familiar origins - book 1 of the draca wards saga (excerpt)

8/4/2019 Familiar Origins - Book 1 of the Draca Wards Saga (excerpt)

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FAMILIAR

ORIGINS


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Also by B. PineThe Draca Wards Saga

Familiar Origins

The Imperium SagaTales of the Council of Elders (Jeffas Tale)


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The Draca Wards Saga

FAMILIARORIGINS

By

B. Pine

HOLLISTON, MASSACHUSETTS


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FAMILIAR ORIGINSCopyright 2011 by B. Pine

This book is a work of fiction. Names, characters, places and incidents

are products of the authors imagination or are used fictitiously. Any

resemblance to actual events, locations or persons, living or deceased,

is entirely coincidental.

Printed and bound in the United States. All rights reserved. No part of

this book may be reproduced or transmitted in any form or by any

means, electronic or mechanical, including photocopying, recording, or

by an information storage and retrieval systemexcept by a reviewer

who may quote brief passages in a review to be printed in a magazine,

newspaper, or on the Webwithout the express written consent of Sil-

ver Leaf Books, LLC.

The Silver Leaf Books logo is a registered trademarks of Silver LeafBooks, LLC.

All Silver Leaf Books characters, character names, and the distinctive

likeness thereof are trademarks of Silver Leaf Books, LLC

Cover Art by Eimi Pinero

First printing May 2011

10 9 8 7 6 5 4 3 2 1ISBN # 1-60975-032-2

ISBN-13 # 978-1-60975-032-9

LCCN # 2011920946

Silver Leaf Books, LLC

P.O. Box 6460

Holliston, MA 01746

+1-888-823-6450

Visit our web site at www.SilverLeafBooks.com


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In memory of my father, Cesar M. Pinero (1947 2009)

If not for him,

I would not be here to write this.

And because,

My biggest regretIs that I never asked him to read this.


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CONTENTS

PROLOGUEChapter 1: A Cry for Help

Chapter 2: Broken Pact

Chapter 3: The White AngelChapter 4: Syntreas Future Queen

Chapter 5: Losing Home

Chapter 6: A Child to be Feared

Chapter 7: The Academy

YEAR 1Chapter 8: First Day

Chapter 9: Jania meets Ben

Chapter 10: Ben meets Megan

YEAR 2Chapter 11: Mysterious Talents

Chapter 12: Potential Threats

Chapter 13: The Announcement

Chapter 14: Summer Plans

Chapter 15: Rohen meets Galen

Chapter 16: Kidnapped

Chapter 17: Necare

Chapter 18: The Third Child


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YEAR 3Chapter 19: Galen meets Jamu

Chapter 20: Introductions

Chapter 21: Confronting Evil

Chapter 22: Elemental Magic

Chapter 23: Summer Worries

Chapter 24: A Stupid Dream

Chapter 25: A Gift

YEAR 4Chapter 26: Jamus Choice

Chapter 27: Espies

Chapter 28: Last Night

Chapter 29: The CastersChapter 30: Troublemakers

Chapter 31: Stories, Worries and Dreams

Chapter 32: Growing Up

Chapter 33: Summer Trips

Chapter 34: Sanguis Threat

Chapter 35: Forgotten Memories

Chapter 36: To Massea

Chapter 37: Friends


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FAMILIAR

ORIGINS


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Prologue

The sound of her cry was the first thing he sensed. It was the cry of

a very young baby, born no earlier than a day or two before. It did nottake long for him to sense her spirit. It was fresh and new, fragile and

tenuous like dew exposed to the bright morning sun, but with a firm

hold on life. Her spirit tingled with magical talent. It was amazing how

strong her emanation was, for him to be able to detect her from so far

away.

The inky black dragon kept close to the water as he flew across the

ocean. The foamy waves that rose in his wake sprayed the tip of his tail

with icy droplets.

He could not believe he was chasing after a human baby on nothing

other than Poli's word. After discovering that Kelita was not the one he

was looking for, the young dragon had felt nothing but cynicism for this

mission, this centuries-old cause he and his fellow Tueri were chosen

for. There had been too many false alarms, too many failures. His faith

in this task assigned to him and his peers was all but dead.

He flew higher to prevent his tail from icing over. He had truly be-lieved that Kelita was his destined ward. She was a powerful sorceress,

brave and loyal, his cherished companion. He had waited years before

he finally told her what he was and why he was there, and she had been

supportive and willing to do anything to help him. But when he tried to

mark her, to create the special bond with her by giving her the branding

scratch on her forehead, it did not work. Instead of the flash of light

that should have bloomed out of the scratch, all that came out of Kelita

was a scream. She eventually recovered, but the realization that she wasnot the one was devastating for both human and dragon. It was incom-

prehensible. If any human existed in this world with the courage and

power to be one of the eight they were seeking, Kelita would be the


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one.

The dragon stretched his wings and let the strong wind currents

carry him. He was well-hidden within the black of the sky and water in

the moonless night. If any of the Draca Debellos were trailing him, they

would have a hard time spotting his jet-black silhouette. However, just

the thought of them made him pick up speed. If anything served to mo-

tivate him, it was to get one up on those horrid dragons.

He hated the Debellos. Their belief that dragons were a superior

race disgusted him. The master race, with the right, no, the duty, to

dominate and subjugate all other races to serve them; that's what theDraca were supposed to be, according to the Debellos. It was enraging

to see his kind treat other races the way they did. Weren't they all made

by the same Creator? What if dragons had to worry about some more

evolved race doing something like that to them?

Stupid, unbelievably stupid. But the worst part was that the Debel-

los would try to rule the humans. They had tried before, thousands of

years ago. But back then, the humans proved to be more than a match

for the overconfident dragons. Using magic and their uncanny under-standing of science, they decimated the army of dragons that invaded

their world. Human evolution and technological advancement was so

rapid that the dragons were intimidated enough to leave them alone

and keep their existence a secret. Only obscure legends remained of

the dragons that had once lived in the humans world.

Then, as generations passed and humans progressed, the humans

had abandoned their mysterious magic and supernatural powers to fo-

cus on science and technology. Science they could explain to them-selves, magic and supernatural forces they could not. They advanced

far enough to begin exploring beyond their planet. They even came

very close to discovering how to reach other dimensions. The dragons

called that time the Presage, the era of the threat of humans discovering

the existence of other worlds and races, including dragons. At that

point, humans with their vast knowledge of science could easily domi-

nate dragons, despite the Dracas powerful magic. Pure dragon magic

was paramount, but it did have one big limitation.And now, less than three thousand years after the fall of the great

human civilization, just a few millennia since dragons feared for their

THE DRACAWARDS SAGA14


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own existence, these idiot Debellos were going to try to take over the

human world once again. What kind of greed drove masses to ignore

history?

His nightvision detected land on the horizon. He was almost there.

He shook the ice off his tail and flew at top speed, hurtling across the

sandy beach and into the nearby mountains, following the emanation of

power he sensed.

How could a baby exude power like that? She was deep under-

ground, inside a cave, no doubt. I don't need to find the cave. I can feel

her so clearly that I can just phase myself over to where she is. His mas-sive body circled once over the mountains and disappeared.

He found himself in a narrow cavern lit by an unknown source. To

one side he spotted a man and a woman huddled in a corner. The

woman held a squirming bundle in her arms. The dragon snorted in

relief. He had found the baby. Before he could congratulate himself,

however, movement to his other side made him whirl around.

His jaw dropped in surprise, but he recovered quickly. I see I

made it just in time, he said.He stood between the couple and their baby and a blood-red

dragon. The great red, not happy with the intrusion, gave a menacing

snarl and took one step forward. The black dragon stood his ground,

although it was an effort not to step away from the bigger dragon.

Step aside, Silx. You are not in time. I found the babe first, the

red dragon snarled.

The black dragon felt his heart cringe at the intimidating voice, but

he knew if he conceded a whisker, the baby was lost. He heard thewoman behind him howl in fear, prompting the child in her arms to

start crying.

It is nice of you to try to get a nice present for your sweetheart,

Gravesco, but I'm afraid I cannot let you take her. Find a nice little trin-

ket for Humo instead. Silx held his head high and steeled himself for

the red dragon's reaction.

And what exactly are you going to do to stop me? Gravesco's tone

was particularly terrorizing.That depends on you, Silx replied, growing angry. Gravesco was

scary, but did he really think that he could intimidate another dragon?

