Authors: Dahlia Rose
Raul
shifted and he gave her a grin. “It gets better yet.”
He
pulled her close and whispered words she didn’t recognize. He was right; his
language would not be recognized in any form of archeological research known to
man. She wanted to learn it all, and could see herself sitting and poring over
their history, learning their language. The air in front of them seemed to
shimmer and ripple like the surface of a lake when you threw a pebble and broke
its surface. Then, suddenly, it parted and she saw the world beyond and it caused
her to gasp. She stepped through with Raul and felt as if an electric current
was passing over her skin. It was not unbearable, but a little uncomfortable.
People stopped and waved as they came through, but then went on their way. Raul
shifted and was offered clothes by someone standing close to where they came
through the portal. Raven assumed the man was kind of a gatekeeper for the
dragons as they come back and forth.
She assumed they were accustomed to the
warriors coming in and out of their world and it was an everyday thing for
them. Raven, on the other hand, was speechless. She looked up to a sky that was
as blue as home, but this sky was filled with dragons of all shapes and
children ran and played on cobblestone streets. It was breathtaking and she
tried to take it all in. The bright and vivid colors and the entire scene reminded
her of a Norman Rockwell painting. Buildings were made of stone and there was
even an outdoor marketplace and a blacksmith that left her speechless. But, as
they walked, the massive columns of the Paladin court came into view and she
was even more amazed as they went up the stairs and into the stone structure.
Everything was huge like Pantheon size and she felt like an ant as their steps
echoed in the halls. She saw two figures, a man and woman, coming down the hall,
and the woman was holding a child.
“Raul,
this is unexpected and you’ve brought a guest,” the man said. He was tall
enough that she had to crane her neck. He had bright blue eyes that were
mesmerizing.
Raul
clasped hands with him. “Orin, it is good to see you, my friend, and Valencia
you look beautiful. This is my friend Raven.”
It
stung to hear him call her his friend, but she knew what she was getting into
when she told him no pressure.
“Friend,
hmm?” Valencia said. “It’s very nice to meet you.”
“You
as well, and it is…amazing here,” Raven said.
“I
felt the same way when I first arrived. It definitely captivates you,” Valencia
replied.
“This
boy is growing much too fast. When is his naming ceremony?” Raul asked.
“He
is only five months old,” Valencia said with humor. “His naming ceremony will
be in a few weeks. I hope I will see you and your friend Raven there.”
Raul
bent to kiss her cheek. “Of course, my princess.”
Valencia
snorted. “I wish you would stop that. It makes me uncomfortable.”
“Well,
you are the princess, darling, and when it is my time to rule, you shall be queen,”
Orin reminded her fondly.
In
her arms, the baby gurgled and Raven asked, “May I hold him?”
“Of
course.”
Valencia
handed her the baby who looked at her with his daddy’s blue eyes and his
wonderful light chocolate skin tone.
“Will
he be a dragon as well?” Raven asked.
“Yes,
he will. When our children are born with the eye color of their father it means
the dragon gene has been passed on to them,” Orin explained. “Even if he didn’t
have my eye color, I couldn’t be more proud of my son.”
“There
are so many questions I could ask,” Raven murmured.
“And
maybe you will get the answers to all of them eventually,” Valencia said with a
knowing smile. “Now, come, let’s sit and we can have some refreshments.”
Raven
was surprised that Valencia didn’t take the baby from her but let her hold on
to the little bundle of joy. She had a soft spot for babies and children and
decided that it was because at the age of seventeen, she was the assistant to a
midwife and had helped deliver a few babies, mostly while on the dig sites in
Peru and Egypt. She told them the story as they walked into a beautiful room
with a jade inlaid fountain in the center. Tables and chairs glistening bronze
in the natural sunlight coming in from the glass-paned roof told her there were
artisans living in Paladin. Everything was so beautiful. A woman brought in
drinks and intricate little cakes. Raven tried to take it all in, but knew she
wouldn’t be able to in just one day. She knew Paladin would never lose its wonder
in her eyes.
