Omnixius
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DKP 7-21 A secret and a solution
🕑 Added 2022-02-11 19:34:16 +0000 UTCThe room was lit by a single window that offered meager illumination to the barren space. Alayse paced with folded arms, her steps echoing off the stone walls as Jessivel stood at the window gazing into the city. She didn't like meeting in a temple of Astikar, but this particular one was dedicated solely to the seekers. Jessivel was sure it would be safe to talk openly here, and the things they had to discuss were sensitive.
His men had scoured the city, checking every inn for anyone who knew the mysterious Lady Cartain. When that failed to produce results, he expanded the search to the noble houses and estates. Agents were sent claiming to be acting under imperial authority to ask discreet questions. Women of Ulustrah were present at every interrogation to ensure honesty, and the end result was nothing.
“So she wasn’t staying in the city,” Alayse said when he finished his report.
“I have already sent men out to the estates and noble houses outside the walls,” Jessivel replied without averting his gaze. “I have to admit I am concerned now.”
“Why is not finding her lodging concerning you?” Alayse asked.
“I can explain why nobody knows who she is. On the grand scale of things, there are thousands of petty nobles inside the empire alone. We can't expect people to know the names of nobles born to minor families from tiny kingdoms outside the empire. Still, she claims to be a duchess and the daughter of a noble. So why is she traveling alone? Wouldn't a woman of her station warrant some protection? Especially considering that bandersook packs are still roaming the east?”
“You're right. That is strange,” Alayse agreed.
“A woman of her stature should have at least one personal attendant and three or four aids, not to mention a carriage, driver, and some guards,” he added. “Did she walk all the way here alone?”
“Maybe she is staying at an estate outside the city, and we will find her retainers there,” Alayse suggested.
“I doubt that,” Jessivel replied and pointed out that Lady Cartain would have brought her maid into the palace and wouldn't be wandering the streets without at least one guard present.
“So she must be hiding something,” Alayse said. “But how do we find out?”
“I am working on it. I have men searching her so-called homeland for any trace of her. Unfortunately, she picked a relatively isolated kingdom, and I don't expect a report for several days.”
“She could strike before then,” Alayse insisted. “Thayle is suspicious but not enough to act directly. We need to find something we can use.”
“You spent time with her,” Jessivel replied. “What did you learn?”
Alayse explained the tea party and the woman who attended drenched in jewelry and sweet as honey. She answered every question honestly, but that was hardly surprising considering the woman's aura barely twitched. When it did, Alayse saw the purple light and the strange ring over the head, but it was gone in the blink of an eye.
“And you have no insight as to what this means?” he questioned.
“None,” Alayse replied with a huff. “Thayle has reached out to the primes asking them to scour the records and archives. She is hoping somebody has encountered this before, but so far, nothing has been found.”
“And Thayle has no insights?” he pressed.
“She doesn’t really,” Alayse said as she was reminded of something Thayle said. “She has seen something like this before but had no idea what it meant then, let alone now.” She recounted the story of the strange man who gifted them the armor. Thayle assured her that his aura was just as calm at Lady Cartains. Then there was the girl with the strange aura that reached out for Lilly. Thayle was sure she saw purple runes drifting in the light, but they sent the girl away and had no further dealings with her.
“Could that have been Celine?” Jessivel asked.
“I doubt it,” Alayse replied. “The girl was late in her teens and had long golden hair. Also, the purple appeared as runes in her aura, not a light that encompassed it.”
“Then we are no closer to an answer than before,” Jessivel said and turned from the window. “I wonder how these headaches are connected. You said Thayle has one now?”
“She does, and it ruined a theory I was developing,” Alayse replied. When Jessivel asked what she was thinking, she pointed out that until Thayle, the only people who suffered headaches were followers of Astikar.
“Gersius isn’t a follower of Astikar anymore,” Jessivel pointed out.
“But he was, and he still prays to Astikar to offer him thanks,” Alayse argued.
“Maybe, but now that you mention Astikar, it actually helps protect Celine,” Jessivel replied.
