1. Kyeria

CHAPTER 1

Kyeria

F ollow the stars west, they will guide you home. Kyeria could hear her mother's voice over the pounding of her own heart. Her own feet pounded into the forest floor beneath her, matching her heart rate. If someone looked at her life—a life comprised of going village to village, moving from one kingdom to the next with a new name, a new story—she wondered if they'd think it a sad one. She lived only two, maybe three winters in each place before needing to move on. Before the humans saw she didn't age like them, or became suspicious. She was fae in a land that had killed the last ones on this continent, pushing her people back to their holy island. On this continent, Kyeria wore many faces, a merchant's daughter selling at the local markets, a barmaid, a seamstress, or traveler, among other things. But she wished for a slower life, one where she could just be, where her magic could be free and her heart calm.

"She's headed towards the mountains!" a shout behind her brought her crashing back into reality. She leaned against the trunk of a giant oak, catching her breath. She was on the run, again .

Kyeria couldn't see the stars now, not under the dense canopy above her. The trees grew thicker ahead. She couldn't see the mountain peaks from below the canopy, but she knew that the mountains were due west, and west meant home. Her heart sang, beckoning her in that direction. The galloping of horses made the ground tremble. A burst of birds took off from a tree nearby at the incoming noise. She stilled. One deep breath and she focused on clearing her mind of her own thoughts and taking in those of the trees.

"The leaves, follow the leaves," the trees whispered. The wind made the loose strands of hair whip around her face, and she saw a trail of red and orange leaves, flying along a band of wind directly into the mountains.

" Beware the ash, child of the trees. it comes from above, " the wind howled.

She took off, weaving between the trees to stay out of sight from the soldiers coming after her. They wouldn't follow her into the mountains. No one would. It was not only uncharted for the Evanthians, but tales of dark and twisted fates lie ahead. The Ash Mountains were off limits to humankind, and the only fate was a cold death should they try to enter. But Kyeria did not have human blood as the ones who hunted her did.

She whispered to the Goddess Luna to grant her passage and broke past the last line of trees of Evanthia and into the Ash Mountains. Her magic reacted in turn, making her fingertips burn with a dull awareness, as if she was passing through a magical barrier.

The wind herself pushed Kyeria in the correct way, weaving in and out of the base of the mountain, climbing small areas until a small river revealed itself and she felt the relief wash over her. Kyeria turned, looking behind her to see only a dense field of trees. She was rather high up in the mountains now. Resting against the trunk of a tree she bowed her head in thanks to the Goddess Luna. She felt the life in the wind die down as she rose. Her magic calmed—signaling safety.

Kyeria was on her own now, in uncharted lands with only her memories of her mothers stories to guide her. But she was used to being on her own in an unforgiving land, surrounded by humans who despised her kind and thought them a kind of demon due to their magic and longer life spans. It was ten years ago when the great war ended. Her kind had lost, pushed back to the Fae homelands, situated on the far west on an island. Lush and full of life, water flowed freely there. The wind sang as it danced through the valleys and mountains. She could feel the magic here under her feet as she could in her own village back in the Fae lands. She knew magic lived in the Ash Mountains from the stories from the neighboring kingdom of Evanthia and from tales that spread through her homeland. However, experiencing it for herself felt like a sort of reverence. She let her hands rest on the root of the tree and felt the ground hum under her.

"Child of the trees," the wind whispered again and her hair pushed forward, making her look up. There seemed to be a valley with some caves in the sides of the mountains. She pushed her own magic into the roots leaving white flowers dusting the ground as her offering back to the earth. The wind gently flowed past her, brushing her skirts up and pushing her feet along. Kyeria pushed her red locks behind her ears and headed for the caves. The river was glistening, birds sat in the shallow waters and a sharp glimmer of light caught her eye. She narrowed her gaze and followed the odd light burst. Then the sun hit just right revealing a true form; peeking from behind the far tree on the opposite side of the river was a light sprite. Kyeria smiled and held out her hand, magic hummed from it and small flowers burst around the ground where the sprite sat on a small tree branch. The sprite seemed delighted by the small act and danced in the flowers before meandering over to Kyeria.

"I am Kyeria," she said in the language of sprite. The sprite glowed in delight.

"Child of the trees, the wind whispers of your arrival." She smiled. Light sprites were mostly a gathering of white light but if they permitted you close enough you could see faint outlines of their shapes. Her small wings beat quickly as a hummingbirds did.

