by Brandon Mull
“Maybe you can give me some advice,” Kendra said.
“I hope so,” Patton replied.
“The dragons have declared war,” Kendra said.
Patton gave a little nod. “Seems like a good time to rouse me.”
Kendra explained about how the dragons had helped at Zzyzx and how Celebrant had become a caretaker in return. She told about how she and Seth had become caretakers and recovered the scepter. She described going to the feast. She related what she had learned from Ronodin, and told about the Somber Knight revoking Celebrant’s caretaker status, as well as her escape with Raxtus and her fears about the fate of her brother and Tanu.
Patton gave a soft whistle. “You’re in a quandary, no doubt about it. Of all you told me, Ronodin concerns me most. He promotes chaos like nobody I know. He said he told the dragons how to win the war?”
“And that it would happen on Midsummer Eve,” Kendra said. “Tomorrow night.”
Patton turned and looked somberly into the fire. “Without Ronodin, the advice is simpler. Stay behind boundaries. Enforce whatever penalties you can on aggressors. Offer them no footholds. Wait it out. Eventually the dragons will tire of beating against walls that don’t break. But what you heard from Ronodin, well, that changes everything.”
“Do you know what he’s talking about?” Kendra asked.
“I have a strong suspicion,” Patton said, glancing at the surrounding animals. “I hope I’m wrong, but I’m afraid I’m not. Ordinarily I would not speak about it to anyone, let alone in front of a group. I’m a curious fellow, sometimes too curious, and sometimes I learn things that are better left unknown. Best to leave certain monsters buried deep, undisturbed. But if the dragons have learned what I know—and I believe they have, because it all fits too cleanly—then it might be best for many to know.”
“What is it?” Kendra asked.
“The Wizenstone is hidden here at Wyrmroost,” Patton said.
Nobody responded.
“I gather that none of you knows what that means,” Patton said. “But the wisest of wizards know, the five monarchs know, those who study the rarest and most powerful relics know. The Wizenstone is a source of powerful magic. The Wizenstone can also undo magic. For example, it could erase all boundaries at this or any preserve. It could disenchant a magical item. Or it could strip a wizard of his powers.” Patton stepped close to Kendra. His voice dropped to a whisper. “And the Wizenstone could force dragons into human form. Permanently. Without making them wizards.”
“The dragons would win the war in hours if they got it,” Kendra said.
“No magical boundaries,” Patton said. “The sanctuaries would fall almost immediately.”
“We could win the war if we had it,” Kendra said.
“If you were up against a bunch of powerless humans instead of dragons, the war would be a snap,” Patton agreed. “The mere threat of forcing dragons into human shape would be a powerful deterrent.”
“Where is the stone?” Kendra asked.
“That’s where this gets upsetting,” Patton said. “The Wizenstone is hidden inside Stormguard Castle.”
Reunions
Calvin drew his sword, raised it above his head, and brought it down in a vicious arc, cleaving open a cream puff. “You want half?” he asked Seth.
Seth looked across the table at Lomo. “I want ten more, but I think I might actually explode.”
Calvin wiped his sword on a napkin and scooped out a handful of creamy filling. “This stuff is heaven.”
“I ate too much during my first few days here,” Lomo said. “Pace yourself. Everything is this good.”
“But this dinner had so much variety,” Seth said. “Bacon-wrapped figs? Crab legs with melted butter? Chilled banana soup? Like half of the food was brand-new to me. And so good. Not to mention three desserts.”
“It’s like that every meal,” Lomo said. “The Fair Folk go out of their way to eat in the dungeon. Some commit minor crimes. One day a week, law-abiding citizens can make reservations. It gets booked up six months in advance. Best food in town.”
“I’m so full,” Seth said, patting his stomach. “But I want more of those tastes.”
“Take nothing for granted,” Calvin said. “One day you’ll be starving and thankful for all you had here. You’ll feast in your memories.”
