There was no going to sleep. She endured the meal and the hospitality of Delvakhan’s family but she had a task to complete. She would have to leave and find her daughter. Reports speaking of the Ministry taking children were not something she was unfamiliar with. Regularly the Silence reported such things to Vrok and his court; she thought she understood the pain but she knew now she was wrong.
Constantly her mind was filled with the thoughts of her beautiful black haired daughter and her deep brown eyes set against her almost silky light brown skin. She held the image of her mother and her father. Dropping her head into her hands, Elidra thought of Vrok, her beautiful strong and powerful Vrok. Tears flowed heavily from her eyes as she struggled between the feelings of her betrayal and the thoughts of her lover holder her close to him. Immediately she felt as if she was back in Tova touching his fiery skin as the poison flowed through him like a storm.
All of her pain was concentrated to one source, one point and one person that caused her heart to ache to the point she would scorch the earth to remove that person. Joliel, Seom of the Rhiyan people who killed her beloved Vrok and had her daughter taken from her by the treacherous Jade. When she traveled the mist, everything was clear to her and as the world tried to blur past her, she could see all the blackened strands leading to the spot of death that was Blackroot.
No she couldn’t stay here on this island so very far south, so very far away from the target of her burning hatred. Elidra knew her murderous rage could easily consume her, but she was tired of holding it back. Tired of finding other things to think about and do, she knew there was as single path she had to follow without pause or delay. Khelidra had to be found and taken away from the Ministry. Even if that meant death for both of them, Elidra could accept that. If she left on her own, she wouldn’t have to worry about others, she could use her powers and simple be who she was. Her mind was set and her target was clear.
No one stopped her as she moved about the Castle quietly gathering her things as well as what she would need for the trip. She saw no reason to shift and move about hidden; Elidra wanted them to know she left on her own. As she traveled through the castle her feet seemed to carrying knowledge of where to go she couldn’t understand. The Rakshar Empress moved about as if the steps were familiar and natural to her. Finally entering the kitchen she grabbed a couple slabs of dried meat still curing. Examining it carefully she knew it would hold long enough to at least get her back to the mainland north of the island.
Exiting the Castle, guards stepped out of her way and none seemed to pay anything but passing attention as she made her way to the island docks. Scanning several boats looking for her target, her eyes settled on a medium sized ship that looked to need the least amount of crew. As if she owned the boat, Elidra walked onto its deck. Immediately, even those behind her that originally let her walk past, surrounded her.
“Well now look here Lassie. There are several things a man can overlook, but walking onto my deck aint one of them, unless you are looking for some serious trouble.” A harsh looking deceptively large man stepped through the circle looking the woman up and down as a toothy grin displayed across his face.
Elidra felt her will compress in the air as she prepared to kill everyone on the deck if she needed to. “I have to find my daughter and this vessel meets my needs. I can pay you and pay you well.”
As she produced a large bag of coins, the man waved off the rest of the crew and offered her a heart laugh. “Passage has already been paid for two of ye. Though considering where you want to travel I should probably take that coin from ye as well.”
Stunned, Elidra felt her mouth drop open as Burakani stepped from a far shadow and nodded to his Empress. “We have Rakshar business to attend to. I knew you wouldn’t wait long.”
“Still intent on following the coast north then Mr. Burakani?” The captain asked as he turned toward the stairs leading to the upper deck.
Burakani looked to Elidra, waiting for her to answer. For a brief moment a smile flashed across her face. “Yes, north.” She finally replied.
“So, where are we going? I assume you have a place in mind.” He questioned.
Burakani heard her words but for a long time he simply stayed at the rail of ship and watched the dock and coastline of Windra drift away from them until there was nothing but the blackness of the water merging with the blackness of the sky. He felt Delvakhan would understand, but more than anything he realized for the first time finding Khelidra was not a problem for the South. Considering such, they had to leave the King of the South to attend to his matters of state.
Still he couldn’t shake the cold shiver that continued to creep along his skin as he repeated the words she spoke to him. Yet he knew it long before she said it. He felt the same way and maybe that is what compelled him to immediately head to the docks to book passage. It was as if at that moment everything he was meant to do became clear. He would protect and serve this woman. Not because she was the Rakshar Empress, but because he had fallen in love with what she represented; truth. For that same reason they were actually going to Blackroot into the heart of the ill that befell the Rakshar people. Burakani closed his eyes and thought about everything in his life and knew without a doubt, he would never actually see his homeland again no matter how much he would wish otherwise.
