbin as he grinned wide with my comment.
“What does La’Kera say?”
“About being the last?” I dropped my gathered pile beside several rocks. Odd, Corbin wasn’t helping. “She isn’t as bothered, though she knows she’s special. She has white shimmery wings.” I teased, since she was at present, perched on a high rock, the setting sun on her hide and about six other dragons were surrounding her, calling, humming and sending fireballs into the sky. She was special and she knew it. Corbin’s Bond was there and by the look in his eyes, he was seeing something I wasn’t. I missed her and wished to see her, feeling her was always pleasing. I couldn’t argue there. The light breeze brought my thoughts back to my task. Making the fire. I didn’t want to look odd summoning my fire, and with deep breaths, I took my time snapping the twigs and loading the branches and dried leaves into the pit.
“Hmm … have you got a boyfriend?”
I paused in mid reach of a twig. Wow, straight to the point. I blinked, opened my mouth to close it, and blinked.
“Oh, too forward for you?”
“Sort of. But, least you’re honest about it.”
“Hmm … so do you?”
“No.”
“And you had one, before?” His question was clear. He knew I wasn’t innocent.
“One or two. Why?”
“You look like you need another.”
“Oh, and is this your way of courting me?” I snapped sticks, stacking them into the soon to be campfire and watched from the corner of my eye. My heart was racing with his words, and his teasing look.
“Are you offering?” His cheeky smile made my cheeks flush with heat.
“Nice try Corbin. Besides, aren’t you a little old for me.”
He fanned his fingers over his chest. “Ouch. That was cold.”
“Well, I am young … and possibly behind in everything, especially on who you are. I haven’t even had the chance to learn to fly. Besides, what would I do if you weren’t here? I’d be lonely and only have your brother to mêlée with.”
“That is a good thing. But you’re not too young for me. I know plenty of young ladies your age.”
“Ah. In looks right.”
“You got me.” He winked.
“You, Mr Albury are a big flirt. You couldn’t take a relationship serious, and I’m afraid, I don’t think La’Kera sees you as a prospecting mate for me.” I laughed at the fake sadness that touched his eyes.
“Ouch, two strikes of cold.” He pressed his lips together, heaved a sigh, and shook his head with a smile. He wasn’t offended.
I turned my attention to my palm. Summoning the standard mânã of fire, I glanced at Corbin, hesitant. He was a fire element like Karson. I should have asked him to do this, since he had done nothing but stare at me. Karson would disagree. With the small ball conjured, I willed it to the leaves and branches. It was a time before the flame was growing with added twigs, I settled back to poke the soon to be ashes.
“You know gorgeous, you might meet a couple of Karson’s former students at the parties.”
“Former students?” This got my attention.
“Yup. I can tell you all you need to know about my big brother, but that would mean breaking the brother code. You want information on his bad days; they’re the ones to talk too.”
“Bad days? Karson had bad days?”
“Sure. We all have bad days. You don’t think this pretty face could have such a bad time.”
“Well, you’re always happy and amused.”
“Ah, yes. To be happy. One man’s truth is in his smile. So. You will join me for the gathering in five nights then.”
“Um … I’m not sure. Karson doesn’t want me to go.”
“He … won’t admit it, but secretly, if he wasn’t your mentor, he would be lining up like the rest of them.”
“Why is everyone so thrilled or eager to meet me?”
“You want me to go into this again with you. You’re one of a kind. Don’t you forget that. A diamond through and through. Need I say more?”
“Okay. Well, as for the party, I wouldn’t mind going. I just don’t have anything suitable for a gathering. Especially with Royal Ryders. My dresses are in Plumridge—”
“No village drapes for the Queen. You will be dressed in the finest clothes I can find for you. When we return to Draeos, I will see to it that you have a dress for every occasion.”
“Um … you don’t have to.”
“Please. It will be my gift to you. And you will have many more gifts come the end of the week. Karson will have to show you off as his tutelage, and that will make all the Royals jealous. They love nothing more than gossip.”
“Don’t they go to the war?”
“Sometimes. Not anyone’s fault but their own if they get cold feet on the way to battle.” He started twirling a twig in his fingers or as I realised, he’d summoned it. “You know there is little on the war at present. The main points are guarded. The vipers have been seen less, same with delgori sightings. Though, their presence in the towns is cause for concern. Mildura has higher rates of death, only because so many people live there. You came from—what. One, two thousand people at most. Must be odd for you to be here in Stone Heart.”