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Silx was young, but he was not a helpless little hatchling. She does not

have the powers you need to make her yours. All you can do is take

her to Humo. And the fact is, I stand between you and the baby. He

looked around. Gravesco could not get around him, and the area was

too small for the huge dragon to disappear and reappear behind him.

The baby cried. You will have to get through me if you want the child.

Is it worth breaking the Pact? He kept his gaze firmly on Gravesco's

rusty eyes and waited.

Gravesco stared at Silx. Silx stood firm. He would not let Gravesco

stare him down. The red dragon before him was a well-known bully,but he was also a natural dragon. Naturals always kept their word. Silx

fervently hoped that Gravesco had not promised the baby to Humo.

Finally, Gravesco took a step back. You are lucky, you insolent

whelp! She was born less than a day ago, so there is plenty of time, and

she might not even be the one we are looking for. His big red muzzle

swung up to point at the ceiling of the cavern. Go ahead and play care-

taker for Humo, Silx. I'm sure he will appreciate it. Gravesco spread

his wings and took to the air. The cavern ceiling was very high, but theimpact was still loud as the red dragon broke through the ceiling and

flew away into the starry night sky.

Silx stepped back and shielded the humans from the falling rubble

with his wing. Once the avalanche stopped, he pulled his wing back and

looked down at them. The soft glow that had illuminated the cavern

faded once Gravesco left. Silx conjured up a light of his own so that the

humans could see. The man and woman hid their faces from him,

trembling and whimpering. The baby was still crying, and the mothershook the tiny child almost frantically as she tried to quiet it down.

Silx shifted to his smaller two-legged dragon form to appear less

intimidating. He stood before the couple and held his taloned forearms

out. Give me the child, he said, calmly but firmly. He did not want to

scare the humans, but he could not let them keep that baby.

No, please, don't take her! the mother cried out, clutching her

child to her bosom. Take me instead! Just leave her in peace!

Silx hesitated. He had not expected bravery from the youngwoman. The fact that she was willing to sacrifice herself for her child

made him stop and consider the situation.



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The man stepped forward, emboldened by the woman's outburst.

What do you gain by killing children, monster?

Silx tilted his head to the side. He was not used to confrontations

with humans. Too bad Kelita was not with him. I want to save her, not

harm her. She is destined for greatness. She must be taken somewhere

safe, where she can grow and thrive. That will not happen here. Give

her to me, and I promise you your daughter will live.

Then take us, too. Let her grow up with her parents. We will take

good care of her, the father said, taking a step forward. The mother

nodded in agreement, although she still looked terrified. The baby'scries died down.

It was not a bad idea. Who better to care for a child than its own

natural parents? The black dragon touched the father's mind gently to

see if he had any abilities he may be able to develop, and reeled away

from the human in disgust.

So you would just leave your other three children behind, aban-

doned, hoping to bask in the future glory of this one. Corrupted hu-

mans in a corrupted land. His claws opened. The tiny form in thewoman's arms disappeared, reappearing in Silx's clutches. Holding the

child close to his hard scaly chest, he spread his wings and shot up

through the gaping hole Gravesco had left. He did not want to waste

another moment with those two.

His heart, cold and angry as it was, did wrench at the mother's an-

guished cry.

Silx stood perched upon a craggy outcropping, a tiny hill sur-

rounded by infinite sea and sky. He was in full dragon form once more.

He stared at the helpless baby he held. It was a girl. She would have

had to be; dragons could only mark humans of opposite gender. He

had delicately pulled her blankets and swaddling away to get a good

look at her, and there she lay, a newborn female child, bare and com-

pletely at the mercy of a powerful dragon and the dangerous elementsof nature.

Silx was amazed. The baby slept peacefully, oblivious to the heat-

sapping wind, the roar of the mighty sea with its waves crashing all

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about the outcropping, and the deadly talon hovering just above her

hairless head. He looked up at the stars. This little ball of warm human

flesh has the power to control all of this. Amazing.

The baby began to shiver. He could not stay here for very long.

The child needed to keep warm, and soon would get hungry. His talon

quivered over her head. Should he do it? She was too young, only

adults should be marked; at least that is what everyone believed. But

Silx did not want to waste his time again. After waiting all those years

for Kelita to become old enough

The power emanating from the newborn was so strong, though.Much stronger than Kelita's. Of course, emanation had nothing to do

with actual strength, and neither emanation nor strength had anything

to do with ability. He would either have to wait, or try to mark her now.

If it didn't work, there was no doubt in Silx's mind that it would kill the

baby.

The baby shuddered and began to make fussing noises. Silx steeled

himself, and before he could think about it any further, dipped his

talon down. It brushed against the newborn's forehead.A bright flash of light washed out his nightvision and almost made

him drop the baby. He blinked quickly to regain his vision. He watched

the child, worried.

The newborn lay stunned in his hand, her arms splayed out and

eyes and mouth wide open. After a nerve-wracking moment, she finally

sucked in a breath of air and let out a loud, healthy wail.

Silx quickly wrapped her back up and held her close. Faith

bloomed within him as if it were never gone. Drawing heat into hisforearms to warm her up, he jumped to the air exultantly and flew off

as fast as he could. He had to find her something to eat. There might

be hope for this mission after all.

The sooty cauldron hit the floor with a bang as Kelita took the boil-

ing stew off the fire. She pulled the top off and peered inside, taking adeep sniff. Delicious. The rabbit bones floating inside promised tender,

tasty meat. She had made enough to last her several days. This should

get her through that old witchcraft book she had been meaning to read



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for the longest time. It was the first collection of works she had seen

that explained how physical magic and spiritual magic relate and why

the author believed that both fields of magic could be used in conjunc-

tion. She could not wait to start experimenting.

A strange sound made her turn. It was unlike anything she had

heard before, but none of the warning wards had set off. Silx, is that

you? It had to be him.

The young dragon walked into the kitchen. He was in human form,

and he carried something. A young, sad-looking girl followed him in.

Kelita blinked at the excited look on his boyish face. He looked like anadolescent who had just been kissed for the first time.

I found her, Keli. Look. He held out the bundle he carried. Ke-

lita stepped back as it moved.

He had found her. She knew this day would come, even when Silx

had just about lost hope. She wasnt resentful; thirty-two years was a

long time to come to terms with things. She had hoped to be in Heaven

when it did happen, though.

How do you know? Don't you have to mark her? She couldn'tmake herself take the bundle. She could feel the baby's power.

I did.

Kelita stared at the baby, stunned and a little awed. You could

have killed her!

But I didn't. Take her; just make sure you hold her head. It tends

to flop back. Silx took a step toward her. Look at her, Keli.

She took the small bundle from him. She tried to cradle the baby

wrapped inside in her arms.Here, let me. It's all right. The girl stepped between her and Silx.

She wrapped Kelita's arms around the child. There. You won't hurt

her holding her that way.

Kelita rocked the baby back and forth. How sweet, she whis-

pered. She had never really wanted a baby of her own; Silx and his eter-

nal supply of books and knowledge had been more than enough for

her. But now, holding the tiny baby in her arms, something warm be-

gan to grow inside her. She looked at the girl in front of her. Are youher mother?

The girl lowered her head and shook it as Silx said, Rae lost her

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newborn daughter and her husband in a fire a few days ago. She agreed

to become the baby's nurse if we gave her a place to stay. She is far

from her parents and does not know how to reach them.

I am so sorry! Please have a seat, Kelita said. Silx, there is stew.

Give her some, she ordered.

Silx threw her a look as he searched for a bowl and spoon, but com-

plied without a word. Kelita smiled down at the baby as her eyes

opened sleepily. What's her name? she asked.

Silx was ladling stew into the bowl he had found. He stopped, drip-

ping stew onto the floor as he pondered. Her mother yelled some-thing as I flew off with her. It might have been her name.

You snatched this baby away from her mother and flew away?

Kelita was aghast. To take a child away from her mother like that! Rae

covered her mouth with both her hands as Kelita scowled at Silx. How

could you do such a thing?

I had my reasons, Keli. He emptied the ladle into the bowl and

dropped it back in the cauldron. She would have died if she had

stayed with her mother. Gravesco was there; he almost took her. Hehanded the bowl to Rae, along with a spoon. The young girl dug into

the steaming stew. She has three other children, Kelita. Basically, it

was a choice. Her other children need her. This one does not. Not any-

more. He searched for another bowl. It sounded like she said Mil-

ina. Pulling one out of the cupboard, he went to serve himself.