“How do you mean?” she asked as he shrugged.
“I mean the warning sense that every follower of the god has. If this Celine was a danger to Sarah, she would feel the sense whenever Celine was present. It would grow as the woman got closer and wain as she moved away.”
“How does this sense work exactly?” Alayse asked. Jessivel explained that it worked two ways. When followers were about to walk into life-threatening danger, they often received a sense of dread. It usually meant the danger was just ahead or about to catch up to them. The other way it could be used was through prayer. The priest could pray to Astikar and offer a plan of action or a path they intended to walk. If the option carried significant risk, they would feel a sense of apprehension or dread if the path was truly dangerous.
“So, have you prayed about Celine?” Alayse asked.
“No. I have no cause to pray about her. It wouldn't work for me anyway. Unless Celine was plotting to cause me direct harm, I would feel nothing,” he replied.
“So the danger has to be personal to you for it to work,” Alayse surmised.
“Well, not exactly,” he corrected. “If I was trying to protect you and somebody was approaching to cause you harm, I might feel something, but only because I needed to protect you.”
“Maybe Celine doesn’t’ mean Sarah any harm,” Alayse suggested. “Perhaps the target is Gersius?”
“I am fairly certain that he still has the warning sense,” Jessivel said. “Despite his change of faith, Gerisus has told a story where he felt the warning just in time.”
“I seem to recall that,” Alayse said with a nod. “So since none of them are being warned, we can assume Celine is no threat to them.”
“That is what I was thinking,” Jessivel replied. “Let’s not forget she has to answer direct questions by women of Ulustrah every time she enters the palace.”
Alayse knew that already but was still convinced Celine was lying somehow. She thought about confronting her and asking direct questions about where she was staying before the palace and where her retainers were. Of course, that would alert the woman that she was being scrutinized. She briefly considered a plan where Jessivel did the confrontation while hiding nearby. If she became aware the head of the seekers was personally investigating her, she might have cause to act. He might then feel the warning sense, but it would expose what they were doing, and if they were wrong, it would look bad.
“I still believe she is lying and that these headaches are somehow related,” Alayse said.
“What about your other plan?” Jessivel asked. “When will he arrive?”
“Soon,” Alayse replied as she thought about the task she asked Mingfe to help with. “I have arranged for him to arrive outside the city and be brought here in secret. I don't' want Thayle and her family to know about him.”
“This is starting to look more and more like we are going rogue,” Jessivel cautioned. “We need to be careful about how much we keep from the imperial family.”
“I am going to meet with Thayle and see if she has gotten more replies from the primes,” Alayse said without addressing his concerns.
“I will gather more reports and assign men to watch her in the city,” Jessivel replied. “I will send word when this man arrives and keep him hidden here until you need him.”
Alayse nodded and stormed out with her suspicions even more raised. It took her another hour, but she found Thayle speaking to Lilly on a walled platform to one side of the palace. Lilly and Sarah used it as a changing room when they took their dragon forms so that prying eyes wouldn't see their naked human bodies.
“I need to speak with you,” Alayse said as she approached the yard.
Thayle looked over and shook her head in frustration as Lilly seemed to be pouting to one side.
“I don’t have time for you right this moment,” Thayle said and looked to Lilly. “We will have to go tomorrow.”
“But you promised we could fly today,” Lilly grumbled. “You never ride on me anymore.”
“Lilly, I have other responsibilities,” Thayle argued. “I have to deal with a group of women who are angry about the freedom to marry and stay in the order.”
“People are still complaining about that?” Alayse asked.
Thayle shook her head and turned on Alayse with a sour expression.
“You know full well how devastating that was to the order of Ulustrah. Nearly every one of us has had to choose between the love of goddess or a man. Telling them that they could have had both has made many a woman bitter, especially the ones too old to start a family now.”
“What’s done is done,” Alayse replied. “I have sympathy for my sisters who feel they have been cheated, but we must go on.”
