by Ben Wolf
Magnus rose to his full height and surveyed his people and his friends, victorious. The Saurians stared at him with awe in their golden eyes, and his friends wore a mixture of shocked expressions and knowing smiles.
He reached down and picked up Kahn’s body by the scruff of its neck, then he hurled it over the Crimson Keep’s walls. It tumbled into the valley and landed in a deep gorge far below. The buzzards and scavengers would feast on it that night, and Kahn’s bones would forever remain there as a reminder of his treachery.
With that, Magnus faced his people once again. Pride swelled in his chest. He’d done it. He’d avenged his father and taken back the throne to Reptilius once and for all.
He spread his wings wide, so much so that he blotted out the sun shining on the faces of his people.
“Saurians, I am Magnus, the last surviving heir to the great Dragon Praetorius,” he began. “This day marks a new beginning for our people. It has seen the end of the traitor Kahn’s reign, the death of the traitor Vandorian, and it serves as the genesis for the renewal of our strength, wealth, and power. From this day forward, our people will no longer live in squalor or poverty.
“But before we may claim our prosperous future, a singular task stands before us. The General of Light, the ancient warrior Lumen, has been released. He means to forever liberate all of Kanarah from the oppression of the King, including Reptilius. Our nation will help him achieve this worthy goal.
“We will journey through the darkness by following his light, and we will join him in battle against the King’s forces. I will personally lead our mighty army on the field of battle to destroy the King and his stranglehold over Kanarah forever. Once that campaign draws to a close, I will return to reign here in Reptilius as your new Dragon King.
“Effective immediately, I am appointing General Hanza as the head of the Council of Sobek Lords. He will oversee the reconstruction of the Communal Hall and then the rest of Reptilius, and he will steward the city in my absence,” Magnus concluded. “Until my return, be diligent, and rebuild our city to its former glory. Your Dragon King is with you once again.”
At first, the crowd gave little reaction to Magnus’s words, but applause gradually filtered through the throngs of Saurians gathered in the Crimson Keep. Then the applause broke out in full, accompanied by cheers and roars of approval.
Magnus couldn’t help but smile. He had vanquished all of his enemies, and his people had a true king once again. The burning in his chest had returned full force, and he craned his head upward, opened his mouth, and loosed an explosion of emerald dragonfire into the afternoon sky.
That night, rather than feasting and celebrating the new leadership of Reptilius, Calum was helping the Saurians clear away rubble from damaged and dilapidated buildings around the city. He found it ironic that he’d come all this way, traveled miles across Kanarah to a different land, only to do exactly what he’d been doing when he first met Magnus at the quarry.
Only everything else was totally different now. They’d set Lumen free, Magnus had become the Dragon King of Reptilius, and Calum had raised an army—with considerable help from his friends—to overthrow the King of Kanarah.
Halfway through the next swing of his pickax, Calum stopped. Magnus was heading toward him from the far end of the wide central street that divided Reptilius’s east side from its west.
The moonlight and scattered torches burning throughout the city somehow made Magnus look even bigger than ever—which he was—but the interplay between the light and dark, the muted sheen on his scales, and his colossal wings folded behind his back added to the effect.
Magnus motioned him over, and Calum set his pickax down and met him in the street. Rather than forcing Calum to look up at him, Magnus lowered to all fours to look Calum in his eyes. He was, if Calum had to guess, about three quarters of the size of the Jyrak that had attacked them in the Central Lake.
“Everything’s progressing well here,” Calum said. “Between you taking the throne and whatever General Hanza has been telling people, they’ve really gotten to work. I think they really wanted a change like this.”
“I am also pleased to see the tremendous progress we have made in only a few hours’ time,” Magnus began, “but as I told them, we are not staying. Tomorrow, we will head back across Trader’s Pass, and we will join with Lumen to finish the good work he has begun with our world.”
Calum grinned at the eagerness rising in his chest. “It’s really happening, isn’t it?”
