Return of the Dragonborn: The Complete Trilogy

by N. M. Howell

  Sometime later, when Saeryn had composed herself, she decided on a plan of action. She understood that life had a balance, that once certain events took place they couldn’t be erased or altered. Or at least they shouldn’t be. There was a course to things, a flow and current of life and death and everything in between that went on its way unobstructed, and Saeryn knew that that was simply the way things were. But suddenly that wasn’t good enough for her anymore. Not then. Not that night of all nights. Time and death were very dangerous things to toy with, whether one was skilled in magic or not, and there were rules and structures to the handling of each. Saeryn was prepared to break one of the highest of those rules.

  “Oren, I need your help and the help of our people. It is not right that all these people should die for us. They came here tonight with one goal in heart and by the time they were brutally murdered they had come to see the error of their ways. And even if they hadn’t, it isn’t right to leave them here like this, broken and forlorn. I want to save them. I want to do what only our people can. It will be harder without the rest of our people here, but we can draw on the University’s battalion for strength. What say you, Oren? Can your Queen count on you?”

  “You can always count on me, Saeryn. But, what do you intend to do?” He glanced out at the broken and scattered bodies, uncertain at what she was implying.

  “I intend to bring them back.”

  Oren’s eyes grew wide as he stared at his Queen. “But that’s impossible. You know we don’t have the power to return people to life.”

  “Perhaps not, but I would rather die than not at least try.”

  Blinking rapidly, Oren finally bowed. “Of course. I cannot think of one thing I wish more than to return these people back their lives, though I’m afraid my reasons pale in their honor next to yours. I was thinking that they were the only people on the face of this planet who could tell the whole world that we weren’t evil. They saw with their own eyes how evil and callous the chancellor and his men were. I will round up our people.”

  Oren went off to apprise his fellow dragonborn of what Saeryn wanted to do and gather them for the event. Saeryn directed some of the men to bring the unconscious battalion members to a central location to create a point of focus. Once these tasks were all complete, the dragonborn kneeled around the bodies of the frozen battalion members and then bowed their heads. They began to link with one another, holding hands and placing hands on shoulders. Saeryn began the spell and each of the dragonborn warriors picked it up until they were all chanting in unison. She knew there was hardly a chance in the world the spell would work, but given the dark and evil nature of the people’s slaughter, she knew she at least had to try.

  The chanting grew louder as the dragonborn worked as one. Their efforts appeared for naught, though, as hardly a glimmer of life returned to the people. But then something incredibly happened. The dragons had finally rejoined their riders and they lay down next to the group, encircling the dragonborn and lending strength and comfort. The magic amplified, a new and strange energy washing over the city. One so strong and so new that Saeryn hardly believed what she was feeling. She closed her eyes and let it consume her, offering her very being to aid the spell.

  The mountain went still, quiet as the night sky. It had already become eerily calm after the unspeakable massacre, but this was new, unique. The spell had stopped all motion and sound on the mountain, and had even stopped motion and sound in the city below. All of Arvall, for the first time since its conception, was in a state of peace. The dragons inched closer to the dragonborn and nuzzled their backs.

  The dragons’ eyes began to shimmer and then the iridescent skin around the eyes began to shift through innumerable pearlescent shades of color that had no name. This was something the dragons hadn’t done in a very long time. In fact, none of the living dragonborn had ever seen it, not even Saeryn. Their eyes began to behave that way when the dragons needed to provide the strength and magic a dragonborn needed to save a life. It was an ancient magic, one long lost to history. One Saeryn had thought lost forever.

  They worked as one until nearly all their magic had depleted, but it was not enough. Saeryn could feel the magic wane. She squeezed her eyes shut and willed every fiber of her being into the spell, drawing on the ancient magic of her royal house, pushing as much of that energy out into the souls of the people around her. But it wasn’t until Raylim—beautiful, strong, and selfless Raylim—flew down before Saeryn and cast his own life’s energy out into the world, that the spell finally took. With one final effort, Raylim raised his silver head high up to the sky and let out a powerful breath of fire. The flames flew so high, they penetrated the clouds. For a moment, the entire city glowed in Raylim’s warm light, and then the dragon softly laid down his head and gave his life to save those around him.

  Saeryn held onto the spell, gazing down at the creature who had just sacrificed himself for the cause. Tears streamed down her face as she harnessed the last magical energy that emanated from his body, letting the heat from his flames fuel her magic, and blasted it out over the city streets. A silver, beautiful magic that offered exactly what was necessary for the spell to succeed. Saeryn fell to her knees and wept. “Thank you, my friend.”

  Not many minutes had passed before the first sign of the spell’s efficiency appeared. Saeryn didn’t believe her eyes at first, convinced her vision was deceiving her. She blinked through her tears to clear her eyes. She saw a man lying dead near the dragonborn begin to change. The dark blue color in his veins receded. His loose skin tightened on his corpse. Before long, his fingers started to move and not long after that the man was on his feet, confused but alive. He was soon followed by a woman and then another man, and before long there were bodies rising all around them.

