by Sam Ferguson
“Then there can be no peace for us,” the dragon replied.
Dengar’s breathing came harder now. Even if the dragon did nothing, he knew he was done for. He could feel the blood gurgling up with each exhalation. The coppery taste filled his mouth and the odor laced his nostrils. He tried to protest when the dragon gripped his helmet between two talons, but he had not the strength to lift his arms.
“I will make this quick,” the dragon promised.
“I will see you in Hammenfein,” Dengar swore as his helmet came off.
The last thing the man saw was a talon screaming toward his neck.
*****
Lepkin’s legs and lungs ached terribly by the time he arrived at Kuldiga Academy. His horse had put a leg down a gopher hole sometime during the night and snapped its leg, leaving him to run the rest of the way on foot.
He could only hope that somehow he would reach Kyra before the dragon slayers found Leatherback. He rushed through the hallways, up the stairs, and sprinted for the door to Kyra’s room. The sun was only barely starting to show above the horizon, so with any luck she was still inside.
He slammed into the door and nearly took it from its hinges.
Linny shrieked and pulled her blanket up over her nightgown, while Kyra turned and seemed ready to blast Lepkin with a spell. The young apprentice held up his hand and slumped to his knees, gasping for breath.
“Leatherback…the dragon slayers…”
Kyra’s rage melted instantly, replaced by concern and fear. She rushed to Lepkin and bent down to meet his eyes. “They found him?”
Lepkin nodded. “Warn… Leatherback.” He huffed and panted, the air burning his lungs.
Kyra opened a portal and then grabbed Lepkin’s hand and dragged him through.
They dropped into the clearing and were met by a terrible sight.
Many of the trees had been charred, or altogether burnt, and there were three bodies in the area. Leatherback was lying on the far side of the clearing, tending a series of gashes and puncture wounds in his foot.
“Leatherback!” Kyra screamed. She ran toward him.
Lepkin hung back, still doubled over and struggling to regain his breath. He held a hand up to try and signal that he needed a moment, but he collapsed on the ground, gasping horribly. After several minutes, he managed to resume a kneeling position and surveyed the scene.
As he had feared, he was too late.
Kyra shouted something, but Lepkin was too busy looking at the broken bodies of his former trainers to hear it.
A moment later, he was pinned to the ground, one of Leatherback’s talons on either side of his neck.
“What have you done?”
“I didn’t do anything,” Lepkin said, suddenly finding his voice again. “A merchant came to our camp, and told the dragon slayers where to find you. I tried to stop them by scaring the horses away, and I tried to warn Kyra.”
“Leatherback, stop!” Kyra shouted. “Lepkin is not our enemy.”
The dragon pulled his talons back and let Lepkin up.
“Thank you,” Lepkin offered. “I promise I did the best I could to prevent them from discovering you. My horse broke its leg in the night, otherwise I would have been able to warn you first.”
“Where are the other horses?” Kyra asked.
“I ate them,” Leatherback said with a derisive snort.
“We have to get these bodies out of here,” Kyra said. “We have to move to a new place.”
Leatherback shook his head. “It isn’t that simple,” he admitted. “They will never stop now. I have killed dragon slayers. More will come. I will never be safe where they can find me.”
“What do we do?” Kyra asked. She turned to Lepkin, but he only shrugged. “Where is Njar?” she went on. “He should have seen this! He should be here!”
Leatherback nodded. “I will go to Viverandon. You two will return to Kuldiga Academy.”
“We have to hide the bodies,” Kyra said again.
Leatherback shook his head. “You must tell the truth,” he said. “Tell Headmaster Herion that I acted in self-defense. Tell him that I did try to offer peace. I tried to explain it to the humans, but they would not listen.”
Lepkin noticed the venomous tone with which Leatherback had spoken the word humans and shivers ran down his spine. There was no coming back from something like this. Kyra may not see it, but Lepkin knew that the group was about to split and go its separate ways.
“Njar can keep me safe from the blight, and no dragon slayer will find me in Viverandon,” Leatherback said. “I will be there. When you have found the clues you need to fight the vampire, then come for us, and we will help you.”
Kyra began to cry. “What about reading stories at night? Who will…” Kyra’s words trailed off.
Leatherback bent his head down to her and softly nuzzled her with his snout. “This is the way it must be now, for it will be too dangerous. Imagine what would have happened if they had found out our secret, but come for you first,” Leatherback said. “It is better this way. We will both be safe.”
Kyra threw her arms around Leatherback’s snout and leaned onto him. “Take me with you,” she said.
Lepkin stood there, watching as the two of them struggled with their good-bye. For the first time, no words of comfort came to his mind.
Leatherback pulled away from Kyra and then looked at Lepkin. “You will guard her.”
Lepkin nodded. “Always.”
The dragon offered a half-smile and then leapt into the air, ignoring Kyra’s pleas for him to wait.
Lepkin moved in and she collapsed into his chest, crying softly as Leatherback disappeared into the clouds above, possibly leaving the Middle Kingdom forever.
