Legend of the Tribes Read online

  Legends of the Tribes

  by J.F. Jenkins

  Published by Astraea Press

  www.astraeapress.com

  This is a work of fiction. Names, places, characters, and events are fictitious in every regard. Any similarities to actual events and persons, living or dead, are purely coincidental. Any trademarks, service marks, product names, or named features are assumed to be the property of their respective owners, and are used only for reference. There is no implied endorsement if any of these terms are used. Except for review purposes, the reproduction of this book in whole or part, electronically or mechanically, constitutes a copyright violation.

  LEGENDS OF THE TRIBES

  Copyright © 2013 J.F. JENKINS

  ISBN 978-1-62135-113-9

  Cover Art Designed by For the Muse Designs

  For my one and only.

  Legend of the Aero Dragon

  “I need you to do me a huge favor.” Etzli pulled his oldest brother Cualli into one of the many walk-in closets of their castle home. Following them in was Etz’s love, Zaniyah. She shut the door behind them, and pressed her ear to listen. Because he was a dragon, he had better hearing than she did, but he thought it was cute that she wanted to play lookout.

  Cualli stared between the two with a raised eyebrow.

  “Depends on what the favor is.”

  “I need you to marry us,” Etz said bluntly.

  “Now?”

  “If possible.”

  “In a closet? Why the rush?” Cualli scratched at his dark hair, obviously confused. His almond-shaped eyes narrowed in a frown.

  Etz rolled his. “If I told you, you might not do it.” He smirked a little. “It’s better for us all if you know nothing. Then you don’t have to lie. I don’t want you to be punished severely.”

  “I’m not sure if I want to do this based on that statement alone.”

  With one small hand gesture, a bright, white, flame appeared in Etz’s hand. He held the flame in front of his brother’s face, his face dark and determined as he showed the man the true power of his magic.

  “This is me threatening you,” Etz stated. “We will be wed. If not by you, then another. But not until after I make you regret it.”

  Cualli swallowed hard. “Alright. Let us pray then.”

  * * *

  A few weeks earlier

  The dragons of the wind, the Aero, have always been a people who value honor. A promise is always to be kept, the humans to always be respected, and the family to always be esteemed. These three things had been beaten into Etzli’s mind from the day he had been born. His father, being the great dragon lord over the Aero people, made sure of it.

  Etz was the youngest of ten brothers. No sisters, because dragon’s were never female. Another thing his father made sure to repeat to him plenty of times. Apparently, because the dragons were only male, that meant he had some kind of duty to the humans — especially the women.

  All of the dragons had a human form, and so they relied on the human women to reproduce. The humans didn’t know about this of course. If they did, there would be panic and chaos. Only after a dragon married, could he tell his wife the truth. This was the safe way to do things.

  Etz would wed one of them, and she would bear him sons, and together they would continue the cycle. This was how things had been done for centuries.

  A boring destiny, and not one he felt eager to fulfill. He definitely didn’t like that his bride had already been chosen for him, or that his father had his entire life mapped out without any input from him.

  Now he was in his bedroom, preparing for a ball where he would meet his future bride for the first time. She’d been chosen for him by his father at the time of her birth, when he was around fifteen years old. Dragons aged differently than the humans. For every four years that passed on the Earth, the dragons grew one year older. Now she was eighteen, and in his age range.

  “What did you bring her?” His father, the honorable Patlih, demanded of him. He made sure Etz’s tie was straight, his hair smooth, and his suit without wrinkle.

  “Stuff.” Etz rolled his eyes and suffered through his father’s inspection dutifully.

  “What kind of stuff?” Patlih pressed.

  “Personal stuff and it isn’t your business.”

  “It is my business. You know you are to wed the girl I’ve arranged for you. She comes from a good family. Don’t screw this up. If she doesn’t take you, I do not think I could find you another bride.”

  “Yes, I know. I don’t plan on screwing it up.” He sighed “What happens if I don’t like her?”

  “You will.”

  “But what if I don’t?” It was a good question. She could reject him, he knew that one all too well, but could he reject her? She could be disgusting or ugly or stupid or, worst of all, boring.

  “Do you trust me?” his father asked simply. He spun Etz around so he could see himself in the mirror.

  Etz stared at his reflection. It’d been a long time since he last saw himself looking so sophisticated. His usual wild hair was perfectly smoothed, and the suit made him look stuffy and stiff. He hated it. He felt like he was five.

  “I trust you with some things,” he replied after a minute or two of silence passed. He brought his hands up to his hair and ruffled it up again, trying desperately to reclaim some of his personality.

  He watched his father’s reflection wince in the mirror, and readied himself in case the man tried to straighten it again. The hair gel and the comb were put away, but Etz wouldn’t have put it past his father to use spit if necessary.

  “Not everything apparently,” Patlih commented. “It’s time. If you don’t go now, you will be beyond fashionably late. It will be considered disrespectful.”

  “All right, I’m going. I’ll be back late. Don’t wait up for me.”

  “The party ends at nine.”

  “We might really hit it off.” Etz winked and walked out of the room before his father could say anything else.

