She’d be able to return to the Norcs quickly enough, if she chose to, but instead she remained with the human army. She flew the dragon ahead of them, as though showing them the way, and then circled back around to bring up the rear. Perhaps the men below saw it as a sign of intimidation, but that wasn’t how she intended it. She wanted them to know that she wasn’t just going to come in, kill their leaders, and then abandon them. She was offering them protection, bringing them into the fold. That was her plan for all those who joined her. They would always have the protection of the dragon.
Orergon leaned in behind her to speak into her ear. “You did the right thing. I understand death is a hard thing to take, but those men would have killed you if they’d been given the chance.”
She leaned back, appreciating the feel of his solid chest pressed against her back. “Thank you, Orergon. I’d like to say that will be the last deaths by my hand, but I fear it’s only the start.”
“It wasn’t by your hand, Dela. The dragon killed those men.”
“Only because it was what I wanted. If I’d wanted to leave them be, they wouldn’t have died.”
“How does he know what you want?” She heard the curiosity in the Moerian’s tone. It was good to see him animated again. She felt the dark magic had been weighing heavily on his soul.
“I’m not sure,” she answered honestly as they flew. “Sometimes, I mentally speak in his head, in the same way you hear your own voice in your head. And other times he simply seems to pick up on what I want and acts on it, even though I may not have said or thought it directly.” She paused, musing over how it felt. “But then there are the times where I’m dreaming, or like when I was at Drusga holding the Dragonstone, and during those times I feel like I am the dragon. We’re one creature, and I control his body the same way as I control my own.”
“That’s pretty incredible.”
“Yeah, it is.”
“But remember you’re not the only one who’s killed during all of this,” Orergon said.
“And the dragon killed those who were trying to hang us,” Warsgra called from over the other side of the dragon’s back.
Vehel joined in their conversation. “You did the right thing, Dela. Don’t doubt yourself. I, of all people, know how destructive it is not to believe in your own abilities.”
She nodded, her hair whipping back from her face in the wind, grateful for their support.
Doubt would destroy her and everything she believed in.
They stayed with the marching army the whole day and reached the Southern Trough before nightfall.
The Norcs gathered as soon as they spotted the dragon as a dark mark against the sky. Dela sensed the presence of the dragon was already more accepted, as though people had forgotten they’d been absent from the skies of Xantearos for the past one hundred and fifty years. Something about it sparked hope inside her. If people could be so accepting of dragons, then maybe they’d be able to get used to living in the new Xantearos she hoped for quickly as well.
The dragon descended, and the Norcs backed away, making space for him to land. Dela braced for the landing, knowing there was always a moment where she needed to hold on tighter to his spines to prevent being thrown off. She sensed the men around her doing the same.
Knowing the human army were close, she jumped from the dragon’s back. She looked to Warsgra. She needed him at her side for this.
“The human army will be arriving soon,” she announced to the gathering crowd of Norcs, “and I want for you all to make them welcome. They have their own supplies for the moment, so you’re not expected to feed them.”
Mudurt, the Norc who Warsgra had taken the axe from, pushed forward, barging people out of the way with his massive, animal skin-covered shoulders. “How do we know they’re not just going to show up and try to kill us anyway?”
“Dela has already taken care of those who stood against her,” Warsgra growled, stepping slightly in front of her to subtly protect her from the force of the other Norc.
Mudurt frowned, his eyes narrowing. “What do you mean by stood against?”
“The dragon burned them alive.”
Murmurs rose among the Norcs, and they glanced nervously at each other and then back at the dragon, who snorted plumes of smoke from his nostrils.
“And he’ll do the same to anyone who looks as though they’re going to cause you problems,” she said to Mudurt. “And the same goes for the Norcs. I do not want to see fighting. I understand it won’t be easy to rub along side-by-side, and there will be some skirmishes, but if it looks like someone is trying to rise against what we’re trying to achieve here, I will not hesitate. Is that understood?”
Mudurt jerked his chin in a nod. “Aye. It’s understood.”
Dela was hungry and thirsty, but she didn’t want to go anywhere when she knew the human army would appear down the pass at any moment. A crowd gathered behind her, and she felt their presence building with the tension. There was a chance she’d been duped, and the human army, including Seth Elderstein, hadn’t meant anything they’d said. For all she knew, they might be furious about what she’d done and were planning their revenge, which including fighting the Norcs. Though nerves fluttered inside her, she took strength from the presence of the dragon, who had taken back to the sky and now flew in wide, swooping circles above. Yes, the humans might attack, but if they did, they’d have a dragon to answer to. The thought of seeing large numbers of her own kind killed by dragon fire made her sick to her stomach, but if they gave her no choice, then that’s what would have to happen.
She hadn’t managed to check on the dragon egg since she’d returned and hoped it was still hidden beneath the furs in Warsgra’s hut. She felt bad for leaving the egg alone for so long. The egg could be used against her, as a threat or blackmail. She thought she trusted the Norcs more than the humans at this point, but she couldn’t really trust anyone except Orergon, Vehel, and Warsgra. They were the only people she’d trust with her life and that of the dragon and egg.
