by Hooke, Isaac
“I told you, Abigail is going to take care of it,” he reassured her. But he wasn’t entirely sure of that himself. Like Gwen, he’d thought he knew her, but she had pulled the wool over his eyes all this time. And two deceits, at that: she was not just a dragon, but the daughter of a dragon king.
And he’d slept with her, plus broken her.
If he had known she was the king’s daughter, he would have thought twice about Breaking her.
Then again, who was he kidding? He would have gone through with it anyway.
Still, if Agantas found out, the king was going to be pissed. Getting kicked out of an inn for sleeping with the innkeeper’s daughter was one thing, but the punishment for committing such an act with a king’s daughter—a dragon king’s daughter at that—would be a whole lot worse. And if the king knew that Malem had broken her to boot, Agantas might very well slay Malem, if only to sever the link.
Malem closed his eyes, and despite his worries, sleep came quickly.
He dreamed of having sex with some random blond women. They all looked the same after a while. Still, she had such long, golden hair, and such beautiful, flawlessly creamy skin, he could have sworn he knew her from somewhere. There was something urgently important about her, but he couldn’t quite remember what it was. Oh well, it probably wasn’t that important after all. He immersed himself in the pleasures of the moment.
Everything was going well, until the girl transformed into a dragon shortly before he peaked and clawed out his heart.
33
Malem awoke to quiet conversation.
At the foot of the bed, Abigail sat on the floor next to Gwen, to whom she spoke in hushed tones. Gwen had removed her robe like him so that her green shoulders were bared enticingly. His eyes traced her naked skin down to her bosom, where the thin band of leather only partially covered her breasts from this angle. The bands thinned along the flanks, giving him a good view of the skin underneath, and he even saw a little bit of—
“He’s awake,” Abigail said, startling him.
He averted his gaze and sat up, swinging his legs around to the edge of the bed. He made a show of rubbing his eyes, as if to imply sleepiness had made his vision too blurry to actually see anything.
He checked his connections to all the animals. All intact and stronger than ever, including the link with Hastor. The black dragon was sleeping now, judging from the lack of emotional activity emanating from its energy bundle. He sent a reassuring vibe down to Bounder and Felipe.
He turned toward the women. “So did you succeed?” he asked Abigail. “Will the Metal Dragons join the war?”
“The council deliberates,” Abigail said. “I can only hope my arguments swayed them.”
He nodded. He stared at her for a moment, and then said: “Is there anything else we should know about you? You’re not really a fire mage, but a dragon. And you’re not really an adviser, but the dragon king’s daughter.”
“Why, exactly, can’t I be both?” Abigail said. “Is there a law stating that a king’s daughter can’t be the adviser to another king? I think not. And I am a fire mage. Like humans, some Metals have an innate inclination toward magic. Silvers like myself have a predisposition to fire magic, for example, while platinums tend toward ice. We produce our strongest magic in dragon form.”
“So you breathe fire...” Gwen said. “Does that mean the platinums breathe ice?”
“No, all Metal Dragons are fire breathers,” Abigail said. “We just have different innate magic. And some of us don’t have any magic at all.”
“Different?” Gwen said. “But your brother created a fire trap on our door before he left.”
“Yes, fire runs strong in my family,” she replied.
Malem spoke again before Gwen could interject something else. “The point to my earlier comment is: you only told us half the truth, which is equivalent to a lie. How do we know we can trust you going forward? How do we know you aren’t hiding anything else?”
Abigail paused to consider. She glanced at the closed door and lowered her voice. “You’re linked to me. You can tell when I’m telling the truth about things now, can’t you?”
“I can,” he admitted.
“There you go,” she said. “I’ll never be able to lie to you again. That’s my punishment.”
“But you’ll still be able to omit certain facts,” he said.
She seemed surprised. “You won’t notice if I do?”
“I might sense a certain shiftiness on your part, but that’s about it,” he said.
