“Will he be okay?” she asked.
“Physically yes,” Zollin said. “Although I can’t imagine what that kind of torture would do to a man. He may be completely insane-I don’t know. We’ll have to wait and see.”
“How are you?”
“Tired, but okay,” he said, smiling up at her. “Did the dragons feed?”
“No, they’re waiting until tonight. I didn’t want them to be spotted in the air.”
“That’s a good idea,” Zollin said. “I don’t want to give away our position too soon, but I’m curious as to what is happening in the Grand City. Have the dragons been called by Offendorl again?”
“No,” Brianna said. “I wish I had hurt him more when I had the chance.”
“He’s dangerous. I know you can take care of yourself, but I don’t want you anywhere near him.”
“Well, I can send one of the dragons to check on the Grand City after they return from hunting. They slept all afternoon, they’ll be fine.”
“Dragons are amazing creatures,” Zollin said. “I can’t believe you made them.”
“I’m one of them,” Brianna said. “I don’t know how, but I feel a connection to them.”
“I’m not surprised. You don’t just have amazing abilities-your anatomy has changed.”
“My what?” she asked teasingly.
“You know what I mean.”
“Are you saying you don’t find me attractive anymore?” she said, moving closer.
“No, not at all,” Zollin said with a smile. “If anything, I think you’re more beautiful than ever. I wouldn’t change a thing about you.”
“Maybe I should give you two some privacy,” said a weak, scratchy voice.
“Oh, you’re awake?” Brianna said in surprise.
“Yes, but I wasn’t sure who you were,” Prince Wilam said. “I was eavesdropping, I’m afraid. What’s all this talk of dragons?”
“My name is Zollin. I’m a wizard from Yelsia.”
“Yes, I suspected you might be. You did something to me?”
“I healed your wounds,” Zollin explained. “We found you earlier today.”
“Were you looking for me?”
“To be honest, we’re not even sure who you are.”
“I’m Prince Wilam of Yelsia, although I don’t deserve that title, not anymore.”
“Are you referring to your actions under the influence of the witch?” Zollin asked. “We’ve had some experience with that. You can’t blame yourself for what you did while you were under her spell.”
“I am the crown prince of Yelsia-I should be held to a higher standard.”
“Be that as it may,” Zollin said, “we still have to stop Gwendolyn. Why don’t you reserve judgment until she can no longer use her power to bewitch others?”
“You’re right,” Wilam said. “I must stop her. Although I’ll admit I’m not sure how I can do that. I don’t think any man can withstand her charms.”
“Perhaps no man can,” Brianna said, “but maybe a woman could.”
Zollin laughed, but Prince Wilam seemed unconvinced. His face was pinched with worry and shame. He struggled to sit up. His body was healed and there were no lasting effects from the torture, but it was difficult for his mind to accept his new reality. And his strength was drained-both from the long fighting retreat he’d led and the night of agonizing torture he had endured.
“Do you think I might walk a little?” he asked. “My mind is still convinced that my legs are ruined.”
“Physically, you’re fine,” Zollin said. “I don’t see any reason you can’t go for a walk.”
“I’ll take him,” Brianna said. “You need your rest.”
Zollin agreed and sat back, resuming the meal he had yet to finish. Prince Wilam rose slowly. Brianna stood beside him and steadied him as he stood. He was lightheaded and dizzy at first, but that soon passed. They walked out from under the shelter of the tent. The night was finally cooling down and insects sang in the trampled fields around them. They walked slowly, Wilam stretching his legs as they went.
“I am thankful for all you have done,” he told Brianna. “I doubt I would have ever walked again after King Zorlan’s torturer ruined my legs.”
“Zollin has a gift for healing,” she said. “He healed your father from the poison that had made him so sick.”
“That’s right,” Prince Wilam said. “Quinn is Zollin’s father, isn’t he?”
“Yes, that’s right.”
