by Teresa Grant
They all waited impatiently while Rylan took Kathrin to the garden. They could see Rylan arguing and shaking his head, but could not hear what was being said.
“Darion,” Elise stormed, “Tell your father that next time he gets rid of one of Rylan’s ex-wives he should do it properly!”
Outside, Kathrin was trying unsuccessfully to make Rylan believe her.
“I know you’ve no reason to trust me, but I’m on your side,” Kathrin crooned. “My cousin is alive… sort of, I swear it! He came back as a demon from Garr’s Scale. I was staying at his castle, taking care of everything, and a few days ago he just stormed in and threw me out! All I want is his castle and estates signed over to me. With a teeny bit of an allowance, then I will tell you everything.”
“Why should I pay you at all? You tell me all these lies. Why should I believe you? Nothing you could tell me could possibly make me believe what you’ve said,” Rylan assured her angrily.
As she watched Rylan’s face and saw all that she had gambled to come here slipping away, she blurted out her trump card. “He’s got the silver Dragon…”
She was expecting more denials and recriminations, but Rylan grabbed her arm and ran back into to the castle.
“What about the land Rylan? What about me?” she shrieked as she was roughly dragged along.
“Drake! Lock her up! No, wait. Just keep her under strict house arrest,” he ordered, entering the room and taking charge. “Duncan get the armies ready. We’re leaving within the hour!” Rylan tried to holler above the turmoil, as everyone tried to ask about the information Kathrin had given him.
“It’s Slater, he’s become a demon. He led the attack here and now he’s at his castle,” Rylan answered them all.
Then, pausing, he looked straight at Darion, and told him what they had all been dreading, “He has Silina.”
Everyone scrambled for the doors to get out of the way as Darion shot fire with his incensed cry of rage. There were advantages to living in caves and castles, stone did not burn.
Drake gave hasty instructions regarding Kathrin to Rylan’s mom, Lydia. Then made plans with Luther to rendezvous with them at Slater’s castle as soon as he could get there. They had no idea what they would be facing.
Darion and Rylan were already flying away as Drake ordered Mickael and Dryfus to remain behind to look after Neglavale, but they were having none of it. They felt like wayward children as they leapt into the air against a very angry father’s wishes, and could hear him roaring in frustration as he was delayed further by the onslaught of questions from the crowd of people wanting to know how they could help.
By the time they were halfway across the water, most of the Dragon army had grabbed their old counterparts and caught up. Living together for so long while they were Shifters, most of them remained as teams. Taken off guard with the suddenness of the departure, some of the impatient Dragons left their riders behind if they couldn’t be found instantly. They could catch up with them eventually with the army of men and women coming behind with Luther.
At midday, Rylan ordered a brief rest. Although Darion could hardly stand the delay, he knew they had to arrive in fighting shape at the end of their flight, and allowed it.
While Darion and Elise was occupied elsewhere, Rylan talked to Mickael and Dryfus.
“When we leave, I want you to hang back,” he told them quietly. “I want you to make a stop in Arilonia. We’ll carry on through, but I want you to go to old Mollywog’s cabin and speak to Branadon. If Silina was in that area, maybe she contacted him as well. You said Silina was excited last time you saw her and there was news for us. We haven’t let anyone know, and it’s too long a story to go into now, but she had an egg with her. You have got to find out what happened to it. When you do, catch up with us at Slater’s castle. I’ve a feeling if we don’t stop him there, he may try to move back to the mountain containing Garr’s Scale. I’ve sent word on ahead to the mountain to be on the lookout.”
“Wait a minute, you’re telling me Silina had an egg, and no one knows about it? Why?” “That’s wonderful news!” Both Mickael and Dryfus were anxious to find out more.
Holding up his hands for them to keep it down, Rylan went on, “I can’t go into it right now. I must get back to Darion and plan our attack. I will explain everything to you when you get back. Just find that egg!”
