The Druid's Spear (Ascent of the Gem Bearers Book 1) (17 page)

The color of her skin lightened to its former jade green. “Very well, Ludovicus.”

“I have the blood gem,” Ludo announced the instant they were inside away from the
juusha
.

“That’s despicable even for you, Ludo,” Kaluwa retorted as she walked away from him in the privacy of her inner sanctum. Her voice echoed in the sparse room.

“Be that as it may, I have the blood gem.” Ludo knew why she reacted. It was a dishonor of sort, similar to humans who robbed the bodies of the dead.

“Even if you do have it, without the Vessel it’s useless.”

He threw down his trump card. “The Vessel is within reach.”

Kaluwa stopped in her tracks. In a smooth pivot she faced him. “What?” The word came out in a rasp, and Ludo knew he had her right where he wanted her.

Taking a step toward her, he continued. “Rhychard’s Descendant is alive.”

Silence reigned in the dimly lit room. Her chest heaved shallowly as if she were having difficulty breathing. Pleading, wretched hope shone in her wide eyes.

“Think of it, Kaluwa. We can rid ourselves of these bodies and be what we once were.”

The images of the past rose before him. A dragon who ruled the earth, calling no one his master. His fist balled as the need, the crushing desire almost brought him to his knees.

“How can I trust you, Ludovicus?” His Druman sister turned her head away, eyes shut in pain. “You killed my King.”

“Your King was weak, Kaluwa. I am not.”

“No, he was not,” she stated softly, the tone melancholy. “We wouldn’t be alive if it wasn’t for him, and you know this. He knew what he had to do to protect the rest of us. His death sealed our destinies. Why should we try to change this? Perhaps we need to learn to live as we are.”

She spread her arms wide, encompassing the room. “Why not make the most of it? My life has not been unpleasant. I cannot soar the skies or have the full use of my powers at I used to. But I am not unhappy. I am worshiped as a goddess. Surely such devotion appeals to you.”

“No, Kaluwa. What appeals to me is the return of our bodies. We must become dragons again.”

“Perhaps,” Kaluwa acquiesced with a regal nod. “Perhaps, not. I’ve made a good life for myself, Ludovicus.”

Ludo snapped in impatience. Had Kaluwa softened in her Druman shell? The muscles along his back tensed. He did not sleep for two hundred years as a Druman to keep himself in the carcass of human flesh. “Is playing goddess more real to you than becoming what we once were? How long would your ‘holiness’ have lasted had I killed you in front of your worshipers?”

“Are you challenging me?” The bony plates rose higher along her head and spine once more, skin slowly darkening.

He choked down the words scrambling in the back of his throat. This was a matter which called for a certain kind of diplomacy. His lips twisted. Something Rhychard had always been better at than himself.

“No, Kaluwa. I am urging you to reconsider your position. Think how it used to be. Surely this is an imitation of dragon life.”

A pensive expression tightened her face. “I miss my wings,” she spoke slowly. “And my powers.” Her voice broke. “My mate and my children.” Her head bowed as the bony plates were withdrawn and her skin lightened to that of a pale, sickly green.

Ludo stepped up to her and lifted her head. “Who took your mate and your children from you? Have you forgotten who?”

She shook her head. “No I have not. I will never forget her face.”

“Then help me, Kaluwa. We were never meant to be prisoners of this flesh which has caused us so much pain.”

His sister stared at him. From the dull look in her eyes, he could tell she was seeing memories of the past. Yes, he had tried to kill her long ago, but was his attempt at murder worse than the innocent blood spilled of her mate and children?

After an eternity of silence, the dullness retreated and a glimmer of superiority and cunning took place. She pulled away from his grasp. “Very well, Ludovicus. I will help you.”

Ludo rocked back on his heels, satisfied. “Good. Now listen to me very carefully.”

Callen eyed the female standing a few feet away. A beautiful woman with onyx skin, short, buzzed cut hair, and curves to tempt a statue. A swish of her hips under the clinging robe made him more than happy he wasn’t a statue. She held his gaze, eyes open and inviting. He debated whether to take her up on the offer.

Clearing a throat gone remarkably dry, he shifted his gaze away from her and his eyes landed on another female who was making it known she also had something to offer. The curly black hair meshed with a sultry, bronze skin of Spanish origin. She was bolder in her invite, giving him a slow wink that displayed long, inky lashes.

Since Master Ludovicus had made him leader among the
juusha
a week ago, his popularity had grown by leaps and bounds. They saw him as a hero and doubly honored since he’d been the one to bring back Rhychard’s blood gem. The long years under disguise had paid off.

