The Clutch of Sharys: Chapter Twenty-Eight

Chapter 28-Mind the Lantern Tower

In its desperation for its children to be at peace, Sharys created a great seal out of its own sacred Eye, burning it into the blood of both dragon and human for all generations to come.

A battle raged that night, deep within the dream that kept Cara in slumber until the morning of the next day. From above the clouds, she watched a battle rage in front of her, wild and violent as a feast of starving creatures ripping into whatever they could find. Stretching from one end of the horizon to the other, no matter how far Cara turned her head, was an inky black stain of charred carnage.

Both rubble and the ruin of many bodies stained the dark swipe across the land, and the heavens were filled with fiery carnage that rained down to the earth below. Shrieking wildly, dragons and riders clawed against one another, sharp teeth ripping scaled throat from body, claws leaving gaping gouges in bodies and armor alike. A rider was pierced through the eye with a spear, toppling backward and flopping around with meaty thuds in their saddle as their dragon flew on. 

Several more riders were caught in a blue-white burst of flame to Cara’s left as a man in white armor drove a great ruby beast over the battlefield, a smaller dragon nearby flying the flag of Netis. Cara looked on in horror as flesh melted like great chunks of butter off the riders in the blaze, the blackened gelatinous masses filling the air with the smell of charred meat. Screams of rage and cries of pain warred against each other in a duet of chaos, the difference in savagery between dragon and rider urged for the sake of conquest. 

As Cara looked at everything happening, she knew that somewhere deep inside her, the very core of her being, she was screaming with shock and disgust at the sights in front of her. Outwardly though, she couldn't stir herself out of a mask of calm indifference as she moved through the air, carving a path towards the ground. Flying there was a regiment of purple-clad Servants, the flag of the church flying at their lead and emblazoned on their shields.  

The screams of the fallen calling out for their mothers and fathers, lovers and friends, gods and enemies all filled the sky, twisting into a constant cacophony that filled Cara's ears. She couldn't change things soon enough, couldn't catch every fallen body from the sky, and the end that was left was her body, alone in the darkness, unable to even produce its own light. 

Cara's eyes snapped open, and she spent a few moments looking up at the ceiling of the windowsill, trying to recall the dream she had just experienced. The tang of blood and flesh hovered in her nose, and as she sat upright, Cara could have sworn that she heard someone call out for her. She furrowed her brow, lazily stroking her dragon's head as the images from her dreams slipped further away the more she tried to grasp them. 

The dream had felt real in the way that some dreams did, where the details and sensations were more acute to memory than many memories that Cara could recall.  Rippling purple in her mind, Cara vaguely called, seeing the church's flag and rushing towards them, but she had been trying to protect them from something, an unseen enemy or force trying to destroy them. 

Not that any of the dream even made sense in the first place because dragons couldn't harm or fight humans without becoming faded, so what she had seen was impossible in the first place. Shardcombat was the only place that saw dragons fighting one another, and the grace of Sharys pulled any participant to the Hold before life-ending or dismembering damage could befall them. So if she wasn't seeing something that was happening now… then what had she seen? Something from the past?

Cara shook her head again as the faint memory of a call tickled her ears, forcing her to sit up and listen closely. After a few minutes of silence, Cara relaxed and scratched her dragon between her shining horns, deciding that now was as good a time as any to get up. She was in the middle of pulling her shirt over her head when she heard her name again, definitively coming from the direction of the window. 

She had barely leaned forward, palm against the thick, unnaturally warm glass that insulated the library window when a turquoise blur sped across the sky, shooting past her window. 

"-aaaarrrrraaaaaaAAA!" A voice screeched as it hurtled past. 

Cara heard the last part of her name, and her heart leapt as one final, blossoming hope for escape bloomed in her chest. Shoving her jumper and shoes on, Cara tucked her dragon under one arm and fairly flew down the ladder, bolting out of the hall at the fastest speed should manage. 

Dashing through the entrance hall, she quickly skirted a napping Lysander, the green dragon curled up in a patch of late morning sun and not even raising its head at the skittering movement. As Cara dashed out onto the sun pad, flaming curls flying behind her head, she frantically waved towards the teal creature turning another loop through the sky. 