"I am Ember." Her small hand rested on her chest. "You may rest here now." She flew ahead and Kyeria followed the sprite into the cave, guiding her to a nook inside of the cave where she was able to see out and watch. Kyeria wasn't sure what dangers the mountains held. She was grateful for this shelter.

"Why are you so far from the islands, Miss?" Ember asked, perched on a rock. Kyeria sat down, and folded her hands in her lap with a small sigh.

"I have not seen my own lands since before the war," she answered.

"The moon has passed many times since then, I fear your kind is not common now, but it seems the mountain recognizes your magic," Ember spoke, her voice soft and airy.

"I went into hiding when the war ended," Kyeria replied, trying not to let memories of the war flood her. She was young but the Fae were taught to fight as soon as one could hold a sword up. Many with magic were needed in the great war, and Kyeria possessed not only the magic of the earth but the ability to heal. It was rare to hold two classes of magic, let alone to have two such powerful ones, so she had gone to the front, proudly following her people into war.

It was bloodshed, her mind filling with the screams of her people, too young to understand such pain. She had woken in a field herself, must have been assumed dead since she had been covered in blood and alone. Kyeria spent the next ten years in hiding, keeping her hair long and she covered her ears with wrappings over her hair and ears. She had worked and wandered from village to village since. It wasn't until the outskirts of Evanthia that she had been exposed by someone she had trusted. and when the guards came for her in the night, she did what she knew best; she ran.

"You hold much sorrow," the sprite said sadly. "You will be safe here, but beware the skies and the shadows, this is the gods' land afterall."

Kyeria woke to a strained humming. Her magic was stirring. The ground was buzzing with signs of danger. She quickly stood, the sky was dark, and only the small dim lights of sprites lit the river along with the moon. She tucked two daggers into her corset and left her bag behind.

The wind whispered through the leaves. Something was wrong. Something from this land was in danger and calling out. Kyeria's magic was blessed upon her by the Goddess Luna, as all earth magic was. She was familiar with her senses being heightened in the forests; preferring to dwell in them. She weaved through the trees, down the mountain to the edges of the border of Evanthia. She walked until the sun was cresting in the morning, Kyeria's bare feet following the humming of the earth directing her to where Luna guided her. A small burst of dim light glittered past her.

"Hurry miss, someone has found an egg, you must help," Ember begged.

"What kind of egg?" Kyeria replied in a whisper.

"From the skies, miss." She followed along at Kyeria's shoulder, keeping her light barely visible; sprites could manipulate light to their liking, rendering them seemingly invisible if they needed to be.

She heard the shouts of men, a deep voice spoke through the dark forest, giving orders. She recognized them, as they all wore furs and their eyes were voids. They were clearly traveling, armed and searching for something. Which could only mean one thing.

Raiders .

She despised raiders, they stole and cheated their way through the continent. Kyeria had a few run-ins with them, they prayed on what looked weak. She, however small and dainty appearing, was not weak.

The wind cried out as they reached the edge of the rocks. A winding trail of vines led her to follow a trail that climbed up what seemed to be a small hidden cave entrance. Kyeria's magic fluttered again, assuring her that this was where she was needed. Ember fluttered next to her, her light dim so human eyes could not see her. Wings beating as fast as a hummingbird.

Kyeria placed a hand on the leaves below her, feeling into the soil, letting her magic cast out a net searching for other magic. There, in the back of the small cave, was a beacon of magic, she could sense the beginnings of life, an egg, unhatched. Goddess above, she knew with certainty it was a Dragon egg. Ember whispered next to her, "From the sky miss."

Kyeria knew this was rumored to be sacred land. She recalled the earth's warning: "Beware the ash, child of the trees. it comes from above."

This was Dragon territory.

"See these marks, this is it," one of the men said pointing to the carvings in the far right corner of the stone. It was hardly visible, but the marks read in an old elvish language. Her mother called it the language of the gods, and it was rarely spoken and only written in sacred lands. Her mother had passed down the knowledge as all Fae did with their children. The language of the gods, the words of the Dragons, the sacred scribe.

Her mother spoke frequently of the Dragons, great and terrible beasts. They were the center of many tales. Incredibly strong and rare beings that lived for great ages. Eggs only hatched every few centuries. The younglings were protected fiercely as was the will of Luna. It was deeply rooted in the Fae histories to protect and revere the Dragons. Kyeria pressed on, Ember taking to the trees above, her small translucent wings beating silently.

