Bastileborn - Dragon Fire Pt. 03

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Thistle's heart was pounding in terror as she ran through the crowded streets of Mauve Pearl Village towards the south field. She ran across the sunlit grass, searching for the distinctive blue flower of the kettle lion weed. She didn't know how the weed could help Gavin's rotting hand, but Plinkon seemed confident it could. She let out a sigh of relief when she found a large patch a few yards away from the archery field. She fell to her knees and began plucking every bud she could find and shoving them in her dress pockets. She could hear the cheers of the crowd as they enjoyed the archery competition. She was startled when the cheers turned to screams of terror. Before she could look up, a large shadow passed over her, blocking out the sun for an instant. She cried out in fear and fell backward in the grass.

Thistle looked up in horror and amazement to see three magnificent dragons circling overhead. They were obviously preparing to land in the meadow beyond the tournament field. The largest one was black as night and the most terrifying of the three creatures. It was a fierce, muscle-bound brute compared to the leaner build of the other dragons. The middle-sized dragon was redder than ivy berries in late fall. He looked extra wild thanks to the spiky scales on his head and tail. The third dragon was white as snow and much smaller. Its smooth body shimmered with pearl-like iridescence in the morning sun.

"By the gods! What are they doing here?" Thistle cried in astonishment as she watched them disappear behind a hill in the meadow.

She rushed to the edge of the archery field to join the crowd of onlookers. They stared in amazement as three cloaked figures emerged from behind the hill, walking towards the village. The tallest figure wore a black cloak and hood as he walked next to a smaller figure in a white cloak and hood. The white figure was obviously female. Behind them marched another male in a bright red cloak and hood.

"Are they the dragons transformed?" Thistle whispered in confusion as she hurried back into the village for a closer look.

No one dared to approach the hooded figures as they calmly walked into the village. The Mauve Pearl Guards looked at them warily, but they had no reason to prevent them from entering the village during the festival. Dragons were no longer enemies of humans. They had just as much right to be there as anyone else. Thistle crept after them through the crowded street. People would move away from the hooded figures as they passed. They had powerful air about them.

"Dragons use magic," Thistle whispered as she nudged a little closer. "I bet they can help Gavin. I need to ask."

Thistle hurried up beside them, preparing to speak, but the smallest figure in the white cloak suddenly staggered. She was going to collapse. Thistle gasped and dived to catch her just as the black hooded figure turned to do the same. They both caught her at the same time.

Sidian looked into the beautiful face of the stranger in surprise. He was flattered that she was trying to help Lacia. He raised a curious eyebrow when he noticed her short ears.

"What... what's wrong with her?" Thistle stammered in fear. "Is she all right? By the gods, she's beautiful," she said in amazement as she admired Lacia's angelic face and golden curls.

"She is exhausted after our flight," Sidian began. "The fatigue hits suddenly a few minutes after landing," he explained as he collected Lacia into his arms, pulling her away from Thistle. "Thank you for trying to help her. She will be fine after some rest. Young maiden, I don't mean to be rude, but what are you? I've never seen ears like yours before."

Thistle pulled her eyes away from Lacia long enough to observe the other hooded figures. Her mouth dropped open as she examined the men. They both had strikingly large eyes and elegant, small featured faces.

"I uh... I'm a half-elf... I'm a half-human too," she stammered in embarrassment.

"And fully adorable," Ragos said with a grin as he slowly stepped around her, looking her up and down.

"Be civil, Ragos," Sidian snapped at his brother.

"I will be perfectly civil, just like I promised. I can't promise I'll be sober. There's a lot of free wine floating around," he said with a smirk.

Sidian let out an annoyed sigh as he glared at Ragos. Drunk Ragos was a menace to society, and he wanted to keep him away from the wine as much as possible.

"This village seems well guarded, brother. I would like for you to fly south and check on the Daylith Mountain Pass for me. If you see anything suspicious, please report back to me immediately," he ordered.

"Seriously, Sid? We just fucking got here!" he protested.

"Fine. Take a small barrel of wine with you for the flight," he growled through his teeth.

"Fine. And you need to take that stick out of your ass," he growled before he sauntered away to find some wine.

Thistle was chewing her lip nervously as she watched the heated exchange. Sidian noticed her discomfort and promptly smiled at her.

"I'm terribly sorry for my brother's attitude. It takes a lot of encouraging words to keep him out of trouble. My name is Sidian. The fair creature in my arms is my fiancee, Lacia. Did you see us flying in?"

