Shadow Rising -- chapter seven

Chapter Seven – effloresce

I had only seconds to think. Defying the onrushing air, I reached towards my boots and pulled the leather tabs. I heard faint clicking noises. Righting myself, I braced my legs and body for a landing, pretending as is I were only jumping off a building in Marylebone.

A violent vibration flew though my kneecaps as I came in contact with the ground, and I felt like my legs had been shattered. But as I took one shaky step forward, and then another, I realized I was fine seeing as I has just fallen hundreds of feet from mid air.

Satisfied I was alive and alright, I looked around. Bright, white sparks glittered and drifted to the ground like snow. Some vanish above our heads while others burn for a little on the ground before blinking out. It was an ethereal sight, and I couldn’t help staring for a moment at the wonder of such an anomaly.

The women and children from outside came rushing in to find their husbands and brothers. But even as happiness filled the room, the sound of loud and quiet sobbing echoed through the hall. I had saved them, but I hadn’t saved all of them.

I searched around, looking for my father. And there he was, detaching fallen rubble from his legs as he stood. I rushed over to him and embrace him, and he me. And we just stood there, as though we were the only people in the world, this one moment I would enjoy.

“I’ve missed you,” I said at last.

Malistaire smiled. “I’ve missed you too.”

“Suriyah!” I heard my name yelled. I broke away reluctantly and saw Kathryn Willowbright, or simply Kalia, running towards me, something in her hands. It looked like a circlet, but I was unable to make out details. Behind her, Emerald Specter, the Legend Monster of Life, and was, for once, not crying.

The other Legend Monsters were making their way over as well. From the looks of it, everyone was coming over. I spotted Aeden Mythflame, dirty and singed, with a fighting spirit glowing in his eyes; Blaze Thunderthorn was also making his way over, though he looked like he might murder me his eyes were filled with relief.

Kalia stepped forward and placed the diadem on my head, and I didn’t get a chance to see it. “It’s your crown,” she whispered, then backed away. I looked around the crowd, knowing they expected me to give some great speech. Unlikely... I hadn’t seen these people in three years. Did they still want me to rule them? Everyone seemed to know who I was, and I knew I had decided to step up the position, so great speech, here I come.

I spotted a few familiar faces; Rodin Blackspark, his wife, Olivia, and their daughter, Jasmine, appeared fine. Thank the Storm Lord they hadn’t been harmed, I don’t know what I would have done with myself. And there was Hector, the head doctor for repairing dragon’s wings, I had begun my clockwork-fixing career from him. And also…

Howard Angleton and Croaky? What in the Spiral were they doing here from Marylebone?

“Well, um,” I started lamely, deciding to just talk now and ask questions later, sort of like an interrogation. I looked around again at all the eager, hopeful looks. “I’m Suriyah Drakehammer, I guess you might know me from many years back. I often came with my father from Wizard City.” I paused, then decide the best idea was speak the truth. “I loved it here, always have and always will, and I remember Dragonspyre as a beautiful, thriving city. Most people tend to think, ‘A world made of stone built on rock? Ha, how can people live there?’ But what just happened proves that the people of Dragonspyre can live anywhere.”

What sounded like a “here, here!” came from the back. I blushed from nervous embarrassment. To go from zero human interaction to speaking to a crowd as their princess in just a few short days was not much adapting time, especially since I had a bad shock-absorbing system.

I continued, “Titan had been asleep for many centuries underneath this world, and when he woke he didn’t like the changes. When he heard of me and my destiny… well… He wasn’t very happy.” I sighed. “Titan went to those closest to me and filled them with lies. Really, he filled the entire Spiral with lies. Though my father thought one thing, everyone thought of him as something else. Really, it was never his fault, when a person is faced with great choices it’s hard to know which one is right.” I rolled my eyes. “Especially when those choices are given by a dragon breathing fire in your face.”

There were a couple, weak laughs from the people.

“Well, I guess it’s time I tell you all who I really, really am.” I took a breath. “I am Suriyah Drakehammer, daughter of Malistaire Drake and Sylvia Lighthammer. I am a Necromancer and a Marylebone thief. I am also the Princess of Dragonspyre.”

†††

“You’re kidding me,” I snarled. “I can’t wear that! I’m a black and red person, not… that!” I motioned helplessly to the crown, which was now perched on a mannequin head. I put my hand over my eyes as Kalia laughed her guts out on the floor. “I absolutely refuse. I can’t believe I let you put that thing on my head!”

We were in a large, round room atop one of the towers in the Crown of Fire. It had been designed many, many, many years ago just for me, and all the clothes were suited for that time period.

“Come on,” prompted Blaze, though he was grinning ear to ear, “you looked nice.”

“I must’ve looked like an idiot!”

The crown was overall a simple circlet made of a black and red stone that somehow fit my head perfectly. A large, sparkling onyx the size of a chicken egg was in the center, and on either side it was lined with the other school gemstones, engraved lines from there formed some sort of spiraling pattern around the back of it.

