by SJ West
“You didn’t have any say in whether or not you wanted to be immortal?” Aurora asked, sounding worried over the prospect. “If I am judged to have done something honorable enough to earn a golden scale, are you telling me there is nothing I can do to prevent it from being given to me?”
“I’m afraid not, little one,” Runa said, understanding Aurora’s worry that she might have to live a life beyond mine.
“What did the red dragon do when he saw that you had earned your gold scale?” I asked, changing the subject.
“He left,” Runa said, sounding pleased with herself. “He knew he wouldn’t be able to kill me, and so he gave up his quest to destroy our archives.”
“So you have your history written down?” I asked. “Are they in books?”
“Of a sort,” Runa said. “We have written our history down on stone tablets.”
“Can I read them one day?”
“I’m afraid you wouldn’t understand our written language, but I would love to show them to you when you come back to our islands.”
“I would love that.”
“They’re here!”
I looked over to the shore and saw Thomas jumping up and down in excitement. He was pointing out to sea, and I too saw the white sails of ships cresting over the horizon.
“And so it begins,” I said, knowing the time had come for war.
CHAPTER TWENTY-ONE
As the first of the small boats began to arrive, I was happy to see Admiral Oliver Edeson in the first one to make it to shore. He looked just as dashing as the first time I had seen him in Kamora. He was sharply dressed in his high-collared, royal blue military coat with brass buttons down the front. His matching bicorne hat sat jauntily on his head, making him look even more imposing considering his six and a half foot frame. When his boat made it close to shore, two of the crew hopped out into the water and pulled it all the way in to make landfall.
Edeson stepped out of the boat and walked up the shore to me.
“Your Majesty,” he said with an easy, friendly grin, “it’s good to see you again. I didn’t realize you would be here waiting for us. I thought you might stay in Iron City at the college to be safe.”
“It’s war, Admiral. We all have to do what we can to make sure we’re victorious. I have a part to play just like everyone else. In fact, we should discuss with you what we already have planned.”
“If we’re talking strategy, then we should probably wait for the commander of the Kamoran army to arrive. She should be here shortly. Their ships are anchoring as we speak.”
“What’s her name?” I asked, not in the least bit surprised that a female was in charge of leading the Kamoran forces. Sora was a formidable queen, after all. It wasn’t unexpected for her to choose a woman to lead the troops she sent.
“Her name is Maru,” Edeson said. “I think you’ll like her. She’s quite a soldier.”
I knew Edeson wasn’t a man to give such praise lightly. It made me even more curious to meet the leader of the Kamoran army.
“Do your men need anything?” I asked.
“They will all need to come ashore and rest some before we leave for the Fae capital,” Edeson answered, looking down the shoreline at the assemblage of dragons. “My, they do make a formidable sight when they’re all together.”
I had to agree with Edeson’s assessment. “And that’s only a quarter of the ones who came to help us. We decided that the bulk of the dragon force should be sent to help retake Iron City.”
“Well, between us and the Kamorans we have a total of approximately two thousand troops. With the dragons, that should be plenty to take the Fae capital.”
“We may not have to go through a full assault on the city to take it,” I told Edeson. “That’s part of what we need to discuss with you and Maru when she gets here. We have another plan that we’re going to set into motion.”
“Then, will there be any fighting?”
“When Nuala learns that her city has been taken by us, she will send reinforcements back home. That will most likely be the time when we have to fight. I think we can take the city without losing lives, but keeping it will be another matter entirely.”
“I see,” Edeson said, not really seeing at all. I could tell he was confused by what I was telling him, but a full explanation would need to wait until everyone was together.
Edeson’s men slowly began to make their way onto shore in the dinghies. Half of his men were already on shore and making camp before a boat with Maru made its way inland. It was just as well. The extra time allowed for Edeson and his men to set up a proper table for all of us to sit at together. Edeson offered to put a large tent up, but I saw no need for such a thing. It would only serve to make it more difficult to include Gregoire and the other dragons in our talks.
