by Brandon Mull
Kendra and Seth followed Henrick and the horses up the long stairway. Even having already descended the stairway, Kendra was amazed how long it was. Her legs burned by the time they reached the cellar doors that led out to the sequoia grove.
“Remember,” Henrick whispered, “stay calm until I run. There is always a chance the dragons will just watch us. If we make it to the Winding Way, we should reach Blackwell Keep with no problem. If I have to run off, ignore me and get to the Winding Way as soon as you can.”
“Got it,” Seth whispered.
Henrick held out a hand, and Seth passed him the scepter. The alcetaur wrapped the scepter in some material he took from one of the pouches he wore like saddlebags. Then he opened the doors and led the horses out into the grove. Dawn warmed the horizon. The stars were fading. A light wind ruffled the sequoias.
“Let’s all hope for more wind,” Henrick muttered. “Dragons find high winds inconvenient.”
“I didn’t know we pulled an all-nighter,” Seth said.
“Time flies when you’re running for your life,” Kendra replied.
Kendra swung onto Glory and patted the horse. They trotted out of the grove and into a field.
And then a huge green dragon swooped down and landed in front of them, blocking their path. The spines on its neck and back looked almost like fins, and it had a narrower build than most dragons Kendra had seen, with a more serpentine neck and head. Yellow eyes glared with malevolent interest, and a long, purple tongue tested the air.
“What errand takes you so far from the road?” the dragon inquired in a whispery but penetrating voice.
Kendra found that she could not move. Seth was too far away on Noble for her to try to take his hand. Her thoughts remained clear, but she was paralyzed, as if she had almost stepped on a rattlesnake and somehow become trapped in that first instant of frozen surprise.
“Greetings, Mobando,” Henrick answered. “We consulted with Dromadus. I am with the new caretakers. I am Henrick the gamekeeper. We have a right to be here.”
“I see,” Mobando replied. “I am interested in what our illustrious new caretakers have to say. What news from Dromadus?”
Kendra wanted to speak. She had words ready. But her lips would not function. It was so easy when holding Seth’s hand, she had almost forgotten how impossible it was without him.
“Do not trouble the children,” Henrick said. “They were up all night and are weary.”
The head swung closer to the alcetaur. “One last query. It appears Dromadus may have entrusted a valuable object to your care. That dragon is a known scoundrel and craven. Show me what he gave you.”
“Ride!” Henrick cried, splitting into five different identical versions of himself and racing off in five different directions.
Kendra had no time to contemplate the bizarre sight before Glory was off and running. Noble came alongside, hooves hammering the ground. Her paralysis ebbing, Kendra craned to look back and saw the five identical Henricks each divide into five more identical Henricks, for a total of twenty-five.
Mobando gave a hiss that grew into a roar. Snakelike head swaying, the dragon expelled a dark mist at the fleeing Henricks. The cloud enveloped some, but they kept running, heads down, hands protecting their mouths. The mist couldn’t reach all of them—too many were bolting in too many directions.
“Poison gas!” Calvin cried.
Mobando looked their way, then returned his attention to the alcetaurs. Each Henrick held an identical bundle. The dragon took flight, chasing one of the nearest Henrick duplicates.
“I don’t think he’s going to chase us,” Kendra called.
Seth glanced back. “He might if he gets you know what.”
Kendra realized her brother had a point. They might not presently be at the top of the priority list, but that could change.
Glory and Noble raced back the way they had come last night as the sky brightened and the sun came up. Kendra kept an eye out for dragons but saw none. She wondered how Henrick was doing. She had no idea how his replication magic worked, but she hoped it had provided enough distraction for him to get away. If he managed to return the scepter to Blackwell Keep, the mission would be a success and they might have a realistic chance of saving Wyrmroost. If not, there might not be a Blackwell Keep by the time they returned.
