Page 25 of A Broken Ember

“When do you think the fledgling will be born?” I asked Anastasius later as we walked through the hallway toward the oasis alone at last. I didn't dare question why Calian wasn’t accompanying us. He grimaced.

There was a quarter of a moon turn until the next trial, and the castle was abuzz with excitement. Draconis scurried around with smiles and easy laughter. Some even danced or sang praises to their gods. I caught the lyrics of some tunes. They all referenced a Day of Life and Breath and thanked De Vita for their blessing. I was clear they were… happy. Unafraid. I envied their levity. “Thyia predicts the birth will happen soon. I will be expected to attend,” he said tentatively but continued walking away from where I suspected the babe would be born.

“Should you not stay with the mother?” Births happened quickly, usually taking no longer than a day. Often I missed the initial birth but arrived shortly after. He shrugged and gave me a smile over his shoulder.

“I can arrive in a blink of an eye. I’ll check on them. It’ll be fine,” he answered as we exited the castle. Anastasius pulled me by the wrist, leading me deep within the shade of the oasis’ cover. He called the trees palms, with their swollen peaks and streaky leaves. They were thick and tall with no branches to climb. Some dying leaves hung limply around the base with a head of dull greenery at the top.

We quietly walked along the edge of the water, the moist air soothing my dry throat. Occasionally, we came across creatures I didn’t recognize indulging in a drink from the oasis. Animals with long legs and bodies too big for their size. I doubted they could fly, even with their feathery wings. Other animals had sharp lumpy backs and slack jaws, their necks reminding me of the wild horses in the Neutral Strip. All sources of prey, even the predators with sharp teeth and low, slinking bodies were no match for us. The prince ignored them, striding onwards with confidence.

“Where are you taking me?” I asked after we reached the farthest point we had explored last time he had taken me into the oasis.

He looked back over his shoulder and gave me a mischievous smile. “To my hiding spot,” he answered. His eyes flicked upwards briefly before he frowned. He twisted his hands in a weird dance and blinked out of sight. One moment he was there, the next gone, like he hadn’t been there at all.

“Anastasius?” I called, looking around. The palms were thick, but with no lower branches I could still see fairly far. In the distance, the platform of the De Vita stronghold peaked above the treeline. In the direction we had been heading there was another pair of mesas that formed a narrow valley. “Anastasius?”

“Did you miss me?” Anastasius whispered into my ear from behind, making me jump. I hadn’t sensed his approach, hadn’t felt the air tingle with the weakness that I associated with him. Yet, as I turned, I saw that he had returned as surely as he had disappeared.

“Where…?” I couldn’t put my thoughts into words.

“I told you I would check in on them.” He shrugged.

“What is going on, Anastasius? How did you do . . . that?” I wasn’t even sure what that was.

He gave me another smile but didn’t answer as he kept walking toward the valley.

“You coming or not?” he asked when I didn’t immediately follow. I sighed. It was clear I wasn’t going to get any answers from him yet.

We traveled for hours, talking casually and just enjoying each other’s company. Every so often he would disappear, but never for long. One time he disappeared just as we approached a valley. The sheer slopes reminded me of the top of the De Vita castle. The drops were so fine, so smooth, unlike the ragged and brutal mountains within the Janardan’s Heart. The contrast was breathtaking. The way they reflected the light, creating an orange glow in the valley, looked like melted honey.

When he returned I was admiring the valley. He was silent, but I sensed him by the tang of weakness that surrounded him. “Where are you taking me?” I asked again without turning to look at him. He didn’t answer, instead grasping my wrist, and I almost jerked at the sudden touch. Slowly, I relaxed, letting him hold my arm..

“It’s a secret,” he damn near giggled. The sound made my heart skip a beat. Mirth lit his features. “But I’ll show you if you can catch me!” He lightly pushed me before launching into a run, cackles echoing throughout the valley.

“Anastasius!” I shouted after him, blinking at his fast-retreating form. His receding laughter was his only response. “By the gods,” I uttered, suppressing a smirk as I took off into a slow run.

