New Beginnings Read online

  New Beginnings

  Rise of the Black Dragon, Book 2

  Jada Fisher

  Copyright © 2019 Fairfield Publishing

  ALL RIGHTS RESERVED. Except for review quotes, this book may not be reproduced, in whole or in part, without the written consent of the author.

  This story is a work of fiction. Any resemblance to actual people, places, or events is purely coincidental.

  Contents

  1. Meeting the Heroes

  2. Too Much to Say with Too Few Words

  3. Dinner Plans

  4. No Such Thing as Pass or Fail

  5. Too Late, Too Strange, Too Sweet, Too Much

  6. So Much to Learn

  7. All Good Things Must End

  8. All Sorts of Surprises

  9. Breaking the Seal

  10. Aftercare

  11. First Impressions

  Thank You

  1

  Meeting the Heroes

  “Eist,” the governess said, stepping down from her chair. It wasn’t quite a throne, but it definitely spoke of a position of power. “Care to tell me what’s going on?”

  But the short woman just stared at Ukrah, eyes wide and full of wonder. “I haven’t… It’s been years.”

  “Um, dear, I think you’re alarming the child.” The tall man reached out to her, his truly impressive muscles rippling—how big was he?—but he just caught the edge of the dress she was only half in and it fell to pieces, leaving her in a lavender shift and breeches.

  “Child? She’s taller than me!” The woman closed in on her, eyes wide and searching. Once more, Ukrah was reminded of Crispin, but instead of having one eye all white and clouded, it was instead dark and full of bleeding pupil. “Oh, it’s all over you. Or… Wait, no. It’s coming from you, isn’t it?” Her hands went to either side of Ukrah’s head, pulling it down slightly so she could take a deep sniff. Which was…weird. Definitely weird.

  “Um, Eist?” the governess said, approaching them and gently removing the shorter woman’s hands from Ukrah’s braid. “You want to tell me what’s going on?”

  “What’s going on is magic.”

  The governess’s dark, doe-like eyes glanced from Ukrah to the giant man who was almost too big to be possible. “She’s here seeking refuge. I have no doubt she has magic.”

  “What?” The woman blinked for the first time and seemed to come back to herself. “Oh, uh, no. That’s not what I mean.”

  “Then what do you mean?”

  “I… Ever since that day, when I banished the Blight and everything of the Three, I’ve been cut off from magic. I haven’t felt a lick of it or tasted a drop. Five years without any golden shimmer. No more power. No more of that burning energy. It’s been quiet and entirely human in this little body of mine.

  “Until a few moments ago.” Her gaze returned to Ukrah and her hand rose, as if to caress the girl’s face, but she hesitated. “I can’t see it, but I can feel it coming from you. All bright and sparkling and…well, just like it used to be. How is that possible?”

  “I… I don’t know,” Ukrah answered honestly.

  “Honestly, Eist, look how you’re scaring the poor girl.” Suddenly, the governess was between them, gripping Ukrah’s chin gently and looking over her face. “You seem healthy enough, but I’m sure could use a good meal, water, and a thorough bath. Athar, perhaps you could show the young lady to some accommodations until your wife returns to her senses?”

  The man nodded, and Ukrah couldn’t help but swallow loudly. He was just so big. Bigger than any man she had ever seen, with long, long dark hair and a face that looked carved from stone. How such a short woman was married to such a towering man was beyond her.

  “It seems like you’re in good hands now,” Crispin said nervously from behind her. “I guess my work here is done. Not bad for my first act of freedom, if I do say so myself.”

  “Wait!” Ukrah pulled her face from the dark-skinned woman’s gentle grip and snatched up the lanky boy’s hand. “You’re leaving?”

  He looked from her to the people behind her, licking his lips uncertainly. “Well, yeah, this is a place for witches to seek refuge. I ain’t anything like that. Not special, like you.”

  I wouldn’t be so sure of that… Tayir teased from above. Most people wouldn’t break the law and leave behind everything they know to help a stranger who barely speaks the language.

  “I speak it!” Ukrah objected. Just not…well.

  “What was that?” the God-Woman asked from behind her, and Ukrah could tell from the shifting in her voice that she was craning her neck this way and that. “Did you hear that?”

  “Hear what?”

  Huh, she really is the one I’ve heard so much about. Funny. I thought she’d be taller.

  “There it is again!”

  But Ukrah didn’t care about that. She just suddenly knew that she didn’t want to be alone with these people, even if they were the people who were supposed to save her. “Stay, Crispin. Please? Don’t go.”

  His eyes went wide, like he hadn’t been expecting that particular plea, and a bit of guilt crept into his expression.

  “Ukrah, I can’t stay. This place isn’t built for people like me, and we’re too close to the old manor for me to stay out in the city on my own. It’d be best for me to—”

  “Nonsense!” Suddenly, the God-Woman was between the two of them, gripping their collars and pulling them down to her level. “What’s your name, lad? And how old are you?”

  “Uh, Crispin. And I’m… I, uh, I just turned fifteen, Lady W’allenhaus.”

