The slave's eyes widened. "Do you jest?"
Jaren shook his head. "A blessing, my son. A miracle. Keep them secret. Hand them out to every hut around yours; there are two hundred keys in this sack. Spread the word to wait. To wait until the Night of Seven."
Night of Seven. Among the holiest nights in Requiem's calendar. It was the night that Requiem remembered the great fall two thousand years ago—the genocide that had slaughtered all but seven Vir Requis, the Living Seven who fought the tyrant Dies Irae, who rebuilt Requiem from ruin. Queen Gloriae Aeternum had sat upon the Oak Throne that night two thousand years ago, and now—here, far from Requiem, chained in a distant land—the slaves of Requiem would rise in new defiance.
"Two nights from this one," whispered the slave, accepting the sack. "May the stars bless you, son of Aeternum."
Another slave approached, the whip lashes on his back infected. Jaren prayed, applied ointments, and stitched the wounds. To this man too, he gave a sack of keys. Inside were Keeper's Keys and simple, iron keys for the shackles around the slaves' feet.
He stood out in the night for hours, handing out the keys. He finally slept, allowing Elory to continue the work.
In the daylight, they toiled again.
In the darkness, they healed more slaves, handed out more keys.
"Keys for your collars," Jaren whispered to the ill and wounded approaching. "Keys for your shackles. Tomorrow night we rise. May our wings forever find Requiem's sky."
"Bless you, Papa Jaren!" they said. "The stars will forever shine upon you. Tomorrow night we rise."
Dawn rose.
"Toil!"
Whips lashed.
"Faster!"
Boots kicked.
"Die!"
Slaves fell into the dust, fading, flickering out.
Darkness fell.
They gathered in the hut. Slaves. Rebels. Children of starlight. An old priest and his children. A young hero. A young woman who'd fled from darkness. Those who had stood up against the shadows, who had shone a light, who had bled and prayed for their lost kingdom. Heroes of Requiem.
Jaren stood before them, and he spoke softly.
"Two thousand years ago, a tyrant named Dies Irae raised an army, and he toppled the halls of Requiem, and he slew all but seven of our people. Those seven Vir Requis—the great heroes of our nation—raised Requiem again from ruin. We've all heard their names in many tales: Benedictus, Lacrimosa, Gloriae, Agnus Dei, Kyrie Eleison, Terra, Memoria. Seven names we remember and praise even now, so many generations later."
Vale's eyes flashed. He had always imagined himself strong and noble like the great King Benedictus. Elory's eyes shone. She had always loved tales of Queen Lacrimosa, the great mother of Requiem.
"Tonight is the night we remember those old heroes," Jaren said. "And this night again, Requiem lies in ruin. Our people are dying. Our kingdom lies across the sea, its halls fallen. And this night again, heroes rise. This night we fight. And every night hence, for thousands of years, the Vir Requis will remember new names. Lucem. Tash. Elory. Vale. Meliora."
He looked at them, one by one, as he spoke their names. They stared back, eyes determined.
"And Jaren," Meliora whispered, reaching out to hold his hand. "My dear father, the kindest, bravest man I know."
Jaren squeezed her hand, looking at her—his eldest, his sweet Meliora.
You are Kalafi's daughter, and for so many years, I never knew you, but I love you, Meliora. I love you all. You are all my children.
"Let us pray," Jaren said.
They all held hands in a circle, and they spoke together. "As the leaves fall upon our marble tiles, as the breeze rustles the birches beyond our columns, as the sun gilds the mountains above our halls—know, young child of the woods, you are home, you are home." Their voices dropped to whispers, and tears shone in their eyes. "Requiem. May our wings forever find your sky."
They left the hut together.
They stood in the darkness in a land of pain, of fire, of blood . . . and they called upon the starlight.
Their collars clanked to the ground, and scales chinked across them.
For the first time in his long life, Jaren Aeternum summoned his magic and became a dragon. Green scales rose across his body, green like the birch leaves of home, like the old flags of Requiem. Silver spikes grew from his tail. He was a frail dragon, too thin, too hurt, too weary, but as he soared skyward, he was as a great king of old.
His children rose around him. Red. Gold. Lavender. Blue. And one silver dragon with golden horns, no more feathers upon her.
They rose into the sky, and they blew their fire upward, lighting a great beacon.
"Requiem!" they cried.
And from the land below, the voices rose in answer. Hundreds of voices, then thousands, then a nation crying out together. One word. The word that meant everything to them, the word that had meant everything for over five thousand years.
"Requiem!"
From below they rose. One after another. Soon a hundred, then a thousand, then too many to count—a kingdom of dragons, rising from the darkness, blowing their fire.
Collars and chains clattered down, and the light of Requiem shone.
The story continues in . . .
PILLARS OF DRAGONFIRE
Flame of Requiem, Book Three
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AFTERWORD
Thank you for reading Crown of Dragonfire, the second novel in the Flame of Requiem trilogy. I hope you enjoyed the book.
The next Flame of Requiem novel is titled Pillars of Dragonfire. Click here to grab your copy or search your favorite ebook store for "Pillars of Dragonfire."
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And if you have a moment, please review a Requiem novel or two online. Help other fantasy readers and tell them why you enjoyed reading. And please help spread the word! Lend a Requiem novel to a friend, talk about Requiem online, and help others discover the books.
Thank you again, dear reader, and I hope we meet again between the pages of another book.
Daniel
NOVELS BY DANIEL ARENSON
THE MOTH SAGA
Moth
Empires of Moth
Secrets of Moth
Daughter of Moth
Shadows of Moth
Legacy of Moth
REQUIEM
Dawn of Dragons Requiem's Song
Requiem's Hope
Requiem's Prayer
The Complete Trilogy
Song of Dragons Blood of Requiem
Tears of Requiem
Light of Requiem
The Complete Trilogy
Dragonlore A Dawn of Dragonfire
A Day of Dragon Blood
A Night of Dragon Wings
The Complete Trilogy
The Dragon War A Legacy of Light
A Birthright of Blood
A Memory of Fire
The Complete Trilogy
Requiem for Dragons Dragons Lost
Dragons Reborn
Dragons Rising
The Complete Trilogy
Flame for Requiem Forged in Dragonfire
Crown of Dragonfire
Pillars of Dragonfire
The Complete Trilogy
ALIEN HUNTERS
Alien Hunters
Alien Sky
Alien Shadows
OTHER WORLDS
Eye of the Wizard
Wa
nd of the Witch
Firefly Island
The Gods of Dream
Flaming Dove
KEEP IN TOUCH
www.DanielArenson.com
[email protected]
Facebook.com/DanielArenson
Twitter.com/DanielArenson
Crown of Dragonfire Page 25