Chapter 22: Lost and Stollen Magic

A little about the Lost Magic and how it was received.

Emmet and Umbris both stared at Theo as he stood with his hand held out to where Alchos and Esther were sleeping soundly. The two almost couldn’t believe that Theo had given them up… and for nothing! Umbris looked at Gale and Jade, the spines around the back of his head quivering anxiously as he tried to read their next move. 

Jade looked at the group and raised an eyebrow.  “Why do I get the feeling you’re pulling our legs?” She asked. 

“I don’t think they are Jade…” Gale said as she got up and approached Umbris. 

Umbris gave a growl that Emmet could feel in his chest as if he was the one that growled. The Sail Wing ducked her head in submission, but kept eye contact. From what Emmet knew, this was a show of respect, but she wouldn’t fully submit to Umbris. “May I see the hatchling?”

“He’s sleeping,” Umbris said, maybe a bit gruffly as he moved his wing closer to the two sleeping under it. 

The female didn’t move away though, just looking back At Umbris’ eyes for what felt like hours. Finally, Umbris snarled and looked at Theo. He didn’t say anything, but the snarl itself was enough to tell what was going through his mind. 

Theo didn’t look fazed though. “What? You guys took one step into Keris and got captured,” he said. “If you’re gonna make it to Aupurin you’re gonna have to have a company. Unless you can take on an army Umbris, with a boy who can barely use a sword.”

“Hey!” Emmet resented, but he went unheard. 

“I’ve been training him,” Umbris told the young thief. 

“And that training managed to barely save him from a lion,” Theo answered. “A dragon can’t teach a human how to fight against a human. You can only teach him how to fight against a dragon.”

Umbris’ eyes narrowed. “You’re not coming with us.” He snarled. 

“Oh, I think I am,” Theo said. “And I think it wouldn’t be a bad idea if Lady Jade and Lady Gale joined us too.”

“After you ratted us out?!” Umbris snapped, getting a groan from under his wing as Alchos was jolted awake from the voice.

“Rats got out?..” He asked, squirming out from under the wing to look at the group with weary eyes. “Why is that bad?…”

“It’s nothing Al,” Emmet said, walking around Umbris and petting Alchos’ head. “Hows Esther?”

“Still sleeping..” Alchos answered with a yawn. “Why are people yelling?”

As the two talked, Jade walked up and looked at Alchos intently while Gale was keeping Umbris distracted. She looked at Alchos, causing him to look back at her. She watched his face and gave a nod before looking at Emmet. “It really is him isn’t it?” She asked. 

Emmet bit his lip but sighed. “Yeah..” He answered. “But no one can know. We’ll be imprisoned for stealing him when we’re the ones trying to get him back home.”

“Emmet.,” Umbris grumbled, now noticing the two by the young prince, and hearing what Emmet was saying.

Emmet looked back at Umbris. “What if Theo’s right Umbris?” He asked. 

“If we had remained on the beach when we first landed we wouldn’t have been sent to that arena,” Umbris said. “We can make it to Shiveryn without the extra mouth to hunt for.”

“You believe so?” Gale asked. “Somehow I can’t see that. Seeing as now the Slayers know where you were last. Then again, they seemed to know where you going anyway. There were Slayers among the Persian Guard.”

Alchos shivered and nodded. “And… they know my disguise…” He said quietly.

Umbris heard him, however. He looked at the young dragon with a worried expression as he soaked in the information. “How would they know?” He questioned. “The Blueberry juice is still in place.”

“When they were attacking the Balcony…” Alchos started. “Esther froze in fear, and I got scared… I knew you were in the arena… so I shouted your name… I knew I shouldn’t have done that, but I was scared… And I was worried for Esther…”

Emmet took a slow breath and looked at Umbris. The Dragon looked crestfallen, knowing that the Slayers were smart enough to put two and two together. He sighed but then gently nuzzled Alchos to comfort him. “It’s okay Alchos. It couldn’t be avoided. It is instinct for young to call for their guardians when they’re threatened.” He then looked at Theo. “But I believe Theo is right… We’ll need to travel in a group to ensure we make it to Aupurin at least. Two Dragons have a better chance at fighting the Slayers than one. And Emmet will need a human teacher.”

“Great!” Theo said, talking back to the fire and sitting. “Glad we have an understanding. Now we need a plan to get to Aupurin. But first things first, I for one need some real food in my stomach. How about you Emmet? Unless you miss the Gruel from the arena.”

