Brianna knew she should be positive and hopeful like Zollin. Once they had dealt with the dragon they could return to Yelsia and to their friends. They could be married, and that thought was a happy one, but still she felt a sense of trepidation. She couldn’t put her finger on the problem. In her mind she knew that killing the dragon was the right thing to do. The beast had slain countless people and laid waste to entire villages. Still, in her heart there was a spark of hesitation. Somehow she had developed a sense of empathy for the beast. She didn’t want to feel sorry for it but she did, and no matter how hard she tried she couldn’t shake the feeling.
It took half and hour to walk Lilly through the valley, which eventually curved around one of the mountains and ended in a small, sheltered area that was the perfect place to leave her horse and set up camp. She gathered some dry brush that could be used for a fire later that night and took the packs off Lilly. Then she spent some time talking quietly to the horse and rubbing its soft nose. Then she left Lilly, telling her to stay, which the horse willingly did.
The walk back was more difficult. She knew that she needed to tell Zollin about her misgivings, but she didn’t really know what to say. They had a job to do, a duty to their kingdom, but she wasn’t sure if she could go through with it.
Zollin had already found what he thought was the best place to wait on the dragon. There were scattered boulders they could hide behind if they ended up needing to do that. They had a perfect view of the valley. When Zollin saw Brianna returning, he used his magic to lift her up the mountainside.
“What do you think?” he asked. “It’s perfect, isn’t it?”
“Yes, it’s just what I had in mind,” she replied.
“You don’t sound very convinced.”
“I’ve just got a lot on my mind.”
“Well, we’re going to be just sitting here, waiting for the dragon to come by. You might as well tell me what’s bothering you.”
“How do you know the dragon will come this way?” she asked, hoping he wouldn’t notice that she was changing the subject.
“It’s a big valley-several of the other valleys feed into it,” he said, his forehead wrinkling with thought. “I guess we’d be better off having something to lure the dragon this way.”
He stood up and let his magic flow out. He could sense the dragon nearby, but it was moving slowly and he wasn’t sure that it would come into the valley. He began looking for other animals. He needed something big, something large enough that it would be a tempting meal for the dragon. There was a goat on the mountain opposite them, but it was small and scrawny, making Zollin doubt that it would attract the dragon’s attention. Then he found an elk. It was a cow, all alone, which Zollin found odd. Still, he concentrated hard and lifted the animal into the air. She kicked and thrashed in terror, but Zollin didn’t lift her high. He pushed feelings of peace and safety into the terrified animal and was pleased to feel that she immediately calmed down.
“Is that an elk or a deer?” Brianna asked.
“A cow elk,” Zollin said. “I think I can calm her down and keep her in the valley. We can make a few small cuts to get her bleeding. Hopefully that will be enough to attract the dragon.”
“It’s a bit inhumane isn’t it? I mean, the elk will be in pain.”
“Not if I do it right. I should be able to keep the pain blocked and after she’s bled a little I can heal the wounds.”
“Okay,” Brianna said.
She wasn’t wholly convinced, but she had a bigger issue on her mind. The dragon was coming closer. She could feel the large beast now, through some sort of magical connection, although she didn’t understand it. It was like a woman who is close to labor, but hasn’t started contracting yet. Brianna knew the dragon was coming, and her sense of empathy was growing with every minute that passed. She could sense the dragon’s pain, its raw feet, the festering wounds, its overwhelming hunger. She knew instinctively that it would now come through the valley. It would smell the elk, even if Zollin didn’t bleed it. It would come to feed and it would be walking right into their trap.
Zollin had just finished healing the elk and putting it into a deep sleep in the middle of the valley when the dragon appeared. It was hobbling along, obviously in pain. They could hear the scraping of its rough scales as it dragged its body along the ground.
“There it is,” Zollin said.
“I see it,” Brianna whispered.
“Get your bow.”
“I will, it’s too far away to shoot at yet.”
“You shot game that far away,” Zollin said, with a note of suspicion in his voice.
“Think about it, Zollin. Even if I hit it, one arrow won’t kill it. And it can easily just run away. We need to let it get closer so that we have time to make sure it doesn’t escape.”