****
Training by his Aunt Trulie was beyond anything he could imagine. Delvakhan suffered for three weeks under her tutelage unable to focus on training as he grew more and more frustrated about Elidra and Burakani leaving. Kept away from prying eyes, to include Xynari’s, he walked out of his training pouring in sweat with a headache he could find no relief from. Still Delvakhan was unable to even touch or recognize his own power. He could sense Trulie was getting exasperated, yet still his thoughts wouldn’t focus.
Entering into the room yet again the following day, he found it different and menacing. Shrouded by complete darkness the room felt cold and empty. Just within the darkness he could see heavy black linen covering the windows blotting out even the faintest sliver of sunlight. However in the air could smell sweet fragrances of flowers and knew his Aunt was in the room somewhere. Straining his eyes he sought out a form against the blackness; still there was nothing.
“We are wasting time Aunt Trulie.” The coldness that filled the room suddenly caused a small sense of panic to fill him and echoed in his voice. “I am sure there are other things we could be doing instead of wasting our time here.”
Feeling the air around him compress Delvakhan instinctively ducked only to take the full force of power slamming into him. Skidding harshly along the floor he could feel every course cut of the stone until he was stopped by the wall at the end of the room. His head became heavy and dizzy as he stood and made his way away from the wall. Still clouded in his mind, fear shot through him as he realized he was being shackled. Screaming out and thrashing, Delvakhan used all his strength to pull and yank at the bindings but found he was unable to move his hands or feet but an inch at the most. He heard the sound of metal grind against the floor as his wrists and ankles were pulled away further completely exposing him. Tears flowed heavily and suddenly as he realized he was completely trapped.
“I don’t want this!” He screamed out panic and fear heavy in his voice. “Just let me go, I don’t care about any of this. Leave me be!”
The face of his Aunt Celeste came into view. Blinking several times he tried to read the emotion on her face. Breathing heavily he realized there was nothing but sorrow on her face yet also a hardened tone exposed in the tense muscles of her neck and jaw.
“That is why you continue to fail. You answer and accept only the weakness of the moment and refuse to do what you know you must.” Clasping her hands behind her back and walking back and forth, refusing to look at him, she continued her lecture. “The South needs you. We all do. You have a duty to your family and to your people to continue what your father started. They will believe in you simply because you are his son.”
“I am not him and I am not of this land! I just want to be left alone.” His complaints were stopped suddenly as she smacked him hard across his face. With tears in her eyes she now grabbed his face and looked directly into his eyes.
“No, you are not him nor do you have the goodness in you which thrived in him. Others will blame the Rakshar, but I see the truth in you. You are a coward.”
Her words stung but Delvakhan immediately knew she was right. He was scared and wanted nothing more than to retreat back beyond Dragonspine and exist outside this war he didn’t understand or want any part of. So what if he was considered a coward, it was better than being their puppet.
“Because you are a coward at the moment you will need to steel your heart, you will fail and for it we will all suffer.” She continued to lecture him. “But unlike you, I am not a coward nor a fool and so I keep my word given to your father and to your mother. I will train you. At the very least you will be physically prepared to lead the South against the Rhiyans. So we begin.”
Hour after hour slipped by. Delvakhan however continued to endure the torturous assaults on his mind and body at the hands of his Aunt. While he could see her standing before him refusing to move, the blows were relentless and he knew they came from her. Several times she would speak, but he could no longer hear her, but deep within him he could feel a flicker and a flame attempting to ignite his essence.
Snapping his eyes open he was suddenly aware of his Aunt Trulie feeding him as his Uncle Yarmo wetted his skin with cool water. He wanted to speak his thanks but between the food and the tightness in his throat, his mouth only opened. They both spoke to him but the ringing in his head stopped him from hear anything. It all became a blur and somewhere he realized he had seen his Aunt and Uncle several times. The days were passing by. Closer now the spark became a flame and the flame was growing, ember by ember. His stomach and chest convulsed trying to hold it in, finally quelling the pressure, but the flame remained.
His eyes were opened now, yet Delvakhan could see nothing, feel nothing, yet he knew his body was in the same position it had been in. He became vaguely aware of people talking to him, feeding him, cleaning him but he no longer cared. His senses even his skin became distant and detached. The flame was a fire now and if he had a voice he would have screamed out as it engulfed everything. In his mind he screamed out against the world and strove to free himself from everything. Once again blackness engulfed him and he felt his head drop followed by nothing.
