Dragon Redeemed

by Linda K Hopkins

  “Master Xavier,” Evelyn said, running past the girl into the hall.

  “He’s not here.”

  “Then his father, Master Seaton.” Evelyn spun around, searching for anyone in Xavier’s family.

  “He’s not here, either. No-one’s here.”

  Evelyn turned to the maid. “What do you mean, no-one’s here?” The girl shrunk back slightly.

  “I, er, they all left, Mistress. A few hours ago.”

  “Left? Where did they go?”

  “I, er …”

  “Please, anything! Do you remember anything?”

  “Well, I heard them saying something about taking the west gate.”

  “West gate? Anything else?”

  “No, I mean, Master Aaron told his wife to bring her warmer cloak because it would be cool in the hills.”

  “The hills?”

  Evelyn rubbed her forehead, her mind spinning. She had no doubt Uncle was chasing the dragons, hoping to kill Xavier and his family. She needed to get to him with a warning.

  “Horse? Where can I find a horse?”

  “They’re stabled down the road, Mistress. If you ask –”

  Evelyn spun on her heel and ran across the road in the direction the maid had pointed out.

  “I need a horse,” she said as a stable boy peeked over a stall.

  “You got coin, Mistress?”

  “No.” Evelyn’s heart sank. She had not thought to grab her purse.

  “No coin, no horse.”

  “Wait,” she said. “The Drakes, they have horses stabled here, don’t they?”

  “Carriage horses.”

  “Saddle one of them for me.”

  “You can’t be taking one of their horses,” he said in shock.

  “Of course I can! My husband is Xavier Seaton.”

  “Well …”

  “Hurry, boy! It is a matter of greatest urgency!”

  He scratched his backside. “Me master won’t be back for a while.”

  “Listen, I promise it will be all right. And I will ensure my lord Drake gives you a big reward for helping me.”

  The boy’s eyes widened slightly, and he gave a nod. “I’ll get ’im ready.”

  She paced impatiently, until at long last she was mounted and making her way towards the western gate, skirting around people walking the same way. As the gate loomed up ahead, Evelyn’s eyes were on the dozens of men who were moving in the same direction as herself, crude weapons clutched in their hands. She reined up beside a small group.

  “Where are you all going?”

  “To fight some dragons,” one of the men said grimly.

  “Dragons? You think there are dragons?”

  “Aye. Been ’earing ’bout them fer weeks, we ’ave. Then this mornin’ jes as I was about to start work, this man comes, shouting that the dragons are coming. They’ll kill us all if we don’t kill ’em first.”

  “Nonsense! It’s a load of lies,” she said. “Dragons aren’t dangerous.”

  One of the other men snorted. “Know that fer a fact, do ya? Will ya still be saying that when one of the beasts gobbles ya?”

  “What proof do you have?” she demanded.

  “We don’t need proof, girl! They’s dangerous.”

  Evelyn snorted her disgust and kicked her horse into a gallop. She needed to reach Xavier before this mob with their pitchforks did, and ahead of Baric Callaway, if possible.

  Chapter 30

  Evelyn raced past the men heading out of the city, their faces grim and determined. It wasn’t only men who were heading out to meet the beasts – women and even children marched along the path, carrying whatever weapons they could find. She could not believe Uncle would pitch these people, untrained and uneducated, against the might of the dragons, who could probably kill them with a single swipe of a fiercely armed tail. Of course, she doubted that the dragons she had met would carelessly spill human blood. Uncle must surely know that. The breath caught in her throat as she thought through the implications. Uncle was using humans as a foil against the dragons, knowing they would not risk spilling innocent blood, thereby leaving them more vulnerable. It made him worse than the monsters he claimed to be fighting! That her own flesh and blood could be so duplicitous made her stomach revolt.

  She swallowed her nausea and urged her mount to go faster, passing the people trampling along the road. They thinned out considerably as she continued west, until only the strongest and most determined-looking were marching their way along the dusty path. These, she surmised, must have been men who left the city well before sunrise. Some walked in pairs or groups of three, while others marched alone.