  * * *

  Loud music had always been Zaniyah’s style. She loved to get lost in the melodies, and move with the rhythms. Tonight at the ball however, she had to pretend to loathe music. Her twin sister, Itotia, didn’t like music much. She preferred the softer notes, and the flowing sound of strings. Zani enjoyed those too, but she had to be in a certain kind of mood to do so.

  As much as she wanted to get up and dance with the rest of the crowd, she was on a mission. She had to be her sister. Her twin was supposed to be meeting her fiancé for the first time, and instead of waiting for him out by the dance floor, she was having a panic attack in the coat closet. He couldn’t be disrespected. The girls looked identical. Zaniyah could pretend until her twin returned.

  Finding him was proving to be difficult though. Most of the couples at the party had met and paired off on the dance floor. A few talked on the side. Her parents had told her she’d know him when she saw him, which was more than a little frustrating. Each young man was supposed to have a gift they would be identified with.

  Not Etzli, apparently. While most men carried around roses or jewelry, he simply had a name tag on his suit jacket which read: “Hi, my name is Itotia.” She couldn’t miss it. The letters were bold and large in dark red marker. Another sign on his back read: “Please pick me.”

  Cute… in more ways than one. He had a personality that would be good for her sister. He was a good looking guy as well. His hair was short and black and splayed in wild spikes. He had dark eyes to match, nearly black, but there was a small hint of gold outlining his pupils. As per usual in the Aero people, they were slightly slanted in shape like almonds. He was tall for an Aero and lean, but his shoulders were still broad. He was definitely strong, an
other thing Itotia—Tia, for short—would need.

  Zaniyah gathered up the skirts of her pale pink gown, and stumbled her way over toward him. She’d never been good at walking in high heels. Anything more than an inch was too much for her to handle. Currently her shoes gave her five inches of extra height. Her dress did not help her much in terms of being able to move.

  The dress was beautiful and she loved how it looked on her, but there was too much fabric for her to maneuver around. The straps were thin and decorated in silver jewels, and the bust decorated in matching jeweled flowers. It had an empire waistline, and the skirt flowed freely and full of layers down to her ankles with a slight train. She had to hold the fabric out and away from her body in order to keep her balance.

  She lost the fight and fell onto him, her face planting into his back. He spun quickly, eyes wide with surprise and the movement caused her to stumble further. She almost hit the ground, but his arms caught her inches from the hard wooden floor.

  “Walk much?” he asked with a snort.

  “Plenty, actually,” she replied. She pulled away from him as soon as she was upright again. She stared as his name tag. “Itotia, that’s a rather feminine name don’t you think?”

  “Nice to finally meet you,” he said dryly.

  “How did you know?”

  “You should take them off if they’re giving you so many problems.” He gestured at her shoes.

  “That’s an interesting pick up line.” She raised an eyebrow and bent down to unstrap her silver jeweled heels. She took his statement as permission, and even if he minded, she didn’t care. Her feet needed the break. Her arches hurt in indescribable ways.

  He grabbed her by the arm and led her toward the side where there were some chairs. She stumbled the whole way there with her shoes half on and clinging to her feet. He sat down and waited for her to do the same.

  “It wasn’t a pick up line. I’m trying to be nice and offer you some logic. Come on, sit down. I’m not gonna do anything to you unless you ask.” He made another gesture for her to sit. Zaniyah slowly did so and started to rub her ankles and the soles of her feet.

  “Are you assuming I don’t have any logic?” she asked quietly. A very unlike Tia thing of her to say, but she couldn’t help it. She could mask her slip up later, or she thought she could, but then he laughed at her. He was challenging her, and she couldn’t say no to a challenge.

  “You’re the one who’s in pain, rubbing your feet, and wearing shoes you can’t even walk in. If that’s not illogical, I don’t know what is.” He paused a moment and bit on his lip, as if he regretted being so blunt for a moment. “Just saying.”

  Was that his way of apologizing? She couldn’t tell. Scowling, she fully removed her shoes and placed them on the empty chair next to her. “Better?”

  “I made the suggestion for your wellbeing, not mine. So you tell me, better?”

  “For the record, it was my parents’ idea for me to wear them. For some reason they think you wouldn’t find me attractive without shoes.” She shrugged with an innocent and coy smile.

  His eyes met hers then, and his lips twitched into a confident smirk. “Most guys don’t make it that far down.”

  Zaniyah suddenly became very aware of her bust then. She wished she had a wrap to cover her bare shoulders with, but then she noticed he never once examined her body. His eyes remained focused on her face outside of the brief moment they were focused on her feet.

  “You’re telling me that men don’t check out a lady’s feet? I feel like my whole world has been shattered.” She spoke quickly, playfully, to fill the gap before he figured out just how uncomfortable he was making her. Uncomfortable in a good way.

  She noticed her face growing warm, and she prayed silently he wouldn’t pay enough to her attention to see it. He had an ego; she could tell with the confident way he held his body. He slouched coolly in his chair as if he owned the ballroom. When his eyes darted away so he could examine their surroundings, she almost pouted, already missing his attention.

  He didn’t say anything for a while. Finally, his eyes returned to hers.

  “I’m sorry. I’ll pay for your therapy.”

