The Call of Dragons

4

Raiya

Sibilla approached the girl cradling the hatchling in her arms, gently placing a hand on her shoulder, and pulling her away from their internal dialogue.

“Her name is Priyana,” Denali whispered to her, not daring to raise her voice and startle the already yawning hatchling.

Sibilla smiled warmly at the pair. “Hello, Priyana. Welcome to Dragonspire.” Her voice was both gentle and respectful. A rare moment had just occurred in her fortress, her elation and excitement could not be contained. Her eyes drifted towards Shegil. The two shared a look that could only be understood between them before Shegil’s attention was drawn to the other eggs shaking even harder now and Sibilla noted Ralph’s hurried approach.

“Come now,” Sibilla said, helping Denali stand up. “We must clear the area and allow the others to form their Bonds too. I’ll send someone to attend to your cuts and we should bathe and feed Priyana as soon as possible.” She signaled Ralph to lead the girl away.

Denali didn’t respond, completely enraptured with the now sleeping hatchling curled up in her arms. She allowed herself to be led away, listening half-heartedly to the instructions Ralph was giving her on what she should do now that she had Bonded with her dragon.

The other female tributes followed. They had missed the opportunity to Bond with the Queen, and they could either wait with the other tributes to try Bonding with the others in the nest or they could choose to revoke their participation now.

Raiya shifted nervously, unsure of what to do or what was happening next. Were they supposed to just follow them like the other female tributes or wait here for the entire hatching to finish?

“Now, the rest of you don’t move. You must remain here until the hatching is finished. We’ll discuss assignments afterwards,” Sibilla said, approaching them. When she heard their acknowledgement, she hurried over to Shegil, signaling for her to go ahead. Raiya watched the process repeat itself as Shegil breathed fire over the entire clutch of eggs. The tributes that were waiting for their turn had now begun to file out. Raiya could see a few familiar faces from before again, Su-Ya, Ruka, Linh, the blonde twins from the dining hall and the others that had sat with them.

Once Shegil had finished her task, she was called away by Sibilla, forced to abandon the eggs that began to dimple and crack, slits appearing as head, legs, and arms emerged. A dark-blue one had completely burst out of its shell, attempting to stand but promptly collapsing with chirps of distress. Raiya marveled at its abnormal size, the same as a large dog, or even bigger.

Some tributes hung back, taking in the scene warily while a few bravely made their way to the hatchlings emerging. One of the male tributes, Raiya recognized the long, intricately braided red hair from last night, approached the dark blue one chirping in distress, his hand extended palm-up as he was taught. This was to familiarize the hatchling with his scent. The dark blue dragon clumsily got to its legs, stumbling forward before tripping over its dragging wings. It lunged forward for balance and to find some sort of solid purchase. As it landed on the man’s arm, there was a scream of pain as red flowed freely from the tribute’s torn up arm. Like a sharp knife through butter, the talons of the hatchling sliced through his flesh easily, straight to the bone. The scream further distressed the hatchling, fear coursing through it as it was unsure of what was happening. It continued to gouge the man’s arm, trying to push itself away from him. The male tribute wasn’t the only one who was savaged, many other tributes were finding themselves mauled either accidentally or purposefully by the horde of hatchlings. The screams were agonizing to hear, extremely prominent in the silence of the cavern as the crowd watched on silently.

Raiya’s stomach churned. “Oh Geria,” she whispered, feeling nauseous at the display. “How can they allow this to happen to people?”

“It’s never pretty, but it’s necessary,” Marigold agreed grimly, watching the bloodshed with unwavering eyes. “And look.” She pointed at the navy-blue hatchling that had just butchered the red-haired boy and who was now staring into the eyes of Herbert, his twin not far from him near a tiny green dragon. “Those two are forming Bonds.”