There were three men, much larger than Kyeria herself. Two had swords strapped to their backs, the other had laid down his sword and pack on the ground and was pawing a hand over the carved marks in the cave entrance. While the entrance itself was hidden in an array of vines, the elvish words explained a path. She prayed to Luna that the third man did not have knowledge of the language or the ability to read it.

Kyeria steadied her breath, making herself a wraith. She slid behind the next tree, around some rocks and behind a bush where the abandoned pack lay with the sword next to it. It was a bigger sword than she was used to but she didn't have any weapons on her other than two small daggers which would not be enough to take down three large men, and she didn't want to get close enough to need to use them in combat. Kyeria put a hand to the earth again, pushing her magic into the soil and growing branches far to the right as a distraction.

One of the men spotted it and shouted, making the others look. Two moved towards the new growth and the unarmed man stayed by the carvings in the stone but watched the other two. It gave her enough time to shoot her magic towards the cave, reinforcing the entrance with strong branches, impossible to move past.

"Heavens above!" one shouted.

"Show yourself, mistress of the trees!" the second one shouted.

"Do not tempt fate to anger the Goddess," the third argued back to the other men.

"No Goddess of mine, you fool," the first shouted back.

"Show yourself!" the second shouted again. Kyeria sweeped up the sword and charged at the unarmed raider. A grueling scream pierced the air as the metal pierced his fleshy middle. She quickly pulled the sword back and whirled as he dropped. The other two brutes were on her in a second. Magic spilled from her as if dancing after so long of standing still and unused. Kyeria's magic was like a well, it could be used up and depleted if she used too much, but it had been years since she had used more than small pieces, and at this moment she felt limitless.

Vines climbed up and wrapped around their feet. One slashed at the vines with his sword and broke free, advancing on her. Kyeria only had a breath to grab the dagger sheathed on her thigh and twist out of reach, throwing the dagger. The polished silver handle was gleaming as the dagger embedded into the man's skull. Blood streamed down his face and she swung the borrowed sword again, stopping him for good this time. The third man had broken free of the vines next and attacked. He was faster than she had anticipated and he quickly gained the upper hand. He swung skillfully and the tip of the sword grazed her arm. She hissed in pain, the sting of metal shooting through her.

Her magic splintered at the touch of steel. Kyeria recognized it as the venom fuzzed with her magic, smothering it. The steel of Enith had a poisonous effect on the Fae. Her arm felt heavy where the steel had bit into her skin. Kyeria slid past him, to his fallen raider and plucked the dagger from him, throwing it precisely to hit the last man in the eye; he fell back. Long enough for her to use her second dagger for close combat. One slash. Then the second one, deeper than the first. She willed her last bit of strength into lifting the sword and plunged it into his heart. Then Kyeria collapsed.

Her breath was ragged. Her vines and roots retreated back into the earth where she had willed them to grow from with her magic. Her magic, it was being sucked out and out from her very being as if the earth was taking it back. The wind picked up, and Ember was frantically fluttering near her, whispering words that Kyeria could not understand. The wind was whipping Kyeria's hair now. She whispered her sorrow to Luna and prayed no raiders were left lurking and the egg would be safe. She had failed. This land begged for her to help and she had failed.

Her magic was seeping back into the earth, small dark blooms erupted from the soil as the blood from her arm dripped down and met the earth. The wind viciously slashed at her, as if trying to wake her but Kyeria's eyes were heavy. So heavy. Time passed oddly, she heard voices—maybe Ember had called for other sprites. Then footsteps. Kyeria swore she heard footsteps, but the little sprite could not do such a thing. Her magic was only a whisper now, and the wind was just the wind, no guidance or words floating. She knew then that she was dying. Kyeria thought of her mother, of being reunited with her people who had been left on the battlefields. The fae did not fear death, they celebrated the end of this life and the beginning of the next. Her lungs burned now, her breaths more labored as the venom spread through her.

The ground shook under her, so violently she pried her eyes open as much as she could, a darkness covered her, followed by a chill that raked through her body. Her magic hummed faintly, a distant echo diluted by steel that had pierced her. It wasn't darkness she felt, but a shadow. She blinked, struggling to clear the fog of sleep from her vision, and blinked again, her mind wrestling with the impossibility unfolding before her.

