As time went on, Kaylieghaqui, Krohan and Rigor grew up to be older children, as J’arrmeklian put it. The kids had learned many of things in the past ten years. One thing they all agreed upon doing together was, hunting. The kids enjoyed hunting together and made sort of a competition out of it. Bucks were priced animals for the witches and wizards of Creation. Their antlers were useful for potions and poisons; their fur, since far bigger than a doe and softer than a bear, were used for clothing that could later be enchanted. Oddly, one specialty enchanter found, deer hide was far easier to enchant due to the earthly diet of the large animal. Then there was the more aggressive animals, although they tried to steer on the route of caution when it came to hunting them but the eyes, claws, organs and bones were all going to be, at some point, necessary for Eathora to need. It was better Eathora never ran out of such ingredients because they felt if the day ever came that she needed them- they would be killed. Those they had to hunt together. So, they all got various points when it came to those creatures. Then there were the small game. They gave you big points as they were faster, more alert, and smaller targets. However, after three, you earned no more points on the small game. Mostly because there was little use for them beyond meat.

Kaylieghaqui, also known as Kay, was the top hunter of the group. In one day she had hunted and brought home three boar, 2 Bucks, 2 Doe, pointed and shot first; one Autumn Bear, a bear with the fur color of brown with heavy tints and sometimes splotches of; green, yellow, orange or red, a Tiger Hound; think of a larger more vicious and angry fox with white stripe socks, and made the kill shot on a vampire cat, which was unheard of because they usually had drained the blood of it enemy before they could get the kill shot. The points that she had gone home with, earned her a title of hunter from even Koy and Koh. Where, on the other end of the stick in the group, there is a special title for Rigor: “Bait.” He is out of all of them he one to get the lowest points. Although he does catch some of the smallest prey such as squirrels, rabbits and the occasional Racyena, a small creature with grey and black fur that looked more like a starving, mangey, thin, black haired abused cat, he couldn’t nab much passed that and with only three counting…

The morning started off usual. They all woke up early and prepared a simple meal of fruit and oatmeal. Next, they went to the armory and supplied themselves with enough arrows for the morning hunt. Finally, they grabbed their bows that were made by Koh. Kaylieghaqui had an Ebony wood bow that Kiagra, a fellow wizard who was trying to specialize in enchanting, enchanted with a target placer so that Kay would know what she was hitting. Krohan grabbed his steel bow, no enchantment needed because he lit his arrows on fire. Then there was Rigor’s bow. Rigor’s bow was made of mahogany and had an attached target for him so that way he didn’t have to try to fiddle with an enchantment while out in the forest. As they walked out in the sunrise, J’arrmeklian smiled at the sight of the three getting along, with how they introduced either in the past… he was pleased that they could become comrades in the present. “I wish you a good hunt children. Come back safe,” he spoke softly from his room, stroking his sleeping wife’s long hair calmly.

Coming into the afternoon, the children were indeed having a wonderful hunt. They were catching big game today, well except Rigor who had now been the specialty small game killer.

Thwack! “Damnit!” Kaylieghaqui roared as she missed a buck and her arrow landed into a oak tree.

“You’re not getting that arrow back!” laughed Rigor. Kaylieghaqui glared at Rigor as he was laughing. He knew she never missed and when she did, he found it a bit funny. He leaped down from the tree that he was in and land on his feet. “Hey Kay! I think we should stop for the day.”

“Yeah maybe a good idea, I don’t know how we’re going to get all of this home,” Spoke Krohan. Kaylieghaqui jumped and landed heavily onto the ground. Her armor, known as “crown armor”, was an embossed steel plate armor that had a layer of wool and orichalcum.

“If both say so then I’m overruled. Let’s head back,” She compromised. She grabbed a few nearby sticks to help with taking the animals home for butchering. Meanwhile, the boys took the rope out of their nap stacks and started to tie ropes around the feet of the animals so that the kills could slide onto the sticks without fail.

