Chronicles of Han Storm - Leilaka #1 (Fantasy, Adventure, Dragon Riders)

Accepting his destiny

Han comes to terms with a life not of his choosing:

Excerpt: The Chronicles of Han Storm: Leilaka

" The guards at the gate hailed me good morning, but I did not give them any heed. As Windshine galloped along the road, I gave way to my dread and heartache, gasping huge, tearless sobs.

    When we reached the first woods, Windshine slowed down, telling me that Habieb and Lance were not far ahead.

    I now knew why there was animosity between Moira and Merrykara. Moira had instinctively known that Merrykara was not good for me. But what could I do? I was stuck in this play and had to go through with it.

    Moira was lying next to Lance. It looked as if she was sleeping.

    Habieb sat with his back to Lance's forelegs, knees pulled up, both elbows resting on his knees, his hands dangling a dagger.

    He raised his head as we approached. Not saying a word, he waited for me to come to him.

    Slipping off Windshine, I woke Moira softly with a Telepathic prompt.

    She opened her eyes, just to close them again and I went over to her, Habieb not saying a word, keeping quiet so I could first deal with my Huracan.

    *Are you well?* I wanted to know from her. It was not like her to be sick. As far as I knew, Dragons did not get sick.

    **As well as you are** she stated, refusing to acknowledge me physically, sulking, keeping her eyes closed, not wanting to see me.

    *I do not have a choice* I told her.

    **I know** she told me back.

    Biting my lip, I tried to keep the tears back, but it did not work and they rolled in huge drops over my cheeks.

    "You are too young to deal with adult things" Habieb told me in Bedien. "That is why our Tribe only marry after turning twenty-one years old. Then the couples can address the stresses of having to be in a life-partnership."

    *This marriage was for political reasons first and to unite two Kingdoms. It has nothing to do with love* I told Habieb, keeping to Telepathy for I was still crying.

    "Yet you stated from the beginning that you love Merrykara. Is this suddenly no longer so?" he wanted to know harshly from me.

    I was not going to receive sympathy from anyone.

    *I had gone into this contract with open eyes. I will adhere to my end of the bargain. I did not foresee that Merrykara would be the type of personality that she turned out to be. I was not prepared for this surprise.*

    "Do you love her?" Habieb insisted.

    "Yes!" I snapped back over my shoulder at him. *My heart and my mind tell me that I do. But my soul says that I do not. It is the first time that I had come across this fragmentation of feelings.*

    "Fragmentation of feelings?" Habieb sneered. "What are you talking about?"

    The tears stopped flowing as I tried to find a way to explain my feelings to Habieb. This was so new to me, so absolutely overwhelmingly different to what I had ever come across in physical life experiences.

    Leilaka was such a completely different experience for me.

    *On the one hand, I know that I love Merrykara* I tried to explain. *This body of Krish that I now own, that now contains the spirit of Han, which is me, knows that it loves Merrykara with every fibre that makes me a mortal man.