Betrayal and Strife
By Emily M. Hanson
Author’s notes: This is the sequel to Revelations. If you haven’t read the other stories in the Teracor series, you may want to read them first, beginning with the Road to Teracor. They can be found on my website (and here as well). This is not a fanfic; this is an original series. All characters and places within this story are my own creations. Please don’t borrow them without permission. Thanks to my friend David for the beta.
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The Prophecy
Five lands bound by royal blood will be shattered by a single root. One who commands the stars shall come out of the East, yet seemingly from the West. The Wanderers may find what they seek, but there will also be betrayal and strife. If the betrayer is strong enough, the five lands can be overtaken. But if one travels to the sun, a way to defeat the darkness may still be found.
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Prologue
King Neteilu glanced at General Dalrik. They were camped in the mountains, several days away from the Naborean border. Through the use of magic, it had taken the army six weeks to make the journey when it might otherwise have taken months. The consequences were beginning to make themselves apparent, though. The troops and horses were weary, and since they needed more sustenance than usual to keep up the pace, supplies were running low. But there would be villages to plunder along the way, once they reached the valley below.
“How go the preparations for our invasion of Naborea?” Neteilu inquired.
“The army will be ready to break camp within the hour, my Lord.”
“Excellent.” Neteilu smiled.
“Sire, some of our scouts tell me that there are signs of humans not far from here. Perhaps it is those accursed Wanderers,” Dalrik said.
“Or perhaps it is the girl thief and her companions,” Neteilu replied. “We must not let this opportunity go to waste. Tell the troops to make haste.”
“As you wish, my Lord,” Dalrik replied.
Neteilu waited until the General had left his tent before he permitted himself a small smile. It was only a matter of time before he would be no mere King, but an Emperor. His destiny was unfolding quickly. The prophecy was the only thing that stood in his way, but that would be dealt with soon.
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Part 1
Jaymiran Arrowstrider usually called Jay, sipped water and watched the strangers in the camp from his guard post. One of the strangers was a dragon, of that he was certain. In the old songs, some people could recognize a dragon in human form by looking at its shadow. Apparently, the songs were only half right. It wasn’t the shadow, but the telltale shimmer of wings behind the dragons that gave them away to those with the ability to see it. Jay had seen a pair of wings shimmering behind Kip Goldenhair in the sun.
“Copper for your thoughts?” Ravyn, his twin brother, asked. Both Arrowstrider brothers were tall and well-built with dark hair and blue eyes. Ravyn was dressed in blue and black while Jay wore mostly brown.
“I don’t trust these outsiders,” Jay replied.
“Neither do I, but you don’t see me staring at them.”
“Someone has to watch them,” Jay responded. “Besides, one of them is not human and is pretending to be.”
“Who? The faery woman is obviously not human. So is the Melosean.”
“The golden-haired man. He’s a dragon.”
Ravyn scoffed, “Yeah, right. You’ve been drinking ale, haven’t you?”
“No. I swear he has wings. I saw them in the sunlight when the strangers first arrived.”
“That could’ve been just a heat wave.”
“But it wasn’t. If you don’t believe me, ask Ianora.”
“All right. I’ll ask her tomorrow, when we’re off-duty.”
* * * * *
Aliya Sunlaris sat in Ianora Kelstaff’s tent, staring at the cup of tea that the elderly Seer had brought her. She felt so strange. Just a day ago, she’d been an ordinary thief raised on the streets of Teracor by the thieves’ guild. Today, she had learned the truth. She was actually a princess and her destiny was to save the world somehow. She could not believe how heavily that responsibility weighed on her.
The old woman smiled. “It’ll be all right, dear. You’ll get used to the idea.”
Aliya looked up. “It’ll take time.”
“Of course, it will. Everything does.”
She sighed. “How will I know what to do?”
“When the time comes, you will have no doubts.” The Seer reached over and poured a little more tea into Aliya’s cup. “Drink. This is lavender tea. It will calm you.”
“Thank you.” She took a sip. It tasted sweet. Then Aliya felt some of her worries fade into the back of her mind as her muscles relaxed. “How much do you know about magic, Ianora?”
The old woman chuckled. “A great deal. What would you like to know?”
“How to control my ability, for one thing.”
“Ah. The power to command the stars is not one to take lightly. It is a good thing that you have a strong sense of responsibility. I can give you something that will help you.”
Ianora stood up and opened a wooden chest nearby, then lifted out an ornate carved box and handed it to Aliya. The girl opened it and gasped as she saw a milky-white stone on a silver chain. The stone shimmered with rainbow colors as she held it up.