  “Fifteen and you’re already this tall?” She let go of them and rolled her eyes. “Kids these days are just like the dragons, getting bigger and bigger off all the life just rolling around in the air while I sacrificed all of my height to bring balance to this world.”

  The governess let out a choked laugh. “Sure. That’s how it happened.”

  Ukrah could tell it was an old argument as the God-Woman whirled on her. “I tell you, if there were peace in my times and I hadn’t been poisoned by an evil entity, I’d be giving Ain a run for his money!”

  “Wasn’t your mother rather small as well, love?”

  “Excuse me? You are my husband! You are supposed to be on my side!” She waved his answer away and looked at them. “But that can wait. Like Dille said, get them food. I’ll get into some practical clothes.”

  The tailor and all his assistants seemed to heave a sigh of relief. “So then you’ll finish the fitting?”

  “The fitting can wait for another day, Bertrold!” the woman practically crowed as she strode away. “I’ve found magic again! Can you believe it? Right here in the court!” Her words faded as the bevy of fabric holders followed her, and Ukrah found herself just staring blankly after her.

  …had that just happened?

  Yes, it really did seem so.

  “Alright, I still have a few more people to see today, so, Athar, will you do what your definitely not insane wife requested?”

  “I couldn’t imagine t-telling her no,” he joked lightly. Giving them a slight bow, he stepped to the side and swept his arm in a welcoming gesture. “This way to our manor. I have a feeling she would prefer you there rather than the general eatery.”

  “What, are you saying my kitchens and dining area for the workers aren’t up to snuff?” Dille teased as she walked away. The governess—the protector of witches and dragonbloods—was teasing a giant like it was no big deal.

  And Ukrah supposed that to them, it wasn’t. Supposedly, the God-Woman had had the support of not only her once one-of-a-kind dragon, but also four exceptional academy students in her year. Ukrah didn’t know what happened to one of them, save that he died valiantly in battle, but
other than that, the remaining three were all alive and healthy.

  “Ignore her. She knows Eist would just prefer a more secure location to talk. It can often get…crowded around her.”

  It took a moment for Ukrah to understand what he meant, but she did get it. The God-Woman was a legend, the savior of the world. She had turned everything on its head and expunged the false gods and the great Blight and restored the world to its natural path. There were those that hated her for it, those that respected her for it, some that worshipped her, and no doubt those that complained that it wasn’t right for one woman to have that much power.

  Yeah, so maybe privacy would be something that the woman would cherish. Maybe even insist upon.

  “Well, lead the way,” Crispin said.

  Wait! I think I’ll have a much harder time following you from outside these walls, Tayir squawked before fluttering down to Ukrah’s shoulder. If Athar thought anything of her feathered passenger, he didn’t say so. He just nodded and lumbered along, letting Ukrah and Crispin fall in line behind him.

  So far, it was nothing like she had expected, but maybe that wasn’t an entirely bad thing.

  2

  Too Much to Say with Too Few Words

  “So, this is the corridor that specifically leads to several estates that are away from the main castle. They used to be for the militia during the renovation of the last castle, but Dille thought it better if the military was handled and housed somewhere it couldn’t be wiped out with one large-scale attack.”

  “Estates?” Crispin asked.

  “Yes. Nothing so big as some people t-think we should have, but it’s more than most of us have ever had before. Except for Ain. Th-the Margaidian merchant that fell in love with his ma has a right palace almost. I stayed there one summer, back in the day.”

  It was strange to see such a giant, hulking man speaking in a low voice that got caught over certain sounds, making him try at a word two or three times before it got out. Ukrah wasn’t sure if it was an accent sort of thing or a specific way of talking, but if she didn’t catch something, Tayir would translate for her.

  “Ain’s place is actually the smallest of all of ours, but I suspect th-that he spends most of his t-t-time at Dil— Wait.” He paused and Ukrah almost ran into him. She felt like that would probably be akin to slamming into a wall. “I shouldn’t say th-that. Eist says I’ve become a regular chat-chat-cha— I talk a lot more now that I’m older.”

  “Oh, don’t you worry about that,” Crispin said, walking up beside the large man and slapping his arm jovially. Ukrah didn’t miss how he also winced and shook out his hand a moment later. “Geez, it’s like a rock. Ow.”

  “You don’t t-talk much either, do you?” Athar said, giving Ukrah a quick glance over.

  “She’s still learning the language,” Crispin said, giving Ukrah a wink. She wasn’t sure what the wink was for, she legitimately didn’t understand a lot of common speak still and mostly relied on Tayir.

  You know, I won’t be able to do this convenient translating thing while that woman you’re enamored with is around.

  “Why not?” she asked in her own tongue.

  I don’t like the idea of other people eavesdropping. I’m here to talk to you, not every magically-inclined person who stumbles across our path.

  “She’s not just a magically-inclined person, she’s the God-Woman.”

  “Uh, what’s she saying?”

  “Just talking to her birdie there. Followed her all the way from the desert. Think it might be her familiar or something? That’s a thing, right? Familiars?”

  “I don’t rightly kn-know. The magic t-thing is more Dille’s area. Is kinda a sore subject for Eist since she sacrificed all of her…you know. When the world renewed.”

