Avé

There weren't always dragons in the Valley. Their bones would now lay there, intertwining with those of the soldiers of Iskerain who fought bravely to protect their lands. Children of those soldiers who learned about their sacrifice would only turn their grief into resentment, luring over the age of the Dragon Hunters. Years pass, the people of Iskerain honed their legends and tales against the dragon kind, mercilessly describing them as blood seeking, flesh devouring monsters with no moral conscience, never trying for peace…

“Today, the All-Seeing Sage will bestow another prophecy upon our town, so please, tidy yourself up! I don’t want you to disgrace our family,” His aunt finished scolding the child who’d just woken up from his slumber. Only understanding the tone of her voice, he lazily rubbed his eyes to notice last night's prepared garments on the ground.

They were more formal and vibrant than his normal clothes, with strings of red and blues woven in intricate patterns on the smooth beige canvas. They wore them on days of festivities and ceremonies, but he didn’t think of this occasion as such.

His aunt finished adding the last of her accessories and knocked on two other doors on her way down the hall, “Makladesh, Ana’ada, Please hurry up or there will be no breakfast left for the two of you!” She passed a mirror on her way down the stairs, checking for any imperfections.

His aunt was still young looking, betraying what most would think for her age, her cold blue eyes holding the slight impressions of wrinkles underneath. Her coarse blond hair bound tightly into braids was tied up by ribbons, keeping it all in place atop her head.

“Couldn’t we have rested a little longer?” One of the girls, Makladesh, stepped out of her room with her hair unruly as is in her sleep, the sleeves of the dress hanging on her shoulders. She scratched her head. “After all, there are still two hours left before it starts”

“Makladesh! Oh- just tidy up yourself, child! Wake up your sister and make sure your brother has changed.”

“But-”

“I won’t argue with you another second. Do as you’re told.”

“Yes, Auntie” she slurred her words in defeat.

Once she approached her sister's door, she’d only pronounced a syllable of her name before Ana’ada opened her door. Makladesh's face remained in a frown. She rolled her eyes at her, gesturing to the door next to hers.

“You deal with him.”

Ana’ada rolled her eyes with a smile in response, “Good morning to you too”

“Yeah, whatever. Meet down stairs after you’re done, Auntie is in a frenzy.”

“Got it”

Swiftly turning on her heels, Ana’ada poked her head into the room next to hers, knocking on the door frame to gather the attention of her brother. To her amusement, she faced the half bare back of the little boy struggling to put on his shirt. He twisted his upper body to turn towards the sound, a surprised expression squished into the shirt’s collar.

Seeing his sister laugh he promptly gave up the struggle, his usual placid expression awaiting aid. She walked up to him with a grin. Kneeling down, she reached behind him to undo the buttons near the collar, pulling on the hem of the shirt to get his head out.

“It always seems to button itself, huh?” She said playfully.

“Mn” he nodded. If she’d noticed the reddening of his cheeks, she was merciful enough not to mention it aloud.

She’s finished helping him with his clothes, passing the last of the accessories over. The tall, cylindrical, woolen hat which didn’t fit on his head, was taken off the second it was on.

“Now, now, Ita, you have to wear the hat for the procession, otherwise Auntie won’t be satisfied.”

“But we’re still inside,” He said in a calm voice.

“That’s true, but if you don’t wear it, you’ll end up putting it down and misplacing it” Ana’ada was patient with her words. She knew being angry wouldn’t help when it came down to her brother.

He thought for a moment, hanging his head then enthusiastically looking into his sister’s eyes, tucking the hat under his arm and standing straight. Understanding what he was conveying, she in turn gave him a sly smile.

“Fine, but if you lose it-”

“I’m responsible”

Ana’ada had heard what the town thought about her brother, what her own family thought, but she believed that he was just a quiet and mature kid, still trying to understand the world around him. She pinched his cheeks in a proud manner, then got up and took a hold of his hand, “let’s head down, I heard that Cherise is cooking”

Downstairs, the aroma of all sorts of flavors wandered their small cabin. The kitchen glowed a warm color from the stove, the morning light contrasting it as it landed on every surface. At the table, set squarely in the middle of the room, Makladesh was already sitting while their aunt set the table.