“Man, I wish I was as good as she is, even with all my practice that I do-”

“Rigor, you get too caught up in the moment out here. At the house you’re calm and you keep your composure. Try starting with changing the way you look at the morning chore before you act on the practice of your shot,” Krohan interrupted. Krohan had become much like his father in time that he has been away from the dragon. His young youth bright blue eyes, now sapphire in hue. His face edges were less round, his body more prepared for battle than for a feast with kings. He wasn’t lean like Koy or Koh, but he was not as broad as J’arrmeklian was. Rigor looked at him, his amber eyes like daggers. He knew what Krohan said was true but, if it helped his mother, he was excited to do so. Kaylieghaqui came back a few minutes later and had the branches for everyone to load the game onto. The bigger game were harder to load but once on the branch they became easy to carry. They each picked up one branch and started to walk towards the house, or so they thought. Even though they were going in what looked like the correct forest, they had forgotten that day an essential object, called the home compass. A home compass was well, a compass that helped you get home. The reason behind its importance is when they go hunting they go into a magical forest known as a Labyrinthia. The only way to get out, not guessing, is to use the compass that would take you straight out of the forest without any harm coming to you, or your game.

As the kids continued walking they noticed this. Krohan stopped in his tracks nearly knocking Rigor to his feet. “What in Oblivion Krohan!” he shouted while regaining his footing. Krohan turned his head and looked at him.

“Don’t you notice the scent of the air? It’s different. We’re not going the right way. Kay do you have the compass?” Krohan questioned. Kayleighaqui checked her sack and remained silent. She knew she was forgetting something. Rigor looked at Krohan now with a slight hint of worry. He didn’t like the feeling of being lost. Krohan stiffed the air again. “This way.” He gestured. Turning his head around he looked more into the landscape of the Labyrinthia. Snow? He was sure they were going the wrong way. Kaylieghaqui must have noticed the samething.

“Snow?” Kaylieghaqui wondered aloud.

“Yeah, odd. What time is it?” Asked rigor.

“Mid-Havgard. We shouldn’t be seeing snow for…Devines at least 5 more fortnights,” Spoke Kaylieghaqui confused as to what was happening.

“Magic…maybe?”

“Nah, We are on a mountain, even the known good weather of a Labyrinthia cannot override the harsh weathers of a mountain.

“What is that in the distance?” Rigor asked. He may not have been known for a keen shot in the field but he could point them out better than any sport hunting dog at the manor could. Kay and Krohan investigated the snow and noticed nothing.

“I think you’re seeing things Rigor. It’s just snow,” Spoke Kaylieghaqui who started walking again in the direction that Krohan said to go. Krohan shrugged and continued as well.

“So you both are telling me you have seen snow that blue,” He spoke pointing in the direction of a slice of ultramarine blue laid between two mounds of the pure white snow. Krohan and Rigor looked at either, that color was not snow. They dropped their branches onto the ground and started digging. They saw a girl about their age attached to the blue hair? Was this natural? They stopped questioning it and got her out of the snow quickly. Kay rushed over.

“Devine Eir, Please tell me she lives!” Spoke Kaylieghaqui.

“Barely, Help me get her on my back, I’ll carry my game some other way,” Krohan directed.

“You won’t be holding any game with a person on your back,” Argued Kaylieghaqui. She was correct, no doubt about it. Krohan couldn’t handle all that weight. They got the person onto Krohan’s back and Rigor caught the second game branch before Kaylieghaqui tried to carry it. Rigor had gotten a lot of his brawn from his father side, so the added weight didn’t mean much to a person like Rigor. While on their way down the mountain, finally going towards home. The falling snow stopped and their stood three men. One an icy blue white haired boy looking down at the kids helping his prey. The other two guys pushed him over.

This book's true home is on another platform. Check it out there for the real experience.

“Now the boss will be pissed puny! We were supposed to get her and kill her! What are we going to say now?”

“Now we tell him that she was found by three kids about my age. Three kids with some large game,” the boy spoke. His eyes focused on the people walking away. He could’ve froze them but, if they knew he had that kind of power they would surely abuse it as much as they already did himself. His black eyes looked to them. “Why would three people need that much game?” he asked the others. They looked at him and shrugged with unsureness in their faces. He sighed. Drunk idiots couldn’t tell a pear from an apple if you asked them.

“Where can we find a large place on this mountain?” He asked them. They didn’t know that answer either. He grew angry, and as he grew angry, the shade of the clouds above them got darker as the boy got angrier.

“We’ll follow them then, and report back. No use catching hell,” The boy spoke.

