“Thank you,” Myrthyd said. The guards bowed and ushered them through the long tunnel cut through the stone wall until they came to an iron gate manned by two more guards.
They attempted to intercept them, but with a wave of his hand, the guards instead opened the iron gate, raising it high enough for them to pass.
“May Menos guard your travels,” one of the guards said. Myrthyd acknowledged him with a slight nod and proceeded through the final gate into the plain on the other side. The forest stretched across the horizon.
“In there we will find our slayers, and then we can go home,” he said to his guards. They said nothing, the compulsion spell so ingrained they were incapable of independent thought.
“Come, let’s find our men.” Myrthyd followed the worn path leading across the open expanse toward the forest. The Dragonback Mountains dominated the view beyond, their snowcapped peaks rising high above the green forest. In the distance, Dragonfire Peak was barely visible, though the pink-hued top poked above the rest, piercing the sky.
Excitement grew inside him, the thought of holding the Blood Stone a powerful attraction. He recited the spell repeatedly in his mind, preparing for the moment when he merged the gem with his magic. The amount of dragon blood the gem needed to be created must have been immense. He imagined the slaughter it must have taken to imbue the gem with their power. Soon, he thought. Soon I will possess this power.
They walked for close to an hour. Chilled winds whipped down from the mountains and across the plain, stirring Myrthyd’s robe. He pulled it close around his neck.
“Sir, I think I see them!” one of his guards said. The man pointed into the forest and Myrthyd followed his gaze.
Then he saw them. A small band of slayers and that irksome Magus Driano. Anger ignited inside him. Those fool sell-swords failed. He’d have to dispose of Driano himself.
“Do not let that Magus live,” Myrthyd told his guards. All four of them unsheathed their swords as they crossed the flat plain.
“As you wish,” they said in unison. He had no fear others would hear him out here. The guards were under his complete control.
CHAPTER
Thirty-Seven
Alushia returned to the inn, giving a curt nod to Rufus as she silently retired to her room. She lit a candle and sat on the uncomfortable bed. Brida prowled outside the walls of Woodpine, and Alushia missed her. She could use Brida’s company now. Myrthyd was up to something horrific; she felt it in her bones. The growing sensation of dread made her worry that her father was in trouble.
“Why is this happening? Why? Who am I?” she said to the quiet room. Her world had taken a turn she never expected, and it disgusted her how much it bothered her. “I can run a farm, but I can’t come to grips with this?”
Lying down on the bed, she watched the candle burn. Wax ran down the side, congealing in slowly hardening pools on the metal holder. The flame held her attention and she stared at it, trying to rid herself of all that had happened.
***
Dark gray clouds chased the blue away. They grew darker in the west, a sign of an impending storm. Alushia pulled her cloak tighter around her face as the wind picked up. It carried a chill and she shivered as it pierced her thick clothing. Her leather boots crunched on the snow and she worried how far the nearest shelter might be.
Snow fell from the sky and pelted her face, stinging and forcing her to pull the cloak even tighter around her face. She didn’t recognize the place and wondered where she’d gone to. Suddenly, a loud roar carried across the wind, a sound she recognized immediately.
“Avess,” she hissed.
The large black dragon with tattered wings and smoky eyes raced across the sky, devouring the dark gray clouds and leaving behind black streaks of nothingness. Avess dove to the ground, opening his enormous mouth and scooping up not only snow, but the world itself. Then he shot upwards, circling around, and landed in front of her.
The snow stopped. The wind died down. Mountains rose behind Avess, snowcapped and proud.
“What are you doing here?” Alushia asked. It had been some time since Avess visited her.
The Nightwraith inhaled deep, his smoky eyes growing more intense.
“Evil comes. The end comes. All must be stopped. I fear…I fear for you. I fear for all the halflings. The Drakku are in danger. It cannot happen. It cannot be allowed.”
“What? What cannot be allowed? The gem?”
The Nightwraith roared, his head pointing to the sky.