Indeed, the pairs didn’t even blink as they stared deeply into each other’s eyes, both wearing looks like that of Denali and the Queen hatchling. Others were also beginning to form their Bonds amidst the carnage and screams. The dark-haired one who always wore a bored expression had just finished Bonding with a sapphire-blue one, his expression softening as the hatchling curled itself around his shoulders.

But it was hard to feel happy or wonder when taking in the entire scene. Amidst the bloodied, broken bodies rose the newly Bonded, the fallen lay unnoticed around them as they were led away by Godrick who had been waiting patiently near the stone entryway. When all twenty-one Bonded pairs were led away, and the ones that could walk had also made their escape, others came in to remove the bodies. Nine had perished and Raiya’s heart sunk as she saw the pink silks ripped to shreds, the tiny body it had been on so shredded that it was simply chunks of meat and bones. She saw the head of Ruka, torn from her body. The headless body bore numerous deep cuts, as if she had picked up a dragon that had frantically sought purchase on her soft skin, leading to the gruesome removal of her head as the dragon had swiped through her neck easily with its talons. Finally, she caught sight of the one she dreaded seeing most. She watched as they picked up the body that bore the remnants of the beautiful blue silks, now shredded into pieces and dyed red. As the body was lifted onto the carrier, their entrails spilled out of their stomach, or what had been their stomach as there was simply a giant hole. Raiya turned away and threw up, the image forever burned into her mind.

When all the bodies were removed, Sibilla approached them. Her face gave little away on how she was feeling as she ignored the gore coating the sands, stepping quickly but carefully over the mess. Raiya knew that if Sibilla saw her like this, she would try to comfort her and she didn’t want that, especially in front of these people. She straightened up quickly, shakily wiping her mouth with the handkerchief Marigold had silently just handed her before turning around. She forced her face to be blank as she hid her trembling hands behind her back.

Sibilla stood there, eying each of them in turn. Her eyes lingering especially on Raiya. She took in the girl’s pale face and wide eyes. She could see the remnants of her breakfast lying in the sand behind her and understood what had occurred. But she could not comfort her, not when she was standing here as Chieftess of Dragonspire Fortress.

“As I’m sure you know,” she began, “you are here because you have been selected or recommended by others to become attendants to the newest flyers. This is an honor and privilege awarded to those who have done amazing work here.”

Raiya exchanged glances with Marigold who simply shrugged and raised an eyebrow in response, staring at her with knowing eyes. Raiya understood immediately what she was implying and felt abashed. She hadn’t asked to be placed here without earning the spot. But Marigold wasn’t the only one who glanced at her, several of the servants had also looked in her direction. She understood why. For her age, what could she have possibly done to deserve to stand here amongst them? Either she must have bribed or relied upon favoritism to earn this position and that did not sit well with many of them. Raiya could safely tell them however that after witnessing everything that occurred, she was quite sure she wouldn’t ever want to have this so-called honor again. Someone else was more than welcome to take her spot.

“Being an attendant is not without risk, however,” Sibilla continued. “Working around and with dragons is both tough and dangerous. You could very well lose your life, as you have seen here before you.” She spread her hands out wide, framing the carnage behind her. Many, including Raiya, swallowed nervously in response. “If you do not wish to take on this risk, you may leave now. None shall mock you for it nor should you feel guilt. Your life is valuable regardless of what others may have you think.” Her gaze swept over Raiya, again, tilting her head slightly in question.

Raiya understood what Sibilla was saying but hesitated. On the one hand, she didn’t want to risk her life and die in such a horrific way like all the others she witnessed today. On the other hand, she’d have an incredible opportunity to learn more about dragons and even hone her gift. While before she might have felt revulsion for trying to actively use it and learn about it, with the information she had received from the boy and the hope that there were indeed others like her, she felt more interested than ever before in her gift. If working around a dragon could help her understand it, should she really pass up on such an opportunity? When else would she be around a dragon so closely after all? But they could easily kill her, just like they did Su-Ya, Ruka, and little Linh. Now she understood that intentionally or otherwise, dragons were deadly to humans.