Milina. I like that, Kelita said.

So do I, if that counts for anything, Rae said in a shy voice.

Sure it does. You are part of this family now. Silx picked up aspoon and sat next to Rae, smiling. His human appearance made him

look like he could be Raes younger brother. I like it, too, he said.

We're going to have to get a room ready for her and Rae. I'd better

get started. Kelita walked out of the kitchen, still holding Milina, her

supper forgotten. She knew now why she was not Silx's ward. She had a

more important job to do. Her head filled with plans and tasks that

would need to be done for the two newcomers. Her book would just

have to wait.



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1A Cry for Help

Rohen tried very hard not to cry as he watched his mother wash the

black stripe off the entrance to their home. He wondered why she was

taking off his fathers mourning sign so soon. A month had not yet

passed since he drowned.

His sister had tried to explain to him why so many changes were

happening so fast. Mama needed to find someone to take care of them.

She was lucky to marry so soon. She wanted to make sure everything

went back to normal, so they could all be happy once more. His sister

had tried hard, but Rohen still could not understand. Papa was gone,

nothing would be normal, and he would never be happy again. And

why would Mama decide to end Papas mourning period when she

still cried at night, thinking no one could hear her?

Rohen, are you ready yet? You need to meet your father at themesa. His mother turned to look at him. Her eyes were red and swol-

len.

He was eight; he should not cry. But he took one look at her sad

face and could not help himself.

He is not my Papa. He quickly rubbed the tears off his face.

His mother turned and kept scrubbing the door. Well, he is going

to care for you and do all the things your father did before he drowned,

so it would be nice if you saw him as your Papa.

Rohen watched quietly as the sooty mark washed away under his

mothers wet brush.


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But you dont have to call him anything you dont want, she

added. Everything will work out well, I promise. Now go find your

sister and get to the mesa. She looked back at him and smiled.

Her smile made him feel better. She was so beautiful. At least he

would always have her and Erria. He ran off to find his sister.

Rohen went to the side of the cottage and picked up his tiny bow

and quiver. His father made them for him shortly before he died, and

had given Rohen a few lessons. Erria was teaching him now. Rohen

loved his bow and arrows. He took them everywhere he went. He

threw the quiver over his shoulder and headed to the path leading tothe mesa.

He saw his older sister up ahead and ran to catch up with her.

Errie!

Erria stopped and waited for him. Why did you bring your bow?

We are not going to shoot quail.

Rohen shrugged. Why does he want to meet us there anyway? He

doesnt like us.

Erria ruffled his dark brown hair. He wants to spend time with us,

she said. We are his children now, you know.

I dont think he wants us to be his children, Errie.

Nonsense. He would not have married Mama if he didnt want

us.

I dont like the way he looks at us.

Hes just trying to get to know us, Rowy. She put a comforting

arm around him.I wish Papa were still here. He squeezed his bow.

We all do, Rowy. She looked so sad Rohen almost started crying

again. But we still have Mama, and we have each other.

Rohen wrapped his arms around her waist and hugged her. Im so

glad you are my big sister, Errie. You will always take care of me,

right? What would he do without her?

Erria laughed and hugged him back. Soon you will not want me

around. Look at you, four years younger than me, and you are already

better with the bow than I. You will not need me watching out for you

for very long.



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Sure I will. I will always need you.

She ruffled his hair again. Come on, we are wasting time. She

pulled him along.

As they walked, the foliage began to thicken, and the trees became

bigger. The path sloped upward for a short distance before leveling off.

Soon they walked through a row of trees into a clearing.

The clearing opened up to a stone plateau. The plateau stopped

before a wide river, which poured over the side in a huge curtain of

water. The sound of splashing water and singing birds made the area

calm and peaceful. People usually crowded the popular mesa, but thatday there was only one person there. He had his back to them.

Papa! Erria called out. She ran over to him.

Rohen made a face. He was not their Papa. He followed his sister

slowly, clutching his bow tightly.

Erria jumped into her stepfathers arms. He hugged her and

pointed to a small rise where a person could look over the waterfall.

Rohen was too far to hear what he told her. The girl jogged toward the

rise.

Rohen turned to join Erria. He noticed his stepfather pick up his

bow and some arrows, which were lying on the ground. He took one of

the arrows and notched it.

Rohen looked around. There were no birds to shoot at. What is he

going to shoot?He stopped walking and watched his sister go up the

rise and look over. She was very close to the edge. He looked back at

his stepfather. The man aimed straight up at the sky, then lowered thebow and pointed it at Erria.

Rohen suddenly realized what was about to happen.

He had to stop him, before he shot his sister. He whipped out an

arrow and fired.

The small arrow lodged into his stepfathers hand, but not before

his own arrow loosed. It streaked toward Erria.

Errie!

The young girl turned, and the arrow pierced her neck. The mo-

mentum threw her off the rise, and she vanished over the waterfall. She

was gone before Rohen could finish his scream.

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Rohen notched another arrow, but he was crying so hard he could

barely see. He tried to get a clear view of his sisters killer. Why? Why

did you do that? He blinked the tears out of his eyes and shot again.

His stepfather dodged the arrow. He did not answer Rohens ques-

tion. Pulling the first arrow out of his hand with a grunt, he stood up

and growled, Come here, pup. Youre next! He drew a long knife

and approached the boy.

Help! Someone help my sister!Rohen turned and ran into the for-

est.

Vitalia stared wearily into her tea. The search for the boy was drain-

ing her. Trying to keep one step ahead of Sanguis made it even worse.

Three years of fruitless searching had her on the verge of collapse.

The fact that Sanguis did not have any idea where the child was ei-

ther brought only a little comfort. Up until about a year ago, Vitalia

would have been able to confront her if she managed to find the boy

first. Now, the constant searching and years of lack of sleep had weak-

ened her to the point of near-exhaustion. She would need months of

rest to regain her strength. At this point, she was too afraid to take a

nap.

She took a deep breath. She could smell the salt in the air. The sea

air always seemed to energize her a bit, somehow. She very much liked

the Northern Islands. Poli had said that except for the youngest, all thechildren were located in the western lands of the planet. Vitalia had

assumed that they would all be on the mainland. She had not consid-

ered the five-island archipelago. Could he be this far north? This would

be the last place to look. She could not continue searching for much

longer.

Vitalia took a sip of her tea, and almost choked as a flash of energy

shot through her head. What in the world was that?

Lady, would you care for more tea?

She smiled warmly at the woman standing in front of her, teapot in

hand. She found the accent the Northerners spoke with charming. It



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was rather fun speaking like them, as well. No, kind woman. I must be

leaving now. She gave the woman a silver coin and stood up. Good

day, and thank you for the delicious meal.

Once outside, she stopped and looked around. The public house

and adjoining stable faced a large open area between the main street

and the fishing docks. She was able to see the ocean from where she

stood. People milled about. Vitalia walked around the side of the build-

ing where she would not be seen.

The narrow walkway between the pub and the stables was deserted.

Vitalia quickly prepared herself for the next flash. As weak as she was,she could not afford to make any mistakes.

Silx had tried to mark the wrong human before he found Milina.

Other dragons had several false alarms as well. Vitalia hoped this was

not one of those cases.

She had to take the risk. If Sanguis got her claws on the boy before

she did

She felt the flash again. It seemed like a cry for help. She could not

waste any more time. She closed her eyes and placed herself as close to

the source of the flash as she could.

When she opened her eyes, she found herself surrounded by trees.

She saw no one around, but now she could feel power emanating from

someone. The emanation was so very strong. And it was completely

undeveloped. How can such raw ability be so strong? This was no false

alarm!Vitalia reached out with her mind. It was a small boy, tired and dis-

traught. He was in trouble. Sanguis? No, she would try to make him go

to her willingly. Vitalia hurried to find him.

It was very difficult; he kept moving around erratically, circling and

turning back constantly. Soon she sensed another presence in the

woods. Vitalia pieced together the story as she sensed both minds while

she tried to meet up with the boy. When she realized what was going

on, she growled with anger.

