Tales from Aszuralia : 'Riders of Dragons'

[The Firefox Raiyah]

Chapter One - Arrivals

“Please,” began the adviser. “You need to show your people that their king is still alive and healthy. They're all worried that...” he faltered. The adviser was a frail man; small, pale in complexion, weak in speech, even weaker in body; yet, he was clever in mind. Clever enough to realize that he should have stopped at...
“What, Cato Brecht!? That I've become mad? They're all worried that their precious kingdom is being run by a madman!” the King, a larger, more strongly built man, sighed. His expression deepened, “I would take that reality over the one I'm faced with now.” King Aelius stared out the window into the dark, cold, windy night. He appeared beaten, with his graying hair, disheveled crown, and worried face. “What I wouldn't give to see her face but once more.”
“I can't even imagine what pains you've been through, my majesty. I mean no offense, but maybe it is time that-” again, he faltered. Thinking about how best to put it.
For four years, the King's daughter had been missing, thought to have been kidnapped, even. However, it was in that moment of silence that one of the doors to the throne room, in which they were now, swung slowly open, creaking on its hinges. Both men looked towards the haggard figure in the doorway.
“It can't be!” gasped the King.
“Princess Alya!” whispered Cato.
***
What seemed like moments, to the Princess, was actually several days. Moments ago, she was making her way up the stairs to her father's throne room for the first time in years, and then, upon seeing his face, collapsed into darkness. Now, she rose from a nice, soft, warm bed to the bright light of the sun streaming through the castle window. She sat there, taking in the smells and sounds of the servants busily preparing breakfast down the hall.
“I'm glad to see you're awake,” came a familiar voice.
Quickly, the Princess looked to her right. Seated in the chair at her desk, just as graceful as she remembered, was her mother, Queen Ethelinda. She hadn't changed a bit since the Princess last saw her. Her mother still held herself high and with the utmost grace, her eyes still their vibrant shade of blue. “Mother,” Alya began, “Am I really home?”
Her mother chuckled, “Yes, my dear. Home, safe, and sound.”
Alya looked around her room, just as she remembered it as well. “Where is father? Is he okay?”
“He is fine, Alya. Not to say he wasn't absolutely devastated during your disappearance, but now that you're here, he's as happy as ever.” Her mother smiled; however, something was troubling her, Alya noticed, but as quickly as she saw it in her mother's face, it faded behind a more real smile. “Your father is in the Grand Hall taking care of some business. If you feel up to it, you can go and see him.” Her mother rose and walked to the open door. “We're all so glad you have returned,” she said once more as she exited the room, closing the door behind her.

Alya took her time getting up and dressed. As soon as she was ready, she made her way through the gray stoned walls of the castle to the Grand Hall, the entrance to the castle that also served as the place of business for most matters in the kingdom. As she entered the room, she could hear grunts and shouts from below that sounded like men struggling with something. The question as to what they were struggling with was answered before she reached the stone railing in front of her, but she peered down to reaffirm the most peculiar bark she had ever heard.
***
Isaak knew that he was in trouble when he turned into one of the dead ends of the many alleys of the city.
“No one ever steals from me and gets away with it!” shouted a thunderous voice behind him.
Isaak didn’t need to turn around to tell that his pursuer was getting closer, the pounding footsteps were warning enough. Oddly, though, Isaak was grinning. He had a plan.
“D'you hear me, you rat!?” the man boomed, his steps growing louder and then coming to a halt as he turned the same corner, stopping in his tracks when he saw the boy. “I've got you now.” he chuckled to himself, comically rolling up his sleeves. He was – for lack of a better definition – a giant of a man, and that went without stretching the truth. He easily stood over the tallest of men, and had arms and legs that shared the same wideness as chimneys.
Suddenly, the man burst into an all out sprint towards the boy that was barely a quarter his size, bellowing the entire way. He was going to tackle the kid and flatten him against the wall. After he covered about half the distance between them, the giant-man realized something was amiss, but with the stereotypical lack of brain power, continued to charge towards Isaac, maintaining his battle cry the entire way. That is, until he ran, head-first, into the wall ahead of him.
The giants world exploded into a sea of stars and intense, cranial pain. He was so dazed, he didn't even notice he made a huge crack down the back of the store the wall belonged to, or that he was now laying on the ground which felt like it was spinning in circles. Isaak's head brought itself into his vision, spinning as well, wearing that childish grin. “Do you hear me, you lug?” the boy said with a chuckle of his own. “No one ever tells me I can't get away.”

Isaak returned to the typical meeting spot, one of the city gardens. After some time, Isaak began to worry. He's never late...Something is not right here, Isaak thought. Just then, out of the corner of his vision, he spotted a group of soldiers amassed around an animal. Oh no!
“Renzl, aim for 'is 'ead! That'll teach 'im to bite ya!” one of the soldiers said to the captain in the middle. Renzl nodded to his soldier, and gave a harsh blow to the animal's head with his metal boot.
“Stop that!” Isaak shouted jumping into the crowd of soldiers. Immediately, they threw him back out onto the ground.
“Shoo, street rat! This doesn't concern you.”
Isaak knew he couldn't do much against the group of guards. He looked in between their feet at the animal they were abusing. The silver coated wolf was already looking into Isaak's own eyes. The boy could do nothing but mouth, “I'm sorry.” To which the wolf seemingly replied with a nod.
***
Alya stared down, over the railing at the scene below. Three soldiers as well as Captain Renzl were trying hard to restrain a monster they were moving towards the stairwell to the cells below the castle. Alya could not see what kind of monster it was, but as soon as they got the creature to the doorway Renzl let go and backed off as the monster shook free of all four of their grasps, allowing the Princess to see the creature's shining silver tail before it calmly went down with the soldiers in tow, as if resigning to defeat. Renzl stayed behind and spoke with the King.
Alya swiftly descended the stairs and ran to her father. “Father!”
Aelius turned to see his daughter running to him. “Alya!” he shouted back, pulling her into a tight embrace when she reached him. “Alya. Oh how I've missed you!”
“I missed you as well, father.” she softly replied.
“I shall leave you, my majesty. We can discuss this...issue...at another time.” Renzl said, taking his leave and bowing to the Princess. “Milady.”
The Princess wanted to ask what this 'issue' was, but decided to hold her questions until another time. For now, all she wanted was to be with her family.  

