Night of Flame (Steel and Fire Book 5)
Page 28
“I am hoping that will be so,” Gidon said, “but it has no bearing here.”
“It does, though. Your quarrel is not with Vertigon.” Latch strode across the room to stand beside Siv, polished boots squeaking. He turned to the others and threw out his chest, looking every inch the lord of the fort.
“I personally vouch for Sivarrion Amintelle,” he announced. “He would use the dragons to save the lives of his people and nothing more. He has the noble spirit that has been lacking in the kings of the continent lately. I myself intend to travel with him. He saved my home, and it’s time for me to return the favor.” He turned to the Crown Prince. “I ask you to send more Watermight fighters with us. House Brach will supply the Watermight for this expedition, so you needn’t worry about the cost to the Crown.”
Siv gaped at his friend. He was surprised, not the least because those were the most words Latch had ever said at one time. Noble spirit, eh? He didn’t know about that, but he was trying. Remembering his dignity, Siv shook Latch’s hand gratefully and turned to the others.
“Who else will help us?”
Gidon was still frowning. Chadrech seemed unmoved. Everyone looked as grim-faced as Pendarkan gargoyles. Come on. We can’t do this alone.
The silence stretched, starting to become awkward, especially after Latch’s speech. Siv stopped himself from tapping his boots on the stone floor. Would all his efforts be for nothing?
“Well, obviously I’m going with you, King Siv,” Captain Lian burst out. “You’re a good man, and I’m proud to follow you.”
“Yes, we can’t let King Siv go back alone!” Detsin shouted from where he’d been standing guard by the door. Captain Lian shot him an exasperated look for speaking out of turn.
“I welcome your company,” Siv said.
“We want to help too,” called one of Chadrech’s Soolen guards in a gruff voice. “Our comrades are alive thanks to your quick thinking with that Pendarkan scum lord.”
“Hear, hear!” called a Brach man standing beside him.
“Yes, we must repay the Vertigonian king!”
Chadrech began to look uncomfortable as his subjects shouted out their desire to help Siv.
“Thank you all,” Siv said, acknowledging each man in turn. “Maybe we do have a chance.”
“Not with this tiny force, you don’t,” Berg grunted. “But I am helping you anyway.” He leveled a stare at his brother-in-law. Belna gave her husband a nearly identical stare from his other side.
“I can send some dragons with you,” Gidon said, shrinking under the siblings’ glares. “And handlers to work with them. It will be a token of our friendship for the future.”
Siv thanked him and turned once more to the Crown Prince. Vine had sidled up to Chadrech, and she was whispering in his ear. As his cheeks turned bright red, it struck Siv how young he was. The poor fellow didn’t stand a chance against Vine’s powers of persuasion.
“I would need assurances from you,” Chadrech said at last. “I want you to promise that your people will never bring those terrible Fire Weapons out of Vertigon again.”
Siv thought of the Lantern Maker and how little say he’d had in the matter in the first place.
“I will do everything in my power to see that the Fire is never unleashed again,” he said. “That’s all I can promise.”
“Fine,” Chadrech said. “I’ll send some Watermight fighters and soldiers with you, King Siv. Who’s to say the great lizards won’t come for us next?”
“Can’t argue with that,” Siv said.
He looked around at the men who had volunteered to risk their lives for him. And all because he had tried so hard to forge a new peace. He swelled with pride as he met the eyes of his new allies one by one.
“Thank you all for your help,” he said. “I won’t forget it. The continent will be stronger for our friendship.”
“There’s still a problem,” Vex said. “Do any of you actually know how to kill a true dragon?”
Gidon and Belna exchanged glances. “It won’t be easy,” Gidon said. “These dragons will be bigger and stronger than ours.”
Siv blinked. “Beg pardon?”
“True dragons and Cindral dragons are different,” Belna explained. “The Fire species is much bigger and harder to control.”
“Huh. Is that why my sister has had such difficulty?”
