The Dragon's Curse, Part IV
They gathered together the next morning after breakfast. Roshil came with Master Grund. They met His Majesty and Lord Velal at the castle gates. Shortly thereafter, Aonva and Lady Emgard arrived.
Roshil smiled at Aonva, although more for herself than her friend. Fear still threatened to overwhelm her, but she had to go through with it now. Maybe she could with Aonva there.
“Is everyone ready?” King Fohra asked.
Everyone gave acknowledgment.
King Fohra tapped his staff and whispered something. Four beads at the top of his staff glowed and circled around him. The lights gathered in front of him and formed a rectangle. A light shone between the four points, and King Fohra and Lord Velal stepped through it.
Similar lights came from Master Grund’s chair and Lady Emgard’s staff. Roshil followed Master Grund through his gateway. Like the doors to the castle, which used a version of the spell, her body tingled as she stepped through it.
On the other side of the gateway, she arrived in a field. She saw a line of trees not far off. Behind them, hills stretched as far as she could see. In the distance, she could faintly make out some mountains.
Roshil realized that she recognized where they were. She’d been there with her family many times.
“We’re in the Western Plains,” she said.
“Well done,” King Fohra said. “Umkanokseh said she’d meet us out here. She should arrive any minute now.”
They stood and waited for a few minutes. Nothing happened.
“Hm,” King Fohra said. “That usually works. Let me try again. She should arrive—”
A shadow passed overhead. Every muscle in Roshil’s body tensed. She tried to stay calm, but she could feel herself slipping away. She fought the urge to run and hide, although her eyes still judged the distance to the line of trees, the closest safe place. She could hide there, and it would never find her.
“Roshil.”
Aonva’s voice came from far away, but Roshil held onto it. She ran back to it, back to reality.
Aonva stood beside her. The adults stood in front of her, keeping all eyes on the dragon as she landed. She was gray, like slate. Her scales glistened in the morning sun. She folded her wings as her eyes roamed over them, stopping on Roshil.
Those eyes. They were just like his eyes. They were just like Roshil’s eyes.
Roshil clenched her fists to stop them from shaking.
“Umkanokseh,” King Fohra said, spreading his arms wide. “How good to see you again.”
Umkanokseh’s eyes broke from Roshil and went back to King Fohra.
“King Fohra.” Her voice boomed over the field. Her long neck swiveled from His Majesty to Lady Emgard. “Lady Emgard, always a pleasure.”
“Always.” Lady Emgard gave a slight bow, then motioned to Lord Velal. “This is Lord Velal, The Lord True Knight of Skwyr Court.”
Lord Velal bowed low, keeping one hand on his sword.
“And Lord Grund, The Lord High Artisan of Skwyr Court.”
Master Grund glared at Umkanokseh, who stared back at him. The two of them silently sized up the other until Lady Emgard broke the silence.
“And Apprentices Aonva and Roshil.”
Once again, that gaze landed on Roshil, sweeping over Aonva without stopping. Roshil stepped back, but Aonva took a shaky step forward. Master Grund kept himself between the girls and the dragon.
“I promise you, I’m not going to harm her.”
“You’ll forgive me if I don’t take your word for it,” Master Grund growled.
“Do you really think you could stop me?” Even in a dragon’s voice, Roshil recognized condescension when she heard it.
“I will stop you.”
Umkanokseh’s gaze returned to Roshil. It almost looked like she was smiling, but her mouth hadn’t moved.
“It’s nice to finally meet you, little sister.”
Lady Emgard frowned at Roshil for a moment.
“I’m… I’m not your sister.”
“You and I were sired by Valignatiejir. I can sense him in you.”
Roshil’s body shook. She fell to her knees. Fire burned around her, but she flew into the air. Away from her home, her family. Trapped in his clutches. Carried off to be made into a monster. To be hurt over and over. Cut upon, bones broken. Her own blood everywhere. No way to escape.
I am the only one who will ever love you. You are mine, Roshil.
“No!” Roshil shook her head. “Leave me alone!”
“Roshil!”
“Aonva?”
“It’s… it’s okay.”
“She’s right,” another voice said. “No one’s going to hurt you.”
