by Brandon Mull
Webs throughout the room vibrated, and a dragon roughly the size of an elephant dropped to the floor in front of Cyllia. Instead of the snug scales encasing most dragons, heavy plates armored Velrog, many bristling with thorny spines. The bulky creature looked like a relative of a horned lizard or an ankylosaurus, but with six legs and an additional pair of tiny forelegs at the front. The rounded bulge at the end of his tail gave it the shape of a flail.
“Fifty,” Kendra said, releasing the bowstring. Arrows swarmed at Velrog and stuck to all the surfaces of the dragon, showing that the plates shielding his body were leathery.
Velrog shook like a wet dog, shedding arrows in all directions. Cyllia sprinted forward, a sword in each hand, and Velrog sprang into the air, batlike wings flapping to lift him out of reach. The dragon opened his wide mouth, and gray matter streamed out like water from a firehose. Wherever the concentrated stream touched, gooey masses of web spread outward. Cyllia leaped and dodged and aerialed to avoid the web stream for a few seconds before it overtook her, binding her from head to foot in a heavy cocoon. The hamadryad squirmed and struggled, making the cocoon bulge slightly and wiggle. Her muffled cries made Kendra question whether Cyllia could breathe.
Raxtus sprang forward and used his teeth to tear the webbing away from her head. Cyllia gasped with relief and Raxtus took flight, hurtling toward Velrog. This time Velrog breathed a silvery mist that coalesced around Raxtus, promptly leaving him tangled in a messy net of webs. Wings stuck to his sides, Raxtus fell to the floor. Flying overhead, Velrog fired a gray sphere from his mouth that exploded into a jumble of webs when it hit the fallen dragon.
Hoping the extended wings in flight made Velrog more vulnerable, Kendra aimed her bow and cried, “Eighty!” As the arrows launched, Velrog tucked his wings. The projectiles connected to his thick scales as he plummeted to the floor.
After Velrog landed, legs splayed beneath him, Kendra hauled back the bowstring again and called, “Fifty!” When she released, no arrows flew. Pulling the string again, she frantically tried to calculate how many arrows she had used so far. Was the bow empty? Or had fifty exceeded the balance of her remaining arrows?
Raxtus snapped at the constraining webs with his teeth and raked with his claws, finally cutting himself free enough to scramble behind the cover of some of the heavier web curtains. Glancing over her shoulder, Kendra saw Tanu expanding into a giant version of himself as he tossed aside an empty bottle. Warren ran to Cyllia and started sawing at her bindings with a dagger.
“Ten,” Kendra said, and ten arrows sped to thunk against Velrog. She at least wanted to provide a distraction. Was it too much to hope she might hit an eye?
“Ten,” she repeated, and after she released the string, Velrog looked even more like a pincushion.
“Ten,” she said again, but no arrows launched.
“One,” Kendra tried, but the empty string twanged without a result.
Velrog shook off the arrows as Tanu stomped past Kendra, his knees level with her shoulders. The enlarged Samoan rushed the dragon, but Velrog took flight and began spraying a stream of web matter. Powering forward, Tanu swiped at the spreading webs with minor success at first, but as Velrog kept the stream trained on him, webs multiplied until Tanu became hopelessly entangled. Staggering sideways, the potion master fell against a tall, webby drapery and stuck there as Velrog piled on more bindings.
Tossing her bow aside, Kendra pulled out the sack of gales. Aiming the mouth at the flying dragon, she opened the bag.
“No!” Raxtus cried from his hiding place behind the webs as a torrent of wind gushed from the sack, flinging Velrog back against the wall. Velrog folded his wings and dropped to the ground as veils of web around the room flapped and billowed wildly, sticky cords whipping like manic tentacles in the flood of wind swirling through the cylindrical chamber.
Kendra hurriedly closed the sack, but the damage was done. Raxtus hung like a trapped bug, wings askew, sandwiched between layers of sticky curtains. Warren had become ensnared by sheets of web as well, and Cyllia remained bound in her snug cocoon. Tanu flopped and wriggled, but the restraining webs held him fast.
Only three ropes of web had adhered to Kendra—one on her right shoulder and two against her left leg. Kendra grabbed the cord on her shoulder to yank it off but found her hand instantly affixed. Her most desperate tugging did nothing to separate the gluey line from her shoulder or her palm.
