Ariadna’s Star: Post 54

“Ariadna be praised,” Astralux says again.

I nod. I can hardly breathe. We stare into the brilliant white light of Ariadna’s Star, the eight-point diamond-looking star lying on a rock jutting out like a pedestal in the center of the cavern we’ve entered, just a couple of meters from where we stand. Its warm glow plumes over us continuously.

“What should we do?” Astralux asks after another minute. “We can’t wait here forever.”

“I…I don’t know.” I take a tentative step toward Ariadna’s Star. The powerful light rays feel more intense, but they’re still inviting. Just potent. I swallow down the magic boiling within me. “Perhaps Ariadna will let us take it?”

“I guess she wouldn’t have brought us here if she didn’t want us to protect it.” Astralux takes a step with me this time. We both shudder at the intensity of the power. “That feels so amazing!”

The distant chiming becomes more constant, and I suddenly realize there’s a whisper of words spoken with the tinkling bells. “Do you hear that?”

“I do,” Astralux says. “But I’m not sure what it’s saying.”

We take another step forward. The lilac smell of summer has now mixed with another smell, another refreshing and invigorating scent. It’s floral too, but I don’t recognize this one.

Then I notice that the dirt I had rubbed on Astralux are gone. “Your scales! There’s no more dirt. And you’re very much glowing now.”

Astralux glances at herself. Then she looks at me. “You’re definitely glowing too.”

Taking a breath, we step closer to Ariadna’s Star together.

“Light….” a faint, crystal voice whispers.

“I’m hearing it clearer,” Astralux murmurs, mimicking the gentle voice.

“Same here.” I take another step alongside Astralux. Then I double over, the power inside me rising, until at last fire bursts into my right hand. “I, I can’t contain it anymore.”

Astralux exhales, light trickling from her nostrils. “You’re not the only one. I just want to breathe everywhere!”

I smile a little. “We won’t be bothered if you light up the cave. But we’ll notice if I set everything on fire.”

Chuckling, Astralux breathes a little to the side, glittering white light dissipating into the light of the star. I send a blast of fire off to the side, away from us, and it helps. Yet soon I can feel the energy building once more.

Taking another step forward to catch up with Astralux, I crane my head, listening intently as the chiming voice gets a little louder.

“Light of…. Light of….”

Astralux and I take the last step toward Ariadna’s Star, so that we’re within reach of it on its pedestal. My eyes fill with tears as I behold the glass star before me, radiating with a white light so pure and warm. Then, at last, I hear the chiming voice:

“Light of Ariadna.”

“Light of Ariadna,” Astralux whispers. “That’s what it’s saying.”

“Yes.” I glance at Astralux. She gives me a nod, and I reach out. My fingers fade a little in the brilliancy of the light until at last, I touch Ariadna’s Star.

A thousand bells echo all around us as the star explodes in more light with a rush of wind from some mysterious source. The breath in my lungs leaves me and is replaced with a breath of life. The fire in my veins ignites, and I light on fire—from head to foot—with white flames. Astralux exhales, as if she were compelled to breathe. We’re bathed in light, from her breath, as well as from the star, which is still ringing and chiming.

“Light of Ariadna!” the chiming voice sings.

“Astralux,” I gasp.

“I’m here, Estelle.” My dragon, despite the flames on my skin, extends her neck and presses her nose against my chest.

Like when we were bonded, I hear the beat of Astralux’s heart within me, slow and rhythmic. One. One-two. One. One-two.

My vision fades into nothing but white, flaming light.

Then, as abruptly as it started, it stops.

The light dissipates. The bells in the background fade away. The rushing wind dies down. The beautiful voice whispering and singing is gone.

I blink and discover that I’m lying against Astralux’s neck, her head curled around me. Her blue eye, which is still glowing, is staring wide at me. Then she looks down, and I follow her gaze.

There, held in both of my hands, is Ariadna’s Star. The gem is no longer beaming with light, but it still glows, wisps of light escaping every now and then. It feels weighty, and I hold it gingerly, staring at it.

The silence is deafening, but I’m also a bit afraid to break it, so it takes me a couple of tries to speak. “What happened?” I ask, my timid voice cracking.

“I don’t know,” Astralux whispers.

I inspect Astralux’s nose. “You, you don’t look burned at all!”

Astralux shakes her head. “Your magic didn’t hurt. In fact, it felt good.”

We share another wide-eyed look before staring at Ariadna’s Star again. The cavern grows cool, and at last I push myself up to my feet with a groan. Astralux rises slow and shakes out her wings.

“Well,” Astralux says after a time. “We should get back to my father and Veremund. This…this is amazing!” She gives a laugh, stretching herself up, and I smile. “We did it, Estelle! We found Ariadna’s Star!”

A thunderous crash of rocks startles me so bad I scream. I jump back into Astralux as the tiny hole above the pedestal that had held Ariadna’s Star explodes into a massive opening. And there, half-flying, half-crawling along the rocky crags, is Vladykar Eder upon Velenosever. By the sand and salt that falls to either side of Velenosever, I guess that Pesokvglazu and Salannagro burst open the crag.

“Thank you ever so much,” Vladykar Eder says, drawling his words, “for retrieving the Star for us, Ward Estelle and Astralux.”

Astralux and I turn to dive back down the cave, but Velenosever lunges forward and grabs a hold of me with one paw. I’m dwarfed completely, peering between his claws.

Astralux, growling, spins, her scales ruffling, the spines on her tail lifting a little. Then her growl turns into a whimper when Velenosever squeezes me so tight I lose my breath.

“Come along nicely,” Velenosever says to Astralux, “and I won’t crush your bonded.”

“Now,” Vladykar Eder says.