She glanced around to see if anyone would take up the offer, but no one else seemed interested in leaving. She steeled her nerves and stuck out her chin, holding her head up high. She wouldn’t back out either then. Sibilla acknowledged the unspoken response to her unspoken question and gave the girl a small, encouraging smile. As much as she wanted to protect and shelter the girl, she understood that preventing her from learning and growing, especially when it came to serving the fortress, would only cripple her in the future.

“Chieftess Sibilla?” A male servant had stepped forward slightly, bowing quickly.

“Yes Trenton?”

“I…” Trenton hesitated, glancing between the servants and her before sighing, letting his head hang. “I really don’t think I can do this…” He bowed and remained in that position, waiting for her response.

“I understand. You may leave,” she said simply.

The servant hastily thanked her before exiting the grounds. She looked back at them, her eyebrows raised as if to ask if anyone else would be leaving. No one else stepped forward and she nodded her head.

“Thank you for staying. Note that working in these dangerous positions is not without reward or merit. You will have a yearly income of one hundred gold dracons.” The servants broke into murmurs after hearing this. One hundred gold dracons? Had they heard right? Most standing here were paid a yearly sum of ten to twenty gold dracons. But one hundred? Sibilla continued after giving them a few seconds to understand, “And that’s not all. We will also pay you an additional ten gold dracons, as hazard pay. This will make you the highest paid servants within the fortress. Now, I’m sure you are all curious as to how we will assign you. Only the flyers of Princes and Queens need personal attendants. About four or five will be assigned to them. The rest of you will serve as general dragon caretakers. You’ll be tasked with keeping the barracks clean, helping with the washing of the new hatchlings, and running errands for the flyers. There is more but I will leave it to the General Commander and the Sentinels to explain your newfound duties. But understand this, you are only assisting the flyers. They must also clean the barracks after themselves and take care of their dragons. Should they try to force you to do all the work, let me know. Generally, we like to pair attendants with the same gender. There is more ease and comfort between the two. We have no Prince hatchling, only a Queen this time. Nymerik’s flyer refuses to have attendants too. So, if all male attendants can exit through the doors where the tributes came from— someone will guide you to the barracks to sort out your positions.” The girls watched as the men exited, leaving only a handful of them left. “Now, as for which of you girls will be selected…”

*~*

How unfortunate must she be to end up here. When Sibilla had led them to the bathing pools where the new female flyers were, she had thought that she’d be offered a spot as a caretaker. But Sibilla had given the option to everyone but Marigold and her. Before Raiya could ask Sibilla what was going on, she had turned and instructed them to follow her back to the fortress. They made their way up several flights of stairs, heading to a familiar location. As they stepped out into the corridor, Raiya recognized this as the floor where Denali and the other eastern tributes had stayed. A sinking feeling began to grow in her stomach. She could already guess what was going to happen.

“You two, as I’m sure you might be guessing by now, have been assigned to Dragonlady Denali,” she raised a hand before Raiya could protest, “and I won’t hear you saying otherwise. Serving a Queen flyer is the highest privilege you can afford to have as a servant. My advice to you is that you should do everything to befriend her. It pays to have friends in high places and loyalty is often rewarded.”

Marigold and Raiya exchanged glances before voicing their dutiful acknowledgement. They also noted the change in address regarding Denali now that she was Bonded with a dragon. In the future, they would have to address her as such as a show of respect and acknowledgement. Just as they reached her door, Sibilla hesitated before turning to them. She placed a hand on each of their shoulders, squeezing firmly. While she didn’t dare speak so close to the door, her eyes communicated her obvious expectations and reassurances that all would be well. Then she let them go, turning and swiftly knocking on the door three times. It opened immediately, much to their surprise and there stood another familiar face. Gina warmly greeted everyone, bowing to Sibilla before ushering us in.

