The Dragon Knight Order (15 page)

Departure

“Is that a saddle on your back, Zetzu?”

“Yes. Did you think I would hold you in my jaw until we reached the capital?”

“No, I just didn’t figure I would be riding on a saddle on the back of a dragon.”

“It’s the safest way to travel. It has a belt for you to strap yourself in. Although in the future, you shall fly without the belt and be able to move freely on his back during flying. You will take those classes when we aren’t pressed for time. All you will have to do is listen to what Zetzu has to say. Is that understood?” asked Shadow.

“Yes it is.”

“Well, saddle up”

After I had buckled myself in and Master had jumped off into the sky, Zetzu turned his head to face me and said, “Hold on as tightly as you can.” And with that he jumped up into the sky. The force he used to push his massive body off the ground was tremendous and I almost slammed into his back, but once he unfolded his wings it was magical. You could see the whole world from up there.  It was a majestic view; the clouds, the blue sky, the forest, the lake and the academy. All while the bluish grey dragon soared through the sky.

Half way into our trip Master equaled our speed and projected his voice through my shadow.

“While we fly towards the capital, I should warn you.  You are about to be dragged into a world of warfare. “

“What do you mean, Master?”

“A world of political warfare,” he continued ignoring my question. “Inside this world everyone will try to take advantage of you but you mustn’t let them. You are now the head of the most influential and wealthiest House that is a part of the Empire. Your actions alone could in theory overthrow the emperor.”

“How can the House of Time hold so much influence if there hasn’t been a head for the last sixteen years?”

“While most humans answer to the emperor, those who belong to the Dragon Knight Order are bound to obey their dragon masters. In all other matters unrelated to the Order, they are to follow the 12 Houses orders.  For example, any matter that doesn’t directly affect the Order, say a diplomatic mission to the Dwarven Empire is regarded as a matter of the Houses or any internal human struggle. Meanwhile, a military intervention of the dwarf’s empire would fall under the responsibility of the Order.  It’s a way to balance power between the Houses and the Order.”

“How is it that the Houses are not in control of the Order if they are mostly made up of Knights or are they a part of the Order?”

“No, they are not. Their power was limited, for if they could control the Dragon Knights they would be able to dictate the way the Imperial army operates and in essence be able to run the Empire regardless of what the emperor said. It’s simple really; the emperor controls the people and economy. We control the army as the commanders and the Houses control the relations and keep the emperor in check assuring he does not abuse his power.”

“And with the return of the House of Time most of the emperor’s influence on the army should be stripped. As the House of Time has always acted as the leader of the other eleven Houses,” commented Zetzu.

“Sounds complicated,” I said trying to comprehend the scope of my new role.

“Indeed it is. So long as you do not tie yourself down with promises, you should have no problems as the new head. But remember, in the Imperial court, no one is your friend not even the other Houses. You must always keep in mind the interests of the Order,” said Master.

I wouldn’t say it out loud, but what if the Order wasn’t in the best interest of the rest of the Empire? While it was true of the value of the Dragon Knight Order in the past was of grave importance to the survival of the empire, its value had been diminished by the deaths of its members and the few new recruits joining the ranks. Maybe it was time to dismiss the Order. It was in my power to do so.

And as if reading my mind, Master said, “But never forget Alex, while we are few in numbers, we are the only ones that can stand on equal ground against the Irkanian threat. Just remember Lester was brushed aside as if he were nothing but you, a Knight, were able to hold your ground and defeat all but one of your attackers.”

Between his chuckles Zetzu managed to say, “And part of the academy too, I had never seen the chairman so upset even when he was a general.”

“The chairman was a general? I wasn’t aware of that,” I commented.

“Yes, long ago he was the commander of the imperial border guard,” said Zetzu.

“Perhaps one of the most dangerous and influential positions in the Empire. Do you understand why, Alex?” asked Master

“I would assume it’s because of the responsibility it entitles. The border guards have the largest garrison and the largest territory to watch over, should it fall the Empire would be seriously pressed to defend itself. Also, being the commander of the largest portion of the army would make you a political power and a target for anyone seeking more power as well as a target for the Irkanians.”

“It seems like you are catching on to the political aspect of the Empire’s inner workings. You will prove to be an excellent leader of the Twelve Noble Houses.”

Zetzu snorted at the comment. Next came the endless stream of codes of conducts and what I should do and shouldn’t do in the presence of other Nobles, the emperor and people of high importance to the Empire. This lasted the rest of the trip to the capital’s outer borders which is where the House of Time’s estate was located; my family’s house. But the one rule that keep me amused for the entire trip was the whenever you spoke to someone the person of higher status should talk first and since I was supposed to be the Head of the Time House I was of higher status then the Emperor.

I Return Home

It wasn’t what I had expected. While it was a large mansion, it wasn’t as massive as I had read in the textbooks at the orphanage. It was surrounded by a large garden with a lake around the back, but aside from that it could have belonged to a general or a minister.

“Surprised?” asked Zetzu.

