Land, Khollo said finally, frustration tinging his voice. There’s no sense in wearing ourselves out in this cursed storm. We’ll carry on when it’s gone away.
I think . . . that is wise, Kanin grunted, dropping through the sky and gliding towards a small grove of trees. We may even have a decent amount of shelter here.
Another ice pellet struck the top of Khollo’s head, making him wince in pain. Shelter would be nice, he agreed, glancing up at the gray-black clouds.
They landed moments later at the outskirts of the grove, weary, wet, and cold. Khollo dragged together several broken branches and deadfall in an organized heap, and Kanin lit the improvised bonfire with his flame. The fire did a little to dispel the cold and the miserable atmosphere, but not as much as Khollo had hoped. He ended up curled up under one of Kanin’s wings again, the improvised tent a snug and warm place to shelter for the night.
Outside, the wind howled and the ice and snow fell, but Kanin bore it without complaint. From time to time, the dragon shot blasts of fire at the surrounding ground to melt the snow for his amusement. He also added heat to the fire at regular intervals, maintaining it through the worst of the storm.
The tempestuous weather finally blew itself out in the middle of the night, leaving in its wake a fresh blanket of snow and significantly lower temperatures. Khollo and Kanin considered pushing on towards Etares, but eventually decided against it. Instead, they rested and recovered in their improvised camp, both chafing against the slow progress they were making but also recognizing this was the smart and safe choice under the circumstances.
The next day dawned bright and clear, the skies pale-blue and completely cloudless. Within minutes of waking, the two Keepers were airborne once more, heading for Etares. While Kanin flew, Khollo read and reread the note Relam had sent them, trying to find additional meaning in the few words that made up the cryptic message. But by the time Kanin sighted the city walls late in the evening, the young Keeper had made no progress on the mysterious message. With a sigh, he tucked it away in his pocket again and focused instead on the approaching capital of the Sthan kingdom.
Snow blanketed every rooftop and roadway, and there was glittering ice hanging from every eave and choking every waterway. Ships docked in the harbor were frozen in place, and in general the city seemed empty of people. Khollo knew they were likely just huddled up inside, but it still seemed strange to see the roads so devoid of traffic.
Kanin crossed the city walls without incident or alert. Clearly, the city guards had been told to expect them. The emerald dragon wheeled towards the palace next, headed for a wide plaza there that Khollo remembered from their previous visit. As Kanin swooped in for a landing in front of the palace steps, a small detachment of palace guards marched down the steps to welcome them.
“High Keeper, Master of Dragons,” the lead man said, billowing clouds of steam puffing on the air with each word. “I am Commander Rom Eckle. His Majesty has sent me to inform you he would prefer to meet inside, where there are fewer ears to overhear you.”
Khollo nodded. He had expected as much.
“Unfortunately,” Eckle continued, “There are no rooms in the palace which are accessible to a dragon.”
I will wait here then, Kanin said to Khollo. I will still be able to listen and offer my opinions through you.
Are you sure?
Yes. The cold does not bother me so much as it does you.
Khollo nodded, then turned back to Eckle. “That arrangement will work, commander. Lead the way.”
Eckle nodded curtly. “Is there anything the master of dragons requires? My men will be happy to fetch it if there is.”
“Kanin will be fine,” Khollo replied. “He hunted recently enough.”
“Very well. Follow me then, High Keeper. His majesty awaits us.”
Eckle led Khollo up the steps and into the palace, through a set of double doors and down a wide, ornate hallway. They turned off of this main hallway into a narrower corridor, then found their way barred by a set of solid but rather plain doors.
“This is the king’s audience hall,” Eckle explained. “He uses it for important meetings of state, and to welcome special dignitaries. You will be able to meet undisturbed here.”
“Thank you,” Khollo said. “Who else will be attending?”
“The king’s regents will be present,” Eckle replied smoothly. “And of course, guards will be stationed around the hall, just in case. But we will be far enough away to avoid overhearing what you and his majesty are discussing.”
“Of course,” Khollo murmured. “Let’s get on with it then. No sense in keeping King Relam waiting.”
Eckle nodded, then pushed through the doors, stepping to the side promptly and allowing Khollo to pass. “The High Keeper, Khollo,” he announced to the hall at large.
Khollo stepped into the room, looking around. Even Relam’s small audience hall was larger than any room he had been in that wasn’t on Ethgalin. The ceiling soared high enough that Kanin would almost be able to fly around beneath the rafters, if the space was wider and deeper, of course. Above the center of the hall, the ceiling rose even further in a clerestory, narrow windows allowing light to filter in and illuminate the intricate ceiling design. At the far end of the room was a raised dais, with a solid throne upon it.
Between Khollo and the dais, a table had been set up, surrounded by several high-backed chairs. As he stepped further into the room, six young figures rose to their feet as one, turning to face him. The only one he recognized from the bunch was Relam, standing at the far end of the table with the Sthan crown upon his head.
That crown thing still looks ridiculous, Kanin remarked quietly, seeing the scene through Khollo’s thoughts. Have you noticed how many guards there are?
