2. Helen's dream and the norse heritage. Part II

By Karel Glaukopis

Helen is among the elves and, despite her effort, she struggles to keep up with the others. Ozart, the master, slaughters her with grueling workouts and forces her with tests with challenges. Challenges that will bring Helen and Tania into the hands of the enemy, who is not Cronus...
On the other hand, Karel and Aira are faced with difficult choices, whether to accept Sam's advice and then take the easier path to power or follow Cal's advice, and get to the goals sweating and laboring.
And while the boys and the dragons struggle to find their way, a certainty is at the end of the path... The war.

• Language: English
• Publisher: Karel Glaukopis
• Release date: Nov 18, 2020
• ISBN: 9791220223782

Book preview

1. Vacation, but not a vacation...

The girl with hair like gold and blue eyes like a lake illuminated by the sun, did not notice that winter was giving way to spring and that the days were becoming longer and warmer. She did not notice that the trees turned green and the snow melted while the grass grew with a beautiful bright green. The season she most preferred was just starting! The girl, Helen, was too busy doing her best to keep up with her classmates, her friend and the requests of the master she most hated in the world, Ozart, to note the nature awakening.

The principal came by today and told us there are two weeks of vacation, there will be parties in honor of spring said the blonde girl as happy as a child with a new toy, when she found Rotar, who had just finished his work out.

'Well, so we can spend more time together' said the pitch-black dragon as he walked on the soaked ground.

You're destroying everything with your weight! Helen exclaimed seeing the huge footprints left by the animal and the flat strip of earth it left behind. The animal with its weight was destroying the beautiful grass that was growing.

'It's not my fault that mud is everywhere and the ground is sinking! They could create a path' said Rotar who was quite embarrassed as he was looked by all the elves.

You don't know how much I like it... the blonde said, enjoying the hateful looks that those pointy-eared beings launched.

'Not me' replied the animal.

Tania has disappeared again as at the beginning of the year, I see her sometimes at school, but she doesn't even sleep with us anymore Helen complained after a long silence with the dragon.

'I have to talk to her, also because we have to train in the air' Rotar said looking up at the blue and sunny sky.

Well, if I meet her, I'll tell her to know this.

'Thank you, you do me a favor, but I don't like her behavior, it's not fair, especially towards you' said the black dragon looking at Helen in search of a reaction.

Helen shrugged and replied, I agree with you, but she has made this decision and we can't stop her from being with her new friends.

'Erasing her family!' Rotar exclaimed angrily just before arriving at their house.

We are not her family said Helen, ending the conversation and running away to the bathroom, even though she wasn't in a hurry, she didn't want to continue talking about that subject.

Despite trying to be tough in front of the dragon, she suffered a lot from not being able to share all those new experiences with her best friend and sometimes also from the inability to let off steam with someone of her same sex who understood her.

As soon as she closed the door behind her, the tears began to stream down her cheeks and without being able to stop, she cried bitterly for everything she was going through.

When that moment of bewilderment subsided, Helen looked up and saw a reflection in the mirror that she struggled to recognize so much she had changed in the last period and so much the eyes were red.

The girl in front of her had grown a few centimeters, about ten, the muscles had increased significantly, now they were more outlined and marked, Helen did not like it very much, it made her too masculine.

Her hair was back to being of a more reasonable length and now she almost always kept them tied forming a small tuft at the nape of her neck. In that way, during the fighting, she hadn’t them in her eyes, however, she was more than determined to cut them again and she had not stopped color some strands. At that moment, they were red because it was the color that at that time felt most hers.

After rinsing her face, brushing her teeth thoroughly and doing some meditation, she went to bed exhausted and with her mind full of thoughts, she waited for her friend.

When Tania arrived late at night, yawning without putting her hand in front, the blonde girl looked at her friend, even the rider had changed, but not as much as she.

Tania remained about the same height, a few inches more, but nothing significant, but her muscles... Those had changed drastically. Now they had grown out of proportion and compared to Helen's who were elongated and harmonious, hers were more voluminous. The rider looked like a bull, she was so stocky.

She still wore her hair long and very often she had some loose braids made, they fell on her broad shoulders, the color was light brown, at least she had regained her original color...

Still awake? asked the dragon knight who seemed irritated to find her friend with her eyes open.