“Now listen up. Now that everyone’s here, we need to eat quickly so that we don’t arrive late to the procession.”

“But we still have two hours,” Makladesh groaned.

“An hour and a half now,” the younger girl by the stove interjected. She scooped the butter and chive infused eggs on the pan from the bottom and flipped them, their whites a crispy brown. Despite being 10 years old, Cherise was an expert in cooking that they became dependent on her for half of their meals.

She went over to the counter picking up the fresh bread, the heat toasting up the towel she held it with. Placing it as the centerpiece on the table, their aunt swiftly cutting enough slices for their breakfast. Ita took a seat next to Makladesh, greeting her wave and a nod. She responded with a single jut of her chin, then promptly dropped her head on the table.

“Cherise, are the eggs almost done?” Ana’ada asked.

“Almost. Can you check the rice?”

She took in a sniff, almost salivating on the spot, “Smells delicious as always”

“Great, can you go ahead and serve it? Thanks.” Cherise brought over the eggs. Ana’ada followed from behind with the rice, putting a good amount on everyone's plate aside the golden speckled eggs.

“I can’t wait to see what the All Seeing Sage says this time! I heard that last year, she saw a town get rich, and like she said, BOOM! Everyone is ten gold coins richer.” Cherise all but nearly bounced out of her seat as she talked.

“Cherise, volume,” Their aunt scolded lightly across the table.

As she quieted down, Ana’ada added in, “The All Seeing Sage visited last time to tell us about the flood, so maybe it’ll just be a warning to avoid something like that”

“Ah yes, hopefully something simple like that.”

“Or maybe,” Makladesh said while continuing to eat, “it’s a dragon attack like in Forstols- Ow!”

Ana’ada kicked Makladesh underneath the table, but it was too late. A sense of dread washed over the kitchen and the air stilled. Dragon attacks weren’t rare, especially so close to the Valley. Forstols was a village in the valley that held the ideal of a world where dragons co-existed with humans. It quickly became the only village to ever settle there. They ate in silence after that.

Putting away the utensils they’d just used, the children took to action as soon as two words were uttered succinctly and loudly from their aunt.

“Line up.”

The children of the Guaav household stood shoulder to shoulder from oldest to youngest in an orderly manner. Looking at them all together, with the girls all donning braided hair and their traditional Iskerain attire they almost looked identical. With the exception of Makladesh’s hair.

Unlike the rest of her siblings’ blondish color, Makladesh’s hair was a chestnut brown. Unconstrained by the braids, stands frayed out here and there. Ita’s hair also differentiated from his sisters, his was a snow white shade. Though closer in color to his other sisters, his hair faced the same uncontrollability Makladesh’s did, tuffs springing out when they could.

Their aunt stood in front of Ana’ada first. She looked down at her, a small riding crop in hand. She continued to stare her down until she smacked down the crop on her own hand.

“Start”

Ana’ada let out a small breath and stated clearly while looking straight ahead, “Ana’ada Guaav, eldest daughter of the Guaav household.” She finished off by giving a bow and a curtsy and to remain in such a position. As their aunt walked down the file, the rest followed suit.

“Makladesh Guaav, Second eldest daughter of the Guaav household”

“Cherise Guaav, th-third daughter of the Guaav house-” Cherise noticed the eyes of her aunt narrowing and lowered her voice, “-hold.”

“Good” she noted perfunctorily. Moving down, she faced Ita with a disdainful sigh, “Start.”

“Ita Guaav. Youngest child of the Guaav household.” He gave a slightly different bow. A mixture of the one he was supposed to give, placing an arm to his stomach while bowing, and the one the girls gave. He felt it was more extravagant and pleasing to be met with but his aunt didn't think the same. Smacking his arm down with the crop, it cut through the air filling the fallen silence. On impact, all three sisters flinched.