Velrog scuttled through snarled strands and enmeshed draperies as if they had no adhesive properties. He shot a spurt of gray web stream at Kendra that left her wrapped from shoulders to knees in warm, soft matter that proved frustratingly resilient when she struggled.
“I have not feasted like this in ages,” Velrog gloated, approaching Cyllia. “This one is a singular prize, long and trim, brimming with vitality. I have almost forgotten the robust flavor of a tree maiden.”
“I’m meatier,” Tanu invited.
“No, me,” Warren insisted, lunging against the webs that held him. “His aftertaste is gamey.”
“I shall wait until you return to your actual size, potion man,” Velrog said. “Magically augmented meat reduces unpleasantly after ingestion. None of you should fret. You will all get your turn. I have long subscribed to the policy of beginning with the ripest fruit.”
“I am not afraid,” Cyllia said.
“Excellent,” Velrog enthused. “For your bravery, I award you a final chance.” Leaning forward, the dragon breathed pink fluid onto Cyllia that melted away her bindings. The hamadryad reclaimed her swords and assumed a fighting stance. Stepping carefully, weapons ready, she moved to the portion of the room least festooned with webs.
“Evil fogs your judgment,” Cyllia said. “I am no typical tree maiden. I am Kendra’s guardian and your executioner.”
Cyllia threw one of her swords. It embedded in Velrog beside the neck, and he snarled as she raced forward, her other sword ready to strike. Hissing fiercely, Velrog dodged her swing, then lunged at her. Cyllia sidestepped the bite, pulled her embedded sword from the dragon, and nimbly ducked a swipe from the tail.
“Enough,” Velrog declared, blowing a puff of mist at the agile warrior. The cloud condensed into hundreds of entwined strands, and the more Cyllia moved, the more fully entangled she became.
Velrog pounced, and Kendra looked away as the dragon noisily devoured the hamadryad. Kendra strained against the webs girdling her, weeping with frustration as her muscles failed the test. She fell over, and the webs binding her stuck to the floor.
“That was rash,” Velrog admitted after his last swallow. “Luscious, satisfying, but overly indulgent. How could I resist? It has been so long. Having slaked my appetite, I intend to relish the rest of you.”
Velrog looked upward. Kendra heard a rush of air and flapping wings. Had Raxtus torn free? No, he remained flypapered to the hanging webs. Craning her head, Kendra glimpsed two figures flying above and behind her, golden wings flashing. Both held swords. Were they astrids? Where had they come from? As they wheeled into a more visible position, Kendra recognized one of the newcomers as her brother!
Seth hovered beside Merek. After arriving at the Dragon Temple as the sun rose, they had found a dead giant, two dead dragons, and the main door open. They had discovered a dragon corpse in the mirror maze, shortly before meeting a blind woman named Vanessa, who had encouraged them onward. They had flown through a room with an enormous, broken dragon statue, and then had arrived in this web-shrouded lair.
“Is that your sister?” Merek asked, pointing down to where Kendra lay wrapped in webs on the floor.
“Yeah,” Seth said, happy to find her alive.
“Who has joined us?” the dragon asked. “A pair of sparrows?”
“Velrog!” Merek warned Seth. “This one hunts like a spider. He is preparing to feed. Split up.”
Seth swooped one way and Merek the other. Seth’s wings involuntarily jerked him sideways, and a gray ball of matter flew by, barely missing hi
m. As he maneuvered closer to the scurrying dragon, Seth dodged many webby banners and tendrils, his golden wings neatly slicing through any strands they encountered.
Diving near the dragon with his stake in his hand, Merek swerved to avoid the club tail and missed his chance to strike. The dragon jetted a concentrated stream of web material at him, but Merek flew behind hanging webs, and the stream could not reach him.
Seth streaked toward the dragon. The creature turned and breathed a gray mist at him. Holding out his long knife, Seth spiraled into the cloud, wings spinning like blades in a blender, and he came through the mist with only a few gluey strands clinging to him.
Landing beside the dragon, Seth slashed one of the legs. He thought he had missed, due to the lack of resistance against his blade, but then the limb fell off. Shrieking, the dragon tipped toward him, allowing Seth to stab the Unforgiving Blade up into its belly. The blade entered effortlessly, as if he had thrust it into water.