“I didn’t make that connection right away. It’s hard to believe that dragons and wizards no longer surprise me. The world is changing.”
“Yes, it is. Hopefully for the better.”
“Well.” The prince thought about Brianna’s hope. “I would like to think so too, but war in the Five Kingdoms is troubling. Were you in Yelsia when King Belphan and King Zorlan invaded?”
“No, actually I wasn’t. But Zollin was there-he helped save Orrock.”
“It seems we owe your friend a great debt.”
Brianna just smiled.
“May I ask why you’ve come to Osla?” Wilam said.
“Zollin could explain things better than me,” she said.
“Well, I’d very much like to learn more,” Wilam said. “Shall we head back now?”
Brianna nodded but didn’t speak. The pride was returning and Selix sent her a mental image of Prince Wilam walking with her.
“Are you okay for another surprise?” she asked.
Wilam looked at Brianna with concern, not sure what was about to happen.
“Just keep in mind that they won’t hurt you,” she said.
Then, before he could ask the inevitable “who” question, the dragons dropped down around them. Selix and Gyia looked curiously at the prince, while Ferno glowered menacingly. Of the four dragons, only Tig seemed uninterested. The smaller blue dragon went behind the tent to a patch of grass, curled up, and promptly went to sleep.
“This is my pride,” Brianna said.
“Oh, my god,” said Prince Wilam.
He had heard of the dragon in the north, terrifying villages and demanding gold. He had thought it a rumor cooked up by King Belphan or King Oveer in order to invade Yelsia. Even after he met Quinn, who gave an eye-witness account of the dragon, he had trouble believing it. It wasn’t until he had fallen under Gwendolyn’s spell that he realized the rumors of magic and dragons were true. Still, nothing could have prepared him to see Brianna’s pride up close.
“This is Selix,” Brianna said. “This is Gyia and Ferno. Over there is Tig.”
“Magnificent,” Wilam said. “They are yours?”
“Well, I don’t control them. I’m part of the pride.”
“Part of the pride?”
“Yes, I’m what the dwarves call a Fire Spirit. I can control fire and I create dragons.”
“You create dragons?” he asked, incredulously.
“Yes,” Brianna said, laughing at the look of consternation on Wilam’s face. “It’s difficult to explain. Perhaps it would be easier to show you.”
She ignited one hand and orange flames danced to life.
“I can’t believe it,” he said. “Is it burning you?”
“No, I feel the warmth, but fire doesn’t harm me.”
“Do the dragons breath fire? Like in the stories?”
“Yes,” Brianna said, as Ferno growled deep in its throat and flames licked out of its mouth and around its broad head.
“Unbelievable.”
“Just wait until you see what Zollin can do,” Brianna said.
“Where did you both come from?” Wilam asked.
“Tranaugh Shire,” she said. “It’s a small village-”
He cut her off.
“Southwest of Peddingar Forest. Yes, I know of Tranaugh Shire. I have not been there personally, but I have spent hours studying the map of our kingdom. I had no idea there were wizards there.”
“There aren’t,” Brianna said. “Zollin didn’t even k
now he was a wizard until a year ago.”
Brianna told their story-how Zollin discovered his magic and how the wizards from the Torr had come to take him away. The dragons had not heard the story either and they gathered around Brianna as she told it, her hand burning all the while. Wilam sat on the ground, entranced by the story, and didn’t even notice when Gyia settled in around him, the purple dragon’s long body coiling in the shape of a horseshoe.
Brianna told how they had stayed in Brighton’s Gate through the winter and foiled the Skellmarian invasion. She described facing Bartoom the great black dragon for the first time, and how she was captured by Branock, a wizard of the Torr, and taken to Orrock. She explained how Zollin and Mansel had come to rescue her, but that she had escaped on her own, and how Zollin had defeated Branock in a wizard battle in front of the castle. Then she told Wilam how Zollin had saved King Felix from the poison Wilam’s younger brother Prince Simmeron had been feeding their father.
