Vilmos reached a hand up to ward off the tiny flyers. One of the creatures set upon him, locked its jaws around his hand. The instant the teeth plunged into his flesh he could feel the slow crawl of something up his arm. He looked at his arm in horror, saw the flesh turning to stone.
Adrina put her hands to her face in shock. She slumped to her knees, rocked back and forth. She muttered to herself, “Don’t give in to the fear. Don’t give in to the fear.”
“Two as one,” Vilmos said, his voice firm. “You must reach out your hand. Succumb to death. It is the only way to see what I see.”
Adrina rocked back and forth, whispering to herself. She saw tiny flashes of fire all around her. She saw the creature latched onto Vilmos’ hand. She watched as his body turned to stone.
She started to second guess herself. She didn’t want to do what must be done. Was it the right choice? Was there something else she should do? What if she did nothing? And then she took her right hand and gripped the forearm of her left, forcing the hand into the air and holding it steady. She braced for the pain.
One of the creatures latched onto her hand almost immediately and just as suddenly her fate was locked with that of Vilmos. The petrification was quick. The stone spread up her left arm and to her torso in a few heartbeats. It then moved down her right arm and both her legs until only her neck and head were outside its bounds.
It was then that the great clutter of tiny creatures flying through the air became one, and then that the thin veil between her and Vilmos lifted. The creature that stood before her had the great wings and body of a winged serpent, the torso of a man.
Adrina couldn’t turn to see Vilmos, but she knew he was solid stone, and that like her only his face remained outside the petrification. She could feel the mortification of the flesh of her face. She could no longer breathe. Her eyes were the only part of her that she could move.
The Dragon King’s great clawed hands rushed toward them. She thought he would crush the stone of their bodies. He didn’t. Instead his touch restored their flesh.
“You seek answers and a key,” the Dragon King said. “Which shall it be?”
Adrina and Vilmos didn’t speak. They turned, looked at each other, said, “Two as one.”
“So shall it be,” said the Dragon King.
The room started to crumble around them. Vilmos ran. Adrina ran. They ran as fast as they could back to the stairs. They ran and ran, but they seemed to go nowhere.
Vilmos panicked, started screaming. Adrina held him in place. “It’s an illusion. A test,” she said, surprised she could still touch him.
She watched pieces of the stairs fall away around them. Vilmos did too. A nervous tremor came to his lip. “How can you know?”
“Don’t give in to the fear,” she whispered to herself and to him. She closed her eyes, concentrated. She heard him turn away from her. Before he could step away, she grabbed his arm. “The answers are here.”
“Let me go!” he shouted as he struggled to break free.
“Knowing who you can trust can save your life,” she said. They were borrowed words, the words of her sister, Midori. Other words came to her as through a dream. She remembered the scroll.
For a moment she saw the milk-white eyes of a blind woman. She breathed deeply, concentrated. “Nothing to fear,” she told herself.
She saw, understood. She knew why Midori had given her the scroll and why the old woman appeared now in her mind’s eye. Everything was linked. Everything was a part of the circle.
She opened her eyes, released the iron grip on Vilmos’ arm. The great clutter of tiny creatures flying about the air once again became a single being—the Dragon King.
She stared up at the Dragon King unafraid. “There are no answers. No keys. We’re here because we have something you need.”
The Dragon King nodded. “You are the key.”
“It’s why you’ve been helping us. Why the Mistress of the Night and Lady of the Forest appear.” She grabbed Vilmos’ hand, took a step toward the Dragon King. “You want our help as much as we require yours. You help us to help yourself.”
“Find the door,” the Dragon King said. “Open it. You are the children of the light and of the dark. You must do what must be done.”
“What of the elves?”
“What of the elves,” scoffed the Dragon King.
“You are honor-bound to their service.”
“As you shall be to me.”
“You wish return from exile, to power.”
“As would any.”
Adrina and Vilmos took another step toward the Dragon King. “You released the Dark Lord the Elf Queen warned of,” Adrina said.
“It is the game. I am the keeper of the Fourth Wind.”
Vilmos remained uncharacteristically quiet. Adrina made a fist as if she was going to strike the Dragon King. “What do you want from us?” She didn’t wait for an answer. She drove her fist into the Dragon King’s serpent-like body. Her fist cut through the outer scales. Her arm sank up to the elbow in the wet flesh. She grabbed at the fleshy meat within and, gripping it, withdrew her arm. In her hand she held one of the tiny dragons. “You are going to tell us now why we are here?”
“I cry for the children who at the end of the journey will never be the same.” The Dragon King changed forms as he spoke, taking on the form of the old blind woman. “Child, I cry for you. I cry because I see you standing in the middle of a killing field. I cry for the thousands dead at your feet…”
“Who are you?” Vilmos and Adrina shouted at the same time. “Why us?”