She tapped her lower lip. “Interesting. Anyway, ordinarily we’d be parting ways at this point, so you wouldn’t have to worry about any lies or omissions on my end, but we can never really be apart now, can we?”
“Actually, we can,” he said.
She looked between Gwen and him. “How far apart can the three of us separate from one another? If I went to the front lines, for example, would you still sense me?”
He nodded. “I could sense you from across the continent. But I’d lose the benefits of our connection at some point, I think... the strength and vitality you give me, the added mental slots. Whenever I get too far from Felipe and Bounder, I lose control of them for example, even though we remain linked. I also can’t grant them endurance.”
Abigail nodded, and lowered her voice. “Just so you know, I didn’t tell Father that you broke me. Nor that we slept together. Instead, I said your strength didn’t stop growing after you broke Gwen, and that with every passing day, you became stronger.”
“I was wondering what you’d say about that.” He shifted uneasily. “But there’s something else I want to know: did you tell him where I got my powers?”
She shook her head. “I kept that little speech of yours about the Balor to myself.”
He slumped in relief. “Good. I have a feeling he’d have me executed if he knew.”
“Probably,” she agreed.
“So what’s with this strange treaty you signed with King Goldenthall?” he asked. “A pact that requires collars to prevent you from transforming outside of dragon territory?”
“We didn’t sign it with King Goldenthall, but his forebearers,” Abigail replied. “Two hundred years ago, the Metals warred against humanity. The humans were our biggest threat back then. There was a regent who lived in a nearby kingdom, known as The Elk King because of the antlers he had surgically implanted in his back. This man swore to slay all dragons when a bronze killed his queen. Even though the bronze had acted alone, The Elk King blamed all Metals, and wanted vengeance. He was our equivalent of Vorgon.
“The Metals were scattered in isolated dens throughout the mountain range back then, making it relatively easy for The Elk King to pick us off individually or in small groups. He funded his army with the treasures gleaned from the dens of slain dragons, attracting soldiers of fortune from across the realm.
“As he became richer and more successful, The Elk King rallied other kingdoms to his cause, promising vast treasures to those who would help him wipe the evil Metals from the world. Once the Metals were gone, he planned to move on to the other breeds.
“In those dark times, many of us fled these lands entirely, traveling far away to the north. But most Metals refused to be chased from their homeland. Nor did they wish to abandon their cherished treasure reserves, knowing if they did so, they would return to find that treasure looted, no matter how many traps they might have set. Those that stayed decided not to stand idle while this massive army marched against us. So we did what any sensible species would do, and united against this common threat.
“We gathered the different Metal tribes that had stayed behind, along with the loners, and pooled our resources. We melted down much of our hoarded treasures, and with the resultant raw materials we built a vast fortification high atop Mount Ademan. We finished with only a few days to spare before the united armies of humanity came against us. Unfortunately, we didn’t count on how many humans would be drawn to the siren
call of dragon treasure. The Elk King managed to field an army of over a hundred thousand, you see. What the humans lacked in might, and magic, they made up for in sheer quantity.
“The siege was short. The Elk King employed earth mages to form temporary structures that allowed his army to scale the sheer cliffs of Mount Ademan with relative ease. Battle mages broke down our walls, and the vast host streamed inside. We eventually lost, and were forced to retreat deeper into the mountains.
“But The Elk King also fell in that battle, and the humans suffered great losses as well. We rallied, and when the invaders who were stripping our mountain fortification of all its valuables saw our numbers blotting out the sky, one of their kings issued an urgent message, delivered by a lone ice mage who met us outside the walls. It was then that the treaty was proposed. Their mages would create a collar that would restrict our dragon forms to the immediate vicinity of these mountains, ensuring the “evil” Metals no longer posed a threat to the nearby kingdoms and farms. If we accepted these terms, the armies of the signatory realms would leave the fortification immediately, abandoning the stores of gold and other jewels they hadn’t yet looted or stripped from the walls, and agree never to set foot in Metal territory ever again.
