Demian's Kall

Champion

It was a lazy afternoon, rather quiet. A light rain had fallen off and on. Everyday had been quiet. Three weeks for a battle so close. No word just long hours and days of waiting. Vella and I were talking with a couple of the other girls when the word rang through the halls and courtyards that the army was returning. I raced up to the ramparts to see if I could spot them yet and I did but they were too far off to tell anything. I couldn't even pick out Zick or the various wagons yet. I came down from the wall and gave it some time for them to cross the vast fields between the castle and the woods they had emerged from.

When I returned to the ramparts later I could see that Zick was no longer the only dragon in the throng. There were at least two more. There were two blue dragons down there and a red one. It looked like they took whatever they could because we had more horses now than when they left. I knew father would keep his promise not to bring home prisoners but animals who could not speak were not prisoners they were spoils of war.

"My Lady?" I turned to look at the young soldier who spoke to me. He looked tired, I didn't know his name.

"Yes?" I replied. He cleared his throat.

"I was told to run ahead of the army and let you lot here know what's going on. The king is alive but he is injured. Not gravely so but it is a good thing the battle is over...I was going to get a report on exactly how Kall was but I could not find him. I asked some of the men and they said he was not dead as far as they knew so I do not know where he is." He told me. I nodded and sent him away in a daze. My heart felt as if it were filled with lead. My father was certainly injured and Kall I did not know. I could only watch as they slowly drew nearer to the castle.

When they were finally close enough I ran down through the castle to get to the gates. I reached the dragons first. The extra blue one was a female slightly smaller than Zick. I could tell it was female by the paler blue of her throat and belly as opposed to Zick's solid cobalt body. She walked next to Zick and they made strange soft noises to each other. I saw baby dragons in our future.

The red dragon was an impressive beast who stood well over my head. His gracefully arched wings curled over his back on each side and bobbed very gently as he walked. Two large black horns curved over his head and back again to form ram like circles. There was a reason red dragons made good siege dragons. They were battering rams with teeth, claws and fire. Dragons were loyal and worked hard in battle but once their army was dead and the fighting ended they took to captivity in another's hands easily. Unlike people they did not question their position or alliance.

The tall red animal regarded me with huge orange eyes and I touched his massive leg. He dipped his red snout to sniff my hand and seemed to approve of my smell. His dark forked tongue ran over my palm and he continued on with the parade.

I spotted my father's personal carriage and guards walked with it which meant he was inside. The gold painted insignia of a dragon and a phoenix made it clear if the gaudy curtains and surrounding guards had not. I ran to it and the driver stopped so I could throw open the doors and see him. He smiled at me warmly but he looked worn. His arm was held to his body by a large piece of material.

"What happened to you?" I asked as I hugged him. He grunted then sighed hard.

"Arrow to the shoulder. My arm is not working very well." I frowned and then hugged him again.

"I'm just so glad you came home alive." I replied as I brushed away a couple tears. He smiled at me and patted my cheek gently.

"Your lionvayne fought very well. He was like a demon on the field. Taking down soldiers without them ever seeing him coming." He told me with a slight expression of awe on his face.