The boy finally became too tired to continue. He stopped, but his

pursuer was close, too close. Vitalia placed herself next to the boy. He

was nearby, so her phase would be easier, faster and much more accu-

FAMILIARORIGINS 25


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rate. She blinked

And looked down at the child she had been searching for. He sat

quietly with his back against a tree, his face streaked with tears. Vitalia

was shocked at the look on his face. He was ready to die. Vitalia

clenched her human jaw until it ached. She was not about to allow that

to happen.He did not notice her until she took a step toward him. He looked

up at her and began to cry.

Vitalia crouched down to bring her face level with his. He had to be

about eight years old. He had big gray eyes, chestnut brown hair, andvery pale skin. In one hand he held a bow, in the other, an arrow. I

can take you far away from here, where that man cannot reach you. Do

you want to come with me?

The boy blinked. He wiped his eyes and nodded.

She smiled at him. Everything is going to be just fine. Dont cry.

She put her arms around him and held him close. She thought of her

home, and they both vanished.

Vitalia reappeared with her charge inside a cave on another island

some distance away. Relieved, she took in the familiar stalactites deco-

rating the cavern and the underground lake nearby. She let go of the

child and sat down on the ground. She leaned back against the cave

wall. You are safe now. He will never find you here.

The boy did not answer. He looked at his surroundings, then faced

Vitalia.

Please help my sister, he pleaded.She had not sensed a third presence nearby. And by what she had

seen in the boys mind Its too late. Theres nothing I can do for

her.

She expected him to cry, but he didnt. Vitalia was able to see the

innocence, the sense of wonder and open trust that young children al-

ways seemed to have, fade from his eyes. What kind of effect did some-

thing like that have on a child?

I am Vitalia. What is your name?

My name is Rohen. Thank you for saving me, but I must go see

my Mama.



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She was going to have to deliver yet another traumatic blow. She

hoped she could make him understand. Rohen, your stepfather will

be waiting for you to return to your mother. If you go back, he will kill

you. You cannot go back to her.

Rohen stared at his bow, taking in what she had said. His gray eyes

darkened, and he threw his bow to the ground angrily.

No! He looked around, and ran toward one of the many cavern

openings. I have to warn Mama, before he kills her, too!

Vitalia caught up with him and grabbed his arm. Rohen, you dont

understand. He does not want to kill your mother.Rohens head whirled around to face her, and his eyes flashed with

a silvery light. Vitalia shielded herself just in time to block off a blasting

mind attack. Even with her shield, she could feel the power of the at-

tack. Already he is stronger than any human I have ever known. And

he did not even realize what he did.

Rohen, that man did a terrible thing. But your mother is safe. He

will not hurt her.

He stopped trying to pull away from her. Vitalia held him close as

he began to cry again. It will be all right. I will take care of you. I

promise.

I just want my sister back, he sobbed. I want to see my Mama!

Vitalia picked Rohen up and let him cry on her shoulder. She

wanted very much to take a nap. How was she going to get the boy

through something like this? What kind of man would he turn out to

be now, especially with the gifts he had?She had found her ward, but Vitalia realized her problems were

only just beginning. Pondering what to do next, she carried the crying

boy through one of the cavern openings.

Sanguis waited for the Northern man to approach. As he walked by

her, she stepped into view, blocked his path and slapped his face hard.

Her fingers tingled painfully from the blow; human hands were so very

sensitive.

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You were not supposed to play cat-and-mouse with him, you idiot!

Why did you let him get away from you?

That little brat shot me! He showed Sanguis the hole in his hand.

The pain slowed me down.

Sanguis resisted the urge to kill him. She might still need this hu-

man. Well, use that as an excuse for what happened to the children.

She could not remember the apes name.

You know, if the villagers find out what I did, I will be lynched.

You will need to come up with a good story, then. Sanguis raised

her hand, and the man flew back into a tree. The trunk cracked fromthe impact. There, that should make whatever you come up with seem

believable.

What do I do with the mother? the Northerner groaned.

Whatever you wish, Sanguis replied, walking off. The man called

out to her as she walked away, but she ignored him. She thought of

what to do next.

Sanguis smiled. She would wait and see. If the boy showed promise,

she would make her move and take him. Vitalia might decide to mark

him, but there were ways around that. The boy was young. She had

plenty of time.



27/62

2Broken Pact

Rohen jumped from boulder to boulder, romping around the cave

entrance. He tried to figure out how far he could jump without having

to give himself a mental boost.

As he jumped about, Vitalias words came back to him, words she

said over and over. Try to use your mind as much as you can. You

have special powers, you need to learn how to use and control them.

He tried to. He practiced every day, but it was hard. He could feel

the power in his head, but it did not feel like it was a part of him. And

he could barely make it do what he wanted it to do. He had recently

discovered that if he touched the side of his head, he could control the

strange energy a bit, but he still had a long way to go.

When he had complained to her about the trouble he was having,

she only smiled at him and ruffled his hair. Thats normal. You arelearning a new skill, just like reading or writing. It takes some time to

get used to.

He did not agree. He had had no trouble at all learning to read or

write, or hunt or fish, or even sail. This mental thing was the most diffi-

cult skill he could remember having to learn, and it was beginning to

frustrate him. Sometimes just trying to move a stick across the ground

would drive him to tears. Besides, how would she know if he was doing

well or not? All she did was sleep, sometimes for one or two whole

days at a stretch. He had plenty of food and water, but he was not used

to being alone and on his own. It scared him sometimes, especially


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when he thought about his sister.

Today, however, he was not too worried about being alone. He was

making progress with his mental powers. He leaped from the huge rock

he was standing on to the furthermost boulder, flipping over three

times as his small body sailed through the air. He landed lightly on his

feet without losing his balance. Waving the short sword Vitalia had

given him to play with, he laughed triumphantly.

He stopped laughing when he noticed a woman standing nearby.

She was tall and slender, and she had long brown hair that she wore

unbraided and untied. She smiled at him and gave a little wave.That was some jump! I have never seen a boy jump like that. Her

words sounded funny.

Rohen blushed and stared at his feet. After all the trouble he was

having, it felt strange to hear someone compliment him.

The woman approached. Did Vitalia teach you how to do that?

He nodded. He knew it was not polite, but he could not help but

stare at the strange lady. Sort of. Do you know Vitalia?

I sure do. I have not seen her in a long time, though. Are you her

son?

No. He watched her as she came closer. Her eyes were bright

blue, just like Vitalias. Wanting to get a closer look at her, he jumped

off the high rock. Im Rohen. Who are you?

My name is Sanguis. It is nice to meet you, Rohen. She offered

Rohen her hand. Rohen reached out for it.

Get away from her, Rohen! Dont touch her!Rohen snatched his hand away and stepped back, shaken. He had

never heard Vitalia sound so alarmed. He kept backing away, but

Sanguis kept moving toward him. Finally, his back bumped against the

boulder. He stared at her fearfully as she came closer. When she was

close enough to touch him she stopped, probably realizing she was

scaring him.

Oh, do not be afraid of me. She turned around. Now, Vitalia,

you know I would not hurt this sweet child.

No, I dont know that, Vitalia appeared at the entrance. She

pointed a finger at the other woman. You would do anything to keep



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him from interfering with your plans. Come here, Rohen.

He tried to get around Sanguis, but she blocked his way, standing

between him and Vitalia. I cant, he cried out.

Dont let her scare you, child, Sanguis turned back to Rohen. I

only want to train you. Ill do a much better job than shes doing.

Rohen studied the slender woman in front of him. She resembled

Vitalia so much it was uncanny. Her face was different, but the two

women seemed to be the same age, and they had the same pretty eyes

as well. They dressed similarly, in long narrow gowns that pooled along

the ground in a small circle at their feet. They were both tall and slim.There was nothing in her appearance that made Sanguis any different

from Vitalia, nothing that should make him alarmed or mistrusting of

her. And yet, an uncomfortable feeling grew in his chest as he looked at

the woman standing before him.

Sanguis, I will not let you take that boy! Vitalia was furious.

Sanguis shook her head slowly. Why didnt you mark him, then?

Because he deserves to grow up and make his own choices. Mark-

ing him would take that away.

Well, maybe it would have been better for you if you had taken his

choices away. Im taking him with me, Sanguis turned around and

reached for his hand.

Rohen stared at a spot just behind Vitalia. It had never worked for

him before, but if there was ever a time when he needed his mind to

cooperate, it was now. He touched the side of his head, closed his eyes,

and concentrated.A frustrated shout made his eyes open. He stood behind Vitalia,

Sanguis glaring at him from a comforting distance. Vitalia glanced down

at him. She looked proud and relieved. Putting his hands on her waist,

he called out to the other woman, Im not going anywhere with you!

