“What?” Liliana gasped. “But, how could they even do that?”
Argentium looked at her, the regret on his face now obvious.
“When Aurumallia died, she used her final life energies to imbue her children with the power of creation. Did you not know this? The wizard, Simon, certainly did. Each of the five dragons has the ability to give birth to others of their own kind.”
“Wait. Wait a moment, please,” Liliana said, holding up her hands. “The five young dragons are male, aren't they?”
The argent dragon almost smiled; at least his lips twitched as if he wanted to.
“There has only ever been one male dragon, lady paladin, and that is myself. The young ones are asexual. Neither male nor female. They all chose their humanoid forms based on my own, but that was simply an aesthetic choice. I assure you that all five of them are quite capable of laying eggs in their draconic forms.”
“And they have already started, haven't they?” Liliana asked heavily. “That's why the magic is returning again.”
“Yes, they have. Well, three of them have. The black, brown and red dragons have returned to your world. White and green are still back in my sanctuary in the Void. They are frankly appalled at what their siblings are doing.”
“Are they? Well, so am I, to be honest. At least a little bit. Still, why are you and the others so worried?”
“I beg your pardon?” Argentium said in surprise.
“Well, the old dragons were evil because of the influence of the dark gods and their insane mother, is that not so?”
“It is.”
“Then a new generation of dragons should be free of that taint, shouldn't they? I mean, I assume that they will still be dangerous predators, but there are so many monsters stalking the world now, a few more probably won't make much difference. Do you think that they would target humans specifically?”
The argent dragon was staring at Liliana in obvious bemusement.
“Well, perhaps not,” he replied. “But they would likely treat them as prey if they came across them in the wild.”
The paladin shrugged.
“Seems fair to me.”
“Lady, I must confess that your attitude surprises me,” Argentium told her. “Knowing your hatred of my kind, I was sure that this news would send you into a rage. Instead, you are practically serene.”
Liliana had to laugh.
“I am far from serene, my lord. But I am still Russian, even in this Changed state. And Russians are, by our very nature, pragmatists. I have learned that I can't change the world; I can only affect a very small part of it. There is nothing that I can do to stop those young primals from what they are doing, and it would be foolish of me to try. So instead, I will accept the inevitable and watch the skies more closely from now on.”
Argentium chuckled and Grom barked in joy at the sound. The argent dragon looked down at the wolf with a smile.
“There is a valiant heart burning inside of you, is there not?” he told Grom. “You are a true friend to the lady.”
Valiant whickered from where he was standing a dozen yards away and both Liliana and Argentium looked over at him.
“Ah, I see you have found each other,” he said gravely. “Very good. As the only living paladin, and the first of your kind in the modern era, I was wondering if such a union would happen.”
Liliana looked at him in confusion.
“Union? What do you mean?”
“Lady paladin, all of those summoned by the gods to battle in their name have been gifted with a mount. Have you not heard of this? Hmm, how surprising. I assure you though that the horse was sent to you by your patron, whoever that may be, to aid you in the many tasks that lie ahead of you. But take care; such beasts are not only intelligent, but have special abilities of their own. They are not mere animals and should be treated with the utmost respect.”
Liliana smiled at Valiant, who dipped his head twice as if agreeing with the argent dragon.
“Yes, I've seen at least one of those abilities. And I have a great deal of respect for him, my lord; I assure you.”
“Good. I am pleased to hear it. But there is still the matter of my young charges to consider.”
With a sigh, Liliana stepped back several paces until she was standing in the shade of a small tree.
“I'm sorry,” she said, “but the sun's heat is very draining. Please go on.”
Argentium glanced skyward.
“Yes, I suppose that it is. I forget sometimes about the frailty of humans. Please, sit down if you need to. I won't mind.”
“Thank you, but I'm fine now. Is there something that you want me to do, my lord? If it involves fighting a dragon, I doubt that I would survive for very long, paladin or not. You would have better luck seeking out Simon O'Toole for a task like that.”
The dragon hesitated.
“The wizard has hidden himself so well in the Void that none can find him, not even I. No, I am not asking you to perform any perilous tasks. I just wondered if you could spare the time to visit your friends in their castle to the north. They should be warned about the possibility of wild dragons appearing in the skies again. And you could also assure the mages that their powers will be returning soon. I suspect that they would be happy to hear that.”
Liliana grinned at Argentium's subtle sarcasm.
“Certainly, my lord. I was thinking of going to Nottinghill soon anyway, to inform the clerics there that their healing gifts should be working again. I'll happily relay your message.”
The argent dragon bowed slightly.
“My thanks. I doubt that my presence would be very welcome there, at least by some of the castle's inhabitants. Not that I blame them; the damage done by the evil dragons will never be forgotten, nor should it be. At best, I am a reminder of what has been lost, and why.”
“Yes, I suppose that is true,” Liliana admitted.
“And now I shall take my leave. It is good to see you doing so well, lady Liliana,” the dragon said pleasantly. “And I wish you well in the future.”
