Ivan took the opportunity to end the meeting, “We’ll be using the training facilities outside the city if you need to reach us.”
As Ivan rose from his seat, Asmond said, “Ivan, I think you’ll appreciate the additions we’ve made to the training grounds.”
Ivan furrowed his brow as the king continued, “Don’t worry, it’s nothing major.” He waved him off before Ivan turned to leave the table. Ivan led them toward the exit when Lageena called, “Maija.” She turned to address the queen. “It’s good to have you back,” the queen said with a smile.
Maija curtsied slightly and followed the others, leaving the room and descending through the stairwell.
Once outside earshot of the king, Ivan turned to Anders, still pale and absent-minded, “Are you alright? You looked like you were about to have a breakdown.”
Anders shook his head, “I’m not ready for all this. I don’t want to fulfill the prophecy.”
“No one is ever ready to do things like this,” Ivan said. “Try not to think about the end goal, just think about what we need to do next. Begin training. That’s what we’ll focus on now.”
Anders nodded.
Ivan led as they exited the large tree and walked to the cliff’s edge where Anders had planned to meet Zahara. She stood waiting for them.
What are we going to do now? Zahara asked when she saw Anders.
We’re going to begin training because that’s what we need to do next. Just practice, not fighting yet, Anders said, still rattled by the immense task ahead of them.
Zahara eyed him strangely, then turned her attention to Ivan, who said, Training is what comes next, so that’s what we’re going to do. Head to the training facilities.
Where’s that? Zahara asked.
Ivan pointed beyond the cliff to the far reaches of the valley below. The training grounds are at the end of the valley. There will be lodging and food for us there.
Anders and Ivan climbed onto Zahara’s back and waved goodbye to Natalia and Maija, who’d followed before seeking out their parents’ home along the cliff’s edge. Zahara leapt off the edge of the tall cliff at the edge of Cedarbridge and let herself fall with her wings tucked for several seconds. Anders’ adrenaline began to pump through his veins as they plummeted toward the ground. The air rushed through his wavy hair, pulling it straight back. Letting her wings extend out and catch the air within their leathery expanse, Zahara pulled herself out of the dive and used the momentum to climb and glide over the forested valley below.
See the tower at the far end of the valley, Ivan said to them. That’s where we’re heading.
Anders let himself become lost in the joy of flying. If only for a short distance, it gave him the chance to shed his worries and feel the freedom of the sky. Zahara brought them down in a clearing next to the training facilities.
A three-story tower made of stone stood at the far end of a grassy opening. The castle-like building bore a resemblance to the depictions of towers surrounding the castle keeps in several books Theodor had in his personal library. A long single-story hall extended out from the bottom floor, attached to the rounded stone building. The length of the room stretched several times that of the tallest trees in Cedarbridge and was built with an extensive roof crafted entirely of timbers. Next to the tower was a massive circular depression, digging deep into the ground and absent of grass near the base. The sloped sides rising out from the bottom of the pit were covered with grass and boulders.
Surrounding the stone building was the large grassy clearing they landed in. The clearing and training facility sat nestled near the base of rolling hills that rose up from the valley bottom. Looking up from the clearing, Anders could see several stone spires reaching high over the trees. These rock formations rose up from the forested hilltops, jutting high above the trees in magnificent fan-like spires, of varying heights.
“This is it,” Ivan said, jumping down off Zahara. He pointed to the stone tower, “This will be our dormitory for the next several months. There’s a large hall for dining and a library complete with every book ever written about magic and dragons. The fighting pit’s a new addition and looks like it will be a great place to learn how to battle with magic. And the cliffs are used for flight training.”
Anders and Zahara ogled at it all in wonder, drinking it all in. “Where do we begin?” Anders asked Ivan.
“In the library,” Ivan said as he walked toward the tower.
Anders was eager to improve on his battle skills and learn battle magic and flight maneuvers with Zahara, but he was not excited to read about them.
“Shouldn’t we start by working on my fighting skills?” he asked Ivan, jogging to catch up with him.
“We’ll start every day by going to the library to study. After lunch you and Zahara will practice what you have learned that morning,” he said.
When they entered the stone building, Anders looked around at the paintings and banners that covered the walls. They depicted dragons and sorcerers of the past. House banners with their slogans were interspersed among the paintings.
Ivan led them through the entryway, passing a large dining hall. Anders paused to admire the enormous room. Long tables ran the length of the hall. He marveled at the large doors and high ceilings, each big enough to accommodate all sizes of dragons.
“Follow me,” Ivan said, opening a door that led down a set of stairs into a sizable cave-like basement.
He lit a torch on the wall and held it up as Anders and Zahara entered the cave. The light revealed hundreds of books on shelves that lined the walls of the enormous cavern. Anders was taken aback by the size of this hidden underground library.
“Will I have to read all of these?” he said, looking around.
Ivan chuckled, “No, but you will need to read quite a bit if you’re going to gain enough information to take on Merglan.”
“Where should I begin?” Anders asked.
“Here,” Ivan said leading him to a row of books all stamped on their spines with a golden dragon wing. He pulled out one volume and said, “Start with this and let me know when you have completed it.”
Anders sat down on one of the many chairs within the cave.
“Zahara, I have something for you to read as well,” Ivan said, leading her across the cave.
But I can’t read your language in writing, Zahara said.
“You don’t have to,” Ivan said. “There’s a special kind of book created just for your kind.” He showed her a large bookcase and pulled open the doors. The cabinet held stacks of stone tablets. He attempted to lift one off the shelf but set it back in its place after trying to pick it up. “These are a lot heavier than I remember,” he said. “Why don’t you start with that one,” he pointed to the slab he’d attempted to lift.
Zahara grabbed it with her clawed hand and held it up, examining the front and back. It’s just a stone, she said confused.
“Oh, it’s much more than just a stone,” Ivan said excitedly. He spoke an elfish word and the stone slab lit up, the strange light illuminating from within the tablet’s core. “It’s a book for dragons,” he said, showing her how to use it. “You touch the side here to turn the images. Each image plays out the content of the story. The magic in the stone slab links with your mind and narrates what is happening. Pretty ingenious, wouldn’t you say?”
