Return of the Dragonborn: The Complete Trilogy

by N. M. Howell

  “I was fortunate enough to fall in among a group of older women who had been slaves for a while already. They took to me and protected me. For three years, they looked out for me and kept me from the filthy hands of the sorcerers. Those were dark times, Andie, and we suffered terribly. There was no relief for me even in avoiding the lechery of the sorcerers. Torture, starvation, humiliation. There aren’t words for some of the things we endured. And the sorcerers just kept hurting us, figuring out new and innovative ways to bring us pain because our dragonblood kept healing us. But as you know, though we heal we still feel pain. We still feel every second of pain. I can’t tell you how much it broke my heart to see those women going in my place, offering themselves for those nightmarish evenings instead of letting the perverted sorcerers have me. They would cover me in mud or rub me down with molded food to make me less appealing. They were my angels.

  “I’d only passed seventeen winters, but I had no intention of being a slave all my life. I knew I need to escape and knew that somebody needed to unite my people, give them hope. I already knew that I came from a long line of royalty, but by the time I was born our people had been thrown into disarray. Even my mother never got a chance to sit on the throne. By the time I was enslaved, our people weren’t concerned with royal lineage, only survival. In fact, there were many royal lines. I’m proud to say that mine was the kindest. Even dragonborn had cruelty in their history, but my royal line had always been fair and understanding.

  “One day the guards came for me. I had made up my mind to go with them that night. I refused the mud, the rotten food, and all the other tricks the women had used to keep me safe. Three years was more than enough time in slavery. The women cried as I was dragged off, but I knew what I was doing. The sorcerer who kept us was so wealthy I don’t think even he knew how much money he had. His palace was so large, it took twenty minutes to reach him from the slave gallery. When the guards dumped me at his door he looked me over, then made me bathe. I let him watch me, let his eyes drink me in. I relished the bath. I had not been fully clean since I’d left home. I washed my body, my hair, cleaned my teeth and feet. When I was ready I went to stand by the bed; I beckoned him, pretended I had accepted my fate. He did not know what I planned.

  “I won’t tell you how, but I will tell you that I disposed of him in a manner I thought fitting. I snuck back to the slave gallery, told the others what I had done, and offered them a choice. We found our strength and from then on, we fought back with everything we had. It wasn’t long before we had completely overrun the palace. We left there and divided into groups, liberating our people in multiple regions. I grew in influence and my power grew as well, as I ceased to be afraid.

  “Before I knew it, I was a general in our militia. We began to understand that the only reason the sorcerers had defeated us physically was because they had first defeated us mentally. We had let them frighten us. We had cowered in their shadow. But that was done. Soon we were uniting in the mountains we had previously called home and not long after I was given the great honor of being asked to reign among our people. I didn’t want the throne at first; it seemed silly to stand on ceremony and call myself a Queen when we were fighting for our lives and didn’t even have a permanent home. But I did as the people asked. If it had not been for Eitilt, that terrible curse, we would have taken back our world, yet that was not the turn fate had planned for us.

  “I know you have many questions and concerns, not the least of which is why you were the one to hear our call for help. That answer is... complex. As are the many ‘whys’ behind your betrayer’s actions. Such is life. You fret too much. I will go now, but I leave you with this: we are a powerful people, Andie, and there is no limit to our power when we choose to abandon fear and leap into hope.”

  Saeryn smiled and touched Andie’s hand. They sat like that for a moment, not speaking, not moving, just understanding. When Saeryn finally stood to leave and Andie was left alone, she felt significantly better. At the beginning of her stay, Andie had felt special in having Saeryn spend so much time with her; she felt that she had been singled out by the Queen. However, the longer she stayed the more she began to understand that Saeryn treated them all that way; she genuinely loved her people. Then Andie had begun to wonder how she could have such grace under pressure when there were thousands of things that could go wrong and millions of people wanting their ultimate destruction. But now she was beginning to understand. Saeryn wasn’t optimistic or willfully blind. In fact, she was acutely aware of the many ways in which their way of life could be ended, but she understood that her strength wasn’t for herself. It was for all the people watching her, the people who depended on her in order to believe that what they were fighting for was worth it. And that’s when Andie finally understood.

  Pain was probable. Fear was merely possible.

  The next morning, Andie was feeling better; she couldn’t fool herself into ignoring her circumstance, but she realized that there was so much more than just her personal feelings involved. She also knew that no matter what was going on onboard the ship, she had her people, the dragonborn, behind her.

  She straightened her space and then went out to see what her people were up to. That morning the children were performing a piece they had been working on in their classes. Andie was amazed that the dragonborn had set up a school, markets, and a prototype of a financial quarter in less than a year. They had already mapped the entire mountain range and were fast approaching the initial phase of their building projects. They were going to take a group of the smaller peaks and break them down into materials they could use to construct buildings, aqueducts, and a number of other things as well, all of which would unite to create a formidable infrastructure. They had also already begun mining in the mountains and the valleys between. They had found a number of useful minerals, silver, coal, and even iron ore. One of the architects told Andie all of this and more as they sat and watched the children perform.

