Secrets of a War God

5.

Calissa had spent days in the forest, learning and training with Naya, becoming one with how they move for attacking and specific moves for defending. They had bonded well throughout their days together and flourished in the night, both loved the shadows they could hide in. 

It had been 5 days before Calissa had decided to return home, none of the previous royalty had spent so long in the unclaimed lands. It was their last night and she was leaning against Naya who was curled up around the fire. They were to set off in the morning with the dragon keeping out of sight when Calissa enters her kingdom again, not wanting her to be spotted and hurt. 

Calissa had started to feel the days events as her eyes closed, leaning further into the comfort and warmth of her dragon, she slowly started to slip into a dream state. 

She was running through the palace halls, chasing Lyla with a wooden sword. Both loved this game as it allowed them to practice and have fun, without being shouted at at-least. Calissa rounded a corner and stopped, both her and Lyla weren't expecting to see her father and one of his other women. They quickly moved into one of the shadows and watched everything unfold.

"Who the f**k do you think you are around here? No one, and I mean no one, is to come this close to her chambers without her approval."

The Wolf King was holding the woman by her throat, slightly lifting her off the ground but not enough to fully restrict airflow. 

"My Lord I did not do anything, I was invited. I swear. I am here to help her with Calissa, apparently something is wrong with your child."

"Lies! My girl is perfectly healthy." The Wolf King was shaking with fury as the woman kept blatantly lying to his face. No one had dared do this in years and it was starting to agitate him. "Nari you are to leave this castle at once, your son can stay here as he is mine but you, I want you out in an hour. You have brought this upon yourself for lying to me too many times."

Her father released her and started to walk in the direction of Calissa and Lyla, who still hadn't been seen.

"But Uther you cannot do this! I am a mother to your son, I stay here whether you like it or not!"

At this Calissa knew that this woman, Nari, had just signed her own death certificate. The fact that someone had talked back to the great Wolf King was unheard of, mainly because they wouldn't live afterwards. 

"Then tell me Nari, tell me what you wanted with my daughter." He had turned in his spot at this point, staring at Nari with utter hatred. "You are found in Teresitas hall, with a dagger to your person and a bottle that is filled with god knows what. Please tell me what you were planning to do once you killed my family!"

At this Calissa was taken aback, she had noticed the belt on the woman but not what it had contained. Sure enough the dagger was there, sheathed next to a bottle of clear liquid. It could be mistaken for water but the way it was sealed suggested otherwise. 

The Wolf King made his way towards her again, placing his hand on the shortsword on his person. His gaze never left Nari as he awaited her answer, unsheathing his sword in the process. 

"Please I did not mean for this. Uther you have to believe me, that woman is poisoning your mind. You have shown more kindness to her than anybody else, and that daughter. Your daughter is a murderer! She should not live for this is an evil bestowed upon the palace. The fact that she has been running around with a f*****g sword is outrageous! You should have better control over your spawn - "

Her words were quickly replaced with a gurgling sound, looking closer there was a thin line on her throat with blood pouring out. Her fathers sword was hanging at his side with blood dripping down, he had cut her throat himself. A small gasp left Calissa's throat at this revelation which got her fathers attention, he turned to see his precious girl standing there. He hadn't realised someone was in the shadows, stepping forward he wanted to explain but she ran. Calissa ran back to her room, overthinking everything her father just did.

She awoke from the movements of Naya, slowly shifting so as to wake her up peacefully. Calissa smiled at the dragon and then started to pack up everything she brought with her, not holding back the excitement of going home. The dream she had was a memory, her father had protected her from a crazy woman who did not like the favouritism being shown. That interaction had cemented her fathers thought that the War God should remain a secret, and Calissa should be in the shadows as much as possible. 

Crossing over the borders you could tell the immediate difference between the unclaimed land and Tarnon, whether that be from the smell in the air or the plants surrounding you. Tarnon was colder in both the environment and the aura of the people, those who live here had to survive harsh winters so they grew a thicker skin. 

Walking home Calissa was thinking about the dream, she hadn't properly thought about since it had happened. She was 10 at the time and Nari was Faris' mother, she was always kind to her and never led Calissa to believe she held a grudge. After the incident Faris was taken under the wing by Teresita, treating him as her own.That's how they had bonded over the years, from the death of his mother.

Calissa shook her head of these thoughts before continuing her journey home, by the way she was walking she would reach their before sunset. She passed the occasional person out on the streets, but due to the weather here they mostly stayed inside, some greeting were kind towards her others were crude. Leering at the princess as she made her way home, wondering what a pretty thing was doing all by herself. Calissa smiled slightly to herself on their actions, they had no idea she could break them by barely lifting a finger. 

Naya had been watching from behind the buildings and came to a conclusion, the human wasn't scared of anything. They had bonded well throughout their days but the difficulty came when Calissa had to reveal things about herself and her past, Naya had noticed the tension creep into her body the more she talked about it. She listened to the taunts and inappropriate shouts made at Calissa, and was happy when the girl simply continued to walk. They didn't need to be stopped by some idiotic drunk trying to get laid.

As they both approached the walls of the capital Naya had to stop, There was no possibility that she was getting any closer to the palace due to the walls. They surrounded the entire city, with guards posted on every entrance and occasionally on top of the walls. She knew that the mere arrows they had couldn't get through her scales, but she didn't want to draw attention to herself yet.

She watched on as the girl moved through the entrance, not even stopping to talk to the guards who had questioned her. Calissa had simply shown them the crest on her shirt and they let her through, not everyone wheres the crest of the royal family after all.