The young Keeper looked around surreptitiously as he approached the table. A quick head count showed that Kanin was right. There was a large number of guards, at least thirty. But as Eckle had promised, they were posted at the edges of the room, far from the table itself, and likely out of earshot.
These are important people, Khollo reasoned. Makes sense they would be well protected. I suppose these other five are the regents Eckle mentioned?
They are young.
No younger than me. Older, actually. Relam’s age, perhaps.
His friends?
We’ll see.
“Welcome, Khollo,” Relam said as the young Keeper stepped up to the table. “It’s been too long.”
“It’s good to be back,” Khollo replied, grinning informally. “How have you been?”
“Busy,” Relam replied wearily, sinking back into his seat with a sigh. “How’s Kanin?”
“A little tired from our hasty journey here, but in excellent health otherwise.”
“I’m glad you came so quickly,” Relam murmured. “The reports from the South have been . . . troubling.” His gaze grew distant for a moment, then he shook himself and turned to the others. “Everyone, be seated, please. Khollo, these are my regents. Cevet, Sebast, Delan, Knet, and Jatt. They are helping with some of the day-to-day issues of running the kingdom.”
“Pleased to meet all of you,” Khollo said politely, nodding to each young man in turn. “I had not heard of any regents before. Is this something new?”
“Yes,” one of the regents, Cevet, replied neutrally. “We are all sons of nobles, and we have known Relam for many years. He was having trouble keeping up with everything and asked us for help. We agreed, and now we each have a part of the kingdom to help oversee.”
“Who has the South?” Khollo asked.
“I do,” the regent called Delan replied.
“Then you’ll know what’s going on down there, right?” Khollo asked, withdrawing Relam’s message from his pocket. “I got your message, Eralm delivered it in good time and we came as fast as we could. What’s the latest from the South?”
“You can ignore that message,” Relam told him. “There’s very little useful information there. T
he important thing is it brought you here.”
Khollo frowned, a little confused. “Okay.” He folded the message and tucked it away. “So, what’s the trouble with the vertaga?”
Relam sat absolutely still for a moment, as though frozen. Then, he leaned forward. “There is no issue with the vertaga,” he replied finally.
Khollo blinked. “Then . . . why am I here?” he asked uncertainly. “Your message . . . ”
“As I said, it contains very little useful information,” Relam reminded him, a little uncomfortably.
“Some of it is downright inaccurate,” Delan added.
“Like what?”
“Like the part about the vertaga,” Relam replied, shooting Delan a glance. “We have had no contact with the beasts, and no sightings of them in civilized areas. We have a different problem.”
This is a strange meeting, Kanin observed. Why do they talk around the problem? That is no way to fix it.
Something has them nervous, Khollo guessed. But why would they summon us but not give us the right information?
“Our problem,” Relam continued finally, “Is that the South is burning and Ishkabur is gone.”
“Gone?” Khollo asked, blinking in surprise. “What do you mean when you say gone?”
“The usual,” Delan growled. “Destroyed. Smashed to pieces. Razed. Leveled.”
“What?”
“Ishkabur was the first attack,” Relam added. “Since then, we’ve had additional reports of villages in the Renlor being flattened as well. All that’s left is patches of charred earth.”
“Well, that sounds like the vertaga,” Khollo observed. “What makes you think it’s not them?”
“Because there were no vertaga at Ishkabur,” Relam replied. “But, there was a dragon.”
It took a long moment for Relam’s words to sink in. Then, Khollo realized the implications of what he had said and his insides froze as solidly as the river outside the palace.
“A dragon?” he repeated, just to be sure. “At Ishkabur?”
“Yes,” Delan confirmed. “I have the full report here,” he added, touching a large stack of papers with one hand, “But I can summarize what happened for you.”
“Please do,” Khollo managed, stunned.
Delan nodded. “Ishkabur was attacked at sundown, by a silver dragon flying out of the west, straight out of the setting sun. No alarms were raised, because last time a dragon came from that direction it saved the city and joined the Sthan. The defenders of Ishkabur believed this dragon to be a friend as well.”
This is bad, Kanin observed as a sense of deep foreboding began to build within Khollo. This is very bad. Tread carefully.
“You can’t be blaming us!” Khollo interrupted.
“Did I say I was blaming you?” Delan asked coolly. “I’m merely summarizing what happened so you have all the information.”
“Of course,” Cevet added. “If you already know all of this, just tell us and save us the time.”
“How could I know this?” Khollo demanded. “I wasn’t there, and neither was Kanin.”
“Continue, Delan,” Relam said firmly, watching Khollo without expression. “Let us have all of the details, so that we are all working with the same information.”
Delan nodded. “The dragon set fire to the docks, then attacked the city itself. It ignited as many buildings as it could reach, blasted sentries off the walls, and hurled others into the sky. Many people burned to death or were crushed by debris. When the city was in disarray, the dragon dropped its rider – ”
“It had a rider?”
“That’s what I said,” Delan snapped. “It dropped its rider at the top of the keep, where Lord Horam was mustering a small force. The rider single-handedly dispatched Horam’s soldiers and his guards, then killed Horam himself and hurled him from the tower.” He paused, looking around the table. “These details have all been confirmed by dozens of witnesses, refugees who have turned up along the coast.”