Belna nodded. “She also has no magical ability, correct? Her true dragon seems to have affection for her. What Vine has told me of them sounds unlike the communion between Wielders and Cindral dragons.”
“This is so,” Gidon said. He adjusted the oiled mantle on his shoulders. “You will not control these true dragons, nor will you defeat them with steel alone.”
Siv nodded absently, already thinking through possible approaches to the mountain that wouldn’t leave them exposed. “Well, there’s still Dara.”
A few eyebrows rose at that. Oops. He wasn’t supposed to mention her yet.
“You may hope she’ll return to you, my king,” Vex said, “but it seems she has abandoned you to join her father’s cause.”
Others mumbled their agreement, avoiding Siv’s gaze. His efforts to convince them Dara had turned on him had succeeded a little too well.
Vine didn’t contradict her lover, but she gave Siv a knowing look. “Shall we discuss our dragon-fighting strategies along the way? I fear our friends on the mountain don’t have much time.”
In the end, Siv set out with Latch, Vine and Vex, Rid and Berg, Captain Lian and his men, a hundred soldiers and Watermight fighters from Soole, and a dozen Cindral dragons loaded with Brach Watermight. Gidon himself decided to accompany them to make sure the dragons were returned to the forest. The only thing missing from Siv’s arsenal was Fire and Fireworkers. With luck, Dara would take care of that.
Siv was proud the force he had assembled, which included representatives from each major nation. If this campaign succeeded, every land on the continent would be allied for years to come. They just had to stop the true dragons first.
Berg had suggested they travel to Vertigon on the Oakwind River to cut time off their journey. It was the route he had taken when he left to find Siv. After marching through the forest, they could use Watermight to speed the boats—supplied by the Cindral Folk—upstream to the Fissure.
The night they made camp at the river, Siv walked along the ridge overlooking the bend to where Vine was sitting in meditation. She had managed to speak with Dara only once, one day ago. Dara had just taken control of her father’s army, and she was now on the march, also intending to save their home from the true dragons. The Air had been temperamental lately, and Siv still hadn’t gotten the full details of what had happened between Dara and her father. She seemed to think her father was on her side. The idea made discomfort simmer in Siv’s belly—and not a small amount of anger. He hadn’t gone through all this to make peace with the Lantern Maker. He needed to talk to Dara directly, but he still had to rely on Vine for communication.
“Any progress?” he asked when he found her staring out at the Silverwind.
Vine blinked slowly and focused on him. “I won’t be able to reach her if you keep interrupting me, Your Majesty.”
“Isn’t this taking longer than it should?”
Vine paused for a beat. “It seems so.”
“Is she all right?”
Vine looked out at the river, no longer meeting his gaze. “Dara can take care of herself.”
“But—”
“The Air can’t be forced in the same way Watermight and Fire can.” She took a deep, slow breath. “And there doesn’t seem to be much of it around us.”
“Why not? Shouldn’t there be lots of Air this close to Trure?” Siv didn’t like the way she kept avoiding his eyes. “Vine?”
She didn’t respond, lapsing once more into her meditations. Vex strolled over from where he’d been speaking to Rid, who was helping the Cindral dragon handlers settle down their charges for the night.
“Fine, fine. I’ll leave her alone.”
“Fancy a duel, my king?” Vex said. “We must keep our skills sharp.”
“Sure.” Siv followed the older man away from Vine’s bower. It was almost too dark for dueling, and Siv knew Vex was only inviting him to practice to keep him from bothering Vine.
“Think the true dragons will fight us with rapiers, eh?” he said as he saluted Vex and pulled on a training mask.
“It is not the dragons I’m worried about,” Vex said. “Ready? Duel!”
They engaged in a rapid exchange of attacks and parries. The clang of steel on steel resonated in the growing darkness. Siv landed the first hit on Vex’s forearm.
“Care to explain?” He retreated to the starting line. “Who do you plan to duel?”
“Perhaps not duel,” Vex said. “But don’t tell me you really believe we’ll be joining forces with the Ruminors?”