“But we could be uncles!” they cried excitedly.
“We don’t know if the egg contained a human or a Dragon. Mickael, my son could be out there somewhere abandoned and helpless!”
“Your son? In an egg?” “Never mind Dryfus,” Mickael interrupted. “Like Rylan says, he’ll explain later. I won’t wait till you leave; we’re going right now! Tell them I’m going to head off Luther with instructions from you. Don’t worry Rylan. We’ll find out what happened. We are very aware of what happens to abandoned babies that don’t fit in around here!”
Rylan hadn’t even thought about the stories Elise shared with him about Mickael and Dryfus’ childhood. This brought on all sorts of new concerns for him.
Damn being a King!
He couldn’t keep putting his subjects above his own family. If he did have a child out there and he ever found him, he would never put anything above him again. He only hoped that the worst his child would face was an ignorant peasant family keeping him in a cage… He’d burn the village if that ever happened of course, but... he just had to stop this. His imagination was running away with his thoughts and he needed to focus on the task ahead. Only Silina could tell them for certain of their child.
Rylan watched Mickael and Dryfus take off and was reminded of the first time he saw them fly, coming towards them all like a drunken sailor in the sky. They had finally got the knack of it though, and were almost as graceful as a full Dragon now. He wished he could go with them, flying to find his child instead of stalking off to war, yet again.
“What are you thinking, Rylan?” Darion startled him coming up from behind. “Why are Mickael and Dryfus flying off?”
“I told them to stick with Luther. He may need an aerial view or a quick messenger,” Rylan lied.
“Elise says, ‘Nice try’, we both know you sent them off for the egg. Do you think it’s still alive?” Darion asked hopefully.
“I do! Silina would never have let anything happen to it. She would never have left it, if it wasn’t in safe hands,” Rylan assured them. “Come, it’s time to leave.”
Rylan and the Dragon troop stopped for the night just outside Arilonia. It was maddening to think that Mollywog’s cabin was so close to where they stopped, but every small delay could mean life or death for Silina. They had to push on and rescue her.
The next morning the Dragons were pacing restlessly waiting for their human friends to break camp, a few of them were starting to argue with Darion. They felt that the humans were only slowing them down and should be left to catch up later.
If not for Rylan, Darion would have agreed with them and left, but when it came right down to it, not only was Rylan King, but the bonds were still too strong to ever think of leaving him behind. Besides, he had one other small disadvantage the other Dragon’s didn’t have. He had the Queen living in his mind, and she would have something else to say about it.
It wasn’t long before they were all back in the air. What the Dragon’s thought a lengthy wait was in reality a very short time. These men and women were all seasoned fighters. They packed light. They moved fast, and they were in just as much of a panic to get there as the Dragons. They couldn’t help it if a Dragon could gorge himself in minutes and make it last for days. They also couldn’t help it if they didn’t carry around their own cooking fire inside their throats, ready to spit at anything that needed a quick toasting.
Slater’s castle finally came into view, but what they saw was very discouraging. The place looked deserted. The small villages that usually peppered the lands around it were all abandoned as well.
They assumed the people must have g
ot a glimpse of their new improved landlord.
Rylan ordered everyone to land a safe distance away while he and Darion took a small force, and went to cautiously investigate. He was still leery of traps. Demons with magic powers could cook up a very deadly welcoming.
The castle turned out to be as empty as the hillsides. They searched the entire place until Darion came upon the dungeons. Rylan begged him to let him go first and wait outside, but Darion pushed him aside and went in. In the center of the main room was a large stone slab with chains and manacles along the edges. It was obvious by the size of the chain links, and shape of the manacles that it had not been used on humans. Rylan started to sweat as the temperature in the room elevated with Darion’s simmering fury.
With Herculean effort, Darion remained calm while they examined the room. He almost made it, until Rylan opened a small jail cell that seemed to be the refuse closet now. There, lying amidst piles of filth were the unmistakable remains of Silina’s amputated wings.