“All right,” he said. “So are you going to tell me what’s bothering you?”
“It’s nothing,” she lied.
“Since when do we keep secrets from each other?”
“We don’t keep secrets,” she said.
“Well, whatever is on your mind is more than nothing, so why don’t you tell me?”
She sighed, an obvious sign of exasperation that Zollin recognized.
“Okay, you don’t have to tell me,” he said, throwing up his hands.
“It’s not that I don’t want to tell you,” she replied. “It’s just that I don’t really know what’s bothering me. It’s just a feeling.”
“What kind of feeling?”
“I don’t know. Why is it so important?”
“I’m sorry, I can just tell that you’re not okay. I want to help.”
“Well, you can’t fix it. Thanks for caring, but I’ll be fine. Let’s get on with it.”
They watched the dragon for several more moments. The beast was hurrying toward the elk, oblivious to any danger. Zollin couldn’t tell if it was so used to being at the top of the food chain that it had no fear, or if it was being reckless.
“What do think?” Zollin asked.
“If we wait much longer it will kill the elk,” she said, her voice sounding hollow.
“Okay, do your thing. I’ll make sure there’s a magical shield up around us, just in case.”
She raised the bow and nocked an arrow. There was something reassuring in the familiar routine. Having the bow in her hand again made her feel strong. She pushed down her foreboding and drew the bow, bringing her thumb to her check just below her eye. Her vision narrowed and zoomed down onto the dragon. The beast looked weary. She could see the wounds her arrows had caused at the dragon’s lair. The tissue around the wounds was swollen, and there was some type of dirty-looking mucus seeping from the wounds. She focused on the beast’s head. It had a row of thick, scaly lumps or ridges running from its snout up across its skull. There were small horns on the dragon’s head, and its eyes were cloudy.
“What are we waiting for?” Zollin whispered.
Brianna knew she needed to fire her weapon. She knew instinctively that they could slay the beast now and be done with their task, but she couldn’t do it. She not only felt sorry for the creature, she wanted to help it.
“I can’t,” she said.
“What are you talking about? Shoot it!”
“I can’t, Zollin. I have to try and help it.”
“Are you insane?”
“No, I’m not crazy. I know it sounds crazy, but it’s in pain, can’t you see that?”
“I’m glad. I hope it suffers and dies a slow death. It’s a dragon, Brianna. You’ve seen it kill indiscriminately. Don’t you remember that it almost killed us both, more than once?”
“Yes, of course I remember that, but I think I can help it.”
“Why?”
“I don’t know,” she said as she laid down her bow. “But I have to try.”
“What does that mean?”
“It means I’m going down there.”
“No, that is absolutely not going to happen.”
They heard bones popping and looked down. The dragon had reached the elk. It had been killed instantly when the dragon bit the animal’s neck, breaking bones, before wrenching the head off.
“See that?” Zollin said. “That’s what it does. It kills things. If you go down there, even if it doesn’t incinerate you with its breath, it will still eat you.”
“I don’t think it will.”
“And how do you know?”
“I don’t know, exactly. I just know I have to try.”
Zollin was getting angry. He couldn’t understand what Brianna was going on about, but he knew her well enough to know that she wouldn’t give up. She was determined to go down and face the dragon, and there was nothing he could do to stop her.
“At least let me go down first and be ready to help.”
“Okay,” she agreed. “But don’t do anything stupid. I really think I can help the dragon.”
Zollin nodded, biting back all his objections. Every sense of self-preservation he had for himself, and all his protective instincts to keep Brianna safe, were screaming danger. He knew they should just stick to the plan, but he also knew this was important to Brianna. She was still discovering her power, and the dwarves had talked about the legends of Fire Spirits and their connection with dragons. It wasn’t hard evidence, but those stories combined with Brianna’s obvious empathy for the beast was enough for Zollin to want to find out more. Of course, he knew if something happened to her he would never forgive himself.
