Redemption - Fourth Wing

45. Zenhilla

Ronny's Pov
After Sorrengail had decided to poison the triumvirate and to threaten the life of Faris' children, we managed to boker a deal and got back up in the sky.
Apparently, our journey led us to the island of Zinhal, and as we soared over the white sand beaches and swaying palm trees, the people there stretched out their hands and waved at us.
I was so surprised at first I had half a mind to lower my altitude and make sure of it, but I knew better than break formation and limited myself to swing my head back and forth.
I'd never been gazed up with such admiration and thrill before; not even in Alagaesia.
For some reason, I didn't enjoy it.
-That's a welcomed change,- said Aifos, as they bent down on my back, -Perhaps it's a sign that they've already seen dragons.-
-Something's off,- I said back, -Keep your mind alert.-
We followed green-leafed trees, then a sparkling river which led us into the hills and to a sun drenched waterfall; after continuing west along a winding riverbed, we raised in altitude and finally reached the capital, Xortrys. It was located on the base of a great waterfall, and the trick of it surrounded by a river seemed as if the city was an island of its own, and as if its walls were constantly stretched skywards.
Tairn banked left towards the south bridge, and we landed on a huge clearing which was surrounded by people either running or waving at us. I snorted and clicked my teeth, -They're lacking any amount of respect.-
Chex curled his talons in the manicured grass, and flared his wings, -There's magic here. I can feel it. But...-
He frowned and swivelled his head around, and I did the same, but apart from us, there was none.
-Enough to wield?- Asked Aifos as they unbound their legs and stretched themselves in the saddle.
-No, but enough for the others to talk.-
-That's good to hear,- and they patted me before sliding off.
Then, Sgaeyl whipped her head towards me and strode in my direction; Chex lowered his head, while I rolled back my shoulders and didn't budge an inch at the accusation of her tone, -For how long have you known?-
-About what?-
She roared at us, -About the Alagaesyan's bloodline!-
-Ever since they woke up from Vaeta.-
She swung a claw in my direction, and I snapped my head up. Chex inhaled sharply, his tail flicking nervously, -Why are you so angry?-
-Because it wasn't a secret to be kept hidden for so long.-
-It was never yours,- I snapped back, -Don't act as if it ever were otherwise.-
Tairn sniped his teeth at us, -We need an united front. This island isn't what it seems.-
Sgaeyl growled at him, but he ignored her and swept his eyes on the crowd, who had quietened down and taken seats.
I snorted smoke and swivelled my head around, and Chex brushed his wing on mine.
Aifos' mind skittered forward, and Gamlyn looked up, "Is it just me, or are we the equivalent of the circus coming to town?"
"I have a similar feeling," whispered Aifos, and Cordella nodded, "Oh, we're definitely the show."
"This might be my favourite isle," said Karis, "What do you think, Violet?"
But she didn't mind him, because her eyes were set on Riorson, and Aifos' lips quirked up in a grin while Gamlyn sighed, "Don't mind them. They're back to doing... Whatever it is they do when they ignore everyone around them and pretend they're the only people in existence."
Andarna flicked her tail, and flashed her teeth at Tairn who was edging closer to her.
-She says she's feeling something,- said Chex, -She says she believes we're close.-
-In any case, let's keep our guards up,- I said, and Chex snorted smoke, -Never implied otherwise.-
"Hey, I hate to break up whatever moment you're having," said Gamlyn, "but everyone's here and their emissary is headed this way."
The so-called emissary was none but a woman clad with an orange robe, who was currently carrying a large cone-shaped object, and whose smile was a tad too bright.
The rest of us dragons lowered our heads in warning, and the crowd fell quiet, but the woman greeted us with a grin, "Welcome to Zehlyna! I am Calixta, mistress of today's festivities."
I curled my upper lip in warning, while Aifos frowned, -Festivities?-
-I've never believed in luck,- I snarled back, as the mistress switched to her native language;  it had a musical tilt, but it was too rough to the edges to properly recall the Elvish songs,
and the prince answered her.
"Excellent!" Beamed the mistress, "I am happy to speak in the native tongue if it brings you joy. Your translator says you are the leader of this glorious assembly."
"I'm Violet Sorrengail. We've come in hopes of-"
"Securing an alliance! Yes! Words of your travel reached us a few weeks ago, and we have been waiting ever since."
I narrowed my eyes at the crowd and snorted smoke. The ground was too soft under my claws.
"Here?" Asked Gamlyn, "You've all been waiting out here?"
"Of course not. People come to the festival grounds as they have time in hopes they will be the first to see the dragons. And Zinhal is certainly with those of us who chose today!" Her eyes swept on us dragons, and lingered on my spikes, "Which are the irids?"