“Try telling that to them,” Thayle countered. “What’s worse is the ones who are old are also highly ranked and have a measure of influence. That bitterness is going to poison all those who serve under them. If I don't do something to check it, I will have to compound their sorrow by removing them from their stations.”
“So why is this affecting Lilly?” Alayse asked.
“None of your business,” Thayle replied.
“She and I were going to fly to a temple in the south,” Lilly said as Thayle rolled her eyes. “I haven't been out to fly in a long time, and I was looking forward to it.”
“Just go flying then,” Thayle insisted.
“But I wanted to go with you,” Lilly pleaded. “Besides, I can't open your temple. I need you to be there and do it.”
Thayle sighed and looked up, her gaze falling on Alayse. A smile spread over her face as Alayse took a cautious step back.
“What you need is a priestess of Ulustrah with enough rank to open a temple,” Thayle said. “Take Alayse. She can open it.”
“What?” Alayse stammered. “That’s temple priestess work.”
“You heard me,” Thayle snapped. “Lilly wants to fly, and Gersius wants the temple opened as soon as possible. We need to send a high-ranking member of the order, and I can't go, so you will go in my stead.”
“You need somebody to make a list of needed items, and check that the roof isn’t leaking. Send one of the high priestesses,” Alayse protested.
“None of them have the courage or constitution to fly on the back of a dragon,” Thayle countered. “But you are a Governess Commander, and I am sure you won't have any trouble.”
Alayse was stunned at the way Thayle used her pride as a weapon. She glanced at Lilly, who was waiting patiently for an answer with a hopeful look in her eyes. She quickly tried to think of a good reason why they couldn’t go and was reminded of her conversation with Jessivel.
“What about security? Do you plan to send an empress out on her own?” she asked.
Thayle smiled slightyand dismissed the comment with the wave of a hand. “Nobody knows where you are going, and Lilly is more than capable of taking care of herself. Besides you’re just going to inspect a temple and bring back a report. I doubt you will need the ferocity of a dragon to manage that.”
Alayse couldn’t think of another reason so she turned to Lilly and tried to talk her out of it.
“You would carry me on your back?” Alayse asked. “I was there when you once said you only carried your loved ones.”
“I carry them and people important to them,” Lilly said. “I carried High Priest Lengwin frequently when we were starting our march.”
“Then it's settled,” Thayle said and turned away. “You two can leave right away. I have other matters to deal with.”
“Wait!” Alayse called as Thayle headed away. “How is your headache?”
“It's gone,” Thayle replied as she reached the archway. “It faded away an hour after the party.” She vanished down the tunnel leaving Alayse to ponder what that meant. She turned to ask Lilly a question but nearly choked on the words. Lilly was half-naked, stepping out of her dress as Alayse stood there watching. With a smile, she shed her undergarments then walked to a massive saddle to fold the clothing into an attached basket.
“What are you doing?” Alayse asked.
“Putting my clothes away,” Lilly said innocently. “If I change while they are on, it tears them to shreds.”
“Shouldn’t you have asked me to leave?” Alayse countered.
“Why?” Lilly replied with a smile. “I don’t care if you see. You’re a girl.”
Alayse watched as Lilly walked to the center of the ring and threw her arms in the arm. A white mist began to crawl over her skin, and in seconds, Lilly was gone, engulfed in a swirling cloud of white. It rolled like a storm and produced a sound like wind blowing through the trees. There was a flash of lightning that stung the eyes, forcing her to look away. When she looked back, the wind was gone, and the cloud was no longer swirling. Something dark moved within, and a pair of huge blue wings rose out and flapped, blowing the rest away. Lilly lifted her head high and looked down at the little blond woman, then turned around and went for her saddle.
“That’s how you change?” Alayse asked in awe.
“It isn’t a secret,” Lilly replied as she lifted the saddle to belt it on. “Lot’s of people have seen me change.”
“You let them all see you naked?” Alayse asked in shock.
“What? No!” Lilly cried. “I always had something to cover up in before I changed. I only went naked in front of you because Thayle told me it would tease you.”
