Dragon Frost (31 page)

“
You know
hospitality; everything is perfect, as always.” Altair places his
forearms on the edge of the table and cups his hands over his now
empty bowl. I know that Altair is just as curious as I am; so
instead of having me worry myself to death about conspiracies I’ll
just eat my meal in peace. Not paying attention to the
conversation. Dinner soon ends and we return to our rooms. Altair’s
words still flounder in my mind. “His heart beat was erratic and he
was attempting to throw of the continuous sweating as a slight
fever. We both know that just might not be true, if that man can
sprawl over books he can most definitely hide a lie.” Hide a lie;
is that what this man is doing?

We arrive
at the guest quarters and Varden appears a bit on edge, especially
when we were in the common room. He kept looking at and away from
the guards that had escorted us to our compartment as they spoke
about the Duke of Alland. There were times when he would hop up
from his seat at time and start pacing. I glare Altair that “what’s
with him” look and he mouthed, “Nervous.” I nod and return back to
the report and evaluation forms I had to fill out.

Luckily
there isn’t much to fill out but a lot to recount for my report and
Varden’s fidgets didn’t help. I stood, causing Varden to stop and
look at me as if a deer had seen head-lights before the collision.
I pluck out my form and hand it to Altair; Lifet isn’t currently
with us-something about him needing to gather some information. I
had asked what it was and just said he had to meet with a
‘Guardian’ about what he’s learned about Varden being the next
King.

I didn’t
argue and let him. It was better for him to find out what the Duke
was up to than to sit here in a jumpy silence. I didn’t mind, in
fact, I love d the silence it given me time to think and mentally
wind down. “Why are you giving me this? It’s his.” states Altair,
as he waves the pages towards Varden.

“
What’s
mine?” he asks.

“
Your
evaluation form,” I say, “given the duration of time I spent with
you. I’m required to recount all the events that had, happened.” I
continue to scribble down on the pages in Zylarian
characters.

“
And?” he
presses. I stop and glance at him. Varden shrugs.

“
We were
attacked a bit.” I say and Altair scoffs. His ankles are crossed
over his knee.

“
More
like, a lot.” I glare at him and he acts innocent, questioning,
“What?”

“
You’re,
unbelievable.” I mutter.

“
You know
I can hear you right?” he states with a smile and I shoot him one
last glare before making my way towards the door.

“
That’s
the whole point!” I bark slamming the door shut causing the two men
guarding the entrance to jump. “Why do I have to marry him of all
people?” I move down the gray stone halls and around several
corners before finding my way to a large—wide stone staircase, a
red and gold carpet is draped over it and at the bottom of the
stairs is a rather peculiar brunette man, he is dressed in black
and appears to be unfamiliar, there is an insignia of a spell book
on the banner wrapped around his left arm. He glances at me with a
blank expression.

I walk down the
stairs and pay him no mind, even though; I can still feel his eyes
boring into the very crevice of my soul.

“
Kal!”
cried a voice. “Trin!” From within the shadows of the forest stood
Dante, blood was smeared across his clothes that appeared as black
oil marks under the darkness of the stars. My face felt wet and
without thinking I ran into his arms and cried, silently. I felt
something warm wrap around me and I heard Trinity’s whelps muffled
into Dante’s chest as he cradled us.

“
I was so
scared. I never thought we’d live!” she wailed into him.

“
It’s
okay . . . it’s okay.” he purred attempting to calm us. The sound
of a terrible screech echoed around us—my blood froze. “Let’s go.”
Dante released us and eyed the obscure shrubs, the moon light,
filtered a crimson colour due to the solstice which on our world
lasts a whole night every one hundred years. He places his arm
protectively across us with a sword in hand. He walks back forcing
us back into the clearing of the quicksand.

My body
was still covered in mud, now, dry and itchy but I try not to
scratch. The words of my survival instructor flooded my mind, “When
covered in mud, fleas, nectar or sweat. Be vigilant. In your Idol
form you are more at risk catching a disease or a fever, should you
break skin.” I glanced down at my dry hands. They shook and I had
yet to understand why that was, my heart was beating fast. I tried
to remind myself that everything will be alright. I was with Dante;
he would protect me, like he always did. Another twig snapped but
this time from behind and I whipped my head around. There was
nothing there.

