One of the smaller volcanoes rumbled threateningly. An ash cloud was spat from the crater into the air. Hot red goo was spat out the mouth, and started dribbling down one side in a thick rivulet, gaining speed as it rolled. The ash floated up in a dense plume of smoke. The dragons cried out and darted towards it. One by one, they dived into the throat of the volcano and were lost to sight.
“Holy crap!” Marina cried.
Daniil made a chuffing sound of amusement as he watched them.
Nikolai chuckled and patted her soothingly. “There are eruptions every day Marina. The last major explosion was, oh, about two centuries ago, and even then, the loss of life was minimal. It’s mostly dragon lords and dragon mates who live on Ash Mount. The Citadel is built in such a way the lava runs down the sides in streams between the fortresses, keeping any visiting humans safe.”
“The dragons,” she whispered. “The ones who flew into … into the….”
“Oh. They’re just playing. There is nothing like lava bath to get the blood racing. The wild dragons love it as much as the lightning storms. Trust me, you haven’t lived until you’ve flown in one of those.” He sighed dreamily and flung his arms out as if to hug the scene. “This is our home, Marina. It’s as feral as we are.” He winked at her. “You think this is bad, you should see the Ice Realm. You can’t step a toe in that land without worrying about being crushed under an iceberg, or falling into one of those misery pits they call ice pools.” He shuddered. “Cold, Marina, like nothing you’ve ever felt. I’d choose Fire over Ice any day.”
“Of course you do. It takes a real dragon to survive such beauty.”
Marina turned to see Daniil had turned human and was pulling on a pair of leather hose. He smiled at her and there was a mischievousness in him she hadn’t seen before.
“You don’t like it,” she waved her hand to the sight blow.
“It’s where I live. It has its own merits, but I cannot truthfully say it is more beautiful than my home. When the sunlight hits the palace, carved from the ice tundra itself, it sparkles like diamonds. Millions of colors dance for miles and miles.”
Marina smiled at his wistful look.
“Where is it?” she asked.
He pointed towards the Westlands. “Two days flight through the Barren.”
That she didn’t like the sound of. “Dangerous?”
“Extremely. The Soothsayers nest there. A dark breed of Battle Mage I hope you will have little contact with. They rarely stray from their sand castles, and even then only in times of great unrest to spread more misery.”
Marina wrinkled her nose, and turned from such dark thoughts. “What’s that?” She pointed passed the jungle to a large stretch of emerald water cut off from the sea by what looked like banks of white sand. It was dotted with islands that faded into the horizon, and circled by great white birds.
She felt strangely drawn to those isles.
“Eh, Goii-Goii Lagoon?”
“The islands … does anybody live there?” Daniil and Nikolai shared a grin. “What?”
“The lagoon islands are infamous for being the preferred hiding place of one surly black phoenix.”
“Koen,” Marina breathed, taking an unconscious step forward.
“Yes,” Daniil agreed and caught her arm. “Before you start that up we need to see to our business here. As the brat said, Ash Mount is home to the dragon Council, and you need to beg them to use their considerable influence to get you into Aver.”
Marina swallowed. “Dragon Council … as in….”
“The highest authority of this land equal only to the ruling Emperor? Yes.”
Marina tipped her chin up, and drew her shoulders back. “Groovy. Lead the way.”
They walked up a rough path cleared around the base of the mountain, and stopped outside the entrance to a gigantic grotto, a dark hole that disappeared into the depths of the slumbering volcano, and was guarded by two cherry-red dragons. Their golden battle amour glinted in the sunlight, and had it not been for the swell and contraction of their sides, Marina would have thought them statues of stone.
“Dragon lords Daniil of House Kol and Nikolai of House Raad come to speak to the dragon Council.” Daniil’s voice was authoritative, but respectful.
The two dragons moved aside to let them pass, and one angled his head down at Daniil. The dragon nodded, and it made her think they were having a conversation. Marina listened with half an ear as Daniil gave a brief explanation to the red dragon why they were there, and the guard gave a rumble of agreement before guiding them.