Go away and leave us alone!

He has made his choice. Leave, Sanguis, you cannot have him,

Vitalia said.

Sanguis did not leave. Instead, she walked toward them. As I said

before, maybe it would have been better if you had taken his choices

away. As she walked, her body began to change.

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Rohen screamed as he saw her skin grow blue scales and her hands

stretch into claws. Her face protruded forward, and long sharp fangs

appeared. Her gown shredded as the womans body turned into some-

thing the terrified young boy had never seen before.

She still had two legs, two arms and a head, but what stood before

them was not human at all. Rohen could not even begin to describe

what he saw. The only features he recognized were a pair of leathery

wings sprouting from her back, like a bats, and a long, tapering, spiny

tail that lashed around her. What is that? he asked Vitalia.

Sanguis is a dragon, Rohen. So am I. Stand back; I will take care ofthis. She pushed him back with her hand, stepped away from him and

changed, just like Sanguis had. Vitalia looked just as terrible, but she

was a brighter shade of blue. She looked sleeker, and her tail was

smoother, without the menacing spines. He could only watch in horror

as the two dragons circled each other warily.

Sanguis, you cannot fight me. There is a truce, a pact was made.

Vitalia spoke with a deeper, raspier voice.

A small price to pay, Sanguis replied. She struck out with her tail.

Vitalia blocked the strike with what Rohen guessed was her arm,

but the tail wrapped around it and pulled her off her feet. Vitalia spread

her wings and took to the air as she tried to free herself.

Go, Rohen! Get in the cave, Vitalia shouted.

Rohen stood frozen, watching the confrontation in shock. Vitalia

yanked at the tail holding her, but Sanguis had much better leverage

with her feet on the ground. Pulling back, she drove Vitalia down. Thebright blue dragon hit the ground hard. Before Vitalia could get back

on her feet, Sanguis jumped on top of her, scratching at her eyes and

whipping at her legs and torso with her tail.

As he watched the horrifying scene before him, something snapped

inside the young boy. His fear drained away, and the monstrous battle

before him seemed to take on a new light. He had to help Vitalia.

What was the worst that could happen to him?

He realized he still held the sword Vitalia had given him. Although

he barely knew how to use it, he held it before him comfortably, using

both hands. Suddenly confident he could make his mind do whatever



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he wished it to, he aimed carefully, and taking three running steps,

sprang into the air.

He sailed toward his target. Just when he was about to thrust his tiny

sword into her eye, Sanguis noticed him and turned. Rohen quickly

turned his stabbing attack into a slashing one, gashing open her muzzle

from a point right under her eye all the way down to her nose. Sanguis

shrieked and struck out with her claw.

Rohen somehow slowed his flight, and by twisting to the side he

managed to avoid her stabbing thrust. However, the tip of one sharp

talon grazed the corner of his eye painfully. Rohen fell to the ground,his face burning and blood stinging his right eye. He still held on to his

sword, though. Leave Vitalia alone, you ugly bat! Just go away! I dont

want to go anywhere with you!

Sanguis jumped off of Vitalia and towered over the small boy. She

reached out to grab him, but drew back in surprise instead. Oh, no!

No, it cant be, she exclaimed.

As she stood staring at Rohen, a tail coiled around her neck and

yanked her off her feet. Rohen felt something touch his mind. It felt

like some kind of barrier. He watched, relieved, as Vitalia put a three-

taloned foot on Sanguis neck.

Do you still want the boy, Sanguis? He seems quite upset with you.

I dont think he would make a cooperative student right now, Vitalia

said in that raspy, inhuman voice.

You are a fool for trying to train him, Vitalia. Look at him, the

downed dragon answered, not even trying to get up. Vitalia turned tolook at Rohen as he climbed to his feet.

He could not perceive any reaction from her. But it might have

been because her face was now a totally alien sight to him. She studied

him for a moment before saying, Sanguis, you are already facing trou-

ble for breaking the Pact. I think you should go before you get into any

more.

Fine, but you are carving out your own grave by taking him in. Re-

member that humans are fickle. They are quick to change sides, espe-

cially if it benefits their own self-interest. With an ugly grimace on her

torn muzzle, Sanguis faded away. Vitalias foot hit the ground as the

FAMILIARORIGINS 33


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pinned dragon disappeared.

Vitalia changed back to her human body, dressed in a new gown.

Rohen ran to her. She had bruises on her arms and legs, and her face

was scratched. He threw his arms around her neck and pressed his face

against her shoulder. Its all right, she said, her voice comfortingly

human once more. She patted his back. Its over.

You drove her away, Rohen! You handled yourself wonderfully. Iam so proud of you; that was magnificent!

Her outpouring of praise did nothing to cheer him up. He sat in a

corner of his cavern room, watching glumly as she gathered the belong-

ings he had accumulated while living with her. If I was so great, then

why are you sending me away?

You need to be safe, Rohen, she answered, tying shut the bag she

had just packed. You need to be somewhere where Sanguis cannot

find you.

But why?

Its complicated. You are too young to understand.

Rohen jumped to his feet. You keep saying that, but you wont tell

me anything about the fight you had, and not knowing frightens me.

Maybe if I could understand just a little, I wont be so scared.

Vitalia stopped what she was doing and sighed. He deserved an ex-

planation. But how did one explain something like this to an eight-year-old? All right. I will try my best to help you understand what is going

on. Sanguis and I are both dragons. However, we believe in different

things. In this world, there are seven more like her, and there are seven

more like me. Sanguis and the dragons like her want to take over this

world and do bad things to it. They have already conquered the East-

ern lands. We have been trying to drive these dragons away from this

world for hundreds of years.

One of the dragons like me discovered that there are eight humans

alive at this time who can help us drive away the other dragons. But the

other dragons know this too, and they want to find these humans and



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convince them that they should help them and not us. The other drag-

ons have ways to force the humans to do things against their will. Vi-

talia stood up and walked out of the tiny cavern.

He followed, walking behind her through a narrow corridor. And I

am one of those humans. Thats why Sanguis wanted to take me. But

why?

Oh, Rohen, please dont ask why all this is happening. That part

will be easier to explain to you when youre older, Vitalia said, enter-

ing another cave. Stacks of books were heaped against the back wall,

with smaller piles on several desks. In the center was an open well, sev-eral paces in diameter. Cool water rose to the brim. This was Rohens

favorite room. He would spend hours reading. He had even managed

to teach himself to read and write in symbolic form, the writing mages

used for spellcasting. Vitalia had been impressed when she found out.

I just wanted to know why Sanguis was afraid of me all of a sud-

den. The young boy hitched himself up on the edge of the well. He

kicked the well wall with his heels.

Oh. I think she was just seeing things. I didnt see anything that

should have alarmed her. Her voice was light, but she studied his face

once again, carefully. That cut had to be a coincidence. How is that

scratch?

Rohen fingered the thick scab bordering his eye before he could

catch himself. It itches, but thats all. Vitalia, what did she mean about

marking me and taking my choices away?

Vitalia set his bag down gently on the floor and walked up to him.Marking means that we create a type of connection with the humans

we feel we should train and help, so they can help us. It is risky because

if the human is not powerful enough, their mind will be hurt because it

cannot handle the connection. But if the human does have the power

to support the connection, it happens instantly and permanently. If I

were to mark you, I would always know where you are. I could give you

energy and certain kinds of protection. And no other dragon would be

able to make you do anything against your will.

Except for you?

Well, yes, but I made a vow never to do anything like that. And I

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would not, even if I had not made that vow.

But Sanguis and the others would. Rohen put his hands on her

shoulders. Vitalia, I want you to mark me. I fought Sanguis. That has

to mean Im powerful enough.

Vitalia shook her head. You are too young. She tried not to think

about Silx and his ward.

No, Im not. And if you had marked me before, then Sanguis

wouldnt have tried to take me. Please. If you are going to send me

away, then at least do this so I wont feel all alone.

Vitalia gave him a rueful smile. For a child, you are very articulate,Rohen. You are also right. Come here, this will be quick. She reached

out to touch his forehead.

Is it going to hurt? he asked, squeezing his eyes shut.

Its more of a shock than pain, I think, she answered. Pressing

her fingernail against his forehead, she gave him a quick, downward

scratch.