“
Dante,”
I said. He didn’t say anything but I knew he was listening. “What
about Galataia?” I asked, I needed to know if she was okay, and I
needed to know that they haven’t taken her. “Is she all right?” I
added the last part, quietly, I glanced up at Dante to see his eyes
were locked on me but he didn’t say anything. “Is she?” I
pressed.

“
Kal,”
Trinity smoothed, she was always the one to calm me down or reason
with me and everyone we know. That’s why she was assigned to the
Diplomatic Division but instead she withdrew and chose the
Artillery Division. I had asked her why that was and she said that
it didn’t feel right her words being, “I maybe good a negotiating
but I don’t want to sit back and watch while my friends are
killed.” I glanced at Trinity and her green eyes were soft. “She’ll
be okay.”

“
How do
you know?” I asked. She just smiled.

“
Because,
she’s a Nindo, everyone that I know of the Nindo Clan are fierce
and strong not because they have to be but because they want to
be.” I nodded. That made sense, Galataia, was my sister, she had
the blood of our father and mother, the two of which who bonded and
passed their power to us while still retaining theirs. Each
generation is always stronger than the previous that’s how our race
has survived all these wars and all these battles, they survived
relying on the next generation to out shine the previous but even
though they may be stronger.

The Elders and
older Nefaliem were always better; experience was always on their
side.

I stop
and glance at the courtyard, there is nothing here, and there is no
one in sight. The empty wooden fenced bordered sparring ring had
not a living soul. At the Order in Midra, the sparring ring always
had people in it because we know with hard work, perseverance and
continuous training will you not just succeed your counter-parts
but will survive the next battle. “I thought you would be here.”
says a familiar voice. I spin around and see another
Nefaliem.

“
Dante?”

I stand
staring at the silver armored, black and blue scaled Knight. He
smiles at me and opens his arms; I smile and run into it. “Miss
me?” he asks and I almost didn’t hear the words.

“
You’re
here, you’re alive.” I whisper into his chest. The silver cloak
reflecting the light of the midday sun forced me to crush my eyes
shut. He pulls me from him and I’m confused. His fingers firmly
wrapped around my arms. He gives me a questionable gaze, his blue
eyes reads humour as his pale lips pull themselves into a
smile.

“
Are you
saying you doubt my strength?” I was taken back, by that remark.
Why would I doubt his strength? He’s one of the strongest warriors
I know, it would be shallow of me not to take notice of his power.
He bubbles in a deep barbaric laugh and I tilt my head to the side.
I wonder at that moment what it was he was laughing at, was it my
confusion or the trap he had set that I aimlessly stumbled into.
“I’m only teasing, Kal.” Kal—that was his nickname for me. He
believed saying my full name was a mouthful and ever since that day
I had met him, he used that single syllable name. Once he started
using it, everyone started using it, he was a well-respected Knight
and everyone knew or looked up to him like me to be strong. So,
that’s how it caught on fast.

“
Dante?”
I question.

“
Yes?” he
asks. I turn my attention to a figure in the background just beside
his shoulder leaning against the far end wall. Dante’s arms were
still around me but this time moved over my shoulder as we turned
around and headed for the gate. My eyes still lingered on the
brunette haired man and I wonder why he continued to stare. I was
too far to take in his features as the shadow cloaked half of his
features but I saw that he showed no expression, his brown hair
stood out in spikes on the side of his head. We stop. “Kal?” asks
Dante. He pulls me from my weird trance and I look up at him
blinking a bit confused.

“
Huh?”

“
What are
you looking at?” he questions in a high tone, almost amusing. I
blink again and turn to where I was staring. The man I saw was
gone.

“
Nothing,” I say, he shakes his head.  
 

“
I’ll
never understand what goes through that head of yours,” he says and
I cross my arms.

