It was quite save for the gentle lapping of the lake. Ignatius watched as the Drukh drank deeply from Glacier Lake. They have been flying for the past few hours. The Drukh deserved a break and a drink. They both did. He took the chance to drain a quarter of the canteen he found in the supply pack and refilled it from the lake water.

    During their break, he used the medical supplies in his pack to stitch and bandage his hand. Haco had stabbed nearly all the way through his hand earlier. He hadn't even noticed his hand was bleeding until the blazing pain came back after the adrenaline wore off. It had hurt like Neth.

The saddle had small blotches of dark blood still staining the wood and leather. He would need to wash that off. But for now, he wanted to sit here and do absolutely nothing.

    As he sat on the lakeshore, he looked up to the towering dark gray monoliths of stone that pierced through the impenetrable wall of gray clouds hovering over the Kingdom of Aeris. The mountainous kingdom had closed its borders for nearly two decades. How it survived without trade was unknown to him; all the kingdoms of Elementa only thrived because of trade with one another. He guessed the kingdom lived off whatever livestock and plants they could grow and gather. Whatever the reason, the people of Aeris were a sturdy bunch, he would give them that.      Despite the closing of their borders, King Agni still had contact with the current reigning monarch over the disputed control of Frost Dam. Frost Dam was crucial for keeping Glacier Lake full with water. Without the water from Frost Dam, Glacier Lake and all of Pyrisa's rivers would dry up, leaving the kingdom to rely on small springs and oases, which too would soon dry up from overuse. He didn't even want to imagine all the fighting that would take place once that happened. 

    Ignatius sighed, leaning back and letting the cool breeze wafting off the lake caress his face. It felt so good but he knew he could not stay here forever. Although, it wouldn't hurt to stay a little longer. It would give him time to see what kind of armor he got. As well as letting the Drukh finish quenching its seemingly unquenchable thirst.

    Pushing himself up to his feet, he crossed over to where he left his equipment or rather where it fell after the Drukh landed. Grabbing the canvas bag that contained the armor, he opened it, finding a simple leather armor set. There was a leather breastplate, bracers, and greaves. It wasn't much, but it was better protection than the clothes on his back.

    Ignatius closed the bag and brought it back over to the Drukh. He would need to tie down everything. He didn't want to carry everything down whenever they stopped. He needed to have all his equipment tied down, except for his weapons and supplies. Those were the most vital items he needed to keep a hold of them at all in case he were to get separated from the Drukh.

    So he spent the next ten minutes tying down everything and washing off the dried blood in addition. He made sure he still had quick access to all his armor while ensuring that the canvas pack wouldn't be swept away in the wind later. He tethered his sword, shield, and supply pack to the saddle via slipknots for a quick and easy removal.

    Ignatius looked over his work to confirm nothing would come loose unless he wanted it. Once he double checked and one more for his sanity's sake, he seated himself in the saddle, slipping his feet into the shoe like stirrups. Unlike equine stirrups, these stirrups were shaped more like a shoe. The toe of the stirrup was shaped like the toe of a boot whereas the back part was a leather strap that had to be manually strapped. Yet, the stirrups were designed so that pulling back hard against the leather straps, released them, allowing for a quicker dismount. He had to adjust the stirrups for his legs. They had previously been set for someone with longer legs than him. It was crucial to use saddles that were the right length for one's legs else it became a pain to stay in the saddle. He found that out quickly because he spent the whole flight hanging onto the reins and saddle handle for dear life. That was before he noticed the straps of the stirrups. He wasn't going to make that mistake twice.

    After adjusting the stirrups, he gripped the chain reigns and pulled gently, letting the Drukh know it was time to go. The Drukh growled lowly but complied with his commands. The Drukh rose into the sky with a single bound. The sudden lurch caused his stomach to flip and fear to grip his heart as the binds of the ground kept its mighty hand wrapped around them, determined to not let go. The deep and fast strokes of the Drukh's feathered wings broke them free of those invisible binds and off soaring into the clear sky they went.

    Ignatius was careful to watch where they were going, correcting the Drukh to the north instead of the east like it kept drifting. As time went on, the Drukh continued to veer off to the east, as if it knew that irritated him. It did. But he had to remember to keep his emotions in check. Creatures were keen on picking up on Human emotions, using it to their advantage. So it was wise to keep a cool head and not let the Drukh know of his vexation.