A bright flash erupted from his forehead, and he flinched back. He

lost his balance and fell backwards into the water. Vitalia grabbed him

by his shirt and pulled him out, setting him down on his feet. He

looked up at her, dripping wet, and began to cry.

Oh, Rohen, Im so sorry. I didnt know it would be that bad, she

said.

Rohen shook his head. Its not that. Its just I got all wet! He

covered his face with his hands and kept crying.

Oh, thats nothing to cry about. You poor thing, it has been apretty bad day for you, hasnt it? Come on, lets dry you off. Taking

his hand, she led him out of the room.



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3The White Angel

The cliffside wall of the commune was almost invisible from the

bottom of the deep gorge, but halfway up the canyon cliff, Bilin could

already make out the windows carved out of the stone wall. He could

also see the clay-tiled roof of the temple beyond. He quickened his

pace. It was not home, not really, but the person he loved more than

anyone or anything was here.

The path he walked on ended abruptly at the edge of a steep cliff.

A rope-and-plank bridge connected the path he was on to the path

leading up to the commune not too far above. The watchers had spot-

ted him long ago; if they had not wanted to welcome him, they would

have drawn the bridge back, making it impossible to cross the deep cre-

vasse. Why they would not want him to visit he could not imagine, but

he always wondered if there would ever come a day when he would beunwelcome here.

He crossed the bridge. It was a childish worry, and he was only two

years shy of thirty. It was time to grow up and stop worrying about what

everyone here thought of him. As the path wound upwards, he won-

dered how his daughter was doing. It had been two years since he had

last seen her. He couldnt wait to see how much she had grown. He

hoped she would remember him.

The second path stopped before an arch carved out of the sheer

wall of the cliff. There was no gate; the bridge was more than enough to

keep those who were not welcome from entering. A man and a woman


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waited at the entrance. The man was tall and thin, with jet-black hair

like Bilin, and kind brown eyes. The woman beside him was also thin,

but short, with long blond hair framing a delicate oval face. Her blue-

green eyes widened as she spotted him. Bilin grinned at the sight of

them.

Bilin! Welcome back! The young woman ran to him and threw

her arms around his neck. Its about time you decided to show up

again.

I know youre trying to do us a favor by sparing us your ugly face,

but we do miss you every once in a while, her companion added.Bilin smiled down at the woman clinging to him. You are even

more beautiful than I remember, Dena.

Oh, stop it, she said, pushing him away. If you think Im beauti-

ful, you should take a look at your daughter. Isnt that right, Clay?

That is true, Clay said. Shes getting ready for her first quarter-

staff match. If you hurry, you can see her in action.

What? Megan in a quarterstaff match? Shes only nine years old!

Bilin adjusted his pack and hurried through the entrance. Dena, its

not like you to allow her to do something like that, he remarked as he

made his way to the temple.

Megan isa very special little girl, Dena replied, trotting alongside

him. Bilin, we need to talk about our daughter.

Bilin gave her a sidelong glance. Dena was not his wife. Druids

rarely married, but they often paired up to have a child by forming ar-

rangements that would allow them to avoid making any sort of commit-ment. He loved Dena, but he knew that the only reason he still felt that

way was because they were away from each other so much. Their ar-

rangement was fine for both of them, except now Bilin worried about

how it was affecting Megan. He remembered how much he had missed

his own father when he was away, which was always. Was it different for

a girl?

He heard cheering as he jogged up the temple steps. I hope I did-

nt miss her, he said, running through the entrance.

He ran through the main temple room. Nothing had changed. Even

the ceremonial chalices adorning the wall shelves had not changed



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since his last visit. He heard someone call out his daughters name.

Shes going up now, Dena said.

Bilin followed the mosaic walkway to the temple arena. He made

his way through the crowd, ignoring the protests and surprised greet-

ings. He prayed Megan wouldnt end up hurt.

He reached the ropes that cordoned off the arena. There she

stood, holding a staff about twice her height in her hand. He swallowed,

and his hands grew cold. That was her. That was his little girl.

Megan walked to the center of the arena. She was tall for her age,

not too thin, not too plump. Her deep red hair hung in two long braidsjust above her waist. She wore a short-sleeved tunic tucked into a pair

of shorts that reached down to the middle of her thighs, with ankle-high

boots. Her brown eyes gleamed with excitement.

A bony woman entered the arena circle. Bilin recognized his old

teacher Theira, a stern but humorous old druid; she could make a stu-

dent laugh while she was paddling his rear. She was also a member of

the Penta, the group of five druids that ran the commune. Ready?

she called out.

Bilin got a good look at Megans opponent. The boy was nervous;

he did not show the confidence Megan displayed, yet he was older and

bigger. What is going on here? he asked out loud.

Just watch, Dena said, standing beside him.

Fight! Theira backed out of the arena quickly as the two young

fighters took their stances.

The boy is Wally. He is one of the top three quarterstaff fighters inhis age group. He is a very cautious, very disciplined fighter, Dena

said.

And hes afraid of Megan, Bilin stated. The boy was a little too

cautious; his steps always took him away from the smaller girl. Yet

while his steps were careful, deliberate, Megan almost glided along,

skipping on the balls of her feet, ready to leap back or forward at any

moment.

Wally suddenly swung his staff at Megans head. Instead of ducking,

she raised her own staff and blocked the strike. It slid down Wallys

staff until it smacked the back of his hand. Megan pushed forward and

FAMILIARORIGINS 39


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the end of her stick rammed against Wallys chest, sending him stum-

bling back. He recovered quickly, and then they were circling each

other again.

The crowd clapped. Megan has a point, Theira cried out. The

two children seemed oblivious to everything except each other.

Who has been training her? Bilin was impressed. In the seven

years he had been teaching staff combat, he had never seen a beginner

not flinch away from an attack to the head. It took experience and con-

fidence to do something like that. And his students started at ten.

She has not taken a single combat lesson, Bilin, Dena said.Bilin looked at her in amazement. Dena stared at the arena, a wor-

ried look on her face. Dena, you cant be

The sound of wood hitting wood made him look up quickly. They

were engaged, blocking each others attacks. Bilin noticed how forceful

Wallys strikes were. The boy was not being easy on his opponent.

Megan whirled her staff all around. It was almost a blur as she spun it

over her head, yet her hands seemed to move slowly, almost lazily. Bi-

lin smiled approvingly; it showed good control over the long stick.

Megan swept her staff low, trying for a trip, but Wally saw the move

coming and jumped. He struck her shoulder and followed through with

a tripping move of his own as she tried to regain her balance. Megan

fell. Bilin managed to keep his legs from running to his little girl, but he

couldnt help clenching his fists anxiously.

Wally has a point, Theira called out as the young boy stepped

back and waited for Megan to rise. Her face was expressionless, but herdark eyes glittered brightly. She was not cowed. Bilin grinned.

Come on, Meggie, he said to himself.

They faced off again, but Megan wasted no time. With a cry, she

rushed forward, holding her staff before her. As Wally raised his own

vertically in defense, she grounded her staff before her. Both her feet

flew out and hit him in the chest. She even managed to avoid Wallys

downward swing as he toppled backwards.

Two points for Megan, Theira called out.

Wally jumped back up, emotion finally surfacing in his youthful

face. He was angry. Careful, Meggie.



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They circled each other once again. Megan needed only one more

point to win. She skipped along, cocky, confident. She knew Wally was

upset.

The boy feinted, and Megans staff flew toward the boys side. In-

stead of trying to stop the strike, Wally slammed his staff down on

Megans, in the area between her hands. The force of his strike broke

Megans grip, and her staff fell to the ground.

He had disarmed her, but Wally still had to get a hit in order to get

a point. He thrust his stick low, aiming for her knee with the butt of his

staff. She had no time to retrieve her weapon. If she dodged the strike,she would never get her staff back. If she went for her weapon, she

would get hit.

She bent down and grabbed Wallys staff, stopping it. Surprised at

the unexpected move, Wally stared down at his opponent. Megan

smiled at him and kicked. Her boot landed squarely on his throat.

Wally crumpled to the ground.

Bilin cheered along with everyone else. Dena rushed into the arena

and crouched over Wally. A small crowd surged into the arena, con-

gratulating Megan. Bilin lingered at the ropes apprehensively. What if

she didnt recognize him? Megan, he called out to her, waving as she

turned her grinning face around to see who had called her. Its your

Dad. Please recognize me.

