Chapter 20 The Path to Dragon Mount
“Your attendant is your responsibility,” Thorne barks from the foot of the mountain. Behind him, the thin path zig-zags and spirals into the clouds high above. “Protect your attendant as if you are protecting yourself.”
I look to my left where Calder is tightening the straps on our donkey. He’ll ride and lead the animal from directly behind me. He’s smiling ear to ear as he tightens his jacket and climbs on top of the beast. If looking at Calder was any indication of the trek ahead, you’d think we were going on a relaxing picnic in fair weather.
His innocence and excitement threaten to be contagious, but as I look toward Dragon Mount again, a heavy foreboding settles in my chest. I take a deep, steadying breath and close my eyes. I pray to any gods that will hear me to let Calder’s innocence remain untouched on this perilous journey.
Thorne jams his staff into the wet ground as he strides forward. “If you fall, no one is coming to save you. You will die, and no one will mourn you. You thought the trial was hard? You’ve seen nothing. The danger never stops. Even when you reach the peak, you will be at risk of death and no one will help you. Learn to survive or jump off the cliffs of Stormcoast now.”
“Do you think he’s ever been laid?”
I startle, jumping to the side, and grip my swords. Beside me, the Flamepeak warrior who passed the trial is grinning at me from the corner of his mouth. His shaggy red hair is lined with gray, and his scruffy beard is more dusk than dawn.
“What?” I hiss under my breath, astounded he'd interrupt this important briefing. We might miss something vital while he makes fun of the strongest and bravest man to ever live.
“I said, do you think he’s ever been laid? Or maybe he swings toward men? If Silas was my only option, I think I’d be eternally grumpy too.”
“Would you be quiet? This is just like the trial. We need to pay attention.”
“You know what I learned in the trial, little girl?” He leans in close, fingers brushing the leather strap around my neck and getting dangerously close to my scale.
I notice his scale is blue and split in half. He’s using each half as bracers, the shimmering semi-circles strapped to his forearms.
“I learned there’s always a way, even when they say there isn’t one. So tell me, should we listen to what Thorne says or make our own observations and survive despite him?” He drops his arm over my shoulder and hugs me like an old friend. “The name’s Alric, by the way.”
“Anara,” I growl, pushing his arm off me. His scale bracer, the armor protecting his arms, was dangerously close to the back of my neck. The scars on my arm react to the closeness in a powerful way, making me stop breathing for a moment in awe and confusion. He carries the blue scale, the power that the blue dragon has—lightning. The scarring that runs in jagged lines up to my elbow pulses at his closeness. His power must be lightning, like the blue dragon’s, but how am I feeling it emanate from him?
“Oh, I know who you are, little girl. The question is, do you know how special you are?”
I spin to face him, fists clenching. Everyone around me seems to know about my value when I know nothing. It's starting to get overwhelming. And more than a little annoying.
“The scale you found. Do you know why it’s so small?”
I narrow my eyes at him. “Broken, I assume.”
“No, not broken. That scale’s from an infant dragon, a newborn by the looks of it.” Alric frowns as he puts his thumb on my chin and lifts my head so he can see my scale in the muted light. “There’s no dragon of that color, no sixth dragon at all, and yet here you stand.”
“What do you know about dragons?” I slap his hand away, getting more and more irritated.
“Only as much as the next slayer.” He grins again, that annoying half smile. His eyes sparkle with knowledge he doesn’t seem willing to share. “I think I’ll walk with you up to the peak. Something tells me it will be far more entertaining than walking with anyone else.”
“Who said I wanted to walk with you?”
“Warrior, I’m afraid you don’t have a choice,” Calder says, kicking the donkey’s sides and moving past us. “They’ve already started up the trail.”
Bewildered, I look up and see that everyone has indeed started up the mountain. My jaw drops at the same time as Oberon sees me still standing where we started while he’s close to the front. He tries to stop, to push back and meet me, but Malachi is behind him and blocking the way.
“Looks like you’re stuck with me, little girl,” Alric laughs. He starts up the path, following his attendant as she leads her donkey forward without waiting.
“Why didn’t you tell me they started?” I ask Calder.
“Me? Interrupt a slayer?” he chuckles, passing me and catching up to Alric. “I don’t think so. I like my head where it is.”
Turning, I take in the castle in the distance one last time. Will I ever see home again? Will I ever see Serena again? I’m finally on the path to redemption, but my heart seizes at the thought of the price I’ll pay.
Fate weighs heavily on my chest as I start walking backward. I can feel the ground change, sloping upward gently. After today I’ll be on the peak, training with the best of the best.
After today, nothing will ever be the same.