Chapter 13
Linny left her room as soon as she could get dressed. She was concerned for Kyra, but there wasn’t anything she could do for her. So, trying to think of a way she might be able to cheer her friend up, as well as help smooth things over for having followed her into the tunnel, she decided to go into the field to the south of the school grounds and pick wild flowers.
It was something she had done for her mother whenever she had felt sad. She smiled then as she remembered her mother as she was before she had gotten sick. The two of them had often gone out to pick flowers. As the tears threatened to well up in her eyes, she focused on thoughts of Kyra and the dragon instead.
She must have walked a mile away from campus before she finally found a patch of bluebells and daisies that seemed good enough to pick for Kyra. She waded through the tall grass and flowers, searching only for the best specimens to take back with her. Whenever she found an ideal flower, she would pick it near the base, leaving long stems, and then she tucked them into the crook of her left arm.
As she was picking flowers, a middle-aged woman approached from further down the small road leading to the south. Linny didn’t see her until she was only a few feet away. The sight of seeing someone else out here who wasn’t obviously part of Kuldiga Academy startled her, but the fact that it was a woman put her at ease quickly.
“Hello, dear,” the woman said in a soft voice. Her brown eyes sparkled beneath her auburn hair. Her facial features were angular, but not gaunt, giving her a striking appearance. Her lips were full and bright red, and they stretched into a wide smile revealing exquisitely white teeth.
Linny’s teeth had never been white. At her best they had been a dull gray, sometimes yellow, but never sparkling, shining white.
“Out picking flowers are we?” the lady asked.
Linny nodded.
“Sorry, where are my manners?” the lady said. “I am Miss Freen. I sometimes come to pay a visit to my alma mater and speak with Lady Priscilla, do you know her?”
Linny shook her head.
“No matter,” the lady said. “Say, would you like an apple?” Miss Freen pulled a large, green apple from a basket that Linny hadn’t noticed before. “I have three, and that’s more than I need. Here, you
take one.”
Linny took the proffered apple and smiled at Miss Freen. “Thank you,” she said sincerely.
“Green apples are my favorite,” Miss Freen said. “Most people prefer the sweet red or yellow apples, but I like the ones that have a sour bite to them. They’re my absolute favorite!”
“Mine too!” Linny replied.
Miss Freen smiled and nodded. “Excellent, well, you have a wonderful day, dear. I am sure we will meet again.”
Linny waved good-bye as Miss Freen walked away.
The girl then continued picking flowers, taking bites of her apple as she went along.
*****
Miss Freen walked around a large bend beyond the grassy field where Linny was picking wild flowers. When she was certain she could no longer be seen, she turned and walked straight into the forest to the right of the road.
She was breathing heavily now, and pain was rolling over her body. She no sooner reached the shade of a large oak tree than she transformed back into her true form.
Severin stood there, hunched over and grunting at the stinging burns. Over the last century he had perfected his magic in order to walk in the open during the daytime, but despite his best efforts it was nearly impossible to be out for long.
His fortune was that Linny had come out before the sun was fully above the horizon. Early morning was dangerous, but not nearly as perilous as mid-day. He examined his smoking burns and shook his head. He would have to wait until he was back in his lair before he would be able to heal those. For now, he would have to make his way back to the small fox den he had taken from its previous owner after leaving the bumbling dragon slayers.
In order to escape the deadly rays of the sun, he transformed himself into a fox and hurried through the forest, careful to use the more shady pathways to avoid excessive damage to his body. Swords and arrows were hardly a menace to him, but the light of the sun was a most troublesome foe, and the burns required much magic to heal.
Even so, Severin was certain he had made the right choice. He could still scarcely believe his fortune when he had discovered Linny in Lepkin’s memories. A third child who knew the secret of the dragon. She was the perfect target for this assault. This would allow him access to Kyra and her friend without tailing them directly. It was perfect.
More than that, the spell he had put into the apple, and the monsters it would summon, was sure to strike the girl down.
Before this day ended, Kyra would lose another friend.
Severin smiled wide and laughed aloud.
Oh, how he loved playing with his prey.
*****
After returning to Kuldiga Academy, Kyra and Lepkin had tried to speak with Headmaster Herion about what had happened. What they had hoped would be an understanding discussion leading to some sort of peaceful resolution turned into the worst four hours of their lives.
Herion had them separated into rooms in the basement and interrogated them at length about Leatherback, the dragon slayers, and the fire drakes. There had been no hint of mercy in his voice.
When the ordeal was over, he had simply told the two to return to their rooms and not to leave again until he came for them after dinner.
They both had understood there would be a secret meeting about them and Leatherback, and so rather than obey, they made their way directly to the hidden chamber behind the walls of the Headmaster’s secret meeting room.
They had found Linny already in the sitting room below their eavesdropping spot, arranging flowers on the table and trying to put on a good smile and ask how they were doing.
“Why are you here again?” Kyra asked incredulously.
“No, I wasn’t here to snoop,” Linny said. “Look, I was trying to get flowers for you. I know it’s been a hard day, and I was trying to make up for snooping before.”
“No,” Kyra said with a shake of her head.
Lepkin grabbed her arm and turned her back to him. She was startled by the force he used, but caught off guard by the pained look in his eyes.