The Dragon King changed forms as he spoke again. “Speak not words in haste, oft you may regret the reply. Yet if this is what you truly wish to know, I will tell you.”
Adrina stared into the eyes of the Lady of the Forest. “It is not true. It can’t be true. I won’t let it be true.”
“As it is,” the Dragon King said readily. “I am what I choose to be, what you need me to be.”
“Lies, lies, lies!” Adrina shouted.
“One truth,” the Dragon King said, offering the words like candy.
“Truth. What would you know of truth?” The tiny dragon she held in her hand opened its wings as if in response.
“Your brother dies just after moonrise and with him the hope that the peoples will ever be united.”
“Leave Valam out of this!” Adrina flew into a rage, started kicking, punching, screaming.
“Let him finish,” Vilmos pleaded. “I want to know.”
“Yes, indeed,” the Dragon King said. “You’d like to know wouldn’t you little one? Why? Why? Why?”
Vilmos held Adrina back. They both took a step away from the menacing figure who suddenly seemed more like a creature of the underworld than one of the great dragons. “One truth,” Vilmos said. “You offered.”
“One truth was given. Heed it as you would.”
Vilmos stepped in front of Adrina. “And if we open this door you spoke of?”
“No if’s. You must. The prince dies. The prince lives. You choose.” The Dragon King waved his hands, transporting them out of the tower, taking them to a plateau where they could look down into Great Kingdom from the heavens. He pointed to the tiny dragon Adrina held in her hand.
The creature threw back its head; fire came out of its mouth. Adrina was compelled to look into the flames.
Her heart beat faster and faster.
She saw images within the flames. Valam lying wounded in a bed. Father Jacob and Keeper Martin were beside him. Dead men piled behind them.
The Dragon King spoke, “The wounds aren’t fatal. Dragon’s milk is, however.”
“Dragon’s milk?” Adrina asked.
“Only one cure, only those in the service of the Dragon survive. Will you choose life for your brother or death?”
“To what end?”
“Choose.”
“I will not.”
The Dragon King lashed out with his tail. They jumped to av
oid tripping and falling. “My dears, one way or the other.” He waved his hands. Four doors appeared. Two to the left of Vilmos. Two to the right of Adrina. “One of you will always be mine. Act now to save him, or not. If you save him, he’s mine and you are both free.”
“If we don’t choose?” Adrina asked. Vilmos added, “What then?”
“White brings the hope of life. Black brings death. Two as one. Choose or stay. I don’t care.”
The tiny dragon in Adrina’s hand squawked. Adrina looked down, saw it was looking at her. Behind the iris of its tiny eyes she could see flames—the same flames that were in the Dragon King’s eyes. “Mine,” she said boldly. “I will take this with me.”
The Dragon King mocked her, saying, “As if you had a choice. Remember, one of you will be mine regardless.”
There was a flash of lighting, but the lightning went from the ground to the sky. A torrent of smoke and debris exploded outward. Adrina jumped out of the way. When she turned back, it seemed she was alone.
“Vilmos, Vilmos?” she called out through the smoke. She coughed and sputtered.
Vilmos groaned, said, “Here, I’m here.”
When the smoke cleared they found the doors remained. Two white and two black.
“Doorways to nowhere,” Vilmos grumbled.
“No,” Adrina said, “It’s a puzzle. White is life. Black is death. One of you is mine regardless. Two as one. Don’t you see?”
“If you only knew.” Vilmos put his hands to his head. “We choose white then?”
Adrina stopped Vilmos from going to the door. “Not so fast, I don’t think so.”
“Black then?”
“Too easy,” she said, turning about in a close circle. “One of you is mine,” she said to herself as much as Vilmos. “Two as one.”
“We choose white. We have to. He said so. White is life.”
“For us, but what about my brother? Is that death for him then?” The tiny dragon she held squawked as if in response.
“Black then?” she asked, speaking not to Vilmos but to the dragon. The dragon made no response.
“Black and white,” she said. “We choose both.” The dragon squawked and flapped its wings as if to say yes, yes. Adrina was sure that was the right choice.
Vilmos gulped, asked. “Which of us chooses black and dies if you are wrong?”
“I do,” Adrina said stepping up to the black door to her right, grabbing the door handle. “Are you ready?”
Vilmos moved to the white door to his left. He nodded, asked, “You’re sure about this?”
“On the count of three,” Adrina said, closing her eyes, preparing herself for whatever might come. She turned to Vilmos, made sure he was ready. “Three,” she said without counting one and two. She opened the door, stepped into darkness.
