“Ungrateful fool!” bellowed the injured dragon, sounding much like the high priest. His voice echoed throughout the circus. “I have guided your race to the glory it has attained! I have molded you into the finest warriors! I sent you into slavery time and again, the better to cull the weak and bring to the forefront the stubbornness, the pride, and the strength you now display! All I ask in return is your allegiance! We will rule the world!”
“You mean you’ll rule the world … we’ll just do the dying for you.” Kaz raised his battle-axe.
“Your kind was nothing before me and will be nothing without me!” Infernus punctuated the statement by snapping at Kaz. The red dragon was clearly weak, thankfully too weak to cast any spell, it seemed.
“We’ll take that chance.” Kaz aimed.
Infernus suddenly began to push up. Even as the minotaur brought the axe down with all his might, the red leviathan tried to roll over toward him. Infernus intended to crush Kaz beneath him.
“I am your master!” the red terror roared. “I am your destiny!”
Kaz’s footing started to fail, but he did not let up. Honor’s Face struck the dragon’s neck, sinking deep. Infernus, hissing in agony, pushed harder. Kaz raised the weapon again, knowing he might not complete another swing.
“Paladine, let this blow swing true!” he snarled through clenched teeth. His world was tilting, and only one secured foot prevented him from toppling off the spinning beast.
Once again, Kaz brought the magical axe down.
Once again, the axe changed. It seemed larger, longer, the blades growing as huge as Kaz himself. Yet it was no harder to hold the oversized axe and was no more difficult to guide toward its target. In fact, it was almost as if Honor’s Face directed his hand toward the most vital spot on the dragon’s neck.
The mirrorlike blade struck deep into Infernus … and continued to bite. Incredibly, the cut spread, penetrating the entire neck. Infernus bellowed, and his whole body shook. Kaz lost his grip on the axe and, finally, his footing. He slid backward and would have fallen headfirst to the ground if not for the grappling hook still caught in the dragon’s neck. More out of luck than skill, the minotaur caught hold of the rope. He was flung around, but his drop slowed.
The red’s shaking ceased.
Still dangling, Kaz waited. Infernus shuddered again, but the motion ended after only a few seconds. Kaz waited a little longer, then began to climb back.
The first thing he saw was Honor’s Face. The axe lay on the upper part of the dragon’s shoulder. It was back to normal size. Its mirror finish was as pristine as ever.
The second thing he saw was that Infernus’s head and neck had been cleanly severed from the body.
Too exhausted to cheer much about the red leviathan’s death, Kaz dragged himself over to the axe and picked it up. His battered reflection stared back at him.
“Wish I’d known before that you could do that,” he muttered. “It would’ve come in handy now and then.”
All around him, the air filled with thunder. No, Kaz corrected himself, it was not thunder, but the stomping of hundreds of minotaur feet.
Applause and cheers added to the stomping. Kaz heard someone call his name, someone whose voice was familiar to him. Others in the audience, either taking their lead from that voice or recognizing him on their own, also called his name. It quickly grew into a chant that he had no doubt could be heard throughout all of Nethosak.
Then the guards arrived. They started toward the area where Kaz and the dragon were, but before they could get very far, minotaurs began to pour from the stands. They came from all sides. Kaz readied the axe, thinking he could take a few of his enemies with him, when he suddenly noticed that the newcomers were not attacking. They were forming a defensive ring around both the massive corpse and the minotaur, weapons displayed against the guard.
Only then did Kaz recognize several of them as members of Clan Orilg.
“Kaz!” called one warrior. He fought his way through the others and clambered up the dragon as if it were something he did every day. The crowd continued to chant and applaud.
“Hecar? How did all this come about?”
“You can thank Helati and Brogan for it.”
It looked as if more than simply Orilg had come to his aid. It was not possible for the entire clan to be here, since many members lived far from Nethosak, which meant that a number of the minotaurs defending his position had to hail from other clans.
