Fell Dragon
Greetings Readers!
I hope you have all had a wonderful start to your week. I for one am thrilled because I have finally managed to sign off on the book which was completed more than a week ago. Finally, I can get paid!
I haven't had much time to write as I want, which is making the final ramp-up to the end of Fell Dragon a pain to get done. But until you get to that point, please enjoy this chapter.
Barik had noticed the tension between Kiai and Saita immediately in the weeks that followed. Neither woman spoke to the other, rather making use of either Barik or Aidan to give messages to the other. Yet, as much as Barik wanted to help he was a wise man that knew better than to get involved in arguing with two women. Instead, he watched.
Saita had taken to training more with their troop and even brought Aidan with her to see where his power lay but the boy seemed to only want to watch his mother. Barik watched her train and only joined in when she invited him to, and he was astounded by the way she was developing the wide array of abilities she had picked up from others. Especially the forcefield ability she had picked up from Edzeeker. Not only was it able to deflect any attack that came at her, but she was also able to wrap it around others if she was trying to subdue. A strategic mind was starting to blossom from the silent and angry woman.
Sometimes Kiai would watch but it was never for long because it only took one look from Saita to cause her to leave. Barik had always known that getting in bed with Edzeeker was a mistake but at least the boy was safe and away from the one that had created both him and his mother. Barik put a hand on his son’s head and the other on Aidan’s as they watched Saita push herself in her training.
“She would make quite a Royal Guard.” chuckled Barik. “Wouldn’t be a bad idea to have another woman in their group.”
“Who are the Royal Guard, Uncle?” asked Aidan.
“Hmm? They are a soldier’s group on my home planet. They are meant to protect those that sit upon the throne.”
“Like the kings and queens.”
“Yes, we currently have two ruling families. Almost like the humans but the King and Queen are related by blood.”
“Am I royalty? I hear people referring to my mother as a princess.”
“That remains to be seen after all of this is done. Urgh, I have been putting this off for too long.” Barik called out to Saita. “I need to have a chat with you.”
Saita looked confused for a moment as if coming out of a battle trance before she nodded her head and jogged towards him. She leapt up onto the railing and was partially hanging over it to pet the top of her son’s head before looking at Barik and simply saying. “What?”
“Your father’s troops arrive tonight.” he simply said.
“So, I am stuck inside until the hospital is built?” she grumbled.
“It’s that or go home.” reminded Barik.
“Don’t tempt me,” said Saita sarcastically as she looked away from him.
“Look, I know what it is like to have your movement restricted, but this is what you signed up for, so you need to toe the line and please, toe the line.”
Saita rolled her eyes and muttered. “Fine.”
She then smiled at Aidan. “Want to go for a run before we get locked in?”
Barik knew that he was not going to deter her, but he also knew with her absolute hate of the marks on her skin she would be covered from head to foot to prevent them from being seen. He wasn’t going to argue with her. Instead, he said this. “Keep it to no more than an hour. He is still a boy and needs time to build his stamina before he can keep up with your crazy amount of stamina.”
“We have permission, Aidan.” Saita laughed. “So? Coming?”
The boy nodded his head and scrambled over the railings to go with his mother.
Kiai was shocked when Karesh stepped from the spacecraft with his soldiers. She had not expected him at all. He approached her with a few of his generals and simply said. “We need to talk.”
She could feel the colour drain from her face but directed him and those with him to the barracks that had been completed. She ordered a servant to bring food, but Karesh stopped her and simply said. “I will not stay long enough to enjoy the meal. No, this is a quick chat about some unsettling things I have heard.”
Karesh dismissed his generals to move the soldiers into the barracks and then said. “And you, Doran can go have a look around to see what you need to.”
“Yes, Your Majesty.” said the tired-looking soldier.
In fact, both men looked exhausted. Kiai had no idea what was going on, but Karesh looked rather perturbed, and he sat down heavily before bringing the flats of his hands to his eyes while resting his elbows on the table. He then sighed and said. “Edzeeker was here.”
Kiai had known trying to suppress that rumour would have been difficult despite closing the building site as quickly as she had. She just prayed that was all he had heard.
“He was,” she confirmed.
“Do you know why?”
“I can only assume he was looking for Saita.”
“But why here?”
“You have made no secret about this being a new human colony, perhaps he thought that…”
“No, it’s more than that. It is known that Saita is on the planet with her mother, so why would he come here? No, he is trying to prevent me from doing what I must.” Karesh lowered his hands and tried to see what kind of reaction he could get from Kiai. “When last did you see Saita?”
“Not since she left the hospital,” she said truthfully, though she didn’t state which hospital.
“We haven’t spoken since we yelled at each other.” he chuckled. “Pig-headed, just like her father. If only she would listen to me, she would realise that this is necessary. The Saith are protecting the Kai from me, and I will go through them to get what I need.”
“Karesh I…”
“I brought more labourers for the construction of the hospital. Some of them are not so...bilingual shall we say.”
It didn’t take long for Kiai to grasp his meaning. “You brought slaves to this planet?!”
“Prisoners of war. They will be treated with dignity, but they will not be free to eat into my resources. If they want to be fed, they need to work, and where better than here since I have brought soldiers.”
“This was never part of our deal Karesh. I only agreed to help you with the building of the hospital if I could remain impartial to the war. I want no part of forced labour!”
“Then you dig a hole, and my soldiers line them up. The choice is yours.” Karesh leaned back in his chair and crossed his arms.
“Are you punishing me?”
“Edzeeker has a kill on sight order on his head. He isn’t dead but rather escaped. What do you think?”