The horses stayed under the cover of trees as much as possible, sometimes skirting open fields to stay beneath leaves and branches. It slowed their pace a little, but Kendra figured the cover was worthwhile if a dragon might be looking for them. Whether thanks to the skill of the horses or simply due to good luck, they not only avoided dragons but didn’t see any other threats for a long time. As far as Kendra could tell, the sanctuary might be deserted.
At length they reached the slope that descended to the bridge over the ravine where the troll had summoned the dire bears. Before the horses could fully emerge from the trees, Kendra asked them to stop. They immediately complied.
“That troll is probably still down there,” Kendra reminded everyone. “And we don’t have Henrick this time.”
“We can’t bargain,” Seth said. “And we can’t waste time. Let’s rush him. Maybe throw Mendigo at him.”
Kendra glanced at the limberjack. “Mendigo, if that troll tries to stop us, attack him. Don’t let him call for bears. Keep him busy. Then follow us once we’re clear.”
“Good enough,” Seth said. “Let’s go.”
Glory and Noble charged out into the open, hooves thumping against the turf. The area looked so different and innocent bathed in the golden light of the rising sun. Kendra enjoyed the rush of the speed, and hoped that perhaps Grimp would stay out of sight.
As they approached the bridge, the troll came out from underneath, ax in hand, leering confidently. The horses slowed, allowing Mendigo to leap down and run ahead. The limberjack seemed faster than Kendra remembered. Had Agad upgraded him?
Grimp glared at the oncoming puppet and readied his ax. He swung as Mendigo arrived, but the limberjack dove low, pulling the troll’s ankles together and yanking his feet into the air. Grimp fell hard.
Glory and Noble sped up, pounding past the troll as he struggled to rise. Mendigo wrestled vigorously, his wooden body in constant motion. As she crossed the bridge, Kendra glanced back and saw Grimp flat on the ground a second time.
The horses charged hard up the slope. Kendra never heard a call for bears. Just before going back under the trees, Kendra looked back and saw Grimp and Mendigo still grappling.
The pace slowed again under the trees, but they still saw no other signs of life, including dragons. Kendra could hardly believe it when the horses trotted onto the Winding Way with no interference.
“We made it!” Kendra exclaimed.
“The dragons don’t care about us,” Seth said. “They want what Henrick has.”
“Right, but I’m still glad we didn’t get eaten,” Kendra said.
Seth leaned down and patted Noble. “We have to get back to Blackwell Keep and make sure Henrick is all right. You’ve gone a long way. If you want, you can take us to Terrabelle and maybe we can borrow fresh horses.”
Noble shook his head and stamped twice. Glory stamped twice as well.
“They don’t like that idea,” Kendra said. “Think you can run back to Blackwell Keep?”
In response, the horses took off, quickly accelerating to a gallop. The speed made Kendra momentarily breathless.
“Go at a speed you can maintain,” Kendra said.
Glory answered with a single toss of her head.
As the ground rose and fell, the horses never slowed to less than a canter. They spent a lot of time at a full gallop. Kendra watched the sky but observed no dragons. Were they being watched secretly? Or were they irrelevant compared to the importance of getting the scepter?
Her desire to get home in a
hurry made the road to Terrabelle seem to last forever. Kendra knew from looking at Seth’s maps that the roads did not represent the most direct route back to Blackwell Keep, but of course cutting through the wilderness was unthinkable with dragons on the prowl. They rushed across the valley without nearing the town, and exited on the High Road.
On the way down from the pass, the horses kicked into an even higher gear. Kendra held on tight. She watched for dragons but saw none. The pace slowed a little as the ground levelled out, but less than Kendra expected. These mounts had remarkable endurance.
When Blackwell Keep finally came into view, so did the dragons. Lots of them. Soaring in the sky beyond the walls of the keep. Flanking the High Road near the gate. And roughly a dozen clustered around the dome of the safe hut visible on a nearby ridge, Celebrant among them.
There must have been at least fifty dragons of different shades, sizes, and textures. Some had smooth, small scales. Others had scales so rough and weathered they looked like shingles on an old roof. Some were metallic. A few were furry. Most of the heads looked reptilian, but a minority bore more resemblance to wolves or oxen or lions.