However, he could not deny the intelligence the Drukh displayed and was not dismayed for choosing it. He supposed Drukhs were smarter than their Wyrukh cousins, given their lineage. Rukhs were astute but that did not compete with the dragons, who were known for their intelligence that rivaled that of Humans. Putting those two creatures together, made the Drukh a highly perceptive and dangerous creature. They lacked their draconic ancestors' magic. They had no need for it, not with their sharp and clever minds, keeping Drukhs at the top of the food chain in their habitats.

    Ignatius had continued to correct their course well after an hour had passed. He never forced the Drukh but instead gave it gentle nudges in the right direction. He wasn't able to raise the whip located to his left. Many creatures had their behaviors corrected with whips and was how they were commanded during flight or other activities. Using the whip on the Drukh felt wrong. It had already been forced into a life of servitude. Forever doomed to do whatever its masters wished until the day it died, either from overworking or being killed by its masters, whichever came first. This Drukh had been doomed to die an early life the moment it was captured or born in captivity. It made something inside become restless, vexed at the thought. It made his heart ache and consciousness feel guilty for feeding into that servitude that was forced upon this innocent creature. He would free it if he could, but he needed to complete the Tribulations.

    After. After the Tribulations he would find some way to free the Drukh. He swore to himself.

    They continued north where the Beast Lord of the Plains resided. The Taurus Bull.

It took only half an hour of flying before they reached the heart of Lahava Clan territory. Within the Northern Plains, it was his task to find and kill an adult male Taurus Bull. If he recalled correctly from the old stories he was told as a child, the Taurus Bull was the Pyrisian variant, the breed that was not domesticated like the imported Teriahian breed. The Pyrisian breed was more dangerous and difficult to domesticate. That probably had something to do with the Pyrisian breed setting themselves on fire and getting out of their pastures; he could picture the mayhem of the Pyrisian Tauruses escaping from their pastures whenever they desired. The Teriahian breed was less difficult and easier to raise and fatten up. Yet another reason why the Kingdom of Pyrisa was indebted to Teriah. The raising of Tauruses for meat was another major income for Pyrisa. If they lost that income, there wouldn't be much left to keep the kingdom afloat.

    Ignatius scanned the landscape below, looking for any sign of Tauruses. They commonly lived in this region though it wasn't uncommon for them to be found in the Chaparral as well. Now he could see why King Agni gave them an entire month to find the Five Beast Lords. It sounded easy yet it was far from it.

    He continued to watch the ground below him.

    The Drukh's wingbeats had a calming effect as they flew. It almost made him fall asleep twice. He nearly fell asleep the second time but was jerked awake when the Drukh beneath him lurched hard enough to flip his stomach.

    His eyes flew open and the wind whacked him in the face, tearing at his hair and eyes as the Drukh gave chase. He didn't see what the Drukh was chasing at first but a moment later his eyes snagged on a Griffin fleeing frantically through the sparse cloud cover.

    Ignatius had completely forgotten the Drukh was still a hunter, a predator. It was going to hunt when it was hungry, and right now it was. The Wyrukh was looking a whole lot better now.

    His hands went to the reins and pulled hard. The Drukh's head was pulled up and back. It stayed there for a moment until the Drukh ripped its head back down and went on with its hunting chase. His hands flared slightly from the sliding metal but he still hung on and kept yanking at the reins.

    Ignatius pulled harder and yelled at the Drukh to stop. The Drukh paid no heed to him and closed in quickly to the Griffin. They were close enough that Ignatius could see the fear in the Griffin's golden eyes. He didn't blame it. Who wouldn't be terrified if a large, Dragon-Rukh hybrid was chasing you down to eat you.

    He eventually gave up trying to fight with the Drukh and let it catch and kill the Griffin, apart from he was tired from yelling at the Drukh and his palms burned from fighting for control of the reigns. Ignatius cringed when he heard the sickening crunch of bones as the Griffin's neck was snapped like a twig and gave one last cry of pain before he watched the light leave those bright eyes.

    After the Drukh killed the Griffin, it had to land so it could eat, though it was more of a demand. There was agreement. The Drukh set down at the first clearing it could find and promptly set to tearing and shredding the Griffin's feathered body into swallowable strips.

Ignatius dismounted and left the Drukh to its feast. He could use this time to look around and stretch his legs. Before he left, he tethered the Drukh to the largest tree he could find—the trunk of the tree was so wide he couldn't wrap his arms around even a third of it. Then he set off through the thin and sparse spinney.