The cave was colossal, a size Marina could not have dreamed had she tried. Her footfalls echoed loudly, and she felt as if her presence somehow disturbed the sanctity of the place.
The walls glistened with rock salt, and rivulets of water. Torches nailed to the rock in golden sconces flared and flickered brightly. Boulders of limestone had been carved into majestic dragons transforming into their human forms. The cavern roof was covered in jagged raw crystal that sparkled in translucent purples and greens. Marina could even see the remains of ashy lava tubes branching out from the main walkway, and curled in one was a sleeping dragon that blinked open catlike eyes as they passed.
She breathed in deeply and smelt camphoraceous minerals and wet earth.
As a keen spelunker she knew the scents well … her mother had loved caves, now, she knew why.
After her initial gawking, it was a long, tedious walk through the semi dark made more pleasant by Nikolai’s consistent babbling.
The rushing sounds of a stream got louder, and bounced off the walls. They stopped at a wall of freshwater that sprinkled her in a cool mist.
The dragon guard walked through it, his swinging tail disappearing out of sight. Through the waterfall, Marina could see the low burning of an open fire, and the shadows of dragons.
Chapter 12
“Alright, Marina,” Daniil said turning to her. “This is it. In there is the dragon Council, ten phoenixes that were once Emperors of this land. I know you are never intentionally rude, but please guard you thoughts … and tongue.”
“My thoughts?”
“Yes. You project quite, ah, boisterously, and when in dragon form it can be difficult to drown you out.”
“I don’t mind the intimacy at all,” Nikolai said waggling his eyebrows.
Marina’s neck reared back, and she blinked repeatedly. “Hold up, you can read my mind?”
“No. As blue bloods, we constantly push our thoughts into the minds of others. It’s a natural skill as instinctive as breathing, and for dragons it’s how we communicate with others of our kind in human form. You simply haven’t learnt to build the wall that keeps your thoughts private.”
“Why aren’t we given the skill to simply speak out when we want rather than holding them back all the time?”
“We believe it had something to do with how or ancestors lived, but, that would be like asking why we evolved without the ability to breathe underwater when the planet is covered in oceans. Something’s just are.”
Marina was flabbergasted. Koen could read her mind. Rather, hear her thoughts. And he hadn’t told her. “Why that cheeky bastard,” she said. Nikolai guffawed. “Not once did he tell me that.”
Daniil frowned. “Oh. Well. That’s not important right now. Try to keep your mind quiet and your tone respectful. I will do the talking.” He hesitated. “You know that your mother was an Empress and your father a phoenix … he’s in there. Your father.”
Marina’s eye twitched.
Her father.
“Whatever,” she said.
“You’re sure,” Daniil asked. “You’re not going to explode whilst were in there are you?” He looked down at her hands.
She did too. “What?”
“He’s checking for rocks,” Nikolai laughed, and she stuck her tongue out at him.
The dragon guard came back through the waterfall, and Daniil smiled, motioned her to follow him.
Marina
scowled at the water, not really thrilled with the idea of standing in front of a bunch of powerful dragons drenched, but she had no choice in the matter. She stepped under the cool water, a continuous downpour much thicker than she was expecting, and came out spluttering the other side, soaked to the skin. Luckily, though carnivorous, the dim council chamber she stepped into was toasty warm to keep away the shivers.
She wiped her face and tried to wring out her clothes as best she could, hoping you couldn’t see her bra though the now see through tunic, the one Koen had left her sleeping in.
‘This is unorthodox,’ a dragon boomed. ‘We do not interfere with Aver. It is a conflict of interest. The opening ceremony has already passed and the lists closed. Why you seek to harass us with the pleas of a besotted Chosen had better be good, lord of House Kol.’
Marina all but bounced up and down at the moderate pace Daniil set walking to the semi circle of dragons.
“And don’t forget me, Nikolai, lord of House of Raad,” the young dragon said proudly, winking at Marina when she caught his eye, and gave another ‘oh my god’ look at him.