Andarna lifted her head, and Chex took a step forward, but Aifos stepped closer to him and flexed their fingers.
"It looks... Black," said the mistress, "And the other is golden."
Andarna blended in the surroundings, and Chex flicked his tail.
"It's him," corrected Aifos, "The golden one. His name is Chex, and he's mine."
Aotrom huffed a plume of smoke, and I caught his amused expression shared with Gamlyn and flashed my teeth at him; he made a squealing sound and stepped back, but Tairn swivelled his head to narrow his golden eyes at me.
"She," said Sorrengail, "The black one. Her name is Andarna and they're the only irids on the Contin- on Amaralys. We're searching for the rest of their kind and allies to hopefully fight alongside us in a war against those who wield dark magic."
"They're marvelous," murmured the mistress as she bowed down, and Chex blew a hot puff of air in her direction, while Andarna shifted her scales to black again.
"Our queen is delighted you've sought us out and is eager to come to your aid. We have always revered dragonkind. And the gryphons, of course."
-We don't respect luck,- I scoffed, -We respect strength of mind and of morals.-
Aifos tossed me a glance, -And yet, sometimes luck is needed to get through another day.-
-Not for me.-
They flickered their eyes up to my snout, then walked back and placed a hand on my leg; it was small but warm, and I felt my body slightly relaxing. They rubbed their palm on my scales and I lowered my wings, -Never enjoyed crowds.-
-I know; it's alright. Chex and I have got you.-
Chex nodded and bumped his wing on mine, and I could feel the heavy eyes of the crowd following every shift of our interaction. I spotted a flash of gold on my right, but there was only sand, and no consciousness was there.
"May we speak to your queen?" Asked Sorrengail, "We've brought a prince of Navarre to speak on our kingdom's behalf."
The mistress's eyes shone with delight,
"Of course! But first, we must see what gifts Zinhal has chosen for you. If you are willing to play and accept whatever gift the god of luck presents you with without complaint, then you will be granted entrance to our city, where our queen waits."
"And if we... Complain?"
Her features turned serious, "If you do not accept that luck determines your fate, that Zinhal may gift you with great fortune or take it, then we cannot ally ourselves with you. We do not accept those who do not adjust their sails in a storm."
Aifos and I exchanged a glance, -But what if the storm,-
-Is sent by Zinhal?-
Chex snorted a laugh and Aifos grinned at me, and I heartedly shook my head, -Think about the gifts, instead.-
-There's nothing to think about, Ro. It's the whole point.-
I let out a grumble, and they nodded at Sorrengail's silent question, as did the rest of the squad.
"We'll do it," said Sorrengail, and the mistress spun back to the crowd and lifted the pointed end of the cone she was carrying and shouted into it.
The crowd roared in an upheaval, and the mistress started walking towards the crowd, so the Riders followed her.
-What do you think your gift could be?- Chex asked, and Aifos shrugged, -I don't know. Luck is a fleeting thing.-
-Indeed it is,- I said with a sigh.
-Just be careful,- said Chex.
They were led in front of a table, on top of which the mistress spread a stack of cards all face-down, each of which represented a gift. They had to randomly pick one, and I tensed up, my claws deep in the ground.
I, too, had been randomly picked up by the Rider That Was Not Meant To Be, and my eyes narrowed only on Aifos.
Chex leaned on me, and I forced myself to breathe; Aifos brushed their mind on mine, their song slow and soothing.
The eldest Sorrengail got a bottle of wine, and Aetos got slapped on the face, and none of the others had to show a single flicker of emotion through their features.
When Aifos stepped forward, I set my teeth, and wore such a glower that the lingering crowd started whispering and pointing. Chex snapped his teeth at it, and Tairn scoffed, -These gifts are only a waste of time.-
-Mankind can be unpredictable,- I said back.
They shuffled and handed the card they'd chosen to the mistress, who announced that it was a broken lyre.
Aifos accepted the gift with a twisted wrist and a bow. When they fell back in line, their fingers skimmed the chords dangling uselessly, and their mind started shaping a healing spell.
Sorrengail stepped forward, and got gifted a broken compass, and the line went on, until Karis picked up a card and an arrow whistled in his heart.
A muffled sound came from Cordella herself, and I swivelled my head to Karis' gryphon.
Siralair arched her neck and stumbled forward, and I remembered that they were linked to their fliers as my race was to its Shur'tugals.
Kiralair followed her friend and shouldered up most of her weight, but I knew they wouldn't make it, because Siralair was dying and Kiralair wasn't that much bigger than her.
Too many dragons had died far away from their bonded during the war, and I'd held them still until they grew limp under my claws.
The other two gryphons snapped their beaks when I moved closer, but I simply lowered my claw and gently held the dying gryphon up.