"I did. You scared me half to death. I've never seen a dragon before. My name is Thistle. I'm staying with my friends at the Mauve Pearl Royal Inn. You're welcome to bring Lacia to my room and rest if you would like. And I... uh... need to ask something of you. If you don't mind," she stammered with tears appearing in her eyes.

"Of course, Thistle. That's very kind of you. Please, tell me what's wrong?"

"I've read that dragons use magic," she began as a tear escaped her eye and fell down her pale cheek. "My friend Gavin was cursed by an item of destiny. I fear his hand will rot off in a matter of days. He's in agony at the moment. Can you help him?"

"I will certainly try. Please, take me to him."

"Thank you," she breathed as she turned and led Sidian up the street.

Plinkon and Astrum had moved Gavin to the bed after he drank half a handle of whiskey and passed out. They made him as comfortable as possible, letting his left hand hang off the bed so Plinkon could work on it. Wesley was pacing the room as they waited for Thistle to return. He was about to go looking for her when the door opened, and she rushed in with a stranger behind her. Plinkon and Astrum stood in alarm as the hooded figure entered the room, carrying a beautiful, unconscious woman in his arms.

"What's this about? Am I running an infirmary now?" Plinkon asked.

"Sorry for the intrusion," Sidian announced. "Thistle offered a bed for my tired fiancee, and I offered to examine her injured friend," he explained as he carried Lacia over to a bed in the corner and gently laid her down.

"This is Sidian," Thistle began. "He's a dragon."

"A dragon!" everyone announced in unison.

"Yes. A dragon," Sidian said in amusement as he stepped into the middle of the room and pulled his hood back.

Everyone gazed at him in wonder as he looked among their faces. He was surprised by the racial variety in the room.

"I assume this young man needs my help," Sidian said as he walked over to Gavin and gently picked up his hand to examine it. "By the gods. Powerful magic caused this," he whispered as he traced the burning black streaks with his fingers. "May I see what did this to him?" he asked as he looked at Thistle.

"Uh, yes. It was my arrow," she said as she retrieved her quiver and pulled the gold arrow free of the vest.

"Who gave that to you?" Sidian asked in amazement as he walked over to examine it. He reached up to touch it, but she quickly pulled it away.

"Don't touch it, or you'll end up like Gavin," she warned.

"Actually, if you hold it while I touch it, nothing will happen. Trust me," he said with a smile.

Thistle gulped and nodded as she held the arrow out to him. She watched nervously as he reached up and ran his fingers along the golden shaft. Burning blue sparks ignited along the arrow where he touched it.

"Shit," he breathed as he lowered his hand. "I know who did this. It was Cypress. I've felt his magic before. What did he tell you about the arrow?"

"I already told you what I know. The rest is a blur. I can't recall what happened."

"Maybe I can help you see it clearly. May I touch you for a moment, Thistle?"

"Uh... sure," she said with a gulp as she searched his daunting sapphire eyes.

"It won't hurt. I promise," he whispered as he reached up and placed his warm hands on her neck.

She gasped when she saw blue fire ignite in his eyes. Thistle felt a pleasant warmth seep into her mind. It sharpened her thoughts as she gazed at the blue fire. The mysterious stranger she met in the forest suddenly came back to her in full clarity. She had discovered the beautiful man sitting by a campfire in the woods. He was working on the golden arrows. She blushed furiously when she remembered how she earned the right to touch the arrow. Sidian laughed as he divined what she was thinking.

"Yep, that was definitely Cypress," he sighed as he released Thistle and looked at her blushing cheeks. "You earned a blessing from a god, Thistle. You must be someone special."

"If you say so," she mumbled in embarrassment. "So... do you think you can help Gavin?"

"I will try. I suspect the curse cannot be lifted until the arrow fulfills its purpose. Perhaps I can reverse some of the damage," he said as he sat on the edge of the bed. He picked up Gavin's hand and held it between his palms.

Everyone watched in amazement as blue fire ignited in Sidian's eyes and hands, lighting up the room with an intense glow. He forced his healing magic into Gavin's hand, pushing the curse out. He let his fire subside so everyone could see the result.

"Hmm, I can't heal that black speck at the center of his palm. That's where the curse has attached to him. It will simply start rotting his hand again in a few minutes," he said in frustration.

"Can we cut it out?" Plinkon asked as he pulled a small dagger from his boot and handed it to Sidian.