[The Firefox Raiyah]

A long night of festivities to celebrate the Princess's return had rendered many of the guards drunk. Although they weren't to be drinking at times like these, many of them had friends who delivered, and, not wanting to miss an opportunity for free drink, usual joined in the celebrations, regardless.
Besides, it was peace time. The world of Aszuralia had not seen war in many years, and with little friction on any of the borders of the Aurahl Kingdom, they had little to fear. Sure there were petty crimes committed on a daily basis, but nothing of the murderous sort had come to the city as of late.
So, with the guards drunk and incapacitated, Princess Alya found herself in the Grand Hall once more, approaching the stairwell from earlier that day. Curiosity had gotten the better of her, and, instead of waiting until the morning to question her father on the matter, decided to find out on her own what was contained within. She found that the further down she went, the colder the air became, making her begin to wish she had stayed in bed. Finally reaching the bottom of the spiral staircase, Alya looked about, as her eyes adjusted to the darkness below, at what appeared to be a long hallway with many wooden doors on each side. To her right – ending a shorter distance than the left – she found the rooms, of which there were three, were all used for storage of various things, as well as the jailor slumped in his chair, out just as cold as his friends upstairs. To her left, the Princess noticed the doors had small foot-wide windows that were barred over, save the one on the end; that one had a window that slid open and closed.
Tip-toeing down the left side, obviously the jail side, she observed that all the rooms she passed were completely vacant, and the closer she got to the one room that was entirely shut out, the more her curiosity concerning the creature from earlier was piqued. At last reaching the final door, Alya carefully slid the metal plate to her right and peered in.
Curled up in one corner, illuminated by a single shaft of moonlight streaming through a ground window, was a boy.

***

“Come on, boy! It'sh a time of celebration,” shouted the most ridiculous looking fool – in more ways than one – that Isaak had ever met. “No need to be sho down in the dumpsh, boy!”
Isaak was simply repulsed by the clown's breath. Is every man in this town drunk?, He thought to himself.
“Come on, boy!” the fool repeated when no word came from Isaak.
He hated it, really. Everyone called him 'boy'. Isaak believed he had passed that title two years ago, being now eighteen years of age. “Don't you have somewhere else to be?” Isaak said flatly, moving his gaze to a puddle on the street. As he stared at his reflection, he realized that he looked a lot smaller and younger than most his age. He was quite the oddity in others ways, too. For instance, his longer, uncommonly silver hair, something typical of half-elves, which he was not; or perhaps his mismatched eyes, the left one blue, the right gold. Whatever it was, he found that it usually kept people from becoming attached to him. Especially since both were things that people feared.
Half-elves, for a reason unknown but upheld by a force much like tradition, were often looked down upon. In some countries, they had even been executed at a point. Many historians have theorized as to what may have caused such hatred to their kind, none of which had real proof to back their claims. Most of, if not all, the documents written at the time of the change in mood towards the half-elven kind, were either lost, or not actually written (many historians have theories on the causes of that as well.).
The fear of those with mismatched eyes, on the other hand, did have some historical basis. It was, and still is, a sign of many, possibly, 'demonic issues'. Usually the bearers: have encountered a demon at some point, and are therefore considered unlucky; have become a half-being at some point after birth; or have an abnormally strong affinity for magic, which is also frowned upon due to most world issues being traced back to magic.
By the time the sun had gone, so too had the drunken performer, leaving Isaak alone and deep in thought. After some time, he had made up his mind, despite his gut telling him not to do what he intended. Isaak retreated once more to the small, green garden area. Found the darkest niche he could find, untouched by moonlight. Then disappeared.

Isaak? What are you doing?

What do you think I'm doing? I'm getting you out of here!

No! Not like this! I thought we agreed you'd avoid using it.

Too late.

Kid, you're tempting it. You need to stop! Don't worry about me. I got caught on-!

Isaak open his eyes, hoping it had worked.

Dang it, Isaak. It was sealed.

How can that be? I got you out.

It must have only been sealed for exit...Just hold on. I'll find a way to get you out.

He only discovered that now he was trapped inside the cell. Unknown to all but his friend, Isaak had power over shadows. A power he never mastered. He learned a few tricks such as traveling between two places, as well as moving another object, so long as he displaced it with himself. It seemed to him at the time a simple idea; displace his friend with himself, and then transfer himself back. However, the cell had been sealed to keep people from exiting via magic; displacement was apparently not.
Isaak sat himself down on the damp ground, curling up for protection against a seemingly constant breeze. Truthfully, though, as opposed to fear, he felt more frustrated.

***

Alya was dumbfounded. She could have sworn she saw a monster being led into the keep. Not a young man, only slightly younger than herself. Quietly, the Princess slid the window shut and returned to her room. Try as she might, Alya was incapable of regaining sleep, even more curious now that she knew what the dark dungeon held.  

[The Firefox Raiyah]

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