The Source (Creasan #1)

“Three more in Vuterra, sire,” Destrian Gler told Favian. “Five in Steokar, and one in Nonid.”

Destrian was one of Favian’s most trusted advisors. Though he was old—older than anyone Favian had ever known—his mind was still sharp. He’d served Favian’s father before him and had provided sage advice throughout Favian’s rule.

Favian steepled his fingers under his chin, running the numbers in his head. “That’s not enough.”

“It’s what we have, sire.”

“That’ll feed, what, two ogres at the most?”

Destrian closed his notebook, his perpetually trembling hands clasping in his lap. “Perhaps you ought to be proud that it is so difficult finding treasonous subjects.”

“Do you truly think loyalty is the reason we struggle?”

“No,” Destrian said honestly. “I think it is because you have terrified your people enough that it has become almost impossible to round them up under the guise of treason as you had before.”

Favian nodded. He’d thought as much. “Perhaps we ought to forget the deal with the ogres,” he suggested. “We could turn our efforts to the Jöntar. They do not feed on humans and are relatively reasonable giants. They’d be very useful in battle, should we need them.”

“That is true,” Destrian said slowly, but Favian could tell he did not agree. Destrian licked his lips, making a popping sound from lack of teeth.

“What is it, Destrian?”

“The ogres helped Aestus in The Fire War. The Jöntar fought for Malum.”

“That was centuries ago! Surely that is enough time to allow us to pursue better allies.”

Destrian shrugged. “Whatever you think is best, sire.”

Favian groaned, dropping his head back against his chair. He’d a small reprieve from the pain in his head and instead of being able to savor the peace, he had to deal with this. “Send for my brother,” he said. “I’d like to hear his opinion.”

“I’m afraid he’s not here.”

Favian blinked and raised his head. “What do you mean ‘he’s not here’?”

“I mean that he left the palace this morning, sire.” Destrian shifted in his seat. Both chairs on the other side of Favian’s desk were uncomfortable, which of course was the point.

Favian’s brows furrowed. “Where did he go?”

“Vuterra, I believe.”

He stared at the old man. “What kind of business could he possibly have in Vuterra?”

Maerwynn shook her head. “Absolutely not.”

Thea bit her tongue to keep from lashing out. Even though it was her idea, this was precisely the point of The Council. If it was a terrible idea, she needed to know. But there was no denying Maerwynn was biased.

“And Merek?” Thea asked. “What do you think?”

His mouth opened then snapped shut again as he tried to come up with an answer. “Um…How would you even start?”

“Well, we all know the legend. ‘A perilous journey to the highest mountain’. So we will start there.”

Merek scoffed. “You want to climb The Forbidden Mountain? Did you forget the name of the mountain?” His gaze flicked to Maerwynn who was still shaking her head with her arms crossed over her chest.

“It only has that name because the Lances didn’t want anyone else to try it.”

“Except we did try it,” Maerwynn snapped. “We are not going to try it again.”

“Thank you, Mama, your opinion has been noted,” Thea ground out.

“No,” Maerwynn said, “we’re not going to discuss this further. The answer is no, and that’s the end of it.”

“No, we will take a vote,” Thea said. “That will be the end of it.”

“I can’t allow—“

Thea slammed her hand down on the table. “If you cannot abide by the rules of The Council, then I will ask you to leave.”

Maerwynn’s nostrils flared as she fumed, but she clamped her mouth shut, the muscles popping in her jaw as she ground her teeth together.

“But what would be the point?” Peronell asked. “We find Aestus and then what? He wanted the Lances on the throne. What makes you think he’d even want to help us.”

Thea nodded. She was prepared for this question. “Why did Aestus fight Malum in the first place? Betrayal. Why did he choose the Lance clan to rule? Trust. If he saw the state of Creasan right now, do you not think he’d feel betrayed? Do you not think he’d feel his trust broken?”

The Council members exchanged a look. Isolde agreed, “He must.”

“So we climb The Forbidden Mountain,” Merek said, “and by some miracle, we survive the trip. We convince Aestus to return to Creasan and he sees what the Lances have done. What are you expecting him to do? Burn them to a crisp?”

“Don’t you see,” Thea said, “it won’t matter what he does. As long as he sees them and is disappointed by what they’ve done, as long as he disapproves, that will be the end of their rule.” Thea felt her heart beating faster with excitement just thinking about it. “The only reason the people are allowing themselves to be treated as they are is because of Aestus’ blessing, his ancient decree that the Lances are our rulers. But if he revoked that, he wouldn’t have to get rid of the Lances.” She sat back with a smug smile. “The people of Creasan would do the rest.”

There was a beat of silence where everyone tried to process her proposal. She knew it sounded like a ridiculous idea. Aestus hadn’t been seen by humans in centuries. Of course there were rumors of sightings almost every year. Thea knew that dragons were practically immortal beings for how long they lived—the oldest one she knew of lived to be nine hundred years old. Aestus could very well still be alive to—

“But why would Aestus be on that mountain?” Carac asked.

Isolde nodded. “That is a good point. Aestus is supposed to be watching over us from the sky, not from the comfort of his home.”

