His mother looked into his eyes and sighed. “Yes, you were that child. I intended to give birth and raise you in Kranic’s lab. But something strange happened. Once I felt you growing inside me, I fell in love. There was no way I could allow you to be used as a pawn in his battle with Lord Black. When the right moment came, I destroyed my notes and fled. Eventually I ended up in the valley and met your father. He didn’t care that I was already with child. We married and you know the rest.”
“Dad wasn’t even my real father.”
“He was your father in every way that mattered. Technically, I’m not your real mother, just the human incubator that brought you to life. But Yazguard and I raised you and made you who you are. Now, how about you tell me what’s been happening while I was locked away.”
Yaz took a deep breath and forced his doubts aside. There was still a lot going on out in the world and his personal issues didn’t matter in the grand scheme of things. As was always his way when faced with a difficult situation, he stuffed the problems into a mental closet and locked them away.
When he was ready, Yaz told her about the dragonspires being activated, Ariel, and everything he’d learned from the bards. When he finished, he said, “When we parted company, the riders had decided to protect the new village as best they could. How they’ll do that without dragons I have no idea. Though given that the enemy can control dragons, riding them might not be the best idea.”
Mom shook her head. “I knew Lord Black was obsessed with the Dragon Empire, but to think he might actually succeed in bringing it back… There’s only one way to stop him. We need to go to Kranic’s workshop.”
“Why?” Yaz asked.
“To get the key to your black door. You were born to defeat Lord Black. No one else can do it.”
Chapter 3
The sun finally rose on the day they were supposed to surrender. Moz hadn’t slept more than a few hours the night before and he’d arrived in the war room an hour ago. He brought all his gear from the inn where he’d been staying. Somehow he doubted when everything went to hell he’d have time to retrieve it. Besides, the innkeeper and servants had all left two days ago. He cooked his own supper in their giant kitchen last night.
Callie, the king, and General Rend were already there when he arrived. The king paced around the map table and muttered nonstop. Every once in a while, he glanced out the window at the lightening sky to watch the dragon soar past.
“Surely the beast must be getting tired,” the king muttered as he resumed his aimless march.
Moz kept his peace but doubted a day of gliding in lazy circles would do much to tire something as powerful as a dragon. No one dared break the tension that filled the room like a charge before a lightning storm. It felt like if they did, something horrible would happen.
Two hours after sunrise the king said, “What are they waiting for? We don’t even know how we’re supposed to signal our surrender. Not that I’m planning to change my mind.”
“Perhaps they saw the catapults and took that as a sign that we meant to fight,” General Rend said.
Moz hadn’t considered that possibility, but it made sense. You didn’t generally fortify your walls if you weren’t planning to fight.
Someone rapped on the door and Callie went to answer it. Moz didn’t see who it was, but she closed the door and returned to the group.
“Well?” the king asked.
“I left one of my bards at the traitor’s home just in case another message arrived.” Callie held up a small scroll. “It says we have until noon to lower the flag of Rend and raise a white one in its place. Should we fail to comply, the city will be destroyed.”
“What time is it now?” the king asked.
“Between eight and nine I would think,” Moz said. “Best guess, we have three hours to make any changes to our plan.”
“Our battle plan is set,” General Rend said. “There’s no way we could change it now.”
The king stopped his pacing and stood up straight. “Send messengers to all batteries. As soon as they have a shot, they’re to take it. Damned if I’ll cower here and let them make the first move. Whatever’s going to happen, let it happen now.”
General Rend nodded and strode out of the war room. Moz doubted they’d see the general again until the battle was over, assuming any of them were still alive.
“Where are the queen and your sons, Majesty?” Callie asked.
“Far to the south, at the edge of the great desert. Don’t worry, should I die here, the royal line will continue. Though my eldest is only thirteen, he has been trained to rule since he was old enough to understand what it meant. The kingdom will survive regardless of my fate.”
“Try not to sound so resigned,” Callie said, trying in vain to lighten the mood. “The battle hasn’t even started.”
Moz appreciated the effort and from his weak smile the king did as well. And while he might have appreciated it, Moz doubted positive thoughts would amount to much in the face of dragon fire.
Ten minutes later the distant thunk of a catapult was the only sign that the battle had begun. Everyone ran to the window just in time to see the dragon swoop over the eastern wall and bathe it in fire.
Soldiers leapt, their bodies engulfed in flame. The intense heat made the catapults explode.
One of the catapults from the northern wall bounced a stone twice the size of Moz’s head off the dragon’s side.
The beast didn’t even flinch.
It did bank and give the northern wall a taste of what it gave the east. From their position, Moz couldn’t see the other two walls, but he doubted the battle was going any better in those directions.
Only the sounds of catapults thumping and flames roaring told them the battle, if you wanted to call it that, continued. In ten minutes, the catapults fell silent.
“What—” The king’s question was cut off as the dragon flew by, spewing flame.
Moz grabbed King Rend and Callie before leaping away from the window. A moment later it exploded inward, showering them with glass shards.