Scales. There were scales—massive, shimmering, and impossibly close. They were like polished armor, reflecting the soft light in a myriad of muted, steely hues. Her heart raced as she slowly shifted her gaze upward, her breath catching in her throat.

Above her, impossibly close, was a dragon. Not a distant legend or a figure from tales told around a campfire, but a living, breathing god of myth, hovering in the space above her. Its eyes, deep and green like ancient forests, fixed on her with a mixture of curiosity and timeless intelligence. The dragon's wings, enormous and folded tightly, created a canopy of shadows over her. Her entire world seemed to narrow to this single, breathtaking moment. Dragons were equivalent to the gods according to her mother's stories—powerful, untouchable. She had never believed she would see one up close, let alone with such intimacy. The air around her thrummed with the dragon's presence, each slow, deliberate beat of its wings sending ripples through the very fabric of reality. She swallowed hard, trying to process the enormity of what she was witnessing.

The dragon's gaze remained steady, its presence conveyed a silent understanding, a deep acknowledgment of the awe and disbelief in her eyes. For a few precious, suspended moments, she was caught between the realms of disbelief and wonder, staring up at the living embodiment of myth and magic.

" Child of the trees, you have saved one of our own at the cost of your own life," a deep old voice spoke into her mind. The breath wholly left her lungs. She remembered the stories her mother weaved into her bed time stories, that the ancient Dragons could walk through minds. Kyeria wasn't sure if she was hallucinating, being this close to death's door. She pushed her thoughts out, hoping the Dragon could hear her.

" It was my honor, " she said in her mind.

"Miss!" Ember's voice fluttered to her, carrying along a cup made of leaves. "Water from the sacred lake, it will heal you," she explained, tilting the cup into Kyeria's mouth. The effects were quick, Kyeria's vision cleared fully. She felt the magic tickle at her limbs, and the angry slash down her arm closing, her body healing.

" My land thanks you for your kindness," the Dragon hummed in her mind. Kyeria pulled herself up to her knees, looking up at the Dragon.

"It was my honor," she said aloud and bowed her head.

"You are not of this land, the wind whispered of your arrival."

Kyeria's wide eyes took in every scale before her, in awe of the being before her. "I thank you for the passage, I am unsure my fate should I have not made it past the forest edge."

" I am Fendiah, the elder." The Dragon slightly tilted his grand head in greeting.

"Kyeria," she replied out loud, holding a hand to her heart and bowing.

"Kyeria of the trees, it has been many cycles of this sun since I have seen one connected to the land as you."

"Yes, I fought in the great war and have been hiding since the last of my people were erased from this land." Her eyes were deep with sorrow as she spoke, still visibly weak from venom that had torn apart her magic moments ago. She felt again like she had on the battlefield ten years ago. Weak, alone, and left in an unfamiliar land.

Fendiah let out a huff at this, the trees leaves around them shuttering with the movement. He was silent for a moment, his golden-yellow eyes staring into her very soul. Black scales rippled down his neck, catching the light and glimmering.

"Kyeria, child of the trees, I grant you passage and safety in our home as thanks for sacrifice and protecting our most valued hatchling." The Dragon looked towards the cave, his massive wings moving. Kyeria held back a gasp. She had been testing fates by running into the mountains. Passage through the Ash Mountains was impossible, stories had been spun that anyone who entered would wither to the winds. The Dragon stretched his wings out ready to take flight. But he paused.

"Passage— if you bring the hatchling with you across the trek and deliver it to the winter-haired heir. He alone will bring the young one to where we rest."

"Of course, it would be my honor." Kyeria bowed as Ember rested on her knee glowing brightly.

"You shall take them, little sprite," the Dragon said before taking off into the sky. The beat of his wings shuttered the earth below her. The trees swaying out of the way. "Well that was something," Ember giggled. Kyeria looked down to her perched on her knee, her form coming into full color. She glowed bright. Her long waving blonde hair, a dress made of leaves, and white wings that fluttered.

"Off we go!" She smiled and flew towards the cave. Kyeria pushed down her hand and tested her magic, she could feel it replenishing. So she pushed her magic into the earth, making the vines fall away from blocking the entrance.

"Ember!" Kyeria called after the sprite. "Who is the winter-haired heir? And what village?"

"Oh miss, it's the most wonderful place, only those who have been in that land for ages know of it, but if Fendiah commands it then so must you go!" She smiled brightly.