  Her breath caught in her throat as she stared into those eyes. They were so focused and intense, and all of it directed at her. She’d never met a guy like this before.

  “Thank you, I appreciate it,” she said quietly. She didn’t have to think about channeling her sister then. In fact, she’d completely forgotten about it — again.

  “So you’re Itotia,” he commented, completely switching gears.

  No, I’m her twin. “You’re Etzli.”

  “Etz, please. I like to keep things easy.”

  “Tia.” She offered him her hand, wanting to make an effort at a proper introduction with him. First impressions were everything after all. She’d screwed this meeting up badly, but maybe she could make up for it. Though she didn’t think he cared much. He didn’t seem bothered at least.

  “I don’t suppose I could get you to dance with me? I know your feet hurt and all, but—”

  “I’m not much of a dancer,” she said quickly. She wanted to dance with him, but she needed to focus on playing the part of Tia. This guy wasn’t hers to claim. He belonged to her sister.

  He frowned a little. “Oh.”

  The frown didn’t help her feel secure in the slightest “Perhaps I could be persuaded later once I have some recovery time?”

  When his eyes lit up, she couldn’t help but melt a little on the inside.

  “Deal,” he said. “I’ll get you something to drink.”

  “Thank you.” She didn’t want to see him go, even if it would only be for a few minutes. However, Zaniyah did need the beverage and a minute so she could send her sister an update. Quickly, she pulled out her cell phone and texted two words.

  ‘He’s wonderful.’

  * * *

  Etz walked back home quickly. The night air was perfect, the sky clear so he could gaze up at the crescent moon and stars, and he couldn’t imagine a more amazing evening. He felt like he was on some kind of a cloud. The emotional high he was riding reminded him of flying through the mountains near his home and bursting through the moist white tufts in the sky: light and free.

  Never in his wildest dreams had he imagined this night going so well. He’d always thought of his arranged marriage as a curse, something binding him to someone he’d never love. Tia proved him wrong.

  He practically ran through the castle gates. Looking up at the massive, grey stone building, he had a newfound admiration for his home. For so long he’d questioned everything he’d been taught, but his father hadn’t let him down. Maybe he could start trusting the man a little more. Maybe his old-fashioned ways did have a purpose.

  Patlih waited near the front door for him. His mouth hung open, looking a mixture of shocked and confused as he watched his son walk so brightly. Etz grinned, pleased by this reaction. He always liked being unpredictable.

  “You’re back earlier than I anticipated. Did you not hit it off well?”

  Etz shook his head. “We got along fine.”

  “You did?” his father stammered. Etz was pleased at just how much he succeeded at shocking the man.

  “Yes, we did. She’s great. I’m going to say goodnight to mom and then head to bed,” he said calmly. He gave his father a bow, something he hadn’t done in months, before heading up the stairs to the master bedroom. If Patlih had more to say to him, it would have to wait until tomorrow.

  The castle was large, and he climbed three flights of stairs before he reached the floor where his parents slept. Etz’s room was at the other end of the hall. While he didn’t get along with his father, he adored his mother, so he wanted to be close to her. He stepped into the master room quietly, not wanting to disturb her. His mother was sensitive to sound. Slowly, his feet glided across the plush, white carpet. He sat by the bed, gently putting a hand on her sleeping form.

  Izel was a beauti
ful woman in her mid-fifties. Her long black hair, streaked grey, was currently pulled into a ponytail which lay beside her as she rested. At his touch, her pale eyes slowly opened for a moment to meet his. Gently, he touched her forehead with a hand. She’d been like this ever since he was born. His magic had been too strong for her body to handle. She still needed to recover from carrying him in her womb — even after nineteen years had passed.

  “Hi Mom,” he said softly. He did his best to tone down his energy so he didn’t overwhelm her.

  “Hi Etzli,” she said with a small smile. Her body shifted slightly to acknowledge he was in fact there, but beyond that she remained motionless. He didn’t want her to move anyway. She needed the rest. Her talking to him was more than enough effort.

  “Tonight was the princess ball.” He stroked her hair. “I finally got to meet my fiancée. I think you’d like her a lot. You’d approve. She’s beautiful, smart, and fun.”

  “Describe please?”

  “Of course.” He couldn’t help but smile at the memory of Tia’s beauty. “She’s maybe seven inches shorter than me. Her hair is longer than yours, black, and silky. It had a nice shine under the lights. She’s petite. A cute little thing, you know what I mean? And she has these eyes! They’re soft and brown, but so deep. Can you see her?”

  “Yes.” Her smile widened.

  “We could talk a lot. She didn’t get mad at me for being myself. I think this is the first time that’s happened. I mean, besides you.”

  “I’m—”

  “Happy, I can tell. It’s okay, you can sleep now. I didn’t want to keep you awake for long.” He kissed her forehead gently, and nuzzled his cheek against her warm skin. Sometimes, if he touched her for long enough, he could feel the magic inside of him flow into her body. He’d do anything to help her be well again. It wouldn’t happen tonight though.

  “I love you, Mom,” he added before moving away to leave the room. He didn’t want her to feel obligated to say it back. Every word she spoke was a huge effort for her.