Roads Can't Hide a Saving Grace

Sunlight struggled to break through the gray sky while Kaelan held his gaze on the mysterious figure ahead. They left the ruins of the chapel grounds behind and walked along a stretch of ‌dirt road at the edge of the village, where humble homes and shops gave way to rolling farmland.

The Aetherblood Courser’s thudding steps helped to fill the still air. Its glossy black coat somehow seemed to shine under the cloud-covered skies. Kaelan led it in a simple stroll; the great beast deserved such moment of peace.

The woman in front walked with understated grace, her deep black hair putting his own messy head to shame. But he no longer hid it under his hood.

She grinned, glancing back. “Won’t you speak your mind?”

Kaelan narrowed his gaze. “Is that really needed?”

“The sharp eyes of an assassin, indeed.”

It was absurd, but he could no longer deny his suspicions.

The woman held a calmness that couldn’t quite hide her great power. It trickled past her pale skin. Her voice carried with it a presence that defied her youthful appearance.

And the piercing golden eyes. Kaelan had never seen such a woman before, but those eyes he could never forget; they had filled him with terror and awe at the peak of the great Yargo mountain.

But in human form? Such a feat, he did not know of, not even from ancient tales.

“Are you…” The Calamity Dragon? His words trailed. He couldn’t say the rest out loud.

The woman simply held her grin and nodded.

“I believe I was kind enough to share my name with you in your own tongue.”

Kealan paused his steps. “...Elisheba.”

“I’m glad to see your memory is still intact. I don’t mind the name in human tongue,” She twirled in her black, flowing robes, “though I’m not very fond of such a form. Still, I thought it best not to frighten the little ones.”

“But… how?”

She saved them. Such a miracle… would even Maria believe?

“The little Saint saw beyond my true form and helped me when I was in agony. She mentioned her treasure—the chapel—you yourself said it was a place worth protecting before the little Saint clarified that those inside were her true treasure.”

“And such a statement… led you here?”

“I peered into the heart.” Elisheba smiled. “Both of yours. It painted a clear path to the village—to the chapel and the treasure within.”

Kaelan held his face in disbelief. “Such a thing…”

“When I arrived, the chapel was engulfed in flames. A group of men surrounded it, most with tainted hearts. They were easy enough to get rid of,” she scoffed. “I then assumed this form and consumed the flames myself before they reached the hearts inside.”

He had no reason to doubt her words. “Thank you…” he muttered.

“You’re welcome.”

He gave her a blank stare. “But please, no more mind-reading.”

“Actually,” Elisheba raised a finger, “we Great Dragons can’t directly read thoughts, but we can infer them fairly accurately through our ability to peer into the heart of others. You see, the soul leaves an imprint that…”

Kaelan sighed as she rambled while they continued on the dirt path ahead.

It led to Old Bill’s place, as she later explained. The local farmer was well acquainted with Maria and gladly offered to house them for the time being. The dragon kept her true identity hidden from Mother Martha and the rest of them, but reassured that she was a friend.

***

Old Bill’s farm was a lively affair; children’s laughter echoed throughout. The Aetherblood Courser neighed as a few of the children looked up at it in awe. Elisheba had spoken with the farmhand; the great noble steed would be well taken care of.

Kaelan hid a subtle smile under his hood as he watched little Toby chase after a helpless sheep. The little girl, Lily, still missing her front tooth, chased after another. Leo chased after both children instead.

Elisheba had some others gathered around her with thrilling tales of a powerful little Saint who saved a Great Dragon.

Kaelan remained hidden in the shadows at the edge of the farmhouse. Mother Martha stood by her side.

“They’re a resilient bunch. It hasn’t even been a full week,” she said.

“One of the few positives of being orphaned. Even when surrounded by warmth, a bit of resilience almost comes naturally.”

“You speak from experience?”

“...A little.”

The echoed laughter filled the space in between, and smiling faces in the distance helped ease the growing tension.

“Is she safe…?”

Kaelan pulled on his hood, hiding his eyes. “I’m… sorry. They took her away… I wasn’t strong enough.” What kind of face did Mother Martha make? He wouldn’t dare glance. He didn’t have the right.

Her small sigh caught him off guard. It took all his courage just to peek. He expected a glare, a disappointed expression, but she instead held a distant smile as if reminiscing on something.

“When Maria first came to us. She was not much older than little Lil,” Mother Martha said. “Five, six years old. She just suddenly appeared after a brisk knock in the middle of the night. The girl stood there with her head down, clutching a dirty stuffed bunny.”

Kaelan pulled down his hood as Mother Martha spoke.

“That girl was a mystery. Still is at times. She never did say much about her life before the chapel. Maybe she was too small to remember; probably faded with age, or maybe the child had rather forgotten whatever caused that heartbreaking expression.”

Mother Martha gazed up at the smiling children.

“But after that,” she continued, “barely a day went by when she didn’t thank the gods with a smile and stubbornly tried to help with whatever she could.”

Kaelan gave a subtle chuckle. “Sounds like her, alright.”

