Agent of the Dragon

Hallyk spoke as they walked. “Because of your blood, I wanted to show you what we actually are--whether you join us as an agent or not. I would ask you keep this secret--even from Lady Kasteryn and Elise. Will you? Even Jagun does not know.”

“I will.” She said it without hesitation. If word got out, this peaceful country would fall into anarchy. And, she thought to herself, there it is: the invitation to join House Korolevsko as an agent. Lady Kasteryn had been right.

Rhysa and Hallyk found the others in the library. They looked up as Rhysa entered the room, Hallyk holding the door for her. She murmured thanks as she crossed the threshold. The room was large and windowless. Floor to ceiling bookshelves covered the walls, the varying colors of the books making the walls appear to be papered with confetti. Several large tables were spaced throughout the room. The king, queen, and guests were seated at a well-lit table near the far wall.

They watched as she and Hallyk walked towards them. Rhysa wondered if they could see a difference in her; she certainly felt different. She’d reclaimed a huge piece of her life, and was still adjusting to the implications. Hallyk, she knew, wouldn’t show anything had happened: he’d had even more practice at dissembling than one might expect of a prince.

Queen Vasilia looked at Rhysa. “Have a nice talk?”

It was no more than a pleasantry, yet there were worlds of meaning in the question. Rhysa nodded, careful not to hold eye contact too long. “We did, Majesty, thank you.” Rhysa gave her a pleasant smile, and sat next to Elise, who immediately grabbed her hand under the table. Jagun nodded coldly at her, and Rhysa realized Hallyk was right; Jagun never acknowledged the arrival of anyone except with that icy stare of his. So, Jagun had human emotions after all, if well hidden.

Rhysa remained quiet through the rest of the evening, speaking only occasionally to avoid giving the idea “something was wrong.” She was seeing the world in a new light, and her sense of self hadn’t quite settled, yet.

Elise, on the other hand, had grown comfortable enough to speak up with opinions or observations without waiting to be asked. The adjustment could be seen in her body, and Rhysa could feel it in the way Elise held her hand: no longer clutching to find or give support, but relaxed and soft. Rhysa wasn’t sure why Elise had started holding her hand, but Rhysa didn’t really mind. Elise was, after all, a good friend and they were comfortable with each other.

It was well past midnight when Lady Kasteryn, Rhysa, and Elise rose to take their leave. As the royal family escorted them out, Queen Vasilia spoke quietly with Rhysa. “Hallyk has offered you a position as one of our agents, yes?” Rhysa nodded. “Good. I know you will want to think on it. Would you like me to send a formal offer to you at Lady Kasteryn’s house?”

“Please do, Majesty. It is an opportunity I would like to consider seriously.”

“Very well. You will have it in two days.”

The carriage ride home was quiet, each wrapped in thoughts of the night. Rhysa was absorbed in adjusting to her recently revealed memories. Rhysa was barely aware of arriving and Elise walking with her to her room.

At the door to her room, Rhysa came back to herself for a bit. She looked at the door to her room, looked at Elise, remembered the events of the night, and understood where she was and how she got there. She bid Elise goodnight. Elise hugged her and Rhysa felt Elise trembling, though her mind was too abstracted to wonder. Rhysa entered her room alone. She undressed with trance-like movements and got into bed. Lady Kasteryn’s going to be surprised during training tomorrow.

The chamber was large and well lit. The hard walls of carved stone were softened with tapestries, paintings, and the occasional statue or sculpture. In the center of the roughly circular room was a pool of water. It was a perfect circle six feet across and only a few inches deep. Rhysa lay by the edge, dabbling her fingers in the crystal water. The ripples entranced her, and the patterns made when one set of ripples collided with a reflected set mesmerized her. She could hear the soft splash of a small waterfall in the next room and her father’s deep, throaty laughter echoing from further away. Rhysa smiled with contentment.

