We flew on through the day and into early evening. The landscape below had turned from mottled greens and browns to the tan of the desert. In that empty landscape, the pinpricks of firelight easily stood out. I called out to Thea, “Does that look like a camp to you?”
At the same time, Kalax chirruped and was answered by a brief, muted call.
Brothers and sisters, she thought.
I could sense the other dragons, too, but that only left me uneasy.
“The rest of the riders,” Thea said excitement in her voice.
Kalax glided down toward to ground. At closer range, we could see not just campfires but the white tents of Dragon Riders. The dragons were spread out near a river. It looked like the squadrons hadn’t been in the air in days.
Some training exercise, I thought.
Kalax called to the other dragons as she chose her landing spot, a little away from the other. And I started to wonder why the squadrons hadn’t come to Torvald’s aid. From this distance they wouldn’t have heard the Dragon Horn, but they must have sensed the enclosure dragons taking flight.
Uneasy now, I stayed on Kalax until she’d landed then slipped from the saddle.
Kalax sniffed the air and suddenly recoiled. “Kalax? What is it?” I asked.
Sickness. There is sickness on this camp.
I could smell it, too, now. A dry, dusty smell. Something off like a flower that was wilting and smelled bad. Kalax sprang upwards into the air and flew a few lazy circles around the camp. I wanted to go with her. She landed again at a spot upwind from the main camp, near the fast flowing stream and a sheltering cliff.
Kalax will not sleep with sickness.
Wise girl, I thought to her. I started to think the same to Thea, then remembered I needed to use words.
When I told her about the sickness and its smell, and she gave me a long, hard look as if she wasn’t sure how I knew all this, but I just told her, “We need to see what we can do to help.”
Heading into camp, the sky dark overhead and fires twinkling ahead of us, I wanted to run and find the commander. But the feelings I was getting from the dragons around us wasn’t good. It seemed, too, like they were wheezing—having trouble even just breathing.
“What’s wrong with them?” Thea asked.
I shook my head. “It’s not Dragon Sickness, that’s much is sure. They’re…they’re tired. But…I know they haven’t been flying. Not for days.”
It was odd, walking past slumbering dragons and what looked like weary riders. It felt to me like we were walking through a house of the sick or a strange sort of statue garden. I should be able to feel the dragon’s natural inquisitiveness as they snuffed the air and sought to find out who I was and why I was so close—but the dragons didn’t care. And in large groups of Dragon Riders like this, there should be games being played, or wrestling matches being held. Someone should have out a flute or someone should be singing. Dragon Riders lived a hard life—but also knew to relax when given the chance.
None of that was going on.
I shared look with Thea. She seemed as nervous as I felt.
The riders we saw were huddled near their fires. Everyone looked…well, as if the sickness was in the riders not just the dragons.
We neared one of the larger campfire. Just as I’d started to wonder why didn’t they have guards posted, a man called out, “Who goes there?”
I’d seen this rider before, at the Troll’s Head. Dafyd. He was big and broad, and an older rider, like Thea’s brothers.
Thea stepped forward. “It’s good to find you—we’ve come from the academy.”
Dafyd scowled at us. “How do we know you’re not some bandits?”
I saw Thea’s fists bunch, so I stepped forward now. “Dafyd, friend. It’s Seb. Surely you can recognize a Dragon Rider’s uniform?” But I wasn’t sure he could. Our uniforms looked filthy from the battle and still smelled of smoke and sweat.
Dafyd’s frown didn’t lift. “They look old to me. Who are you—deserters?”
“How dare you!” Thea pushed in front of the other rider. “Do you not recognize me? I’m a Flamma and a Dragon Rider, and if you call me a deserter again I’ll make you eat your words. Now where’s Commander Hegarty? Where are my brothers, Ryan and Reynalt?”
Scrubbing a hand over his face, Dafyd seemed to shake off some of his addled wits. He muttered, “Vagabonds.” But he gave a shrug and waved us forward. “Okay, let’s just see what the commander has to say about you.”
“That’s all we ask,” I said, walking ahead of him and pulling Thea with me into the main camp.
