by Mike Shelton
“I understand.” Bakari nodded. “Thank you for all you have done, Danijela.”
She hugged them all, then began to lead the two Cremelinos back down the mountain trail. Before rounding a bend of the plateau, she turned back to Bakari, with a smile and sparkle in her eye, and said, “Don’t give up hope, Dragon King. All is not lost.”
Bakari gave Danijela a short bow and a wave before turning back to Jaimon and Liam.
“Mount up, Dragon Riders. We fly!”
* * *
Dragons fly fast. And, when they are urged on by the Dragon King, they fly even faster. The four dragons and three dragon riders followed the mountain range south, all the way to Mahli, stopping only briefly during the night to rest themselves. The dragons took this opportunity to catch a bit of something to eat—and even seared a few smaller pieces for the humans.
Early the next morning, the group arrived in Amar, the capital of Mahli. They landed in a field outside the city, and soon a group of men met the dragons and their riders there. The group was led by Zaire, Bakari’s previous trainer.
As the dragon riders dismounted, Zaire took a couple of running steps up to where Bakari stood. “Welcome back, Dragon Rider.” Zaire had an oversized grin on his face. His braids hung down to the middle of his back and swirled around as he turned to meet the other two dragon riders.
“Welcome, all of you,” Zaire said.
As the men behind Zaire bowed low, honoring both the riders and their dragons, Bakari felt a better sense of acceptance this time. Then Zaire sent runners into the city ahead of the group.
“Come inside.” Zaire motioned to the three riders. “I am sure the regent is anxious to see you again. He hoped you would return soon.”
After a short walk to the city, Zaire led Bakari, Liam, and Jaimon into the small castle. As they entered the front hallway, a line of quickly gathered dignitaries met them. As the riders walked past, each person brought a hand from heart to forehead, then bowed in respect. At the end of the line stood the regent.
Regent Nagasi bowed low to the ground, touched his hand to his heart and then his forehead, and stood back up. His dark braids, showing signs of graying, framed his brown face. He wore his finest—red robes and a small crown on his head. The regent signaled to the side, and a woman brought out a blue silk cloak that she draped over Bakari’s shoulders. Golden dragons were embroidered on the corners of it. The regent then motioned Bakari forward to the small throne.
As the two stood in front of the throne, the regent removed the crown from his own head and said, “As regent of Mahli, it has always been my duty to rule the land on a temporary basis, waiting for the king to arrive. As my fathers did before me, so I have done.” A brief sadness flickered across the regent’s face.
Bakari understood the meaning behind the regent’s expression. The regent’s son, Kolo, had wanted to follow after his father; however, Kolo had wanted to be more than just a regent. He had wanted to be a dragon rider and the king. By falling prey to the Chameleon’s madness, Kolo had turned a dragon evil and had later died in the process of helping the Chameleon escape from the Citadel.
The regent cleared his voice. “Today, the regency ends.” He lifted up the crown and motioned Bakari closer. Bakari took two steps forward and looked up a few inches at the older man’s face. Bakari’s heart was pounding.
“Today we crown a king of Mahli once again.” The regent lowered the golden crown onto Bakari’s head, pushing it down over his braided hair. Then he grabbed Bakari’s hand in his and held it high in the air as he said, “Hail to the king of Mahli. Hail the Dragon King.”
“Hail the Dragon King,” the crowd cheered.
One by one, every man and woman present knelt down on one knee and bowed their heads to their new king. Liam and Jaimon were the last to do so.
“Hail the Dragon King,” Liam said.
“Hail the Dragon King,” Jaimon followed.
Bakari glanced over the heads of the crowd. It was hard to take it all in.
“Please rise.” He motioned with his hand to his devoted subjects. “I am honored beyond all measure that you think I am worthy to be your king,” Bakari said, his voice thick with emotion, and he tried to keep his tears in check.