  When the performance was over, Andie went to the market to get food for breakfast. The dragonborn didn’t deal in money, at least not among themselves: everyone had a set of tasks and as long as everyone did their share the workload was light and resources were plentiful. She was amazed at their ability to share, at the evidence of their evolution beyond petty scheming to a kind of generosity and compassion that Andie could hardly describe. It was like being in the middle of one big family. One enormous, incredibly content family. Of course, they had arguments and disputes—in fact, Andie had witnessed at least four such instances since she had been living with them—but they resolved them with reason and love.

  Michaelson had been her home her entire life. It had always been a paradise to her, with its gold and waving fields, the lake that stretched toward her like an old friend, the sky endless and open above her. And, for a time, she had called Arvall City home, with its glass and steel and opportunities, its history and its diverse people. She’d found a second home and a great system with Marvo and his family. But being up there on the mountain with her people felt more than right. It felt like destiny.

  “Andie, one day you’re going to have to leave this little place. It’s not right for you to stay here, cloistered and afraid of the world.”

  “I’m not afraid, dad, I just don’t see what the big deal is. You’re a sorcerer. Why can’t you just teach me how to control my magic? You lived with mom, she must’ve told you some stuff about how this is supposed to work.”

  “There’s no way I could ever replace your mother or do the things she would’ve been able to do. She could’ve taught you everything you needed to know, and with ease at that. My magic is totally different from yours, Andie. Even at sixteen, you’re already as strong as I am. This time next year you’ll be more powerful than me and in ten years you’ll have more power and ability than I could ever dream of. I love you and I wish I could keep you here with me forever, but you need to learn control.”

  “Fine. Then I just won’t use my magic at all. I don
’t want to leave you here alone. And I don’t like the city. It’s loud and it smells and the people are rude and you can’t see the stars at night and—”

  “And you don’t want to go. And I don’t want you to go. But, Andie it’s about more than just learning control. You need to learn about your history: who your people are, what happened to them, what your future could be like, what you’re capable of. There’s only so much I can tell you and even your mother didn’t know much about the history of the dragonborn. You have to know that I would do anything for you, but I can’t make the world accept you or what you can do. You need to learn how to hide your magic. And don’t argue because you know I can’t handle the thought of something happening to you.”

  “I don’t have to go now or soon, right? I can stay with you a little longer?”

  “Of course you can. It’s still a couple of years before the Academy will take you, but one day, sweetheart, you’ll have to go. It won’t be so bad. You can visit me and I’ll visit you. but Michaelson is such a small part of the world. And you’re meant to do great things. One day you’ll find it.”

  “Find what?”

  “Your destiny.”

  Thinking of her father almost brought Andie to tears, but she was also incredibly happy to have him back with her again. She was planning to talk to Raesh when she saw him again and make sure he understood that her father was coming with her, back up to the mountain. He wouldn’t spend another night in a cell, not even to appease the other fighters. They must’ve known that he wasn’t a spy. As she walked, she looked around her at all the life and happiness and she knew that her father would be happy there. The dragonborn might not let him stay long, but as long as the ship was in the vicinity and as long as her people would have him she wanted him to see what she’d found. She took her armful of items and set them down in a crook of the mountain where the sun was shining perfectly.

  She began to put together a modest breakfast and bathe in the soft light of the high sun. Not long after she began, a dragon landed not far from her and curled its huge self into a ball to sleep. Its steady, deep breathing was almost hypnotic and it helped Andie relax as she finished preparing and began to eat.

  She was content. She looked around her, watching the stillness and the grandeur of the mountains. She looked behind her and saw a thin, climbing pillar of smoke, no doubt from one of the new caverns been blown out with dragon fire. For a happy people, the dragonborn were surprisingly hardworking. They understood the totality of requirements in order for them to preserve and protect their way of life—they accepted it and went on with the business of living. Andie finished her breakfast and got up to go find Saeryn.

  They saw each other at almost the same instant. There were smiles, waves, and Saeryn turned her body and her attention to the approaching Andie. She was almost to the Queen when a mighty roar rang through the sky. As one, the dragonborn turned to the sky and so did Andie, all of them watching the dragon as it soared with a greater speed and a fiercer determination than Andie had ever seen. Everybody on the plateau cleared out of the way as the dragon landed so forcefully it cracked the ground. The warrior who was riding dismounted and looked as if he had seen something terrible. He turned left and right, searching, until finally his eyes landed on Saeryn and Andie.

  “What has happened?” Saeryn said, her shoulders already clenching to bear the weight of the new burden.

  “There has been an explosion,” the warrior said. “We were out beyond the range, watching over the Nathair to see if anything had entered to region. We heard a noise, a terrible noise. It wasn’t until we turned and flew back along the river that we realized it was the sound of steel being torn apart. The ship...”

  And with that he looked at Andie and she immediately felt the knots forming and twisting in her stomach.

  “The ship carrying your friends,” the warrior said. “It’s been ripped in half.”

  Chapter Fourteen

  “Explosion?” Andie said, barely focusing. “What happened? Is anyone hurt?”

