Dragon Gem Series Book One: Destiny

Chapter 4

“This is madness” Lord Evercord slammed his fist upon the table in front of him “my province is at a state of near war! Vagabonds terrorize my villagers, pillage what little they have and escape into Amsternotus and still, nothing is done”

“Evercord, enough” King Braddoc said sharply “what would you have me do? Throw farmers and musicians into their midst as fodder? And I have heard your villager’s testimonies, they do not call them vagabonds, but monsters and have described beasts the likes of which have not been seen in any of the kingdoms, your border villages have been evacuated, but I cannot wage war on Amsternotus when they are plagued by them as well.”

“It could only mean one thing” Lady Morningstar said quietly “the mages have come out of hiding”

The entire room erupted into whispers and murmurs at her statement.

“Order” the Sentinel called, rapping his table with a wooden gavel. The crowd slowly fell silent.

“It’s possible certainly” Lord Grathar agreed, his decrepit form leaning forward and his one eye surveyed the uneasy reaction of the room. As a veteran of the Old Wars, everyone knew that if he said it was possible, it was possible, having fought magic users and corrupted creatures himself.

“Those bastards” Evercord growled “I’ll kill every single one of them”

“Oh hush” Morningstar said with rolled eyes “we all know that you won’t even leave the castle without an entourage, we don’t need any more hot air in this room, it’s already warm enough”

There were chuckles from all sides, Arianna smiled.

“All magic users are untrustworthy, no one will question you on that score” Lord Marhen said, pushing his spectacles up the bridge of his nose “but we cannot assume that is what we are dealing with, we must-”

But his cautionary words were cut off by the doors opening and a sickly looking messenger came pelting through them, looking desperate and fearful.

“Message” he gasped, wheezing “message for the king” the sorry looking man collapsed at King Braddoc’s feet, holding a piece of paper in his hand. The king bent and took it as servants rushed forward. He read it and his expression hardened.

“It is not merely mages” he said heavily

“What is it Your Majesty?”

“The very creatures driven from this vast forest that is Hypren by our ancestors” the king said the letter crumpled in his fist. “Dragons”

Silence rang in the throne room.

Arianna felt a shiver run down her spine and confusion tug at her brain. Why would the dragons after so many millennia, attack Hypren? It made no sense; there was nothing here for them to take back, no hoards, no dens, nothing that would benefit them, especially with three other kingdoms on the border with enough military power to level the Mountains of Endrid, bordering the land on three sides. Even if they were attacking why attack the borders? Why not come to the heart of the city and cut off the head that feeds the body and drive the humans from Hypren?

“After all this time those beasts come crawling back and expect us to hand them the keys?” Lady Morningstar asked in outrage. Arianna bit her lip, even the level headed matriarch of the Gilded Claw hated the dragons.

“The attacks subsided two weeks ago” the king said “but they’ll be back, I can feel it. And when they do, we will slaughter them”

“Hear, hear” the Court shouted as one, while Arianna shifted uncomfortably. Lana glanced at her in question, but Arianna shook her head ever so slightly.

Her father threw the note to the ground and stood.

“Herald” the king called and the young man in the corner ran forward “this is now a war room, and we must strategize” the herald bowed and ran out of the room as the noblemen of the Court stood and servants came forward with a smaller table and several maps of Hypren and simple chairs. As the lords sat and began spreading the maps out, Arianna bent and gently picked up the paper and hid it in the folds of her dress.

If he will not share all with me then I will find out for myself Arianna thought as she went to her father’s side.

“My first instinct is a reconnaissance mission” Lady Morningstar said getting a few dirty looks from the lords. “dragons are animals, they are being controlled by something or someone, we must find out who is using them for this and what they are after”

“There are legends that dragon’s are intelligent” Lord Marhen said marking the map of the border with charcoal “perhaps it is them taking back Hypren as His Majesty mentioned”

“I said nothing of the sort” King Bradoc growled “no I simply said they were driven out. The Lady is correct there must be a source, and we must find it.”

Arianna clenched her fist in the folds of her skirts to keep herself quiet, she couldn’t stand being the wallflower, but she had no choice if she was to learn any information about this war.

