Reign of Darkness and Starlight

Chapter Twelve - Danarya

The ash and stench of their burning bodies still hung heavy on my hair and clothes the next day. No amount of scrubbing could clean it from my memory.

I scrubbed and scrubbed at my body until the water in the tub had turned ice cold and my skin turned a deep red color.

A round of soft knocking came from my door followed by the sweet voice of my handmaiden, "M'lady?" She was an elderly lady with shaking hands and a hunched back. I liked to think of her as my grandmother sometimes. I told her everything.

I lifted myself from the ice cold tub and walked to the door, swinging it open, motioning her in. Her frail hands could barely hold the broken armor that she half drug into the room. "I tried to get as much of the damage out as I could, but it is in desperate need of repairs."

I reached out and touched the scaled armor, visions flying through my head of under the island, the burning of those innocent children, and of the priests. "Throw it out." I said, jerking my hand away, my words barely audible.

"M'lady?" She questioned, having not heard me clearly.

"Throw it out. Get rid of the memories. I'll have the smiths make me something new. Something better." I said, lacing the front of my tunic and slipping on an old pair of boots left over from my training days.

"I don't think that there's anything better than dragon scales, m'lady. This is the best that you are going to get. I can repair it for you. Don't throw this away." She said, pulling the armor closer to her, almost as if she was trying to protect it.

After slipping my blades into their sheaths I pushed past her, making my way to the training arena. "Throw it away Tilda."

"You're late." Salaera said as I entered the already packed training arena.

"You're going to reprimand me when Nephelea isn't even here?"

She crossed her arms, "Nephelea is on her way back to Vitha as we speak. Now, get into formation. No more outbursts from you. You answer to Zestari and myself, as you always have. Do you understand?" Salaera said, the authority in her voice making me cower. I lowered my head and stepped into line between her and Zestari.

She let out a high pitched whistle, catching the attention of the remaining children. They all lined up, facing the three of us, awaiting Salaera's command.

"Listen up!" She started, "You have much to learn and not a lot of time to do so. As we speak, to the west, the cities of Broken Shield and Whiteridge are in an open rebellion, having allied with Ryak Aza and to the east, the ancient tribe in Wolfpine has fallen to Lyra Zul with her armies marching on Vitha, Easthaven is under siege of a newly proclaimed Dragon Queen, Vamorys Atheren." Our three dragons circled the arena, casting great shadows down upon the children. They all looked up in awe as Salaera continued speaking. "Even though your dragons have yet to hatch, the seven of you are now dragon riders. Your duty is to the realm now. We live and breathe so that we can keep everyone safe from the darkness of the world. Until your dragons are ready, you will be training in all forms of combat as well as survival skills that are essential to keep you alive."

When Salaera was done with her speech, it was time to break off and start the training session.

"You two," I said, pointing into the group, picking out a tall slender boy with blond hair and piercing green eyes and a smaller boy with brown hair and freckles that kissed his face, "come with me."

The two boys followed me away from the others and to a weapon board. "Today we are going to be learning how to fight in close quarters. You aren't always going to have your dragon, and you are going to find that you are going to be doing more hand to hand combat than you will be doing aerial combat. What are your names?" I asked as I tossed them some blunt short swords and wooden shields.