by Brandon Mull
“I wasn’t sure,” Seth said. “I’m really sorry.”
“I’m just lucky you’re such a scaredy-cat,” Knox said. “You ran away so fast that it went after you.”
“You were running too,” Seth said. “You were just too slow. Bears like a challenge.”
“The bear was scary,” Tess said, dripping on the patio as she claimed a glass and took a sip. “Do you get many of them?”
“Hardly ever in the yard,” Kendra said.
“You must get some,” Knox said. “Didn’t you mention bear traps in the woods?”
“We see a few,” Seth said vaguely.
“Smart goats, though,” Knox said. “They’re like dogs. Stayed with me all the way back to the yard.”
“Good old Newel and Doren,” Seth said. “What happened to the duffel bag?”
“I left it in the woods,” Knox said. “The deal was to bring it to you. But you ran off, and it was heavy. Felt like bricks. Was the heaviness supposed to slow me down? You must have known a bear cave was nearby. Did you expect it to chase us?”
“I was just goofing around,” Seth said. “I wasn’t expecting a bear.”
“Whatever,” Knox said. “At least it ended up chasing you. The power of karma. You owe me ten bucks.”
“A deal is a deal,” Seth agreed. “How far did you get with the bag?”
“Just past where you were waiting for me,” Knox said. “The goats returned and hurried me along. I was worried the bear might double back.”
“Right,” Seth said. Kendra could hear the concern behind the word. Her brother was hoping the treasure was safe.
“So when are you going to pay up?” Knox asked.
“Are you planning to take the money in the pool?” Seth replied. “I’ll get it to you. But first I need to borrow Kendra.”
“I was just about to jump in the water,” Kendra said.
“That’ll have to wait,” her brother answered.
“Since when do you tell me what to do?” Kendra asked.
Seth leaned in close and whispered, “Since Agad showed up. He wants to talk to us.”
Dragonwatch
When Kendra entered Grandpa Sorenson’s office, something about the atmosphere made her feel she had interrupted an argument. Perhaps it was the variety of expressions. Grandpa Larsen looked sad. Grandma Larsen seemed angry, though she was trying to cover it up. Grandma and Grandpa Sorenson both looked concerned. Bracken was there, appearing unusually somber. And Agad looked apologetic.
Perhaps it was the absence of conversation after they entered—no greetings, no small talk. Everyone just stared at her and Seth.
Or maybe there really was an intangible tension in the air.
Agad broke the tension first, stepping forward to greet them. Plump and elderly, he had a gray beard that hung almost to his waist. He wore a silky robe of dark blue, topped by a black cloak trimmed with sable. Rings glittered on all his fingers.
“Good to see you, Kendra,” the wizard said. “Greetings, Seth.”
“Hello,” Kendra replied. “Nice to see you, too.” She meant it. Agad had given them good advice when they were at Wyrmroost. He had recruited the dragons that had enabled them to win the battle of Zzyzx. And he had helped set things right at Fablehaven after the demons were locked away inside a new prison. Agad was powerful, smart, and on their side.
“Hi,” Seth said. “We weren’t eavesdropping. Grandpa Sorenson told me to bring Kendra to his office. What’s going on?”
“More than you want to know,” Bracken muttered.
“I always want to know,” Seth insisted.
“Is it bad?” Kendra asked. “Is everyone all right? Warren? Vanessa? Tanu?”
“As far as I know, your friends are well,” Agad said. “They all remain on assignment.”
It had been months since Kendra had seen any of them. Though she felt certain that Grandpa Sorenson, as Captain of the Knights of the Dawn, knew where they were, he never shared. It was all top secret.
“Then what’s up?” Seth asked.
Agad looked at Grandma Larsen. “I’m not sure we’ve entirely settled on what to tell you.”
“Tell us everything,” Seth said.
“Careful what you wish for,” Bracken warned.
“How bad is it?” Seth asked.
“I don’t like it any more than you do, Gloria,” Grandma Sorenson said. “But you know the stakes. We should at least have the conversation.”