“We must gather our allies” Evercord said “and ask for their aid.”

“Amsternotus is unable to help” King Bradoc said “we cannot be sure if they are the source”

Arianna nearly let slip a protest, all of her instincts screaming to correct her father. King Hesner would never align himself with such evil creatures and his empire was too wide spread as it was, he couldn’t possibly want more land. And he worshiped Solaris, the peaceloving god of the sun, war was aginast his philosophy, and he was revered by his underlings. No one would have the motivation to attempt to manipulate the king into such an act.

“Again I propose a reconnaissance mission” Lady Morningstar “we must know the source before we can make any strike against them. and for all we know Your Majesty Amsternotus is a victim in this. It is a classic strategic move, Amsternotus would lend us the most formidable military backing in a war, per our alliance. I believe that whoever is behind this attack has taken out our greatest supporter and is now using it as a base and a retreat”

“Woman’s got a good head on her shoulders” Marhen said “Your Majesty as your military advisor I approve of both plans. There is no reason not to shore up our military and conduct a surveillance of the enemy. The Claw Clan is best suited for Morningstar’s proposal and while she does this we will send emissaries to the other two kingdoms.”

“Call the Generals in” King Bradoc said to the Herald “I agree Marhen, this is best. Daughter, you must leave and let us handle the preparations for war” the King turned to his daughter as Arianna curtsied

“As you wish Father” she said and Lana followed her out the door.

Only when Arianna and Lana had rounded the corner did Arianna pick up her pace, practically sprinting toward her mother’s library two floors up.

“Arianna?” Lana said as she followed her. “What is it, what is wrong?”

“So many things” Arianna said as she took the stairs up, dodging the pages and servants.

“Arianna hold on” Lana said

“No time” Arianna said throwing open the doors to her mother’s library. “I need to understand”

Arianna pulled the note out and soothed it onto the table and began reading.

To His Majesty the King of Hypren, George Braddoc,
I am but a simple farmer, Your Highness, and I humbly request your assistance in stopping the creatures that are attacking our border village. And yes my lord I said creatures, great monstrous beings, some with black scales and wings, they invade from Amsternotus on the ground, though they have not flown, it is our greatest fear the monsters will take to the skies and rain hell down upon us. We have lost many to these beasts and their riders, and many more wounded. Please my lord I implore you to save us. We will not last much longer and may be forced to retreat if assistance is not given soon.
With the greatest reverence,
Jard Hammer Hand.

“This makes no sense” Arianna muttered going around the library and gathering books, she knew the stories and legends; ballads going back hundreds of years, and none had ever described behavior such as this “Dragons have more sense than this”

“We’re talking about dragons here, Ari” Lana said “they’re just animals, Like the Lady said”

“No they’re not” Arianna said picking a book out of her pile and handing it to her.

“The Life and Times of Barbaris the Great” Lana read “by Halzenfer the Journeyer, what is this”

“A biography about an explorer who liberated the Islands of Galgamar. It was written by a dragon”

Lana nearly threw the book in her haste to be rid of it

“Arianna are you insane” Lana hissed “why in the name of Malhorn do you have a book written by a dragon”

“It was my mother’s” Arianna snapped, too preoccupied to be gentle, the information she had read on the paper had struck a chord, if only she could find the damn book. “And it wasn’t written directly by a dragon. A scribe wrote it as the dragon accounted the story. Now read it and then tell me that this attack on Hypren makes any sense”

Lana looked at the book as one would look at a snake but Arianna could see her curiosity was getting the better of her. Arianna rarely gave Lana a reason to doubt her, and right now she was an agitated whirlwind rushing through the library and flipping through pages looking for obscure references and tidbits of information. Lana wondered what had gotten her into such a state, this dragon attack was certainly frightening, dragons had not been seen in Hypren since the queen’s death, but not altogether surprising.