As Maru walked up from the shore towards us, I could tell she was a woman who was used to being obeyed. There is a certain walk that such people have. Their shoulders are squared and held back just a touch farther than most. She wore a simple black outfit made of cotton. Over the shirt and pants, she wore a sleeveless vest that reached down to her knees. A thick black leather belt was cinched around her waist. Hanging from the right side of it was a sheathed katana sword while a pistol was housed in a holster on the opposite side. Maru looked to be in her mid-forties. Her black hair was just beginning to gray. Her face was pretty but not in the traditional sense of the term. Her beauty came from acceptance of power and authority. It wasn’t arrogance, per se, but a deep knowledge of her own self-worth.
“It’s good to see you again, Edeson,” Maru said, extending a hand to the admiral in friendship. I knew her words weren’t an empty gesture of cordiality. She truly saw Edeson as a comrade in arms—someone she trusted.
“You too, Maru,” Edeson greeted, shaking Maru’s hand firmly. “Maru, please allow me to introduce you to my queen, Emma Vankar.”
Maru studied me for a moment. I knew she was judging my worth with her stare, but I had become used to such looks by now. Finally, she held her hand out towards me.
“My queen has asked me to entrust my life and the lives of my soldiers to you,” Maru said, keeping hold of my hand. “Are you worthy of such trust?”
“I am, as long as you are worthy enough for me to trust as well.”
Maru kept my hand in hers as she continued to study me. Finally, her lips curved into a smile.
“I like a woman who knows she’s worth more than her sex allows. So many people view us as the weaker gender.”
“I think we both know such people are idiots.”
This earned me a short laugh from Maru.
“The truth in your words is quite evident I think, considering the state of affairs at the moment. It seems a woman has caused a great deal of trouble, and it will be up to us to fix her foolery.”
“I wholeheartedly agree with your assessment,” I said. “I also think we should tell you what our plans are for our part of the war.”
The sand beneath our feet began to tremble slightly. I looked down the beach and saw Gregoire, Vincent, Seneca, and Runa walking towards us.
“Is it time for the meeting?” Gregoire asked me.
“Yes,” I said aloud for the benefit of Maru and Edeson. “It’s time for us to discuss things.”
“What marvelous creatures,” Maru said as she watched the dragons approach. I could tell by the childlike look of wonderment on her face that she had fallen under the spell the dragons were able to cast on us humans.
As everyone gathered around the table, I made the introductions of each member of our group to Maru. She looked unconvinced when I introduced Thomas.
“He has already proven his worth in this war,” I assured her. “If it wasn’t for him, the battle with Tyr’s group could have easily turned out differently. His diversion was enough to give our dragons the upper hand in the fight.”
“Hmm,” Maru said as she studied Thomas.
Poor Thomas looked a bit disconcerted by Maru’s scr
utiny, but he didn’t shy away from it. He stood his ground and waited for her judgment.
“You do have a strength within you,” she said to him. “I can see that.”
“Thank you,” Thomas said, looking unsure what else he should say on the matter of his own character.
“Why don’t we all sit down?” I suggested as I took my seat at the table. “There’s a lot that you both need to know.”
Dracen and I took turns explaining what had transpired since I left Kamora. We also ran through a detailed plan of how we hoped to take the Fae capital without shedding any blood.
“You know your people better than anyone at this table,” Maru said to Lanai. “Do you believe they will accept you as their queen again?”
For some reason, I expected Lanai to cower in the face of Maru’s direct question of her leadership abilities. Instead, Lanai sat up straighter and looked Maru dead in the eyes as she replied, “I do. Considering what Queen Emma has told me about the conditions in the capital, I believe my people will welcome me back to help save them from Nuala’s reign.”
Maru nodded her head. “Good. Then I don’t see any reason for Queen Emma’s plan to fail.”
