Sword Bearer (Return of the Dragons 1)

The forest lightened around us as we ran. Dawn was approaching. I hoped the keiler would fear the sun, but in the black forest, the Schwarzwald, would the sun make any difference?

A branch whipped my face.

Just for a moment, I hadn’t been looking. It felt like I’d been slapped.

I would have to be more careful. No use running into a tree and ending up on the ground, food for the keiler.

They were close behind me. Too close, I could feel it. I had no idea where we were but somehow I managed to follow Kara stride for stride — maybe that was part of the spell she’d cast on me when she kissed my forehead.

The light was definitely stronger now.

Kara stopped suddenly.

I stopped short behind her.

We were in front of a great gate. Maybe it wasn’t so big physically. Not more than ten feet tall. But I could feel its greatness without even opening my third eye. There was a tense humming in the air, and a buzzing sensation on my skin. There were markings all up and down the gate, but they were in no language that I knew. On an impulse I reached my hand out and traced one of the letters.

As I watched, the letter began to glow, and a low note wafted into the air.

I pulled my hand away.

Through the gate was the beginning of a road. It was narrow, and covered with plants that grew between the cobblestones. Perhaps someone walking by wouldn’t have noticed it, but it was a road all the same. A canopy of trees covered it, and it looked like it had not been used for centuries.

Kara turned to me. “I need to talk to Kalle. This is strange. I’ve seen this road in my dreams. It leads to an ancient city — a city that was once our sister. The location of the city itself was lost in this forest. Perhaps there is still something good there, something that has resisted the dark lord... Perhaps the keiler will fear to enter there.”

She turned to Kalle, who had stopped just ahead of us, and was kneeling, looking at the road.

Kalle looked more serious.

“I was sent here as a scout, to find just this city,” he said. “I’ve searched for days, and now we stumble upon this road. I burn to see where it leads, but I can’t endanger you, princess, nor the book that you carry. Your safe return and the safe return of the book are too important.”

Kara looked frustrated for a moment. Then she sighed.

“Are you loyal to the memory of my father, Kalle?”

Kalle nodded.

“Of course. I swore allegiance to him. You saw me, princess. You were but a little girl at the time, though, and perhaps you don’t remember.”

“I remember it well. And you swore allegiance to his bloodline, did you not?”

Kalle nodded. “Of course I did.”

“Then, as his daughter, I order you to take us to this city. Perhaps it will offer us safe haven, even if not for long.”

Kalle’s face had turned red. “You give me no choice but to do what I wanted to do anyway. I should be grateful...” He trailed off.

“But?” I asked.

“Kara, I fear this city,” he said finally.

“The unknown is always feared,” Kara replied.

“Not without reason.”

They stood there for a moment. Not far off in the distance, I heard another high pitched squeal.

Ugh. I hated the noise, I hated the smell of those creatures. And yet they seemed to honor me. The hair stood up on my neck again.