“That is an opal. It will help you to focus your mind. Please, put it on.”
Aliya put the necklace around her neck and found the clasp. Already, her mind felt clearer. The amulet made a huge difference. “Thank you very much, Ianora.”
“You are welcome. Now sit and finish your tea.”
* * * * *
Jay stared at Kip Goldenhair as the dragon in human form sat on a large rock, gazing across the mountains. The human couldn’t believe he was looking at a dragon, but there was a distinctive shimmer that revealed wings when he looked at Kip from a certain angle. Kip felt his stare and turned around.
“Do I really make you that uncomfortable? I promise I won’t bite.”
Jay shook his head. “It’s just the shock. I never thought I’d meet a dragon.”
“Ah. Please, sit down. We can talk if you like.”
Jay nodded and joined Kip on a rock that was big enough to hold at least four average-sized people. “I thought most dragons were reclusive.”
“Most of us are. I’m an exception.”
“Ah. So, do you really think we’ll be able to find a permanent home?”
“Anything is possible if you have the will to do it, my friend. I sense that your will is very strong.”
“Is that a yes?”
Kip chuckled. “Maybe.”
“What about the prophecy? It says that we will be betrayed.”
“The thing about prophecies is that they rarely occur in ways you expect them to. Also, sometimes they don’t come true at all.”
Jay considered this as the copper-haired warrior woman approached. “Kip, there is a dark blur to the northeast and it’s moving towards us quickly.”
“An army?” the dragon asked.
“Possibly,” Tanith replied.
Jay stood up and looked. All he could see was a speck on the horizon. The warrior’s eyes had to be better than his if she could tell that it was moving.
Kip also stood up. His green eyes narrowed. “I can’t see much from this distance. Tell you what, I’ll switch form and fly closer.”
“Don’t give away our location,” Jay said.
“They won’t know where I came from,” he assured him.
Kip walked a short distance away to give himself enough space. Then the air around him rippled as he transformed into his natural form, a gleaming golden dragon. There were some gasps from the humans nearby who hadn’t known what he was. “It’s all right,” he rumbled. “I won’t hurt you. I’ll be back soon.” With that, the dragon soared into the afternoon sky.
* * * * *
The golden dragon soared over the mountains, circling as if looking for prey. He spotted the incoming army easily. They wore black and red, the royal colors of Neteilu, the new sorcerer-king of the five provinces of Torgesia. From this height, the army looked like a giant bruise moving slowly across the mountains. Torgesia was wounded in a sense. Neteilu had murdered the rightful king, Ulven Dekira, creating a laceration that was still bleeding. No one had the courage to confront him except for Kip and his companions, and Aliya alone held the power to defeat the sorcerer.
The army was headed towards the Wanderers’ camp. The soldiers would pass directly by it when nightfall came. It would be impossible for them to miss it, and certainly they would not ignore such an inviting target. Kiperreth turned around and hurried back to warn the others, soaring above the clouds so as not to give himself away.
* * * * *
The dragon landed and morphed into his human form, stirring up the dust as he did so. “Neteilu’s army is headed straight for us,” Kip said. “There’s no way they’re going to miss this camp. We should prepare for battle.”
“Can’t you cast a spell to make us invisible or something?” Ravyn inquired.
“I know of no spell that powerful. I am sorry.”
Ianora, the elderly wise woman, stepped forward. “The dragon is right. We cannot hope to avoid confrontation. Therefore, I believe we need to get ready. It will not be long.”
The clan’s leader, Balen Talbrand, also stepped forward. He was not a young man, but he had the build of a warrior. His dark hair had several streaks of silver, and his brown eyes were sharp and perceptive like a falcon’s. His features were weathered and he had a long scar on his right cheek. He wore a red tunic with a soaring phoenix embroidered in gold, a bright yellow cloak, and brown breeches. The man carried the symbol of his office, a Darkwood staff with rubies, garnets, and topaz gems embedded in the wood.
“We will not run away like dogs with our tails between our legs,” Balen announced. “We will stand and fight. We have strong allies and the magic of our wise woman. We will not be defeated.”
A cheer went up among the Wanderers, all except for Ravyn Arrowstrider, who tasted bitterness. “Why should we trust these outsiders?” he asked.
Balen looked at him. “These are not just any outsiders, cousin. They have a role to play in the prophecy. With any luck, we’ll find our true home soon, and we won’t allow the army of a black-hearted sorcerer to defeat us.”
The rest of the Wanderers cheered, but Ravyn’s brooding silence was a dagger twisting and turning into his heart. Balen hoped he would reconsider his feelings when it came time to fight.
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