The Members of the dragon Council sat proud on podiums of rock, their spiked tails dragging across the cave floor in deadly flicks, heavy wings rustling. Red, green, blue, gold, black, all ten members were shaded differently, but all had ivory horns atop their blocky heads. Marina noted the podiums they reclined on had beautiful carvings of Amazonian-sized women in flowing gowns brandishing tashi or spear, each with a crystal the same color as the dragon resting above set into where their hearts would beat.
The dragons opened their eyes wider and sat up straighter to pay attention as they drew nearer.
‘A member of the ruling family is here?’ asked the green dragon seated in a place of honor in the centre. He looked one of the youngest of an ancient horde. His scales were brighter, and his eyes snappier.
Only the midnight black dragon to his right had a more vivacious demeanor.
Nikolai beamed, clearly in his element, and bowed low to the dragons. “Council mon Isaak, it is an honor. Yes, I stand here as a representative of my House in this matter.”
‘Indeed?’ Isaak’s earlier apathy had been replaced with a strong thread of inquisitiveness.
“You are right, esteemed council mon, that in bringing our case to you we feel what we are about to say qualifies as exceptional circumstances,” Daniil said stridently, moving forward with his own bow of respect. “You sense this woman is Chosen, but she is much more.” His head turned to the large black dragon seated to the green dragon’s immediate right. “Marina is the daughter of Empress Almeria, and we have brought her back with us from Earth to compete in Aver with intentions to mate dragon king Koen Raad.”
Marina felt a rousing chorus of cartwheels and some serious arm pumping should have followed his last words, but there was an extended and loaded silence.
The dragons shifted, but that was their only reaction. ‘You claim her to be a high princess of this land?’ a purple dragon asked from a few podiums down.
The black dragon Daniil had spoken to spread his wings. He angled his snout down in a way that screamed derision, and snorted for good measure. ‘I have no daughter. I have never bred.’ Marina’s heart skidded to a stop as she stared into the dark eyes of the dragon. His gaze flicked over her contemptuously, and his body shook as if shaking off slime. ‘Even if I did produce offspring it would never be one so puny and malformed.’
Her jaw dropped.
The dragon’s all winced and shook their heads in irritation.
Nikolai wrapped an arm around Marina’s shoulder and put his mouth to her ear. “Judging by the expression on your face, I’m guessing you’re shrieking in your head.”
Picking up on the warning, she started deep breathing to calm herself, and attempted to stop thinking.
“So she cuts her hair short,” Daniil said glibly. “It will grow. And yes, she is small in body, but mighty in soul. She is an honor to your name. She stood against Nikolai and I to protect Koen Raad when he was wounded and vulnerable. She is a tribute worthy of great valor to House Zar,” he added in a hard voice. “And I challenge any dragon who says different.”
‘Enough, Son of Ice,’ the green dragon boomed, ‘before you dishonor House of Kol.’ The dragon turned his head to look at the black dragon. ‘She is Chosen, and carries the smell of Earth….’
‘Bah, Isaak, you believe the lie. There are a few hundred Chosen born every year. That she comes from Earth means nothing. She could be of a bloodline left behind from the old days.’
‘No,’ disagreed a dusky blue dragon, hidden deep in the flickering shadows at the outer most edge of the semi-circle. His voice was ancient, but a whispered echoing of sound. ‘The blood is too strong. Imperial blood. She reminds me of my Kayla.’ He sounded wistful and so sad it made Marina’s heart ache.
‘This girl is not mine,’ the black dragon barked, his claws digging into his plinth.
His thick talons dug into the face of the woman carved into it. A face that was eerily familiar.
The longer Marina stared, the more swiftly memories rushed over her. It was the ageless form of her mother, wielding a curved sword, a katana. Her skirts were caught in a blustering wind, and long hair streaming about her lithe body. It was the flowing hair that had duped Marina at first, but she would have known the scowl on her mother’s face anywhere; it was the mirror image of her own.
‘Almeria would never have … I would have known.’ As cold as the black dragon’s words were, he sounded less certain than before.