“
Of
course you won’t!” I say, confidently.

“
Ouch,”
he teases, “hungry?” I nod. The one thing
I 
love
 about
Dante is; he always know when I need something. I ate raw meat a
while ago so I won’t need it anytime soon but I think he has plans
to just catch up.

“
So what
are we going to do?” I ask, already knowing where this is
headed.

“
Talk,
catch up. You know the usual.” I knew it! He smiles down at me and
I link my arm through his as he leads the way.

The
market place is busy as I remember it to be. There’s nothing odd or
unusual but still I try and keep my guard up. Golgotha will need me
to hand over Varden. I place my cup down on its sourer and glance
at the crowd of people where Dante and I sit beside the window,
Dante’s back is to the crowd while I’m head on facing it. “What do
you think is happening over there?” I ask Dante, not taking my eyes
off the moving crowd of people who appear to be staring at
something not with admiration but with fear as they quickly
stumbled out of the way for soldiers, their uniforms appeared
familiar and my heart jumped in my throat but tried not to show it.
I didn’t need Dante worrying over me.

Not now, not when Varden is safe.
“Or is he?”
 a voice whispers.

“
Don’t
know,” he says before turning back around. I feel his piercing blue
eyes on me in a scrutinizing way; he turns back over his shoulder
and follows my consistent line of gaze. We were too far, they
couldn’t see us and we had enough cover from the trees outside.
They wouldn’t look over here. “We need to leave.” I nod and
stand.

We move
quickly to the doors only to be stopped by an elderly woman, she
smiles up at me and holds out her hand. A beggar she’s a beggar, I
reach down to my coin pouch and pull out two gold coins not caring
what she spends it on, if used wisely that can last her for a good
month and a half. Her cut and bruised features makes my heart ache,
how long has she been living without a home? Doesn’t she have a
family, people who love her? The sound of a recognizable clicking
occurs and I turn to the clatter.

Dante has
unfastened his crossbow and folds it outwards, its silver knifed
sides fan out like deadly wings of a deadly dove. I still have
nightmares of people I’m forced to kill, the battlefield and when I
was held hostage as a prisoner of war. The nights I’ve spent
sleepless can’t add up to the amount of fingers and toes I have
that’s for sure. “We’re too late.” says Dante and a piercing sound
makes its way towards the building, I see something orange, flying
towards us, I grasp the old woman and push her to the side, gently
enough she doesn’t hurt herself.

The table
where a couple sit with their male child scramble as their stall
caught a flame. 
They’re going to try and burn us
alive. 
The wooden
arrow stands unaffected with wooden uniform arrow heads, this is
something I’ve seen before, where the end of the arrow is dipped in
oil, the lower part wrapped in gauze and the flame transfers from
the arrow to the object. I hear Dante curse and screams from behind
me as several men and women run out of the restaurant like a herd
of stomping gazelles. They really do look like a bunch of startled
animals.

“
Is there
a back door?” I ask the owner and he nods his bald head up and
down. He’s frozen as a statue staring at the flaming furniture
which in no time catches fire. I pull off my cloak and extinguish
the flame, one of the many handy things about our cloak. The reason
why it’s silver; the best fire blanket we had they are a thinner
material that is able to withstand higher temperatures while
attempting to keep the host cool but only for fifteen to half an
hour at most. I regard the owner who still hasn’t move. “What are
you waiting for?” I growl as the cries, screams and whimpers of the
customers become too unbearable for my sensitive ears.

They
hurry out of the back door and I turn to Dante, his helmet is
wrapped around his upper part of his head as his faceplate conceals
his fierce blue eyes and two single navy blue stripes on his face,
representing his status as a nobleman, that’s what our marks
represent, our power, our strength and above all our status. I move
a table and flip it up on its edge and side giving me enough cover;
I do the same with the other window on the other side of the door.
Dante releases several arrows after the men and women that had
scurried outside were shot down on sight by the crossbowmen. Their
front line slowly moves towards us, this scene reminds me of the
SWAT back on Earth how oddly discipline these men are.