I chased him for an hour. Two. Every once in a while he would slow, taunting me with his smiles and flirtatious words, before taking off again. I would lose sight of him among the curves and crevices in narrow parts of the valley. He was fast and knew the terrain better than I. He had the advantage and that was without the foreign power he harnessed that tore holes through reality and connected one place with another.

Eventually, he let me catch up to him deep within the valley. His eyes were still full of mischief and his smile was contagious. “Come, Selected.” He gently tugged my arm. “We are nearly there.” The sun was low in the sky as we made our way through a tight squeeze that forced us to walk single file. He led me by the arm into a hidden nook within the rock with a roof low enough that we needed to crouch at first before it opened up into a large cavern. The light was dim here and I could just make out Anastasius as he released me. My heart raced a little in that dark cave and I stood stark still, not wanting to show weakness by stumbling over myself. The prince shuffled around though with familiar ease, muttering to himself.

Suddenly, a burst of light filled the cavern, flames roaring from a pit of fire that the prince must have created. I blinked a few times, allowing my eyes to adjust to the light. It quickly became clear this was no ordinary cave. Similar to the De Vita stronghold, it was carved with architecture that did nothing but enhance its appearance. It looked like claw marks had been scrawled into the walls in the shape of draconis. Everywhere in the depictions draconis were fighting, fucking, and flying. Almost like they told a story. Except it was a tale for the eyes instead of the ears. I shivered despite the blaze.

“I have to go, but I’ll be back,” he announced once the fire settled. I nodded, biting back my disappointment at being left behind.

I lay back against the cave wall, watching the exploding sparks before they fell as I waited for him to reappear. The sun set, taking its warmth with it. The valley was cool, forcing me to huddle close to the fire for heat. A few times I was tempted to shift. In draconis form I would be much more comfortable, but I refrained, refusing to admit to any form of weakness. So, I shivered and ground my teeth against the cold.

Chapter 22: Anastasius

The woman screamed in agony as the life emerging from within her ripped open her sex. Thyia coached her on proper breathing techniques as she squeezed the hand of her lover. The mother-to-be’s name was Hope.

I crouched at the end of the bed, prepared with linens for the babe to arrive. It was my task to bestow my gift upon the newborn. The parents begged the gods for some of my resilience to be transferred to their child by giving me the privilege of being the first to hold the new draconis. They didn’t need to know that during those first few moments when I held a babe, I prayed that the child would never experience the curse, my inability to feel, the parents begged for.

I perched dutifully in view of her entrance, watching as the head of the babe came forth from the woman’s intricate folds. The process squeezed fluid out of their lungs, so that the child could breathe, so that they could cry and make their voice heard. I closed my eyes, murmuring a prayer to all of the gods to protect the babe from my curse. Instead of heeding my prayers, horrifying images flashed before me:

The shoulders appeared, and the birth came swiftly afterward, but the cry never came. My heart thundered with dread as I sensed the reason. Somewhere in the background I could hear the woman praising De Vita. I plucked the newborn into my shaky arms, bringing them close to my chest. I wiped blood and mucus from their body, drying and warming their frail form. The absence of a cry . . . it was my worst fear. I flicked the babe’s feet, begging them to whimper. Instead, he blinked at me and cooed. My heart broke, and a silent sob left my lips. I wiped away tears those in the room wouldn’t understand and passed off the child to his mother. They welcomed the boy into De Vita while I took a step back, trembling with fear. My curse had spread to another. Watching another suffer made my heart cramp, but the alternative was just as bleak. I swallowed the thick lump in my throat.

I blinked, and the terrifying vision disappeared. In its place was a crying girl, perfectly healthy and strong. I picked her up as the mother cried with joy. “Welcome to De Vita, child,” I murmured.

I left shortly after the birth, not staying as long as I probably should have in favor of returning to Claeg. My only stop was to grab some of the salves for his wounds.

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