He floated slowly down the mountain. The sun was setting and already low behind the mountains. He stayed in the shadows as much as possible, his fears for Brianna churning his magic into a furnace inside him. He could feel the magic testing the barriers he had put in place. If they crumbled, the magic would burst forth and drain his physical strength. He knew he couldn’t let that happen. The dragon was dangerous, and any unexpected weakness could mean the difference between life and death.
Brianna didn’t wait for Zollin. She jumped off the mountain ledge. It was an impulsive thing to do, but even as her stomach seemed to leap into her throat she she knew she wasn’t in danger. It was like swimming. She gracefully aimed her body, twisting and turning through the air, slowing her descent. She could feel the fire inside her, eager to be set free. She had a moment of giddy euphoria and then she landed on her feet, as light as a dancer.
* * *
The dragon recognized the trap the moment it smelled blood. It had no doubt that the wizard was laying a trap, but it was anxious to have the battle over, to kill its tormentor or be killed. Either way, it would soon have peace. The smell of the elk blood was intoxicating. It hurried forward, no longer caring that its tail dragged along the ground like a serpent. Its tongue was hanging from its mouth, and no thought registered in the beast’s mind other than feeding.
The first bite was glorious and reminded the dragon of its power. It felt the thick bones in the elk’s neck snap between its powerful jaws. It sucked the hot blood into its mouth and swallowed a glorious mouthful before ripping the elk’s head off with a powerful wrench. The head had no antlers to deal with, so the dragon crushed the animal’s skull in its mouth and swallowed the head in one greedy gulp. Then it moved on, ripping hunks of meat and hide off the carcass and gobbling them down.
It was almost through with the elk when the human girl dropped to the ground not far away. She seemed fearless, standing still and watching the dragon eat. It took a deep breath and spewed flame toward her. There was a shout from nearby, but there was no hope for the girl. She would be burned beyond recognition, or so the dragon thought. The girl’s clothes caught flame and burned around her, but she was unscathed by the blast. Her head was thrown back as if she were relishing the blast. The dragon roared in fury, shifting its body and spitting fire again. This time the girl moved into the blast. She jumped into the fire and swam in it, twirling and spinning like fish in a fast moving stream.
The dragon moved back instinctively.
“Don’t,” the girl said. “I’m not going to hurt you.”
The dragon swung its tail, but the girl jumped into the air, flipping over the tail in a graceful somersault and landing on her feet.
“I want to help you,” she said.
The dragon was confused. Never before had any human been so bold. Even the wizards of old had shown caution when controlling the beast. It shook its head angrily and roared. Still the girl came forward. Her clothes were blackened rags with gaping holes, but the skin underneath was smooth and unblemished. She reached out her hands, and the dragon saw flames erupt from her palms to flash and wave across her skin. Then the fire moved toward the dragon. It wasn’t a blast of flaming power but a slow wave. The fire rolled over the dragon’s scaly hide and with it came a feeling of supernatural warmth. It reminded the dragon of the way it felt to lie on the gold in its lair. It felt the pain in its breast and hip begin to ease. The beast’s feet, which were raw and bleeding, began to grow stronger.
The dragon lowered its head and stared into the girl’s eyes.
“You don’t need to be afraid,” she said. “I’m a friend.”
The dragon made a noise, not a roar but more of a purr. Its tongue flashed out and tasted the air, which was hot and delicious. The elk carcass, what had been left of it, was now burning fiercely. The fat was crackling and the aroma was intoxicating. The girl drew close to the beast’s head and then laid a fiery hand on its jaw. It was the first touch the beast had felt in centuries. It was bittersweet, but there was also a jolt as skin touched scaly flesh. The dragon felt strength welling up inside it. It swung its tail back around, but this time, instead of swatting the girl away, it coiled around her and drew her close.
Just then the wizard came charging forth.
“No!” Zollin screamed. “Let her go!”
Sizzling blue energy shot out of the wizard’s hands and the dragon leapt backwards instinctively, its wings flapping. The wizard struggled to stand against the downdraft of air that lashed around him. Dust, dirt, and stones were hurled into the air and the wizard closed his eyes against the stinging debris.