King Bradoc had been preparing the kingdom for such an eventuality. His obsession with the termination of the race had infected most of his subjects, all still devastated by the loss of their beloved queen and several young men had with the kings express permission formed a specialty elite force to combat the great being, but since no dragon had been seen in over ten years, the force had disbanded, some initiated to join the warrior clan that most had to be born into, while the rest it was rumored went to the Mountains of Endrid in an attempt to find the very dragons they sought to destroy. But none were found, one of the veterans lived in Lana’s village and would tell them the tallest tales of how intellectual they were and how the dragons seemed to toy with them, acting as though it was merely a game. And it was this man’s voice in Lana’s ear that made her doubt everything her family had ever said about dragons. And it made her look in the book.

Lana opened the book, holding it gingerly as if it would burst into flames at any moment. It was after an hour of reading that Lana came to the passage that had gotten the princess into such a fit of confusion.

“Barbaris often asked me why we dragons did not take Hypren back from the humans, as he had taken his home land from the invading Anarchies, to which I always answered ‘why take back what was given freely.’ Gifts were not common among his people so he did not understand my reason. But we dragons gave that land to the descendents of the Mighty D’von to watch over and protect. For it is there our greatest treasure lies”

“Ari, how reliable is this book” Lana asked slowly and Arianna paused in her seeking

“Quite reliable I would say” she said thoughtfully “I cross-referenced Barbaris’ story with ones written by humans and it all matches up, and why would a dragon lie to a simple scribe? When he could just eat him?” Lana had no answer so Arianna continued with her fevered search.

“Do you think it’s about this treasure that this dragon keeps referring to?” Lana asked after a few moments of silence.

“No” Arianna said “I already thought about that, if they wanted the treasure then why not fly straight to the place it would most likely be kept? Why attack our borders? This is a human tactic to test defenses. These dragons described in the message, are too tame, there was no fire-breathing, no flying, and it was all on foot, like foot soldiers. Dragons have wings why would they not use them?”

“I’m starting to see your point” Lana said

“Not only that it’s only one kind of dragon attacking” Arianna said handing her the message “I took this from the throne room, it describes a number of dragons attacking the border villages, black scaled dragons. I’ve spent practically all my time in here, studying my mother’s books, they describe that breeds of dragons are specified by the color of their scales and the last black dragon to be seen in Hypren was when I was born” Arianna flipped through another book, a tome of an obscure explorer of the Mountains of Endrid. “Aha.” she cried and the guards rushed in.

“Forgive me” Arianna said quickly taking the role of the naive princess “I was simply reading a tale, go back to your posts please” they left as she bent over the tome.

“’In my travels, I have come across amazing things and horrifying ones as well, but this was one of the most gruesome things I have ever witnessed” Arianna read aloud in a whisper “a black haired, pasty skinned mage looked more dead than alive, but his eyes burned like coals with magic as he touched the withering dragon before him. A small thing, a runt by the looks of him, but it was obvious that this one had no intention of letting this sadist touch him. But he was held down by chains of black iron, crusted with the blood of old victims. As this black wizard grabbed the poor beasts horns a scream more heart-wrenching than any I have heard broke through the night, it took all my will power not to run out and slice the black demons throat. But I watched behind those bushes like a coward, as the dragon grew larger, bony spikes pierced its hide and grew from its body, down its spine and along its shoulders and out it’s knuckle bones. The poor beast’s scales went from a deep ruby to pitch black, like ink staining a scarlet tunic, and its eyes became a cold white, like marble.” Arianna shuddered and continued “once the transformation completed the dragon did not move for several minutes. The black wizard raised a hand and the dragon sat up like a well trained hound, its eyes glassy and cold. He then ordered the dragon to kill one of his own kind, who was chained up on the far side of the clearing, drugged and dazed, one of its forelegs missing from a long ago battle. Never have I seen such vicious slaughter, such mindless violence. The dragon was not a dragon anymore, but an animal, a killing machine, with no soul or heart to feel the pain it caused’”

“So it is mages” Lana said

“No” Arianna said “I think it’s just one mage”

“Why-”

“Your Highness” a page came rushing in “your presence is required out in the courtyard”

“Thank you Wilfred” Arianna said as she shelved all the books she had gotten down. “What is it about?”

“Oh you’ll see” Wilfred had a gleam in his eyes that set Arianna on edge.

Then a roar spilt the castle quiet and guards rushed past the library door.