“Not correct, fix it next time. Where is your hat?” she asked.

“Here.” He brought it out from under his arm. Holding it out with shaky hands, his face remained calm.

“Put it on”

“But it's-” he glanced at his sisters. They side-eyed him, Ana’ada shaking her head slightly. Their aunt began to narrow her eyes. He shut his mouth and placed it on his head. It was still too big and tilted on his head strangely, covering his eyes. He put it in a fixed position before his aunt could comment on it.

Taking a step back, their aunt glanced at them, then walked towards the door. It wasn’t until she’d turn the handle that she spoke.

“Let’s go, we wasted enough time. The procession starts soon.”

“Yes Auntie.” the children said in unison. Quietly behind their aunt’s back, they comforted and checked on Ita. And like that, they set out to the town square.

The way to the town square wasn’t long. They lived quite near, but the chilly gray morning made it feel further. The town’s elder sages graciously gave the All Seeing Sage a huge tent, decorated with ribbons tied from center post to the poles surrounding the tent. Inside, light from torches bounced off the fabric giving it a nice ambience. The townspeople filled the room with idle chatter as they awaited the wise sage. Recurring topics about the upcoming festival and the recent dragon sightings set the gossip ablaze.

“I have the horses prepared for this year's hunt, I’d bet a mighty fee that it’ll be one of my lovely mares that’ll aid the winner” A man proudly advertised.

“That’s great, but what threat do they face against my hounds?” the old man scoffed. “Why, they are getting faster by the day, the hunger for scaly meat giving them drive, no less.”

“Ah, shush you two! What will any of those brags matter when them beasties comes and snatches ‘em off their feet? What will you do then? Eh?” A rather plump woman intervened.

The old man gave a look of exasperation, “Them sightings are pure hogwash! I been out all night and ain’t never seen anything dragon-like out besides the chickens and the doves scuttling by”

“As if you could ever see anything, your eyes are getting worse with age!”

“Now see here!-”

Ita overheard the conversations of the people they passed as they maneuvered their way to the front. He never quite understood the people in the town, anything they said could be taken as a rude comment, even though it could’ve also been a compliment. At least, it could’ve in Ita’s mind. Cherise once told him that talking to people helped her understand them, but they all ignored him when he tried.

“Keep up, Ita. Don’t let go of my hand or you’ll get lost.” Makladesh was the one in charge of him this time round. “Knowing you, you’d end up all the way up by the Capital if you do.”

Makladesh wasn’t patient like Ana’ada, a bit rough with her brother, but Ita came to understand that that’s how she showed she cared. Once they reached the spot where their aunt felt was adequate for them, she gave them short instructions.

“Remember, socialize but stay near. Smile and respect others.”

“Yes, Auntie”

“And please, don’t embarrass our- Oh! Mrs. Hector, hi!” Their aunt trailed off as she talked with the town’s treasurer.

They weren’t friends to say, but more acquaintances with similar interests. The Hectors constantly had people flocking to them, whether it was to chummy up to their connection or to ask for financial favors down the line. Their aunt wanted to secure the future of her nieces, and they wanted to raise an image of pristine elegance and beauty to their name.

“Verceas Guaav, how nice to see you! And especially these three wonderful girls! Wow, haven’t they grown beautiful?”

“Absolutely, growing even more into the respectable women that I know they’ll be,” she gestured to the two girls that stood next to her, lingering over Ana’ada.

“I mean, Ana’ada is such a responsible lady, even helps out sometimes with her sibling when I can’t. Even works in the main city earning her own wage. I’d say she is quite the woman already.”

“Right, right. Ana’ada, say, how old are you?” Mrs. Hector said.

“Oh, I’ll- um, I’ll be turning nineteen in the following month” Her siblings all noticed how tense she got. They already predicted where this conversation was going.

“I see, I see. My son, Theo, is also turning nineteen. Why, you guys should get to know each other and talk! I bet you guys would really hit it off. I can already see it.” Mrs. Hector smiled as if it had already been decided, and looked at their aunt expectantly.

