The Rider’s Legacy: Chapter 10

“Alright that’s that. You feel better Silva?” Nero asked.

Silva kicked her legs at the air and blew at him. The air ignited and Nero was quick to move his hand to protect himself from her fire. It was warm against his scaled hand but he was glad that she was in a good mood. She looked at his hand and reached for him. Lowering his hand, she smiled playing with his scaled fingers and claws. Nero smiled, satisfied with just watching her.

She nibbled on one of Nero’s fingers and her teeth actually managed to hurt a little. Nero looked at his daughter closer and his eyes widened slightly. He could see her teeth were actually pointed and sharp. Picking her up he looked closer and she stared at him with bright pink eyes.

Taking one of her hands he pinched it gently and she made a face trying to bite it. He could just vaguely remember what she and Sefirin had done. Appearing before him like miniature versions of himself, covered in scales and breathing their own flames.

 “How did you and your brother do that?” he mumbled. “You two can barely do magic as is.”

Positioning her properly Nero walked her out of their room. He’d have to sit down with her and Sefirin and see if there was something more going on with his children. Again, he remembered what Sefirin had said. That Silver had talked inside his head, told him that they had to help him.

“Did Silver talk to you too?” he asked his daughter. “Did you hear her voice in your head little one?”

She looked up at him and her face gave nothing away. Just her pink eyes which he was very used to. Sighing he smiled, walking down the hallway of the third floor of the castle. There hadn’t been as much damage up here despite the broken windows in their own room. Then again, he personally hadn’t seen much of the rooms up here.

“This castle sure is sturdy little one.”

“Sturdy,” she said reaching out toward a nearby wall with her hand.

He chuckled and she looked up to stare at him again. Her eyes blinked and the draconic ones stared at him again. He paused meeting her eyes and was still taken aback. Even with Sefirin he wasn’t used to it yet.

“You’re my daughter all right. Do you know the origin of your name little one?” he asked gently. “I think I told you once when you were barely a month old but I doubt you really remember.”

“Silva,” she exclaimed.

“Yes, that’s you,” he tapped her nose gently. “But that’s not where it comes from.”

She looked at him curiously blinking her eyes back to their usual rainbow of color. “Back when I was younger. Still in the academy. When I was a freshman, I was still learning how to properly use my magic. How to be a spellcaster,” he waved at her creating sparks and she giggled. “I was kinda mediocre as a kid but I got better.

“When I was a sophomore I got lucky. I met one of my best friends in the world and no it wasn’t uncle Light or Alastor,” he raised his hand to the air and magic surged from his hands covering the high ceilinged hallway.

It sparkled and then coalesced together into a massive shape. It flew forward with a large slender body, four powerful legs ending in talons. Two great wings extended from its back passing through the walls of the hallway, too big for the space it was created in. A thick tail with spines tracing up the back, to the neck, and resting along with the lizard like snout of a dragon. Silva watched the dragon appear, her eyes starry and mouth were half open.

“Her name was Silver little one,” she looked back at him. “She chose me after I found myself lost wandering in a strange other dimension. She picked me out of all of my friends that traveled there and we bonded. Forged a connection that transcended everything that I could have imagined.”

He turned down a hallway and started walking a spiral staircase down to the first floor. The dragon that he manifested shrunk to fit the area properly and then he conjured up an image of himself. A shorter haired, normal eyed, and normal armed, much younger version of himself.

“She watched over me like a guardian, she talked to me like a best friend, we fought side by side and back to back against I don’t know how many threats and dangers. Sometimes I wonder if I would have met your moms if it weren’t for her.”

Silva reached out toward the image of Silver and it flew closer near the child’s tiny hands but just out of reach. It looked down at Silva and her eyes turned draconic again. She stared at the image in a way that he’d only ever seen her look at him. When they reached the bottom floor and the image of the dragon disappeared her eyes turned green and she frowned hard.

“Silver. Silver.” She repeated stubbornly.

Nero smiled sadly as they left the stairway. “Silver isn’t around anymore,” he told her gently. “But she lives on in me.” He raised his arm showing off the scales and claws. Silva immediately grabbed for his clawed finger. “And she lives on in you too.” He tickled her tail and she jerked it away fighting a laugh.

They walked together through the main corridor of the castle slowing down as to not get in the way of the workers. There were about six people walking a wooden beam taking it toward the broken open door. “Careful there. We need to make sure we don’t cause more damage. That gate is far more important than any other thing of repair.”

The man speaking was one of their senior guards. Nero had gone to fight with him a few times during the war. He had been a very serious man if he remembered him correctly.  His name had been Grimbeau. He stepped back scowling but when he saw Nero he saluted, “Nero! I had heard you were taken. And now here you are. Are you alright?”

“No worse for wear than that time at titan’s pass.” The guard chuckled remembering the battle and nodded. He looked at Silva and lowered his head, “Your daughter?”

“The one and only. Say hi little one,” he said taking one of her hands and waving it at him. Grimbeau grimaced and Nero was pretty sure that was his version of a smile. “Rebuilding the gate?”

