Revelation of the Dragon

by J Elizabeth Vincent

  Murmurs filled the cavern once again as the councilors reacted to what she’d said.

  “We know them,” Mellar said above the noise.

  Mariah’s heart leapt at his confirmation, and before she could think better of it, she blurted out, “Do you know where—”

  Berg’s voice rose above hers. “Before you judge or run back to your hidey holes, I’ll have you know that we have reason to believe that Mariah Griven is the Banished One, something some of us had already guessed by the tales of her exploits in Varidian.”

  The room quieted again.

  Tales? Just how many people knew about the things she had done? How was it she hadn’t already been tracked down by the king’s guard if everyone knew who she was and where she had been?

  Quietly, she said, “I’ve only recently heard about this prophecy. I don’t know who the Banished One is. And if I am this … person, I don’t know what that means.”

  They all began to talk again. It was hard to filter anything through the noise, but Mariah heard murmurs of wonder along with words of protest.

  She raised her fingers to her temples, rubbing at the headache that had begun to form and wishing she could cover her ears.

  “Silence!” It was Mellar who raised his voice this time, standing up from his seat at his end of the table. He directed his gaze toward Mariah as if they were the only two in the room. “I heard the prophecy spoken in its original form myself, spoken by the queen mother shortly before she fell ill.” The room finally quieted. “I think it prudent that I share the story for our guests before we, or they, rush to judgment.”

  Those around the table nodded in agreement, some more reluctantly than others.

  Mellar took a deep breath and began. “It had been months since Queen Melisanthe had shown her face in public, and she still wore the raiment of a grieving widow. She called an audience and bid everyone in or near Draydon Keep to come, even lowly blacksmiths and scullery maids, and we came. You don’t ignore a summons from your queen.” His face darkened. “That was a different time. Her son, a king, although barely more than a child himself with his father dead only two years, had already waged war on the Lishorani and was not present to hear or halt his mother’s pronouncement.

  “A faithful woman who had almost become a Keeper before she was chosen to be queen, Melisanthe spoke of her husband’s neglect of the Althamir and her son’s contempt for our gods and their chosen. She encouraged us, her people, not to forsake their faith, whatever the king said. The dowager was not old, you see, but she had rarely been seen by her people since her husband’s death. She seemed to be raving, lost in grief and perhaps madness. The king’s war was elsewhere and did not threaten our homes or livelihoods after all. I’m sorry to say that many of us were even happy about the war.” Mellar briefly met Berg’s eyes and bowed his head before continuing.

  “It meant coin for blacksmiths like me and my friend, Magnus Griven, who stood at my side.” Mariah’s heart ached at hearing her father’s name, and as memories of him swam to the forefront of her thoughts, she closed her eyes. “We made weapons for the king’s army, and a war meant that our coffers were overflowing.” The clang of the hammer on metal and the smell of the forge seemed to come from nearby, but it was just a fantasy. Mariah forced herself to open her eyes and listen to Mellar Kiem. “And what did the Althamir, gods that had not shown their faces to the world in centuries, have to do with the war, or anything for that matter? At just the moment when the queen mother seemed to be finished berating her son and forebears, her head rose, and her eyes began to glow … like burning coals.” He shivered as if seeing it all again. “The crowd fell silent. You could hear the shuffle of one child’s shoes, it was so still. When the queen spoke again, it was in a voice that was not quite her own. It was deep like the ocean, and it dug into my soul with its penetrating timber. I will never forget her words as long as I live.

  “She is coming. Her birth is imminent. When our temples are lost to us, she will come. When the children cry, their sister will come. When the time is most dire, the one who has been banished, the one who has fled from his power, the one he cannot hold, will return on silver wings, carrying freedom in her wake. He cannot kill her, for it would destroy the source of his power, but nevertheless, she will come, and when she rises, she will destroy all that the king holds dear.”

  Although many in the room had undoubtedly heard his story before, they were as silent as the queen’s audience must have been.