Ever since he’d been marked by his master, changes to his body had taken place. A new vitality raced through his veins. He’d grown taller by several inches. Muscles tightened under his skin as he flexed them. His senses became more acute and sensitive, particularly his sense of smell. It was one of the reasons he’d been slow in accepting the attentions so many women had thrown at him. Although they were lovely, the closer he came to them, a certain stench rose from their persons, forcing him away. Once when he tried to ignore it under the advances of a particularly eager woman, the smell that came off her had made him sick to his stomach. He didn’t understand it.

“Elder Callen, Master Ludovicus has returned,” a messenger called from the entrance into the chamber.

He rose from his seat on the throne chair. In a fluid movement, Master Ludovicus shrugged into the large cloak waiting for him as he entered. The
juusha
bowed to the ground as their lord appeared in his glory, but he wasn’t alone.

Next to his lord walked a female. Callen understood it on a level he wasn’t familiar with. The scent didn’t make him gag or feel sick. He stepped to the side of the chair and bowed to his waist as the Drumans came and sat.

“Welcome back, Master Ludovicus.” he greeted. The female came and stood by Ludovicus’ side. She was magnificent in a way he could not understand. Light green with a trail of tiny bony plates along her head and spine, the Druman woman exuded elegance and grace like a queen. When she met his eyes, he was captivated by their violet, pupil-less depths.

“Tell them to leave,” his king ordered, drawing Callen out of his regard.

It still humbled him to be given a positon of power. He snapped his fingers and the
juusha
rose and left the throne room. When it had emptied, Ludovicus turned to him. Cold and merciless eyes held him captive
“Meet your queen,” Ludovicus said. “You will serve her as you serve me. Is that understood?”

“
Hai
, master.” Callen answered obediently as he fell to his knees before her in respect. “I congratulate you.”

“Don’t be a fool, Callen,” Ludovicus rebutted. “Kaluwa is not my mate, but she is your queen.”

“
Hai
.” He stood again.

“You are going with her in a few hours’ back to Rhychard’s
juusha
.”

Callen’s heart stopped. “Master, if I go, I’ll be killed.”

Ludovicus’ face hardened with scorn. “Does not your life belong to me?”

“It belongs to you.” He gulped, trying to get moisture down his throat.

“If I ask you to forfeit that life, will you do it?” The black eyes narrowed again.

“I will.” It was only the truth.

“Good. Then you should put your trust in me. I will not send you there in order for you to lose your life. Go, Callen, and do as I say.”

“As you wish my lord.” He bowed again and then faced his queen.

The purple orbs fastened on him with a piercing intensity. But she directed her next words toward Ludovicus. “I’m so glad you talked me into this.”

Dawn’s delicate fingers of light spread across the sky. They brushed away the violet dark of the night in gentle sweeps. Soon, the horizon was lit with pink, golden hues, which cascaded over the forest below. It bathed the tops of the trees in a gilded glory that grew brighter each second. The light lifted and pierced Ken in the eyes like a needle, but he didn’t flinch. While the scene unveiled the beauty of a new day, his thoughts were in turmoil.

Slowly he lifted his hand and stared at it.

Not human.

How could that be? Everything about his entire existence was based off being a part of the human race. He ate, drank, slept, and lived according to the edicts of his being.

He sighed and dropped his hand. Not human, but the second generation offspring of a half dragon/half human hybrid.

Even the loss of the blood gem, burned to ashes by fire a week ago, had less impact than the truth of what he was. Ken sat on the ground, now basking in the warmth of the sun, hoping to melt away the chill around his heart.

Did
Okasan
know of this? How he wished he could ask her. At this juncture he longed for her more than ever. What he wouldn’t give to kneel at her feet and lay his head on her lap and find comfort in her soothing touch. Beg her to make sense of wild, impossible things he’d discovered.

A descendant of the king of dragons, the Elder had told him. Not just any dragon, but a royal bloodline. The implications boggled him. What did it mean to be of such lineage? Did it matter to anyone but those who knew?

The mayhem inside Ken’s mind had risen to a point that it took a few moments until he became aware of someone singing. It jolted him out his thoughts. Looking around, he expected to see Uchida—
sensei,
but saw no one. Perhaps it was one of the
juusha,
singing from inside the cave. He shrugged retreated back into his thoughts.

Only the singing didn’t go away. It grew more crisp and clear, drawing closer. The words were foreign, garbling even, but the tune was despondent. As he listened he rose to his feet, spellbound.

Soon, the haunting, distorted sound formed into words.
Rhychard’s son.

