Dragonwatch, vol. 4: Champion of the Titan Games

by Brandon Mull

  Willard gestured at the crystals surrounding them. “This is the Crystal Hollow. This is where the gladiators hibernate and heal until they are called upon to rejoin the combat.”

  Seth surveyed the room. “Where are they?”

  “Each crystal houses a life force,” Willard explained.

  Seth reconsidered the expansive cavern. “There are so many.”

  “All of them virtually immortal,” Willard said.

  “How do they come out?” Seth asked.

  Willard walked over to a waist-high pillar of stone. “When the time comes for a combatant to return, I harvest their crystal and place it in the slot.” He indicated a socket in the surface of the pillar.

  “And a person comes out?” Seth asked.

  “A gladiator emerges from a chamber elsewhere beneath the coliseum,” Willard said. “That’s outside my purview.”

  “You watch over the crystals,” Seth said.

  “I just follow orders,” Willard said. “Along with a few others. We take shifts.”

  “Exciting job?” Seth asked.

  “You’ll note some crystals are dimmer than others,” Willard said. “The dim ones represent injured warriors. They receive extra care until they achieve full health.”

  “How long are people trapped here?” Seth asked.

  “They rest here,” Willard said. “It’s like sleep. Hibernation. They relax and heal.”

  “And lose their memories,” Seth said.

  “Their memories are not taken,” Willard said. “Not stripped away like yours. They are simply . . . submerged. I help that process along.”

  “How?” Seth asked.

  Willard clasped his hands behind his back. “Let’s say magic. Leave it at that.”

  “You shouldn’t mess with their memories,” Seth said.

  “It isn’t my policy,” Willard said. “I’m performing my job. Those above me consider the submerging of memories a mercy. Some of these fighters have been here for a very long time and have accumulated many lifetimes of trauma.”

  “I would want to keep my memories,” Seth said. “I would rather understand my situation.”

  “The choice would not be yours to make,” Willard said. “I suspect the great majority would thank me for hiding the vastness of this experience from them. Now you know about the Crystal Hollow. You arrived here haphazardly. Please do not return.”

  “Are there other secrets of the Games down here?” Seth asked.

  Willard smiled, his upper teeth uncommonly prominent. “There are secrets about the Games everywhere.”

  “How do I get out of here?” Seth asked.

  “I recommend you backtrack all the way to daylight,” Willard said.

  “I ran into some trouble on my way in,” Seth said. “An alternate exit would help.”

  “I’ll grant no extra favors,” Willard said. “You should hurry. Security will soon be summoned to oust you. I’ll give you a head start, in case you would rather see yourself out.”

  Seth gave the cavern a final sweeping glance. “All right. Have fun down here.”

  Willard offered a faint smile. “Enjoy your Games.”

  Pungent smoke percolated through the holes of a brass incense burner on the corner of the expansive desk. Seated together, Kendra, Vanessa, Warren, and Tanu watched Dectus pace back and forth, hands moving animatedly as he talked.

  “You four did very well in Stratos,” the giant said.

  “We got caught,” Kendra said.

  “But you returned with the map,” Dectus said. “And Madam Ladonna weighed you, taking the guesswork out of your motives.”

  “You got what you expected,” Warren said.

  Dectus held up a finger. “I had to be sure about you. I hoped for this outcome. And not a moment too soon. The Perennial Storm has been spotted.”

  “You’re kidding,” Vanessa said.

  “The storm visits here every seven years, give or take a couple of weeks,” Dectus said.

  “How bad is the storm?” Kendra asked.

  “It’s enchanted,” Tanu said. “The storm roves the magical world, never ending, bringing torrential showers and brilliant displays of lightning.”

  “I heard it hailed gold for a while on Isla del Dragón,” Warren said.

  “Legends about the storm abound,” Dectus said. “We know thunderbirds flock inside those tenebrous clouds. But, most important, we know the entrance to our Dragon Temple opens only when the Perennial Storm is present.”

  “You want us to go out in the Perennial Storm?” Vanessa asked.

  “Sounds about right,” Warren murmured.

  “My most trusted courier will bear you safely there,” Dectus said. “Even giants respect the Perennial Storm, but, in a pinch, we sky giants can brave any weather.”

