Seekers call, p.1
Seeker's Call, page 1
Copyright © 2014 Cassandra Boyson
All rights reserved.
Published by Kingdom House Press
ISBN: 978-0-9906080-2-8
www.CassandraBoyson.com
DEDICATED TO
Victoria and Steven
CONTENTS
Chapter One
Chapter Two
Chapter Three
Chapter Four
Chapter Five
Chapter Six
Chapter Seven
Chapter Eight
Chapter Nine
Chapter Ten
Chapter Eleven
Chapter Twelve
Chapter Thirteen
Chapter Fourteen
Chapter Fifteen
Chapter Sixteen
Chapter Seventeen
Chapter Eighteen
Chapter Nineteen
Chapter Twenty
Chapter Twenty-One
Chapter Twenty-Two
Chapter Twenty-Three
Chapter Twenty-Four
Chapter Twenty-Five
FOLLOWING A WORN, rock-encrusted road, Iviana set her course for the capital city of the young, tenacious Kierelian kingdom found upon the planet Kaern. She had always lived within the borders of this land, but had ventured into little of it in all the years of her quiet life.
Iviana had neither reason nor desire to visit the heart of the kingdom, but chose her destination because she had nowhere else to go. Desperation had driven her to leave the cottage of her former mentor and friend, Naphtali. Even so, now she was free of the pressing walls of that house, she had no more direction than before her departure.
It was on this well-worn road that a scene familiar to Iviana's dreams appeared. Gazing to her left, she recognized the huge cedar with gnarly, exposed roots, though she had never visited the place before. It appeared as though it were being used as a sort of living, standing nurse log, covered with a plethora of winding foliage that used it to climb higher in its longing to reach the rays of the life-giving sun.
As Iviana ambled up to the aged tree, a pure white dove flew down and perched itself on one of the lower branches, eye level with Iviana. The dove, too, had haunted Iviana's dreams. It was this very picture she recalled entering her sleep over past years. In fact, the young woman could not remember when the dream had begun—only that she had always known it—and now the vision was set before her, in her waking life, she was not necessarily surprised.
Peering into the face of the dove, Iviana felt as though her feet were held fast to the ground. It did not possess the countenance of a mere bird, but was much more. The young woman felt the urge to kneel before it in its obvious majesty, but suppressed it.
The dove turned head over shoulder, then gazed back at her for a moment before flying in the direction it had gestured. Iviana felt it wished her to follow and she, quite irrationally, wished to do so, but couldn't help feeling this was foolhardy. She tried to force her feet into walking back toward the road, but they betrayed her and carried her in the direction the dove had exited, though not before she noticed the glittering golden dust it had left behind on the tree branch. Bemused as well as intrigued, her legs moved swiftly.
After traveling for miles with no more than odd traces of its gleaming gold-dust as a trail, Iviana stopped to catch her breath and realized she must give up her search of the majestic feathered creature. It had ultimately disappeared and obviously wasn't keen on returning to her.
Beholding the surrounding landscape, it was anything but inviting. What could be seen beyond the sleepy mist that had gathered around her when the sun had begun to set was a dry, barren wilderness, orange the shade of decaying pumpkin and covered with naught but boulders and vegetation she knew grew only in desolate regions.
She then looked to the dimming sky. The sun would soon be hidden, but she was too weary to make the return journey to the road. I suppose this is as good a place as any to stop for the night, she thought, irritated she had come this far for nothing— feeling foolish she had allowed herself the inane chase.
Squinting through the fog, she could make out a clear space of land between two large boulders that would be comfortable for an evening's rest. Whistling merrily at her good fortune, she was making her way around one of the large rocks when she noticed some movement. She quickly tucked herself behind the dusty rock and eased her head around it to peek at whatever lay beyond.
Gasping at what she beheld, Iviana blinked a few times to check her vision. What lay in the dry, flat clearing was a creature she had always dreamed of encountering, but had never actually thought the dream could possibly come true.
It was a dragon, or what Iviana believed was a dragon as she had never seen one outside the pages of a book. It was a large, fierce creature, but also graceful and surprisingly beautiful. It reminded her of a fluid deer or lithe horse rather than a snake or other creatures she had heard dragons compared to.
The beast stood, perched on hind legs, with large, billowing wings folded back. Its long neck stretched toward the sky and its eyes were gleaming in the retreating sunlight. Those eyes were mesmerizing. Iviana had only ever heard dragon eyes described as full of flame or black and iniquitous. These descriptions were either largely exaggerated however, or this was not a dragon, for the set of eyes before her were almost human, aside from the lack of whites that human eyes possess. They were a set of large, black pupils surrounded by a ring of incredibly piercing green.
With a body cloaked in pale greens and blues with white spotting scattered over its back and feet, it produced the effect of a spring day, though there was no escaping the intimidation that emanated from the creature. This aspect was not so spring-like.
Seeing the dragon before her filled Iviana with such wonder she forgot her every trouble: her recent sorrow, her lonely, aimless wandering and the fruitless quest for the dove. Feelings akin to the spirited sounds of a flute she had once heard resounded exuberantly inside her. Here, at the end of her foolish path, in this desolate place, was a creature few could claim to have seen in her lifetime, though sightings had been more numerous in earlier decades.
