*Book 1 in the DragonKin series*
Vada and her siblings spend their days carving out a living in the Rystwith Mountain village of Riska. Together they live as outcasts in a small two-story hut just outside the lowland village centre, cast out due to...
I apologise that updates have been a little slow, juggling a lot right now. Still, I hope you all enjoy reading this chapter as much as I enjoyed writing it!
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Rivik had left his father when the Pyrite representative, Captain Vin, had arrived in Riska to negotiate the terms of the Kin duel that would decide the fate of the Pyrite Clan. The old guard arrived in the company of Chief Tana'ka and his eldest son and heir, Uldrin.
Takashi, who now served Riska as Captain of the guard in Vin's stead, had also been summoned but he was yet to show up.
As always, Han'ril had been keeping his cards close to his chest and his sons far apart. The brothers had not been allowed to speak or be in the same room since Bram's surprising return to the household.
Though they had different mothers, Bram and Rivik had been close growing up. Han'ril was a hard man to please and the brothers were held to brutally high standards. Bram, however, always did his best to shield Rivik from their father's rage, until the day he left, that is.
Bram's sudden return baffled Rivik, so much so that the young heir doubted it was entirely his choice.
He had carefully watched his brother on the long, slow march back to Riska. Despite the anger he showed when challenging the Kin Chieftess, he walked in silence, looking only at the ground with his dark eyes half closed and his shoulders sagging. He looked as though he'd already been defeated in the battle he sought to have.
Rivik had never known silence where his father and brother were concerned, they could not normally exist in the same space without being at each other's throats over all things, large and small. And yet when he left them, they sat side by side perfectly placidly, opposite Captain Vin.
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Shrouded in shadow, Rivik now sat rooted in place among the trees outside Pyrite Village. His sharp eyes flashed in the moonlight as he watched the woman sitting high up on the wall.
Noting Chieftess Vada's position, Rivik was surprised to feel a twang of worry at the thought of her being shot down, exposed as she was. However, on either side of her, two large scaly dragons perched, scanning the horizon. He doubted they would allow an arrow to pass their guard.
As silently as he could manage, afraid the creature would catch sight of him, Rivik shifted further into the trees as the heavy cloud cover, that once blocked out the moon, began to break allowing shafts of white light to wash over the valley and chase away the prince's protective shadows.
When he was once again confident of his position, having carefully watched the dragons for any sign that they noticed his movements, Rivik turned his gaze back to the Chieftess.
At first glance, she appeared to only be meditating, lost in deep thought. But upon closer inspection, it seemed there was something more happening. All around her the plant life upon which she sat, was slowly growing and covering her body like an earthy blanket of emerald green, leathery brown bark and blossoming flowers of all colours and kinds.