Mother Martha chuckled, too. “Almost to a fault.” She turned to face Kaelan, holding his gaze. “But as you said… such cruel realities build resilience. I don’t doubt Maria's. But tell me, where is yours?”

“...” Before Kaelan could answer, one child tripped. Their cries cut through his hesitation.

Mother Martha ran to the boy.

“See? This is why you don’t play wildly without regard.” Her words made his cries louder. But she soon knelt and kindly tended to his scraped knee, calming his cries into a whimper.

Elisheba soon joined Kaelan at the edge of the shadows.

“So then, assassin. One who wished to simply disappear. You still intend to leave?”

Kaelan remained in thought. But not for long. He’d had enough of thinking.

He nodded. “I do… I’m going to save Maria.” He thought of his companions, the same ones he almost didn’t acknowledge. “We’re going to save Maria.”

“Good. I like that look in your eye.” Elisheba stepped forward, looking at the clearing sky above. “Very well, I shall join you. Let’s not keep the little Saint waiting.”

She moved into the clearing, not far from Mother Martha and sheep-chasing children. The air shook violently before an enveloping light morphed her silhouette of a human figure into that of an enormous dragon.

“What happened to not wanting to frighten the children!?”

Kaelan scrabbled to hide under his hood as wide eyes darted in their direction.

“It seems there was no need after all,” her voice resonated throughout the field as she glanced down.

Instead of screams, the children pointed and looked up at the dragon with glittering eyes. Mother Martha remained composed. It seemed Maria didn’t rave about the old woman’s adventuring days for nothing.

Kaelan gave her one last glance. She nodded softly.

He climbed onto the dragon. Rays of light broke through the clouds, making the deep black scales shine with a violet luster.

“Don’t fall off,” Elisheba said with a powerful voice.

A massive gust of warm wind pushed against the ground, making the wooden farmhouse rattle. Old Bill and his family rushed out and pointed with pale faces as the dragon shot up into the sky.

Kaelan held his breath, but it was no use. He screamed at the top of his lungs as the wind crashed against his body.

***

The flight to the outskirts of the Holy Capital was tense and blindingly fast, but as the Calamity Dragon descended through the clouds, Kaelan looked down at the gathering below and felt a rare smile touch his lips.

Absolute chaos erupted.

Shouts of ‌"Dragon!"‌ from the gathered group echoed as weapons were drawn. Thomas scrambled back and shouted frantically for everyone to remain calm, while Celeste stepped forward with her longsword.

She squinted through the dust. "...Kaelan?"

Heavy winds swept the clearing as the dragon landed with a trembling thud. Kaelan dismounted without a word.

Celeste stared at the beast, then at him. "You're riding a dragon."

"Apparently," Kaelan said.

Celeste beamed. "Amazing! Me next!"

Elisheba’s powerful voice made the crowd tense. “Perhaps next time, little Hero.” But Celeste just remained looking up with glittering eyes.

Thomas clutched his chest. "You disappear for a week and come back riding the Calamity Dragon?"

"Long story…"

Thomas sighed. "I have a feeling it is," he muttered.

Reunion banter faded quickly as Thomas took charge, laying out a map and explaining the situation he’d learned of within the walls of the capital.

"Listen up," he said, pointing toward the white walls in the distance. "The Capital is under total lockdown, but I’ve secured a passage through their internal defenses."

Kaelan noticed that the heavy satchel on Thomas's back seemed completely empty. His priceless dragonscales were gone.

Kaelan exchanged a knowing look with Celeste while Thomas grumbled, "So much for my retirement." But Kaelan could tell; no regret lingered in his eyes.

Celeste then flashed a silver badge. The one with the emblem of the Adventurer’s Guild. “Thanks to this, I was able to gather help!” It was the gift she received from the rookie adventurer, Felix.

"Lord-General Ardent and Valen almost sent their entire armies!" she added. "But their troops are still recovering, and marching full legions would be seen as treason against the Crown. Still, a unit of veterans volunteered when I showed the badge."

The men smiled at their mention.

“Not bad, shrimp,” Kaelan said.

Celeste grinned. "I even rode back to the frontier town. Felix was away on a quest, but the Guildmaster was present this time. Believe it or not, it’s actually his grandfather! When I showed the badge and spoke of the Great Saint who conquered the dungeon, half his adventurers signed on."

Thomas put a firm hand on her shoulder and smiled. “It wasn’t just some badge that rallied all these men. It was you.”

Celeste smiled softly back.

Looking at the force around him, Kaelan realized Maria had unknowingly gathered her own rescue party simply by being herself.

Thomas mapped out the final directive: "Celeste and I will lead the ground force through my passage. Kaelan, you linger behind on the dragon and observe from above. Once we’re infiltrated, fly in so we don’t alert Vane’s guards too early."

Kaelan mounted the Elisheba once more. With a single flap of the massive wings, they launched skyward, pushing through the mass of damp clouds into an oceanic expanse of blinding white sunlight.

Gliding just above the sprawling Capital, Kaelan's stomach dropped, and his heart drummed. But the bright sun melted away his fear, leaving an unbreakable resolve.

“Are you ready?” Elisheba asked.

Kaelan nodded. Only one thing mattered now. Saving Maria.