Amáne of Teravinea - The Chosen One (The Teravinea Series Book 1) (16 page)

I had known him all my life and we had already greeted each other so I wondered why she thought she needed to introduce us.

“It’s time for you to know his true name. He was formerly known as Ruiter, rider of the late Unule.”

I think Gallen anticipated my reaction. He ducked just in time to avoid the spray of tea that spewed from my mouth. I jumped up sputtering and coughing, but managed to give Dorjan a decent salute. As soon as he acknowledged it, I ran into the kitchen for a cloth to clean up my embarrassing mess.

Gallen burst out laughing. “Healer, do you think the next time you have alarming news to tell her, you could at least refrain from telling her at meal times?”

We all laughed.

“Thank you, Gallen. I’ll try to keep that in mind.” The Healer continued, “Amáne, you should be able to handle the rest of what I have to say without losing your food, or your knife, or anything else.” She made sure I was using open thought transference so Eshshah would be included in our conversations.

“First, you have to understand you have never known a world with dragons.” She looked at me, “The last one died two years before you were born —”

“That was Torin and his rider, Nara, I know the song. She was my favorite of all the riders.” I interrupted.

She paused, nodded and then went on, “But before then, our recorded history always included dragons. Never was there a period of time when dragons and riders weren’t seen in the skies. Until this usurper — this Galtero,” she spat out the name, “stole the throne by treachery — dragons and riders were a part of who we were.”

The Healer began to discuss what had been her mission for the last twenty or twenty-five years. She had been a member of the court of Teravinea as Healer, close confidant and advisor to King Emeric Drekinn, whose dynasty had ruled Teravinea for the last several hundred years. During times of war and strife more dragons and riders were linked, but in times of peace there were less. While the Drekinns ruled, the kingdom saw relative peace. There were still skirmishes, a few significant battles and border disputes, but generally speaking Teravinea had been in a period of peace for a long time. But even in times of peace, dragons still hatched and chose riders.

“There is a chamber in Castle Teravinea,” the Healer explained, “that houses dragon eggs laid by mating pairs duty-bound to the kingdom. A Hatching Gathering is held every year where dragon rider candidates are paraded past the dragon eggs in hopes they would be chosen as a rider. This has been the custom since our history began, so Galtero continues the tradition. But his hatching festival is a ruse. Since he has taken the throne there have been no linkings — none. For several years before King Emeric joined his ancestors, less and less eggs hatched, less riders chosen. Many ‘accidents’ occurred that ended the lives of the kingdom’s dragons and more than half of the riders.”

The Healer told us about her suspicions that Galtero was to blame for the failure of the dragons to hatch. It was her belief he wanted to guarantee there would be no one strong enough to resist him when he killed King Emeric and took his throne. His sorcerers and wise men surely were behind some dark enchantment of the dragon eggs, prohibiting them from choosing riders and hatching. The Healer shared her fears with King Emeric. Just before they could prove their theory, the royal living apartments of Castle Teravinea were destroyed in an explosion and fire, killing the royal family.

Her life abruptly changed. The Healer dedicated herself to avenging the murder of the Drekinn royal family. Instrumental in her cause, she had to solve the mystery of what evil had been perpetrated upon the dragon eggs. The solution would be necessary to save Teravinea.

Fervently, the Healer spoke of her concerns, “Our kingdom is deteriorating as Galtero sucks the life out of Teravinea. He cares only for power and riches, and does not concern himself with the people who represent the heart of our once-bountiful kingdom. With the dragons and riders we had a cohesiveness throughout the land — we had well-informed citizens. Linked pairs played an important role in communication. They could travel quickly from one end of Teravinea to another, keeping us united. This is what set us apart from other kingdoms. That, and the fact that the dragons and riders were a formidable foe to any who would desire to conquer us. Now we have nothing that would deter invaders, and our kingdom is divided. Galtero would sell us out for a price.”

“How can we find out what sorcery is keeping the dragon eggs from hatching?” I asked.

“The answer to that brings us to the crux of our mission. That is, if you and Eshshah will join us.”

