Dragon Prince: The Storm's Heart

Chapter Two: An Elf and Human Princes

A pair of hooves splashed through a pile of snow and the sound of a startled yelp was heard. Galloping through the depths of the forest was Shira riding on Tempest racing through the forest. A little cluster of light rain clouds had passed through the evening, dampening the ground and filling the air with the scent of fresh rain. The distant mountains were delicately sprinkled with the fading mist from the rain, like faint white frosting on cake slices.
They were running together, as though they're one in the same. Shira felt the wind whooshed through her. She was intensely aware of Tempest's movements underneath her. She felt herself smiling and Tempest let out a loud whinny. Shira raised herself up slightly as the grassy ground disappeared underneath them for a bit. Tempest had leapt over a log. She felt her hair flowed behind her and her stomach lurched. She almost felt as if she and the mare were both flying. She tightened her grip on the reins and Tempest slowed down for a moment, long enough for her to regain her balance again and calm down her excitement. Shira took a deep breath, calming herself down and nodded to Tempest, who nickered softly and continued the ride.
Shira and Tempest soon came up a hill to see a mountain village. The small, quaint houses were covered in at least a foot of snow, and smoke rose from the chimneys. A towering mountain with a flat top created a backdrop for the town.
She smiled softly at the village she has grew up in by herself. As the sun shone brightly in the sapphire blue sky, the people of the village had continued on with their day. The adults had started heading towards nearby markets or started heading towards work. Many of the teenagers had started meeting up with each other in their favorite hangout spots. While the kids had started helping their parents, playing with their older siblings or playing with their pets. Shira rode through the village and nodded respectfully towards the greeting villagers.
After lunch, Shira slipped away from the house and headed into the village. She saw some people were dressed in everything from armor to winter clothes. Their styles ranged from the armor of men to the winter clothes of women of the village. A few drivers with carts jostled each other to get closest to the passengers with the most luggage. A few porters with stooped backs took remarkable quick steps under the heavy burdens of trunks and bags.
Farther inland, Shira could see stands of stands displaying fruits, meats, fish, clothes, paints, and so on. Shira fed off the noise and became worried at the somber energy of the town as Shira made her way through the winding streets.
Shira came across a large crowd that had formed near an old stone fountain. A slender young man was standing on the edge of the fountain talking loudly to the crowd. He appeared to be putting on some sort of show and repeatedly pointed to a sheathed dagger on his belt. He waved his arms in the air theatrically. She moved closer to see what was happening.
But Shira realized that she was standing next to a trio of... unique people.
One is a slim and white-haired girl with triangles of violet face paint under her warm violet eyes and reminded her of dragon teeth, but shadowed by the hood of her cloak. She has on a black cloak over her sleek black and green suit that stretched from neck to ankle. She has a very unique accent and it made Shira narrowed her eyes at her suspiciously.
Standing next to her is a boy around her and the girl's age. The slim boy has fair skin, much like hers, and olive green eyes. He also has messy dark brown hair and a big chunk lying onto his forehead. He's wearing what would be called as traveling clothes. But Shira could see he has a bag and a satchel for some reason.
But the third boy is another story. He has light brown skin and warm light blue eyes. Shira could sense naivety and kindness coming from him. He resembles King Harrow, so he must be Prince Ezran and the older boy must be his older half-brother, Prince Callum, and the younger boy is carrying a yellow glowtoad and an extremely heavy-looking backpack.
"I defended the Border against all manner of horrors and monstrosities — things you can't even imagine! There's nothing I, Tristan, fear now." The man strutted around the fountain, fluffing up his fur collar and smoothing down his mustache. Then he held up gloved finger as if struck by an idea. He swiped a pouch from his belt and threw it down with the coins jingling inside. "In fact, I wager I could defeat any challenger here with nothing, but my dagger." He patted the small sheath on his hip.
Shira snorted softly as the crowd started chatting softly about the idea of it. The man was clearly a conceited mercenary, but no one really wanted to take him on.
"Anyone dare to challenge me?" Tristan taunted.
Just then, a massive shadow fell over the performer as an enormous man in full armor stepped forward. He sheathed an immense weapon and crackled.
"This isn't even my biggest sword," he said, making the crowd whispered in excitement.
The giant and the mercenary squared off, Shira listened to Callum as he said quietly, "Everyone's distracted. Let's go."
"Wait." The girl's violet eyes were on the knife. "Look."
As the giant swung his sword as Tristan pulled the dagger out of its sheath. As Shira suspected, the blade was only a few inches long, but it glowed fire orange as though it had been pulled out from the heat of a forge.
The magic dagger sliced through the giant's sword like butter and the broken half clanged to the ground. The hulk stared at the hilt of his sword, utterly dumbfounded, then dropped it and backed away in fear.
"Anyone else?" Tristan asked.
