They both nodded, but it was Ten who answered. “We’ll not only escort her to the portal, but we’ll walk right through the VoT thing with her.”
Zander shook his head. “No, it could be a trap.”
“I know none of you trust Asla,” Levin said. “And, in the past, it was probably with good reason. But she’s changed, I swear she has, and we trust her, we love her, and we believe in her. If we’re right, then Ten and I will meet you guys on the Castle Kuropkat side of the portal. And we’ll make sure it’s clear. If we’re wrong…” He shrugged. “Then the next time we meet, you’re welcome to take our heads. If we’re still in possession of them.”
His two half-halfling, half-barbarian cousins stood one on the right and the other on the left of Asla. As if of the same mind, they each took one of her hands in theirs and tugged her forward. She followed.
“Be careful and watch your backs. We’ll see you again before this day is through” was all Zander could think to say. His mind and heart were already looking ahead, focused only on Kitrina and getting her back into his arms where she belonged.
Chapter Fourteen
Kitrina ran straight through the rarely used dragon cave portal without so much as a blink of an eye. But landing on the other side, in the oppressive darkness, with the sound of the breath of a thousand huge beasts all bearing down upon her was a whole different matter. Her cat fur prickled in awareness, and her cat eyes scanned first left and then right for the sight of the well-worn path she’d traveled so many times as a child. She had the creepiest feeling that today, though, she was being watched for an entirely different reason…stalked even.
She needed to get out of this cave, and she needed to get out fast.
The dragons knew her as the human Kitrina, and as such, she trusted them implicitly and knew they’d never willingly harm her. But as Cat, she had no way of directly communicating with them, and it was a well-known fact that there had never been a dragon born who’d been known to turn down a warm-blooded fur-covered snack, not even her very own dragon, Obsidian, if hungry enough.
Being a dragon’s, any dragon’s midmorning morsel wasn’t in her plans for today. There were more important tasks ahead.
Even as children, she, Lara, and Tawny had been warned not to play in the dragon caves when in feline form. Not that all of the dragons hadn’t been introduced to them as cats that were off limits, especially as dinner choices, for they had. And when out in the open and easily distinguishable from others of their feline species, not once had she ever felt remotely threatened. It was just that here, in the darkness of the dragon caves, in the deepest recesses of their private domain, instincts were, at times, known to overrule reason.
She’d considered taking the more direct Castle Kuropkat portal from The Academy but had decided against it because she’d been positive it would be heavily guarded. She wasn’t yet ready to be seen or to take the chance she’d be turned over to Marquart. There were questions she needed answers to first. Questions like, how many combatants now occupied her home? What had they done with the rare male dragon egg to ensure the cooperation of the dragons and the other paladins? And most importantly, was her family secure? And if so, where in the castle were they being held?
She fleetingly thought about shifting back into her human form, at least until she could safely clear the cave, but decided against it. If she shifted now, the Dragon Heart Opal, her only bargaining chip to save not only the baby dragon but her own family, would once more be about her neck instead of with Zander, where it was safe, where he could use it to hopefully accomplish the task if she failed. Or, at the very least, help Lara complete it.
No, she couldn’t afford to shift into her human form yet, especially to protect her own skin. For what then would happen when she had no choice but to become Cat once again? And she would.
She needed to sneak in and explore the castle in order to find her family, and the only way to get past the guards and get into the deepest recesses of Castle Kuropkat was by continuing to be the stupid cat.
No one paid a moment’s attention to a plain, ordinary house cat, not even a black one. And as Cat, she had no doubt she could walk right through the wide open doors of Castle Kuropkat without so much as raising an eyebrow from anyone, especially troll guards.
Kitrina took five steps forward and froze as the ground beneath her paws suddenly rumbled with movement. Dragons. And they were close by. She almost lost her nerve. She almost shifted back into Kit. But she didn’t.
She knew without a doubt that if she morphed now, and then back into Cat once she was free of the cave, the Dragon Heart Opal would be left behind, somewhere…discarded…unprotected...and potentially lost, if for some reason she was prevented from becoming human again.