  Inside the University, the people that the chancellor had tricked into coming there to sacrifice themselves began to wake and roll off each other. They had a vague recollection of having a voice inside their heads asking them to come up to the University and to go along with whatever happened there. As they began to wander out into the night they saw the dragonborn and the dragons, kneeling in a circle and chanting in a beautiful, solemn rhythm.

  Below the mountain, in the city itself, the people began to live. They revived in the exact positions they had died in, sometimes with a cough or a gasp. They couldn’t believe it. The last thing they’d known they were having all the life and memories sucked out of their bodies; they remembered feeling cold, then numb, then nothing. But now they were back again, standing on their feet and breathing the sweet, clean air. They began to cheer and pray and cry tears of joy for being back, for being saved. And they knew exactly who had saved them.

  Everyone had seen Chancellor Mharú floating through the streets and spreading that horrible magic everywhere. They remember his cruel smile and the way he enjoyed watching them perish. Some of them had lived long enough to see that final wave of magic as it rushed for them and took their lives. They had no doubt about who had done this to them and because of that they began to rethink everything they had feared, thought, rejected, accepted, and wanted. They also knew who to thank for their salvation. Saeryn wasn’t just casting a spell, she was broadcasting a message. She was sending a telepathic message to everyone in the city telling them exactly what had happened and letting them know that there were witnesses to prove it—witnesses who had come to the top of the mountain to see the dragonborn dead, but then found themselves fighting beside them.

  Even with the strength of the dragons and the battalion members, the dragonborn began to grow weak. It was a massive spell and the amount of power and skill it took were tremendous. As the final slain civilians came back to life, Saeryn and the dragonborn let go of each other and sat down to relax. It was the largest, most taxing spell any of them had ever done, though it would have been so much easier if they had all their people, even the children, helping. The dragons were the last to quiet, each laying its head on the floor in exhaustion. They had sp
ent every ounce of their magical energy, but it had worked. Their magic had saved the city.

  The civilians began to close in around them and one man stepped forward from the rest. “You saved us,” he said, stunned, trembling. “I can’t believe it. We were so wrong about you, about all of you.”

  “It was not I, but the combined efforts of my people and our dragons,” Saeryn replied, pushing herself from her knees. “Raylim here, in particular. He sacrificed himself so you can live.”

  The man gaped down at still form of the massive dragon.

  “Such a beautiful creature.” Tears welled in the man’s eyes. “I have never seen such a thing. To think, I believed them evil my entire life. Such lies, such evil. We almost went along with that lunatic.”

  “He was a cruel, manipulative man,” Saeryn replied. “I fault you not for believing what had been told as truth for so long. But he is gone now and he can no longer hurt anyone. The real truth is now clear, as you can now see. I see no reason for us to be enemies.”

  “I’m so embarrassed. I think we all are. We almost agreed to wipe out you and your entire people, and all because we listened to a man we started out not trusting in the first place. I guess we were desperate. Afraid. Can you ever forgive us?”

  “There is nothing to forgive, my friend,” she said, rising to her feet, although she was still incredibly tired. “He tricked you. And although you all did make the decision for yourselves to believe him, I would never hold a grudge against you for acting out of fear. It happens to the best of us. I would simply ask that we move forward in peace. I hope now you all understand that my people and I are not dangerous. We’ve found a place in the mountains, far away from here, and I can assure you that you will never see us again. We can be happy and whole there, leaving you to enjoy your homes and your lives in peace. You have my word that there is nothing to fear from us. We’re not so very different. Our abilities may differ and our histories may have diverged, but we are all people, after all, and we all want the freedom to live and be happy.”

  The man turned to look at the other civilians and see what they thought. They all nodded vigorously, though they seemed sad. The man looked sad as well as he turned back to face Saeryn.

  “What’s your name?” he asked.

  “My name is Saeryn.”

  “Queen of the dragonborn,” Oren announced as he stepped forward.

  “Well, your Grace, we have no intention of harming you or standing in your way, though you and your people have proven here tonight that even a small group of you is formidable. But I think it would be reckless of us to send you away to some distant mountain. Unless of course that’s what you want.”

  “The dragonborn thrive in mountains,” Saeryn said. “It would not be a punishment or a hardship. We would simply be going home.”

  “I see. Well, we won’t ever spread these lies or this hate again. We’ll never blindly follow another leader, either. We’ll do better from now on. I promise. But... I wonder... if you might consider staying for a while? Or maybe visiting periodically? It’s just that we’ve been so wrong for all our lives and I think I can speak for everyone else when I say that we’d like a chance to get to know the real dragonborn. We’d love to live with you and learn from you. Like you said, there’s no reason for us to be enemies and if we’re not enemies then perhaps we could be allies. We completely understand if you want to go or need to get back, but I want you to know that the door is open and we want you here. Also, this new world and its technology must be so foreign to you. They hadn’t even discovered electricity yet in your time. And since you came through a portal here in our city, it’s the responsibility of the citizens of Arvall to show you how to survive and thrive in this new world.”

  “You’re genuine about wanting us around?” Saeryn asked, humbled by the man’s kindness and soft-spoken way.