“When did you learn you have magic?” Edeson asked me, still looking astounded by this fact.
“Only recently,” I admitted.
“And you believe you have the ability to kill this person named Karis?” Maru asked.
“There’s no other way to get through the automatons,” I said. “As long as he’s controlling them, they will fight us until we’re all dead.”
“And they are indestructible?” Maru asked.
“Yes,” Dracen answered.
“This plan seems to all hinge on Karis accepting a meeting with you,” Edeson said. “What happens if he doesn’t? What if he refuses to meet with you?”
“I have a backup plan that should work,” Dracen answered, much to everyone’s surprise, including me.
“What plan?” I asked him.
Dracen looked at me as if he didn’t want to answer my question.
“I believe I know how to release the souls trapped in the trillian. If I’m right, then the automatons will no longer have a host and will automatically shut down.”
“And why is this a backup plan?” Maru asked. “Shouldn’t we just shut them down if we can?”
“What would you have to do?” I asked, knowing if the solution was an easy one, Dracen wouldn’t have waited this long to tell me about it.
“In order to destroy the trillian,” Dracen began, “I would have to destroy the source with my magic.”
“Trill’s body?” I asked.
Dracen nodded. “I have a theory that if I destroy it, every piece of trillian, no matter where it is, will also be destroyed.”
“And your magic is strong enough to do such a thing?” Maru asked.
“My magic is strong enough to destroy the world, if I so chose to,” Dracen answered, not out of arrogance but simple fact. “As it is, this spell should only destroy Ledmarrow Mountain.”
“And what would happen to you?” I asked.
Dracen looked at me. “I can’t say for sure, but I assume I’ll be destroyed with it.”
“Then that is not an option.”
“I agree that it’s a last resort,” Dracen hedged, “but it is an option we should leave open to us.”
“No,” I said succinctly. “It’s not an option. I’ll get my meeting with Karis and take care of things. You won’t have to die to save us.”
Dracen didn’t say anything and everyone else at the table remained silent. I knew they were considering the option Dracen had given as a serious alternative, but I refused to even consider its implementation.
“I want you to promise me,” I said to Dracen, “that you won’t go behind my back and destroy the trillian in some reckless noble sacrifice. At least give me a chance to take Karis out first. If I fail my mission, I won’t try to stop you from doing what has to be done. Can you make such a promise to me?”
Dracen hesitated, but finally, he nodded his agreement.
I stood from the table. “I suggest we all get some rest for tomorrow. I feel sure we’ll need it. I will contact Marshal Fallon and let him know that we’re ready to take the Fae capital. I will also confirm that they are ready to begin the assault on Iron City on their end.”
I left the table rather abruptly, but I didn’t want Dracen to try to convince me that his secondary plan was even a viable one. I wouldn’t allow him to sacrifice himself in this war and that was that.
“Sarah,” Aurora said as I entered my tent, “you are placing your life in danger by meeting with Karis. Dracen is simply willing to make the same sort of sacrifice.”
“No. He isn’t. What he wants to do would be suicide, Aurora. I won’t allow it. I won’t lose him.”
“In the end, it is his choice to make.”
“He won’t get to have a choice,” I said, becoming irritated with Aurora’s rationale. “Now please, let me concentrate on contacting Fallon.”
I laid down on my pallet and held onto my pendant as I reached out to Fallon’s mind with my own. Over the last few days, I had contacted him during the night just to talk and see how he was doing. I needed a little sanity amongst the insanity. Fallon was one of the few people I could openly talk to about everything. There were no secrets between us, and I was thankful for that.
As always, when we met this way, Fallon and I found ourselves in the garden of the palace in Iron City.
“What’s wrong?” he immediately asked. “You look sad. Did something bad happen at the meeting with the Kamoran commander?”
I shook my head. “No. That went fine. It was Dracen.”
I went on to tell him Dracen’s “backup” plan.
“I won’t let him do it, John,” I said adamantly. “I just won’t!”