“Oh, did she? Alayse asked.
“Had you of been a man, I would have refused to do it,” Lilly continued. “But Thayle said you and she were once lovers, and she wanted to make you uncomfortable.”
“So you planned this in advance?” Alayse asked in annoyance, wondering how Thayle knew she was coming.
“No,” Lilly replied as the saddle was buckled on. “She told me to do it while you were standing there.”
“I never heard her say any such thing,” Alayse snapped but saw the light of truth in Lilly's aura.
Lilly laughed with a strange double voice, then walked with slow serpent-like grace to stand beside Alayse.
“There are some things about us few people know,” Lilly replied and laid on her stomach. “Climb up and use the ropes to tie your legs if it will make you feel more secure. I fly very smoothly, but I understand if you are nervous.”
Alayse didn't like the idea of flying, especially on the back of a dragon, but she wasn't about to let Thayle know she was afraid. She climbed up as Lilly turned her head around to instruct her on how to lash her legs.
“Now, the worst part is the jump into the air,” Lilly said. “Just sit tight. It only lasts a moment.”
Alayse nodded, then nearly screamed as Lilly flared out her wings and leaped into the air with a strong beat down. In seconds they were climbing higher, rising over the city as her stomach began to churn.
“Are you alright?” Lilly asked as she looked back. “You look a little pale.”
“I will be fine,” Alayse replied with her eyes closed. “Thayle doesn’t mind doing this?”
“Thayle loves to fly,” Lilly replied. “So will you once you get used to it. Just relax, I promise you won’t fall.”
“I will have to take your word for it,” Alayse groaned and dared to open her eyes. She saw the countryside rolling by as massive wings flapped and drove them on. It was a surprisingly smooth ride, and she felt secure, but the height made her dizzy.
“She did this to me on purpose,” Alayse growled. “She knew I would be uncomfortable.”
“Oh, don’t be mad at Thayle,” Lilly pleaded. “She would never have asked me to carry you if she didn’t hold you in the highest regard.”
“She didn’t ask you anything. She told you to carry me and then backed me into a corner.”
“That's where your wrong,” Lilly laughed and turned her head back to hover before the woman on her saddle. “What I am about to tell you is a carefully guarded secret, but Thayle already told me you could know.” She paused to make sure Alayse was listening, then explained the bind and how they could communicate silently across it. She then told Alayse that she and Thayle were talking silently after she arrived.
“So that’s how she told you to tease me,” Alayse said with a sigh. “Why has she never told me?”
“Only Lengwin and few others know,” Lilly replied and glared down at Alayse with burning blue eyes. “So you must be very special to Thayle that she was willing to both let you ride me and know our secret.”
“Is his how you gained the aura sight?” Alayse asked.
“Yes,” Lilly replied. “We are sharing our gifts across the bind and growing in strength.”
“So Thayle got that dragon form from you?” Alayse questioned as she began to see the reason behind it all.
“They got a lot more than that,” Lilly laughed.”They heal faster, are immune to the cold, can see with dragon sight, and talk in our booming voice. They don't need to sleep or eat as a human does, and Gersius often stays up all night to pour over maps and letters.
“I had heard rumors that he single-handedly handles all the dispatches and paperwork,” Alayse acknowledged. “Is it true you all share one bed?”
“That's forward of you,” Lilly replied.
“Says the woman who just stripped for me,” Alayse countered.
“Good point,” Lilly laughed. “And yes, we share one bed. Why would I want to sleep anywhere but in the arms of my lovers?”
Alayse looked away and let out a tired sigh. “And you honestly love Thayle?”
“With all my heart,” Lilly said and lifted her head higher.
“How can you say you love her with all your heart when you have three lovers?” Alayse argued. “Isn’t your love a little divided?”
“Why can’t I love more than one person with all my heart?” Lilly asked. “It’s funny that we dragons are cursed and unable to know love without some miracle to save us, yet we seem to embrace it far better than you humans.”