  “More serious than I’ve ever been. We all are.” Murmurs or agreement erupted around him, an endless stream of people approaching and thanking and crying their appreciation.

  Saeryn looked up and around at all the people. They were all nodding their heads and smiling at her. All the dragonborn warriors gazed around themselves and met with smiles and handshakes and tears. The people had truly changed, had finally come to understand that it was never the dragonborn who had been evil or manipulative. It was never the dragonborn who had lied, murdered, stolen, and deceived every inch of the way just so that they could amass an invulnerable stockpile of power. It had been the University. It had always been the University. It wasn’t long before the dragonborn themselves were beginning to smile and respond in kind. Saeryn’s heart was filled to bursting with happiness and relief. She reached out her hands to the man and brought him closer to herself.

  “Very well, then,” she said. “We shall be allies.”

  A collective cheer went up from everyone there. Civilians, sorcerers, and dragonborn alike. They began to embrace each other and welcome each other. It was the most joy that any of them had experienced in a very long time. Saeryn looked all around her at the people celebrating and hugging each other. It was what she had always hoped for, but never expected to ever actually come to pass.

  She was absolutely overwhelmed by the sheer and unfiltered mirth. But as she turned around and around she realized that there was someone missing. Someone who had worked as hard as she had and sacrificed even more so that they could be standing there on that precipice, arm-in-arm with their former enemies. Andie. She strode to the edge of the precipice and looked down over the city.

  If anyone deserved to see the result of this hard and dangerous work, it was Andie.

  “So, what happens next? By now they’ve reached Arvall City and they’ve either managed to convince the people that they’re not a threat or a lot of people are dead. What now?”

  “Well, captain, the only thing we can do until they get back or until we get word is wait. The ship is completely destroyed and I don’t think any of us is familiar with this area so if we start just walking there’s no telling where we’ll end up. Besides, too many of us are injured or unconscious. It would just be too much chaos to do anything now.”

  “I understand. And what about the bodies of all the ones we’ve lost? I didn’t want to say anything in front of the group, but if those bodies are left out much longer the smell is really going to be a problem. We need to arrange a mass funeral. I know it’s not the right way and I know it’s not what any of us wants or deserves, but that’s what we’re going to do. It’s dishonorable to leave them out like this. They sacrificed too much for the rest of us.”

  “You’re right. Honestly, captain we should’ve buried them by now, but I just haven’t had the will to face this yet.”

  “Raesh, I’m sorry about your father. I truly am. I’ve known Marvo since we were kids and he was one of my closest friends. I didn’t hesitate for a second when he told me to be at the port and be ready to take him and his people to safety. He was only human and yet he was one of the bravest and strongest men I ever met. He died an honorable death, fighting for a cause that meant something to him. To all of us. He died a brave and honorable man.”

  Raesh sighed and offered a smile to the captain. “I know. He was a great man. I’m proud to have called him my father. It doesn’t make this any easier, though.”

  “There will never be another like him. Still, you can’t keep putting this off. It’s time for you to face this and to give your father’s memory rest. I know you wanted to wait for Carmen to wake up to be there with you, but it doesn’t look like she’s going to wake up soon. Almost everyone else has, but she’s... just not responding to any of our medicine. You’ll have to do this without her.”

  Raesh nodded his head and began walking back across the shore. The river flowed quick and dark beside him, almost two hundred feet wide at that point. He greeted the fighters as he passed them and stopped to check on some of the more seriously injured ones. Everyone had calmed and cheered up considerably since the traitor was di
scovered and executed, though they were still on edge about the future. At least, they felt, the worst was over. Hopefully.

  Raesh moved on to where Carmen and a few others were lying, still unconscious. Most everybody had woken up and been seen to properly, but Carmen and two other fighters had yet to respond to anything, although the other two did show signs of waking soon. Lilja and Kent were sitting behind Carmen’s head, watching over her as they did day and night whenever Raesh way away. Sarinda had woken not long after Andie left, but after finding out the truth about Lilja she had refused to be seen with her. It had been a bitter scene.

  Many of the other fighters, most of them in fact, had forgiven Lilja. They understood that she was truly loyal to the cause and had only done what she did in order to protect her family. They understood that they would have done the same. Kent was still his kind and helpful self and had done everything in his power to help Raesh restore some kind of order to the group. Neither he nor Lilja felt at all angry or vengeful about being locked up. They just wanted to help. Raesh sat down beside Carmen and took her hand.

  “You better not be thinking of sleeping too much longer,” he said. “I need you here. We all need you in ways you can’t imagine. You’re the only family I have left. I don’t know if Andie and the others are coming back and I don’t know what news they’ll bring if they do. You have to wake up. You have to help me.”

  “It’s hard seeing friends like this,” Kent said. “Sometimes I think I don’t want them to wake up, because, when they do, all they’ll find is carnage. The ship destroyed. Eighty-seven dead. Well, eighty-eight now. Us stranded in the Hot Salts and the future more uncertain than it’s ever been. And to wake up and figure out that the traitor was Yara... and that she’s dead...”

  “It’s horrible,” Lilja said, looking down at her hands. “It’s horrible and it’s all my fault. I should’ve just said no.”