“We accepted of course, since our losses were deep. The human armies left, and we returned to the remains of our fortification, which eventually became the keep you see before you. The city sprung up around it. We captured the first generation of soldiers who had been too slow to leave, men who remained behind with their families to loot the fortification, and their descendants became our faithful servants. More thieves were captured over the years, adding to the servant ranks. And there you have your quick primer on Metal Dragon history.”
Malem stared at her for several moments after she finished speaking. Then: “That was a longer answer than I was expecting, but definitely welcome.”
Gwen nodded slowly. “It was, but you know, all I can think after hearing that story is, the Metal Dragons aren’t really that powerful. An army of humans was able to defeat them, after all. A huge army, I admit, but it’s probably comparable to the vast host Vorgon has at his command. Makes me wonder why the Balor is so afraid of having the Metals join the war. He had his Black Sword expend all that energy to try to stop us from reaching this place, after all. But in the end the Metals are still mortal. They can fall.”
“They can,” Abigail agreed. “But here’s why Vorgon wants to stop us: when we band together with humans, we will make a formidable foe. They offset our weaknesses, and we theirs. They are masters of land warfare, whereas we dominate from the skies. As of right now, Vorgon has air superiority—all the Night Dragons fight for him. But once we join, the Balor will lose that advantage. We will give the humans the air support they so badly need. King Goldenthall and his generals have already laid out detailed strategies and battle plans for taking key enemy positions, all of which require our air support.”
“I do have a question,” Gwen said. “You told the tale of that treaty as if you had lived it. But if it happened two hundred years ago, then just how old are you?”
“I didn’t live it,” Abigail admitted. “I’m only forty.”
Gwen sat back on her haunches. “Oh, well, that’s not too bad.”
“Maybe, but you do know we Metals keep a different calendar than humans, right?” Abigail said. “Forty in dragon years translates to one hundred and twenty in human years.”
Gwen whistled softly. “Yup. Definitely old. It’s creepy as hell that you look no more than twenty-five.”
Abigail smiled.
“So I still don’t know what to call you,” Malem said. “Dragon princess. Fire mage. Metal.”
“How about Abigail?” she replied. “Here.” She reached into a sack that was lying on the floor beside her. She must have brought it with her. “I have your pay.” She retrieved a pouch and tossed it to him. It landed heavily in his hands. “I think you’ll find a little bit more than what was agreed upon.”
Malem checked the contents of the pouch. “It’s too much.”
“A thank you from the king for delivering me in one piece,” Abigail said. She handed another pouch, which clinked loudly, to the half gobling.
Gwen looked inside and whistled. “Oh, no, I can’t take this.” She offered it back to Abigail.
The princess shoved it back to her. “Please, I insist. I have no other way to repay you for everything you’ve done. You deserve so much more than this. Consider it a down payment against everything I owe you.”
“Well, if you had any magic weapons, I wouldn’t say no…” Gwen told her.
Abigail smiled mischievously. “Perhaps I can dig up some from the royal treasury later. But this will have to suffice for now.”
Gwen reluctantly secured the pouch to her belt. “Someone’s going to rob me. I’m in a city of dragons after all, surrounded by beasts who hoard treasure for a living.”
“I think you’ll find that a few simple coins are little enticement to a dragon,” Abigail said. She glanced at the sword belted to Malem’s hip. “Though I’m a little surprised no one has tried to take Biter from you.”
“Xaxia would have my head if I lost it,” he said.
“Speaking of which, this is Xaxia’s.” Abigail tossed him a final pouch. “See that she gets it, would you? The king has also granted her a steed from the royal stables: her pick, to replace the horse she lost.”
Out of curiosity, he peeked inside the pouch. He pursed his lips. It was only a little less than what he had gotten. Though with her pick of horse from the stables, Xaxia’s would end up well ahead of him, asset-wise. Not that it mattered. She had lost something that no money could ever buy back.