“Let us hurry my lady” Lana said in her ‘noblewoman’s voice’. Arianna nodded and they rushed to the courtyard and what they met nearly cause Arianna’s heart to stop.

In the courtyard, guards scrambled for chains and ropes, trying to pin down their quarry.

A golden dragon.

For the second time in her life Arianna beheld a dragon only this dragon was obviously male and younger than the silver dragon, he was magnificent, the color of sunlight after a storm, his wings glistened like the finest golden silk, and his eyes were a beautiful jade color, he was well muscled but not bulky in proportion to his size, his structure was well built, meant for speed, for fighting.

But the image was ruined by the anger and fear that the dragon’s face showed, and the slash wounds on his side, bleeding slowly as the dragon tried to scramble away from guards and their spears, only to be met by swords and crossbows. His eyes rolled in fright and he strained against the thick rope that was wrapped around his neck, dancing while the guards tried to tangle its legs up with chains for a more secure capture.

“The enemy dares to fly over my kingdom” Arianna turned to see her father upon the balcony above the huge oak doors. The men lifted their shields and weapons and roared their defiance, a crowd, outside the castle wall, a portion of which could be seen through the open gates, roared as well and Arianna could hear their abuse and rage at the dragon, she could feel the pounding of the whole capitol, begging for blood to be shed. “But they will see what it means to fight Hypren and her people”

“No” Arianna whispered. She felt fear and dread fill her, she knew that this dragon was not part of the army attacking the border and the wounds on his side were from another dragon, not humans. And she knew with certainty that if her father killed this dragon, he would be in grave danger. All of these certainties came to her in an instant though Arianna wasn’t sure how she knew these things. It didn’t matter, right now the life of an innocent hung on her stopping her father or continuing being the complacent princess.

“Page” the king called and the young man beside him holding a staff with a barbed end stepped forward. “Fetch my broadsword; she is hungry for dragon’s blood”

Arianna felt torn, between her family, her people and her morals, paralyzed, as the king disappeared from the balcony, her ears warning her of her father’s approach. She jumped when she felt his hand on her shoulder.

“Come, Arianna” King Braddoc said “today your mother shall be avenged” Arianna watched as though in a trance as he made his way towards the dragon, broadsword in hand. She followed slowly, battling with herself, country or her own soul and the poor beast whose life hung on her decision. The king reached the dragons head and turned to the watching crowd.

“Today the war begins, today we see the end of these monsters” the men and the crowd roared in approval. And Arianna stared at her father, then at the dragon.

And she found herself falling into bottomless eyes, so ancient yet so young, wise beyond years. In this eye she saw colors that she had never imagined places of peace and tranquility, beauty that hid in everything, she saw the world small and insignificant, and her life, short by comparison to this great dragon, she saw an endless universe of space and time, and the mind of a being that wanted to live, but cared for all that lived within that world, even those who wished to extinguish the flame of life that burned behind that eye.

A flash of light broke her concentration and she looked up to see her father raise the sword above his head.

Without thinking, she acted turning and drawing a sword out of a nearby scabbard and stepping in front of her father’s strike, she blocked it, bracing as the blades impacted.

The ring of metal was the only thing that broke the shocked silence. Every spectator stood, frozen in shock and for one moment time stood still.

“Arianna what are you doing” her father hissed in shock.

“I’m sorry, Father” Arianna said and she pushed him back and turned to the ropes holding the dragon and sliced through them cleanly, ducking as the dragon broke free and launched into the air with a triumphant bugle.

Arianna watched as the dragon left, turning into nothing more than a glittering speck on the horizon.

“Seize her” the king cried as the angry shouts and shocked exclamations broke out, the crowd called for her death while those within the gates scrambled in confusion. The guards did indeed seize her, though carefully, but she did not fight back, she had struck a crushing blow to Hypren and her people, and to her father. But she did not regret her actions even as she watched her father’s shock and confusion curdle to hatred and agony. She handed over the sword to its owner and stood before her father, with confidence, though fear showed behind her eyes. She had saved a dragons life, a penalty punishable by beheading. What’s more she had saved what everyone thought was a war criminal’s life, a crime punishable by a hanging. She had not thought of her own life when freeing the dragon but she did not care, that dragon had done nothing wrong, there was no Hyprenian who was hurt by it, nor was it a mad animal like those who attacked the border. It had not deserved to die.