“Enough fighting,” he said. “We have few friends as it is. Let’s try and be nice to the ones we have. She looks up to you.”
“So what should I do? Should I just forgive her for snooping and then let her come along and see what it is we are about to do?”
Lepkin nodded. “Yes.” There was no boyish grin. No hint of mirth in his tone. His sad eyes glanced to Linny and he offered the other girl a smile. He let go of Kyra’s arm and walked past her. “Everything is fine, Linny, thanks for the flowers. That was thoughtful of you.”
“I can go,” Linny said.
“No,” Lepkin replied quickly. “Come, I want to show you something, but you have to promise to be quiet as a mouse.”
“Um…”
Kyra turned around and forced a smile. Maybe Lepkin was right. She had been too hard on Linny. She wasn’t really mad at her. After all, Lepkin and she had met under similar circumstances when he found her out in the woods on the way to Leatherback’s first nest.
“It’s all right,” Kyra said. “Join us. You already know about Leatherback, so you may as well see what the others think of him.”
“The others?” Linny repeated.
Lepkin grabbed the bookcase and smoothly swiveled it out to the side, revealing the ladder going up into their special spot where they eavesdropped on the others.
“Come on,” Lepkin whispered as he placed a finger to his mouth.
The three of them were climbing the ladder leading to the secret area from which they could eavesdrop on the meeting Headmaster Herion was certain to call to order.
They got into position and waited quietly. Kyra tried to offer Linny a reassuring smile, but the girl would look away quickly. As Kyra watched Linny uncomfortably fidget with her fingers, she noticed that the girl’s right eye was twitching, as though she had suddenly developed a tick. She was about to ask her if she felt all right, but then the lock on the door clicked and scraped.
The door opened and a tall, blonde woman with an athletic build came in first and sat down near the opposite side from where Herion usually sat. Kyra scrunched up her nose as she tried to figure out who the woman was, but she was sure she had never seen her before. Feberik Orres came in after her, a grim expression on his face. Master Fenn was the next person to enter the room. Warty, the leader of the trio of priests from Valtuu Temple came in after him. He was alone this time. He stopped mid-step and seemed to look right at Kyra as she peered through the slim crack in the wall she always used to spy on the meetings. She held her breath, but the priest moved along to sit with his back to the wall without saying a word.
Finally, Headmaster Herion came in, walking alongside none other than Mindaugas Reif, the Keeper of Secrets.
“You all know why you are here,” Herion said without any of the pomp such a meeting might normally require. “Our worst fears have come to play out in a small grove not too far from here.”
Feberik and the blonde woman exchanged glances.
“Another attack?” Feberik asked.
Herion waved his hand furiously. “That’s right, you don’t know yet. I just informed Master Fenn, but now I will need to let you in on the secret as well.”
Kyra’s heart skipped. Herion was going to tell them all about Leatherback, and there was nothing she could do to stop him. Her hands trembled as Headmaster Herion told them everything he knew about Leatherback, and Kyra’s dealings with him. She glanced to Lepkin, who was glued to his peephole and sitting there with his mouth open, casually shaking his head every other second as if wishing Herion would stop talking. She couldn’t see Linny’s reactions because her view was now blocked by Lepkin. Kyra closed her eyes, willing the meeting to stop, but Herion continued until he had expounded upon every incident up until the fight with the dragon slayers.
The adults in the room all remained still and unmoving, listening intently to everything Headmaster Herion said. Master Fenn’s face was red with anger, but at least he held his tongue. Kyra
couldn’t see the expression on Feberik’s face, for his back was to her, but she saw him tapping his heel and had to guess that he was getting fairly upset.
“This isn’t as bad as it sounds,” Mindaugas spoke when Herion had concluded his account of Leatherback’s life to this point.
“Not as bad as it sounds?” Herion shot back, fire in his eyes. “There is no way to conceal this! Villagers have claimed seeing dragons, and now three dragon slayers are dead! Whether they attacked him first or not makes no never mind to their order.”
“Headmaster Herion, please, we can reason through this,” Mindaugas said. “They will not charge you with anything. It is not your duty to slay dragons, it is theirs. Even if Leatherback was hiding close to the school, what harm is that? There is nothing they can hang around your neck.”
“No,” Herion said as he shook his head. “Listen to me. I know Commander Tillamon. He is a hard man. He will look to hold someone accountable. There have been several reported sightings of dragons lately. Albeit they were all false reports, they were reported to the dragon slayers nonetheless. Furthermore, as protocol dictates, the three dragon slayers who were here made sure to forward those reports onward. Commander Tillamon already has the reports. He knows that I know of the reports as well.”
“Then he will conclude that you have helped with the investigation and that the dragon slayers were sloppy in their execution,” Mindaugas countered. “Surely I can put in a word and reason with the commander.”
“No,” Herion said. “Leatherback was too close to the school. The priests have been reported as living here the past several months. Tillamon will put it all together. He is a smart man. I should know, for I trained here at the same time he did.”
“The priests are under my stewardship and control,” Mindaugas countered. I have them up here because of the reported sightings. I will speak on their behalf and say we have found no dragons terrorizing the countryside, for that much is true.”