She leaned back slightly and lowered her voice. “Vehel, would you go and check on the egg for me?”
Vehel nodded. “Of course.”
She would have asked Warsgra, but figured she needed him by her side right now. Once more, she turned her attention to the Southern Pass, waiting for the army’s arrival. The mountains were filled with noises and yet strangely silent at the same time—a pregnant silence—everyone waiting for something to happen. A creak of ice and rock moved somewhere in the peaks, followed by a distant rumble as snow slid down the mountainside. The eerie cry of a mountain eagle, perhaps calling out a warning to its own kind as it spotted the dragon in its territory, cut through the air.
And then she heard it—the combined stomp of hundreds of pairs of feet, the creak of numerous cart wheels, the clops of countless horses’ hooves. Her heartrate sped up with the sound, and she found herself sucking in a deep breath, her chest expanding in anticipation.
Movement came behind her, and she glanced over her shoulder to see Vehel. For a moment, her stomach dropped, expecting bad news, but he gave her the faintest of nods to tell her the egg was still there and everything was okay, and she allowed herself to breathe.
Vehel came to stand by her side. Warsgra was just behind her, and Orergon stood to her left. From the mutters that rose from the Norcs, and the way they readied themselves with their axes gripped in both hands, she knew they’d also heard the approaching army.
“Stand down,” she called to the Norcs. “Relax your stance. I told the humans they would be welcomed here and given shelter, not treated like the enemy.”
Anxiety twisted inside her. Was she going about this all wrong? She didn’t want to allow doubt to swamp her, but she had no handbook for what she was trying to achieve. Was forcing the humans and Norcs to stand side by side the right thing to do? Ruling them out of fear for her dragon more than respect for her? But she hadn’t had time yet to prove herself to them, and that would come. She�
��d been forced to stand with the other races when they’d been sent to the north via Vehel’s magic, and they’d learned about each other and come to respect each other over time. Perhaps that was all everyone else needed?
“They are the enemy,” someone grumbled, and she turned, her gaze seeking the Norc who’d made the comment.
There he was. Older. Grey threads winding through his thick beard and long hair. “Not anymore,” she said. “We stand together.”
Dela hoped she was right.
Chapter 8
Warsgra
Warsgra stood behind Dela, keeping his chin high and his shoulders straight, preparing himself for the moment he may be forced to choose between his own people and the young human woman he’d chosen as his mate. If Dela was wrong about all of this, and the humans attacked, his people would assume she’d set all this up. They’d think she convinced the Norcs to set down their arms to make it easier for the humans to slaughter them. He didn’t think Dela would allow that to happen, but that didn’t mean the Norcs wouldn’t think that had been the plan all along.
“You don’t have to drop your weapons,” he called to his people. “You can hold them, just not as though you’re going into battle.”
He sensed their reluctance—and didn’t blame them in the slightest—but he’d led them for many years now, and they trusted him. He only hoped he hadn’t misled their trust. The warrior Norcs standing in a line behind him, with their furs and long hair, and thickly bearded faces, each lowered their axes.
The sound of the approaching army grew louder. Warsgra wanted to appear relaxed, but every muscle in his body was taut, ready to leap into action, if needed.
The head of the convoy appeared from around the bend in the Southern Pass. The front leaders rode horses and wore armor, while those on foot and those driving the carts followed behind.
There weren’t as many soldiers now as there had been in the pass. He noted the main leader, the one Dela had called Seth, and a couple of people who’d stood with him had come, but it appeared as though a number had chosen to turn back and return to Anthoinia. The majority had followed Dela here, however, and as long as things remained peaceful, he figured that was a good thing.
The human army rode out of the Southern Pass, marching toward them. They still had some distance to travel before they reached the Norc village, but they were visible to each other now, and any signs of a plan to attack would be more obvious.
“We’ll go to meet them,” Dela announced, already setting off to cover the distance between them and the army.
He didn’t know if she was as nervous as the rest of them, but if she was, she didn’t show it. She strode off, her strawberry blonde hair streaming out behind her. Warsgra exchanged an uncertain glance with both Vehel and Orergon, and then the three of them took off after her.
Movement came from behind him, and Warsgra glanced over his shoulder as the vast majority of the Norcs got moving as well, following them in a throng of long hair and furs.
Above them, the dragon soared high in the dark blue sky, swooping down lower and then increasing altitude again, clearly watching Dela’s passage as she marched across the rock and ice, closing the distance between themselves and the approaching army.
Warsgra took comfort knowing the dragon would protect her should the humans try anything, but he also kept his hand on the hilt of his axe, planning on throwing himself into the fray should the humans attempt anything untoward.
The walk wasn’t a short one, but as the minutes passed by, the distance between themselves and the army decreased. He was able to make out some of the faces now, recognizing a few of the men from their time in the Southern Pass.
Finally, there was only a matter of a hundred feet between them, and both parties drew to a halt.
Dela stepped forward, and, automatically, Warsgra, Orergon, and Vehel moved with her.