Yes Helen replied dryly.

What do you have to fix? she asked again.

Rotar wants to talk to you the blonde replied, then closed her eyes and ended the conversation.

Before falling asleep she thought about Rotar, the beautiful black dragon that was perhaps the one that had changed the most, both physically, but also mentally.

The dragon had grown larger than a stallion and more muscular than a full-grown bull and at the height of his strength, skin so black and shiny it looked obsidian.

The claws, fangs and appendages of the animal had grown and if possible had become even sharper, but they had remained the same bright white in contrast to its color.

Rotar's wings had also increased dramatically, now they were just a little longer than the animal's length and the skin that was previously very thin, was now as thick as it was resistant.

With the heavy training he had endured, and during flights, having trained muscles that were previously hidden, he had become quite toned and was able to lift even one hundred, one hundred and fifty kilos for a long time.

Mentally he seemed to have built an armor so that his thoughts were safe and stable, little and nothing disturbed him and even what bothered him most, he easily overcame.

Rotar had become an indestructible machine, ready for war...

The next day, when Helen returned from her usual punishment, she looked at the dragon disconsolately and said We won't be able to spend so much time together, I talked to master Ozart and he told me that my punishment will continue until I finish my work and so, until I have copied all the books and this also applies during the holidays...

The dragon looked at her thoughtfully then said 'There would be a solution... You could take the books home, so you can better organize your time and avoid wasting hours going to and from his home.'

It might be a good idea, tomorrow I'll try to ask if it's okay for him said the girl who was already thinking about how to ask her master the question to force him to give an affirmative answer, but at the same time not to be authoritarian.

The next day, before returning home, after having finished copying the sixth book from the shelf, she hesitantly asked the master Excuse me... I was wondering if I could take a book home, I'll copy it at home so I don't always have to come here.

The master thought about it for a long time without opening his mouth, then Helen tried again So I avoid the road every time and I can work harder!

Ozart still did not open his mouth, And I'll be very careful.

An answer, please! Helen continued as the man did not seem willing to answer.

If you don't shut up, how can I answer? he asked looking at her annoyed.

I’m sorry said Helen who had learned that arguing with that man was useless while it was essential to use that magic word sorry in order not to make the situation worse.

But only one, and if you lose it or ruin it, it will be trouble for you he said seriously and with a face that frightened her.

Trouble? Helen asked terrified.

You will have private property in your hand and if you damage it or lose it, you will be responsible for it, so you will have to pay for it and since you have no money, you will be punished and I will decide the punishment. Considering that the lightest punishment has already been given to you, imagine what could await you...

I prefer not to imagine it.

You do good, girl he said terribly serious and with a scary grin drawn on his lips.

Happy and terrified, Helen gently and carefully took the seventh book off the shelf, wrapped it in her sweatshirt, and walked out.

The holidays were finally starting for her too, she couldn't wait!

When she arrived home, she was happy as a child, she was no longer in the skin, the idea of having won a fight with the master, even if not at all important and only verbal, had brought her to seventh heaven.

That was life, a set of challenges, more or less difficult from which you emerged winners or losers, in that she had come out with a half victory, but how many defeats had she had to suffer before obtaining that result? Many, too many, but it was worth it.

I won Helen said, grabbing Rotar's neck and hanging herself up.

'In this way you choke me' complained the dragon trying to shake off the girl who, however, did not let go.

'Seriously, so you choke me' Rotar said again.

Sorry Helen muttered, releasing her grip slightly, but not releasing the dragon.

'Tell me all.'

I got what I wanted, now I can write the books at home!

'Really?'

Yes, he accepted, albeit with many conditions and at my own risk Helen explained a little more sadly.

'What do you mean?'

If I were to ruin his book and stuff like that he'll hurt me and blah blah blah...

'Shall I see the book?' asked the dragon curious to see what so precious Ozart had given her to rewrite.

The girl pulled the book out of the sweatshirt, then the dragon looked at it carefully, at the end it made a little smoke from the nose and Helen, with excellent reflexes, took the book out of Rotar's reach.

Are you crazy? Do you realize that if you burned it for me it was the end? she asked terrified.

'Yes, but it was fun, you have to admit' Rotar said looking at the girl while she seemed to smile.

No, it wasn't at all.