She paused as she took a moment to school her features. “A few years ago, I was given intel of a confirmed sighting of Aestus atop The Forbidden Mountain.”

“Confirmed?” Peronell parroted. “Confirmed by whom?”

“And why are we just now hearing of this?” Merek demanded. “A confirmed sighting of Aestus—“

“My father,” Thea deadpanned. The words fell on he Councilmembers like a stone. Everyone’s posture immediately changed, and Thea noticed it angrily. The pity was suffocating. She jutted her chin in the air. “My father saw Aestus.”

Maerwynn said, “And went in search of him atop The Forbidden Mountain, never to be seen again. And now my daughter wants to do the same, for exactly the same reason as her father. It cannot be allowed to happen.”

Thea sighed. “Mama…”

Her mother ignored her, locking her eyes with each member of The Council. “If you allow her to follow through with this decision, you will lose the leader of The Source. But I will lose the only family I have left. So I beg you, do not cast your vote for this ridiculous suicide mission.”

A tension had filled the room and Thea cast her eyes down in respect. First Lief then her father. They had suffered much loss. But so had everyone around the table. It was the reason each of them had joined The Source. Though she shared in her mother’s grief, she could not allow such emotions to cloud the benefits of a potentially successful idea. “Thank you, Mama. We appreciate your vote. Anyone else?”

“How many people would you expect to take with you?” Isolde asked.

“Obviously I’d go,” Thea said. “We’d need a healer in case of injury, so I was hoping you’d be willing to accompany us. Aside from that, I suppose five more people ought to suffice. But I would never force anyone to go. It is a dangerous mission and anyone who follows must make the choice to do so knowing they may not return.”

Isolde nodded as she considered that. “Seven of us. Enough to make the journey doable but not enough to disrupt the running of The Source should anything happen to us. Sounds fair.”

Thea glanced around the table. The only person willing to meet her eyes was Isolde. As much as she wanted this to happen, she wanted it done right. She would not intimidate them into submission. She wanted a well-thought out decision.

Thea stood and all the Council members stood with her. “I will give you some time to discuss it among yourselves,” she told them. “Only give your vote if you think it’s really worth doing. There will be no hurt feelings no matter which way you sway.” She offered a small smile then turned and left the room.

Fendrel stood in front of his brother with his hands clasped behind his back and eyes staring straight ahead. Favian studied him carefully from behind his desk, noting the blood on his shiny brown boots and his unkempt dirty blond hair. He pressed his inked index fingers to his lips as he waited for Fendrel to cave and explain himself. Which, under normal circumstances, would have worked. Fendrel loathed to fight with his brother, even if he didn’t agree with him.

But after what he had just seen…

There was a feeling bubbling inside of him that he had never felt before when he thought of his brother. Living in Creasan, that had not been the first beheading Fendrel had witnessed. But this woman…and her child…It made his blood curdle in his veins and his stomach roll. He kept seeing the Guard bringing his blade down, and Fendrel couldn’t help the intense guilt at not being able to save her.

Favian finally spoke. “What were you doing in Vuterra, Fendrel?”

Fendrel refused to answer.

“I asked you a question.”

Silence.

Favian slammed the table and lurched to his feet. “Your king demands an answer!” He barely repressed a wince as his headache flared.

Fendrel tilted his head up. “I’d like to lead the search party.”

“What search party?”

“The one going after the prisoners. I understand it’s not yet left, and I’d like to go with them.”

Favian was leaning over his desk and he narrowed his eyes at his brother. “Why?”

“Must I have a reason for wanting to capture criminals?”

The king sat down again as he watched Fendrel. “I think it’s a wonderful idea. I will give you permission as soon as you answer my question. Why were you in Vuterra?”

Fendrel debated his options. He could tell him the truth, that he wanted to see his people. Or he could lie, come up with some acceptable reason for leaving the palace. Or…he could do both. “A girl.”

Favian blinked. “A girl?”

He nodded.

The king leaned back in the chair, frowning in confusion as he tried to understand what Fendrel was saying. Then his brows rose with realization and a laugh burst out of him. “A girl. A girl from Vuterra.”

Fendrel said nothing.

Favian laughed in earnest. “Please tell me you are just…messing around with this girl.”

The prince didn’t even blink.

He laughed harder. “Oh, Aestus, no! You’re in love with a girl from Vuterra?” He held his stomach as he chortled.

A complete lie, but one told by Favian to himself. Technically, Fendrel hadn’t lied at all. The prince was content to think of it that way.

Eventually, the king calmed down, wiping a tear from his eye. “Well,” he breathed, finally regaining control, “of course you can lead the search party. I believe they’re to depart this afternoon.”

“I’d like to request a specific Guard to accompany me.”

Favian frowned. “Who?”

The Council did not call Thea back for several days, and the longer it took, the angrier she became. They should have decided by now. She knew it was the best idea they’d had for a long time. Their several attempts at assassinating the king had proved fruitless. It was time to try something new. Why could they not understand that?