“It is.” Magnus’s own grin faded. “But if you are to survive the coming battles, there is one final gift I must give you.”
Calum was about to protest, but when Magnus produced the Dragon’s Breath sword from beneath the folds of his wings and held it out, Calum went silent. It looked like a large green toothpick between Magnus’s huge fingers, but to Calum it was a full-sized sword, one far more dangerous than the one he’d received from the armorist back at the Sky Fortress.
A gift, indeed. Calum met Magnus’s golden eyes again. “Are you sure about this? I mean, I know you don’t need it anymore, but what about Axel? Or Condor? Or even General Tolomus? Any of them would be more worthy of a treasure like this than me.”
“No.” Magnus slowly shook his massive head. “Aside from Lilly, who already possesses the Calios, you are the only person in Kanarah to whom I would entrust this sword. Axel has my Blood Ore sword, Condor is… Condor, and General Tolomus is a stranger. But regardless of whatever happens next, you and I will always be friends.”
Calum understood his logic. “Thank you.”
“You will steward it well,” Magnus said. “And now you will face foes with the power of dragonfire, just like me.”
Calum chortled. “Well, not just like you. You have a distinct size advantage.”
“Come.” Magnus grinned. “We must rest before our journey. I will show you how to wield that weapon tomorrow.”
As Magnus turned away, Calum stared at the sword in his hands, its green-tinted blade gleaming under the moonlight. How far he’d come, indeed.
Axel had never felt more powerful or important in his life.
In the weeks it took their combined army of thousands of Saurians, Wolves, and Windgales—all of them now Wisps—to reach Trader’s Pass, they didn’t encounter so much as even a single threat or obstacle—not even Dactyls. Even if they had, the huge force would’ve rolled over any opposition like an avalanche.
They couldn’t possibly fail to overcome the King’s forces now. With an army of that size, made up of all the peoples of Western Kanarah, the war was practically over already. And that was without whatever manpower Lumen had managed to raise while they’d been gone—and it didn’t include Lumen himself, either.
They couldn’t lose. There was no way it was even possible.
At least, that’s what Axel thought until about halfway along Trader’s Pass.
As it turned out, the surviving Windgales didn’t get along very well with the Saurians. That made sense, given that Kahn and Vandorian’s army had tried to raze the entire city of Aeropolis.
The Saurians didn’t much care for the Windgales, either. Though they’d initiated the attack, the Saurians had still lost soldiers as a result of the battle, and naturally, they held the Windgales responsible.
They’d almost come to blows several times, but thanks to Lilly’s bold leadership and Magnus’s fearsome new form and a lot of loud roaring, the opportunity for conflict had mostly subsided.
Someone had suggested the Wolves travel in between the two armies just to add further separation between them. Everyone loved the idea… at least until the Wolves started doing what Wolves tended to do when they got restless: they robbed and stole from both the Saurians and the Windgales indiscriminately. And they often got away with it, too.
Riley did his best to keep them in line, but even he had to admit that Wolves were Wolves, and a certain amount of misbehavior came with the territory. Axel thought that was a copout, but whe
n he spoke up about it, Riley and the other ranking Wolves just laughed at him.
Naturally, he challenged each of them to a fight to the death, but Calum, as usual playing his role as the wet-blanket leader of the whole group, didn’t let it happen.
The balance they’d struck between the three armies wobbled like a three-legged table, and Lilly, Magnus, and Riley spent most of their time mediating disagreements and conflicts along the way. It meant Axel hardly got to see Lilly—at least in a conversational sense. That grated on him, because it also meant she was spending more and more time with Condor.
Axel had resolved to put it out of his mind for the time being. With so many troubles—including managing rations and supplies efficiently enough to get them across Trader’s Pass—it’s not like Lilly would’ve had the time or energy to talk to him about anything meaningful anyway.
Ultimately, Axel chose to put it out of his mind. He couldn’t control it, so it made no sense to worry about it.
