Dragon Binder: Book One of the Dragonblood Priestess Series (First Draft)

Chapter 13: Unexpected Ally

"How are you even here?"  Was Yina's first words as she remembered her lightning going straight through him.  In the fight with Belsenth being hit by a bolt did not look pleasant so there was no way he was actually here.  Plus the door had not opened, they were quite noisy she would have heard that.  

A small chuckle left the large man, he stood at 6'5 and was quite bulky.  "Well this is my magic.  I can astral project myself to anywhere I have been before.  I can also appear however I want to as well."  He answered as his image shimmered a little and instead of a armored commander he stood in his silver robes as he had looked during the hearing.  

Yina rolled her eyes.  "I bet that trick is a hit with the ladies."  This got a little surprise from the commanders face before he composed himself and laughed it off.  

"Enough, as I said we do not have much time.  I am going to assist you in escaping, well more your father is I just helped a bit."  The commander stated as he started to pace a little in the cell which consisted of two steps before turning around.  

Scrunching her eyebrows she looked at him skeptically, "So you believe me?"  She asked unsure of any other reason he would help her.  Yes, she was a noble but from what she could remember he had no strong ties to either her mother or father.  Not to mention helping her if caught would essentially be treason.  

His face grew a little somber when she asked that question.  His pacing stopped as well turning to face her taking a deep breath.  "Sadly, yes I do.  I have seen the dragon you spoke of."  His voice was sad and a bit distant, his eyes staring off into nothing.  

"You met Belsenth and lived?"  Surprise was evident in her voice, not that she doubted his power but it had been luck that her and Nyssa had escaped at all.  

Nodding he placed his hands behind his back.  "Once, it was twenty years ago.  The only reason I am alive now is because I saw him as a astral projection.  Nothing yet has been able to hurt this form, my body is safely in my quarters."  The commander explained.  

"My brother was trying to find himself a dragon egg, much like you did.  I sent my astral projection with him as it can move faster then we could.  Not to mention it can go through solid objects."  Pushing his arm through the wall, like he had said his hand and wrist vanished.  Pulling it back out it seemed to still be intact.  

"I found a dragon guarded a nest, using myself as bait i drew her away from the eggs so that my brother could take one.  Before we could slip off with it the white dragon showed up.  I was forced to watch as it used that stone melting beam of light to kill the dragon and my brother."  A tear rolled down his face as he finished, the event still hurt him to think about it.  

Yina could only imagine the kind of pain that the commander had felt and still felt.  He had been there but powerless to do anything but watch.  That was a nightmare Yina never wished to experience.  

"I have hunted him ever since.  Sadly until today not even a rumor of the white dragon has appeared.  Wherever it hides it does it well, but now with what you have told me there is a chance that I can get revenge."  His hands clenched tightly as well as his jaw as he finished the last word.  

Silence fell between them for a minute or two before Yina spoke up.  "I will help you get that revenge if I can.  I want the bastard dead as well, we cannot let him become a abyssal dragon."  She stated, her imagination could not even fathom what it the dragon would be like if he did become one.  

"Well the first task will be to get you out of here.  After tonight however I will do everything in my power to capture you, which means sending the Raptors after you."  The commander explained.  "I cannot let anyone suspect that I helped you."  

The statement did not surprise Yina, it made sense.  She did not know much about the Raptors only that if they were sent after someone they got them.  "What makes them so dangerous?"  Yina asked hoping to get some useful information to help her not die.  

A debate could be seen cross over the commanders face as he decided exactly how to answer that question.  "The Raptors have magic that makes them adept at hunting down people.  Athel, is able to see phantom images of a person once she gets on their trail.  Nothing can hide these images, the best we can do is delay her until you can get to Alary."  

Dread set in as she heard his words, someone who once on her trail could never be shook off of it was terrifying.  How was she going to stand up to a group that was renowned for always succeeding.  "Why Alary?"

Laughter broke out in the cell, "Sometimes you are quite dull Yina."  Her eyes turned to slits the electricity crackling a little higher as it arced across her body.  "It is where you father is from, and second son tot he most powerful house in Alary.  Once on Alary you will be protected, if we attempt anything against you then it would mean war."  

Yina had known her grand parents were like nobles in Alary but they rarely talked about them.  Mostly because of her mother, they had been married to strengthen both of their standings but her mother had more to gain.  "Well that is not terribly bad."  Yina muttered trying to remember where the southern Alary would be this time of year.  

"You will have at most a week before the Raptors will be on your tail.  So if you do not gain control of your powers fully by then.  Well you will not survive, they will be ordered dead or alive."  He grimly stated as he checked a hourglass.  

"If you make it to Alary, someone there is bound to know more about the Storm Isles, all I know is that they are said to be past the infinite storms of the east sea.  No one has gone there and returned."  The news he had was not necessarily the most positive but at least it was something to go on.  

The strain of keeping her body full of her magic was starting to take its toll as the lightning around her body started to fade.  The mental force to keep it going was growing stronger with each second.  

"Do not forget magic is not unlimited.  I must take my leave now, only you and your father know that I am the one who has helped you tonight.  Please tell no one about this, do not even talk about it to your father."  The commander stated as his image started to become fuzzy again.  "Good luck Yina."  Was the last thing he said before he vanished.  

With the commander gone she let the electricity around her fade away collapsing to the ground breathing deeply.  Feeling inside the ball of power was significantly smaller then it had been before.  The silence now was peaceful as she leaned against the cold wall waiting, it was all she could do.  

Still having trouble keeping track of time she waited until keys were inserted into the cell door.  Slipping into a fighting stance she was ready to strike out if need be, Yina hoped however that it was her father.  As the door opened up torchlight spilled into the cell, the light ripping into her eyes.  

After adjusted she was surprised to find Clous standing in the door way.  "Happy to see me right?"  He stated giving a cocky smile and holding the door open for her.  As she entered the hall the guards were on the ground unconscious.  Giving Clous a quizzical look he held up his hands.  

"Not my doing, I was told they would be unconscious when I arrived something about being drugged.  We have to hurry though I hope you got some sleep you will need it."  He stated rushing down the hall the opposite way that she had come in.  

When he mentioned sleep she groaned.  Yina had been too worried to have slept at all, unless you counted being unconscious on the flight back.  With that thought she was shocked to realize that it had yet been a full day since she had rode to the mountains with Clous, so much had happened in a single day.  

She had bound herself to a dragon, been tasked with saving the world.  This had then caused her to become one of the worst criminals in Sastan's history.  Now she was on the run to try and make it to a nation she had never been too before a deadly group of dragon bound found and killed her.  

Worst day ever.  Until she thought of Nyssa, and it all become worth it.