The door opened and Tanu entered, accompanied by a pair of guards. He looked dusty and scratched up, but alive and tangible.
Seth sprang to his feet. “Tanu! You made it!”
The big Samoan smiled.
“Lomo, can you show him where he can wash up?” one of the guards asked, a lovely redhead.
“I’d be happy to,” Lomo said, rising and motioning Tanu toward a sink in the corner. “You look like you’ve had a rough day.”
“Not a vacation,” Tanu said, scabbed lips caked with dirt. He scrubbed his hands and forearms under the running water, then scooped handfuls of it up to his face. As he dried himself off with a soft, white towel, his eyes went to Seth. “I heard you were all right. I’m so happy you made it here.”
“How did you get here so fast?” Seth asked. “Did you find a way to fly?”
Tanu indicated some of his scratches. “If I was flying, I got dropped a lot. I was kind of dragged.” His eyes strayed to the table. “Look at that spread.”
“All for you,” Lomo said. “We’ve had our fill.”
“Almost,” Calvin called from the table, chewing on a hunk of fig.
Tanu looked down at himself, patting his torn, dirty clothes. “I’m not sure I’ve ever felt underdressed to eat in a dungeon.”
“Welcome to Terrabelle,” Lomo said cheerfully. He glanced at the guards. “We can take it from here.”
The guards withdrew and closed the door.
“The hot stuff might be a little cool,” Seth apologized. “And the cold stuff might be a little warm.”
Tanu was already popping bacon-wrapped figs into his mouth. “These are good! Remind me to trespass in Terrabelle more often.”
“You said you got dragged here?” Seth asked. “What do you mean?”
“The Somber Knight survived,” Tanu said. “Just barely. I found him on the road, clinging to what remained of his bull.”
“What was left?” Seth asked.
“Most of the head, one horn, the front legs, and about half the body,” Tanu said. “The Somber Knight was not in much better shape. He had hooked the damaged bull with his grapnel and managed to get dragged back to the road where the dragons couldn’t keep attacking.”
“He’s all right?” Seth asked.
“He thinks he’ll live,” Tanu said. “He lost a leg up to the hip and an arm just above the elbow. His armor looked shredded.”
“Why didn’t he bleed to death?” Seth asked.
“I don’t think he bleeds,” Tanu said.
“What?” Seth asked.
“My guess is he must be undead,” Tanu said.
“Like a zombie?” Seth asked.
Tanu shook his head, blotting his lips with a napkin. “No, something well beyond a zombie or a wraith. More powerful and evolved. It’s just a guess.”
“We have similar guesses among the Fair Folk,” Lomo said. “The Somber Knight is no ordinary being.”
“Does that mean he’ll be all right?” Seth asked.
“He wanted to get back to his lair beneath the city,” Tanu said. “Who knows how much he can regenerate? Time will tell.”
“Speaking of regenerating, I take it you weren’t gassy when he found you?” Seth asked.
“The potion had just worn off,” Tanu said, expertly snapping crab legs and removing the meat with his fingers. “He offered me a lift to Terrabelle. We had to leave the road at Thirsty Gulch to get here. Almost got killed by dragons. Even with just the two front legs,
that bull is fast. The Somber Knight and I clung to what was left of the body, rode it like a sled. Dullion or not, that bull deserves a medal.”
Seth braced himself before asking his next question, worried about the possible answer. “What about Kendra?”
“She got away!” Tanu said. “The Somber Knight saw Raxtus rescue her after she was delivered to Celebrant.”
“That must be who the dragons were chasing,” Calvin said, “when we came here on Tempest.”
“Probably,” Tanu said. “She’s the only quarry who would have drawn that much attention.”
Seth was smiling. “Raxtus did the right thing. I was worried we had lost him.”
“It was brave,” Tanu said. “He’ll be hunted by his own kind for the rest of his days.”
“At least until we win the dragon war,” Seth said.
Tanu gave a chuckle as he spooned gnocchi onto a plate. “I like your optimism. Even if we win, Raxtus will forever be hated for what he has done. It was noble.”
