"Before there was anything there were dragons. They ruled over oblivion, a gaping void where nothing exists but everything lives."
The war had raged for decades. And in it's wake all that had been left was a broken expanse of a fire burnt wasteland...
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"We need to go back to the camp!" Risha tugged on my sleeve. She had been pestering me for the better part of the last ten minutes. Finally I gave in.
"Why?" I sighed.
"It's Fire Day."
"What's that?"
"It's a festival commemorating the Fire Dragon, the first dragon that came into this world. We have it every year. Your dragon would like it," a slight smile appeared on her lips, "It has a lot of heat."
I thought about it, mulling it over in my mind. I had been sent on a quest to save this world, so shouldn't I honour those who had made it? Before I could voice my thoughts however, Adonnjia spoke.
"You should be focused on your quest. The world is in danger of being swallowed by darkness. As much as this festival is important, you should be thinking of the other thing you have been chosen to do. You should be acting more urgently."
"But that is exactly it! I have been sent on this quest to save the world, so shouldn't I be showing my devotion to it by honoring the dragons who made it?"Hopefully he saw my logic in this. I had never been to any festival in my life, anyway, as my whole childhood had been taken over by a war. We had no festivals in the mines, except for our people's defeat. The memory sent a shudder running through me. Bastards.
Adonnjia looked at me with those centuries-old eyes. "Very well."
"Show the way then Risha."
We rode for numerous hours to get back to the camp, Adonnjia on Risha's horse, and Risha sat in front of me. Reaching the entrance, I could tell something was different. Everything just felt more wild, more primal than it had been before. And I liked it.
"What happens?"
Risha smirked at me. "You'll find out."
Later in the day, Risha led me down to the market, telling me to bring my dragon. Nyrit was already perched on her shoulder, flapping her wings impatiently, occasionally bashing her in the face. All the stores had been dismantled and moved, leaving the wide valley open and empty. I guess this was where the festival would take place. At the other end of the space was a woman dressed in furs. She looked like a priestess.She saw Risha and me standing there and beckoned to us. We walked over and the woman welcomed us back.
"You are now the most important people in this world. You care for the only dragons that exist at this time. So help me with the ritual tonight. Help you and your dragons grow stronger and connect yourself to their powers." That last offering made me remember what had happened in the temple when I had tried to talk to Varil. But this was different wasn't it? And connecting to my dragon's power was worth the risk.
For the remainder of the time the sun was in the sky we were preparing for the rituals. People came to twist up our hair, paint our faces with swirls and runes in browns and red. We were given flowing white cotton robes to wear instead of our normal clothes. Headdresses made from dragon's bones were placed on our head and we were led to the center of the Valley.
Halfway through this Adonnija came up to me, overhearing the conversation that had happened earlier.
"Are you sure this is a good idea?" He hissed at me. "Think of what happened last time!"
"I have Adonnjia. It is different. And to be connected to Varil' powers would help me fight this evil."
"We will see, Kelsie." His voice turned hard, and his stone cold eyes looked into mine before he turned his back and walked away.
As dusk fell, the final preparations were made. Food was laid upon long tables, logs were piled into high stacks, waiting to be lit. I felt a tap on my shoulder and turned. The woman smiled at me, handing me a wooden staff. It was made of a wizened, gnarly branch. The grip was made from wrapped leather strands, and near the top hung feathers and beads of every size and colour imaginable. The top of the staff was wrapped in stiff strips of fabric, glistening with an iridescent coating.
I stood behind the fire, holding the staff in my hand, Risha beside me. I could almost feel the raw power in the air, running over my skin, carried by the breeze. Staring at the blazing bonfires, I could feel heat bubbling below my skin, energy rising in my chest. I felt powerful. I felt in control. The noise of people talking grew and I heard the myriad of footsteps growing nearer. Gasps and exclamations reached my ears as people saw the two dragons writhing among the flames.
The fires reached up to the sky, the flames flickering in the cold air. I stood, watching silently, as my dragon darted in and out of the tongs, burrowing into the glowing embers. Nyrit darted through the ribbons of smoke, trying to get Varil' attention. Drums sounded, piercing the night, and people fell into hushed whispers. The people baring the drums came closer and began to chant.
Eldur
Hyr hiti
Bal
Logi
Brenn
Graset på heia brenn
Graset på heia brenn
Hyr hiti
Eldur
Over and over these words were chanted, the performers falling into a trance. People holding staves beat them on the ground to the rhythm of the drums, and she and Risha followed. The sound rolled through the mountain valley like thunder.
Through the flames, I saw a priestess drag a goat into the center of the space by the horns. She brought it into the middle of the two central fires. A man came up to her, also dressed in robes, his face painted and a wolf's headdress atop his brow. He placed a bowl below the goat's head and drew an axe from his side. The drum beats grew faster, more intense as the woman held the goat's head up by its horns, baring its neck. The man slowly raised his axe.
The drum beats stopped and the axe fell. Blood ran in rivulets from the wound into the bowl. Slowly, the flow stopped and the goat fell to the floor.
I understood the white robes now.
The man picked up the bowl, and walked towards the two girls, followed closely by the priestess. In her hand she held a small bundle of sticks. They stopped in front of me and the woman dipped the sticks into the bowl of blood. I raised them into the ari, the last rays of sunlight making the deep red glisten, and then flicked them forwards. Droplets of blood landed on my face and robe, the white fabric dotted with crimson. I lurched back in surprise, but regained my composure. The man reached into the bowl, the blood coating his thumb, and dragged the sticky liquid down my lip and onto my throat. The coppery smell didn't repulse me this time.
They moved to Risha, repeating what they had just done. The chanting echoed around my ears and the drum beats had started again.
The fires started to blaze higher. The two dragons flew out of the flames, twirling in the air, and flew towards their mistresses. Nyrit just perched on Risha's shoulder, but Varil flew around, coming towards me, a thin stream of flame coming from his mouth, lighting the fabric wrapped around the tops of the staves. It was like -
It was like he knew what was happening.
The top of my staff burst into flames that spiraled into the sky, flickering and dancing with colours of blue, white, orange, and red. Dragonfire. I hadn't seen it since I was a child.
My attention was drawn back to the priestess however, when she walked over and stood by the two fires in the center of the valley. Taking the blood in her hand, she began flinging it onto the fire's embers. The blood sizzled on the embers, and steam spiraled into the sky. I could have sworn I saw wings fanning the blaze from inside the flames. Every time the blood hit the burning logs, the air grew heavier with power. It surrounded me, settling on my skin.
I could feel the fire burning underneath my skin. I extended my shaking hand out in front of me, holding my breath.