  “I heard at its peak there can be a thousand lightning strikes a minute,” Vanessa said.

  “Maybe at the very heart of the storm,” Dectus said. “We will insulate Bernosh and his passengers against lightning. The primary question is whether you will undertake the quest for the Harp of Ages.”

  “What do you know about the guardians of the temple?” Warren asked.

  “We have no details,” Dectus said. “Expect three monsters or dragons of great renown.”

  “How do we open the door?” Tanu asked.

  “You will need to use the lightning key while the storm is raging,” Dectus said.

  “You have the key?” Tanu asked.

  Dectus pointed at the map.

  Kendra looked at the parchment. “Ptolemy and the lightning key,” Kendra read, tapping the labeled spot.

  “Use the map to find the lair of Ptolemy,” Dectus said. “Take the key from him.”

  “Who is Ptolemy?” Kendra asked.

  “A three-headed giant,” Warren said. “Really tough customer.”

  “You need not defeat him,” Dectus said. “You just need the key.”

  “Ptolemy is notoriously unpredictable,” Vanessa said.

  “And the Dragon Temple will be more perilous still,” Dectus said. “Will you make the attempt, or should I find other champions?”

  “The Harp of Ages puts dragons to sleep?” Kendra asked.

  “By the hundreds, provided they are within range,” Dectus said.

  Kendra looked to Tanu. “We have to stop Celebrant. But we also need to find Seth.”

  “You go after Seth,” Tanu said. “Warren, Vanessa, and I can chase down the Harp.”

  “If you’re going to the Dragon Temple, you need a dragon tamer,” Kendra said.

  “We have potions,” Tanu responded.

  Kendra shook her head. “I don’t think Seth wants to be found, but the satyrs can take Knox and Tess to look for him while we go after the Harp. If we lose the dragon war, we’re all doomed.”

  “I can help your friends make their way to Humburgh,” Dectus said. “If your brother has interest in Humbuggle and the Titan Games, it is the sensible place to investigate.”

  A human-sized door opened and Raza entered, bowing. “Apologies, Dectus, but you have a visitor.”

  “I explicitly directed we not be disturbed,” Dectus said.

  “Understood, your excellency, but this is an emergency visitor seeking Kendra Sorenson,” Raza explained. “I believe her message is urgent and perhaps relevant to your discussion.”

  “Very well,” Dectus said, sounding intrigued.

  Raza stepped aside, and a human-sized fairy came through the door, one wing mostly torn off, soiled and limping. Her golden hair was tangled, and what remained of her wings blazed in fiery colors, matching her slip. “Kendra Sorenson?” the fairy called.

  Dectus strode to her, crouched, and carried her to the desk. The fairy gave a feeble smile and bowed her head. “I’m sorry it took me so long. I had to walk from the fairy shrine because my wing was damaged.”

  Kendra felt deep alarm that something might have happened to Bracken. “What is your news?” she asked.

  The fa
iry’s chin quivered and she collapsed, sobbing. “I never imagined I would utter these words. The Fairy Realm has fallen.”

  “What?” Kendra asked. “Is Bracken all right?”

  “Nobody is all right,” the fairy said. “Ronodin has claimed the Fairy Queen’s crown.”

  Kendra could not move. She could find no words.

  “That’s impossible,” Warren said.

  The fairy shook her head. “The former Fairy King sent me to find you after Ronodin claimed the crown. My former king wanted me to tell you the fall of the Fairy Realm was his fault. He also wanted me to assure you that after I came through, he would seal off the Titan Valley fairy shrine.”

  “How was the fall his fault?” Kendra asked.

  “The former Fairy King let Ronodin inside,” the fairy said. “And many dragons.”

  “Why do you call him the former Fairy King?” Kendra asked. “Was he killed?”

  “Ronodin is the new Fairy King,” the fairy said.

  “Then shouldn’t you be serving him?” Vanessa asked.

  The fairy held up her hand. “This bracelet from the former Fairy King enables me to act independently of the new king.”

  “Why would the Fairy King admit Ronodin to the Fairy Realm?” Kendra asked.