“So,
tell me why you’re home, Raul, or should we walk and let the women enjoy their
refreshments?” Orin asked.
“The
women are sitting right here,” Valencia said. “Honestly, Orin, do we need to
discuss the chauvinistic terms again?”
Orin
inclined his head and a tried to smother his smile. “My apologies, ladies.”
Raul
laughed. “It’s not necessary, Orin. Raven already knows what is going on. Let
me fill you both in.”
She
played with the baby and nibbled on some of the most delicious pastries she’d
ever had in her life, while Raul filled them in. She watched the interest in Orin’s
face turn to anger and Valencia looked worried.
“I
want to weed out the cell and find my father,” Raul said.
“That
may not be wise, Raul, there may be things you don’t know,” Orin said
hesitantly.
“Why
do I get the feeling there is some big secret that everyone seems to know
except me?” Raul snapped.
“If
you guys have any ideas about why the
Shen
would be
keeping his dad, why not spill it?” Raven asked. No wonder Raul had issues if
the people closest in his life were holding things back from him.
Orin
directed a cold stare at her, but she refused to look away.
Try to stare me down,
buddy,
I can do this all day,
she thought angrily.
“Stop
using the death stare on Raven,” Valencia admonished. “She is looking out for
Raul and that is a wonderful thing. Plus, if you do know something, maybe it’s
time the truth came out for everyone’s sake.”
“It
has nothing to do with the
Shen
, and it’s not my
secret to tell,” Orin replied and then faced Raul. “I only know what I’ve heard
from my father. It’s best you talk to Hawke about this.”
“Oh,
I will,”
Raul
said grimly. “This is going to be over
once and for all, whatever it is.” He stood and Valencia took the baby from
Raven who was bouncing him on her knee. “I’m going to show Raven around Paladin
before we head back to Madison.”
“Whatever
you do, Raul, know that Hawke was trying to honor a promise and he loves you
more than you know.” Orin stood and placed his hand on Raul’s shoulder. “He was
hard on us both in our training; me, because I was the king’s son and I needed
a punch in the head a few times for being so cocky. I needed to learn the rise
to the thrown was not mine just because of blood, but because of honor and
respect. He was hard on you because he never wanted to lose you in a battle. I
don’t think he could take it. You may not see it, but I think he feels a bond
or a connection with you that he doesn’t have with the others. There is a
reason why you are very important to him, probably because he is the one who
rescued you as a boy.”
“I’ll
keep that in mind,” Raul said.
“It
was nice meeting you both,” Raven said.
“I’m
sure we’ll be seeing you again,” Valencia said with a smile.
“Under
better circumstances, I hope.” Orin gave Raven a crooked smile. “I won’t even
use my death stare, as Valencia calls it, on you next time.”
Raven
winked. “Trust me, big guy. I can give you a run for your money. My mother is known
for hers and I learned from the best.”
Orin
laughed as he led them back out to the entrance of the palace that faced the outdoor
market. Raul took her hand and they descended the stone steps. They walked
through the marketplace, looking through the wares the merchant’s had to offer.
Under one merchant’s tent she saw over twenty or so birds in cages and some on
perches. They were all many different colors. Some birds she recognized from
home and some were a completely new species to
her which
made her stop and stare. The bird she could not take her eyes off of reminded
her of a smaller version of a peacock except it was fire red with black tips on
the end of its feathers. Raven gasped as it began to sing in such a melodious
way that she could listen to it forever.
“What
kind of bird is that?” Raven pointed, asking Raul.
“It
is a phoenix, named for its feathers. They breed on the volcanic side of
Paladin near the lava tubes for heat. One must be very careful to catch one
because the crust of the ground there can be thin and you could plunge to your
death into the chamber of molten rock,” Raul explained. He held out his finger
and the bird hopped from its perch to his hand. “They are rather tame, and it
is said that the female lays her eggs in the ash so her chicks can be born of
the flame.”