“Do you have the ability to stop him from doing it?”
I sighed. “No.”
“Right now, I think you should focus on the plan you have to take Karis out. Do that and you won’t have to even consider Dracen’s proposal.”
I nodded. “Okay. I know you’re right, but it still bothers me that he would even consider it as an alternative.”
“He’s only preparing for the worst case scenario, and this option was probably the only other one he could think of that would work. I wouldn’t worry about it. Your plan will succeed. Just concentrate on what you have to do, Sarah.”
“Okay. I will,” I said, feeling better after talking to him about my worries. “How are things going on your end? Are you prepared to advance on Iron City when Nuala makes her move?”
“We’ve been ready,” Fallon said, sounding as eager as I was to put an end to this war. “We’re patiently waiting for things to fall into place.”
“It shouldn’t be long now. In a few days, this war will be over, and we can start to build our life together.”
“Oh, by the way, Inara says she already has the wedding planned out. All you have to do is show up.”
I laughed, which felt good. I hadn’t laughed in days.
“I’m so glad she doesn’t hate me. I feared she might not be able to forgive me for lying to her for so long.”
“She and I talked about that. After she left you that day, when you told her the truth, it didn’t take her long to realize Emma only did what she thought was right, and you were simply following her orders. She did say that she noticed a difference in Emma since the war started, but she just attributed it to everything that was going on.”
“I hope we can be real friends one day.”
“I think she considers you a real friend now, Sarah.”
The thought made me smile because I had so few people I considered true friends. Inara was included in that esteemed group, even if I would have to earn her friendship when I returned to Iron City.
“I guess I should go,” I said, not wanting to break the connection just yet, but knowing I needed to rest up for the next day
.
“Good luck tomorrow and keep safe. Don’t let that mantle leave your shoulders.”
“I won’t. I promise. You keep safe too, John. Don’t you dare die on me. Inara will never forgive you if you do. You’ll ruin her wedding plans.”
Fallon laughed. “Well, I wouldn’t want you to have to deal with the aftermath of ruining her plans. I’ll make sure that I keep myself alive.”
“I love you,” I said, reaching out to his phantom image.
“I love you too, Sarah,” he replied, reaching out to me as well.
I didn’t sleep very well that night, and I ended up rising with the sun. I’m not sure if it was the added noise of all the troops on the beach or just my nervousness about the day ahead. So much hinged on my ability to gain an audience with Karis. The mere thought of him made my temper flare, and I knew I would need to call on that hatred in order to kill him. This thought suddenly brought me up short. If I succeeded, Karis would die today. He would see his last sunrise, eat his last breakfast, and talk to those around him for the very last time in his life. I began to feel sorry for him, but quickly stashed my empathy away. He was a murderer and didn’t deserve my sympathy. He killed more people than I would ever meet in my lifetime and was a key player in the destruction of my city. If it weren’t for him, Nuala would not be inside my palace terrorizing the citizens of Iron City.
I kept these truths close to my heart because I knew I would need them later.
Karis had to die. If he didn’t, I knew Dracen would go through with his secondary plan, and I would not allow that to happen.
When I stepped out of my tent that morning, Lanai offered me something to eat. I’m not even sure what it was because I immediately declined it. My stomach was tied up in knots, and food was the last thing on my mind. I was surprised when Gabriel sought me out. He hadn’t spoken to me much in the past few days, and I didn’t bother him. I knew he had a lot on his mind, considering he had to listen to everything Tyr said when they were close enough to hear one another. I think that’s why I didn’t see him much. He seemed to be keeping his distance from Tyr so neither of them could read each other’s thoughts. I could only imagine what being separated from his dragon companion was costing Gabriel emotionally. I clearly remembered the first time I tried to separate from Aurora. It had been an excruciating experience. I only hoped Gabriel didn’t have to endure such torture for someone as selfish and cold-hearted as Tyr.