“It isn’t easy to get two people to achieve harmony in a relationship,” Alayse said. “I can’t imagine how hard it is to get four to do it.”
“You keep forgetting the bind,” Lilly countered. “We share one heart, not four. I know how they feel about me, and I feel their love when they are near. We occasionally have our problems, but Thayle is always on hand to help us understand. She works tirelessly to soothe away our pains and unite us in the love we have.”
“She always was talented with love,” Alayse grumbled.
“She said you were the best swordswoman she ever met,” Lilly replied. “But that you kept a tight reign on love and encouraged others not to explore it.”
“I did that for the sake of my sisters,” Alayse replied. “I hated to see good soldiers that took years to train suddenly cast out because they fell in love with some man. All that hard work and devotion was thrown away so she could have children while sweeping some farmhouse floor. I understand that they don’t have to leave anymore, but a woman can’t march and take care of children. I hate to see them waste their potential by getting married.”
“You have a very poor perspective on marriage,” Lilly said with a sad tone. “I am looking forward to having a little house and some children to take care of.”
“You live in the grandest palace in the known land,” Alayse pointed out.
“For now, but we plan to leave as soon as we can. We are going to live someplace else and build a little house where we can raise children in peace,” Lilly replied.
Alayse was dumbstruck, especially when she saw the light of Lilly's truth. She asked how Lilly could give up ruling the empire to live like a peasant in some tiny house. Lilly took offense at her comment and insisted that all she wanted was a quiet home to share with her family. Ofcourse, the house would be large enough to contain them and their children, but small enough that it would be manageable without servants.
“But why give all this up?” Alayse asked.
“We want to live our lives for ourselves,” Lilly replied. “We are leading the empire out of duty, but Gersius only started down this path to end the war so he could retire. He wanted to settle down and start a family. Sarah is more inclined to want to rule, but even she talks about running the household and taking care of Thayle and I.”
“Oh yes, this mother nonsense,” Alayse grumbled.
“Sarah is very motherly,” Lilly agreed. “And that is one of her wonderful traits. But you have to understand that she is over five thousand years old. There isn't a person in the empire that shouldn't see her as a motherly figure. Honestly, I am surprised you are resistant to this. Thayle said you prefer women like she does.”
Alayse nodded and admitted that she did, in fact, prefer women. Lilly then asked why she would turn down the chance the allow a wiser and far more powerful woman to express her love by mothering her. Alayse couldn't think of a good reason other than to say that she didn't like the idea of bowing her head to another woman.
“Oh, your the alpha,” Lilly said. “You want to be like Sarah, not under her.”
“That’s as close to a good answer as we are going to get,” Alayse replied.
“I guess it's easier for dragons,” Lilly admitted. “We have a natural order where the older dragons parent the younger ones. If the order of scale was still in operation, there would be hundreds of dragons that I referred to as mother and father.”
“I have always been the one to decide my path,” Alayse said. “I find it hard to take orders and even harder to bow my head to someone who isn't worthy of it.”
“Could you bow your head to a man?” Lilly asked.
“I,” she began to say that she couldn't but knew Lilly would see the light of the lie. In truth, she knew a man like Gersius could temper her fire, but she wasn't about to seek that path. “If the right man came along, but no such man has ever presented himself. I doubt there is a man in the world who I would trust to give my love to.”
“If I could fall in love with a man, you certainly can,” Lilly laughed. “Who would ever believe I would wear the title of wife? I am a dragon, after all.”
“But your story is unique,” Alayse insisted. “You two were brought together by circumstance.”
“We were brought together by a complex plan made by the divines,” Lilly corrected. “And a chief member of that plan was Lady Ulustrah, who sent Thayle to ensure Gersius and I stayed together long enough to realize our love.”
“What are you getting at?” Alayse asked in annoyance.
“That if Ulustrah decides it's time you raised a few children, she will arrange the circumstances to unite you to a man,” Lilly countered.
“I doubt that,” Alayse said with a laugh.
“Just for that, I am going to pray to Ulustrah for you,” Lilly threatened. “I am going to ask her to provide you a husband so our children can play together.”
