🐲 Dragon and Phoenix (Path of Light and Fire Book #2) (Completed) 🐲

Chapter 1

I am going blind.

It took some time for Sabin to notice. It was subtle at first; a corner of his vision would blur and remain out of focus. His first thought was fatigue. He had just lighted halfway across the country of Yua to where it met the Hruh border. Immediately afterwards he'd engaged in battle against a legion of ugar; vile creations of the Guan. If he was a bit tired afterwards, he would consider himself lucky.

Now, it was not so benign. The world around Sabin had begun to fade. The vibrant greens of the trees began to dull. The bright blue of the cloudless sky began to grey. The edges of his vision compacted until a single dot of color was all that remained of his vision.

Then there was nothing.

It was not the darkness that would accompany sleep or unconsciousness, the whole of his vision was a brilliant white. All of the colors, curves and depths of the world were pulled from his eyesight.

"I can't see!" Sabin clutched Leena's waist tighter. With Ares back in Sweoti, he'd taken to riding with her to conserve his strength. Apparently he hadn't conserved enough.

"Can't see what?" Leena asked him.

Sabin took a few deep breaths to steady his mind. It would do the Seriens little good for their leader to panic. Instead of answering Leena's question immediately, Sabin tried to picture her. She was short and lithe, with light brown skin and curly blue hair that came to her shoulders. She wore an outfit like his, which meant she must have met Ira. Her sky blue tights nearly matched the color of her hair, with a black, multi-legged serpent streaking through the thigh portion. Her coat was the inverse: solid black but for the same multi-legged creature splayed across the back in blue.

I can imagine things at least.

It helped Sabin regain his composure and he relaxed his hold on her. When they had time, he would stop and consider why he'd lost his vision. They had an invasion to stop; the countries of Yua and Acadia had joined together to attack the Eternal Empressa of Hruh. Normally, this would be none of his concern, but this conflict left the borders weakened, a perfect opportunity for the Guan to strike. They had tried once, but the more Sabin thought about it, the more he felt it was a gauge of their capabilities more than anything else.

What importance is my sight, when all of humanity could be destroyed?

He could only hope it was not permanent.

"The whole of my vision is white," Sabin said. "I will need you to lead me until I understand what is happening."

"Figures," Leena said.

"What figures?" Sabin asked.

"Nothing," Leena said. "Just continue to hold on, I'll take care of things as I always do."

"Do you want me to take a look?" Alaina asked. She was young, slightly less than a cycle-year and her brown hair had a streak of white that ran through it. She wore a billowing white dress and knee-length white boots. There was a dove in a slightly different shade of white that sat on her chest and back. Sabin had been amazed that despite all of their travel and battle, the dress hadn't gotten filthy in the slightest, as if there was some enchantment on the fabric.

Another person he'd have to ask about Ira.

I also need to tell her about Kianna.

Sabin shook his head. One problem at a time.

"No," Sabin said. "I will not delay us any more than we have been. We must get to the Dedo Naranja swiftly, but not so that we are stretched when we arrive."

"So you were paying attention when we laid out the plan about the invasion of Hruh?" Sakima asked. He was wearing a pair of lose, brown leggings. When he'd turned into that rock golem in the battle with the ugar, Sakima had been a force of nature. However, the act had ruined his finery, for when he returned to human form he was completely in the nude. It didn't matter what he wore, how he carried himself, head high and proud, shoulders square and neck straightened, there was no mistaking that he was Acadian royalty.

"I was," Sabin said. "I didn't have your exact location and hoped to slowly track you, but given my new abilities I didn't need to know where you were, only that I wanted to be near you."

"New abilities, indeed," Turrent said. "The pup has become a wolf."

Sabin smiled. Turrent changed his hair color more than he changed his clothes. He was in all black everything, from his tunic down to the boots. When he'd first met the man, his hair was the color of darkness as well in an effort to blend into Acadia. However, his hair was blonde now and his eyes were gold, illustrating his Durain heritage. There was also a long scar that ran just beneath his eye and down to his chin. He'd never asked the man where it came from.

"Oh, blow me," Leena said.

"Blow me indeed." Turrent said.

Sabin caught stifled gasps from Sakima and Alaina.

"What is it?" Sabin asked.

"Over that ridge," Leena said. "Sorry, forgot the bit about you not being able to see. There are two armies down there marching towards what I can only assume is Hruh territory. Your father made it seem like they were only a few warriors we would have to deal with. There are hundreds. Schewa's arse, are we ever going to catch a break?"

"You spoke with Aegis?" Sabin's mind whirled in delight. "How is he?"

"No, the King of Yua, you and Yulan's dad."

"Oh," Sabin said. He was a bit deflated. "Well what are we waiting on? We can't let them provoke a war."

"I know," Leena said. "But we have to think about our next move. Wade says..."

"Don't talk to me about Wade," Sabin snapped. He recalled the feeling of Wade taking control of his body and forcing him to do things against his will. When it had happened in Feral during his first battle with Valice, he'd thought it a blessing. That same blessing had very nearly gotten Kianna killed. Even though she had survived, Sabin still wanted to toss Wade into the nearest lake.

"Fine," Leena spat. "Well, I think...Sakima what are you doing?"

The ground started to feel heavier around him. Sakima must have been pulling on his Path.

Why is he so tense?

"Hatsuto!" Sakima screamed. "I'm coming for you. If they have hurt one hair on his head I swear that I will bury them."

Hatsuto? Who is Hatsuto?

Sabin could hear the hooves of a horse speed up in rhythm. That had to be Sakima.

"Sakima wait!" Leena screamed.

Sabin felt a pull as Leena's horse accelerated.

So much for conserving our strength.