The people living in the city knew who she was, this is partly due to it being filled with higher class people. Snobby pricks that look down their noses on everyone below them, and kisses the ass of the royal family. She hated them, if you couldn't tell. Calissa continued towards the palace but was stopped by the guards there, I suppose her appearance had them doubting who it was.

"What business do you have here." The guard was called Charlie, but Calissa called him Chuck. He had always gone with her through the city when she had asked to leave, and he was probably the only one of the guards she could say was her friend.

"Oh come on Chuck, don't tell me this getup makes you not recognise me." His stern expression quickly turn into a smile.

"Forgive me your highness, I did not recognise you without all the finery that you normally wear." Charlies smirk showed amusement at what she was wearing, knowing she was more comfortable in this than the finer dresses she was forced to wear.

"Of course you didn't. Anyway could you please tell my father I am back and that I will meet him in the garden. I need space for this." With a quick nod of his head, Charlie let her through and then went to pass on the message.

Calissa was walking through the halls thinking of how she could reveal Naya to her father, he wasn't exactly a fan of surprises. Her mother would understand, she loved animals just as much as her daughter. And Calissas siblings, apart from Faris all of them are going to be shocked, and quite possibly angry on Theon and Cylis' part.

She stepped foot into the garden, walking to the open space right in the centre thinking it should be big enough for a dragon to land. Four of her siblings were already there, Theon, Tara, Kade and Cylis. She assumed that Faris would come with her mother and Santi would show up when he feels like, he wasn't known to be punctual for anything. Waiting for her father, she decided to sit on one of the benches, not deigning her brothers with acknowledgement, but a smile was sent Tara's way.

They had waited twenty minutes before the King arrived, all of them standing and bowing slightly for their father. Faris and Teresita followed and stood together on his left, smiling at her. They both had that knowing glint in their eyes so that obviously meant Faris had told her, and they were waiting for the show. 

The Wolf King walked up to his daughter, looking around her for something he started to frown. "Did you come back empty handed daughter? I do not see anything holding a prize." His immediate concern was quite amusing to Theon, but he felt cheated. She wasn't supposed to have returned in the first place.

"Father I wouldn't dream of coming home empty handed." Her slight glance was at Cylis who had started to look scared, not knowing quite what to expect with his sister still standing there. None of the men he had sent after her had returned, which resulted in not only Theons anger at him, but also his own disappointment. 

"Then what did you bring?" Uthers face held confusion, as did all her other siblings.

"A dragon." As Calissa said those words Naya started to descend behind her. The others were shocked to see a shadow falling from the sky, but the War God simply looked unfazed. The great beast landed behind her and simply curled her body around the human. 

Lyla, who had been stood with Teresita, bound over to the pair and sat next to the War God, giving the dragon a slight nod in acknowledgment of who they both were. It was a sight no one had thought they would see, the young woman was being protected by a great beast that wasn't fighting or growling at anyone. 

Uther took a step toward his daughter, but stopped when the dragon started to growl at this movement. With a quick scratch to her maw, Calissa calmed her animal and nodded to her father to approach. He was hesitant at first, after all his favourite child was being surrounded by a beast, but quickly moved to pull his daughter out of the circle made by the body.

"What is the meaning of this child? You were supposed to bring back a trophy, not a living thing." A growl was heard at his comment but it wasn't from the dragon, it was from Lyla. Any disrespect shown to one bonded with her human was not tolerated by the wolf, and she made it known. Uther stared Lyla down, but the wolf would not submit. The Kings wolf even stepped up to scold the youngling, but nothing could be done.

"Father you asked of me to complete the trial, in my own right I believe I did." Calissa had stepped out of her fathers arms and started to move towards her dragon. "Whilst I was in the lands I was being tracked and hunted. These were soldiers from my own army who wished to kill me, on orders from someone in this palace. As they attacked me on the first night this beats, as you call her, saved me without a care. She did not have to, yet she did not hesitate." Calissa moved so Naya was her background, the black scales were imposing to most people, but it gave her a sense of calm. "These animals that you wish to kill through the trial are not harming anybody. They remain in their lands and do not cause harm unless they are provoked, if an animal is shown respect they respect you in turn. That is what you taught me."

Turning away from her father she reached out to Naya, the dragon helped her climb onto her back. Lyla remained on the ground until Calissa called for her, bounding up the dragon and sitting in front of her human. With a final look they took off and flew to the other end of the palace, Naya landing on the princess's large balcony. 

Those remaining in the garden quickly dispersed, apart from Faris, Teresita and the King. They each looked at each other before Faris walked off to his chambers. Teresita tried to move towards a bench but her legs gave out, falling to the floor she was quickly scooped up by the King and placed in his lap. Uther always had a soft spot for this woman, even before she blessed him with a daughter. She was kind and loving, but also not afraid to speak her mind and stand up for herself, a quality he adored. He pulled her closer as she cried into his shoulder, not wanting to be left alone just yet.

"Someone tried to have her killed Uther." The Wolf King pulled his woman closer, not quite wanting to believe it yet. "Not only does she return home safe, but she also returns with a new companion. A dragon." Teresita was confused at that point, she understood her daughters passion for animals and not killing the innocent but this was insane. 

"Why do you think she came back with a dragon?" Uther had turned her so they faced each other. "She is stubborn and refuses to harm the innocent, where do you think she gets this from?" He moved his hand to caress her cheek. "From you Teresita. Our daughter is every inch her mother in heart and mind. She is determined and strong-willed, just like you." He moved in to kiss her but Teresita moved her head to the side, resulting in a kiss on the cheek.

"If part of your family is trying to kill my daughter, I will gut you like a fish Uther." With that she left and returned to her chambers. Uther remained in the garden, thinking about what she said. Anger coursed through his body at the idea of one of his children harming a sibling, he would deal with them himself.