“Seth Elderstein,” she called out to them, and Warsgra heard the tentative hope in her voice. “You came.”
The fair-haired, bearded man stepped forward. “Of course, Dela. We said we would. You’ll see our number are fewer than before. I’m afraid we lost some along the way.”
“People chose to return to Anthoinia?” she asked.
“Yes, they did.”
She nodded. “That’s to be expected, and that’s their choice.” She raised her voice. “You’re all welcome here. Come.”
Dela turned her back, a sign of trust, and walked back toward the waiting Norcs.
The human man, Seth, had picked up his pace to catch up with her, and Mudurt had also waited for her.
“Mudurt,” she said when she reached the Norc. “This is Seth Elderstein, the man who is now responsible for leading the human army. If you have any troubles, please, speak with him first. Likewise, Seth, if you have any issues, speak with Mudurt. If things can’t be sorted out between you, then both come and see me together. Is that understood?”
The two males nodded at each other, and Seth put out his hand to Mudurt, and Mudurt shook it, albeit seemingly reluctantly.
Warsgra glanced over at Dela, who gave him a tight smile. So far, so good.
Together, they all turned, with the Norcs leading the way now, and began the trek back to the Norc village.
It was a strange sight, seeing the humans intermingling with the Norcs. The Norc children watched with the same kind of fascinated reverence they’d shown Dela and the dragon. The horses were brought in to graze with the huge mountain goats the Norcs rode, and canvas tents were erected between the stone huts. Both races were equally curious about one another, neither of them having spent any time in each other’s company. The vast majority of the Norcs—but especially the women and children—had never even seen a human man before.
A cry came from farther up the mountain, dragging Warsgra’s attention toward it.
“Hey! Hey, over here!”
Two younger Norcs rode mountain goats at a gallop toward the Norc village. Fear was written on their faces, and they barely even glanced at the hoard of humans who were now on their territory.
Mudurt stepped forward, a frown on his face. “Negres? Gazzorg?” he shouted in return, naming the two Norcs. “What’s happening?”
Negres was wild-eyed, his hair flying as he rode toward them, only now breaking from a gallop down to a trot. “They’re coming!”
“What are coming?” Warsgra asked, unease turning inside him.
“Those things you sent us to watch out for. They’re heading straight to the Southern Trough, and there are hundreds of them.”
Warsgra glanced over and witnessed the horror on Dela’s face. He’d not seen the things she claimed to have spotted while flying with the dragon in her dreams, but from her expression, he knew it wasn’t good.
“We need to get the men into formation,” Warsgra commanded.
“There isn’t time!” Negres cried back.
“There has to be time!”
But even as he said the words, a moving blanket of black swarmed over the ridge of the mountain where the two young Norcs had ridden down from. There wasn’t much that frightened Warsgra, but he sensed his own dismay spread through his people as the swarm of creatures poured down the mountainside toward them.
“Get ready for battle!” Warsgra yelled. “We’re under attack.”
The leader of the human army, Seth—who Warsgra had seen shoot Dela a few appreciative glances since he’d arrived, and who Warsgra had already decided he didn’t like—called out to his men. “Fall in!”
The humans had been tentatively meeting the Norcs, but now they were like a swarm themselves, moving side-by-side to face the things now heading toward them. Those on horseback charged. Archers crouched at the front. Swordsmen drew their weapons. There were a lot of army men, but there were a lot of those creatures, too. He couldn’t let the humans defend the Southern Trough alone, not when this was his homeland. The Norcs were warriors, too, though perhaps not organized ones like the humans. But that didn’t mean th
ey weren’t strong and powerful, and fierce, and they had one advantage over the humans in that they knew this territory. Not that advantages over the humans mattered now. They weren’t against each other in this. If they were to prevent their home being overrun and devoured by strange things from deep beneath the earth, they needed to fight together.
Warsgra was vaguely aware of Dela calling to her dragon. The beast responded to her immediately, soaring down from the sky in a flurry of leathery wings on the wind. She climbed onto him, sitting astride his neck instead of the spot where she sat when all four of them were being carried, positioning herself between two large spines, her fingers wrapped tight around the spine in front. And then the dragon’s wings were beating again, and both Dela and the dragon were up in the air.
At least Dela was safe up there. The dragon would protect her.
It meant Warsgra was able to concentrate on his own people and help them fight these things without worrying about Dela’s safety. She’d be too much of a distraction to allow him to think clearly.
Warsgra brandished his axe and pushed to the front of the human army. The creatures were closer now, and he was able to make out their features. They looked like giant cockroaches, their wings creating a shell over their bodies. But these weren’t just insects. There was intelligence in their bulbous eyes. Some stood upright, running, allowing them the use of their front legs, razor sharp pincers forming the ends of the limbs. Their mouths made up most of their faces, giant mandibles that opened wide to reveal black, shiny gullets that looked ready to gulp down fresh meat, should they happen upon it.
There were too many of them for them to handle, he was sure, but they didn’t have any choice but to fight. It wasn’t as though they were all just going to run away and allow these things to destroy their home.
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