Zenora, The Dragon's Fury

Brock’s point of view:

Two weeks have passed. Two weeks of mental torture, not knowing where Emily was all this time. We have searched everywhere, in the castle, around the castle, at the aviary, at Ursai’s den and also asking the people of the city. She was with Cirilya when I last saw her, so I also sent someone to the Elven forest, to see if she was there.

But no luck. No one knew where she was.

When I had returned at the castle, after Hayden got away and we lost our King, I immediately had run up to the King’s chambers as that was the last place Emily had been seen.

When I saw the bed, I got massively worried about her, as it was almost completely soaked with her blood. The blankets, matrass, towels and floor were drenched by a huge amount of the red liquid. If this was all hers, then she would have been at the brink of death. I don’t know where Cirilya has taken her, but I hope that it is at a place where they can heal her.

In the passing days, all the mages, including Kaden, have regained their strength as the three days of magical coma had taken a lot of their energy and muscle strength.

The boys were playing again, although they asked about their mother several times a day. Only to be sad again, when I couldn’t tell them anything.

Nicolai found a way to get me back my memory, one piece at a time. Each morning he came to visit me, to use some spells to unlock my mind and allowing it to heal my memories. I could feel that there were still pieces missing, but I was getting there.

Besides getting all the people back at full strength and the castle back in working shape, I also asked the mages to set up wards around the castle, to notify us when dark magic was used again in the near vicinity.

The people considered me to be the King now, following my commands, but I couldn’t take up that title yet. Not without my Queen by my side. So, we haven’t had the ceremony yet. Also, because I don’t want to celebrate, I have to find Emily first, and I know she is alive, I can just feel it.

Furthermore, we buried King Aron in the Royal burial place, next to his Queen. I hated to do this without Emily, but there was no choice, we couldn’t preserve his body this long. I’m sure Emily would have liked the ceremony. She will get to know all about it, when I break her the bad news. The news that I failed to keep Hayden from killing her father.

And the fact that the murdering bastard is still on the loose.

Emily’s point of view:

“How long is it going to take?” I asked Cirilya, while we walked through the white city of Eleslas. Well, she was walking, I am still floating as a whisp.

I have come to find out that this city is actually on Zenora, beyond the Kingdom of Terralon. I had always thought it was on a different realm or planet even. But nothing could be more different. On the other side of the ocean, on a magically protected island stood this magnificent shining city. Every door, wall, hallway, roof and floor were white. Either painted or made out of marble, but sparkling, clean white. And the spots that weren’t white, were covered with plants. On every corner of every house, and in every windowsill and pots along the streets, were growing lush, green plants with flowers in every imaginative vibrant colour.

The Elven people of the city all wore beautiful clothes in various colours as well. But none of them were wearing white, only the Elders did. I asked about it to Cirilya and she said that the people are allowed to wear white, but they just don’t. It’s more like an unwritten rule where only the Elders took the privilege to wear white.

The city of Eleslas is the capital for all the Elven people, but it is hard to come or leave here. Only Elders can use their magic to teleport their own kind back and forth, which does not happen often. As a result, most people who live here, are either that old, that they came here before the magic was required, or they were simply born here. And all the people that live in the other villages, spread around on Zenora, were born in their respective places.

The last time, that the Elders asked for someone outside of Eleslas to become one of them, is more than fifteen hundred years ago. So, you can imagine that Norim didn’t take a lot of time to commit to his new job, even though he knew that Cirilya wouldn’t be happy with it.

“Just a few more hours. A human’s body was never meant to push out a dragon egg, but yet you did.” She replied to my question.

We both laughed about it, me pushing out an egg is strange to say the least, but also for it to be a dragon egg is just simply outrageous. I don’t know what the Goddess was thinking, when she came to this idea, but the next time I see her, I will ask. When she does come to this idea again, with some other woman, I will tell her that she has to come up with a form of healing afterwards too. As the green clothed Guardian was healing my body for about ten days already! Because of the amount of blood I lost, it has been extremely difficult to heal me. Luckily, they had put my mind into a whisp, so I couldn’t feel any pain.

I miss my precious daughter though, I want to go home as soon as possible. I hope that everything is alright with her. Ayinthur will take good care of her, I know that, but I still long to see her.

His remark, about ‘not failing his kind this time’, kept roaming my thoughts as well though. What did he mean by that? When we return, I will make contact with him instantly, as I’m not able to do that now. I need to find out where he took her, and then I’ll ask about what he said as well.

Cirilya has been asking about the Orc mage that I had asked to live, how I got to the idea of saving him and such. Frankly I’m not sure where I got the idea from, maybe because I was pregnant myself or that I just didn’t want to lose such an innocent life. Anyway, I guess the Goddess knew that I wanted her to ask something else, other than just saving Ayinthur that day. Normally she only stays for the necessary amount of time, but she lingered on longer that time, waiting for my question.

I hope someday I get to meet this young Orc, hoping that he won’t held a grudge against me for killing his parents. I do hope that I made the right decision about saving him, what if he will use his powers against us? What if he enrages, if he has the ability of the Mage’s Fury? It will only give the Orcs an even better reason to get him to their side, to use him as their personal weapon of destruction.

I shouldn’t think about this now though, there are other things I have to worry about.

Cirilya and I were still roaming the streets of Eleslas, talking about everything that has happened lately.

“By the way Cirilya, how are you doing? Are you going to talk to your father?”

“I’m not sure how I feel; in a way I’m proud that he became Elder, but the fact that he lied about it to me, hurts me. He can tell me everything, so why didn’t he tell me this? At the moment I don’t feel like talking to him at all!” She stated, a bit angry.

She was also mad about the Elders, for being so selfish. She had never heard about them, to be this demanding, this arrogant.

“They feel so secure about their place in the world, that they think they can rule everything! Next time I will think twice about asking for their guidance. Somehow, I got the feeling that everything they do, is for their own interest.” She said.

“As much as I like your father, I agree to that. Do you want to go home?” I asked her.

“Yes, let’s get to your body, I’ll heal the rest of you myself.”

“What do you mean we can’t go?! We have spent too much time here already!” I said to the Guardian that was healing my body.

“Do you want me to summon the Moonlight Goddess here? So, you can explain her why you aren’t finished yet?” Cirilya threatened again.

The green clothed Guardian whimpered, not knowing what to say.

“Your father wants to speak to you Cirilya. But I got the feeling that you don’t want to.” Noliyah said, when she walked into the room.

“No, aunty, I don’t want to. If he wants, he can...”

“... Come to you as a whisp!” Noliyah finished her sentence and Cirilya chuckled.

Cirilya nodded and gave her great-aunt a big hug. They spoke for a few minutes, agreeing on how stubborn Norim has been with her, but that she also should be talking to him soon. They have to talk things out eventually. Cirilya agreed, but not at this time, not right now.

I liked the connection they have with each other. Filling in each other sentences, and thinking the same about politics and Norim.

Noliyah turned to me and looked me in the eyes.

“I will send you back, healed and all, but there is something that you should know.” She sighed, reluctant to tell me some bad news, I guess.

“You have to prepare yourself for things that you are about to find out. It won’t be easy, but know that you have a friend here, who will always help. Alright?” Noliyah said, while patting Cirilya on her shoulders.

“What am I going to find out then? Can’t you tell me?” I asked her.

“No, I have already told you too much. You have to get through this yourself.” She said, which didn’t soothe me at all.

I got shivers down my spine, figuratively though, since I’m still a whisp. But the same feeling was there, there was something terribly wrong. Something happened when I was away. Something bad.