Keenly Delvakhan watched as a single bead of sweat dropped from his long hard, passing before his eye, just missing his nose and falling to the floor where it landed with a terrible crash. His eyes locked onto a faint strand of energy that trailed the path the sweat bead took. Immediately his essence jumped back and millions of strands were before him moving about here and there. Concentrating he could actually see what the strands were attached to and what they made. Testing himself, he reached out and grabbed a single strand that moved yet was cold and dead at the same time. Delvakhan felt, tasted and understood it was metal. Carefully he took a handful of the strands that were like the one he tested and threw them away. Immediately he became aware of the chains falling from his wrists and ankles. His body felt as if it were flying. Instinctively he supported it to keep it from striking the ground.
Acutely aware now, he could make out an image of his Aunt. He knew she was watching now as his mind was no longer shielding him from attacks and his body was completely in his own control, unrestrained. Pushing hard, he shoved her essence from him. The moment he touched her, he recoiled as he own powers protected her. All around him the world came crashing in as he could see normally yet remained aware of the flow of magic around him. His gifts had been released and he recognized him. The flame was him, all of him. Everything thought and action was now done in conjunction with the flame that he knew was his gift. Without warning Delvakhan realized he could once again hear as his Aunts voice filled the air.
“Finally you have accepted your gift. You nephew are more stubborn than anyone I have ever trained.” Celeste stated with a smile that couldn’t hide the sorrow that resided in her face and voice.
“Then we are done?” Delvakhan questioned and regretted the words the moment he said them.
“Done? Lad you have only just started. Now that you and your gift are one, you can finally start.”
True to her word, they had just started. Day after day he worked with the members of his family and realized each had a gift slightly different. For some it was song, others like him could see the life of all things while yet others needed items or objects to help them focus.
Soon he fell into a rhythm of waking, eating, training, eating, being briefed and then training until he collapsed, eating and then sleeping. Yet each night he was aware of Xynari laying beside him, only to have it confirmed when he woke each morning to see and hear her sleeping quietly next to him.
To prepare himself each day he would scratch a notch into the basin table to remind him how long he had been there. Eighty seven marks snaked along the table top. Delvakhan shook his head in disbelief as he counted them again. Sighing he turned to watch Xynari sleep just a while longer. When he looked at her with his gift he could see a soft white light around her. Her power wasn’t like his, hers was a blessing from beyond their knowledge; a priestess blessing. Stopping for a moment as he looked at her he could see a small ember glowing within her. Searching more he realized something he wasn’t prepared for; he was going to be a father.
****
She had found his trigger, quite by mistake, but the flash of his will couldn’t be missed. It was violent and it immediately sought her out. Thankfully he was young and weak in his power and it dissipated before it could get close to her. It was a time to celebrate, the first step was made.
She of course reported the information yet none seemed to understand the significance of the find. She wasn’t surprised by their actions; after all they didn’t believe there was real worth to her work. Unless she could provide them with the answers specific to their needs or show them an answer to prophecy, she was wasting their time. As they poured through books and tomes while playing games with diplomacy and other trivial matters, she focused on who held all the knowledge.
It wasn’t the first time. Early in her life she worked the same with her first pupil but met with amazing failure as she was usurped by his own natural power. Paid a heavy price in her failure and knew she had to start younger. Each child used for her purpose taught her new methods and new controls. Yet in the back of her mind she knew the only one that was similar in power to this one was her first pupil, yet already she had accomplished more and pushed further. But they didn’t understand the importance of her task. Her ancient years simply afforded her the luxury of respect that caused them to give her room to play. She took full advantage of their attitude for she knew it was the work that her Goddess would reward.
Without permission or delay she restructured the room bit by bit waiting for more triggers to be found. Within several months everything became perfect and his training continued with renewed vigor. Her charge proved to be strong and stubborn, yet her locks and dams against his power held as she taught and probed as deeply as she could.
Piece by piece it unlocked until she was confident she understood how the training was done by his people, still he resisted at a level she didn’t think possible. As she pushed harder and harder the biggest key now was to be sure he didn’t become aware too soon or all her work would be lost. The penalty for such was more than she could even thing to bear. A hundred years of wondering the oblivion was enough for her, she had no desire to return.
There was a point in time she felt she would have known all she needed within a few years, but had already been twelve years since she started. Twelve years and finally she had the basis determined. After twelve years she would finally be able begin his real training. Counting the time she knew it wouldn’t be long before he would die, adhere to her training or become the one thing they feared; Chosen of Xhuri, the true descendant of the ancient blood of the Dragon.
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