  “Uh, yeah, I think I got it,” Crispin said, smiling brightly. “That was a real crazy time, wasn’t it? And you lived through it. You’ll have to tell us all about it sometime.”

  He raised his eyebrow. “Most folks don’t have the patience to listen to me t-talk.”

  “Ah, well, most people are missing out then, aren’t they?” Crispin continued, his smile as genuine as ever.

  Ukrah didn’t know how he was so effortlessly charming. She was fighting not to have a perpetual scowl on her face from just looking around and trying to observe everything. The hallway they were in was high and vaulted, with pretty molding all along the top of it. She had heard that once, everything in the grand palace had been inlaid in gold, but since the reconstruction, Dille and Eist had insisted that all of that valuable metal be collected and melted down to help fund the many refugees pouring into the city.

  They were good people, these survivors of the great war, and she couldn’t believe that she was standing in the shadow of the great giant.

  She had always thought that the myths had exaggerated just how large the God-Woman’s companion and eventual lover was, but he really was something else. Maybe he had dragon’s blood in him too, but it just translated into massive size. Surely stranger things had happened.

  Suddenly, they were stepping through a pair of double-doors and onto a large lawn. Although ‘lawn’ didn’t really do it justice. It was a massive expanse of green and grass and… Was that an orchard!?

  She stepped forward automatically, heading toward the rows of tall trees. Crispin caught her wrist, managing to stop her in her tracks.

  “Hey, it’s just like I said it would be, right? When I told you about farms?”

  Ukrah nodded. “I…”

  “Would you like to walk through th-them?” Athar said, walking up along beside them. “It won’t take us too far out of the path, and Mrs. Kaldonner probably hasn’t started up supper yet.”

  “I would like that,” Ukrah said quietly. “Very much.”

  “Alright then, you can lead th-the way on this one I th-think.”

  She knew she should probably say something, like a thank you or some other platitude, but nothing came to mind. She could only stare at the beautiful rows of trees that were laden down with so. Much. Food!

  She remembered her mother teaching her how to scale the sharp, jagged trees that occasionally had delicious fruit at the top, hidden within thick husks or hardened shells. She remembered her mother teaching her how to track the movement of water, even from under the sand, to find such trees.

  It was a bittersweet moment, but she shoved it down and rushed to the towering trees. They were so many different shades of green. Light, dark, brilliant, speckled with white, speckled with amber. There were so many different types, and yet none of them were the same as she had spotted in the woods with Crispin.

  It was almost like she was in another world—one where she didn’t have a strange power within her, one where tribes didn’t burn their daughters, and where sand didn’t scour even the roughest of stone smooth.

  Hey, are you going to stop drooling and actually eat one of these things?

  A world where she didn’t have a talking bird companion that apparently only she could hear.

  “You can help yourself,” Athar said, stopping a tree or two behind her and reaching up to a greenish fruit that looked kind of like a tear drop. “This is a pear.”

  “Pear?” she repeated, tentatively taking it from his large hand.

  The corners of his eyes crinkled as she held it tenderly, and with one last uncertain look to both him and Crispin, she lowered her head to take a bite.

  By the old spirits, it was so…so…juicy!

  She couldn’t help a giggle as liquid burst out around her teeth, filling her mouth and dripping down her chin. It was messy, but she didn’t care. If they had more fruit like the pear in her desert, folks would never go thirsty!

  “You like that?” Athar said with a hearty laugh. Strange… From most other people, it would sound like he was mocking her, but it just seemed like he genuinely enjoyed seeing her have a personal revelation from the fruit in his orchard. He took a few large strides to a different row and plucked another fru
it. “Try th-this one.”

  “Ah nof done wif twis one,” she answered, mouth full.

  “I’ll finish it,” Crispin said, plucking the pear from her hand. “Because that’s a peach, and you definitely want to try that.”

  Ukrah nodded, feeling borderline overwhelmed by everything. She didn’t think there was a time in her life where people around her insisted she eat more, that she try everything she wanted just for fun. Food was a precious, valuable resource in the desert and needed to be respected. Not taken lightly.

  “There’s a big stone in the middle,” Athar said, handing the small, pink and orange thing to her.

  “A…a rock?” she repeated. She never heard of a plant that was able to grow a full stone inside. What kind of magic was that?

  He said something else between soft laughs, but she didn’t catch it. A quick look to Tayir had her an answer, however.

  Not literally a rock. There’s a seed in there. Thick and big. Some folks in the south call it a pit.

  Ukrah nodded—that made much more sense to her—and took a hearty bite.

  The texture was different from the pear, and she didn’t think it was possible for the fruit to be even juicier, but that was exactly the boat she found herself in.

  This time, she had to laugh outright, more juice going down her chin and making her lips sticky, while Athar looked as pleased as could be.

  “Come along now,” he said once she swallowed. “You can try more another day. In the meantime, we should get you to Mrs. Kaldonner so she can clean you up.”

  “We need to be cleaned?” Ukrah asked, taking another overly large bite of the fruit before handing it to Crispin. In truth, she could have wolfed the whole thing down, but it didn’t seem right not to share with the boy who had brought her to safety.