She went on to tell how she and Zollin had gone in pursuit of the black dragon Bartoom, and how they had nearly died in the mountains. She told him about the dwarves that led them through caves and passages deep under the mountains, and how they had given her a beautiful ruby that turned out to be a firestone that unlocked her powers. Then, after leaving the caves, she explained how she had come to realize that she could no longer hunt the dragon, and how she had come to save Bartoom. She even told Wilam and the dragons how she had tried in vain to convince Bartoom to stay with her even though Offendorl was calling to the beast. Ferno growled again, and this time Selix joined the green dragon. It was obvious none of the dragons were fond of Bartoom.
Then she told how she had created the dragons. The pride moved in close when she spoke about their creation, and even Brianna spoke reverently. Prince Wilam was entranced, and none of them noticed that Zollin had come quietly in the dark to hear the tale. He stood back from the group a little ways, not wanting to interrupt the story.
Brianna then told how the pride had flown south and learned of the invasion that Zollin had helped push back. She said they had all agreed to fly south and find him, but they found Bartoom first, and although Brianna tried to reason with the great black dragon, they had ended up fighting instead. She explained how they had found Zollin, Mansel, and Nycoll. Then she told of their second battle with Bartoom and how they had lost Torc.
All at once, Tig, who everyone assumed was asleep, howled almost like a wolf. The blue dragon’s long, lonely wail made the night seem dark and melancholy.
“Then we came here,” Brianna said, once Tig had settled back down. “We saw the battlefield and burned the bodies left there. And the next day we found you.”
“I was foolish,” Wilam said. “I led the army that was defeated. I completely underestimated King Zorlan. I thought we would route his troops easily, but I was wrong.”
“We all make mistakes,” Brianna said, noticing Zollin standing near Ferno for the first time. “There was a time when I lost trust in Zollin. It was foolish, but I pushed him away. I’m glad he didn’t lose faith in me.”
“Never,” Zollin said.
“And now you are going to fight Gwendolyn?” Wilam asked.
“Yes, Zollin said. “And Offendorl.”
“And the dragon he has enslaved,” Brianna added.
“Offendorl led the invasion of Yelsia,” Zollin said. “He was the driving force behind King Belphan and King Zorlan’s invasion. He found a way to control Bartoom and used the dragon against your father’s forces.”
“You were there?” Wilam asked.
“Yes, for part of the battle. The invaders pillaged their way north from Lorye to the Tillamook valley. Your father met them there and had trebuchets built, which stalled their invasion. Then the dragon came by and torched your father’s camp. The army pulled back into the city. I arrived there shortly before they did with Commander Hausey.”
“But isn’t he in the light horse legion at Felson?”
“He was, but they had been sent to deal with the dragon and were almost completely wiped out. When word came of the invasion, the light horse legion-what was left of them-were called to the capital. Hausey and I had worked together trying to drive off the dragon.”
Brianna glanced at Zollin, silently thanking him for not saying they had been trying to kill the beast. She was sure her pride understood the need to destroy Bartoom now, but she didn’t want anything to color their perception of Zollin. He was not a wanton killer, although he was not afraid to use deadly force when necessary.
Zollin told Wilam and the dragons the rest of the story. How they had driven off the army after it laid siege to Orrock, and how he knew that until Offendorl was dealt with no one in the Five Kingdoms would be safe. He told about their journey south and how they had fought the kraken and Bartoom in the open sea. He explained what they had learned in Luxon Bay about King Zorlan and the force he was taking south into Osla.
“Do you think he killed the Oslan generals?” Wilam asked.
“I think he had them killed. It makes sense. He obviously wants Osla under his control.”
“Not just Osla-he wants all of the Five Kingdoms,” Wilam explained.
“That’s madness,” Brianna said.