He took a deep breath and felt the power of Abylar flow through his veins. He instantly felt a connection to all the dragons and their riders. Even Breelyn. There was still a small spark there. But her heart had been darkened, and Bakari didn’t know if she could ever recover from that. Through the bond, he knew that she was at the border between Alaris and Solshi and that Gorn and an army of wizards and soldiers stood ready to battle against her. Bakari had to stop that from happening!
“I must leave you for a short time, my friends,” Bakari began. “The other riders and I need to finish ridding the land of a great evil.”
The regent turned to Bakari. “Surely you could breakfast with us first.”
The pleading in his eyes and the eyes of those gathered warmed Bakari’s heart. These were good people, here in Mahli. His people.
Bakari nodded his head to them. “Of course.”
The people clapped and cheered, and the regent ushered Bakari, Jaimon, and Liam into a dining hall.
Bakari didn’t know how they had put such food together so quickly, but he was happy nonetheless. Delicious smells of freshly baked bread, roasted meats, and sweet fruits filled the air around him. His heightened senses picked up everything at once—it was almost overwhelming—and he had to pause and try to control the onslaught.
Jaimon’s stomach rumbled audibly next to Bakari, and the three riders laughed.
The regent smiled also. “Ah, young men. Always hungry.”
During the meal, which lasted longer than Bakari had hoped, many people from the city came in to express their respect for Bakari and to wish him well. And Bakari found it hard to keep his eyes clear of tears through the morning meal. Their love and unconditional support for him were beyond anything he could imagine.
The only thing that would make this moment better was if Kharlia were there with him…and Roland. Bakari swallowed hard and tried to wipe his eyes without it being noticed. He had told himself that he had to be strong now and could grieve later, but it was hard. The love of his people in Mahli brought out strong emotions in him.
Bakari finally stood. “We thank all of you for your kindness. I will return soon, but we need to go and rid the world of a great evil once and for all. Please excuse us.”
Jaimon and Liam rose with him. Together, these three young men from very different parts of the Western Continent wound their way through the people, toward the door.
All conversation stopped. Each person, in turn, stood up and then bowed in reverence. As the three riders approached the door, Bakari turned and looked back.
“Hail the Dragon King,” said a lone voice from the back.
“Hail the dragon riders,” said another voice.
Bakari put his hand in the air and waved. “Hail the people of Mahli. I will return.”
The crowd cheered as the three young men walked outside. On the way to their dragons, they found throngs of people lining the streets, who cheered for their king and the other two dragon riders. Many people waved flags and brightly colored ribbons in the air or chanted the words to an old song about dragons.
“Quite a people!” Liam said to Bakari.
Bakari nodded. He and Jaimon had walked slowly so that Liam could keep up with them. Before they reached the dragons, a young woman no more than twelve or thirteen years old approached Bakari. She bowed low, then rose to meet his eye.
“Is it true that the Citadel is accepting new apprentices?” she said shyly, her brown eyes wide on her small face.
Bakari looked down at the young woman with compassion and asked, “Do you have magic?”
“I think so,” the young woman said. She spread her hands to her sides and moved them upward. Three oversized rocks at the side of the road rose into the air.
Bakari laughed. “So you do. What is your name?”
“Izette,” the young woman said.
An older woman, presumably her mother, came up and took Izette’s hand and said, “Excuse her, Dragon King.”
Bakari smiled. “She has remarkable talent. I will put in a good word for her at the Citadel. She will be welcomed there at any time.”
Izette looked up at her mother with a big smile on her face.
Thinking of the Citadel reminded Bakari of Roland, and he gritted his teeth to keep his anger and sadness in check.
Soon they reached their dragons. Upon seeing the three riders, all four dragons, including Breelyn’s dragon, roared loudly and sent fire—blue, green, yellow, and red—high up into the skies. The people cheered once again.
The three dragon riders mounted and soon found themselves flying high over the Mahlian countryside. Bakari led them forward, to one of the tallest mountain peaks on the southern side of Mahli, which overlooked Alaris. The tips of the peaks here still held a little snow, but, for the most part, each mountainside was green and lush. Birds sang, and wild animals ran through the forests and meadows in abundance.