“And I you, my lord Argentium,” Liliana replied.
He nodded once more, turned and walked off into the forest. As soon as he entered the shadows, the dragon faded and was gone.
“Well now, that was amazing,” Liliana said to Grom. “But you took it well.”
He rumbled deep in his throat, stood up and trotted off, following the same path taken by Argentium. The paladin doubted that he would run into the dragon though; she suspected draconic magic had whisked the ancient being away.
She walked over to Valiant and stroked his soft neck. He nibbled at her hair and sighed under her touch.
“Was it nice to be recognized by a dragon?” she asked him softly.
The stallion rested his chin on her shoulder, enjoying her caresses.
“I'll take that as a yes,” Liliana told him. “I'm just glad that I wasn't wearing my armor. I don't think he knows about my connection to Esmiralla. And considering how dishonorably she acted and how she died, that's probably just as well.”
Valiant pulled his head back and stared at her with his dark intelligent eyes.
“Who was she? She was a silver dragon; the silver dragon, the last of her kind. After the lawful dragons were wiped out by their evil cousins ages ago, she was hidden deep underground by the gods of Light and slept away the millennia. Waiting for better days, I suppose.”
Liliana sat down wearily on a pile of logs a few feet away. She had cut down all the trees between her cottage and the river when she had first moved in, and there was still enough wood gathered in several piles to use as fuel or building material for years to come.
“Ironically, the dragon queen, Aurumallia, also slept away the centuries. But that creature was irredeemably evil.”
The stallion watched her get comfortable and then he began tearing up clumps of grass, chewing loudly.
“Esmiralla,” the paladin reflected quietly. “You know, what she did to my friend Simon w
as disgraceful; even she admitted that afterwards. But she did it for the most selfless of reasons, even if that is never a good excuse. I wonder if that helped to ease her conscience somewhat. I hope so. She died nobly though; bringing down the necromancers' tower. But when I first met her, it was long before all of that. Back then, I thought that she was just a woman, an ordinary refugee; the first one that I had found in Moscow. Can you believe it?”
Valiant was munching away contentedly, one ear cocked toward her. She wondered if he understood anything that she was saying. It didn't matter though; it was nice to be able to speak to a good listener for a change.
“I remember it so clearly, even now,” she continued. “It had been almost two weeks since my meeting with the Changlings and I had almost completed circling the city. Nowhere did I find any other people, and I had just about decided to give up and begin traveling westward. And then I heard someone singing.”
The stallion raised his head and looked at her.
“Yes, singing. In the middle of all that devastation, a woman was humming a tune. Can you believe it? I certainly didn't. Not at first anyway. And then I saw her. It was an amazing moment.”
Chapter 17
Liliana wiped off her forehead and leaned against a burned-out car to rest. It was very hot that day and she was feeling drained and sad. Her trek around the city had been fruitless. It seemed that no one had returned to Moscow, or perhaps there was no one left to return.
She pushed that thought away. It was too depressing to contemplate. Maybe people had done what she was about to do. She was going to head west into Europe and search for other survivors. Yes, that was definitely possible.
Clinging to that hope, Liliana stood up and adjusted her pack and shield. It was time to leave.
She had walked all around the city to the southern suburbs. In this area there were mainly single family homes and low apartments. The sun had just passed noon and she glanced up at it to get her bearings. Then she turned to face westward and began walking. And abruptly stopped short.
Music. She was hearing music.
The paladin turned her head this way and that, trying to locate the sound. It seemed to originate in the direction of a two-story home. The house's roof had collapsed and one wall had been ripped out, probably from a dragon attack. The other buildings around it were practically untouched, so why that particular home had been attacked was a mystery to her.
Damned dragons, she seethed. Why even bother smashing houses? Hadn't it been enough to level the entire city?
She pushed away her anger and focused on the music. Cautiously, she began to walk toward the sound. As she crossed the street, bright sunlight making the air hazy and still, Liliana realized that what she was hearing was a woman, singing. More specifically, the woman was humming.
She didn't recognize the song, but the music was light and joyful and totally out of place in the middle of the destroyed neighborhood.
Liliana walked slowly and silently around the building. She had become very cautious over the past month and treated anything new and out of place as a potential trap.
At the side of the house leading to the backyard she paused and drew her sword. Then she slowly moved to the corner and peeked around it.
There was a woman sitting with her legs curled beneath her right in the center of the yard, green grass and bright flowers growing all around her. She was humming to herself and smiling as she appeared to be weaving stalks of long grass together.
Liliana could not believe her eyes. The stranger was wearing a long silver gown that covered her from her neck to her toes. It glittered and shone in the sunlight and made it hard to see her features clearly. Her hair matched her gown; platinum blond and flowing down past her shoulders. It was like a scene out of a fairy tale.
I must be dreaming, the paladin thought to herself. This cannot be real.
“Come out, child,” the woman said, not raising her eyes from her work. “Come out into the sunlight and greet me. I assure you, I mean you no harm.”
