Aetherian(Part 1): A War Begins

Blake

 As the sun rose, Blake began to explore more of Dragonbarrow with Julien. She could sense a feeling of nervousness from him that began to annoy her, but he must have had something to say that he didn't want her to hear, or maybe he did want to say it and was afraid of what her reaction would be. Blake couldn't blame him for that since she knew the limits of her own temper.

"If you have something to say, say it, Julien," she finally said.

"Will you keep your cool?" Julien asked. Blake reluctantly nodded her head. "I may have found some way to help you."

"A cure for the venom?"

"Yes," said Julien. "There's a temple just east of the city that was supposedly a place for healers."

"Draconian, Epsilon?"

"Fae."

"The Fae?" asked Blake. "But they're extinct."

"I know," said Julien. "But they left behind a few things, like something that could save you. The problem is, this place I'm talking about was built like a fortress."

"How do you know this?" asked Blake.

"Well, female Draconians are more reasonable than I thought they would be, for a price," Blake wasn't surprised by that. A Draconian woman was just as capable of fighting as the males were, though they more closely resembled humans with spots of golden scales on their faces and limbs. They may have looked like humans, but the shortest they could get was still six feet tall and were more intimidating to Blake than the males.

"We'll need help if the temple is still defended," said Blake.

"I think I know someone who could help," agreed Julien. They found Theon Bloodbane at the bottom of the pit in the center of the city, knocking another Draconian to the ground with his greatsword of glass malakyte.

"Theon!" Blake shouted, and the Draconian Warchief turned towards them.

"What?" he demanded, speaking the Common Tongue.

"That temple to the east that we found," said Julien. "We're going."

"Good luck," Theon wished, then he turned away and began walking away from them. He didn't seem to have any interest in helping them, despite assisting Julien in locating the Fae temple in the first place.

"Can you help us?" Blake demanded.

"What do you need help with?" said Theon.

"Uh, fighting our way through the place, because it's a fortress," answered Julien.

"How do you know it is not abandoned?" asked Theon. "Why would you need my assistance if it is?"

"Well, we don't know if it's abandoned or not," Blake asserted. "That's why we need to be prepared for anything."

"I doubt anyone would want to occupy a temple that is nothing more than an overgrown tree," said Theon. "My business lies with the Queen and her army."

"Theon!" Tessa suddenly called out. "I'll take them there." Theon Bloodbane growled as he stormed off, carrying his greatsword over his shoulder.

"What's his problem?" asked Julien.

"There are just times when he's haunted by the faces of the ones he's lost," said Tessa. "And it puts him in a mood."

"Well, it's not like he's the only one who..."

"It's been happening to him for ten thousand years, guys," said Tessa. "He lost his father, Torinn, when Robar Busch rebelled against the rightful King. It's been happening to all of the Draconians longer than I've been around."

"And how long have you been around?" asked Blake.

"Two and a half centuries," answered Tessa. Blake and Julien both gave her unsure looks, with their eyebrows furrowed in a doubtful manner.

"Oh, I'm an Epsilon," Tessa blurted. "In case you were wondering. So, this Fae temple you were going to?"

"It's only a few miles east," said Julien.

"We're thinking it has some answers to this venom that got in me," added Blake.

"Did something sting you?" asked Tessa.

"It was a bite," Blake corrected, looking at the tear in her jacket's sleeve. "From a sand dweller."

"Oh," said Tessa. "Those ones are nasty. When did you get bit?"

"Two nights ago," said Blake.

"And what makes you think this Fae temple will have what you need?" asked Tessa.

"Well, supposedly, it was some kind of healing temple," Julien answered. "Before the Dragon War, that is."

"But it's not anymore?"

"Well, hopefully, it wasn't completely destroyed," said Julien. "We're hoping there's something left that could help us as far as finding a cure for the venom is concerned."

"Right," agreed Tessa. "I'll go with you if you really need the extra help. As long as we'll be there and back."

"Thanks, Tessa," Blake sighed. The Fae temple wasn't easy to see beneath the desert sands, but Blake could feel where it was. She felt some kind of mystic aura that connected to nature, and she knew she was standing right on it.

"It should be right here," she pointed out. "I mean, Julien, you feel it, don't you?"

"Of course, I do," said Julien. "But we're standing in a field of sand."

"Guys, all we're doing is wasting our time," Tessa complained, turning away from them. Blake could sense a bit of deceit from her.

"Hey...," Julien started, but Blake stopped him with a gesture of her hand. Tessa could sense the Fae temple, but she didn't want Blake and Julien to know it.

"Think about it," she said. "The book you and Theon read about it from was ten thousand years old, at least. If it was here, it's not anymore."