“It smells wonderful!” Jaimon shouted. “Much like the mountains in Quentis. I can’t believe I am flying.”
“Me either.” Liam’s grin matched Jaimon’s.
The two riders had become fast friends on their flight from the Superstition Mountains to Mahli. Bakari smiled at the two. He was barely older than they were, but he felt so much more so. A heavy weight settled on him: the weight of what he must do. Noticing a high plateau nearby, he motioned the others to land.
Soon all four dragons landed on the mountainside. Bakari took a few steps away from the group and walked out on the flat rock. Abylar and the other dragons stayed behind with the other two young men. He stared south and took a few deep breaths.
This is it.
He felt the cool wind on his face, his cloak blowing out behind him. Turning back to face Jaimon, Bakari motioned the young man toward himself.
“The artifacts?” Bakari asked.
“Right here.” Jaimon opened the small bag and took out three pieces—one jade, one wood, and one stone of some sort.
Bakari took the wooden one and instructed Jaimon to take one and give Liam the other. Then the two younger riders sat on a rock by the dragons, and Bakari stayed where he was and closed his eyes. It was time to find the Chameleon and his brothers and destroy them once and for all.
CHAPTER THIRTY SEVEN
Holding the wooden dragon artifact in his hand, Bakari felt himself enter the magic stream. All was dark around him, a grayness that never ended. Sparks of light blinked in the distance. Bakari now knew those were wizards and other powerful men and women.
He drew upon his own wizard powers first, then augmented them with Abylar’s power. He reeled for a moment at the increase of power that the figurine brought him with his dragon’s powers. Then he reached his mind out to Jaimon and Liam and pulled their powers to himself also. The magnitude of power was almost overwhelming.
Steady, Dragon King, Abylar said. As his reassuring voice came to him, Bakari smiled. He knew now that his dragon would always be there for him.
Bakari filled himself up with more power than he had ever held before. He sensed that Jaimon and Liam were struggling to hold the amount of power they did, especially Jaimon, as he was not a wizard.
Don’t take more than you can hold, Bakari warned them. Then he sensed Breelyn through the bond, but he would stay away from her until it was time to confront her.
He reached out to Abylar, Cholena, Miriel, and Ryker and made sure they were ready.
We are here to serve you, Master and King, Miriel said, echoing the thoughts of the other dragons, though Bakari could tell there was sadness in her tone. Miriel missed her rider terribly, so she said, May you prevail over the evil.
Now to find the Chameleon, Bakari said as he pulled areas of the magic stream to himself. Lights blinking around him now, he reached out his senses until he found what he was looking for. It was down in Quentis. Grabbing that light, he pulled himself into the castle there.
Standing before him, in a highly decorated room, were three men. One was only slightly older than Bakari himself, while the other two were considerably more so.
“My prince,” said the oldest of the three men. “Your father is dying. You need to take the throne now. It is your duty.”
“My duty is to care for my father,” the second oldest man said. “He is still the king.”
“I thought you were the Wolf!” the older man spat.
The young man stepped forward and said, “Be careful, Commander.” His hand was on his sword’s hilt.
Bakari stared at him for a moment. The young man had perfect features and olive skin, and he stood tall. There was a resemblance between him and the man called the Wolf.
Bakari, that is the Chameleon with the king’s son and grandson, Jaimon said to Bakari through the bond. The real commander of the Sanctuary is dead.
Bakari readied his power. He had studied it out in his mind and had learned what had happened with Roland. Bakari needed to be quick and not hesitate.
Chameleon! Bakari yelled out from the magic stream.
The oldest man turned and looked around the room. “He is here.”
“Who is here, Commander?” asked the Wolf.
“The Dragon King!” The Chameleon brought his hands up, and black tendrils of magic leaped forth.
Bakari drew all he could from the figurine and his dragons then. With a quick turn of his mind, he leaped physically into the real world in Quentis.
The Wolf and his son jumped back in surprise, but then they bowed their heads.