“You wouldn’t dare!” Alayse snapped.
“I might even have Thayle organize a prayer circle and get hundreds to call out for your happiness,” Lilly added and turned her head to the front.
“Hey! We’re not done talking about this!” Alayse shouted. “Lilly! Don’t you dare ask Ulustrah to meddle in my relationships! Lilly, are you listening to me?”
“Sorry, the wind is picking up. I can't hear you,” Lilly called back.
“I saw the light of that lie!” Alayse shouted. “You turn your head back here and promise me you won't do such a foolish thing.”
Lilly laughed and tuned her long neck back to Look Alayse in the eyes. “Why would it be foolish to wish happiness on you?”
“How can you be sure I will be happy?” Alayse asked.
“Because I trust in Ulustrah to know your heart and find the perfect man to match it,” Lilly replied.
Alayse was silent a moment as Lilly spoke like a priestess of the temple. She reasoned that she must have learned somewisdom from Thayle, but she hardly expected a dragon to be so well versed. “Thayle has been teaching you,” she said and looked down. “I suppose if Ulustrah wanted it, but I…”
“You're afraid,” Lilly finished for her. “I bet you still harbor fears over having to step down despite that rule being abolished. It's hard to let go of deeply ingrained fears and embrace a new future. I should know, I tried to run from them several times, but Thayle was always there to bring me back.”
“Thayle is gifted in understanding peoples’smotivations. She can always tell when they are hurting,” Alayse replied.
“She can,” Lilly agreed. “And she told me that you have been hurting for a very long time, but because of your history with each other, she is unable to reach you.”
“What else has Thayle told you about me?” Alayse asked.
“Thayle said she ran from you a long time ago because she knew you were not her path. It turns out she was right because Ulustrah meant her for something else. Maybe you should recognize that and let her go so your eyes might be open and ready for the next love Ulustrah sends you.”
Alayse smiled and shook her head. “Is Thayle teaching you to be a priestess of Ulustrah?”
“No, but I share a heart with her, and I can feel her love for Ulustrah when we are close. I have heard her pray a thousand times, and I know your songs by heart. I don't need any training in your ways to know that when Ulustrah calls, your heart is about to change.”
“You would have been a wonderful priestess,” Alayse sighed. “You have the right heart for it.”
“Gersius taught me how to embrace my heart, and Thayle taught me how to let it flow,” Lilly replied with a nod of her head. “You should find a dragon to marry. I wonder if Shadros would take more wives?”
“That is Mingfe’s husband!” Alayse cried in shock. “Even if he were agreeable, I doubt it would happen. She and I don’t exactly get along.”
“You’re too stubborn,” Lilly pouted. “Alright, I will find another man for you. Ulustrah will lead me to him.”
“Please stay out of my love life,” Alayse begged.
“No promises,” Lilly teased and banked slightly. They flew on for several hours until a large city came into view. Lilly settled into the hills just outside and had Alayse help get her dressed before moving on.
“Couldn’t you have dressed yourself?” Alayse remarked as the dress was pulled tight.
“I thought we were in a hurry, and besides Thayle always helps me dress,” Lilly replied and shook out her hair. “Well, let's go find your temple.”
Alayse nodded and led the way, her green robes almost blending with the foliage. Half an hour later, they were on the road passing along a farm whose crops looked sick and badly in need of a blessing.
“This must be why Gersius wants this temple opened immediately,” Alayse said as they went by. “Those crops are blighted.”
“What does that mean?” Lilly asked.
“It's a form of disease,” Alayse replied. “It causes the crops to waste away and easily spreads across a field rapidly. It is more prevalent in areas with shallow wet soils.”
“You seem to be highly skilled with the plant side of your order,” Lilly commented.
“My family had farms,” Alayse replied. “I spent a lot of time tending crops.” A few minutes later, the buildings came into view, giving them a good look at the town. Alayse led the way into the streets as people began to notice the color of her robes. She asked for directions to the temple, and people eagerly pointed the way. Before they could get far, a man stopped them and begged for help with his farm. Alayse assured him that help was coming, but she needed to see the temple first. He looked heartbroken, but Alayse pressed on and was stopped again by three men with the same request.