But what was even worse was that long bronze, gold, and blue chains extending from the back that were meant to be wound into my hair.

“It’s just stupid!” I exclaimed, yet again.

“Now, now darling, I’m sure you’re look quite nice in it when it’s put on properly,” said my dad encouragingly, kissing my forehead.

“Nuh uh, no, never.”

“What about this?” asked Aeden. He reached into a wardrobe and pulled out an elegant, long, bright yellow dress. “It brings out your eyes.”

“Yeah, if I had jaundice,” I snapped.

Storming out of the room out onto the wide balcony, I made the impression very clear I wanted to be left alone by slamming the glass doors behind me. It wasn’t just the dresses and the crown that was making me irritated, but truth be told I couldn’t begin to sort out all my emotions right now. They were a mess inside my head and I didn’t know where to start with sorting them out.

I leaned over the rail, gazing into the endless sky that now showed it’s first sunrise in three years.

Well, may as well start with the obvious thing weighing on my mind: responsibilities.

I had so much work to do.

For one thing, I had to drive out all the monsters Titan and brought in. All of them from every tower, home, and street. Dragonspyre was huge; it had a lot of towers, even more homes, and many long streets. Trees needed to be replanted, the lava rivers needed to be plugged and drained, and water needed to be replaced. Broken buildings needed to be excavated and rebuilt, and the Necropolis needed to be treated with the utmost care so as not to disturb the dead. Really, the last thing I needed was more dealings with death. And yes, you just heard that from a Necromancer.

Then there was the guilt: I had stolen Rodin’s Flamewing Coal Heart and the last of Hector’s dragons, Maelyn.

Hector had gone straight back to his laboratory and I had to explain to Rodin why I had used his heart. Though he wasn’t angry, there the smallest shadow of disappointment. Still, I suppose rescuing his family was more important than be using the rarest substance in the universe to kill an evil Dragon... After that conversation he had taken his family back to the Atheneum.

I lowered my head to rest it on the railing.

Another thing: those who were dead, those still alive, the preparations for many, many grieving ceremonies.

So many people had come asking for help and favors. Their husband had died, how did they would money? Their child was killed by a Draconian, but they cannot find the body? And the most frequent: my home is gone, where do I go?

At least the sky was clearing up. The volcano was going back to sleep, hopefully forever this time. A few streaks of light were fighting their way through the thick ash cloud. It was an ethereal sight, seeing those rays of sunshine breaking through the dark clouds of ash. I sighed as I looked at them.

I tensed as I heard the door open and shut behind me. Blaze came out and leaned over the stone railing beside me. He said nothing for a while, and my brief anger at being disturbed boiled off. I sighed again.

“Wow, you have a lot of work to do,” he commented at last.

“Ya think?” I snorted.

“Hmm, I don’t know if I should be envious or relieved that it’s not me.”

“Why would you be envious?”

“Well, you killed a dragon. I’ve never killed a dragon, probably never will.”

“Yeah, but you showed me how to kill it. That counts for a lot.”

“True.” More silence. After another moment he said, “After you fix this all up, what are you going to do?”

I shrugged. “Is there any point in thinking that far ahead? This’ll take years if not my lifetime. It’ll probably never be done. Some problem or another will arise and I’ll have to deal with, because I’m in charge now.” I put my head in my hands. “Heckhounds, I don’t even know where to begin!”

Blaze’s arm wrapped around my shoulder and he pulled me close. At first I was resistant and I stiffened like a board, then I decided that I had bigger problems than this, so I relaxed against his embrace.

“Begin with doing what you love most. That’s what I do when I’m frustrated and confused.”

“And what’s that?”

“I usually go to Unicorn Way and beat up Lady Blackhope. She’s fun to defeat over and over and over and over and over.”

I laughed a little. “To feel powerful?”

“No. Rather to know how annoyed I was the first time I couldn’t beat her, and to see how far I’ve progressed, how much stronger I’ve become.”

“Hmm,” is all I said. I leaned my head against his shoulder and closed my eyes, pretending everything was perfect. Blaze was the first to pull away, and I followed reluctantly.

“Well? Are you going to go fight a monster?”

I laughed. “No, you told me to do what I love right?”

He rolled his eyes. “Oh, of course. How could I think otherwise?”

†††

Yelling could be heard behind me, but I kept running. My cloak flew behind me, but it made me invisible under the night. My new gear was proving very useful. I knew I couldn’t stay too long, but he had told me to do what I loved most right?

I panted breathlessly as I run atop the houses of Marylebone, a brown leather bag swinging in my hand.

(Ending Theme Song for Book One.)


By
Emma Dawnrider


Shadow Rising : book 1 of the High Bane Chronicles is over, but at the same time it is not. After the posting of the epilogue for SR, the story will continue in book 2, Chasing Shadows. I hope you can join me again with the new characters as the deep plot line grows thicker :)