“Just something you would think, Taleon! Perfect idea boy! Excellent! The boss would be most impressed if he were here,” They cheered.

“You’re just happy to escape beheading,” he muttered. Unfortunately, he didn’t mutter quite low enough and the two bandits by him knocked Taleon to the ground and started to hit him on his sides each finishing with one blade slice across the face.

“You better learn boy! Respect!” They both shouted. Taleon didn’t have any reason to respect them. When he was young he was found on a mountain covered up in sheep skins and swaddled in rabbit fur underneath it all. Now he was here with these monsters living for the next kill of a dragon. He found them to be cheaters because they had turned the dragon’s into humans to hunt them. Cowards even because they couldn’t attack them while they were beasts. They supposedly had gotten one, but they had help of two expert archers on that day. They didn’t kill the dragon themselves! Taleon, started walking and the others started to follow, their armor clanking and clacking along the way.

“Maybe it’s best I do this on my own, you both are obnoxiously loud and the odor you have…is so repulsive that even I could smell you from where they are if I were them,” He announced. The men looked at him with damning glares.

“The boss don’t have that much trust in you boy,” one of the bandits sneered.

“If I’m not back by nightfall, the next time you see me is when I’m either dead or dying,” Taleon tried persuading them. They looked at each other, nodded and then gestured Taleon to go. Taleon ran quickly over the snow. His light feet made it easy for him to move without the sound of snow crunching underneath his feet. As he caught up to them, he watched them from a small distance to find out where their destination was. As they got closer to the destination, he drew back a little bit to not be noticed by anyone in the manor who may have been looking out. He sighed, he didn’t want to report back to the bandits. However, his life depended on it. He turned towards the direction he came from and started the journey back.

~~~

As the kids arrived to the doorstep, Krohan started to feel movement on his back. Kaylieghaqui banged her head on the wooden door of the entrance. The door briefly delayed opening to scribe: “Welcome Back, Children” on the door. They entered and J’arrmeklian was there to help with the game. He paused when he saw the person on the back of Krohan.

“What in Oblivion?” J’arrmeklian managed to speak out of shock. He helped the person off Krohan’s back. J’arrmeklian placed a healing hand over her chest.

“She still lives. Quickly get her to warmth, Krohan. Rigor, get your grandmother now! Kaylieghaqui,” He looked up at her. She was worried. Even with all her armors and all her weapons. Her mind was not protected from the fear of death.

“Everything will be alright child. We still have the soul,” He spoke calmly. Kaylieghaqui took a deep breath.

“I’ll go make dinner and start a pot of water, incase Eathora needs hot rags,” She noted taking all three branches into the kitchen. The whole manor became busy between listening to the barking orders of Eathora, the instructions of Kay while in the kitchen or J’arrmeklian who was more worried about why this child was found buried in snow than everyone else going about their day.

“My lord! Something approaches!” hollered one of the adept wizards under J’arrmeklian’s wing. He nodded. He never liked fighting, especially not knowing the cause. He was ready however, he had always been ready. He was ready because of his wife, because of his son…his son he wiped from his mind, his son was nothing to him now. Even though the father of his grandson, he had committed such an act of disrespect that his son would never be able to repent for. Kaylieghaqui came from the kitchen hearing that someone approached.

“I’m fighting,” She said. J’arrmeklian nodded only once to her. He wouldn’t be able to stop her if he had tried. She put her head back and a light shined from her body. Then out of nowhere she was wearing ebony armor that had ribs of mammoths on the chest plate, shoulders, even the legs had the thick bone on it.

“Bring it on assholes,” She whispered daringly. She unsheathed her basilisk tooth daggers and got into a running position. Many other’s followed suit, no one was going to harm the manor, if it could survive a dragon’s landing, it would outlast anything thrown at i