"I doubt it, but it's worth a try," he said as he carefully stabbed Gavin's hand and began cutting the black spot out of his skin.

Suddenly, a white spark shot out of Gavin's palm, knocking the knife out of Sidian's hand. He gasped as it flew by his ear and stabbed into the bedpost behind him.

"That won't work either," Sidian sighed as he glanced at Plinkon. "But it does give me an idea," he whispered as he examined the black spot again.

"What are you thinking?" Thistle asked impatiently.

"The curse can be managed with magic. I can easily shrink it back to the black dot, but I can't stay with you and constantly heal him. Urgent things are happening in Bastileborn. We'll be leaving in a day or so. Perhaps I can imbue healing magic into some dense stones and use them to trap the curse. That could buy him a few weeks. I'll wake him and explain my plan," he said as he placed his hand on Gavin's forehead and summoned more blue fire. "Damn, that's a lot of whiskey," he said with a smile as he burned it out of Gavin's system.

"He was in a lot of pain," Wesley said with a shrug.

Suddenly, Gavin gasped, and his eyes flew open. Then he looked at Sidian with his brow furrowed.

"Who the fuck are you? What the fuck just happened?" he groaned as he cradled his cursed hand again. It was still shooting pain up his arm.

Sidian explained himself and his plan to trap the curse. Gavin listened and nodded nervously.

"Yikes, well... jamming magic dragon gems into my hand is way better than having it rot off," he sighed as he pushed himself into a sitting position.

At that point, Lacia stirred and moaned softly, completely distracting Sidian.

"Ah, little flame, perfect timing," he said as he stood and walked over to her and sat on the edge of her bed.

Thistle watched as Sidian gently touched Lacia's cheek and coaxed her eyes to his. They smiled at each other so affectionately it made Thistle smile too.

"How do you feel after your magnificent first flight?" he whispered as he gently ran his fingers into her golden curls.

"Tired, but good. Where are we?" Lacia asked as he helped her sit up.

"Lacia?" Gavin gasped when he finally saw her face. She looked up at him in surprise.

"Gavin?" she said in equal confusion.

"You two know each other?" Thistle asked.

"We're cousins," they said in unison.

"Wow, you're cousins with a dragon?" Thistle asked as she looked at Gavin in astonishment.

"What? Of course not."

"Uh, actually... you are," Lacia said with a smile.

Gavin looked at her with his brow furrowed after that.

"I missed something big, didn't I?"

"Indeed," Sidian said with a smile. "Lacia is a hybrid. A lot like your friend Thistle here. She is half-dragon and half-human. The dragon king is her true father, not Luradon."

Gavin's mouth dropped open as he stared at Lacia in astonishment.

"By the gods... this week just keeps escalating."

"And that's an understatement," Sidian sighed. "We have some terrible news for Luria and Carus. Gavin, if you're cousins with Lacia, then I assume you're a prince of Luria."

"I am. I'm the prince of Talfane."

"And I'm the prince of Carus," Wesley announced as he stared at Sidian with his brow furrowed. "What bad news do you have for us?" he demanded.

Sidian looked at Wesley in astonishment for a moment. Then he looked at Plinkon.

"Are you a prince of Icebard?" he asked.

Plinkon burst into laughter after that.

"No, I'm a former slave. I'm here to babysit the royalty in the room."

"And you?" Sidian asked as he looked at Astrum.

"I'm a royal guard, moonlighting as a royal chaperon," he said as he tilted his head towards Wesley.

"Interesting... what about you then?" Sidian asked as he looked at Thistle.

"She's the most interesting person in our group," Gavin said with a smile.

Thistle looked at him and frowned. She didn't like being considered special.

"She," Gavin continued, "like Lacia, is a princess of two races. King Gregory is her father, and Queen Ellora is her mother. Wesley is her half brother."

"Amazing," Sidian breathed. "Every dominant race of Bastileborn, except for the delphians, is currently represented in this room. I wish I knew what Cypress has in store for us," he sighed as he walked back to Gavin to see the progress of the rot. It was spreading across his palm like a little black flower.

"Please, Sidian, what news are you referring to?" Wesley pressed.

"King Brimsly of Daylith is planning to march north with a massive army. He intends to attack Carus."

The entirety of the room gasped at the horrible revelation.

"That's why we're here," Sidian continued. "I sent my brother to spy on the Daylith Mountain Pass this morning. We'll know for sure before the week is out when the army will reach Carus. We are flying there next to warn Queen Ellora and King Fumarus. I'm confident the elves can resist the invasion long enough for help to arrive from Talfane and Luria."