“A dragon rescuing a human,” Lomo said. “Just when I thought the times could not get stranger.”
Calvin flopped down on the table on his back, his arms and legs spread wide. “I can’t eat another bite. Why do I do this to myself?”
“Don’t take this food for granted,” Seth teased. “How about some more cobbler?”
Calvin hugged his stomach and rolled from side to side. “I think I’m full to the top of my throat. Anything I try to swallow will stay in my mouth.”
“There’s always room for peach cobbler,” Seth encouraged.
Calvin closed his eyes and puffed out his cheeks. “I went beyond my limits.”
“Maybe we could fill in the cracks with some milk,” Seth suggested.
“You’re going to make me puke!” Calvin said. “It would be a lot of puke. Let me suffer in peace.”
The door opened again, and two guards admitted Creya the eagle. “You have a visitor,” the red-haired guard announced.
Creya flew from the guard’s forearm to the table and perched on the back of a chair. “I have a message from Kendra,” the eagle announced.
“You do?” Seth exclaimed, relief flooding over him. “That means she and Raxtus must have outrun the dragons!”
“Yes,” Creya said. The large bird glanced from Seth to Lomo. “The message is secret.”
“That will be all for now,” Lomo told the guards.
They exited.
“I can leave if you wish,” Lomo said. “But I am still a Knight of the Dawn in full fellowship. Inner circle. I’m incarcerated for violating our neutrality policy. That is all.”
Seth felt in his gut he could trust Lomo. Of course, he had once placed some trust in the demon Graulus as well.
“Inner circle?” Tanu asked. He walked around the table and whispered something. Lomo whispered something back. They had a few more quiet exchanges.
“He knows the right code phrases from his time,” Tanu said. “He should be safe.”
“Stay,” Seth invited.
The potion master gave a slight nod as he returned to his chair and served himself some cobbler. He took a bite and closed his eyes. “Almost worth getting dragged through dragon-infested briars.”
“Go ahead,” Seth urged Creya.
“Kendra made it safely to the Zowali Protectorate,” Creya said.
“That’s a relief,” Tanu murmured gratefully.
“She has learned how the dragons intend to win the war,” the eagle announced.
“How did she do that?” Seth asked.
“She met with a stingbulb of Patton Burgess brought to fruition by Raj Faranah,” the eagle said. “After hearing what she knew from Ronodin, he understood the plan.”
“What’s the plan?” Calvin asked.
“You know he’s here?” the eagle checked, looking at the nipsie.
“Don’t mind me,” Calvin said. “I have a food hernia.”
“He’s loyal,” Seth said.
“And on my deathbed,” Calvin said. “Tell my mother I love her.”
“An object called the Wizenstone is hidden here at Wyrmroost,” Creya said.
Tanu started coughing up cobbler and wiped his face with a napkin. “Did you say the Wizenstone?”
“Yes,” Creya said.
“That should be long gone,” Tanu said, shifting uncomfortably. “The stuff of legend. Too powerful to really exist.”
“Not according to Patton,” Creya said. “It’s inside Stormguard Castle.”
Tanu bowed his head. “Of course it is.” He looked up. “The dragons know this? Why not just leave it there? How are they ever supposed to get it? Nobody has been inside Stormguard Castle since it was cursed.”
“Patton has,” Creya corrected. “Briefly.”
“What does he know?” Tanu asked.
“Lethal defensive barriers protect Stormguard Castle all but four nights each year,” Creya said.
“The festival nights,” Seth guessed.
The eagle stretched her wings and ruffled her feathers. “Yes. On the solstices and equinoxes each year the castle can be accessed by certain individuals.”
“Who?” Seth asked.
“Let me guess,” Tanu said bleakly. “Scraped-up potion masters full of cobbler.”
“Mortals,” Creya said. “Fair Folk. And magical creatures with a human avatar.”
“So dragons can enter,” Seth said.