“Take her to the throne room, in chains” the king said his face purple with rage. The guards picked the princess up by the arms and pushed her into the castle. Arianna saw Lana’s stricken look and sent her an apologetic one back. Arianna knew what was going to happen, either she would die or be imprisoned, one way or another, her life would never be the same again

“Arianna of Hypren” the Sentinel intoned an hour later. Arianna looked up from her chair, her shackles chafing her wrists as she clenched her hands “you have been found guilty of consorting with the enemy, freeing a prisoner of war, and stopping the king from beheading a dragon as is his right by the law eight-two-twelve. What say you” Arianna looked up at the sentinel with sad eyes, he had once been a friend, someone who could always recommend a good book or help her understand the laws that her father tried to push, but she found no friendliness in his eyes, just cold anger.

“That dragon was not a prisoner of war, it did not attack Hypren, and it did not deserve to die” she said quietly. She shifted in the worn leather she now wore. The guards had dug up some servant’s livery and the maids had been ordered to dress her in them. The maids had been gentle, and kind enough to let her change in private, most of them having raised her since she was a toddler. They had all gripped her hand and patted it but dared to not say a thing.

Her father had seemed to think that this was a degrading thing, for her to wear such clothes but in truth she was grateful, having no corset to bind her and no petticoats to fuss with, she felt free for the first time since the age of nine.

“You do not deny it?” the sentinel asked “you did these things of your own accord”

“Yes” Arianna said “I was not bewitched or enchanted, nor was I hypnotized. That dragon did not deserve to die in such a cruel way. It was not mad as the ones who attack our border are, nor did it hurt any of our men, not fatally at least, when it could have easily eaten a few and perhaps roasted us alive. Yet it did not, it exhibited restraint, it did not even attack the king who had every intention of killing it” Arianna fell silent as the Court whispered and murmured at her words. It was many minutes before they reached a verdict. The king stood, stony faced and delivered it.

“The Kings Court find you, Arianna of Hypren, guilty of treason” the king said “but in light of your previous occupation, death shall not be the penalty.” Arianna sat rigged with surprise. “You are hereby banished to the Mountains of Endrid, never to return” and the king raised his voice “and it is now proclaimed that anyone in contact with this traitor after she has been banished will be imprisoned for the rest of their lives as prisoners of war.” The scribe hunched over his paper and scribbled furiously, Arianna closed her eyes against the grief she felt. Hypren was her homeland, and now she was never to come back, never to see Lana married, never to laugh again with Palma about the silliest things. Never to sit in her father’s study and smell his cigar smoke and listen to him grumble about the various lords. A single tear trickled down her cheek, as she opened her eyes.

“As per our laws, you shall be issued one bow and a quiver of arrows and one spare set of clothes” the king continued. “Nothing more, nothing less.”

At the kings wave of dismissal the guards hauled Arianna to her feet. But she planted her feet firmly.

“Wait” she said in a ringing voice. Automatically the guards stopped, out of habit. Looking up at her father Arianna spoke. “I’m sorry it has to be this way Father”

The king’s expression darkened

“I am not your father” he said, hatred slicing through his voice like a knife. And Arianna felt her heart break as she was dragged away. But she did not cry. She would not cry, she had sworn long ago that she would never be helpless. It was time to prove it.

The rickety prison wagon bumped and rattled down the dirt road, dust stinging Arianna’s eyes and clogging her throat. The soldiers who drove cursed at every bump and the one who rode the horse at the back held a stony silence. Arianna was thinking fast, as they entered the loggers trail that headed into the Snakes Pass, which opened up into the mountains, they would drop her at their location, the first thing she would need was to find shelter, a cave would be best but she did not think that her luck would be that good. So what else? She had no rope, but the moss that hung from the trees might be strong enough to perhaps tie a few boughs together, a paltry shelter, but it would suffice until she found a better one. Water would need to be nearby, but a creek could be easily found, food would be hardest. She had never hit a moving target before, but she had confidence in her aim that she could at least get a game bird or two, but she would need practice with faster things like hare and deer.

