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- Herausgeber: Dragonfire Press
- Kategorie: Fantasy und Science-Fiction
- Serie: Bound by Blood
- Sprache: Englisch
Fate has a way of defying expectations.
Chosen in the womb to be a dragon rider, Kai Lin has waited her entire young life to meet her dragon in person. But when she stands before him at the Ceremony of Oaths, the unthinkable happens, and Kai’s world is sent spinning into chaos.
Secrets come to light, and a powerful enemy attacks. Forced to flee for her safety, Kai must seek out the only one who can help her... before it’s too late.
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Seitenzahl: 103
Veröffentlichungsjahr: 2024
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Chosen
Bound by Blood Book 1
Richard Fierce
Copyright © 2024 by Richard Fierce
All rights reserved.
This is a work of fiction. All events portrayed in this book are fictitious, and any resemblance to real people or events is purely coincidental. All rights reserved, including the right to reproduce this book or portions thereof in any form without the express permission of the publisher.
Cover by Covers by Christian
Contents
Kai Lin was going to meet her dragon.
Chosen while she was still in the womb, she had long anticipated this moment, and also dreaded it. It should have been an exciting day, and although she was experiencing many emotions, elation was not one of them. She rubbed her sweaty palms on her gown.
“Don’t fidget,” Sho, her father, said softly.
“I can’t help it,” Kai replied.
“Leave the girl alone,” her mother intervened. “She has every right to be nervous. It’s an important day.”
“I’m aware, Ryoko, but we haven’t even entered the city yet.”
Kai looked out the window of the wagon and watched the landscape pass. Her mother was right, she was nervous. She was leaving behind everything she had ever known for a future of uncertainty and endless war. It didn’t make sense to her that both men and women were forced to be Chosen. Were it up to her, she would have taken a very different path, one less fraught with danger.
She hissed in a breath and grimaced as a lance of pain ran down the back of her skull. Clenching her jaw, she focused her attention on the swirling pattern sewn into her gown and waited for the agony to fade.
“Is it the headaches?” Ryoko asked.
Kai nodded slightly, afraid to make the pain worse.
Her mother looked at her father. “They’re becoming more frequent.”
“It has something to do with the ceremony,” Sho answered, though Kai could tell by his tone that he was merely offering a guess.
The headaches had been rare when she was younger, but as she grew, they plagued her more and more. Now that they were headed to Ikje for the ceremony, the flashes of pain were almost like clockwork. The agony faded, and Kai unclenched her jaw.
“It seems a sorry reward for being Chosen,” she said lamely.
Her parents exchanged looks, but neither one reprimanded her. Had they been in public, she knew they would have made a show of chastising her. Being Chosen was a great honor, and anyone who said otherwise was akin to a traitor.
The rest of the trip was uneventful other than Kai’s steady stream of gasps when the headaches overtook her. She’d never before desired to die, but now, it was tempting to wish for the relief it offered.
The walls of Ikje came into view, and Kai marveled at the number of people who had come to attend the ceremony. Commoners and nobles alike crowded at the gates, eager to gain entry.
“We’re here,” her father announced.
Despite her anxiousness, Kai was curious to see the other Chosen. Were they nobles like her, or commoners? Or was there a mix? She would soon find out. The wagon trundled through a gatehouse, and guards lined the cobbled street, keeping the inquisitive at bay. That was one thing she disliked about being Chosen. She wasn’t treated like everyone else. Instead, she had been kept in seclusion.
To say her childhood had been laborious was an understatement. She’d never been given dolls or other toys, had never played with another child. Upon asking about it, her parents only told her that being Chosen wasn’t just an honor, it was also a sacrifice. She never understood that answer then, but she understood it now.
The wagon came to a halt, and the door swung open to reveal a soldier in leather armor. The faceplate of his helmet was missing, and his brown eyes swept over the interior, coming to rest on her. He was thin but muscular and had a stoic demeanor.
“Chosen,” he greeted. “My name is Liu Wei, and I have been assigned as your personal guard. Please, follow me.”
Kai stood and looked at her mother for assurance. Ryoko smiled at her, though her eyes were full of tears that threatened to spill and run down her cheeks.
“Everything will be fine,” she said, rising to embrace her.
The words rang hollow in Kai’s ears, but she knew her mother meant well. The lifespan of most Chosen wasn’t very long, but that was to be expected when their job was to protect the kingdom from the incursion of the Drakka.
She’d had many nightmares of the terrible creatures, some so vivid she questioned if the dreams had truly been visions. The guard cleared his throat, and Kai lunged for her mother, embracing her tightly. She hugged her father next, and then she stepped out of the carriage and into an entirely new world.
Liu offered her a friendly smile and turned about, leading her across an expansive courtyard toward the castle. It towered above the city of Ikje like a sentinel, and flying overhead was a group of Sworn. Kai’s breath caught in her throat at the sight of the mighty dragons soaring across the sky. Those riding upon their backs were too small to be seen clearly, but she knew they were there because their armor glinted under the sun.
Kai walked as fast as her short legs could go, but Liu was outdistancing her. He glanced back at her and slowed his pace.
“Apologies,” he said. “I tend to walk fast.”