“If we have the conversation, you know what will happen,” Grandma Larsen said. “The only way to prevent their involvement is to keep them out of it.”
“Out of what?” Seth asked. Then he paled, looking at Agad. “Oh, no. Out of prison? Is this about the ogre? Is Kendra a witness?”
Grandpa Sorenson covered a grin.
“Am I saying too much?” Seth went on. “Are there magical lawyers?”
Agad looked at Seth seriously. “I heard about the incident with the ogre. It was unwise. But reprimanding you is not the purpose of my visit.”
Seth looked relieved. “You brought us here to tell us something. Let’s do it.”
“I agree,” Kendra said, her mind flashing back to the robed figure in the driveway of Fablehaven and his dire warning. Was this related to that encounter somehow?
“You know how I feel,” Agad announced to the room. “I don’t like it, but I would not be here if I had another option. They are remarkable children. They could be of service. However, I am not their guardian.”
“Mom and Dad are on a trip,” Kendra said.
“We tried to phone them,” Grandpa Larsen said.
“They wouldn’t understand what is being asked,” Grandma Larsen said. “Not really. Our world is too new to them. Everything would depend on how we present it. We could make it sound like a holiday. We could make it sound necessary. We could make it sound out of the question.”
“What are we talking about?” Seth asked, clearly frustrated. “What do you need us to do?”
“Go ahead,” Grandma Larsen said with resignation. “I suppose we know this has to happen or we wouldn’t have sent for them.”
“They could decline,” Bracken said.
“In theory,” Grandma Larsen said sadly. “Tell them.”
Grandpa Sorenson nodded at Agad.
The wizard cleared his throat. “There has been unrest of late among the dragons.”
“Is a storm coming?” Seth asked.
“A new age of dragons?” Kendra added.
Agad furrowed his brow. “What makes you say that?”
“Witches,” Seth said.
“A demon,” Kendra said.
“I hope those are overstatements,” Agad said. “But relations are rapidly deteriorating. We could be heading in that direction.”
“Aren’t the dragons in sanctuaries?” Seth asked.
“The vast majority, yes, for now,” Agad said. “May it ever be so.”
“Are the dragon sanctuaries in danger?” Kendra asked.
“We have reason for concern,” Agad said carefully. “All at once, across all the sanctuaries, the dragons are suddenly testing their limits. No sanctuaries have fallen, but in some places the situation is turning ugly. I fear we have become too complacent over the years. We’re not ready for a coordinated draconic rebellion.”
“Give them some history,” Grandpa Sorenson said.
Agad nodded. “Have you children ever wondered why we started relocating magical creatures into hidden preserves?”
Seth scrunched his face. “Kind of. But not really.”
“To keep them safe?” Kendra guessed.
“That was part of it,” Agad said. “But it was just as much to protect humanity. And that started with the dragons.”
“Dragons used to run around loose?”
Seth asked.
“Essentially, yes,” Agad said.
Kendra had met dragons. The thought made her shiver.
“Long ago, magical creatures dwelled alongside mortals,” Agad said. “Like tigers in the jungle, bears in the hills, or sharks in the ocean, enchanted beasts wandered the world. There were plenty of wild places back then, and coexistence was not a major problem. The unbelief of mortals helped repel most beings of a magical nature. And there were unwritten laws that generally kept humans and mystical creatures apart.”
“Then the dragons got greedy,” Bracken said.
Agad held up a finger. “Not without reason. Remember, I was once a dragon, long ago. I remember those times. As mortals spread, the wild places grew smaller. Certain dragons foresaw the day when mortals would claim the entire world. And they started to fight back.”
“What happened?” Seth asked.
“The Age of Dragons,” Bracken said.
“Dragons got carried away,” Agad said. “They started with ships and caravans. Soon it was villages and towns. Even cities.”
“Wait,” Kendra said. “We would have heard of this.”
