Writing Resources from Fifteen Minutes of Fiction

A Draken Rising; Part 4

The half hour passed quickly, and soon everyone had gathered at the southern spring. Rafael waited patiently, finally Markus approached were Rafael was leaning against the old Rowan tree. “Everyone is here Captain.”

Rafael nodded, “Good. Have the Petrosky and Poulin families come here.”

“Of course.” Markus bowed, before scurrying off. It was only a few moments before he returned with two young couples, “Here they are Captain.”

“Excellent.” Rafael stood up, before turning to face the first couple. “Good afternoon Mr. and Mrs. Petrosky, it seems your six months are now over. You may now go to Levis if you would like, or you may stay here and become permanent residents here at the oasis. The choice is yours.”

The young couple looked at each other a moment, before turning back to Rafael. Mrs.Petrosky curtsied, “If ya din’na’ mind Captain, it would be awful nice if’n we could stay on here. We’uns mighty comfta’ble, an’ we’ve made some mighty good friends.”

Rafael looked at the two of them for a moment, “You are certain?”

Mr.Petrosky was the one that spoke this time, “Captain, our decision is made, and it is final. We wish to stay.”

Rafael nodded, “So be it than.” Turning, Rafael spoke to the Poulin couple, “And what about the two of you? Shall you go, or stay?”

Mr.Poulin smiled, “Captain, you have done so much for us, and we are very thankful. As to whether we stay or leave, we agree most wholeheartedly, we would like to stay.”

Rafael smiled, “At this rate, I will have to come up with a name for this place other than ‘oasis,’ it is already the size of a small village.”

As the two families stepped to the side, Rafael turned to look at the newcomers. As he looked at them, that foul sickness came upon him again. They were so scared! Rafael took a deep breath before beginning to speak. “You have nothing to fear here at the oasis. No one will hurt you, there are no predators to fear, this place is a safe haven. There are nice houses for you to stay in, there is plenty of vegetation, and wild game about, so you will never go hungry. There is a large heard of sheep kept near the western spring, so there will always be wool for clothing. There are more than six nice, fresh water springs, so you will never go thirsty. So allow me to say this one more time, you have nothing to fear. Now, because of the circumstances under which you were brought here, all I ask is that you stay here for a full six months. Once that time is over, you will be given a choice; you can either stay here, or I can take you to Levis. The specifics of that will be explained to you closer to that day. Does anyone have a question?”

“Sir, what shall we call you?”

Rafael smiled slightly, “Here, I am known as Captain. That is what I wish for you to call me. I am the one in charge here, and when I am gone, Markus is in charge.” Rafael pointed at Markus before turning back to the crowd, “Are there any other questions?”

Silence fell over the crowd for a moment before one man stepped forward. Rafael immediately recognized the person as Ellius. Calmly, Ellius spoke, “Captain, you say this place is safe, but what of the Wyriens? There is no place that I know of, save Aduro and Levis, that is even partially safe from them.”

Rafael raised an eyebrow, “You seem to know much about the Wyriens Ellius, so tell me, what is the one place that the wyverns, and thus the Wyriens, absolutely refuse to go?”

Ellius frowned, “There is only one such place that I know of Captain, the Barren Waste.”

“Indeed, the Barren Waste. That, Ellius, is the reason this place is safe. This place lies deep within the Barren Waste, no Wyrien would ever have the means to attack this place.” Rafael looked around at the crowd, a gentle smile on his face, “Markus, and a few of the families that have come to call this place home will help you settle in now. Since it is so close to the lunch hour, the families that help you settle in will help you prepare a meal. Any more questions, simply ask Markus or myself. That is all.” Rafael turned his back on the crowd, and walked over to were the springs cool water bubbled up from the ground. Kneeling down, Rafael stretched out his arm to put his hand under the cool, trickling water.

“Captain. An interesting title, the way the Acerbus treated you back where you captured the caravan, I would say that ‘General” is a better fit.” Ellius knelt down next to Rafael, “You are quite the mystery young man, and, rather, a
contradiction.”