To my great relief, I saw Commander Hegarty standing in front of the command tents. They were at least set up properly, in a rough circle in the center of camp. A bonfire glowed brighter as someone tossed wood onto it. They’d been out to collect wood and food and water—but why did all the dragons seem to be grounded.
Heading toward him, I called out, “Commander! It’s me, Seb. And Thea!” He turned and I thought he’d break into one of his sharp grins.
Instead, he turned and stared at us, eyes narrowed and his mustache twitching. “What do you think you are doing, sneaking around my camp? Why are you here? I should have you clapped in irons for leaving your post.”
Mouth open I could only stare. Was this an act of some kind? A ploy like the one he’d arranged so we could meet his brother?”
He stepped forward. “If you don’t answer me, I’ll have you whipped,”
I had never seen him like this—actually losing his temper. Commander Hegarty had always preferred a quiet word to correct anyone.
Thea elbowed her way past Dafyd. “Commander, we have no post left.”
Hegarty opened his mouth to say something, but another voice called out, “Commander?”
Turning, I saw three men step from one of the command tents. I knew them by sight—Thea’s older brothers and Prince…no, King Justin.
“Ryan!” Thea said the relief leaking into her voice. “Reynalt!”
I shifted on my feet, still uneasy. Ryan I knew, was a few years older than Thea, and was the prince’s…now the king’s navigator. Reynalt commanded the aerial squadrons, and it was he who had spoken.
He hurried the Thea’s side and caught her in a hug. Stepping back, he said, “I’m sorry, little sister.” He glanced at Dafyd, and the Dragon Rider fell back into the shadows. Turning to Thea, Reynalt said, his voice sounding tired, “We’ve been having a terrible time. First the dragons got sick, and then fights broke out amongst the men.” Reynalt’s stare seemed to fade for a moment and I wondered if he, too was struggling with the illness.
I glanced at the commander who was now staring at the ground and frowning. Ryan, too, seemed unfocused and tired, his shoulders slumped and his face lined with stress.
But Justin stepped forward. He wore the small, silver circlet of the Prince of Torvald, and I wondered now if we should have brought him the king’s crown.
Tears glittered in Thea’s eyes, but she stiffened her back and said, “Justin—Your Majesty, I have terrible news.
“You should hear about this nightmare,” Justin said irritably, before his voice petered. He rubbed a hand over his face. I saw then in the firelight that he’d worn new lines around his mouth and eyes. For a moment, silence held us all. I heard only the snap of wood in the fire and the wheeze of dragons with labored breathing. That dry, dusty smell wasn’t so bad here, I thought.
No one else seemed able to move, so I did.
Going down on one bent knee, I bowed my head to our new monarch. “The king is dead. Long live the king. All hail King Justin.”
Beside me, Thea did the same. More silence—a stunned one, I thought—followed the words, and then Justin…well, the king…looked from me to Thea. “What? My father?” The words came out in a strangled whisper, and I knew then that he had cared for his father as more than just his king.
Thea looked up at Ryan and Reynalt. Their skin seemed to pale in the flickering f
irelight. Commander Hegarty went down on one knee, then Ryan and Reynalt and the air echoed with their voices.
“The king is dead. Long live the king. All hail King Justin of Torvald!”
“It cannot be.” King Justin staggered for a step, and I thought he would fall. Not the best omen as the first act of a new king. But the commander stood and held out a hand. King Justin caught his grip and swayed. I could hear the word spreading through the camp—soft mutters followed by the creak of leather armor. I glanced around to see the Dragon Riders starting to ring the command tents. They all knelt and a few echoed the same words, “All hail King Justin.”
Thea stood up, as did I. I could see tears glimmering unshed in the new king’s eyes. But he let go the commander’s hand, glanced around, then stepped to where the firelight would better show him. He looked more a Dragon Rider than a king—he wore the same armor we wore, with only a little extra gold and silver threads to show his family banner on his chest.
Lifting his hands, he cleared his throat and called out, “Dragon Riders. Arise and await further orders.”