  “I don’t believe he was himself,” the fairy said. “When he spoke to me, the former Fairy King was devastated.”

  “Is Bracken alive?” Kendra asked, trying to brace herself for the worst.

  “Before I departed, I believed he and the Fairy Queen had been captured,” the fairy said. “I cannot confirm their current fate.”

  “What is your name?” Kendra asked.

  “Gwendolyn,” the fairy replied.

  “You’re injured,” Kendra said.

  The fairy whimpered. “I feel faint.”

  “Does this mean Ronodin controls the fairies?” Kendra asked, extending a hand to steady Gwendolyn.

  “All fairies who serve in the Fairy Realm,” the fairy said. “And most other fairies everywhere. He also controls the astrids, nymphs, and satyrs who swore fealty to the crown. Especially those who remain in the realm. All except the unicorns. They had power to resist him.”

  “This is a nightmare,” Kendra said.

  “We tried to repel him,” Gwendolyn said. “Once Ronodin claimed the crown, we were helpless.”

  “He had dragons with him?” Kendra asked.

  “The dragons gave him clout,” the fairy said. “And some demons helped. A few wizards.” She coughed and stumbled. “I don’t feel so . . .” Gwendolyn collapsed flat on the table.

  Vanessa rushed to the fairy’s side and stroked her cheek. “She’s unconscious but alive,” Vanessa reported.

  “Could this be a trick?” Warren asked. “The Fairy Realm has always been untouchable.”

  “That was before the fairies took over the demon prison,” Vanessa said. “The Fairy Realm was protected by purity. We saw the darkness gaining inroads there.”

  “Forgive me,” Dectus said. “This must be reported to the Giant Queen immediately.”

  “Of course,” Tanu said.

  Dectus set Kendra and her companions to the floor, including the unconscious fairy. Then he crossed to the door, pausing to issue orders to Raza. “See that Kendra and her friends have any assistance they need.” Dectus exited.

  “This is what Ronodin wanted all along,” Kendra said. “We have to get the crown from him.”

  “Kendra,” Tanu said. “This is a tragedy worse than the fall of any sanctuary. But without a fairy shrine, we have no way to go help.”

  “Be glad the Fairy King closed it,” Vanessa said. “He may have saved Titan Valley by doing so. If the shrine remained active, Ronodin would have unrestricted access to the sanctuary.”

  “Can’t he get in anyhow because of the Games?” Kendra asked.

  “That kind of access would require him to travel,” Vanessa said. “And at least it involves a screening process. The shrine would provide a direct inroad to the heart of the sanctuary.”

  “What can we do?” Kendra asked.

  “We can help this fairy mend,” Vanessa said. “And we do our part against the dragons. Now it is more important than ever that Titan Valley not fall.”

  Kendra nodded, then succumbed to her tears. It was so frustrating! How was she supposed to help Bracken? And his mother! What would Ronodin do to them? She remembered how powerful she had felt while wearing the crown. And she was an amateur! Ronodin was an expert.

  “Might the fairies rebel against him?” Kendra asked.

  “I don’t know,” Tanu said. “Let’s hope so. Much better kings than Ronodin have been overthrown.”

  “The demons were distracting Bracken and the Fairy Queen,” Kendra said. “But why would the Fairy King betray them?”

  “He was in the demon prison for a long time,” Warren said. “Shackled to the Demon King. That had to have taken a toll.”

  “It’s a disaster,” Kendra lamented, shaking with sobs. “Why do we even try?”

  “Somebody has to,” Warren said. “This isn’t over. We’ll find a way.”

  “Will we?” Kendra asked. “Whatever we do, we keep losing ground.”

  “Let’s start with the Harp,” Tanu said. “We need serious firepower against the dragons. Right now, finding the Harp of Ages is our best hope.”

  Kendra sagged. She didn’t want to find a harp. She had barely survived her previous excursion into a Dragon Temple. She wanted her brother back. And she wanted Bracken safe. Whenever an impossible situation had arisen in the past, she had always turned to the Fairy Queen.

  Now that option was gone.

  Maybe forever.

  Kendra felt stupid for crying. Her face burned. Her nose ran freely. But she just couldn’t hold back the sobs.