Arianna sighed, already missing the fireplace and the hot tea. It was lucky that Palma often rambled about ingredients while she cooked though. Arianna knew which herbs would help dull pain and which would work best as a healing poultice. But she was hardly prepared for other things; she did not know what was poisonous and what animals resided in these mountains, or how to ward them off. She felt angry at her so called tutors, all those years wasted of learning embroidery or of which fork to eat a salad with and how to dance the waltz, it was all useless where it mattered.

For the next hour or so as the horses tried to find every bump and hole they could Arianna brooded over her life. She was nothing now; she had little idea of who or what she was now, an outcast, a failure. She knew what she had been, a bystander, and a doe-eyed sheep to be herded around and fancied up to be judged at the state fair. She gripped the cool metal and stared at the thickening greenery, the forest giving off a clean fresh smell.

This was a blessing in disguise to Arianna, here she would find out who she really was and if she had the courage and the wit to survive, she might become an explorer, like her stories always talked about, an adventurer. Or perhaps if she lived long enough to get to know these mountains, she could enter a job as a guide in Amsternotus or Dunbro.

Arianna scolded herself for thinking too far ahead, there were too many factors against her for such a thing to pass.

“Ho” the driver called, pulling the horses up. They were by a small creek, a clearing was just a few yards in “we camp here for the night” the driver said “horses need a rest and I personally don’t want to see what creatures come out of the woodwork when the stars come out”

“Alright, you big trout” the man beside him said stretching “I’ll rustle us up some grub, you get them horses a drink, and you watch the prisoner” the man pointed to the stony guard at the back, who nodded curtly, his helm plume wiggling.

The soldiers set up camp, taking Arianna down to relieve herself but quickly throwing her back up into the wagon, once she finished. They ate a hearty meal and gave Arianna a bit of bread and what was left of the stew. She ate it eagerly, not caring if it was cold; she had not eaten since the morning of the day she saved the dragon. That had been almost two days ago, but the soldiers weren’t a bad sort at least, they were simply doing as instructed, treat the prisoner as a prisoner, no matter who she was before.

It was another hour before snores were heard around a dying fire, Arianna could not sleep, having been raised on soft feather beds, the wood floor was like agony to her. She was just about to start scolding herself for the second time that day when the door to the wagon opened and the rear guards head poked in.

“What do you want” Arianna’s voice cracked from disuse but she still held a defiant stance, waiting for anything.

“Calm down” a woman’s voice said, pulling off her helm “it’s me”

“Lana?” Arianna whispered in shock. “What in Nessafor’s name are you doing here?”

“I told the king I was going to visit family” Lana said quietly “to ‘get over the shock of the princess being a traitor’ Arianna why did you do it?”

“That dragon did nothing wrong” Arianna said heatedly “it didn’t attack us and it didn’t hurt anyone. It didn’t deserve to die”
“Arianna” Lana said shocked “your own mother was killed by a dragon”

“And a man raped your aunt” Arianna shot back “so all men are monsters now too is that it? Will the actions of one condemn the whole?”

“That’s different”

“Oh” Arianna feigned surprise “tell me how that is different? I am quite ready to hear your reasons”

But Lana stayed quiet, unable to argue against her. Her logic was sound, but it was hard to get past the fact that a girl who had the most reason to hate dragons had saved one.

“What are you doing here Lana” Arianna asked “besides to lecture me.”

“Uncle wanted me to give you these” Lana said and she unwrapped the package she carried. It was the diamond sword, the staff and the armored gown.

“Lana” Arianna whispered and threw her arms around her friend “thank you so much”

“I’m sorry I didn’t speak up for you” Lana said quietly as she pulled away “I should have.”

“I would never have let you” Arianna said “I did the deed and I paid the price” a snort sounded from one of the mounds beside the campfire. “You best go, if you could put that with my things I would be much obliged”

“Ari?” Lana whispered

“Yes” she asked as she tried to find a comfortable spot on the floor.

“Do you regret it?” Lana asked. Arianna stayed silent as she pondered her friend’s question.

“No” Arianna said “though it saddens me that I must say good-bye to you and will not get to see you married, or see the children you bring into this world, I would still have stood between my father and that dragon.”

