Dragonvein (5 page)

Ethan recalled all the teasing he’d suffered about his build when first arriving for basic training. But he’d soon shown everyone that, though he may be skinny, he certainly wasn’t frail.

After they finished work on the wagon, he spent the rest of the morning with Nate, loading it with feed and tools. By midday, he was filthy and tired.

They stopped only to eat a quick lunch that Cynthia brought out to them, and didn’t return to the house until the sun was well below the horizon. To Ethan’s relief, neither Rodger nor Nate asked him many questions. He found Nate to be a nice lad of good humor and friendly disposition – a trait clearly inherited from his mother. Rodger, on the other hand, was a man of few words and even fewer smiles. He worked the entire day with a sour expression and often mumbled curses to himself.

A large tub of water was waiting for them behind the house, along with a fresh set of clothing. The cold water was refreshing. It had been some time since Ethan had been clean, and he was more than grateful to shed the dirt and grime of both battle, and a grueling day’s labor. Working on a farm was every bit as tiring as Airborne training, he considered wearily.

Supper was already on the table when they entered the house. Cynthia kissed her husband on the cheek and hugged her son. As they sat down, Rodger actually smiled for the first time that day. But Ethan’s concern rose when he realized that Jonas was nowhere to be seen.

“Your uncle went to town,” Cynthia told him, before he could ask. “But don’t worry. I’ll set his food aside.”

This disturbed Ethan. He still had questions, and was impatient to finish their conversation.

The mood at the table was initially light and cheerful. These were simple people with simple cares. The only note of contention Ethan heard was when Cynthia mentioned Nate taking an apprenticeship with a local blacksmith.

“My son’s a farmer,” Rodger said sternly. “Not a bloody blacksmith.”

“But he can do so much better for himself,” countered Cynthia.

Rodger snorted. “What are you saying? That farming isn’t good enough?”

“For me and you, it’s fine,” she replied with equal resolve. “But I want our son to have more.”

They debated back and forth for some time. Finally, Nate interjected.

“It really doesn’t matter,” he said. “I’ll never get permission from the governor anyway. You know how he is. People need to know their place and stay there.”

His remarks brought an angry look to Cynthia’s face. “He’s an Imperial toad, that one. Doesn’t have the brains of a fly.”

“That may be,” added Rodger. “But if we cross him, Nate will end up being sent east to join the Imperial Army. The only thing stopping that from happening now is the fact that he’s our only son.” He then noticed Ethan listening and cleared his throat. “We shouldn’t be speaking of these things in front of a guest.”

Cynthia rose and walked over to Rodger. She kissed his forehead and smiled. “Quite right.” After retrieving a pitcher of water from the counter, she sat back down. “So, Ethan. Where is it you are from?”

“Brooklyn,” he replied without thinking.

“And is that in Malacar?” she asked.

“Uh, no, ma’am. It’s in…” He tried desperately to recall the kingdoms Jonas had mentioned. “It’s in Ralmaria. It’s very small. I doubt you’ve ever heard of it.”

“You don’t sound like you’re from up north,” said Rodger, a hint of suspicion entering his voice.

“Don’t be rude,” Cynthia scolded. “If he says he’s from Ralmaria, then he’s from Ralmaria.”

Ethan didn’t like where this was going. His mind raced for a satisfactory explanation. “I’ve moved around a lot,” he said, hoping this would get him off the hook. But Rodger’s cynical expression told him otherwise.

“And why is that?” the farmer pressed.

Ethan forced a smile and shrugged. “You can blame my uncle. He’s the one who’s always dragging me along with him.”

“I see,” Rodger muttered. He was fingering something in his pocket. “And just
what is
your uncle’s business?”

“I said that’s enough, Rodger,” Cynthia cut in, this time more forcefully. “We do not interrogate a guest.”

Rodger looked at his wife. She was glaring daggers. Sighing, he withdrew his hand from his pocket and produced the copper coin that Jonas had given him.

“My apologies,” he said, turning back to Ethan. “I just think it’s odd that your uncle has no money other than this.”

“So what?” said Cynthia. “Last night you couldn’t stop talking about it. You even said it might be worth more than a regular
korona
. And now you’re complaining?”

