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Chapter II of the DRAGONBLOOD CHRONICLES

A sudden feeling of dread washes over Eltairen. "Tokala, quernas!" she orders. The brown-and-grey direwolf slows to a halt. Suddenly, Tokala hangs his head. Neither of them need to say it to understand. But they also don't need to stop. "Dame!" The twin-tailed, white-pelted kitsune rides the direwolf deeper into Moate Kune.

. . .

For three days the kitsune rode. She and her direwolf steed had stopped only to eat and rest as little as needed. She shifts on the leather saddle, looking around the mist-filled forest vigilantly as Tokala marches onward. Her eyes droop and she shakes it off. She dares not sleep, her dreams plagued with screams and blood and fire. She clenches her makeshift spear and looks forward. The path split into two ahead. She lets Tokala choose, the direwolf choosing the one curving slightly right.

. . .

Days turned to weeks. Eltairen and Tokala had not made it out of Moate Kune, though they should have several days ago. The kitsune had started hearing things--voices--speaking from the mist. She hardly slept, kept awake by her fear of her own mind. Her stomach rumbles. She hadn't eaten in days. When she did eat, she could barely keep it down. She didn't even see what had happened to him, but that didn't make the nightmares any better. Her ears twitch as they pick up on a new sound--singing. "Domaleah requie, fiele saryonma koth," the voice chants. She vaguely recognizes the song as it continues. "Viyalln minorus tzene tosdoen, amieah salkane prien." Wracking her mind, she decides to join in for the final line. "Bohmyia lleyena sohm, vrae unoa riyhallve mahna."

"Thou can speaketh the tongue of the ancients?"

Eltairen jolts, shocked that the voice responded. She orders Tokala to halt. "Art thou a friend or foe?"

"Neither, I am a Fairy. What is thy place in the forest?"

"I seek a place called Holme. Doth thee hath knowledge of such a place?"

"First, I shall attend to thee. Would ye like to rest safely? Safe from thy nightmares?"

"More than anything. Lead the way, friend."

A small orb of light floats out from the mist and hovers in front of Tokala. Another joins it, and another--until they form a trail. The direwolf looks back at his rider and tilts his head. Eltairen nods. Tokala grunts and follows the trail, each light they pass dimming behind them.

. . .

"Ye are almost there," the voice chimes. Eltairen sits up in the saddle, having fallen asleep. She yawns. She had to have been out for half a day at least. But she didn't remember having nightmares. She looks forward. The fairy was right, they had almost reached the end of the trail of floating lights. The kitsune stretches as much as possible in the leather saddle. Tokala passes the final light, and the mist barrier surrounding Moate Kune stands before them. The fairy had led them out. She and Tokala walk out without hesitation.

A field of flowers greets her, lit by the full moon and bountiful stars. As does Holme, the massive hollowed-out tree stump that serves as the wall more beautiful to her than any flower. Moate Kune envelops the walled city, a space of several hundred feet between the treeline and the wall. Four towers rise from the wall, likely housing archers that guard the gates beneath them. The only building visible over the wall is the gargantuan silver-wood tree in the center of the city, the canopy of which hovers over the entire city like a dome. The wall sparkles in the moonlight, silver grains glittering and sparkling as Eltairen rides closer to the gate made of crossed branches. One of the two green-cloaked guards holds up a hand to signal for her to stop. She orders Tokala to halt.

The guard pulls off his hood, revealing his lupine features. "What is your business here?" he asks. His voice is professional, speaking of years of training. Even with no weapons, he is an intimidating presence. His broad shoulders and fierce expression serve as a warning to not provoke. "I seek haven," Eltairen declares firmly, "I am alone and unarmed." The guard looks her over, scanning for weapons. His brown eyes linger on the empty scabbard on her back. "Checks out. Alright, let her in. Welcome to Holme," he states, nodding. A click sounds, and the gate lifts. The guards step to the sides to allow her entry into the city. She nudges Tokala with her foot and he trots forward, into the druidic city.

Her breath is taken away as she looks around. The buildings are crafted from silverwood, all of them well-kept and beautiful. The residential buildings in the west side of the city, to the left of her, are all alike, no one above the rest. The side she walks through is the market, stalls and shops boasting every product imaginable. The side opposite her, on the other side of the grand tree, is where the more industrial businesses lie.