“Helati had a little talk with Dastrun and the clan. … I’ll tell you later how she did that. Not even certain I understand myself. She found out what you’d been up to and what you’d been fool enough to agree to. Then she heard you were supposed to die in the circus today, so she reminded the clan of what its honor meant. It finally agreed to help.” Hecar glanced at the crowd and grinned. He clearly enjoyed the moment. “We were supposed to charge the field when they brought you out … but no one expected this sort of entrance! That’s something I’ll have to tell you about in detail later.” His eyes widened. “Fliara and the others—”
“Are there.” Kaz pointed at one of the entrances. Fliara, Delbin … and, if Kaz was not mistaken, his brother Toron, whom he had not seen in longer a time than Fliara. There was no mistaking that streak of hair or that face.
He wondered if Toron knew about their father.
“I think they want to make you emperor, Kaz.”
“Polik might have something to say about that.”
“I doubt it. He was on the platform taking his victory bows when you and the dragons fell.” Hecar shook his head in disgust. “And never have I seen a more pathetic combat. Anyone who did not wonder at his challenger’s sluggishness already knew that the combat had been rigged. The longer it went—and it seemed even Polik thought it went too long—the more pitiful it became. It was more a slow slaughter than a battle.”
Blinking, Kaz looked down the field. Toward the back end of the great beast he made out a portion of the splintered and exceedingly flattened platform used for imperial challenges. There was no sign of a body on what little of the platform could be seen, and he had no desire to go and verify his friend’s words. What was left of the late emperor would be something that would appeal to neither his stomach nor his eyes.
“So you see, they have no qualms about making you emperor. After all, how many minotaurs fight and slay a dragon, especially one of such size, and especially one everyone heard claim it was their master and destiny?” The other minotaur snorted. “As if we would ever accept such a beast as our master!”
Kaz scanned the throng. Hecar was probably correct about the crowd wanting to crown him. Even among those of the circle, there was obvious sentiment for Kaz. One or two members scowled or pretended indifference, but with the exception of those few and a handful of clerics, everyone was saluting the slayer of the dragon.
Dragon? In the aftermath of the red terror’s death, Kaz had momentarily forgotten the other dragon, the brave youngster that Kaz considered more responsible for the red’s destruction than he.
Abandoning Hecar, he leapt off the massive corpse and went directly toward where he had last seen the young female.
Ty was still there, still unmoving. Kaz broke through the defensive ring and hurried to her side. He knelt down, turning Ty over. The female was breathing. Giving thanks to Paladine, Kaz raised her in his arms. As he did, Ty opened her eyes.
“Kaz?”
“Hush, Ty. It’s all right. We beat him. Infernus is dead.”
“Did I do good?”
The minotaur snorted. “You did the best anyone could’ve done under the circumstances. I’m proud of you. Your parents would’ve been proud of you, too.”
Ty smiled, then closed her eyes again.
“The balance is almost restored. You have the gratitude of many, Kaz.”
Still carrying the transformed Ty, Kaz turned. The gray man, staff in hand, stood behind him.
“I thought I broke that,” the minotaur com
mented, referring to the staff. “And what’s that you’re saying about the balance almost being restored? Infernus is dead. The danger is past. When the smoke clears, they’ll see that this invasion is going to drive us only to ruin.”
“The invasion does not matter without Infernus, Kaz. If they launch it, the minotaurs will fail. This is not their time … if such a time is ever to come. I can promise you that.” The mage glanced down at his staff. “As for this, it is more durable than it appears.”
“What about the balance, then? What do you mean?”
His hooded companion sighed. “The red dragon is dead, but the silver remains. If she remains too long, one of the Dark Lady’s draconian creatures will awaken. Although it might be hard to believe, there are worse dragons than Infernus. Should both dragons remain in the world for very long, the compact made at the end of the war will crumble. It has been crumbling these past eight years. I have been busy, very busy, but for a long time even I did not know the truth. Still, Takhisis will be allowed to renew her drive for conquest much too soon if the hatchling is not dealt with immediately.”
“I think you told me that before, but what can I do?”
“There are two choices, Kaz.” The gray man studied Ty. “I may take her to where she must go. However, I can take her only if she truly wants to leave.”
