The Time Tournament (Order of the Dragon #1)

CHAPTER 10

Elena

Time unknown

"O h, shit. I’m hallucinating. The snake is speaking to me.” I took out the dagger and stood in an attacking stance, but the snake was long gone. Then the world came crashing down. Everything merged into an amorphous mess and popped up into new forms. I could hear the laughs of those who wanted me dead. Old laughs. New laughs. Friends laughing in my ears. Enemies laughing in my face. Death dancing on my grave. My parents and Petra crying. No. I began crumbling. Focus, Elena. You need to remember what Mel taught you. She told me once what to do with snake bites. Atropa Belladonna. She mentioned Belladonna. How did it look like again?

I struggled to focus, trying to recall Mel’s lessons. Belladonna had dark, shiny berries and bell-shaped purple flowers. My vision blurred, and my body weakened, but I forced myself to look around for the plant. Desperation pushed me forward. I had to find it before the venom took over completely.

“You won’t escape this,” a cackling hallucination spoke. “You’re weak, even among humans. Don’t resist. You will fail. Like you always do.”

No surprise there. Even my hallucinations hated me.

“If you ever get bitten by a snake, use Belladonna berries. Crush them and spread the mush on the wound. You have less than a minute to survive,” Mel said. Even in my mind, she was a voice of reason.

I didn’t know how much time had passed. The bite distorted all concept of time. My body began to give up. I trembled to the tune of death ringing in my head and collapsed to the ground. Using my other leg, I pulled myself up and started searching for the plant. Mel said you could find it everywhere. But my vision blurred any semblance of reality. Search for purple. That would be easier.

As I crawled to the closest thicket, I searched desperately for bell-shaped purple flowers. Everything spun around me as I focused my attention on finding patches of color among a kaleidoscope of greenery. Despite my body slowly going numb and my heart hammering in my chest, I forced myself to fight. If not for myself, then for Mel.

Then I saw it. My only chance at survival. On the last stretch of my arms’ strength, I pulled my body forward and felt around the plant until I found the berries. I squashed a bunch in my hand and smeared them on the bite mark. It had to work. I lay down next to the Belladonna bush, pleading silently for survival. Sweat dripped over my forehead like I’d been running a marathon. A coughing fit took hold of me. Every cough scratched my throat deeper and deeper, to the point of not being able to swallow. Something got stuck in my throat. I spit out blood. Maybe I was as weak of a human as the warlocks said. A deplorable being only worthy of pity. The time to die had arrived. The idea relaxed me, and the delirium took over.

“No, Alison, you’re not my friend anymore. Not after everything you’ve done.”

I coughed out more blood.

“I didn’t steal him, Rebecca. He asked for my number. I didn’t even know he was your boyfriend.”

I can’t breathe. I can’t breathe.

I curled into a fetal position and wrapped a hand on my throat.

“Go away, Mom. No, don’t call the police. The bruises mean nothing. Give me the scarf back.”

A shadow obscured the sunlight from my face. I looked up and saw the figure of an older man. He appeared and disappeared through a white fog like a phantom. I couldn’t figure out if he was real or not. Then a worried expression appeared on his face.

“No, officer. I have nothing else to say. They didn’t hurt me. You can leave now.”

Someone picked me up and carried me home. In his arms, I felt safe.

“Grandpa, is that you?”

Grandma and Grandpa’s front yard seemed deserted until Mom and Dad wrapped an arm around my back.

“Where have you been?” Mom asked. “We’ve been looking all over for you.” She smiled widely.

“What kind of question is that? I’ve always been here,” I said.

From the morning fog appeared Petra, running toward me. “Elena, let’s go play. You said I could pretend to be a witch now.”

“A witch? Maybe another time.”

“You always say that.” Petra pouted and then vanished into thin air.

I searched frantically for her until I realized Mom and Dad were missing too.

“Mom, Dad, where are you?” I yelled, but the fog became thicker and darker. “What’s happening? Where is everybody?”

“All will be well, my dear,” a voice spoke. I turned and saw Grandma emerging from the fog. But she had passed away years ago.

“Grandma, what are you doing here?”

“The skies need you, my dear.” Her words were a mere whisper .

“What do you mean?”

“They’re bleeding,” she said.