“I think it’s time to take our leave.” Moz stood and helped his companions to their feet.
“But the soldiers,” the king said. “I can’t just abandon them.”
“Your uncle will collect any that survived and meet us on the road,” Callie said. “The people need their king, not a martyr.”
King Rend shuddered and nodded once. “Very well. I assume you plan to use the escape tunnel.”
Moz made his way to the door and opened it. The hall beyond was empty save for his satchel which he swung over his shoulder before glancing inside. The little dragon was awake, but wisely stayed out of sight.
The palace shook and dust fell from the ceiling. If they didn’t hurry, the dragon was going to knock the building down around their ears. Moz didn’t fancy being buried alive. He still had work to do.
Callie finally brought the king over and Moz led the way down the hall. The exit was in the basement off a seldom-visited storeroom. The fastest way to get to it was through the kitchen just off the throne room.
He staggered and nearly fell as the floor buckled. A massive crack appeared behind him, separating him from Callie and the king.
It was about four feet across. An easy jump for him, but the king wasn’t in the best shape.
“Jump, Your Majesty.” Moz reached as far across the gap as he could.
To his credit, the king got a running start and leapt. Moz caught his hand and pulled him safely across. Callie joined them a moment later on her own.
Moz glanced back in time to see the war room get torn off the side of the castle. He caught a glimpse of red scales before turning back and leading the way to the nearest set of stairs. Thank all the watching gods they were intact.
The trio ran downstairs as fast as the king could manage. At the bottom Moz hooked a left toward the kitchen. Directly ahead, the ceiling had collapsed, burying the passage in rubble.
“Damn it! Majest
y, is there another access point?”
“Through the dungeons, but that’s on the opposite side of the palace.”
Should they make their way through the collapsing building or take their chances on the street and hope the dragon didn’t notice them?
Another rumbling crash made the decision for him. “We need to get out before the palace falls on our heads.”
“There’s a servants’ entrance behind the throne room,” the king said.
Moz turned and hurried toward the entrance. Hopefully nothing else had collapsed. They didn’t have many options left for escape.
By some miracle, the throne room hadn’t taken any damage. The king went to the back wall and pushed the right-side door open. A short hall led to another door that opened into the rear courtyard.
Smoke filled the air. Moz stepped out and looked quickly for the dragon. The way appeared clear for the moment. He didn’t intend to waste it.
Unfortunately, the only way off the palace grounds was through the main gate. That would be where the dragon was most apt to spot them. They worked their way around the castle with Moz in the lead and Callie bringing up the rear. He doubted they’d find anyone to fight, but they fell into the protection alignment automatically when traveling with the king.
Moz peeked around the end of the castle and winced. The dragon had already destroyed the gate and most of the surrounding wall. They were going to have to climb over the rubble to get out. Not an easy task under the best of circumstances which these certainly weren’t.
He looked back and said, “I’m going to scout us out a path over the debris. Stay here until I signal.”
It was a sign of his desperation that the king didn’t even argue being ordered about by his soldier. Moz might not have had the highest opinion of King Rend, but at least he had sense enough to let those who knew what they were doing take the lead in an emergency.
Moz glanced up again and caught sight of the dragon on the western side of the city breathing fire at something. Let it keep playing over there for five more minutes.
He darted out and raced across the open space over to the fallen wall. The chunks of stone were large and reasonably stable. The situation was about as good as he could have dared hope for. Moz picked out a path that looked promising and waved the others over.
When Callie and the king joined him, Moz began climbing. The going was pretty easy and he kept looking back at the king. He was keeping pace so far. At the top of the heap Moz paused and checked the sky.
The dragon was coming right for them.
When the first catapult stone bounced off the dragon’s scales, Leonidas had been shocked, both at how ineffective it was and that King Rend would dare to strike his dragon before it attacked. They must have had a death wish. Well, if they did, he was the perfect one to grant it.
He glanced down at Ariel who sat rigid in the throne, her face screwed up in intense concentration. He still didn’t fully understand how her power worked and as long as it continued to do so he didn’t especially care. She was a useful little tool, one that would serve him well for many decades.
Polymus and the rest of his cadre had withdrawn to the lower level to rest. Leonidas should have joined them, but he was too excited. Just watching events through the dragon’s eyes was thrilling beyond belief. Watching it smash and burn at his command made him feel like a god. But god or not, exhaustion was creeping up on him. Maybe the early attack was a good thing. He could catch a quick nap before seeing if Carttoom had more sense than Rend.
He grinned to himself. Part of him hoped they didn’t. Watching cities burn was great fun.
Leonidas returned his focus to the viewing window. There was movement near the palace. Some stray soldiers looking to escape perhaps.
“Take a closer look at that group,” he said.
The dragon banked and flew toward them. Soon enough he got a clear view. He instantly recognized the woman as one of the bards that had opposed him in capturing Ariel. The man in dragonscale armor had to be the ranger and between them was King Rend himself.
“Burn them!”
The dragon was already past.
“Circle back and kill them all as soon as you see them!”