She rubbed her neck with her paw, missing the warmth of the stone that normally hung there, missing its weight, missing its presence. She couldn’t do it, not even to save herself. There were too many variables involved in her plan as it was to risk losing the legacy of the Paladins of Albrath.
Yes, it was too risky by far. If she somehow became trapped in cat form, the beautiful stone wouldn’t be available to save her family, and as Cat, she wouldn’t be able to tell anyone where to begin to search for it.
That wasn’t a chance Kitrina was willing to take. She’d rather be eaten by dragons. At least that fate would find the rare male dragon egg still safe, her family still alive, and the Dragon Heart Opal around Lara’s neck where she could then use it to save them all…hopefully.
She took a deep breath and stepped forward once again. First things first. If she was going to save anyone or anything, it was imperative she make her way out of this cave, down the mountain, across the valley, and into Castle Kuropkat. And in order to do so, she had to safely navigate these rocky cliffs and corridors first…in one piece…with her fur intact…preferably.
Around one bend, down two dark corridors, across the expanse of a walkway bridging a wide gaping chasm, and over what seemed to be miles of debris beneath her paws, the origins of which she really didn’t wish to speculate, she ran.
Kitrina’s heart pounded hard in her chest, the muscles of her legs cramped and ached, the pads of her paws stung and burned, and the quick sharp breaths tore at her lungs. But she didn’t stop, she didn’t even slow down, and she didn’t look back. Not even when she felt the eyes of an entire covey of dragons boring straight through her.
Up ahead the cave’s opening suddenly loomed, and Kitrina let her breath out in a whoosh. She’d made it. Just a few more yards, and she’d be out into the sunshine and among the cover-affording foliage she so desperately needed in order to stay hidden.
Her right paw had just cleared the cave entrance when not only her path but the sunlight she was running toward was completely blocked. Slowly, Cat look up and up, and then up some more. Finally, she saw them. The large, unblinking, peridot-green eyes of a dragon. And not just any dragon, but a huge dragon covered with blood red scales.
At first, the sight of those particular peridot-green eyes filled her with excitement. They were almost as familiar and comforting to her as the gazes of her parents. It was Carnelian, Obsidian’s mother, and the very dragon who was bound heart and soul to both Uthiel and Briar Dragonheart.
Then she remembered she was Cat, not Kit, and she shivered. The red scales of the dragon’s face flattened out as ever so slowly Carnelian brought her great head down close to Kitrina’s face and sniffed.
Kit closed her eyes and held her breath. The ability to contemplate shifting into human form fled her mind. Her only thought, her only hope, was for the end to come quickly and as painlessly as possible. Her mind raced with the possibilities of how it would end. Would the great female dragon roast her with her flaming breath before eating or simply swallow her whole like a berry plucked from a bush? She couldn’t decide which scenario would be worse.
Then Carnelian licked her, and Kit was sure her heart was going to stop. She waited for the first bite, and wai
ted…and waited. Finally, she opened her eyes, and though she was sure she’d never seen a dragon actually smile, that was exactly what Carnelian was doing. With a jerk of her massive dragon’s head, she motioned Kit south toward Castle Kuropkat, toward home, toward the real danger.
Kitrina didn’t take time to thank God Draka for the fact she was still breathing and in one piece, unharmed. And she didn’t bother scratching a patch of dirt to cover the spot where she’d peed herself when she thought she was about to be eaten, either. Instead, she quickly nodded her understanding of the situation to Carnelian and took off, racing down the mountain in a flash of black fur and pink-padded paws.
****
Zander was the first of his group to pass through the portal into the dragon’s lair. He moved off to the side to make room for the others who would follow, and the skin on the back of his neck prickled with awareness.
How many times had he stood in this very spot without an inkling of trepidation And how many times over those long ago summers had he ridden on the backs of one dragon or another without a hint of fear? Clinging to their scales, gripping the sides of their necks with his arms and thighs, shouting his excitement to the four corners of Albrath?