A feminine voice called out, raspy and seductive, with an underlying throatiness that flowed over him like honey. Ken glanced around, looking for the source of the voice. But still he saw no one. “Who’s there?”

My name is Kaluwa.
A mist crept in, even though the sun was climbing higher in the sky. It reminded him of the Elder’s time travel ash, but this was more subtle. He whirled about as the mist cocooned him in a gossamer blanket of opaque white. So dense was the fog it blocked out the light of the sun, and yet he could still see about him.

“What is that you want?”

You know what I want, Rhychard’s son.

He flinched at the reference of his grandfather.
“My name is Aoki Kenzo”

That may be your name but that is not who you are. You are the son of Rhychard, the dragon King. You cannot be molded by a mere human name.

Still the voice teased his mind, sending a shiver along his nerve endings. Instinctively, he closed his eyes against the onslaught, but images rose behind his lids. He saw his grandf—Rhychard, the Dragon King, leading a massive horde of dragons. The sheer number of them darkened the sky, but Rhychard outshone them all. Scales of flame glimmered in the sunlight, sparkling brilliantly as diamonds. He flew, the wings gliding on a current of wind. Although Ken had no frame of reference, a proud, noble look rested on the king’s features. Bigger and bolder than the rest of the pack, he soared through the air, a creature of grace, and majesty.

You are Rhychard’s Descendant. You must return to what you are. Do you feel the call of your heart?

Ken’s eyes flew open. “What?”

But the fog had disappeared. Before him was an endless blue sky. Clouds brushed past and the wind rushed against his face. The sun warmed his body, drifting over his scales…

Scales!

What’s going on here?
He shouted but the words that erupted in his mind, not his mouth, for he was no longer human. The muscles along his back moved as his wings flapped. It was so natural, natural like breathing, like walking!

He felt…alive. Alive as he’d never felt before.

Ken turned to his side and saw another dragon. Kaluwa. Gloriously adorned in jade green skin with a line of spiked plates down her back, the purple eyes met his, filled with inner joy. What she lacked in size she made up for in agility as she curved outward and flew around in circle before arriving at his side again. They flew together, rushing into the face of the wind.

This is what it means to be a dragon.

The sun warmed the scales along his body and he soaked in the rays. Then they flew some more, passing the villages below them and the chains of mountains. His wings were strong, and they carried him farther and farther. There was no limit to where he could go. This was what it meant to be alive. To be free.

This is your birthright. Claim it with both hands.

Ken closed his eyes as the wind whisked by, but when he opened them an instant later, he was back in the fog. He collapsed to his knees, head bent over, swallowing hard. The abruptness of being shafted back to reality almost made him cry. He’d never experienced such exhilaration, such autonomy. Shaking, he raised his hands and stared at them.

Inadequate. They dropped to his thighs. What were these legs compared to the strength and endurance of those massive hind legs of his dragon form? How could this body, stationary on the ground, compete with flight? The wings…

You can become what you are meant to be. Join Ludovicus and me. Give us the Vessel, and you will be a dragon.

Ken stiffened at the name, head slowly rising. All thoughts of dragon hood ran away as the image of John’s bloodied, mangled body came to his memory.

“Ludovicus?” He licked his teeth, tasting the bitterness the name caused at the back of his throat.

“Yes.” The word was audible. Standing once again, the fog dissipated as a hooded figured walked toward him.

As the figure neared, she towered above him by a foot. Her build was broader. She stopped in front of him.

“Kaluwa.” He needed no introduction.

A long, three fingered green hand drew the hood away from her face. Ken stared into a terrible visage, recognizing the features as those of the dragon who had flown by his side in that strange episode she gifted to him. Yet, the sight of her did not frighten him. He felt a strange kinship.

“Come with me, son of Rhychard. Give us the Vessel and join us. You saw how wonderful it was.”

Ken gestured with his hand. “That…what just happened…was that some kind of memory from my grandf—Rhychard?”

She nodded, the movement bringing attention to her face. Somehow, she managed to not wear the alien, animalistic, cold hard mask Ludovicus had worn. Perhaps it was her gender, the soft, gentle quality all females had across the animal and human world. Beneath the reptilian façade she appeared young and innocent. The purple eyes entreating, imploring.

He couldn’t stop gazing in those eyes. They drew him deeper into two violet pools of water.

“Join you and…Ludovicus?” What had he been trying to say?

Kaluwa raised her hand toward him. “Come with me, Rhychard’s son. Give us the Vessel.”

Seductive, tantalizing, luring words. He took a step toward her, entranced, enraptured. A dragon. He could become a—
“Get the hell away from him!”