Rodger shook his head, never shifting his gaze away from Ethan. “I’m not complaining. But it still makes me wonder. Two travelers appear at our door in the middle of the night, one of them unconscious, and with nothing but ancient coins to give. I just want to make sure they’re not bringing trouble to our home.” His eyes became harder. “You’re not, are you boy?”

Before Ethan could answer, the door opened and Jonas entered the room.

“I’m sorry I’m late,” he said, giving a polite bow. “Jaobin was further away than I thought.”

He immediately noticed the tense mood and took a seat at the table. “Has Ethan been talking your ears off?”

Cynthia popped up and put a plate of food in front of him. “Not at all. My husband was just wondering where you are from.”

“I told them I was from Ralmaria,” Ethan cut in quickly, before Jonas could say anything to reveal his lie.

Jonas chuckled. “Well, not exactly. He was born there. But I’m from Kytain, and that’s where he’s spent most of his time.”

Rodger turned his attention to Jonas. “Kytain, eh? I can’t say I’ve ever been there. Last night you didn’t mention what your business was.”

“I’m a grain merchant,” he replied without pause. He regarded the coin on the table. “At least, I was. I lost my fortune to the drought last year. All I have left is a purse full of relics bequeathed to me by my father. I was hoping to trade them in town.”

“I heard about the drought in Kytain,” Rodger said. “I’m sorry for your hardship.” His posture began to relax, but not completely.

Jonas bowed. “Thank you. And thank you for opening your home to us. But we must be leaving in the morning.”

“I’m sorry to hear that,” Rodger responded without enthusiasm. “Ethan is a mere wraith of a lad, but he has heart, and is stronger than he looks.”

After finishing his meal, Jonas asked Ethan to join him for a walk. Nate was reading beside the hearth, while Rodger and Cynthia were sitting together on the porch—he smoking a pipe, and she humming softly.

“It’s a good thing I picked up that bit of information about the drought while in town,” Jonas said when they were safely out of earshot. “Rodger may be an uneducated farmer, but he’s a sharp one, nonetheless.”

“What were you doing there?” Ethan demanded.

“Trying to figure out where we are and what’s happened since we left,” Jonas replied.

“I think you just don’t want to tell me the things I need to know.”

Jonas’ irritation flared. “And what is that exactly? What more do you imagine I can tell you? You already know that you’re no longer on Earth. You know you can’t get back. And you know that, should you be discovered, you’ll be in grave danger. What else is there?”

Ethan was unmoved by his display. He’d seen quite a few angry officers, and a whole lot more even angrier sergeants. “First of all, I’d like to know who this Emperor is,” he said.

There was a long pause before Jonas responded. He sighed heavily. “Once, all five kingdoms lived in relative peace. Not even the elves were much of a problem in those days.”

Ethan raised an eyebrow at the mention of elves, but said nothing.

“That was until a dark power rose in the east, beyond the Shadow Lands,” Jonas continued. “At first, people thought it was just some overly ambitious warlord or mage—the hubris of a lone fool who would be easily put down. Not even the Council of Volnar took the threat seriously.” He lowered his head. “But they were all wrong. A man known as Shinzan declared himself to be The Eternal Emperor and began to wage war on the rest of the civilized world. He swept over the land like a plague, destroying everything in his path. The war was lost in a matter of months.”

Jonas’ voice was faltering more with each word. “After the kingdoms were forced to swear fealty to Shinzan, he declared all those who wielded magic to be enemies of the Empire. He began to hunt down and kill every mage in Lumnia. Only your mother and a few others managed to escape their homes in time. They were trying to reach the dwarves…hoping to save their children.” Tears filled his eyes. “They didn’t make it.”

He wiped his face and cleared his throat. “Now you know who the Emperor is.”

“So what should we do?” Ethan asked.

Jonas shook his head slowly. “I don’t know. We are at present in Malacar. That much is certain. Miltino is a three-day journey to the north. I think we should head there. In my time it was a large enough city to lose yourself in should you desire to do so.” He jingled his purse. “I also need a place to shed these coins. It’s all the money I have, and they draw too much attention.”

“You’ve mentioned my mother,” said Ethan. “But what about my father?”

“He died fighting in the war,” he replied coldly. “I wasn’t there, so I don’t know the details.”

“What kind of man was he?”

“He was a great mage. And a kind man.”