“The evil one is close. Your father has the gem. They cannot…they must not meet. The gem is not for man. Decreed long ago. Evil the only result.”
Alushia cocked her head. Avess’s words were pointed and stunted.
“What can I do? I’m here in Woodpine. How am I to stop this? Myrthyd is here, ready for my father’s return.”
“I cannot stop what I’m forced to do. You must…you must end this. Don’t let it. Too powerful. Will is held. My will is not my own.”
“Avess, your words are confusing. What can I do? How am I to stop this? I have no power over Myrthyd. My father will complete his task. He’s a man of honor.”
“You. Only you. It is decreed. You…must end this. Destroy the gem. You alone.”
“I don’t understand! How am I to do this?”
Avess whipped his head to the east, his mouth dropping open. “No,” the massive creature whispered. “No.”
He roared and flapped his tattered wings, leaping to the sky and circling above.
“Only you!” he shouted.
“I don’t understand! Tell me why! Tell me what I must do!”
Avess ignored her and flew away, occasionally turning to the east like he was flying away from something. Alushia saw nothing but gray clouds and snow-covered land.
“Come back! I need to know!” she shouted. Avess flew away, taking small bites out of the sky as he left.
***
Alushia woke in a cold sweat. “What…was that?” she said. The candle had gone out long ago and the room was dark. Quiet. Alone.
She wiped her brow and sat on the edge of the bed, the visions and Avess’s strange behavior confusing her. A light knock on her door scared her.
At first, she ignored the sound, thinking maybe she made it up. Who could be here this late? Again, a light knock on her door.
“Alushia?” a man’s voice asked. She didn’t recognize it. “Alushia, are you awake?” The voice was louder and she thought maybe it was—
Alushia grabbed her knife and quietly stepped to the door. The person knocked again. “Alushia? It’s me, Ryn. I come with news.”
Ryn? Why would he be here? She struggled with the idea of letting him in or staying quiet. The man was a mystery to her and she didn’t know a thing about him. For all she knew, he was here to harm her.
“Alushia, your mother Etain sent me. She said to mention Avess.”
Alushia’s heart leapt in her chest. Her mother? Avess? No one knew the Nightwraith’s name, not even her father! What was this madness?
Against her better judgment and because Ryn called out names only she knew, Alushia opened the door. Holding the knife in front of her, she waved him in. “Don’t try anything or I’ll slit your throat.” Ryn nodded and cautiously stepped past her into the dark room. He flicked his fingers and a small ball of flame appeared from nowhere, illuminating the room.
“What are you?”
Ryn grinned at her.
“I’m a friend of your mother’s. One of her servants, to be exact, but we won’t get into details.”
Alushia moved closer, holding the knife pointed at his chest. “How dare you use my mother to gain entrance to my room!”
Ryn held his hands up. The flaming ball flickered and his deep blue eyes glowed. “I use no one. She sent me to find you and your father. A terrible calamity is soon to come if we don’t act fast.”
“Avess. Tell me what that is?” she asked, knowing full well who it was.
�
�A poor soul trapped within a gem. The gem your father currently possesses, and if I’m correct, the gem he intends to deliver to Myrthyd. That must not happen.”
“But how—”
“Like your mother, what you see is not exactly who I am. I mean, it is, but it isn’t. I can’t get into too much now. You have to trust me. We need to stop your father.”
“Why would I trust you? I don’t know you.”
“No one knows who Avess is. At least, none among men. How would I know him?” Ryn crossed his arms over his sculpted chest. His muscular arms strained against his sleeves.
“None of this makes sense. Why is this happening? What’s it mean? What am I?”
“Now that is a different question. I think you might have a clue by now about who you are. I dare not speak it aloud. This land isn’t kind to those like you.”
“Like…me?” she quietly replied, dropping her hand to her side, the knife falling to the floor. “By Menos, what is this?” she asked, taking a seat on the edge of the bed.