‘Enough, Mikhail. The youngling is of your blood.’ The green dragon angled his head to peer at her more closely. ‘She has Almeria’s face, and your eyes.’ The dragon dipped his head respectfully. ‘May the goddess bestow blessings upon you, and yours, my friend. This is joyous news. We have not had a high princess since Leonid and his Karina.’
The rest of the phoenixes rumbled in agreement, filling the chamber with the sound of thunder.
The black dragon roared, and jumped off his podium with a crash of claws and beating wings. He rushed to Marina and skidded to a stop, his snarling snout a hairsbreadth from her body.
“That would have been scary,” she said, “If Koen hadn’t done exactly the same thing with flames on his tongue and smoke curling from his nostrils.” She shrugged. “You can try again if you like.”
The black dragon narrowed his eyes until she wondered how he even saw out of them. He huffed, blowing hot air over her. ‘I claim you as mine, princess Marina of House Zar, daughter of Almeria and Mikhail.’
Marina held up a hand. “Dude, I don’t care if you’re my father or the Easter bunny. I’m here for Koen, not you.” She looked around his considerable bulk at Isaak. “Am I allowed to enter Aver? If it’s too late, fine, but rest assured I’ll do everything in my power to see none of those other women lay a finger on Koen until I win the next tournament and can claim him myself.”
‘You do not have to worry about them touching him,’ Isaak replied in an amused voice. ‘We are intrigued. You come with two of the most powerful Houses from both kingdoms, and intimately bearing the scent of the dragon we have struggled to mate for far too long. We will send for the Regent. Wait.’
Daniil placed a hand on Marina’s arm, and motioned her to bow with him.
Mikhail growled low in his throat, smoke coming out of his nose, and started back towards his podium. He stopped before he mounted, and turned to watch Marina leave, eyes flaring with interest.
She tore her eyes away from him, and left the chamber with her escorts, back through the waterfall. Once again dripping wet, her mind quiet now there were no booming dragon voices in her head, she opened her mouth to speak.
Daniil said, “Sound carries in these caves. Wait.”
As soon as they stood under the burning sun, she spun on him. “Well? Does this Regent person sign me up to Aver?”
“The Regent, lord Myron, is a dragon lord, and the last reigning E
mperor. He oversees Aver and the hunt until the next Emperor ascends to take over. When this happens the Regent joins the dragon Council. Council mon Isaak, the green dragon, was the Regent before Myron. He will step aside to live out the remainder of his days in peace as an advisor to the Empire.”
“Oh.” Marina tried counted back. “Myron couldn’t have reigned for long.” She was thinking that her father wasn’t the youngest Council mon, and that there had been two Emperors since him.
“Time works differently here,” Daniil explained. “It moves faster in comparison to your dimension.”
“Even so, Mikhail’s reign was but a blink of an eye,” Nikolai said. “Once your mother left he gave up. Isaak’s Dynasty followed him, and his mate was killed when the Wyvrae raided the Soothsayers in the Barren for fulgurites and their mineral deposits. It was a costly war.”
“Snake tailed idiots,” Nikolai muttered.
Daniil glared at him. “Lord Myron’s reign has been fair, but he grieves the abrupt death of his mate.”
“How much faster does time move here?” Marina asked with a frown.
Nikolai’s eyes rolled back as he thought of his answer. “Aaaabbbboooouuttt … one thousand four hundred passes of the sun on Tzion is equal to one pass of the sun on Earth,” he finished firmly.
“Roughly four years for each day,” Daniil simplified then smacked Nikolai upside the head.
Marina’s body trembled so violently both men stepped back as if she was dangerous. Frankly, her insides did feel like a damaged nuclear reactor.
“He left me,” she rasped, “knowing that if he came back even a few days later that I would be decades older or dead if he waited longer?”
“You’re a descendant of dragons. Unmated, you would have lived to about three hundred,” Nikolai said defensively. “He had time.”
“Koen is what he is,” Daniil said. “I told you he was stubborn.”