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Land of Dragon 38
The Hearth-HumThey returned to the crater where the others were waiting. Treylenmade a proper introduction for each and the guardian greeted them in turn.With Laureth and Oakwren she was terse but cordial. To the twins she extended her welcome and described the mountains to the north which lay just before the foothills of the badlands. She bade Treylen entrust them with the write of passage to be delivered to Uberetus. To Halfindle, a sad greeting that Treylen didn’t quite understand. She bowed her monumental head low, whispering softly and allowed the clan woman to climb the side of the crater and kneel before bones there.When she’d returned the guardian spoke again.“I’ll not permit present company to wander beyond this ridge, for the queen’s agents and her loyalists bring ill tidings to the Den of Fire whose people live under my protection. I would not permit you to seek them out or set eyes upon their dwellings as was your intention in coming here.”“I don’t think that will be
Land of Dragon 39
The Passengers That night, Treylen slept with a restfulness he hadn’t earned. Hedreamt of hearthstones carved from obsidian and of warm caverns in the wintertime. He dreamt of burnt wheat fields and of children sleeping in the curl of a dragon’s tail in the hold of a weather-beaten ship.He woke with a start to a gust of wind and the sound of wings as six dragons, with four riders between them, descended on the campsite. The others were on their feet, and he pulled himself up and put his back to Oakwren’s as the dragons landed around them, riders dismounting.All six of them were a pale misty white, but as quickly as they landed, their color shifted to a black-purple obsidian.“I’d thought that Cyndrael would be here,” Treylen said. “She is tending Volgnash.”“I understand.” Treylen nodded briskly. If he pressed further there might be no ride home either.There were no introductions. The women and men looked their guests over then directed the lowsater to climb onto the two larges
Land of Dragon 40
The Rope While Rime crept along behind Laureth and Oakwren, Treylenborrowed some of his dragon sight and strength to travel off the path. Scaling boulders and bounding up cliff faces, he moved to the south of the city. He would climb to the gorge, then down the cliff face and approach the city from below. With any luck Aaron or Felicity would be out surveilling. If not, then Treylen might have to approach the clan—the Storm Den, as they called themselves—and ask after him.He traveled quickly and soon the others were far behind him.The tower grew closer, and sure enough, Treylen spotted two sentries posted at the top. The moon was hidden, but he kept low against the mountainside all the same as he neared the ridge just before the gorge. He scanned the rocks that lay uphill. There was no doubt that the countess would have been searching for them outside the city. He would not have put it past her to post sentries.Treylen spotted one just as he approached the rise that dropped off
Land of Dragon 41
The Chase Treylen hadn’t seen the queen’s shadow when he entered, but as thedoor slammed shut, he felt the long fingers of the old elf wrap around his shoulders.“The long awaited return of Cren’pin Tromweft…” the oily voice slithered into Treylen’s ear.He didn’t dare move.The hands slipped away. Treylen was relieved to see Aaron was awake.His eyes locked with Treylen's as he turned slowly on the rope. “You were to bring him directly to me.”“Yes, Shadow,” Remin said.“What is this then?” He gripped the man's chin and turned his head, a trickle of blood running over his pale fingers.“There was a misunderstanding.” Remin struggled to lower his eyes and the shadow lifted his chin again. He pursed his papery lips, then relaxed them.“It is time. Tell them.” He flicked his fingers dismissively. The assassins in the stalls rose without a sound, filing out the door. The sound of the wings in the night air told him they hadn’t come alone. Each of these assassins had a dragon with the
Land of Dragon 42
The Shadow They were in the heart of the ruins when Treylen found them:Laureth, Oakwren, Jargus Duremo, and his mother, Countess Hemila Duremo.Rime was with them and traveling openly, which meant he’d revealed himself. He’d probably grabbed hold of Laureth’s pant leg and dragged her into the tower just before the killing started. Treylen’s aunt wasn’t with them. With any luck, she’d gone to Queenseat with his mother and father.He skidded to a stop in the town square where the mineral-stained pillar twisted up from the cavern floor to touch the ceiling. Their shoes were wet like they’d tried to launch one of the heavy stone boats into the lake but failed to move it. Laureth was about to duck inside the door of the pillar when Treylen appeared.“I knew it,” Jargus bellowed. The mask that assassins wore was little disguise to those who recognized them already. Jargus put himself between Treylen and the others. “I knew from the start there was something wrong with you.”“Husband,” L
Land of Dragon 43
The MissionRemin Noduan had been the last person he suspected would stand upfor him. But when the night ended and Treylen and the small army of assassins found themselves leaderless and staring down the empty tunnel in the base of the tower, the spycatcher had surprised him.Not only had Remin kept his mouth shut about the fact that Treylen had been the last one seen in the shadow’s presence, but he had also suggested that Treylen had the most experience in caves and should lead the expedition to search for the shadow.They had only gone as far as the old city. There they had found a scrap of clothing belonging to the shadow as well as one of his daggers on the beach amongst a mass of hoof prints. After a lengthy search of the city the body of his dragon was found. Rendrak had tied himself into knots and died in the back of an old storeroom.It was decided that the countess had made a bargain with the lowsater, and, possibly with the help of spies from Ketaresk, had set an ambush fo