  It was still early when she reached the crossroads. Her throat was dry, but in her haste to get to Xavier she had not thought to bring any water, nor was she willing to stop and quench her thirst. Instead she continued onward, following the fighters as they traveled the road leading into the hills. Far in the distance she could see a creature circling in the sky, but it was too far away to see if it was a bird or a dragon.

  The road began to undulate as she headed deeper into the hills. The sun had fully risen, and dust rose in the air as Evelyn galloped along the road. Small stands of trees clustered in the valleys. A river wound through the vale, lazy and peaceful, and birds twittered between the branches of the trees that lined the banks. An inn rose at the side of the woods, barely noticed by Evelyn as she continued along the road, which was little more than a track this deep in the hills. She rode up a steep slope, then slowed her horse to a trot as she crested the ridge. Ahead lay a wide valley through which the river twisted in a wide curve while a forest bordered the far edge. Two groups stood facing each other, one with no more than a dozen or so men, while facing them at least a hundred fanned out in a long line. It was too far to see who stood on either side, but she guessed that the smaller group, with their weapons already drawn, were Uncle’s men, while the others, bare-chested and weaponless, were the dragons. She spurred her horse forward, sending clods of earth flying into the air as she raced down the slope into the valley.

  As she drew closer, she could see that there were women amongst the dragons, and she recognized some of Xavier’s family. It was his hair, shining like a beacon, that drew her gaze, however. Xavier stood beside Aaron in the center of the line, Zach and Lleland on either side of them. As she galloped past the smaller group she turned in her saddle to see Uncle standing at the front. Her heart twisted in pain when she recognized Robin at his side. Uncle looked up sharply, but she was already turning back as she sought out Xavier. He, too, had looked up at her approach, his eyes widening in shock before he took off running towards her.

  “Evelyn,” he shouted, “get away from here.”

  She pulled her horse to a halt and slid off the saddle, running to meet him.

  “Xavier, you’re in grave danger,” she shouted. “He’s going to kill you!” She could see from the set of his face that he wasn’t listening. He skidded to a halt in front of her.

  “What are you doing here? You must leave at once!” His voice was harsh, and she grabbed his upper arms, forcing him to look at her.

  “He’s going to kill you. Look!” She withdrew the paper she had stuffed into her gown, now crumpled and torn. “He’s got Greek fire! Isn’t that the most dangerous weapon on earth? It burns through anything, doesn’t it?” Xavier grabbed the sheet from her grasp and studied it. The color drained from his face as he looked up at her.

  “How did you find this? And how did you know it was intended for me?”

  “I know everything,” she said softly. “I know what you are.” He went still as he stared at her. “I read Uncle’s diary and pieced it all together. He wants to kill you.”

  “And you?” he asked tightly.

  “I love you,” she said. She lifted her hands to his face and repeated the words. “I love you. No matter what you are.”

  He stared at her a moment longer until a slow smile spread over his face. She drew a deep breat
h as flames sparked in his eyes before Aaron strode up to join them.

  “What’s this about? What are you doing here? And how, in God’s name, did you know where to find us?”

  “I followed the people streaming out of the city,” she said.

  “What people?”

  “It seems Uncle made sure people in the city were aware that dragons are gathering today. They come with pitchforks and axes.”

  “How many?”

  “Hundreds. Thousands.”

  Aaron turned to Xavier. “It’s as we suspected. He thinks the people of Civitas will fight his battles for him. We must finish this before they arrive.” Evelyn glanced at the crest of the hill to see that the first few people were already making their way down the ridge, weapons readied. Following her gaze, Aaron studied them for a moment, then turned and said something to Zach. He nodded, then strode down the line, speaking quietly to the other dragons.

  “Callaway has Greek fire,” Xavier said. He held out the crumpled invoice.

  “Greek fire?” Aaron said. “Good lord, how did he come by something so dangerous?” He met Xavier’s gaze. “There’s no telling what it could do to us. He might actually have found an effective weapon against dragons.” He swiped a hand over his face. “Do you think Robin knew?”