“I am no warrior…”
“Which is why I sent these to help you. Edzeeker is here for a reason, and I will not have him stop me from achieving my goals. Once Saita sees I am doing this for her she can start the training she was meant to receive before all this started. The boy is too young to rule, but she will do well in the position until he is ready.”
“Karesh I…”
“No more talk. I wouldn’t mind a tour of the hospital grounds before we leave. Come on.”
Doran was meant to be on the lookout for anything that rang true in the rumours that had been spread in Edzeeker’s wake. Saita was here but no one knew why. A few months ago, Myla had been here, and she had been very concerned, but now she was home and refused to talk about why she had come here. She also refused to let Saita talk to Karesh, citing that she no longer wanted the two of them to fight.
The soldier made his way around the various structures and noted nothing. He didn’t know what he was even supposed to be looking for. Saita was not stupid. If she was here with some motive, she would not be stupid enough to be out in the open. Would she? He missed her dearly. He had spent years looking for her and was now being told that he wasn’t allowed home to see her, or his family was tearing him up inside. He just wanted his friend to see the light and go home.
He was so far in his despair he was startled when he saw a child running ahead of him. He stopped, blinked a few times to make sure that he was in fact seeing a child and was even more startled when it came running up to him. The child was dressed in a tracksuit of blue, but his t-shirt was green, and he was barefoot. He was sweaty and panting, but he stopped with a grin as he looked up at the man before him.
“Hi,” he said.
Doran looked at the blue eyes and the red hair for a moment before it dawned on him. He went to his knees and gripped the boy’s face to look at it from all angles hoping he was wrong, but the jawline was there. Doran released the boy and then became aware that someone was standing behind him. He dared not turn because he did not have to want to lie if he was ever questioned about this.
“I’m sorry, Saita.” He said softly while looking at the boy. “I am so very, very sorry.”
“No need for it. He wasn’t born of my body.” came the voice behind him. “Fertilized egg harvest is the closest thing we can guess to how he came to be.”
“He has your eyes.” Doran reached for the boy’s face once more. “I don’t mean the colour but the shape. That was the first thing I noticed about you when you were a child.”
Aidan seemed a little confused by the attention, but his mother had a wide smile on her face, so he allowed this stranger to manhandle him a little more.
“Nice to meet you, Aidan. My name is Doran.” said the soldier with a half-smile.
“You know who I am?” he seemed surprised.
“I would recognise you even if I were half blind.” he allowed his arms to fall to his side before he said. “What are you doing here?”
Aidan was about to answer but instead closed his mouth when his mother held her arm up. “Do you really want the answer to that?”
“I don’t think I do.”
“What are you doing here?”
“Looking for you. Your father suspects that you are here because Edzeeker was here. I see now why Edzeeker was here.” Doran sat and crossed his legs. “Your mother has constructed a rather elaborate rouge that your father is buying, for now, but there are rumours that state that you are no longer under your mother’s wing.”
“I am not a child. I do not need to be under anyone’s wing.”
“You lost four years of your life, and I am looking at a son that should not exist!” snapped Doran. “You should be under the care of every psychologist on your mother’s planet. For you to be here leads me to believe that you have found something more important than your own well-being.”
Saita remained silent, but her smile was slowly disappearing. “There are things more important than a single life. You are a soldier, you understand this.”
“Saita, you cannot cross your father. He will kill you!”
“He cannot wage war against a people that live on warfare. What did Father do to anger the Saith?”
Doran sighed and said. “He attacked a colony and killed the Queen’s brother. The only reason she hasn’t issued a challenge to him directly is that her advisors reminded her that our numbers are greater.”
“He will see all humans destroyed if he continues like this. Can you not make him stop?”
“I can no longer make him do anything,” whispered Doran. “He must be stopped.”
Saita remained silent for a while and said. “You cannot get in the way.”
“What?”
“When the time comes, don’t get in the way.”
Doran sighed heavily before saying. “Those who don’t obey die Saita. Don’t get in the way.”
He closed his eyes for a while before saying. “Don’t make me have to stand up to what you are planning.”
There was nothing else said so he opened his eyes and found the child gone. He spun but saw nothing. Leaving him wondering if the entire conversation had even happened. Yet, behind him, there was a single apple, likely meant as a snack, but now was a warning. One he could not heed.
“I am sorry Saita, but it would seem we are destined to face off against each other,” he mumbled as he picked up the apple and got to his feet.
He made his way to where the ship was docked and found Kiai and Karesh waiting. Karesh had a smile, but Kiai looked pale. She got a look of fear on her face when she noticed the apple in his hands.
“A snack someone gave me.” he bit into it before anything could be said.
“So?” asked Karesh.
“I did not see Saita anywhere,” he said honestly.
“Very well, you were telling the truth, Kiai. Continue the work on this planet, and you will get to continue your impartialness.” Karesh indicated that Doran should board the ship. “Make use of those I have brought you, or get rid of them. I don’t care which, either way, it will be on your head.”
Yes, Karesh has completely lost the plot. Don't worry though, he brings with him someone very important. Which is why I'm off to write another introduction chapter! See you all soon!
For those of you just joining us, please note that this is the follow on book from Fell Dragon. Follow this link to read it
Fell Dragon Book 1
As the series continues, it will combine with another book series I wrote. To avoid confusion about what is happening, introductory chapters will be introduced separately so that you don't have to be lost. However, these chapters will contain spoilers. You can find these chapters here:
Races Explained
Banishment
Royal Guard
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Haven't read the other parts yet? Follow these handy links:
Part 22>>You are Here>>Part 24