Chapter Fifteen:
Endgame
People crowded onto rooftops. It seemed everyone carried a torch, lighting up the night sky. The balconies had people hanging over the rail, clinging desperately to their bit of space and vantage point.
Seth and Captain Brodst circled, back to back. The opposing trio pressed from the outside. Seth had finally gone beyond restraint, vowing he would not hold back anymore.
The dark orange flames on the rooftops reminded him of the battle at sea. The hungry black flames rising from the sinking ships. The battle that only four had survived.
Seth lashed out at laterally at Geoffrey, eyeing Shalimar as he moved. He thumped Brodst’s right side, indicating a change.
The captain turned, lunged at Geoffrey.
Seth swept around the captain, arcing with his blade. He jumped into the air, kicked out at Shalimar with his left foot. His foot made a clean blow to the side of Shalimar’s head. Shalimar went down.
Captain Brodst took a step back, hit Shalimar’s head with the butt end of his sword. Shalimar’s head slapped the dirt. He didn’t move.
Men rushed into the circle to carry him out.
It was a two on two match. Father and son against the captain and the warrior elf.
Geoffrey and Nijal squared off against Seth and Ansh. Geoffrey made a quick move to separate the pair.
The crowd roared.
Both pairs were visibly fatigued. It became a struggle to make simple attacks and counters.
Then, as swiftly as it all began, it nearly ended. Brodst fell, taking Nijal with him.
Seth and Geoffrey had to sidestep to avoid going down as well.
The two circled.
Seth took measure of the Lord of Solntse. His movements were catlike and precise. He used the momentary lull to gather his strength, focus.
The Lord of Solntse’s moves were sluggish. He bled from a wound in his side. He held the mid-length blade like a club.
Seth studied his eyes, trying to see if it was some sort of trick. He jabbed with his sword, whipped around, turned back, intending on elbowing Geoffrey, only to find the man wasn’t there.
The lord had ducked out of the way. His blade was coming up to gut Seth from navel to sternum.
Seth saw the blade, had only an instant to react. He feinted, shifting too far back to support his weight.
He went down. Geoffrey pounced on him, pummeling him with the side of the blade.
The crowd grew quiet. The silence was apparent to Seth even as he struggled to break Geoffrey’s grip.
He stared into Geoffrey’s eyes. Geoffrey clearly wasn’t afraid. He surely thought he held the strongest position, that he was moments from victory.
Seth knew, however, that he could reach up and snap Geoffrey’s neck in an instant. The lord would never have suspected Seth capable. He wouldn’t even know what happened to him as his life ended.
Seth broke Geoffrey’s grip, brought his hands up to the man’s neck. He knew the next heartbeat would change everything. He promised Prince Valam he wouldn’t hold back. But would Geoffrey’s death bring the thing he sought?
He brought his fists down.
Geoffrey collapsed.
Seth pushed the other off, spun around, found his sword. He got to his feet, watched Geoffrey struggle to his knees.
Seth gripped the sword. He could end this with a single blow. Geoffrey expected it. Seth could tell.
When Seth didn’t move, Geoffrey struggled to his feet. Geoffrey looked at Seth, his eyes seeming to ask, “What are you waiting for? Strike, end this.”
The image of Redwalker Tae flashed through Seth’s mind. Loyalty to his cause is what he needed, not a dead lord. Geoffrey dead at his feet would solve nothing.
Seth tossed his sword to the ground at Geoffrey’s feet. Geoffrey stared at Seth, awe written in his expression.
Geoffrey stumbled, fell forward, clinging at Seth’s waist as his legs collapsed. Seth held him up.
The two walked from the circle.
At first the crowd did not roar or cheer. They simply parted. The viewers were as awestruck as Geoffrey had been. Men and women reached out to touch Seth as he passed.
Chanting began. In the hearts and minds of those who had seen the match the victors were clear. The Kingdom trio had won. They had won in grand style.
Seth assisted Geoffrey. The two went to the place Valam had been taken. A girl with long black hair followed in the shadows. Seth saw her out of the corner of his eye.
Seth helped Geoffrey to a bench just inside the door.
Valam lay near death. Keeper Martin and Father Jacob were gathered around him.
Valam motioned Seth to come closer. “They told me what you did,” he whispered. “I believe. Word will spread. You will have your army.”
“Save your strength. Rest,” Seth said wearily.
The door opened and closed. Seth turned to see Princess Adrina enter. He had felt her presence in the shadows. There had been sadness in her mind and tears in her eyes then too.
“He dies,” whispered Jacob to Seth, hardly looking up, “I pray, but there are no answers.”
“Oh, there are answers,” Adrina said wip
ing tears from her eyes as she found sudden resolve. “There is poison in his veins.”
“Poison?” asked Jacob.
Kingdoms and the Elves of the Reaches: Omnibus Page 70