Atop its back was a rider dressed entirely in black leather armor and wielding a war hammer that sang out for blood as its wielder impatiently swiped at the air while she flew. Dark black hair was braided back into a ponytail high atop a narrow, intense face whose owner turned it back and forth, searching the area. Upon spotting Cara, the rider's eyes narrowed, and she shifted her stance atop her dragon’s back, leaning forward as the creature dove towards the stony ground. 

Skidding to a halt, Cara had to move several steps to the left as the dragon swooped through the courtyard, its rider leaping from its back. Seconds later, they emerged from the shadow of one of the small lantern towers that lined the edge of the yard and the landing area, smashing through the stone in a burst of steel and darkness. Cara rushed up to the hammer-wielding rider, unbundling the cloak she had grabbed from the Library and shaking it out so she could wear it. 

Spotting her approach, the rider sheathed her weapon on her back, rushing forward and enveloping her in a warm hug, which Cara gratefully sank into. "Bree!" Cara said, her voice muffled as she hugged back, squeezing her arms as tight as she could while her friend rocked her back and forth for a second before letting Cara go and holding her at arm's length.

"Blast and ruin, you had me scared." Bree said, eyes flicking all over Cara. Cara noticed that her eyes hovered on a bruise she had given herself earlier by tripping over her own feet while trying to open the tower door. Shifting the collar of her jumper, Cara covered up the evidence of her collarbone, trying to open up the doorknob. 

"We need to go." Cara said, trying to convey the urgency of their situation with her voice. "Before the Princess sees you're here, we need to go. To Cebrene. To Keti. To Ataran, I don’t care." She lightly shoved Bree's leather-clad arms, walking towards the dragon that was touching down on the stone a small distance behind them. 

"I-what do you-ok fine, wait." Bree dug her heels in, looking at Cara with a puzzled expression. 

"I thought you were in trouble with the Crown and needed help?" 

The Countess looked down at Cara and then up behind her twice more before Cara realized what the motion meant. Freezing in her tracks, Cara looked up at Bree, slowly turning to see what she was looking at. Slowly, elegantly striding her way down the middle of the courtyard, Ahnn smoothly in her shadow and a slow smile curling her lips, Petra walked towards Cara and Bree with her arms spread wide. 

"Countess Bree! I'm so pleased you could make it!" The Princess called out, long legs swiftly carrying her to their proximity. Cara glanced between the two of them, trying to figure out what was going on. Why was Petra greeting Bree? What had Bree meant earlier? Was Bree working with them? She took a step back and behind Bree's cloaked back and towards her dragon, tugging her friend with her only to have Bree pull her back in. 

"Thank you for the letters, your highness." Bree replied, deeply nodding to Petra. "I came as soon as time allowed." Waving the comment away with her hand, the princess turned and swept an arm towards Ahnn. "My lady-in-waiting, Lady Ahnn." Ahnn gave a quick curt in greeting, gaze immediately zeroing in on Cara with sharp focus, her emotionless eyes conveying that she knew precisely what Cara had attempted to do. 

A loud scrape sounded from behind them, and when she glanced back over her shoulder, Cara could see Stuk, Bree's smaller Ataran dragon, had set down a trunk before landing and was now happily head-butting it towards them. "Wait." Bree's voice drew Cara's eyes back towards her and Petra. "Before anything else, tell me what is happening here. My friend is in distress, yet you seem calm. Any fool could tell things are afoot."  

Ignoring her, Petra noticed the rather large piece of rock by her foot and looked over to the ruined lantern tower nearby. "What happened to my bridge?" She asked, looking over at Bree and Cara.

"It was in my way." Bree replied, shrugging her shoulders. "I moved it." The Countess looked back at Cara, an old, familiar mischievous twinkle in her berry blue eyes. 

"Lady Bree. I suppose stepping to the side was out of the question?" Ahnn asked, her voice monotone. Bree gave her an odd look but didn't respond. 

"No matter. Let's go inside and get acquainted." Petra offered, sweeping off for the doors. Cara sighed, knowing she would just get nagged if she stayed behind, and fell in beside Bree as they trudged up to the castle. 

"Cara?" Bree's low, honey-smooth voice asked, concern tinging the way she addressed her friend. 

"It's hard to fully explain right now, but she took me from the capital by knifepoint and has kept me against my will since." 

Bree's pretty face momentarily drew wide with shock before her black, heavy eyebrows drew back together in thought. "We'll have to see what she has to say then." Bree murmured, looking down as she nearly tripped over the little dragon at her feet. 