The two of them stood, and faced each other. “You are very observant Ellius, but I am no general, nor do I wish to be one, at least not to them.” Rafael scanned the area, “It seems everyone else has gone to settle in, do you have any family here?”

“No.”

“I see. There is a nice place directly next to were Markus lives, I think that place would be perfect for you. Estrella, Markus wife, is loves to cook, and I am certain that she would be delighted with another mouth to feed.” Rafael began to walk towards the buildings, Ellius right beside him. “What do you mean when you say that I am a contradiction?”

“I mean exactly that. You are a Wyrien, yet you cannot stand cruelty, and there is no cruelty within you. The other Wyriens act as if you are a general, and you certainly have the power of one, yet you say you are not. You capture families, then give them more then they have ever had. For these reasons, I say you are a contradiction.” Ellius smiled, “I have never met anyone like you. You are very skilled at swordsmanship, as I saw when you fought those two men. You are also fairly skilled with magic; if you were to look back in history, you would find that the spell needed to create a warp panel disappeared centuries ago, yet you create one simply by raising your hand. It is for that reason that I call you a mystery.”

“You are very learned. There are not many who have such knowledge.” Rafael stopped in front of a small cabin, “ Here we are.”

“Thank you Captain, one for calling me learned, the second for showing me where I hall stay. As for being learned, I have had to be to reach the level of Myrthl Draken, and beyond that, top of the order.”

Rafael stopped in his tracks, “You are a Myrthl Draken?”

“Indeed.” Ellius opened the door, “Shall we go inside?”

“Yes, yes of course,” Rafael stepped briskly inside.

“ I take it this is the dining room.” Ellius looked around.

“Yes, the kitchen is directly to the left, while the living room is to the right. There are two bedrooms that open off the living room, with a large room behind the kitchen and the dining rooms. You may use that room for whatever you wish, most people use it for storage.”

“I see.” Ellius and Rafael walked into the living room where they each took a seat.

Ellius stared hard at Rafael for a moment, before speaking softly, “You are Rafael Cimmerii, son of Malus Cimmerii, leader of the Wyriens, are you not?”
Rafael’s head shot up, a look of astonishment on his face, and fear in his eyes. “How…?”

“How do I know? I simply put the puzzle together. The Acerbus treated you like a general, yet you are not one. When that man challenged you, you said that your father had given you that right. The only man who has the power to give such a right is Malus, and, as far as we Drakens know, Malus Cimmerii only has one son, Rafael. Thus, you must be Rafael.”

“You must tell no-one.” Rafael’s face was pale. “ If my father was to find out about this…” Rafael shivered.

“You need not worry, I will tell no one. You are known as the Captain, so that is what I shall call you.”

The color returned to Rafael’s face, “Thank you Ellius.”

“It is interesting, you are a Wyrien, and their future leader, but you are nothing like what I expected.”

Rafael rolled his eyes, “What, did you expect a person with a heart of stone?
Cruel to the utmost, and entirely hateful? Indeed, that is what I have been raised to be, but I do not agree with those things. If I could, I wish so much to learn about the Drakens, and the things they hold highest in regard, yet what is the chance of that? Unless,” Rafael’s eyes lit up, “Ellius, would you be willing to train me?”

Ellius looked hard at Rafael, “Perhaps. There are a few conditions that must be met. If I an going to train you, you must hide nothing from me. Any questions I ask, you must truthfully answer. If I am to train you, I must know your strengths, your weaknesses, and your fears. You must allow me to read your mind, relive your memories, so that I may fully understand you. Are you certain that you wish to have me train you?”

Rafael spread his arms out wide, “I have nothing to hide Ellius. I will do as you say. Please, train me.”

Ellius nodded, “So be it then. We will discuss this farther after lunch.” Ellius stood up.

"Ellius, thank you."Rafael stepped out the door.

Ellius watched Rafael for a moment. He could tell the boy had a good heart.

"Are you coming Ellius?" Rafael questioned.

"Yes, I am comming." With that they both walked outside.

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