Rylan did not even bother trying to control him. He just ran for it. He was just now beginning to understand how much better it was when they were Shifters at such times as this. Back then, he had been safely within the ‘volcano’, instead of in the path of eruption.
Rylan didn’t stop running until he was outside the castle gates. The rest of the investigation party saw him running, they leapt upon their Dragons as fast as they could, before they could find themselves afoot in the same predicament as Rylan’s.
Sensing the danger of riding a Dragon on an uncontrollable demolition, Rylan hollered orders for them to dismount and follow him instead. It wouldn’t be long before they would see Darion in action, and not be stopped from joining in. The men jumped clear as the Dragons began to lift off.
“To the hills, damn it! Run for your lives!” Rylan screamed, shoeing them all ahead of him.
The amassed army saw the men running towards the hills on foot. Without knowing what was going on, they too jumped to the ground and followed. The other Dragons took off and flew towards the castle.
When all the humans finally met up a safe distance away, they could see the Dragons that they had just left circling the castle, still not sure of what was going on. Suddenly Darion came crashing through a stone wall. He soared into the air and his mighty cry of grief shook the onlookers to the core. Instantly the rest of the Dragons were attacking the castle. Darion turned and started destroying everything within his reach. He was berserk! It was an incredible sight to behold. Almost every man there was a shifter and never saw from outside the devastation the Dragons could wreak.
A few of them consciously closed there hanging mouths as they began to realize just how uncontrollable those awesome beasts could become. Some even began to wonder if the Dividing had really been a wise decision. What would happen if they ever turned against the humans they still referred to as family? The generations from now would not have the bond they shared with this one.
In an amazingly short amount of time, all that remained of the castle was a smoldering mountain of rubble. Some of the Dragons were still shrieking and diving at the heap, but most of them were beginning to calm themselves, and in ones and twos they started to return to the onlookers.
When Darion returned there was a feverish light behind his eyes as he addressed Rylan with cool precision, “Silina’s body was not there. He must have taken it with him. Let’s go!”
Rylan leapt to Darion’s back and knew that as the others saw them depart, they would gather their own and follow.
“Do you think as I do brother, that he’ll return to The Scale?” Rylan gravely asked Darion.
“He has to. Where else would he go? O…, and I apologize for frightening your wife. She says to tell you that she’s fine now,” Darion added quietly. Then added, “Rylan, if he’s changed her… or used some of her…”
Rylan cut in, “I know Darion,” he assured him, “I know.”
They flew on in silence for a while before Rylan spoke up again. “Darion, I think we should hold up and wait for Luther and the rest of the army.”
“You mean now that we’re not in such a hurry,” Darion asked him devastated. “Why not, a day, a month, a year, what difference could it make now.”
Rylan knew he didn’t mean it, but thought if he delayed a while longer, maybe Mickael and Dryfus would catch up and bring news that might mend his friend’s broken heart. It was a gamble though. The news they brought could also be the final blow.
Chapter 20
As Mickael and Dryfus approached Mollywog’s cabin, they could see someone had beaten them to it. Emerging from the cabin, Luther looked up in surprise as they landed. Of all the people in the world, they never expected to find him there.
“Well and ain’t I the lucky one, me needing a lift an’ all, an’ the two a you showin up just like that.” Luther called jovially, snapping his fingers.
Tethered to a nearby tree were two horses. The finest either of them had ever seen. When Luther sold horses to Arilonia he obviously held back on them.
“Just exactly what are you doing here?” Dryfus demanded. “What have you got in that blanket Luther?” Mickael added anxiously pointing at the bit sticking out from behind his back.
Deciding the cat was out of the bag, because these two must have come for the same reason, Luther conceded.