The bandits started charging at the door only to find in their pursuit to ram it, the door opened to the Grand Hall where anyone who could fight stood at the ready of their arrival. The bandits jeered their battle cries and the wizards started on their attacks. Kaylieghaqui knew what J’arrmeklian was planning and started heading towards the bandits with great force. She dodged and dipped through swords and sorcery and started in the middle. She slashed in every direction as the boys started hammer down their great swords or axes. To her this was child’s play. J’arrmeklian shoved bandits back with gale-force winds and attacked with poisonous sacks when necessary. Quickly, the bandits were dying off and as the bandit count was lowering, the leader of the attack started barking to retreat from the hold. J’arrmeklian watched as they did and he caught one last one in his grasp.

“Young man, you have some explain.

ning to do to me,” he spoke. Taleon looked at him. His death, he felt quickly approached. With that feared the snow started to fall around the manor.

“Sir! The weather…it’s snowing,” Spoke another fellow wizard. He looked out the window.

“Snow? In the middle of Havgard?” He muttered.

“I’m sorry, it’s something I do to calm myself down. Snow reminds me of good times,” Taleon mentioned. J’arrmeklian loosened his grip on the boy.

“Snow? You like snow?”

“Why yes, I was found on a mountain in what looked like a nest. They never could explain it but they took me and they…used me ever since,” The dark eyes of Taleon grew darker with the reminder that he needed to follow them. “May I go? I must I’ll only cause you trouble staying,” He begged. J’arrmeklian looked at him. He saw the trembling fear of the boy. He saw the darkness in his eyes of the live that the bandit gave him. He shook his head.

“You may not leave, but you can tell me your name and why she is so important to them,” he stated.

“If I tell you both can I leave?”

“I told you no young man now answer me!” J’arrmeklian could sear a steak well done with the fire in his voice. Taleon jumped and accidently caused ice to shoot from his hand. Krohan stopped it with fire.

“Hey! Jerk! You know who you’re messing with? J’arrmeklian the Dragon Wizard!” Krohan roared. Taleon fell to his butt with fear. J’arrmeklian? The J’arrmeklian? The wizard who tried to save a dragon? The wizard who has said to have a dragon’s soul? That J’arrmeklian?

“You better speak before you can’t!” Kaylieghaqui demanded. Taleon stood up.

“Can I stay here if I answer you?” Taleon asked. J’arrmeklian looked surprised, almost stunned by the comment. Taleon looked at him with brave eyes. “I never intended to help attack the manor. They have been using me for my ice magic, they have been using me as their punching bag since I was six. Only you are able to help me become stronger with this magic, and help me protect people from them, and that includes the dragons!” Taleon spoke.

“Why would you want to save a dragon?” Krohan asked.

“Because I saved one,” he spoke.

“Which one?” Krohan inquired.

“Igneelium. They found him and injured his leg, I helped hide him so the bandits wouldn’t find him. When they left, I went back to find him already gone,” Taleon answered.

“You helped hurt my father!” Krohan screamed.

“No! I wanted to save him! He was kind to me! He told me I reminded him of someone important,” Taleon explained. J’arrmeklian watched the conversation and saw through Taleon, he was telling the truth.

“Krohan calm yourself. Young man, your name?” J’arrmeklian spoke. Taleon turned his attention towards the wizard.

“My name is Taleon,” He managed to get out.

“Her importance to the hunters?” J’arrmeklian asked one last time.

“They were going to kill her,” He hesitated on the last part, “Because she is the only known confirmed dragonbourne that they could get to.” J’arrmeklian looked at the child on the floor with Eathora over her body. Eathora looked up. She nodded at Taleon.

“Come here child,” Eathora motioned for Taleon to approach her.

“That’s why you hid her in the snow? So she would hopefully survive?” She spoke. Taleon nodded. Eathora smiled. “For a child raised by bandits you sure are a saint aren’t you,” She stood up and reached for taleon’s neck. She grabbed a necklace of an ancient god.

“To the devines, how did you get this?” She asked.

“It was on me when they found me,” He spoke. He looked at her. “Do you know what this is?”

“That is a dead god’s praying necklace. Only the devout to their god’s have these,” She looked at him, “You can’t have this necklace because the god is dead…you got this from someone who died during the Great War near 500 years ago. You got this from a dragon.”

Taleon looked at her with wide eyes and then looked to the rest. “Does this make me-?” He looked to J’arrmeklian with some mix of fear, happiness and excitement. He nodded. “That- makes you dragonbourne.” Krohan calmed his fire, someone just like him? Two just like him? He couldn’t believe it. He looked to J’arrmeklian. J’arrmeklian didn’t give him a glance but walked away from the Grand Hall towards the north end, J’arrmeklian needed answers, answers he was not going to get from the children at that moment.