“Yes,” Turning to face it he frowned. “Physically repairing it isn’t difficult. But reworking the enchantments that protected it and the castle at large is. It has to be done as we repair the door or they’ll be faulty. Nowhere near as strong as they used to be.”

Nero and Silva stared at the work being done. There were people with hammers hitting away at the work while spellcasters wove spells in between them. It was very specific work to get done and even Nero could see how hard it was to get things built together. The stress on the spellcaster’s faces and the careful placing of nails and hammer strokes from the woodworkers.

“Please allow me to help with the spell work on repairing the gate. I don’t know what happened but I want to lend my aid.”

“Lend our aid.”

Nero turned at the sound of the two voices wondering if he were imagining things or hearing them wrongly. He rushed towards the door moving around people and trying not to cause trouble with the construction. He stepped through the cleared away door and watched the two strangers approach from the ramp.

He shielded his eyes to get a good look at them both. The first was a tall man with thick raven dark hair in a waist length pony tail, tanned skin like the color of sand, and strong features in a gentle smile. His eyes were black as a summer evening sky and just as pleasant. He wore a white robe tied at the waist by a purple cloth belt, brown pants and sandals. Around his neck was a simple golden pocket watch.

Walking beside him was a shorter woman, going up to his shoulders. She had short curly white hair and a floral patterned wrap around her forehead. She had a flat thin nose but was rounded at the edges and freckles under her cheeks. Her skin however was pale, just a shade darker than white. Her eyes were a deep orange coupled with a smile that was second nature. Around her neck was a pocket watch necklace similar to the man.

Both of them saw Nero and their eyes widened together. “Sehren! Olivier!” He rushed over and paused wanting to hug them but one of his arms was occupied. Laughing he smiled at the two of them. Olivier wasn’t under such a restriction and hugged him tightly her eyes bright orange.

“Nero oh my goodness it’s been so long,” she said and then looked down at Silva who stared at her with very wide eyes. “Who is this? Are you taking care of someone’s daughter?”

Nero looked confused and then he realized what she meant, “That’s right. You’ve been gone a very long time. Oli, Sehren. This is my daughter. Silva.”

They both paused their eyes going wider and jaws going slack. “Your daughter?” Sehren repeated.

Olivier looked closely at Silva who stared at her and her eyes shifted from orange, to green, and back to orange. Olivier’s eyes widened and her orange eyes turned bright pink. She covered her mouth excited, “Is that? And with? And yours?” she asked not able to finish her sentences.

“If I’m guessing the questions right, yes, yes, and yes.” Nero propped Silva up and smiled.  “Look little one. This is your other q’una.” Silva stared at the woman bewildered but when she gave her one of her fingers, Silva reached out and squeezed it.

Olivier came forward and gently tapped her nose, “Hello o’lela.”

That seemed to do it as Silva broke into a very happy giggle, her eyes turning white. “Want to hold her?” Nero asked.

She looked at him with pink starry eyes, “Can I?”

Slowly Nero put Silva in her arms. Silva looked back at Nero quickly but as she turned to Olivier she relaxed and immediately started reaching toward her face getting a feel for her. Nero smiled brightly taking a step back and facing Sehren. He embraced him properly this time and Sehren chuckled. “It’s good to see you, my friend.”

“Good to see you too.” His once professor, now close friend said. Sehren took a step back looking him up and down, eyes hovering over his draconic arm. But he looked to the castle and his frown became a hard line on his face. “What has happened since last we were here? This doesn’t seem like a renovation.”

Nero’s face became serious as well and he looked down, “We were attacked Sehren. By a man named Daze.” Sehren stiffened at that name. “He came with the intent to take the Sword of Ten Souls from me. What he wanted to do with it I have no idea.”

The grim expression on Sehren’s face got worse and he rested his hand along his jaw. Nero could hear Olivier playing with Silva behind them and Nero wished this was all they had to do. That Silva could meet her other grandmother in peace. Sehren looked at the castle and the damage caused and shook his head, “I’ll help with repairing the castle. And then we have much to discuss. Three years has been too long. I’ll have to see Madeline immediately.”

Nero grimaced, “That’ll have to wait.”

“Why?” Olivier asked approaching them and meeting Nero’s eyes. Her tone didn’t change but he felt her uncertainty. Her pink eyes turned to a calm blue that he’d seen many many times amongst the faeries he knew. “What has happened to my luza?”

“It’s easier if I show you.”

The three of them walked together, instead of going to find Nico, they went to the stairs taking them straight to Madeline’s room at the top of the castle. As they walked, he filled them in on the past 24 hours. Doing that also begged a cliff noted version of the past three years that they had missed.

Now they stood in the queen’s shared chambers. Olivier sat in the bed holding her wife’s hand her head down. Sehren stared at them both his arms folded tightly as if that were the only thing keeping him together. Silva was back in her father’s arms eyes starting to droop.

“I will see that the castle is put back into its previous state by the day’s end,” Sehren said. “I won’t rest until this has been rectified.”