  “There was more. She began muttering again that he could not kill her, that the Banished One’s death would only bring about his downfall more quickly, that his people would rise against him. If there was more to tell, she never finished.” Mellar cleared his throat before continuing. “That was the dowager’s last audience, for at that very moment, she collapsed and was taken away by court physicians. News spread quickly that she had taken ill, and she has been kept secluded ever since, for nearly three decades. Some doubt she even still lives.”

  Shira’s hand covered Mariah’s under the table, and Xae and Han were looking at her with somber faces and a little awe.

  Mariah squeezed Shira’s fingers tightly, perhaps a little too hard. She was overwhelmed. Too much was happening at once. Was she really this Banished One? Did it matter? There were secrets in this place, secrets about her parents she’d yet to ferret out. But she still had a mission, and it would never succeed without help. If these people helped her rescue the children, helped her impede the king’s efforts, there was hope. And what about Rose and Jahl? Somehow, they needed to be rescued as well.

  The councilors all began to speak at once again, all but Mellar, Berg, and Nilovi, who sat quietly and watched.

  “How are we to know she’s really the Banished One?”

  “We cannot do this thing!”

  “What can she do against his ever-growing might?”

  “We should stay here where we are safe.”

  “It’s not possible. They can’t be trusted.”

  Some of the talk scared Mariah, as she thought she heard someone say that she and her friends were spies, that they should be imprisoned or executed to keep the Sovereign’s secrets from getting out.

  At that point, Mellar brought order to the group again. “Enough!” he bellowed. Silence followed quickly. “Mariah,” he asked, and his scrutiny made her want to squirm, “were you banished from this kingdom?”

  She saw what he was doing. He was interrogating her in front of the others to prove or disprove—she didn’t know which—that she was the one from the prophecy. Mariah shook her head.

  “Magnus and Ashanya Griven were brought to this place seven years ago. We protected them from the king’s guard and hid them. You were not with them. Where were you?”

  Her parents had survived, had found shelter and protection! But what of them since? Where were they now? Were they in this very place even as he spoke? The questions nearly burst forth from her, but she took a deep breath and answered his instead. “My father was injured, and my mother had put me on a path toward … this place, but there were soldiers in the village, and I was forced to flee.”

  “To where?”

  She sighed and looked away. “To Cillian. I flew as far as I could, over the Granite Sea, until I was out of the king’s reach.” Shame warmed her cheeks. She had abandoned her family to the king’s soldiers.

  As if reading her mind, Shira leaned in and whispered in her ear, “You didn’t know. Would you rather be dead now?”

  Mariah only squeezed her hand again in response before speaking again. “There was no banishment, unless you count my decision to never come back to this …”—cursed, cursed—“land.”

  People had begun to argue again already. Were escape and banishment the same thing?

  “How can you say—”

  But Mellar moved on.

  “Mariah, is it not true that
you were captured and imprisoned in the king’s dungeon after you freed your friend’s family less than a year ago?”

  The time in the dungeon came back to her. She and Tibbot, who had been there for some indeterminate amount of time before her and did little but hack and cough and prattle on, had starved, living in squalor, shackled to the stone wall at the bottom of a dark tower.

  Mariah nodded. “How do you know this?”

  “Some of us are very good eavesdroppers. Your hawk is noticeable, but for mice, birds, squirrels, others … It is very easy for the smallest among us to listen without being known.” The one named Midelia straightened her back, and Mariah could see the pride in her face as Mellar continued. “We have spies in many places, even in the castle.”

  Mariah paled. Was he talking about the mice that had been in her cell? The ones that had skittered away from her? Had one of them been Ceo San? If she had been free or had even had a little more chain to work with, she would have gladly eaten one or more of them to get her nourishment or crushed the things to keep them away from her. She had eaten rodents on her flight to Grof. Her stomach roiled.