The view shifted as the dragon made a wide, lazy turn. When the pile of rubble appeared in view again, the targets were gone.
“Damn it! Find them.”
The image shifted left and right as the dragon searched for the king and his protectors. It hadn’t taken a minute to make the second run. They couldn’t have gotten far.
He pointed at the window. “There!”
Fire gushed out at a nearby building, blasting it to pieces. When the smoke cleared, he saw that he’d ordered the destruction of someone’s scarecrow.
Cursing the universe and everyone in it, Leonidas resumed studying the window. After five minutes it became clear that they had slipped away.
“Destroy the rest of the city and release the dragon. We’ll eat then see if Carttoom is inclined to be more reasonable.”
Ariel couldn’t even smile without the bad man’s permission, but if she could, she would have smiled when Moz and Callie escaped. She knew where they were the whole time; the dragon could smell them and through their link so could Ariel, but that information didn’t appear in the window so he couldn’t order her to shoot fire at their hiding spot. The dragon was pleased that she was happy, but also worried. She wanted to help Ariel escape, but no one could help her as long as she wore the crown.
“Destroy the city and release the dragon,” her master said.
Her entire mind became focused on obeying. More than anything she wanted to stop breaking things, but she could no more ignore his command than she could get up and walk out of the tower.
She sent her thoughts to the dragon. Burn it all down, but try not to hurt anyone hiding or trying to escape.
The dragon acknowledged her command and began swooping around, breathing fire on buildings where she couldn’t smell any people. Ariel had been happy to learn that while she had to obey, unless he gave very specific orders, she was free to give the commands any way she wanted. It was just a little rebellion, but that sliver of freedom gave her hope that maybe she wasn’t doomed to be his slave forever.
When the last building caught, she sent a final command. Good dragon. Sorry I made you burn everything. You can go now.
Ariel broke the mental connection and the window vanished. The bad man stared down at her. She looked back as if eager for his next order. He seemed to like it when she looked at him like that. Knowing that made her not want to do it, but the crown forced her to.
“Let’s go down and eat.” He held out his hand and Ariel took it.
Together, master and slave left the throne room, for a little while anyway. Ariel had no doubt she’d be back soon enough, to burn and kill and destroy. She hated it, but the crown didn’t care and neither did the bad man. Someday, she promised herself, someday she’d escape and never have to hurt anyone again.
Chapter 4
Callie’s legs burned and her lungs ached as she marched beside Moz and the king down the main road away from the capital. Thousands of fleeing refugees had ground the snow down into the dirt making it muddy despite the cold. At least they wouldn’t have any trouble finding everyone. She took no solace in the fact that King Rend appeared to be suffering even more than she was. When did he last have to walk further than from the throne room to his waiting horse? She suspected it had been a while.
She glanced back at the smoke-filled sky. There was no sign of the dragon, so hopefully they were safe, for the moment anyway. Callie turned back and flicked a peek at the king. His head hung low and his once-fine clothes were smeared with soot and mud. Aside from the gold on his fingers and around his neck, he would blend right in with the rest of the refugees. Not that she took any pleasure in his suffering. Better a fat, happy king ruling a peaceful land than this mess.
A few strides ahead, Moz was a dark, silent presence. H
e hadn’t spoken since they left the city. Not that silence was unusual for the ranger.
“What are we going to do?” the king said, almost to himself more than to her.
“We have to take the battle to them,” Moz said.
Callie nearly jumped when he spoke.
“How do you take the fight to dragons?” King Rend snorted and spat to one side. “Our best catapults didn’t even make it flinch.”
“Not to the dragons, to the men controlling them. If we eliminate the Dark Sages, the dragons will be no problem. We know where they live, I can lead you right to their front door.”
“As soon as you get close, they’ll send a dragon to burn the army to ash.”
“You’re right,” Moz said. “That’s why we send a force of bards and rangers, no more than thirty or so. The enemy won’t even see us coming. A small group can evade a dragon’s attacks where an army or fixed weapons can’t. In the meantime, we keep our refugee groups small and separated. We give them nothing that looks worth attacking. If Leonidas Black wants to rule the world, I assume he wants people living in it. As long as it doesn’t look like we’re marching against him, I doubt he’ll order a random slaughter.”
“What do you think, Callie?” the king asked.
“I’m hardly a general, but what Moz suggests makes a lot of sense. A conventional assault would be a total waste of lives. I wager eventually another messenger will show up demanding your surrender. So you’ll need to keep moving. If the enemy can’t find you, they can’t very well give you a message.”
“I’m to run and hide while others do the fighting?”
Callie smiled. “Think of it as checking on your people. Going from town to town to make sure everyone has what they need is a very noble thing to do and will no doubt raise everyone’s morale.”
“You’re coddling me and don’t think I don’t know it.” King Rend blew out a long sigh. “I’m grateful to both of you. Perhaps I don’t show it as often as I should, but I appreciate all you both do to keep the kingdom safe.”
The Dragon Empress: The Dragonspire Chronicles Book 6 Page 3