Land of Dragon 44 : Corrupted Union
FrancescaThe painting of the young woman might seem plain compared with the other more colorful pieces of art at the Met, but it’s always stood out to me. Her youngface, the small smile on her lips, the modesty she exudes, and the hope in her eyes.“Study of a Young Woman” by Johannes Vermeer is the reason I come to the Met every month. I see myself in the girl in the painting. I could look at this painting for the rest of my life and never get bored.People walk past me, taking in the more vibrant paintings nearby. Leaving me alone to study it, memorize its every detail. I don’t feel alone when I’m in a museum. You can’t be. Not when you’re surrounded by so much history and beauty. Compared with the chaos that is my home life, this is where I feel most at home.Someone bumps into me, breaking me out of my concentration. I turn to see it’s a man in his thirties, fairly handsome by societal beauty standards. I expect him to apologize for bumping into me. After all, I’m the one st
Land of Dragon 45
And finally, at the other end of the table, is my uncle Franco. He sits there, overseeing my family, like he owns the place. After our father died when I was fourteen, which was six years ago, Franco moved in and took over as head of the business my father left behind. I know the business is shady. I’ve heard the words “mob boss” and “Mafia” thrown around enough times to understand, but I don’t ask too many questions. It’s not really proper for the women in my life to ask questions about such things.Gemma sits down next to her husband, Viktor, who’s honestly one of the most handsome men I’ve ever seen. I always find myself tongue-tied around him.Viktor shoots me a grin. “Hey, Franny. How’s it going?”“Uh, good. I just got back,” I manage to say. See? Tongue- tied. And it’s not because I have a crush on Viktor. I don’t. It’s more that Viktor is one of the only people to actually acknowledge me when I’m in a room, and it always startles me. I’m dragged out of my safe hiding place of b
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Chapter 37Lasgol and Camu were staring at the dead dragon on the floor of the patio in front of them, unable to fully believe they had killed it. Camu would never admit he found it hard to believe, since his fighting, stubborn character had made him absolutely sure they could defeat it. Lasgol, on the other hand, thought it was nothing short of miraculous that they had managed to kill it. An unthinkable enterprise, one that had almost cost the three of them their lives.A moan made them both turn around. Ona was coming toward them from inside the building.How are you feeling, Ona? Lasgol transmitted to her, bending down to hug her. As he crouched, he grunted with pain from the two cuts he had in the stomach and thigh. He had already realized they were not simple scratches.The snow panther reached his side, moaned, and licked his face.Ona, we kill dragon, Camu messaged to her, proudly nodding toward it.Ona growled once.And it almost killed us, Lasgol transmitted.We defeat. Much
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Chapter 36The afternoon group was running back from doing their physical exercises around the capital. Viggo was still intent on proving that he was better than the Royal Rangers, so he was flying downhill, five paces ahead of two Royal Rangers, who were trying hard to catch up with him and overtake him.The howling of a wolf from the forest to the east warned Egil, who was running beside Gerd at the rear of the group, that he was wanted. He looked at the giant, who returned a gaze of complicity. He raised his right hand and turned aside.“I have to stop!” Gerd warned his comrades.Nilsa and the Royal Rangers who were running in front stopped to look at him.“Are you all right, Gerd?” Nilsa asked, concerned.“Yeah, it’s my hip, it’s bothering me. Nothing to worry about. It’ll soon pass, go ahead.”“Are you sure it’s nothing?” Nilsa came over, concerned, while the Rangers she was running with remained a little further.“Don’t worry, it’ll pass in a moment,” he said without straighteni
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Chapter 35The minor dragon rose, flapping its wings hard, and prepared to drop once again onto Camu to strike it with all the power and weight of its considerable size. In comparison, the dragon was larger than Camu, who recognized the situation and what it meant. Seeing it was going to lunge down at him and knowing he was not exactly nimble, Camu decided to change tactics to avoid the crash.The dragon lunged at Camu with its four claws outstretched.Camu called on his Drakonian Wings. There was a powerful silver flash along his body and the wings appeared on his back, glowing in all their splendor. He leapt, flapping them vigorously, and rose up off the ground.The dragon hit the ground with its four claws hard, breaking the marble slabs of the patio, which flew in shards all over the place. Camu was already nine feet up. He had escaped the attack by a scale’s breath.The dragon looked up.So, the pup can fly. Then he is not such a pup, it messaged and flapped its wings. It took a