He couldn’t begin to count.
And how many times had he simply lain in the tall grass surrounding Castle Kuropkat, stretched out with his cousins, watching the dragons at play? Dreaming of stalking them, capturing their leader, conquering them for a quest? Again, too many times to count.
But today, today was different. Zander Hammerstrike was no longer a child, and this was no longer play. Dragons were known to have long memories, and he certainly hoped they would remember him fondly, but he also knew they were extremely protective of not only their own, but of the residents of Castle Kuropkat and of the Paladins of Albrath. Anyone fool enough to blindly trespass upon sacred dragon ground, especially when the dragon’s eggs were in danger, did so at his own peril.
Zander was no fool. He was simply in a hurry. He couldn’t risk walking through the Castle Kuropkat portal and storming its gates without reinforcements. And he wasn’t yet ready to show his hand. He had to locate Kitrina first. He had to get her and her family to safety before he’d be free to put a stop to all this nonsense about the Dragon Heart Opal and the Stone of Anthion by removing Marquart’s head from her horrid troll body.
For beheading the evil, lying, conniving, hate-filled troll commander was exactly what it was going to take to stop the threat. And it didn’t matter to him that she was female. He couldn’t afford to let it. After all, the woman had chosen her path and her fate the day she’d decided to jeopardize Kit’s well-being.
The cave’s antechamber filled quickly as Zander’s father, King Adan, and an entire contingent of barbarian soldiers followed him through. Then came Talon and Wally with Leeky and Pierced bringing up the rear. They would meet up with Graydon, Gareth, and their father, Sarco, at the Castle Kuropkat portal.
At the last minute, Steve had been left behind at The Academy to make sure Laycee and Lavender weren’t left without protection. A task he’d willingly agreed to, but one that had finally managed to wipe the dark elf’s always-in-place smile from his face. It couldn’t be helped.
“What the dirty bare feet of a hoe-down stomping, obese oboe-playing ogre in a too-tight tutu do ya make of this place? Dragon caves give me the heebie-jeebies. Make yaself useful and get a torch lit, Pierced? It’s darker than dehydrated donkey piss in here.”
Pierced struck a match, lit a torch, and the cave flooded with light.
A sudden intake of air echoed through the cavern as every eye present locked onto the huge black dragon standing right before them. Close enough to incinerate them all with a single burst of his fiery breath if he so wished.
Zander stepped forward and bowed. “Obsidian, it’s good to see you again, old friend. We’ve come to help.”
The dragon’s stare locked with his own, unblinking, probing, as if it could read his every thought and feeling. The two halves of the once whole Dragon Heart Opal pulsed in Zander’s pocket and grew warmer than it had been before.
He wasn’t sure why, but he hadn’t told his parents about what happened with the stone yet. It simply hadn’t seemed the right time or the right place. Getting to Kitrina was more important. There would be time later when all was said and done to contemplate the meaning behind the Dragon Heart Opal breaking.
At least, hopefully, there would be.
As Obsidian continued to stare, an unfamiliar warmth filled Zander’s mind to overflowing. Not soothing, yet not uncomfortable, simply there where it hadn’t ever been before. Then he heard it for the very first time, the voice of a dragon, and not just any dragon, Kitrina’s dragon.
“Zander Hammerstrike, barbarian mate of my lady, Kitrina, chosen by the Dragon Heart Opal and destiny, you and your friends are welcome here, and so is your help. But first, considering what you now are to my kind, we will share blood with you and hear the Paladins of Albrath oath from your lips.”
From seemingly everywhere and yet nowhere in particular, the ground beneath his feet rumbled, and before Zander had time to blink an eye, the cavern filled to overflowing with dragons, hundreds of them. Some big, some not so much, of every color imaginable, and as similar as siblings yet each as uniquely distinct as any other race who’d ever inhabited Albrath.
The men behind him, even his own father, backed toward the still open portal. But Zander didn’t move. Instead, he asked a question. “Why do you need the oath from me? We’ll help without it.”