The crowd gasped in awe as Tristan scuttled around to pocket his winnings.
"What was that?" Callum asked.
"A Sunforge blade," replied the girl.
"What's a Sunforge blade?" asked Ezran curiously.
"In Xadia, Sunfire elves can make magic weapons that stay as hot as the moment they're forged for hundreds of years," the girl explained.
She observed the man getting given money for his victory. She eyed the scabbard intently. "The sheath is inscribed with special runes to protect him from the heat."
"Otherwise, his pants would be on fire?" Ezran asked, making Shira bite back an amused chuckle.
"Yeah. His legs too," said the girl.
Callum's eyes widened. "Rayla, if that blade can cut through a steel sword, would you say it can cut through pretty much anything?"
"My binding," said Rayla.
Callum nodded. "You will have to get that dagger. Let's split up. Ezran and I will find help for the egg. You work on your binding. Then we'll meet back here at the fountain."
"But how will you get the dagger?" Ezran asked Rayla.
Rayla tugged up her hood and narrowed her eyes. "I'm going to ask nicely."
Shira gave an inward sigh as she headed towards a nearby alley and pulled out her own Sunforge blade from her secret scabbard of the magical blade. She received it from her mother as a gift and it's somehow connected to Shira's unknown father. But she rather keep it secret and try not to burn herself... again. Shira slipped her secret blade away into its secret scabbard, unaware that a certain white-haired stranger has spotted her and her blade.
As she continued walking through the alley, she thought she heard something. Shira trusted her instincts and gently placed a hand on her main sword. She glanced over her shoulder, but the street behind her was empty. Then, she caught a flash of a cloaked person behind her.
Instead of running, Shira stood her ground and kept her hand on her sword's hilt protectively. She waited and waited till a figure jumped from the roof behind Shira. Shira spun around, pulling out her sword instinctively and it was immediately met by an immense, gleaming silver blade blocking hers.
They two of them stared at each other for a long time, so long it grew to become tense. Shira blinked in surprise at that as they both stepped back from each other. Shira saw that the girl is trying to nurse her left injured hand carefully. Her expression softened with sympathy and calmed down her nerves. She hated the ongoing violence between different people. This person seemed wary, innocent even. She want to stop war between lands as much as she want to.
A memory of simpler times have entered her mind when she was six years old and her mother's advice entered her mind, "Violence is never the answers to our problems. The only way to stop the circle of violence is by making a stand against it and doing the opposite."
Without a single word, Shira slipped her blade away and looked at the elf warily.
Rayla smiled at Shira. She soon put her sword away and gained a troubled look in her eyes. "I need your help with something."
Shira raised an eyebrow. "What is it?"
Rayla lifted her right hand and Shira was horrified at the sight of it. Her hand was unusually purple and her fingers had become unnaturally clawed. As Shira stepped closer to have a better look at the cause, she was startled to see a white binding tightening the blood flow on Rayla's wrist.
Shira nodded sympathetically and pulled out her Sunforge blade. "Hold still. This might hurt."
Rayla seemed to have strengthened her resolve and met Shira's eyes evenly. "I'm ready."
She nodded, a look of pride towards Rayla has entered her eyes. Rayla could see the heat radiating off the glowing steel and she winced as the dagger got closer to her arm. But before the blade could even touch the binding, her glove started smoking and went up in flames.
"OWWW!" Rayla yelped, she tore off the glove and stomped on it to stop the fire.
"Are you okay?" Shira pulled back her dagger from the girl and was stunned to see a Moonshadow elf girl at the same time.
"Y-Yeah, I'm fine." Rayla looked hopeless, defeated even. Shira frowned and felt sympathetic towards the elf girl.
"Lets try again." Shira gave her dagger to Rayla. "But this time, maybe you should do it."
Rayla smiled as she took the dagger and brought it as close to the binding as she could bear, closed her eyes, gritted her teeth, and went in for the slice. She cried out as the blistering heat scorched her skin.
"Did it work?" Shira stepped up to Rayla, looking both concerned and curious. The binding was as tight as ever.
Rayla opened her eyes and became agitated. "No! Nothing can cut this stupid thing!"
Shira fought back a flinch from Rayla's agitation. She wasn't sure how to comfort an upset elf, but she's going to give it a try. Shira placed a hand on Rayla's shoulder, hoping she won't get hurt from the elf's anger. Rayla's eyes flashed away from the binding and met hers. After a long moment of tense silence, Rayla slowly relaxed and smiled at Shira gratefully.
"I better go now and find my friends now." The two girls stepped back from each other. "Thanks for the help."
"Sure thing," replied Shira.
"You're not going to tell anyone about me?" Rayla eyed Shira warily as they both walked together.
Shira let out an amused huff. "If I was going to, I would of done it by now." Rayla cracked an amused smile at Shira.