Then, I turned, and limped towards Karis' body, and I gently placed the gasping gryphon next to her flier, -So they won't die alone.-
-Death is loneliness,- murmured Aifos, -But it was gentle of you.-
I remembered that day when Saphira had told me about the siege of Feinster, and the utter loneliness both Eragon and her felt through Glaedr's Eldunari as Oromis fell off the saddle, his heart pierced by Zar'Roc, and she realised that she would die alone, just like the golden dragon.
Just like everyone else.
But Siralair's eyes were thankful as they sought out mine, and after a wheeze, her body slackened, and she was dead.
-Now don't look at me, and go back to the others,- instructed Aifos, -We'll handle the rest.-
I stepped back, -You could've died, too, had you chosen wrong.-
-No. Now, go.-
I wondered how they could be so sure of it, but didn't dwell on it and did as I was told, instead.
Sorrengail stepped out of Riorson's grasp, and rightened up her shoulders, and walked up to the man who'd loosened the arrow, "Thank you."
So, the negotiations started, and the riot of us dragons took off in the sky.
The wind fought against us as we swept over the isle looking for any hint of the seventh breed, while the Riders were deep in diplomatic discussions with the queen.
But of the hidden kind seemed to be no trace, and Andarna roared out her annoyance, while Chex's shoulders started to ache.
-The ocean's deep,- I reminded him, -They could've settled themselves anywhere.-
-Tairn told me that the last isle we'll fly to is Loysam, and then the journey'll be ended.-
The sky had been bound by a deadline, and my wings felt heavy, -Let's catch up with the others.-
So we did, and after one tired sweep, Tairn led us back, and we all crumbled down on the clearing we'd left the gryphons and the fliers, who'd kept guard over their lost friends.
As I landed, Andarna sniped her teeth at Tairn, then strode off and sat down at the edge of the clearing, her scorpiontail tightly woven. Tairn let out a slow sigh, and then turned back and laid down next to Sgaeyl, who put her chin on his back.
Chex didn't bother walking away from the spot he'd landed on, and immediately fell asleep, as most of the other dragons did.
But my eyes remained fixed on Andarna, and I remembered the utter loneliness I'd felt after the murder of the last dragon standing, and even after Saphira's hatching.
I silently made my way up to her, and mimicked her position; we could see Xortrys, and the main palace, and Aifos' bond was almost bored.
-I know what you're thinking,- scoffed Andarna, and her scales flashed gold, before shifting to their usual black shade.
-Which would be?-
-That I'm naive, and foolish, and that this journey is going to be doomed. Tairn and Sgaeyl think so, and Violet fears it, and my brother says nothing.-
My voice was quiet, -I, too, have been alone for many decades.-
-You're as old as Tairn, and Chex told me you're the Elder of your kind. Do not talk to me about loneliness.-
-Don't act as if you're entitled to tell me about the righteousness of my feelings,- I said back, -For many years I've been the last dragon alive. Ever since the night of the Du Fells Nagoroth,  every egg had been burned or shattered, and the remaining three were property of the Rider That Was Not Meant To Be. I know well the weight of loneliness.-
She said nothing for a while, and when she spoke, her voice was lower, -Do you think they left my brother and I behind?-
-None but they can give you the answers you seek.-
-If we find them.-
-Our lives span immortality, and the sky spans endlessly. As long as they're alive, they can be found.-
-What if we find them too late?-
-Then the only thing we can do is to face the consequences.-
-It'll mean our failure. Violet's the leader of this mission, and look where it brought us! Trager and Siralair are dead, we're no nearer to find nor a cure for Dark One's condition nor my kind than we were at the start of this flight, and Violet's falling apart at the pressure on her shoulders. And it's all my fault.-
-It's not. It's none's fault. It was meant to be a difficult journey, and Sorrengail's doing her best.-
-What if it's not enough?-
I swivelled my head and sought out her golden eyes, -You will trust her. She needs your unwavering approval, and Tairn's, if you want her to keep going forward without faltering.-
-Like my brother's trust in you.-
I huffed and straightened myself up, -After the Battle of Basgiath, he got angry, and distrustful. It's alright to have doubts, especially in certain circumstances, but in such occasions you have to hold on to the affection you feel towards your dear ones and let it be your light.-
She snorted smoke and rustled her wings, -Now I can see my brother's influence on you.-
I barked a laugh and Andarna went on grumbling, then she raised up and strode towards her guardians, but she laid down a wing's length away from them.
I kept guard until Cath switched up with me, and I could reach Chex and lay in front of him. I found some sleep for myself, and there was a glimmer of golden so brief in the corner of my eyes I wondered if Chex was starting to control the colours of his scales.
The moon was bright above us.