  Unaware of her internal battle, Mellar’s interrogation continued. “Somehow, you escaped. How? The king obviously didn’t enslave you. You don’t wear the cuff. If you serve him, you do it of your own free will.”

  Mariah’s eyes widened, and Shira and Han both jumped to their feet at the same time.

  “What do you think you’re about?!” Shira hissed. “How dare you accuse her … us … of such a thing?”

  Han’s hand was on his belt, where his sword should have been, and he glared at Mellar Kiem.

  The tension around the table thickened palpably, and Mariah grabbed at Shira’s hand, pulling her back down toward her seat, before she could go on. “Please, Shira … Han. Please, sit down.” They did so, with obvious reluctance, their faces no longer so impassive. She squeezed Shira’s hand one last time before standing herself.

  “I have not served, nor shall I ever serve, King Rothgar,” she pronounced. “I cannot make you believe me, but it is true nonetheless.” Her confidence rose. She didn’t care if these people thought she was one of the Althamir themselves; she would not have them believing she was a traitor to her own kind. “I escaped by changing, by transforming myself in a way I had never done before.” Although his message had been a turning point in her ability to transform like that, she did not and would not share her vision from Old Cat Eyes with these people. He cannot hold you. It felt too private, and she had no idea what kind of reaction it would bring if she suggested that she had spoken to the gods themselves. “Although the shackles remained on my wrists, I wrapped the chains around my arms and took them with me, much like any of us take our clothes with us when we change. When the chains disappeared along with my human form, they were no longer attached to the dungeon wall, and I was able to help my cellmate escape before flying from the tower window.” Looking back, it seemed so simple, but her time in the dungeon still haunted her, and she had no desire to share the intimate details with these people, some of whom displayed open disbelief about everything she said.

  Mellar, however, did not seem to doubt her. He seemed to have asked the question to gauge the reactions of those around him, to test them or perhaps even her own resolve.

  “If proof is needed,” Berg said, standing. “Let us share with you what we saw when we went to the Blessed’s cell not an hour ago.” Fortunately, he did not ask her to demonstrate but instead told the council how Mariah had appeared outside her cell, how she had transformed and disappeared, only to reappear on Mellar’s shoulder. The big man, Nilovi, and Teneth confirmed that they had witnessed it as well.

  “Perhaps she is not the only one who can do this thing. Perhaps it is simply that no one else has tried.” Midelia’s voice was smooth and calm, and Mariah wondered if she was simply playing devil’s advocate or if she really believed what she was saying.

  “Would anyone like to try?” Berg asked.

  Several people stood, including Shira and Midelia, and Mariah was forced to explain how she had done it. Xae piped in to explain how Mariah could also affect her size. Using the space between the table and the door to the kitchen, Mariah demonstrated both and said that she would be happy to teach her fellow Ceo San these new abilities. It was more difficult to explain how her thoughts influenced her ability to do things, but she muddled through. Perhaps this would be enough to earn a favor or two if the simple act of saving children was not enough to drive these Ceo San.

  The council members were as diverse in their animal forms as they were in their human ones. Midelia, as Mariah had suspected, was a tiny, gray field mouse. Mariah thought that if that had been her form, she would have never changed for fear of getting squashed or eaten. Another of the volunteers turned into a long reptile with sharp teeth, short legs, and a long tail, a kind of crocodile perhaps. Kaddan had said Mellar was some kind of big cat, but he did not change; he only watched. Shira’s huge bear earned a few gasps, as she stood head and shoulders above the tallest member of the council and was at least twice as wide as most of them.

  But the experiment failed. No one else could disappear and reappear somewhere else as she could, no matter how hard they concentrated. And no one could change their size to appear any bigger or smaller than they normally did.

  As her unlikely students came back to the table, Berg patted Mariah’s shoulder. “It is a heavy responsibility,” he whispered.

  She met his eyes for a moment before sinking down in her chair, exhausted and discouraged.