“Of course, Healer. Eshshah and I would be honored to be a part of your plan. Whatever it takes to get our kingdom back to its former position — to defeat Galtero and stop his attack on our dragon eggs.”

“Thank you Amáne and Eshshah. Our plan is to procure an egg from the hatching chamber and bring it here. It must be an egg from the royal dragon line — Eshshah’s line. Only she could determine the lineage. I’ll need to discover what trickery is being used and develop an antidote. If I can do that, we hope the following hatching festival will result in some linkings. This will certainly alert Galtero as to the decline of his power and will assist us in taking our kingdom back. It is the necessary first step.”

“I can’t think of a greater honor than being a part of taking the throne from Galtero. I’m curious, though, who will rule in his place?” I asked.

“That’s something only the future can determine, and we will unfold it to you when we feel it’s necessary.”

She changed the subject. “In the absence of dragons, Gallen created an ingenious communication device to stay in contact with the other dragon riders throughout the kingdom.”

I had no idea there were riders in other parts of Teravinea. Before I could ask, Gallen motioned me to the back corner of the Healer’s library. He directed my attention to an apparatus that hung on the wall — a thick glass disc, about two hands-width in diameter mounted on an ornate wooden background. It was framed by two pewter dragons perched on either side of the wood. Behind the glass was an inlay of three dragon scales in a triangular formation. Below the glass disc was a brass knob. I had seen the same device
in the corner of the library chamber at the outpost, but I thought it was a piece of art, and not a functional object.

The Healer indicated, “It is only operable by dragon riders. Gallen would you please instruct Amáne in its use?”

Gallen began, “Due to the decline of dragons and riders, our communication suffered greatly, which, of course, was the intention of Galtero. If we couldn’t communicate with other parts of the kingdom, we couldn’t gather important information on his doings — nor assemble an army to defeat him. We needed a method where we could still stay in contact with each other, so I designed this communication disc. It allows us to stay abreast of Galtero’s dealings. There are twenty-six of us dragon riders left. You make twenty-seven.” My eyes went wide with that revelation.

Gallen continued, “We’ve posted a rider in most of the significant townships, and each has one of these devices. There’s also a disc at every outpost. In case you were wondering why Dorjan and I are both here in Dorsal, it’s because of a foretelling that an unhatched egg existed here as well as a likely candidate.” He looked at me and nodded in my direction.

“We obviously were not as vigilant as we should have been, otherwise, you two would not have been in the dangerous situation of being alone when you linked.”

Eshshah and I acknowledged his regret, but assured him that it was meant to be. We held no one to blame.

“This instrument contains the scales of my dragon, Gyan — his name means ‘knowledge.’” He took a deep breath. I shuddered at the horror of losing a dragon.

“As you know, Amáne, a dragon’s scales exhibit the characteristics of their dragon. Therefore ‘knowledge’ would be a significant result of communication. These discs have played an
important part toward our cause. They’ve kept us informed of the goings on around the kingdom.

“Here’s how it operates. You place your hand on this knob, and say or whisper ‘Gyan,’ and then the name of the rider who is manning that particular communication device. It must be his true dragon rider name. We will contact Kei, rider of the late Okeanos. Kei is currently known as Farvard. He is in Tramoren, which is in north-central Teravinea. You try it. Farvard is waiting to hear from us.”

Things were moving so quickly. I tried to grasp the reality of standing in this room with two dragon riders who included me as their equal. I, Amáne, daughter of Catriona, a fifteen-year-old girl, found myself in a world that had heretofore only been legendary to me. Very nervous, I approached the device. It was hung at a height more suited to these taller men, so Gallen brought me a stool to stand on. I placed my right hand on the brass knob and whispered, “Gyan,” and then, “Kei.” The disc lit up and shimmered the colors in a prism, which then became muted as a man’s image formed in the glass. I startled and immediately withdrew my hand. The image instantly disappeared.

“Keep your hand on the knob, Amáne. Try it again. No need to be frightened.”

I repeated my actions and the image transformed again into a visual of Farvard. It was almost like peering into a looking glass, but with someone else’s face looking back. He was a handsome man with dark hair and a greying beard.

