The Dragon Stone

Chapter 18

                   They reached the outskirts of the Red Keep by midday. The farmers were busy preparing for harvest. As the party walked the road towards the city center they could tell the farmers were not accustom to see travelers and especially travelers from the forest. It had probably been decades since anyone had come out of this forest. The farmers watched them pass and the women and children ran into the farm houses scared of the party.

Kalin looked over at Kaston and asked, "Do we smell?"

He smirked and said "That can't be it, we just bathed a week ago."

"It is probably Pyria's frown. Pretty scary it is." Kalin said. They shared a smile and both turned away to blush.

The closer they approached the Red Keep the fewer people they actually saw which actually surprised them. Houses stood empty, shops closed, and roads bare.

"What is happening to the houses?" Orist asked.

"I wonder if has to do with us?" Kalin asked. They look at her and agreed.

"He is most likely preparing for war." Pyria answered. They continued down the path until the saw the Red Keep. They were in awe at the size and beauty of it. They walked towards it and the guards on the wall were watching with keen eyes.

"They are watching us, be on alert." Kaston told them. They all nodded at that and walked on until some said Halt! They looked around to find they were surround. They pulled their weapons out.

"We mean no harm, we only want an audience with the King." Dorian yelled. The guards tightened their grip on their weapons. Kalin reached for dagger but never had a chance because an arrow whizzed past her face. Their heads snapped to the archer to find a boy of 16 years. No one dared to make a sound each was waiting for the other to make a move. The boy looked like he wanted to run as did the rest of the guards for most were boys. Dorian looked at the odds with most of the guards being children, they could easily defeat them but it would do them no good. Dorian threw down his spear and held up his hands. They rest of them did the same. The guards harshly grabbed them and dragged them away. They great red wood gates opened and they were inside. They each throw in a cell. Dorian and Pyria together, Orist is with Mr. August and Kaston and Kalin together.

'This is great, I am now again in a cell." Kalin said with sarcasm. It was pitch black and was freezing cold. They were all shivering in the dark.

"You know, I never got caught until all of you came into life." Kalin told them with a voice they have never heard from her in could only be describe as sad. Dorian gave a chuckle and said "I never got in so trouble with my family until now because of you."

"I never would have been able to find out what is most important to me." Pyria added.

"I would never would have this much fun without you." Orist told them.

"I would have never been able to discover what I care about most without you, Kalin." Kaston told her. They all smiled at the bond they had with each other. A bond of friendship and one of love. Mr. August smiled at the little company. He could see way his Captain wanted to help them. They had so much love and care for each other. He missed his crew and Captain but they reminded him of a younger version of Lucina when she still believe in true love. The little company were talking about random things to keep their mind of the cold. They heard the door be thrown open and the little light that came in they saw a man walk up to Dorian and Pyria's cell. He opened the door and demand Dorian to come with him. Pyria stood in the way and would not move. Dorian set a comforting hand on her shoulder and she looked at him and stepped back.

"Dorian what are you doing?" Kalin whisper to him. He just smiled and walked out to the man. The man grabbed Dorian's collar and dragged him away. Pyria yelled and screamed when they were gone. They sat in silence. They all were asleep but Kaston and Kalin. They sat in awkward silence until Kalin said you never finished your sentence you know. Kaston didn't answer her so she thought he was asleep.

"At first you were just one of the Princes men that didn't at me like I was trash then we grew to be friends then I started to have feelings for you but I could never admit them to you but I....I....I love you Kaston." Kalin said in a tone of love. Kalin started shivering and Kaston moved over to her and hug her.

"I love you too, Kalin." Kaston whispered in her ear. Kalin blushed and snuggled beside him. Kaston wrapped his arms around her and laid his head on her head. They both drifted off to asleep. Kalin opened her eyes to find she was in an open field of grass. She looked around to see a town and she walked towards it. She was then transported to a house. She walked to the fireplace and a mighty sword hung there. She gasped as it had the same stone. She reached out but as she was about to touch it disappeared. She looked around wildly. Then she saw the town on fire and a mighty army setting fire to it and the towns screams were echoing in her ears but she realized that the stone was here and she needed to come back. She woke wide eyes and breathing hard. She felt Kaston's strong arms around her and she let out a strangled breath.

"Do you want to talk about it?" Kaston asked. She jumped a little but relax. She recalled all the dreams she has had.

"I started having them after I got the stone, the first was about a little girl and her home was being burned down and her father through her into a river then it ended." Kalin started to shake not out of cold. Kaston grip tightened and she continued.

"Then I saw I saw a giant eye and it told me that there are traitors in our mist then it told me that I have not listen to it and called me kin-slayer and just now I saw the same town and I was in a house which had this stone in a sword then the town was on fire and everyone was screaming and it was horrible." Kalin said. Kaston just stroked her hair and whisper it's going to be okay in her ear. They stayed like this for the longest time. The door was then opened and that woke everyone. They all looked at the door in confusion. Standing there was Prince Dorian and his signature smile.

"Did you miss me?" He asked.