“Chieftess Sibilla has arrived,” she announced dutifully. Sibilla entered and the two followed right after though Raiya was staring at Gina pointedly in the hopes of silent communication. She, however, kept her eyes down and refused to meet her attempts. Raiya puffed her cheeks slightly in irritation. Why was she ignoring her? Especially when she was the one who always pulled her aside to gossip! At least have the same courtesy! Unless she was punishing her for ignoring her last night…

As they stepped fully inside, Raiya turned her stare towards Denali who was currently sitting next to the sleeping hatchling. At the sight of the new Queen, her irritation faded away as she stared in awe, mesmerized. Denali had obviously already bathed her. The amniotic fluid that had coated her was completely gone and her golden scales were now shining with a faint glow. A thin membrane covered her eyes as she slept peacefully. Raiya could tell they were red, like rubies, thanks to the dim glow underneath the membrane. Denali herself was busy staring lovingly at her sleeping charge, not even raising her head to acknowledge them. She was stroking the sleeping hatchling’s head softly with a finger, careful not to disturb her sleep.

“How is Priyana?” Sibilla asked gently, capturing the woman’s attention.

“She’s tired after her long day,” Denali replied, a soft smile still gracing her features.

“I’m sure you both must be tired. I’ve brought the last two girls that’ll attend to you. Ashari and I figured it would be best for you to keep the ones who’ve been attending to you since your stay. I know you may have had some problems with them beforehand, but I assure you that they are our most dependable ones.”

Denali’s smile faded away, her eyes narrowing as they alighted upon Raiya’s face. How unfortunate must she be to once again end up here on the receiving end of that lethal glare indeed. For a second, it looked as if Denali would forcibly protest this, throw her newfound weight around as the newest Queen flyer, but she didn’t. Much to everyone’s surprise, she took a deep breath before nodding her head calmly.

Marigold took the initiative in introductions. She stepped forward slightly, bowing. “I’ll reintroduce myself,” she said. “My name is Marigold Rivera and I’m twenty-five years old. I am good at mending, cooking, cleaning, and I’ve been trained as a healer by our very own Chieftess here.” She gestured to Sibilla.

Sibilla smiled approvingly at Marigold before looking at Raiya expectantly as the older girl stepped to the side.

Raiya stifled her groan, begrudgingly stepping forward. “My name is Raiya Marlo,” she introduced herself stiffly, bowing quickly and missing the briefly widened eyes of Denali. “I’m ten years old. I’m good at relaying messages, organizing, cleaning, and researching. I can write and read too.” As she stood up, her eyes caught Eri’s who was standing in the corner meekly. Once again, the impression of a mouse was so strong that she couldn’t help but chuckle, drawing the curious stares of everyone in the room.

Sibilla smiled quickly, beckoning the girls to her. Once all four stood before her, she leaned forward, whispering, “Your duties will be to take care of the needs of both Dragonlady Denali and Priyana. There will be times when you will need to watch the newly hatched Queen as she attends her lessons with Ralph and me. Do your best girls.” She stood up and looked at Denali next saying a bit louder, “Dragonlady Denali, we will start lessons tomorrow. Be prepared.” Afterwards, she left leaving everyone to stand around silently. For Raiya, she felt anxiety as her only shield left her to be prey to the she-snake. What could she do but join the others standing awkwardly awaiting instruction?

But Denali didn’t say anything to them, her gaze drifting back down to the sleeping dragon. Immediately her eyes softened once more, a smile creeping back onto her face. Gina was the one who eventually approached them.

“I guess I’ll update you guys in her stead. We finished bathing Priyana before you arrived. Now we need to clean out the bathing area,” she said before leading them to the curtained off section containing the bath and chamber pot. Eri scurried over quickly to join them, afraid of being left alone with Denali. Even in another room, they could hear Denali crooning softly to her sleeping hatchling. Raiya realized then, as the curtain swung close behind Eri, that this had become her new future. She would no longer take over after Ashari nor would she be able to become a Speaker like she had secretly been entertaining in her head. Her service to Denali had only just begun and she could see no end in sight.