CHAPTER 37: THE RUINS OF WAR

Elarya rushed down to her house as Elisa had told her that guards were looking for her. And now, she was standing just a few feet away from her front door when she saw three men in full uniform standing outside.

She took a deep breath and walked up to them, and greeted them calmly. "Good afternoon, kind soldiers. How may I help you?"

One of the officers stepped forward. "Do you live here, ma’am?"

"Yes," Elarya answered.

The man nodded. "Good. Then allow us to explain. We’re part of a special unit that’s tasked with collecting the treasures and properties left behind by families that were completely wiped out during the war."

Elarya looked confused. "I... I don’t understand."

A second officer came forward and spoke more directly. "It’s simple, ma’am. We go from village to village, checking houses where the owners may have died in the fighting. If the home is empty, we secure it. That’s our job."

"Oh," Elarya said sounding surprised. "I didn’t even know such an office existed."

"That’s because we barely fight wars in our kingdom," the officer replied. "It’s not often we need this kind of operation."

Then, the first officer asked another question. "Do you live alone here, ma’am? Any family? Anyone else?"

Before Elarya could answer, a voice came from behind her.

"No, she doesn’t live alone."

Varek stepped forward and locked his eyes with those of the soldiers. "And you men have no business here. It’s obvious someone lives in this house. You’ve seen that. So move along to the next one."

The officer raised an eyebrow, not yet backing down. "Ah. You must be her husband, then?"

Neither Elarya nor Varek answered that.

The officer pressed on. "Any children? How many people live here, exactly?"

That was enough.

Varek stepped forward and interrupted them. "I said you have no business with us, or knowing how many people live here. This conversation is over. Leave. Now"

The officers looked at themselves. One of them shrugged. "We mean no harm. We’ll be on our way."

But just as they turned, Elarya, trying to soften the moment, offered, "Would you at least like some water before you go?"

"No," Varek answered immediately, not even turning to her. "It’s against their code to accept anything during duty, isn’t it?" He turned to the officers again. "Go. Continue your work."

"And how would you know that? Are you an officer? Have you ever been one?" One of the officers teased Varek.

"No, I’ve not, but at least I’m mannered enough to know the right things that people who claim to be on duty should do and things they shouldn’t do," Varek replied then.

They said. "Alright, alright, we’re going." And without another word, the three men walked away.

When they were out of sight, Elarya turned to Varek and frowned. "You were cold. Why did you become so mean?"

Varek didn’t flinch. "Should I be nice to impostors?"

Elarya blinked as she was confused. "Imposters? What do you mean?"

"I mean," Varek said while still watching the path the men had taken, "those men were not soldiers. Not real ones, anyway."

"What?" Elarya gasped. "How do you know?"

"I know real soldiers when I see one. And those men? Definitely not one. Their swords, did you see them? No soldier in Ivarion, not even the king’s royal guards, carries such fine swords. And their questions... who asks how many people live in a house during a treasure collection mission? They’re definitely not who they claimed they were and they wouldve taken advantage if I didn’t charge at them."

Elarya widened her eyes in fear. "If they weren’t real soldiers... then who were they?"

"That’s the question," Varek said. "They could be mercenaries or spies. But one thing is certain, they’re looking for the dragon rider and we don’t know what they want with him."

Elarya’s chest tightened. "Aeron... they’re after him."

Varek nodded. "And there’s not much time for him as we thought there was. We were able to withstand these ones now, but what if more visits come? More forces that we could not hold out against. What then?"

"I have to find him now. If he must survive, he must know what’s going on. Do you know where he is?" Varek asked her.

She shook her head. "I don’t know, maybe in the cave... with the dragon."

Then Elisa came forward. "Yvarra did tell me they were going there, so he’ll most likely be there."

And just then, Varek moved out into the mountains. He had to find Aeron immediately. Something in his gut told him time was running out, and if they didn’t act fast, they’d all pay dearly.