The first she had ever heard of a dragon was when her mentor, Naphtali, had taken time to show her one in a book. Yet uncertain of Naphtali's purpose, Iviana had found it beautiful and, at her reaction, Naphtali had seemed pleased and continued to explain what she knew of the creatures, how grand and regal they were when one was before you. Iviana had inquired when her shut-in companion had ever been near a dragon, but Naphtali changed the subject and it had never been broached again. After this introduction, even when Iviana heard tales of their destructive tendencies, she was filled with interest at the thought of such a powerful animal.
Nonetheless, Iviana was naturally frightened of the one that stood tall before her. That did not mean she was going to flee, however. She began to draw herself nearer to it, almost in a trance, mesmerized by intrigue. There was an unidentifiable pull between the dragon and herself that, in the very back of her mind, she wondered the dragon did not feel as well and turn her way. Still, it was in her best interest that it did not, for she would probably flee.
Iviana, entranced, continued forward, wanting to touch its smooth, sleek skin or communicate with it somehow—to connect with this magnificent being—but a noise that both snapped Iviana out of her stupor and captured the creature's attention resonated from beyond the boulders on the opposite side of the clearing. Suddenly appearing ten times fiercer, the dragon's body became completely rigid and the emerald rings around its pupils grew dark.
The pair waited breathlessly for something to emerge, but after some time, without even the smallest sound following the first occurrence, the dragon dismissed it and its eyes grew brighter again. After releasing a long, fatigued breath, it curled up on the ground with front and hind legs tucked close like a cat.
Iviana was not so easily convinced they were alone. She knew what she had heard: a gasp and a shuffling of feet as though someone had lost their footing and, whoever it was, they had seen this incredible creature as well. She began to creep back behind the large rocks that she might make her way to where the other was without alerting the dragon to her presence.
It was a tougher trek than she had been expecting. There was not much cover and the ground was full of gravel, making it hard to keep silent. Twice, she nearly slid across the dry, clay-ridden ground and the only rocky cover she was able to find was nearer the dragon than she cared to be.
Eventually, a movement in the boulders caught her attention. She spotted a young man, perhaps her own age or a little older, all in brown as though he had dressed to camouflage himself within a forest. It did not do him much good in this area, though, surrounded entirely by red-orange ground and rock, so she assumed he had not meant to come so far out of the woods. He had a full head of brown hair crowning a face with strikingly intense eyes and was climbing over and around rock after rock with obvious expertise.
She wondered if this man was one of the great dragon-hunters she had heard about. Several of the king's knights had been knighted for slaying dragons. But if the man was a hunter, could she let him slay this dragon? She would make use of the sword she carried, if need be, but did she want the dragon to live? She'd heard tell of them rampaging whole towns and villages and even the kingdom's first royal fortress had been destroyed by them. Nevertheless, how could she be certain those stories were true? After all, this dragon was nothing like all she had heard described. She had read several books on what knights and dragon-hunters had shared about them, along with narratives of those who had come across dragons by surprise, though these cases were rare. Over the past hundred years or so, dragons had become quite scarce and only those who wished to make themselves heroes sought them out.
Iviana risked a glance over her boulder. The dragon had curled its head comfortably against its body, completely unaware of the humans stalking it. When she looked back to the man, he was completely vulnerable, no longer needing to hide, for the dragon seemed to be falling asleep. Still, he moved slowly and silently, closer and closer to the creature.
What is he doing? Iviana wondered. She contemplated whether he was as taken with the dragon as she and only desired a better glimpse of its magnificence.
She made ready to stand and show the young man that she, too, was there, when he pulled the sword from the scabbard at his side and leaped at the beast.
Iviana stood, desperately screaming, "No!" This dragon would not be slain, if she could help it.
The dragon raised its head and turned in the direction from where it had heard Iviana's exclamation. It showed evidence it was ready to defend itself with hundreds of sharp teeth gleaming at the two humans who had crept up on it, but before Iviana could finish her cry, the man lunged with the sword and struck the flesh in the dragon's side.
The stranger dared a glance in her direction after his strike. The look he gave her was of astonishment, a trace of anger, but mostly curiosity. Iviana thought she recognized a shred of sorrow as well. Nevertheless, he shrugged her off and focused on the dragon as it attempted to bring itself to a full stand, but the animal stumbled to the ground, smoke floating from its nostrils. It did not release flame, as Iviana had so often heard described.
The young man attempted to strike again when Iviana finally snapped from her stupor and raced to the dragon's defense. She leaped before the raised sword, shielding the dragon, and lifted her own blade to block the astounded man's blow. Her attempt was successful, but she was ready at any moment for the dragon to rid itself of her presence. She had wanted to be near the dragon, but not so close her back was held firmly against the creature's side.
The young man looked down at her with sparkling, stunned eyes. "What are you doing?" he asked.
"Stopping you," she spat back the obvious.