“Hell no!” Emmet answered, covering his mouth at his language.

Theo laughed. “Prison kid,” He said, getting the bow and quiver of arrows he had gathered from the arena and started walking into the forest. “It’ll change a man.”

It was late in the night before the group had sat down to enjoy the filling meal of roasted pig, Umbris aiding in the cooking to help cook it faster. In that time Esther had woken up, but hadn’t left Emmet’s side since she did. She told him everything that had happened as they ate, from her being captured by the mage, then escaping to find Alchos only to find him with the Fire Princes. Emmet listened to the story, his mind going back to the dream he had of Granite, telling him that the Fire Princes of Earth and Sky would help them escape, he guessed that they had. 

But it was the Lost Magic that had fought everyone’s attention. Esther almost withdrew into herself when she told them about it, absently petting Nym in her lap as she spoke. “It’s hard to explain… It felt like I was standing in a fire… or had a Persian Fire Lung around me. I… I could sense the people around me, the ones that felt dangerous being the ones that I attacked. And it looked like everyone was made of fire at one point.”

Umbris hummed in thought as he ate his boar. “And what of the Mage that captured you?” He asked. 

Esther shook her head. “I didn’t see her after I was caught. Well, I saw her around in the palace, but she didn’t approach me. Though she didn’t seem happy that I was a guest to the Royals. And she wasn’t at the arena when the attacks happened.”

“What about when you froze,” Alchos asked. “You… just vanished.”

“What do you mean?” Umbris asked. 

“It was a panic attack,” Emmet answered. “Esther was attacked by goons that thought being thugs would get them in with the Slayers. They killed her Pixie Dragon and since then she’s had a strain of PTSD over it. Nym’s helped her get back to her old self, but the scars of what happened are still there.”

Esther nodded. “All I could see was that night again…” She said, moving closer to Emmet and leaning against him. He didn’t hesitate in putting his arm protectively around his sister. 

Jade watched the two for a while before looking at Gale. The dragoness looked back at her rider before looking at Esther. She smiled gently at her. “You know,” She said. “Holding Lost Magic is a blessing. In the old days, before the Treaties were signed, there were a select few families that the dragons blessed as they aided the dragons in one way or another. These select few could use the fire that boils in the dragons lungs, and the dragon that blessed the family is said to protect the family even after death.”

“So like the Clavis’ hold a Dragons soul?” Emmet asked.

Theo shook his head. “No, that’s forced. The Lost Magic is willingly given. That's why Lost Magic is rare and hard to control. It’s more or less wielding the very soul of the Giving Dragon for a short while.”

“So how do I control it?” Esther asked, looking at Theo and Jade uneasily. Seeing as they were strangers and all.

“That my dear,” Gale answered. “Is up for you to discover. It’s different for everyone, as it was always a different dragon to give the blessing. You may find a guide, but you must take that journey on your own.”

Esther looked down and nodded, leaning against Emmet wearily. Emmet gently hugged her and let her sit in his lap like she would when she was little. Umbris looked at the two before sighing. “We should sleep.” He said. “It’s been an eventful day for all of us.”

Theo nodded as she stretched and leaned against a tree. “I can take first watch.” He said. “But mind if I look at the map? I can chart out a safe passage to Aupurin while you all rest.”

Emmet looked at him and bit his lip, but Umbris was the one that spoke. “It was in our saddle bags..” He said. “Which the guards took when Emmet and I were taken.”

Theo gave a nod before looking at Jade. “I hope you have a map Sweetheart.” 

Jade looked at him before rolling her eyes. “Don’t call me sweetheart.” She said before digging into her own saddle bags and pulling out a map and handing it to Theo. 

“Thank you,” He said, accepting the map and opening it before looking at her over the edge of the map. “Sweetheart.”

Emmet chuckled a bit when Jade gave him an incredulous look, but she said nothing as she walked back over to Gale and sat next to the dragoness. Emmet scooped Esther up and carried her back over to Umbris’ side to sleep, Alchos walking beside him before laying down beside them. Emmet laid down and looked at Theo for a moment, but Alchos closed them in under his wing until they were in the leathery tent of warmth.  Emmet looked at Esther and kept his arm around her as the two slowly fell into the most comfortable sleep they’ve had in weeks.

*~*~*

By the next morning, Theo had found a way to get the group back on track and reported there were noises of search parties in the night, but they walked past the old temple they had camped in. He suggested they walk a short ways before getting back to the path. 

