Pandora Chronicles

9 - A Life of Stolen Choices

***Wolf’s POV***

The Ilythrin City of Tagnik’zur’el

We walked on for two more days, until we arrived at the gates of Tagnik’zur’el. We were both relieved to see the gates of the city, my skin blotchy and red but already turning back to normal. Large square stone blocks, with symbols carved into them, built an impenetrable wall in front of us. Istoviir laid his hand on one of the rocks and said, “Abbil de’chath.” The stones pulled back, opening the gates and he led me into the city.

Tagnik’zur’el lay in a large cave with the mouth leading out to sea, and was much lighter than most Ilythrin cities. The dragons were kept near the entrance, in case a ship came to dock that was unexpected, or worse, uninvited. The ceiling had been carved out to allow for higher structures to be built within, some hundreds of feet tall. The bottom of the cave was usually flooded, being built on the edge of the sea, therefore the buildings were built on large poles, and every walkway was a bridge structure to allow for high tide.

I followed the customary two steps behind Istoviir as he led me to the Silver Scale Inn. “Draa el’lar. (Two houses)” He told the Innkeeper as he placed the money on the table. The Innkeeper gave him two keys and we went to our rooms to rest. We hadn't said much to each other since the incident with the Drugar; in truth, he didn't really know what to say to me and that was obvious. He led me to my door, and left me there with a short bow of his head.

I entered and unpacked my things from my small bag. There was a table by the bed in the room with a basin and pitcher, but other than that, it was bare. I poured water into the wash basin and undressed, scrubbing the journey underground off myself. I washed my hair as best I could, finding blood still within it, and scrubbed it out with Fitra soap, a delicate sweet smelling soap made by elves that I had been coveting for about a year now. I used it sparingly, and still had about a half of a bar left. I did the best I could to get cleaned up in the small basin, and desperately craved a full bath; staring into the disgustingly murky water longingly. I dressed in fresh clothes, and brushed out my long hair with a bone comb, leaving it loose to dry.

I sat on the bed with my wand, “Calendalle.” I said as I flicked my wrist, and a dozen candles appeared on the bed. I waved the wand in a circle above them and they all stood on end, and multiplied by five.

The end of my wand then lit like a match with the flick of my wrist, and one by one, I used my mind to lift the candles while I lit them, and sent them adrift into the air. Soon my room was filled with floating candles that lit up every corner. I sat meditating in the air, floating a few lengths from my bed. I was very far away in my mind, standing on the waterfalls of Seronduik. I looked down over the village of Niwambra, and saw the children playing near the water.

Istoviir had built up the courage to come and talk to me, and knocked on my door not wanting to repeat the previous trespass, but instead of me opening it, I spoke to his mind. “You have my permission.” He entered the room and was amazed at what he saw. I had just learned that ability and already had mastered it in full. He sat on the floor in front of my bed facing me.

He closed his eyes and met me on Seronduik. “I have found your name.” He said as he appeared on a rock behind me.

I smiled without turning to him, “Care to tell me, master?”

“Nykydra Nik’zur.” He said, “After the dragon goddess...”

“...that could change herself into lightning, and disappear in flames.” I finished.

“That is right.” He noticed my tone, “You do not like it?” I smiled at him but offered no reply. I knew he could not put a human's name in the record book, but I quite liked my name, after all, I had only had it for ten years, and in that short time had acquired quite a reputation to accompany it. One more name for the records didn’t excite me, and I would never go by it. He looked around us and saw where we were. “Why do you come here?” He asked.

“Step over here.” I said as I pulled him to the small flat rock I stood upon. We stood very close together, and he put his arm around my waist as we stood face to face. I swallowed uncomfortably but continued, “You see that little fishing village there?” I asked, pointing down the cliff.

“Xas.” He answered, never looking away from my face.

“That is Niwambra.” I paused, letting the pain of the memory wash over me. “I went there after my father cast me aside.” He took my hand to comfort me as I continued and while still strange to me, I allowed it. “I was about four or so, I'm not sure. I lived in the streets, begged for food, and even stole to survive. It was only a short time before the people drove me out, and that’s when I lived in the field in front of this waterfall. I was starving, with no skills to keep me alive, and I was freezing cold at night, covering myself with dirt and leaves in a desperate attempt to keep warm. That's when the Silverfoot Wolves found me.

They took me in and they treated me as one of their pack. The cave in the face of this waterfall has a small path that leads you up out of view behind the veil of water. I built that path.” I paused. “I also built the dam right there that makes the water deep enough to swim in. And do you see that tall tree there on the east bank, that’s taller than all the rest?” I asked, pointing.

“Xas.” He answered looking with his sharp Ilythrin eyes.

“If you look down the shaft just a few lengths from the top, you will see a small tree house that I built for the beautiful summer nights.” I said. “I loved it here. I would pick burs from the paws of my brothers, and they showed me how to hunt. I was beaten like any pup would be,” I lifted a bit of my skirt and revealed scars on my calf, these little bites covered most of my body, for in the wolf pack that was how you were schooled, “and I learned to be a part of the pack; they taught me to live. That was when I realized my gift for language. I didn’t know I was speaking in the wolf tongue until Gremlor found me. I was free, and on my own. I was half starved, living on raw meat and roots, and as ignorant as an Ogre, but I was free,” I paused again, “and happy.”

“Why did you ever leave if you were so happy?” He asked.

“The choice was not mine.” I said painfully and I disappeared from the memory.

***Istoviir’s POV***

When I returned to my body, in the room with a hundred candle lights, she was gone. I looked out of her window and saw her walking towards the mouth of the cave, towards the dragons. She had revealed a deep and painful memory to me, and I was thankful for her trust, but she didn’t want to talk about it anymore, and that was obvious.

I snapped my fingers and put out all of the candles and then appeared beside her. “Where do you think you are going? It is still dangerous for you.” I said with a smile.

“Well,” she began, “I have never been one to back away from a fight, and I’ve never seen a dragon.”

“Never?” I asked.

“Nau, never, and aside from that, I have become rather good at hiding.” She replied, her hood pulled low, and her hands tucked away.

I smiled as we walked on. “This is actually what we are here for.”

“Oh?” She asked curiously.

“Xas, to get you a dragon.” I smiled as her eyes lit up. She was always so reserved and cautious with her emotions it was a breath of fresh air to see.

“Me? A dragon?” She asked, beginning to get excited, it was obvious she so rarely allowed herself that freedom.

“Xas.” I said taking her hand and wrapping it around my arm as a courter might, not a master. My heart skipped another beat when she didn’t pull away, and instead held on tightly, and I covered her pale hand with my own.