  “I’m afraid so. There were casualties. I’m not sure to what extent, but I don’t have a good feeling about the outcome. I came back to alert you. The two who were on patrol with me have stayed behind to watch over the wreck from a distance. We couldn’t go down, in case whoever or whatever did that was still there and still posing a threat.”

  “What do you mean who?”

  “I’m dragonborn. I know fire and explosions. Whatever happened there wasn’t an accident. No natural explosion could have done that. That was magic. Dangerous magic.”

  “We must go down at once,” Saeryn said, taking Andie’s arm. “Gather all the healers and tell them what has happened. Have them meet us at the ship immediately. Bring food and water. Gather blankets, clothes, and be as quick as possible. Where is the ship? Did it move at all from its position yesterday?”

  “No, it’s still there. What’s left of it.”

  “At once.”

  Saeryn began to run with Andie still in her grasp. Andie could barely comprehend what was happening. All she could think about were the names. Raesh. Yara. Eric. Marvo. Carmen. Kent. Lilja. Sarinda. Captain Wolfe. Charles. Murakami. Sarah. Elizabeth. Mary Louise. Roderick. So many people who had aligned themselves to her cause and gave up their lives to be there on that ship, fighting for what they believed was right. Over five hundred brave souls who had given up a life of ease to fight what had never been a fair fight, and now they may have given up their lives entirely.

  Before Andie could understand what had happened, she was on the back of a dragon riding behind Saeryn and they were plunging through the sky. Andie had meant to ride behind Oren, but had mistaken Saeryn’s dragon for his; for a split-second, Andie thought she saw a strange look on Saeryn’s face. But, of course, there was a strange look. There was a strange look on everyone’s faces. They had just found out the people coming to help them were probably dead. Saeryn gripped the dragon differently, more purposefully, and the creature seemed to sense her desire. Andie had never experienced such speed and power before. The dragon was a living breathing knife in the sky and in seconds they had passed through the ominous clouds and left the sunlight behind.

  Beneath the clouds, the lightning seemed brighter, hotter, faster than ever. The thunder sounded a thousand times amplified, so loud it was like each clap traveled down inside of her and split her again and again. The dragon flew like it was honing in on something, unaffected by the lightning, heedless of the thunder. Andie had finally come around and brought herself back into her body, back into the midst of yet another horrible incident. This was all the University’s fault. They had planted the spy and told them to wreak this havoc on the unsuspecting fighters. Andie just couldn’t comprehend how anyone could be so evil, so hungry for other people’s blood—at least, she hadn’t understood it until right then and there as she was cutting her way through the sky.

  Suddenly she was filled with a rage and a bloodlust unlike anything she’d ever known was possible. She hoped that of all the lives lost, the traitor would still be alive. She wanted to see them, touch them, feel their throat beneath her hands. She had never relished the thought of violence, and certainly not of taking a life, but she had reached her point and passed it. Whoever the traitor was, they had performed their last evil. She prayed for them to be alive. She prayed for the chance to end them.

  As they neared the ship’s position, Andie was finally able to see what the warrior had warned them about. The other two dragons were still circling above the wreck, but when they saw Saeryn and her group approaching they came down to join them.

  The ship itself was a complete ruin. It was split open about a third of the way along its length. The wreck was lying on the edge of the shore where they had anchored before. The explosion had blown the steel back in sharp, grotesque tears. The shining grey steel of the ship abruptly became a smoldering black at the split, the long, jagged shards of steel point out from the point of the blast. Only a thin sliver
of the bottom of the ship held the two halves together, but even so there was nothing that could be done for it. Andie was in a kind of sedated awe when she saw it, the great bulk of the ship lying on its side in the sand, the lightning running the sky above.

  But as they came closer and closer, Andie began to see that there were survivors. Lots of survivors. They were standing or lying along the shore, wounded, anxious, looking up at the dragonborn in fear as if they thought they were being attacked. Saeryn turned the dragon to fly over the wreck to survey it from the air. Totally destroyed. The survivors were tending to each other and Andie searched desperately for a face she recognized. She searched for her father. Finally, the dragon touched down and Andie leapt off.

  She ran through the people, looking at their injuries, their lacerations, their wounds, their blood. They reached out for her, tried to question her or garner some reassurance from her, but she couldn’t stop. She simply couldn’t ask her legs to quit moving until she had found a familiar face. Finally, someone seemed to understand what she wanted and pointed. She followed the direction of the finger, and, even when she didn’t see anything, she just kept running. Hoping. And then there he was.

  She couldn’t tell who reached who first. All she knew was that she was in Raesh’s arms. Or maybe he was in hers. There was one less person she had to worry about.

  “Where are you hurt?” she asked, checking him over furiously. She spun him around in front of her, examining every inch of his body as he turned.

  “Andie… Andie, I’m fine. I caught some shrapnel in the side, but I’m fine,” he said, stopping his spinning and placing his hands firmly on her shoulders. “I’ve already been seen to. Andie, it wasn’t an accident. It wasn’t natural.”

  “I know, they told me,” Andie tried to hide the frantic emotion from her voice. “What happened?”