“Yeah, I had expected a much larger house but it just seems a bit regular for a mansion.”

“The outside of the house might not be as impressive as the other Noble houses, but the rest of the estate is by far the most elegant.”

“All I see are the garden areas and the lake.”

“All your eyes can see from up here belongs to the House of Time’s estate.”

“Everything? The mountains in the distance and the forest too?”

“Everything,” repeated Zetzu amused.

“That’s a lot.”

“Indeed it is,” said Master Shadow slowing to our speed. “The House of Time has always had a love for the land and it is also where most drago-human treaties and meetings take place. A large area is needed to accommodate a large number of dragons.”

“But it’s massive; the Dragon Hold isn’t even a fraction of this place and it’s designed to house dragons too,” I said in awe.

“To be exact the Dragon Hold is approximately fifty times smaller than your estate,” stated Master.

My estate. I still wasn’t used to the idea of being a Noble and their leader at that. The other Houses were not going to accept a boy as their leader, but Master seemed to think otherwise. As we landed, thirteen people appeared in front of us forming a sort of honor guard. An older looking man stood in front of the main door into the mansion. I unbuckled myself and jumped off Zetzu, feeling my legs a bit sore after the short trip.

“Walk in front of us,” whispered Zetzu having shape shifted into human form.

“But isn’t that a disrespect to both of you? You’re still both lords,” I whispered back.

“You are also a lord now and it is customary that the lord of the house walks in front of his guests,” said Master Shadow, while giving me a gentle push.

I started to walk and the servants followed closely behind. They stole glances at me, but otherwise kept their faces plain and straight. Most seemed young, perhaps late twenties. Once I had reached the older looking man, it was clear he was in charge of the rest. His clothing was fancier and his hands didn’t seem to have seen much manual labor.

“Uhm,” he cleared his throat breaking my train of thought. “I welcome you to the House of Time’s estate Alexander Laiks. I have worked for your family for the last eight decades and it will be an honor to keep doing so for as long as I am needed. Allow me to welcome you home, sire,” said the man as he gently bowed.

“Kerm is good enough for me. Laiks might have been my mother’s name but I grew up with Kerm.”

“I see, my apologies, sire,” said the man.

“And what might I call you?” I asked, remembering one of the brand new ethics I learned on my way here. Never acknowledge an apology from a servant or person below you unless you are expected to do so.

“They call me David,” he replied.

“David, a fair name that is. Will you show us in then, David,” I said.

“Certainly. We have maintained the estate in perfect condition for the last 16 years awaiting the return of its owner.”

When I walked in, I had to keep my jaw from dropping open. It was the most stunning thing I had seen in my whole life, words escaped me and even if I had them it was hard to describe what I was seeing.  There was a waterfall in the dead center of the mansion. It seemed like a fountain since there was no wall behind it, but the water was flowing from the top down just like a waterfall. Where the water came from was beyond me, but I would assume it was from magic just like the fountain in the Sky Dome.  It was just incredible to see. Behind it was a large terrace that could easily accommodate two dragons and seemed to be infused with the outside garden. It was like the wood growing into the stonewall of the Academy.

“Amazing don’t you think, sire?”

“Indeed it is.”

“Sire, if you don’t mind me saying, shouldn’t you change that Dragon Knight uniform to the one with the Time emblem?”

“I don’t know, should I?” I asked turning to face the uncharacteristically quiet pair of dragons.

“You should,” they both said at once.

“Follow me to your room, sire.”

I did as he asked and was surprised to find both Zetzu and Master heading off to the terrace instead of following me.

“It is uncommon for dragons to enter the dormitories of Nobles, sire,” said David picking up on my reaction.

“I see,” I answered. But truth be told, it was just as interesting to me as the other million and one mysteries surrounding dragons, the Order and the world as a whole.

“He we are, sire,” he said stopping and opening a door decorated with a painting of a golden dragon.

It was just as amazing as the terrace. A large balcony was at one end and opposite that was a giant bed with a large skylight over it. The walls were decorated with large paintings of different people, but one caught my attention, a painting of two identical looking women.  Blonde, with green eyes and beautiful faces; they were the only twins in painting in the room; one of them was probably my mother and something that really surprised is she looked like the woman from my dream in the snow. Maybe it had not be a dream, but instead a memory.

I sat there for a long time staring at the painting, in awe of the beauty of the woman that had given birth to me. It was my first time seeing her face and it brought tears to my eyes regardless of it being a painting…. If only she was alive. I looked down to wipe the tears from my face when I noticed standing in a corner of the room a uniform identical to mine except for the golden tip and a different emblem. I looked at the emblem. It wasn’t like Eric or Lester’s, it was more dragon in nature. The dragon had been moved and was now sitting on an hourglass. The two swords had been replaced by a different kind of sword, which I did not recognize and they stood parallel to the hourglass, one on each side.

We were on a tight schedule so I dressed quickly and went back down to the terrace area of the mansion.

“I am ready,” I said walking outside to the newly appeared dragons.

“You look like a real Time Noble, Alex,” said Zetzu.

