The War of the Isles

11. Charlie

We began to move towards Yahanbhag rather swiftly. A battle won was a cause for celebration. 

The four of us had dismounted our dragons. Tayan and Grahrel were flying right above us. Miermaxton and Mika were flying alongside the captured Wentallion which seemed to behave. We were on Mason's vessel with Dhara. She seemed ecstatic at the victory but expressed her remorse towards this loss suffered by the Dragons.

"Charlie. I am sorry. I know what Christina meant to you."

I took a deep breath and sighed. It wasn't the first time I had lost a dear friend. The war had cultivated friendships at a rapid rate, and the loss of our comrades hurt to a considerable extent.

I had lost my Raptors and most of my Sky Drakes. It felt like I had failed. Was Dhara to blame for this?

She walked away into the crowd cheering her on and I remembered what my Guru had told me.

The purpose of your life is to serve beings greater than you.

If I were to be honest, it hurt to hear that. One of my first memories was of my mother and I sailing over Lake Cross for my daily tutelage under my Guru. As far as I could remember, I had been his student. I had not only been gifted in theoretical subjects but also made accomplishments in swordsmanship. All the more, I was a Seymon.  The Guru and his senior students doted on me as a prodigy.

And then came Dhara.

When I was about Eight, our Guru discovered a stray fiddler performing on the streets of Macabara. They brought her to the Gurukul and introduced her as my equal. Frankly, she didn't amount to much initially. She struggled with theory. Especially underperforming in Mathematics and Geography. But when it came to Archery and Swordsmanship, she caught on. In a span of a few months, she was already matching me with her abilities. That made me jealous. 

I remember angrily going to the armoury and trying to destroy Dhara's set of weapons in sheer envy. I did not realise when my Guru had made his entry, but when I realised that he saw me setting fire to Dhara's arrows, I felt a bit ashamed. 

He was a tall brown man, dressed in Medinian attire. His hair was matted like a monk's with a bun atop his head. His white beard was long enough to reach his lean stomach. He carried a cane which he used as a walking stick. 

I looked at him with worry, but he had smiled compassionately.

"My dear boy. I thought that by taking in Dhara, I had brought you a friend. Instead, you think of her as an enemy."

I remember crying out of guilt that night. From that day onwards, Dhara and I became friends, pushing each other to our limits. She was my best friend.

My best friend, who my Guru believed was destined for greatness. So far, she had indeed proven her worth in this war. But it irritated me know see how much of everything she seemed to take for granted.

It was obvious that she had overlooked her plans for the dragons by prioritising the ships. A very costly mistake. Yet, the obliviousness of the situation was evident by how the soldiers seemed to celebrate around her. 

Dhara in all excitement, picked up a pipe around her waist and began to play a peppy tune. Everyone around her began to sing and dance to this tune of mirth.

Oh, the wheel spins on and on,

Let there be fortune from dusk to dawn,

Oh, I pray to travel far away,

Somewhere east beyond Kala Bay...

Just when I thought that I couldn't feel more irritated. 

I looked towards the skies to keep a check on the dragons. The captured Wentallion seemed at peace, so I diverted my gaze towards the sea ahead. I could see nothing beyond the horizon. Yahanbhag was still far away.