“It’s the moment we destroy the most evil, sinister, and powerful item known to the Drakku. The Blood Stone has been hidden for centuries. No man has set foot in that cave since the Reformation, and now that your father has, if we don’t act it could be the end of not only the Drakku, but every last person in Rowyth.”
Alushia turned up to face him. “Everyone? How can that be? It’s only a gem.”
“If Myrthyd gains that gem, he will access a power so terrible that it will make the ground shudder. He will have the ability to capture the souls of living dragons and enslave them to his will, turning them into beings like Avess. Then, under his command, they will devour the dreams of halflings, human and otherwise, turning them into the living undead…a horde to control and overrun every last living creature. It’s a fate we must avoid. Gray-souls are dangerous. It could spell the end of Rowyth.”
Ryn’s voice was gentle and matter of fact, as though the details were rehearsed and recalled by rote.
“I don’t understand. How can all this come from a gem? None of this makes sense.”
Ryn turned from her and wiped his face with his hands. “I’m sorry, Alushia, but the world is not what you thought it was. It’s not always black and white. It’s not mankind versus Drakku. We all live together and flourish together. This path Myrthyd seeks leads to the end. We cannot let that happen.”
“How do you know so much? Why tell me? I’m just the daughter of a slayer and a mother who’s been gone most of my life.”
“It’s precisely because you are their daughter that you must know. Your mother Etain is a powerful dragon trying to unite the Drakku as one and create peace with humans. Opposition exists, but she’s determined to win them over. You are the key.”
Months ago, Alushia would have raged against such accusations, but with what she’d experienced since her father’s departure, she was willing to listen to even the outlandish.
“I’m but a slayer’s daughter. I see no way I should affect things.”
“We don’t have time for it all now. We must go. Your father is closer to Woodpine, and Myrthyd will want to get his hands on the Blood Stone. We must get to your father first and stop this.”
Brida, she thought. “What about Brida? I can’t leave without her.”
“That giant prowling monster outside the city walls? I’m sure she’ll be waiting for us. She’s had most of the guards on edge since you arrived!”
Alushia giggled, the first moment of levity since Ryn entered her room. “Fine. Let’s go save the world, or something like that, right?”
“Exactly!” Ryn replied. They gathered her things and quickly left the inn, the old innkeeper Rufus smiling when Ryn dropped off a couple gold dracs, which was more than enough for the stay.
CHAPTER
Thirty-Eight
Ryn led Alushia through the streets as the sun poked over the horizon, passing many dirty people sleeping on the ground along the way. They headed for the north gate to find Brida.
Brida pounced on Alushia when they had moved away from Woodpine’s walls. The large snowcat wrestled her to the ground.
“Brida! I’ve missed you. I hated to leave you out here, but I had to.” The snowcat purred loudly, rubbing her head forcefully against Alushia’s torso, nearly winding her.
Ryn stood back. “Are you sure she’s safe?” he asked. “I’m usually fine with animals, but she’s…huge!”
Alushia laughed, trying to see over Brida’s head. “Yeah, she’s perfectly fine unless you mean to harm me. Otherwise, she’s just like a housecat, only bigger.” The snowcat dropped to the ground and rolled in the dirt. Her white coat became dingy gray.
Alushia stood and brushed herself off. “Brida, this is Ryn. He claims to want to help us stop Father from giving the gem to Myrthyd. Think we ought to trust him?”
The snowcat rolled to her feet and shook the dust from herself. She peered at Ryn, then to Alushia, and slowly prowled closer to the guard.
“Wait a minute! I’m here to help!” he said, holding up his hands and taking a few steps back. “Call her off! I don’t want to—”
“Brida! He’s with us. Keep an eye on him, but he’s on our side…I think.”
Brida sniffed the air, shook her head, then returned to Alushia, rubbing her legs, and almost knocking her over.
“It’s settled. Don’t harm me, and Brida will leave you alone. Do something to me, and you’ll have to answer to her.”
“Understood. As I’ve told you, I’m here on your mother’s orders. Your life isn’t what you think it is. You are so much more than a slayer’s daughter. Come. We have a long day’s journey ahead.”