  “I think we all have a lot to think about,” Berg said, addressing the whole of the group. “I suggest we adjourn, let our guests get some rest, and give ourselves some time to consider how we will go forward.”

  There were many nods and murmurs of agreement, and the councilors began to disperse. Several came forward to introduce themselves personally before leaving, although Mariah didn’t know if she’d remember them all or their names. Berg and Nilovi waited nearby until the greetings were over.

  “I have extra rooms.” Nilovi finally stepped forward, speaking in a soft voice. “I would be honored if you would stay with me and my daughter until you depart. Kaddan speaks highly of you already.” Her mouth quirked up on one side, and Mariah realized that Nilovi already knew of her daughter’s escapades into their cell and had perhaps even approved them.

  She nodded to the pale-haired woman. “Thank you. That would be wonderful.”

  “Berg,” Nilovi said. “Would you please have something sent from the kitchen for everyone? I don’t think any of us actually got a proper meal out of this.”

  He chuckled. “I’m sure they’re already wrapping up leftovers to be distributed. I’ll make sure you all get your share.”

  “Follow me then.” Nilovi nodded toward the chamber’s exit, and Mariah, Shira, Xae, Han, and Grelem followed in silence.

  Chapter Twenty-Five

  Meddlesome

  Beyond the river in the main chamber, Mariah and the others followed Nilovi up into another wide corridor, which seemed to house the living quarters for the Cellar residents. Nilovi affectionately referred to them as the Burrows. The area was a warren of corridors, doorways, and common areas, and Mariah had no idea how she would ever find her way out without some sort of guide. The corridors rose and fell, and in some places, stairs were carved into the stone. It was impossible to tell just how many people or how many levels there were. Then, she remembered that she had gotten outside without getting lost. Maybe the magic had led her. It gave her a headache to think about.

  The main room of Nilovi’s burrow was a sparsely furnished affair with a rug covering the stone, a low table, and pillows scattered around the floor. There was an opening in the far wall, and beside it was a set of low shelves with an assortment of books, clay jars, and wooden carvings. Once they had all filed in, the room wasn’t quite crowded, but
it was close.

  Kaddan was waiting for them. She jumped up from the pillow on the floor, her book forgotten. “You brought them back!”

  Nilovi ruffled her daughter’s hair. “I told you I would if I could. I believe your Mariah here has proven herself to the council.”

  “I wish I could be as confident,” Mariah said.

  “It’s hard to know their minds, but I have faith that we are about to finally see a change.” She held her fisted hand to her heart for a moment before continuing. “Whatever happens, you are now free to go where you wish.”

  “Thank you.” Did that include leaving the Cellar? Her mind was already racing with how they should carry out their plans. Xae’s presence meant that the situation with Shira’s parents required attention as well, but they still didn’t know if they would have help from their fellow Ceo San. Trying to quell her jumbled feelings, Mariah turned and smiled at Kaddan. “It’s good to see you again. You and your mother have been very generous and kind to us, and we are grateful to you.”

  The girl blushed and nodded, but Mariah couldn’t help but notice her peeking up through her eyelashes at Xae and Han.

  “Xae,” Mariah started. “This is Kaddan. She was nice enough to visit us in our cell and talk with us while we were … waiting.” She would give him more details about what the girl had shared later, once they had some privacy. “Kaddan, this is our friend Xae. He was apparently looking for us when Mellar, uh, found him.” She thought it best not to mention the less than welcoming circumstances that had brought them into the Cellar. Although being captured and confined still nettled, now that she knew what and who the Sovereign were, she understood how precious they were, how necessary their protective measures had been. If the king or his guard were to discover this place … She shuddered at the thought.

  His attention on the girl, Xae smiled and offered his hand to the younger child. Kaddan took it, her shyness melting away. Her own grin matched his when Xae, quite the gentleman, leaned over and kissed her knuckles. “I’m pleased to meet you,” he said as he bowed. Having younger sisters seemed to have given him an advantage, and he won her over immediately.