“Perhaps, but the truth is, he’s close to achieving it. King Oveer is dead. I pushed him out the window of the tower in the Grand City,” Wilam said, hanging his head in shame. “The witch’s spell creates such jealousy that men will kill over her. I have done it more than once.”
“You can’t be held responsible,” Zollin said.
“No,” Wilam argued. “I must be held responsible. We must all be held responsible and do all we can to bring peace to the Five Kingdoms once more.”
“We’re trying to do that,” Zollin said. “We won’t let King Zorlan or anyone else usurp the sovereignty of any kingdom.”
“Then I will go with you,” Wilam said. “I’ll fight with you-it’s the least I can do.”
“No,” Zollin said. “It would be better if you return home. Yelsia and Baska must be prepared to stand together if I fail.”
“I won’t,” Wilam said stubbornly. “This is my fight. I will see it through.”
“But our people need you,” Brianna said soothingly. “Can’t you see we need you to lead our people into the future?”
“I cannot,” Wilam said in anguish. “How can I lead our kingdom when I am nothing more than a lowly murderer? I shall fight with you and die on the field of battle. My death shall redeem the shame I have brought on my family and on our kingdom.”
“You would really throw your life away when we need you most?” Zollin said.
“You don’t need me,” Wilam said, his voice so harsh it sounded as if he were spiting the words.
“We need you more than ever,” Brianna said.
“She’s right,” Zollin agreed. “You’ve made mistakes. Some were your fault and others weren’t, but that’s not really what’s important now. What is important is that you learn from them. Osla fell because its king didn’t care about the people or what was right. And if King Zorlan marches north with the armies of three kingdoms, we will be hard pressed to stop him.
We will need a bold leader who knows the cost of war. We will need someone who won’t take King Zorlan-or any other threat-lightly. We need someone who will care more about the people of our kingdom than their own pride. We need someone like you.”
“I am none of the things you described. I’m stubborn and slow to learn. You don’t know me.”
“Perhaps not,” Brianna said. “But we know who you could be. This is your second chance-not many people get more than one.”
“Think about it,” Zollin urged. “You are not the man you were before. And now you can become the man we need-but not if you stay with us. Our goal is to stop Offendorl and Gwendolyn, no matter what it costs. We can do that. But Yelsia needs you, now more than ever.”
“I will think on it,” Wilam said.
“We should sle
ep on it,” Brianna said. “We could all use some rest.”
They went back to the tent and settled in for a few hours of sleep before dawn woke them. The dragons took positions on each side of the tent. Zollin and Brianna slept well, but Prince Wilam couldn’t get their argument out of his head. His desire to find King Zorlan and his torturer was like a fire in his belly, undeniable and seemingly insatiable. But the wisdom Brianna and Zollin had shared was sound as well. He was needed, even if he wasn’t worthy. He did consider his second chance to be miraculous, and although he owed King Zorlan for the pain Wilam had suffered at the Falxisian king’s hand, he also owed his life to Zollin for healing him. In fact, the more he thought of it, his family and the kingdom of Yelsia owed Zollin more than they could ever repay. He tossed and turned through the night, trying to reconcile his desires.
The next morning he went for a walk once more. He was lost deep in thought and didn’t notice Gyia walking quietly behind him. The purple dragon’s long body moved as gracefully on the ground as it did in the air. It was only when Wilam turned back toward the tent that he noticed the dragon behind him.
“You are a beautiful creature,” he said, trying to appear braver than he felt. The truth was, Gyia was both beautiful and terrifying. The dragon was a sight to behold, with its long, serpentine body and thin, aristocratic head. The sunlight seemed to sink into the rich purple scales, and although Gyia’s pointed teeth were always visible, the dragon seemed benevolent somehow.
A thought entered Wilam’s mind, clear and easily understandable. It was a mental image of Wilam as king, with a crown on his head, standing on the tower of a large castle.
Wilam was surprised by the thought, and somehow comforted by it as well. The thought appeared again in his mind, but this time Gyia was there with Wilam.
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