Once more Obsidian’s voice filled his mind, but this time it was mixed with the undertones of every other dragon in the room. “As mate to the wearer of the Dragon Heart Opal, you are now heir to the leadership of the Paladins of Albrath, after our Lord Uthiel. You will one day be our leader, our protector, our future, and the father of the children our lady Kitrina Dragonheart will bear.”
Zander shook his head and in his own mind answered, “I can’t be what you wish me to be. I’ll do all I can to help, but I’m not destined to be the leader of the Paladins of Albrath. I’m destined to be the Barbarian King of Alaria.”
Obsidian chuckled and the sound of it vibrated the walls. “Ah, if life were only so simple, that all we need do is follow the path to which we were born. We have no power to choose our own destinies, young Zander Hammerstrike. Have you not yet realized? It is destiny itself that chooses us, not the other way around.”
The warmth of a hand on his shoulder distracted Zander from his conversation with Obsidian. “Why do they demand an oath from you, son? They never have before.”
His father’s words ripped the very heart from his chest. He couldn’t do it. He couldn’t tell his father, who had always stood by his side with pride shining in his face, that he might actually consider giving up his throne and joining himself to a human female instead of a barbarian one. And why would he consider such a thing? Simply because he loved her with every fiber of his being and not because a stupid chunk of rock had chosen him for her when it had broken in two while he held it in his hand.
But then again, how could he not? His father deserved the truth, and Zander himself needed his father’s infinite wisdom and understanding more now than he’d ever needed it before.
Zander didn’t say a word, however. Instead, he dug deep into the pocket of his breeks and pulled out the two very separate and distinct pieces of the once singular Dragon Heart Opal.
King Adan gasped. “I see.”
Zander nodded, and though he prided himself on being tougher than steel, tears stung the back of his eyes. He forced them away. “I don’t know what I’ll do. I can’t even think about what this means yet. I just know I have to save her, save all of them, even the stupid egg. VoT, especially the male dragon egg. That’s what Kitrina would want, and that’s what I must do or die trying.”
It was his father’s turn to nod. “Then take the oath, son, and we’ll all take it with you. For today, we’re all Paladin
s of Albrath.”
Zander pulled his dagger from its sheath and sliced his finger before kneeling before Obsidian and handing off the blade to his father. Every single man in turn, from the king of the barbarians to the king’s lowliest warrior, and even the great rogue Leeky Shortz himself and his son Pierced, and then finally Talon followed Zander’s lead.
Obsidian in turn, sliced his talon. Drops of dragon blood welled and mixed first with Zander, then with every other man present.
Warmth once more filled Zander’s mind, and not just his own but the collective intellect of every man present. He heard their struggle for breath mixed with his right before Obsidian’s voice boomed within their psyche. “Do you know what words to say?”
Zander shook his head.
“Then repeat after me.” Obsidian took a deep breath, as did every other dragon in the room. And his voice boomed loud and clear in their minds as he recited the promise that had existed for centuries between man and dragon. “From this day forward, ’til time is no more. I pledge you my dagger, I pledge you my sword. I pledge you my service, I pledge you my brawn. I pledge you my heart ’til my last breath is drawn.”
On bended knee and without blinking, Zander and his companions repeated the oath. When they were done, Obsidian had one more thing to say. “Zander Hammerstrike, from this day forward, though you may have been born more barbarian than human, you now and forever will be my human and I your dragon.”
****
Down the steep mountain and across the wide valley, Kitrina ran. Sharp rocks slashed at her tender cat paws, and thorny thistles pricked her once shiny fur. Still, she didn’t slow, and she certainly didn’t think about stopping. For the towers of Castle Kuropkat rose upon the horizon, beckoning her onward, calling her home.
Trolls of every size and shape were everywhere she looked. They were patrolling the cobblestones of the roadway, marching the fields, and even slinking along the riverbank close to the waterfall.
Tamed by the Fire Page 20