Later she stood across the pool from her father. He was in his dragon form, and was explaining how water and fire were not really opposites, but two elements which combined to create an equilibrium. He drew lines of fire in the water as he explained that all you had to do so these two elements could coexist was disrupt their equilibrium. She tried to make a couple lines of fire in the pool. When she failed, her father encouraged her, his voice deep and thrumming and comforting.

Abruptly, Rhysa found herself running through the halls of her father’s lair. Her heart raced with effort and fear. Even as she ran for her life, the sounds of titanic struggle echoed behind her. Her father was fighting for his life and hers against the intruders. She ran, tear-blinded, trusting her feet to know the way out.

She felt the rock under her feet tremble and heard her father’s ear shattering roar as he turned the pain of his injuries into anger to be unleashed on those intent on killing him. Dodging falling rocks dislodged from the ceiling, she caromed around a corner.

Even as she spotted the exit at the end of the tunnel, she felt the earth shake as if some gargantuan body had crashed to the floor as dead weight. The impact and reverberation sent ripples throughout the dwelling. Even as Rhysa reached the exit, the ceiling came down.

A presence loom in her mind. It couldn’t speak, but her heart translated its meaning. “I love you, daughter. If you are to survive, you must forget your life here. This is all I have left to give. Forget. Forget until you are ready.”

The presence faded, and black walls slammed between her and her memories--and all was darkness.

Rhysa opened her eyes on darkness. No moonlight shone through her small window. No light came in under the door. She lay--trembling at first, then slowly, as the memory-dream washed over her again, she curled into a ball around her pillow. Her mouth gaped open, but grief stabbed too deep to allow a sound. She lay, silent and suffering. She did not know how long she’d lain there before the first faint keening could be heard.

She finally took a gasping breath and started sobbing. Still curled into a ball, her body shook helplessly under the onslaught. Gradually the sheets under her head grew damp, but Rhysa couldn’t care. She’d never hurt this deeply before. She’d felt she'd never care again--for anyone. She never knew when she passed into sleep. No forgotten memories haunted her dreams this time.

When Rhysa woke once more, the light of false dawn filtered through her window. She felt different. It was as if she’d been living and feeling in two dimensions, and now someone had added a third. The world seemed more real.

She got out of bed and went to the washroom to quickly rinse off the effects of last night. Back in her room she grabbed a tunic to work out in. She slipped into undergarments, then wiggled her way into the tunic. She glanced at the reports from yesterday sitting on her vanity before snatching her sword and daggers and heading to the salle.

As she made her way through the halls, she seemed more connected with everything. Colors weren’t any more vivid. Sounds weren’t any clearer. Rather, it was as if a sheet of glass she’d never known about longer stood between her and the rest of the world.

Lady Kasteryn and Elise were talking when Rhysa entered the salle. The sight of her mentor and best friend shattered the wall of separation she’d placed around her heart after reliving her father’s death. She loved these people, and would protect them as she had not protected her father.

Elise glanced at Rhysa, then looked closer. “You okay?” Rhysa smiled and nodded. She was fine; if anything, she was more herself than she’d ever been.

Lady Kasteryn looked at her through narrowed eyes, invoked Sight, and scrutinized her again. Apparently satisfied with what she saw, Lady Kasteryn dropped Sight and murmured something. It sounded like “gravitas.” Elise, standing closer to Lady Kasteryn, gave the Lady a startled look.

“Come,” said Lady Kasteryn. “We’re going to go over what we worked on yesterday.”

Rhysa blinked. Had it been only yesterday morning they’d started to combine blade and magic combat? It felt like years had passed. Of course, thought Rhysa, with the sudden return of so many memories, it might as well have been years. Lady Kasteryn’s going to be surprised.

As muscles woke and warmed, movements became fluid and fast. Rhysa spent some time letting magic trickle through her channels. When breathing quickened slightly, and hearts beat a little faster, Lady Kasteryn called a halt to the warm-ups.

“Rhysa, I want you to start off with a simple static shield. I want you to maintain it against all magic attacks. Elise, keep to the basics for now.”

Rhysa and Elise nodded their acknowledgements, then squared off in the center of the room. Rhysa let her channels fill slightly. There was no need yet of the flood she’d experienced with the obstacle course memory. She established her shield and locked it in place.