Instead, Thea was made to wander the cavern aimlessly, offering help where she could but feeling utterly useless. She was a warrior. She ought to be out there, fighting. Or, at the very least, doing more than helping the carpenter hold a piece of wood in place.

Suddenly, she heard shouting from the meeting room and looked over her shoulder in time to see Maerwynn stomp angrily down the stairs.

Isolde poked her head out and gestured for Thea to come. “We’ve made our decision.”

But really, Thea already knew what decision they’d made. She grinned and hurried to climb the steps. She took her spot at the head of the table and awaited their words.

Merek drew a deep breath. “It wasn’t unanimous, but we have voted to search for Aestus.”

Fendrel used his sword to push branches out of his way as they trekked through the forest. The Guard followed close behind him, but he was sure to stay in the lead. His eyes were strained so hard that they buzzed in his head and his ears were open wide.

He wasn’t sure exactly how long they’d been searching, but it wasn’t that long. He could easily keep going. There was a drive within him he’d never experienced before, a certain obsessiveness that made stopping to eat and sleep seem unnecessary.

But then, as if sent from Aestus, Fendrel spotted a footprint. His breaths came faster and he paused. Not too far away from him, Brom Izgis walked, helmet pulled firmly over his head. He hadn’t seen the footprint yet. Fendrel took several steps away from it and called, “Brom. I’d like to speak with you for a moment.”

Brom immediately headed over to Fendrel, bowing. “Yes, Your Highness.”

“You were brought on this expedition because I requested you specifically.”

He paused hesitantly. “I am grateful, Your Highness.”

“The king told you as much, I expect?”

“Yes, Your Highness.”

“I’d like to know the exact words he spoke.”

There was another pause. “He said that you would be leading the search and that while we are out here we are to do whatever you said.”

Fendrel nodded. He’d already known that. “And you are a stickler for following the king’s orders to the tee, are you not?”

“Yes, Your Highness.”

“Right. Then I’d like you to send the rest of The Guard east while you and I continue on.”

“I, um…why, Your Highness?”

“Sorry, did the king say to do whatever I say as long as you understand the reasoning?”

Brom bowed his head. “No, Your Highness.”

“Then see to it.”

Brom straightened his shoulders and nodded, then he marched off to do as Fendrel had said.

The prince turned back to the footprint with a grin.

Thea paced the room as she thought. “Now we’ve just got to make sure everything is planned out. Even though it is the same journey as my father, I’d rather prefer not to end up like him. I ought to make an announcement to the rest of The Source so they can process the mission before we ask for volunteers.”

“As far as volunteers go,” Isolde said, “you can count each of us in.”

Thea glanced at Merek, Carac, and Peronell. “Are you certain?”

“You don’t think we’d allow you to be the only one to see Aestus, do you?” Merek said with a grin.

Thea returned it. “Thank you, all of you. There’s no one else I’d have by my side.”

“That only leaves two more,” Peronell said. “That should be easy enough to come by. Everyone wants to fight beside the mighty Thea Wyvern.”

She rolled her eyes. “Whatever it takes, I suppose. What about supplies?”

“I’ll bring my medical bag,” Isolde assured. “With plenty of extra supplies.”

“We aren’t entirely sure how easy it will be to hunt along the way,” Peronell said. “We can ask the baker to prepare as much as he can spare?”

Thea nodded. “And weapons?”

“All of us will have swords,” Merek promised. “But I do not know how much you’d like to bring outside of that. The lighter we travel, the easier it will be.”

“Of course.” Thea gripped the back of her chair. “I am the best archer here so I will be the only one to bring a bow, but perhaps the rest of you should bring a few more blades. Daggers, so they’re easier to carry.”

Nods all around.

“There is one problem,” Carac said. It was the first time he’d spoken since Thea had rejoined them.

Thea’s brows furrowed. “And what would that be?”

“Even if we’re able to find Aestus atop the mountain, how will we speak to him?” He shrugged apologetically. “None of us have Lance blood.”

That was a problem, one Thea had been trying to figure out since the idea had first materialized in her mind. She let a breath trail out of her. “I suppose we’ll just have to come up with something when we get there.”

Isolde shook her head. “I don’t think that’s a good idea. You wanted to be as prepared as possible. We should have some sort of plan in place for when we get there.”

She was right. Perhaps they could just gesture, like a game of charades. Or they might meet a creature along the way who could communicate with dragons. After all, the legend only tells of humanity’s struggle speaking with Aestus. It mentioned nothing of others. She’d never met a Jöntar before; who’s to say they couldn’t talk to dragons?

A commotion outside the room drew their attention. Thea rushed out to see everyone facing the same way: the front entrance. She followed their line of vision until her eyes landed on the most wonderful thing she’d ever seen.

Prince Fendrel of Creasan stood just over the threshold, arms up and sword held safely in a sheath on his back. He had a Guard beside him, arms also raised. Fendrel’s gaze found hers and Thea felt a wide smile breaking across her face.

A laugh bubbled out of her and she clapped her hands excitedly. “And people said prayers were useless!” She looked at the person closest to Fendrel. “Restrain him.”