Ryn took the lead, Alushia and Brida following. The man was taller than she. His brown hair was cut short and she couldn’t help but take in his muscular frame. He wore a dark green leather vest over a dark green shirt and pants tucked into black leather boots. A sword hung from his waist and when he turned to make sure she was still behind him, she noticed his bright blue eyes every time.
He led them southwest, staying far from the city. The wall around it was barely visible to their left. Brida kept pace, never leaving Alushia’s side, even when tempted by a nearby elk.
Distant roars caught the cat’s attention. She stopped and cocked her head, then looked up to the sky.
“What is it, girl?” Alushia asked. She felt the sensations Brida passed to her. Wonder and curiosity. Ryn stopped and followed the snowcat’s gaze upward.
“There!” he said, pointing at the sky. Four griffons flew southward in formation. “Oh no.”
“What?” Alushia asked.
“The time has come. Myrthyd must be near the gem. We’re out of time.”
“We can’t be! We’ll make it—”
“I’m sorry to do this. Just jump on. I’ll get Brida.”
“You’ll what?”
Ryn looked to the ground and a faint glow surrounded him. Then he exploded in a ball of brilliant blue light. When Alushia opened her eyes, a Garnet dragon stood in his place. It was as tall as a two-story building; maybe taller. Its wingspan was huge, and its deep blue eyes were much like…”Ryn? Is that you?”
Months ago, she would have been terrified at the sight of a dragon, but circumstances had changed now. She had changed. Or maybe she was always the same, but only realized her truth during her moments with Avess.
The dragon roared, and in her head, she heard its voice deep and slow.
I am he. Come. Get on my back. We’ll get there in time. The griffons are a sign. We must hurry!
“Griffons? How are they a sign? You don’t make sense!”
They’re scouts. Powerful and nimble. Like me, they serve your mother.
Alushia shook her head. It was too much!
Brida took a few steps back.
“What about her?” Alushia asked.
I’ll take care of her. He dropped one wing to the ground for her to climb. The thick hide felt unusual. She crawled up his back to
ward his long neck.
Hold tight.
He flapped his wings and rose. Alushia clung to his neck, her arms straining from her grip. He laughed in her mind. It’s ok. You’ll be fine.
He then approached Brida. She was shrinking back and he grabbed her gently in his long claws. She’ll be safe. I promise. Then with a power she could feel through his body, he flapped his wings harder and they rose high in the air.
Ryn darted southward through the clouds. The view for Alushia was extraordinary; a sight she never imagined she would see.
Below them and to the left, Alushia saw all of Woodpine and the Verdant Tower rising above the city. The people cluttering the streets looked like tiny insects. Far to the south, she could see a giant wall stretch across the land. It seemed to go on forever.
“There’s the wall!” she shouted, pointing it out and then quickly returning her hand on Ryn’s neck.
There were other creatures in the sky ahead of them. It was hard to tell by the way they darted back and forth in the sky, but they looked like dragons. Four of them. The four griffons were also closing in on them, like a meeting in the sky.
“Look! More dragons!” she shouted.
Seek inside. Do you feel it?
“Inside?”
She closed her eyes and tried to block out the sound of the passing wind and the beating wings.
“Mother?” she whispered.
Fire raced across the sky where the dragons danced. The griffons roared, and even at this distance, they sounded clear. As they drew closer, she noticed there were only three Garnet dragons, one much larger than the other two. A spark inside ignited and she knew. In that moment, clarity enveloped her. Mother. The massive Garnet was her mother, Etain. Her mother was alive!
You feel it now, don’t you? It’s true! Ryn spoke in her mind. Alushia almost let loose her hold on his neck. Everything else paled in significance. The gem. Her father. Myrthyd. She’d found the one thing she’d wanted her entire life—her mother. Though she flew in the air and had large, yellowing talons, Alushia thought she was the most magnificent sight she’d ever seen in her life.
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