“Yeah, it is. Well, when all the students were here. There were so many of them. My school in Plumridge had maybe fifty if I was lucky a hundred students at most. Not all of us stayed in class.”
“You being one of them?”
“Well, Walt told me, I need learn what I need to learn. The rest will take shape as it needs. But I was to marry Milton and my life would be simple.”
“You, fair Queen, are far from simple. And marriage?” he scoffed. “You need to be loved before you think of marriage.”
I tilted my head, Corbin knew how to both compliment and give advice without making it sound cheesy. I smiled at his warmth. The snap of a twig brought us out of the silence and lingering stare.
“Ah, the great master returns. Tell me Karson. Why did you hunt by yourself and not take your tutelage.”
“She was getting the fire started for our guest,” he mocked as he placed the skewed rabbit over the flame. Laying out his sleeping bag, he nodded towards me, and my efforts of the fire.
I smiled, seemed these two liked to mock each other on anything.
“How can your Bonds be brothers?” I had to ask. It was driving me crazy.
“Well …” both glanced at the other. Karson held up his hands. “Take this one if you must.”
“Hu. It was no surprise we’d get brother eggs. Back when we grew up, Draeos did the selection a little different.”
“You … you two went to Draeos?” I was a little shocked.
“All children of Dangora go to Draeos, Rila, Mildura, or EzRah.” Karson held a stern look. “All those that live within the area and have magical ability or born of Ryder lines.”
“Oh.” Turning my eyes to Corbin, I asked, “How did they do things different?”
“For a time, they would allow us to touch the eggs before the gloves came round. See if the eggs wanted us. They still do this when children are around six. Helps the glove linking process, because the teachers will know who is most likely a chosen and who isn’t. Of course, if you become a wizard at eleven, you pretty much lose any hope of being a Ryder, and that was why the process was stopped. Raid’En was all tingles for my touch six years before I was selected with the glove.”
> “And Blade’Dur was seven.” Karson smiled, a softness lingered. Both men talking of their Bonds, a reminder it didn’t happen yesterday, it happened years ago. Eighty years or more.
“But they are brothers, blood brothers like you two. Is that not strange?” they raised brows.
“Strange … in the lands it’s always strange. But no. It’s actually considered rare. Most blood relations will have a similar selection with their Bonds, siblings are usually chosen with sibling related Bonds or near abouts. The eggs in question know who their chosen is. You remember La’Kera, when she first became aware of you—in the egg. She knew you, as you knew her. It wasn’t because of anything but her choice. And so, it is the same for our Bonds. Being brothers has its moments of rivalry, but in all, most are just pleased to be linked and loved as we all are.”
“Oh.” That made some sense, a little odd coming from grown men, but neither of them showed shame or bother with such sentiments. It was normal to talk fondly of your Bond—least since I came to Stone Heart it was. My thoughts tumbled inward, lost on the idea of how things were so different, and still the same. I was a Ryder now, that’s all that was different.
Corbin’s voice brought me from my thoughts. “Did I tell you about the time me and Karson cornered fifteen delgori by Yarrow Wood. Feisty buggers they are …” His tale went on through the meal. I listened and was amazed by the enthusiasm he brought to the camp fire.
Karson never spoke of any fights or battles. He lived in the now, unlike Corbin, who lived in the then. I watched both brothers with small notes in my mind, the black of their hair, the press of their lips, or the brightness of their eyes in the glow of the fire; alike and unlike in ways of who they were and as to their aura’s. Corbin held more pink in his aura, brighter colours compared to the calm tones of Karson. Corbin was high spirited, twice cheekier than his brother, who showed the simple browns and blues of basic hues. To an outsider, Karson would appear to be listening to the tale for the first time. And Corbin, who clearly had told it many times, but didn’t shift from the excitement it carried. Death wasn’t fun, but he made the brutal battle as uplifting and fearful as needed. Some day, this would be me. Telling tales of delgori battles. To be a Ryder or to be a Royal. That was a question I had heard throughout Draeos. Royal Ryders were deemed the laziest of them all, and here I wondered what the difference was. I had seen few Ryders, least the teachers and the Guild Ryders, the ones who found me in Plumridge and now Karson and Corbin. So far, the only thing I noticed about all Ryders, whatever their age was, they looked and acted like twenty-five year olds.