Through The Storm

When Rowida first arrived in Agartha from the surface, she was scorched from forcing a passage through one of the portals. Dragon spirit could enter at will, but her body was not recognized by the magic of the portal, thus, when she passed, her body caught fire, magical fire.

Even though she had the water of Beimini, and the magical powers of the dragon spirit, Rowida wouldn’t heal fully for two years.

During these two years, she sought residence in the same cave where she entered Agartha, a portal the dragon led her to, near where she met the dragon in Walachia, and where she ended was in Drake Mountain, north of Zarzura.

Most Agarthans avoided Drake mountain and the areas surrounding it, as legends said it was the breeding grounds of the dragons, and nobody cared to suffer the wrath of an expectant mother dragon. Hence the place was the perfect hiding spot for Rowida to regain her power and strength. But after the two years it took her to heal, Rowida was reluctant to venture far, and for some time, she couldn’t think of a plan to exact her revenge, or even to lure a green to take their spirit.

Although she considered raiding trade carts, as quite a few were greens, the dragon spirit didn’t condone theft or murder without a decent enough cause, and as dragon logic dictated, the killing should be only in retaliation, and raiding traders completely negated this.

Time passed, and Rowida settled to the life of a hermit. She even used the water from Beimini sparingly, helping her to pass the years, with little change.

The dragon spirit, being an almost immortal creature, didn’t have a concept of time and its passage, so it didn’t mind staying in the cave for the next millennium if this was what it took Rowida to move on. So, for twenty years since her descent, Rowida stayed, hiding in the cave, unable to come up with any way to deal her blow to the greens. Twenty years of losing interest in the affairs of humans, affected by the dragon spirit to degrees of complete molding into one being.

She didn’t even realize twenty years have passed, she didn’t even care to count the days, and she didn’t even miss the company of other humans, just basking in the vast knowledge of the dragon in her head, was enough to entertain her for days, weeks, and even months, driving one idea or bit of knowledge at a time.

She was getting a feeling for nature through the dragon, so she kept a very low existence to safe keep the nature of the area around Drake mountain. In fact, for those twenty years, nobody even knew she was there or that she existed.

One autumn’s day, she went out of the cave and passed by the nearby river to fill her water canteens, a chore she did every week, never missed, and never any less monotonous. As she leaned by the river bank, a shadow passed over her back, and a glimpse of a reflection appeared on the water’s surface. Rowida turned and stood fast, pulling her knife from her belt in the process.

“Who goes there?” The words were almost difficult to pronounce, and even to her ear, they sounded more like grunts than words.

For a few moments, only silence answered Rowida’s call, but then a girl, of around fourteen years of age, came from within the bushes.

“I am sorry, I didn’t mean to disturb.” The girl fidgeted and stumbled as she answered the challenge Rowida threw to the world.

“Why are you here?” Rowida snarled.

“Curiosity, and a lot of foolishness.” The girl was about to cry. “I wanted to see Drake mountain up close.”

“Where are you from, girl?” Rowida’s tone softened a bit. “And what do people call you?”

“I am from Akakor. I mean, I have to go to Akakor, eventually.” The girl still fidgeted. “And my name is Gertrude.”

“Isn’t that too far from here, red girl?” Rowida lowered her knife but was still alert.

“It is.” Gertrude nodded. “But I just graduated Nafoura, and before I went to the city of the reds, I wanted to explore the world a bit.”

“I see.” Rowida turned back to filling her water vessels.

“I didn’t know anybody lived out here.” Gertrude got closer to where Rowida crouched.

“Don’t come any closer, I am fast with my knife,” Rowida warned the girl from her crouched position.

“Sorry,” said Gertrude as she jumped back.

Rowida finished filling the vessels and stood, she gathered them in a loop of rope, straddled them on her back and started walking.

“Do you live nearby?” Gertrude followed her, skipping the twigs and brambles which Rowida just waded through.

Rowida kept walking, ignoring the girl as if she didn’t exist.

“I am sorry to have intruded.” Gertrude jumped another obstacle. “But would you care to share some food with me, I was hoping for some company.”

Rowida increased her pace to a jog.

“You are so strong, even if you don’t have an aura.” Gertrude matched Rowida’s strides as she talked.

Rowida stopped. “What exactly do you see in my aura?”

“There is nothing there to see, just wafts of black.” Gertrude squinted at Rowida. “Also, you have something strange about you, something I can’t place.”

This girl is also a tool for destiny like you. The thoughts of the dragons flowed through Rowida’s head.

She is so talkative, Rowida thought.

But she might prove useful, invite her to the cave. The dragon’s thoughts felt of amusement.

“Care to share some food, Gertrude?” Rowida tried a smile, and all she managed was a grimace.

Gertrude smiled a big smile. “Sure, here or in your cave?”

Then she looked embarrassed, and said, “I know you live in Drake mountain, I have been here for some days, no dragons though.”

“I know how to do this,” Gertrude said excitedly. “You said you can speak dragon, so you should have mastery over all the magical creatures of the land.”

The girl has a point, the dragon’s thought seemed to carry interest.

She has been here for three days, and already you are showing favoritism, Rowida thought back.

Not at all. The mirth filled the thoughts of the dragon. But you needed a plan, and she just supplied one.

“Okay, how can we go about this, Gertrude?” Rowida was getting better at smiling, she didn’t even gnash her teeth doing it.

“I think we have enough magical beasts to raze a city, my lady.” Gertrude stood beside Rowida as she petted one of the wyverns who joined her army only recently.

“Ten years to amass this army.” Rowida laughed a throaty laugh. “And still, I fear it is not quite ready.”

“But it is my lady,” Gertrude insisted. “We have every wyvern in Agartha, all the behemoths, and almost all of the magical flying creatures, what else could we need?”

“A dragon.” Rowida turned from petting the wyvern to smile at Gertrude. “Just one to show them who I really am.”

None will go to war, even I would not in my physical form. The dragon’s thoughts carried a tinge of disdain. Just accept your army as it is, Rowida.

Are you certain? Rowida sent a probe to the dragon’s mind.

Quite certain, the dragon’s thoughts almost felt like a rumble.

Rowida sighed. “We march in the morning.”