Legon Awakening: Book One in the Legon Series (43 page)

She knelt down to a bag and took another one out and
gave it to Sasha, and again it looked the same.

“What is it?” Legon asked.

“Let’s test you first; then I will try and explain.”
Iselin looked confused and worried. Legon took it and it lit up
bright. She smiled and looked close at it.

“Class five biologic or healing, as most humans say,
with the potential to ascend. Once again, no surprise, though the
biologic is rare.”

“What? I’m going to be a dragon?” Legon said.

“No, I said ‘the potential to ascend.’ The whole
dragon thing is up to life. It’s like when you changed into an
Elf—it may or may not happen depending on how good you get with
magic and how strong the spells are you use.” She turned back to
Sasha. “But you, dear, you’re the confusing one.”

“Why am I confusing? It lit up like it did for Arkin.
Doesn’t that mean I’m a two?” Sasha asked.

Iselin answered, “You’re a two, but the thing is that
no one under a class four has a minor, as they are called. No one
in
history
under a four has had one. They don’t have a
natural tendency to any of the forms of magic, be it Elemental,
Biological or Energent. Legon here is a biological, which isn’t a
shock considering what he has done with all of you, and I am an
Energent.”

“I don’t get it,” Sasha said.

Iselin paused and spoke as if she didn’t entirely
believe what she was saying. “You are a class two elemental. You
have a minor.”

“
We plot and scheme, putting all our energy into a
task, doing our best to ensure our foe’s demise. However, in the
end we always create our greatest adversary. What is it that makes
us do such a thing? We never do it intentionally; perhaps this is
what keeps the world in balance…”

Legon woke up wrapped in silky sheets that felt
incredible. He thought back on their first night here two weeks
ago. After they had met up with the girls and Sasha found out that
she was “special,” as Iselin had put it, they went to the dining
hall where he was introduced to more people than he had ever met at
one time—all Elves just as attractive as Iselin and Mantic. Well,
maybe not as attractive as Iselin.

The food had been incredible as well, and he was
amazed to find out that the Elves had figured out how to get plants
to grow meat-like fruit. When he heard this he was hesitant to try
it; he was a butcher, after all. He knew meat. Still, he wasn’t
able to find anything wrong with it. Not the chicken, beef, pork,
or any of the other “meats” that he tried. The others had contented
themselves with one portion of food, but apparently his enlarged
appetite had nothing to do with being Elven. They ate the same
amounts as humans did. Iselin said that the human men in the area
would sometimes have eating contests, and that he could be the
first Elf to join. He said that he might just do that. Looking back
on it now, he wasn’t sure if she had meant it as a compliment.

During dinner Mantic had come in and said that he had
been ratified and was now the head of a great Elven house, a
thought that made even his hunger go away. Iselin showed them many
of the dome’s marvels, including an area where you could swim
indoors, and a small pool of heated water that you just sat in,
soaking. It felt wonderful.

They hadn’t been able to figure out why Sasha had a
minor, but to him magic was still new enough that it didn’t affect
him. Iselin got along great with all of them despite Sasha’s
constant attempts to set them up together. They had also met the
dragon that was in charge of the military here. His name was Sydin.
He was also loyal to house Evindass, making Legon his commander.
Still, he wouldn’t be questioning Sydin any time soon.

all of the Elven dragons that they’d seen were
bright, vibrant colors, most assigned here in part because of that.
The Elves wanted humanity to see a brighter, nicer side to the
dragon, but Sydin was here because house Evindass was currently in
charge of this dome.

Dragons and warriors from all over the Elven Empire
were here, but the great houses took turns being in charge of a
dome. The Elven government worked as a cohesive unit and Legon
wasn’t sure what was meant by being in charge.