Siv paused for a heartbeat. Then he advanced, blade raised. “Those are my men in that army.” He lunged, a quick thrust to the shoulder. The hit missed.
“And they march behind a murderer.” Vex’s blade thudded into him on the counterattack. “I follow you because I believe you will give me vengeance against Ruminor in the end.” He retreated to the line and adjusted the bend of his blade. “Should I doubt that decision?”
“No.” Siv wished Vex’s words didn’t echo his own thoughts so closely. “I fully intend to bring Ruminor to justice.”
“Even if Dara stands in your way?”
Siv didn’t answer. He raised his blade, preparing for another encounter. Shadows drifted around them. Soon, it would be full night, and they wouldn’t have enough light left to practice.
Siv had assured his allies he wasn’t going to be taken in by the Lantern Maker or his daughter. But he did question whether Dara was doing the right thing. Did she really have control of the Vertigonian army? What if her father was manipulating her somehow? He couldn’t believe Rafe Ruminor would cede control to his daughter unless he was dead.
“Dara wants justice done in the end,” Siv said at last.
“You’re awfully confident in her.” Vex didn’t sound happy.
“She hasn’t failed me yet.”
Siv wished he could be as certain as he sounded. He recalled the dream he once had, in which he and Dara sat by a waterfall and she chose her parents over him. He hadn’t intended to propose to her by a waterfall, but when they came upon it, it had seemed fitting. She had chosen him after all. But the recent developments worried him, and Vex wasn’t helping.
“On second thought,” Siv said. “I think I’ve had enough dueling for today. We’d better get some sleep before our riverboat adventure.”
Vex didn’t move, standing as still as a povvercat surveying its prey. “I won’t have my vengeance withheld,” he said softly.
“I am king here, not you,” Siv said. “Now get some rest.”
He stalked away from Vex, not waiting to see if Vine had made contact with anyone. Clearly, Dara was busy right now. He would see her soon enough. With any luck, he and his allies would reach Vertigon before the Ruminors. Dara may believe reconciliation with her father was possible, but Siv couldn’t help feeling he was racing them to a prize. He was marching to war, and he didn’t intend to stop with the true dragons. Vertigon was his.
31.
The Peaks
SORA and Selivia waited just inside the tunnel. Sora could hardly believe her little sister had returned to her. Selivia had grown taller in the months they’d been apart, and she seemed steadier too, as if the troubles she’d faced in the Lands Below had grounded her.
But she still bubbled with joy when she talked about her adventures with Mav the true dragon. Sora still wasn’t sure how she had managed to tame it. Madame Ruminor had insisted the true dragons were fearsome beasts that wanted only to burn and destroy. Everything Sora had seen so far supported that notion.
But Selivia’s true dragon had carried her all the way home—and delivered her safely to the cavern on Square even when the other dragons objected. Sora couldn’t help but wonder if Selivia was the child in the old song who would bind the dragon and save the land. She didn’t know why anyone would fear to speak Sel’s name, though. Everyone loved the little princess, and her return had helped to boost morale in the caverns.
Lima warned you not to treat the song like a prophecy. Sora couldn’t get her hopes up, but she trusted her sister, which was why they were waiting at the tunnel entrance for Mav to meet them. He was essential to the success of the plan they’d been working on for the past week.
Lima had been right about one thing: they had to leave Vertigon until they figured out how to deal with the dragons. They didn’t have much food left in the cavern, and it would be worse when summer ended. They should be tending the orchards and raising the goats that had been born that spring. Instead, the trees had burned and the livestock had been consumed. Even if the true dragons left today, they would struggle to feed everyone come winter.
Sadness twisted deep in Sora’s belly as she prepared to abandon the kingdom she had worked so hard to hold. She had to put her people’s needs first. Perhaps they would return to the mountain one day, but for now, their only option was to flee.