"Shoo, or I'll have you for dinner." The Countess reprimanded, lightly jumping over the silver scaled dragonling. 

She shot Cara a quick grin to let her know she spoke in jest before talking again, voice earnest. "It's a beautiful dragon, Cara. You're looking healthy too, all things considered." 

Opening and closing her mouth, Cara waved her hand back and forth a few times, not wanting to get deep into conversation about private things within Ahnn's earshot. "More importantly," Cara whispered, "How are you here?" 

Bree blinked at her, glancing up towards the direction of the castle doors and Petra's back. "I got a letter from the Princess saying you were in dire danger and in need of immediate help, in addition to the name of your location. Since her name was signed, we just looked up Aspas holdings on some maps of the area." 

Cara raised an eyebrow, wiggling it up and down. "How is ‘we’ by the way? I saw your match against Keti. Lovely work, really." 

Bree chuckled in response, "We are… surviving, but I'm glad you saw the match. You'll have to tell me how mad your sister was later." She playfully clapped Cara on the shoulder as they walked through the palace door, but a sharp snap quickly caught their attention. "Move aside please, I've asked Lysander to help bring your things in." Petra called, waving her hand towards the wall.

"Oh, that's no issue." Bree said, reaching a hand into the shadows of the giant doors to the hall. 

She pulled once, and the darkness bubbled and yanked the chest out, black oaken wood studded with brightly polished steel and locked. "There we go." Bree said nonchalantly, dropping the heavy trunk and dusting her hands off. There was a brief pause before Petra recovered, the Princess's pale green eyes flicking back and forth for a moment. 

"The Countess lives up to her reputation of power and spontaneity." Petra commented with a quick smile, looking up towards the enormous dragon nearby. "Never mind then, Lysander." The Princess said, "Though thank you for effort.” The emerald beast snorted once, lumbering around in a circle before resuming its nap in the sun's warmth. 

"Your Highness. Lady Cheska will be waiting with some drinks in the dining tower." Ahnn said, leaning in slightly further as she murmured something else to Petra while they led the way. 

A moment after they began following, Bree leaned into Cara and whispered her own words. "Who's the boring responsible one again?" She asked, flicking her eyes ahead. "Lady in waiting and perceived moral compass." Cara quickly shot back, eliciting a low snort from Bree. 

Cara's lips twitched into an easy smile as they made their way through the passage to the tower. She felt better, having Bree here, some degree of familiarity and comfort relieving the fear of facing the unknown alone. If nothing else, she knew Bree would always be on her side, and she knew the Countess would allow little to harm her friends. 

As if sensing the trust Cara sent her way, Bree shot her a reassuring smile before they stepped into the dining tower, where Cheska was placing a dusty bottle with a yellow wrapped seal that had been retrieved from somewhere. Seeing the quizzical look on Cara's face as they gathered around the table, Petra quickly stepped up to elucidate. "Ah, this was found up in my new rooms. A private wine collection, possibly." 

Cara slowly nodded, stepping to the side so Bree could make her way into the tower as well, the leather of her armor creaking as she came to a stop.

“Your Highness. That yellow ribbon pressed near the seal means it's a mead, not wine." Ahnn explained, sounding as though this was not the first time she had said this. 

"It matters not. We'll need someone to try it and make sure it's not awful." 

Cheska spoke first, shooting Petra an excited grin. "I'll do it." 

The Princess turned her head slightly, shooting an amused glance at the Farcan. "You have no taste buds, Cheska, but it's a kind offer." 

Mischievously, Petra's eyes slid their way towards Cara, a small smile on her face. "It'll have to be you then, my dear." She said, gesturing for Ahnn to open a bottle. 

"I'm not interested." Cara replied, waving her hands in peace. 

"It's just a mead. Quite sweet, or is intended to be, at least." Petra's words were undercut by the dull thud of a hammer being dropped on the table, dark steel head causing most of the noise.

Looking up at the group through her intensely blue eyes and long, dark lashes, Bree pleasantly said, "Cara doesn't drink. Hates the taste." The Countess slid her cloak off and sat down, the leather of her artfully made armor protesting in squeaks with the movement. “Let’s leave the drinking for later then, shall we?”

