by N. M. Howell
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 spent 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 t
he 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 discovered 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.”
“From what you told me it sounds like the University had already turned Yara before they came for you. None of this is your fault,” Raesh said. “Any of us would’ve done the same to protect our family. All you can do now is your part in getting us back on track. That’s how you earn our trust back.”
Lilja nodded, but never raised her eyes. Raesh knew she’d still be beating herself up for months to come. Kent rubbed more of the balm on Carmen’s forehead that the dragonborn had given them. He seemed to want to say something to Raesh, but couldn’t figure out how or if he should say it.
“What is it, Kent?” Raesh asked, not angry, but curious.
“I’m just wondering how she’ll take the news. Andie, I mean. About what happened.”
“I don’t know, but I wish I could be there with her when she finds out. I sent a coded message with the bird, like Saeryn asked. Just enough information so that Andie knows what’s going on, but not enough so that if anyone on the other side intercepts it, they won’t have one up on us.”
Kent nodded. “Smart. Have you heard back yet?”
Raesh shook his head. “The message should be getting there soon. I sent it not long after they left. The night that Oren dealt with Yara’s execution. I’d give anything to be there by her side when she reads it. After all, I know how devastating it can be to lose someone you love.”
Chapter Twenty-Two
She was thinking of Yara. Yara. Yara. Her best friend who she’d turned on at the first sign of trouble. Her best friend who she’d refused to give the benefit of the doubt and never even given a chance to explain herself, defend herself. Her best friend who had turned on them all and was now likely gone. She remembered that Carmen had introduced them. She remembered that Yara had been so kind and helpful when she’d first arrived at the Academy and Yara had also been the first to figure out that she was truly a dragonborn.
They had been immediate and true friends, and Yara had literally gone to the ends of the earth with her, had fought with her, suffered with her, been afraid with her. They’d been hiding in the tunnels under the University for months and she was beginning to lose her mind, her calm, but it was Yara who had reassured
her and Yara who had forced her to maintain her hope. She couldn’t believe how she’d treated her friend, her ally, her fellow soldier. And now she was gone. And there was nothing anyone could do about it. She still hardly believed Yara had been the one to turn on them. That she was the traitor.
The last sight of her—the final image that would have to suffice for the rest of time and pain—had been her being carried away in the jaws of a great green dragon. A huge, fire-breathing dragon, more fearsome than Andie had ever seen her. It had been the one she rode with Oren, and she shivered thinking about how vicious she had appeared when she came to collect Yara in her jaws. She had seemed such a gentle creature when they flew together before.
She wondered what fate Yara had met. Had the dragon simply dropped her from a great height, somewhere along its way back to its cavern? Had it tossed her into the path of lightning and let the legendary bolts of the Hot Salts do the work? Or had it swallowed her whole, condemning her to darkness and a slow death? Did it burn her alive with its terrible, unquenchable fire? Or did it simply crush her in its jaws, just break her irreparably and then never give another thought to the deed? Did she really want to know? She kept repeating to herself in her mind that the dragonborn were a peaceful race. Perhaps the dragon hadn’t hurt her at all. She clung to that thought as fiercely as she could. Surely, they wouldn’t have harmed her without Andie’s consent.
Andie opened her eyes. She was lying on her stomach on the floor and she hurt all over. This was the fourth time in recent days that she’d woken up like this, but this time her mind was perfectly clear. She knew the reason she was hurting so badly was because she had been standing so close to the chancellor when he made his final attempt and blew himself up.