  “No,” Xavier said. He looked up and nodded. “Look, they’re coming over now.”

  They turned and watched as Robin and Uncle marched towards them. “What’s this?” said Uncle. “Why have you drawn my niece into this affair? Hasn’t she been hurt enough by your lies?”

  “I came to warn my husband of your treachery,” Evelyn said, lifting her chin in the air.

  Uncle glared at her, before his eyes dropped to the sheet Xavier was holding.

  “I see,” he said softly. He turned to Robin. “I ordered you to kill him before and you failed. Kill him now, or your life will be forfeit.”

  Robin’s eyebrows rose as he lifted a hand questioningly. “You will kill one of your hunters?” His tone was incredulous.

  “Hunter? Pah! You’re not one of us, boy. Did you really think I bought your story about hating dragons? But you’ve served your purpose well. You brought the dragons to us. Now kill this monster.”

  “No!”

  Before Evelyn could move, Uncle drew his sword from his scabbard and plunged it into Robin’s stomach. He yanked it out as Robin dropped to his knees, his eyes locked on Xavier’s.

  “No!” she screamed as Xavier fell down beside his cousin. Uncle wiped the sword on his pant leg as he strode away without a backward glance.

  “Robin, look at me,” Xavier said. He grabbed a knife from the waist of Robin’s trousers and slashed his wrist as Evelyn watched in horror. Blood dripped into Robin’s wound as Xavier held his hand over Robin’s stomach.

  “Callaway!” The angry shout drew Evelyn’s attention. Lleland was striding towards Uncle. “I will end you right now!”

  “I always knew you had joined the monsters,” Uncle sneered.

  “Monsters?” Lleland asked softly. He gripped Uncle by his tunic and pulled him closer. “You will not speak of my people this way.”

  “Your people? Have you forgotten what these monsters did to your father?”

  “That dragon was a monster, but he’s dead. Now you choose to war against me and mine.”

  “Yours,” he scoffed. He threw up his hands to break Lleland’s hold, then stumbled back with a cry of shock. Lleland’s eyes were blazing, and flames curled from his mouth. “You … you’re … a dragon.”

  “I should have killed you years ago,” Lleland said, “but I showed you mercy. I will not make that mistake again.”

  “Now!” Uncle screamed across the field.

  A bright light filled the air, and in an instant Xavier was on his feet and yanking Evelyn into his chest, covering her eyes. As the light faded she saw a black dragon grab Uncle with thick sharp talons and shoot into the air.

  “Is that your father?” she gasped.

  “Yes.”

  “Xavier, look out!” Aaron yelled.

  Across the field Uncle’s men were raising their bows in their direction. Wrapping his arms around Evelyn as another blast of light filled the air, Xavier shot into the air and claws clamped around her arms. She looked up to see she was being carried by an enormous white dragon. He turned around, putting his back to the hunters as he drove himself higher and higher. He glanced down at her, meeting her gaze, and then she was flying as he threw her through the air. She screamed as the wind rushed around her until she was grabbed from the air by a golden dragon. There was a huge blast of sound, and she twisted around to see flames shooting in every direction. The dragon holding her dropped her to the ground with an earth-shattering roar, racing towards the flames as they fell to the earth like liquid fire.

  Where Xavier had been only a moment before, a fountain of gold was pouring onto the ground, collecting into large puddles. The golden dragon dropped down and began to lap up the liquid with his long tongue.

  “Xavier!” Evelyn shouted, searching the sky for the white beast.

  Lleland skidded to a halt beside the gold dragon. “What are you doing?” he demanded, but the other dragon ignored him as he continued to lap up the liquid, scooping it into his mouth with his paws.

  “Aaron!” Lleland snarled.

  “It’s the only way.” Aaron looked up for a moment before continuing with his task. Evelyn stared at him, then back at the puddles of gold.

  “No,” she whispered. A hand grabbed her by the arm and pulled her to her feet.

  “Let’s get you out of here,” Robin said.

  “No!” she shouted. “Where’s Xavier?”