“A part of me thinks you are nobler for that” Lana said sadly “but another is angry that you did it”

“I’m sorry, Lana” Arianna whispered

“I know” she said “but always know that you are still and always will be my sister”

“Forever untied” Arianna whispered as the door closed.

The dark haired young man seemed agitated; there was an urgency about his person that sent people out of his way. His features suggested that he had just reached man hood, and he carried himself as a warrior ought, moving through the streets with fluidity of a mountain cat. As he made his way towards the castle gates, everyone stared, hoping that this man brought good news, perhaps a message from the front lines, it would certainly make them feel better after the events of the last two days, to hear about family and friends who had volunteered to fight the dragons.

The man could feel the eyes on his back and he felt extremely uncomfortable, now knowing why mages have not been seen in Hypren for nearly two centuries, the magic here was so abundant that it was all he could do to contain what his body was absorbing, and with the hatred of mages still fresh as a raw wound from the Old Wars it was not surprising. But he had to see the princess, had to see the young woman who had stood between a dragon and his beheading. He walked across the drawbridge, glancing at the moat beneath and smiling at the naiads there, invisible to mortal eyes. How odd, he thought, that a country that hates magic and magical creatures would have an abundance of both. It was certainly ironic, as a brownie peeked out of the stones in the wall to look at him.

“Halt” a guard called from the great oak doors, ornately carved and iron studded. The man obliged. “State your business, stranger”

“If I may” the man said “I would like a audience with the princess, her Highness Arianna”

The guards glanced at each other then turned back to the stranger.

“Hypren has no princess” the guard who had spoken deadpanned. The stranger felt as though he had been punched, no, he could not be wrong.

“Rothbar, Lemmings. Break time, the noon shift will be here in two minutes, their suiting up, I’ll take watch” guards snapped to attention as a large burly old man lumbered toward them out of a side gate. The training arena the stranger thought “hop to it men” and the guards left quickly. “Can I help you, boy?”

The young man’s pride bridled at the reference, but swallowed the childish remark that leapt to his tongue.

“I seek an audience with her Highness, Princess Arianna” he stated and folded his arms across his chest. He noticed with no amount of smugness that he was taller than the older man and, though he didn’t look it, probably just as strong.

“Now lad that’s a shame you come now” the man said sadly “the princess was banished two days ago.”

“What” the young man asked astonished “why? On what charges?”

“Treason, boy” the old man said “and a sad thing too, tore the poor king apart to do it. But the penalty for saving a dragon and a prisoner of war is death; it was all he could get by with”

“Saving a dragon” the stranger repeated quietly a knot forming in the pit of his stomach.

“Aye, the kingdoms been in state, I’ll tell you, findin’ out their princess is a traitor” the man said “the names Hall, I’m the blacksmith and arms master here”

“A pleasure, Master Hall” the young man said distractedly “I best be on my way then.”

“What was your business with Arianna, lad” the smith asked the young man turned back

“She paid a friend of mine a good service” the young man said carefully

“That girl always did have a soft spot for us lower born” the smith said with a sad smile.

“Indeed” the young man said “good fortune to you Smith Hall”

“And to you, lad” he called as the new guards came to their posts and he crossed the drawbridge once again. He felt quite wretched, guilty and angry at himself. It was his fault she was banished, he had asked Fallon to fly over Hypren to see if the rumors of rogue dragons were true. It was his fault Fallon had gotten hurt, his fault he had gotten captured.

Do not despair, Chosen, we shall find her the never ending presence in his mind whispered. The young man smiled after all we dragons do have our resources

Arianna watched as the wagon and the men disappeared into the greenery, leaving her tied to the elm. Lana had laid her knife next to her as the men had directed, still thinking she was a simple guard, and then instructed her to put her pack on the other side of the clearing. She sighed, and so it was begun. She shimmied down the tree trunk and gripped the knife, and being careful not to cut her wrists, sawed one piece of rope, the rest unwinding, leaving her with two decent sized pieces of rope. She smiled; she did not need to use moss after all.

Crossing the clearing she picked up the pack and tossed it over her shoulder, shelter first she thought and walked into the mist.