"And the heir?" Kyeria pushed as they walked into the cave. The light was swallowed up, only the small light the sprite emitted guided their way.

"The Dragon prince!" Ember squeaked. "You'll see! This way miss!" Kyeria kept walking deeper into the cave as the ceiling got lower and lower. Kyeria had to crawl to the last section, a small egg the size of her palm lay in a bed of leaves and vines. The Dragon egg glowed a deep pink and purple, scales surrounded the outside. It was the most beautiful thing Kyeria had ever seen.

"Well aren't you just stunning," Kyeria whispered to the egg. She swore she felt her magic stir when she touched the egg.

"We must get back into the mountains now, miss!" Ember buzzed near her. Kyeria nodded and carefully cradled the egg in one hand and used the other to push herself out of the small space until she could stand again.

Kyeria pushed aside the hanging vines at the face of the cave. She fastened her clothing to hold the egg snug to her chest so her hands were free. Collecting her two daggers from the outside, she called upon her magic to bury the raiders, and the ground opened and vines and grass grew over their lifeless bodies. She left the swords there as well, letting the roots take them deep into the earth. Not to be seen or used again. Kyeria's hand rested on her heart, her magic felt like it was waking up again, the water from the lake leaving an odd icey tingle shooting through her veins. Her magic jolted in response, her well of reserves were filling back up at a rather fast speed.

"Let's go," Kyeria said to the sprite. Ember let her light glow in approval and led the way back to where Kyeria had spent the night, near a river of water. It was close to the high sun when they arrived and Kyeria felt her body dragging.

"Rest now, we can continue when your magic settles." Ember saw Kyeria's skeptical look and added, "Sprites can sense magic!" Kyeria walked to the water's edge. Her magic bristled at the acknowledgement of the lake. She could feel their own magic—the lands, this lake. She assumed it was just a small glance of the magic that lay in the Ash Mountains. Kyeria let the air fill her lungs, resting a hand on the egg. She whispered, "Don't you worry, you will be just fine, little one."

A day had passed. Kyeria followed Ember through the mountains, resting in caves or under trees along the way. A small river flowed near them, calling Kyeria to it. A familiarity making her magic hum louder in her ears, as if the magic that flowed down the banks was the same that flowed in her veins. The wind danced along with them singing as it went, she could hear it all, the wind, the trees. Kyeria seemed to have magic overflowing at the seams. Leaking back into the earth and leaving trails of wildflowers in her wake. The water from the lake had not only healed her but brought her magic back stronger than it had ever been on this continent. Ember giggled at the new flowers as they littered the ground. Kyeria couldn't fight the smile tugging at her lips as well. Her heart felt at ease in this land, safe and welcome. She pushed her hair back, revealing her pointed ears. She had needed to hide herself for so long, but not here. Here she could feel magic in the soil, a true form undiluted by the blood of war elsewhere.

"We are close now, miss!" Ember fluttered back to Kyeria who smiled.

"Ember, you must call me by my name."

"But miss!" Ember exclaimed like the most scandalous thing had been said.

"I am not of noble birth, and my people are no longer on this land, I am simply Kyeria."

"If you insist," Ember replied, her voice seeming reluctant.

As they continued on their trek, Ember told stories of the Ash Mountains, and the villages of The Hollow.

"The Hollow," Ember explained, "is much smaller than the kingdoms you're familiar with, but it holds a unique significance. This is the realm of those who have long served and protected the forests and mountains of the Dragons. Centuries ago, they settled here to revere the Dragons as their gods and care for the land. They constructed a grand temple for their worship and a castle for the Guardians—a royal family entrusted with the sacred duty and magic of protecting this land. The Hollow is surrounded by rugged, treacherous terrain, and a magical barrier. It is a wonder how you were able to get through, though I suppose it has something to do with you not being a human! An ancient magic surrounds us here, reaches to the edges of the Ash Mountains, and the Dragioner Forest."

Ember shined brightly talking about the castle. She said she had never been inside, but the sprites helped to serve as messengers for the heir. The Guardian heirs were royalty in The Hollow. There were three in the line to the throne currently: the king and his two grandchildren. Kyeria had questions bursting from her, this new and exciting land that her magic felt so calm in was unlike any other. She tried to ask Ember more about the heirs but Ember only blushed and smiled before saying, "You'll see, Miss!"