'It depends on the point of view' muttered the dragon.

The good thing about having the book at hand was that she could manage time and therefore not have to write for hours without breaks, she could now work for less time at different times of the day.

All evening she thought about what she could do during the holidays, she still had no idea, but she was sure about one thing, she would do everything possible to relax a bit.

The last period had been too stressful, she hadn't had a free minute anymore and she felt exhausted, both from a physical point of view, but above all from a mental one. She also struggled to think about what to eat and that was wrong.

Helen went to sleep earlier than usual, she couldn't wait to wake up the next day when she wanted to and start the holidays and these would be true, without training and without effort.

Sleep was not at all peaceful, she woke up repeatedly during the night as she could not find the correct position. This was something she had noticed, it had happened to her before, when she went to sleep too early, she slept badly. Among her various theories there was the one that the body no longer needed many hours of rest and therefore if it was given too many hours of sleep, it did not use it all.

She woke up even earlier than usual, which was even more hateful, was that she intended to get up late, very late... But after she was unable to sleep again for the umpteenth time, she decided to get out of bed and this was the exact time in which she usually got up.

It was the first day of vacation, the two friends had had breakfast with the dragon, Tania ran away when she swallowed the last bite, she went to train with the other elves, she would do her homework with them too, maybe when the evening came back, she would also train with Rotar.

Helen, not knowing what to do and how to pass the time, despite her plans were completely different, in the end, she started with training, lighter, but still with exercises... Then she started with muscle stretching, a light run followed by some muscle strengthening exercises, and finally went over some moves to improve her familiarity with swords.

After lunch, she started with the exercises with the wand, she had to create small and simple spells, but keeping them for longer, even this, accumulated from the previous exercises and the novelty of creating longer spells, left her without strength. As if that were not enough, in the end she wanted to shoot with her bow, she had not set limits on arrows, but only on time.

Rotar continued the flight exercises, his goal was to maintain a weight for as long as he could in addition to trying to take advantage of the updrafts, even the animal when he put his feet on the ground was more devastated than when he trained with the teacher.

It was afternoon and Helen was walking alone in the woods, after eating she had decided to take a little break to digest, that morning she hadn't stopped for a moment and she didn't want to reduce as the previous day.

She walked admiring the reborn nature, new and small animals running around happily, like birds flying in flocks in the sky whistling happy melodies that made the environment idyllic and at the same time relaxing (better than in fairy tales!).

She was watching hares walking slowly through the trees, it was fun to follow their little white pigtails up and down every time they took a step, and to see their ears move left and right in search of sinister noises.

The animals all ran away after smelling the air and at the same instant an elf approached her silently, how strange those beings were always, and he said in a very sweet voice I'm Ebin of the green forests. I see you at school alone, never with a friend or with someone by your side.

The elf continued to stare intently at her, Helen lost herself in those blue eyes as if she had been hypnotized, the world around her seemed to stop for a moment until he resumed I wanted to invite you to the spring party tonight. There will be a dance, why don't you come with me?

Helen immediately blushed, she felt every inch of her face get hot and her ears glow, she was a beautiful type, standard elf, but beautiful.

Shaking her head and resetting her thoughts for a moment, she looked at him puzzled and returning to herself she said without lowering her gaze I'm surprised that an elf asks me this, did you drink or do you want to take me for a ride?

The elf strangely blushed, then stared at a tuft of grass and without looking at the girl with the same sweet tone he said I like you, and then it would be time for you to become part of our society.

Helen laughed, a fake laugh, long and noisy, then looking back at him, she asked Is it I who don't want to be part of your company or is it you who don't want me?

In this you are wrong, it is true that we do nothing to meet you, but you do not care to know us justified the elf who looked like a mold of those he had seen up to that moment. He was tall, thin, almost white-blond hair, blue eyes and pointed nose, cute, repetitive, but there was something that made him irresistible!

No, it's just that you have been so cold and detached with me. Honestly, I did not expect one of you to come forward, or to speak to me, it stinks of deception.

Deception cannot stink.

It was a metaphor.

I don't understand you, anyway going back to the previous speech, can't one feel something for a girl? You're a human that's true, but give me at least a chance! he exclaimed almost pleadingly.

I'm not so sure, but I agree Helen said, smiling and curious to see how that story would go on.

