Soul Bound

Chapter 10

"You're a hunter. You'll figure it out," Eva muttered in an indignant, mocking huff.

Hopefully, she was following the right path back to the main base. She'd been so worked up over Arkon's well being, she hadn't been paying much attention to her surroundings when Jacob brought her down to the dens. She had been relying on her brother being here to guide her back.

An error she wouldn't make again.

Meanwhile, instead of passing along wise words of encouragement, Arkon laughed at the Commander's "joke" and wholeheartedly agreed that this was something she had to figure out on her own. "It's character building."

What have I gotten myself into?

She got what she wanted. She was a Dragon Knight, as loosely as one could call themselves without any training. But this wasn't how she wanted to get it. At the cost of her family, her life as far as she knew it. The guilt tore through her.

"Do not feel guilty for being happy, Little One," Arkon beseeched, intruding on her thoughts. "You have suffered a great loss and you must mourn them to move on, but you must also live. For them. For Jacob. For me."

It was a lot easier said than done. As she wandered through the den, she couldn't help but wish Erika was here. She would have loved exploring the cave, seeing all the colourful dragons. Spending time with her big brother and sister.

Despite the ache in her chest, she pushed forward and eventually found the exit. She was so lost in her thoughts, she didn't notice the young woman leaning against the wall until she stepped away from it. The woman tucked her pocket watch in her trouser pocket with a smirk. "You were faster than I thought you'd be." She extended her hand out to Eva. "Sergeant Annaliese Hargin."

Eva stared at her with wide eyes. She was gorgeous. Very long and very straight auburn hair was held back in a tight, neat braid. Her skin was soft, blemish-less, a contrast to her sharp cheekbones. She had big, light gray eyes that looked as dangerous as sword steel, but the expression she wore couldn't have been friendlier. And her surname was Hargin.

Eva swallowed. "When you say 'Hargin'. . ."

The Sergeant wasn't at all deterred by Eva's tone. "I know what you're thinking and the answer is yes, she is my mother."

Eva blinked. The Commander didn't come across as a motherly figure; the fact Annaliese seemed marginally normal surprised her.

Annaliese flashed a daring grin at her stunned silence. "For the foreseeable future, we will be partners. Welcome to Dragon Canyon. Come! Come! There's much to do!"

"Uhh. . ." She had far more energy than Eva could possibly muster, even on a good day.

The Sergeant took her hand and pulled her down the corridor. They blasted through the hallway faster than Jacob and Eva had on their way here, but this time she managed to take in the wonder that made this base fantastic.

At closer inspection of the walls, Eva noticed the slight waves that ran horizontally down the hallway; she remembered a time where she and her father had gone on a hike when she was little. They passed by a cliff face that was smooth like these walls; he'd said the wind was so strong and frequent that it had tamed the harsh edges of the cliff. She hadn't believed him at the time, but, considering the draft constantly running through these corridors from the glassless windows, she believed him now. She had a feeling the draft was a constant companion in the base; the windows were set deep within the walls, narrow tunnels leading to the sunset outside. These holes weren't nearly as noticeable from the outside as the dragon holes had been, but natural light still managed to peek through and illuminate the orange hallways.