“Where is my lela?” Olivier asked not getting up yet. She had eyes only for Madeline right now. Stroking her cheek slowly she felt guilt that could not be easily put into words.

“In meetings. With Madeline in this state…” he trailed off. “She’s taking over as best she can.”

Olivier smiled then, “That’s my girl. I’ll go to give her a hand but I don’t imagine I can provide much more assistance than my experience and my support.”

“I know Dawn will love that. I’ll go find Nico. Get myself looked at. And I’m sure Sefirin will want to meet you. He’s a lot like me and Lily.”

“I cannot wait to meet him too. Last time I saw him he was barely a few months old,” Olivier leaned forward, kissing Madeline’s forehead, and then stood up. “So much has happened in these past three years.”

They retreated as quietly as they could and took the stairs downward, parting with Olivier on the floor below them. When it was just Nero, Sehren, and Silva. Nero asked, “Were you able to find what you were looking for? Where all did you even go?”

Sehren glanced at his former student and smiled, “There’s a wonderfully large world out there Nero. Just beyond the borders, there’s a land that has forgotten its own name and would be as alien to you as one of its natives here. A place where magic is not only rare but either feared or weaponized.

“Beyond that there’s a land that I believe to be the origin of all that we know and in some ways a mirror of the land we live in now. They recently suffered a civil war and Olivier and I were able to give them the aid they needed greatly. I wasn’t able to meet the Zodiac, but I was able to learn much more than I thought I could.”

“Was it worth being gone so long? Forgive me. That came out harsher than I wanted.”

“No need for forgiveness my friend. To say it was worth it is a difficult question to answer. If the past day had not occurred, I might have said yes.”

“For what it’s worth, I’m glad you’re back now.”

“It’s worth more than you know,” he looked from him to Silva and then her tail that was lazily swinging back and forth. “Silver still watches over you I see.”

“Silver,” she said drowsily.

“Indeed. I have much to talk to you about Nero. Both about what to do next and the things we saw in our travels.”

“You and me both.”

They embraced as best they could and then went their separate ways. Nero could feel the magic from Sehren as he walked away beginning to work as he moved. A more powerful spellcaster he’d never met in his life. Having him and Olivier home calmed a fear he didn’t realize was growing.

They followed the hallway straight to Nico’s office and thankfully this time around there weren’t any sort of distractions or surprises waiting for them. As they arrived the door was opening and Lily was stepping out. She swept her hair back and glanced over at Nero. “Ah there’s my husband and daughter. Took you long enough. We were starting to think you ran off.”

“Not quite. Just saying hi to some old friends finally coming home.”

“Old friends?”

“Sehren and Olivier just came home.”

“No way. That’s great! Hell of a time to be coming home but still that’s good news.”

“You’re telling me,” he kissed her lightly and then glanced down at Silva. She’d finally stopped trying to stay awake and just dozed off in his arms. “Feeling better?”

“Yeah. Nico gave me some ointment for my hand and did one of those massage things for my back. No worse for wear. Said he wants us to do the same back massage for the next few days and I should be good as new.”

“Guess it’s my turn then,” he started to go toward the door when Lily grabbed his wrist. “What is it?”

“Nero. Nico examined me and it turns out, our family might be getting bigger.”

“Bigger how?”

Lily averted her eyes and sighed, “Apparently, I’m pregnant. With Dawn’s.”

If Nero wasn’t dumbfounded before, he was now. He opened his mouth and closed it thinking, “I thought that was something that could only happen between two faeries.”

“I did too. Apparently, it’s very very rare. Especially under special circumstances. And you know how faeries are about dating other species. So I’m betting Dawn didn’t know either.”

Nero blinked a few times and then looked at Lily turning his wrist so that he could take her hand, “Are you okay? Do you need anything? Should I do anything?”

She shook her head and smiled, “Thanks baby but no. I’m fine for right now at least. I definitely want all three of us to talk as soon as we can but for right now, I’m fine. Kinda shocked. I mean Silva is barely a past a year.”

“I know and God knows what she’s going to grow into considering she can do the whole dragon thing too now.”

“How did the two of them even do that?”

“I don’t know,” Nero frowned. “Sefirin said a voice told him to come save me and I have half a mind to think it was Silver.”

“Silver?” Lily’s eyes widened as well. “How is that possible?”

“I have no idea.” He rubbed his head trying to think. “If it’s true then I don’t know what to think. Or what that means. Sometimes I hate magic.”

“You and me both.”

Nero wrapped his free arm around her shoulders and she leaned against him. “You sure you’re okay and not just saying that because we’re trying to avoid a crisis?”

“I would never do that,” Lily said hiding her smile in his arm. “Come on. Get checked up. By the way your son had endless questions about what pregnancy means. Apparently, his hearing is very good. So I told him to ask his father about what any of it means.”

Nero paused and his eyes wide, “No way. You did not leave me with all the childbirth questions.”

She giggled pulling him along, “Come on. He’s insatiable with questions and only daddy really knows all the answers.”