The city of Holme is truly unique. Isolated and self-reliant, the residents here are free from most of the burdens that the rest of the kingdom suffers from. The only real worries here are the vicious creatures from the forest. Moate Kune is full of strange, deadly creatures that can't be found anywhere else in Etekahl.

Eltairen keeps riding, searching for a place for the night. She stops at an inn near the outskirts of the city. Telling Tokala to wait outside, she walks in. The interior is quaint but nice, smooth stone floors and oaken walls. A red vixen with a kind, welcoming smile sits behind a long oaken counter. "Welcome to the Drowning Siren! How may I help you?" the female fox asks. Eltairen returns with "do you have an issue with...animal companions?"

"Depends on how well they behave."

"Mine is perfectly behaved, but he's a little on the larger side."

"What is he?"

"A direwolf."

"A uh...I mean, as long as he stays in the room, he should be fine."

Eltairen pulls out a few silver from her coin purse and sets them on the counter to pay for her room. "Thank you." In return, the vixen hands her a simple brass key. Telling Tokala to follow her, Eltairen ascends the stairs in the back to her room. She uses the key to unlock the door, letting the direwolf inside before walking in and closing the door behind them. The white kitsune removes her half plate armor and empty scabbard. She looks at the ornate silver scabbard for a long time. If only she'd had her sword during the ambush at Kuma, maybe she could have protected Valkhael. Or, that's how she likes to think. Facing off against three riders and their dragons is no easy task.

She collapses on the bed with a heavy sigh. It's definitely far more comfortable than sleeping on the forest floor or Tokala's saddle. She doesn't even have the time to pull the covers over herself before falling fast asleep.

. . .

"By Bahamut! They're burning the village!" Eltairen looked to her master in shock. The wolf grabbed her shoulders firmly. "But why?" she asked, confused, "The Lord sent us with orders for peace!"

Her master's eyes went wide. "Then that means..."

She hung her head, tears in her eyes. "What now?"

"I...I don't know. We can't take on the other Knights by ourselves."

"We can't just do nothing, master! Those people need our help!"

He let out a heavy sigh. "You're right, as always. Eltairen, save as many as you can, but stay alive."

"What about you?"

"You have your orders. Go!"

Tears welled in her eyes, but she couldn't disobey her orders. She watched as her master ran off in the direction of the other Knights.

She ran to yet another home, this one fully engulfed by flames that danced in the night. A scream from inside told her that there were people still inside. She ran through the burning entrance, wincing as the flames licked at her fur. The people must have been far inside. Eltairen ran through the burning maze, adrenaline mostly masking the pain of her burning body. But one door later, she found them.

She had just barely made it out when the singing started. She shook her head as confusion set in, her stumbling feet bringing her somewhere without her knowledge. Soon enough, the strange words echoing through the night became harsh against Eltairen's ears. They stabbed like daggers, but could not match the roaring pain from her burned body. Everything around her devolved into a nightmare. Blood trickling from her singed ears, she found the one singing. Eltairen's sword clattered against the ground as she walked up to the Fae creature and fell to her knee.

. . .

Eltairen sits up in the bed and sighs. Tokala rises, padding over to the side of the bed. She scratches him behind his ears. Suddenly, there's a crash from downstairs and a yelp. She hops out of the bed and rushes out of the room. Once she's down the stairs, she sees the source of the commotion--a tall and imposing figure in a violet cloak, a familiar purple sigil glowing in the air inches away from their outstretched hand. "Val-Valkhael? Is that you?" she asks shakingly. Sure enough, the figure turns to her. They pull off the hood to reveal a sharp lupine face with a wicked grin and gleaming green eyes. Tokala dashes down the stairs and pounces on the stranger, nuzzling and rubbing all over him. "Hey, buddy!" the figure greets in Co'ahn.

Eltairen's maw goes slack. The fact that this wolf knows to use that language to greet the direwolf confirms that he is indeed Valkhael. But there's something off about him. His crazed eyes turn to the white kitsune. Then time seems to stop. She hears a gentle and familiar voice in her ear, the fairy from earlier. "As a kitsune, thou hath innate magic. This be what keeps thee fireproof. Thou can use this magic in other ways. Islunaine, the magic of the soul. Thine is stronger than most. Strong enough to survive outside of thy body. Thy soul can step into another. Use this ability, Eltairen." Then, as suddenly as it had come, it vanishes.