“Only in human form,” Creya said. “Magic is stripped from those who enter. The dragons would have to remain in human form. The Fair Folk would lose any magical talents.”
“What about nipsies?” Calvin asked.
“Any other magical creatures cannot enter,” Creya said. “Only those who can take mortal shape.”
“But I’m really small,” Calvin said. “These kinds of spells often don’t take the especially tiny into account.”
“I know only what the stingbulb told us,” Creya said. “Apparently, if the dragons get the Wizenstone, they will win the war easily.”
“And they are going after the Wizenstone tomorrow?” Seth said.
“We assume,” Creya said.
“Tomorrow is Midsummer Eve,” Lomo noted.
“What if we get it instead?” Seth asked.
“Patton thinks we could use it to win the war,” Creya said.
“This is huge,” Seth said. “We were in trouble. We didn’t know what the dragons were planning. We didn’t know how to approach this fight. Now we have a chance.”
“It’s better than nothing,” Tanu said. “Does Kendra have a plan?”
“To go after the stone tomorrow night,” Creya said. “She hopes you and Seth can help.”
“The Zowali Protectorate is a good distance from Stormguard Castle,” Tanu said. “How do they hope to arrive?”
“They are currently devising a plan,” Creya said. “Access to the castle does not begin until an hour after sundown.”
Tanu scowled. “That makes it really difficult. We will be unprotected for up to an hour before entering the castle.”
“I can’t imagine there will be anywhere near the castle to hide for that hour,” Calvin said.
“We have to try,” Seth said. “If the war depends on this, how do we not try?”
Tanu rubbed his eyes and then ran both hands through his thick hair. “We must try. Meanwhile, I think I know a way to get us to Kendra.”
The prison door opened. Two guards entered, followed by two satyrs and two children. “This is our busiest night in ages,” the red-haired guard announced.
“There you are!” Knox exclaimed to Seth. “Eating dinner? Any left for us?”
Seth leaped to his feet. “Knox? Tess? Newel? Doren? What the heck are you all doing here?”
“We were trusted to watch
the little ones,” Newel said. “So naturally we’ve been cast into a foreign dungeon.”
“The road from Blackwell Keep runs straight to here,” Doren added.
“We saw some dragons,” Knox said. “A few came really close to the road.”
“You drank the milk?” Seth asked.
“I knew all your VR nonsense had to be a lie,” Knox said.
“It was the best I could do on short notice,” Seth said. “How do you like my sanctuary?”
“Your sanctuary?” Knox asked.
“Well, I’m the caretaker,” Seth said. “The guy in charge. Me and Kendra.”
Knox gave a scoffing laugh. “Right. That’s why you’re in a dungeon.”
“I really am the caretaker,” Seth said, looking to the others.
“True,” Tanu said.
“He is,” Newel affirmed. “We could have told you that.”
“Seth and Kendra are the caretakers,” Creya said.
“The talking bird!” Tess said.
“Nice to see you again,” Creya said. “I’m a golden eagle.”
“You must be the worst caretaker ever,” Knox said.
“That’s possible,” Seth replied. “I haven’t been on the job very long, and the dragons have already declared war. And I guess I did end up in a dungeon. Wait, why are you even at Wyrmroost?”
“We came through the barrel,” Tess said.
“Do Grandma and Grandpa Sorenson know you’re here?” Seth asked.
“They know we’re at Wyrmroost,” Knox said. “I came without permission. Tess tagged along.”
“I’m surprised they let you leave the keep,” Seth stated. “Do they know you came to Terrabelle?”
“We came to save you,” Doren said.
“You brought Knox and Tess to save me?” Seth asked. “They are so new here! They have no clue!”
“There were reasons,” Doren said. “There is a murderer loose at the keep. The barrel to Fablehaven is missing and possibly sabotaged. And Tess is our key to roaming free at Wyrmroost.”
Tess pivoted at the waist, swinging her cloak from side to side. “I have my fairy queen robe.”