They both went walked out of the alleyway, but Rayla pulled her hood close around her face while they waited by the fountain for the boys. There was a chill in the air; it's going to be another cold night.
"Did you find the knife guy? Did you get his knife?" Ezran suddenly appeared, running up to Rayla with a huge smile on his face and accidentally startling Shira, making her step back from the young prince. Callum was right behind him. "And who are you?"
"I'm Shira," replied Shira. "I'm a friend."
Rayla held up her wrist. "She's telling the truth. The bad news is that the Sunforge blade didn't work." Rayla breathed deeply for dramatic effect. "The good news is the binding with fall off eventually... when my hand does." Shira grimaced at that piece of news.
Callum winced. "Ugh, Rayla. I'm sorry to hear that."
"It's fine," Rayla said. "Just give me some good news. Tell me something good happened with the egg."
"Yes and no. Well, no." Callum's statement confused Shira and made her feel curious. "Not yet, but maybe! So yes? In a way."
"Okay, that's averaging out to around a 'maybe minus'," Rayla said.
"Yeah, that's about right," agreed Callum.
"We learned about a miracle healer," Ezran said. "Someone who might be able to help the egg. And maybe your hand too!"
"An egg?" Shira looked at the kid's bag and gasped. It was darkening, but there's a flicker of blue. "Is that the Dragon Prince's egg?" She sighed. "You had an accident with the frozen lake, didn't you?"
"Yes," said Callum. "But don't tell anyone here."
Shira gave him a look. "Wasn't planning to."
Ezran's enthusiasm was contagious. Rayla felt a glimmer of excitement. "Really? A miracle healer?"
"Oh, now I remember." Shira remembered about a rumor of an injured wolf pup, a brave girl, and a miracle healer. "That was a talk of the whole village." She looked at the boys with a smile. "You two met Ellis and Ava, haven't you?"
Callum nodded. "Yup." He soon looked at Rayla. "The only catch is that the healer lives up there." He pointed to an ominous flat-topped mountain in the distance. "It's called Cursed Caldera."
Rayla hung her head towards him and said, "Please tell the mountain is named that because it was discovered by the great explorer, Sir Phinneas Kirst."
Shira grimaced at the mention of the caldera. She's been forbidden from exploring the mountain or the forest. It has some monsters streaming through the haunting forest, which kept everyone away from the forest.
"Well, no." Callum gave Rayla a sympathetic look. "It's apparently infested with horrible monsters—"
"Yeah, I know, I know," said Rayla.
Suddenly, they heard shouting and clanging heading in their direction. A familiar voice shouted, "There they are!" Their eyes widened in fear. Tristan came running from around the corner leading a pack of angry villagers.
"They're elves!" Tristan yelled.
Rayla jumped up and covered herself with her cloak. "Oh, right, I forgot about the other bad news. Let's move!"
They sprinted away from the violent, elf-fearing humans with Callum, Shira, and Ezran behind Rayla. The crowd chased the gang over bridges, through narrow passages, and all the way to the edge of the village, swords and pitchforks ready to slaughter the enemies.
"Suddenly, the Cursed Caldera doesn't seem like such a bad option!" Rayla yelled over her shoulder.
As they fled into the caldera, where black winds swirled wildly around a volcanic-shaped peak. They ran through snow and mist, barely noticing the darkening sky.
Finally, gasping in the air, the group collapsed at the base of a tree and looked down the mountain for their pursers. No one was coming; they were entirely alone on the caldera.
"I think we're safe," Callum said at Shira apologetically. "Sorry for dragging you along, Shira."
"Don't worry about it. It beats wandering around the village." Shira shrugged with a smile.
The forest stretched around them in all directions, and the path upward loomed darker than where they had come from. Creepy, mysterious sounds echoed all around them.
"Guys, this place is pretty creepy," Ezran said, while Bait grunted his agreement.
Shira looked around warily. "No kidding. I never even been here before." She let out a rough sigh and facepalmed. "I wonder how I'm going to explain this."
"Safe. Sure," Rayla said. "How are we supposed to find anyone? And what's that?"
She pointed to a rock just above them.
A large, shadowy creature stood looking down on them with glimmering green eyes. The beast pawed at the ground, snarling under its breath. Rayla put one hand on a blade, but the last of the fading daylight illuminated the creature.
It wasn't one creature — it was two.
There's a young girl on the huge creature. She was wearing a hat, boots, and a heavy winter coat. Her long black hair hung in a single braid down her back.
The girl was riding a full-grown wolf — a very big wolf. The wolf seemed taller than the girl. The wolf is light brown and wearing a green collar with a shiny stone dangling from it.
"Hi," said the girl. "I'm Ellis, and this is my sweetie-wolf, Ava." Ellis ruffled the fur on Ava's head. "Come with me. I'll help you find the healer."