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Chapter 34The Panthers were waiting to be received by Queen Heulyn before her chambers. They were waiting in an antechamber decorated as if they were in Irinel. There were shields and javelins from that realm hanging on the wall. Several Irinel soldiers guarded the entrance and would not let them through. They had told them, kindly but firmly, to wait there. Since the Queen had requested their presence, they could do nothing else.The double doors opened and a familiar face came to greet them.“Good day, Royal Eagles,” Valeria said with a lively spirit and a big smile on her face.“Good day, Valeria,” Nilsa returned the greeting with a light smile.“The Queen has summoned us,” Ingrid said with a hint of interrogation in her tone.“And it’s a little too early for our taste,” Viggo complained, yawning ostentatiously. “You might let the Queen know that these are inappropriate hours for morning meetings. Better to have them after a good breakfast, say mid-morning.”Valeria gave a little
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Chapter 33Saki-Erki-Luzen, the minor dragon, attacked without any warning other than an intimidating roar. It took a step forward, opened its mouth as if it were going to roar again, and issued forth a gust of fire directed at Lasgol, Camu, and Ona.Lasgol leapt to one side using his reflexes and improved agility. It was an instinctive move at seeing the fire and feeling its scorching heat.Ona moved to the other side with a powerful leap to get out of range of the flames so they would not touch her. Her feline instincts saved her from ending up torched by the dragon’s attack.Camu opted for a different defense. He could not jump with the agility of his two friends. He opened his mouth and used his Icy Breath skill. The jet of freezing breath he sent crashed against the flames heading toward him. Upon contact both attacks, fire and water, canceled each other. Neither of the two managed to reach the rival.The scorpions guarding the door, seeing their lord was attacking, also lunged a
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Chapter 32Nilsa, Viggo, Egil, and Gerd were coming back from doing physical practice with six of the Royal Rangers, among which were Kol and Haines. They were both running at the front with Nilsa and chatting with her. It was painfully obvious that both of them were greatly interested in the friendly redhead. They were not the only ones. Another Royal Ranger joined them on the way down toward the capital, whose lights they could see in the distance. Night was falling and hunger and tiredness were beginning to have their effect, but whoever wants to be in shape must suffer a little. The Royal Rangers knew this better than anyone else. They had to endure whole days on their feet standing by a wall on watch duty. This numbed and softened anyone’s muscles. Therefore, it was important they went out to do physical exercise.Viggo was running in the lead, as fast as lightning. He wanted to arrive as soon as possible and show all the Royal Rangers that he was better than them. Nilsa and Gerd
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Chapter 31Ona, Camu, and Lasgol went through the ghost city, following the enormous scorpions that had taken the Silver Pearls. The trail was quite clear since two sets of eight scorpion legs walking on streets partially covered by desert sand were unmistakable. Lasgol was having no trouble following them. Besides, they had carried away the ice jewel so if he lost the trail he could wait for a pulse that would tell him where they were.Lasgol was thinking how lucky they had been that the crocodile had not joined the fray in the middle of the city, since that would have been an additional problem. On the other hand, the croc would have destroyed half the city if entered it, so to a point it was logical it had not come in. Well, as logical as one giant crocodile at the entrance of a city in the desert with colossal scorpions and cobras as guardians was. When he told the tale in Norghana they were not going to believe him.They turned left and then right. They were not in camouflage s
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Chapter 30Lasgol waited a moment and wondered whether his plan might work or if they would be discovered and end up having to confront those monstrous desert creatures. He was not at all sure it was a good idea to follow the scorpions, least of all through the forbidden city. But when there were no other options, it was best to be determined.Watch out. We’re going to follow the scorpions. I don’t think they can see us under Camu’s camouflage, but we must be very careful.Camouflage good. They no see, Camu messaged confidently.There’s more than one way of seeing. They might detect us by sound or by the trail we leave, for instance.Ona moaned once.Oh I understand. I no can help that.That’s why I’m saying we must take extreme precautions. We always careful.Yeah, always… Lasgol was watching with one eye from the corner of the wall. They’ve entered the city. Following them through the streets will be dangerous.City empty, no dangerous.The entrance was also empty and the scorpions
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Chapter 29Astrid, Ingrid, and Molak were waiting for Raner on their horses east of the capital, according to his orders. They were half a league from the Royal Road and were to wait for the First Ranger to join them. Not very far away they could glimpse Beaver Hill, so called because of a rock at the summit that looked very much like the animal.“What do you think the First Ranger has in store for us today?” Molak asked his comrades.“So far, everything he’s had prepared for us has been enlightening and interesting,” Ingrid said in a satisfied tone. “So I hope that whatever he has for us today will be so too.”Astrid stroked her horse’s neck.“I feel the same way. The truth is that training to become Royal Rangers has pleasantly surprised me.”“You weren’t expecting it to be interesting?” Molak asked, surprised.“To be honest, I wasn’t expecting it to be useful and so I thought I’d be bored. But it’s turning out to be the opposite. I think that in the Assassin Specialty at the Shelte