At that moment, a drop fell on my cheek. I wiped it away. It was dark red. Blood. When I looked up, the sky and clouds were different shades of red. A menacing threat hung in the air. What was happening? Suddenly, it began pouring. I ran to the summer kitchen for shelter, stumbling upon a woman’s body. I knelt to take a closer look. It was Melisandriah. I wanted to weep for her death once more. But when I grabbed her hand, she opened her eyes and said, “They’re coming.”

Immediately, I woke up. But my body didn’t follow. The pain pinned me to the ground. Parts of my body felt hot, and others felt icy cold. What was wrong with me? I tried to get up, but each move felt like needles piercing my skin. When I tried to swallow, my throat felt drier than a desert. Desperate for water, I croaked, “Water. I need water.” But only strangled noises came out of my mouth.

“You’re awake,” a woman’s voice said. “I thought we would lose you. Here. But only a few drops.”

Only a few? I needed two buckets. She poured several droplets into my mouth, and I felt revived. Just for a second. “More,” I pleaded.

“Greedy, aren’t you?” She chuckled.

Was I still in a nightmare? “I. Need. More.”

“Very well, but don’t hurry. We don’t want you to choke. You’ve already been through enough,” she said and brought a cup close to my mouth. The moment the water touched my lips, it felt as if cracked soil got its first rain in years. Each droplet went further and further down my throat until a sense of ease engulfed me. I gulped everything with desperation, and for the first time in what felt like forever, I was able to swallow. I closed my eyes and lingered on the pleasure of regaining my basic skills.

“Your cheeks turned rosy. You’re feeling better.” The voice came closer, and I could finally match her voice to her face. She was young, not older than me, with curly pinkish red hair and tattoos spread in various places on her arms. She shared the most excited smile I’d ever seen. What was she happy about? The prospect of torturing me? She didn’t kill me yet though.

“What year is this?” I asked.

“1429,” she answered. “Why do you ask?”

I messed up by a year. It wasn’t that bad historically speaking, but considering how intense Mel was about any mistake, it could end with my death. I had to find out more about these people. “Can you help me get up?” I asked.

“Not yet,” a male voice spoke.

“Father, you’ve returned. Did you send the messenger dove?”

“I did. Now let me take a better look at our guest.” He knelt next to me, and I got a glimpse of him. He looked like an older man, but still very young to have a daughter of her age. He scrutinized me with eyes black as tar. His dark red strands reached his shoulders and complemented his beard. The man wore a sleeveless shirt and leather pants. Strangely, the daughter also wore pants and a shirt. An unusual thing for medieval times. And just like his daughter, he was covered in tattoos. The tattoos looked like reptilian scales and formed a pattern from his arms up to his neck. They blended seamlessly with his tan skin as if they were shaped to his muscles and body shape. The daughter had them only on her arms. Whoever did those must have been a master of ink.

He placed his palm on my forehead, then two fingers at my wrist, and smiled softly. “You’re lucky to be alive. Most perish within a day from a horned viper’s bite. But you, little survivor, have lived to tell the story. The belladonna you covered your wounds with has delayed your demise, and we gladly helped in your healing. We also patched up that cut on your arm.” He pointed at the bandages.

“Who’s we? Who are you?” I asked, realizing we were at the entrance of a large cave, in the middle of nowhere. More nowhere than before.

“My name is Lord Valkorian, and you are an honored guest in my Keep,” he said.

I looked around. I lay next to what looked like an abandoned cave with nothing else but trees, rocks, and grass. What Keep was he talking about? “You can address me as Lord Valkorian.”

“And I’m his daughter, Tarra Valkorian,” she said with a sparkle in her eyes. “What’s your name?”

“I’m Elena Costin. How did I get here?”

“I found you half alive in the woods. I surmised by the swell of your leg that a snake bit you. And as you probably know, the only snakes dwelling around here are horned vipers.”

“How would I know? I’ve never even gone camping in my life.” And Mel definitely didn’t teach me that. “ You barely listened to anything I taught you ,” I could hear Mel complaining in my head.

“What’s camping? Are you talking about battle encampments?” Tarra asked. Well, that escalated quickly.

“Um, no. It’s when you live in the woods for a day or two.”

“Oh, then I’ve been camping my whole life,” she said, chuckling.

“How did you arrive on our territory?” Lord Valkorian asked.

“Well, I was vacationing with my parents, and then said a weird incantation, then I met a witch, and she said I had a quest, and she died, and the two giant jerks attacked me, and I smeared blood all over me and said the spell, and then I got lost in the forest and, and…”

“Slow down, little survivor. You met a witch?”