Astralux glares at Velenosever. But then she steps forward, sharing a look of fear with me. When Velenosever nods his head at her, she goes ahead and climbs up into the opening above, from where sunlight is spilling down. I hear several dragons give an excited growl, and I feel a pain on Astralux along her shoulders and tail. Then Velenosever climbs up the dragon-made crevice, still holding me in one paw. As we arise, my heart sinks at the sight of Astralux pinned by Pesokvglazu and Vladykar Azar’s dark red-scaled dragon.

The Vladykars cheer as Velenosever climbs back out onto the rocky ground, holding me out for all to see. Vladykar Azar and the other Vladykar I’ve never met, who rides a blue-black dragon, peer at me.

Vladykar Azar chuckles. “I can see why you have talked so highly of her! Ward Estelle, you are lovely to behold.”

“And needs to suffer for my tail,” Velenosever says with a growl, his deep voice so close that it vibrates through me.

Vladykar Lochan smiles and touches the left side of his face, marred with burn marks. “And other reasons.”

Terrified, I look at Astralux. She’s watching me with wide eyes, pinned to the ground, though I see her tail curling in and out.

Ariadna, please, don’t let it end like this. Astralux deserves better.

“We have promised Malyncor that we would bring Ward Estelle back unharmed,” Vladykar Eder says.

“But not Astralux.” Pesokvglazu gives a growl and slams Astralux into the ground a little harder. I flinch at the pain.

“Oh no.” Vladykar Eder chuckles. “It’s a pity, Astralux—you are quite the warrior, and this hasn’t gone unnoticed by us. And I do thank you for finding the Star. But your time as a thorn in our sides is over. Vladykars, do with her as you wish—she dies before we leave.”

“No!” I scream. The Vladykar riders dismount, and their dragons circle around Astralux. “No, Astralux!”

Astralux doesn’t look as frightened as I am. She snarls at the dragons, still fighting despite so clearly being trapped. Then she looks at me, determination in her dark blue eyes.

Ariadna, help me to save Astralux!

Ariadna’s Star in my hands lights up. This time the light doesn’t seem to harm Velenosever, but the Vladykars do glance at me as the white glow filters in-between Velenosever’s claws.

“Ariadna’s Star?” Vladykar Azar steps closer, and Velenosever holds me down to him. I want to shy back as his eerie orange eyes miss nothing, looking me over, and the Star in my hands. “The light no longer hurts.”

Vladykar Vaimiti chuckles. “It’s lost its power!”

“It is nothing more than Astralux’s breath now,” the dark-haired Vladykar human says.

The Vladykars laugh, but I frown at them. “It is a beautiful light,” I say.

“She does speak!” Vladykar Azar says. “I thought the pretty little thing was too meek to say a word to us.”

Vladykar Lochan smirks. “There are times.”

Vladykar Eder suddenly appears beside the other humans, peering at me. “We need to hide that light,” he says. “The other Wards could still be on their way.”

“Good point,” Vladykar Jarogniew says.

“Velenosever, drop her,” Vladykar Eder says.

I drop suddenly, but my training with the Wards makes a difference as I land on my feet and bend my knees, remaining standing. Ariadna’s Star shines brightly in my hands, and I notice the Vladykars all squint at it.

“Ward Estelle,” Vladykar Eder says. The Vladykar humans circle around me, and I tremble. “We will ask nicely this once—hand over Ariadna’s Star.”

I shudder as Astralux, still wrestling with the other dragons, receives a bad scratch along her lower right side from Salannagro. “Astralux,” I whimper.

“You’re in no position to bargain with us for your dragon,” the sixth Vladykar human says.

“Unless you wish to join us?” Vladykar Lochan takes a step toward me and I shy back, even though I’ve got no where to go. He flicks his sandy brown locks of hair out of his eyes and smiles unkindly. “There is still opportunity.”

“Aneiros will welcome you,” Vladykar Azar says. “Think of your magic enhanced by his power!”

Shivering, I shake my head. Then I cry out as Astralux is hurt, this time on her foot, Astralux snarling.

Vladykar Eder reaches out to the side with his hand. I stare in fear as a black whip with purple-glistening barbs appears in his grasp. “You do remember my Dragon Weapon, don’t you?”

I remember it well—it tore apart Thorn’s arm, and its venom caused half of Thorn’s body to go limp, and Mortimer’s face.

“I’m taking the Star one way or other,” Vladykar Eder says.

Trembling from head to foot, I clutch the star to my chest. “No,” I say. My voice sounds surprisingly calm, even to me. Perhaps those years of working alongside my mom as a nurse assistant and helping patients to be at ease is helping. But I also feel a strength from the warmth and light of Ariadna’s Star, and my trembling slowly ceases.

It will be well. I’m not sure how, but it will be well.

Vladykar Eder grins. “Let’s have some fun, shall we? Surely Malyncor won’t mind us using force to take the Star.” He raises his whip.

A booming roar echoes across the mountains all around us, so loud it shakes the ground around me. The Vladykars all jump—even Vladykar Eder and Velenosever. But for some reason, the sound is comforting to me.

The roar was enough that three of the dragons on Astralux let go of her—and my bonded dragon rises with a reciprocating roar and claws at the others, grabbing a hold of Pesokvglazu’s neck. The dragon yelps—Vladykar Lochan gasps in pain—and Astralux tosses him into the dark red-scaled dragon, freeing herself.

“Run Astralux!” I shout. Then my heart leaps with joy.

“Um, Eder,” Vladykar Vaimiti says nervously.

Flying so fast the wind is whistling past his massive wings, glistening an icy silver-gray by the glowing light of Ariadna’s Star and the sun, is Kalteratem.