The path to the cave wasn’t one many knew, but Varek remembered. He had been there once before and as he moved past the waterfall, that was when he saw it.

He saw the dragon flying above the cave and Aeron on it.

He wasn’t alone, though. There was someone else sitting behind him, and holding him. It was a girl, and not just any girl. Yvarra. His own daughter.

Just then, Aeron and Yvarra, who were on air with the dragon, saw Varek. They landed and dismounted carefully. Ronan was also there but was sitting in front of the cave. He still couldn’t touch Draco or ride him. He was still scared.

Varek slowly walked towards them. Yvarra became so nervous, and she began to go behind Aeron, trying to hide.

"You don’t need to hide," Varek told her. "I’m not angry that you rode the dragon. Truly. But you need to learn how not to endanger yourself."

Yvarra looked down in guilt. Then Varek turned to Ronan. "You should have told me you were going on an adventure. No wonder you guys are barely seen these days."

No one still said a word.

"Go find your mother," he told both Ronan and Yvarra. "She needs your help with something. And I need to be with Aeron. Alone."

The two nodded and walked away without saying anything.

Now, it was just Varek, Aeron, and the dragon.

For a while, neither of them said a word. Varek stepped forward, slowly towards Draco, and stared at it.

"This is the first time I’m this close to him?" He said.

Aeron said nothing but stared at him.

"Who would have thought this would actually be real? Who would have believed that those stories of the old legends were true and would happen again?" Varek continued as he stared into the shining blue eyes of Draco.

"You too, know about the old legends? Aeron asked.

"Who doesn’t know about the old legends?" Varek replied. "Dragons and dragon riders and so on."

Varek then turned to Aeron. "I don’t know how you did it son, but this..." He said while pointing in the direction where Draco lay... "This is magnificent, yes. But powers like this come with a price. And a heavy one at that considering that you have something heavy"

Aeron’s brows furrowed together. "You think I’m not ready?"

"I didn’t say that," Varek replied. "But listen carefully. You must never, ever, bring Draco out again. Not in the open. Not in front of people. Not unless there’s no other choice."

"But people already saw him," Aeron said. "The battle... they know now. There’s no hiding him anymore."

Varek stepped closer to him and sounded serious. "It has to be a one-time thing. Let them believe he’s gone. Let the memory fade. Because if they keep seeing a dragon flying above them in the sky, their lives will never be the same again. Aeron... you will become a threat. A threat to the king, to the kingdom, to the nobles."

Aeron looked away. "So that’s it? Hide him forever? Pretend as if he never existed?"

"That’s not what I’m saying," Varek said to him. "But you need to be smart. The world isn’t kind to people who are different. And with power like yours, they will fear you. And what people fear, they tend to destroy and I wouldn’t want to think that for you."

There was silence between them. Then Aeron finally spoke. "That’s not really what you came here to say, is it?" he asked. "I can see the look on your face. Tell me what it is. Have I actually become the threat? Do you also think they will come for me, like everyone else says?"

Varek sighed. "You want the truth?"

Aeron nodded.

"The truth is... yes," Varek said, slowly. "You’re already a target. You and the dragon.. Fear is spreading and people are talking. Some want you controlled. Others want you gone."

Aeron felt a tightening in his throat. "So there’s nothing I can do? They’ll come for me and then what, take me? Kill Draco?"

"I don’t know what will happen," Varek admitted. "But I do know this, you need to prepare. Whatever comes next, you have to be ready. I made a promise to your mother that I’d help you. And I intend to keep that promise."

Aeron stood straight. "Then help me."

"I will," Varek said. "But it won’t be easy. You will have to follow my lead, train harder than anyone else. Because when the time comes, no one will save you but yourself."

"I understand," Aeron said as he clenched his fists. "Whatever it is I’ll have to do, I’ll do it. I’ll make sure that no one harms Draco. I’ll protect him.."

Varek looked at him long and hard. "Then prove it," he said. "If you want to protect him, you must be capable of doing so then."

"We start tomorrow."