His thoughts drifted back to Sydin, who was not
brightly colored but was soot black, though soot didn’t glitter and
have a slight glow about it. Sydin was also a class seven and over
six thousand years old, but Legon didn’t see him that way. He was
friendly and fiercely loyal to his house and respected the fact
that Legon needed to be raised outside of the Elven Empire. He had
insisted on hearing about his and Sasha’s lives in detail. He was
proud of Legon and insisted that if he had known the extent of
Sasha’s hardship he would have flown on Salmont and burned it to
the ground. This had taken them both off guard. Elves were normally
reserved and didn’t just make hasty and unwise decisions, but they
could tell there was more to this declaration than what they could
see. Neither could figure out why Sydin would have been willing to
risk his life to save Sasha from being ostracized.

Legon pushed these thoughts from his mind. Today was
going to be… different. Today their old friend Barnin would be
returning to the Precipice. He hadn’t seen Barnin in close to a
year and a half, and he wondered what kind of greeting he would
get. Would Barnin be mad at Legon for getting Kovos killed?

He got up and walked in to the shower. This was his
favorite of the Elven inventions. He ran his hand along the ridge,
turning the water on, and then placed his hand in the spot that
made the water right below scalding. He breathed in deeply. When he
was done he got dressed and walked into the living space. Keither
was sitting on one of the couches reading a book. Dragon domes
didn’t have too much in the way of libraries but they still had one
bigger than in Salmont, so Keither had taken to reading everything
that he could get his hands on.

“Morning. What are you reading?” Legon asked.

“Hey. It’s a history of the Mahann,” Keither
responded.

“That sounds fascinating at this time of the
morning.”

“Oh, it is! I’m reading about…”

Legon stopped him. “I was being sarcastic.”

“Fine, suit yourself.” Keither put down the book at
looked at Legon. “I’m nervous about seeing Barnin again. Why do you
think that is?”

“There’s a lot that we have to explain—both him and
us. But I feel apprehensive too. We’re walking into the unknown on
this one.”

Legon opened the constant connection that Sasha and
he had, asking if she and Sara were ready for them to come by. “The
girls are ready. Let’s get breakfast and see what happens.”

Barnin was a close friend, and surely he had been
filled in on what Legon meant to the Elves and the resistance. The
question was going to be how he would receive the news that Legon
had let Kovos die. Sydin told them that Barnin had moved up quickly
in the ranks, mostly due to Arkin’s training, and now he commanded
a unit for the cavalry. He was stationed right on the border with
the Empire, but Legon wasn’t thinking of it as the Empire so much
anymore, but instead as the Iumenta occupied territory. Barnin was
bringing two communications from Parkas, Hoelaria’s chief warlord;
one for the humans in the area and another for the Elves. This was
commonplace, Legon was told, as the humans and Elves were two
different countries.

there was a lot of tradition between the two powers
of the Elves and Iumenta. Many of these originated before the time
of the War of Generations but some came about after. It was a fine
line both sides walked to avoid open war. It appeared that
statecraft was a game of wit, not might. Both sides had been
plotting for millennia after the war that had claimed seventy
percent of the life in Airmelia.

Iselin joined them for breakfast but Arkin didn’t. He
was no longer in charge of them, and as a result was being given
different tasks, most of these assigned by Sydin. Iselin could see
that they were all tense.

“You have nothing to fear. Barnin is your friend and
supports house Evindass. He knows who you are, Legon. How could he
not?”

“What house do you give your loyalty to?” Sara
asked.

Iselin paused at the question. “Not every Elf claims
allegiance to a great house. Many may support a Great House or a
Lesser House, but many are independent in a sense.”

“Are you independent?” Sara pressed; she was
genuinely curious.

“Sydin and I are loyal to House Evindass. That is why
I am your guide while you are here. If I weren’t loyal to Evindass
then Sydin would be your guide.”

“How many of my house are here?” Legon asked.

“Two dragons, Sydin and myself, and then 500 units.
The other ten dragons are from several houses and a few
independents. The same goes for the other 3,500 troops here.”

“There are 4,000 in this dome?” Keither said with
amazement.

“Yes there are,” Iselin said.

There wasn’t much talking after that, and Legon
contented himself with his eggs.