“The
phoenix rising from the ashes,” Raven said, thinking of the lore.
“You
know, we have Ravens here on Paladin—like your name,” Raul smiled.
The
merchant smiled when Raul went to put the bird back on its perch. “Warrior,
please keep the bird; a gift for you and your beautiful woman.”
“We
couldn’t possibly take—” Raven began.
“Our
warriors protect the life we have here. One bird is just a small token of our
appreciation,” the merchant said.
Raul
inclined his head. “Thank you.” The bird then hopped from the perch to his
finger once more and he presented the gift to Raven. “What should we call him?”
“How
about Poe?” she said with a grin.
“Ah,
after Edgar Allan Poe, I take it. His work was sometimes macabre. Are you sure
you want to give such a name to a such beautiful creature?” Raul asked.
“But
Poe’s words were filled with such passion. And, just like this guy, he had a
hard beginning, but survived,” Raven said and stroked the feathers of the bird’s
back. “Poe is a very apt name for him.”
“Then
Poe it is,” Raul said with a smile.
He
arranged for the bird, a large cage, seed and supplies to be delivered to his
home in Paladin later that evening. Raul explained that each dragon has a
keeper who looks after his assets when they were not on Paladin. Poe would be
well taken care of even when he was not around. By keeping the bird, she felt
it was his way of saying she would be there with him, some kind of permanence.
The thought of that warmed her. After the marketplace, he showed her the
meadows where she saw different types of flowers indigenous to Paladin. She saw
the boyish side of Raul when he climbed a golden apple tree to pick her the
fruit. He hung upside down and refused to give her the apple that he held in
his hand until she gave him a kiss. The kiss was so passionate he forgot about
the apple and it fell from his hand into the grass. From there, they shared the
sweet fruit and watched the sun set before he took her to see his house.
The
outside of the two-story structure was all stone and a wooden fence went around
the property. Green grass, roses, and wild flowers were everywhere and fruit
trees stood close by. The inside of his home was again eye opening. It was open
concept, so you could see from the living room to the kitchen to the dining
room. The floors were a gorgeous light-colored bamboo hardwood. The walls were
white, but held tapestries of his family’s coat of arms and other portraits and
pictures his mother had made that Hawke saved for him. A carved chair that
looked like it could seat two and a tan leather sectional sofa with plush pillows
graced the living room. It felt homey and comfortable, especially when he lit
the fireplace and candles around the room.
Poe
was delivered soon after they arrived and they set his cage near one of the
windows so he could look outside. The bird seemed to approve of his new home
because shortly after he arrived he began to sing his melodious tune and it
made her smile. Everything was so perfect, magical and beautiful. Raul told her
he had to run out to find them some dinner since this was an impromptu visit. While
he was gone she sat at the window seat of the big bay window. Even in the
twilight, the dragons that graced the sky seemed to catch what little light was
left and their scales glittered in the night.
When
Raul came back he was holding a basket covered with white linen. “Dinner
courtesy of
Lleau’s
sister Larissa. We have roasted
meat, bread, rosemary lemon potatoes, vegetables, and a star fruit pie for
dessert.”
Raven
peeked into the basket. “That’s a lot of food for the both of us.”
“I
don’t think anyone knows how to cook small in Paladin,” he replied and began to
unpack the basket on the large dining room table. “What we are not able to eat
I will return to her and she will put it to good use. As I said, no one goes
hungry here. Each day a community kitchen makes hundreds of meals. If a family
doesn’t want to cook at home or does not have the funds to do so, they can cook
there and share if need be or they can take a basket like this home to eat
quietly with their loved ones. Valencia,
Ginna
and
Daisye
go there sometimes to volunteer and help out. We are
a community that celebrates each other’s joys and mourns our sorrows together.
Sit and enjoy.”