Otherwise strangely still, the dragon trembled.
“How?” the dragon whispered, the words requiring effort to speak. “Your blade . . . I have failed. I yield.”
“You do?” Seth asked.
“Seth,” Merek called. “Grant the monstrosity a clean death.”
“Remove . . . the blade,” the dragon begged quietly. “Please . . .”
Seth noticed the platelike scales around the blade withering and darkening.
“Quickly, Seth,” Raxtus said. “It isn’t a trick.”
The dragon gasped. “Please . . . my word . . . mercy.”
Seth pulled out the Unforgiving Blade but held it ready. On shaky legs, the dragon turned, lowering his head in front of Seth. “Be quick,” the dragon whispered.
The Unforgiving Blade passed easily through the neck, though it lacked enough length to decapitate the dragon with a single stroke. Two more rapid swipes fully parted the head from the body. The dragon collapsed and remained still.
Seth stepped away and pondered the long knife in his hand. How powerful was it? What had the dragon felt with the dark blade inside of him?
Merek landed beside Seth. “Well done. First dragon?”
“Second,” Kendra said from her webby straitjacket. “Unless you’ve killed others since leaving us.”
“The first I can remember,” Seth said. “Hi, Kendra.”
“Where did you get wings?” Kendra asked.
“Some old guy in the middle of nowhere,” Seth said. “After I was struck by lightning.”
“You’ve been busy,” a guy tangled in webs said. “I’m Warren, Seth. Welcome back.”
“Nice to meet you,” Seth said. “I probably used to know you?”
“You knew all of us,” the huge Polynesian said.
“Sorry we didn’t get here sooner,” Seth said. “The weather was insane. We did our best. This is Merek. He’s . . . useful against dragons. Can I say?”
Merek gave a nod.
“He’s one of the legendary Dragon Slayers,” Seth said.
“Wait,” Kendra said. “One of the five originals? A son of Konrad?”
“You know your history,” Merek said.
“I’ve already seen him turn a dragon to dust,” Seth said.
“We just eliminated a couple ourselves,” Warren muttered.
“Your group did well,” Merek complimented. “I have never seen a dragon filleted like Jinzen. And Pioleen has proven hard to kill for centuries.”
“The leader of Dragonwatch is searching for the legendary Dragon Slayers,” Kendra said. “Do you know there is a dragon war going on?”
“I’m learning,” Merek said. “Your brother recently reunited me with my memories.”
“That’s ironic,” Kendra said. “Now if only we can get Seth’s memories back.”
“His memories existed separate from him,” Seth said. “Almost like a ghost. Mine are probably in a similar state.”
“How did you find him?” Kendra asked Seth.
“Happy accident,” Seth said.
“You still don’t remember me,” Kendra said.
“Not from my old memories,” Seth said. “Hopefully soon.”
“I’m Tanu,” the giant Polynesian guy said. “If you free me, I can help the others. I suspect that dragon has a gland in its mouth that produces a liquid to melt the webs.”
Seth held up the Unforgiving Blade. “I can’t use this. It’s too dangerous to get close to anyone.”
“I will use my wings to free Tanu,” Merek said.
“I’m not always this massive,” Tanu said. “I brewed an enlargement potion.”
Merek took flight and started swooping near Tanu, his wings slashing away large swathes of web. Seth walked over to Kendra.
“What’s with the smaller dragon?” Seth asked. “The one in the webs?”
“I’m Raxtus,” the dragon said. “It’s good to see you, Seth. I’m on your side.”
“He is,” Kendra confirmed.
“Nice to meet you,” Seth said. He returned his attention to Kendra. “You’re the one stuck this time.”
“I wouldn’t have left you on that mushroom,” Kendra said. “I was trying to take advantage of having a captive audience. It was a delicate situation.”
“Still is in a lot of ways,” Seth said.
“Do you know we’re on your side?” Kendra asked.
“Generally,” Seth said. “I’ve confirmed that you’re my sister. But I still have a lot to figure out.”
“Can we agree that we don’t want dragons to rule the world?” Kendra said.
“Yes,” Seth answered.
“And we can agree we don’t want Ronodin ruling the Fairy Realm?”