“I don’t think Henrick made it yet,” Seth shouted. “I hoped that a more direct path through the wilderness might get him here ahead of us. It looks like they’re here to head him off.”
“He might be in the safe hut,” Kendra said, indicating the dome atop a ridge within view of the keep. “A bunch of dragons are gathered there, including Celebrant.”
“Or they’re blocking it off,” Seth said. “We’ll find out soon.”
The gate opened as they approached. Kendra and Seth rode through to find Grandpa and Grandma Sorenson waiting in the courtyard with Marat. Kendra dismounted and Grandpa engulfed her in a big hug. Grandma came next. Then Kendra turned and patted Glory, thanking her. The horse bobbed her head in reply.
“We were so worried,” Grandpa said. “Are you all right?”
“We found the scepter,” Seth reported.
“What?” Grandpa asked.
“The medallion works because it’s connected to a hidden scepter,” Kendra said. “We found it.”
“Amazing,” Marat said. “That unravels the mystery. Henrick has the scepter?”
“Yeah,” Seth said.
“He is trapped in the nearest safe hut,” Marat said. “We heard roaring in the distance, then watched as Henrick barely made it there ahead of several dragons. He must have led them on a mighty chase. A host of others arrived soon thereafter. I could not fathom what need would drive Celebrant to trap him there. Now it makes perfect sense.”
“Can we free him?” Kendra asked.
Marat smiled sadly. “With this many dragons standing guard? My dear, it would take a miracle.”
Recruits
Seth stared out from the battlements atop the outer wall of Blackwell Keep at the dragons wheeling in the sky, their shadows fluttering across the ground. Enormous and fierce, any one of them would have sent the population of a village running for their lives. It was a sight he had hoped to enjoy ever since learning that dragons were real. At the battle of Zzyzx he had been too busy fighting demons to properly observe the colossal predators, and the dragons had departed soon after the combat ended.
Today he could stare as long as he wanted. Eve would be so jealous.
But he couldn’t really enjoy the experience.
Henrick was trapped in the safe hut with the scepter. Nobody had a plan to get him out.
Almost nobody.
Seth had a really good idea.
Even just thinking about the plan that was forming in his mind made Seth glance around guiltily. Grandpa and Grandma were not in sight. Neither was Kendra. Seth had deliberately separated himself from them.
Placing his hands against the rough stone wall, he sighed.
Grandpa wouldn’t like this plan. Neither would Grandma. Neither would Kendra. They would stop him if they knew what he wanted to do.
Should he stop himself? Was he being reckless? Kendra seemed to think he followed any crazy thought that crossed his mind. But he was supposed to protect Wyrmroost. He was the caretaker. Doing that job wouldn’t always be safe. Getting the scepter in the first place had been extremely dangerous.
The more Seth pondered his strategy, the more certain he became that his family would be wrong. They wouldn’t like it, but it should work.
The plan would not put Kendra, Grandma, or Grandpa at risk. Not at all. And it might protect them. Seth would suffer the greatest risk by far. If anybody died, it would be him. Only one other person would really be exposed to danger.
Seth wished he could pull this off alone. But there was no way to do it without one other person. And he would need a little extra help.
He turned and looked down into the courtyard. Who could he trust? If somebody blabbed to Grandpa, he suspected his plan would never get implemented. He needed an accomplice who would carry out his orders quietly. Ideally, it would also be somebody who could confirm his strategy.
Simrin was walking across the courtyard. Seth had noticed that she seemed very close to Marat. If Marat learned the plan, he could go to Grandpa. And that would be the end of the plan.
Seth descended a staircase to the courtyard. As he reached the bottom, Brunwin, the reddish minotaur, exited a door on the far side.
Bracken had described Brunwin as reliable but with a bad temper. Seth seldom saw him talking with others. Maybe the bad temper would help encourage the minotaur to take matters into his own hands to get the scepter.