“And the other choice?”
“She must die, minotaur. You will have to kill her, since I am forbidden to do so. She must die or the world returns to imbalance, and thousands of others must die in the ensuing conflicts.”
“I won’t kill her! You’re mad, mage!” Kaz backed away from the gray figure.
“Then she must leave. She must come with me.”
“To what? To where? She obviously knows nothing about where you want to take her! She knows only this world.” It seemed unfair to the minotaur that Ty had to be taken from everything and everyone she knew because some gods had made a deal. Ty belonged here. Kaz would be more than happy to allow her to stay in the settlement. In the short time since he had met her, she had proven a brave, honorable companion.
“Kaz?”
He looked down to see that Ty had opened her eyes again. By the looks of her, the young woman had heard everything that had been said. “Ty, I—”
“Kaz, I’ll go with him.”
“Listen! The gods don’t have to have their way! They—”
Ty slipped out of his grip. Her stance was unsteady, but she refused help from the minotaur. She gazed at both Kaz and the gray man. “I know I don’t have a choice, really, Kaz. I have to leave.” Ty steadied herself. “I don’t want another war like the one you’ve talked about, Kaz. It sounds awful. Fighting Infernus showed me how terrible another war would be.”
“Do you mean that?” It still seemed unfair to Kaz, but the female sounded determined.
“I do. If I stay much longer, another dragon will awake. I couldn’t face that. Too many people would get hurt or die, including maybe you and Delbin.”
“The decision is made, then,” announced the gray man. His expression softened. “For what it is worth, Tiberia, I regret it must be so. You deserve to live as you desire. I can say only that you shall at least join your sire and your siblings where you are going.”
Ty brightened. “I’ll see them?”
“I promise.” The gray mage smiled. “Then you all shall have a pleasant sleep.”
Sleep was one thing Ty definitely needed. The female required time for her injuries to heal. She closed her eyes, then asked, “Is it far? I don’t think I can fly far.”
“You will not need to fly.” Raising his staff, the gray man looked behind him. A hole appeared, a hole that glowed brightly from within. “We will walk. It is not so far that way.” He extended his free hand to the transformed dragon. “If you are ready, we should leave very soon.”
Ty turned to Kaz. “Could—could you say good-bye to Delbin for me? I wish there were more time, but … I don’t want another dragon like Infernus coming.”
“I’ll say good-bye to Delbin for you.”
She leapt forward, wrapping her arms around the minotaur. Kaz froze, then slowly hugged Ty back. “I won’t forget you, Kaz! Thank you for everything.”
Kaz lifted her chin, meeting Ty’s eyes. “You are an honorable warrior, Tiberia, and a good lass, as my father would have said.”
Ty lowered her gaze. “I’m sorry about Ganth, Kaz. If it hadn’t been for me—”
“Don’t think that. Infernus was responsible. Ganth would thank you. You avenged not only him and my mother, but all those minotaurs who died so that Infernus could mold us to his and the Dark Queen’s damnable vision.”
From behind Ty, the gray man called, “Tiberia. It must be soon. Already there is stirring.”
Breaking away, the young human dragon joined the mage. Ty looked back at Kaz and smiled.
“Paladine watch over you, Ty,” the minotaur called.
“Thank you again, Kaz.… I’ll think of you.”
“And I you.”
“You have my gratitude, too, Kaz,” added the gray figure, somewhat sadly. “And my apologies for what I had to do. Know that your father … and mother … watch over you.”
“I understand … and thank you, mage.”
With that, the pair walked into the hole. As they entered, Ty waved one last time. The hole vanished as she lowered her hand.
It was over, just like that. Kaz felt cheated. The female had hardly time to recover and enjoy some peace with her newfound friends. She had hardly time to see the world. Then again, as a dragon, she might someday see a world that existed long after Kaz was gone.
“Kaz!” There was no mistaking Delbin’s voice. “Kaz! Is Ty all right? Where is she? I thought she was over here, but—”
“Take a breath, Delbin,” said Hecar.