Slowly, the other riders stood and headed back to their camp fires. King Justin turned to Thea, “What happened? You must tell us. Was it a peaceful passing? An accident?”
Thea shook her head, glanced at me, and then took a deep breath. “It was treachery. Torvald has fallen, Your Majesty. Lord Vincent—the Darkening—attacked the citadel while the squadrons were away. A poisoned arrow struck down your father.”
The king was shaking his head slowly, not with disbelief but as if to clear something from his mind. He brushed his fingers over his eyes. “Lord who? Wasn’t he from the Southern Realm? Or did he have lands in the north?” His eyes clouded. “It cannot be.”
Thea wet her lips, but she glanced away, as if she couldn’t bear to see the king like this—or as if she was thinking too much of how King Durance died.
Stepping forward, I took up the report. “The Darkening, Your Majesty. The same evil we fought in King’s Village, just a little over a year ago, sire. The Darkening is back. Torvald is burnt, and the palace is in ruins.”
The king stared at me. My heart sank—he was still under the influence of the Memory Stone and we needed to find a way to break that.
Reynalt gave a nod. “Deep Wood and Hillars Pass. Both towns that have vanished. We were about to follow reports of yet a third, but it seems they might have been meant to divert us from Torvald. The whole city gone you say?”
Turning away, the king headed for his tent. “I—I must have a moment. Time to think.” Rubbing his forehead, he disappeared into his tent.
Thea turned to her brother. “Ryan, shouldn’t you go with him?”
Ryan shook his head. “I will in a bit, but first I need to hear what happened.” He glanced from me to Thea. He looked older now than when I’d last seen him. His blue eyes darkened with worry. “What, exactly, do you mean Torvald has fallen—that it’s burnt?”
Slapping a hand on Ryan’s shoulder, Reynalt shook his head and said to Commander Hegarty. “Let us hear the story in comfort.”
He started to turn to his tent, but that dry smell was getting stronger again. I wanted to get away from here. I was already starting to feel tired, as if I could hardly move. Stepping in front of Reynalt, Ryan and Commander Hegarty, I said, “If you don’t mind, I can give a better report over by Kalax—we’re camped just a little bit over.”
The three men swapped glances. Already their shoulders were slumping again. But I needed to get them away from this smell—to fresh air. I had to get them out of this foul sickness, and I was determined to make it harder for them to resist me than it was for them to come with me.
*
It took a lot more talking, but Thea pushed too and we got the commander, Reynalt and Ryan to come with us to a small camp near Kalax. I didn’t want to burn any wood—I had a feeling it was the fumes from the fires that were making everyone tired.
Thea and I took turns telling what had happened since the squadrons had left, and talking about the battle. We left out the part about meeting with Commander Hegarty’s brother Jodreth—and the Armor Stone. As we talked, Commander Hegarty’s stare sharpened, Ryan’s eyes seemed to brighten and Reynalt stopped looking as hunched over as an old man. I could hear the rattle and snores of riders and dragons outside our small circle and I wondered if we’d be able to get everyone away from this spot.
“So all our people are hiding in the countryside?” Hegarty scratched his chin. “Terrible business this, terrible!” Hegarty still looked depressed and defeated.
I glanced at Thea, then asked, “Commander, what’s happened here? Tell us about the illness?”
Hegarty glanced at me, his eyes sharpening slightly. I gave him a small nod, and wondered if he understood that I was trying to tell him we’d done as he’d asked and had met his brother. He straightened where he sat on the sandy ground. “Yes, well, we got reports, didn’t we, Captain?” He glanced at Ryan.
Ryan nodded. “Villages disappearing.”
The commander let out a breath. “The prince ordered a prompt investigation. It…I remember asking the…well, the king now, if he thought this wise to take all the squadrons. Why not just a few. But he was adamant.” He shook his head. “It is hard to find evidence of something that should be there but isn’t.”
“And the sickness?” Thea asked. She leaned forward, bracing her elbows on her knees. “What happened to the dragons? Why aren’t they flying?”