“Indeed you do, but you will excuse me for hurrying you up, we are close to running late for our meeting.”

I climbed onto Zetzu’s back again, buckled myself in and saw David rushing forth from the house.

“I am sorry you couldn’t stay any longer, sire. I really do hope you have a safe trip and return soon,” called out the old house manager.

“Thank you and I hope time allows me to come back soon,” I called back waving my hand.

We would be in the capital in a few moments so Master made me go over all that I had been taught on the way to the estate.

As we walked into the Imperial Palace, Master said, “Good, you are ready to walk into the world of politics. Just remember, Zetzu and I are here to help you in any way possible.”

“I will.” And with that we walked into the throne room.

Aside from the large amounts of guards posted in the throne room, there were a few people in the room. On the golden throne sat the Emperor Clause II; the three men around him where his advisors and the rest seemed to be made up of a few Nobles and the Elven dignitaries.

We walked across the room in absolute silence; the only sound that could be heard was our footsteps.

“Ah, the honored guest has arrived!” announced the emperor.

I bowed before him and just as he stood up Master and Zetzu did the same. Then he walked off his pedestal where the throne resides and stood before Master.

“Rise, Lord Shadow.”

Master did as he was told but what the emperor did was far more shocking. He kneeled before Master Shadow and took his hand and kissed it.

“I shall never have you kneel before me, your Highness,” said the emperor.

“And as the emperor of the human empire, I shall not have you kneel before me. Rise, Clause II, for we are equals.”

“I would never consider myself your equal, your Highness, not after all these years or in the many more to come.”

“Well, if you insist, but at the very least you could stop calling me ‘your Highness’,” said Master with a laugh and placing his arms on the kneeling emperor signaling him to rise.

“If  you wish, Lord Shadow,” he said coming to stand again. He then turned my way and said, “You must be Alexander Kerm, the Knight that has cost me a small fortune in fixing the area of the Central Academy you blasted off.  I am told you are a Laiks and judging from the uniform you are wearing I take it is the truth.”

I didn’t understand why he said any of that because everyone present in the room, expect maybe for the guards, should have been aware of the fact I was the new head of the House of Time. His only reason for saying so would have to be…

“Rise, Knight. Yes, I see your mother’s eyes in you. I acknowledged you as a Laiks, and the power you have exhibited at such a young age would have surely made your family proud. I also want to extend an apology for the inadequate protection you had at the examinations,” he said extending a hand and smiling.

I took his hand and squeezed it. “Worry not your Highness, for I was never in any danger. The Order provided excellent guards in your steed.”

“The effectiveness of these guards has yet to be fully tested but I agree with you, you were never in any real danger.”

And so the political game starts. He first recognizes me as a legitimate heir to the House of Time and reassures the Elven ambassadors of the strength of his empire. While the reassurance is by no means true, it will serve to blame the dragons if anything were to happen to me instead of the security provided by him.

“And you must be Cardinal Lord Zetzu,” he said walking over to him. “I have heard a great many things about you, yet for some reason I have never had the chance to meet you in person.”

“I prefer to not have dealings with humans,” stated Zetzu with a blank expression.

“Is that so? I was under the impression you, a Cardinal lord and ruler of the entire eastern quarter of the drago territory, chose by your own free will to become Alexander’s guardian.”

“He is a Dragon Knight and by no means is he a normal one. He shows extraordinary promise; more so than any of his predecessors, which makes him an extraordinary human.”

“So he is special. Very well, let us then move on to the real reason you are here Alex.”

I can see why this man was the emperor. He managed to convert the insult Zetzu had launched at him into a point of interest for the elves and other Nobles present. I had just become the extraordinary human for the Noble Houses and the extraordinary Dragon Knight for the elves with the exchange of a few words.

“As you can see ladies and gentlemen, Alexander Laiks is a very important pillar of the Dragon Knight Order and also for the Noble Houses. Yet the elves still wish to take him down south to their continent in the hopes that he could help quell their internal disputes on who should be the successor of the Harmony of Elution.” He took a pause as if to consider this and then continued, “I am sorry to say, as the emperor of an empire at the blink of war, I cannot let quite possibly one of the strongest Dragon Knights to have ever existed be anywhere but furthering his studies and when the times comes, on the battlefield. Your request has been denied.”

As calmly as it was possible, a woman stepped out from the group of elves and walked over to stand in front of the throne just like us.

“Have you perhaps forgotten, your Highness, who has been your ally for such long time? We have stood beside the Empire since the time of Richard the Protector through the bad times and the good and now that we ask for your assistance you would deny it? Has humanity lost its sense of friendship and comradeship? We died and fought the Irkanians alongside the dragons and humans five hundred years ago, when our homeland was safe across the vast ocean. If this is your way of rewarding our efforts than be damned this alliance and I shall turn to the one we seek for help.” Which she did quite literally, she turned to face me and said, “I ask of you, Dragon Knight and Head of the Nobles will you hear our calls for help?” And then she bowed before me and repeated the question to Master and Zetzu.