Tonight, at eight, in front of the tavern... I'll wait for you he too said smiling and as he appeared, silently disappeared.

When she returned home two hours later, she was overjoyed and told everything that had happened to Rotar.

'I'm really happy, I never thought such a thing would ever happen.'

This was a cheap shot! the girl exclaimed smiling. To tell the truth, even she would never have expected something like this to happen, but it hurt to hear it.

'I think you have to be very careful, I don't like these elves, I think they have something in mind... If only there was Tania so as to ask her if she knows him!' he exclaimed staring into her eyes.

You mean I don't have to go out with him? Helen asked, sitting down, demoralized, in the armchair, two blows in a few minutes were too much for her too.

'I didn't say that, I just said you have to be careful' the dragon said again, understanding the girl's state of mind.

The blonde angry at the lack of trust given to her by the dragon, raising her voice, said You are just envious, now I have a friend and you don't, I have my first friend like Tania and the others...

'Helen...'

You didn't make all these fusses with her, so I'm going out with someone tonight. You want me only for you, you...

'No Helen that's not it, it's just that I care about you and I don't want anything bad to happen to you. As it was for Tania, I made this speech to her too and she too behaved as you are doing... Nothing, I hoped you would react differently.'

But Helen was no longer there with her head and almost shouting thundered You like it or not, I'll go out tonight and then we'll see.

The dragon preferred to shut up, the girl was too agitated and did not think, love for humans was something harmful, it clouded their mind and changed hormonal levels with only the body to reason.

Helen was a human and like all those of her race she was not immune to that feeling so pleasant and so powerful that it intoxicated the mind, driving the subject to madness.

Helen prepared herself that evening as Tania would. She wore the most elegant clothes that were in the wardrobe, then a sleeveless blue silk dress that followed her lines up to her ankles. She put on a white belt and a light cloak of the same color, then finished it all off with his new long white gloves.

She also tried to put on makeup, but when in front of the mirror she saw that she was tanned like a clown, she decided to wash her face, it was something that it didn't suit her!

She reached the tavern a few minutes early and waited, waited and waited, until the elf arrived quite late. When she saw him coming, Helen was tempted to run away, in the end, he wasn't that nice and then she was cheating on Cal. The boy was something similar to her boyfriend.

The elf wore his hair tied in a ponytail. A simple white tunic reached above the knee and trousers of the same color, finally a pair of suede ankle boots.

It was nothing exceptional, she did not understand what was wrong with her, after that evening she would stop attending that being. But for that time now, she had to do it, above all to prove to Rotar that she decided her own way.

I'm glad you came he said, taking her hand.

Helen felt great anger grow inside, before that he had not even apologized and second he had taken her hand without her wanting it, he had invaded her living space.

When she inhaled to calm down, great tranquility made its way into her body while her mind returned to be clouded by love, and being with that elf was her only desire.

They did not speak to each other, he just dragged her through the streets of the city until they reached a large, already flowering tree. In front of it, there were some elves intent on talking, he stopped to chat with some of his friends, but did not introduce her to anyone.

The guy also smoked a cigarette and the girl stayed by his side the whole time as an ornament. She did not know what to do, something told her to escape from that horrible situation that she absolutely did not like, while on the other hand she liked it. She was part of a group.

Finally, after having finished smoking and talking with the others, the guy also took her to dance in the large underground room decorated with flowers of all colors and lots of green.

The room was partly occupied by elves dancing, in one corner there was a small refreshment and in the other four elves playing, two a violin-like instrument, one a flute and the last a fife.

The atmosphere was quiet, the soft lights created some more intimate areas where some elves ambushed, fortunately the blonde and the elf did nothing to create a situation of intimacy.

They danced a slow, Helen initially in a clumsy way, step by step she improved and finally found herself at ease. It was always the elf who led, but at least the blonde girl no longer stepped on his toes.

In the evening, the elf left with a fleeting kiss on the cheeks, he didn't even take her back home... While walking down the street she thought back to the evening and the further she moved away from the elf, the more everything she had done seemed nonsense!

The next day she would have told that elf that she could not go out, that story would be over since it was not what she wanted, for her love was something else, not being the dog of a beautiful elf.