“Right! Right…” She looked over the children in her care once more before leaving. “Behave while I go talk to Mrs. Hector”

As soon as she left, Cherise and Makladesh headed off, meeting up with their friends, leaving Ita and Ana’ada alone.

Ita looked up at his sister’s face. Her usually vibrant blue eyes dulled, pensively looked into the crowd without focus. He gazed down at her hands as she intertwined and fiddled with them. He kept his gaze on her for another split second, wondering if she would ever notice. He pulled on her sleeve without removing his eyes.

She snapped out of it. “Ita? What’s wrong?”

He hadn’t thought of an excuse. At the sound of her voice, a couple of eyes glossed over to their area. He motioned for her to come closer. He opted for the truth and softly said into her ear, “Ada, are you alright?”

In shock over what the sweet voice in her ear said, Ana’ada studied the gentle face of her younger brother. Earlier, she lost herself in thought over what her aunt and Mrs. Hector discussed, and worried her brother. She knew that marrying such an influential family like the Hectors was instrumental in the security of her family and herself, but she didn’t imagine that she’d be arranged so quickly, not to mention she’d just found her dream job in the Capital…

“Ada?”

“Oh, um- hah, yes Ita, I’m fine. Thanks for asking,” she patted his rosy cheeks. Still a little out of it, she added, “Go fetch your sisters, while I get Auntie. I think it’s starting soon”.

On the platform in front of the room, six elder sages lined up. The purple cloaks they wore appeared to be made out of mist, swaying gracefully with each step they took. The hoods obscured their faces enough to leave only their mouths visible as they spoke. In the process of getting into position, the lights dimmed in the tent, the ambience gone. Ita hadn’t reached his sisters in time before it started. He kept searching in the dark.

“If everyone is present, then we will begin,” a voice croaked from the tall cloaked figure in the middle. Seeing no objection, the elder that spoke left the position in the middle and moved to the side. The crowd murmured and stirred, conflicting feelings of anxiety and excitement present. All noise ceased when a stumpy elderly woman limped over to the front of the stage with the help of her wooden staff.

“My dear people of Gavlin, I welcome you here today to foretell a future that was bestowed upon this town,” she extended her arms out as she addressed the crowd. “But I must first announce something…”

Ita weaved across the crowd, reaching the other side of the tent. He saw Makladesh’s friends, but not his sister. He tried to ask them if they’ve seen her, but they were all paying attention to the All Seeing Sage. Ita decided to turn around and head back to Ana'ada. They’ll figure it out afterwards.

“This year, we have lost a great number of people to the dragons that infest the Valley. Being one of the closest towns, the duty of protecting Iskerain falls on our Dragon Hunters, but as you all know, less and less people are coming back from the depths of that hell.” As the Sage shakily sounded out the word, people in the crowd bowed their heads at the mention of their fallen friends and families. In the silence that blanketed them, some prayed for those who were currently on the field while others let their tears flow down their faces,

She continued, “Although we receive reinforcements from the Capital and neighboring towns, it will still require… Sacrifice.” The word hung on the air heavily, the air became tense.

A low muttering began in the crowd. “The Sages and I have discussed it with the other towns, and we have concurred that we will send a maiden from each of the surrounding towns to the Valley, and infuse magic into them in hopes of giving Iskerain aid and relief.”

The adults and elderly were aware of tales of brave warriors giving away their lives by enchanting the dragons with their magic infused souls, putting them to rest for years at a time. The method was rarely used, only once before in the Great Fire Era.

Ita paused. He was shimming his way back, but the words of the All Seeing Sage glued him to the spot. A thought flitted through his mind. Besides himself, his entire family was eligible to be sent away, there was a possibility that-

He shook his head and dismissed the thought, moving along again.

“We hope that this will help bide the time as we deal with another threat,” the Sage’s voice became grave.

She thrust her finger towards the crowd, “A traitor of humanity hides among us.”