* * * * *

Barnin rode up to the Precipice with the two
communications in his bag. This wasn’t the first time that Parkas
had sent something, but it was never good. Tradition dictated that
they send a message to Elves and humans before a major invasion. In
that message there would be terms for surrender and so on. He was
feeling uneasy for another reason as well. Rumor held that the
Everser Vald, who he knew to be Legon, had reached the dragon dome.
When Arkin had helped him leave Salmont and the Iumenta occupied
territory, he had told Barnin what Legon might be. Arkin had given
him a message for the resistance as well.

What would his friends think of him now that he was
an accomplished warrior and had moved quickly up the ranks? He
reached down, stroking the neck of his black mare Poison. The dome
was in sight now and he felt better. It was going to be good to
catch up with Legon and Kovos. He wanted to talk to Sasha as well.
When he left he had found himself feeling concerned for her. At
first he thought it was from years of protecting her, but he knew
better now. Magic affected people’s minds. A Venefica could nudge
you in one direction or another; this was how the Iumenta stayed in
control. Dragons infected areas with little notions and beliefs,
and even if you didn’t buy in at first, over generations people
were slowly swayed to one form of thinking. This was used in battle
as well. Dragons helped those who were under them keep their morale
high and, more important, helped how you felt after a battle.

The Iumenta disliked people like Sasha. They
influenced people to avoid those with handicaps, thus keeping these
people from having kids and tainting their workforce. It was
disgusting, but many had to leave the Cona Empire to avoid going
into the care. The city of Manton was an excellent example; it had
the most people who had fled persecution.

Manton had been an eye opening experience. He had
heard of blind and deaf people before but he had never seen one.
Those people couldn’t find work in the Empire, so they were
homeless and often taken into the care, never to be seen again. The
thing that got him the most was all the kids in Manton. Families
that had kids with problems were forced to leave. The Iumenta had
been sowing beliefs for decades that people with mental problems
were evil. He’d felt these feelings. They were subtle, but they
were definitely there. He had felt them about Sasha when he lived
back home. Even though she was kind, he knew she was possessed.
Those feelings had assaulted him his whole life like fiery little
darts, but not anymore.

He handed the message for the humans to the man next
to him, telling him to make sure it got to Enrich. Then he started
to ride up the side of the dome. When he got to the top, Legon,
Sasha, Keither, Arkin, and two Elves were there, as well as Sara.
But where was Kovos? Had he been injured? He got off Poison and
approached them. How did Sara end up with them?

“Hey,” Legon said, giving him an awkward half hug and
half handshake.

“How was your trip?” Barnin asked.

“Hard. How have you been?” Legon asked.

“I’m fine. Where is Kovos?”

Legon and the others looked down.

“He didn’t make it,” Keither said.

Barnin felt a pit in his gut. ‘He didn’t make it.’ He
had lost friends in war before; this wasn’t new to him. But this
was unexpected. Keither launched into how it happened. It sounded
like it wasn’t really Keither talking, just the form of Keither
relaying a message. As Keither went on he felt himself feeling
proud of all of his friends. All had shown incredible bravery and
fortitude.

“And that’s how it happened,” Keither ended.

“It was a good death. He died a hero. For that we
should not sulk. Please, I want to hear the rest of your story,”
Barnin said, trying not to sound upset.

“You don’t blame us?” Sasha asked.

Did he blame them? He felt anger rise from inside
him. “No, how could I? The filth drove you from Salmont. It was
they who pursued you. It is they who are to blame. They will pay,
don’t you worry about that.” His fists where clenched. They would
pay, and not just for Kovos but for everyone they enslaved and
killed.

“Yes, they will,” Legon said, looking at him. Barnin
believed him. Legon told the rest of their story, leaving nothing
out. His fist tightened again when he heard about what they were
planning on doing to Sasha and what had been done to Sara. The
Elves would be irate. They viewed Sasha as one of their own, the
lady of a great house. And the Iumenta were stupid to try and kill
the heir of house Evindass. There would be blood for sure. He
abruptly remembered what he was there to do. They could catch up
later.