2. A new road.

Life instead of getting better with Sam's arrival had become more and more complicated, his friend in that environment had excessively mounted his head and at the same time refused to have relations with everyone else.

The black-haired boy hated Cal in an exaggerated way, Karel had tried to explain to him that his best friend was still him and that that boy was an ok type, but Sam didn't want to know, either him or the other.

The two, when they could, avoided each other by forcing Karel to decide who to stay with, often purposely going against the plans of one or the other. The dragon knight knew that if he got too far behind Cal he would lose Sam altogether, in fact, his old friend really had a bad temper!

So, who often lost it was Cal who, in silence, accepted the knight's choices without protesting or making a scene, with a smile he said It will be for next time. That was also the reason that pushed Karel to follow his old friend who otherwise would have turned his face to him for a long time.

Sam, however, in that short period had improved considerably, not only from a physical point of view, but also in coordination with weapons and therefore in combat. Although Karel had asked him countless times how he had improved so much being a mere human, the boy either changed the subject or decidedly, he refused to answer.

That day he was fighting with Cal, one of those epic clashes where the shots followed one another with impressive speed and the audience cheered every time one of the two managed to win the opponent's defenses.

Although Sam had repeatedly tried to make him skip that appointment that the two friends had moved in the evening (before the fixed and mysterious appointment of the curl with some stranger), Karel never wanted to miss. The knight would have preferred to offend his old friend to death than to go and train with weapons with that boy with infinite potential and who could still teach him so much.

Strangely, that day was also followed by Sam who had accepted yet another invitation from his friend, the boy had brought with him the new sword that had been given to him by someone mysterious.

It was a pitch-black weapon, identical to Cal's, but with a red thread like blood that ran inside the blade. The finely worked hilt was also red as blood and a large ruby was set above the two-handed handle.

Beautiful sword! Karel exclaimed when Sam showed him that weapon.

You like it! the boy replied.

How did you get it?

I don't think it's important, more than anything else it looks beautiful and sparkling and then you'll have to see it at work.

Yes, it will be a sight to see her, even if it has something I don't like said Karel who felt a certain discomfort all over his body since he saw that weapon.

Yours is the usual envy, it seems to me that lately you have been quite annoyed by my improvements.

It will be! Karel said with a shrug.

He was actually surprised by his friend's surprising improvements, but he hadn't made a fuss of it, he was really happy for him, at least in that way he was starting to make his way among the numerous students.

When they reached the arena, Cal was sitting in the stands, as usual, never late... Getting up he exclaimed I see that today we have a special spectator!

No, today I will not stay to see you fight, today I challenge you, I feel ready to teach you a good lesson the boy said, going towards Cal with the weapon in his hand.

The curl looked at him for a moment, stared for a moment at the sword with a disgusted grimace painted on his face, finally smiling, he said I'm sorry, but today we won't fight, today I already have a fight planned with Karel.

I don't care what you thought of doing, today you will face me, take your weapons and fight.

No, as I said before and I repeat, I don't want to fight you Cal said, staring at him intently and with a contempt that would have made anyone feel insignificant.

Karel did not know what to say or what to do, he had never seen that look in Cal's green-amber eyes, in addition to the mixture of disgust and contempt there was also anger, it gave the chills.

You're just a coward.

It could be. I fight to have fun, not for a matter of honor or to show my muscles... Or my new toy he said, pointing at the weapon, then concluded So give me a coward, but I won't fight you.

As if you had muscles.

Actually, Sam was not wrong, Cal was thin in proportion to the dragon knight or especially to Sam, but Karel knew that under those wide sweaters and thin arms there was actually a great strength and above all reactivity.

Sometimes your head is enough to win! Cal exclaimed pointing to his temple with a mocking smile.

We'll see this Sam muttered, throwing himself at the opponent.

Although Sam's momentum allowed him to be in front of the opponent in less than an instant, Cal was much faster and moving slightly to the side, he let Sam continue his run.

I will not fight with you, you do not do it for training or entertainment, but only to do harm and I do not accept this.

Sam said nothing and got back into position, this time he advanced slowly and when he was less than a meter from Cal he threw himself at him with his sword raised in the sky and ready to sink his blow into the enemy's chest.

Cal was quick as lightning and interposed his right sword between his body and the enemy's weapon, there was a noise like two bars slamming against