The refugees filled the tunnels behind Sora and Selivia. They had packs on their backs and weapons in their hands, ready for the dangerous journey ahead of them. Sora tried not to think too hard about the likelihood that they wouldn’t all make it down the mountain. She was a queen. She presided over life-and-death decisions every day. She only wished it got easier.
Selivia squeezed her hand, as if she sensed Sora’s misgivings. A rhythmic thump sounded outside: the beating of massive wings echoing through the Fissure.
“Do you hear that?” Selivia whispered.
“I hear it.”
“He’s almost here.”
“Are you sure it’s him?”
“Absolutely,” Selivia said. “I told him to arrive an hour before sundown.”
Sora passed the message back along the tunnel. “We’re moving. Remember: stay low and stay quiet.”
“We’re ready, my queen!” said the man nearest to her, Lord Roven, who had been in excellent spirits since learning his daughter was alive over on King’s Peak.
The message rippled back through the tunnel and around a bend. The beat of wings drew nearer. Then, with a great clattering sound, the true dragon landed outside.
“I wish someone else could do this,” Sora whispered to her sister.
“I’m the only one he trusts,” Selivia said. “Besides, haven’t you read the stories? Dragons love princesses.” She gave Sora a sunny smile and a quick kiss on the cheek. “Don’t worry about me.”
She hiked up her bright-yellow soot-stained skirt and scrambled out of the tunnel.
Sora waited for a count of thirty heartbeats, battling her fear. The plan was risky for all of them, but Selivia was the one being picked up in a wild dragon’s claws. Together, she and Mav would distract the true dragons while the others escaped down the mountain. Sora was petrified of losing her sister, but being queen also meant letting the right people do the right jobs, no matter how dangerous. Selivia was the only one the dragon listened to. It had been appearing at the mouth of the tunnel to visit her once a day since her arrival, refusing to allow anyone else to approach. These regular visits had enabled them to communicate their plan for this evening.
A bright whistle echoed down the tunnel. The signal. Then the beat of wings resumed, quickly receding as Selivia’s dragon carried her away. If all went as planned, the pair would fly directly toward the dragon horde roosting on King’s Peak.
“Let’s go.” Sora surged forward, determined to be the first person out of the tunnel after her sister. She blinked in the light of the setting sun, which rested above King’s Peak like a crown of Firegold. Li
ght streaked across the mountain, throwing parts of Square into shadow and making it difficult to see. They had chosen this sun-and-shadow moment carefully, hoping the dying light would dazzle the dragons and hide their escape.
Sora hurried down the slope through the abandoned taverns and dwellings. She spotted the green-and-black true dragon flying across the Fissure, and she could just make out her sister clutched in its talons. Selivia’s bright-yellow gown should draw the eye of every true dragon on the mountain.
Sora’s feet skidded on a loose rock, and a large hand caught her arm.
“Steady, my queen,” Lord Roven said. “We’re almost to the ridge.”
“Lookouts?”
“Still in place. We haven’t been spotted.”
“Good.” Sora picked up the pace. The distraction had only just begun, and they needed to get as many people off the peak as possible before the dragons tired of the game Selivia and her dragon were about to play.
She reached the first ridge and started downward, darting amongst the vacant houses. She tried not to think of all the people who hadn’t made it out of these charred ruins alive. All that mattered now was getting the survivors to safety.
Kel waited for her where the pathway left the houses and began the steep descent into the Fissure. He was armed with a selection of weapons—arrows, swords, even slingshots and crates full of rocks. A group of boys and girls surrounded him, those too young to enlist in the army but old enough to join this final desperate fight. They would provide cover if the dragons noticed them too soon.
Sora stepped aside to hear Kel’s report, allowing Lord Roven to lead the column down the path to the next shelter point.
“Did you see Sel?” she asked.
“The dragon picked her right up, and they’re on their way. Look.”
Kel pointed across the Fissure. It was difficult to see with the streaks of sunlight directly in their eyes. The dragons appeared to be gathered in one area, circling just as they had the day Selivia and Mav arrived.
“He definitely got their attention,” Kel said.