“And the villages?” Relam prompted.
“The villages we know less about,” Delan admitted. “Lord Kurkan of the West Bank has been sending patrols into the Basin since a refugee turned up a couple weeks ago. He reports that there are at least four villages that have recently been destroyed. So far, only one witness to those events has come forward though.”
“The West Bank is safe though?” Khollo asked, concerned for his uncle and his friends.
“Yes, it is.” Delan paused and sat back in his chair a little. “Quite remarkable considering the turmoil in the area.”
“Then it will be their next target,” Khollo guessed. “If they have a next target. I’ll gather the other Keepers and fly there immediately, lay a trap for this silver dragon.”
“You’re not going anywhere yet,” Relam growled. “We have questions for you, Keeper.”
This is worse than not good, Kanin observed. We are in trouble.
How so? We haven’t done anything!
They seem convinced we have. And I have seen soldiers in some of the nearby buildings, Kanin added nervously. There are many archers among them as well.
Khollo stiffened. You think that they only brought us here to spring a trap?
It is starting to look that way. You must convince them of our innocence.
What do I say?
Just answer their questions, truthfully, and remain calm. Do not rise to whatever bait or insults they hurl at you. They are likely looking for a reason to turn their soldiers loose.
Khollo nodded to himself. “What questions do you have for me?” he asked Relam finally.
The young king nodded. “First, this: you are the High Keeper. Kanin is the Master of Dragons. So where in the world did this silver dragon come from, Khollo?”
“I don’t know.”
“Forgive me if I don’t believe you,” Delan growled. “You control the dragons, Keeper. We know you have hatched more of them on your island, that you have been recruiting. Is it possible that maybe you lost a dragon somewhere in this process? And a Keeper?”
“No,” Khollo said flatly. “I took four trainees to Ethgalin. I can account for every one of them for the last couple of months.”
“Yet the dragon flew in from the west,” Cevet reminded him. “There is only one thing in that direction, and that is your island.”
“I don’t know where this dragon came from, or why it was flying over the ocean,” Khollo protested. “What I can tell you is that it is not one of mine.”
“Who else’s? Dragon eggs have not been sighted anywhere else for centuries!” Sebast growled.
“Well, I don’t know!” Khollo replied heatedly, his voice starting to rise. “I thought the dragons were contained entirely on Ethgalin. Maybe I’m mistaken.”
“And if you are?” Relam said quietly. “If you have lost control of a very large very destructive beast?”
“We’ll hunt it down and destroy it.”
“And that will erase the possibility of future disasters like this?”
Khollo hesitated. “Maybe?”
“Probably not,” Delan muttered.
Khollo scowled at the regent. “Kanin and I were not involved. These attacks were not us.”
“But you did not stop them either,” Relam pointed out. “As you said, you have stayed on your island, with your trainees, paying no attention to the outside world.”
“Well, we don’t have enough dragons to patrol the world effectively yet,” Khollo said, spreading his hands in front of him in a placating gesture. “We need more time, but we’re doing the best we can with what we have at the moment.”
“Your best has allowed the total destruction of Ishkabur and the deaths of thousands of innocents,” Delan snapped. “You have failed, Keeper. Is your purpose not to preserve and protect the common people in times of strife or war?”
“Well, yes, but – ”
“The southern half of this kingdom is burning! With dragon fire! Tell me how that is fulfilling your duty.�
�
“My duty?” Khollo growled. “I do not answer to you, regent. I do not answer to Relam. I serve the world as best I can, but none of you control me. None of you have power over us.”
“That can change,” Cevet said quietly.
“Is that what this is all about?” Khollo asked, glancing at Relam. “A power struggle? We had a deal, Relam, remember?”
“A deal made in haste and without full knowledge,” Sebast mused. “He has told us about it.”
“The Keepers are too dangerous to be allowed to roam this world,” Delan spat. “The attacks prove this beyond a shadow of a doubt. Dragon kind had been extinct for a thousand years. Let it be so once more, so that our people will be safe!”
“Now, hold on!” Khollo protested. “Have you forgotten what Kanin did last year?”
“He fought well at Dun Carryl,” Relam agreed.
“He brought down the whole mountain!” Khollo exploded. “He nearly died giving you and your army an opportunity to retreat and save themselves from the onslaught. I nearly died in the battle too.”
“The point is, the risk of having the dragons around outweighs the benefits,” Delan continued stubbornly. “You have already lost control of one, and it has destroyed the South.”
“You can’t blame us for – ”
“We don’t blame you personally,” Knet interrupted, “Not after how you saved the South last year. But . . . well, dragons are powerful. And, apparently, unpredictable.”
“Dangerous,” Jatt grunted.
“The silver dragon is not one of ours,” Khollo repeated. “I had never even heard of it until today!”
“Is that even possible?” Cevet asked. “You’re the High Keeper, bound to the Master of Dragons. You’re trying to tell me that not all of the beasts are under your control?”
“Yes! No! Well . . .” Khollo scratched his head. “All the dragons I know of are under control. This rogue dragon . . . I don’t know what’s going on with that one.”
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