“They sound desperate,” Lilly said as they left the three behind.
“When your family is risking starvation and the loss of all you own, it can be pretty desperate,” Alayse replied and turned a corner.
There it was, a modest temple of two floors and a surrounding garden. It was set into a small hill so that plants grew over the walls, and only the front could be seen. There was an iron gate locked by a sturdy chain, closing off the yard.
“This isn't one of our locks,” Alayse said as she studied it. “This was probably closed and locked by the temple of Astikar. I doubt they have the key anymore, considering how the war turned out.”
“Can’t we just break it off?” Lilly asked.
“I don’t have a hammer,” Alayse grumbled. “Maybe we could hire a blacksmith to dismantle it for us.”
“The hills go up the side. So we can walk around it,” Lilly pointed out.
“I know we can go around, but until I open this gate, the people can’t enter,” Alayse said and let the lock fall. “We can deal with this later. I want to see inside. We will need to know what items are missing from the temple so we can procure new ones.”
They walked around the fence to the hill slope and climbed up the side until near the roof. From here, they dropped to the ground and went to the sturdy doors of the temple.
“Why are these not locked?” Alayse asked as she easily pulled them open.
Lilly looked at her nervously then peered into the building with a sense of trepidation.
“Is it safe to be here?” she asked as Alayse stepped inside.
“Of course, it is,” Alayse replied as she led the way into the main temple. Just as she was about to turn a corner, Lilly grabbed her by the shoulder and yanked her back. There was a motion just to her left, and Alayse briefly saw a man before being thrown into the hall.
“How the bloody hell did she do that?” Somebody grumbled from inside as Alayse hit the ground.
“The wench with the blue hair pulled her out,” another said.
“What?” Alayse cried in alarm and looked up to see Lilly dancing her fingers. A flash occurred at each hand, and suddenly she was holding swords. Two unshaven men with lust in their eyes appeared in the doorway and smiled to see Lilly standing against them.
“Look at this, the tart thinks she’s a warrior,” one of them said.
“She’s certainly a pretty one,” the other replied. “The blonde is good looking too.”
Alayse climbed to her feet just as a sound echoed from behind. She turned to see a third man slamming the temple doors, trapping them inside.
“You weren’t planning on leaving?” a new man said with a sneer. “Why, we came all this way to see if a priestess of Ulustrah could help us with our problem.”
“You men have no idea what a mistake your making,” Alayse growled as she stepped closer to Lilly.
“Oh, she's a feisty one,” a man near Lilly said. “I bet she struggles the whole time.”
“Can you change?” Alayse asked as she backed up to Lilly.
“No, the space is too small,” Lilly replied. “Do you have a weapon?”
“No. I was inside the palace. I didn’t think I would need to be armed,” Alayse said.
Lilly nodded and held out a sword that Alayse quickly snapped up. She gave it a few good swings to display her skill and brought the man to a halt.
“You know a thing or two about the sword then?” the man asked. “I thought you priestesses were all about love and singing to plants?”
“Are you an idiot?” Lilly laughed. “Didn’t Gersius just conquer an empire with an army of women?”
“I bet he's conquered an army of women. I hear he's got himself a harem of dragon whoreswaiting on his every need,” one of the men retorted, causing the group to laugh.
Lilly turned on him as her eyes burned with a blue fire and her voice dipped low into the dragon speech.
“You will not speak of my family like that!”
“Your family?” one of the men choked.
“Oh, didn’t you notice?” Alayse mocked. “Say Hello to Lilly Dra’Udwan, first wife, and empress of the dragon empire.”
The look of understanding dawned on their faces moments before they realized just how little time they had left. The movements were fast and the cries muffled by the thick earthen walls leaving the town outside oblivious to the violence. A minute later, the doors opened, and Lilly helped Alayse drag the first body out.