Agad smiled. “Are you sure? Ancient stories fade or change. Records get destroyed. The magical community has historically done an excellent job at avoiding detection by humankind. Doesn’t it seem everyone should know about the preserves for magical creatures dotting the globe? Places like Fablehaven. And the enormous dragon sanctuaries.”
“Distracter spells,” Seth said. “People can see them but they don’t actually notice them.”
“That’s the idea,” Agad said. “History can work much the same way. It helps that people don’t want to believe a dragon leveled a city or burned an ancient library. They would rather believe it was a volcano or a war. There was a time when a huge percentage of towns and cities offered tributes to dragons to survive. Some gave treasure. Others provided livestock or even people.”
“That’s horrible,” Kendra said.
Agad raised his eyebrows. “It was dreadful, and getting worse every year. Many realized it had gone too far. I was among the dragons who sided with humankind. Long, long ago, before my time, a mighty dragon named Archadius learned that by permanently taking human shape, he could greatly enhance his magical abilities. Archadius became a wizard, the first of his kind. As you know, all true wizards were once dragons. Magic has never been for mortals—they can only borrow it from magical beings. I made the same choice as Archadius, partly because I had become ashamed of my kind and wanted to stop them.”
“It’s hard to picture you as a dragon,” Seth said.
“It has become difficult for me as well,” Agad said. “That was so long ago. Once upon a time I soared the skies and breathed fire. On occasion, I experience echoes of those days in my dreams. It’s as close as I get.”
“You were one of the founding members of Dragonwatch,” Bracken said.
“You know your history,” Agad replied.
“I’m not as young as I look,” Bracken said.
“Dragonwatch?” Kendra asked.
“The organization we formed to combat the dragon epidemic,” Agad said. “A consortium of wizards, enchantresses, dragon slayers, and many others who agreed the tyrannical rule of dragons had to end. We began the practice of confining dragons to sanctuaries. Other magical preserves followed.”
“Places like Fablehaven happened because you needed to stop the dragons?” Kendra asked.
“That’s right,” Agad said.
“When did this start?” Seth asked.
“Almost three thousand years ago,” Agad said. “It was a long and bloody process. We were still rounding up renegade dragons all the way into the Dark Ages. There were many casualties on both sides. In the end, the courage of dragon slayers and the ingenuity of wizards overcame the might of our opponents. All the hostile dragons were confined to preserves. Only dragons who had not besieged mortals and who pledged to live according to a certain code of conduct were permitted to remain in the wild.”
“The dragons must have been mad,” Kendra said.
Agad chuckled. “Furious. Dragons are not accustomed to losing. They did not go quietly. But over time they settled into their new lives.”
“And Dragonwatch disbanded,” Bracken said.
“Not completely,” Agad said. “The organization shrank and the focus changed. Attention was placed on managing the preserves. Later the Knights of the Dawn formed. Eventually Dragonwatch faded away. For a time, one of your ancestors, Patton Burgess, was the sole active member of Dragonwatch.”
Kendra perked up. “Patton? Our Patton?”
“I know you idolize him,” Agad said.
“Only because he’s the coolest guy who ever lived,” Seth said.
“Not a poor description,” Agad agreed. “I admired him as well. His stewardship was one of the few times a regular mortal took charge of Dragonwatch rather than a wizard.”
“Who runs it now?” Kendra asked.
“I do,” Agad said. “I’m re-forming it. The need for Dragonwatch has returned. As Seth mentioned, a storm appears to be brewing. I just hope we’re not too late to intervene.”
Seth brightened. “I get it! You want us to join Dragonwatch! Is that what this is about?”
“Not exactly,” Agad said.
Seth wilted.
“But we may need your help with a related matter,” Agad went on.
“What?” Kendra asked. Based on the conversation leading up to this, it had to be dangerous.
Agad pressed his fingertips together. “A bit more context first. I was partially involved in stirring up this potential dragon storm.”
“The battle of Zzyzx,” Kendra said.
Agad gave a nod. “I cut a deal with the dragons because we had to win that battle, and I saw no other strategy that gave us a chance. Celebrant, the Dragon King, would come to our aid only on the condition that governance of Wyrmroost would be passed over to dragons. He became a co-caretaker with my brother, Camarat.”