“I know I shouda ner’ abandoned me post, but I lef’ good men in charge. Now, when ya’ve been in my particalar sort a business as long as I ave, ya build a mighty strong grapevine. While we was at Neglavale, a few a me boys overheard some rumors. Havin’ the soft spot in me ‘art as I do for the beasties, I couldn’t help but check into thins fer meself, now could I? After all, the tot’d be blood kin to me, now wouldn’t he?”
“What’s in it for you Luther?” Dryfus demanded suspiciously. “What exactly did you hear? And how the Hell did you know about the egg?” Mickael added.
Looking genuinely hurt, Luther continued, “Just what has a bloke got ta do ta earn a little respect aroun’ here? Would it be so blasted hard ta believe I’d be worried ‘bout somethin’ as serious as this? I turned o’re all them new leaves an still nobody trusts me. Sheesh but ya think I’m a shallow man!”
“We’re sorry Luther,” Mickael started, “I’m not!” Dryfus butt in. “Not now, Dryfus! “Are you forgetting the bets he was running? He’s probably just wanting to find out if he won or not!”
“I’ve no bets on this!” Luther interrupted offended. He unwrapped the egg halves in the ornate blanket Silina carried the egg out of Neglavale in. “It hatched! And I cannot find a trace of the wee mite anywhere,” Luther cried, finally convincing Dryfus of his sincerity by the tears in his eyes. “Least ways, thar’s no graves, but thar’s no sign of a babe livin’ ‘ere neither, just tracks of three Dwarfs and a lad heading out that way. But the trails long cold. The Wog and the babe weren’t with em.”
“Have you checked everywhere?” Mickael asked him somberly.
“If thar was any trace boys, I’d a found it. I’m a tracker. The best in the land!” he boasted.
Mickael and Dryfus ignored the bragging. For one thing, they knew it to be true. But that didn’t make what he had said any easier to swallow. They spent the next few hours going over every patch of ground again.
Finally, when they were completely satisfied, but deeply disappointed, they asked, “What about Duncan? Where are the armies?”
“I left em at the water ta get here as quick as me best lads could carry me. Rode nonstop I did, Poor darlins’.” Luther clucked lovingly towards the horses and they both pricked up their ears and nickered back. “We can send these beauties back to Duncan with a message in their bags if ya think ya’d be able ta carry me,” Luther suggested, walking towards the horses and reaching for the saddlebags.
“Not a chance!” Dryfus began, but Mickael cut him off. “It will slow us down, but it will still be faster than staying on the ground. We can manage it.”
It didn’t take long before
they were on their way. Mickael smiled when he looked back to see Luther reclining and so obviously enjoying the ride. Dryfus too, could not help but soften towards Elise’s outrageous cousin. He held the blanket lovingly cradled in his arms as though it were the baby instead of the two empty shells. The flight to catch up with Rylan went by quickly. Luther kept them amused with anecdotes until Mickael threatened to roll him off because he couldn’t fly and laugh so hard at the same time.
“Right, it’ll be yer turn then,” Luther offered. “Tell me, what was it like growin up all differnt like?”
The question was sincere in Luther’s own way, so they answered it unoffended.
They thought back to the last time they shared their story. There was a lot more to it now. They had not been able to share the last bit with Elise yet. It had happened while she and Darion were at The Scale the first time. It felt good to talk about it though. Luther turned out to be an excellent listener.
When they finished the first part, Luther was noticeably moved. He questioned them, “But what of brave Caroline? Did ya ever see Ronald again? Ya’ve family me boys, don’ ya wonder what happen ta em?”
“We weren’t finished yet Luther…” Dryfus started sadly. “This part’s a little harder to talk about,” Mickael continued. “We did go back, not too long ago. We felt that enough people knew of us by now that it would be safe to go back.” “We wanted to repay the Hawkins for everything they had done for us,” Dryfus insisted. Mickael could hardly choke out the rest. They landed and Luther dismounted to put a compassionate arm around their shoulders.
“What did ya find thar Laddies?” Luther asked softly.
“Nothing… the Village was burned to the ground,” Mickael answered blankly.