At least, he couldn’t control it yet. When they presented the army to Lumen, he expected Lumen to make good on his promise to transform them into his generals—his Imperators. Then Axel would have true power, and he could remake the world around him as he saw fit.
He grinned, even as he continued to slog across Trader’s Pass along with everyone else. When he was finally strong enough, he could just take what he wanted, and no one would stop him.
Weeks later, the army approached the western gate of Kanarah City with Calum, Lilly, Condor, Magnus, and Axel in the lead. Riley had stayed back with his Wolves, and Generals Balena and Tolomus remained with the Windgales.
Their advance halted at the sight of an army, clad in silver armor, barring them from reaching the end of Trader’s Pass. The King’s soldiers, probably a contingent based in Kanarah City.
Axel scoffed at them. It wasn’t because they were lacking for numbers—the force was a good size, albeit not as large as the one at Axel’s back. No, he scoffed at them because of their sheer audacity.
Who were they to stand against the combined might of three nations, including a Dragon King, a Shadow Wolf, a Windgale Premieress, and their respective armies?
From what Axel could tell, the army had no one in its ranks who wielded any power greater than what human strength and stamina would afford them. Rather than an Imperator leading them, as Matthios had against Lumen, a man on a white stallion rode to meet them in the center of the pass, accompanied by a trio of other soldiers.
As the lead soldier approached, Axel squinted at him. He wore a silver helmet that shielded his face from the sun and matched the armor on the rest of his body. His horse, likewise, also wore silver armor on its head and across its front. He carried a silver lance that gleamed orange in the afternoon sunlight.
The approaching soldiers slowed to a halt before them, and Axel recognized the man in the lead as Beynard Anigo, the commander who’d doggedly pursued them after they’d raided the Rock Outpost. Axel scoffed again, and his lips curled up in a smirk.
He elbowed Calum in his ribs, and his elbow clanked against Calum’s armor. Not quite the same effect as usual, but it got Calum’s attention all the same. “Look who we’ve got here. Commander Anigo’s come back around for another thrashing.”
“Maybe,” Calum replied.
“I beat him before. Won’t be a problem to do it again.”
“I’d rather we didn’t have to fight them at all,” Calum said. “We need to get back to Lumen as fast as possible, so if we can avoid an unnecessary confrontation, so much the better. Plus, when Lumen finally overthrows the King, all these soldiers will be our countrymen again.”
Axel’s brow furrowed. He hadn’t thought of it that way.
“What? You didn’t think we were just gonna execute everyone who sided with the King, did you?” Calum teased.
“Of course not.”
Axel actually had expected something along those lines, but he hadn’t considered how many people might favor the King’s rule. It couldn’t be that many, given how cruel he was and how oppressive his soldiers were, and it’s not like Axel would’ve gone along with the execution of women and children who happened to side with the King, either.
Still, he couldn’t see how showing men like Commander Anigo mercy would help anything. Forgiving the bad guys seemed like a quick way to catch a knife in the back later on.
Commander Anigo didn’t dismount as he looked them over, and his eyes lingered on Magnus the longest. But despite Magnus’s Dragon form, the man didn’t show even a hint of fear on his face or in his posture.
“I told you what would happen if you ever tried to return to Eastern Kanarah,” he said.
Axel rolled his eyes. Straight to the point, as usual.
“It’s good to see you, Commander,” Calum greeted him with genuine goodwill, just like Axel had expected he would.
“It’s Captain, now,” Anigo corrected. “In the aftermath and ensuing confusion following our confrontation in the tunnels, I was promoted to oversee the entirety of the King’s forces in Kanarah City.”
“You mean after I killed that pervert, Captain Fulton,” Lilly countered, her eyes set with anger.
“That played a role in my promotion, yes,” Captain Anigo replied, all business. “In any case, it falls to me, now more than ever, to remind you of the agreement we made near this very spot. I cannot allow you to reenter Eastern Kanarah.”
“Circumstances have changed,” Calum said. “Lumen has been released, and we’re joining up with him to overthrow your King.”