Liliana's stomach clenched in surprise. How had the stranger heard her?
But trying to hide now was a waste of time, obviously, and so she stepped out from around the corner and walked into the yard.
The woman looked up from her task and smiled. She was delicately featured and her eyes were a pale blue, the color of winter ice.
“Ah, that is better. Welcome, young one. I am happy to see you. Isn't it a lovely day?”
The question caught Liliana by surprise and it took her a moment to collect her wits.
“Um, yes. Yes, it is. Uh, I'm sorry to disturb you, but are you all right? Can I help you?”
The woman's smile widened and she resumed her weaving.
“Help me? That is very considerate of you, but no, I have no need of your help. But perhaps I can help you.”
“Me?”
Liliana felt awkward and clumsy in the woman's presence and also felt somewhat embarrassed to be towering over her with her sword drawn.
“Have a seat,” the woman suggested with a graceful gesture. “The ground is warm and soft in the light and you must be tired after your long walk.”
The paladin sheathed her sword and sat down a few feet away from the woman. She felt awkward and huge sitting next to her.
“My long walk?”
“Your journey around the entire city. It has been a difficult time for you, hasn't it? And now you are leaving? That is a shame.”
Liliana stared at the ethereal figure in complete amazement.
“Madam, how can you know that? Surely you haven't been following me?”
The woman laughed, a light tinkle of sound that made Liliana smile in return.
“No, my dear. I have not been following you. I have other methods of gathering information. Oh, but allow me to introduce myself. My name is Esmiralla.”
“Esmiralla? That is a lovely name. But it isn't Russian, is it?”
“Hardly. It is a very old name; even older than your country. I am not from here originally.”
“I see. Well, your Russian is perfect, madam,” Liliana told her. “You speak as well as a native. And my name is Liliana. It is nice to meet you.”
“And it is a pleasure to know you, my dear. Thank you for the compliment. My people have a certain fluency when it comes to learning other languages, among other talents.”
“Your people?”
Esmiralla waved her hand dismissively.
“Let us not speak of them. I am only their distant cousin, after all, and if we ever met face to face, the consequences would be...unfortunate.”
Liliana shook her head. She was having a hard time following the woman's speech, although she understood every word.
“I do not understand you, madam, but I am feeling a little disconnected today. It may be the heat.”
“I see. Yes, I suppose that could be true. So tell me, Liliana; why are you preparing to leave your home city?”
“I don't understand how you could know that, but I have found no survivors here, in all of my searching. I have developed certain...abilities that could be used to help others. They are being wasted now, so I feel that I must leave and seek out those who could use my help.”
“Really? How interesting.”
Esmiralla bowed her head, her hands moving so quickly as she weaved the strands of grass together that they were almost a blur.
“That is a noble goal, I will admit,” she continued. “But Moscow is a big city. Do you not think it is possible that you may have missed someone?”
She looked up at Liliana and smiled demurely.
“Besides myself, I mean. As I said, I have no need of your help.”
“I've considered that,” Liliana admitted. “But I am only one person. I could spend months or even longer searching and never finding anyone. There has to reach a point where my energies would be better spent elsewhere, don't you think?”
Esmiralla sighed and stopped her work.
“Human frailty
. I understand, I think. Well then, allow me to aid you, as I said I would. First, I would like to offer you a gift.”
“A gift? But, madam...”
“Call me Esmiralla, if you would. It is my name, after all.”
Liliana bowed, finding it odd to do so sitting on the ground. It just seemed like the proper gesture somehow.
“Esmiralla, you do not need to give me anything. You don't even know me.”
“I know more about you than you might think, child,” the woman responded.
She tilted her head to the side slightly and narrowed her pale eyes.
“And refusing a gift from me would be rather insulting, don't you think?”
Although she had barely moved, Esmiralla seemed to exude a sudden aura of menace and Liliana reflexively put a hand on her sword hilt.
“Um, of course I would not want to insult you,” she hastened to assure the woman. “It is just that we've just met and...”
“Ah, I see!”
Esmiralla smiled broadly and the sense of danger in the air disappeared like a puff of smoke.
“You feel like you are taking advantage of a stranger. That is so very polite of you, my dear. But this gift is something that I made just for you, don't you know.”
She held up the object that she had been working on and Liliana stared at it, trying to figure out what it was.
It just looked like a rolled-up mat or small carpet. Esmiralla leaned forward and handed it to her. She accepted it gingerly.
“Uh, thank you very much,” she said , a bit bewildered.
“Open it,” Esmiralla urged her. “See what you think.”
“Open it?”
Liliana lifted the thing up and grasped one end with both hands. The object unrolled and she gaped at it in surprise.
It was a kind of long tunic, or short skirt. It was a lot larger than she had expected it to be and, even though it had been woven together from stalks of grass, it was quite smooth and tightly made.
“Oh my, it's lovely,” Liliana said truthfully. “You must have been at this for hours.”
The First Paladin (The New Earth Chronicles Book 1) Page 22