The white kitsune takes a deep breath and focuses. She can feel her soul, burning like a flame deep within her. She puts her hand on Valkhael's chest and closes her eyes. As she calls, something within her answers. The flame forms a ghostly copy of her body, and she is in control. She opens her eyes. The world is blurry and grey at the edges, like an oil painting. In the center of Valkhael's chest, she can see a violet flame, bright and radiating magic. She moves toward it and enters him.

She steps into a clearing hidden deep within a lush forest. A gentle waterfall feeds a stream that runs through the clearing. Golden beams of sunlight stream through the canopy, making the soft grass warm under her bare feetpaws. On the other side of the stream is a snow leopard with large, white, angelic wings with amethyst tips. He sits on a rock, facing away from her. Surrounding the rock is a ring of violet roses, thorns long and sharp and petals glistening like precious gems. She walks closer, to the edge of the stream. "Valkhael," she speaks. His ears perk up and he turns around. His muscular bare chest is laced with scars. He looks up. His green eyes are cold and dull like stone. "Eltairen, why are you here?" he asks. She walks through the stream, the water licking at her bare feetpaws. The bottom of the stream is lined with smooth stones.

Following her instincts, she walks closer to him. She stops before trying to cross the ring of violet roses. "I am here to find out what's wrong," she explains.

"Eltairen, people don't just SoulStep to ask a question they already know the answer to."

"This way, I can get the truest answer possible. What happened back in Kuma?"

"I died. I used up too much magic energy, my blood overheated, and I died. Next question?"

"How did you come back to life?"

"I'm a Dragonblood. My spirit cannot die until my lifespan is up. If I'm killed, my soul will move into a new form. But sometimes, it takes a little bit for me to adjust. Though it's never taken me this long..."

"Why did you really let me join you?"

"Because you have white fur. When a kitsune has white fur, it means that they were made into a kitsune by powerful magic. And sometimes, some of that magic remains within them. I was curious."

"Is that all?"

"Truthfully, no. There's a rare occurrence in which two souls will bond in a single moment. It's a type of Islunaine known as Kodaehme, or Spirit Link. It can neither be forced nor broken. Each soul involved in the Spirit Link feels an inexplicable pull towards the other. They also develop a sort of empathetic awareness about the other, able to feel when something's wrong."

She can't help but blush. She's heard of Spirit Links before. More than a few Spirit Link 'partners' end up forming a mated pair. Trying to deal with how nervous she is, she kneels to smell one of the roses. As she gets close to it, the thorns shrink and vanish. She stands and starts to walk forward. No thorns scratch or cut her as she makes her way to the rock Valkhael sits on. She looks at him, but he refuses to meet her gaze. The closer she gets, the more she can feel her entire being pulling towards him like a magnet. Her body starts to move on its own as her mind races.

Eltairen remembers how she felt waking up next to him that first morning. How much she wanted to stay there, her body pressed against his. She thinks back to when he told her to run back in Kuma. How much she wanted to kiss him, hold him to her and never let go. Then her mind goes to that feeling of dread she felt. How much she wanted to collapse and never get back up.

A cool breeze blows through the clearing, pulling her out of her thoughts. Valkhael stands in front of her, green eyes sparkling and arms wrapped around her. Her lips are warm, and she can only imagine why. He pulls her in and presses his lips against hers. The breeze picks up petals from the roses and swirls them around the pair.

Her eyes open, and the scene is only slightly different. She's back in her body, which is pressed against Valkhael's. The walls of the inn have replaced the clearing. Valkhael pulls back to speak, leaning in close to whisper in her ear. "By the way, I know that you used to be a Dragon Knight." She pulls away in shock, hand instinctively covering a spot on her right shoulder as if he can see the silver dragon brand through her linen shirt. "H-how?" she asks nervously.

"I saw the brand that first night while you were sleeping. Eltairen, I don't care."

He smiles at her, those emerald green eyes making her melt. "Let's head up to your room and chat." She blushes and nods, leading the way up the stairs and through the door to her room. Tokala pads after them. Once they're inside, Valkhael closes the door behind them and sits on the bed. "So, when I was floating through the Between, I learned some things," he starts. Eltairen sits next to him and listens. "The Dragon Knights are trying to hunt down the Dragonbloods. That wasn't much of a surprise, but there's more. They're working with a being born from the Void. And finally, I learned that they also have a ShadowFey wolf captive."

"A ShadowFey? I thought that they were hunted to extinction long ago."

"Me too. But apparently not."

"So, what's the plan?"

"We're going to rescue this ShadowFey."

"Then what?"

"We're going to take down the Dragon Knights."