The swift beat of wings lifted the dragon and his rider from the castle wall into the open air. In a moment they were gliding over the harvesting fields, forty feet above the ground. As they passed, some of the villagers waved. Others didn’t notice. Only a few seemed to cringe at the sight of the crimson red dragon flying overhead.
“I couldn’t care less,” Rynn muttered; the dragon’s rider and pair bond. The dragon snorted, recognizing her sarcasm. Both rider and dragon shared distaste toward some of the villagers while the villagers held an equal detest toward them. It bothered the rider a great deal more than her dragon companion for these were the people she’d be dealing with all summer long.
She was a slender lean figure, perfectly toned and shaped between being a warrior and a noble woman. Her skin was a rich cream and honey color; her desert color fading after months in the northern country. Her language had been molded proper and her thick red locks had curled in the time she’d spent here. On this day she wore her hair down, tied together to keep out of the wind. She wore loose riding clothes for comfort, fashioned in the northern style and meant for warmth against the mountain winds. On her left hip she carried a simple scarred dagger in case any threat was posed to her on her morning ride.
I’m so tired of the way these people look at me, she thought wearily as they banked through the open mountain passages. Have I not yet proven myself as an ally towards these people many times over?
Her dragon companion, Auroc, knew better than to interrupt her thoughts. He knew perfectly well how she felt about the villagers, how they’d like nothing more than to see her hanged or yet worse. Still it wasn’t enough to send her home. She continued to fend off danger with the villagers in mind.
He was built strong also, even for a dragon. Though his size wasn’t tremendous he could easily carry two grown adults in flight. His back was only half a body taller than his rider, therefore mounted by ground. His rust red color shimmered with the morning sun upon it. Two blunted horns grew from the top of his massive head. Both had been broken off the year before during the Scanran war down south.
Auroc and Rynn had been paired much longer before then but it was this battle that initiated them as the world’s defenders. Since then they had traveled tirelessly, mending the damage the Holy War had wrought upon the people. It had taken months to get things back to a relatively stable condition but all worthwhile. Rynn was brought into the inner circle of noble workings. Auroc was respected among those of his own kind as well as the human kind. The greatest result of this being they were now trusted among the nations, Auroc and Rynn could now continue their quest to reunite the Order.
Once, dragon riders could be seen everywhere. But as time went on, they began to not trust each other, even to the point of war, the bloodiest war in history. Some Dragons fled to the skies, grieving over what had been lost. While most died off, a few survived. Auroc happened to be one of those few and upon meeting Rynn, their souls were intertwined and they became one of the same, relighting a spark of the Order once more.
It’s not important, she told herself, thinking of the villagers. I’ll be out of here within a few days and there will be no reason for me to come back. At least until trouble rises up and they come crying to me to clean up the mess. She sighed heavily, knowing they had every right to be cautious of Auroc and her. Nowadays, with new religions on a rise, the Old Ways were frowned upon even at mention. Still, they had no reason to be unkind.
Once the castle was out of view they forced themselves higher, following the path of a river below them. From this height, the land seemed to grow like a patchwork quilt, of different greens, yellows, and browns all of different looks and textures. Soon the farmlands vanished, as the mountains grew taller and the terrain grew rocky. A wilderness was shaped before them, a danger to anyone less than experienced with survival and a wielded weapon.
“We were asked to peak in on the ministries up north. Apparently there has been no word sent from the Brotherhood in days.” Auroc explained.
“Well that would have been nice to know nearly an hour ago,” Rynn retorted. “If you haven’t noticed, I’m not entirely prepared for this.”
“My sincere apologies, Rynn. This should take long.” His voice was deep and thick in the accent of the ancient tongue.
She couldn’t take her frustration out on Auroc or she’d feel guilty for the rest of the day. “We’d better be back by midday,” was all she could manage. Auroc smirked. It was amusing to see a woman of Rynn’s obvious grace struggle with finding words. On any occasion, Rynn was often a person to dig her heels in until she won the battle. She hated loosing and was incredibly stubborn. Usually being sharp tongued and quick tempered, it was a treat to win her over.
Rynn said nothing for most of the ride, except making small talk on the weather and the scenery. They ducked back down into a rocky valley, looking nearly impassable by foot. The river had vanished by this point. Several smaller streams now took its place. Auroc began to slow their pace as they neared the end of the passage.
There at the end of the valley stood a fortress of sorts, built of dense grey stone with few windows and only one entrance, which stood closed. A dense evergreen forest, seeming to be hidden on purpose, surrounded the stronghold. It held a haunting aura around it, a gloomy sort of place.
As they landed and Araceli dismounted a man dressed heavily in armor approached them.
He was broad shouldered with small sharp eyes and a balding crown. His mouth seemed to always be turned up at the corners, giving him a cheerful look. Rynn liked this man, for she knew him well. Knowing him as well as she did, she could tell by his carriage and complexion that something was troubling him.
“Captain Rydberg,” she greeted him crisply. “Is there a problem here? You don’t seem very happy to see me.”
The captain took a long weary breath. “You shouldn’t be here. Your reputation depends on it.”
Rynn cocked a perfectly arched eyebrow. “Do you really believe I have any sort of reputation worth protecting?” She nodded to the Ministry. “What is the problem?”
“No. Rynn, this isn’t the time. We have to return to the castle and report to Her Majesty at once.”