He wandered around for a few minutes, looking for any possible signs of large animals passing through. It would be hard to tell since he had no idea what Tauruses trails looked like. He wouldn't think it would be hard to find Tauruses. They were roughly six feet tall at the shoulder, if not taller, and traveled in herds. Their massive horns also wouldn't be impossible to miss. So why was it so hard to find a single one?

    Ignatius looked around for a little bit longer before deciding to return back to the Drukh and leave. If nothing ran off when the Drukh landed, there would be nothing left here to look for.

Ignatius spent the rest of the day looking and found nothing, not even a single trace. During his search, he did see a few others partaking in the Tribulations; none of them bothered to talk to each other.

    Ignatius was glad the Drukh ate that Griffin and was full enough to not go after one of the Pegasus or Hippogriff mounts he saw flying around.

    He laid on the ground later that night, watching as the adorned black quilt of stars took over the blanket of deep gold and orange. The night air was neither cold nor warm so he did not need to pull out the thin blanket stuffed inside the pack. He just wasn't cold. His blood always ran a little hot, making it hard to sleep with blankets—aside from they felt stifling—on hotter nights. Tonight, however, was one of those nights he could barely sleep with or without one. It all depended on if he wanted to pull out the blanket. He didn't. It would just be a waste of time and energy.

    Rolling on his side, he closed his eyes and allowed himself to be swept off into a shallow sleep, listening to the rise and fall of the Drukh's breathing.

For the next few days, Ignatius and the Drukh continued with the same routine: Wake up, scavenge for food, search, go back to Glacier Lake for water, search, scavenge again, and sleep. The Drukh wasn't very fond of the constant scavenging. Ignatius wasn't either but he was trying to save as much food for when they went to the Fire Sands Desert. He had no idea how to survive there. Water would be the biggest concern. There was only one man made river in the desert and it didn't even go half way in. And from what he read about Scorchions, they preferred dry and hot areas away from water, canceling out them being around any sources of water.

    Ignatius gnawed on a piece of Flameroot, his back resting against the Flametree he got it from. The roots were tough but surprisingly edible; he managed by slicing the root into small coin-like pieces. The taste, however, was another story. It had a dirt-like bitter taste that later turned to a spicy yet savory flavor. It wasn't bad. He still favored the bark though. He would have to make sure to stock up on Flameroot and Flamebark before they left. It would be the perfect non-perishable food while traveling.

    He watched the Drukh munching on some carcass it had found. He wasn't sure what it was from the level of decay but whatever it was, it was large enough to sate the Drukh's appetite. The Drukh had a vast appetite even though it ate the Griffin just a few days ago. That should have been a large enough meal to last two weeks. While he sat there, he pondered about that. A thought occurred to him that the Drukh knew it was going to have a hard time finding food in the Fire Sands Desert. So it too was stocking up on whatever it could eat to get it through the desert, just like him. This yet again proved the Drukh's intelligence, that was if his theory was correct.

Ignatius couldn't help but notice the beauty of the Drukh. Its feather-fur was a pale sand color and possessed a set of glowing orbs. Its horns, claws, and teeth looked like ivory. He pitied the Drukh's straight, slightly upcurved horns. Through the middle of each horn was an iron ring that connected the chain reigns to the saddle. The holes must have been drilled through the Drukh's horns when it was younger, forcing the horn to grow around the ring. He couldn't help but feel sorrow for the Drukh. It was born or taken into captivity and bent to the rule of Humans like him with Ignacio. Trained to respond to all its masters' commands. But that begged the question of why the Drukh threw Haco? If this Drukh, like all other Drukhs, were trained to be obedient to their masters, then why did it disobey that one core command? It made no sense.

    He looked at the Drukh.

    Maybe...maybe it was fate. Proof of a higher power looking out for him.

~ ~ ~

"May Fya's Flame guide you and Pyrisa's Sword protect you." The priestess said to the kneeling man before her, his head bowed as her golden fire danced around him.

    "May Fya's Flame guide me and Pyrisa's Sword protect me." He echoed.

A nod to her left had her ending the flow of magic. The man stood up, bowed his head in reverence and left the stone temple.

    She let out a breath as the long line of the Flame Lustrate hours ago now stood bare.

    "Is that last of them?" She whispered to the Elder Priestess standing off to her left, hidden from view.

    "Yes." The old crone said and hobbled out to Elidi's side. "Now, go change out of your Holy Fire Attire and meet me and other Elder Priestess in the Pyre for your judgment." The old woman's gravely voice croaked out.