"It's already injured," he retorted. "The least you could do is let me finish it off." He moved his sword to take a blow at its head, but she deflected his attempt.
"No!" she yelled, fervency filling her voice. "Look at it! What has this dragon done to you?"
He stepped back and stumbled over a rock, nearly falling on his back. "I need it. I need its heart," he managed to mutter with an expression that looked rather kindred to remorse.
Why would a dragon-hunter feel regret? she wondered. Still, Iviana looked him over a moment. She didn't know why he needed this beautiful creature's heart, but it was of no consequence.
A sudden attack with her sword caught him off guard and she had an easy time pushing him away from the dragon, but it soon became apparent he was talented with his weapon and she was not certain she would survive the attack she had placed on him.
"Why are you defending it?" he asked angrily, though genuinely curious.
She ignored his question and pressed harder, but the man was desperate and eventually flung the sword from Iviana's hands, casting her body to the ground. She lay back to the ground with hands out in surrender, ready for him to strike. With eyes closed, she waited for the inevitable, but when nothing happened, she opened them again.
He was running back to where the dragon lay.
Desperately, she raced to the dragon as well. The young man raised his sword over the dragon's neck. Lacking time to formulate a wiser plan, Iviana flung herself over the dragon's large neck and cried, "Please!"
The attacker halted just before his weapon would have been cast upon her flesh.
Iviana looked into his dark eyes and watched a series of thoughts and emotions riddle his face before he threw his sword to the ground.
She blinked, surprised.
"It's going to die anyway," he said in a low voice. "I hear they don't heal well."
Iviana thought a moment. "I'm going to heal it," she replied with sudden determination.
He gave a short, cheerless laugh and asked, "And how are you going to do that?"
She turned to examine the dragon's wound. It was deep, but the animal was breathing fine, if a little shakily from the pain it was experiencing. She didn't believe anything vital had been struck, though she knew nothing of dragon anatomy.
"Why do you care?" she asked, turning back to where the stranger had been, but he and his sword had vanished. "Good riddance!" she shouted to the horizon.
IVIANA TURNED TO the dragon and looked wearily into its face. It, too, was looking at her, or inside of her and reading her, so she felt. Its nose continued bleeding smoke, but its eyes were greener than ever, as though pain had inflamed them. The dragon laid its head upon the ground.
With time to think, the reality of her situation was becoming clear. She knew nothing about dragons or their healing process. No one had ever attempted to heal a dragon before—at least not to her knowledge. She did, however, have experience in doctoring a number of other animals such as horses, rabbits, dogs and cats. Even a few wounded birds had received care from her and her mentor, not to mention people. The question was where to start. She needed to focus.
Boiling water: that's what she needed. She had heard a stream a couple miles back, but she wondered if it was safe to leave the dragon alone and unprotected. Looking about, she realized she didn't have a choice, so she silently promised herself as well as the dragon that she would be quick and no harm would come to it, if she could help it.
The walk was fairly long and offered her time to think. She had been traveling aimlessly for days before she encountered the dream dove. When she had left her home, it had been for no other purpose than to be out: out in the world, out of her home and on her feet. The memory of the day she had decided to leave flashed into her mind.
Iviana was standing before the fireplace, amusing her eyes with the dancing flames. It was time to leave. She had been carefully sheltered all her life and now... she could not remain here in this small cottage, all alone, any longer.
Naphtali, her beloved friend and mentor, had recently passed away and the villagers were afraid of Iviana. She had never understood why, but it had always been so. Not only afraid of her, but of her mentor, and what Naphtali was teaching her. But that didn't keep them away when they needed help. The villagers cringed when they saw the vials of liquids foreign to them, when they saw her mentor's collection of needles, the array of herbs. They assumed the two were witches and for all she knew, they were—but Naphtali had simply called it healing and only once did she insist it was not witchcraft. That was enough for Iviana.
There was a method to everything they did. When a child had broken a bone in his forearm, Naphtali sent Iviana to find sticks about the length of the broken arm. They would set the bone straight and form what her mentor had called a "special bandage" around the broken area and, in a few weeks, the arm was healed. The child would smile and run out the door without so much as a thank you and the child's parents would not be heard from unless they needed the "devil's healing" again.
Not even the animals had visited since her mentor's death. Before Naphtali died, they had been the ones to show how grateful they were for the dear lady's help. Those who knew and trusted her would visit daily, weekly, yearly—whenever they could—to pay their respects and to eat what the two had to offer. The fact this was considered strange by others did not enter her mind until her first and last friend visited.
The girl had come for a refill of her mother's healing liquid. The villagers usually did not send children unattended to see the strange lady in the forest cottage, but Naphtali learned the girl's father had left them and her mother was desperate for the medicine. Iviana was eight and the visitor looked to be about her age. Neither girl was shy and they quickly bonded and played while Naphtali prepared the elixir. When various animals came to greet them, the little visitor was delighted, exclaiming she had never been so close to a deer before, except those that had been on her plate. And she couldn't keep from giggling when birds perched on her arms and shoulders. When she received the finished medicine, the little girl excitedly promised to return the next day.