“Greetings, Amáne, and my salutations to your dragon, Eshshah,” Farvard said as he saluted, at which I nodded and then forgetting myself, I saluted back with the hand I had on the brass knob. Farvard’s image disappeared once again.

“Sorry,” Gallen said. “I should have instructed you to use your left hand on the knob. One more time, Amáne.”

I got Farvard back in the disc again and gave him a proper greeting. His eyes twinkled in amusement. “She’s younger than you led me to believe, Gallen. And you neglected to mention her beauty. Welcome, Amáne, I hope you will join us.”

I blushed, assured him Eshshah and I could be counted on, then listened while they discussed the state of affairs in the kingdom. They shared their opinions of what needed to be done to set in motion a plan for obtaining an egg for the Healer. I had nothing to add, but struggled to follow the conversation, overwhelmed by it all.

The meeting came to an end and I released my hand from the device, after which I fell into the nearest chair before my knees buckled from under me. Farvard was the third dragon rider I’d met in so short a period of time. I was now fully aware of the fact these dedicated men were working with the Healer to save the kingdom — and had been doing so since before I was born, when Galtero first became a threat. They were bound by duty even with the loss of their dragons — making the ultimate sacrifice for their land and what they believed in. I had to take a deep breath as it came to mind that now Eshshah and I were a part of this movement. I could feel their excitement as they realized their vigilance had not been in vain. They now had hope because of our linking. The honor of being their hope pressed upon me.

Dorjan interrupted my thoughts, “I sure wish we could have had some of these communication discs when I worked under King Rikkar. It would have saved us a few trips. He had us jumping all over the kingdom.”

“King Rikkar?” I was astonished. “That was King Emeric’s father. It’s been more than fifty years since he’s rested with his
ancestors, and you don’t look any older than forty-something. How can that be?”

The Healer, Gallen and Dorjan all laughed at my incredulity.

“You have perhaps forgotten the songs?” Dorjan asked. “Dragon riders do not age at the same rate as normal humans. It’ll be interesting to track your lifespan as you’re the youngest rider in our history. The reality of a long life is both wonderful and yet can be quite tragic. You have to watch your loved ones age and meet their ancestors while you’re left behind — your destiny not yet fulfilled. I still miss my wife of 100 years ago and have finally just remarried.”

I reminded myself it was his baby to whom the Healer had me bring the herbs when my mother was ill.

Gallen nodded and added slowly, “That’s the most painful part of being a rider. We crave companionship like anyone else — we are human. But knowing that unless we’re killed in a battle or a quest, we will be left alone. I’ve also watched a wife pass to her ancestors.”

The elation of being a part of this exclusive band of riders quickly plummeted as the air about me shifted — the sorrow, which was thick in the room, caused my heart to beat in pain.

“Then I shall never fall in love, nor shall I ever marry.” I declared to them. This would be my vow.

Gallen responded, “That’s not the best solution, Amáne. You may finally succeed in controlling your temper, but trying to control your heart — you would be fighting a losing battle. I would keep an open mind if I were you.”

Dorjan added, “Wait a while before you take that vow. You’re too young to realize what you’re saying.”

Neither rider convinced me to retract my statement.

The rest of the afternoon was spent going over everything the Healer could find in her library on Castle Teravinea. Regardless of the plan we would come up with, ultimately, I would be required to know the castle thoroughly. She had some floorplans that I poured over with Dorjan, who knew the castle layout better than most. He had an informant that fed him inside information and kept him current about new construction or any changes. He made the corrections on the large map we had spread out on the table.

The City of Teravinea is located in the central eastern point of our kingdom. Beginning with its vineyards and olive groves that spread through the beautiful lush valley, it then rises to rocky heights. Finally dropping in sheer vertical cliffs to the heavy seas below. It is upon these impenetrable cliffs the castle was built. Surrounded on almost three sides by the sea, it remains a forbidding fortress.

Dorjan pointed out the location of the Castle Outpost. “Its entry is built into the cliffs. The outpost connects to a series of corridors that join it to the castle — if you know the path. It has long-since been abandoned, but it might prove to be useful for our quest.”