Shooting her a grateful smile, Cara claimed the seat next to Bree's, walking along the edge of the recessed bench before sliding down. Moments after, Cheska slid in beside her, warm shoulder momentarily pressing into Cara's before she settled in. Cara frozen the second their bodies made contact, unsure of what to do or how to act or if she should lean away and give the monk some room. All that resulted was a stuttered apology from her flushed face as she shifted slightly, allowing for some distance between her and the unbothered Farcan. 

Bree watched the small exchange between Cara and the Farcan with a curious look on her face, eyes darting between them once before she turned around and began fiddling with something at her waist. Seconds later, a squeaking began, and a little blur raced up Bree's arm and across her shoulder, pausing suddenly and slowly looking around. Near her feet, Cara felt her dragon suddenly stiffen to attention at the introduction of a rat, grey in fur and pink in the nose, sniffing the air as its eyes slowly scanned those assembled, eyes an inky black. 

Whenever the rodent exhaled, tiny wisps of darkness leaked from its nose, expanding outwards slightly before curling back and clinging to the rat's coat like a mist on the water. Bree crossed her arms and leaned back, the rodent staying perfectly still on her shoulder, and no further explanation offered as she waited for someone to speak.

"Well, then." Petra said, glancing several times at the rat, clearly not a fan. 

"So I'm to understand you brought my Cara here against her will." Bree replied, completely derailing whatever course of conversation that Petra had just planned. 

"Unfortunately, things were tense in the capital after the declaration. I acted out of necessity to protect my life and claim." Petra spoke simply, eliciting a nod of understanding from Bree. Cara looked over at her in confusion, having been expecting a more aggressive response. 

"Did you not-" Bree caught Cara's look and glanced over towards Petra and Ahnn before looking back towards Cara. "Didn't you hear what happened in Cebrene the night that the heirs gathered?" Cara shook her head, glancing over at Cheska, who looked just as lost as she did. Tilting her head slightly, Bree took it in stride, a slight look of disapproval being shot towards the other side of the table as she slightly turned to address Cara. 

"There was some sort of disagreement at the deliberation ending in one of the Kalatis heirs getting stabbed through the throat by the one Manlis girl, the violent one." Bree paused, searching for the name.

"Irena." Ahnn supplied flatly, and Bree snapped her fingers in acknowledgement. "That's the one. Anyway, it's caused something of a rift at court with the King's childhood love calling for vengeance and his current mistress demanding he protect her children." 

"Lady Bree. A minor war might be a more pertinent way of putting it. Both Manlis and Kalatis are demanding justice and forcing those there to take sides in the succession earlier than they normally would." 

“War is the way to put it. Your King's barely holding things together, and one of the Kastae boys was poisoned to death last week." 

"Lady Bree. House Manlis claimed that kill too." Ahnn said, looking towards Petra, whose face was set in a mask of rigid, unfeeling stone. 

"They're playing dirty, that's for sure." Cheska said, letting out a low whistle. 

"That's why these reigns with large amounts of heirs are usually decided by a Garner." Cara said, wrapping her arms around herself. She felt cold, despite their proximity to the kitchens and her own to other people. Below the table, her dragon began scrabbling her way up to the bench she sat on, lavender eyes still entirely transfixed on the rat that the Countess had produced.

"Or you could just have a reasonable system where the throne passes to the eldest firstborn child." Bree said, shrugging her shoulders. "Works fine for us."

"How do you even know all that anyway?" Cara interrupted, looking over at the dark-eyed girl. Ahnn simply cocked one of her short eyebrows in reply, refusing to acknowledge her question. 

"Her family are notorious information brokers." Bree said, reaching up to scratch the unnaturally still rodent on the shoulder. "I've made a few purchases myself over the years. Her father is quite polite." Ahnn shot a disapproving look across the table but said nothing, leaving Bree another opening.

"I'm surprised Kitisal would openly back a candidate this soon." The Countess innocently remarked, eyes flicking up and down where the Princess and her Lady sat. "That is what this is, I'm assuming?" 

"Your Highness?" Ahnn asked, waiting for Petra's nod before continuing, turning to face them. “Lady Bree, in response to your question, yes, the nation of Kitisal is officially supporting Princess Petra's claim to the throne." 

The dramatic effect of her words was somewhat ruined by Cara’s dragon, who had pounced at the rat with snapping jaws, inciting a small war of her own as the rodent screeched its disapproval at the attack, and Bree threatened to have baby dragon steaks for her next meal.