Roshil slowly opened her eyes. Aonva’s hands were over hers, which were clutching her head. Lord Velal crouched beside them, his gaze on Roshil. Lady Emgard and the dragon were talking in Arcane. Roshil could only pick out a few words.
“I’m sorry, little sister,” Umkanokseh said. “I did not mean to scare you.”
“Why does she keep calling you that?” Aonva asked as she and Lord Velal helped Roshil to her feet.
“Good question,” Master Grund said. “Why do you keep calling her that?”
“I have the misfortune to have been sired by…” Umkanokseh glanced at Lady Emgard. “By the dragon that did this.”
“So what?” Master Grund said.
“Lord Grund, remember your manners,” King Fohra said. He addressed Umkanokseh. “And you believe this gives you a kinship with Apprentice Roshil?”
“No dragon has had a chance to see what happens when… he does this. We’ve had theories, and it looks to me like we were right.”
“What do you think?” Lady Emgard asked.
“Dragons didn’t discover magic; we were born into it. It is a part of us. But Val… the other dragon took a part of himself and put it into this girl. I can sense it in her. It’s a part of her too.”
Roshil couldn’t stop herself from shaking. Part of that thing was inside her? Was that why she was changing?
“Can it be removed?” Lord Velal asked.
“I do not know. A dragon and her magic are one and the same. I do not know how he managed this.”
“What happens if we kill him?” Master Grund asked. “What happens to her?”
“She is distinct from him. Separate. The magic in her came from him, but it is no longer a part of him. I can sense it changing her, growing stronger.”
Roshil fought the urge to rub her back.
Aonva raised her hand.
“Apprentice Aonva,” Lady Emgard said, “you don’t need to raise your hand.”
“I… I didn’t want to… I mean… everything I’ve read doesn’t say anything about one dragon doing this. It talks like all of them can do it, but… you’re saying that only that one dragon can do this. And… has no other dragon met someone who’s been dragon-touched? I know there aren’t many of them, but it seems like it must’ve happened. What I first read about it said it was a way to speed up the process that causes living things to mutate when exposed to magic.”
Umkanokseh leaned closer to them. All four adults huddled closer, keeping themselves between the dragon and the girls.
Roshil glared at Umkanokseh. She didn’t like how close the dragon was getting to her friend.
“I cannot account for humans, Apprentice Aonva. But yes, only the one dragon does this. We believe it is a way to mark what he believes he owns. He is quite possessive after that, so no, none of my kind have ever been able to study one such as my sister here. And yes, living things do change when exposed to too much of our magic, so it makes sense that with a human’s limited view, you would come to that conclusion. It is far more than that.”
Umkanokseh drew her head back. “I have spent enough of my time here. However, this has been enlightening. Perhaps I shall visit soon.”
“We look forward to it, of course,” King Fohra said, bowing.
Umkanokseh spread her wings, sending gusts of wind all over the field.
“Wait!” Roshil shouted. “What’s going to happen to me?”
“You will keep changing. Into what, even I cannot be sure. I am sorry, little sister. Perhaps you will turn into a dragon. If you do, I’d be happy to teach you to fly.”
She beat her wings and took off, nearly knocking everyone else over. Roshil watched her fly further and further, shrinking against the horizon. Such freedom up in the sky. Maybe it wouldn’t be that bad.
She shuddered at the thought of being a dragon. Umkanokseh had been nice enough, though. At least they weren’t all bad. It sounded like most of them weren’t that bad.
“Alright,” Master Grund said. “Now that that’s done.” He turned to Roshil. “Apprentice Roshil!”
“Yes, Master Grund?”
“You and Apprentice Aonva are ordered to return to the castle and have pie.”
Roshil smiled and stood to attention. “Yes, Master Grund!”
“It’s still early to be having sweets,” Lady Emgard said.
“That’s why we’re having pie,” Master Grund said. “It has fruit in it! That’s healthy!”
“Can’t argue with that,” King Fohra said. “Flawless logic.”
Master Grund opened a gateway back to the castle, and Roshil stepped through it with him. After meeting Umkanokseh, she wanted nothing more than to sit with Aonva and eat pie.