“Definitely,” Seth said.
“That’s a start,” Kendra said.
“This is the third dragon you fought today inside the Dragon Temple?” Seth asked.
“It should be the last guardian,” Kendra affirmed. “Thanks for the help. Is the storm still raging?”
“It was brutal,” Seth said. “The storm was slowing down when we arrived here. The sun was starting to peek through. And it was raining purple frogs.”
“Literally raining frogs?” Kendra checked.
“Yes,” Seth verified. “Live ones, tiny and slimy.”
“Gross,” Kendra said.
“It was pretty disgusting,” Seth admitted.
Trailing a short cape of webs, Tanu trudged over to Velrog. Crouching, he pulled the jaws apart, then, after finding leverage, cracked the jaws much wider than they were meant to open. Bending over, the gigantic Polynesian poked around inside the exposed mouth.
“If the storm is winding down, we need to hurry,” Kendra said. “The dragons could strike anytime. Who knows how many might come to the temple? At some point, they will realize we killed the guards they posted here. We have to find the Harp before they arrive.”
“I’ve got it,” Tanu said, turning and smiling, holding up a pulpy little pocket of tissue. “Let me blend this into a solution, and I’ll have everyone web-free in no time.”
Tess,” Emery called. “Fetch your brother and meet me in the hall. There is something you should see.”
“Is the storm over?” Tess asked.
“One is over,” Emery said. “Another may be starting. Hurry.”
Tess had only been awake for a few minutes. In Humburgh, Virgil had recommended they take refuge at Terastios before the storm hit, so she, Knox, Newel, and Doren had gone to Big Side and returned to the giant fortress with Rustafet. The night had been tumultuous outside, with shrieking winds and nearly continuous thunder, but she had finally slept.
Tess ran into Knox’s room and shook him. “Wake up.”
“Leave me alone,” Knox grumbled, pulling the pillow over his head. “I could barely sleep last night.”
“Emery wants to show us something,” Tess insisted. “It’s important.”
“You go see,” Knox mumbled. “She can show me later.”
“Another storm is coming,”
Tess said.
Knox sat up. “Another storm? What do you mean?”
“Come on,” Tess said. “She’s waiting.”
“Give me a minute,” Knox said. “Let me get dressed.”
Tess went out of his room and waited. She started to worry it was a trick and he was back under his covers. “Are you coming?” she checked.
He opened the door, a crease from the pillow printed across his cheek, eyes bleary, but he had a T-shirt, jeans, and shoes on. “This better be good.”
“If not, blame Emery,” Tess said, leading him to the hall.
“Glad to see you awake,” Emery said. She took Tess by the hand. “I’ve been alerted to something worth seeing. This way.”
The beautiful servant led them down a few hallways to a leaded-glass window, which she opened, offering a view from the front of the fortress. The storm clouds had broken up and were drifting into the distance. Several trees had fallen and more had lost limbs. Many were charred from lightning strikes. Standing water abounded in pools and puddles.
And there was a small group of dragons flying toward Terastios.
Behind them, in the distance, hundreds of flying objects peppered the sky.
The platinum scales of the leading dragon gleamed in the light of the newly risen sun as he landed in front of the fortress. Sleek in form and enormous in scale, he wore a crown at the base of his majestic horns. Twenty other dragons formed up behind him.
“Welcome to a new day,” Celebrant declared in a clear voice with the resonance of many men speaking in unison. “Revenge is all the sweeter when your oppressors understand their doom. As of this morning, the other six dragon sanctuaries have all fallen. Yours is the last to stand. It will not endure for long.”
The dragons behind Celebrant roared and blew fire triumphantly.
“I offer no terms of surrender. The way you have treated our kind here leaves no room for mercy. You giants never placed an emphasis on magical defenses for Stratos and Terastios, considering such preparations beneath you. Speaking as your devoted enemy, you have my sincere gratitude for this philosophy. What meager defensive spells were in place have already been compromised. I want the dragons of Titan Valley to know that the hour of their liberation is at hand. I want the sky giants to realize that by nightfall, they will be extinct. And I want all to recognize that when we dragons finish our work here today, no two stones of this fortress will remain one upon the other, and the kingdom of Stratos will be a scarred and desolate waste.”