The Travel was more or less uneventful, keeping to the jungles and hunting for food until they got to the towns where Jade started shopping for provisions. In the few days that the group traveled together, they seemed to slowly get used to each other and know each other.

Jade was from the Aupurin, though she looked like she was really from Shiveryn itself. It was there that she met Gale and they had become close friends with each other. Jade had also been told stories of the Phantom Thief and when the Egg was stollen, she thought either he stole it and she would be a hero to get it back, or he could help her find it and they’d both be heroes. 

It wasn’t until they got to the towns that the group started traveling by night. This was easier said than done with Gale’s brass colored scales, but she flew high enough to not draw attention to herself. The biggest challenge was soon upon them; the Ocean. Gale could easily fly that distance, gliding on the updrafts. But Umbris was a different story as he carried four passengers while Gale carried half that. 

“We’ll need a barge,” Umbris said one night while the group camped in a seaside cave. “It’s the best way to get across the ocean in one piece.”

“Think you’ll go unnoticed?” Theo asked. 

Umbris looked at him and gave a smile. “If the captain is paid enough.”

“And where do you plan on getting that kind of money?” Jade asked. 

The Shadow Dragon smile with a look that told Emmet he had an idea in mind. “We do have the worlds greatest thief in our midst right?” 

Theo looked at him before slowly smiling. “You do,” he answered. “Let me get a look around and see what I can get.” With that, he slipped his daggers into his belt and his bow over his shoulder before heading off into the night. 

Umbris settled into the cave with a rumbling huff with Gale on the other side of the cave. The scratches on his face were hearing, but they left three ugly gray scars. He was lucky that the Viper’s claws didn’t catch his eye. 

Emmet looked up at the shadow dragon, his own scratches and gashes leaving a dull ache under the light bandaging under his shirt. They were both lucky that Jade and Gale came when they did, even if the rescue wasn’t for them specifically. Emmet’s eyes wandered down to the rune on Umbris’ chest. He had looked at it in the past, but after getting captured he’d been more curious about why the Slayers bound the Dragon’s souls to crystals. 

Alchos looked at the marking too, then looked at Emmet. Knowing the boy wasn’t going to just up and ask, he decided to. “Um, Umbris?” He asked. “Why do you have that mark?”

Umbris looked at him then at the rune on his chest. It was a Z with a line crossing it from top to bottom. He took a breath and sighed. “It marks me as a Slayers Mount.” He said. “To whoever holds the Clavis with the matching rune, is literally holding my soul.”

Emmet looked down at the clavis and bit his lip. “Why do Slayers do this?” He asked. 

Umbris looked at Emmet. “They believe that Humans aught to be a the Apex Predators, and dragons under them.” He answered. “Though we speak and have thoughts and emotions of our own, we are no more than horses or creatures of burden.” He looked away and gave a growl. “The clavis’ are meant to keep a Dragon in check, making them loyal to a rider unto the death. Even after death a Slayer can still use our souls as weapons. Much like Esther’s Lost magic. You could say that they’re stealing The Dragon’s Blessings.”

“If this is your soul,” Emmet said, holding the crystal in his palm. “Why did you give it to me?”

Umbris looked back at Emmet and didn’t answer for a long time, almost to the point where Emmet thought the Shadow Dragon wasn’t going to answer him. But eventually, he opened his mouth. “Granite had asked me to keep you safe.” He answered. “And the best way I knew how was to let you hold my soul, so I would know if you were in danger.” 

He sighed and laid down. “You all should rest. It will be a stressful journey if we manage to secure a barge.”

Jade looked up at Gale, who looked back at her rider and relaxed, laying her head near her rider. “He is right. And we have a long journey ahead of us.”

“As soon as Theo gets back here anyway,” Jade said. 

“I’ll take first watch.” Emmet offered, standing and walking to sit by the mouth of the cave, but still out of sight. He sat on a rock and looked at the clavis again for a long moment before slipping it under his shirt. Did Granite know that trouble would be coming? And that he wouldn’t survive it? 

Alchos walked over to Emmet and laid next to him, looking up at the stars as he joined Emmet on watch. Emmet sighed and pet Alchos’ head, relaxing a bit. He’d have answers soon. He knew he would.

Author's Note

So a little bit of a history lesson, I may add more on this later on ^_^ But this is the last chapter for Keris! Onto Aupurin!