Elise, as if she could sense when the shield went up, immediately launched a low sweeping attack. Rhysa blocked it easily, but before she could counter, Elise used the force of the block to add speed and power to swing her sword over her head and into a high backhand attack. Rhysa ducked; the sword passed over her head. At that moment of imbalance, Lady Kasteryn hammered at Rhysa with magic. The shield held, but Rhysa felt the strain. She rolled with the force of the magic strike to reduce the pressure.

Rhysa managed to stand and bring her guard up as Elise launched a third strike--an overhand blow meant to hit the top of the head. Instead of blocking, Rhysa used her blade to redirect the direction of the attack. Before Elise could recover, Rhysa stepped close and struck Elise’s chin with the pommel. Rhysa heard Elise’s teeth click. Before Rhysa could follow up, Lady Kasteryn hit her with a focused burst. Rhysa stumbled sideways.

Rhysa and Elise continued the bout for another five minutes or so. Lady Kasteryn blasted at Rhysa with magic when Rhysa was off balance or gained a significant advantage.

At last Lady Kasteryn called a halt. Rhysa and Elise parted, panting lightly. “Very good. Your day off didn’t erase yesterday’s lessons.”

Rhysa blinked. Had yesterday’s lessons been solely involved with maintaining a static shield? It had seemed difficult yesterday. Apparently, Lady Kasteryn isn’t going to be the only one surprised today.

“We’re going to make this more complicated.” Lady Kasteryn’s instructions returned Rhysa to the present. “This time I’m going to use attacks that will backlash some. It’s your job to keep a shield over Elise, too, so she doesn’t get hit.”

Rhysa nodded, then smiled reassurance at Elise. “Remember what you said yesterday?” Rhysa kept her voice just above a whisper. “She’s never lost a student.”

“But I’m not the one training.”

“You think not?” Rhysa’s voice was slightly amused. Elise shook her head slightly. “She’s teaching you to fight with magic flying right by your head. Get ready.”

Rhysa established the twin shields and another bout began. This time, things were slightly more difficult. If Rhysa hadn’t recovered so many memories, at least half of which were similar training sessions with her father, holding the shield over Elise would have been draining indeed.

Elise flinched slightly when the backlash of Lady Kasteryn’s first attack washed over the shield. Rhysa was impressed at how fast Elise recovered. If Rhysa hadn’t been looking for it in case she had to pull a strike, she doubted she would have seen it. A grin spread on her face, mirrored by one form Elise--just before Elise charged with a flurry of strikes.

After a few minutes Lady Kasteryn stopped the bout, and this time Rhysa and Elise were slightly bruised. When Rhysa got close enough to see Lady Kasteryn’s expression, she started to worry. Lady Kasteryn looked steadily at Rhysa, and her expression held a mixture of approval, doubt, concern--and fear.

Elise, who had trained with Lady Kasteryn and could also read the expression, looked back and forth between Lady Kasteryn and Rhysa. Elise’s expression was a mixture of curiosity, wariness, and concern.

“I’m impressed, child.” Rhysa winced at the soft voice. “Either: one of your shields should have failed, or you should be exhausted. You look like you could have kept up until lunch.”

Rhysa could tell Lady Kasteryn was suspicious of something, but Rhysa couldn’t tell what. Rhysa took a deep breath and nodded, she would have to be careful here. “Yes, Lady Kasteryn, and yesterday that would have been true. I recovered several memories last night. Many of them were of lessons and training sessions.”

Lady Kasteryn’s eyes narrowed at the first sentence, then widened as Rhysa finished. Her expression turned thoughtful, only a hint of suspicion now. “What memories of combat training do you have?”

Rhysa forced a sheepish smile. “Not many, actually. My father seemed to think swords a waste of time.”

“So why teach you protective magics?”

“Some of the magics he used could be dangerous. A few of them were downright explosive.”

Lady Kasteryn nodded reflectively, then stiffened. “Your father?”