“We came all this way on Her Majesty’s orders. You can at least tell us what for,” she demanded.
The captain sighed again, wiping his brow. Rynn couldn’t recall ever seeing him this bewildered and it worried her. After a long moment, he caught her eye. “The church is corrupt. There is nothing more we can do here.”
“Corrupt? How so?” She questioned. “Sit down, for Deoch’s sake.”
As she suggested, Captain Rydberg took a seat on a nearby stump. Rynn brought water from her pack and offered it to him. When he refused, she urged him to continue.
“Like I said, there is nothing we can do here. Everyone is dead inside.”
“Dead?!”
“We have no idea what happened…” The captain closed his eyes for a minute and shuddered.
“Are you certain they are dead? But how? A ministry of this size doesn’t just die off over night!” Rynn paced.
He waved her off. “Please…if you want to have a look, help yourself.”
He’s scared, Rynn realized. There is something he is obviously leaving out.
“Are you absolutely certain there are no survivors?”
Captain Rydberg shook his head slowly, “We’ve found none. My men are still inside searching.”
Rynn only took a moment to ponder the situation. “Auroc, take him back to the castle. I’ll check it out.”
“No, I can’t leave my men,” the captain croaked.
“Shut up. You’re exhausted. Leave your men to me.” Before he could protest she held a finger to her lips to silence him, and then added gently, “Report to her Majesty and then rest. You’re as good there as you would be here in this condition.”
He was silent, accepting her judgment. Rynn nodded to Auroc.
“Be careful. You are unarmed.” Auroc stated.
“I’ll be fine. Whatever it was is gone now.”
“Don’t be so sure,” Rydberg stood carefully. “Seriously, be careful. If my men give you trouble, you let me know.”
Rynn smirked. “They won’t or they’ll wish they hadn’t.”
Rydberg gave the slightest of smiles and proceeded to mount Auroc.
“I’ll be back for you,” Auroc told her and then departed into the sky.
Rynn took only a minute to compose herself before entering the Ministry. Even after years of combat and war, she still had to mentally prepare herself to walk among the dead.
As she stepped inside the iron doors a stench of blood filled her nostrils giving her the slightest nausea. Scattered everywhere were the remaining limbs of the Brotherhood. Rynn swallowed hard. The works done before her could have been done only a few hours ago. She descended the stairs into the main temple. And what in Deoch’s Name did this? People had been ripped apart and left to bleed to death. Blood flowed within the crevasses of the stone flooring, forming pools of the liquid in random places.
Ripped apart would be literal she realized as she examined some of the remains. Her stomach swirled and her head pounded. This was not a human act. No human could possibly tear a man in half.
Two men emerged from one of the outer temple corridors. Rynn only looked up to see them.
“Miss?” The younger man questioned.
“I’m authorized to be here, yes. I’ve taken Captain Rydberg’s position for now.” She answered solemnly. No doubt they now knew who she was. “Have you found any survivors?”
“Not yet Mi’lady. But we can hear voices coming from somewhere below the choir room.”
“Well are you not going to check it out? People could be dying down there.” She snapped.
“There is no stairway,” a cool voice from behind her answered. Rynn turned to see Jonathon Cramer leaning against the wall behind her.
She’d been introduced to him when she first arrived in the North Lands. He was an advisor to the Queen and the Chief Hunter of the palace. From what she knew of him he was witty and sensitive possessing a poet’s heart. He was a dabbler in the Black Arts and an exquisite musician. He was a lady’s favorite, with his ocean colored eyes which were said to change hues every so often and ebony black hair, kept untidy and partially falling over his eyes. He dressed for fashion, though he wasn’t aware of it. Today he wore a royal blue overcoat over a white silk shirt and black leggings with knee high riding boots.
He pushed himself up and walked over casually, offering his hand to Rynn. “My apologies. I did not mean to interrupt. I believe we have met before.” He carefully played his eyes and expressions with every word.
Rynn did not give him her hand. She had no reason to. “Yes, we met last Spring.” She remarked. He only nodded and smiled, taking no offense to her pulling her hand back. “This is no time for small talk, My Lord.”
“Please, call me Jon. And, no, you’re right. If there are survivors we have to get to them as soon as possible.”
“We?”
“I know another way in. I studied here years ago. There is a passage to the old dungeons sealed by magic. It hasn’t been opened in centuries but I know the incantation and it is worth the effort.”
Rynn sighed.
“Do you trust me?” he questioned.
She shrugged. “No,” She said bluntly. "But by all means, lead me there.” Rynn granted. “I have no time for distractions so please, don’t waste my time.”
He paid no attention to her last comment and instead gestured her to follow him. All the while Rynn glared into his back.
“May I ask, why, exactly, you think I must accompany you when clearly you can open this door yourself?”
“Clearly,” he emphasized, “You misjudge me, my lady. I’m no warrior. I merely require your protection.” The sarcasm in his voice was so carefully played; it made Rynn wonder what he was implying.
She raised her eyebrows, uncertain. Upon meeting this man she had been uncertain. “Don’t patronize me, Mr. Cramer, please, I beg you.” She did not enjoy being toyed with. This man had a charisma strong enough to make young women’s hearts melt. She was not some silly damsel to be tossed around like a ball. Her life was not merely a tennis court. It was a battlefield.
There will certainly be more added to this later, so if you like what I have so far, be sure to check back often for more.
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