She did, her little heart be blessed. If her face looked happy before,

it beamed now. Daddy! She pushed her way through the knot of dru-

ids standing in the arena and ran to him. Bilin jumped over the ropesand held his arms out as she threw herself at him.

Did you see me, Daddy? Did you see me fight? Megan asked as

he hugged her.

I did! You are the best! Youre almost better than I am!

Oh, Daddy! Stop making up stories, she scoffed as he hoisted her

onto his shoulders. He paraded her around proudly. He wondered

who was training her. He just could not believe she had not taken a sin-

gle combat lesson. If anything, his little girl was probably taking lessons

on the sly. He wouldnt put it past her.

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Megan padded quietly back to the apartment she shared with her

mother in the temple quarters. Her mother was the temple physician,

so they were able to live in the temple itself, rather than in one of the

cottages or communal living quarters. She liked living in the temple

because there were lavatories, instead of just outhouses. She liked not

having to go outside in the cold whenever nature called, like right now.

She slipped in through the doorshe had left it ajarand closed it

quietly. She tiptoed toward her room. Her parents had gone to bed,but Megan knew they were not asleep. She grinned. Maybe if her

mother was verygood to her dad, he would decide to stay.

She covered her mouth with both her hands to keep from laughing

at the thought. She knew better. Her father was an instructor at the

Academy, the place where the most talented children were trained to

become generals, mages, Healers, and other great things. Only the best

grownups were chosen to teach there, and her father was one of those

best grownups. She would be disappointed if he did choose to leave the

Academy and stay here.

It didnt matter if he left tomorrow, really. He had seen her fight.

He had witnessed Theiras approval for her to begin training, not only a

year early, but at an advanced level. She would treasure the look on his

face for the rest of her life. Were she never to see her father again, she

would know that he loved her and was very proud.

She heard them talking as she snuck by, and caught her name. Curi-ous, she stopped and sat down beside the door to listen. They were

done enjoying themselves, so there really was no reason not to eaves-

drop now; it couldnt hurt to listen to them talk.

Dena, how can you expect me to believe that she has not had any

kind of training? Her moves were learned. Instinct, speed, she may

have gotten those on her own, but her moves were just too good. Her

fathers voice was muffled, but she could make out his words clearly.

If you dont believe me, ask anyone around here. Unless she is

paying very close attention to the combat sessions, she is not getting

training from anyone here.



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Megan smiled. Her mother would defend her. She would keep her

secret.

All right. Fine. Her father sounded angry. You said you wanted

to talk about her. Go ahead.

Bilin, this is not the time to

This is as good a time as any.

Its not important. It can wait.

I dont want to wait, and it is important. Ive seen the way you look

at her. Something about her bothers you. What is it about Megan you

want to tell me?Megans heart began to pound. Her mother was botheredby her?

It had to be her secret. But she had been so calm about it. And she had

promised not to tell anyone

Bilin, Megan has seen the white angel.

Megans fists and eyes clenched shut. She had promised! How

could she do such a thing? And to tell her father, of all people! She saw

his proud, smiling face, etched behind her eyelids. She knew she would

never see that look on his face again.

Are you sure? His voice was stern, sharp. This did not make him

happy.

She knows things. She knows about the marking, and the mind

bond. These are not things that are talked about in the stories.

Megan fought back tears. Daddy, please dont be angry.

That doesnt mean anything. Dena, dont even think about bring-

ing this up to the Penta.Megan suddenly felt dizzy. Would her mother tell the five druid

leaders about her?

Bilin, I have to. She is too much for me to handle. There is more.

You have already seen her fight. Do you know she can use spiritual

magic already? Remember the ancient beliefs about red-haired girls?

She scares me! What choice do I have, Bilin?

Megans hair stirred as a breeze sprang up out of nowhere. No, not

now! She needed to get away. Her mother had lied to her. She was

afraid of her, and that was why she pretended to understand. She qui-

etly left the apartment before the wind around her got out of hand, like

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the last time. She ran through the corridors and out of the temple.

Theyll find me! No, I can hide. Experienced druids knew how to

detect a person by touching their minds, but the angel had taught her

how to block their probing. She concentrated as she ran. Soon, she felt

a pressure encircle her head. Tighter, tighter, so no one can find me.

She ran on, the breeze chasing her.

I am sorry, Dena, Bilin, I cannot sense her anywhere, Theirasaid, folding her hands on her lap. The three of them sat in Denas din-

ing area, between the kitchen and the entrance.

Bilin shook his head irritably. She must have heard us talking last

night. Hell, Dena, why did you have to talk about her that way?

Dena turned on him. You insisted on bringing the subject up! She

had no business listening in on us, anyway!

How would you have felt to hear your mother say?

Children, children, please, Theira said lightly. Whats done is

done. Dena, I know you love your daughter dearly. What could you

have possibly said to send her running off?

Dena, dont, Bilin warned.

Bilin, we talked about this already. She is my daughter, and I have

the right to choose

She is my daughter, too. Keep your flapping mouth shut!

Bilin! Theira stood up in alarm. Is this matter so serious that youwould risk offending one of the Penta? And the most intelligent, beauti-

ful, powerful member on top of that?

As usual, she managed to get a smile out of him. But Riena is not

here, he replied.

This is serious, Theira. Dena also stood. Would Bilin want

something kept from you if it were not so vital an issue?

I will say only this, Theira. He jumped to his feet. He was not

about to let these two tower over him. This matter is about a secret

Megan shared with her mother. She did not want anyone else to know.

Now Dena wants to let the world know about it. Doesnt Megans wish



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to keep this quiet count for anything?

It doesnt, Dena snapped. She is still a child.

Unfortunately, Denas right, Theira said. Her parents need to

make these decisions for her.

And Ive made my decision! Dena and Bilin said in unison.

In a case like this, the parent who is raising the child has prece-

dence. Theira looked straight at Bilin, a rare, serious expression on

her face.

Bilin glared at his daughters mother. Dena had her faults, but this

was beyond appalling to him. He turned on his heel and headed for thedoor.

Where are you going? Dena called out after him.

To find my daughter, he replied, slamming the door shut behind

him.

Megan rolled onto her stomach, peering over the ledge at the dark

river far below. Sunlight had a hard time reaching all the way down to

the bottom, so she could barely see the flow of water from this far

above. The river was huge, with a strong, tumultuous current, but from

her perch, it seemed as thin as a rope.

She kicked her legs up as she gazed down. All she needed to do

was roll off the ledge, and she would save both her parents a lot of trou-

ble.That stupid angel would probably fly over and save me, she grum-

bled, flicking a pebble off the ledge. She lost sight of it before it was

even halfway down.

A grating sound made her turn her head. The stone covering the

hole she had crawled through to the ledge moved aside and her fathers

face popped out of the hole. I knew you would be here, he said, smil-

ing.

Daddy! She went to help him through. I am so sorry. I shouldnt

have ever talked to that angel. Please dont be angry with me!

No one is angry with you, Meggie, he assured her, waving her

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aside and crawling through. He pushed the stone back in place. But

this is a very serious thing. Do you understand what the angel means to

us druids? Besides what they say in the stories, that is?

He looked very solemn, but not angry or even disappointed. Megan

shook her head at him, relief flooding through her. Maybe everything

would turn out all right after all. He sat down and pulled her onto his

lap. Their legs dangled in the air, high over the rushing dark waters far

below. Ready for a story? her father asked.

Megan nodded.

Between fifteen and twenty generations ago, a spirit clad in whiteappeared before the Penta at this very commune. It announced that a

druid would be chosen to fight an inevitable holy war someday. There

would be eight people chosen, and one of them would be a druid. It

did not say when this would happen, but that all druids must remember

this, so that the one who is chosen will be ready. When it is time for the

one to be selected, he or she would be marked in a ceremony held at

the temple right here. If the druid to be marked was not the Chosen,

that person would die.

It is believed that the Chosen will be a mature, experienced druid

who is strong in all druidic abilities. Since the appearance of that white

angel, four very famous, very powerful druids claimed to have been the

Chosen. They were all struck dead at the ceremony, not because they

did not survive the marking, but because the angel was shocked that

such unprepared druids would even think they were worthy enough to

be considered.Gesir, Krondo, Eslee, Logis. Megan made a face. Who would

name their children those weird names?

It felt comforting to hear her father laugh. I think they changed

their names to sound more heroic, he said.