Unable to think of a better candidate, Seth hurried across the courtyard to Brunwin. “Can I ask you something?”
The minotaur stopped and looked down at him. “You’re the boss. What is it?”
“I know a way to help Henrick,” Seth said.
“We’re trying to formulate a strategy,” Brunwin said. “I’m not sure there is any realistic way to succeed. Not with ten times our resources.”
“If I figured out a way, would you keep it secret?” Seth asked.
“Depends why you want it kept secret,” the minotaur replied.
“Grandpa won’t like it,” Seth said. “Neither will Grandma or Kendra. They’d try to stop me. But I know it will work.”
Brunwin snorted. “You think you can get to the safe hut and back?”
“No,” Seth said. “But I think I know somebody who can.”
“Really? Who?”
“Will you keep it a secret?”
“You’re the caretaker,” Brunwin said. “You can order me to keep it a secret.”
“If I do, you can’t say anything?”
“I could. But I’m supposed to follow orders, and I probably would do so. Who is it?”
“A person who wouldn’t suspect he is at a dragon sanctuary,” Seth said. “If I sent someone like that, wouldn’t the treaty protect him?”
“You’re talking about a mortal?”
“Yes. A boy who has no idea that magical creatures are real.”
Brunwin’s nostrils flared. “Well, if he had no suspicion there were dragons here, and he was only acting under your orders, yes, I suppose he would be protected. But if he caught on to what was really happening, he could be ripped to shreds.”
“I don’t think he would catch on,” Seth said. “His imagination doesn’t work that way. What if he had the scepter?”
“It’s neutral ground,” Brunwin said. “If he is oblivious to where he really is, following instructions in good faith, the boy should be protected, even with the scepter in hand, even against scores of dragons. Of course, that is all theory. Nobody has ever tested the treaty against so much power. And there is nobody here like the boy you describe.”
“But there is back at Fablehaven.”
Brunwin stared at him. Then he gave a nod. “If you give the boy his orders, the drag
ons could come after you across any boundary at Wyrmroost. Including into Blackwell Keep.”
“I know,” Seth said. “I would have to run. Or fly, actually. Can you have one of the dwarfs ready Tempest?”
Brunwin stared at him again. “Where could you hide?”
“Let me worry about that,” Seth said. “I don’t want to say it out loud until the last minute. If the dragons cut me off, I’ll be a goner.”
“Tempest is fast and skillful,” Brunwin said. “But dozens of dragons watch the keep. Chances are you won’t make it no matter where you go.”
“I know,” Seth said. “I’m willing to risk it to save Henrick and protect the keep. If the keep falls, we all die. If the dragons get free, the whole world is in trouble. Even if the dragons get me, this should work. I have to try.”
Brunwin rubbed his hands together. “Seth, this is by far the best solution I’ve heard. Ingenious, really. It could work. But the price could be steep. Are you sure?”
“It’s my job to protect the sanctuary,” Seth said. “Help me do this.”
Brunwin extended a hand. Seth shook it. “I admire your courage,” the minotaur said.
“To somebody who hasn’t had any milk, do you look like a guy or a cow?” Seth asked.
Brunwin glared.
“I mean bull,” Seth amended. “A guy or a bull.”
“Eyes closed to magic normally recognize me as a man.”
“Perfect,” Seth said. “Go tell whatever dwarf you most trust what we need. Then meet me at the barrel.”
Seth found the sole goblin at Blackwell Keep guarding the door to the room where the barrel was kept. The creature was shaggier and more apelike than most goblins Seth had seen, with big hands and black fingernails. Seth could not recall his name, so he just gave the goblin a nod and proceeded down the hall and around a corner to wait for Brunwin. Hopefully the minotaur could help him gain access to the barrel.
“You’re going after Knox?” came a sneaky voice from his pocket.
“I wish I could think of another way,” Seth said.
“It’s a clever plan,” Calvin assured him. “Exciting! But if things go wrong . . .”