Kaz turned to face his friends and family. Hecar stood there with Delbin and Kaz’s brother and sister. They were not alone, either. There was an entire contingent of minotaurs, not all of them from the clan of Orilg. One group in particular simultaneously interested and worried him. They were members of the Supreme Circle. There also was a handful of clerics.
“I’ll tell you about Ty later, Delbin,” he said, warily watching the others close in on him. “I promise.”
The circle paid little mind to Kaz’s friends and relations, barging through the gathering without comment. Kaz looked them over and saw that all eight members were there, their identities marked by the clasps of their cloaks. Three he recognized personally, but the others not at all.
“Hail, Kaziganthi de-Orilg!” called a scarred warrior with gray fur on top and one eye covered with a patch. His name was Athus, and Kaz recalled him from the war. Athus had never struck him as someone who would bow to the high priest’s dictates, but it was difficult to say how the old warrior had changed over the years.
“Hail, Athus.” Kaz surveyed the gathering. “Come to personally arrest me this time?”
“His Holiness—” began one cleric.
“There is your high priest.” Athus pointed at the red dragon’s huge form. “We all heard the voice. We all know that voice and that tone even if the form is different. Am I right, Kaziganthi?”
“You are.”
“It is a lie!” The same cleric pushed forward. “When the high priest comes—”
Kaz snorted. “You should begin thinking more about which of you is going to be the new high priest, rather than wasting time on empty protests. Jopfer, as you knew him anyway, is dead. That leaves a vacancy that must be filled, don’t you think?”
The cleric shut up. Kaz watched with amusement as the robed figures began to eye one another. These were some of the red dragon’s highest-ranking servants. Any one of them could claim the right of succession. There would be some duels before the week was out, which did not sadden Kaz in the least.
Athus also seemed to enjoy the clerics’ sudden realization. He finally shook his head, responding to Kaz’s earlier question. “N
o, Kaziganthi, we’ve not come to arrest you. Far from it. If anything, I think the majority of us are quite pleased to see you.”
That was exactly as he had feared. Kaz remained quiet, waiting.
“Emperor Polik is dead.” A trace of a smile again escaped Athus. “Definitely dead. As his challenger died before him, there is a void that must be filled, a void even more important than that which the priesthood faces.” The graying minotaur ignored dark looks from more than one cleric. “I think we’ve all seen and heard enough today to know who exemplifies what we most seek in an emperor. Honor, bravery, determination to face all odds in the course of one’s duty, and, of course, the cunning and strength needed to attain victory in combat.”
“Listen all around you, Kaziganthi,” spoke one of the other members, a shorter, wider minotaur with one crooked horn and, for one of their kind, what would be called a flat snout. “They are still chanting your name. They want you, Kaziganthi! We want you!”
Athus nodded. “We salute you, Emperor Kaziganthi, slayer of dragons and champion of the people!”
The clansmen of Orilg who stood nearby cheered, especially Kaz’s siblings. But Hecar seemed less enthusiastic. He was proud of his sister’s mate, but he knew Kaz better than the rest. He was probably the only one here who truly knew what Kaz thought of becoming emperor.
Kaz faced the circle and the clerics. He could not deny feeling pride that he had been so chosen. It was the greatest accolade his people could have given him.
“I prefer Kaz as a name,” he responded, standing as tall as he could. His body wanted to lie down and sleep for a month, but he did not listen to it, not yet. “And I prefer to decline your offer. I’m not the kind of emperor you want, and I never will be. You’ll have to fight that out among yourselves.”
As soon as he was finished speaking, Kaz walked past the stunned and gaping minotaur leaders, joined his family and friends, and headed for the circus’s nearest exit.
Chapter 19
The Future
———
Kaz could not help but admire Nethosak as the ship carrying him and the others departed for the south. His people had indeed accomplished much in a few short years, yet if they could forego their historic drive for power and spend more time on improving their lives, he believed they would accomplish much, much more. The minotaur race was indeed destined for glory. However, one did not necessarily need to achieve glory through conquest.
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