I breathed out a yes.

“Was she the one who sent you here?”

“Didn’t you hear what I just said? Yes, because of the warlock jerks and the quest,” I said and then stopped to catch my breath. Talking never seemed so taxing as it did at that moment.

“A quest? And you said the witch died? Did she tell you what the quest was?” Lord Valkorian asked.

“Not exactly, she said I needed to be here before February 1431 and to stay alive,” I blurted. What was wrong with me? I told my entire life story to complete strangers. What if they were in cahoots with the warlocks? I bit my tongue, but it was too late. He seemed overtaken by my words. The more he stayed silent, the more his mood changed. His eyes turned a deep blue, and his facial expression grew menacing. Would I die now? What kind of dumbass blurts everything out to the first people she sees? Yes, they saved me, but only because they didn’t know anything about me. Yep, the Fates clearly missed by choosing me as their messenger or whatever I was. Maybe next time, Fates. Who was I kidding? Mel was dead, and her death probably meant one thing: this was my last chance to end the time loop. Lord Valkorian raised his hand, and I wondered when the first strike would follow, but he propped himself up as he stood and said, “I see.”

“Father, do you know what she’s talking about?” Tarra looked at him curiously.

“No, but from what I can infer, she is a time traveler,” he said with a grave tone.

“How did you figure that from everything I said? I barely understood what I said.”

But Lord Valkorian ignored my question and continued, “I’m inclined to believe her since no one can breach our territory by land, especially not a human.”

“A human time traveler?” Tarra looked at me as if I were a circus monkey.

“It has been known that time travelers always bear the Fates’ will. And since she said she’s on a quest, it must be of great importance. ”

“What do you mean, human? Aren’t you humans too, or are we supposed to call ourselves by our biological species? Hello, I’m human, what are you?”

“Father, she might still be delirious,” Tarra said as she soaked a piece of cloth and smacked it on my forehead.

“Ow, could you be more gentle?”

She gasped. “Indeed, Father, she is human.”

“Is this your method of figuring it out? By slapping people with wet rags?”

“I see we have a feisty survivor here, not only human.” Lord Valkorian smiled.

What was with these people using the word “human” as an insult? “For your information, I killed two warlocks back in 1378. Or one and a half, but it doesn’t matter. I’m not as weak as you say.”

“One and a half, huh?” His entire body became tense, but somehow, I didn’t think it was because of me.

“I must send another letter,” Lord Valkorian said.

“Does that mean she can stay?” Tarra began jumping in excitement.

“Yes, daughter of mine, she can stay.” Lord Valkorian patted Tarra’s shoulder.

Why were these people behaving as if I were some kind of Christmas present puppy?

“You have come a long way, little survivor. You are welcome as a guest on my land and in my castle.”

Castle? What castle?

“But your future is beyond my decision. Do not fret, it will be discussed among great minds. For now, you must wait.”

I nodded. He bid farewell and left. Only in the distance could I understand just how tall and well-built he was. He resembled a highly trained medieval warrior. Few things betrayed his age, like the white strands blending in with his red hair and a few wrinkles on his face.

Now I was left with the curly redhead with a cheerleader personality.

“I’m so happy you’re here.”

“Why? You’ve never met me before. You actually remind me of a few people at my sch…” Suddenly, I remembered and rushed to check my neck. Phew, the choker was still there.

“I thought there had to be a reason why you wore it, so I left it even though it was soiled in blood.” She smiled.

I breathed in relief. “Thank you.”

“I’m happy you’re here. There are very few girls my age around. Most leave the village early since girls don’t get powers, and the men here either train for battle or help those who train for battle.”

“What kind of powers? What kind of battles?” I struggled to wrap my mind around all this.

“We are our land’s greatest weapon,” she continued to confuse me.

“Who?”

“Father, my brother, and I,” she said. “And the Solomonari, but they’re different from us, you know?”

“Actually, I don’t.” I scratched my head.

“Compared to us, the Solomonari mostly live in the village, and they train in the art of air-wielding. However after the war, few have survived. Our only hope is for the young ones to join.” Her cheerfulness in contrast to her words gave me an eerie feeling.

“War? Are you part of Vlad Dracul’s army?”

“You know of His Majesty? Well, we’re his secret legion,” she said. “We’re few but very strong.”

“What medieval legion would accept women?” I asked.

“Oh, I’m not a human woman. I’m a dragoness.”