Heroic? How about stupid?

Maybe thats why the angel struck them down. They both laughed

so hard they almost toppled over the ledge.

Anyway, he continued after they had recovered and were sitting

safely away from the edge. The point I want to get across to you is that

everyone who has claimed to have contact with the white angel has



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been struck down. These were proud, talented druids who showed a lot

of promise, yet they died a violent, humiliating death because they did

not meet the angels standards. Now, a nine-year-old girl is claiming the

same thing. What will the Penta think?

Megan felt her heart begin to pound. That Im either lying, or Im

seeing things that arent really there.

Yes, thats pretty much it. He turned her head around so she

could look at him.

She looked him straight in the eye. She didnt care what the Penta

thought, as long as her father believed her. Im not lying, Daddy.He nodded. Lets go. I think the Penta will want to ask you a few

questions.

The pounding in her chest grew stronger. You told them?

Your mother was about to tell Druid Theira when I left to find you.

I tried to stop her, but she really believes they should know. They must

all be aware by now.

The breeze returned. Daddy, Im scared. Please dont make me

go.

Dont be silly, Meggie. They are only going to ask you some ques-

tions. Whats the worst thing they can do to you? Besides, Ill be there

with you. Theres no reason to be afraid.

She didnt answer him. The breeze whirled around them, but it was

all right. They were outside.

Megan, you need to face this. I cant tell you not to be afraid, but

just remember, you havent done anything wrong. Her father kissedthe top of her head, then reached over and pushed the stone aside.

Wheres my brave little girl?

Megan smiled, and the breeze died down. Right here, Daddy.

Then come on. Show me what you got.

Megan crawled through the hole. How did you know to find me

here, Daddy? She pulled herself up and out through the other side.

She stood in a small ditch, beside the huge wall encircling the cloister.

I showed you this place, remember? He crawled out of the hole

and smiled at her. Climb on, Ill give you a ride.

She hopped onto his back and squealed in delight as he jumped to

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his feet. Lets go, she cried out.

Were going, her dad-horse replied, climbing up out of the ditch.

It was kind of windy out there, dont you think?

She glanced down at the top of his head. That was one secret she

was going to keep to herself. It was, she agreed.

The room was perfectly round; at fifteen steps across it was neither

too big nor too small. The room, like the rest of the temple, was madeof the same stone as the cliff face wall, quarried from the sides of the

canyon. There was no ceiling. Sun or rain, the five druids would meet

and commune with the weather. Bilin was glad that it was sunny today.

He sat next to Dena, perpendicular to the stone bench where the

five top druids of the commune sat. Megan sat on an identical stone

bench facing the Penta. She looked so small and alone, sitting by her-

self on that massive bench. Bilin was beginning to regret bringing her

here.

Opposite him and Dena stood a round golden pillar with a man-

sized niche on the bottom. Usually people who were questioned by the

Penta had to stand in the niche and look straight ahead. Megan, being a

child, was spared that, although Bilin was not sure if facing five inquisi-

tors was much better.

He bit down hard on his tongue. He was being unreasonable. They

had to appear intimidating; he only felt this way because it was his littlegirl sitting over there. He cast a sideways glance at Dena. She did not

seem thrilled to see Megan sitting alone before them either.

I didnt know they were going to make this a formal questioning.

This is ridiculous, she muttered under her breath.

Bilin didnt answer her. He did not feel like talking to her at the

moment. He waited patiently for the druids to begin.

Megan waited patiently, too. She sat quietly on the bench, swinging

her legs back and forth. Thats it, Meggie. Be confident.

Theira cleared her throat delicately. Megan, dear, we are all here,

but I will ask most of the questions. As long as you tell us the truth, eve-



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rything will be fine. Do you understand? Her voice was soft and cheer-

ful. Bilin relaxed.

I understand, Druid Theira, Megan said politely.

Good. Your mother told me that you claim to have seen the white

angel. Is this true?

Yes, Druid Theira.

And you have spoken with him?

Yes, Druid Theira.

Has he taught you anything, Megan?

Yes, he has taught me a few tricks.Did he teach you how to shield yourself from us?

Yes, Druid Theira.

Did he teach you how to use the quarterstaff in combat?

No, but he taught me a few rules. I learned how to use the staff by

myself.

What rules did he teach you?

Always counter a strike to the head, project my energy from within

when I strike, never let emotions take over Megan paused, thinking.

Thats all right, Megan, lets continue. Did he say anything to you

about being the Chosen?

No, Druid Theira.

The five druids glanced at each other. Bilin could not make any-

thing out of their looks.

Soute, the oldest of the Penta, spoke up. Megan, dear, has the an-

gel told you why he shows himself to you and teaches you tricks? Hisvoice sounded even older than his withered face.

He told me that I need to learn to control my abilities because I

will get in trouble if I dont.

Thats all hes told you? Soute cocked his head to the side. His

wispy white hair swayed.

No, Druid Soute. But thats the only reason he gave me for visit-

ing.

Soute sat back. He said nothing else. Theira looked at him for a

moment, and turned back to Megan.

He seems like a good friend, Megan. Especially when you have no

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one else to play with. Does he keep you company when you are

lonely?

No, not really, Druid Theira. He doesnt appear often at all.

When does he appear?

Megan squirmed. Bilin noticed Dena stiffen. The silence stretched

as everyone waited for Megan to answer.

I think I understand your hesitation, Megan. Did the angel tell you

not to tell anyone about his visits?

He did, Druid Theira. Megan let out a relieved breath.

Did he say he would not come back if you told anyone?No, Druid Theira.

What did he say?

He said that no one would understand, and I would only end up

upsetting everyone.

Theira gave an understanding nod. Well, we already know about

him, Megan. I dont think he will be upset. Tell me some of the things

he talks to you about.

Megan leaned forward. He showed me how to meditate, and he

told me about the astral plane, and how I might be able to make my

mind go there if I practiced hard enough, but that it was very hard to

do. He warned me not to try to use spiritual magic because I was still

too young, and my spirit would not be able to control the magic ener-

gies. He wants me to ask for permission to apply to the Academy next

year. Megan scratched her head. I cant think of anything else right

now.Thats fine, Megan, Theira said. She sighed and looked at the

others.

Bilin and Dena exchanged worried looks. Megan was not lying, and

she was not imagining things. Her answers made that obvious. But they

still had to determine if it actually was the angel visiting her.

All right, Megan. Your answers to the next questions will be easy,

but they are very important.

I understand, Druid Theira. Bilins chest swelled with pride at

her composure.

Have you seen the angels face?



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Yes, Druid Theira.

Does he look like a man?

Yes, Druid Theira.

What do you remember most about him?

Megan took a deep breath. He has white eyes. All white.

Bilin actually jumped in his seat in surprise, but the Penta received

her answer calmly. They had expected that. He noticed Dena covering

her mouth in shock.

Megan, Theira said softly, What is the angels name?

Megan glanced over at her parents and smiled at them. His nameis Caeles.

It was the Pentas turn to jump in their seats in surprise. Clearly it

was the wrong answer. Megan, where did you get that name from?

Theira asked.

Thats the name he gave me, Megan replied, looking over at Bi-

lin. She noticed the worried look on his face, and he could see fear

grow in her eyes. Im not lying, she said.

We believe you, Megan, Theira said.

Megan, the name you gave us is wrong, Alfre said. His voice was

stern, but Alfre always sounded that way. Still, it made Megan cringe.

Yet from what you told us, this is definitely the white angel you have

seen. Could you have confused the name with something else?

Megan shook her head and wrapped her arms around herself. A

strange breeze began to blow around the room.

Riena, the only other female druid of the Penta, looked up at theopen ceiling. This wind is not natural. Who is doing this?

Oh, no, not again! Dena jumped out of her chair. Megan, stop

it! What do you think you are doing?

I cant help it! Megan climbed off the bench. She backed up

against the stone wall and held her hands out before her. I dont know

how to make it stop! She began to cry.

What do you mean, not again? Even as he asked, Bilin marveled

at how big a mouth Dena had.

Megan, please, Dena begged. Dont do this.

Megan only cried harder. Daddy, help me!

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Bilin stood, but Theira raised her hand. Stop, Bilin. Let us take

care of this.

No! Megan screamed, tossing her head back. Her braids unrav-

eled, and her hair flew w

familiar origins - book 1 of the draca wards saga (excerpt)

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