"We have to tell my father immediately!" Gavin declared as he stood and started for the door, but he stumbled after two steps. Moving sent agonizing pain shooting up his arm. Astrum grabbed him to keep him from falling. "Shit..." Gavin whimpered with tears streaming down his face. Astrum quickly hauled him back to the bed. "Thanks, beanpole," he whispered as he lay on his side. He was clutching his wrist to keep his hand from moving.

"You need to rest until I treat you," Sidian said as he summoned his fire and let it flow through Gavin's hand again.

"Sure thing, not gonna move. Thanks, dragon," he whispered in relief as he closed his eyes and enjoyed the healing heat. "We need to get moving, though. Don't let me hold you back when Carus is at stake," he said as he looked into Sidian's burning eyes.

"We can spare a day or two," he assured him. "It takes time to move an entire army through the Daylith Mountain Pass, and Talfane is plenty close enough to assist Carus. I must confront the kings and queens of Luria soon. But, in the meantime, I fear Duke Arum would be angry if I let his son's hand rot off. I want to stay on good terms with the humans," he said with a thoughtful smile.

"Thank you, Sidian," Gavin whispered in relief.

"How can we help, master dragon?" Plinkon asked. "I heard mention of needing dense gems. That's one of my many specialties."

"Please, master dwarf, call me Sidian."

"Aye, call me Plinkon."

"Well then, Plinkon, do you know where I can find a rather large delphian star gem?"

"Damn, you would request the most rare and expensive gem in the realm," he sighed as he scratched his beard in thought.

"A delphian star holds dragon magic unlike any other gem in the realm. A really pure gem could possibly contain the curse for months at a time, but the trick is finding one. The next best gem would be a blue zoisite. Also extremely rare, but easier to find among humans."

"I'm sure I could find ya a blue zoisite, but I don't think I could afford it."

"I have other rare gems you can use as payment," Sidian said as he pulled a pouch of precious stones out of his pocket and tossed it to Plinkon. "I also need one ingot of gold and one ingot of palladium to make a gem cradle."

"Oh boy," Plinkon sighed. "Now we know it costs an arm and a leg to save a hand. I'm on it. I should be back in less than an hour," he announced before he left the room.

"How long will the zoisite give me?" Gavin asked Sidian.

"I'm guessing three weeks. After that, the gems will need infused with healing magic again. If you can find a sizable delphian star gem, I can make you a better cradle."

"Let me guess, the best place to find that gem is in the Blue Delph Forest?"

"Exactly. A dark elf could probably find one for you."

"By the gods... I'm going to lose my hand," Gavin sighed, shaking his head.

Thistle promised Gavin she would accompany him into the Blue Delph Forest to help him find a delphian star gem. Wesley wanted to go too, but he couldn't. He was pacing the room, planning to return to Carus. He wanted to warn his father and mother of Brimsly's intent to invade.

"You will be safer here, young prince," Sidian said as he watched him pace. "I can reach Carus in less than a day if I fly on the upper winds. I can warn them after I speak to the Lurian kings."

"I do not plan on hiding while my kingdom is under attack," Wesley grumbled.

"But if you can't actually do anything to help its defense, there is no point in throwing yourself into the fight. Daylith fights dirty. Brimsly can enslave the royalty of Carus just like he enslaved the royalty of Lacustrine," Sidian said very seriously.

"What?" Gavin gasped. "Irena and Tabitha are slaves in Daylith? What the fuck did I miss while I was a slave in Carus?" he demanded as he looked at Wesley for answers.

Wesley looked at him in surprise for a moment.

"I'm sorry, Gavin. I thought you knew Lacustrine City fell to Brimsly. King Tobias was murdered by his brother Fritmon. He rules the Swaying Valley under Brimsly's direction now."

"Why is Brimsly doing this to our beautiful continent?" Gavin demanded.

"He sees it as his greatest challenge in life," Sidian said as he took Gavin's hand and began healing it again. "He is infatuated with war. He conquered the southern end of the continent. I wonder what darkness corrupted his heart. The Brimsly I met during the Blood Accord is not the man he is today."

Gavin, Wesley, and Astrum were staring at Sidian with wide eyes after he finished speaking.

"Sidian," Gavin began as he studied his face for a moment. "How old are you? You don't look old enough to remember the Blood Accord."

"Oh, I confused you, didn't I? I'm one hundred and fifteen years old."