Rhysa winced inwardly, she’d hoped her slip had gone unnoticed. She’d put herself in a position she didn’t want to be in. She strangled the rising grief and pain of her final dream last night. “Yes. I’d rather not talk about it right now.”

Maybe Lady Kasteryn saw something in Rhysa’s face. Maybe she heard the slight thickening of Rhysa’s voice. Maybe something else told her of Rhysa’s precarious balance.

Lady Kasteryn nodded, though she maintained her steady regard of Rhysa. “Elise, you’re welcome to stay and watch. If you do, please stay in the observation area. You’ll be safe there.”

Elise paled, but nodded, put up her practice sword, and walked to the observation area. Lady Kasteryn activated the set-spell placed on the salle. Though Elise couldn’t see it, Rhysa’s Sight saw the observation area surrounded by a very strong wall of magic. Similar walls of magic lined every wall, the ceiling, and the floor. Rhysa couldn’t keep from swallowing. Short of a full-scale battle magica, those walls would contain anything--physical or magic.

Lady Kasteryn nodded at Rhysa’s expression. “That’s right. I need to re-evaluate your skills. I’m going to push you. And I’m going to push hard.” She strode to the rack of practice swords, selected one, and returned to the center of the room, gesturing for Rhysa to join her. “The only rule is hold back on anything truly lethal. Other than that, do your best to defeat me.”

Rhysa couldn’t help trembling. She knew Lady Kasteryn well enough to see she wasn’t angry, but Rhysa had never seen Lady Kasteryn this focused--much less have that focus aimed at her. Rhysa admitted to herself that Lady Kasteryn frightened her. This was the guard who’d saved the life of the king when everyone else had failed and died. Though the king was a dragon, Rhysa now had bitter cause to know how mortal dragons could be.

Rhysa closed her eyes, took a deep breath, and let her tension go as she exhaled. She opened the floodgates on her channels, and as they filled with magic, she opened her eyes and raised her head. She brought her sword up to a guard position.

Lady Kasteryn lunged. Without warning. The movement so sudden and so fast, Rhysa nearly missed the parry. Hastily, Rhysa stepped sideways and established a shield. She didn’t have time to do anything else.

Lady Kasteryn’s side-kick caught Rhysa by surprise. Air rushed out of Rhysa as the kick connected solidly with Rhysa’s stomach. Fighting the urge to double over, Rhysa parried the next few deceptively lazy strikes.

In desperation, Rhysa lashed out with magic, anchoring herself to the ground as she had in her memory. This time she added a peculiar twist that not only stopped Lady Kasteryn’s advance, but pushed her back several feet before Lady Kasteryn managed to counter it.

That maneuver gained Rhysa time to re-center and reground. This time when Lady Kasteryn attacked, Rhysa managed to keep from being pushed around.

Lightnings flickered between the two combatants as they fought. Hammers lashed out and were deflected, spears of force stabbed and were dodged. Back and forth they fought, sword and hand and foot.

Rhysa gave herself to the rhythm of the fight. As she let the last of herself go, the remembered feeling of a magic tidal wave roared through her. Once more, time divided itself. Once more each jump became flight.

Rhysa fought. Every movement infused with magic. Blade and magic became extensions of Rhysa’s will. It was as though Rhysa held her sword in two hands, and ten more hands wielded her magic. Lady Kasteryn began to give ground, though still controlled and ready to take advantage of any weakness that might appear.

Rhysa couldn’t sustain her effort for long, and as the power waned, Lady Kasteryn’s experience came into play. Rhysa lunged a little too hard and traveled a little too far.

Lady Kasteryn bound and disarmed Rhysa’s blade. Before Rhysa could adapt, Lady Kasteryn lashed out with a foot, driving Rhysa back a few feet, and finished with an explosion just in front of Rhysa. The shockwave launched Rhysa though the air and into a wall twelve feet away.

Rhysa bounced off the wall and collapsed near the baseboard. Even shielded, the world began to go grey in Rhysa’s eyes. Silence clamped down on the sale. No one moved as Rhysa focused on remaining conscious.

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