“I have heard the reports,” Captain Anigo replied. “But regardless of whether or not they’re true, my position remains unchanged. I still serve the King, and I will uphold his commands until my dying breath.”
“We’re happy to accelerate that timeline for you.” Axel drew his weapon—Magnus’s old Blood Ore sword—and stepped forward, but Calum caught him by his shoulder and held him back.
“Lumen will overthrow the King,” Calum insisted. “Just as his return was prophesied by the King himself, Lumen has raised an army, and he will use his power to set Kanarah free. I know you’re just doing your job, Captain, and I know you’re a man of duty and honor, but surely you realize you’re on the wrong side.”
“I have no doubts as to the nature of my allegiance or of the greatness of the King. This rebellion will fail, just as the first one did a thousand years ago.”
Calum shook his head and held up his left hand. He winced noticeably as Lumen’s light began to glow from within his palm, and Axel wondered about that, but only briefly.
“No, Captain.” Calum’s hand glowed so brightly that it even competed with the afternoon sun for brightness. “You’re wrong. But even if I can’t convince you to join us, you at least have to let us pass. This isn’t a fight you can win.”
Captain Anigo studied the glow in Calum’s hand, squinting against its brightness. “I was ordered to keep you out of Eastern Kanarah, and that is what I intend to do.”
“Are you stupid?” Axel could barely keep from laughing at him. “We have a Dragon, and you think a few hundred men are gonna keep us out?”
“Axel,” Calum warned.
“If you have a death wish, there are better ways to go than getting burned alive by dragonfire.” Axel’s voice hardened. “Come a little closer, and I’ll drive my sword into the back of your neck and put you out of your misery.”
“Axel.” Calum’s hand rested on Axel’s shoulder, but Axel shrugged it off and stepped forward again.
“You bested me in combat once,” Captain Anigo admitted, “but it will not happen again.”
“Then let’s go,” Axel held out his arms, still holding his sword. “You and me. One on one, right now. I win, and we pass. You win, and we’ll go back where we came from.”
Now a chorus of voices called Axel’s name, and instead of Calum pulling him back, it was Condor. Axel protested, but Condor didn’t relent.
“That’s quite enough out of you, Fa
rm Boy,” Condor said. “Best to keep your mouth shut and let the adults handle things from here.”
It took every ounce of willpower Axel could muster to keep from cutting Condor’s head off then and there.
While he’d gotten used to that annoying nickname, Axel would never get used to Condor’s constant condescension and patronizing tone, nor his perpetual proximity to Lilly.
One well-timed stroke from Magnus’s old Blood Ore sword would put all of that to an end. It would solve multiple problems all at once.
But he didn’t do it. He clenched his teeth and his fists tighter, gripping his sword as if he were squeezing Condor’s throat.
“Captain Anigo,” Calum said, his voice stern, “we aren’t turning back. We’ve come too far. We have a mission, and we have a purpose. We’re going to meet up with Lumen whether you try to stop us or not. So either move aside and we’ll spare your lives, or prepare to fight.”
“I have said what I needed to say,” Captain Anigo replied. “If you try to enter Eastern Kanarah, we will stop you.”
“Then you leave us no choice.” The light from Calum’s hand faded away to nothing. “Prepare to attack.”
Without another word, Captain Anigo and the soldiers accompanying him turned and rode back toward their army.
As they did, Axel watched them go. “He’s mine.”
“Now is not the time for vendettas born of wounded pride,” Magnus said.
“You spent the last few years seeking vengeance for your father, and you’re gonna try to tell me about vendettas?” Axel looked up at him.
“That was an entirely different scenario.”
“Whatever, Scales.” Axel shook his head and watched Captain Anigo ride away. Fury burned inside his chest. “I said he’s mine, and he is. Nobody else touch ’im.”
“You have nothing to prove, Axel,” Lilly said.
But she was wrong. Axel had everything to prove.
And he was about to do just that.
As their army approached the King’s soldiers, Axel allowed his rage to take over.