Reynalt shifted and answered her. “That happened soon after we arrived. It’s this place. We had to camp, and a night’s rest made it worse rather than better. We couldn’t rouse them. We’ve tried feeding them, but they’re not interested, not even in fish. Perhaps one more night…We’ll see how they are in the morning.”
A chill spread over my skin. How long had he been saying this very same thing, over and over again. “How long do you think you’ve been here?” I glanced up at the dark cliffs and hills around us and asked the dragons the same question. I got back a confused blur of time from them that left my head spinning.
Reynalt shook his head and glanced at his brother. Ryan yawned. “Not long.”
“Caught here while Torvald burned.” I said the words louder than I’d intended. Anger burned hot inside me and pushed the words out with a sharp bite.
Commander Hegarty stood. “We should get back. We’ll rally the riders in the morning at first light.” Ryan and Reynalt stood, too. All of them looked better, but I wasn’t sure if it was because they had been away from the fires, or something else that might be helping them.
I glanced at Thea and slowly climbed to my feet as she did the same.
Ryan asked her, “There’s an extra cot in the command tent if you wish it.”
She glanced at me and shook her head. “My place is with my navigator and my dragon.”
He shrugged, and the three men headed back to the camp.
I turned to Thea. “We can’t stay here. Whatever’s making them sick, I felt it earlier, too. But now I don’t feel so bad.”
Thea nodded. “I think…well, I think the Armor Stone’s helping to protect us. That’s why they got better, here, too—the stone is still in Kalax’s saddle-bag. I sent a thought to Kalax and found she was only lightly resting—she didn’t like the feeling here, either.
I put a hand on her side. “The Armor Stone won’t protect everyone. If we can’t rouse the riders and dragons, we’re going to have to find some other way to stop the Darkening.”
Thea shivered, and I remembered we were talking about leaving her brothers here with that sickness. “We have to rouse them somehow!”
A sudden idea struck me. “Tomorrow,” I promised her. “Commander Hegarty should have the Healing Stone—maybe that can help everyone. And if not…well, maybe we can find Jodreth and he can help us.” I knew I sounded a lot braver than I felt.
I was starting to feel that we were as good as dead already.
*
&nb
sp; Chapter 18:
Long Live the King
I was tumbling down into the dark—I was going to die again.
Air rushed past me. Warmth and light vanished.
It was just like that time in the cave.
Panic swept through me, a cold anxiety spreading through my veins. I couldn’t breathe, couldn’t move.
Give up…let go
A sudden memory of Seb stirred…Seb staring at me, brown eyes wide. A slow smile curing his wide mouth. Kalax, with her rattle-purr…How could I leave them?
They need me.
I sat up with a gasp.
Like a flood, visions and memories swamped me.
Mother, looking scared but resolute, as she left to help others flee Torvald. She was brave and she’d sought to do the right thing, even if she didn’t particularly want to. I saw my brothers, Ryan and Reynalt, both looking older and their shoulders sagging. What would life be like for them if I just gave up? Merik, Varla, all of my friends at the academy—even Justin. He was a king now and had need of friends around him.
Oddly, I couldn’t bring to mind my father’s face.
I pushed that idea out of my head.
I won’t fall. I won’t die.
Getting up, I stared at the dawn. I wasn’t falling anymore. No, I would make my stand on solid ground, ready for anything.
Something in me had changed.
“Thea?” Seb’s worried voice pulled me from staring at the first rays of dawn.
I turned and saw his face was looking pinched. Behind him, Kalax was raising her great, crimson head to snuff the air. The air seemed light and dusty. I could hear the sounds of snoring and groaning from both dragons and riders in the camp. The air smelled faintly of smoke, with a hint of spices.
Getting up, Seb came over to me. “You okay?”
“Yes, I think I am.” I stretched and rubbed my eyes. Was this the Armor Stone making me feel better? Was it protecting me from what Lord Vincent hand done to me—or even from the after-effects of the Healing Stone? Whatever it was, I liked it.
“Well, okay, good.” Seb nodded and flashed a tight smile. “I thought I heard you saying ‘no’ over and over in your sleep.”
Dragon Legends (Return of the Darkening Book 2) Page 19