Ethan expected more. “That’s it?” he said, after it became clear that Jonas had nothing further to add.

“What more is there? He was a noble lord and did not share much with the likes of me. I only know what I saw. And I saw that he treated his wife and you with love and tenderness.”

“But what about my family? Is there anyone else?”

“How should I know?” Jonas snapped. “Most likely they’re all dead. You come from a family of mages, and like I told you, the Emperor hunted them all down.”

“Can you at least tell me my father’s name?”

“His name was Praxis Dragonvein.” Having said that, he stopped and turned back toward the house. “I’m tired. We can talk more tomorrow while we travel.”

Ethan protested, but Jonas ignored him. It would obviously take time to get the full story out of the old man. His eyes swept over his surroundings.
Lumnia
. It was still overwhelming to think that he was no longer on Earth. And without Jonas, there was no hope of finding Markus, or getting home. He needed him…for now. And though Jonas was plainly hiding things from him, it was clear that he was also determined to keep his charge safe.

They returned to the house, and, with the fatigue of the day quickly setting in, went straight to bed. Ethan dreamed of the tiny dragon. But in his dream it became immense—fifty feet from nose to tail, and with a head the size of a truck. Its dagger-like teeth were more than sixteen inches long and gleaming white. Massive wings spread wide as it let out an earsplitting roar.

Ethan woke, drenched in sweat, his heart banging away as if it were about to beat right out of his chest. The roar of the dragon was still echoing loudly in his head.

After a few moments he was able to control his breathing and calm himself. Although it was still dark, he could hear Cynthia already busy in the kitchen. Jonas was asleep beside him, undisturbed by Ethan’s restless movements. He lay there for a short time longer and then decided to join Cynthia in the kitchen rather than stare vacantly into the darkness.

“Bad dreams, dear?” she asked. She was already pouring him a cup of hot liquid from a pot on the stove. It smelled like tea, but with a faint mint quality.

He accepted it gratefully and took a sip. It reminded him a bit of the mulled wine he’d tried last Christmas. “It’s good,” he said. “Thank you.”

“I heard you moaning in your sleep. You know, my son has bad dreams from time to time, and it always makes him feel better to talk about it.”

He shook his head and smiled. “It’s nothing. I can’t really remember what it was about.”

Cynthia poured herself a cup and sat across from Ethan, regarding him for more than a minute before speaking. “My husband may be an ornery old goat, but he’s not stupid. You two are in some sort of trouble. Am I right?”

Ethan didn’t want to lie. Her features had the understanding and kindness of a loving mother. “Well…no, ma’am. Not trouble. That’s not how I’d put it.”

She scolded him with her eyes. “At least will you tell me if trouble is going to come visiting here once you’re gone?”

“I don’t see why it should,” he replied. But the thought then struck him. It might very well. He would hate to see these people come to harm, especially after they had been so open and giving.

She sighed. “Well, it’s too late to worry about that now, I suppose. But you watch out. That uncle of yours is up to something. And I’d bet a gold
korona
it’s something a nice young boy like you shouldn’t be mixed up in.” She paused to take a sip of her drink. “Of course, you could stay here with us if you wanted to. Rodger may be a grump, but he could use the help. He says you did a good job yesterday. And Nate needs someone to keep him out of trouble.”

“Thank you,” said Ethan. “But I honestly can’t. I have things I need to do, and Jonas is the only one who can help me.” He could suddenly see a reflection of his adoptive mother in the woman’s concerned gaze…before his father had died. Before she fell into despair. He desperately hoped he hadn’t brought danger here.

“Then you must promise to be careful,” she said. “And to visit us if ever you are nearby.”

“I promise.”

Just then, they heard the shuffling of feet and cracking of joints.

“I see you’re keen to make an early start,” said Jonas, entering the kitchen.

Ethan thought the man looked twenty years older than he had the day before.

“Well, the two of you aren’t going anywhere until you’ve had some breakfast,” said Cynthia. A sharp nod from her told them that there would be no debate over this.

“I would be grateful,” said Jonas. “And these old bones need time to get moving anyway.”

Soon, the scent of spices and bacon filled the house. Rodger and Nate joined them just as Cynthia was putting out the plates. Both men nodded a greeting and then plopped heavily into their chairs without a word.