  She knew she would go after the Harp. She would do her duty.

  But, for the moment, Kendra needed to mourn.

  As the sun sank into the western mountains, goblins on stilts used poles with wicks at the tips to light streetlamps along the avenue leading away from the Arena Plaza. Strolling beside Virgil, Seth munched on a giant pretzel.

  “You really waited at the gate,” Seth said, using his teeth to rake an oily salt pellet from his bottom lip into his mouth.

  “Did you think I would abandon you?” Virgil asked.

  “It was a long time to just stand around,” Seth said.

  “I kept an eye on the Games,” Virgil said. “I was back and forth.”

  “You were just waiting when I got there,” Seth said.

  “The Games had ended,” Virgil said. “You really can’t tell me what you learned?”

  “Not all of it,” Seth said.

  “Do you know what happens when the fallen gladiators disappear?” Virgil asked.

  “I know a lot,” Seth replied.

  “They don’t die,” Virgil conjectured. “Their lives are somehow preserved, and they start over in the competition at a later date. I assume this is why so many competitors have their faces hidden.”

  Seth pointed at Virgil. “That is a really good theory. I’d stick with it.”

  “Is that confirmation?” Virgil asked. “It would explain how they never run out of combatants.”

  “It’s as close to confirmation as you’re going to get,” Seth said.

  “I’m jealous you went down there,” Virgil said. “I’ve dreamed of an opportunity like that.”

  “I also ran into trouble,” Seth said. “You didn’t notice a lady with green hair and no arms?”

  “Completely armless?”

  “Well, one is a nub and the other a stump,” Seth said. “She tried to kill me.”

  “With no arms?”

  “It’s how she lost one of them.”

  “Oh,” Virgil said. “She must be new here. Or else really hot-tempered. You can’t take a life in Humburgh, unless you’re on the arena floor. Then again, not even there, if my theory is right.”

  “Unless somebod
y joins the fight without signing up,” Seth said.

  “You’re right,” Virgil agreed. “Those poor saps bleed out.”

  “Maybe I shouldn’t have revealed that,” Seth realized.

  “It’s obvious if you watch those who leap from the stands to the arena floor,” Virgil consoled.

  “Did you see the lady?” Seth asked.

  “No,” Virgil said. “I’ll watch for her. Will you go back to the coliseum tomorrow?”

  “I guess I can go as much as I want,” Seth said. “I’ll have to look out for trouble. Where else can I search for clues in Humburgh?”

  “Take your pick,” Virgil said. “The whole town has potential.”

  “I wish I hadn’t blown it at the Humburgh Mystery House,” Seth said.

  “How did you blow it?” Virgil asked.

  “I couldn’t get inside,” Seth said.

  “You just go down the side alley to the back,” Virgil said. “They try to make the entrance feel hidden. If you haggle with the guy at the door, you can get in for peanuts.”

  “I talked to a woman out front,” Seth said. “She wanted something valuable from me.”

  Virgil laid a hand on Seth. “Wait. You spoke with Esmira?”

  “A lady all bundled in black?” Seth asked.

  “What did you offer?” Virgil asked.

  “A turnip.”

  Virgil’s eyes went wide. “The hag approached you and you offered a turnip?”

  “I didn’t have much,” Seth said defensively. “I hoped maybe she liked turnips. She rejected me and told me it was the last offer I could make that day.”

  “This happened yesterday?” Virgil asked. “As in, perhaps you could make another offer today?”

  “Yes.”

  “You were with Reggie, Hermo, and Calvin?” Virgil sounded excited.

  “Yeah.”

  “Let’s fetch them and try to re-create the moment,” Virgil said. “See if Esmira shows herself again. Getting admitted by Esmira is the best way to find the Diviner.”

  “What does the Diviner do?” Seth asked.

  “I’ve never met him personally,” Virgil said. “I’ve tried several times. But if you find him, he helps you locate stuff. Including your destiny.”

  “Really?” Seth said. “Is the Mystery House still open?”

  “Until midnight,” Virgil said. “We should grab the others. Esmira shows herself infrequently. You should imitate the conditions of her first appearance as much as possible.”