“Vagabonds driven east by the war if I had to guess,” Alayse said as the first body was thrown to the side. “They probably took advantage of the empty temple to hide.”
“Why do some men treat women so poorly?” Lilly asked as they headed inside for the next one.
“As much as it pains me to say this, very few men are like these fools. The ones that are usually learned if from their families. They had a father that treated their mother poorly, and they grew up believing women had only one purpose,” Alayse replied.
“When I first met Gersius, we encountered some bandits trying to abuse a woman on a farm. He killed them all, and I ate them behind the barn,” Lilly explained.
Alayse looked at her funny as they began to drag the next body out.
“He let you eat them?” she asked.
Lilly nodded and explained that the farmer had nearly died and would be in bed for a few days. Gersius didn't want the farmer's wife to have to deal with the mess, so he let Lilly clean it up.
“Hmm, I wonder if I should let you eat these men too?” Alayse pondered as they dropped the second one.
“I can't,” Lilly sighed. “Thayle got upset when she heard the story. So to make her feel better, I promised not to eat any more humans, even if they are trying to kill me.”
“That's a shame,” Alayse remarked as they went back inside. “Now, I will have to arrange for somebody to collect the bodies and bury them someplace.”
“Oh, I can do that,” Lilly replied as they picked up the last. “I can change and fly them into the woods to bury them. It will only take a minute with my dragon claws.”
“And you won't eat them when nobody is looking? Alayse asked.
Lilly smiled but didn't answer. She didn't want Alayse to see the lie after all.
“How did you know they were about to attack us?” Alayse questioned as the last body was cast aside.
“I don't' know. I felt something as we approached the temple. When you said the door wasn't locked, it got worse, and then just as you went down the hall, it was intense.”
“Wait, you felt something?” Alayse asked in alarm. “What kind of feeling was it?”
“I don’t know how to describe it,” Lilly said in confusion. “Just a feeling like we were in danger.”
“The warning sense,” Alayse said with a nod. “That must be it.”
“What are you talking about?” Lilly asked.
“You share your gifts across the bind, and you have received Ulustrah’s aura sight from Thayle,” Alayse pointed out. “But what have you gotten from Sarah? Could you have Astikars warning sense?”
“I guess that could be it,” Lilly said and looked at the three bodies. “But why is that important?”
“Because if you have the warning sense, then so does Thayle,” Alayse replied. “That means everyone who has a headache has two things in common. They all have the warning sense, and they have all been exposed to Lady Cartain.”
“But I haven’t had a headache,” Lilly replied.
“Have you ever noticed the warning sense before?” Alayse asked.
“No,” Lilly admitted. “Gersius does, though. Astikar still warns him despite leaving his faith.”
“It has to mean something,” Alayse grumbled and looked to the temple. “I need to get back, but this town needs the temple opened. Those crops will be lost if women aren’t sent to bless them soon.”
“You just needed to take a survey, right?” Lilly asked.
“I have to inventory the temple and make a list of what will be needed to supply it. Then I have to open the gates, and these get bodies disposed of,” Alayse replied.
Lilly smiled and pulled at the lace of her dress. “Well, go inside and do your inventory. I will take care of the bodies and the gate.”
Alayse nodded and hurried inside to find the temple ransacked and the back rooms full of filth left behind by the intruders. It took over an hour, but with a list of what was needed, she returned to find the bodies gone, the gate torn from the fence, and a blue dragon casually laying in the sun. People from the city were pointing from a safe distance as Lilly looked down on Alayse.
“All finished?” she asked.
“Yes,” Alayse replied and noted Lilly was already wearing the saddle. She surmised that Lilly must have flown the bodies back to where they left the saddle. Whether she buried or ate them was of no concern, all that mattered now was getting back to Calathen. With any luck, the man she was waiting for had arrived, and Jessivel was already filling him in.
She climbed onto Lilly's back, and the dragon took flight, rising over the city and heading for home. It had been a learning experience and armed with the secrets of the dragon knights, was forming a plan.