“Who is a dragon,” Kendra recalled.
“Correct,” Agad said. “As a caretaker, Camarat stays in human form and goes by the name of Marat. Since he is housed at Blackwell Keep, Marat still controls who can go in and out of Wyrmroost. But Celebrant is working to undermine him. In effect, by seeking help from the dragons against the demons, I solved one dire problem by creating a future dilemma.”
“This is where the story begins to involve the two of you,” Grandpa Sorenson said.
“How?” Seth asked.
“Celebrant has attacked Blackwell Keep three times since my brother took over,” Agad said gravely.
“How did Marat stop him?” Kendra asked.
“Blackwell Keep is protected by powerful magic that has been in place since the sanctuary was established,” Agad said, scowling in thought. “The arrangement I made granted Celebrant no access to Blackwell Keep, yet he keeps storming the stronghold. Dragons do not attack lightly. They play to win, and they prefer to win decisively. A difficult victory is perceived as weakness. A failed attack is worse. Let alone three failed attacks.”
“So Celebrant thinks he can succeed,” Seth said.
“It would seem so,” Agad said. “The intent could be to intimidate or confuse Marat. But I suspect Celebrant has found a weakness and is trying to exploit it. The Dragon King thinks there is a way to overthrow my brother, but has yet to pinpoint the correct approach. I fear that I know the problem.”
“What?” Kendra asked.
Agad scratched his beard. “According to the treaty established when Wyrmroost was founded, the caretaker should be mortal.”
“Weren’t you the caretaker?” Seth asked.
“That was no problem,” Agad said. “Wizards are mortal. We age very slowly, but dragons become wizards by falling to mortality while
retaining and enhancing our magic. When I left Wyrmroost to manage the Living Mirage preserve, there was a shortage of candidates for a new caretaker, so I went with my brother. We conferred and decided that as long as he remained in his human form, there should be no problem.”
“But there is?” Kendra asked.
“I’m afraid that Celebrant has become aware of this detail and may have found a way to exploit it. I can find no other way to explain his aggression. Perhaps he believes he can make Marat change to dragon shape and lose the claim to his position. Or perhaps Celebrant has found some other vulnerability. But I believe having a human caretaker would resolve the issue.”
“What about Celebrant?” Kendra asked. “How can a dragon be a co-caretaker?”
“I had to restructure some aspects of the treaty to grant him that position,” Agad said. “Even so, the magical defenses won’t protect Celebrant as they would a mortal. Not much of a problem for a dragon with so many powerful underlings. But it could leave Marat exposed.”
“What if Marat becomes a wizard?” Seth asked. “Right now he is just temporarily using his human form. Can’t he make it permanent? Then he would be mortal.”
“Sensible,” Agad said. “But the art of turning from dragon to wizard has been lost. I only did it with the help of an older generation of wizards, all of whom have moved on. No dragon has become a wizard for more than a thousand years.”
“If Marat can’t become a wizard, why don’t you take control of Wyrmroost again?” Kendra asked.
“Another sensible solution,” Agad said. “Unfortunately, the Soaring Cliffs sanctuary is in an even worse predicament, so I am going to take over that preserve.”
Seth looked around the room. “Are you recruiting Grandpa Sorenson? Or Grandpa Larsen?”
“Both capable men,” Agad said. “But the caretaker of Wyrmroost must be a true dragon tamer. Not just somebody who can stand in the presence of a dragon and force out a few words—he or she must be able to hold a conversation with a hostile dragon without becoming clouded by fear. Very few dragon tamers remain.”
“Oh, no,” Kendra said.
“Now you see,” Agad said. “With Kendra being fairykind and Seth a shadow charmer, when the two of you are in physical contact with each other, you can stand tall in the presence of a dragon. Together you are a dragon tamer. Kendra, Seth, I am here to invite you to become the next caretakers of Wyrmroost.”