“My King!” the Wolf said in awe. “I never thought I would see this day.”
The Chameleon attacked Bakari with his black magic, but the Dragon King was ready. Bakari gathered the power from all three figurines that he, Jaimon, and Liam held and a magical dragon of bright light raced out from his fingertips and collided with the Chameleon’s black magic.
The Chameleon staggered back. “Such power!” he shrieked and pushed out a stronger blast of black magic, which wound its way through the room and wrapped around the Wolf and Kaspar. Kaspar yelled and tried to bat it away with his sword.
“There will be no more killing, Chameleon!” Bakari yelled out and then unleashed a wave of hot blue fire—forming a blue dragon that stood next to the white one between Bakari and the Chameleon. “This ends now!” Bakari added.
As the Chameleon brought forth a new attack of dark magic, Bakari sent the blue and white dragons of fire racing across the short distance. They enveloped the Chameleon and his black tendrils of magic with their humongous, fiery dragon jaws. The Chameleon screamed and then dissolved into nothingness, his black power dissipating mere moments later.
Bakari drew back the dragons of fire and then fell to the floor, exhausted. The Wolf grabbed some water from a nearby pitcher and brought the cup to Bakari’s lips. Bakari gulped it down and then rose to his knees.
Kaspar reached down and pulled Bakari up the rest of the way. The young man couldn’t seem to stop smiling. “Greetings, Dragon King. We have waited long for you.”
“Long?”
The Wolf turned to Bakari, standing a head taller than the Dragon King. “We are the Followers of the Dragon and have kept safe a few artifacts and books for you for hundreds of years…until they were needed.”
Clarity dawned on Bakari. “You gave them to Jaimon?”
The Wolf nodded. “Yes, the few that we had. Some artifacts were lost long ago, and we haven’t been able to find them.”
Bakari frowned. If those fell into the wrong hands, they could indeed pose a problem.
“Will you meet my father before you go?” the Wolf asked.
Bakari needed to go after the other two brothers, for he was sure they would be warned somehow about what had happened here. But he couldn’t turn down the Wolf’s
humble request.
“Quickly,” Bakari agreed.
Kaspar led the way, out of the room and down the hall, with Bakari walking in the middle and the Wolf following him.
Walking behind Kaspar through the castle, with the crown on his head and power still glowing around his body, Bakari garnered more than a few stares. Soon they arrived at a door guarded by two men. The guards nodded to the Wolf and then let the three of them in.
Walking up to a bed, Bakari looked down at an old man with olive skin and gray hair. Bakari could see his resemblance to the other two men. The king opened his dark eyes and gave a brief smile to Bakari. Then Bakari felt something pushing against his thoughts, so he instinctively put up a barrier.
“Sorry,” the king said. “It is a habit—or an ability—that we Von Wulfs have.”
“Are you a wizard, Your Highness?” Bakari asked.
The king coughed and shook his head.
“We’re not wizards,” the Wolf explained, “but we have the ability to read others’ thoughts sometimes. It’s called seeing.” He smiled.
Bakari glanced down at the old, dying man once again. “Your Highness, I cannot stay long.”
The king opened his eyes wider. “I am honored that you would visit me, Dragon King, before I die.” Bakari opened his mouth to say something, but the king kept talking. “Soon I will die, and my son will be king after me. We have protected the secrets of the dragon for centuries. It has been our duty here. Even with my last, dying breath, my order to my son will be to serve you. You are his king and overlord.”
The Wolf nodded and immediately knelt down, with one knee on the floor. “Hail the Dragon King. I will serve thee for all of my days.”
Bakari nodded. Then he felt a strange pull—back to the mountains above Mahli.
“I really need to go,” Bakari said. And, with that, he refocused his mind and jumped back into the magic stream. Then he found himself staggering forward on the rocky plateau in the mountains of Mahli.
Liam limped toward Bakari, but Jaimon raced ahead. “You all right, Bakari?” Jaimon brought out a few slices of jerky and water for Bakari.