Kai smiled sheepishly, but she didn’t know why he was apologizing. Although she was born of a noble family, as one of the emperor’s men, he likely outranked her. They reached two massive doors and at Liu’s command, a host of guards scrambled to push them open.
Looking through the entrance, she saw a long hall with a vaulted ceiling. Globes of white light were spaced every six feet, and they hovered in the air of their own volition. Kai’s eyes widened. She had seen magic before, but this was something much grander. She looked over her shoulder, but her parents’ wagon was gone.
Her heart hammered in her chest as panic started to overtake her, but she took a deep breath and reminded herself that she would see her parents again at the Ceremony of Oaths. Kai followed Liu inside, and the doors closed behind them. She gazed around the hall. The walls were bare of any decorations, which she found odd until she realized this area was part of the barracks.
“Where are we going?” she asked.
“To your personal chambers.”
“I have my own room?”
“No. All of the Chosen have been assigned to the same room, but you will each have your own bed. I expect after the ceremony you’ll be transferred to Dangju for training.”
“I thought we were supposed to train here?”
“Normally you would,” Liu replied, turning to the right and leading her down a new hall. “We’ve received reports that a large force of Drakka have been seen in the area, and the general feels that it would be safest to have you train elsewhere in the event they attack the castle.”
Kai frowned. The Drakka had never attacked Ikje before. Between the emperor’s soldiers and the Sworn, it was too well protected. She hissed in a breath and leaned against the wall, closing her eyes against the pain of another headache.
“Are you all right?”
“I will be,” she whispered in reply. After the pain subsided, she opened her eyes to see Liu staring at her, his eyes full of concern. She pushed off the wall and stumbled, but Liu caught her. He placed a hand on her forehead. His touch was surprisingly gentle, and Kai felt a rush of warmth spread through her body.
“I get headaches,” she replied. “They can be rather crippling.”
“We’re almost there,” Liu said. “Just a little further.”
He supported her with his arm, and they made their way slowly down the hall, stopping at a wooden door on the right. Liu pushed it open and helped her inside. The room was spacious, with several beds lining the walls. Each bed had a trunk at its foot, and Kai assumed that was where she would store her belongings.
“You can take the last bed on the left there.”
Kai looked to where Liu pointed and saw a girl that looked to be her age lying on one of the beds. She wore a chainmail shirt and had her feet crossed, her dirty boots resting on the clean, white blanket that draped the bed.
“When is the ceremony?” Kai asked, looking at Liu. Despite her curiosity about the other Chosen, she didn’t really want to be left alone with them.
“In a few days. We’re awaiting the arrival of the dragons. Without them, there isn’t much we can do. Should I call for a physician?”
“No, I’m fine. The pain comes and goes. There is nothing that can be done for it. My parents have tried everything.”
“I see. I will leave you to rest, then.”
“Wait. What do we do until the dragons get here?”
“Whatever you like, so long as you remain inside the castle.”
“Are we prisoners?” Kai asked.
“Of course not. It is for your protection. If you’d like to go outside, I can arrange for an armed contingent to escort you around the grounds?”
Kai hesitated. The idea of being free to do whatever she wanted was foreign to her. Finally, she shook her head.
“No, thank you. I’ll stay indoors.”
“Excellent,” Liu said, and Kai had the feeling he was glad he wouldn’t have to organize a patrol for her. “Food and water will be provided every few hours. Unless you need anything, I shall take my leave.”
Although she had just met the man, she considered him a friend and was hesitant to dismiss him. She reminded herself that she had no friends, and that he was only a soldier tasked with keeping her safe.
“I do not need anything,” she said.
He smiled and bowed his head to her, then left the room. Kai stood in place awkwardly for a long moment, debating on whether to lay in her bed or wander around the castle. Pain clawed at the inside of her skull, and she decided lying in bed was the better option. She walked down the row of beds, glancing at the woman in the chainmail as she passed.
The woman cracked her eyes open and returned her stare, causing Kai to look away. She climbed onto her bed and laid down, surprised at how comfortable the mattress was.
“I’m Siran,” the woman said.
Kai lifted her head and looked over at her. She had her eyes closed again, but somehow it felt as though the woman was watching her.
“I’m Kai.”
“You look a little soft to be a Chosen. Are you a Chosen?”
“I am.”
Siran grunted. There was a long pause, and then she said, “The others were in here earlier, but they went to explore the castle. That’s commoners for you. Impressed with mundane things.”
“How many others are there?” Kai asked.
“Ten, I think. I didn’t really count them. The servants were whispering that we’re the smallest group of Chosen they’ve seen in years.”
Kai didn’t know if that was good or bad, and she didn’t ask. She fidgeted with the edge of her gown, running the material under her nails. It was a nervous habit.
“You’re too loud,” Siran said.
“I’m sorry.”
“It was a joke. Actually, you’re too quiet. Say something.”
“Aren’t you trying to sleep?”
“No. I’m listening to my dragon.”
“What do you mean?”
“He’s thinking. When he thinks, I listen. It helps me learn about him.”
Kai was silent for a moment, debating on whether to speak her mind. Deciding she was tired of maintaining an illusion, she spoke up.
“What’s it like? Hearing your dragon, I mean?”