    "Yes, Elder Priestess Kalinda," she replied, bowing her head with the same deference the man showed her just moments ago

    The distant clack of the Elder Priestess's wooden staff signaled her to rise.

    Turning around she stared once at the deep red flames dancing behind her and started down the right path hidden behind the ornate stone walls when someone called out.

    "Wait! Do you have time for one more? Please, I need your blessing, Priestess of Fya." The woman, now evident, pleaded.

    Elidi hesitated. Should she really do this? She wasn't officially allowed to do this yet since she hadn't graduated from being an acolyte priestess. But it couldn't hurt could it

    "Please, I traveled all the way from Pyri. Please don't deny me. It is your duty to help the people. It is your sacred duty entrusted to you by Fya herself. Plea—," the women broke off and the sound of bone on stone echoed dully in the sunlit chamber.

    Elidi turned around abruptly and found a woman on her knees, head bowed so low that her forehead touched the stone. Her red-gold hair splayed out before her head like a sunset in all its glory.

    Guilt squeezed her stomach at the sight of the woman. She had never seen anyone lay themselves so bare before the Flame of Fya or any priestess. Yet fear clutched her throat as the small voice whispered in her ear. She would be in deep trouble if any of the Elder Priestesses found out she cleansed anyone without them watching. But she couldn't just turn this woman away. From here to Pyri was indeed a long journey. She should abide by the woman's wishes even if it did put her in a precarious position.

    Making up her mind, she called the woman forward.

    The woman raised her head, orange-gold eyes red from tears, and made her way up to Elidi, her belly swollen with a babe.

    Elidi was overcome with astonishment for the woman. She made it this far while pregnant; seven months pregnant if she had to guess.

    "What is it, thou wishes to confess before Fya?" She asked.

    The woman, on her knees again, said, "I ask Fya for a cleansing and a blessing if she will allow it."

    Elidi closed her eyes and went quiet for a moment as required when doing cleansings or blessing before replying with eyes now open: "Fya permits it. Speak."

    The woman's voice was quiet as her elegant and honeyed voice spoke.

    Elidi's eyes went wide at the request but accepted it.

    Crossing to the red flames she muttered a phrase she had memorized by heart and scooped up a handful of fire. It did not burn nor tickle. It just existed the same as she and everyone else did. Going back to the woman, she eased more life into the red flame and commanded it to swirl around the woman, enveloping her in flames of gold.

    After a minute, she ended the flames and turned them to smoke and watched as the smoke rose up and out of the chamber's skylight.

    "Fya has heard your request and will grant it to you." She copied from previous cleansing and blessing ceremonies. "May Fya's Flame guide you and Pyrisa's Sword protect you."

    The woman arose and looked Elidi in the eyes and her eyes turned dark, dark as night, no darker, like the darkest pit, yawning to swallow her whole.

    She gasped as a dagger was stabbed into her heart and that inky darkness flooded into her veins, her very being, infecting her with it, killing her.

    "Now, you are just like me, Priestess, or should I say Fraudress. You cursed me and now I do the same to you." The woman hissed in her ear and ripped out the dagger.

Elidi jerked awake from both the nightmare and the constant shaking of the wagon. Her eyes adjusted to the bright light shining through the canvas top of the wagon as she came back to her surroundings. She had forgotten she was traveling to small villages that have been ravaged by the latest Dragon attacks.

    Her heart ached for those people. They never asked to be attacked by that Dragon yet they were and there was nothing they could do about it. She hoped the Dragon was killed for its crimes yet another deeper part of her knew exactly why the Dragon was doing this and she was not going to be the one to stand in its way.

    "We're approaching the first village, Priestess Elidi." The guard called to her from the front.

    "Thank you, Blaize." She responded to her guard.

    She looked out the back of the wagon as she gripped the warm glass amulet around her neck. That's right, she was a priestess now. That nightmare meant nothing. Just a memory meant to question her confidence. She was a Priestess of Fya and she would not be afraid anymore.

Author's Note

Sorry about the lack of action in this chapter. Just a lot of telling and now showing. The next chapter is probably going to be like this but will be from a different character's perspective. Chapter eight, however, I hope to include a lot of action since these last few chapters haven't been on-the-edge-of-your-seat-thrilling-action-scenes. Again, if anyone sees any errors please let me know down in the comments. This goes for all chapters, previous and future. Hope you all are enjoying! Thanks for reading!

P.S. Also if you read my past two versions of this story, what do you all think about Elidi's new role? Let me know if you like this new role or prefer the old role.