  “I’m sorry, Evelyn,” Robin said gently. He looked away as he rubbed his jaw, and Evelyn stared at him, her mind battling to understand what was happening. The man before her was supposed to be injured, and Xavier should be here with her. Robin wrapped his arm around her shoulder and led her further away. She glanced back to see a small gold dragon land beside Lleland, and she knew it was Lydia. A man was bearing down on her, pitchfork raised.

  “Lydia,” she shouted. The dragon glanced around and swatted the man with her tail, knocking him to the ground. He was back on his feet in an instant.

  “I’m going to kill you, monster,” he growled. With a snarl Lydia spun towards him, her teeth bared. She yanked the pitchfork from his hand and snapped it in two, then flung the pieces to the ground.

  “Get away from here before I get really annoyed and kill you,” she growled. He stumbled back at her words, then turned and fled.

  All around Evelyn, dragons were taking to the air, shooting flames at the hunters who continued to aim their arrows at the huge creatures. More people were running towards the battle, swords and axes ready. Balls of fire erupted around them, and she watched as one hit a dark-colored dragon, ripping it into flames that exploded through the air. Where streams of gold had fallen, Aaron was still on the ground, lapping the last of the liquid while the black dragon stood sentinel beside him.

  Her legs were giving way, and Robin held her as she sank to the ground. He fell down beside her and they sat in silence as the battle continued before them. More people joined those already in the battle, rushing forward with their inadequate weapons. Evelyn watched dully as a man was caught in the cross fire between a hunter and a dragon, an arrow hitting him in the back and felling him. Another screamed when he was singed by flames.

  The last of the liquid gold was now gone, and Aaron leapt into the air with a roar, Lleland beside him. Together they raced through the air towards the hunters, claws outstretched, ignoring the arrows heading towards them as they ripped into the enemy. Another ball of flame hit one of the dragons, and flames rained to the earth.

  She had no idea of time passing as she stared unseeingly at the huge creatures driving through the air – it might have been mere minutes or many hours. The sounds had died away when a pair of warm arms descended on Evelyn’s shoulders, and she loo
ked up to see Lydia. Without a word, Evelyn rose and the two women embraced, as the tears that had not yet been released began to flow down Evelyn’s cheeks and mingled with the other woman’s.

  “You belong with us now, Evelyn,” Lydia said softly. She linked their arms and the two women began to walk across the plain, joining the throngs of people heading desolately back to the city.

  Chapter 31

  He saw nothing, heard nothing, felt nothing. He was nothing, and nothingness enveloped him.

  Evelyn lay on the bed, staring at the wall. Summer heat had given way to cooler temperatures, and the trees were losing their leaves. The last few mornings frost had sparkled on the ground, melting when the sun crested the horizon. She had lost count of how many weeks had passed since that fateful day. The day that Xavier had been killed at Uncle’s command. The day he had shielded her with his body and given his life for hers. Perhaps he would still live if she hadn’t been there. The warning about the Greek fire had been useless.

  She had not returned home, instead allowing Lydia to take her to Drake House where she stayed in Xavier’s chambers. She had lain on his bed, breathing in his scent, for nigh on a week before Keira was finally able to lead her from the chamber and force her to eat.

  As time went by she learned that Lleland had killed Uncle, while the other dragons had dealt with the rest of the hunters until not one remained alive. A few other people from the city had also lost their lives that fateful day, but the battle had ended almost as soon as it began, and most had arrived on the battlefield too late to be involved in the action, confused when they saw no dragons either on the field or in the sky. Stories flew around the city about The Battle That Was, but happening as it did so far from the city, with so few lives lost, these died down within a week, replaced by rumors of the king’s imminent demise, until only the most fervent still spoke about the huge monsters that had scorched the earth with their breath, then disappeared. A rumor circulated around town that dragons could talk like humans, but it was vigorously denied by well-placed sources, until this, too, passed into folklore. As quickly as the threat of a dragon attack arose, it died down, and the citizens of Civitas continued with their lives, unperturbed.