Then the dragon realized it could fly again. The wounds were gone, healed by the girl’s touch. The beast rose higher and higher into the air. Then it dove, but the wizard was sending white-hot bolts of lightning flashing toward the beast, and it veered away, flying higher and higher, holding the precious girl close to its body.
* * *
Zollin screamed again as lightning shot from his body and filled the air with the stench of ozone. The bright, popping energy lit up the valley, which was falling quickly into the gloom of night, but it served only to allow Zollin to see the dragon flying away. He jumped into the air, levitating himself after the beast, but the dragon was flying too fast and Zollin’s energy was quickly draining. His emotional outburst must have consumed his strength, and he was forced to float back down to the ground where he lay sobbing in the dirt.
He couldn’t believe what had happened. He had watched as Brianna approached the dragon, saw the beast breathe fire that should have consumed her, but she was untouched. It had taken all of Zollin’s force of will not to shield her from the flames. Even though he knew she was somehow immune to fire, it was difficult to watch the flames envelop her. When she hadn’t been harmed by the dragon’s fiery breath, he had let down his guard. The dragon didn’t seem to want her near him, and Zollin assumed she would pull back. Instead, she had healed the beast. Hers were different from Zollin’s own abilities. His power allowed him to do almost anything he could imagine, such as knitting broken bones or reconnecting severed tissue, but Brianna’s power was composed of fire. She couldn’t heal a person, or even most magical creatures, but a creature whose very nature was fire, such as a dragon, she could heal. Their magic was foreign to Zollin and totally unlike his own, but he could sense that Brianna’s magic and that of the dragon were the same. He could only hope that the beast wouldn’t kill her. Either way, nothing would stop him from finding the
dragon now.
He stood up and brushed the dirt off his clothes. Then he wiped away the dusty tears from his face. He needed their supplies and he could ride Lilly, which would make his journey much faster, but he had flown out of the valley he had been in. His inner defenses felt weak, and the center of his magical power was so hot that he was sweating. He scrambled through the darkness, over the rocky terrain, as fast as he could. It took an hour of climbing for him to reach Lilly. The horse neighed when she heard him approaching.
“It’s just me, girl,” he said softly. “Brianna’s gone, but we’re going to find her.”
He rubbed the horse’s forehead, and the mare nuzzled his shoulder. Then he grabbed their packs and laid them across the horse’s withers. He rummaged through one and found something to eat. Then he drained Brianna’s canteen of water. The cool liquid tasted sweet and, even though he was tired, it gave him the energy he needed to press on.
He levitated himself onto Lilly’s back and set out on the dark, winding path that he hoped would lead him to the Great Valley.
Chapter 17
“Sir, there are simply no ships to be found,” said the steward.
King Oveer of Ortis cursed. He was not used to problems. He preferred to stay in his castle where servants and sycophants saw to his every need. His kingdom was run by a small council of nobles, which he oversaw, although he rarely attended that council. He let the tax collectors fill his treasury while he focused on what he found to be most important, making himself happy. And what made Oveer happy was an abundance of nice things. He loved fine clothes, brightly polished armor, and weapons. He also enjoyed fine wine, the best food, and of course, beautiful women. He had a wife, but the Queen’s role was to produce heirs. Unfortunately, she had not succeeded in that one responsibility, and Oveer had long ago lost interest in her. She was sickly, and he was waiting for her to die so that he could marry a new, young queen who would give him children.
The only other thing that really interested Oveer was conquest. He had kept up a constant battle with the Norsikans and was constantly on guard against Shuklan raiders who pillaged along the coast. Of course, the King didn’t actually do any fighting, but he spent a considerable amount of his fortune building his armed forces. When King Belphan of Osla had shared with him the plan to break the peace and invade Yelsia, Oveer had immediately sent word to his commanders to ready the invasion force. Oveer would not fight, of course; that would involve too much risk. But he would lead the army. Few things entertained King Oveer as much as seeing men fight in pitched battle. He sponsored many tournaments, but the controlled chaos of the melee wasn’t nearly as exciting as watching an army at war.
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