“So what’s next?” Abigail said. “You mentioned we could go our separate ways, but that’s not something you really want, is it?”
He smiled sadly. She wasn’t going to like what he was about to say.
34
“You know I can’t stay…” Malem finally told her.
Abigail blinked several times. Then: “Even if leaving means losing the power my Breaking grants you?”
He gave her a sympathetic look. “The Darkness hunts me, Abigail. If I stay here, your dragon kin will die.”
“Then go away for a while, and come back.”
“I’ll go away,” he agreed. “But I can’t guarantee I’ll come back. I did what I said I would do. I brought you here, and now it’s time for me to leave. We all knew this journey would come to an end, as all journeys do. We all knew we’d be parting ways.”
Abigail blinked rapidly, as if fighting back tears. “You once said you’d sacrifice yourself for me, if the Darkness came. Is that still true?”
“It is, for both of you,” he replied, his gaze running between both women. “Which is exactly why I have to leave, or I’ll die. You, Gwen and Xaxia mean too much to me now. We bonded on the road, in more ways than one. I won’t risk your lives by staying in your company. I’ve lost people close to me in the past, good people. I’ve revealed the story of my uncle to you, but there were others. I won’t let the Darkness feed upon those I love anymore. That’s why I have to go. Even if it means losing the power you two grant me. I want it, badly, but it’s not worth losing your lives.”
“When you go away to meet your Darkness, I’m coming,” Gwen said quietly.
“Gwen—”
“I’m serious,” she interrupted. “Wherever you go, I go. I’m not leaving. Abandon these dragons, fine. Abandon Abigail, even. But I’m coming with you.”
“I can’t let you.”
She closed her eyes a moment. When she looked at him again, the desperation on her face was heartbreaking.
“You can sense when the Darkness will come, can’t you?” she said. “So while we journey, whenever you feel it coming, I’ll leave you somewhere for an hour. In a cave, or a forest clearing. Whatever you want. And then I’ll come back when it’s gone, and we’ll continue on our way.”
“Th
at’s the thing, I can’t always sense it. The only way for you to truly be safe is to let me go.”
Gwen stared at him. “I thought you said you could sense it with absolute certainty.”
“Did I? Then I misspoke.”
“Not that it matters,” she said. “Listen. Are you going to run away for your entire life? Now’s your chance to stand up and fight this Darkness. With me at your side, you can prevail! We can.”
“You don’t understand,” he told her. “This Darkness, it can never be conquered. Banvil will take me one day, I know this. And I won’t drag you down with me.”
Gwen folded her arms, hugging herself tight. “You’re a bastard. A true bastard. After everything I’ve given up to join you. Everything I’ve lost. You’re going to leave me all alone in the world. I have no one now. I’ve lost everything.”
She closed her eyes, seeming about ready to tear up, but her face brightened and she opened them again. She glanced at Abigail excitedly. “He can’t run away so easily from us!” She turned her gaze back on him. “This thread of yours that joins us... it works both ways. I can sense you, too! Though I can’t detect actual directions, my sense of you grows stronger the closer I am, and that can be my guidepost. So you see, even if you run, I can track you down. And I will.”
He sighed. “So I have to run from you now as well as the Darkness?”
Gwen smiled proudly. “Damn straight!”
“Gwen, don’t chase me,” he said. “I’ll fight you...” But that was a lie and he knew it.
She called his bluff and crossed her arms in defiance. “You can’t stop me.”
“It’s for your own good...”
But she merely continued staring him down, smiling victoriously.
At last he laughed gently in defeat, and shook his head. He glanced at Abigail. “What about you? Will you chase me, too?”
The dragon princess gently shook her head. When he noticed her wan expression, his smile faded.
“Mine is a different path,” Abigail said. “I have to stay here, now. Fallow Gate needs our help. And after the Metal army has lent a hand, I’ll probably head to the front lines of the war to the west. Assuming my father actually agrees to join the Alliance.”