With a casualness that stunned even Cinnabar, Atar the dragon smashed the Morgoth sprawling to the ground with a back handed swing that came in a flash. Without even blinking Atar signed to his fellows and they caught hold of the chains holding Cinnabar and walked out of the castle. Cinnabar was simply dragged along the ground like so much rubbish. Anyone looking closely would have seen the flicker of uncertainty appear for an instant in the eyes of Cinnabar. A roar of anger suddenly echoed back into the throne room.
"With your permission my Lord, I will go with the others and ensure that they know that the true Lord of the Dragons has indeed returned. You have given all the signs, you have freed us from our magic wrought prison. You have the Seal of the Creator, and the ear of the Blue Tower. The time of greatness has returned." His voice started to rise in volume, and his speech became even harder to understand. He began to flicker back and forth between man shape and that of the huge dragon he really was. His words were mostly incomprehensible, but those that were did not bode well for the futures of the Tharsians, no the Dark Lord himself.
Antonin raised his hand and slowly the dragon settled back into his rough human form again, still growling and snapping. If his tail had been visible, it would have been lashing back and forth. Antonin smiled at the thought.
"Atar, commander of the dragons, I appreciate your desire to be at the Tharsians. I assure you we will. The Key Stone must be ours. If that is lost, the Lord of Lies is free and our battle will rage across the face of the world. Be sure you guard Cinnabar well. It seems he is the key to finding the Key Stone, although I would rather he were dead right now."
Antonin was a little unsure of this part. He could not see how Cinnabar could be the key to anything but trouble, but it had been said so he had to take it as true.
Catharina and Desare stood in a group of Maidens. Elsa and Edina were there, and the others. There were no Wind Readers, they were still in the Blue Tower.
Desare had not yet called the Keeper of the Blue Tower, or at least if she had, the Keeper had chosen not to come.
There was only the Maidens and the men of the plains. The soldiers from the nearby city were there too and there in the circle Antonin spotted Nareena. The girl who had saved him on the ice.
"Atar, please go now and see to Cinnabar In thirty three days we march."
Atar smashed his fist to his chest and without a word turned and left. Soon the vast chamber was empty apart from Antonin's close friends and a small band of Maidens. The girls were still huddled in a circle, occasional laughter escaping them. His two friends Rees and Gaul squatted on their heels, resting against the stonework. they had hardly moved throughout the dramas of the past hours. Once the battle had ended and the Wind Readers were gone, they had simply waited. Things were now calm again it seemed.
Antonin sat on the cold stone and rubbed his forehead. He needed sleep. Food would be nice too. And a bath.
"Come my friends. Let us leave this cold chamber and seek out suitable rooms in a high tower, where we might enjoy light and warmth, and take some rest for a while. The dragons are awake now, and on watch."
ABOUT THE AUTHOR
Robert and his muse Liz, live in Suffolk, in the United Kingdom with two crazy dogs. He has dual citizenship with Australia and the UK and travelled and worked in China. He was born and raised in Australia of an English (Lancashire) mother.
The Dragons of Sara Sara Page 51
